Sukhothai ancient ruins, Thailand

After reading about this place for so long, at last we made a trip to Sukhothai in early December 2012. We drove from bangkok to Chiangmai and spent a few days there before driving southwards to Sukhothai.

The drive was pleasant but the roads were very secluded and it passes hilly terrains and lots of jungle areas.

Most places in Thailand are crowded with people and Ayuthaya which is also an ancient capital of Thailand is no less. So imagine my pleasant surprise at how tranquil this place was. The surrounding town or more aptly described as village is very quaint. There were not many tourists and most of a large propertion are on a day trip and probably on the way to Chiangmai or Bangkok or maybe staying at the larger Phitsanulok city.

The ancient city of Sukhothai however, is much older than Ayuthaya and is about 800 years old and is almost the same age as the ruins of Angkor Wat. The city was ransacked by the Burmese and forcing the Thais to move the capital southwards.

One can obtain more information and resource on the place from the following sources :

- Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhothai_Kingdom

- Wikitravel http://wikitravel.org/en/Sukhothai

- Unesco World Heritage Site http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/574

One must not be hurried when visiting this place as the surrounding area is so peaceful and calming. A number of people just rent a bicycle from the numerous shops in the village or from hotels and take their time.

All tourist are required to purchase tickets from the site's office which goes to the maintenance of the place. However, their service is left much to be desired.

The place is made up a main complex and surrounding temples and sites. We went to the surrounding sites first as we wanted to drive around to have a feel of the area.

Plains surrounding the main complex

Smaller sites on the outskirt

When it starts to get dark though, one can feel the place turn a little eery but also strangely peaceful.

At the main complex, the ruins are in much better conditions and some still contains the statue of Buddha. However, due to much looting, a lot of the statues and ornaments are also missing.

 

There is a moat surrounding the main complex

The best time to cycle is early in the morning and in the late afternoon/evening. This is to avoid the heat during the mid day and early afternoon. 

At the village, there are a number of restaurant and bars serving cold drinks and food. Most of these are rather good too. The prices are also very reasonable.

Nothing beats a cold one after a day of exploring in the hot sun.

There were so many names to remember but due to the language, it is very difficult to do, so, I won't even attempt to do so. There is also a museum near to the office which is worth visting and it also provides a lot of information.

I think I will come here again in the near future and this time, probably hire a guide to provide us with more details.

Until the next time, cheers.

Hotel De La Paix, Chaam, Thailand

We stayed at this very chic hotel during our recent trip to Hua Hin, Thailand in December 2012. I remembered a hotel of the same name in Siem Reap, Cambodia and upon checking their website, I found out that they belonged to the same group. Although I did not stay at the Siem Reap hotel, I had the opportunity to dine there and the food was superb. So, I was looking forward very much to staying at this hotel. Moreover, the hotel was designed by a famous Thai architect.

It was Christmas season and they had a very large tree full of lights. This made a huge contrast to the resort which is sparingly lit.

Giant LED lighted Chirstmas tree

The resort is not large but base don the review, it is very well run and an oasis of peace. Moreover, you don't get many resorts with its own beach. However, this was not technically correct. The beach is very small but it is a public beach. However, as it is very secluded, it is near empty. Beware though that it is quite rocky.

Relaxing beach beds with canopy. Nice winds too.

View from towards the pool and restaurant

Feature wall on the right

Hotel room building

I like the hotel design very much where emphasis is on privacy. There are also adult pools only and stairs for every 2 rooms. We had very nice rooms with very large bathroom with rain shower. It was heavenly. Rooms are very clean and comfortable. internet works very well and fast. Even minibars are free with a few beers, sodas and a couple of snacks. Just nice. This is refilled daily.

The food is also good but we had only breakfast at the hotel. One could also dine outside under the trees and it was really nice too.

Nearby, we went to a seafood restaurant called Sea Zabb. The decor was very nice and they had live music.

Nice deco and lighting

Main dining hall

Live music.

Nice koi pond

We ordered local food and the price was very reasonable and the food quality, not bad.

Pork ribs

Green curry

Fried vegetables

Sea shells with dib

Namprik pla to.

Grilled large prawns

Yummy

We had a nice relaxing trip and for more information on the resort, go to www.hoteldelapaixhh.com/.

Until the next time, cheers.

Western Christmas in Chocolate ville, Bangkok, Thailand!!

When we were in Bangkok in December 2012, my wife suggested we go to this place called Chocolate ville. It seems quite a lot of locals know this place but when I asked for more details, it was sketchy. So, we had to find out for ourselves.

The place opened in December 2011 and if becoming a popular tourist attraction but please beware, you cannot buy anything here, not even chocolate...it is just a very large restaurant.

The place is actually a very large restaurant that is decorated in a mixture of European, New England (US) and Disney town type of setting. The owner must have loved these places very much to actually replicate them in Thailand. 

The detailing and work quality is recommendable as I have seen most in Asia will try to save on the cost and making them rather flimsy.

There were also shooting of a drama and I was told this place is quite popular for the local film industry that need to shoot in a European setting.

I was impressed with the Christmas decoration and the Christmas carols playing on the PA system. In fact, I was immediately put into the Christmas feeling as though you were in Disneyland during the Christmas season.

I believe the place can sit more than a thousand people and some of the buildings can also be rented out for functions. The place seem to be popular with locals. A number of tables were celebrating graduations, birthday, business dinners as well as bringing foreign guests.

The food is a mixture of local and western. The menu is extensive but beer seem to play a big part. We ate here but I suppose we cannot expect the food to be the very best as the main feature is atmosphere and size.

A view of the main dining area

A view of one of the dining area

The toilets were also really beautifully done, fully air conditioned and clean!!!

One of the best toilets.

As nightime came, the lights were magical. I was impressed by the length the owner has gone to make this place light up. Really beautiful.

I will come back again when it's not Christmas and see how different the place would be. One can never guess what to expect in Thailand. Well, it's Amazing Thailand. I could not find a website for the place and the only address avaiable is this :

Chocolate Ville (ชอคโกแลต วิลล์)  

Kaset-Nawamin Rd. (km 11), Khanna Yao, Bangkok 10230, Thailand

Until the next time, eheers.