Pick your Location

I had watched Muay Thai at both of the 2 primary Muay Thai stadiums in Bangkok when I had visited for the first time over 5 years ago.  I remember having a great time at Lumpini (often spelled Lumpinee) Stadium which had exciting fights and even a Muay Boran demonstration.  Muay Boran (Muay means ‘boxing’ & boran means ‘ancient’) is the ancient style of Thai boxing in which competitors wore ropes around their fists instead of gloves.  I also remember my night of Muay Thai at Rajadamnern stadium not being as fun so obviously I wanted to go to Lumpini Stadium.

It turns out picking the location to watch Muay Thai in Bangkok really depends on the day you wish to view it.  Lumpini Stadium has the fights on Tuesday, Fridays and Saturdays while Rajadamnern stadium holds the Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday fights.  On a side note, there are also Wednesday night Muay Thai which is free, often has women fights and is located at the MBK shopping center.  The major stadiums do not have women fights and women are not even permitted in the ring.

2 Girls Duking it Out at MBK's Muay Thai Fight Night

Getting There & Buying Tickets

I knew that Lumini Stadium had the fights on Friday night so I planned to go there after my trip to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho I planned to take a taxi all the way from the old section of Bangkok to Silom during rush hour to catch the Muay Thai event that started at 6pm.  I told the taxi driver to take me to “Sanam Lumpini” (sanam means ‘stadium in Thai) and he told me there was no boxing there that night and I would have to go to Rajadamnern Stadium which was very close to the Grand Palace where I had just been.

I thought the driver had a commission arrangement w/ Rajadamnern Stadium or something so I continued to argue until I realized that it was Thurdsay and not Friday.  The taxi drivers are usually more than happy to take you to a Muay Thai event which suggest they get a commission.  Most farang (Caucasian foreigners in Thai) are offered the front row seats at a price of 2000 baht ($60 USD).  I had planned to sit as close as possible to get some photos with my Nikon D700 and assorted lenses so paying for the “better” seats was no problem.

Orono Wor Petchpun - Famous Muay Thai Great

The Event

It turns out that the ringside seats were not really great at all for taking photos as every shot had the ring ropes in the way.  You can view on the slideshow on the bottom of this post.   Rajadamnern Stadium has 3 main levels of seating (refer to the photo at the top of the post).  The floor level has seats mostly foreigners, boxes for the judges and standing room for the fighter’s crew.  The secondary level of seating has mostly Thai people from what I saw.  This is where the people place bets on each fight with hand signals like the New York Stock Exchange.  Then there is a top row of seating which is inside a chain linked fence.

One side of the 2nd level is completely devoid of people as it holds the TV cameras.  Other than being able to put the camera through the ring ropes, like the paid event photographers, this middle section which is elevated over the ring ropes would probably be the best place to take photos.  I am not sure how much it costs or even if non-gambling foreigners are allowed.  The event had mostly young kids with the exception of  a Muay Thai boxer I had heard of by the name of Orono Wor Petchpun (Muay Thai fighter’s last names are actually the names of their gym) who is one of Thailand’s best boxers.  He has 2 KO wins over the great Yodsanklai Fairtex and 2 decision wins over the K1-Max  international superstar Buakaw Por. Pramuk.  Check out this YouTube clip with him in action.

To me, most of the fights were pretty boring.  I remember the first time I went to Lumpini Stadium the fights were all exciting which makes me want to go back there and check it out again.  Not a single fight had a KO and there was a LOT of clinching.  I’m not sure what the exact rules are or how to score the fights, but it seemed that clinching and throwing was happening more than striking.  The event got lively for what I believe was the main event.

The championship fight pitting what appeared to be a couple 13 year-olds got lively when both entered the stadium with their entourages.  One was dressed with a pointy medal hat (see in slide show) while the other had a whole “hype crew” of a painted face guy, a huge fat guy waving a flag and of course, a Chinese-style dragon dancer!  The crowd was especially rambunctious for this fight but it ended with one being crowned champion, and of course, like all the other fights that night, I had no idea who was going to win the judges decision.

Scenes from the Championship Fight

Overall Impression

While I didn’t have the best time at this Thursday night event at Rajadamnern Stadium I still would highly recommend anyone who is visiting Thailand to check out a night of fights.  Like I stated before, I remember having a better experience at Lumpini Stadium but any place you watch Muay Thai in Thailand you will see a different side of Thai people.  People who are generally reserved and quiet are going crazy in a raucous crowd which had a few scuffles amongst fans likely over gambling.

For tourists, also keep in mind that Rajadamnern Stadium is very close to Khao San Road, Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace, some of Thailand’s major tourist attractions.  For those who live in Thailand and have never been to Muay Thai it is worth going as well.  I would be willing to bet a night of the real championships would be a very fun night to attend Muay Thai fights at Rajadamnern Stadium.  For those who don’t care to see fighting and especially don’t want to pay 2000 baht to do so, head to MBK shopping center on Wednesday evenings and you can see what Muay Thai is all about for free.

The 3 Headed Elephant

I saw photos on Flickr of amazing looking interiors and I had to check it out.   It turns out the Viriyaphant family, the same family responsible for creating The Ancient City (Ancient Siam) created the Erawan Museum.   Erawan is the Thai name for the Airavata which is a white elephant who carries the Hindu god Indra.  Upon arriving the unique appearance of the museum is apparent.

Exterior of the Erawan Museum

Getting to the Erawan Museum

The Erawan Museum is technically not located in the city or province of Bangkok but it is very close.  Like Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) the Erawan Museum is located in Samut Prakan which is right next to Bangkok.  It is actually located right off Sukhumvit Road.  I hailed a taxi from my apartment at Sukhumvit Soi 13 and he charged me 200 baht ($6USD) plus 40 baht ($1.20 USD) for the expressway toll to get to the Erawan Museum but this is not the best way.

The best way for anyone to get to the Erawan Museum is to take the BTS as far east as possible (currently On Nut Station) then hail a cab from there as the Sukhumvit Road traffic is almost always completely congested in greater Bangkok.  On the way back from Samut Prakan which was around 30 minutes with good traffic the driver actually used the meter which totaled to be around 170 baht.  Just like going anywhere in Bangkok, if you want to spend the least amount of money, make sure you only get in a cab once they agree to use the meter.

Traditional Thai Dancers performing in front of Erawan Museum

Exploring In & Around the Erawan Museum

The museum is only a portion of the experience you will get when going there.  Assuming you are “politely dressed” i.e. no tank tops, shorts, bikini tops or minskirts you pay the entrance fee of 150 baht ($4.50 USD) and are allowed to roam freely in the large gated area which amounts to a nice garden and park with a couple temples and more.  I chose to go directly in the museum to see if it was free of people for some good photos.  Upon entering the main museum I was ushered to the bottom where I was told no photos and entered the air-conditioned basement museum.  This basement museum had mostly old Chinese and Thai pottery as well as a bunch of information.  I spent around 15 minutes walking around looking then I decided to go into the main museum.

After taking off my shoes I walked into the main museum which was a site to behold (see photo at top of post).  It is difficult to describe but one word that comes to mind is breathtaking.  There are many various sculptures and staircases which are a work of art themselves (you can see more of the sights in the slideshow at the bottom of this post).  The main hall was not air conditioned so after taking my fair share of photos I made my way to the top of the stairs where I found the (air conditioned) spiral staircase which leads up to the belly of the elephant.

Spiral Staircase Leading up to the Top Floor (Inside the Elephant)

Up to the Belly of the Beast

After climbing several flights of the spiral stairs (note:   There is a also an elevator) I made it to the top room and WOW.  The room was shaped as an beautifully painted arc which surrounded by several encased Buddhas.  The Buddhas had no photo signs so I didn’t take any shots of them.  I had a chance to take a bunch of photos as the occasional tourist or Thai would come up to pray to the main Buddha.  I literally stayed in this air conditioned room for 30 minutes shooting photos and just absorbing the ambiance.

The Final Room at the End of the Spiral Staircase

Overall Impression

I thought the Erawan Museum was Awesome with a capital A.  I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Bangkok.  Erawan Museum was not at all crowded and I only saw one other western tourist there.  The visitors seemed to mostly be Thai and Chinese.  Every square inch of the museum is a site to see and once you exit there are plenty of other attractions including a temple with an Indian monk w/ dozens of doves, the aforementioned Thai dancers and I even got a chance to use my new Nikon 105mm Macro Lens to take photos of flowers, insects, birds and a frog.

If your time in Bangkok is limited, it is good to know that Erawan Museum is located within a few kilometers of Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) which is definitely a few hours worth of your time as well.  Plan a good day excursion from Bangkok and arrive at the Erawan Museum around 9-10 spend an hour or 2 there then procede to Ancient Siam for another 2-3 hours and you just had a good day of tourism to immerse yourself in the Thai culture.

Finally Inside the Grand Palace

Hopefully you already read Part I:  Getting to the Grand Palace.  At the main ticket entrance there is a guard and a bunch more people who are independent tour guides.  I had an older gentleman approach me who spoke English very well.   He asked for 300 baht ($9 USD) for around an hour tour which I took his offer.    I forgot his real name but he told me to call him, “Captain.”
Captain showed me the changing room for those who didn’t come “politely” dressed where you can buy clothes and get changed. I happened to have just bought a pair of long pants on Sukhumvit Road before I left so I had to change. After changing I proceeded to the ticket gate and paid the rather expensive (for Thailand) 350 baht ($11.30 USD) entrance fee.

Map of the Grand Palace (click to enlarge)

Touring the Grand Palace

I highly recommend getting a guide as Captain made everything a little easier as well interesting as had a extremely rich knowledge of everything in the palace.  I was there primarily for taking photos but Captain was very patient as I would stop and take photos while he was talking.

Taking photos in the palace was often times challenging due to the amount of tourists who were there posing for pictures.  I went on a weekday so I would assume it would be even more crowded on the weekends.  After entering the palace (scene at top of post) we walked around and Captain told me about the history of everything and a lot of information that I already forgot.

The first attraction was the actual temple (which I believe) the whole palace was built around named Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.   On the way to Wat Phra Kaew my guide told me about all the various temples and where the designs originated.  I was surprised to hear that many styles of structures were given to Thailand from places such as Cambodia and China.  There was even a large scale model of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.

The actual Temple of the Emerald Buddha was the only place where photography was prohibited.  I took the picture of the emerald Buddha (below) from outside the main area which like all other worshiping areas required you to take off the shoes.   Wat Phra Kaew was pretty standard as far as temples in Thailand go.  It was surrounded with hundreds of gold statues.

The Emerald Buddha

Moving from Buddhism to the Monarchy

After filling my mind with a bunch of knowledge and camera with plenty photos I moved away from Wat Phra Kaew towards the south of the Grand Palace grounds.  The south part of the Grand Palace grounds contained Thai government and royal administrative buildings as well as the former residence of the King and the guest quarters.

I got a kick out of the guide’s story of the guest quarters when he told me the list of the guests who have stayed there which included a bunch of royals and oddly enough Bill Clinton.  I could only imagine how Bill Clinton would spend his night in Grand Palace guest residence.  After hearing taking some photos of the impeccable landscaping and buildings my attention was grabbed by the sounds of marching boots.

Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall

Changing of the Guard

I had taken a few photos of the guards before but I got lucky as it was time for the changing of the guard.  I missed a shot of the changing of the guard in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Temple in Taipei so it was time to redeem myself.  The soldiers who looked as if they were all under 18 did the changing of the guard ceremony and it turned out to be a perfect end to my visit to the Grand Palace.  This section of the Grand Palace  was not as interesting as the Buddhist temple and monument section but it was a good place for people to take photos.

Changing of the Guard at the Grand Palace

Overall Impression

Not too long ago I was told by a fellow expat living in Thailand that the Grand Palace was overrated and I would agree with that sentiment.  I am definitely NOT saying it isn’t worth going to but for the price (100 baht cab ride, 350 baht entrance, 300 baht guide) it simply isn’t very much more impressive than other temples or buildings throughout Thailand.  The fact that they can charge 350 baht for admission really tells you a lot about how popular the Grand Palace is as a tourist attraction though.  I saw just as many Thais there as foreigners.   Again, I would highly recommend hiring a guide for your Grand Palace experience.  If you’re that cheap you can even bargain with the tour guides near the changing room.  I’m glad after 16 months of living in Bangkok I finally made it to the Grand Palace but I would consider it a great place to get started for anyone visiting Bangkok and Thailand.

If you plan to make it to the Grand Palace be sure not to miss Wat Pho which is one of the oldest and most impressive temples in Bangkok and is located directly behind the Grand Palace.

Wat Pho – Coming Soon

The Grand Palace

Thailand is a popular tourism destination for many reasons one being the predominantly Buddhist Thai culture which is apparent in every nook and cranny of the country.  Arguably the center of Thai culture in the whole country of Thailand lies in the Grand Palace which in old part of Bangkok.

Most first time visitors to Bangkok will see the Grand Palace at one point of their visit especially if a visit is included in a guided tour of Bangkok as any guided tour will include the crown jewel of Bangkok’s tourist attractions.

The Grand Palace is a section of land that not only holds several famous Buddhas and temples but also is the center of the Royal Thai monarchy.  As I quickly learned from my guide and the pamphlet I was given for purchasing a ticket, the Grand Palace is not just a Buddhist temple.

Without getting into too much detail about the history of the Grand Palace which you sure to learn upon your visit, the Grand Palace consists of everything from administrative buildings to the former residence of the King to Buddhist monuments as well as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

On the Outside Looking in: The Grand Palace at Night

Essential Information:  Before you Go

Entrance Fee: 350 baht

Last Ticket Sold: 3:30pm (15:30) you can remain in the Palace after 3:30pm but you must buy your ticket before then.

“Polite Dress required’: This means long pants for men and no tanktops.  Women are expected to dress rather conservatively with means extremely short shorts and miniskirts are out.

Close attractions: If you make your way to the Grand Palace you may want to plan ahead and visit the adjacent Wat Pho and Wat Arun across the river.  If you’re not staying there, Khao San Road is very close as well.

Getting to the Grand Palace

For the countless first time visitors of Bangkok who stay near the infamous backpacker’s ghetto Khao San Road, getting to the Grand Palace is as simple as a 15 minute walk or a quick tuk tuk ride.  For those who are staying in the newer areas of Bangkok (Silom & Sukhumvit) getting to the Grand Palace will not only take longer.  For anyone staying away from Khao San Road there are 2 primary ways to get to the Grand Palace.

1.  The Scenic Route

Primarily for people who are visiting Bangkok as a tourist, the scenic route is recommended as it will allow them to see more of Bangkok.  The scenic route involves a trip on the BTS Sky Train.  Catch the underground (MRT) or BTS and make your way to the Saphan Thaksin station.  Directly under the station is an obvious path towards the Chao Phraya River where there is a river taxi station.  Buy the cheap  (15 baht?) ticket and board the boat which will slowly progress North on the Chao Phraya until station N13 is reached.  Once the station is reached the Grand Palace is close enough to walk to or take a quick  taxi or tuk tuk ride to.

2.  Taxi

Taking a taxi can be the either the quickest or slowest way to get to places.  Bangkok’s traffic will determine how long it takes to get there.  My journey from my Sukhumvit Soi 13 apartment took around 40 minutes because of the traffic.  If you decide to take a taxi there make sure you know the name of the main temple of the Grand Palace as telling the driver “Grand Palace” will often result in blank stares.  If you mention the primary temple ‘Wat phra Kaew’ the driver will almost certainly know where you want to go, but once you mention it be aware of the following:

Grand Palace Rip – Offs

Since the Grand Palace is probably Bangkok’s most popular tourist attraction the likelihood of dealing with scam artists is high.  Regardless of where you are hailing the taxi, BEFORE YOU GET IN, make sure he (would put he/she but I have never seen a woman taxi driver) turns on the meter.  If they request any amount of money, decline and move on to the next taxi which will likely be directly behind the one you are talking to followed by another, and another, and another.

A common scam amongst taxi drivers (especially those who congregate in “tourist” areas) is telling people, “The Grand Palace is closed.”  Unaware tourists will take their word for it and the taxi driver will take them on a commissionable tour of various (mostly Indian owned) highly overpriced tailors, “Thai export factories” aka fake souvenir & jewelry shops and more.  In short, get the taxi driver to turn on the meter before you get in and you will get to the location but you still need to be aware of the same scam once you get there.  If you plan to visit Bangkok or live there and are concerned about scams BangkokScams.com will be a helpful site for you.

Part II:  Touring the Grand Palace

Bangkok’s Best Kept Secret?

I happened to be looking at an apartment on Sathorn 3, Suan Plu Soi 8 one night when I walked past a unique food stall/restaurant.  Outside from the main dining area was a food stall with 2 pans with wonderful looking, sizzling steaks.  The minute I saw the steaks I new I had to try this place so I sat down and ordered.

After a few minutes I received my steak flambe’ and was immediately impressed by the presentation as well as the aroma.  I was hooked after the first bite as the meat was tender and delicious while the sauce was extraordinary.  After I finished the best steak I’ve had in Bangkok I asked for the “Check Bin” (check bill in Thai) and I was amazed that the price was only 150 baht!  ($4.63 USD).

I knew there was something fishy about this particular place to eat in Bangkok because I noticed the chef was paying incredible attention to detail while preparing the food.  I started talking with chef Sanjorn (or John).  It turns out Sanjorn is a current/former chef at the Sukhothai which is one of the swankiest 5-star hotels in all of Thailand!  He is an incredibly nice guy who is more than willing to tell you everything about his food as well as practice his English while you practice your Thai.

Sanjorn Cooking on Suan Plu Soi 8

Sanjorn Cookshop’s Location

Although the area is out of the way for most foreigners it is a great neighborhood.  I remembered vividly how much I liked the neighborhood because it was where the old Thai immigration center was.   In addition to the many food stalls on Thanon Suan Plu, there is a wonderful outdoor food market right at the beginning of the soi.  It is easy to see the area is close to a major university as there are uniformed students everywhere.

The actual location of Sanjorn Cookshop is on Sathorn (Thai: สาทร) or Sathon 3, Suan Plu Soi 8.  It is 4 shops down on the left hand side where you will see the outside cooking area and the inside dining area.  It is relatively close to both Sala Daeng BTS, and Lumpini & Silom MRT stations but I take my bicycle there.  It takes me around 20 minutes via bicycle to get to Sanjorn Cookshop from my apartment at Sukhumvit Soi 13.

The Food & Menu

The steak is what I order almost every time I head to Sanjorn Cookhouse.  Each time the steak meal  has subtle differences based on what’s available and so far everything has been absolutely delicious.  The menu is hardly limited to steak as the other menu items which include everything from salmon, to fish, to pork to traditional Thai dishes look amazing.  The best part is everything on the menu is affordable.  I have had food at restaurants in Bangkok that cost several times more than John’s food but the taste pales in comparison.

My Favorite Steak in Bangkok for 150 baht

Some more of the Amazing Menu Items for less than 200 baht at Sanjorn Cookshop

Overall Impression

When dining out at a place for the first time I can immediately categorize the place into one of 3 categories:  1.  Will never eat at again, 2.  Will possibly eat at again and 3.  I’m coming back tomorrow and Sanjorn Cookshop easily fit in the number 3 category.  The chef John is a very nice guy who can provide a lot of information about the food he prepares.

John’s experience and abilities as a chef are likely in the top 1% of Bangkok restaurants and he offers his tasty creations for a fraction of the price that it would cost elsewhere.  Since the price is so affordable I look at Sanjorn as an affordable “personal chef.”  Even though the location is “out of the way” to most foreigners living in Bangkok, it is a breath of fresh air with mostly Thai people, some cool shops, markets and of course my favorite place to eat in Bangkok, Sanjorn Cookshop.

http://web.me.com/garycollier1/Sanjorn/Welcome.html

What is Ancient Siam?

Ancient Siam is also known as Ancient City to anyone who speaks English.  In Thai it is called Muang Boran.  According to the Ancient Siam brochure you receive on arrival, “Ancient Siam is an excellent reflection of Thailand’s multi-faceted ancient culture presented in an authentic and visually exciting setting.”

From some of the information I read about Ancient Siam, it was originally going to be a miniature golf course.  What Ancient Siam is today is basically an outdoor museum set on a plot of over 200 acres shaped like the country of Thailand (see map below).  Ancient Siam contains 116 ‘artifacts’ of Thailand’s culture.

The ‘artifacts’ range from everything from a simple small statue, to giant Buddhas, to the aforementioned floating market to giant temples which you can walk in.  Each ‘artifact’ has a sign with a description printed in English and Thai.  According to the free map given at the ticket purchase each ‘artifact’ is either real, taken from the real site for reconstruction, duplicated from an original in Thailand or a creative design built specifically for the Ancient City.

Ancient Siam Map (Click to Enlarge)

Getting to Ancient Siam from Bangkok

Ancient Siam is located in Samut Prakan province, between 30-40km from Bangkok depending on where you depart from.  You can get there by bus by taking the air-conditioned bus #511 (Pinklao-Paknam) to the end of the line and from there, taking the mini-bus #36 which passes the entrance of Ancient Siam.

If you take a taxi as I did, be prepared to negotiate.  Make sure you negotiate the price for the fare before you get in the cab. Even if the driver starts the meter, and you tell him Muang Boran he will likely try to overcharge you.  Make sure you get a return trip as well as the driver will be more than happy to sleep in his car while you’re in the park for 1, 2 or even 3+ hours.

When negotiating, keep in mind that the trip is about as far as a trip to the airport.  There will also be a tollway fee of 45 baht ($1.39 USD) each way.  I ended up paying 800 baht ($24.68 USD) total for the round trip having the driver pay the highway tolls.  I feel I may have overpaid a bit, so you may want to offer a couple hundred less and try to get the round trip for around 600 baht ($18.51 USD).

How long the trip takes depends on your taxi driver and above all traffic.  When I went, around 1:30pm, returning around 5:30pm it took me around an hour each way which I though was not bad considering there were few of those Bangtkok moments when your car is stopped motionless for minutes at a time.

Ticket & Transportation

Like I mentioned, Ancient Siam is no miniature golf course.  The overall area is 200 acres so walking in the sweltering heat is probably the last thing you want to do.  Aside from walking there are 4 primary options of transportation within the park;  1.  You can pay a fee to allow your private vehicle or taxi driver to drive through the park; 2.  You can get on a tram with a group for a guided tour; 3.  You can rent a bicycle which I saw hundreds available for rent; and 4.  You can rent an electric powered golf cart with either 2 or 4 (possibly more) seats.

I chose to rent a golf cart which cost 100 baht ($3.08 USD) per hour.  After I bought the admission ticket which cost 350 baht ($10.80 USD), renting the golf cart from the booth right outside the air conditioned ticket office took about a minute.  There seemed to be a shortage of golf carts although I could be mistaken.  I was there on a Wednesday afternoon, so if you go on the weekend, you may want to prepare to wait for a golf cart, use one of the guided tours or rent a bicycle.

The golf cart was perfect for me because I put my my camera bag in the passenger seat and lazily drive around sipping multi-colored Fantas while shooting photos with my Nikon D700 and  my Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR telephoto lens .

Getting around the Ancient City's Nice Wide Roads via GOlf Cart

Overview of Ancient City & More Information

Muang Boran had an interesting variety of sites.  While some were replicas of actual temples, or the actual ‘refurbished’ temples others were pretty cheesy “creative designs.”  While some of the sites seemed pretty authentic, compared to sites you will see traveling all around Thailand, others such as Sumeru Mountain (pictured below) seemed right out of an amusement park.

Besides just looking at things, there are also things to do such as the floating market, a deer farm and possibly more things I didn’t see.   Look to spend at least 2 hours just sight seeing at Ancient City.  If you want to get out of your golf cart, and check out the various temples and the floating market you could spend 3-4 hours there easily.  There is plenty of places to get drinks, snacks and food.  The park closes at or around 5pm so going early is the best option which will let you avoid the extreme heat and humidity as well.

Sumeru Mountain

Overall Impression

I enjoyed the 2 hours I spent touring Ancient Siam.  While my focus was less about learning the culture about the 116 ‘artifacts’ of the Ancient City the time I spent there I felt “busy” without long periods of nothing to do.  When I was thirsty it was easy to find something cold to drink, and I stayed cool from the breeze while driving the golf cart.

While to some, especially people who have traveled extensively throughout Thailand, Ancient Siam may seem like a cheesy “canned tour” others will consider Ancient Siam as a cultural experience.  I would highly recommend Muang Boran, the Ancient City to anyone who is spending a limited time in Thailand, specifically in Bangkok as it will give them a decent look into Thai culture and history.  I would recommend Ancient Siam to photographers who want to get some shots, but to hardened “templers” or other people who travel far and wide just to see yet another temple, I would only slightly recommend Ancient Siam.

The overall cost for me, including ticket, golf cart rental and transportation was 1300 baht ($40 USD) may be a little high for a budget traveler traveling alone but going in a group will slash the cost a lot.  I probably wouldn’t go back to Ancient Siam but I think for anyone in Bangkok for a few days, especially those who don’t have the time to travel around in Thailand, to spend an afternoon exploring the Ancient City.

One of the Greatest Man-Made Wonders of the World

Only those who have lived in a cave their whole life have not heard of the Great Wall of China.  There is a saying in Chinese which amounts to, “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.”  It is considered one of the most impressive man-made wonders in the history of mankind.   You pick any history book or website and read more about the history of the Great Wall of China.

Besides the fact that the first thing someone will ask when finding out you traveled in China is, “Did you go the Great Wall,”  I have always been interested in man-made structures whether it be giant urban skyscrapers to Buddhist temples.  As soon as I thought about visiting mainland China I began planning to visit the Great Wall.  I knew the Great Wall passed through some seriously remote parts of China but getting there turned out to be easier than I thought.

Great Wall of China Sections Near Beijing

Getting to the Great Wall of China from Beijing

If you didn’t know, the Great Wall of China covers a very long distance.  Very long may be an understatement as in the USA it would go from San Francisco to New York!  Having a wall that far is a feat in itself but the Great Wall weaves through some very rugged mountainous terrain.

The Great Wall’s most popular section is called Badaling and there is no coincidence that it is located around 30 minutes via car north of Beijing.  There are tour groups that go there multiple times per day in tour buses and vans but if you’re lucky you can either get a car and drive yourself.

I was lucky enough to have a friend in Beijing who offered to give me a ride.  We piled in her car and headed on our short journey to the great wall.  The way to the great wall is along a major highway with signs just like anywhere in the world   As we were driving I noticed we passed a huge, impressive looking section of the Great Wall on a hillside which was filled with tourists.  While I kind of worried we were passing the main attraction my friend who was from Beijing knew what she was talking about.

Looking up the Right Side after Purchasing Tickets

A Different Section of the Badaling Great Wall of China

The first section of the Great Wall we passed on the freeway is the most popular for many reasons, primarily because It is closest to Beijing and secondly because it is fully renovated.  Since the wall has been around for over 1000 years much of it is crumbling.  We ended going to one of those crumbling sections which appeared its renovation was incomplete.  Although you really couldn’t see much of it on the highway, it was located on the right side of the highway only around 10km past the first section which was on the left.  Getting there involved going through 2 or 3 villages on dirt roads for about 5-10 minutes but it was well worth it.

As we arrived there were about 2-3 Mongolian yurts which I think were rented out for people to stay the night.  There was a small ticket office which charged a fee which I believe was about 500 Chinese Yuan ($15 USD) then we were free to explore.  As you walked you could see the gateway was really where the Great Wall had crumbled as you could see huge stacks of rocks on the right and the left.

Entrance: Option to hike to the Right or Left

Exploring the Great Wall of China on Foot

We decided to go up the right side.  The right side of this particular section of the Great Wall looked very, very far as it went over the mountain which was off in the distance.  I could see that most of the wall was intact but some if it was obscured by the very uneven hilly terrain so I didn’t know for sure whether I could make it all the way to the top but it ended up not mattering.

When I thought about the Great Wall of China I failed to realize that it is very steep.  The section I climbed had a mixture of small steps and extremely large steps.  To say exploring the Great Wall was a workout is an understatement because it is a very difficult workout.

Each section climbing the hill was very difficult and took around 15-20 minutes to hike up.  Even with the chilly Northern China air and snow still on the ground and on parts of the wall, I started to sweat and was hot for most of the climb.

Each section ends with what I would describe as a ‘rampart’ which in ancient times, were likely manned with soldiers who were the first line of defense against a Mongol invasion.  While some of the ramparts were in good shape, others were in shambles.  Being inside one of the ramparts gave me an eerie feeling as I was thinking how a lone guard would react to seeing a Mongol army storming his position.

When I first started climbing the wall I wanted to climb to a point at the very top of the mountain you can see in the photo below.  While I was getting tired my legs felt like jello the reason I didn’t continue ascending to the very top was because I wasn’t prepared and had little food and no water.

Best part about this particular Bedaling section of the Great Wall of China we climbed:  Other than a Chinese tour guide scouting out new routes, we saw not a single tourist for the entire 2 and a half hours we were on it!

Looking Down from as far as I Hiked (about 1/2 way up)

Overall Impression

The Great Wall was spectacular.  Thinking that I probably saw less than 1% of it had me even more impressed.  I liked the fact that it was also a very good workout climbing up the wall as well.  I only wish I had prepared for a hike rather a typical, “park – get out – take pictures – get back in” type of tourist attraction.

Depending on your travel plans, I would recommend spending a whole day on the Great Wall, possibly camping on it which is offered at various tour companies.  Since each section of the wall is unique you have quite a bit to see although I could imagine after going a couple, couple hundred, or couple thousands of miles on it could get monotonous.

The Great Wall of China is highly recommended for anyone who has a day or 2 in Beijing.  If I were Chinese I could say I’m finally a true man!

Taking a Piece of the Great Wall for Myself

View the Full Photo Set from the Great Wall of China

Getting to Beijing

Getting to Beijing from Guangzhou was not as simple as getting to Guangzhou from Bangkok.  I read in every China travel guide that it’s better and cheaper to book domestic flights in person rather than online.  The prices from online searches confirmed this as the flights as the prices for the non-Chinese airlines were high, and the domestic Chinese airlines do not accept online payments!

Since I had a friend arriving from Taipei to Beijing on a specific date, I felt the need to book my ticket as soon as possible to make sure I got there.  I decided to go to the ticket agent at Ramada Pearl Hotel in Guangzhou and book because I figured she would be able to understand a bit of English.

Her English, although far superior to my Chinese wasn’t great.  She booked me an early afternoon flight on China Eastern Airways.  While Chinese airlines have always had a bad reputation for everything from safety to service I truly didn’t know what to expect.  What I really didn’t expect was my business class ticket.  She booked me in business class in the half full Boeng 777 which made the flight a breeze, the food was pretty good and the service was outstanding!

The City of Beijing

I’m not sure if it was just the flight route but arriving in Beijing was different from all cities I’ve ever flown to.  While the sights of most plane’s approaches is usually rice fields, water or mountains, when flying to Beijing I saw a constant city skyline for at least the last 10 minutes.  I did a rough calculation that seeing city for 10 minutes at around 300 miles per hour equals about 50 miles of city!

Beijing was different than most large Asian cities that I’ve been to as the city center was not a cluster of giant skyscrapers but Tienanmen Square which really is just a huge vacant lot.  It’s safe to say that Beijing is a great example of urban sprawl.  The difficult Chinese language barrier withstanding, getting around Beijing was not very difficult.  As long as I knew where I was going and had help along the way, using the subways, taxis and other forms of transportation were not bad.

Beijing was cold in April when I visited.  I had a personal training client years ago who told me that Beijing’s women had a special name which related to their facial skin being rough because of the sand constantly blowing into their face.  Walking out of my hotel it took all but 5 minutes for the cold wind to blow sand in my face.   I’ll never forget that.

Places to Stay in Beijing:  Novotel – Coming Soon

West Beijing as seen from Jingshan Park

Things to Do in Beijing

Beijing has a multitude of things to do but the highlights definitely revolve around China’s history.  If you’re not walking around ancient places you can do anything in Beijing that you can do in any other major city in the world.  Beijing’s food is famous for its “Peking duck” but you will notice the authentic Chinese foods served in Beijing are very sesame centric.   Here are some of the things I did, or failed to do in Beijing.

Tienanmen Square

Most of the most popular hotels on sites such as Expedia’s Hotels.com were within walking distance to Tienanmen Square as was the Novotel I was staying at.  Of course everyone in the world outside of China remembers Tienanmen Square as the site of the student uprising which was dramatically put to end by the Chinese government.  The first thing anyone will notice when visiting Tienanmen Square is a very significant presence of the Chinese government from soldiers to police.

The entire Tienanmen Square and surrounding buildings which include significant government buildings are surrounded by a white metal fence which is a little more than a mater tall.  This makes it impossible to catch a taxi unless you exit the square from the north or the south.

Besides a few monuments and of course the tomb of Mao’s preserved body, Tienanmen Square is nothing more than a parking lot.  The fact that Tienanmen Square is a rather bland tourist attraction doesn’t take away from its allure as evidenced by the thousands or tens of thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists that visit.

Coupled its location & the fact that it is directly next to the Forbidden City and a historic, Tienanmen Square will likely continue to be popular with tourists foreign and domestic for many years to come.

Chinese Flag at North End of Tienanmen Square with Forbidden City in Background

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City in between Tienanmen Square and Jingshan Park.  Along with the Badaling section of the Great Wall it is probably the tourist site you want #1 on your list when you visit Beijing.  Unfortunately I missed on my opportunity to explore Forbidden City because I didn’t about the limitations for buying tickets so listen up.

To enter the Forbidden City you must buy your tickets before 4:30pm.  Even though the city is open until 8:30pm you will not be allowed in without a ticket.  I missed out the first 2 days in Beijing.  I arrived just after 4:30 and even tried to bribe the ticket agent at the gate for tickets but was denied.  I had to choose between the Forbidden City and the Great Wall for my last day in Beijing and I chose the wall.

Looking down on the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park

Zhongshan park

Zhongshan Park, the former imperial garden is a public park which is located southeast of the Forbidden City in the Dongcheng District of central Beijing.  Zhongshan park is another scenic park which has a mixture of landscaping, lakes, waterfalls and of course Chinese architecture.

Zhongshan Park Beijing

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is a a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of the Chongwen District in central Beijing.  Like the forbidden city, I missed out on going inside the temple grounds as I arrived after ticket sales were halted which I believe was around 8pm.  Even though I didn’t actually get in the temple there is a small admission fee to get in Tian Tan Park which surrounds the temple area.  The area was cool as I was able to chat w/ tourists and walk around.  I heard and saw some interesting things such as Chinese guys chanting, grunting and telling which I assume had something to do w/ qi.  I also saw groups of adults singing karaoke as well as a large group of retirees dancing near the entrance/exit.  I were told they get free entry in the park because of their age.

Behind the Gates of the Closed Temple of Heaven

Wangfujing Street

Wangfujing Street located in the Dongcheng District which was about a 5-10 minute walk from the Novotel I was staying at.  While Wangfujing Street was really nothing compared to shopping streets all throughout Asia you have to appreciate the fact that this is in the capital of communist China.  Wangfujing Street has some familiar retailers as well as some Chinese retailers.  This is not a place to buy cheap items though unless you’re talking about food.  There is an infamous food street which sells gimmick items such as live scorpion skewers as well as seehorse as well as the deliciously normal Chinese food items such as dim sum, noodles and more.

Walking down Wangfujing Walking Street in Beijing

Karaoke Lovers outside of the Temple of Heaven

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China Badaling Section outside of Beijing

Overall Impression

While Beijing certainly had a number of tourist attractions I could never live there.  It may sound odd, but in retrospect Beijing is China.  Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, & Taipei definitely do not feel as “China” as Beijing.   Beijing differs with the previously mentioned cities, because the major tourist attractions in Beijing are mostly old and ancient and have closer ties to the Chinese government and history.

While the government and police authority is clearly more present in Beijing than the other Chinese cities I visited, it is still comfortable to walk around in Beijing.  The parts of Beijing I visited were clean and while there was a good amount of traffic with cars honking with people hacking and spitting I never found Beijing to be nerve racking like I did Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

It helped greatly to have a couple of friends with me who spoke Chinese.  When they asked questions to people they always received a warm response as I noticed the people in China to be very social of course when spoken to in their own language.  More often than not, when asking directions a few people came over and tried to help which soon started to be a rather long conversation.

I stayed in Beijing for 4 nights which could have been enough if I planned my trip better.  I actually think 4 days is perfect for a trip to Beijing.  Staying at a hotel near Tienanmen Square and waking up early will allow you to visit the Forbidden City, the square and Jingshan Park in one day.  An excursion to the Great Wall would be perfect for your second day.  The third and fourth days would allow you to visit any museums, parks, or temples you are interested in.  Throw in another day for some shopping and you have a nice, activity packed trip to Beijing.

Next Destination in Mainland China – Shanghai - Coming Soon

Live Scorpions from a Food Street off Wangfujing Street

View More Photos from Beijing & All around the World at tourismPICS.com

Taipei, Taiwan, Taking a Trip down Memory Lane

I purposely waited to write my primary post about Taipei because I really had nothing to compare it to other than Hong Kong and all of your average Chinatowns that I’ve been to.  When I went to Taipei, other than my Taipei Lonely Planet Travel Guide, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I thought Taipei would be yet another large bustling Asian metropolis.  Now that I’ve been to mainland China including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai I feel I can write a little more about Taipei.

I actually got the trip to Taipei before I booked my weekend trip to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand the earlier weekend.   I didn’t realize it when I did that traveling 2 consecutive weekends is not a good idea.  The previous weekend I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Chiang Mai returning to Bangkok Monday Morning and I was scheduled to go to Taipei on Thursday which only gave me 3 days at home to catch up on this blog, tourismPICS.com amongst other things.

After I realized that traveling 2 consecutive weekends was probably not a good idea it was already too late to re-book the flight for the next weekend.  I also saw a poor weather forecast which included lots of cloudy skies and fog which makes taking good photos difficult as well.  Even though the next weekend was supposed to have better weather, I decided not to re-book and lose the few thousand baht I spent on the original tickets.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall in the center of the city of Taipei

Getting to Taipei

Lucky for me Taipei is only around 3 hours away from Bangkok.  I did a few searches on major flight search engines but found nothing cheaper than what AirAsia offered.  I took the painless 3 hour flight from Suhamabhumi to Taipei International and following the Taipei Lonely Planet guide’s advice, I took a bus from the airport to the city.

The drive in from the airport to the city was pretty long.  The bus had 3 drop off points which were relatively close to the hotel I booked for the first night.  I ended up getting off the bus at the first stop and then taking a taxi to the hotel which coincidentally was named First Hotel.

Typical Brightly Lit Taipei Street

Places to Stay in Taipei

I booked a hotel for the first night only beforehand because I wanted to make sure it was in a good neighborhood, write a couple more posts for this blog and of course the hotel only had 1 night available.  Maybe it was due to the fact I tried to postpone my trip to Taipei but I found it difficult to find hotels online.  I ended up calling hotels which happened to be full, and asking them for the numbers of hotels which possibly had vacancies.  I ended up staying at the following hotels in Taipei.

Places to Stay in Taipei:  First Hotel

Places to Stay in Taipei:  Dolomanco Hotel

Things to Do in Taipei

Just all Asian cities, Taipei has all the shopping anyone could hope for.  Whether you want expensive designer handbags or cheap knock-offs, you can find it in Taipei.  Here are some of the tourism attractions I had a chance to experience in the city of Taipei.

Taipei 101

Core Pacific City

Visit Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

River Bicycle Ride

Overall Impression

I truly believe I missed out by visiting Taiwan without leaving Taipei.  Like I mentioned in the introduction, Taipei is a relatively small city and with the language barrier it was very difficult to get around in a timely manner.  Looking in the Taiwan Lonely Planet Guide I saw many very beautiful sites that I wish I went to.

I can’t speak for Chinese speaking people but I would recommend anyone going to Taiwan to spend no more than 2 days in Taipei.  Plan your trip well ahead and plan your excursions outside of Taipei and see the beautiful natural as well as historic man-made attractions that Taiwan has to offer.

View More Photos from Taipei, Taiwan at tourismPICS.com

Tourims Pics Travel Photography

Getting to Guangzhou

My new strategy of travel lead me to make Guangzhou my first destination to mainland China.  Instead of taking long flights and passing over or even worse, waiting at the airport of places I want to visit, I flew to Guangzhou instead of Beijing where I was to meet a friend who was traveling as well.

Instead of taking the 5 or so hour international flight to Beijing, I took the 2 hour flight to Guangzhou offered by AirAsia which has the best prices in the region.  I made sure to pay the extra 250 baht ($7.50 USD) to get the exit row seat so I could type a post or 2 for this blog during the short trip.  Keep in mind both Shenzhen and Hong Kong are very close by and while all have international airports, the bullet train is probably the easiest and cheapest method of travel.

I arrived very late to the Guangzhou airport from Bangkok and I was immediately approached by a tout who spoke perfect English.  I was immediately skeptical thinking he was trying to rip me off or squeeze money out of me some way.  I was pleasantly surprised as he was able to sell me a sim card for my cell phone for cheap and lead me to a taxi for the drive to the hotel and didn’t try to charge me a single dime.

Places to Stay in Guangzhou, China – Ramada Hotel Pearl - Coming Soon

Getting Around in Guangzhou

Like Taipei which I visited a few months before, Guangzhou was very difficult to get around mentally at least.  Physically there was more than enough taxis, buses and a thorough subway system as well as a giant train station but mentally there was very little to help me get around.  Guangzhou seemed completely unprepared for tourism.

Even trying to find tourism information from the Ramada hotel I was staying at was almost impossible due to the language barrier.   There wasn’t even tourism pamphlets in English at the airport or my hotel.   Even when I booked my flight from Guangzhou to Beijing I could barely communicate my desired information to the attendant at the ticketing desk at my hotel.

Like Taipei, when I wasn’t getting around by foot, exploring the area around my hotel and the Pearl River I took taxis.  Taxis in Guangzhou were pretty cheap but required the directions written down in Chinese to go where you wanted.  I also found it interesting that there was a metal cage with some glass surrounding the taxi driver’s seat in all taxis.

Things to do in Guangzhou, China

Besides growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area which has a huge Chinese population, before Guangzhou I had traveled to Taipei, where very few people spoke English and Hong Kong where there are a lot of English speakers.  Since most of the Chinese people in San Francisco were from Guangdong province in southern China I hoped English would be widely spoken in Guangzhou.

My hopes were dashed as I found it very hard to get around, hence this “Things to do in Guangzhou” section is going to be slim.  Guangzhou is a huge city so I could have just been in the wrong areas but I’d assume English is not widely spoken anywhere in mainland China.

Since it was difficult for me to get around, like my trip to Taipei I feel, “I didn’t really do much” in Guangzhou.  Luckily from my hotel’s location I was able to walk to Guangzhou’s yet to be completed future main tourist attractions as well as a good portion of the Pearl River.

2010 Asia Games

Like the Olympics 2010 Olympics was a worldwide showcase for Beijing, the 2010 Asian Games is going surely to be huge for Guangzhou, Guangdong Province and China as a whole.  As you can see from the picture below when I was in Guangzhou the site for the games was under construction.

Under Construction site for the 2010 Asian Games

Visit the TV & Sight Seeing Tower

When I was in Guangzhou during the 2^nd week of April 2010 the tower appeared to be going through the final stage of construction.  As you can see from most of the photos, the tower is pretty easily visible from most of Guangzhou as it is Antenna or spire 610 m (2,001.3 ft) tall and is the third tallest structure in the entire world.

From a distance I could see the tower which would light up in mesh-like patterns of different colors.  There were plenty of views from along the Pearl River but I had a taxi driver take me to tower which was in the midst of a construction zone.  I assume the tower will open when the 2010 Asian games begins to showcase Guangzhou along with the following.

Visit the Guangzhou International Finance Center

The Guangzhou International Finance Center aka the West Tower of the Guangzhou Twin Towers skyscraper was an ominous dark object towering over the Guangzhou skyline at the time of my visit, but along with the Radio and TV tower it is likely to open for the start of the 2010 Asian Games.  As a new skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in the world, I assume it will have an observation deck and house numerous tourist attractions.  I didn’t get very close to it as it was obviously not finished yet.

Guangzhou International Finance Center (right)

Pearl River Walks & Liede Bridge

Guangzhou is basically split in half by the the Pearl River.  From what I read the Pearl River is very polluted as one may expect going through large industrial areas of China.  Access to the Pearl River was within a 10 minute walk from my hotel.  I was pleasantly surprised when there was a rather long scenic walkway along the river.   There were a few people milling about and a couples relaxing amidst the foggy/smoggy Guangzhou night.

The walkways along the Pearl River were a bit unpredictable as they would abruptly end or sometimes be under construction.  Also apparent along the Pearl River is Liede Bridge which is a brightly lit, futuristic looking bridge crossing the Pearl River.  There was walking paths on either side easily accessed by spiral staircases.  Interestingly enough the power abruptly shut off around 9pm which was the signal for me to catch a cab back to my hotel.

Walking Path Along Pearl River

Liede Bridge

Take the Bullet Train

Before I booked my flight from Bangkok to Southern China I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to go to Shenzhen or Guangzhou.  I decided on Guangzhou and planned to take the train to Shenzhen as it was only an hour away.  I made my way to the giant train station to find almost no English signs.  The train station was very confusing as there were many different booths and lines all w/ Chinese writing.  If you or a friend oes not speak Chinese and want to take the train from Guangzhou to anywhere, I highly recommend having a guide or things planned out beforehand.  I luckily found a scarce “English Speaking Booth” and got my ticket to Shenzhen.

Shenzhen China – Coming Soon

Overall Impression

The reason why I finally booked my first trip to mainland China was primarily because my (Chinese speaking) friend was going to be in Beijing and Shanghai.  Since I’d rather take multiple short flights rather than a single long one Guangzhou was more of a pit stop.  Similar to what I experienced in Taipei, it was very difficult to get around in Guangzhou because of the language barrier.

Like I mentioned before Guangzhou seemed like it wasn’t quite ready to be an international tourist attraction although you can see it was taking steps to be.  Perhaps I stayed in the wrong area but it seemed like there was not much going on in Guangzhou and I wouldn’t recommend anyone visit Guangzhou unless travel plans are well thought out and/or you or a friend speak fluent Chinese.