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From skyscrapers to forests, from royal palaces to the ancient temples: my itinerary in Thailand will explore the locations of Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
From skyscrapers to forests, from royal palaces to the ancient temples: my itinerary in Thailand will explore the locations of Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
The first destination of the journey will be Bangkok: one of the most exciting cities of the world also known by the name of Krungthep “the City of Angels.” Established for over 200 years of government is the reconstruction of the ancient capital Ayutthaya.
With its six million inhabitants Bangkok is a city where coexist two souls: an ancient, with the old town in which they arise palaces and temples of the eighteenth century, and a modern with shopping centers and areas of development near the river. Among the attractions that I want to visit, there will be the Royal Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple also known as Wat Phra Kaeo namely personal chapel of His Majesty the King and also the place where the Thai people venerate the Sacred Protector of Thailand , the Buddha. Other places of interest include the Temple of the Golden Buddha which houses a Buddha in gold dating back to the Sukhothai period (1238-1378), the National Museum and the Floating Market, where we can admire a picturesque appearance of the Thai river life.
Bangkok is also the shopping capital. In town you can find both luxury shopping centers both roadside stalls filled with exotic goods, colorful fabrics and handmade jewelry. The area for the most chic shopping area of the city that I hope to visit is Siam, around the Siam BTS metro station, where there are shopping malls Siam Discovery, Gaysorn Plaza and the new Siam Paragon. Also the Chatuchak Market, open weekends in the north of the city, offers a wide variety of goods ranging from furniture to home furnishings, works of art and craft.
Khao San Road: My hotel is located not far from the road of travelers backpack over his shoulder, the famous Khao San Road which, every day from 5 pm, attracts hundreds of visitors because to its markets, the multi ethnic restaurants, shops where to go shopping and to buskers. In addition there are concentrated the travel agencies, where I will book my tours, and tailor shops where one can book tailor-made clothes.
From Bangkok my itinerary will continue to Chiang Mai the largest city of northern Thailand. It’s located about 700 kilometers from Bangkok and is situated next to the highest mountains of the country (Doi Intanon). The “Rose of the North” is traversed by Ping River which is also the main tributary of the Chao Phraya River that runs through Bangkok. Founded by King Mengrai in 1296 (the name Chiang Mai means “new city”), took the place of Chiang Rai as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. King Mengrai built around the city a channel and high walls to protect it from the frequent incursions Burmese. Even today, the historic center is enclosed in this quadrangle.
The main attractions of the city of Chiang Mai are almost all religious sites. Some wat (there are more than 300) are really beautiful and worth a visit. It is worthwhile to point out that the term “Wat” is a complex of buildings used for religious purposes, social and cultural rights. The oldest is the Wat Chiang Man which dates back to the thirteenth century. In two temples are preserved two important and venerated Buddha statues: the Phra Sila (a marble) and Phra Satang (crystal). Another beautiful temple is Wat Phra Singh dating back to 1345, a perfect example of the North and Lanna architectural style. It houses the Phra Singh Buddha (Buddha or “Lion”), brought here many years ago from Chiang Rai, their other two copies are a Nakhon Si Tammarat and the other in Bangkok.
Chiang Mai is also famous for being a local craft center. Producing silk artifacts, wood, silver, ceramics and more, the city is distinguished by being the most important destination in the country for the purchase of craft products.
Beyond the city, the province of Chiang Mai extends along an area of 20,000 square kilometers and boasts some of the most picturesque landscapes in the whole Kingdom. The fertile valley of the River Ping, a patchwork of rice fields, surrounded by rolling hills and the province is a set of forests, rivers, mountains covered by forests (including the highest peak of Thailand: Doi Inthanon).
In my trip to Chiang Mai I would visit naturalists parks where it is possible see elephants and visit the villages of the hill tribes.
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