August 2006 Feature

Elephant Back Riding

By Susan McKee

No saddle, no bridle, no rope – just one fragile inch of keratin sprouting from the top of Janpen’s head provided the tactile assurance I needed that I wouldn’t end up on the ground beneath the four-ton pachyderm’s feet.
I’d arrived at the elephant camp at dawn with a handful of other trainees. We were there to see if we had the right stuff to join the elite cadre of elephant drivers called mahouts.

First task? Find the elephants in the forest! The massive animals sleep little, and spend most of the night foraging – they consume some 650 pounds of food a day. These domesticated animals are tethered on a long chain, so they can’t wander off completely.
Once back in camp, the next lesson is elephant scrubbing. All the mud accumulated since the day before is hosed and brushed off (expect to get wet!). Learning how to mount the elephant and give rudimentary commands takes the rest of the morning. Asian elephants know about 70 physical and verbal commands, but they’ve had more practice than I had.
After the lumbering ride back up to the resort, my introduction to elephant driving was over. Others had signed up for the full three-day course. They’d earn mahout certificates to wow their friends back home while I carried away tons of memories.
The Anantara Resort and Spa is located in the Golden Triangle. From my balcony, I gazed from Northern Thailand, across a piece of Burma and into Laos. This was once prime opium growing land where the Nam Ruak River flows into the Mekong. Royal initiatives are switching the economy from poppies to other crops – plus tourism.
Places like the elephant camp (run by the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation) serve a dual purpose – wildlife conservation and tourist activity. The Thai massage I’d scheduled at the resort’s spa for the afternoon was a welcome respite from the rigors of mahout training.

In nearby Chiang Mai province, one of the largest tourist attractions opens Nov. 1 for a three-month run. To say that the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 is a flower show is not enough. It’s an extravaganza on the order of Keukenhof in the Netherlands. On more than 200 acres, some 30 countries are building gardens and other horticultural delights.
Thailand is a study in contrasts. In the cities, traffic is a constant cacophony and the bustling marketplaces offer goods from all over the world. In the countryside, birdsong provides the background noise amid lush vegetation.
Bangkok is the starting point for most trips to the kingdom. Taxis and hotel shuttles take visitors who haven’t booked tours into town. Although estimated at 45 minutes, this is an often-grueling trip. I was headed to the Sukhothai Hotel, and it took more than two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic to get there.
Every tourist needs to visit the royal palace and adjacent temple complex, but look beyond the expected. I spend a delightful morning at the Rose Garden, which is much more than flowers and plants (although it’s that, too). You can ride an elephant, watch a show of traditional dance, dine in a riverside restaurant or spend the night.
What started as a family’s country villa has developed into a luxury resort, complete with hotel, championship golf course and conference facilities.
Be sure to get tickets for the spectacular Siam Niramit show in Bangkok. This three-part performance tells the history of Thailand through music and art, then takes the audience through heaven and hell and finally into the earthly world of festivals and ceremonies.

Think Cirque du Soleil plus Italian grand opera and classical Thai dance dressed by Las Vegas costumers and staged by Hollywood. More than 150 cast members (including two elephants, six goats and countless chickens) march, dance, play musical instruments and swim: the stage boasts a river more than 12 feet wide. Angels soar overhead, monks are ordained and wars are fought while flames light the stage and fog rolls in from the sidelights.
Outside the theater there’s a Thai village complex with demonstrations of traditional crafts, a nice selection of shops and even a place to have dinner before the performance.

After Bangkok, it’s time to head to some place quieter. Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand became an even more popular resort area after the king began spending most of his time at his seaside palace there. It’s just a few hours’ drive south of the capital, well away from the city’s pollution and noise.
I signed up for a cooking class at Baan Khrai Wang, located in a villa on the beach. The instructor, a graduate of a culinary school in London, was most patient with his small group of rank amateurs. Num P. Wattanapradit graciously answered our idiot questions and guided our clumsy attempts to replicate what he taught us.
After massive effort, we were able to produce a passable four-course meal of traditional Thai dishes: spring rolls, green curry, pad thai and tom yang kung.
Traveling in Thailand is easiest with a local tour operator. Having a driver and a guide means always knowing where to go and never having to look for a parking place.

Trip Planner
I used Universal Travel Link & Services Co., Ltd. based in Bangkok. My guide was flexible, genial, fluent in English and extremely knowledgeable. www.visitasian.com
Showtime at Siam Niramit is 8 p.m. daily, with the complex open from 6-10 p.m. www.siamniramit.com
Thai Air flies three days each week from New York JFK and four days a week from Los Angeles LAX to Bangkok. www.thaiair.com
Stay overnight or just a few hours at the Rose Garden Riverside. http://www.hotelthailand.com
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 takes place Nov. 1, 2006, through Jan. 31, 2007, near Chiang Mai. www.royalfloraexpo.com/index.asp
The five-star Sukhothai Hotel is an oasis of calm in Bangkok. www.sukhothai.com
The Veranda Resort and Spa is right on the beach at Hua Hin. www.verandaresortandspa.com
The Anantara Resort Golden Triangle www.anantara.com, supports the elephant camp run by the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation www.helpingelephants.org.
For further information, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 800-842-4526 or in New York, 212-432-0433; www.tourismthailand.org.

February 2006 Feature

Exotic Bangkok

By Jonathan Siskin

Bangkok’s exotic allure exerts a powerful pull on visitors from around the globe, and the frenetic capital of Thailand referred to by natives as "Krungthep" (City of Angels) is currently one of the hottest destinations on the map. In a little more than two centuries it has rapidly evolved from a nondescript fishing outpost into one of the most prosperous cities (population six million) in southeast Asia.
Over the years tourism has become a key source of revenue and nowadays plays an increasingly vital role in Bangkok's economic growth and well being. While developing a modern infrastructure encompassing top-of-the-line hotels, quality restaurants and shopping centers, Bangkok has also maintained a rich cultural and artistic heritage that revolves around the Buddhist religion. Buddhism is an integral part of Thai daily life as more than 90% of the population are Buddhists and groups of saffron clad monks are a familiar sight everywhere you go in the city.
A River Runs Through It
The most efficient way to get around Bangkok is via water as the city is crisscrossed by an elaborate network of canals, or klongs, which provide an excellent vantage point from which to observe the most important temples and other sites. Many of the canals connect to the mighty Chao Phrya River that runs through the center of the city. It was here on the banks of the Chao Phrya that the Chakri Dynasty relocated the capital in 1782 when Rami I began constructing a city that would become known as the “Venice of the East.” Nowadays Bangkok's main waterway teems with activity day and night as barges transport produce up and down the river while ferries shuttle passengers from one bank to the other. Motorized water buses and river taxis also transport passengers to landing areas on the Chao Phrya.
The most splendid sight on the riverbank is the Grand Palace encompassing an entire square mile of palaces and temples adorned with spires and multi-tiered roofs gilded in gold. Both the King's Palace and Wat Phra Keo, the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand, are located here. The Grand Palace was built by Rama I, first monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, and members of this dynasty have continued to rule Thailand until the present day. The king's official residence until 1946, the King's Palace is now used only for ceremonial functions and as the royal guesthouse housing visiting dignitaries.

Unmatched Riches
Wat Phra Keo attracts large contingents of visitors coming to view the revered emerald Buddha carved from a single piece of green jasper resting on a gold altar. Believed to have originated in Ceylon more than 1000 years ago, this tiny Buddha is the most sacred object in all of Thailand. Protocol is very strict at this temple as no photographs are permitted inside and pointing one's feet at the Buddha is forbidden.
A short distance south of the Grand Palace is Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) which contains a gigantic 148-foot-long, 50-foot-high gold plated Lord Buddha resting on his side that represents his entry into Nirvana. The soles of his feet are covered in mother-of- pearl, and the 108 bronze bowls located in a line behind the Buddha represent previous incarnations of the Lord.
Another renowned Bangkok landmark situated directly across the river from the Grand Palace is Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Covered with millions of pieces of porcelain and glass, it glistens magically when the temples five golden spires, one more than 250 feet high, are illuminated by the rising and setting sun. Speaking of gold, Wat Tramit (Temple of the Golden Buddha) houses an incredible 700-year-old solid gold seated Buddha image composed of five and a half tons of gold. Originally covered in plaster, the Buddha's true composition was discovered accidentally when it slipped from a crane while in transit, chipping off part of its coating to reveal the gold beneath.
Thai Airways is the number one international carrier from the U.S. to Thailand, and it recently introduced daily nonstop service from New York (JFK) to Bangkok on brand new Airbus 340-500 aircraft. Book Royal Silk class for the ultimate in comfort as clients can relax in seats with a 60 inch horizontal recline; www.thaiairways.com; 800-426-5204.
Call the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) at 212-432-0433; http://www.tourismthailand.org. Bangkok’s exotic allure exerts a powerful pull on visitors from around the globe, and the frenetic capital of Thailand referred to by natives as "Krungthep" (City of Angels) is currently one of the hottest destinations on the map. In a little more than two centuries it has rapidly evolved from a nondescript fishing outpost into one of the most prosperous cities (population six million) in southeast Asia.
Over the years tourism has become a key source of revenue and nowadays plays an increasingly vital role in Bangkok's economic growth and well being. While developing a modern infrastructure encompassing top-of-the-line hotels, quality restaurants and shopping centers, Bangkok has also maintained a rich cultural and artistic heritage that revolves around the Buddhist religion. Buddhism is an integral part of Thai daily life as more than 90% of the population are Buddhists and groups of saffron clad monks are a familiar sight everywhere you go in the city.

A River Runs Through It
The most efficient way to get around Bangkok is via water as the city is crisscrossed by an elaborate network of canals, or klongs, which provide an excellent vantage point from which to observe the most important temples and other sites. Many of the canals connect to the mighty Chao Phrya River that runs through the center of the city. It was here on the banks of the Chao Phrya that the Chakri Dynasty relocated the capital in 1782 when Rami I began constructing a city that would become known as the “Venice of the East.” Nowadays Bangkok's main waterway teems with activity day and night as barges transport produce up and down the river while ferries shuttle passengers from one bank to the other. Motorized water buses and river taxis also transport passengers to landing areas on the Chao Phrya.
The most splendid sight on the riverbank is the Grand Palace encompassing an entire square mile of palaces and temples adorned with spires and multi-tiered roofs gilded in gold. Both the King's Palace and Wat Phra Keo, the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand, are located here. The Grand Palace was built by Rama I, first monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, and members of this dynasty have continued to rule Thailand until the present day. The king's official residence until 1946, the King's Palace is now used only for ceremonial functions and as the royal guesthouse housing visiting dignitaries. Unmatched Riches
Wat Phra Keo attracts large contingents of visitors coming to view the revered emerald Buddha carved from a single piece of green jasper resting on a gold altar. Believed to have originated in Ceylon more than 1000 years ago, this tiny Buddha is the most sacred object in all of Thailand. Protocol is very strict at this temple as no photographs are permitted inside and pointing one's feet at the Buddha is forbidden.
A short distance south of the Grand Palace is Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) which contains a gigantic 148-foot-long, 50-foot-high gold plated Lord Buddha resting on his side that represents his entry into Nirvana. The soles of his feet are covered in mother-of- pearl, and the 108 bronze bowls located in a line behind the Buddha represent previous incarnations of the Lord.
Another renowned Bangkok landmark situated directly across the river from the Grand Palace is Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Covered with millions of pieces of porcelain and glass, it glistens magically when the temples five golden spires, one more than 250 feet high, are illuminated by the rising and setting sun. Speaking of gold, Wat Tramit (Temple of the Golden Buddha) houses an incredible 700-year-old solid gold seated Buddha image composed of five and a half tons of gold. Originally covered in plaster, the Buddha's true composition was discovered accidentally when it slipped from a crane while in transit, chipping off part of its coating to reveal the gold beneath.
Thai Airways is the number one international carrier from the U.S. to Thailand, and it recently introduced daily nonstop service from New York (JFK) to Bangkok on brand new Airbus 340-500 aircraft. Book Royal Silk class for the ultimate in comfort as clients can relax in seats with a 60 inch horizontal recline; www.thaiairways.com; 800-426-5204.
Call the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) at 212-432-0433; http://www.tourismthailand.org. 2006-02-01