Thinking of Thongsomboon Club…

Last August 13, I joined the annual Family Outdoor activity by my Christian Church here in Bangkok. It was a long holiday, being Her Majesty, The Queen of Thailand’s Birthday which is also the celebration of Mother’s Day for Thai people.

The Family Outdoor was held in Thongsomboon Club located in Pakchong, Nakhon Ratchasima Province which is in the Northeastern Part of Thailand. This region is usually called Isarn region by Thais.

Thongsomboon Club is an established family-oriented adventure park which is very near the well known Khao Yai National Park. In Thongsomboon, you can do various activities such as ATV, Horse Riding, Dry Sledge, Go Kart, Flying Fox, Bumper Boat, Rolling Ball and many others.

My Church has several activities for that day but the Singles Group (including me!) were there the day before (12 Aug) to spend overnight and be an advanced party to the group.

Accommodations in Thongsomboon are very unique in design. Some are like trailer vans in the US while some look like Indian Tents (Teepee) while the others are designed like a Cart suite. As there are 12 of us, we had to split the group into 3 rooms, 1 room is large enough to accommodate up to 6 persons.

 

 

 

 

 

The resort being near the National Park which is a mountainous area, the weather is usually cool and the air fresh. Luckily there are not much mosquitoes in our room as everyone failed to bring an insect repellent.

The view of the surrounding is just magnificent!

 

 

We were entitled to 6 activities during the Outdoor. All church members were divided into different color groups. I was assigned as part of the Yellow Team.

We tried the Luge, an engine-less luge car that allows you to steer down a zigzaggy hill. The course though in a slope is very safe and we had a great fun. Didn’t have a photo of this ride though.

We had to ride the Sky Lift (a cable car) to go back on top after the Luge ride.

Next stop we tried the Dry Sledge. You have to ride in an inflatable tube and you are pushed backwards down a hilltop. This one is also very exciting but the ride is a bit short.

We went to the ATV area next. I like this ride though the course is not as rough as I expected. The air so so fresh and the green surrounding is just so refreshing!

 

Next we rode the Log Ride. It is a ride that resembles a wooden log and you have to travel a short distance and ending on a big splash as the log climbs up a slope and slides you and your friends down the canal.

After this ride, we headed to the Bumper Boat area. As the name goes, we have to bump into each others boat but to add more fun, there is a water fight wherein you can splash water using the built in water gun in the Boat. Me and my team mates gamely splashed water to each other so at the end of the ride we were all soaking wet!

After completing all the ride entitlements, I decided to pay for an extra ride. I saw the Rolling Ball and got so excited to try this. I ever saw it on TV in Amazing Race and few other shows and wanna try it out myself to experience the thrill. And boy, I was not disappointed!
It actually was the best and most adrenaline pumping ride in Thongsomboon if I may say so.

If you look at the ball, it seems not scary or thrilling as it goes down the hill quite smoothly and not too fast. However, once you are inside, the ride is actually fast and there was a feeling of breathlessness. The ride was less than a minute but it is really worth it.

Actually there were many of us who wanted to try the ride but they have a weight and height restriction. You cannot be too heavy and cannot be too short to ride the ball. Fortunately for me and 3 other friends we can pass the requirement. I can still remember the disappointed faces of my friends upon learning they cannot ride the ball.

Inside the ball, me and John my companion wanted to scream but we just cannot as the ball is spinning very fast and even we tried to shout there is no voice coming out because we cannot breathe normally. Only when the ball was down hill and slower that we were able to say something. When I asked him about his feeling, we had the same reaction and just laugh till we were out of the ball.

I actually wanted to try again but we don’t have enough time as there are more activities that we need to do indoor.

After all the activities, we went back to Bangkok all tired but very happy with the new experience in Thongsomboon Club!

If you happen to be in Bangkok and want to spend you weekend somewhere else, Thongsomboon Club would be a good alternative to the usual trips to Pattaya, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, etc. Thongsomboon is only 2 to 2.5 Hours away from Bangkok.

 

 

 

 

My Kanchanaburi Experience

Over the weekend, I went on a trip with my Colleagues and friends to Kanchanaburi, a province in Central Thailand located 130 kms. away from Bangkok is about 3 hours drive from the Capital. Kanchanaburi has become very famous all over the world because of the World War II Movie, “Bridge on the River Kwai” which was built by prisoners of war wherein more than half of the workers died of disease, maltreatment and accidents.

Kanchanaburi is Thailand’s 3rd largest province after Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. It is gifted with abundant natural resources characterized by mountains, rivers, valleys and water falls most notable of which is the Erawan Waterfalls –a 7-tiered natural beauty wherein each level has a distinct characteristic.

We stayed in Xen Hideaway resort, a lovely resort with lots of trees in a big expanse of lot. Prior to our stay, we passed by a local Sukiyaki Buffet restaurant wherein you can have all you can eat Suki for only 99 Baht (including drinks). Very cheap price isn’t it?..The catch is that you are only allowed to consume everything you cooked within 1.5 hours and any excess food will be charged 20 Baht per 100 gram which is not bad. Our group always have a trick with this kind of situation..We all agree we cannot talk much the moment we step into the restaurant..We will just eat, eat, eat then the talking comes later once we stepped out of the restaurant. That way even 1 hour time allotted, we can be as heavy as a hippo. Lol.

The room I stayed in the resort is nice and comfortable. Nothing fancy..but have all the basic amenities needed- Cable TV (however only 1 movie channel is available–HBO which is good enough), mini bar, air con, private shower and bath..The bed side lamp is quite unique so I took a picture..

My room is overlooking the resort’s swimming pool which is nicely landscaped and has several sun decks if anyone wants to bathe in the sun.

We had our dinner in the main restaurant. I ordered Beef with Vegetables in Oyster Sauce which I say is quite good and the price is not expensive for a resort (about 130 Baht if I remembered correctly).  After dinner, we had our Karaoke in the newly-built private Karaoke Room of the resort. What’s good with this resort is that they have a wide selection of English songs. Most of the Karaoke joints (even in the hotel) that I visited in Bangkok has very limited English song inventory. The audio of the Karaoke Room at Xen is also very good. Only thing is that the walls made of glass is not sound proof so if your voice is not good enough, prepare for the boo boos from the other guests. Good thing though it is quite far from the guest rooms so those sleeping will not have any nightmare. Lol.

Next day, after our buffet breakfast we surveyed the surrounding of the resort. The Kwai River actually passes by the property. On the banks of the river on the other side are lush green vegetation. A lot of trees and ferns grow which is very relaxing to the eyes..The river is flowing very calmly, good for bamboo rafting. There is a watch tower about 6 or 7 stories high which I climbed together with the husband of my colleague and 2 young boys. I am not a big fan of high places but I can tell you the view on top is really breath taking.

We checked out then proceeded to Srinakarin Dam which is about 30 minutes drive from the resort. It is a massive dam surrounded by lush vegetation. They say the Srinakarin lake has abundant marine life and surrounding areas even have tigers, deers and other form of wild life. Entrance is Free.

After the Dam tour, we went for a Som Tam lunch. Lunch includes various form of spicy Thai Salad including the famous Papaya “Pok Pok” salad as well as grilled pork and chicken.

We then headed to the Erawan Water Falls which is one of the most popular waterfalls in Thailand. It was a very hot Sunday and we had to trek a long trail before reaching the various levels of the waterfalls. Since it is dry season, many trees along the pathways are very dry and wilted. However, as you go deeper into the National Park, you can find a lot of bigger, older and healthier trees. Generally, the climb uphill to reach different “floors” of the waterfalls is safe and a lot of people (locals and foreigners alike) don’t mind the sweltering heat just to get a glimpse or perhaps take a dip in the cool waters of the falls.

Food and drinks are not allowed from the 2nd level up which is a given since bringing food and drinks up is prone to wastes across the waterfalls and the mountain. With a lot of tourist, if they will not control it, surely the surrounding will be very filthy in a short period of time. Many people can reach up to level 4 falls which has a slide-like surface. Many people actually try to slide down as seen in the picture.

Three of us- – Arm (the brother of my colleague), Nan (the young son of my boss) and myself decided to go further to level 5 which is about 450 meters away from the 4th level. The surface is really getting steeper as we climbed up though it is still practically not too risky. Only thing is that since we have a child with us, we decided not to go up to 7th level. Another thing is that the National Park closes at 4PM for the safety of the climbers so we decided to go down after level 5.

It was indeed a very tiring but such a great experience which we can definitely not find in the city and this activity cannot just be done as we please cos it takes a lot of travelling and efforts to go there.

Next and last stop and is a must to go otherwise, you will not feel you’ve been to Kanchanaburi is the Bridge on the River Kwai. This Bridge was built as part of the Burma Railway or commonly known as Death Railway. It is kinda scary to walk on the bridge because there are a lot of big open spaces. If you are not careful enough because of a lot of tourist walking back and forth, there might be a chance you will fall down the river.

There are many local foods being sold at the foot of the Bridge including a local Ice cream made of Pepsi products worth 5 Baht each. I just tried. The taste is plain though and Pepsi in can is definitely better but the Ice cream is worth a try.

On the way back to Bangkok, after all the activities of the weekend, everyone just sleep in the Van tired but ready to work on the next day.

Looking forward to my next Thailand expedition…