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tigers

Chiang Mai zoo panda Lin Hui

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Date:  22nd November 2010

Yesterday evening was nice. Today was the last day of Loy Krathong, and I’m guessing tonight’s events were going to be a ‘grand finale’ to the festival. But first, I decided to move out of Rux Thai and take a single room at Centerplace Guesthouse because I was going to be out all day and tomorrow morning, I would leave for Chiang Rai.

A single room at Centerplace Guesthouse costs just 200 baht (Rs. 300/$6.7/€4.5).

After transferring my bags, I decided to spend my morning at Chiang Mai Zoo, which is en route to Doi Suthep.

Chiang Mai zoo entrance ThailandNow I knew Chiang Mai Zoo wasn’t going to be as impressive as Singapore Zoo, but the main reason I chose to visit the zoo is to see a rare animal I rank among my favourites in the animal kingdom — the giant panda!

Chiang Mai Zoo has three of them. But the entrance fees to the zoo are broken up by the individual attractions the place has to offer. The zoo fee costs just ฿100, but it does not include the chance to see the pandas. That’s another ฿100. Also, if you want avail the open air bus, that’s ฿20. So all-in-all, I paid ฿220 (Rs. 325/$7.2/€5) for my entry.

Chiang Mai entrance elephant fountainFlamingos Chiang Mai zoo ThailandChiang Mai zoo white parrot

Indian elephant Chiang Mai zoo
The Indian elephant

I walked a bit, saw a few animals at the entrance that I’ve seen many time before and then hopped on to the zoo bus to head straight for the pandas.

Chiang Mai zoo minibus
You have a driver who gives commentary about the attractions as you go along, but it’s only in Thai
Chiang Mai zoo panda statues
I got down here
Chiang Mai zoo Lin Ping house entrance
You hand over the panda entry ticket here
Chiang Mai zoo way to Lin Ping house
First up, Lin Ping, the youngest panda in Chiang Mai Zoo
Chiang Mai zoo Lin Ping playground
This is Lin Ping’s playground. So, where is Lin Ping? (Photo taken on Nokia E72)
Chiang Mai zoo Lin Ping sleep
To the extreme right corner… she was asleep (I hope)
Pandas in Thailand Chiang Mai zoo
Chiang Mai Zoo has 3 pandas, among the only 35 outside China

While young Lin Ping gets her massive play ground, her parents Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui are in a separate air-conditioned enclosure not too far away.

Chuang Chuang panda Chiang Mai zoo
“Ni hao” (Chinese for “hello”)
Chiang Mai zoo panda Lin Hui walking wood
This is the female panda Lin Hui

Chiang Mai zoo panda Lin Hui Chiang Mai zoo panda eating
Chiang Mai zoo panda Thailand
Chiang Mai zoo panda Thailand

Chiang Mai zoo panda Lin Hui playing
Play time for Lin Hui

Panda playing Chiang Mai zooChiang Mai zoo Lin Hui lookingChiang Mai panda walking ThailandChiang Mai zoo panda plants

Chiang Mai zoo Chuang Chuang eating
And this bloke here is Xuang Xuang (Chuang Chuang)
Chiang Mai zoo Xuang Xuang panda eating Thailand
Fussy eater! 🙂
Chiang Mai zoo Chuang Chuang sucking thumb
Post-brunch sucking-of-thumb*
Chiang Mai zoo Chuang Chuang eating bamboo
Then ‘tooth pick’ 🙂
Panda Xuang Xuang Chiang Mai zoo
Look at its ears! 🙂
Chiang Mai zoo panda Xuang Xuang eating
Lin Ping was actually born using insemination because this bloke wasn’t interested in ‘doing the job’ with wifey
Chiang Mai zoo Lin Hui eating bamboo
The entire process of how they inseminated Lin Hui is explained near Lin Ping’s section
Chuang Chuang Lin Hui pandas information Chiang Mai zoo
The first two pandas at Chiang Mai zoo

After getting my panda fix, I moved on.

Chiang Mai zoo monorail train
The zoo has a monorail service too (which costs extra as well)
Chiang Mai zoo 7eleven store
And the ubiqitous 7-Eleven can be found inside the zoo as well

I took the tram car again, and it stopped for a while at the newly opened aquarium.

Chiang Mai zoo aquarium entry fee
At those prices, I wasn’t keen on checking it out

Chiang Mai zoo aquarium lake

Chiang Mai zoo monorail service

Chiang Mai zoo ducks pond

Chiang Mai zoo sign Thailand

Chiang Mai zoo koala tree Thailand
Tree hug

Chiang Mai koalas tree

Chiang Mai zoo koala sleeping on tree
Koalas were busy sleeping

Chiang Mai zoo koala sleeping waking upChiang Mai zoo koala sleeping

Chiang Mai zoo koala sleeping fact
Natural born sleepers
Chiang Mai zoo Dunger koala tail
Dunger is one of the koalas
Chiang Mai zoo kids park
The Kids park

They have a kids section with a bunch of cute animals and some rather interesting tiny creatures.

Chiang Mai zoo pygmy marmoset Thailand
This creature is called the pygmy marmoset
Chiang Mai zoo pygmy marmoset
It’s a really tiny animal and it moved funnily

Pygmy marmoset Chiang Mai zooChiang Mai zoo kids parkChiang Mai zoo kids park garden flowers

Chiang Mai zoo deer park reindeers
I moved on to the deer section next

Chiang Mai zoo deer park

Chiang Mai zoo deer walkway
There’s an overhead walkway

Chiang Mai zoo reindeerChiang Mai zoo ibex deer

Lama Chiang Mai zoo
Lamas
Chiang Mai zoo steep hill
I walked to the next attraction
Chiang Mai zoo monorail track view
There was a huge tree trunk which had a set of stairs you could climb to get this view (Taken on my Nokia E72)

Next, I entered a birds enclosure.

Chiang Mai zoo Lady Amherst's pheasant
Lady Amherst’s pheasant
Chiang Mai zoo Lady Amherst's pheasant tail
Lovely looking thing
Great hornbill Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
Great Hornbill
Trumpeter hornbill Chiang Mai zoo
Trumpeter hornbill
Oriental pied hornbill Chiang Mai zoo
Oriental pied hornbill
Indian peacock Chiang Mai zoo
India’s national bird — the peacock (Edit: A reader just pointed out it took a dump. Didn’t even notice that until she told me!)
Country rooster Chiang Mai zoo
Got the lighting right on this one
Siamese fireback pheasant Chiang Mai zoo
Siamese fireback pheasant

Pheasant Chiang Mai zooPheasants Chiang Mai zoo

Chiang Mai zoo birds enclosure panorama
This is the birds enclosure (Panorama comprised of 6 shots)
White bellied sea eagle Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
Birds of prey next. This is the White bellied sea eagle
Black kite Chiang Mai zoo staring
A kite… staring at me

White breast kite Chiang Mai zoo

Grey head fish eagle Chiang Mai zoo
Grey head fish eagle
Black kite eyes Chiang Mai zoo
Seriously, stop staring
Black kite beak head Chiang Mai zoo
“Duuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”
Ostrich Chiang Mai zoo
Ostrich (if you didn’t know)
Porcupine Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
Porcupines

After the birds, next up was a large open section entirely for Gibbons.

White gibbon monkey swinging Chiang Mai zoo
Apes with really long arms

Black gibbon teeth Chiang Mai zooGibbon monkey hanging tree Chiang Mai zoo

Gibbon swinging on tree Chiang Mai zoo
It was fun to watch these gibbons swing around

Gibbon sitting on tree Chiang Mai zoo

Chiang Mai zoo buddhist monks
The gibbons have a pretty large playground
Siamese crocodile Chiang Mai zoo
But they share the compound with a Siamese crocodile

Buddhist monk golden umbrella Chiang Mai zoo ThailandGibbon section Chiang Mai zooWhite handed gibbons Chiang Mai zooWhite handed gibbon closeup Chiang Mai zoo

Gibbons fighting Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
Fun to watch apes play-fight
White handed gibbon feet shape Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
Look at their feet. Nature and its designs!

White handed gibbons fighting Chiang Mai zoo ThailandWhite handed gibbon scratching Chiang Mai zoo

Rhinoceros Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
The only Rhinoceros in Thailand
Rhino stegosaurus head Chiang Mai zoo
When I saw this photo, I thought to myself “Looks so much like a stegosaurus”
Elephant ride Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
They have elephant rides here, costs extra of course

Chiang Mai zoo elephant ride Thailand

Humboldt penguins Chiang Mai zoo
Humboldt penguins, in a seperate temeprature-controlled zone

Penguins Chiang Mai zoo Thailand

Chiang Mai zoo Thailand pathway
It’s only at this point I realized Chiang Mai Zoo is quite big
View Chiang Mai city from Chiang Mai zoo
It occupies a large area and is quite hilly

Chiang Mai zoo mountain goat

Shooting club ATV Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
The irony of having a shooting club inside a zoo(!) is beyond me
Luge car station Chiang Mai zoo
The land has the slopes for luge riding, but I didn’t see anybody in the cars
Chiang Mai zoo tree panorama
Went in search for more animals
Black bear Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
The Asian black bear
Black bear sad face Chiang Mai zoo
🙁
Black bear Chiang Mai zoo wall
Poor thing only has his shadow to talk to
African lion Chiang Mai zoo
Didn’t look at her for too long
Monkey Chiang Mai zoo
More monkeys
Assamese macaque Chiang Mai zoo Thailand
Assamese macaque

Assamese macaques Chiang Mai zoo Thailand

Pig tailed macaque Chiang Mai zoo
Pig tailed macaque
Emu Chiang Mai zoo
Emu
Ostrich feather Chiang Mai zoo
The Bare-bum Ostrich*

Monorail track Chiang Mai zoo

White tiger Chiang Mai zoo
And finally, the beautiful white tiger

White tiger Chiang Mai zoo Thailand

Elephant Chiang Mai zoo
Passed the same elephant on the way out

Also on the way out, I couldn’t help but buy a small souvenir from Chiang Mai zoo. They were selling stuffed toys of the zoo’s main stars, the pandas. I bought a small Lin Ping souvenir for 150 baht.

All in all, I must have spent nearly 4 hours in Chiang Mai zoo. A lot longer than I thought I would spend. I mostly came to see the pandas and ended up seeing pretty much everything the zoo had to showcase.

Garden Chiang Mai zooSo is a visit to Chiang Mai zoo worth it? Well, Singapore Zoo didn’t have pandas (they only get them in 2012), and even koalas, when I visited back in September. So yes, this visit was time and money well-spent. At half the price of Singapore Zoo, you still see a lot of animals. Chiang Mai zoo also has animal shows and even a Night Safari. How good those are, I didn’t bother to find out of sheer dis-interest.

Entry Doi Suthep Chiang Mai Thailand
Go up this way for Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai afternoon road
I got back pretty late in the afternoon
Chiang Mai lunch rice seafood curry
So I had a late lunch at the small eatery
Chiang Mai afternoon Wat canal
Chiang Mai looked pleasant as ever
Chiang Mai afternoon Loy Krathong
Floats were gathering
Chiang Mai afternoon Loy Krathong float
Another Grand Parade tonight?

Chiang Mai Thapae road afternoon

Rachadamnoen road Chiang Mai
Rachadamnoen road looked empty today
Chiang Mai Yi Peng float preparations
I asked them what time it would start and they said ‘at sunset’

I had some time, so I decided to go back to my room and rest a bit.

Centerplace Guesthouse single room bed
This is what a single bed room at Centerplace Guesthouse looks like (Lin Ping on the bed is not included in the ฿200. I just put her there)
Centerplace guesthouse single room toilet
The toilet is clean, and has hot shower

I lied down for a while — this day wasn’t over yet.


Next posts in this series:

Next posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Thailand 2010: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tour, Cobra show… and leaving Bangkok

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: First day in Chiang Mai for Loi Krathong; driving up Doi Suthep

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

A monk with a tiger at the Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi

Thailand 2009: Day 2 – Bridge over the River Kwai and Tiger Temple (Wat Pa Luangta Bua) in Kanchanaburi

Date: Dec 14th, 2009

The next day, I woke up by 7am. Went down to the reception area for breakfast, which was included in the hotel room fare. I checked out by 8:30am and took a metered taxi to the Southern Bus terminal which is where all the buses to South Thailand set out from.

Early morning traffic in Bangkok
Taken from inside the taxi on my Nokia E72
Taking the taxi to the Southern bus terminal
Heading to the Southern bus terminal
Elevated toll highways in Bangkok
Most of Bangkok city is covered by elevated toll highways

My plan was to take a day bus to Krabi where I planned to spend most of my time in Thailand.

The Southern Bus terminal, Bangkok
You need to go upstairs for the ticket counters

But it was not to be. When I inquired, from the Southern Bus terminal, apparently only evening buses were available. Or maybe the lady figured I was a tourist and thought I was expecting the luxury buses. (Tip: Found this blog in case you want to more about the Southern Bus terminal)

Southern Bus terminal where both state and private buses ply
Southern Bus terminal, where both state and private buses ply

Instead of wasting time in Bangkok, I thought I’d go to Kanchanaburi instead, which is 130kms from Bangkok city. So I bought my ticket (77 baht/Rs. 107) and boarded my bus which was departing soon.

Inside the bus to Kanchanaburi
Inside the bus to Kanchanaburi

It was pretty hot outside and the A/C in the bus was minimal. Fortunately, the bus was barely full and the journey wasn’t too long (1 & 1/2 hours).

We reached Kanchanaburi bus stand by around 11am. I was approached by taxi drivers as soon as I got down from the bus offering tours to all that Kanchanaburi has to offer but I first wanted to check my e-mail and get some water. While I was at the internet cafe-slash-computer repair shop, I checked the weather forecast for South Thailand. BBC Weather said it was going to rain in the coming days. “Oh crap” moment #2.

Kanchanaburi maybe a fairly popular tourist destination but the town is fairly small and a far cry from madness of Bangkok. After sending out a few mails, I took a Mazda pick-up truck taxi (something I haven’t done since the early Gulf years) and set out for the famous Tiger Temple which was 35kms away.

Kanchanaburi town
Kanchanaburi town. Taken from inside the Mazda taxi

The driver said he would first take me to the Bridge over the River Kwai, which I didn’t know was en route to the Tiger Temple. But even before that, we stopped by the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Over 5,000 Australian, British and Dutch prisoners of war are buried here
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
The POWs were used by the Japanese to build the Thailand-Burma Railway

After that, the taxi took me to the famous Bridge over the River Kwai and you read about its history here. It’s mostly a tourist attraction now with short train rides available and surrounded by restaurants and street vendors.

Bridge over the River Kwai
The Bridge over the River Kwai
Bridge over the River Kwai
I didn’t bother taking the train ride

The Bridge over the River Kwai

The Bridge over the River Kwai
You can even walk on it

It was around 12:30pm and it was scorching hot, so I took a few more photos and then headed back to the taxi.

Jeath War Museum, Kanchanaburi
There was a war museum there as well… but I didn’t check it out

We then headed for famous Tiger Temple at Kanchanaburi.

Driving to Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi
Taken from inside the taxi
On the road to Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi
The pick up taxi I took
En route to the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi
The terrain looked fairly similar to what you would see in Karnataka

We reached the Tiger Temple a.k.a Wat Pa Luangta Buaat around 1pm. I was wearing a sleeveless vest and I had to change to a non-red coloured T-shirt as there is a dress code. Not to do with the fact it’s a place run by Buddhist monks but more to do with your own safety when getting close to the tigers.

The ‘temple’ is only open to the general public  from 12pm to 3:30pm. The entry fee is a rather steep 500 baht (Rs.700) & video cameras weren’t allowed (or you probably had to pay extra for it). I walked in and was asked by the volunteers to run and join the group who were being led to the area where you get to see the tigers.

Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi
The volunteers there wear the golden yellow t-shirts
Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi
Visitors are gathered at the spot where the tigers are
From here, volunteers take visitors one by one to each tiger
From here, volunteers take visitors, by hand, one by one to each tiger

There are a lot of controversies  surrounding the Tiger Temple. Despite being run by monks, many accuse it of exploiting the animals for money and some even question if the stories of how the temple acquired the tigers are actually true. You can read their response to all these queries in their FAQs but I did question their money-making means.

For the 500 baht entrance fee, you get to sit next to the tigers and have your photo taken by the volunteers using your camera (& bottles of water). If you want to have a photo taken with a tiger’s head placed on your lap, that will cost you 1000 baht (Rs. 1,300). I was approached by one of their foreign volunteers, a young woman, who asked if I was interested in spending the night at the reserve, feed the tigers the next morning and see them play — all for 1500 baht (Rs. 2,100).  I kindly said no, citing I had to head back. I actually had to head back and I would have loved to spend more time with the tigers, but I just didn’t feel like giving them anymore money.

Even their international volunteers looked like a questionable lot. All young guys and girls who looked like they got into some sort of trouble and sought refuge in Tiger Temple with easy jobs as supposed to actually knowing a lot about tigers. I could be wrong, but that’s how I felt.

Anyway, back to why I actually came all the way here. The tigers.

I-LOVE-tigers! I have always loved big cats — especially since I was a child when I came across a photo book my father had on wild cats.  Of all the big, furry, cute (yet dangerous) wild cats, tigers have been my favourite. It’s sad to know our national animal is on the decline the world over but a chance to be this close to them was something I would not have ignored.

Me with one of the tigers at the Tiger Temple
The tiger wasn’t stuffed — he was just in that position — the whole time
A tiger at the Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi
See, I told you.
Me with the biggest tiger they had
This was the biggest tiger there. I believe they told me it was 4 years old.
Me trying to lie down with the tigers
Me kinda wishing I could place my head on the tiger
Tiger embarrassed too be seen with me
Tiger: “Let me sleep kid! Go away… no photos!”
If you want a photo like this, you have to pay 1000 baht
The 1000 baht pose

After spending around half-an-hour there, I went back up — where they had more tigers for you to pose with.

A tiger getting a massage at the Tiger Temple
In a country famed for massages, even tigers get them
A tiger getting patted at the Tiger Temple
Mounted the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 lens for these shots
A monk with a tiger at the Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi
Would have been nice if I got this shot without the tourists at the back
A tiger at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi
“Great, another moron who thinks he works for National Geographic”
A young tiger staring at me. Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi.
“Water … waaaterrrr …”

By 2:30pm, I was done. They do have few other animals at the reserve but they were all animals most Indians have seen before (buffaloes, peacocks etc.). I headed back to Kanchanaburi town in the taxi.

Kanchanaburi town, taken from inside a taxi
From inside the ‘furnished’ taxi

The driver stopped at a bus heading back to Bangkok city. The ride to all the tourist spots and back cost me 600 baht (Rs. 836) and I tipped him 50 baht (the initial quote I was given when I arrived was 800 baht).

I boarded the bus and headed back to Bangkok city. I contemplated my next move. If it was going to rain the next few days, why bother going to Krabi now itself. So, I figured I’d go to Chiang Mai instead — and do my trip in reverse order. Something, I hadn’t planned for and something that would eventually cost me a lot more than I had budgeted.


Other posts in this series:

Getting ready for my trip

The day I left for Thailand

Day 1 – Suvarnabhumi, Pantip Plaza, Fotofile & MBK

Taking the bus to Chiang Mai from Bangkok

Day 3 – Maesa elephant camp, ‘long-neck’ tribe village near Chiang Mai

Day 3 (Part 2) – Chiang Mai Night Market

Day 4 – Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai… and back in town

Day 5 – Leaving Chiang Mai for Phuket

Day 5 (Part 2) – One night in Phuket

Day 6 – Leaving Phuket for Ao Nang by bus (via Phang Nga)

Day 7 – Touring Koh Phi Phi (Maya Bay, Monkey Island & Bamboo Island)

Day 7 (Part 2) – Exploring Railay, Krabi

Day 8 – Flying from Phuket to Bangkok

Day 8 (Part 2) – Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Day 9 – MBK, Siam Paragon… and ‘little Arabia’?

Day 10 – Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha

Day 10 – Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha) and finally leaving Thailand

Figures, lessons learned, and things I couldn’t do

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