CHIANG MAI, An amazing place in Thailand with Rice fields, elephants & holy temples

We start this journey in the capital Bangkok with its beautiful temples. And then we continue our journey along rice fields to the beautiful surroundings of the river Kwai and the waterfalls of Erawan. The program also includes the old temples of Ayutthaya that leave a beautiful impression of the former Thailand. A night train takes us to Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. We see elephants there. A flight takes us from the mountains of Chiang Mai to the heavenly beaches of Phuket and the Phi Phi islands.

But first Bangkok… Bangkok is the largest city in Thailand. And it would be a shame not to see Bangkok. A bike ride through the city, a traditional dinner with Thai dances and a relaxing boat trip along the Chao Phraya river show us the traces of a former wealth. Before 1939, Thailand was still called Siam. The Thai population is a follower of Theravada Buddhism, a very old form of Buddhism: not a religion but a way of life. The Thai word ‘Wat’ means temple and a beautiful Wat in Bangkok is the Wat Arun. The 75 meter high pagoda immediately stands out. The temple was built in the 17th century and has many elements from ancient Hinduism. The name of the temple is named after the Hindu god Aruna, the god of the rising sun. The temple is then also at its most beautiful.

Another must-see is the Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha. 46 meters long, 15 meters high lies the Buddha covered in gold leaf. Originally the building was a medical school built in the 7th century. The soles of the feet of the Buddha depict 108 auspicious signs of the Buddha. Under King Rama III the temple complex was expanded and renovated.

The Royal Palace of Bangkok houses a temple with a small statue of Buddha in emerald green. The palace was built in 1782 by King Rama the first with the intention of protecting the emerald Buddha statue by the demon guardians. But is no longer inhabited by the current king. The entire palace is surrounded by a white wall of almost 2 kilometers. Many buildings still have a Portuguese and Western appearance with Siamese influence. The emerald statue made of Jade, a beautiful gemstone, is said to be 2000 years old and made in India. The statue has 2 costumes. One for the rainy season and one for the dry season.

We leave Bangkok and in a westerly direction we arrive in the province of Kanchanaburi. Here the beautiful nature around the river Kwai prevails. But also has a turbulent past. In World War II the Japanese wanted to build a railway that connected Burma with Thailand. Burma is what is now called Myanmar. To build that railway line, Malays, Dutch and Australians were used as prisoners of war to build it. The conditions in which they had to work in the rough nature and weather conditions were anything but good. At least 75,000 people died. The railway was given the name The Death Railway or the Burma Death Railway. In 1957 a war film was made about it, called ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’.

On the UNESCO World Heritage List is ‘Ayutthaya’, located further north. In Ayutthaya, 3 rivers come together. The Chao Phraya, the Pa Sak and the Lopburi. Many peoples traded with Ayutthaya, including the Portuguese. Before Bangkok, Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam from 1350 to 1767. The glorious past can still be seen in the many old temples. In one of the temples of Ayutthaya you can see the famous Buddha head between the roots of a tree. How it got there, no one knows to this day. Buddhism was introduced in Ayutthaya. No fewer than 33 kings sat on the throne here. In 1767, the city was largely destroyed by the Burmese.

The mountains of Chiang Mai provide a somewhat cooler climate at night than the south. However, the temperatures during the day are around 30 degrees. Chiang Mai is surrounded by rice fields and the jungle where elephants still live in the wild. We visit an elephant aid organization that cares for elephants that have been abused by humans from generation to generation. They try to give them a second life here. In the wild, they would hardly survive.

One of the most striking temples in Chiang Mai: the Wat Doi Suthep high on a mountain, with a staircase of 306 steps to the top.

By plane you can go from the north of Thailand to the south in no time. On the island of Phuket. Phuket, with its tropical beaches, is one of the most visited regions of Thailand. Phuket's old town may not be spectacular but the excursions to the Phi Phi Islands where Leonardo Di Caprio played Richard for the film 'The Beach' are impressive. The famous rock from the James Bond film 'The Man with the Golden Gun' is also one of the must-sees of the region.
High on the mountain overlooking Phuket is the Big Buddha.