Our next door global destination

Our next door global destination

 

It was in July, 2014 that I was invited by Tourism Authority of Thailand to participate in Thailand Happiness Street Festival held at Bangkok Convention Centre and Centara Grand at Central World in Ratchaprasong area of Bangkok.

Bangkok

The “City of Angels” on the banks of river Chao Phraya, also known as “King of Rivers” stretches over 1,500 sq. km, is the glitzy city that is a shopper’s sanctuary and a traveller’s world with a plethora of glittering shopping malls, ancient shrines and a vibrant night life.

Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo

This destination always features on my Bangkok tour itinerary.

 

Pagoda at the entrance

 

No visit to Bangkok is complete without a peek into the spectacular Grand Palace done up with gold leaf and attractive tiling with polished Italian marbles on the walls. 

 

Ramayana murals at The Grand Palace

 

 At the entrance, there is a chedi or a huge pagoda that has the ashes of Lord Buddha brought from India. 

 

                                  Wat Phra Kaeo

 

Wat Phra Kaeo or the shrine of Emerald Buddha is a magnificent shrine reflecting Thai art that houses the statue of Buddha in jade. 

 

 

The walls at the entrance have the mural paintings illustrating Ramayana. 

 

Replica of Angkor Vat temple

 

We sighted the replica of Angkor Vat temple of Cambodia at the Grand Palace. 

 

Boroma Piman

 

 There is Boroma Piman or Royal Guest House at Grand Palace.

Wat Pho

 

            

Pagodas at Wat Pho

 

 

 

Reclining Buddha

 

 

The 400-year-old shrine of Reclining Buddha lying close to Grand Palace and is the largest shrine in the city. A moment of divine bliss when one gets a chance to view the image of reclining Buddha from up-close quarters. Again, this was my second visit to Wat Pho.
 

The gold-plated image was constructed in 1832 spanning 46-metre long and 15-metre high and evokes the thought of Lord Buddha’s entry into Nirvana.

Wat Arun

Wat Arun

 

Also famed as the shrine of Dawn on the Thonburi side opposite Grand Palace and belongs to the Ayuthayya period. Siam Ocean World Opened in 2005, it is the largest aquarium in South-East Asia and a great attraction for visitors.

Siam Niramit

Siam Niramit

 

 

The centre provides mind-boggling performances of Thailand’s art and cultural heritage by 150 performers using 500 costumes. 

 

 

Traditional Thai hamlet recreated in Siam Niramit

 

We also had a look at the ancient Thai hamlets that have been recreated at the centre exhibiting the art of making rice pudding, garland making, Thai craft and making Thai silk and playing Thai folk music.

 

Making rice pudding

 

 

Ratchaburi

 
Around 50 km from Bangkok is the Central Province of Ratchaburi that is a traveller’s delight for its Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. 

 

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

 

 

We took a tail speed long boat along the canal to get sound views of the floating market that depicts the traditional lifestyle of rural folks on river banks. There are miniature shops lined on either side of floating market and speed boats and paddle boats selling everything from lip-smacking Thai food to exquisite hand crafted art curious and pottery works, masks to Thai umbrellas.

Meyklong Adventure Market on railway tracks

 

On the way to Ratchaburi is the Meyklong Adventure Market on the tracks of Meyklong railway station. An interesting feature of the market is the traders along with their goods shift to the nearby place when any train passes on the railway tracks.

Hua Hin

A fishing hamlet in 19th century, Hua Hin in Prachuapkhiri Khan Province in the Gulf off Thailand is 200 km south of Bangkok. It has one of the oldest beaches in Thailand. It is well-known as a summer palace of the royal dynasty of Thailand and king Rama VII discovered the palace in 1920.

 

Hua Hin Railway Station

 

Hua Hin Railway Station is the most prominent landmark of the beach resort, notably one of the oldest stations in Thailand that came up during the reign of king Rama VI. 

Mongkut Klao Pavilion

 

The special feature of the station is the Mongkut Klao Pavilion built to greet the king.

Pranburi

Pranburi Sea Beach

Phraya Nakhon Cave

 

For those who have adventure in their blood, a visit to Phraya Nakhon cave snuggled atop the hill of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park is a must.

 

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

 

It is a sheltered gulf in the Gulf of Thailand that was discovered around 200 years ago by a former ruler of Thailand who had sought shelter in the cave to escape from a storm. 

 

 

Lying in Pranburi which is 45 km from Hua Hin, we embarked upon the arduous trek to reach the cave lying at 450 metres high. The sky was overcast and it was drizzling when we began our uphill climb through boulders, rocks and tree branches in the midst of pristine wilderness. At places, I had to crawl over rocks. 

 

Limestone caverns

 

 Upon reaching the cave, we sighted a huge limestone cave made of three caverns, two of which have skylights that are virtual sinkholes. 
The cave looks fascinating with a number of trees taking roof in the caverns. The trekking terrain in the cave was quite dark and we had to cross a wooden bridge.

Tetrahedron Pavilion

 

 The middle of the cave has a Tetrahedron Pavilion on a mound that was laid down by king Rama V during Buddhist Era 2433. The pavilion represents the symbol of Prachuapkhiri Province and was done by skilled workers in Bangkok and taken to the existing site. The trekking expedition was a life-changing experience for me.

Phetchaburi

 
Around 62 km from Hua Hin is Phetchaburi that implies the “City of Diamonds” in Thai.

 

Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace

 

The premier attraction is Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace that denotes holy city hill is the premier palace on a mountain range in Thailand. 
 

We took the cable car ride to reach the palace lying in the historical park around 95 metres high above the sea level. We had to negotiate through a flight of steps and cobbled paths that lead to the palace. Locally famed as “Khao Wang” or the mountain with a palace, it flaunts a fusion of European, Chinese and Thai art. 
 

Set up in 1858 by king Rama IV or king Mongkut, the palace is spread over three peaks-western, central and eastern. We glanced at king Mongkut’s Palace at western peak that houses the king’s residential quarters.

 

Wat Phra Kaew shrine

 

There is Wat Phra Kaew- the shrine devoted to the king. Travellers visiting the palace need to take care since there are scores of monkeys in the park.

Ayuthayya

 
During my first visit to Thailand in April 2011, I travelled to Ayuthayya to experience the fun of Songkran celebration. Once the capital of Siam, Ayuthayya or Phra Nakhon Si

 

 

                            A glimpse of Wat Phra Si Sanphet

 

Ayuthayya is 76 km from Bangkok and has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991.  The fabled city derived its name from Ayodhya, remained the capital for 417 years and flourished during 17th century. The city was under different royal dynasties of Thailand and was plundered by Burmese in 1767.

Ayuthayya was the brainchild of former Thai king, U-Thong in 1767 and there are abundant architectural grandeurs in the historic city. 

 

Bronze state of Buddha at Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit sanctuary

 

 We visited Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit – a huge sanctuary honouring tall, century-old, bronze image of Buddha that was installed during the rule of Thai king Songtham. 
 

It is incidentally one of the largest images of Buddha in bronze. A popular belief goes on in Thai that the Lord fulfills the wishes of devotees on Songkran.

The most outstanding monastery in Ayuthayya is Wat Phra Si Sanphet that was once a residential palace and is much similar to Wat Pho in Bangkok.

 

                     An outer view of Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit

 

We had wonderful glimpses of the three towering chedis or pyramid-style stupas that are artistically inclined and are the prime attractions of Ayuthayya. A chedi has a Burmese architecture at its base and its upper tiers depict Thai style of art. During the golden period of Ayuthayya, Wat Phra Si Sanphet earned glory across Asia for its architectural wonder.

Magical Malaysia

Magical Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, July, 2010 

 

Kuala Lumpur or fondly known as KL reminds me of my Malaysian friends who are quite close to my heart. My premier global destination was Kuala Lumpur and it was the year 2010 when a night-time Air Asia flight from Kolkata landed me to Kuala Lumpur in late night. I was all set to visit the scintillating Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival 2010 on the invitation of Tourism Malaysia. There were certain thoughts that were intriguing me since it was my first global trip. On reaching Kuala Lumpur and after completing my visa formalities, I checked out with my luggage only to find out that a grand welcome was awaiting me. My ground handler, Atok Sam was waiting at the airport to receive me. I greeted him saying “Salamat Petang” (Good Evening in Bahasa language) and there was no looking back. By the time, I reached my hotel- The Royale Chulan at Jalan Conlay, it was 2 AM.

 

The next day, our first sightseeing destination was Galeria Seri Perdana –the national archive of Malaysia on Jalan Damansara that serves as a gallery-cum-museum and boasts of a rich display of contemporary art of Malaysia. Also not-to-miss is the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, the largest roof-covered aviary with 3,000 avian species. 

Statue of Independence, Tugu Negara National Monument

 

I had a glimpse of National Mosque, the premier mosque of the country and Tugu Negara National Monument in KL Lake Garden that has the War Memorial and the Statue of Independence carved of bronze. It was built in 1963 to commemorate the heroes who lost their lives to save the country from Communist insurgency. 

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

 

 We visited Merdeka Square-the venue for celebrating Malaysia’s Independence Day and it has the world’s tallest flag pole at 100 metres height. In the vicinity is Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the 19^th century heritage landmark, Bukit Aman- the police headquarters of Malaysia, Royal Selangor Club established by the British and Cathedral of Mary Church- the premier church of the country.

The major attraction of KL is Petronas Twin Towers- the global iconic landmark soaring at a height of 451.9 metres, is a gleaming structure of steel and glass that I could view from my hotel room. Another prominent landmark is Kuala Lumpur Tower, the fourth tallest tower in the world rising at a height of 421 metres.

Putrajaya

 

Putrajaya Mosque

Nearly 50 km from KL is Putrajaya- the administrative hub of Malaysia that deserves mention. The garden city spreads over 4,931 sq. hectares has around 23 sprawling gardens, huge mosques, stunning bridges and arches and is basking in Malay and Arabic architectural grandeur. For me, the chief attraction of the city was Putrajaya Mosque with a prominent pink dome on the banks of Putrajaya Lake that is made of rose-tinted granite on the lines of King Hassan Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. There is the serene Putrajaya Lake on 400 hectares of land area covering around 13 per cent of the city’s total area. The lake is an ideal destination for water sports activities. One should not miss the stunning cable-stayed Wawasan Bridge.

Tioman Island- Nature’s wonderland

 

Well, I have never dreamed of cruising in South China Sea earlier but today when I recall my cruise experience to faraway Pulao Tioman or Tioman Island in South China Sea, it was a journey of a lifetime. Tioman in Pahang province of Peninsular Malaysia is one of the world’s ten best beaches and consists of a group of nine islands that make Tioman Marine Park.

A five-hour drive from KL through miles of palm trees in rural Malaysia brought us to Kuala Rompin, a picturesque beach resort where river Andau meets the sea. We soon headed to Mersing Jetty to have our lunch and being a vegan, it was quite difficult to get a vegan meal in Mersing.

After an hour cruise, we reached Tioman Island and availed of Island Transportation Bus service to halt at Berjaya Tioman Resort at Tekek. We had put up at superior chalet and had our dinner at Sri Nelayan Coffee House when the sky had just opened up and torrential rain lashed the island.

Renggis Island

 

 

The next day, we were off to Renggis Island for snorkeling trip and geared up with life jackets at Marine Seaport Centre to cruise in glass-bottom boat to explore the underwater marine life. We came near the Renggis Island, a lonely island filled with corals and tropical fishes. The sea water is quite warm and offers visibility up to 30 metres making it a convenient underwater exploration site. Here we sighted shoals of marine fishes, fascinating corals species, sponges and sea urchins in variety of colours and it was really exciting to watch the diversity of marine fauna in an open sea. After a two-hour cruise, we returned to our hotel.

Golf Course at Tioman Island

 

We toured the nine-hole golf course that offers sweeping views of tropical rainforests. At Sri Nelayan Coffee House, we had sumptuous Indian dinner and one can get to feel home away from home. We then embarked on bandit jungle trekking to Lalang waterfall at 200 metres height. It was a tough two-hour trek from Challenger Park and we sighted abundant medicinal flora and spotted chameleons, tiger leech and monkeys in the rainforests. Very soon, we were near the waterfall that formed cascades with crystal, clear cool water.

 

Pulao Tioman National Marine Park Centre

 

 Our last destination was Tioman Marine Park Centre that has an information kiosk on the diverse marine lives existing in Tioman Island.

The next day, we headed for our return cruise in the wee hours of morning and the sea water was choppy. There was heavy downpour and our fast ferry service was stranded amidst the sea and co-passengers developed nausea. It was only after a while that things gradually bounced back to normalcy.

Nepal- A pilgrim’s passage to trans-Himalaya

Nepal- A pilgrim's passage to trans-Himalaya

 

Kathmandu- June, 2009

 

Pashupatinath shrine

 

I had set out on a pilgrim expedition to Nepal with a group of writers at the call of Nepal Tourism Board in 2009. Perhaps it was the fascination with the divine that I headed to Kathmandu. I stayed at Hotel Yak and Yeti in the city. Pashupatinath shrine on the banks of river Bagmati is a World Heritage site and is undoubtedly the most significant religious landmark of Kathmandu. 
 

Resting on Slesh Mantak Hill, the shrine is in the form of a pagoda that rises high with its two-tierred gold-plated roofs. The shrine has profusely carved four gold and silver plated doors at its entrance. Paying obeisance to the self-styled Lingam with four faces pointing at four directions was the highpoint of our trip. It was here that we sighted sadhus smeared with sandal paste, vermillion and ashes.

 

Boudanath Temple

 

 Another must-see destination is Boudanath, the biggest stupa in Nepal and one of the largest in South Asia. A world heritage monument, the colossal stupa belongs to 5th century AD and has praying wheels embossed with mantras. The stupa flaunts fascinating architecture with a plethora of icons of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and female deities and we came across many ancient gompas and Tibetan Lamas. 

 

Bhaktapur

 

Around 12 km from Kathmandu is Bhaktapur or the “City of Devotees” that dates back to 12th century and a visit to the city took us back to the age-old world. The city has been the brainchild of King Anand Dev Malla and is an art gallery replete with monuments, palaces, exotic pagoda-shaped temples and monasteries and its bylanes are inhabited by Newari tribes.

 

Vatsala Temple, Bhaktapur

 

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a World Heritage site and one can explore the architectural wonders of 17th century Vatsala temple, Chyasalin Mandap and the Lion Gate.

 

Palace of 55 Windows, Bhaktapur

 

We explored the Palace of 55 Windows that is the prime attraction of Bhaktapur. It is a medieval palace flaunting architectural wonders with innumerable ornamented windows and was set up by King Yaksha Malla. 

 

Nyatapole Temple, Bhaktapur

We explored the Taumadhi Square that has 17th century, five-storied Nyatapole temple in the shape of a pagoda rising to a height of 35 metres that is devoted to the tantric deity of Siddha Lakshmi.

Changu Narayan

Changu Narayan, Bhaktapur

 

For those bitten by travel bug and if heritage tourism is your forte, Changu Narayan in Bhaktapur district of Nepal, the earliest pilgrim destination in Kathmandu valley is the place to be. It was our stroke of luck that we had to scrap off our trip to the historical town of Patan owing to Maoist agitation and made our last-minute visit to Changu Narayan. Lying about 6 km from Bhaktapur and around 18 km from Kathmandu, Changu Narayan lies at a height of about 1,541 metres above sea level and traces back to 3rd century AD. The monument is a religious and historical landmark and serves as the best example of Nepalese architecture. The word “Changu” is derived from Newari and connotes Champa flowers and was a metropolitan city in medieval times.

The shrine complex is a store-house of prominent sculptures and we first sighted Garuda, the flight vehicle of Lord Vishnu and the famed historical stone pillar with inscriptions in pro-Licchivi script. The shrine of Chinnamasta is the most interesting monument at the south-east of Changu Narayan complex and is the oldest structure. The shrine of Changu Narayan in the form of pagoda soaring 45 metres high is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It came up sometime in 17th century and attracts both Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. We gaped at the huge gold-plated doors with highly carved Hindu pantheons at the entrance of the shrine. We dropped into the nearby Changu Museum housed in a private residence that has preserved an impressive collection of relics from bygone era including musical instruments, weapons, earthen wares, metal works and coins belonging to royal dynasties of Nepal right from king Tribhuvan to Mahendra and Birendra to Gyanendra.

Pokhra

 

The “City of Lakes” is the second largest tourist getaway in Nepal and is dominated by the snow-capped, fish-tailed mountain- Machhapucchre soaring at a height of 6,977 metres. The city is the base camp for trekking expeditions to Jomsom region and Annapurna. Viewing Machhapucchre and Annapurna range comprising Annapurna I to IV offered a feeling of divine bliss. We had halted at Pokhra Grande. We travelled to Vindhyabasini temple in the shape of white dome and the ancient, dark, limestone cave of Gupteshwar Mahadev believed to be one of the largest caves in South Asia that was well worth our effort. I recall the arduous trek stretching 40-metre downward that one has to undertake to reach the cow shade and the much-revered shrine honouring Lingam. We had to negotiate through shallow, steep steps leading 500 feet below to a stunning Devi’s Fall, locally known as Patale Chhango.

For those interested to know about lesser-known facts relating to the Himalayas, the ethnic Himalayan tribes and the whereabouts of Yeti- the abominable snowman, step in to International Mountain Museum that was established in 2004. At the museum, we visited the various galleries including Mountain People gallery, Mountain gallery, Mountain activities and Periodic gallery.

Cruising the Phewa Lake, the largest in Pokhra is a magical experience. The lake harbours 22 species of fishes and we had a glimpse of the two-storied island shrine, Barahi temple.

 

Muktinath

 

We were all set to travel to trans-Himalayan region of Nepal and took an 18-seater Yeti Airlines flight from Pokhra and flew down to remote Jomsom in the Mustang valley. It was an exciting flight journey with views of Begnas Lake and up-close views of majestic Himalayan peaks like Machhapucchre and Annapurna. Once we alighted at Jomsom, the cold weather was piercing our skin and we quickly tucked ourselves with warm woollens. At Jomsom, we stayed at Hotel Alka Marco Polo, the only decent accommodation option.

The Himalayan town of Jomsom at a height of 2,720 metres from the ground is a part of Annapurna Conservation Area Project and is the starting point for high-altitude trek to Upper Mustang Valley. We could get close views of lofty Himalayan peaks from our hotel like Tilicho and Nilgiri. We checked into the Tourist Information Centre to receive the valid entry permit for our high-altitude trek to Muktinath. Once we started off, we came near the banks of river Kali Gandaki, the deepest gorge in the world. In the meantime, we could get grand views of Dhaulagiri range that appeared every now and then.

We reached the Army School of Mountain Warfare at Jomsom and hired a jeep to reach Muktinath. It was one-a-half hour bone-jarring journey through rocky trekking trail where we had unforgettable glimpses of black waters of Kali Gandaki winding its way through the terrain dotted with tiny Tibetan hamlets like Kagbeni, Khinga and Jharkot that are populated by indigenous Himalayan tribes like Thakalis and Gurungs of Tibetan origin. There are numerous Buddhist flags dominating the hamlets. One gets to view the changing landscape from Jomsom onwards and the biodiversity gets richer. For the first time, we passed through barren Himalayan landscape comprising the Plateau of Tibet and canyons that are similar to Ladakh. We braved the gutsy winds in our trekking route and came near the Muktinath check post and began our half-an-hour uphill trek to reach the shrine.

Muktinath Shrine

 

The cold weather was biting us and we managed to reach the ancient, holy shrine where time stands still. Resting at 3,800 metres height, Muktinath shrine is in the shape of pagoda and is revered to Lord Vishnu flanked by Goddess Saraswati and Lakshmi on either side. We sprinkled ice-cold water from Vishnu Kund and entered the shrine adorned with copper and silver works and watched the puja performed at an unhurried pace. There are 108 spots for devouts to take bath in the shrine complex. At a distance of 100 metres from Muktinath is the shrine of Jwala Devi where the divine flame goes on burning for ages. Once back from the shrine, our hunger pangs had started beating and we sat down for a filling Tibetan lunch at Bob Marley restaurant in Muktinath. We could get an authentic experience of Tibetan culture in Mustang valley.