Bangkok, re-re-visited

OK, I can't remember how many times I have visited Bangkok. Its almost like a yearly affair either for business meeting or for shopping excursion. However, no matter how many times I come back to Bangkok, I always found something new to go to, some new place to visit, new eateries to try.

This time around, I found another new place worth mentioning, Its none other than the riverfront Asiatique.

It is not so much as a place to find something extraordinary to feast on that you should come here. Rather it is a new hip place with waterfront view. Frankly no matter where you end up dining in Bangkok, it almost quite sure to be OK.

Location : Bangkok

Ayutthaya Ancient City

I was wondering as I begin this blog if I should label the place as Bangkok or Ayutthaya. Technically, Ayutthaya is not located in Bangkok but really, who would come here unless you go to Bangkok. If you scroll down the places that I've explored, you'll know that I'm a fan of ruins. As a fan of ruins, I should definitely be here because the Ayutthaya Kingdom is one of the most important ancient city in this part of the world.

By the time I've finished exploring this place, I realised how some countries really did a damn good job in preserving the remnants of the ancient civilization under their care. Ayutthaya pales, so pale in comparison to the likes of Angkor Wat and Borobudur. There's not much information you can gather about Ayutthaya ancient city. So you just hired a driver and go there, and hope he brings you to the right temples. 

Anyway, here are the few temples / wat that I managed to cover in my sort-of-1-day-tour. 

1. Wat Mahathat is the reason why we came to Ayutthaya.

This Buddha head trapped in between tree roots is a sacred ground in Ayutthaya. Legend has it that the Buddha statue is destroyed in the war and that over the years, the tree roots pulled the head of the Buddha up from the ground. Not sure if that's true.

This Buddha head is the hot spot in Ayutthaya

This is a pull-back from close up.

You will not missed the Buddha's head because there's where everyone is standing / queuing to take a picture.

In fact, they placed a bench for people to sit and pose! So here we are ... Ayutthaya!

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

2. Wat Yai Chaimongkol is also one of the most important or must visit wat in Ayutthaya. Located not far away from Wat Mahathat, it is slightly bigger and structure are still quite intact. It was built sometime around 1300s by a Siam king for monks who had returned from Ceylon.  

Sleeping Buddha in  Wat Yai Chaimongkol

Wat Yai Chaimongkol

Buddha images in Wat Yai Chaimongkol

Behind me the main chedis (stupa) of Wat Yai Chaimongkol

3. Next up, Wat Phanan Cheong is a temple looking all oriental and Chinese. The story goes that, once there was a Siam King that has asked the Emperor of China's daughter to be his wife. She travelled from China to this area by boat. When she arrived, the King was not there to greet her. She was heart broken. She waited for a long time but the King did not come. Finally, she killed herself. The King was very sad, so he had this temple built for her. Well in actual fact, if this does happened, China would have launch a war at Ayutthya, don't you think? 

Buddha statue inside the temple

Chinese writings carved at the door

4. Finally, we also visited the Wat Phra Si Sanphet 

One of the chedis / stupa of this wat which is located within the ancient royal palace ground.
So I presume this is a temple for the royalties.

There all altogether three chedis believed to have kept the ashes of three Kings

Me and the Chedis

Oh, did I mentioned that Ayutthaya is about 1 and a half hour drive from Bangkok? Its probably 2 and a half hour if you are caught in traffic jam back to the city. If you are a fan of ruins, its probably worth your 1 day trip when you happened to be in Bangkok. 



Location : Ayutthaya, Thailand
Date of travel : March 2014

Boracay, day & night

Actually, what's there to blab about a beach right? Why not I just show some of the pictures I have of Boracay, day and night. So, here you go ...

A cafe at Station 1

Willy's Rock at Station 1
This is the spot to mark Station 1 in Boracay

Boracay Mandarin's private beach at Station 2
This is where I parked myself all day

Boracay Mandarin's private beach at Station 2

My view from sun lounging

Pina-colada in my hand

On our way to snorkelling

View from the snorkeling boat

View from the snorkeling boat

Sunset view at Station 2

Waterplay at sunset

One of my best shot of the sunset in Boracay
Touted as one of the best sunset view

When night falls in Boracay

Night falls in Boracay

The whole stretch of Station 1 & 2 comes alive at night with food, music, laughters reverberating everywhere. Chefs who dances while they cook ... such a happy place

Drink away til wee hours and crawl back to your hotel room, why not.

Location : Boracay Island, Philippines

Date of travel ; December 2013

Best Island in the world

Three days after we arrived in Cebu, we fly from Cebu Island to Caticlan town on Panay Island. From Caticlan, we took a ferry to yet another island. Remember I told you Philippines is make up of thousand of islands. So yeah, this is the quite troublesome, quite time consuming, quite costly example that I mentioned.

However, we still go through all that because after all the time, the trouble, the cost, we landed in one of the best island in the world [according to Travel & Leisure magazine 2012].

First view of the island from the ferry we rode.

Ladies & Gentlemen, we have arrived at Boracay!

Although Philippines is not in the map of most tourists, but Boracay is. Its as though Boracay is a place on it own. Well, there are two ways to reach Boracay. One, you fly from Cebu or Manila to Caticlan and get a ferry to Boracay or you can fly from Cebu or Manila to Kalibo, ride in the bus for an hour or two and then get on the ferry. Which is more time consuming, troublesome and costly I'm not sure; but who cares when you are greeted by pristine white sands and the bluest of the blue sea.

I'll share how beautiful and why this island has been named The Best Island in the World, but let's talk about the hotel we chose.

Boracay Island is divided into Station 1, 2, 3 and the other side (not sure the name). Whether you like to have quiet beach holiday (I suggest you forget about Boracay then) or a fun and full of activities beach holiday will depict where you should stay but most people will choose to stay in Station 1 and 2.

We have chose to stay in the beach front Boracay Mandarin in Station 2.

Our premier deluxe sea view room in Boracay Mandarin

This is what greeted us at the balcony ... nice!

Now we can keep our shoes and flip flop around for a few days

Sunset view from the room

Dusk view from the room

Morning view from the room

OK, after finished tempting you with the view, let me explained why you should choose to stay in Station 1 and 2. Firstly, all the activities, shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes, street massage etc etc etc are located in Station 1 and 2. If you choose to say away from here, you will need to get a trishaw or motorbike to get here for food, for beers, for anything and everything. I've seen tourist lining up to get in the bus at 9pm to their hotel on the other side while I'm starting on the first drink of the night.

D'Mall, which is the only beach shopping mall in the island is located in Station 2 as well (its like 2 minutes walk away from Boracay Mandarin). I know what you're thinking, why go to a mall in the beach. Trust me, when you have done sunbathing whole day at the beach, you'll find the beach mall very super appealing at night, Besides, you are bound to need a bottle drink, or a panadol, or even extra sun tan lotion.

 Finally and most importantly, Station 1 and 2 has the most beautiful beach in the island. Its called The White Beach, So why stay away?

Oh yes, Boracay Mandarin also houses the best Italian restaurant in the island, the Don Vito Ristorante Italiano. Swim in the pool and come up to the hot sizzling pizza ... ahhh.

Location : Boracay Island, Philippines
Next, Boracay, day and night

Fort San Pedro et-cetera

OK, let's be frank. When you have a local bringing you around town, why bother to do research about where to go and what to do right? So yes, that's what happened to us and so, I can't really tell you much about all these places; but apparently, if you visit Cebu, you have to come here and so here we are.

Fort San Pedro

Side view of the fort entrance

The usual cannon in any remnants of a fort

The rubble not from cannon but from earthquake

OK, some other places or things we did in a blurr sort of way ...

Pond fishing. OK, its hardly fishing per say as the staff working there kept throwing fishes into the pond to ensure that the kids managed to catch a fish or two and then they sell it back to you. Talk about double-charging.

At the same pond fishing place, the entrance fees also include a zip-line ride to the other little island across. OK, so we went zip across and back in one piece without falling into the lake,

This seafood restaurant by the sea near Machtan is mighty far from Cebu actually but I have to say the ambiance is cool and the food is pretty good for Philippines standard.

Playing with machine gun, and I mean REAL machine gun. Do you know that in Philippines, it is not difficult to own a licence to kill, erhhh, I mean a licence to own a gun. 

Location : Cebu City, Philippines
Next, Best Island in the World