We went on a weekend trip to Bangkok in March, a traditionally hot month on the back of promotion air tickets.
The capital city of Thailand is a great city for shopping, dining and exposure to Thai culture for the children. But we absolutely made a mistake in the choice of the time to visit. Being unused to the sweltering 37/38 degree Celsius heat caused our party to hole up for long lengths of time in the comfortably air-conditioned hotel. The result? A way too relaxed itinerary.
Our advice is avoid the months of March, April and May when temperature is the hottest if you foresee an issue getting used to such weather.
Day 1
Arrived in late afternoon in the capital city of the Land of Smiles, Bangkok.
Day 2
We brought the children on a ride on Bangkok’s Mass Transit System (BTS) to Siam Ocean World, an aquarium located within Siam Paragon shopping mall. Getting to Siam Paragon via BTS is very convenient as it is located just beside Siam BTS station.
One of the biggest aquarium in Southeast Asia covering over 10,000 sq.m, it is divided into 15 different zones for exploring and a play area as shown in their map below.
We went for the glass bottom boat ride (200 Baht* activity fee per pax). For safety reasons and better crowd control, groups were let in one-by-one. We had a chance to get up close and personal with sharks, stingrays and a variety of fish. Our little ones were thrilled by the chance to feed the fish by hand. The waters was quite dark though, so we couldn’t see the fishes clearly.
Towards the end, we were taken for a quick walk behind the scenes. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed. If not, I would definitely have taken photos of the shark eggs in the tanks!
Siam Ocean World is home to hundreds of different species. We spent a good deal of time peering into each tank as the mysterious underwater world never fails to intrigue us.
The 4D cinema show was enjoyed by all of us (250 Baht* activity fee per pax). Thereafter, the little ones tried out fish spa, an alternative-healing method, in which Garra Rufa fishes nimbled on dead skin cells on our feet for a natural exfoliation. It quickly got too ticklish for them though. 🙂
Note:
– Siam Ocean World is now known as Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World.
– * Prices are updated in April 2017.
Day 3
We joined a day tour to Safari World and Marine Park for a day of animal encounter.
The place was extremely crowded with tourists and school groups.
They run a total of 7 shows daily. We watched only 4 of them, namely the Orang Utan Boxing show, Sea Lion show, Beluga & Dolphin show and Western Cowboy Stunt show. Out of these 4, the first 3 were all shows with trained animals entertaining the crowd, which definitely won’t sit well with animal lovers. The cowboy show was filled with impressive stunts and use of explosives but we enjoyed it the least as we didn’t understand the plot at all.
Lunch was included in the package so we joined the crowd in the Jungle Cruise Restaurant for international buffet. The place looked more like a massive hall with rows and rows of tables and were assigned seats. Food-wise, there was not much variety and the mass cooking meant that we could not expect much from the quality.
There was an optional boat cruise that we opted out, deciding not to queue in the punishingly hot and humid weather but instead went on a leisure walk around the park.
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the 30-mins drive through the open safari zoo. As the visitors will get to be real close to the animals separated only by their vehicles, there are signs throughout the ‘dangerous animals area’, reminding visitors to keep doors and windows closed at all times!
It must be the weather though. The animals were mostly napping or dozing off under shade, presumably because that’s a better alternative than walking around baking in the sun.
Day 4
No trip to the Land of Smiles is complete without Buddhist temple visits.
Thailand’s prevalent religion is Theravada Buddhism, with more than 93% of the population identifying themselves as Buddhists. There are a staggering total of 40,717 Buddhist temples in Thailand, of which 33,902 are in current use (source: Thailand’s Office of National Buddhism). Active participation in Buddhism is also among the highest in the world. Hence, the religion is now an integral part of Thai identity and culture.
We went on the half day complimentary tour offered by the hotel in the morning to visit 2 Buddhist temples. Though this was meant to be a group tour, only our family signed up for the day so it became a private tour for us.
First, we visited Wat Pho, temple of the reclining Buddha.
Wat Pho, temple of the reclining Buddha
Wat Pho is one of the largest temple complexes in Bangkok, famed for its giant 46 metres long reclining Buddha. One of the must-visits for first-time visitors to the country.
In the main hall, there is a row of 108 monks’ bronze alms bowls. Visitors can drop coins into the bowls for good fortune. We did so and our little ones were so intrigued by the ritual, they joined in as well.
Prayers can also be offered to the Buddhas outside the hall for blessings and good fortune. Believers can also paste gold leaves on the 7 Buddha statues outside the main hall, according to the day on which they were born.
The Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School within the temple compound offers Thai massage service. Tried the massage service during an earlier visit and would recommend trying it. The opening hours and charges can be found in their official website listed at the end of this post.
Next, we visited Bangkok’s marble temple, Wat Benchamabophit.
Wat Benchamabophit, marble temple
One of the most beautiful temples in Bangkok, this is also one of the city’s major tourist attraction. Completed in 1911, the exterior of the building is built of Italian marble and the interior decorated with crossbeams of lacquer and gold.
Whilst we were there, there was an ordination ceremony for a new monk in the main hall. In Thai culture, it is considered a tradition for Thai men to become monks at one point in their lives. So what we had witnessed could possibly be a temporary ordination but we are not sure. In the courtyard behind the ordination hall, there are 52 Buddha statues each showing different mudras or gestures.
The temple was not crowded with visitors whilst we were there. There was a peaceful and serene air about the place which we liked, and wouldn’t mind staying here longer if not for the weather.
As with most complimentary tours, we made an obligatory trip to a local gems and souvenir outlet, before heading back to the hotel for a quick afternoon nap for the kids.
Then we were off to the airport and on a flight back home.
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Useful information
Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World
Opening hours: 10am to 9pm (last entry at 8pm)
Admission charge (for foreigners): 990 Baht/adult and 790 Baht/child (3 to 11 years old)
Tip: Book tickets online to get a 10% off ticket price
Web information: http://www.sealifebangkok.com/en/
Safari World and Marine Park
Opening hours: 9 am until 5:00 pm (daily)
Web information: http://www.safariworld.com/index2.html
Wat Pho
Opening hours: 8 am until 6:30 pm (daily).
Admission charge: 100 Baht
Web information: http://www.watpho.com/plan.php
Wat Benchamabophit
Opening hours: 8 am until 5:30 pm (daily).
Admission charge: 20 Baht