Bangkok and Florence are twinned Cities. Both cities have played important and very pivotal parts in the development of their respective continents in the last 500 years. Whilst they are on the other sides of the world to each other their cultural ties draw them together. Both places have been to spring board for massive advancement in learning, architecture , writing and the arts.
You cant currently fly direct from one city to another but with many European hubs availble its very possible to visit both cities in less than 24 hours. Florence of course is the birth place of the Italian Renaissance which brought us everything from currency to Da Vinci. Its set in the Province of Tuscany and is reputed to have the greatest density of quality art anywhere in the world.
Florence boasts many fine collections of art, especially those held in the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace and has been home to of many notable historical figures, such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci ,Dante ,Boccaccio , Roberto Cavalli, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Guccio Gucci, Michelangelo, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, , Donatello, Galileo, Antonio Meucci, Franco Zeffirelli, Gabriel Batistuta and Luigi Cherubini. You wont have the time to see all of their work unless you plan on staying for 6 months or more but you should be able to see the major pieces in a five day trip.
Its also the second most visited place in Italy outside its more famous capital city, Rome and as such finding a hotel bed room can sometimes be a little difficult. My advice is to ditch one of the 35,000 hotel beds and search out some of the quality apartments for rent in Florence and immerse yourself in the local culture away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist resorts.
Most travellers to Thailand will stay in Hotels Bangkok and overlook one of my most favorite places in Thailand, Koh Samui. It’s the most idyllic island I have ever been to , its in southern Thailand a short flight from Bangkok and 20 miles or so north of Surat Thani town. The total island is only about 15 miles wide and is surrounded by the sixty or so other small islands, which compose the Ang Thong Marine National Park. It has Hotels to suit every budget and a vibe that is hard to find any where else.
For many years the original inhabitants of the island, known as ‘Chao Samui’ made a living farming coconuts but now mostly work in Koh Samui Hotels and other tourism related jobs.
This area in south of Thailand has a wonderful culture due mostly to the huge mix of Buddhists, Thai Chinese, Muslims and indigenous sea-faring gypsies. The island of Koh Samui does not suffer from the religious tensions experienced in some of the other areas of Thailand which leads to a glorious laid back easy going atmosphere which you can help fall in love with.
The Island has some of the best events and festivals anywhere in South East Asia including the Koh Samui Buffalo Fighting Festival which is held on special occasions such as New Year’s Day and Songkran. Unlike the more commonly known bull-fighting from Spain the fighting on Koh Samui is a little more laid back and completely harmless to the animals. The buffalo are wonderfully decorated with coloured ribbons and painted with gold leaves. Its hugely popular with the local Koh Samui people as well as other Thai’s coming in from Bangkok and beyond packing out all the Koh Samui Hotels and enjoying themselves into the early hours.
Other not to miss events include the Ten Stars Samui Art Party. Its a fantastic cultural Art event bringing together local Thai and many renown international artists showcasing new and highly original works. Normally every other month these events are hosted at different hotels resorts and other 5-star venues on the island. Every Koh Samui Guide worth their salt always list this as a “not to be missed” event. You can pick up some quality artwork and very affordable prices.
The men and ladies of Koh Samui take sport very seriously and other annual events include the National Bowling Championship ( held in May every year) , Avis Samui Tennis Open ( July ) , The Koh Samui Triathlon ( more than 500 competitors last year ) and the world famous Samui Regatta with boats coming from Australia, Singapore, Japan and China.
For the more laid back and less sporty I always try to make time to visit Koh Samui’s five day Fisherman’s Village Festival with fun, inexpensive food and music to dance the days and nights away. Many of the local hotels have great offers on during this and all the festivals.
The Kingdom of Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. To its east lie Laos and Cambodia; to its south, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and to its west, the Andaman Sea and Myanmar. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok.
Outlook of a tourist destination is as important as its image in a tourism department. It is the duty of tourism department to make the place more attracting to the tourists. Authority must ensure that they give the tourists, both international visitors and Thai residents, a general outlook on Thailand as a tourist destination. This helps the tourists to have a better idea about the culture and places of Thailand. For some visitors cultural sights, cuisines and friendly people are considerably important and some others will look for entertainment and nightlife of Thailand.
When tourists were asked about why they choose Thailand as their tourist destination, the reply will be “”hospitality of Thai people is really welcoming and touches our emotions moreover Thai has all modern facilities for tourists visiting Thailand”".
Each and every visitor has different picture in their mind about their holiday destination and the taste varies from person to person. Some like to spend their vacation in adventurous places and some others like to spend holidays in places with amazing scenery and good climate. Thailand is a place in which people love to keep in their hearts with the memories and good time they spend. Most of the people will refresh it quite often to remember the wonderful moments they spend in Thailand.
Thailand is one of countries whose major income source is tourism. Thailand is filled with hotels, resorts, bungalows and guesthouses for tourists. Standard of accommodation of Thailand is excellent with well-mannered hotels all around. Most of the hotels offer wide range of accommodation categories.
To add zest in Thailand destination, a lot more you can have rather than sea, sand and sun or temple visits. The southern part of Thailand and related islands are most famous for sea, fishing and canoeing where as the northern part of Thailand is well-known for adventures including trekking, river rafting, caving and mountain biking. Most of the tourists who choose Thailand destination as their holiday camp quite often enjoy adventure safari, leisure, nightlife, shopping, sightseeing and lot more.
One of the important factors which tie and call visitors to the land of Thailand is mouth watering cuisines. Rice is the major component of Thai cuisine and fragrant jasmine rice which is native to Thailand is mostly used. Cuisines of Thailand destination is well known all around the globe for distinctive combination of flavors which often stir up the images of hot, spicy, tasty flavors and exotic ingredients.
Food of Thai is the indication of Thailand’s heritage which is a combined influence of western and eastern. Capital of Thailand – Bangkok, the 22nd most popular city in the world, is the largest city in Thailand situated near by bank of Chao Phraya River. Bangkok is one among the many to hit the fastest rates in constructions of high rising buildings. The cultural wealth of the city makes it the most admired tourist destination. The city Bangkok has a striking mix up of new and old- recent and ancient things to watch and enjoy.
When you select Thailand as your vacation destination, do not forget to visit Bangkok because it is home to Wat Phra Khao and the Grand Palace which are best for sight-seeing. Bangkok is showered with more and more attractions every square mile unlike any other cities. In spite of heavy crowds, architecture and attractions, the city is really appealing and worth to see and travel. One of the most unique attractions of Bangkok is the traditional life which is safe and sound from the modern civilization and thus would be an enthralling one to watch.
The kingdom of Thailand, the captivating land, is now a most preferred tourist destination. There is no wonder why each and every year tourist is increased at faster rates. New and frequent visitors have lots to watch in Thailand. Enjoy and keep in mind as most precious moments with Thai people. The heritage of the land doesn’t get swept away with the arc lights of trend and modernity. Renowned hospitality, magnificent natural beauty, inspirational temples, tastiest cuisines and also the tremendous appealing ancient kingdoms are the factors which makes Thailand the land of tourist. Now who wouldn’t love to visit Thailand on their vacations!
Simultaneously the geographic, cultural and political heart of Thailand, Bangkok bustles with enthralling nightlife, charms with enchanting histories, and sooths with its blooming relaxation industry. Therefore, the world explorer may find that travel to Bangkok is an all-encompassing experience of modern Southeast Asia’s many diverse offerings. And luckily, finding airfare to Bangkok right here on cFares is not nearly as mysterious as navigating the charming but winding streets and canals of the city itself.
Bangkok is officially known as Krung Thep, “City of Angels” in Thai, and Bangkok is actually only a small district that is home to the original village situated along the Chao Phraya River. The Bangkok of today certainly offers a taste for every palate. The infamous nightlife is overactive while the temples, museums and walking tours are abundant.
Travel Bangkok through the Ages
The palaces and wats are a wonderful place to begin your Bangkok journey. Begin with the Grand Palace, which was the home and headquarters of the King of Thailand from the 18th to 20th centuries. The breathtaking complex sits on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River and is built in moat-wall fortress fashion to shield the Royal Family from invasions. Do not miss the Wat Phra Kaew, which contains the legendary Emerald Buddha – a solid jade figurine donning pure gold robes that are changed by the King with the seasons. To the north, Wat Pho is home to the world’s largest reclining buddha, 15 by 46 meters of solid gold. The modern Royal Family resides at Chitralada Palace, a phenomenon of architectural landscaping and a bastion of education (there is a school on the grounds) and environment.
The best way to experience the different districts of Bangkok and the city’s evolution resulting from global and local events over the last few centuries is to walk down the main avenues as they pass through changing scenes. Khao San Road is famous for its international diversity marrying east and west, if not solely for the funky hippy charm and somewhat diluted sense of reality you may feel yourself walking into. Make sure to also explore the stretches of Sukhumvit Road for a more downtown Bangkok feel teeming with clubs and restaurants.
Indulge the Thai Way, It’s Your Way
Many associate a vacation to Thailand with a jaunt into the lap of leisure, and you should consider Bangkok the capital. Bangkok boasts some of the most famous hotels in the world, including the Oriental and The Peninsula, which are full service spa experiences. Seek and you shall find the Thai massage of your dreams. Bangkok is filled with hundred of full service spas and simple massage houses, something to fit every budget. The canals also offer a nice break from the exhaust and motors of congested city streets. A boat tour for every fancy is available, including a market tour to experience the unique Bangkok street markets from the convenience of the canal, or a temple tour by water that explores 5 different temples and their histories.
Now the pleasures, wonders and tastes of Bangkok are at your fingertips. A few clicks on cFares is sure to land you airfare to Bangkok in no time. See for yourself the dynamic cultural mesh of ancient Thailand and western post-war Bangkok, a beautiful melting pot of expats, students, young vibrant locals and the old generation.
Though known as a famous city for shoppers, Bangkok has many attractions and sight seeing opportunities offered to its travelers. Most of these attractions are true icons of the Thai culture while some depict the modernization that has taken place in this wonderful country. If you are a traveler wanting to discover philosophy behind Buddhism and cultural heritage of Thailand the ideal locations to visit in Bangkok are Wat Traimit, Marble Temple, Wat Pho, the oldest temple in Bangkok, and Wat Trimitr, the Temple of the Golden Buddha. The world’s largest centre for preserving crocodiles is located just outside Bangkok which takes a whole day to be seen, so make sure that you have plenty of time to spend at this center. If you are traveling with kids never forget to visit the Dream World which is an American style theme park providing everything that kids will love until they get extremely exhausted.
Royal grand Palace and the temple of the emerald Buddha are the epitomes of Thai architectural designs and are highly respected by local and foreign tourists. It is also of value if a trip to River Kwai can be arranged which includes a visit to the renowned bridge built during World War II. With its division into four sections the Safari World Bangkok provides its visitors with an exciting way to explore the wild life. The African setting that is being created with many other exciting activities is a whole unique experience to the visitors. Siam Niramit Bangkok which is a world class show sighting Thai culture and history offering magical illusions, stunts, live elephant, acrobatics and many more is also located in the heart of Bangkok.
If a visit is being made to this great city finding Bangkok accommodation will definitely make your travel and holiday easy.
www.travelswithsheila.com Winter is approaching fast and tourists will be heading to South Asia for a little sunshine. If you’ve never flown in and out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, a few tips. Take public taxis into downtown Bangkok, less than $14 US, stay at the Novotel Suvarnabhumi if you are transiting in and out of Bangkok (silly to travel in for just one night) and try some of the many food places inside the airport. Easy, isn’t it?
Thailand is wondrous, an amazingly different place when it comes to culture, tradition, customs and history. But, while on the outlook it may seem very different to a western traveler, there are many modern aspects in the country too. Bangkok is among the most visited destinations in the world and the reason for this is its wide variety of things to do and places to see. One such crowd-drawing event that’s been taking place for a decade now is the Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music.
The Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music is a breathtakingly beautiful collection of performances. Over 800 special artistic performers are flown in from several countries and these countries include Russia, Italy, Netherlands, France and Spain. In conjunction with Thai artistic performances, the festival puts on a spectacular gala of ballet, opera, jazz, modern dance, symphony orchestra and pop music for everyone to enjoy. The Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music is hosted annually by Thailand’s Cultural Center.
The concept for this festival arose from a dire need to put Thailand in the world’s cultural destinations map and also as a way to reintroduce culture into Bangkok, which was rapidly becoming modernized. There was no cultural aspects in the big city’s entertainment and daily life, so the steps were taken to introduce the first Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music in 1999. The festival was dedicated to His Majesty King Bhumibol as an honor on his 6th cycle birthday.
From its inception, the Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music has been a huge success, drawing acclaimed international performers and a massive local and tourist crowd each year. The festival is held between September and October of each year, and the venue and ticket prices vary annually. Tickets are available through Thailand’s Cultural Center.
If you are planning on visiting Thailand for the festival or a vacation, consider Bangkok serviced apartments for your accommodation. Bangkok hotel accommodation can be expensive, especially during events and the tourist season, so Bangkok serviced apartments can provide you with great accommodation, facilities and services for less than half the cost you would pay for a major hotel.
Bangkok and Florence are twinned Cities. Both cities have played important and very pivotal parts in the development of their respective continents in the last 500 years. Whilst they are on the other sides of the world to each other their cultural ties draw them together. Both places have been to spring board for massive advancement in learning, architecture , writing and the arts.
