SIAMSMILES

Always wondered what creatures hide in the Mekong river. Come visite the Nakhom Phanom freshwater aquarium and see the gigant Mekong catfish. The aquarium is about 5 kilometers outside town, admission 30 baht. The aquarium houses some of the fish from the Mekong river. A few small fish are in little aquariums but they also have some very large catfish in a huge tank with a glass tunnel to walk through. To get there just rent a bike or take a tuktuk from the bus station. The aquarium is not that large so to visit will take just 2 or 3 hours including the ride from Nakhon Phanom. Opening hours are from 9am till 4pm. My advise is to be there early to avoid the heat and large groups as from time to time schools will visit the aquarium making you the attraction instead of the fish.

Nakhon Phanom is a lovely small town nested along the mighty Mekong river deep in Esaan province. The town borders Laos and provides a beautiful view of the river and the lime stone mountains just cross. Activities in Nakhon Phanom are limited compared to the major tourist destinations. But this might already be a reason to visit as there are hardly any tourist and you can experience the real Isan lifestyle. Make an hour long cruise on the Mekong river. The boat depards across the Indochina market at 17.00 and a ticket is 50 baht. I really liked this boat trip, its relaxing and provides nice views of the surroundings and the Laos side of the river. Rent a bikecycle at P Hometel to explore the town and its outskirts. The land is flat so biking is easy and within a few minutes you can be cycling between rice fields and small farmer villages. Curious kids will be welcoming you, its a lot of fun. To get to Nakhon Phanom you can take the bus from Morchit but be prepared for a lo...

Those creepy crawling creatures. You don't see them in cities but don't be mistaken, they are certainly out there. Luckily in Bangkok you can enjoy these magnificent without jeopardizing your safety. The Bangkok snake farm is a must see for educational and entertainment reasons. Located at the Bangkok Red Cross Institute near BTS Sala Daeng and MRT Silom it’s easy accessible by public transport. From these stations it’s just a 5 minute walk. The snake farm operates from an old building with a large garden behind it which houses the snakes and a small platform to host the daily shows. There are some pretty huge snakes to be seen. They explain the different types of venom and which snakes are common in Thailand and Asia. At times it can be busy with Thai childeren as schools in Bangkok plan this trip as a nice day out. Snake show start at 2.30 pm on weekdays and 11.00 am on weekends, entrance fee is 200 baht.

Beautiful Koh Lipe is a small island in the southern part of Thailand, close to Malaysia. It is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park and famous for its excellent diving and snorkeling sports. Crystal clear water and white sandy beaches will give you the ultimate island feeling. The islands surrouding Koh Lipe form a national park and are inhabited. This allows for nature to go its way and some beautiful coral can be seen while diving or snorkeling. Hard and soft corals are abundant with lots of sea life. A diving trip can be arranged at one of the diving companies on the Island. For a (private) snorkeling trip just walk up to some of the fisherman on the beach and agree on the route, price and duration and they will take you out to sea. As the locals know all the nice spots you are in for some nice snorkeling and in the mean time support the original families on the island.

The most beautiful airport of the world according to many people. Koh Samui airport is one of a kind. The structure is completely open and in tune with it's natural surroundings.  The airport has 2 terminals and handles well over 1 million passengers a year and has direct flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and some other large cities. From the airport it takes just 15 minutes to get to the biggest village and largest beach of the island, Chaweng beach. About 10 minutes driving to the other side of the airport is Bophut with the pier to Koh Phangan and in 30 minutes you are at Lamai beach.

Samut Sakhon is a small town about 35 kilometers outside of Bangkok. It is near the sea and famous for its fresh seafood market. Each morning fishing boats arrive to unload their catch of fish, shrimp or crab. The boats will dock at the auction place and from there on the seafood will find its way to the market and eventually end up in the restaurants of Bangkok later that day. Visiting Samut Sakhon is an excellent day trip. You can easily arrange it on your own. Catch the BTS skytrain to Wong Wian Yai station and from there walk to Wong Wian Yai Railway station. It’s about 500 meter, just aks for directions or take a motorbike taxi. Another way to reach the train station is by taxi, just wave one down on the streets. Before you get in make sure the driver puts on the meter! Every hour a train will depart for Samut Sakhon Mahachai station and it will take around 1 hour to get there. The train is old and loud. The seats are hard and there is no airconditioning but what can you expect ...