I was originally planning to release this a few months back, but it’s now the middle of May and I find myself rushing to get this out. Since I will be lacking travel content for the next few months (my visa application date is still a month away *fingers crossed*), I guess it would be a while before you hear from me again (unless I magically come up with something, or you enjoy reading about my mundane everyday life – let me know in the comments!). There are some who has decided to correspond with me via email and it has truly made my day. 🙂

Last year’s annual family trip was decided by a poll in the family’s group chat. The choices were between Hanoi, Taipei, and Bangkok. I voted for Hanoi and Taipei because I wanted to head somewhere cooler but lost by 2 votes. So, Bangkok it is. We flew via Air Asia, so imagine my surprise when we landed in Don Mueng Airport. When I previously visited Thailand, I flew via Thai Airways which landed in Suvarnabhumi Airport. The difference in both airports were a bit drastic, too. However, I don’t really care that much as long as the airport process was efficient and I can get in and out of it to head to wherever I’m planning to go. We stayed in a quaint hotel in the Siam Area. It was a 5-minute walk to the BTS and a little more to the pier. There were a couple of convenience stores, banks, and hole-in-the-walls that surround us and going out to buy midnight snack was incorporated into our barely existent itinerary.

AYUTTHAYA

My dad goes biking on his day offs, and I thought it would be a great idea to try out a biking tour. In hindsight, biking under the Bangkok sun wasn’t the best idea for people who aren’t physically fit and hates getting sweaty. But hindsight is 20/20. Off we go to the train station to get our assess off to Ayutthaya. Initially, we were planning to take the train but soon found out that tickets sell out fast. Since we will miss the train, I went on Grab to book a car to bring us there. It was a bit expensive at around 1000 baht (exclusive of toll fees) in comparison to the 20 baht per person train ride. However, the car ride took less time and was so much more comfortable than the local train.

To be completely honest, I have mostly forgotten the temples and sites we visited. But what I can still vividly remember is how much I enjoyed biking around the area – even under this Thai sun. I learned some random trivia, one of which I can still spout today. They sell gold leafs outside the temple, and sticking it on the religious figures can actually give you good skin. I literally laughed out loud after confirming with our tour guide that she was not jesting with us.

There are a lot of ruins in Ayutthaya given that it used to be the capital of Siam. It is a city surrounded by water, turning it into bustling center of trading. Although it is no longer the capital, it has turned into a UNESCO world heritage. Maintaining the historical city that has experienced so much had been placed as priority.

Tour: Ayutthaya City Culture Biking Tour (Here’s my invite link for Php 150 off!)

DAMNOEN SADUAK FLOATING MARKET

When I first went to Bangkok, I didn’t get around to experiencing the floating market. So I really wanted to be able to experience it this time around. Although we only got to book the half day tour, the tour actually lasted for most of the day.