Ayutthaya, Thailand

Our latest adventure was to explore another city of Thailand that we have not visited.  We decided to spend a long weekend in Bangkok and take one full day on a private guided tour of the ancient capital Ayutthaya, which is located about an hour north of the city.  The city was founded in 1350 and became the second capital of Thailand.  Ayutthaya was a prosperous and thriving city that came to an end when the Burmese invaded  in 1767 and almost burnt the city to the ground.  We spend most of our time exploring the remaining sites which still provide a glimpse of how impressive the city must have been.  Most of the remains are Temples and Palaces, only made from stone at that time.  The city has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1991.

Our first stop on our day of touring was the Bang Pa-In Palace, also known as the Summer Palace.  It was originally built by Ayutthayan King Prasat in 1632 but abandoned 1767 and later restored by King Mongkut in the 1850s.  The grounds and builds are every beautiful with European-Style in 1872-1889.

Our next stop was Wat Yai Chai Mongkol where the large chedi built in 1952 can be seen from great distances.  The chedi was built by one of Ayutthaya's greatest Kings, Nareusan the Great, to commemorate a victory over the Burmese Army won in that same year.  The Temple was established earlier in 1357 as a place for Monks to meditate.  The Temple is still functioning today.  

Our next site of exploration was Wat Maha That.  This is one of the oldest and most significant temples in Thailand.  Built in the 13th century it served as an important religious center until it was reduced to ruins in 1767 by the Burmese Army.  It is here that a famous iconic image remains of a Buddha head entwined within the roots of a tree.  Nobody knows for certain how the head became entwined in the roots other than the explanation it occurred during the abandonment following the invasion.  

Next we headed to Wat Phra Si Sanphet.  Situated in the Royal Palace grounds it is the Royal Monastery and therefore no monk is allowed to reside.  The Temple served to conduct ceremonies within the Royal Court.

Next destination for this trip was to Wat Chaiwatthanaram.  This Temple was built in 1630 by King Prasat to honor his mother.  This features the architectural style influenced by Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  

Lastly we stopped at Wat Na Phra Meru.  Built in the mid-15th century it is one of the largest in the city.  

We have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, however we take ever opportunity we get to explore the country where we live.  We are loving Thailand more and more as we come to the close of our two year assignment.  So much to see and the history is amazing!  Great trip!

Maldives, South Ari Atoll

Since arriving in Asia Pacific region we always had our sights on a dream vacation to the Maldive Islands.  We carefully chose the best place to stay for our family that offered all the luxuries the Maldives has to offer; world class snorkeling, all inclusive dining/drinks, bungalows over the water, water sports and so much more.  Our choice for the resort was the Centara Grand Island Resort and Spa.

The island was truly a barefoot paradise which you could quickly walk from one end to the other.  It was incredible to be staying on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean and be completely carefree.  Just a little more information on the Maldives..  It is actually comprised on more than 1,000+ coral islands, but only 80 of them have tourist resorts.  The islands were actually not known to tourist until the late 1970's.  The islands are rich in history, marine life and culture.  I could go on and on, however our family knows it best for it's amazing comforts and relaxation!  Only pictures can describe this trip and we hope to return one day to experience the beauty of mother nature at it's best!

Koh Samui, Thailand

With Natalie's mother in town and also adding Natalie's long time childhood friend from Michigan into the mix, we decided to take a long weekend to visit Koh Samui.  Koh Samui is the second largest island after Phuket.  Our resort was situated along Chaweng Beach and we stayed in a suite complete with it's own dip pool.  The goal of our stay was to explore the island a little bit and primarily relax while enjoying the atmosphere.  Unfortunately while on the island the weather did not cooperate to the full extent, raining a significant proportion of the time each day.  We did however catch some glimpses of the sun, enjoy the pool, stroll onto the beach and enjoy a beverage or two at the swim-up pool bar.  During the periods of overcast and rain we seized the opportunity to visit the local markets/shops (one evening to Fisherman Village), searching for those small items to bring home as a remembrance of our trip.

One evening we went to see "The Thai Experience".  This was a professional interactive dinner party that accommodates twenty people each night.  We were treated to some wonderful Thai cuisine, learned about the Thai culture, instructed how to make our own mix drinks (refilled for us during the evening!) and met some wonderful tourist from around the world.  This was the number one attraction on Trip Adviser and it lived up to all the hype.

In summary the two full days we spent on the island was fun and relaxing, despite the damper the weather tried to place on our brief visit.  Glad we made the trip and can cross off this location from our travel bucket list.

Hoi An, Vietnam

For our February vacation we decided to head back to Vietnam and explore the city of Hoi An.  We were fortunate to have Natalie's mother join us for a visit to Thailand during this time and also provide an opportunity to vacation with us on this trip.  Hoi An is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is known for it's centuries old architecture.  We quickly discovered that the city is home to many temples, pagodas and ancient homes.  In addition to this the outlying areas, filled with rice fields while surrounded by mountains are very beautiful.  There were so many things we loved about Hoi An beyond the history of the city and architecture.  We found the food to be amazing and it was fun to explore the shops within the city center looking for small mementos to bring home.

Having arrived late on Friday, we decided to utilize Saturday to relax by the pool and plan the upcoming week.  Our hotel was amazing with spectacular views and our room was literally steps to the ocean.  Each night we could hear the crashing waves on the shore and the room provided such a great atmosphere complete with an outdoor shower.

On Sunday morning we decided to begin our exploration of Hoi An with a visit to Marble Mountains.  This cluster of five mountains is also called the "five elements" mountains.  Accordingly the mountains are named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). We visiting Thuy (water) mountain, as this is the only one accessible to visitors.  The mountain had caves for exploring and ability to reach the summit for some amazing views of the city.  On the mountain we visited the Linh Ong Pagoda and also a large cave (Huyen Khong) that had several Buddha statues/carvings/shrines.  The area is known for its stone sculpture and stone cutting expertise, of course we bought a small sandstone carving home to remember our trip.

Our next stop in the afternoon was a visit to My Son.  This location is a World Heritage Site and home to a cluster of Hindu Temple ruins constructed between the 4th and 14th centuries, dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva.  It was fun to explore the area and reminded of our trip to Cambodia.

At the end of our day we ate dinner at our hotel while enjoying a traditional cultural dance show.  It was a great way to conclude and day and rest for the further exploring to come.

Monday morning we decided to explore the Ancient Town area of Hoi An.  The town reflects a fusion of indigenous and foreign cultures (Chinese, Japanese and European) and is also a World Heritage Site. The main walking street runs parallel to the river and is lined with small shop houses to purchase souvenirs.  Scattered among the shops are several historical places we stopped to explore:

Japanese Covered Bridge - Constructed in 1590 by the Japanese community to link with Chinese Quarters

Cam Pho Communal House

Toc Nguyen Toung Family Chapel - Family Chapel built in 1806

Hoa Van Le Nghia

Fukien Chinese Congressional Assembly Hall/Phuoc Kien Hoi Quan - Built 1690 as a traditional assembly hall for Chinese

Trieu Chau Assembly Hall - Built in 1845 by the Chinese, dedicated to the god of wind and waves

On Tuesday Natalie and Joan took a two hour cooking class.  I decided to take the boys back into Ancient Town to stay busy.  When we returned we got to enjoy the fine cooking for lunch!  Later in the afternoon Natalie and I enjoyed an hour full body massage which was compliments of the resort.  At the end of the day we watched a traditional Lion Dance Show as we ate dinner.

On Wednesday we took a day trip to Hue (pronounced "Hway").  On our way to Hue we passed through Hai Van Pass.  This mountain range serves as the border between Da Nang and Hue, 600m above sea level.  As we drove we stopped at many places to view the amazing scenery.

Hue is a fortified Imperial City (known as the Citadel) from the imperial Nguyen Dynasty who ruled from 1802 to 1945 (remaining as the national capital until 1945).  We explored within the city walls for a few hours providing a glimpse into the imperial history and architecture.

Next we stopped to see the Thien Mu Pagoda.  This Pagoda was built on a hill overlooking the Perfume River in 1601.

Lastly we stopped to visit Khai Dinh Tomb.  he was an Emperor in Vietnam between 1916 and 1925.  His lavish tomb took 11 years to construct.

Our Thursday began with a fun adventure by taking three sidecar motorcycles for a tour of the countryside.  We stopped and visited a local farm and also a pottery making village, we each took turns trying to master the craft!

Later in the afternoon we headed back to Ancient Town for some shopping, relaxing at a Cafe and finally enjoying a boat ride along the river.  It was a great way to end our day.

Friday was our last full day in Hoi An, thus we took full advantage by doing some more exploring.  First we went to visit the giant lady Buddha.

Next we headed up Son Tra (named Monkey Mountain by American soldiers) for an amazing view of Da Nang City.  This was a former USAF/Marine radar and communications base.

On the way back to the resort we stopped to see the fisherman's village and also Da Nang/China Beach.

Once back at the hotel we rested by the pool while enjoying the sun.  In the evening we concluded our trip with a traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet Show.

In conclusion we loved our second trip to Vietnam and thoroughly enjoyed completing our exploration of the country.  We would love to return some day.