Pattaya beach side dining

Pattaya beachside dining

Pattaya beach side dining, restaurants are found north & south of central Pattaya. The Beach Club is a great spot to dine and watch the magnificent sunsets.

Tapas at the Beach Club

For lunch there is a choice of Tapas, Club sandwiches & Thai food at very reasonable prices. Friday & Saturday nights they offer a very good seafood buffet.

Food & cocktails on the beach

Happy hour is 5pm to 7pm every day, cocktails are only 110 Baht or $4. 😎 When is comes to Pattaya Thailand beach side food wine there is no better place than the beach club.

Fabulous BBQ seafood buffet

There is no better value in Pattaya for dinner in a beautiful location, happy hour cocktails at 110 Baht ($4) followed by their incredible BBQ seafood buffet for 990 Bath ($35).

Cocktails before dinner

Happy hour starts at 5 pm.

Dusk at the Beach Club

This is my favourite place to enjoy a drink and watch the sunset.

Magnificent sunset

Sunsets don’t get any better than this.

Beach Club at the Pullman Hotel.

Sunsets are not the only thing to watch at the Beach Club.

Swim in the pool or the ocean at the Beach Club.

Great spot to relax and either swim in the ocean or the pool.

Breezeo at Royal Cliff Hotel

Breezeo offers innovative and exciting international tapas selections and a range of delicious beach-side BBQ packages.

Breezeo

A very good selection of food here at reasonable prices for a five star hotel.

Pattaya beach side dining

One of the nicest spots in Pattaya for a lazy lunch.

Rimpa Lapin

One of the best places for Pattaya beach side dining is Rimpa Lapin. Perched on the side of a cliff this multi level Thai restaurant with beautiful garden offers very good food at reasonable prices. It is actually a 25 minute journey from Pattaya, we usually hire a mini bus for 1000 Baht or $30, he takes us there, waits a couple of hours while we eat then drives us back home.

On the way in the mini bus.

From the lest is Denis Freemongrel from Adelaide in Australia, he now lives in Pattaya, Bill Austin from Wiltshire in England, my two lovely nieces Elyssa & Laura & their father Warren, my brother from Australia.

Excellent Thai food at Rimpa Lapin.

There is a huge choice on the menu & you can choose a view of the beach or the garden.

Pattaya beach side dining Tom Yum

Laura loved the Tom Yum but the serving was way too big. Tom yum or tom yam is a spicy clear soup typical in Laos and Thailand. Tom yum is widely served in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, and has been popularized around the world.

Rimpa Lapin Garden

Well worth the 35 minute drive from Pattaya.

Seafood at Rimpa Lapin.

Excellent Thai food at Rimpa Lapin.

The Glasshouse.

The Glasshouse is in a a beautiful location right on the beach about 20 minutes drive from Pattaya.

Pattaya beach side dining

A very popular restaurant.

Dinner on the beach at the Glasshouse.

Let me tell you 3 rules to follow in Thailand. (1) Never give a Thai lady a microphone in a department store. She will screech loudly so she can be heard 2 kilometres away. (2) Never give a Thai man a uniform & a whistle in a car park. He takes on such an air of self importance he will send you around the bend with shrill non stop whistling. (3) Finally never ask a Thai lady to order the food at a restaurant if she knows you are paying. There will be three times more food than you can eat.

Three times more food than we could eat

Ok, we broke rule number 3. 😆

Big Hoegaarden beer for a little girl.

A big glass for a little girl.

Pattaya beach side dining

The Glasshouse beach is the perfect setting for dinner.

English phone box.

There is an English phone box, so Clive & Phil felt right at home.

Hamish, Todd & Khan

The boys celebrate their 10 year company anniversary, no better place than Pattaya Thailand beach side food wine at the Glasshouse.

Drifters Cafe

This little gem is just a couple of kms north of the Glasshouse, I had an Aussie pie at this quaint little lay-back beach bar at Na Jomtien. The pie & the red wine was Ok, the beer was cold, perhaps the service left a bit to be desired, but totally in keeping with the casual atmosphere, certainly no complaints from anyone in our group.

Drifters beach side cafe

As well as Aussie pies they specialise in wood fired pizzas plus many other interesting dishes.

A great place to watch the beautiful sunsets

Great spot to watch the sunset, Pattaya beachside dining is one of the great joys of living in this fascinating city.

Or just have a cold beer or a glass of red

That’s what Brad & I are doing. 🙂

Location at Na Jomtien

This will help you find it. 🙂

Bacco Beach Italian restaurant

Located beside the Glasshouse at Na Jomtien, very good food & right on the beach.

Wood fired Pizzas

The pizza was excellent but I think the Holiday Inn on Beach Rd is better.

Surf & Turf Pattaya Thailand beach side food wine

On the beach at Wongamat & part of the Longbeach Hotel this nice restaurant has a huge menu and reasonable prices. For a great room rate just book using THIS LINK.

Beergarden Beach Road

Very popular spot, reasonable low cost pub food.

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Pattaya Hilton

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Jim Thompson House Museum

December 13, 2013 by David Herd

The legend lives on.

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson House Bangkok Museum showing traditional Thai architecture combined with Western influences. In 1967, Jim Thompson went on holiday with friends to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There he set out for a walk in the surrounding jungle but never returned. Thus began the Jim Thompson legend.

Jim Thompson House is a museum in Bangkok. It is a complex of various old Thai structures that the American businessman Jim Thompson collected in from all parts of Thailand in the 1950s and 60s.

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson, an American businessman was perhaps ‘the best known foreigner in Bangkok, and possibly in Southeast Asia’. “In the twenty years before his ill-fated holiday in Malaysia, he had accomplished more than most men in a full life. He had built a major industry in a remote and little known country whose language he could not speak; he had become an authority on an art that, previously, he scarcely knew existed and had assembled a collection that attracted scholars from all over the world; he had built a home that was a work of art in itself and one of the landmarks of Bangkok; and, in the process of doing all this, he had become a sort of landmark himself, a personality so widely known in his adopted homeland that a letter addressed simply ‘Jim Thompson, Bangkok’ found its way to him in a city of three and a half million people.”

Living Room

In 1958 this American businessman began what was to be the pinnacle of his architectural achievement, a new home to showcase his art collection. Formed from parts of six antique Thai houses, his home (completed in 1959) sits on a klong (canal) across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Most of the 19th-century houses were dismantled and moved from Ayutthaya, but the largest – a weaver’s house (now the living room) – came from Bangkuar.

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Silk Loom at Jim Thompson House.

With his natural flair for design and colour, and driven by his single-minded dedication to reviving the craft, Thompson soon gained worldwide recognition for his success in rebuilding the silk industry in Thailand, for generating international demand for Thai silk and for contributing to the growth of the silk industry.

Spooling silk at Jim Thompson House

Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum is only about 15 minutes walk from the MBK centre.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

Elevated rooms.

In the hot and humid tropical climate, the airy, open quality of a Thai house and the broad overhangs of its roof protect the interior from both sun and rain. Elevated houses facilitate the circulation of air and offered a more comfortable living space. It was cooler to live in and protected the home from the risk of floods in the monsoon season. It also offered protection from hostile wildlife. The open space beneath the house was versatile. It was used as a living area in the hot season, as storage for the season’s harvest, and as a place to keep livestock.

All visitors have a guide.

It’s such a popular Thailand tourist destination you are not allowed to walk around the property by yourself, you must wait for a guide to take you in groups.

Rice storage.

This separate room was where they stored the rice. It is such a unique property in the heart of Bangkok, you can see why it’s such a popular Thailand tourist destination.

Entertainers at Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

These lads looked terrific in their traditional costumes.

Thai welcome at Jim Thompson House.

Thai welcome at Jim Thompson House in Bangkok, beautiful dancers.

Watch this video on YouTube

Here is a slide show.

Jim Thompson in 1962

A rare old photo of Jim Thompson.

Thanks for visiting my Jim Thompson House museum photo blog.

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Thanks for visiting my Jim Thompson House Bangkok Museum photo blog.

Here are some more posts to check out

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Click here for my post on Bangkok bars.

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Heavy rain in Pattaya

Tropical storm floods Pattaya, I love to see the storm clouds roaring across Pattaya bay from my condo. https://fivestarvagabond.com/tropical-storm-floods-pattaya/

Posted by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com” on Saturday, April 4, 2015

The River Kwai

On the Burma railway the dead POWs included 6,904 British personnel, 2,802 Australians, 2,782 Dutch, & 133 Americans.

Posted by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com” on Thursday, February 19, 2015

Check out these great photo blogs.

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River

December 12, 2013 by David Herd

State Tower at Silom

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River is a great way to explore this magnificent city. There are many different boats to take you to all the interesting places. Large & small ferries, long-tail boats and dinner cruises. The photo above shows one of the many wharves where you can board the boats.

Long-tail boat

The long-tail boat, known as Ruea Hang Yao is a type of watercraft native to Southeast Asia, which uses a common automotive engine as a readily available and maintainable power-plant. A craft designed to carry passengers on a river may include a lightweight long canoe hull, up to 30 meters, and a canopy. There is much variation among these boats, some have evolved from traditional craft types, while others have a more improvised look—the sole defining characteristic is a secondhand car or truck engine.

Huge truck engine

Advantages to the inboard engine with a long drive-shaft include keeping the engine relatively dry. Following the basic design pattern allows a variety of engines to be attached to a variety of different kinds of hulls. This flexibility simplifies construction and maintenance while sacrificing the efficiency and comfort that might be expected of a typical mass-produced product.

Cooling to the engine is provided by a shaped metal pipe strewn underneath the rear running board which is used as a rudimentary heat-exchanger. This is then coupled to the engine using rubber or plastic hoses. Clean water is then used as the coolant.

Control is achieved by moving the engine with a lever stick attached to the inboard side. Ignition and throttle controls provide simple means to control this simple craft. Larger boats may include more than one “tail,” with several operators piloting in tandem.

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River

How would you ever find a life-jacket if there was a problem with the ferry?

Here is another photo blog on the Chao Phraya river.

River City shopping mall on the Chao Phraya river

When it was completed in 1984 the complex was awarded the Gold Medal for the “Best Commercial Complex” by the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage of Thailand. The complex is an art and antique center that showcases Thai art and culture. On the third and fourth floors are over 100 art and antique shops with antiques such as Buddha images, gold ornaments, large blue and white vases, porcelains, silver boxes and betel nut sets, art deco clocks and sculptures, intricate wood carvings and other artwork also from China, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Monthly auctions held at the River City auditorium on the fourth floor every first Saturday of each month are organised by the Riverside Auction House Ltd.

The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel

The Sheraton joins river city with an elevated walkway.

Long-tail boat at the Sheraton Pier.

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Not all buildings on Chao Phraya Bangkok’s major river are modern.

One of the many dilapidated buildings on the Chao Phraya river. Here is my live webcam from my balcony overlooking Pattaya beach in Thailand.

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River waterfront living

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

Magnificent C.A.T. Telecom Building.

CAT Telecom Tower, Bangruk, this building holds Largest Thailand’s Internet Exchange. The C.A.T. Communications building. Bangkok features some beautiful modern architecture, and the government budgets are usually high enough to afford it. CAT is the state-owned communications company, their real company name is CAT Telecom Public Company Limited. Why the name CAT? Because it used to be known as the Communications Authority of Thailand.

Centre Point Hotel

Centre Point Hotel Silom is the white building, excellent 45 M2 rooms, for a discounted room rate just book through THIS LINK.

State Tower

Sirocco Sky Bar is the world’s highest open-air bar on the 64th floor of the State Tower located on Silom Road, Bang Rak business district, Bangkok, Thailand, the second tallest building in Thailand.

Centre Point Hotel Silom

Centre Point Hotel Silom is the white building close to the State Tower, excellent 45 M2 rooms, for a discounted room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Wat Arun.

Wat Arun, “Temple of Dawn” is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok.

What could possibly go wrong?

Who said you need to pay attention on the

Waiting for the lock to fill.

Here I am in a long-tail boat with two English friends. Thanks for checking out my blog Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River, if you need to book a hotel in Bangkok there is no better site than AGODA. Four English friends came to Bangkok January 2013 and had a wonderful holiday.

Not everybody is happy on the river

A Vietnamese cargo ship ploughed into riverside houses along the Chao Phraya River in Phra Pradaeng district yesterday April 5t 2017, damaging three homes.

Residents fled to the streets in panic as the cargo ship loomed over them. Three houses were damaged, one badly, but nobody was injured.

iCheck Inn Soi 11

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

Here are some more posts to check out

Zagreb Croatia Rio de Janeiro Brisbane River

Koh Samui Korea London

Bangkok Osaka Pattaya

Chiang Mai Pattaya Chao Phraya river

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

Would you like to go to Brazil? Click here for my travel tips.

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Pattaya Hilton a great location

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Wonderful Bangkok shopping mall

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. 🙂

Amazing shopping mall

Chinatown Bangkok

Notorious Nana Plaza

The fabulous Commons

Patpong red light district

Canal cruise long-tail boat

Spectacular Bangkok Sky Bars

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

Soi Cowboy Bangkok

Pattaya live webcam

This gallery contains 2 photos

Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars

December 10, 2013 by David Herd

Nana Plaza

Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars

Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars can be found in three areas, Patpong, Soi Cowboy & Nana Plaza. Patpong is where it all started many years ago. It has even been filmed in in a James Bond chase-sequence. Patpong has long since lost it’s title of number one for sexy shows Go-Go bars. Soi Cowboy now reigns supreme with Nana Plaza in 2nd place.

UPDATE: Since writing the above comments in December 2013 Soi Cowboy has now slipped somewhat in popularity in February 2017. Mainly because during the last couple of years the drink prices, and in particular the lady drink prices have risen too high. In many cases you will now pay over B200 the buy a lady a drink.

Say no more…….

As you can see Lollipop is now Suckers.

Here is a YouTube video taken February 21 2016.

Nana Plaza Bangkok sexy bars

Watch this video on YouTube

Beer Bars & Go-Go bars in Nana Plaza

Greeting you when you pass beneath the ‘Nana Entertainment Plaza‘ entrance sign is a mass of glowing neon signs, yelling at you from all directions. Shouting even louder than the neon is the intriguing cast of upfront characters , lady-Boys and girls who will try and accost you, it’s all light-hearted and non threatening.

On the ground floor are mostly open-air beer bars to choose from. Girls will try to tempt you in for a drink or a game of Jenga but not much really happens here, however it is where I prefer to drink and watch the passing parade. The shows and the A Go Go Bars with naughty names like Lollipop,Pretty Lady and Red Lips are located on the first floor. Girls here will step into your path and will try to drag you in for a look.

Here we are at Nana Plaza

I’m with my friend John Martin aka “Pothole Bin Ladin” at the first bar on the right as you walk into Nana Plaza, it’s the best place to watch all the girls & Lady-Boys walk past on there way to work. I have been visiting the Plaza for 20 years and have seen many changes in that time. Back then it was 10% Lady-Boys, now it seems more like 50% which does not suit me at all. 😥 On the other hand it does suit Pothole as he has been known the cross that dreaded line fairly often.

Nana Plaza with Landmark hotel in the background.

The five star Landmark hotel backs onto Nana Plaza.

For many years this great song has conjured up all sorts of Bangkok memories for me.

Nana Plaza as it was.

Nana Plaza has been cleaned up quite a bit recently, there are no more cars & motorbikes allowed to park there anymore, you can see in this photo how it used to be.

Bars in the centre of Nana Plaza have been rebuilt.

Two hotels close by are very popular with expats, the Nana Hotel & the Dynasty Inn, personally I prefer the Dynasty. If you want to go upmarket choose the JW Marriot or the Landmark.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

Nana Plaza exit

The bar you see on the left is where I like to sit & observe, straight opposite is the Nana Hotel car park.

Nana Plaza in daylight

The Dynasty Grand is a good hotel close to the action

Lots of Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars in Soi 4 Nana

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Here is a short video of Nana Plaza.

Nana Plaza, Bangkok's sexy red light Go-Go district.

Watch this video on YouTube

Terminal 21 near Soi Cowboy

Soi Cowboy was named after the cowboy hat-wearing African-American who opened the first bar here in the early 1970s, this red-light district has a more laid-back, carnival-like feel to it than Patpong or Nana Plaza. Soi Cowboy is just next to Terminal 21, this very popular new shopping mall, so just cross the street and see it for yourself, or use Terminal 21 as an excuse to have some fun! Remember, you may not see this again anywhere else in the world!

Soi Cowboy

No wonder they call it a red light area. 🙂

Pretty face in Soi Cowboy

Soi Cowboy Bangkok is in my opinion the best of the red light areas in this great city. Nana Plaza comes in 2nd place with Patpong Rd a distance third. Located near Sukhumvit Road, between Sukhumvit Soi 21 (also called Soi Asoke) and Soi 23, within walking distance from the BTS Skytrain’s Asok Station and the Bangkok Metro’s Sukhumvit Station. The Grand Millennium Hotel is nearby.

The go-go bars follow the pattern common in Thailand: alcoholic drinks are served and women in bikinis dance on a stage. Topless or even nude dancing.

David Herd and Roland Bonnici in Soi Cowboy

Here I am with my friend Roland who is a Sydney Barrister specialising in criminal law. He has more energy and staying power than I do so I now call in the Bangkok Energiser Bunny.

Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars

As you can clearly see there is always something to look at in Soi Cowboy.

Country Road Soi Cowboy

Cowboy is a great “people watching” venue.

Nana Plaza

นานา - กับอีสานโปรเจ็ค - NANA - The Isan Project Ft Errol Reid and Pui Duangpon

Watch this video on YouTube

Nana Plaza, Hooters & Hillary bar.

Hooters Bangkok Nana Plaza

Watch this video on YouTube

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

No photos please.

I think she may be a little shy.

Happy hour at Patpong

Happy hours and happy endings are always available in Patpong Road.

Happy hour in Patpong 1993

Travelling from Europe to Australia in 1993 naturally I had to stopover in Bangkok for some R & R.

I hope you enjoyed my post on Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars.

Post by Pattaya Thailand Videos.

HOW NOT TO GET RIPPED OFF IN PATPONG!

Go-Go bars located on ground level along the two streets of Patpong are free to get in as long as you order a drink, which costs around 120 baht… but be aware that there are tricky places that will cost you a lot more without actually delivering anything better – and they may even be worse.

How to recognize the trick:

Someone will approach you with a nice list of fun entertaining features such as a ‘ping pong show’ and other well-known activities with ‘colorful’ names. So far, nothing really unusual.
He will say “It’s free to see for five minutes”… which means it won’t be free after the five minutes are up and as the guy seems trustworthy and speaks really fast, you somehow forget this fact.
The place not even be on Patpong itself but if the bar is upstairs and the bar has no sign and no name, get ready to be ripped off (nicely but effectively).
Once you are in, the show will have only one act and you will be asked for a tip, and another tip, and another… Basically you will have to tip for each ‘trick’ performed. And believe me, these girls have mastered the art of making you feel really cheap if you don’t tip them.
The girls will ask you for a lady drink, whether she sits next to you or even stands across the room… each drink costs at least 200 baht.
You will not see the bill until the last minute. In most normal Bangkok Go-Go Bars or beer bars, your bill is placed in a small box in front of you, which allows you to check the damage as you drink and let you decide if you want to offer another round or not. Usually a drink is around 100 to 120 baht. In the dodgy ones the bill never comes until the last moment
If you ask a girl how much her drink will cost you, she only knows once answer: ‘same as yours’, so naturally you think 100 to 120 baht… wrong, it’s 200 to 300 baht.
When the bill comes, it’ll be about 1,000 baht and don’t even waste your time arguing; you won’t win… just pay up and smile, realising you’ve got a nice story to tell your friends – just like I’m telling you now!

Thanks for visiting my Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars photo blog.

Good budget hotel in Soi 11 Nana.

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.

Here are some more posts to check out

Sydney Paris Bangkok

Tokyo Rio De Janeiro Budapest

London Beijing Capetown

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you

book through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Plus free cancellation .

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Slide show here.

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Bangkok restaurant reviews

December 9, 2013 by David Herd

Sirocco at the State Tower

Bangkok restaurant reviews

Bangkok restaurant reviews, I guess I’m allowed to call myself a Bon Vivant given my obsession with eating out at good restaurants. Lets start with the most spectacular restaurant in the whole city. The view from the Sky bar at Sirocco is amazing, the restaurant is very popular with the trendy Bangkok crowd, the food is good but the price is ridiculously high.

Sirocco on the 64th floor.

Sirocco is one of the world’s great Sky bars.

Seafood salad at Sirocco

As you would expect the food at Sirocco is excellent.

Centre-Point hotel from Sirocco.

A very good hotel near the river and the Sky train.

Magnificent sunset at Sirocco.

I’m sure Bangkok has more sky bars than any city in the world.

Breeze on the 53rd floor.

Here is a tip if you want to save some money, have a couple of pre dinner drinks at the Sky bar on the 64th floor then go down to Breeze on the 53rd floor and dine there, much better value.

Spectacular lights at Breeze.

Far less expensive than Sirocco.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

Shangri-La Buffet

The 5 star Shangri-La hotel on the river has several restaurants to choose from. I found the best value was their incredible buffet featuring Sushi, Alaskan crab, shrimp, Dim Sum, soups, B-B-Q & a terrific selection of deserts. Free flow wine & beer was included for 2,250 Baht or $90 AUD.

There was a nice surprise when I paid the bill, received a 15% discount for using my Platinum Visa card. So the price came down to $65. Considering I had 5 glasses of wine from Chile, it was super deal.

Seafood at the Shangri-La

If you want a great buffet in Bangkok look no further.

Dinner cruise

The Shangri-La has a dinner cruise leaving at 7.30 every night.

Vintage at Silom

What a great find this was, I was strolling around the back streets of Silom and stumbled across this very nice Italian restaurant with super friendly staff.

Bangkok restaurant reviews The Vintage

Good food, nice atmosphere, a large selection of wine & friendly staff, what more would you want? 😀

Fettuccine with scallops & rock lobster at Vintage

Very good food at Vintage.

Vintage at Silom

You will find the Vintage at 19 Silom Soi 21

Basilico Pizzeria in Soi 33

At the other side of the city in Sukhumvit Soi 33 is another very good Italian restaurant Basilico Pizzeria. Good atmosphere and excellent pizzas. Have a pre dinner drink at “The Office” a very good sports bar just around the corner at Sukhumvit Soi 33, Wattana.

Bangkok restaurant reviews

For over 10 years I have been going to the Bus Stop in Sukhumvit Soi 4 Nana to have their Oxtail stew. I spent 3 days in Bangkok last week and managed to have it twice for lunch even though the price has almost doubled in 4 years, it is still only 350 Baht or $10 AUD.

I introduced Pothole & he is also hooked.

Here is my friend John Martin AKA Pothole at the Bus stop Sukhumvit Soi 4 Nana.

I had an unhappy experience at the Bust Stop in Soi 4 Nana in Bangkok 2 weeks ago. For many years I have been ordering the oxtail stew which is fantastic, lunch on the Thursday was excellent, then I returned for dinner on Friday night and they only served 2 pieces of oxtail instead of the normal 3. I complained as the price of B350 remained the same, well the chef was quite rude and unhelpful and refused to make it right, so I paid for my wine and left. After around 16 years of enjoying this great dish I guess it is time for a break, just saying………

Bus Stop Soi 4 Nana

Don’t expect too much at the Bus Stop, it’s a good value bar with excellent low priced food, and the Oxtail is to die for.

Hanrahans Irish pub

Right next door to the Bus Stop is Hanrahans Irish pub & sports bar. Good pub food and lots of screens showing all the popular sports.

Quintessential English breakfast.

Breakfast 180 Baht or $6 AUD.

Monsoon restaurant in Soi 8 Nana, great food.

A couple of streets away from the Bus Stop is a terrific restaurant in Soi 8, Monsoon.

Calzone at Monsoon in Bangkok restaurants reviews

Bill Austin from England likes Monsoon.

Beef & Oyster sauce at Monsoon.

Prior to the beef I had a very good pumpkin soup, my friend had an Australian steak which was magnificent.

Great prawn dish at Monsoon

One of my favourite Bangkok restaurants.

Terrific new restaurant.

Terrific new Bangkok restaurant, the Pirate Chambre at Chidlom. Hard to find but worth the effort. The fabulous lamb shank was only B480.

Enjoying a red wine at Pirate Chambre

Put this excellent restaurant on your bucket list.

Oysters at Crab and Claw, 7th Floor Emquartier.

Lobsters, New England Clam Chowder and a good selection of oysters (Kumamoto, Calm Cove, Royal, etc…) and fresh home-made pasta. Lots of choices at this popular establishment. The lobster roll is Crab & Claw’s signature dish, however it will set you back around B1000.

Gulliver’s

Always good value at Gulliver’s in Sukhumvit Soi 5, excellent bar to watch your favorite sports. Food is consistently good & terrific atmosphere for a sports bar as is the one in Beach Rd Pattaya.

Bangkok from the Moon bar at Vertigo

Vertigo and Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel located at 21/100 Sathon Tai, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10500. Another breath-taking view of the Bangkok skyline. Sit back and enjoy the Bangkok city view.

Follow @David_Herd

Terrific food court at Siam Centre

A great variety of food here.

El Mercado El Maginifico

El Mercardo as well as being an excellent restaurant pride themselves by including in their charming complex a premium fresh supermarket offering reasonable prices which is most certainly dedicated to food enthusiasts.

Bon Vivant Bangkok

Thanks for dropping by folks, here I am at Sirocco paying a huge amount for an Australian red, however the view is worth it. Thanks for visiting my Bangkok restaurant reviews photo blog.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. Follow @David_Herd

Here are some more posts to check out

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Click ohere for some very good restaurants in Pattaya

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Bangkok Go-Go bars

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Siam Center food court

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Bangkok night life at Soi Cowboy

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Check out these great food photo blogs.

World is my oyster

Tokyo fabulous food

Upmarket Chinese Food Sydney

Food review Pattaya Thailand

Good English restaurants

Amazing World Food

Fresh seafood Bangkok

Steakhouse New York

Korea restaurants Itaewon

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Bangkok Grand Palace

November 28, 2013 by David Herd

Iconic Bangkok Temple

Bangkok Grand Palace

Bangkok Grand Palace is quite remarkable, put it at the top of your list of places to see. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782.

The photo above is Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as seen from the Outer Court.

Big crowds arrive every day.

The late monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), used to reside at Chitralada Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year. The palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand.

Phra Si Ratana Chedi

Phra Si Ratana Chedi, a 19th-century stupa built in Sri Lankan style enshrining ashes of the Buddha.

Entrance to Wat Phra Kaew.

As regards the historical legend of Wat Phra Kaew, it was originally known as the “Wat Pa Yia”, (Bamboo Forest Monastery) in the Chiang Rai province of Northern Thailand. The wat was struck by a lightning storm in 1434, when the octagonal Chedi broke up and revealed the Emerald Buddha (made of Jade), locally known as Phra Kaew Morakot. From there it was moved, initially to Vientianne and finally to Bangkok where it was deified in the temple by the original name, Wat Phra Kaew.

Another legend mentions that attempts made by the King of Chiang Mai to possess the statue after it was found in 1434; these failed thrice because the elephants transporting the statue refused to proceed beyond a crossroad in Lampang. The King of Chiang Mai considered the incident to be a strong divine directive and allowed the Buddha statue to remain in Lampang, where it remained for the next 32 years in an exclusively built temple.

Lots of photo opportunities at the Bangkok Grand Palace

The Palace is a photographers paradise.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Royal Pantheon)

The Royal Pantheon was constructed during the reign of King Rama IV in 1855. He intended to place the Emerald Buddha here but the building was not completed until after his death. His successor, King Rama V, considered the building too small to accommodate the congregation at royal ceremonies so the Emerald Buddha was not placed in this building. A small gilt stupa belonging to King Rama IV was placed there instead.

Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat

The throne hall forms the front or the facade of the entire building group. In front of the throne hall is the Rathakit Field; on either side of the throne hall are the Phrom Sopha Gates. The throne hall is constructed in an eclectic style, a blend of Thai and European (more specifically Renaissance or Italianate) styles. The lower part of the structure is European, while the upper part is in Thai-styled green and orange tiled roofs and golden spires or prasats.

Bangkok Grand Palace, Monks at the Throne Hall.

Their orange robes are a great contrast to the trees in the background.

Bangkok Grand Palace

The Bangkok Grand Palace is probably Thailand’s number one attraction.

Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat.

Two elephants and one lonely guard on duty.

There are lots on nice hotels along the river with fabulous views.

Fantastic monuments.

Absolutely spectacular.

Gold, gold, lots of gold.

Give yourself plenty of time as the Palace is huge.

Smile

Mother & daughter having fun at the Bangkok Grand Palace.

The students wanted to interview us for a project.

I guess they had a project from school to interview a foreigner.

We could be twins.

Thanks for visiting Bangkok Grand Palace photo blog, put it on your bucket list.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Here are some more posts to check out

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Click here to see my post on Krabi.

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Here is a great Bangkok shopping Mall

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Check out my Pattaya webcam

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. 🙂

Amazing shopping mall

Chinatown Bangkok

Notorious Nana Plaza

The fabulous Commons

Patpong red light district

Canal cruise long-tail boat

Spectacular Bangkok Sky Bars

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

Soi Cowboy Bangkok

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

November 5, 2013 by David Herd

NSW,Coast,Coffs,Port,Macquarie,Iluka,danger,surf

Ettalong

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Towns on the NSW coast are really worth visiting, starting 80 kilometres north of Sydney we have Ettalong on the Central coast. This small town has so many wonderful memories for me as it was the place my family spent the Xmas holidays from when I was a small baby until I was a teenager. In those days the road was quite dangerous and wound around the mountains like a snake around a pole. The journey in those days took about 2.5 hours, now it’s just over an hour on the motorway.

Ettalong in 1953

Here I am at 10 years of age with young brother Warren and my grandmother Nan Tippett. Here is somewhere to stay in Ettalong with magnificent views over the water, the Tantra apartments.

Terrigal

Thirty minutes further north and a little more upmarket is Terrigal, another very popular holiday destination. Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, who called his property Tarrygal, after the indigenous Aboriginal place name, signifying ‘place of little birds’. The town’s long beach is highly popular with tourists.

Gosford

Gosford is located just 80 km north of Sydney. Growing up in Sydney this area was where our family would spend our annual holidays.

Peppers is a very nice hotel opposite the beach in Terrigal.

Forster Tuncurry

A population of over 18,000 people it is a holiday destination for many Sydney people who are only a 4 hour drive away.

Port Macquarie

My favourite NSW coastal town, 400 kilometres north of Sydney, in fact my Australian residential address is here at my brother’s home. Warren has lived here for over 20 years and I always visit when I am in Australia.

Port Macquarie was first visited by Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the Pacific Ocean from the interior, after his journey to explore inland New South Wales. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie.

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Port Macquarie is a retirement destination, known for its extensive beaches and waterways. The town is also known for its koala population, being the home to the Billabong Koala Park, and the Koala Preservation Society’s Koala Hospital, caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog attacks and collisions with vehicles.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney, and 390 km south of Brisbane. Coffs Harbour is one of many regional cities along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and The Gold Coast.

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

The Observatory hotel is just a short walk to several restaurants and cafes, the only downside is being woken early in the morning when the first train stops at the station 50 meters in front of the hotel.

Follow @David_Herd

Typical old Australian homestead

A beautiful example of an early Australian homestead. An other one of the great Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia.

Yamba

Yamba Clarence River NSW Coast has a population of just over 6,000, which tends to triple in the holiday season. The economy is based on tourism & fishing.

Iluka at the mouth of the Clarence River.

Iluka is a small village at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW coast. It is situated directly across the river from the resort town of Yamba. At the 2006 census, Iluka had a population of 1,739 people. The town’s name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning “near the sea”. It has long beaches on the ocean side of the river. It is reached by turning off the Pacific Highway approximately 20 kilometres north of Maclean. As Iluka is a popular tourist destination its population increases slightly in the holiday season with many Gold Coasters in the summer and Victorians in the winter.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay is a beach-side town located in the far-north-eastern corner of the state of New South Wales. It is located 772 kilometres north of Sydney and 165 kilometres south of Brisbane. The history of Europeans in Byron Bay began in 1770, when Captain James Cook found a safe anchorage and named Cape Byron after John Byron.

It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast; the scenery also attracts skydivers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.

Byron Bay

Only a 60 drive from where I lived in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, I would occasionally drive down for lunch at the famous pub near the beach. One of the great Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia.

Byron Bay lighthouse NSW coast

Australia’s most easterly point.

Magnificent deserted beach near Byron Bay

Miles of deserted beaches are all along this part of the coast. I intend to live somewhere along this coast around 2022. Hopefully I will find a little bolt hole where I can live in peace until I die. 🙂

Kingscliff Northern Rivers Coast NSW

A fairly typical coastal town with lots of coffee shops, tourists & terrific beaches.

Point Danger NSW coast

Port Danger is on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. It’s a very popular location for surfers.

Port Danger

Thanks for visiting my Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia photo blog, it certainly is one of the world’s great coastlines.

Check out my 2017 Kingscliff photo blog.

50 Reasons Why Australians Are The Luckiest People On Earth

Please check out these fabulous posts

Istanbul Budapest London

Mostar Dubrobnik Split

Saigon Zagreb Vung tau

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya

October 31, 2013 by David Herd

tiger-zoo-Pattaya-crocodiles-elephants-Siracha

Magnificent animals

Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya

Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya also has lots of crocodiles and elephants. It is a very entertaining theme park, they even have racing pigs.

King of the hill

This tiger is waiting for food to drop from above, the public have guns they fire at small cages, if the score a bulls-eye the meat drops down for the tigers to grab.

Tiger show

I was a little sad seeing these tigers in the show, they looked undernourished and frightened. I’m sure when they are being trained they are treated cruelly. I would certainly support banning these types of shows.

Feeding the tiger cub.

This little guy is the son of my friend John Martin aka Pothole, and believe it or not his name is Tiger. So here we have Tiger feeding the Tiger.

Ferocious crocodile at Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya

These fascinating creatures have not changed in millions of years. The Siamese crocodile is a small, freshwater crocodilian, with a relatively broad, smooth snout and an elevated, bony crest behind each eye. Overall, it is an olive-green colour, with some variation to dark-green. Young specimens measure 1.2–1.5 m (3.9–4.9 ft) and weigh 6–12 kg (13–26 lb), growing up to 2.1 m (6.9 ft) and a weight of 40–70 kg (88–150 lb) as an adult. The largest female specimens can measure 3.2 m (10 ft) and weight 150 kg (330 lb) Large male specimens can reach 4 m (13 ft) and 350 kg (770 lb) in weight. Most adults do not exceed 3 m (10 ft) in length, although hybrids in captivity can grow much larger.

Two crocs having a chat about lunch.

This shot reminds me of two neighbours chatting over the back fence, they could be saying, “I’m swimming along the river and a guy is sitting on the bank, I hadn’t eaten all day, what the hell was I supposed to do?”

Toss a couple of chooks in here please.

Absolutely prehistoric.

Swimming is not recommended at Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya

If you fell in here it would be over rather quickly. 🙂

Twitter
Follow @David_Herd

Up close & personal with a crocodile.

I hope she has hospital insurance.

Relax, I’m a dentist.

You don’t have to be crazy but it helps.

Here is what can happen if you put your head in his mouth.

Watch this video on YouTube

You should always take kids to a theme park.

It’s always more fun at the Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya when you have kids with you. However, as you can see from their faces, childcare is not one of my strong points.

Chang is Thai for Elephant

Thailand’s current population of domesticated elephants is about 2,700. After a precipitous decline from about 100,000 domesticated elephants in 1850, numbers are now stable. About 95% of Thai elephants are in private ownership, with the Thai Elephant Conservation Center’s 80 elephants being Thailand’s only government-owned elephants apart from a few in zoos and the King’s ten revered ‘white’ elephants in the Royal Elephant Stable.

Wild elephants in Thailand are very difficult to count given their dense, forested habitat, but most experts would agree there are between 2,000-3,000.

In 1989 the Thai government banned all logging in protected areas, effectively closing all remaining natural forests. While undoubtedly a very wise choice, one unfortunate side effect was that it threw many logging elephants out of work. Luckily, that loss coincided with a rapid rise in tourism, which was able to employ many elephants. Today, probably more than half of Thai elephants work in tourism.

Disturbingly, some overseas animal rights groups have argued that tourists should not visit elephant camps, claiming it promotes cruelty. In fact, most Thai elephants are very well cared for, partly because most Thai people are intrinsically kind and humane but also because elephants are simply too valuable to abuse. (A beautiful calf or a healthy, young breeding female is worth as much as 700,000 baht or US$22,000.) Although the camp to be visited should be carefully selected, the kindest thing that ethical, elephant-loving tourists can do is to visit a camp and enjoy elephants. Without work in tourism, elephant owners will have no means to care for their animals.

The use of the term ‘domesticated’ elephants, although it is the most common description, is a bit confusing because it can be misinterpreted to imply that (like domesticated dogs, cats, horses, water buffalo, etc.) these captive elephants are a different strain from wild elephants. The fact is that nowhere in Asia has the elephant ever been selectively bred, the process required to bring rapid genetic change to wild species. Thus, both behaviourally and genetically, so-called domesticated elephants are in reality captive wild elephants, virtually the same as their wild cousins roaming protected areas.

Take an Elephant ride at Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya.

I really would prefer elephants were not used for this purpose.

Or is pig racing more your style?

Let the games begin, the crowd is in a state of sheer excitement waiting for the race to begin.

Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya

There is a huge selection of hotels in Pattaya, check out AGODA for great deals.

David Herd & Tiger Martin

Well folks, many thanks for visiting my blog on the Siracha Tiger zoo near Pattaya, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed being here.

The Squabblers can have the last word.

Let’s kill a few plants before we go. 🙂

Please send the link to your friends https://fivestarvagabond.com/

Sabai Wing Soi 1 North Pattaya

Sabai Wing Soi 1, 3 swimming pools and nice rooms, 100 meters from BigC, great value at only $23 usd per night as of August 15. I live in the high-rise in the background, Markland. For a great room rate book here.

For a more upmarket hotel on Beach Rd

Just use THIS LINK for a terrific rate at the Wave Hotel.

Pattaya live webcam

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Here are some more posts to check out

Zagreb Croatia Rio de Janeiro Brisbane River

Koh Samui Korea London

Bangkok Osaka Pattaya

Chiang Mai Pattaya Chao Phraya river

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

Sadly today 2-5-2021 the zoo announced they were closing permanently, check out THIS LINK.

Retraction May 4, reporters spoke with the owner of the Si Racha tiger zoo today, who stated that reports in other media about the zoo closed permanently is wrong.

If you enjoyed this post check out Walking Street as well.

Feeding crocodiles at Tiger Zoo in Thailand

Feeding crocodiles at Tiger Zoo in Thailand

Watch this video on YouTube

Check out the amazing street food in Thailand.

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Here is a back street beer bar

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Lots of good restaurants in Pattaya

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Some excellent views in Pattaya

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Soapy Massage Pattaya Bangkok

Spectacular Bangkok Sky Bars

Fresh seafood Bangkok

Pattaya live webcam

Hawker Chan Hollys Coffee

Le Bordeaux Pattaya Restaurant

Flashback Sydenham Cellars

Art of desert Pattaya

Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

Food review Pattaya 2020

Counter only started February 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Florence beautiful Italian city

October 20, 2013 by David Herd

Piazza della Signoria

Florence beautiful Italian city

Florence beautiful Italian city , I have been there 3 or 4 times and can’t wait to visit again. I saw a lot of the city and surrounding areas thanks to my good friend Francesca.

Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio. It is the focal point of the origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Ponte Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.

Follow @David_Herd

Florence beautiful Italian city

Replicas of Michelangelo’s David have been made numerous times, in plaster, imitation marble, fibreglass, snow, and other materials. There are many full-sized replicas of the statue around the world, perhaps the most prominent being the one in the original’s position in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy, placed there in 1910. The original sculpture was moved indoors in 1873 to the Academia Gallery in Florence, where it attracts many visitors. Others were made for study at art academies in the late nineteenth century and later, while the statue has also been replicated for various commercial reasons or as artistic statements in their own right. Smaller replicas are often considered kitsch.

Florence’s Cathedral: the Duomo.

Florence’s cathedral stands tall over the city with its magnificent Renaissance dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The cathedral named in honor of Santa Maria del Fiore is a vast Gothic structure built on the site of the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the remains of which can be seen in the crypt.

On Ponte Vecchio the Old Bridge.

The Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common in the early days. Butchers initially occupied the shops however the tenants now are jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. The Ponte Vecchio’s two neighbouring bridges are the Ponte Santa Trinita and the Ponte alle Grazie.

Florence beautiful Italian city Ponte Vecchio

The bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point where it is believed that a bridge was first built in Roman times, when the via Cassia crossed the river at this point. The Roman piers were of stone, the superstructure of wood. The bridge first appears in a document of 996. After being destroyed by a flood in 1117 it was reconstructed in stone but swept away again in 1333 save two of its central piers, as noted by Giovanni Villani in his Nuova Cronica. It was rebuilt in 1345.

Ponte Vecchio, the Old Bridge.

Below you will see how the road near the bridge collapsed on May 26 2016.

Sink hole

Disaster strikes and 20 cars sink into the ground. It was very lucky it did not occur closer to the bridge.

Sinkhole road collapse devours cars just 200 meters from Florence's Ponte Vecchio bridge - TomoNews

Watch this video on YouTube

View from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Probably one of the most photographed scenes in the world.

Piazzale Michelangelo.

Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square) is a famous square with a magnificent panoramic view of Florence, Italy, and is a popular tourist destination in the Oltrarno district of the city. The famous view from this observation point overlooking the city has been reproduced on countless postcards and snapshots over the years.

Please click Google +

Palazzo Vecchio from Uffizi Gallery.

The Vecchio Palace with its huge clock tower, is one of the most architecturally interesting buildings in the city of Florence.

Florence beautiful Italian city

Artist at work in Florence.

David Herd with “Loggia del Porcellino”

Popular tradition has it that rubbing the nose brings fortune, so over time, the statue has acquired a certain shine in that spot. Visitors are encouraged to place a coin in the mouth of the boar after rubbing its nose, and superstition implies that the wish will be granted if the offering tumbles through the grate whence the water flows. The slope of the grate is such that most coins do fall through, and are collected by the city.

A beer with my friend Francesca.

Francesca & I first became friends when we met in Koh Samui Thailand in August 1999. The next photo is a flashback.

Koh Samui Thailand in August 1999.

Great memories from Koh Samui in 1999, my how time flies when you are having fun.

Caffè Italiano

Here is Francesca at Caffè Italiano, Via Isola delle Stinche, 11R-13R in Florence. Without a doubt this is the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life. You can’t book at this small restaurant, you must wait outside in the lane until there is a free table, believe me however, the wait is worth it.

I rest my case

If I remember correctly the magician who makes them is originally from Naples.

The Master Chef at Caffè Italiano

I certainly have never had a better pizza.

Brazilian dinner in Florence in 2000.

This was April 2000 we enjoyed a Brazilian dinner in Florence. I’m on the left, then comes Barbara, Franco, Francesca & Andrea.

David Herd & Barbara Manelli in April 2000

Memories of this beautiful Italian lady will stay with me for a long time.

Lets finish with another shot of the Old Bridge.

Arrivederci

Thanks for visiting my Florence beautiful Italian city photo blog.

Pattaya Hilton

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

For London & UK hotels there are great discounts through this link.

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Here are some of my most popular posts.

Pattaya live webcam

Beautiful Brazilian beach babes

Copacabana beautiful beach babes

Nana Plaza Bangkok sex sin sleaze

Sexy Cherry Bar babes Pattaya Thailand

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Atlantic Bar North Pattaya

Sexy Soi Cowboy Bangkok

Beautiful Budapest

Australian seafood

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos

Rocinha favela Brazil’s largest

October 16, 2013 by David Herd

Vidigal favela just behind the Rio Sheraton

Rocinha favela Brazil’s largest

Rocinha favela Brazil’s largest is about a mile past the Sheraton, Vidigal favela in Rio is just behind the five star Sheraton hotel, it really is a clash of cultures.

Just a little further along is Rocinha favela (little farm) it is the largest favela in Brazil, and is located in Rio de Janeiro’s South Zone between the districts of São Conrado and Gávea. Rocinha is built on a steep hillside overlooking Rio de Janeiro, and is located about one kilometre from a nearby beach. Most of the favela is on a very steep hill, with many trees surrounding it. 69,161 (census 2010) people live in Rocinha, making it the most populous favela in Brazil.

Although Rocinha is technically classified as a neighbourhood, many still refer to it as a favela. It developed from a shanty town into an urbanized slum. Today, almost all the houses in Rocinha favela are made from concrete and brick. Some buildings are three and four stories tall and almost all houses have basic sanitation, plumbing, and electricity. Compared to simple shanty towns or slums, Rocinha has a better developed infrastructure and hundreds of businesses such as banks, medicine stores, bus lines, cable television, including locally based channel TV ROC (TV Rocinha), and, at one time, a McDonalds franchise. These factors help classify Rocinha as a favela bairro, or favela neighbourhood.

I guess Monday is washing day.

Rocinha favela Brazil’s largest and one of the most developed. Rocinha’s population was estimated at between 150,000 and 300,000 inhabitants in 2000s (decade) but the IBGE Census of 2010 counted only 69,161 people. In November 2011, a security operation was executed where hundreds of police and military patrolled the streets of Rocinha to crackdown on rampant drug dealers and bring government control to the neighborhood.

The smell here was rather unpleasant.

I’ll say this, the smell was hard to cope with and it was not a hot day.

Garbage waiting for collection.

No one knows where and when the name Rocinha favela emerged, but the most likely theory is that in the 1920s there was a famous open air market in what is today the Santos Dumont Plaza in Gávea. The middle class and elite who bought their fresh produce there would ask the vendors where the produce came from and they would answer that they came from their ‘little farm’ or Rocinha.

No council approval here. 😳

Rochinha favela is the largest in Rio.

Follow @David_Herd

Master electrician on the job.

This incredible mish mash of electrical wiring reminds me very much of Thailand. In Rocinha it is an illegal system, in Thailand however a mess like this is legal. Take a look at my Thai photo blog here.

Exploring Rocinha is an incredible experience.

200,000 people live here in Rocinha, in fact 20% of Rio’s population live in Favelas. Personally I found seeing this close up was a very humbling experience.

Rocinha (little farm) is the largest Favela in Brazil

Life in the Favela is very much like any other Brazilian community.

Life in the favela is fascinating.

Houskeeping

He sweeps while madame supervises.

A typical walkway

Rather depressing don’t you think?

Kids will always find somewhere to play.

Happy children playing on the roof top.

Happy kids are everywhere.

Kid’s are happy no matter where they live.

Beautiful faces in the slums.

No matter where in the world you travel one of the most wonderful sights are the children’s beautiful faces.

Life in a Favela

These children don’t know any different, they are just happy being kids. 🙂

At carnival time most of the favela population celebrate in the streets of Ipanema and Copacabana.

Rocinha favela bakery

Tasty pastries in the local bakery.

Lucy is checking out the goodies.

The bakery is no different to what you would find down-town

Rocinha favela Brazil’s largest

Hard to have any privacy in this environment.

What’s the plan today Boys?

Some serious business going down here.

25 killed in city’s deadliest police raid on favela

On May 7 2021 at least 25 people have been killed after heavily armed police stormed one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favelas in pursuit of drug traffickers, in what was the deadliest raid in the city’s history.

About 200 members of Rio’s civil police launched their incursion into Jacarezinho in the early hours of Thursday, sprinting into the vast redbrick community as a bullet-proof helicopter circled overhead with snipers poised on each side. By lunchtime at least 25 people were reported dead, among them André Frias, a drug squad officer who was shot in the head. Police and local media described the other victims as “suspects” but offered no immediate evidence for that claim.

Here are some more posts to check out

greb Croatia Rio de Janeiro Brisbane River

Koh Samui Korea London

Bangkok Osaka Pattaya

Chiang Mai Pattaya Chao Phraya river

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

The tour through Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro was one of the highlights of my trip.

Here is my post on Sugarloaf Mountain

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Here is one of my favourite posts on Rio

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Check out these great photo blogs.

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Pattaya beach side dining

Pattaya beachside dining

Tapas at the Beach Club

Food & cocktails on the beach

Fabulous BBQ seafood buffet

Cocktails before dinner

Dusk at the Beach Club

Magnificent sunset

Beach Club at the Pullman Hotel.

Swim in the pool or the ocean at the Beach Club.

Breezeo at Royal Cliff Hotel

Breezeo

Pattaya beach side dining

Rimpa Lapin

On the way in the mini bus.

Excellent Thai food at Rimpa Lapin.

Pattaya beach side dining Tom Yum

Rimpa Lapin Garden

Seafood at Rimpa Lapin.

The Glasshouse.

Pattaya beach side dining

Dinner on the beach at the Glasshouse.

Three times more food than we could eat

Big Hoegaarden beer for a little girl.

Pattaya beach side dining

English phone box.

Hamish, Todd & Khan

Drifters Cafe

Drifters beach side cafe

A great place to watch the beautiful sunsets

Or just have a cold beer or a glass of red

Location at Na Jomtien

Bacco Beach Italian restaurant

Wood fired Pizzas

Surf & Turf Pattaya Thailand beach side food wine

Beergarden Beach Road

The legend lives on.

Jim Thompson House Museum

Living Room

Silk Loom at Jim Thompson House.

Spooling silk at Jim Thompson House

Elevated rooms.

All visitors have a guide.

Rice storage.

Entertainers at Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

Thai welcome at Jim Thompson House.

Jim Thompson in 1962

State Tower at Silom

Long-tail boat

Huge truck engine

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River

// <![CDATA[ agoda_ad_client = "1613551_5150"; agoda_ad_width = 468; agoda_ad_height = 90; agoda_ad_language = 1; agoda_ad_country = 106; agoda_ad_city = 9395; // ]]&gt;

River City shopping mall on the Chao Phraya river

The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel

Long-tail boat at the Sheraton Pier.

Not all buildings on Chao Phraya Bangkok’s major river are modern.

Chao Phraya Iconic Bangkok River waterfront living

Magnificent C.A.T. Telecom Building.

State Tower

What could possibly go wrong?

Waiting for the lock to fill.

Not everybody is happy on the river

iCheck Inn Soi 11

That’s all folks

Say no more…….

Beer Bars & Go-Go bars in Nana Plaza

Here we are at Nana Plaza

Nana Plaza with Landmark hotel in the background.

Nana Plaza as it was.

Bars in the centre of Nana Plaza have been rebuilt.

Nana Plaza exit

Nana Plaza in daylight

Lots of Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars in Soi 4 Nana

Terminal 21 near Soi Cowboy

Pretty face in Soi Cowboy

David Herd and Roland Bonnici in Soi Cowboy

Bangkok famous sexy go-go bars

Nana Plaza, Hooters & Hillary bar.

No photos please.

Happy hour in Patpong 1993