This is my first City Walk in Bangkok for you & I am including many new website links describing the sights you will see during your walk in Banglamphu…In addition there is a wealth of information about Thailand…While you are walking in this busy part of the city…Please be careful of the traffic & always give the motorists…Especially motorcyclists…The right of way…And keep a look out when you are walking for obstacles on the footpath…You will be constantly harassed by tuk-tuk drivers who will want to take you for a ride…Just smile & ignore them & keep on walking…Enjoy your walk in Banglamphu…Remember…By walking you are helping to save our planet from global warming…

Your City Walk in Bangkok starts with a ride on the Bangkok Skytrain to the end of the Silom Line at Saphan Taksin station…Then descend to the Central Pier on the riverside…

http://www.bts.co.th/en/map.asp

Take a Chao Phraya Express Boat from the Central Pier…Up river to Phra Arthit Pier…N13 on the route map below…

http://www.chaophrayaboat.co.th/routemap_fare_e.htm

From here walk north along Phra Athit road…Where there are many old buildings of colonial style architecture & small colourful bars & restaurants…& you will arrive at the Phra Sumen Fort…

http://www.amazing-thailand.com/Heritage.html

The riverside park here overlooks the modern Rama VIII bridge & is a popular walking & exercise area for the locals in the evenings & for skateboarding & aerobics…

http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/bangkok_map/bangkok_map_rattanakosin.html  

Keep walking down Phra Athit road with the Banglamphu Canal on your left & turn right into Chakkraphong road & follow this a short way…Then turn left into Khao San road…This is the popular area of Bangkok for young travellers & is best described as…The centre of the backpacking universe… 

http://www.bangkok.com/area-khao-san-road/index.html

Walk down to the end of Khao San road & turn right into Tanao road…Walk south & turn left onto Bamrung Muang road…Here there are many shops selling Buddhist statues & religious items…Ahead you will see the Giant Swing…& on your right Wat Suthat…

http://www.thailand.com/travel/historical/historical_bangkok_sutat.htm

From Bamrung Muang road…Turn left onto Dinso road & walk to the Democracy Monument…

http://thailandforvisitors.com/central/bangkok/districts/khaosan/demo.html

Turn left at the Democracy Monument & walk up Ratchdamnoen Klang road a short distance & turn right into Tanao road…Then left into Kaosan road & walk into a bar for some refreshments…Tell everyone you meet that…YOU WALKED THERE…They will be amazed…

On leaving Khao San road get a meter taxi to Victory Monument…

http://www.bma.go.th/bmaeng/ratchatewi/victory.html

Then take the Bangkok Skytrain back to where you originally started from…

Walking is a simple…Enjoyable & healthy exercise…Keeping your Carbon Footprint very small…Keep walking…

http://www.walking-in-thailand.com

Join us & Escape to Thailand…The Land of Happy Smiles…

http://www.escati.com/thailand_of_escati.htm

Keep smiling!

Yours truly

The Walking Man…

A City Walk in Mae Hong Son…Starts at Rose Garden Tours next to the 7 Eleven…Where you can book your tours around Mae Hong Son with my friends Pranee & Niti Siriwat…

http://www.rosegarden-tours.com

Walk towards the lake opposite the Baiyok Chalet hotel…With the post office on your right and you will pass the Sunflower cafe on your left & bear right when you reach the lake past Piya guest house & walk around the lake…Wat Jong Klang is on your right which has an interesting museum which is worth a visit…The temple next to it is…Wat Jong Kham built in 1827…There are stalls selling local gifts & handicrafts in the grounds of these temples…Leave the temple facing the lake & walk to the right to the T junction and turn right past Palm House & Rom Thai guest houses on your left & walk keeping to your left to the bridge over the small Mae Hong Son river…Walk away from the large apartment building on your left…Down the footpath beside the river…All the way to the end where there is a park across the river on your left…At the end is a main road..Turn right & walk past Rooks Holiday Resort & the Mountain Inn on your left & walk up the hill with a monument on your right & Mae Hong Son Hill guest house on your left…At the top you will see the sports stadium…Keep walking to the first temple on your left & you will see through the entrance…Stone stairs going steeply up the hill…Walk up these & you will see a golden Buddha at the top & a nice view of the town…Walk past the Buddha down a pathway…There is a water pipe that you will have to climb over on the way…& when you reach a rest sala…Mind the low roof when you approach it…Turn left & walk up the footpath & steps which zig zag up the hill all the way to the temple on the top…This is Wat Doi Kong Moo…The main temple in Mae Hong Son…The view of the town & surrounding countryside is spectacular & you can watch the planes landing & taking off from the airport below you…Walk around the temple grounds & walk towards the rear and you will find souvenir shops & refreshments…You can also walk up higher to a large Golden Buddha statue at the top & a view over the hills to Burma…

There are 3 large bells near the viewpoint sala overlooking the town…You can ring these with the wooden sticks provided…Watch how the Thais do it…Then…Ring Your Bell…& make a wish at the same time…Ring the 3 bells…For 3 wishes…You will be glad you did…

Walk back down the stairs & footpath all the way to the bottom to the road & walk downhill a short way & turn left…Then you pass a department store on your right…Bear right at the fork in the road & walk to the end where you will see the Salween River bar & restaurant ahead of you & next to it is Lucky restaurant…The food in both is excellent…On leaving these places…Walk to your left to the crossroads & turn right past the Crossroads bar & walk past the ATM banks to… Rose Garden Tours…Tell everyone you meet that you are doing…A City Walk in Mae Hong Son…They will be amazed…Keep walking!

http://www.walking-in-thailand.com

Join us & Escape to Thailand…The Land of Happy Smiles…

http://www.escati.com/thailand_of_escati.htm

Keep smiling!

Yours truly

The Walking Man…

Songkhla is a Walkers Paradise…As there are lots of open spaces for walking including the beach on the Gulf of Thailand…

http://www.escati.com/songkhla.htm

A City Walk in Songkhla…Starts in the early afternoon at the Parlang Bar…Opposite the Royal Crown hotel…Have a light snack & a beer at the Parlang…Then start your walk towards Samila beach…At Tang Kuan Hill take the Lift for B30 return to the top where you will see the Pagoda & have a magnificent view of Songkhla…On leaving the lift station at the bottom…Turn left and keep walking ahead of you to Samila beach and walk on the beach with the sea on your right and the sea pine woods on your left…Keep walking until you reach the end of the beach peninsula & the breakwater where locals will be fishing…Turn left into a park area containing the statue of Prince Chumphon Khet Udomsak…The Founder of the Royal Thai Navy…Here the fishing boats pass the Prince’s statue…And set off fire crackers so the Spirits will bring them good fortune while they are fishing in the Gulf of Thailand…

At the park you can buy refreshments and watch the world go by…Then continue walking around the peninsula with the lake on your right until you reach the ferry that crosses the lake…Buy a Walking Ticket for B3 and turn left when you reach the other side of the lake…Now you are in an exclusive Moslem village where there are lots of goats and no dogs…Keep walking as far as you want to go and watch out for the traffic in the narrow streets…You can explore anywhere you like…Taste some local moslem food…The people are charming and very friendly…They rarely see any tourists…Then turn back & return to the ferry to the town…When you leave the ferry walk straight ahead of you towards and through the sea pine trees and back on to Samila beach and walk with the sea on your left until you reach the statue of a Mermaid that is Songkhla’s symbol…On the way to the Mermaid you pass many sea food restaurants on your right which you can visit after seeing the Mermaid…

Enjoy a nice cold beer in one of these Thai restaurants overlooking the beach and the Gulf of Thailand…And Cat and Mouse Islands are in the distance…Cat on the left…Mouse on the right…On leaving the restaurants…Walk to the right to the traffic lights…Turn left walking past Tang Kuan Hill lift station…Where in the evenings the monkeys visit to be fed by the local people…Be careful of the monkeys…And walk towards the traffic lights and turn left before you reach them…You will be in Sadao road and you will pass the Darkside Bar area of Songkhla and the last bar on the left is The Office…Here you will meet Eric and the local crowd… Drinking beers and watching UBC TV…Tell them you have just done…A City Walk in Songkhla…Keep walking!

http://www.walking-in-thailand.com

Join us & Escape to Thailand…The Land of Happy Smiles…

http://www.escati.com/thailand_of_escati.htm

Keep smiling!

Yours truly

The Walking Man…