A quick guide for Ayutthaya trip, Thailand

Visiting Ayutthaya is one of amazing things to do in Bangkok. Although the city of Ayutthaya was largely destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century, it is still bursting with stories to tell. Wandering around a site of more than 700 years of age under the guidance of an experienced local guide will leave you awestruck with the splendor of ancient architecture and with a new perspective on the Thai spiritual life.

How to get to Ayutthaya from Bangkok

• Public bus

There is a half-hourly bus that leaves from Mo Chit Station. It takes about 90 minutes to get to Ayutthaya. First, take an MRT or BTS skytrain to Mo Chit Station. After that, take a taxi or motorbike taxi or jump on bus number 26, 77, 96, 104, 136, 145, or 509 to get to the right bus section to Ayutthaya. The bus ticket price is 60 baht per person.

• Minivan

Minivan is the fastest option, only taking about 75 minutes. Go to Victory Monument, take Exit 2 and turn at the bottom of the stairway. The van loading station is on your right between the mall and a 7-Eleven convenience store. At the station, prepare 100 baht and get on a van directly to Ayutthaya.

Things to do

• Inspect the ruins of Wat Phra Mahathat

The Buddha head entwined within the roots of a banyan tree is one of the most recognizable symbols of Thailand and it can be found here in Wat Phra Mahatthat. Like the other temples in the area, this one was so severely destroyed that you will see a line of headless statues. And it is its ramshackle appearance that attracts thousands of visitors to go there every week.

• Visit the Largest Temple in Ayutthaya

Wat Phra Si Sanphet is the largest temple in Ayutthaya and definitely one of the most famous. It once held a 52-foot-tall Buddha cast in 1500 that was entirely covered with hundreds of kilograms of gold. You can guess where the looting Burmese invaders went first in 1767.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet was once used for royal ceremonies and contained the ashes of royal family members. Entrance is 50 baht.

• Learn about the history of Wat Chaiwatthanaram

Commissioned by King Prasat Thong in 1630, Wat Chaiwatthanaram was built in traditional Khmer style, similar to Angkor Wat in Krong Siem Riep, Cambodia. The whole structure stands on a rectangular platform with a central 35-meter high prang, a tower-like spire, surrounded by four smaller prangs. Although ruined, Wat Chaiwatthanaram is still a compelling sight to visit.

• Eat Boat Noodles

Ayutthaya was once a thriving capital city, so culinary influences from around the world passed through. Chinese, Indian, Persian, Japanese and European traders came and ate in droves. For this reason, the food in Ayutthaya is more diverse than other Thai cities that are larger in size.

The aptly named “boat noodles” (kuay tiow ruea) are indeed cooked on boats — the authentic ones, anyway — and are arguably Ayutthaya’s signature dish. Just look for long, slender sampans with steaming cooking pots on board. Expanding your noodle repertoire beyond only pad Thai feels good.

• Skip the Floating Market

If you did not get your fix in Bangkok, Ayutthaya has its own floating market. Although clearly a tourist trap, the market can serve as a last-resort diversion for travelers who are burned out on visiting temples. Food, noodle boats, souvenir shops, and daily cultural performances are found inside.

Read more: Explore the amazing places outside of Bangkok, Thailand

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How to do the basic greetings in Korean

Greeting people in their own language is a sure way to get a smile and break the ice. When you travel to South Korea, the locals will typically switch to English for some practice and to continue the conversation, but it's an essential and respectful skill to learn before your next trip to South Korea.

Greetings in Korean

As with saying hello in many other Asian languages, you show respect and acknowledge a person's age or status by using different greetings. This system of showing respect by using titles is known as honorifics, and Koreans have a very complex hierarchy of honorifics.

Greetings take into account how well you know someone; showing proper respect for age and status are essential aspects of "face" in Korean culture.

Unlike in the Malay and Indonesian languages, basic greetings in Korea are not based on the time of day (e.g., "good afternoon"), so you can use the same greeting no matter the time. Additionally, asking how someone is doing, a typical follow-up question in the West is a part of the initial greeting in Korean. Fortunately, there are some simple, default ways to say hello that won't be misconstrued as rude.

The Three Greetings of Traditional Korean Culture

The basic greeting in Korean is anyong haseyo, which is pronounced "ahn-yo ha-say-yoh." While not the most formal of greetings, anyong haseyo is widespread and still polite enough for most circumstances when interacting with people whom you know, regardless of age. The rough translation of anyong, the initiator for saying hello in Korean, is "I hope you are well" or "please be well."

To show even more respect to someone older or of higher status, use anyong hashimnikka as a formal greeting. Pronounced "ahn-yo hash-im-nee-kah," this greeting is reserved for guests of honor and is used occasionally with older family members one has not seen in a very long time.

Finally, a nice, casual anyong is usually offered among friends and people of the same age who know each other. As the most informal greeting in Korean, anyong could be compared to saying "hey" or "what's up" in English. You should avoid using anyong by itself when greeting strangers or people of higher status such as teachers and officials.

Saying Good Morning and Answering the Phone

Although some variation of anyong is the principal way to greet Korean strangers, there are a few other ways that Koreans exchange greetings including saying "good morning" and when answering the telephone.

While the basic greetings work regardless of time of day, alternatively joun achim (pronounced "joh-oon ah-chim") can be used with close friends in the mornings. In Korea, saying "good morning" is not very common so most people simply default to saying anyong or anyong haseyo.

Since knowing how to say hello in Korea greatly depends on showing proper respect, a special greeting is used when answering the phone if the age or standing of someone is unknown: yoboseyo. Pronounced "yeow-boh-say-oh," yoboseyo is polite enough to be used as a greeting when answering the phone; however, it is never used when saying hello to someone in person.

See more: 5 ideal places to go camping in South Korea

Source: Internet

Best things to do in Chongqing, China

Positioned alongside the Yangtze River, Chongqing offers plenty of attractions for travelers, including delicious cuisine, cultural museums, and even UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here’s our guide to the top things to do and see in this booming megacity.

Eat hot pot

Chongqing is known for its boiling temperatures, but the city’s ubiquitous hot pot is even more scorching. This style of cooking has been practiced in China for centuries and has no clear origin, with stories tracing it back to various regions including Mongolia and Southwestern China. The dish is cooked like a communal stew, with diners gathering around a pot of spicy boiling broth and tossing in a variety of ingredients, from thinly sliced meat and quail eggs to vegetables and mushrooms. For the people of Chongqing, hot pot is more than just a meal; it’s an experience and a chance to connect with family and friends. There are countless delicious hot pot eateries around the city, including the renowned Xiao Tian E.

Hike in the Wulong Karst Gelogical Park

Sprawling along the Wu River Southeast of Chongqing, Wulong Karst Geological Park is a breathtaking scenic area named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area is home to streams, caves, gorges, and karst limestone formations. Of the numerous natural wonders in this area, Three Natural Bridges, Furong Cave, and Houping Tiankeng, an eroded sinkhole, are particularly popular. The park is an excellent choice for nature lovers, as well as avid hikers. Furthermore, movie-goers may recognize it as a filming location for the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Explore Ciqikou Old Town

For travelers seeking to escape the bustling energy of Chongqing’s city center, the out-of-the-way Ciqikou Old Town is an ideal solution. The quaint town is positioned in Shapingba District and dates back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties when it served as a port town and commercial center for the area. In English, the area is known as Porcelain Town, for its history as a porcelain producer. Today, visitors can still find porcelain pieces sold in the town’s shops, as well as numerous eateries selling beef soup, spicy stir fry, and various pastries. Ciqikou is also famous for being linked to Samuel CC Ting, a recipient of The Nobel Prize in Physics who studied in the small town during his childhood. The classroom where Ting studied has been preserved and is open to visitors.

See giant pandas at the Chongqing Zoo

China has become synonymous with the giant panda, an adorable animal native to the country’s central, southern, and eastern areas. As an endangered species, there are less than 2,000 giant pandas alive in the wild. Travelers itching to catch a glimpse of these bamboo-loving creatures can pay a visit to the Chongqing Zoo. Positioned five miles from the city center, the zoo is home not only to pandas, but to elephants, leopards and kangaroos, as well a variety of sea life housed in the zoo’s aquarium. The zoo’s lush hills, waterfalls, and foliage also make it a refreshing haven from Chongqing’s crowded streets.

Wander through the Three Gorges Museum

Named after the famous Three Gorges area alongside the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges Museum is situated in Chongqing’s busting Yuzhong District. In addition to information related to the Three Gorges, the museum also serves to preserve the history of Chongqing and is home to a variety of cultural artifacts and artistic pieces. Among its vast collection, visitors will find antique porcelain, sculptures from the Han Dynasty, paintings, and calligraphy work. The museum was originally founded as the Chongqing Museum but was later reopened under its current name.

See more: Challenge yourself with top 5 Chongqing spicy dishes

Source: Internet