Travelers Journal :: ßry™: July 2008

Jul 19, 2008

Experience Thai history and culture at Siam Niramit

Are you an ardent fan of theater plays; or perhaps passionate about history and the arts? If yes, then Siam Niramit is a must see place for you!

If you are planning to travel to Bangkok, make sure to include Siam Niramit in your list of places to visit. This US$40 million investment showcases a world-class theatrical presentation of Thai history and culture. The theater itself can accommodate up to 2,000 guests and is a Guinness World Record holder for having the tallest proscenium (the arch around the stage) of 11.9 m.

Before the main show at the Siam Niramit Theater, visitors are given a pre-performance of Thai cultural dance at the multi-purpose grounds (in-front of the main entrance of the theater). Guests may also take photos with real gigantic elephants. There is also a traditional Thai massage sampler that lasts about 15 minutes. And if you happened to got carried away, a full Thai massage can be availed too. One section I like at Siam Niramit is the simulation of the ancient Thai village/community. Visitors can enter various models of Thai houses both from Northern and Southern Thailand which are surrounded by rice fields and canals. Visitors can also take a 5-minute ride of the small traditional boats. Aside from the mock rice fields, there is also the sugar and vegetables plantations.

The main event which is the stage play at the Siam Niramit Theater usually starts at around 8:00 p.m. When I entered this 2,000 seater theater, I was impressed with the murals which I already expected to be automated and retractable during the performance. The play is divided into three major acts namely: (1) Journey Back to History which presents Thai religious faith and ancient heritage of Thai civilization; (2) Journey beyond Imagination which presents Thai belief that life continues after death in a Fiery Hell or at a Blissful Heaven; and (3) Journey Through Joyous Festivals which presents various religious and colorful Thai ceremonies all throughout the year.

My favorite part of the show is the amazing transformation of the wooden stage floor into a flowing river where one of the performers plunged into the water and swam. Much to this,

there were about four boats which sailed from both sides of the stage. So just imagine how great the stage concept is! And to present the seasons of planting and harvesting at the Central Plains, it also rained at the stage! This is one of my two most favorite highlights of the play!!! Next to that is the "blissfully-perfect" stage lighting and direction during the Blissful Heaven scene of Act 2. If I recalled correctly, there were 12 performers flying smoothly and freely as heavenly beings in this scene. The timing and lighting were just perfect!

Overall, the show and the place itself are worth experiencing for! It was indeed a good journey to the colorful and enchanted Thai history and civilization.

Siam Niramit is located at 19 Tiamruammit Road, Huaykwang, Bangkok.
The nearest MRT (subway) station is Thai Cultural Centre. Shuttle buses are also provided at the MRT station.

If you are planning to visit Bangkok and would like to avail of the Siam Niramit package (including dinner before the show), you may contact:

MABUHAY Travel Agency Bangkok

747/7 Bangkok-Nonthaburi Road 21/1

Bangsue, Bangkok 10800 Thailand

Tel.: +66-2-585-7873

Tel/Fax: +66-2-911-2098

Mobile: +6689-112-2098
or e-mail gracemabuhay@hotmail.com

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Jul 11, 2008

San Francisco: The City by the Bay

Of the many places I’ve been to, only in San Francisco I found the best mix of hectic and placid sceneries. Being one of the most popular destinations in the world, San Francisco offers a wide-range of internationally-known tourist landmarks depicting its diverse, cosmopolitan history and lifestyle. I have all my personal reasons to consider San Francisco as one of my favorite cities – a potential place for me to settle in.

Now, how busy and calm this famous City by the bay can get? You’ll surely find more than enough reasons to enjoy every moment of your stay in this City. And for this particular post, I decided to highlight the serene exquisiteness of San Francisco.

First in the list is the relaxing and romantic view at the San Francisco Bay where the world’s famous Golden Gate Bridge reigns supreme. According to history, the bridge took seven years to build and was completed on May 27, 1937. When I first saw the Golden Gate, I was immediately looking for the gold color but in fact the bridge is actually painted in deep red-orange color. (So this is just a bit of clarification.) Both in the northern and southern parts of the bridge, viewing decks are provided. However, parking is an issue. You’ll rarely find a space to park your car. (Good thing I wasn’t driving! Haha…) If you want to get a panoramic view of the bridge as well as the San Francisco Bay, it is best that you park at the Marina area. What I like best being at the Marina is the chance to see the monochromatic blue shaded sky and the cool breeze of fresh air with pine scent. Mind you, this is a nice spot for a wedding ceremony. Imagine the panoramic view as your background in all your wedding pictures. (How's that?)

A panoramic view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

A closer shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.

A view of the San Francisco Bay at the Marina.

If you would like to get more closer to nature, take advantage of the serenity that San Francisco Botanical Garden can offer. You can just lie down the fresh grass and enjoy the air and smelt of flowers and pines. The Garden has various collections of plants from the Mediterranean, Chile, Cape Province, Australia, New Zealand, South-east Asia, and more.

A peaceful scenery at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

Just approximately two blocks away from the San Francisco Botanical Garden, you will find the Japanese Tea Garden where you will find Japanese maple trees, fragrant wisteria, camellias, cherry trees, rhododendrons and more. There is also a Tea House where you can sit for a while and sip a hot cup of Japanese Tea. Souvenir items are also available at this shop. One interesting spot in the Garden is the Drum Bridge or Taiko Bashi in Japanese which is a perfect half-circle in shape. Japanese history will tell that this kind of bridge had been a part of Japanese villages during the 1890’s. The main attractions (at least for photo fanatics like me) are the Temple Gate and the five-storey Pagoda which both came from the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915.

A five-storey Pagoda - a Buddhist shrine. In Japan and other Far Eastern countries,
pagodas were often built over a sacred relic. The Sorin (spire at the top of a pagoda)
has nine rings which represents various heavens of the gods.

The Temple Gate will lead you to the Cherry trees lane.

The Main Pond showcases a series of dwarf trees and Japanese Maple trees.

Blue skies, cool fresh air and relaxing sceneries…. These are just a few of the many reasons why San Francisco makes it easily to everyone’s heart.

More about San Francisco - soon on Travellers Journal.