Hi, I was in Bangkok the other day and took one of our most popular tours there to find out why it always gets reviewed so incredibly well. It’s the Rice Barge tour. It was very cool. On the river, the boats are really the stars. These little tugboats pull barges that are filled with concrete and sand and cement. And they’re sometimes strung together six or eight at a time. It’s really quite amazing. The tugs are sort of like the little engine that could, but they’re nowhere near as colorful as these long tail boats that you see all over the river. They’ve got car engines on them that have sort of been specially modified. Apparently, they’re perfectly low maintenance. And there’s clearly a whole lot of culture around the guys that run these boats. Really interesting things to see. And you see a lot of really interesting river people just going about their daily lives. Like this woman who lives on one of the barges hanging out her washing. These kids diving in the rain. Here’s a guy he’s just setting his net for catfish. Plenty of those in the river. This couple have a business selling bananas, and I guess hats.
And I really liked this guy his girlfriend saw me taking the photo and called out to him. He kept on lathering up just having a great time. People are really happy out on the river. This guy wasn’t quite so happy. I think he’s just readed the Titanic post. He seems to be bloging Leonardo DiCaprio. Besides the people there’s a lot to see on the river. This is a typical sight. We passed so many temples. It’s easy to see why people come to Thailand in the first place. It’s really quite a spectacular place. The tour boat gets up really close to the temples, you think as though you could reach out and touch them. If you’re taking pictures you have to rush from one side of the boat to the other to catch them all. Well of course later I realized we’d be coming back down the same river. So, I really needn’t have bothered. I thought the houses on the river were really interesting. This house is quite modern. But the most interesting ones were like these next two pictures.
How to Travel in Bangkok Bangkok Rice Barge Cruise Photo Gallery
Take a look at these houses on stilts. They’ve got so many plants around them. It’s Thailand so if you plant something it grows straight away. It must be like living in a jungle, yet they’re actually right in the middle of one of the world’s most populous cities. I spotted a lot of these little spirit houses. The idea is you have one outside your real house. You paint it nicely and keep it shiny, and it attracts the spirits. And they’ll choose to live in there rather than in your house. Which sounds like a much better idea. The tour is actually on two boats. You start on one of these long open boats, and then transfer to one of the old teak rice barges. There’s a huge spread on board, and while I didn’t think Mai Tais and seasonal rice fruit sounded all that exciting. Actually, I think everyone enjoyed learning about them. And there wasn’t a scarek left at the end if that tells you anything. Here’s a Spanish speaking guide explaining the fruits to her group. I think they’ll be looking for mango and sticky rice next time they go out for tapas. Anyway, that gives you a taste of the Rice Barge tour. I thought it was terrific. And I’d be very happy to do it again. You can find it and lots of other great Bangkok tours on travel.com. Thanks for reading.
Bangkok Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River
It’s gonna be a great night in Bangkok. We’re taking a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. Okay, found my seat, got myself a cocktail. I think the evening is ready to get started. Oh, this all looks so good. I want some of everything. There’s so much to choose from for dinner but you have to save room for dessert, but good thing I have quite the appetite. Part of visiting Bangkok is spending some time on the Chao Phraya River because it gives you a completely different view of the city looking up onto the banks, seeing the temples and the way that people live. I love this city. Woo! Oh, this is so fun. Everyone’s having a blast. From the food, to the views, to the dancing, this has been an incredible night in Bangkok.
Bangkok Temples Tour including Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
This post, we’re visiting some of the most important temples in Bangkok. Wat Pho is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok and it is here that you will find the reclining Buddha. I can not wait to see this with my own eyes. Wow! Everyone has their cameras out, but, even with the pictures, you can not capture the grand and immense size of this Buddha. You think you’ve seen it all when you get to the Buddha’s feet, but then you look on the bottom side of the feet and you see these mother of pearl intricate designs. We’re just arriving at Wat Arun. It looks absolutely gorgeous from over here. Wat Arun is also known as the temple of dawn. It is built in a traditional Hindu style with colored mosaics. It’s a steep hike to the top, but I’ve been told the view is worth it. I made it. Oh my god, look at the view from up here! You can see all the temples in the distance. Wat Traimit is also called the temple of the golden Buddha. It houses the largest golden Buddha image in the world. The Buddha stands at over 15 feet and weighs over five and a half tons. Getting up close and personal with the temples today really gave me a better sense of why they’re such an important part of Bangkok’s identity.
Bangkok’s Grand Palace Complex and Wat Phra Kaew Tour
This post we’re visiting the Grand Palace which is something you absolutely cannot miss when you come to Bangkok. The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings in the western part of Bangkok and this is where the history of the city started. Inside the Grand Palace is a Wat Phra Kaew which is full of gold pagodas, colorful mosaics and statues guarding the temple. I would not mind living here. I’m surrounded by these incredibly ornate and stunning buildings, and then I get to this pagoda which is all gold. There’s so much of it, it actually was blinding. The Emerald Buddha is carved out of one piece of jade, and the king comes and changes its costume every season. The palace complex is so massive and so beautiful, you could really spend all day looking around.
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