Showing 1 - 10 of 19
Overlooked no longer
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 11/03/2021
» Nam Tok Chet Sao Noi was one of the few national parks that I didn't want to revisit, mainly because it was overcrowded, dilapidated and poorly managed. Last year, however, I heard the ugly duckling of Saraburi's Muak Lek district has been transformed into a swan. So the other day when I got the chance to travel to those parts I decided to check it out.
Hidden in plain sight
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 28/01/2021
» After a month of closure due to the recent Covid-19 surge, the history-rich Phyathai Palace is set to reopen in February.
Hiding in plain sight
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 24/12/2020
» I'm no fan of paintings but I understand folks who are able to enjoy a visual feast by masters such as the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci or Vincent Van Gogh. I do the same every time I find myself in a magnificent landscape. Indeed, Mother Nature is my favourite artist.
Mercury falling, spirits rising
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 10/12/2020
» The Colours of Doi Tung Festival is one of Chiang Rai province's best-known annual events. Every weekend and public holiday in December and January, a fair featuring the sale of food and goods by hilltribe people and other ethnic groups living in Doi Tung and nearby mountains is held near the Mae Fah Luang Garden, a famous attraction that is part of Mae Fah Luang Foundation's Doi Tung Development Project. The idea is to draw more visitors to Doi Tung and enable the villagers to benefit from the high season.
Roaming in the gloaming
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 05/11/2020
» It was pouring like crazy. I was lucky to find refuge in a noodle shop before getting soaked. It had rained twice since the morning. So far, including the days when I was on Koh Phayam, I never got a chance to shoot -- or even see -- a clear blue sky.
Cool runnings at Doi Inthanon
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 27/10/2020
» This weekend, the mountainous terrains of Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, will see an army of the country's toughest trail runners participate in the first edition of Thailand by UTMB.
Southeast Asia's birding bubble
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 08/10/2020
» Normally at this time of year, Puwish Lenvaree would station himself in the forests of West Papua, an Indonesian province on New Guinea Island. Over the past three years, he routinely spent much of the latter half of each year on New Guinea and nearby islands such as Waigeo and Halmahera mainly because it's the mating season for birds-of-paradise, which occurs only in that part of the world.
A stroll back in time
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 02/07/2020
» A refreshing breeze blew from the other side of the river, greeted by cheerfully rustling leaves of land and aquatic plants along its expansive path. Different kinds of egrets, thanks to their sizes and bright white plumage, could easily be spotted foraging near the waterside, but faint chirps in the air also revealed the presence of numerous other birds hiding among the foliage. In the river, a monitor lizard emerged from the dense floating patches of water hyacinth and swam leisurely in the open to the far bank. Meanwhile, along the lively yet tranquil waterway line traditional-style wooden houses built on tall stilts, some with boats moored at the water's edge.
Happy trails are here again
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 05/06/2020
» The legendary Club11 mountain bike track, the only of its kind in the Thai capital, is reopened and renamed.
Skipping ahead
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 23/04/2020
» Earlier this month when I launched this bi-weekly Travel Diary series, I had a gut feeling that this coronavirus pandemic could drag on a lot longer than many people had thought. Maybe it could even take a whole year. However, feedback revealed that readers were more optimistic and believe it won’t be that long. Some even suggested that it would benefit them more if — instead of featuring destinations suitable for the season that matches the current time of year, but may not be useful if the travel ban is still in place — I should just skip a couple of months ahead.