Serene Sukhothai
Sawasdee! This Fabulous Journeys post will take you to hot exotic Thailand, to a city that is slightly off the beaten track for tourists who visit Thailand. This city has a great historical significance to Thailand. Because this place is not commonly visited by tourists, you can really feel the real, traditional Thai town without the tourist haunts.
The city of Sukhothai is one of the ancient capitals of the Thai Kingdom. Sukhothai is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed site with all its ancient temples and monuments dedicated to Buddha. The city itself is divided into 2 section: Old Sukhothai and New Sukhothai. Old Sukhothai is where the actual Sukhothai Historical Park (the ancient temples) is located. New Sukhothai is the new commercial and business district of Sukhothai.
Getting to Sukhothai
I arrived in Sukhothai on a direct flight from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. It was the start of the rainy season, and a week before I arrived, the area experienced some serious flooding. It was quite evident as the plane was landing, as apparently the airport runway was also flooded and had just been cleared at that time. The airport in Sukhothai is very quaint and well presented. The only airline that services this airport is Bangkok Airways, which is an award-winning regional airline for Asia, and they also built and own the airport.
The Adventure Begins
My adventure started from the time I landed at the airport. I was supposed to stay near the Old Sukhothai. When I took the airport taxi, however, it would only take me up to the New Sukhothai, and to get to the Old Sukhothai, I had to take this public transport called Sawngthaew, which is essentially a converted truck with 2 long benches at the back (facing each other). The Thais are not known for their strict adherence to safety regulations, so this vehicle was overloaded to the brim, to the point that I can hardly get off. The interesting part was, no one can speak English at all! I didn’t know how to tell the driver to stop! Lucky there were a few students who took the ride and are learning some English at their school, so they were able to help me communicate with the driver.
Old Sukhothai
I got off at my accommodation near the Old Sukhothai. The place I stayed at was this small motel which had a lot of Thai character to it. The buildings had the Thai-style roof, and it was beside a small canal. It looked quite picturesque. After checking in, I went for a brief wander towards the Old Sukhothai, in search for the Historical Park. It wasn’t far from my accommodation, a good 15-20 minute walk. I spoke to some of the locals, but I struggled to communicate with them, as none of them understood English, and if they did, it was extremely basic and they couldn’t understand me.
Sukhothai - Wat Si Chum
I eventually found my way to the Historical Park. It’s a really well maintained park, and I’m really impressed about it. Inside are a whole collection of temples and statues of Buddha that used to be the capital of Thailand before it was moved to Ayuttaya, and later Bangkok. There are numerous temples (or Wat, as it is called in Thai) to see, and it is divided into sections. It could take a whole day to go around the park. The park even stretches all the way to the nearby mountains and I only managed to view a segment of those in the mountains. It is where I found one of the biggest stone statue of Buddha around, and it’s called Wat Si Chum. This is one of the highlights of the entire Historical Park.
I hardly saw any tourists around, and I can only count with my fingers the number of tourists walking around (unless it is truly off peak season, though I still found heaps more tourists in Chiang Mai). By chance I met a group of kiwis who were riding scooters around the park but didn’t have any maps, and are a bit lost. I had to show them where things are, and gave them a copy of my map, as at that point I was already about finished with the park. Well, I guess in the Old Sukhothai, this is the only place worth checking out. Most of the Old Sukhothai is residential.
New Sukhothai
Sukhothai - Dream Cafe
I ventured into the New Sukhothai, as I was curious what it’s like to be in a Thai city that doesn’t get many tourists around. I took the public transport again, but this time, with the help of the hotel staff, I asked them to write in Thai that I want to get off at the Old Sukhothai, near the markets. I just showed this piece of paper to the driver of the sawngthaew, who understood me and happily dropped me off where I wanted.
As I expected, hardly anyone spoke English. It totally different from being in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, where a lot of people can speak English (somehow) and you have a better chance of being able to get around without any problems. I went around the shops, but to be honest, none of them looked interesting. The only thing that fascinated me was how laid back the town was, and how different it is from the rest of the cities in Thailand. People are friendly, I must say, and it was well worth looking around for. I read in the Lonely Planet guidebook that there is this nice cafe called Dream Cafe that served great meals. I went there and the first thing that impressed me was the exquisite 19th century Thai antique decors. This is possibly one of the best finds I had while in the New Sukhothai.
If you have a chance to spend more time in Thailand and want to get out of the busy cities and tourist haunts, you should consider visiting this laid-back ancient city of Sukhothai. It’s a totally different experience from the rest of Thailand, and you get to appreciate the great ancient history of this warm kingdom. There are also other ancient ruins in nearby towns from Sukhothai that are worth visiting, but I just didn’t get the chance to explore them. Though I had some challenges getting around, it has been well worth exploring, and the locals are as warm and friendly as what Thais are known for.
Til the next Fabulous Journeys!
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I was just chatting up with one of my friends who now lives in Edinburgh the other day, and it reminded me of my previous visits to this historical Scottish capital city and how much I’ve missed the place. I’ve visited this place over three times already, and each time I always feel enchanted by it. The city has so much character and history and its people celebrate it with a great flair with the numerous festivals throughout the year. From the picturesque Princes Street Gardens to the imposing Edinburgh Castle, this place will give you a great impression the minute you see it. 
Edinburgh Castle sits on top of a hill and overlooks the old town of Edinburgh. The castle can be seen from Princes Street Gardens and Waverley train station. It has been in existence since the medieval times, and over the centuries have been destroyed by numerous wars and uprisings and then rebuilt. Its last purpose is as a military garrison, and up to this day, has some military significance to it. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo happens each year on the castle grounds, and is a military exhibition by the British armed forces.
This cobble-stoned strip of road starts from Edinburgh Castle and stretches all the way down to the Holyrood Abbey. It has a great collection of medieval and Georgian buildings including St. Giles Cathedral, a distinctive feature on the Edinburgh skyline, the Scottish High Court building, and many more conjoined buildings that have now been turned into shops. There are small passageways in between some of the buildings, and some offer a great view of the old town. This is a well-preserved historical area of the city, and it takes you back in time as to what the high street (or main street) of a medieval town must have looked like.
This medieval chapel used to be a small not-so-visited church in the village of Rosslyn, which is around 15 minutes away from Edinburgh city. However, in the recent years, it suddenly gained significant popularity. It’s claim-to-fame is its inclusion as one of the location of Dan Brown’s mega-popular bestselling novel “The Da Vinci Code”, which has already been turned into a Hollywood blockbuster. I have heard of this chapel being mentioned by my friend on my first visit, years before The Da Vinci Code novel came out, as it has a lot of intricate stonework and great history around the chapel. I didn’t take much notice and wasn’t in my must-visit places. But since I read the novel and became a fan of it, I made it a point to see this chapel on my third visit to Edinburgh. I must say that the hype made the novel has done me a huge favour, as it is one of the best preserved medieval churches that I’ve ever visited in the UK! It’s really worth the visit, with or without the hype.
Oh, the 
I visited the Andalusian region of Spain a couple of years ago, and I must say that it’s one of my favourite places in the world to date. This post will focus on the city of Seville.
Seville
When I arrived in Seville, the very first thing I noticed was the sheer number of orange trees that dot the streets. The orange trees were bearing fruit, and it was such a delight to see them! Rows and rows of orange trees and I really got tempted to just pick one from the tree and eat it! I did in the end, but perhaps there is a reason why they’re just on the tree.. It wasn’t yet ripe enough for people to pick them out! Anyway, I still begrudgingly finished in all, as I didn’t want to waste the orange..
In the city centre of Seville, you will find the old Moorish fortress called the Alcazar. From the outside, you’ll find that it’s all just covered by this huge plain stone wall that looks like a fortress. It does look intriguing going through the narrow alleyways in order to get to the Plaza del Truinfo where the entrance is. It doesn’t look as grand from that point, but the minute you step in, it’s a completely different world. The palace is actually huge and the decors are just a feast to the senses! The level of detail on the carvings on the walls and the ceilings with ancient Arabic script forming patterns are just fascinating to look at! There are also lots of examples of marble inlaying patterns on the walls and the floors that have been so immaculately done, and it is truly a work of art. The Alcazar also has lots of courtyards with a nice fountain in the middle. A big portion of the palace is the original Moorish structure, though there is a part that has been built after the Moorish era. It’s now a museum showcasing items used by the Spanish royalty. There is also a nice botanical garden inside the complex, and a nice big fountain in between. This is a definite must-see when you are in Seville.
This complex was built for the Expo 1929, and showcases the different regions of Spain. It’s a grand building with a huge fountain on the entrance. At the lower level, you will find tiles on the walls with descriptions of the various regions of Spain and their specialties. It’s a great area to stroll around, and has a romantic feel to it. There are horse-drawn carriages that offer tourists a tour around the city.
The city of Seville sits on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, and an esplanade/walkway has been created along the riverbanks, which makes for a good stroll. On the esplanade, you will find the Torre Del Oro, an old Moorish watchtower that was used for defensive purposes by the Moors. You will find some modern sculptures along this esplanade, and there is also a bridge that crosses to the other side of the river. On the corner of the esplanade and a bridge is a small churros shop where I managed to indulge into this delicious Spanish snack with a rich chocolate dip!
Further north to the Mamanuca Islands is the Yasawa group of islands. When I was reading up on my 
When you land into Fiji from overseas, you will most likely land into Nadi International Airport (pronounced as “Nandi”). This is the biggest airport in the country and is located on the western side of the island of Viti Levu. The airport is near the town of Nadi, the third biggest city in Fiji. This is where you’ll find a lot of shops catered primarily to tourists, and where you’ll find this very colourful Hindu temple at the end of the Main Street. There are a number of hotels and resorts around Nadi town and many tourists would opt for one of these resorts upon arrival. If you’re after some shopping, the most popular shops/department stores you will find in Nadi (and the rest of the major towns in Fiji) are Jack’s, Tappoo, and Prouds. It is also one of the few places in Fiji that has fastfood chains like McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut.
My friend Pete and I drove down the island from Denarau along Queen’s Road (the only fully-sealed road going around Viti Levu) to the Sigatoka area (pronounced Sing-a-toka). This area is where you will find the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, which has a few walking tracks to the sand dunes leading to the beach. It’s quite a sight to see, and it’s worth a visit. We took a walk that takes 1 hour return and goes by the sand dunes and along the beach, and then through the mahogany forest back into the car park. In the mahogany forest, we found some ingenious artwork done by the caretaker of the park. It’s called Treehuggers, and basically it is made of branches that got swept away from the nearby Sigatoka river onto the shores of the sand dunes area, and they have collected them as part of the cleanup program of the coastline. They then turned it into an artwork! Another piece they did is called The Tree of Lost Soles, and basically it is a collection of worn-out soles and flip-flops/slippers that got washed into the sand dunes and are hung onto this huge banyan tree. Well worth checking out!
Further from Sigatoka, roughly 20kms from the town is an area called the Coral Coast. It has a few resorts scattered along this strip of beach. The beach isn’t great for swimming, but is good for snorkelling. My friend Pete and I stayed at The Crow’s Nest resort, which is along this area called the Sunset Strip. It’s a small road that offshoots from the main Queen’s Road, and has a few small resorts lined up. It’s a great small resort with self-contained units and balconies overlooking the sea. It’s a much reasonably priced one among all the resorts in the area, with the Outrigger on the Lagoon being the most expensive. We had some other friends staying at the Outrigger, so we managed to check out their facilities. I must say that they have 5-star facilities, and they even organise activities for kids and adults alike to keep them entertained. There are no towns or places to go nearby, hence they want to entertain some of their guests through organising activities. The snorkelling was ok. I saw some colourful fish, but the corals were not as beautiful as in the other parts of Fiji.
Despite the slightly patchy weather, I managed to see a nice sunset on the Sunset strip. It’s worth waiting for it and hanging out on the beach while it sets.. After the Coral Coast, the next place we visited along Queen’s Road is Pacific Harbour. It’s a nice area with a lot of private residence and some nearby resorts. There is an Arts Village, which has shops selling indigenous Fijian craft and has cafes, supermarket, and a bank. It also has a golf course, for those golfing enthusiasts. Right across the road is a camp site run by the Seventh Day Adventists. It’s a nice campsite with A-frame units to hire, and the beach looks great to hang out on. It has a view of the other islands off the main island of Viti Levu.
The frenetic capital and biggest city of Fiji was our next destination. This is where the Queen’s Road ends and the King’s Road starts going up to the northern part of the island. Unfortunately, since we didn’t have a 4WD vehicle, we were not able to travel this piece of road. The people at the car rental company told us that because of the massive rains they’ve had, the roads have become too rough to drive on, and not the entire stretch of it is sealed as well. So, on our way to Suva, we were welcomed by this torrential rain that just poured like a huge waterfall! We could hardly see a thing on the road, and our windscreen wipers were going full blast! I had heard that it often rains in Suva, so I wasn’t surprised of the weather. When we got to the city itself, Pete and I asked a local if there was a storm or cyclone coming through. He then said, “Nah, this is normal rain here”. So, having said that, we made sure to take our umbrellas to get around. There are heaps of Indian shops around, selling anything from clothing to food to general merchandise. Near the harbour itself, we found the new shopping mall of Suva called MHCC. The waterfront by the harbour was so tempting to us, but we were warned that it’s a dangerous area, as a lot of people get mugged. If you have seen how big the Fijians are, you would be cautious about these dangerous pockets. Having said that, I went around the government buildings and near the Fiji Museum, and it was a pleasant place to get around, with Albert Park between Fiji Museum and the government buildings. I took care on which ones I photograph because the military presence is quite obvious in the area. Suva looks like another buzzing city. Something I’m glad to have seen, but not too sure if I’ll go back. Fiji’s biggest city is not really a place to lounge in the sun and chill. If you’re after the beach and sun, head back to the western side of the island, or better yet, to the other outer islands!
From Suva, we head back along Queen’s Road to head to Lautoka, the second biggest city in Fiji, which is a 30-minute drive from Nadi. Our friend was getting married in Lautoka, as that was his hometown. However, we still had a day before any of the activities started, so we decided to stay the night at Momi Bay, which is also 30 minutes away from Nadi, but on the other direction from Lautoka. It took us a good 4 hours to drive that way.
From Momi Bay, our final stop was Lautoka for our friend’s wedding. Lautoka is a pleasant town that is not packed with tourists. Lautoka is a great reprieve from the constant pulling by the locals in Nadi and Suva into their shops for people to buy their wares. There is a market at one end of town, and the shops run along the main street and the next block from it. We stayed at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel. It’s perhaps Lautoka’s best hotel, and the location by the waterfront is nice! One of the best sunsets I’ve seen on my trip was from this place, so well worth checking out the sunset from the walkway in front of this hotel. If you are looking for a good place to have breakfast, check out the Chilli Tree Cafe. It has a good selection of breakfast menu items and good coffee as well.
After the great wedding celebrations, we had a day left to ourselves. Pete and I decided to go up to a national park just behind Lautoka called the Koroyanitu National Park. To get there, we had to get to the village of Abaca (pronounced Am-ba-tha). We had to find a 4WD pickup to take us there, as the road was quite rough, and the vehicle had to do 2 river crossings, which was quite exciting. It’s a 10km journey but took 30 minutes to get to the village of Abaca because of the rough roads. When we got there, we had to pay F$10 for entry to the national park. There are a few walks around the area, and the one we managed to get to was to the Savuione Falls, which is a 2-hour walk return through the rainforest. It is considered an easy walk, but it is nowhere as easy as the Sigatoka Sand Dunes walk. Nevertheless, if you want to explore the different side of Fiji, this is definitely worth checking out. Just be careful of the spiders and caterpillars around, but otherwise, there are no predators in the jungle. The odd cow or horse may sound out, but nothing that you should be worried about.
Around town, check out the Skyline Gondola, where the cable car can take you up the top of a mountain. Here you can get a breathtaking view of the Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu and the town below. If you are in for some excitement, take the Luge ride at the top of the gondola. It’s basically like a go-cart without an engine that goes downhill on a track by the slopes of the mountain where the gondola is. It’s great fun, and I highly recommend it.
Queenstown has been hailed as the adventure capital of New Zealand. It is here that the world’s first commercial bungy jumping site was built, and is still functioning as the iconic 
There is a special place located 42 degrees south of the Equator. It’s comprised of 2 major islands, and it’s often confused to be part of Australia. Its original inhabitants called it “Aotearoa”, which means the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. The locals refer to it as “Godzone”. If this still doesn’t ring a bell, I’m talking about the beautiful country of 
New Zealand holds a very special place in my heart. It’s one of the places on Earth that I have never grown tiredof seeing and I always have great fond memories of the place, the people and the laid-back lifestyle. I cannot work out still how I managed to end up in New Zealand, but I’m so glad I did. One memory I had before I first arrived in New Zealand was when I was in 
Christchurch has often been referred to as the Garden City of New Zealand. You will notice it with all the beautiful parks around, and the well-manicured lawns along Fendalton Avenue, where you will most likely go past from the airport going into the city centre. Christchurch is also known to be the most English city in New Zealand. This is due to the fact that the city was specifically created as a new settlement by the English who arrived here in search for a new life in the colonies. The city was designed to look like a typical English town, hence you will notice that in the architecture of the old buildings around the city.
1.) Christ Church Cathedral - this cathedral is the focal point of the city, and the Cathedral Square, where it is actually located. This cathedral is of a gothic style, and took a few years to complete. It’s one of the best cathedrals in New Zealand in terms of its type of architecture. On Cathedral Square, people hang around and there is an area where they play this huge chess pieces, and anyone can have a go at them. You can play with anyone you want. They also have an open market in the square every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, where you can buy local, handmade New Zealand products and souvenirs . Most of the vendors at this small open market moved to the Arts Centre weekend market for the weekend, so if you miss them at this location, look out for the Arts Centre on weekend.
3.) River Avon, Botanical Gardens and Hagley Park - this is a great place for a stroll, especially during Spring or Autumn, when you see the different colours come alive! In Spring, you will find lots of cherry blossoms in full bloom along Hagley Park and in the botanic gardens. In autumn, on the other hand, you will find the change in the colour of the leaves, which is really stunning! Both the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park are right beside each other. The River avon cuts through the middle of both of them, and you can do “punting” on the Avon, which is basically like cruising on a gondola in Venice.
5.) Lyttelton and the Christchurch Gondola - Lyttelton is a harbour town that is technically outside the Christchurch city boundaries, but is very close to the city. It’s only a 20 minute drive from the city. This is where the first settlers from England docked in Christchurch in the 1850s. It is now the port area for Christchurch, and from time to time, you get cruise ships arriving here. The town itself is quite charming, as its location is on the slopes of the Port Hills looking out to the Lyttelton Harbour. There are nice cool cafes and shops around that’s worth checking out, and if you happen to be Filipino, the only Filipino restaurant in Christchurch is just right there. On the harbour, you can also go for a dolphin watching cruise. You can have a great view of Lyttelton and Christchurch City by taking the Christchurch Gondola. The gondola is basically a cable car that will take you up to the top of an observation deck where you can have coffee or a meal with a view. There is a restaurant at the top that you can check out
8.) Akaroa - A little bit southeast of Christchurch is an area called Banks Peninsula. This area is quite hilly and offers some beautiful coastal villages. The biggest town in the area, and a big drawcard for tourists, is Akaroa. This town is a 90-minute drive from Christchurch, and is known for its rather French character and heritage. The French nearly colonised New Zealand in the 1840s, but the British managed to beat them by a day. There was a boatload of settlers from France who wanted to settle the Akaroa region, and when they found to their disappointment that the British beat them to it, some of them still settled here and put in their French character throughout the town. You’d find the street names are in French, and is the only town with a French character in the entire country.
9.) Hanmer Springs – This small town in the Hurunui district is a 2-hour drive from Christchurch, but it is a popular weekend destination amongst people from Christchurch and surrounding areas. The main attraction here is the thermal pools. These are natural pools that used to be just a hole in the ground in the 1890s, but eventually got developed into more like a resort complex. The water is still taken from the ground and distributed to the pools. There are different pools of different temperatures and nature, so kids can play as well as the adults. Around town, there are a number of great mountain biking tracks that you can explore, and walks up the nearby mountain range. It has an alpine feel to the town, and definitely a great winter getaway if you feel like staying in a log cabin. This is one of my favourite weekend getaways from Christchurch, and what my friends and I do is hire one of the holiday homes for the weekend, and just chill out on the thermal pools or go running up the beautiful mountains around!
10.) Kaikoura – This town is 2.5 hours away from Christchurch and offers a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Ranges. The town’s name is comprised of 2 Maori words: “Kai” meaning Eat and “Koura” meaning Crayfish. Kaikoura has an abundance of crayfish on its shores, and you can see some stalls on the roadside selling these cooked crayfish that are just so good! This town is also known for its whale watching. Sperm whales tend to hang around near the deep trenches just a few kilometres from Kaikoura’s shores, which makes the area so unique in that whales can be found close enough from the shores. There is also a winery just as you enter the township of Kaikoura called Kaikoura Wine Company, and their location is absolutely wonderful! It is on a hill facing the ocean, which makes for a gorgeous view.
11.) Mt. Hutt – If you’re into skiing or snowboarding, then you have to check this field out. Mt. Hutt is one of the closest ski fields in Christchurch, and one of the best in the region. It has great facilities for beginners, intermediate, and advanced skiers. It’s only a 90-minute drive from Christchurch and has a reasonably good access road up to the ski field itself. This is one of my favourite ski fields in New Zealand and highly recommended when you’re in Christchurch during winter.
