travels
Farmville 2 Dreams Came True at Khao Yai To Bangkok
February 24, 2017
So yessssss there goes my 5 days of fun and 4 nights of diarrhea from Khao Yai to Bangkok! We landed in Suvarnabhumi Airport in the evening and still I felt uneasy since taking off from KLIA. I attempted to vomit so many times but every time when I arrived at the washroom, I felt better and once again another false alarm!
We had dinner at the Koh Lanta Suvarnabhumi Seafood Restaurant which had over-the-top decor (life size horses were dangling from roof beams...). Sadly, it was too dark and everything didn't look good in the pictures. I recommend to go there during the day because the outdoor dinner, in my opinion, was quite dark and not to mention full of mosquitoes. The food wasn't too bad and my first experience of the authentic Tom Yum Goong definitely burnt my lips and tongue! Anyway, the highlight of the night wasn't the food actually. It was me vomiting into the mini pond as I couldn't find the washroom in time before everything decided to come out. Sorry fishes! 😢
We had dinner at the Koh Lanta Suvarnabhumi Seafood Restaurant which had over-the-top decor (life size horses were dangling from roof beams...). Sadly, it was too dark and everything didn't look good in the pictures. I recommend to go there during the day because the outdoor dinner, in my opinion, was quite dark and not to mention full of mosquitoes. The food wasn't too bad and my first experience of the authentic Tom Yum Goong definitely burnt my lips and tongue! Anyway, the highlight of the night wasn't the food actually. It was me vomiting into the mini pond as I couldn't find the washroom in time before everything decided to come out. Sorry fishes! 😢
After an embarrassing start for the trip, we were on our way to Khao Yai, a 2-hour journey from Bangkok. This beautiful place where we stayed for 2 nights was The Escape Hotel, Khao Yai which was not only a great place for photos but also close to nature and secluded which gives you some privacy. Everyone there were super friendly and if you are a big fan of contemporary "feels", this accommodation is the right place to be!
First stop for the day, Chokchai Farm! 🐄🤠 It had a cowboy theme and boy, was I pumped up for this farm tour because I haven't been to an actual farm before and the only farm I know is the one I play almost everyday, Farmville 2, hahahaha! It was quite windy and chilling, most importantly, it didn't stink! You know what cow dung can do to your nose right? Anyway the moo-moos were really cute 🐮
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| This spot is easily missed! Walk straight up with the Cowboy Station on your right and soon you will see this lovely field of flowers on your left! 🌷 |
The next destination, Secret Art Garden, is a garden consisting of decorated rooms, sculptures and statues all over the place! There was always something here and there for you to discover along the way and a great place for those who loves to have their OOTD at unique spots.
On a side note, keep an eye out on the magnificent view of the white Buddha sitting on a hill while on your way to Secret Garden. If you have the time, ask your driver to bring you to Wat Thep Phithak Punnaram Temple where this magnificent Buddha is! Unfortunately, we didn't find out about this place beforehand. Anyway, make sure you are fit for it because there are 1250 steps to get up there 😵
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| Spot the Red Indian clay figurines. |
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| If you have an extra stomach for dessert, order Dairy Home ice-cream at the front store and you would be delighted to be bringing home with you the cutest handmade ice-cream cup ever! |
Next stop was PB Valley, another must visit places especially if you don't think you would ever be cut for Chateau Margaux or Chateau du clos de Vougeot in your lifetime. I was quite excited for this one because I've never been to a vineyard before. The only thing missing at PB Valley was a chateau which I believe would have fitted in beautifully among the vineyard and breathtaking hill views.
And if it was as though we hadn't enough of nature and sightseeing, we moved on to Primo Piazza where I finally got to see ALPACAS! There were the Merino Sheeps and Donkeys that I was excited to meet as well as I only see them on my Farmville 2 farm so hence, the excitement 🙋
Our first day in Khao Yai ended at a very unique restaurant, Ban Mai Chay Nam (Wooden House By The River) which was introduced by Uncle Thomas, the guide for the trip. Before reaching the actual restaurant, you would be amaze by the museum and collections there. There were a lot of vintage and retro items for display which came in so many shapes and sizes, even life-size superhero figurines! My advice would be to go early, take photos at the museum and you will be just in time for dinner because during evening, the place is filled with patrons and you definitely don't want to wait for a place to sit.
I have to say the food here at Ban Mai Chay Nam was the most authentic Thai food I had during the whole trip. It was unpretentious, very local and of course, super delicious. Yes, I know, photos or it didn't happen but we were famished and gobbled up every bit of it without allowing the camera to "eat" first.
I can skip every other place but I'm coming back for Ban Mai Chay Nam the next round!
Day 2 of Khao Yai started with the Saraburi Sunflower Farm which helped ease some heart pain from the sudden news I received yesterday while camping in the bathroom. The place is bee-yoo-tee-fool 🌻🌻🌻 We came at the right time of the year where all the sunflowers were all smiling at us! If you ever visit this place, be creative with your photos and Boomerang because it's not always you get to be a monkey at a sunflower field! 🙊
Right after prancing around sunflowers, we were on our way to Palio, another European-inspired place. It was also the last stop in Khao Yai before heading to Bangkok. When we went to Palio, they were preparing for a mourning event for their late King. Heard that there were a lot of actors and actresses will be attending for the event but too bad I wasn't able to be there till late night. Gonna miss this chance of possibly meeting Yaya, Kim, Mark, Boy, Nadech, Margie and Mint! 😢
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| Spot the cat. |
Upon arriving in Bangkok, we had our dinner first at Buri Tara which serves Thai fusion cuisine and I could say that the food was quite good. The outdoor sitting was quite pleasant and we were lucky to be there early to be able to take some nice shots at the restaurant.
After dinner we spent some time at Asiatique which was FULL of people. I don't think Asiatique is necessary in the itinerary but if you have the spare time, you can still head over to this bustling place to eat (a lot of restaurants with really good live band) or shop (most things are available at Chatuchak Market so if possible, please resist from buying anything there, especially clothings).
The next day was much more interesting as we headed off from our hotel, S15 Sukhumvit to Chatuchak where I surprisingly did not spent as much as I thought I would. Maybe because I was still having a funny stomach and was camping in the toilet every night, so I hadn't the mood to shop. My favourite part of the day was definitely a visit to True Love Neverland Cafe where we got to interact and play with all these cutie patooties Siberian Huskies! Just look at their faces and our faces, hahahahaha BLISS 😌
After much precious time with the Siberian Huskies, we took a break at our hotel before heading to Siam Centre for dinner. As we were feeling adventurous, we decided to take the MRT back to Chatuchak area just to spend some time at Artbox, a night market just right beside the Chatuchak Market which opens only during the weekends!
They've got a lot of nice things and I bought a lot there. Earrings, dresses, tops, you name it! I really like Artbox actually and there are a lot of food to eat too, so basically you can shop, take photos and chill there the whole night through!
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| Me trying to be alpaca number 4. |
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| Spending the last night in Thailand at Artbox. |
The last day at Bangkok ended with two sightseeing locations, The Ancient City and Erawan Shrine. I have to say I was quite impressed with The Ancient City, a compound that contains various replicas of famous buildings and temples from around Thailand. So basically we could just said we've been to all the main attractions in the whole of Thailand!
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| Station 27: Sanphet Prasat Palace replica from its original building at Ayutthaya. |
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| Station 33: The Footprint of The Lord Buddha with amazing details. |
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| Station 110: Pavilion of the Enlightened was unfortunately under construction. |
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| Station 106: Bodhisattva Avalokitesavara Performing A Miracle was stunning in real life! |
The whole Ancient City could take up more than a day but we only did it in 1.5 hours, meaning we didn't get to see all of it but according to Uncle Thomas, the ones we visited were among the best in the Ancient City.
The last stop of the tip before we headed back to Malaysia was the Erawan Shrine where the 3-headed elephant definitely caught our attention even before we turned into the highway! So it is said that before you make your wish, you will have to lift the mini elephant statue up with a finger, after making your wish, lift it up again with the same finger and if you can't lift it up, it means your wish will not be granted and vice versa.
Well, that wasn't the main part of Erawan Shrine. The main part was the inside of the building where I was just once again so amazed by the details of everything there! As if though the stunning glass art on the ceiling wasn't enough, every figurine, statue and even the stairs were decorated beautifully.
The last stop of the tip before we headed back to Malaysia was the Erawan Shrine where the 3-headed elephant definitely caught our attention even before we turned into the highway! So it is said that before you make your wish, you will have to lift the mini elephant statue up with a finger, after making your wish, lift it up again with the same finger and if you can't lift it up, it means your wish will not be granted and vice versa.
Well, that wasn't the main part of Erawan Shrine. The main part was the inside of the building where I was just once again so amazed by the details of everything there! As if though the stunning glass art on the ceiling wasn't enough, every figurine, statue and even the stairs were decorated beautifully.
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| Favourite part of the secret spiral staircase was this horseys awww bibooooo~ |
Once arrived at the top, you will see an elevator and to your left would be a flight of stairs. As everyone thought that the only way to go up to the next floor was with the elevator, I was sure that the flight of stairs would lead us to somewhere too. The curious me went straight for the spiral stairs followed by Abang who was wondering what nuisance I was up to.
Lo and behold~ The wooden spiral staircase was not only mysterious but also had delicate paintings on the wall. We came to a floor which was quite confined with some devotees praying there. There was a small little window there and when you look out, you will realize that you are now inside one of the elephant's legs hahahahaha well, the best part wasn't here either.
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| Suddenly the whole world became quiet, time stopped and most of all, I was at peace. Photo: Richie |
When you reached into the belly of the elephant, the atmosphere of that room really sweeps you off your feet. I know I would run out of breath if I were to visit Versailles but this holy space nevertheless took my breath away. The astronomical paintings on the ceilings once again intrigues the curious mind and I told myself, "Wow, I am in the centre of this entire universe with my teacher, Lord Buddha".
For me, it was a great way to end this trip at the Erawan Shrine because of how in one place I got to enjoy so many things at the same time. The exterior and interior, the details and decorations, the fusion of East and West with a touch of surrealism, and most of all, the belly of the beast, Tavatimsa Heaven, made it all the more special.
So this is it, the end of my Khao Yai to Bangkok trip that I could say was actually quite fun even though I had a bad tummy throughout the whole trip. Thank you to Abang and his wonderful family for all the memories! ♥
30/11/2016 - 5/12/2016
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