Vacations are really great to relax, have fun, and enjoy the precious moments with family and friends. So planning vacation trips in advance is the best way to get the most out of your budget and make these moments memorable.
Travel packages, which you can book through various travel websites, can provide an amazing experience that you’ll never forget. Many merchants offer leisure and business travelers a wide selection of low airfares, as well as deals on lodging, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. Booking your tickets and hotels through these merchants can be savvy. These merchants offer special discounts for vacation packages and offer sale prices across various airlines, hotels, and car rental companies. Some of these travel websites also provide information on popular destinations and activities including site seeing, sports, and shopping.
Numerous travel destinations across the world are available that are both exciting and affordable. From safaris to boat trips in the Orient, from hikes up a mountain to seeing icebergs, people want to experience life.
Alaska vacation packages is the cruise package, offered by many of the leading cruise lines. With so many glaciers and so much wildlife to see, taking a cruise through Alaska is a one of the best ways to see the most hidden features of the state.
A vacation at one of the islands in the Caribbean offers excitement as well as relaxation in a stunning, tropical setting. St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan and Barbados are among the most popular travel destinations in the southern Caribbean and offer tourists an authentic island experience.
Belize is an appealing destination, with wonderful Caribbean beaches and a lush tropic setting. Belize has only recently emerged as a popular travel destination, and hence travel options to this destination might be limited.
Paris, home of the famous Eiffel Tower, remains one of the world’s top travel destinations for honeymooners and travelers alike. Other cities in France that provide an ideal spot to vacation if you’re looking for beauty, charm and a rich sense of history are Lyon and Marseille.
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Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Travel Destinations for a Memorable Vacation
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Review of "The Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando" By Casey Wohl
The Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando by Casey Wohl is a very informative how-to book in helping to plan a successful girlfriends vacation. The author, who hails from Florida and went to school at Rollins University knows the area's fun and hot spots and doesn't mind sharing with her readers. What better an authority to get ideas from?
Covering every aspect of having a fun time with ones female confidantes, Wohl offers suggestions of many different varieties-not only will they appeal to women, but for couples and even families. But I digress, since this is to be the first in a series of How-To Guides for Girls Getaways.
If we're honest, when we think of spending time with same sex friends, we think of shopping, talking, being pampered, letting our hair down and maybe even trying things that ordinarily wouldn't even come into our minds-good thing these are all covered in this tote bagged sized paperback!
Wohl breaks the sections down into best areas for the theme your group is going for: Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts, cost efficient to lap of luxury. Restaurants by cuisine, need of reservations, dress codes and if the cost includes entertainment. Spas-their specialties, pricing when she can and hours of operation. Outdoor, indoor, specialty and even outlet malls are reviewed. Ms. Wohl lets her readers know about theatres, museums, side trips, places to try out several sports and even watching sports. She even lets you in on where you can go "ballooning", learning to surf or stomping grapes into wine, if you so want.
Another nicety is the author suggests planning your getaway with annual celebrations and happenings in and around Orlando. The book finishes off with a list of her favorites and why she always finds her way back to them.
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Florence - A Portrait by Michael Levey
Having read Michael Levey's From Giotto to Cezanne and A History of Western Art, I approached Florence - A Portrait thinking I knew what to expect. I did find the attention to detail, the keen critical evaluation and aesthetics that I expected. I did not envisage the book would turn out also to be quite the gargantuan work of scholarship and erudition that it is. Florence - A Portrait is much more than a history of art in the city state. It is almost a biography of the place, replete with historical, economic and political detail. What is missing, of course, is a picture of Florentine life from the point of view of the ordinary citizen, but we cannot criticize Michael Levey for not including what probably does not exist.
I visited Florence thirty years ago and have never returned. At the time, memories of Kenneth Clark's Civilisation were very clear in my mind and I focused on renaissance Florence, almost to the derision of the rest. Even after such time I found my memories of the architecture, paintings and sculptures were still fresh, however, when I read Michael Levey's descriptions. But his descriptions do more than merely list a presence or critique a style. He offers context, critical evaluation, origins and influences when he considers these - and any - works of art. He identifies flattery or criticism, idolatry or satire where an untutored eye would see only colours and shapes.
The book is presented chronologically. It walks us through the early years of the renaissance and deals with the extent of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in minute detail. Then, as a more anonymous baroque era dawns, the account speeds up somewhat.
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Your marathon guide to Beijing
With Beijing set to host this summer’s Olympics, much of the capital’s landscape has changed rapidly in preparation for the influx of visitors. Major sites have been updated, renovated, reinforced and protected, while formerly closed temples and gardens have been opened to woo the army of visitor
Beijing boasts a slew of new hotels and restaurants, with the possibility of advance online bookings. And visitors are now guaranteed easier mobility with more flights, trains, taxis and buses to and from China’s capital. Such positive changes are sure to provide a stimulus to exploring the breadth and depth of Beijing, “an elusive city, where the dreamlike is constantly clashing with the everyday”.
In “Beijing Walks”, Don Cohn - who has visited the city more than 200 times since the 1980s - introduces six walking routes: the Forbidden City; the former Legation Quarter and Tiananmen Square; Beihai Park; the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Sky;
the Confucius Temple; and the Imperial Academy, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace.
These tours provide clues to the riches of Old Peking, more and more of which is fast vanishing.
Told through foreign travellers’ accounts, lavish illustrations and quotes from notable figures in history, the guide comes complete with maps, detailed instructions of where to go and other practical facts and figures.
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The moon beyond Burma
A Shan princess reaches deep into the past to shed light on the present in a fascinating memoir full of travels, triumphs, history and heartbreak
Sao Nang Mya Sanda has, at the wonderful age of 80, graced us with a remarkable memoir that rides on history’s elephantine back out of Burma’s northern hills and across the world, ultimately to return to her homeland and contemplate the broad sweep of all it has encompassed.
The moving family portrait that is at the heart of “The Moon Princess” serves as the colourful basis for an edifying account of the Shan people, their history and their venerated but beleaguered rulers, for a fascinating glimpse of Bangkok as it used to be, for a dalliance with Cambridge higher learning, for a lesson in Lao politics and, of course, for an important personal assessment of Burmese treachery.
Sanda’s father, Sao Shwe Thaike - who she called Sao U Hpa - was the last saohpa of Yawnghwe, the last “lord of the sky” of the Shan States’ prominent southern territory that huddled against Inle Lake. He was at one time the elected president of the Union of Burma - how strange those words sound now.
A fearsome but deeply loved husband and father, he was the epitome of Asian nobility and commanded respect from everyone who would seek influence among the Shan, and that, of course, included the British and Japanese imperial armies.
Sao U Hpa wielded considerable national power as Speaker of the House of Nationalities, by which Burma’s ethnic minorities forged the Panglong Agreement that was to guarantee them autonomy at the end of British rule, and was at the forefront of negotiations with every important figure to come along with promises, both local and foreign. He knew Aung San well, and U Nu and Ne Win too, received their assurances and suffered their dismissals.
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Czech Republic, Slovakia: Whipping Girls and Other Easter Traditions
Easter is a very important celebration both in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, called Velikonoce - from Veliké noci or Great Nights. Although the religious connotations of Easter were suppressed under the communist regime, nowadays Czechs and Slovaks are again aware of the strong Christian background of Easter, although they regard it as mostly fun times. Many traditions are still observed, especially in villages. Several bloggers have been describing some of them.
Green Thursday
The Thursday before Easter is the day of the last supper, when Jesus Christ feasted with the apostles on lamb with bread and wine. Because of that, it is usual to bake lamb for Easter, but now real lamb often gets replaced with gingerbread lamb replica. The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks explains that Green Thursday is so called “because of the long green robes worn in church and the spinach and cabbage traditionally eaten on the day.” He also describes the customs of the day:
… customs include the boys’ game Chasing Judas, and the baking of twisted spiral buns representing serpents, the symbols of betrayal. In some villages there are processions led by a captive Judas in a straw suit which is ceremonially burnt at the end of the day. When sprinkled into a clean jug of water, the ashes of Judas were believed to have special powers including the abilities to guard against fire and protect the health of livestock for the coming year.
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Russian Winter Festival in London
The first thing travelers and festival lovers should know is that the fun-filled Russian Winter Festival does not take place in The Russian Federation — as a matter of fact, the festivities happen on Trafalgar Square in jolly old London. Londoners and folks from around the world have grown to love the tradition of gathering together to appreciate and experience Russian culture, including food, music, dance, street theatre, military marching bands, and more. Of course, many talented artists from the Russian Federation perform in the festival, bringing east and west, and young and old together in a moving and thoroughly entertaining celebration of culture.
Kicking off it’s 4th year, the Russian Winter Festival takes place on 13, January 2008 (near Russia’s Old New Year’s Day) on the cobblestone streets of Trafalgar Square. What may festival-goers expect to experience at the one-of-a-kind event this year? Here are some highlights:
Food is a major highlight of the festival, as Trafalgar Square becomes warm and fragrant with traditional Russian dishes. Some tasty and savory treats will be pirozhkis, shashlik, borsch, and Russian pancakes, all wafting steam into the winter air of London.
Family Fun The Russian Winter Festival is by no means just for adults. Kids will be smiling from ear to ear in the children’s area made especially for them. Children will be entertained by fun Russian street games, puppet theatre, street musicians and performers, and plenty more.
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Peerless Perth - Some Enchanting Side Trips
Perth is an undeniably charming town with a host of things to see and do. But one of the great things about a holiday visit to this capital of Western Australia is that it’s the perfect base for a whole range of fascinating side trips to the delights of the state. You can pop over to nearby Fremantle, visit Australia’s only Spanish monastery, relax in national parks, head out to the wine country, and even visit penguins.
Your fist sortie should be to the port city of Fremantle, located some 13 miles along the Swan River. Here you can browse the markets, visit the splendid heritage buildings, marvel at the city’s maritime past in the museums, and sprawl on the pristine beaches. The most scenic way to get to Fremantle from Perth is to take a river cruise. It’s the perfect, relaxing day out.
For a unique side trip further afield, you can visit the Benedictine monks in the Spanish Renaissance monastery town of New Norcia, the only monastic town in Australia. Located 82 miles north of Perth, New Norcia stands on the banks of the Moore River. It’s a little touch of the Mediterranean in the midst of the Australian bush. Here’s how it got there.
Long ago in 1846, a mission led by two Spanish Benedictines visited the local aborigines and in the following year, the foundation stone of the monastery was laid. The name New Norcia is from Norcia in Italy where St Benedict was born.
New Norcia is a town of unique architecture, beautiful interiors, and olive groves. It’s best experienced on a guided town tour which unlocks all the town’s charms and secrets. You can see the monk’s own chapel in the monastery, the Abbey Church and the College Chapels with their beautiful frescoes. There’s also a museum and art gallery which include gifts from the Queen of Spain.
If you’re a wine buff or just enjoy a glass or two, you’ll want to do a day trip out to the Swan Valley vineyards for a wine tasting tour. The best way to do this is as a delightful two-hour cruise along the Swan River from Perth. You then visit the vineyards to explore the region’s wine culture and partake in numerous wine tastings.
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Travel Destinations for a Memorable Vacation
Vacations are really great to relax, have fun, and enjoy the precious moments with family and friends. So planning vacation trips in advance is the best way to get the most out of your budget and make these moments memorable.
Travel packages, which you can book through various travel websites, can provide an amazing experience that you’ll never forget. Many merchants offer leisure and business travelers a wide selection of low airfares, as well as deals on lodging, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. Booking your tickets and hotels through these merchants can be savvy. These merchants offer special discounts for vacation packages and offer sale prices across various airlines, hotels, and car rental companies. Some of these travel websites also provide information on popular destinations and activities including site seeing, sports, and shopping.
Numerous travel destinations across the world are available that are both exciting and affordable. From safaris to boat trips in the Orient, from hikes up a mountain to seeing icebergs, people want to experience life.
Alaska vacation packages is the cruise package, offered by many of the leading cruise lines. With so many glaciers and so much wildlife to see, taking a cruise through Alaska is a one of the best ways to see the most hidden features of the state.
A vacation at one of the islands in the Caribbean offers excitement as well as relaxation in a stunning, tropical setting. St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan and Barbados are among the most popular travel destinations in the southern Caribbean and offer tourists an authentic island experience.
Belize is an appealing destination, with wonderful Caribbean beaches and a lush tropic setting. Belize has only recently emerged as a popular travel destination, and hence travel options to this destination might be limited.
Paris, home of the famous Eiffel Tower, remains one of the world’s top travel destinations for honeymooners and travelers alike. Other cities in France that provide an ideal spot to vacation if you’re looking for beauty, charm and a rich sense of history are Lyon and Marseille.
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Things To Do In Cancun, Mexico - My Favorite 3
So you have booked your trip to Cancun, Mexico. So what are the top three things to do in Cancun? Cancun is the ultimate travel destination for North Americans seeking sun, fun, and a relaxing holiday. While there are a vast variety of activities and things to do in Cancun, I have selected top 3 of my personal favorites based on multiple visits to Cancun. An expanded list would also include eco parks.
Tour Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza was one of the Mayan’s most important cities, as is evident by the large number of monuments, including the famous pyramid and the largest ball court in the Mayan World. Legend holds that the losers in the game played in this ball court were sacrificed to gods. Chichen Itza is the located 2.5 hours outside Cancun. It can be reached on a day trip via bus tours or by car. If you rent a car, consider traveling on the free road, which goes through little touched Mayan country. You can stop along the way and visit the Mayan where they live, and see the way they live. A word of caution: Chichen Itza is a very hot place, so carry plenty of water, enough to drink and splash on yourself.
Snorkel in Cenotes
Cenotes are cave openings to the underground rivers of the Yucatan Peninsula. The maximum depth reached is 50 feet, with great visibility, typically little current, and fresh water. Cenotes were essential to life as they were the only source of water and revered, cenotes were believed to be gateways to heavens. At Chichen Itza (see above), various objects were sacrificed and thrown into the sacred well, including jewelry and, sometimes, humans.
There are some cenotes around Cancun, for example, Cenote Azul, which you can visit on a day trip, and is a delightful place with an overhang from which people can jump into the fresh clear pool below. You can also join tours or hire guides to reach more remote cenotes or to do cave diving. Cenotes are unique to Yucatan and are found in no other place in the world, so seek them out.
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France’s answer to global food crisis is EU protectionism
France has launched a political campaign to restore food protectionism at the heart of Europe’s agriculture policy as food riots erupt in poor countries and global leaders give warning of the dire consequences of soaring grain prices. At a high-level EU agriculture meeting in Luxembourg, Michel Barnier, the French Agriculture Minister, called on Europe to establish a food security plan and to resist further cuts in Europe’s agriculture budget.
Mr Barnier said that the EU should not bow to pressure from the World Trade Organisation to reduce further its agricultural subsidies but instead should increase aid to farmers in developing countries. The French initiative at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council follows a week in which food riots toppled the Government of Haiti and the President of the World Bank voiced concerns about the consequences of food price escalation. It also coincides with Gordon Brown’s calling for concerted international action to tackle rising food prices, including a world trade deal that cuts subsidies to richer countries. In a speech at Goldman Sachs in London today, the Prime Minister is to raise questions about the effect that the rapid move towards biofuels is having on food production and prices. Mr Brown, who is trying to get the issue on to the agenda of the G8 summit in Japan in July, says today that a doubling of wheat and rice prices has pushed world food prices up by 45 per cent, while food reserves are at their lowest for 30 years. He will call for a trade deal that allows poorer countries greater access to developed world markets, as well as international support for agricultural research and short-term help with imports from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for countries suffering balance of payments difficulties. Mr Brown is also urging the chairman of the G8 group of industrialised nations to lead an international plan on food prices. He wants Yasuo Fukuda, the Japanese Prime Minister, to ask the World Bank, IMF and UN to work together on a strategy. Robert Zoellick, the President of the World Bank, said that a doubling of food prices in two years was pushing 100 million people into deeper long-term poverty. “We have to put our money where our mouth is now, so that we can put food into hungry mouths.
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Ko Phangan - Shrooms, Moons and Motorbikes
Another train took us from Bangkok, south once more overnight to a wake-up call in Surat Thani, where we departed the train, panicked over where Cary had put the bus and boat tickets, before eventually finding them tucked in her bag and boarding the bus to the port of Don Sak on the eastern coast of Thailand, just as the sun was rising with a few hundred fellow travelers, who were also heading for the Full Moon Party.
The boat eventually left at 8am, and we grabbed a seat on the deck for the three hour voyage to the island. By the time we arrived I was well and truly sunburnt. A fabulous start. Waiting for us at Thong Sala, the port on Ko Phangan was Kara, who had already had a one nights stay on Ko Samui and hadn’t particularly enjoyed the experience, so she’d come straight to Phangan to meet with us. Cary had managed to book a couple of bungalows at a resort just over the hill from Hed Rin, where the Full Moon Party was due to take place on the 22nd, at Leela Bungalows. It was a grinding walk with our bags up and then down hill from the main town, but good to their word this time, they had kept us two bungalows.
It was finally time to relax and things began to come together. Troy and Alan turned up and had themselves a bungalow too. Darren arrived and was already staying at an apartment in Ban Khai, further up the coast, but moved to join us. The illnesses from us all seemed to be receeding, although in Bangkok Cary had been munched upon by an army of bed-bugs leaving nasty bite marks all over her legs and back. But above all else the sun was shining and good, relaxing times beckoned. Not that the previous five months had not been good, far far from it, it had been amazing, but like with Sihanoukville in Cambodia, sometimes it’s good to stay in one place for a decent amount of time to recuperate from all the traveling.
Our bungalows were at the top of yet another hill, and were as basic as they come, i.e. hole in the wall for a toilet, no electricity, covered in mosquitoes and big hairy spiders, but did what they said on the label. After all we weren’t going to be spending much time there. We spent most of the afternoon lying on the beach sunning ourselves, then that evening went to sample the delights of Hed Rin for the first time. It is a heaving, manic town, especially around the full moon because of the number of people it attracts here, containing shop after shop of Western eateries, internet cafes, tour companies and souvenir shops. The shops sit back from the highlight itself, Hat Rin Beach, that from end to end has either bars opening out on to it or hundreds of small stalls all competing with one another for you to buy their buckets of potent alcohol mixtures. We duly obliged.
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Saturday, July 12, 2008
Traveling to China With Children
Traveling through China with kids in tow is not what many would have envisioned for their next family escape. You probably have heard that the place is too crowded… the pollution un-sufferable… and all that culture and history is just “too boring” for the little ones.
With a population of 1.5 billion people, give or take a few million, it is a bit more crowded than we are used to, and air quality is a real problem, but with a little planning and an open mind, China could be indeed, a great adventure destination for the entire family. And yes, it is possible to combine 5,000 years of history with a little fun…
Where to Go?
There is a lot more to traveling to China than just seeing the Great Wall. This is such a vast land, it is a good idea to plan your itinerary with map in hand and consider what the different destinations have to offer in terms of your interests and activities to keep the children involved and out of trouble.
Here are some suggestions to help you get started:
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Standing above the crowd at the Empress Chiang Mai
The Empress makes her grand entrance onto the city’s competitive convention-centre scene
Chiang Mai’s Empress Hotel rolled out the red carpet for the opening of its modernist-inspired Empress Convention Centre (ECC) last week. Located on Chang Klan Road, just 10 minutes by car from the Tha Pae Gate and a short walk from the Night Bazaar, the three-storey ECC is right next to the Empress Hotel.
With sophisticated technology and space for 1,500 delegates, the Empress is a fresh contender for the best convention centre in Chiang Mai.
“Unlike the many convention halls or function rooms in town that are part of hotels, the ECC stands alone, but with a hotel next door,” says Kanog Suvannavisutr, general manager of the Empress Hotel. “We’re very versatile. The ECC can handle meetings for 10 people or expos for a thousand.”
The modernist/minimalist complex is designed to deliver a wide variety of productive, stimulating and rewarding engagements. The convention hall boasts 980 square metres of open, pillar-less hall space and 660 square metres of meeting area.
Completely soundproof partitions ensure that parties of all sizes can be comfortably accommodated without disturbing one another.
Add to all this a comprehensive range of support facilities: small breakout rooms, a business centre, simultaneous interpretation facilities, registration counters, VIP rooms and much more.
“The Empress Convention Centre cost around Bt380 million just to get up and running,” says Kanog, who is confident that the ECC will get a good slice of the meeting and exhibition market in Chiang Mai. “We reckon that the ECC could break even in five years.”
“MICE” (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) is Chiang Mai’s answer to low-season tourism, says Kanok.
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Norway Travel Guide
ou need only have a quick glance at a map of Norway to guess where the main attractions are: that jagged coastline is home to Norway’s world famous Fjords. Almost 22,000 kilometers of dramatic coastline, glacial melting waters plunging down cliffs into fjords more than 100 kilometers long, tens of thousands of islands and skerries, and none of it is off limits. If the outdoors is where you feel comfortable, and if you would rather not stand in line to look at nature, welcome to Norway!Located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northwest Europe, Norway’s geography is a constant reminder of the last Ice Age.
In the central high plateaus of Southern Norway, the alpine terrain culminates at the peaks of Galdhøpiggen (2469m) and Glittertind (2468m). Several glaciers, most famous of which are Jostedalsbreen and Svartisen (”The Black Ice”) are present day remains of ice that carved the many deep fjords and left behind fertile valleys with meandering rivers. Although home to the northern tip of Europe - Nordkapp, or North Cape - the country enjoys a mild climate for its latitude, in part due to the warm currents from the Gulf of Mexico.
Source: travel to world
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Murals at Phra Vihara of the Reclining Buddha
King Rama III ordered a major renovation of Wat Phra Chetuphon to preserve the original structures together with the construction of a new complex. He instructed Krommuen Phumintharaphakdi (Prince Ladawan), who was supervising the construction, to ensure that the craftsmen built the Reclining Buddha before the Phra Vihara. The Reclining Buddha, cast in brick and stucco, lacquered and gilded, measures 46 meters in length and 15 meters in height. The feet of the Buddha are five meters in length and three meters in height. The soles feature 108 auspicious symbols inlaid with mother-of-pearl. In the middle there is the feature of a wheel, which symbolizes one of the spiritual signs of a great man. The Reclining Buddha is the most beautiful of its kind in Thailand.
Murals at Phra Vihara of the Reclining Buddha have existed in this temple for hundreds of years. They tell the story of Buddhism and how it flourished in the land of Suvarnabhumi – and these tales have strongly inspired many Buddhist devotees. These fine murals have faded with the passage of time and hence in recent years, renovation work started and thankfully with the excellent craftsmanship of the artistes, the difficult tasks of restoring the murals have been mostly successful.
Murals at Phra Vihara of the Reclining Buddha are divided into two sections. The first section is found above the four window panels and on kho song (the secondary beam placed between the main roof beams). It depicts scenes from the Mahavongsa, which chronicles the history Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) and the spread of Buddhism to the land of Suvarnabhumi and traces the regimes of the Sinhalese kings of Ceylon. The second section, covering the area between 32 window panels, illustrates 13 bhiksuni (female monks), 10 laymen, and 10 laywomen.
The significance of these murals is that they not only depict interesting details of the history of Buddhism but they also show many interesting representations of the Thai way of life, such as the types of houses people lived in, and the games played during that period of time. One such example is the story about Phra Nang Khema Theri, King Pimphisan’s Queen. She had such strong faith in Buddhism that she asked permission from the Buddha to enter the monkhood. Another story is about Phra Nang Sukhon Wanna Theri, the beautiful daughter of a millionaire, who also asked to be ordained. It was told that while meditating on Buddhist principles in the forest one day, she was raped by her cousin who was later killed in a terrible accident.
Foreign influence is also depicted in the paintings – such as through the European and Chinese-styled houses, and pictures of foreigners of various nationalities. The abbot of this temple believed that these pictures were the works of Khrua-inkhong, who adopted the Western painting techniques which were not well-known in those days. Another mural relates the story of a wealthy man’s daughter, Phra Nang Patacharatheri. It was told that she had an affair with a servant, became pregnant and had to escape from home. The servant, who escaped with her, later married her.
Although the Indian tradition required a woman to deliver her baby at her parents’ home, Phra Nang Patacharatheri did not -- as she delivered her baby whilst she was on the way to her parents’ house. A tragedy struck later when her husband was killed by a snake as he was gathering branches to make a bed for their second child. Alone Phra Nang Patacharatheri traveled with her two children to her parents’ house. Along the way, she was struck another blow of misfortune as her first child drowned and her second child was taken by an eagle. Upon reaching her destination, she was even more distressed when she found out that her parents’ house had burned down. Utterly bereaved, she traveled on and then she met Buddha who advised her on how to deal with her sufferings. She listened to him and believed and she was later ordained, becoming one of the Buddha’s most disciplined devotee.
Mr. Somyos Thassaneekul, chief of the restoration team, said, ”My team and I are very proud to be involved in this mural restoration. Few people are given this unique opportunity to repair these murals left to us by our ancestors. Although the work is not easy, as the murals represent invaluable significance to the rich culture of Thailand, it is important. Preserving these traditional Thai paintings will enable our children and future generations to appreciate the history of our culture. We also need to encourage and inspire a new breed of craftsmen so that they too would continue to create such works of art in the future.
The restoration work, supported by both public and private organizations, took over seven years to complete. Now masterpieces created by the craftsmen of the Rattankosin era can be displayed to the public for them to enjoy and such significant work of art will continue to remain and be cherished for as long as Thais take pride in their cultural heritage.
Source : kinnaree.net
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Koh Lanta Yai – the Allure of the South Sea
Krabi, a dream seaside town, makes its name out of its great natural resources, the white sand, clear water, beautiful coral, caves, creeks and cliffs. The province boasts over 100 big and small islands and is regarded as one of the three beautiful coastal jewels of the Andaman which has long made lasting impression on both Thai and foreign tourists.
In particular, Koh Lanta Yai, the tourist center of Koh Lanta, is famous for its white, clean beach and clear water. Given its area of 80 square kilometers, Lanta Yai is no doubt Koh Lanta District’s largest island. To the west of the island is the zone opening to the Andaman. Tourists wanting to visit Phi Phi Island and Krabi can take a boat ride from the pier in front of Saladarn at the top end of the island which is also the center of Koh Lanta’s tourist center, thanks to its full range of tourist services and one of Lanta islands’ best vantage points for the scenic surroundings.
Koh Lanta Yai offers plenty of activities to engage tourists. Among them are sun-bathing, seaside relaxation, trekking and cave exploration. Alternately, it is also possible to enjoy the waterfalls towards the west of the island. As a result, there is no surprise Koh Lanta Yai is considered the sea lovers’ paradise, offering another alternative ideal for people wanting to unwind in peaceful ambiance.
If you choose to leave Bangkok by road, follow Petchburi Road for Trang Province through Khlong Thom District. Then, continue on Highway 4206 for approximately 27 kilometers to Baan Hua Hin where a car ferry is awaiting to take you and your car to Koh Lanta Noi. Leaving the car ferry, follow the asphalt road for eight kilometers before you board another car ferry with your car to Koh Lanta Yai. Alternately, this fabulous tourist destination is accessible by air; THAI operates daily flight between Bangkok and Krabi. Call 0-2356-1111 for additional information and reservation.
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Thailand Travel Hotels Flights Vacation
Prommit Studio: The Shooting Location for the Film
When Kanchanaburi province is mentioned, many people think of tourist sites surrounded by forests, mountains, and waterfalls, such as the River Kwai Bridge, which is a historical structure built during the World War II, Thong Pha Phum National Park, which is endowed with large and small animals, and Huai Mae Khamin Waterfall, a beautiful waterfall referred to as Thilosu of Kanchanaburi.
Today, Prommit Film Studio has become Kanchanaburi’s new attraction, which is a magnet for both Thai and foreign tourists, especially over the weekend. It is the shooting location for the film “The Legend of King Naresuan.”
With a fund of over 10 million baht, a deserted forest of about 2,000 rai (800 acres) in the Surasi Camp was turned into the shooting location. Various scenes have been built for this film, which is one of the grandest and most expensive Thai films ever made. Considering that it will be a pity, if the spectacular scenes are left unattended after the end of film production, Prommit Film Studio has decided to develop this area into a new tourist site for everyone.
There are currently 18 tourist spots within Prommit Film Studio. In the reception hall, visitors will be briefed about the history of this shooting location from a video presentation. Then the tour will take them to other sections of the studio, such as Yodia Village, the living quarter of Maha Then Khanchong, the room for keeping weapons, Pegu’s walls, San Phet Prasat, Ayodhaya’s walls, the residence of King Bayangnuang, and the room for keeping various items to create the scenes. The tour of the studio ends at the souvenir shop in the entrance area. The shop also offers a photo service for tourists wishing to take photographs or to ride an elephant or a horse. Traditional massage and food and drinks are also available.
About 20 kilometers from the River Kwai Bridge, Prommit Film Studio is located next to the Surasi Camp in Lat Ya subdistrict, Mueang district, Kanchanaburi province. It is open every day, from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. For Thais, the entrance fee is 100 baht for adults and 50 baht for children. Foreigners will be charged 200 baht. For more information, please call 0-3453-2300.
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Thailand Travel Hotels Flights Vacation
Ancient town—Fahdad Songyang
At the Kamalasai district in Kalasin province, if you drive along small road out into the open road, you would see vast space of paddy field and simple livelihood of villagers. If we could turn a clock backward, this area was once the powerful empire of Dhavaravadee Kingdom whence people practiced Buddhism and built numerous number of beautiful religious worship places, and inscribed the Buddhist legends and history on Sema-shape sand stones.
The ruin of 5-kilometer long ancient sewer ditch built with dirt earth is an evident that the pre-historic ancient town of Fahdad Songyang was once inhabited and was powerful in Dhavaravadee period. During the 13-15th Buddhist Era, the Dhavaravadee civilization was influent by the Buddhism from India. A numerous number of religious worship ruins remain in Fahdad Songyang, especially the Yaku Stupa, the large ancient stupa that is in near perfect condition. Originally the Yaku Stupa sat on a square base, but later it was renovated and a octagonal base was built on top the original square base. This in itself reflected that worship places were modified to suit the need and art fashion of each period. A number of fallen sand stone reliefs are currently put on display at the National Museum in Khon Kaen province.
Moreover in this ancient town, many discoveries were made on ruins of smaller size stupas, earth ceramic Buddha images, and most importantly the discovery of Sema-shape sand stones that were normally used to demarcate a religious location. A number of these stones are kept at Bhodhichaisemaram Temple and at the National Museum in Khon Kaen province. Those Sema-shape stones were beautifully inscribed with images and Buddha’s history and legendary stories. For example a story of Puritatchadoka depicts a legendary tale of the Lord Buddha when he was incarnated as Naga--a big snake. According to the legend, the Naga was caught by a Bharmin who put him on street show. The craftsmanship of those images on stones was fascinating and reflected high quality of intellectuality of people of the ancient time.
The ancient town of Fahdad Songyang has been listed as national historical place in 1936. Due to climate changes, those religious ruins standing in blazing sun and stormy rain have been gradually giving way and decay. Images on thousands years old sand stones were slowly vanishing away. It you wish to visit this ancient town of Fahdad Songyang, you are welcome to call for guide map and information at Fine Arts Office Area 10 in Roi-et province, Tel. 0-4351-3752.
Thanks to Thai Museum Association for providing information and survey trip.
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Thailand Travel Hotels Flights Vacation
Opium Tower, The Golden Triangle Park
The Golden Triangle is more than a place where Thailand, Lao and Myanmar meet; Sob Ruak River also converges here with the Khong River on its journey through three countries. For many, the mention of the Golden Triangle evokes scenes of poppy fields, the highlanders, the sky-piercing Nang Nawn mountain top, the Khong River and the mixed deciduous forests.
The Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai Province was conceived by the late Princess Mother in 1988 in an attempt to revive and rehabilitate the livelihood of the natives in the mountainous Nang Nawn neighborhood, then engaged in the plantation of poppies and opium addiction; the royal project now houses the Opium Tower, the Golden Triangle.
Set in a property of over 100 acres of land, the Opium Tower in the surrounding of a beautiful garden is some 10 kilometers from Chiang Saen District. It houses an exhibition center where visitors can learn about the history and background of poppy plantation, once a legal enterprise that contributed to widespread opium addiction. It also serves as an information center for researches and continuing study on opium, its diverse extracts and a wide variety of drugs. Visitors will find the exhibition ideal for exploration, thanks to the tactfully arranged displays.
The Opium Tower, The Golden Triangle, is opened Thursday – Sunday from 10am – 03.30pm. Admissions are Baht 200 for local visitors and Baht 300 for foreign visitors. Senior citizens over 60 years old and 13 – 18-year-old young people pay a 50-Baht entrance fee whereas admission is free for children under 12 years old. For more information, contact the Opium Tower, the Golden Triangle Park, at (053) 652-151 and Doi Tung Development Project at (053) 767015 – 6 extensions 230 – 1.
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Thailand Travel Hotels Flights Vacation