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| view from the bed in our room |
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| view from our room |
We washed up and went down at around 7.20am for a quick stroll around our hotel property as breakfast is served at 7.30am.
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| interior of Hotel Together |
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| clear blue sky ~ |
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| road in front of our hotel |
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| hotel backyard |
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| youtiao, bread, papaya, pineapple, orange juice and tea |
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| fried rice, stir-fried cabbage |
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| sunny side up, sausage, condiments, slices of chinese sausage |
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| pepperish pork porridge |
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| dining area |
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| view of the external from the dining area |
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| homemade pandan and blue flower chilled drink |
We had a very satisfied breakfast and energised to start our day! Mr Num our driver reached at 8.30am as per our agreed time. So for our first stop of the day, as the weather is good with plenty of sunshine, Mr Num suggested that we visit the sunflower field first!
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| off we go in Mr Num's van |
Khao Yai is a good place to view sunflower field but it is only available during winter season (Nov - Jan). The sunflowers only started to bloom around Nov, so the best to view would actually be Dec when they have all bloomed and at its fullest! In Jan, some may have already wither.
If you have the time, do go to Saraburi which is about 1hour plus away from Pak Chong to view the sunflower fields there. The fields are so much bigger and hence prettier for photo taking. However as we are short of time, we decided to settle for a sunflower field in Pak Chong. We did not know of any and asked Mr Num for recommendation and he brought us here!
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| Sunflower field in Pak Chong! |
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| fee collection + drinks store |
Though it is along the roadside, however the sunflower field is not free. Foreigners will have to pay THB 40 (SGD $1.65) each, while locals only pay THB 20 (SGD $0.83). However the price is still considered cheap, and we gladly pay!
Let the pictures do the talking!
Aren't they beautiful! Especially under the clear blue sky against the mountain backdrop!
We were really glad that the weather was good that day afterall how can there be no sunshine when you are taking photos with sunflowers!
We reached there at around 9.15am and we spent a good half hour there and left at about 9.45am. It was good money spent!
There was also a unique tree near the sunflower field where it consist of 2 trees, with 1 enveloping the other! Not too sure if its natural, but indeed amazing.
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| tree @ sunflower field |
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| Primo Piazza |
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| admission tickets to Primo Piazza |
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| fountain |
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| front entrance of Primo Piazza |
The shops were not opened but they make good photo taking place! How is it possible that this is in Thailand! Seems to be like in Western country! This feels surreal!
There's definitely lots of Instagram worthy backdrop!
Awww just look at that grassland below~
We are allowed to step on the grass so please feel free to take lots of photos there! It's absolutely gorgeous!
As you walk further you will reach the place where Alpacas and sheeps are! That's also where each ticket stub allows you to get one bunch of grass to feed them!
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| Alpaca! |
Our first encounter with Alpaca and I can say they are not a gentle bunch! They have strong herbivore teeth and they will just pull the long strand of grass away from you forcefully!
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| alpacas! |
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| hungry sheep that even stand on its hind legs |
Seeing how enthusiastic we are at feeding the animals, the staff there also gave us an extra bunch of grass to feed.
Don't forget about the 2 pony too!
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| pony feeding! |
There were also flower fields but quite out of bound to visitors and we are only able to admire them from far. The workers were watering the flower bed too!
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| blooming flowers! |
Look how pretty they are!! Once again, we can't believe that this is in Thailand!
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| Picturesque backdrop |
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| gelato ice cream x1 |
We bought a 3 cookie and cream , 2 chocolate brownies and 1 yoghurt blueberry. The serving is quite generous, the ice cream fill the bottom of the cone too! It is definitely the best respite in this hot sweltering weather!
Each gelato ice cream cone cost THB 85 (SGD $3.52) regardless of the flavour, but there's a 10% discount too, so nett it cost SGD $3.16 only. There was no one there when we purchase the ice cream and we thought it was not nice. However it is really good.
Perhaps due to us going Khao Yai during the weekday there seems to be lesser people. During weekends Khao Yai should have more tourists. We did a rough check on our Hotel too, and realised during weekends they are fully booked! Note that some attractions only open during weekend, example Pete Maze as such we can't visit too!
We left at about 10.45am, after spending 1 hour at Primo Piazza. We strongly recommend you to visit Primo Piazza if you do drop by Khao Yai!
Some clouds start to gather and there's no more clear blue sky in sight!
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| Goodbye Primo Piazza |
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| Palio @ Khao Yai |
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| Parking area in front of Palio |
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| Entrance of Palio |
Thankfully we visited Primo Piazza first. We thought Primo Piazza was much more well maintained than Palio and hence though their architecture are of the same type (e.g. western/european style building) but we though Primo Piazza was so much nicer. Also, Palio is generally just a place filled with shops and eateries. There isn't like a farm or flower field such as that of Primo Piazza. Now wonder Palio is free admission. Perhaps we went on a weekday, most shops were closed so that added on to its 'emptiness'. We wandered around the whole Palio (it isn't big, definitely smaller than Primo) and was out in 20 mins.
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| 'streets' within Palio |
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| IMAX movie theatre within Palio - doesn't seem to have anyone |
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| MK Restaurant |
If you happen to be in Palio during weekend, perhaps most stores will be open and it might still be worth dropping by. But if you are here on a weekday, perhaps this place might not be worth visiting. It was so below our expectation.
We left at about 11.20am and off we go to Chocolate Factory for our lunch and some chocolate souvenir shopping! Along the way we saw plenty of makeshift fruits vendor selling fruits. We didn't really have a chance to stop by, but this is really common along the roadside in Khao Yai during the 2 days in Khao Yai when we travelled around in the van.
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| fruits store along the roadside |
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| The Chocolate factory @ Khao Yai |
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| Entrance of Chocolate Factory (souvenir shop) |
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| chocolate making in the process! |
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| chocolate souvenirs to buy back! |
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| freshly baked chcoolate |
Thereafter shopping for chocolates, we proceed to level 2 for our lunch at the Chocolate Factory restaurant!
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| indoor seating |
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| Alfresco outdoor seating |
They serve both western and thai cusine, but with the bulk of it being western cuisine. We ordered the following:
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| Spaghetti Spicy Sausage THB 250 |
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| Pork Rib stew on rice THB 185 |
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| Pad Thai with prawns THB 220 |
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| Steam snow fish with pickle plum THB 380 |
The tea seems to be of premium grade. There's a 10% service charge levied hence in total we spent THB 1656 (SGD $68.5) for 5 pax for lunch at Chocolate factory.
We were their only customers throughout out the time when we had lunch there. Looks like their business isn't really that good :/ But for the food and ambience, the price is definitely reasonable. It isn't the top but the quality is acceptable. It is definitely good if you looking for some place to relax.
We left Chocolate Factory on a satisfied tummy at about 12.50pm for our next stop - Chok Chai Farm!
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| carpark area at Chocolate factory where Mr Num waited for us |
We have previously booked 2pm tour online via email and were told that we need to be there half hour before to make full payment so as to secure our slots. During peak tourist season (such as school holiday and weekends, it is best to reserve beforehand, to avoid disappointment) You may email Chok Chai farm at farmtour@farmchokchai.com
For more information about the tour please visit Chok Chair Farm website (Tourism > Rate and Reservations) . Unfortunately the tour is conducted in Thai and they will only conduct in English during very peak tourist season (on adhoc basis). The tour fee per pax is THB 300 (SGD $12.4) It is the most expensive admission fee we paid for this trip. It is worth visiting it once, but will we go for Chok chai farm tour again, the answer will be no. There isn't that much activities to interest us. Read on to decide for yourself!
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| Farm Chok Chai Ticket Office |
We presented our online booking confirmation at the ticket office (a further walk down towards the right after reaching the car park area). Thereafter we make payment and voila! we got our tickets!
The 2pm tour was full, and thankfully we reserved beforehand if not we have to wait for the next one!
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| Farm Chok Chai ticket |
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| Farm Chokchai Steakhouse |
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| cow statues near the roadside in Farm Chok Chai |
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| Pony for riding |
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| waiting area for Farm Chok Chai Tour |
If you are planning a trip to Farm Chok Chai, be sure to sign up for the paid tour. If you thought you can just visit Farm Chok Chai without going on the tour, then I guess there's nothing much you can see :/
At about 1.50pm, you will see a staff dressed in cowboy attire and she will announce something in Thai language. We do not know what she is saying but given the timing (near 2pm) , we deduce it is to ask us to get ready for the tour. Subsequently, we see her removing the rope and people start to enter, we follow suit.
So for the first stop, the staff will give some talk which is also in Thai. Thereafter she will screen a video showcasing Farm Chok Chai. This last for about 5-10mins. It is pretty boring as we do not understand Thai and we came here to see live animals not to be in an enclosed room watching video which we could jolly do so on our own free time.
Thereafter when she tell us we can move on to the next station (similarly we get the cue from the locals), we moved on to the next station - to see the Supergene cow. It is a short 5 mins walk. There is red umbrellas near the exit of the room which we can take to shelter us from the heat along the way to the next destination.
Don't worry, there's not much vehicles within Farm Chok Chai.
This supergene cow is supposed to be a cross breed which is probably known to give more or better quality of milk?
We are all seated on a raised platform for about 50-100 ppl perhaps. It is crowded but just people from our 2pm tour group.
We thought that there would be some kind of performance etc since they put so much effort to get the cow there. But nope. They just get the cow there onto the arena and the cow and its keeper just stand there throughout while the cowgirl rattle on. We stayed there for about 5 mins and move on again by foot to the next stop - which is a little more interesting than the first. Yes just a little.
It was about 2.20pm when we reach this milking station. There was a few demonstration going on, firstly it is the milking of the cows using the machine which actually seems to be painful for the cows as you can see them moving their legs perhaps in a bid to struggle.
Thereafter, 2 staff will milk the cows manually. We stand towards the right of it and couldn't really see it. So if you were to go there, be sure to stand towards the left of the exhibit so as to get a clearer glimpse of the milking process.
Thereafter, the staff will get around 2 volunteers to try milking the super cow. And yup, that's about it.
Once again the cowgirl said some stuff in Thai. There was no demonstration of the process which we thought there would, like actual making of the ice cream for us to see or even just have the product move on the conveyor belt. But nope, she just distributed some sample ice cream for us to taste while she rattle on.
As it is really a small sample, we thought it isn't really satisfying enough to give a conclusion whether is it really nice.
I guess the way they structure this tour is to allow users to see the whole chain process from getting the cow to the production of the ice cream that is sold in their retail store (cow -> milk -> ice cream)
Time checked: 2.33pm
After the ice cream tasting we are on board the farm wagon to visit other parts of Chok Chai Farm.
This is slightly more interesting and it effortless too hehe.
The ride took about 20 mins and we reach a pit stop where we can take ATV rides, horse ride or just roam around. Thereafter we will be watching a circus/cow boy performance.
The performance started at about 3.20pm.
Thereafter they get a few volunteers from the audience to show how accurate and precise the cowboy is at using his whip to cut the flower which was held by someone.
We thought that this performance shows more effort put in by Farm Chok Chai as compared to the rest of the station we went :/
It was drizzling then and we went back to board the wagon at around 3.45pm for our return ride back to the main entrance of Farm Chok Chai.
There was also a 5-10 mins stop for some photo taking opportunity with err.. a bunch of cow statues :/ which surprisingly, plenty of people took.
We ended the whole Chok Chai Farm tour at close to 4pm. Initially we wanted to go to suwan sweet corn farm, however it was already close when we went there probably due to the wet weather. Since it was still raining and going outdoors seem to be a no-no, Mr Num suggested to bring us to visit shopping mall. According to him Tesco Lotus (he refer to as Lotus shopping mall) is the only decent big shopping mall in Khao Yai. We passed by this place many times during the day and subsequently too. Khao Yai is just this small.
The menu is all in Thai language and we typically order based on Mr Num's recommendation or based on picture.
In total, it cost THB 1100 (SGD $45.5) for 6 pax (including Mr Num). Not too expensive especially when we ordered 1 whole steam fish that was really fresh. We enjoyed it. However the fried stuff (especially fried chicken) was not too good. We don't really like the texture as it is almost un-chewable. Probably meant for eating together with beer.
When we were there at 5+ we did not see anyone there. But subsequently while we eating and when we leaving, more and more locals drove here to eat.
We then retreated back to the comfort of our Hotel at 7+ where we enjoyed some fruits which we bought during the day. We had an eventful Day 2, more to come on Day 3 where we venture further into Khao Yai, Ayutthaya and set foot on Bangkok.
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| The room with glass windows is where we will listen to an educational video about Chok Chai during the tour later on |
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| 1st stop: Educational video |
Thereafter when she tell us we can move on to the next station (similarly we get the cue from the locals), we moved on to the next station - to see the Supergene cow. It is a short 5 mins walk. There is red umbrellas near the exit of the room which we can take to shelter us from the heat along the way to the next destination.
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| on our way to the next stop! |
Don't worry, there's not much vehicles within Farm Chok Chai.
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| 2nd stop: Viewing of the Supergene cow |
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| The supergene cow |
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| explanation by the 'cowgirl' |
We thought that there would be some kind of performance etc since they put so much effort to get the cow there. But nope. They just get the cow there onto the arena and the cow and its keeper just stand there throughout while the cowgirl rattle on. We stayed there for about 5 mins and move on again by foot to the next stop - which is a little more interesting than the first. Yes just a little.
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| Supercow |
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| 3rd stop: milking of the supercow |
Thereafter, 2 staff will milk the cows manually. We stand towards the right of it and couldn't really see it. So if you were to go there, be sure to stand towards the left of the exhibit so as to get a clearer glimpse of the milking process.
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| 3rd stop: Milking of the Super Cow |
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| trapped cows |
Then off we go again by foot to the Ice Cream factory. Maybe cos they need to maintain the hygiene of the factory since after all it is real and meant for public consumption, we are only allowed to view it outside via the glass window.
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| 4th stop: Ice cream tasting in front of the Ice cream factory |
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| Free sample of ice cream made from cow milk |
I guess the way they structure this tour is to allow users to see the whole chain process from getting the cow to the production of the ice cream that is sold in their retail store (cow -> milk -> ice cream)
Time checked: 2.33pm
After the ice cream tasting we are on board the farm wagon to visit other parts of Chok Chai Farm.
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| on board the cart to bring us around the farm! |
This is slightly more interesting and it effortless too hehe.
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| barren land |
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| some flowers |
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| some crops |
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| house dog? |
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| ATVs for rent |
The sky was getting darker and soon at around 3pm it poured :/ We saw 2 people who just board the ATV had to venture back to the shelter. Not sure if they will be able to get refund :/
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| The performance place with elevated seating around the arena |
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| 1. A cowboy riding on the white horse |
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| 2. Cowboy and his whip |
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| 3. Live demonstration |
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| Towards the end of the performance |
It was drizzling then and we went back to board the wagon at around 3.45pm for our return ride back to the main entrance of Farm Chok Chai.
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| photo taking opportunity |
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| Our transport in Farm Chok Chai |
We ended the whole Chok Chai Farm tour at close to 4pm. Initially we wanted to go to suwan sweet corn farm, however it was already close when we went there probably due to the wet weather. Since it was still raining and going outdoors seem to be a no-no, Mr Num suggested to bring us to visit shopping mall. According to him Tesco Lotus (he refer to as Lotus shopping mall) is the only decent big shopping mall in Khao Yai. We passed by this place many times during the day and subsequently too. Khao Yai is just this small.
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| Tesco Lotus @ Khao Yai |
Tesco is a supermarket, equivalent to the Giant/Carrefour which we have. There are also other small shops in the shopping mall. Note that the Tesco here is cheaper than the Tesco supermarket in Bangkok which we visited near Union Mall on our Day 4. If you do visit this Tesco in Khao Yai and noted cheap stuff (e.g. dental floss, fruits, bra, sanitary pad) do just grab first. Hehe
We had fun shopping there. Though there was a bit of regret that we didn't buy more things there as we thought Bangkok would be cheaper, but not really. We left at around 5.30pm and headed for dinner to conclude our day itinerary with Mr Num. Mr Num recommended us a restaurant that locals visit which was near our place!
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| Mr Num's van which follow us for 3 days |
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| Thai Restaurant |
The menu is all in Thai language and we typically order based on Mr Num's recommendation or based on picture.
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| Menu |
We ordered the following:
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| Tom Yum Kung and fried chicken |
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| tofu vegetable soup and fried sotong |
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| steamed fish with thai sauce |
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| fried fish |
When we were there at 5+ we did not see anyone there. But subsequently while we eating and when we leaving, more and more locals drove here to eat.
We then retreated back to the comfort of our Hotel at 7+ where we enjoyed some fruits which we bought during the day. We had an eventful Day 2, more to come on Day 3 where we venture further into Khao Yai, Ayutthaya and set foot on Bangkok.
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| Hotel Together |
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