Trying out Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise

We headed to Bangkok after our ChiangMai exploration. It was our goal to experience a dinner cruise at the Chao Phraya River. It was easy to find an online company for this. My friend chose the Grand Chao Phraya Cruise which cost around 900-1000THB per person. We didn't include the pick up and drop off with our package as we were confident to locate the starting point.

From our hotel near Siam Station, we rode the train towards Saphan Taksin station and boarded the Ferry Boat towards River City Pier. From there, we asked the guards where to locate the booth for our chosen Cruise. Upon locating the booth, we were asked to show our voucher and we were given a sticker to put on our chest. The staff then pointed to a gate where we were asked to wait. 

While standing and waiting for further instructions, ladies dressed in Traditional Thai costumes gave us an orchid pin and asked us to smile while our photo was taken. Being in Thailand and having joined tours before, I know those photos would be sold to us on frames after the cruise. Knowing this, we still obliged.

The Cruise Boat then arrived and before we were allowed to walk into it, we were greeted by the Cruise staff with a dance number. Here's a short clip:

Upon climbing the boat, we noticed that most of the guests were led to the second floor. I guess the first floor was more expensive or with VIP guests. The staff guided us to our table and when everyone was seated, the host welcomed us.

 Another traditional dance was then presented to us. Our table was near the stage so the dancers were turning their back on us.

Without further adieu, the guests were informed that the buffet table was ready. I was very hungry that time so I forgot to take photos of the dishes served. All I know is that I was happy to taste them. I only had time to take photos of the cakes and desserts. By the way, the drinks were not included in the buffet. You have to order and pay for it separately.

While eating and enjoying the view, the guests were entertained with a Live Band and a romantic Saxophone version of songs.

It was such a dreamy evening. I didn't know what to prioritize -  the food or the view. But nevertheless I enjoyed the moment well. I saw the Grand Palace at a far distance and some beautiful buildings along the river bank.

The Live Band did a good job in keeping the guest's energies up. Some people were even dancing in the middle stage.

It was then announced that the boat has arrived at the point of origin and it was their pleasure to have us experience their offered cruise. All in all, it was a memorable 3 hour boat ride perfect for friends, families or lovers who would like to see Chao Phraya River at night while indulging in delicious cuisine. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Celebrating Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai

This blog post is for those planning to watch and enjoy the famous Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai. Me and my friend prepared for the trip at least 3 months prior to the Festival which happened last 25 November 2015. We arrived in Chiang Mai on the 23rd and arranged several day trips to keep us busy while waiting for the main event. 

On the 25th and after our Doi Inthanon Tour, we rested a bit in our hotel and afterwards went to the streets to see the happenings. We knew beforehand that there was a paid event in a certain university for the lantern to be released together. It had quite an expensive entrance fee of 100 USD. We wanted to meet other travelers and find a transport to take us to the university just so we could sit outside its gates and watch but we were unfortunate to find one. This is why we just opted to be in Chiang mai's old city. We were lucky this time to have seen a lot of people in the streets with their own lanterns. Though they did not release it simultaneously, it was still an awesome sight.

Here are my amateur photos taken during the Yi Peng or Festival of Lights. Locals and visitors released thousands of lanterns in the sky while making a wish. Some even wrote their wishes on the lanterns before lighting and releasing them. The sky truly turned into a sea of little lanterns floating away. I almost cried tears of joy to see such a mesmerizing sight until my friend "judgingly" looked at me. Hahaha. In fact, it was more lovelier and magical in real life than how I captured them. 

What a big crowd that night. This made me realize it was not so bad that we weren't able to go to the university where the paid event was. 

Lanterns were sold throughout the streets. Its price ranged from 100-300 Baht.

We chose to sit in a mini park where some were also releasing their lanterns. The lanterns were supposed to be released at 9pm when the northern skies would be officially a no fly zone. But then, people started releasing as early as 7pm. This caused some night flights to be delayed or cancelled.

The park had this big street light which was directly in front of us. This explains the bright color on the side of my photos. The little bright dots are all lanterns.

Friends and families helped each other to prepare, light up and release their lanterns. Of course, to mark the moment, photos were taken :)

I was trying to achieve a photo of hands attempting to reach for the stars. :P

This festival also coincides with Loy Krathong. Last 2014, I celebrated my first Loy Krathong in Phuket and I wrote about it here. This time, I'm very happy to have witnessed it in another Thai province. 

So after our necks were tired of staring at the bright stunning sky, we headed down to a place near the river and scouted for Krathongs on sale. There were a lot of them sold in different styles and shapes. 

We then headed down to the river bank to light up and have them float away. The Iron Bridge was full of people and hardly any vehicle can come through. It was a truly festive atmosphere to be in Chiang Mai at that time.

Someday, I hope you readers can also be there and experience the magical event. Thank you and 'til next blog! :)

Doi Inthanon 1 Day Tour

For our third day in Chiang Mai, we booked ourselves a day tour to check out Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest peak. Booking and paying for this excursion was again well instructed and facilitated by Travel Hub Chiang Mai. The tour was 1,150 THB and it started at 8:30 am when we were picked up at our hotel.

Our first stop was a village where we saw how the locals were making weaved scarves of different colors. It was interesting to look at how they moved their tools while making sure that each strand is in place.

The finished products in different shades and colors.

Before hopping back to our minivan, we stopped by this small hut to rest. The tribe had set up a mini cafe here showcasing their homegrown coffee. 

Our next stop was the Wachirathan Waterfall. It is the second major waterfall on the way up to Doi Inthanon National Park. It is said that the height of this falls is somewhere between 60m to 80m.

There was a stairs leading to a closer view of the falls. It was also very slippery. On top was a platform to take more pictures and enjoy the falls. 

Because we were finished going up, we also explored where the water flows. Afterwhich, we had lunch in one of the eateries found in the area.

Our next stop was the peak of Doi Inthanon. It was the coldest place I've been into! I loved the cold temperature up there. :) As part of the Himalayan mountain range, Doi Inthanon is Thailand's tallest peak at 2,565 meters above sea level. 

We then went to the Angkha nature walk. It was where we were able to walk amongst the unique flora and fauna living in the high altitude. Here's a photo of our new found friend Jackie and our tour guide.

Amazing greens everywhere. Jackie as my model for this nature shot.

Our next stop is the Chedi of the King and Queen. The view from here is breathtaking. It was tiring to climb but it was worth it.

I love how the clouds seem very near and the stretch of mountains in front of me. The sun was shining but it was very cold. I have not been to any cold country before and I'm already happy to have experienced what it is like to be in a cold but sunny weather. 

Our second to the last stop was at the Inthanon Royal Project Research Station. The facilities here are for research and development of pilot projects for cash crops which include coffee, cold climate fruits and flowers. The project was initiated in 1979 to help the hill tribes and train them on modern agricultural practices. Here we were with our new found friends.

We had fun looking around, snapping photos and checking out the gift shop with lots of beverage and food grown from their own garden.

Our last stop was to see Sirithan Waterfall. We trailed about 100 meters towards the jungle from the main road. At the end of the trail was a wooden platform where we stood in awe of the falls in front of us.

Truly another busy day for us in Chaing Mai. There were lots of things to see but we were there for only a short time. I'm so happy I have achieved this from my bucket list. Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog :)