Thailand: Always Something New to See and Do

Welcome to the Peninsula
Hanging around the Peninsula's pool
Spa Suite

Long Tail boat tour of the canal
Temple of Dawn
Royal Barge Museum

Holiday Inn Beach in Cha'am
Pool time
The Royal Summer Palace of Rama VI

We have been to Bangkok a dozen times and each time there is something new to experience. One of our all-time favorite hotels is the Peninsula. It is located right on the river and from our room and the pool we can watch the mesmerizing Chao Phraya River. The Peninsula hotels have a program called The Academy whereby tourists can experience the local culture. We have taken their cooking class in Bangkok and in Hong Kong. This time we decided on a cultural klong trip.

The long-tail boat picked us up at the Peninsula dock. Long-tail boats have a huge engine with a long shaft to the propeller hence the name but it is the James Bond movie that really added to the mystic of zipping around in a long-tail. Our first stop was Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn. Most guidebooks say it is called the Temple of Dawn because it faces East; but, Chakie, our guide, said it is because King Rama II landed there at dawn. One of the fascination aspects of the temple is that the mosaics and designs are made out of dishes that broke while being transported from China to Thailand. Also, the Chinese statues that are on either side of the steps were actually used as ballast in ships coming from China. Great recycling. The temple is beautiful and so are the views from the top.

We entered the nearby klong and discovered a fascinating world. Many people live along the klong. Elegant houses are next to very basic homes. Mosques are near churches which are near temples. It seems to be very harmonious. Everything people need living along the klong is delivered by boat. We saw boats vending noodles, coffee, meat, and even the mail. Fascinating.

Our last stop on the two-hour tour was at the Royal Barge Museum. Several years ago when we were in Bangkok we saw the royal rowers practicing on the river for an upcoming ceremony. The water parade must be incredibly beautiful based on the royal barges in the museum. The museum has eight of the country's most unique and stunning Royal Barges. They are reserved for auspicious ceremonies and state occasions. Chakie said he has only seen two such ceremonies. Each barge is carved from huge pieces of teak with prows carved into mythical creatures, gilded in gold and intricately decorated with pieces of glass. Each barge has up to 50 specially trained oarsmen.

From Bangkok we traveled south to the Holiday Inn Resort in Cha’am where we spent a week walking the beach and lazing by the pool. On the last day we started feeling a bit guilty about our life of leisure so we arranged for the hotel to transport us to the nearby Royal Summer Residence.

The beautiful expansive Summer Residence was built in 1923 by King Rama VI who had been advised by his doctors to spend time in a cool, dry place. Built on stilts, cool refreshing air reaches every room of the robin-egg blue and yellow teak residence. A series of open halls connects the various rooms. A long covered walkway leads to the king’s beach where, at 5 in the morning surrounded by 40 servants to make sure nothing happened to him, he took his morning swim. A similar walkway led to a swimming area for his wife.

Hong Kong: Asia's World City

InterContinental
View from our room at the InterContinental
Morning Tai Chi lesson with Master William

Junk ride on Victoria Harbor
Stanley Market
Cooking class

Cooking class
Space Museum
Temple

Our living room at the Peninsula
Salon de Ning's Ski Lodge Room
Transport to airport in Rolls

Hong Kong never fails to impress me. The airport is very nice but the best part is the transportation into the city. After exiting the baggage area there is a transfer desk where we purchased a train ticket into the city, and without leaving the airport we boarded the fast, clean train for the 30-minute ride into Kowloon, one of the main districts of Hong Kong. Once the train arrives in Kowloon there is an elevator up one level to the bus that goes to our hotel. The bus is included in the ticket. It is so smooth and hassle free which is important as our flight from JFK was 16 hours. Getting around Hong Kong is painless, too, which especially amazing considering that Hong Kong is located on several islands. But between the bus, subway, and ferry systems it all works smoothly and senior citizens are half price.

Hong Kong is considered one of the world’s most expensive cities but the Hong Kong Tourist Board has one of the best tourist programs we have ever run across. Their Kaleidoscope program offers many free tours based on the culture, history, and nature of Hong Kong. We have taken several. This time we signed up for the Chinese Cake Making class. John and I joined eight other people at the Wing Wah Cake Shop to learn how to make Wife Cakes. Wife Cakes are actually made by men for their wives. It seems that long ago a wife sold herself into servitude to get money to pay for medical treatment for her father-in-law. The husband was so impressed by her sacrific and wanted his wife back so he created the Wife Cake which he sold in the market. They became very popular so he was able to earn enough money to buy his wife back.

Most of the Kaleidoscope programs are free but the junk boat ride which is also offered by cost about $5. It is the only authentic junk boat still plying the waters of Victoria Harbor. The views of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island from the junk boat are incredible. Hong Kong Island is lined with skyscrapers that continue back from the waterfront and seem to climb up the mountain. The average residential skyscraper is home to between one and two thousand people.

The junk boat, named Duk Ling, dropped us on Hong Kong Island where a short walk took us to Exchange Square where we caught a bus to Stanley, best known for its bargain market. Hong Kong is a shopper’s delight offering everything from the most exclusive shops to unbelievable bargains.

Our first three nights we spent at the InterContinental right on the waterfront. Each morning at 6:30 we meet Master William Ng on the pool terrace for a free Tai Chi exercise class. Every night there is a laser light show emanating from both sides of the harbor.

The last three nights we spent in the Peninsula Hotel, considered the best hotel in the world. They have a fleet of Rolls Royce cars to serve their guests, their own helicopter, and just added two Mini Coopers, which they say are perfect for shopping trips. Walking into the Peninsula’s pillared lobby is like walking into another era. The in-house musicians play while people enjoy afternoon tea. No matter how many times we visit Hong Kong there is always something great to see and do.