TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

So I was in Thailand last year around this time of the year with my parents. Which reminds me that I need to finalise our travel plans for next month. Yup, I am finally going to Asia next month! Asia because I am going to several Asian countries =) My mom had a special request for our Thailand trip and that is to see an elephant show. So I found a mom and pop travel agency in Bangkok and booked a day tour which comprises of the Floating Market in Damnoen Saduak (the biggest in Thailand and is in my personal wishlist) in the morning + Lunch on a floating raft restaurant + Elephant & Crocodile show in Sam Phran in the afternoon, all inclusive of transfers. Tip: Book your tours onsite in Bangkok as they are way cheaper than booking online. I remember paying 900 Baht per person compared to the 1500-2000 Baht prices online. No worries about tours getting fully booked because there is no such thing in Thailand where the locals are hell bent on earning money. So here at Samp...

For the Part One blog entry of the Elephant Show, please go here – Elephant World Cup (2015) and some Magic As mentioned in the first part of this blog entry, I would not have made it here if not for my mother. I am not a zoo person. I would rather see animals in their natural habitat. But having said that, I can’t really say that I have a moralistic attitude when it comes to animals in captivity. The elephants I have seen here at Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo were well-fed and looked quite happy. I predict however that the zoo institution will become a less attractive piece of entertainment in the coming years and generation. What with the increase of noise around animal rights in the west – we even have a political ‘Animal Party (Partij voor de Dieren) in the parliament in the Netherlands! People as well are becoming more conscious about their footprints affecting the world’s ecosystem and are slowly adapting a responsible and sustainable lifestyle. I guess it is just ...

If not because of my mother, who is adamant on seeing the Elephant show, I wouldn’t have been here and be able to witness the Elephant World Cup! Who would have thought elephants can play football? The location of the Elephant show is at Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo in Sam Phran District of Nakhon-Pathom province, approximately an hour’s drive from central Bangkok. We were here in Sam Phran in the afternoon after a morning at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and lunch at Pae Poh Kaew floating restaurant anchored along the Tha Cin River. The Elephant show started with a front act—some magic. The one-eyed pirate magician with an assistant impersonating Elvis Presley were quite a laugh. For all I know, the duo could have come straight from a Las Vegas gig. I had low expectations. Magic, together with circus and festival rides reminds me of my childhood days. So being in my mid 40’s I did not know what to expect. But I laughed, so I guess the magic front act was a ...

After our productive visit to the Damnoen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi we were whisked away by our tour guide back to our waiting mini van. He said we need to hurry because the trip will take an hour. Some passenger shuffling ensued and a few people have to switch vans but we were told to stay put. Then we were back on the road to the direction of Nakhon Pathom province. Our destination? Lunch. My lovely so tropical coconut juice =) Lunch was a similar theme as our agenda in the morning. We are eating at the Pae Poh Kaew Floating Restaurant in Sam Phran. Are you seeing the trend here? Earlier it was the visit to the floating market with many floating kitchens, and now, we are dining on a floating restaurant =) The floating restaurant is made of wood and straw and is anchored on the Tha Chin River, a ditributary of the Chao Phraya river that flows through Bangkok. It is loosely fastened on land with plank bridges. The tour guide showed us our tables and we were s...