Leisure Pursuits In Bangkok (Thailand):

1. DUSIT ZOO:

Bangkok, a busy, noisy city, is not very suitable for walks with children. That makes every corner where silence and privacy reign even more valuable. One of such places is the Dusit Zoo. It began its work in the late 30s of the last century, settling on the territory of the personal gardens of King Rama V. Today, the zoo covers an area of ​​more than 19 hectares. Walking with a child along the shady alleys, looking at the animals is a pleasure, and when little legs get tired of stomping, you can get on a fun road train and travel around the entire zoo in 25 minutes without missing anything.

The Dusit Zoo collection is quite extensive – more than 300 mammals, 800 birds, two hundred reptiles are presented here. The animals are collected from all over the world. There are large representatives of the fauna – elephants, hippos, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and small ones – rabbits, lemurs, meerkats, a miniature fox with large ears – fennec. An unusual tapir, a wombat, a whole host of monkeys of various species, a large number of predatory cats – lions, tigers, caracals, leopards, as well as deer, antelopes, ponies and many other animals live here.

The pride of the zoo is the white tiger and the albino muntjac (muntjacs are a type of deer). The bird cages are also good, because each of them is beautiful in its own way – flamingos, peacocks, parrots, cranes, pelicans. There is even a raven here – a large bird, a relative of the street crows we are familiar with. And in the corner where the reptiles live, you can see all sorts of turtles, monitor lizards, crocodiles and dangerous snakes – cobras, pythons. Very comfortable living conditions have been created for the animals, so they feel at ease and reproduce well in captivity. The cubs, who are trained by adult animals, always delight visitors to the zoo. Meanwhile, guests are given the opportunity to feed the animals. It is especially interesting to participate in feeding the fat hippos. In addition, the animal shows held at Dusit Zoo and elephant riding, which is common throughout Thailand, are popular.

After walking, you can ride a boat or a catamaran on the lake, and turtles and monitor lizards will keep you company – they love to swim and then bask in the sun. For relaxation, benches are installed in the park area, there are kiosks with ice cream and light snacks. There is a good playground for children. And if you want not only to admire the animals, but also to learn more about them, you can visit the animal museum located here. During your walk, note that the zoo fence is decorated with thematic drawings, and the alleys are decorated with animal sculptures.

2. SAFARI WORLD:

Most zoos are “Kids in a Cage”, when animals are placed in tight enclosures located far from people. In contrast, Safari World gives the opportunity to almost touch wildlife, to get as close to animals as it is possible safely. A carefully thought-out organization of the placement of the inhabitants of this park allows visitors to observe the behavior of animals and birds in their natural habitat. The area of ​​​​Safari World is not very large, a walk around it will not tire even small children, so it is very convenient to come here with a child. In addition, part of the route will need to be driven, so you can come to the park in your own car or join a bus tour.

The territory is divided into two parts – Safari Park and Marine Park. You can buy a ticket to visit both parts, or only for the safari or the marine park. Getting to know the animals is organized in different ways. The first approach is placing animals in spacious enclosures, which you can approach closely. Sometimes the enclosures are so skillfully camouflaged by vegetation that they are barely noticeable. This way, you can find yourself almost right next to the crocodiles, and yet they are separated from visitors by a reliable metal fence. Many animals can be fed, and children especially enjoy feeding the giraffes. You cannot feed the lions yourself, but you can watch them being fed by the zoo staff. The schedule of all feedings is available at the entrance. This part of the park is home to porcupines, lemurs, monkeys, tapirs, fallow deer, deer, hippos and other animals.

There is also a large area reserved for birds, including pelicans, flamingos and marabou storks. There is also an information center called “Egg World”, where you can learn about how the embryo develops in the egg and how the babies are born from the egg. The second approach is to watch the performances of smart little animals. During the day, the zoo hosts seven shows featuring elephants, monkeys, dolphins, polar bears, walruses and seals, birds and a beautiful white tiger. The animals dance, box, juggle and play games, to the delight of the spectators. But the most interesting is the third approach: a trip through the savannah.

True, for this you need to get on a bus and go along a laid route to see how lions and zebras, tigers and antelopes freely coexist in the open space, how giraffes and rhinoceroses graze, how bear cubs play under the supervision of adults. During such a trip, it is important to ensure that all the windows in the car are closed. Another way to look into the wild nature is the show “Walk into the Jungle”. This is a rafting trip on a boat along the river, during which you can meet crocodiles and gorillas. The park has several restaurants and cafes, kiosks with ice cream and drinks, a children’s playground.

3. DREAM WORLD AMUSEMENT PARK:

Dream World Park in Bangkok is called the Thai Disneyland, but one can agree with this comparison only in the part that it is the largest amusement park in Thailand. It has its own flavor, which bizarrely combines features of Asian and European culture. If you are going here with a child, set aside a whole day to visit the park – there will be something to do for both adults and children. Even on the map, the park looks quite large – on its territory there are 43 attractions, cheerful and romantic sculptures, lots of greenery, ponds, as well as cafes and restaurants.

Among the entertainment, there are many extreme ones, but 15 attractions are designed specifically for the little ones, so even one-year-olds come here. You can view the park from above by riding a cable car. The park is divided into several zones. The main action usually takes place on Dream World Plaza – here there are performances with fairy-tale characters, fireworks are arranged. The square is decorated with miniature copies of famous buildings from all over the world – from the Pyramid of Cheops to Ankor Wat, from the Eiffel Tower to the Taj Mahal.

The greenest and most romantic place in Dream World Bangkok is the Love Garden. There are many compositions created here, the center of which is the image of two loving hearts. And if the theme of love does not excite children yet, then they will certainly like the row of sunflowers blooming in the Garden of Love. Fantasy land is next to it – a country inhabited by fairy-tale creatures. Only here the incredible happens: for example, you can get into the giant’s house, where even an adult can remember the time when he “walked under the table on foot”. But still, the main area of ​​the park is Adventure land. It is here that all the attractions are concentrated. The entrance ticket gives you the opportunity to visit them all (the ticket is attached to your clothes, and the main thing is not to lose it).

Here, everything depends on the preferences and age of the children: you can go down a mountain river and hit a high wave, ride a steep roller coaster, or catch rubber ducks in a pool or ride your child on familiar cars. Children also love to frolic in the water entertainment zone. If the heat of Thailand makes you miss the snowy winter, welcome to the Snow Town. Dream World Bangkok also has a 4D cinema, and they also organize a Hollywood show where you can feel like you are on the set of a spectacular film. Children are also attracted by the animal show, which is held daily in Dream World.

4. MUSEUM OF SEASHELLS BANGKOK:

The appearance of the Museum of Shells in a coastal country is not surprising, however, this museum is not state, but private. It is visited by those who, like the creators of the exhibition, are fascinated by the beauty of mollusk shells. Since children enjoy collecting shells on the beaches and even create compositions from them, they will be interested in visiting this museum. The tour is very rich, because the exhibition presents more than two thousand shells of 600 different species, but it will not take much time: 30-40 minutes will be enough to examine everything.

The owners of the Museum of Shells in Bangkok have been collecting their collection for more than 40 years. Their goal was not only to present the diversity of mollusk shells, but also to collect rare shells – for example, those that are difficult to obtain due to the great depth of the mollusk’s habitat, or those with unique features. Among the latter is the left-handed shell of the Noble Volute mollusk (usually they are twisted to the right). Tiny shells are found side by side with huge ones – over half a meter in diameter, weighing over 300 kg.

There is also a collection of ammonites – giant extinct mollusks, the textured imprints of whose shells can often be found in paleontology museums. Interestingly, very colorful shells of mollusks are found in the Sahara Desert. The museum’s special decoration is a golden pearl weighing 140 carats. There are also poisonous cone mollusks, the poison of some of which is deadly to humans, as well as freshwater snails, nautiluses and colorful cowrie shells. Shells of bivalves and gastropods, smooth and covered with spines, rounded and cone-shaped, mother-of-pearl and rough, bright and unremarkable – your eyes just run wide from such a variety.

Each display case with shells has detailed information about the mollusk, its habitat, structural features, etc. If the text in English is not clear, then a lot can be learned from the drawings and photographs. The creators of the museum in Bangkok did not ignore another amazing inhabitants of the waters – sea urchins. Several dozen of their varieties are presented here. In addition, the walls of the halls are decorated with paintings depicting mollusks. Photography is allowed in the museum. Beautiful, although not so rare, shells can be bought in the souvenir shop at the museum.

5. MADAME TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM IN BANGKOK:

The branch of the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Bangkok is the twelfth in a row among the branches opened in different countries of the world, and the most equipped in technical terms. In practice, this means the opportunity not only to look at the sculptures of famous people, but even to touch them or take a photo hugging them. And if your child’s meeting with a living idol is postponed for some reason, give him the opportunity to shake the hand of at least a wax double of a celebrity.

It is impossible not to note the highest skill with which each figure in the museum is made. The portrait resemblance is truly amazing, the wax faces do not look doll-like, lifeless – on the contrary, they are almost indistinguishable from the faces of ordinary people. Each figure in the museum costs about 30 thousand dollars. The entire exhibition is divided into 10 halls dedicated to famous historical figures, stars of cinema, sports, music, television, science and art, and political leaders. Some will take advantage of the lucky opportunity to walk the red carpet next to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Some will be glad to be in the company of Captain Jack Sparrow or Wolverine. Some will be inspired by Pablo Picasso or humored by Albert Einstein. Sing with Katy Perry or Madonna, do abdominal exercises with David Beckham, interview Oprah Winfrey – the choice is yours. The museum visitors have the necessary entourage for good photos: you can play a “fresh” piece by Beethoven on the piano, effectively smash several thick slabs with a blow of your head, imitating Jackie Chan, or hang “on the edge of the roof,” hoping for help from Spider-Man. There are also wonderful exhibits for the youngest visitors: a cute blue elephant or a cat from Hello Kitty will appeal to them. A separate hall is entirely dedicated to the history of the museum. There is a wax figure of its creator, Madame Tussauds, as well as many exhibits demonstrating the work of creating wax sculptures.

Details of giving a portrait resemblance – right down to freckles and moles, the features of creating hairstyles, eyes and teeth, the secrets of sewing outfits for wax figures can be seen and learned in this section of the museum. In the souvenir shop there are many items somehow related to the characters presented in the museum. For example, there are Oscar statuettes. A visit to the wax museum can be combined with an excursion to the Siam Ocean World aquarium; purchasing a combined ticket gives a good discount. The museum also offers favorable conditions for “early birds”: a visit here before 12:00 will cost even less.