Its just 7 days for the Master class and I know that all of us are super excited.. It’ll be great to be back together as a class again…. I personally plan to be in Bangkok by Saturday and am keen to take a short trip to someplace close to the city..

Having Eddie as my internship buddy proved to be super-beneficial… as not only was he awesome to work with but I also got some really great tips about Bangkok!

If you have some time either before or after the master class here is a list of few places that would be worth visiting closer to Bangkok; (listed by the approx travelling time from Bangkok)

Ayutthaya – 42 mins     Amphawa – 1.5 hrs     Pattaya – 2hrs    Ratchaburi – 2 hrs     Rayong –2 hrs

 

Ayutthaya – Ancient capital city of Thailand and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Great place to visit if you like old temples and biking.. The city was destroyed by Burmese invaders and the ruins are relatively close to each other.. the city holds a lot of history in it!

Most blogs and websites pitch it as a great alternative to Sukhothai; which is 7 hours away and is also famous for it ruins..

 

Amphawa – the famous floating market of Thailand… Apart from eating awesome food and bargain hunting for souvenirs and artsy-crafty stuff you can also look forward to enjoy the museum of Thai desserts, take a long-tail boat tour and visit the Wat Bang Kung (mysterious-looking chapel covered by giant Bhodi trees)

 

Pattaya – probably the most popular destination outside Bangkok.. Notorious for its night-time attractions! However the city is trying hard to slowly move away from its “image” and reinventing itself as a family-oriented destination. The “Walking Street” is quite famous as are its beaches that offer water activities to keep one busy.. Also you can visit the Ripley’s museum if you have time to kill!!

Ratchaburi – a must visit destination for first time visitors’ to Thailand, a much more touristy equivalent to Amphawa; Ratchaburi is famous for its floating market (am sure you saw that coming!)

Although besides Damnoen Saduak (the floating market), a trip to Ratchaburi means going back to nature. Ridden with bat caves, mountain ranges, waterfalls and natural hot springs, the city offers a host of opportunities for exploration and sightseeing. Suan Pheung, a sleepy border town with a beautiful mountainscape and a handful of Mediterranean-inspired destination resorts, has sprung up on the tourist map as a place in which to get away from it all.

 

Rayong –  Think of picture perfect beaches, breathtaking panoramas of pristine forests and awesome seafood… Well that’s what Rayong has instore for you and more. Apart from 5 awesome beaches the inland is peppered with fruit orchards, forest temples, scenic waterfalls and the lush forest of Khao Chamao National Park.

 

In the next blog on the same topic Swati will cover some more cities..

 

 

If any of these places interest you – let me know and I can help you with more details.. (ofcourse my main sources of information will still be Donn, Lali, Eddie and the Lonely Planet!!)