Mini trip at Amphawa, February 2012

Dear my blog friends,
How have you been doing? Today I'm gonna show you some photos I took from Amphawa last week. Amphawa is a district in Samut Songkhram province, a province near our capital city Bangkok. We started our small trip on a late Tuesday morning, so we hoped the places wouldn't be too crowded like they are on weekends. Amphawa has many points of interest for those who like to see regional lifestyle of people who earn for their living by doing agriculture. Along the way from Bangkok to Samut Songkhram we can see salt evaporation ponds, orchards, and booths offering seafood both fresh and dried one. Amphawa is famous for its wonderful lively Mae-Klong river, Bangkung temple that has got long interesting history, its floating market and many other attractive points that we can finish visiting in only one day.

Firstly, we stopped to sight see Mae-Klong river. It's a big and important river of west Thailand. It originates from the confluence of 2 river Kwais in Kanchanaburi. Mae Klong passes Samut Songkhram as the last province before it empties into the gulf of Thailand. So Samut Songkhram has got the advantage of its location by being near a big river and the gulf of Thailand. That's how you see local people earn their living related to both fresh and sea water. Nowadays, as Samut Songkhram becomes more famous for the touring, some local people has turn to do traveling business in form of homestay and being tour guides. Homestay is a form of tourism that allows visitor to rent a room from local people to learn their way of living closely. One thing you shouldn't miss when you have chance to stay overnight in Amphawa is the night cruise that you can see thousands of fireflies along the way. I didn't to see that because I had to work the day after.

Then we had lunch at Baan Amphawa Resort and Spa. It's antique style resort located right on the bank of Mae Klong river. Enjoying lunch while seeing the wonderful view was such a happy moment for us.

Inside the restaurant.

Swimming pool and cocktail bar.

Butterfly pea drink

Hehehe... we had both fresh water fish and seafood.

I gave as much as 8.5/10 for these food.

Duck coconut jelly! so yummy!!

After lunch, it was time to visit a little bit the historical place. Hehehe... to make this trip a bit knowledgeable. Wat Bangkung was once a camp of King Thaksin and his soldiers during an attack of Burmese army in 1768. That time Thai had lost their Ayuthaya city to Burma and then King Thaksin won the campaign and move the capital city to Thonburi. Burma wanted to take control over Thonburi so it sent army along Mae Klong river to enclose Bangkung camp. Fortunately King Thaksin sent his army on time to join the camp, so we didn't lose this area to Burma.

Statues of practising Thai army.

Bot Prok Po, an unseen in Thailand. A chapel which has been overgrown by Bodhi and Banyan tree. The Buddha inside is named Luangpho Dam.

Sacred feeling inside the chapel.

Along the way to visit floating market, we passed a church that drew our attention. It has its long unclear history. I have learned from a working woman there that this church was built by Thai christian people with the supports from priests from France and Italy.

A century-year-old catholic church in Amphawa.

Quiet floating market during weekday.

Fresh and good quality fruit. This woman has her own orchards run by people in the family. Her ripe mangoes were so delicious that we bought many kilos home.

Amphawa trip is such a nice trip for Bangkokians that can be finished in just one day or a weekend. I felt very relaxed and calm there. Next time I will try staying overnight to have a fireflies sightseeing night cruise.