Chiang Mai seems to be 'the place to be for New Year's Eve' in Thailand, which is the main reason I wanted to run like hell from it. Not that I don't like crowds, I in fact love crowds, I just get really bored and annoyed with the repetitive nature of 'the party' by the time it becomes 'the place to be'. My bias is, by the time something blows up, it tends to morph into the mundane. Chiang Mai? Cancun? Some densely packed 'place to be' in any city, in any country, from any decade? Not much difference in my opinion and generally filled with people intent on making it so. How can I put this in music terms..... You're more apt to find me in a tightly packed, seedy bar in a … [Read more...]
6 TIPS FOR TRAVELING THAILAND OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
After approximately one week back from roaming Thailand, I find myself combing through my travel notes, all of which are scribbled and crammed on a variety of writing surfaces in a variety of scripts. I've chosen the following observations to share: 1. Despite the unifying characteristics that make each area Thai, I found each destination to have distinct regional differences. I loved picking up on the subtleties, be it in the food, the accent of the people or the dress of the children, each spot we hit offered something distinct to investigate. I suggest really taking advantage of this opportunity when crossing the country. See something interesting? Want to … [Read more...]
Wat Phra Boromthat and Ancient Tak City, Ban Tak, Tak, Thailand
Wat Phra Boromthat (Monk Boromthat Temple) is situated in the area known as Ancient Tak City. In addition to the Wat, one will find a number of ruins including a hill-top pagoda in Phum Khao Binth style (of the Sukhothai era). Wat Phra Boromthat is in Ban Tak (City), Tak Province. History Lesson (as cited on signage on location): According to history, this temple was built in 493 B.D. (after the Buddha had died 50 years) by four clergies: Sothitathera, Mahathera, Keerinantathera. The four clergies brought the frontal bone and four hairs of the Buddha to this hill (Doi-Mahiyoungka) and stored these holy parts in the small square pagoda for the people who … [Read more...]
LAN SANG NATIONAL PARK, TAK, THAILAND
First shot, after making the mistake of not informing the minivan driver in Tak City we were headed to the Lan Sang National Park (no one told us we had to), my partner in crime Brandy and I almost landed in Myanmar/Burma (don't make this mistake, it's not a fun ride, unless of course you enjoy winding up, down and around mountains. It was the one day I so wished I had a plastic bag in my purse...). Second shot, due to our friend Sombat, who acted as our tour guide, we spent the morning in the park and had a pretty great time; it was filled with locals camping. The park covers an area of 65,000 rai and is located approximately 20 km from Tak City. The public minivan service runs … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: From Tak To Nakhon Sawan To Suphanburi To Kanchanaburi
Transcript January 3, 2012 Leaving Tak towards Kanchanaburi was a little more complicated than anticipated. On the morning of our departure (yesterday), we were told we would have to stop in Suphanburi to transfer. This meant Tak - Nakhon Sawan - Suphanburi - Kanchanaburi. We hit the bus station in Tak before 9:30 am and was told in Suphanburi at 7:00 pm that all buses to Kanchanaburi had stopped at 5:00 pm. We stayed the night. How was the ride? I believe it was approximately 3:00 pm when we saw a sign indicating Suphanburi was 53 km away … [Read more...]
Notes From The Road: From Chiang Mai To Tak
Transcript Hey Once Again, The decision to come to Tak (city) was fairly organic. New Year's Eve was approaching and Brandy (my partner in crime) and I had only booked our hotel until the 29th. Trying to find accommodations until the first was becoming cumbersome, so as we were trying to determine our next move sitting side by side at a net cafe, I suggested to Brandy "Maybe we should pull up a map of Thailand". She did. Then asked, "What about Tak?" I had never heard of it; neither had she. It was a go. Two days and a six … [Read more...]
Hotel Review: The Phanasan Hotel, Tak
The Phanasan Hotel is conveniently located within a short walking distance to the Taksin Maharachanuson Fair that is annually held from December 28 to January 3. The hotel offers a variety of accommodations from small attached rooms to detached bungalows. It's country living in the city. The Room Sparse and functional, the bungalow I rented offered a good night's rest as it was far from the main street. It was very clean upon entering, but for some reason my room wasn't cleaned daily. I suggest asking. The Staff The definite highlight of my stay, The Phanasan Hotel staff were … [Read more...]
The Petrified Wood Forest, Tak, Thailand
The Petrified Wood Forest located in Amphoe Ban Tak (Ban Tak City), Thailand contains the largest petrified wood specimen in Asia and second largest in the world. It is 20 metres in length and 2 metres in diameter. How To Get There The site is located on Mu 7, Tambon Tak Ok in the Mae Salit - Pong Daeng national forest. The entrance is at the 443 km mark on Highway No. 1 / Phahonyothin Road. The entrance is 2.5 km across from Ban Tak Hospital on the opposite lane. Entrance is free. For Thailand hotel reviews, travel information and tips, check out Backpacking Thailand, my free Thailand resource. … [Read more...]