Thailand's oldest and most visited national park, this Unesco World Heritage site is a must see on any trip to the country. At 2168 square kilometers, Khao Yai remains one of the largest rainforests on mainland Asia. With around 200 elephants, as well as many tigers, leopards, bears, monkeys, gaur, barking deer, otters, various gibbons, macaques, pythons, and 392 species of bird, the park is home for many creatures.
We walked to the local food store to buy some groceries instead of eating out. We then walked around the city for a couple hours and came across many monkeys. Lopburi is known as "monkey city" and it definitely lives up to its title. We saw monkeys crossing streets, on rooftops, and at storefronts. It was a little freaky seeing all of the monkeys for us, but is a regular occurrence for the locals. November in Lopburi is known as "Monkey Month". During Monkey Month, the monkeys are fed by the locals and during the last weekend of every November there is a festival attended by many travellers and Thai people where the monkeys enjoy a feast put on by the locals. In recent years, there have been around 2000 kg of food donated to the monkeys by locals who believe donating will bring them good luck.
Founded in 1350, the city of Ayutthaya is claimed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Between the 14th and 18th centuries it grew to at one point be the biggest city in the world. The city was attacked by the Burmese army in 1767 and was burned to the ground which forced all of the citizens to leave the city. The city was never rebuilt and is now an important historical site. Present day Ayutthaya is now built around the remaining ruins and is a reminder of the great city that once stood there.
The Grand Palace is where the royal family used to live but is now only used for ceremonial occasions. Visitors are allowed to explore the Grand Palace and four of the remaining palace buildings. Visitors are allowed to go inside to see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, but must remove their shoes and no pictures are allowed.
In the past, Chatuchak was a place only for wholesalers and traders but is now a must-see for tourists. The 35-acre market is home to 8,000 market stalls. Chatuchak is visited by more than 200, 000 people on a typical weekend. Khao San Road (ถนนข้าวสาร) is known as the backpacker haven of Bangkok. "Khaosan" translates as milled rice, a reminder that in former times the street was a major rice market. Now serving as a hub for young travellers to drink, meet others, and enjoy Thai food. |
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