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IN THE
MAIN THAI tourist destinations
we
offer a variety of attractive trips and activities, allowing you
to break away from the shopping malls and sandy beaches, to
explore the cultural side of a city or the countryside in an
enjoyable and fun way. We have full day,
half day and evening excursions,
both private and group. If the minimum participants required for
a joined trip is not met, you can do the trip privately by
paying a supplement. |
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Thailand Travel Information
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BANGKOK HIGHLIGHTS |
Bangkok |
1,800 THB pp |
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Giant Swing |
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Wat Poh |
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Grand Palace
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Emerald Buddha |
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Riverside lunch |
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Vimanmek
Palace |
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Gems Gallery |
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Leaving in the morning, we
first
stop at the giant swing on the plaza in
front of
Wat Suthat.
It was formerly used during a Brahman festival in honour of the Hindu
god
Shiva, in
which participants tried to reach a sack of gold attached to a fifteen
meter high
bamboo
pole. It was held
in the second lunar month, from
the morning of the third day until the evening of
the ninth day of the new moon. Due to the large number of people
falling off the swing the festival was banned during the reign of king
Rama VII.
In 2007 the old giant swing was replaced with a new one.
Here we also visit a Hindu Shrine
and the plaza in front of the City Hall which has the full name
of
Bangkok
written in Thai on a wall. It is the world’s longest name,
recorded in the Guinness Book of Records
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In Thai it is
Krung
Thep
Maha
Nakhon
Amon
Rattanakosin
Mahintharayuthaya Mahadilok Phop
Noppharat
Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman
Awatan
Sathit Sakkathattiya
Witsanukam
Prasit.
It translates as 'City of Angels,
Great
City,
Immortal
Jeweled City,
Impregnable
Fortress
of the god
Indra,
Capital
of the World,
Decorated
with
Nine Jewels,
Dwelling place
of
Happiness
and
Provided with
Enormous
Palaces
not
inferior to the
Heavenly
Dwelling Place
of an
Incarnated
god,
Gift
of Indra, Built by
Vishnukam'. |
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From here we continue to Wat Poh,
the temple of the
reclining
Buddha,
previously called
Wat Phra
Chetuphon.
It is the oldest and largest
temple in Bangkok, and the first educational centre. It is also
an important training centre for
traditional
massage, in the past taught on the basis of didactic
pictures and figures. The temple Wat Poh already existed since
the 16th century, but its real history starts only in 1781, when
the old monastery was completely rebuilt.
The temple is situated near the
old Chinese district of Banglamphu and several figures and
statues indicate a Chinese influence of old.
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The temple houses the most
important reclining Buddha image in Thailand, with a length of
46 meters and a height of 15 meters. The temple has four large
chedis
erected in honour of the
first three monarchs of the
Chakri
dynasty, with two chedis honouring
Rama III.
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There are also 91 smaller chedis,
an ancient
Tripitaka
library, a large
bot
with 152 marble relief panels depicting the Thai
Ramakien,
a gallery with Buddha images, and four
wihaans.
The temple is one of the few throughout Thailand conferred with
the highest royal title of
Rajavora Maha Vihaan.
Its full name followed by this title is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon
Mang Khalahrahm Rajavora Maha Vihaan.
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After Wat Poh we continue to the
Grand Palace, the former
residence of the king and the royal family during the
Rattanakosin
period. It's construction
was started by
Rama I
on 6 May 1782 and it was aimed to recreate the glory of
Ayutthaya,
the former capital which was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767,
only 15 years after this event.
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Its site was originally occupied
by a large Chinese community who the government had transferred
to a place south of the city walls, an area today known as
Chinatown.
During subsequent reigns the palace has been extensively
modified and remodeled.
The palace consists of several
throne halls, residential quarters and administrative offices,
whilst adjacent a palace temple was built to house the
Emerald Buddha.
It was the religious and administrative centre of the Siamese
kingdom until the end of the absolute monarchy, in 1932. Here we
also visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
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After our lunch on
the riverside, we head of for Vimanmek Palace, literally the
'Paradise in the clouds'. It consists of a three-storey mansion
in European style entirely erected in golden
teak wood
without the use of a single nail. It was originally constructed
in 1868 on the island of Koh Si Chang, off the coast of
Chonburi.
In 1897 it became a summer palace for king
Rama V,
after his return from Europe. In 1901 it was relocated to
Dusit
in
Bangkok,
where it was the royal residence of king
Chulalongkorn,
who lived there between 1902 and 1906. In 1935 it was closed
down but reopened again in 1982 by queen
Sirikit
as a museum to mark Bangkok's
bicentennial celebrations.
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The temple houses the most
important reclining Buddha image in Thailand, with a length of
46 meters and a height of 15 meters. The temple has four large
chedis
erected in honour of the
first three monarchs of the
Chakri
dynasty, with two chedis honouring
Rama III. Before heading back to our hotel,
we take a look how Thai Gems are manufactured. Here you will
have the opportunity to buy quality jewelry at local prices.
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TRIP CODE: BKKSA001
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