A dive into modernity - shopping and entertainment in Siam Square,Bangkok. #thailand

Bangkok is a multi-faceted city, a mix of tradition and modernity. The contrast is striking if you stroll through a bustling city market then hop to the BTS Sky Train heading to Siam Square.

As a European, I am impressed by those gigantic and modern shopping centers. There is no such place where I live and the largest shopping areas of Brussels look like village shops when compared to Siam Square. The large centers are not only about shopping, they also offer numerous dining and entertainment facilities. You can easily spend a family day in there, if you're up to it and ready to break the bank. From luxury shops to kid's clothing over entrance tickets to the Bangkok aquarium, nothing is really cheap around Siam Square.

Among others, the luxury Siam Paragon shopping center features:

- the Ocean World, a large underground aquarium

- a nearby Madame Tussaud wax museum

- a big cinema multiplex, including an IMAX 3D theater

- a brand new, large thematic playground named Kidzania.

Given the high entrance prices to most attractions, we opted for a documentary played in the IMAX 3D theater. 200 baths for a seat, approximately 5 euros, is a fair deal for westerners, who would have to pay a higher price for a similar show in Europe. The documentary, Hubble, was definitely worth seeing, with beautiful and impressive images of space exploration. The kids loved it. We were also lucky that our baby was let in, as we didn't have a baby-sit to care for her otherwise. She went in for free, remained quietly on her dad's lap while the show was on, and let us enjoy a good family time at the movies.

How to get to and around Siam Paragon shopping center with kids?

The BTS Sky Train is the fastest and most efficient way to get to Siam Square. There is a direct access to Paragon from the "Siam" BTS station. Kids under 90 cm ride for free on the BTS. If you're traveling with large packs, strollers or young children, look out for the specific gate to access or exit the station. There will be an agent to help you through the gate. If you don't have a stroller and want to get easily around in the shopping area, why not borrow one? The visitor center on the first floor of Paragon will lend it to you, in exchange for an ID card.

Ayutthaya with kids - more than a touristy destination! #Thailand #Familytravel

An hour away from Bangkok, Ayutthaya is a favorite day-trip destination. The little town is packed with tourists and conceals its charms at first sight. As we wandered around in the city, we discovered that Ayutthaya has more to offer than crowded temple ruins.

The centrally-located, very helpful tourist information center edits a brochure titled "20 things to do in Ayutthaya". Here are my 5 things to do with kids - a rough, non-exhaustive list.

1) Spot the tuks-tuks! All have bright, vivid colors. Who will be the first to see a red one? A green or blue one?

2) Stroll through the large parks that host the ruins. Away from the crowd, enjoy a walk under shady trees, climb (where permitted) on remains of ancient times.

3) Admire Thailand's tallest Buddha and receive the blessing of a monk.

4) When the sun sets, eat baked fish in one of the large restaurants that offer a terrace on the river. Excellent service, great food and a wonderful view on the waters.

5) Then walk to a street stand to taste "roti sai mai', a local specialty. We were offered free samples of these sweet delicacies for our children, an expression of Thai's generosity and care for the younger ones.

Explore the Japanese or Portugueses settlements, visit the toy museum... Next time we bring our children to Ayutthaya, we'll extend our "things to do" list!

Hiking in the jungle with the family - in Chi Phat, Cardamom mountains,Cambodia

Chi Phat is a village in the Cardamom mountain. It is the birthplace of a pioneering project of "community-based eco-tourism" and the starting point for many jungle treks.

We decided to give it a try and go for a day hike in the jungle. Since our children are young, we selected a short, relatively easy hike. We organized transportation by motorbike to our starting point and hiked 8 km back to the village.

Tracks that turn into mud pools or even rivers, leeches, unmarked crossings; hiking with children in the jungle is challenging, especially in the wet season. On the positive side, we enjoyed the walk under the sun, along beautiful landscapes. Also the motorbike ride to our starting point was quite an experience!

To organize hikes around Chi Phat, contact the CBET office. The friendly, English-speaking staff takes care of all your needs, from accommodation to lunch packs, guides and transportation.

More info: http://ecoadventurecambodia.com/

The Bolaven plateau: enjoy the best of Laos with your kids!

The 2-day tour of the Bolaven plateau has been one of our most wonderful Laotian experiences. Swimming beneath cascades, getting around in ethnic villages, sharing a meal with a Laotian family and its guests or a cup of coffee with a local coffee grower... We had planned the tour in 2 days, where guided tour take only one day, still we feel that we didn't see all of it and regret that we couldn't extend our stay.

Some return on our experiences:

- The cascade of Tad Champi is best to have a swim with the family - or if you have a brave heart, jump on a small raft and cross the pool.

- In the small village of Tad Lo, locals mingle with tourists and resident foreigners. It's a great place to hang around and have a chat. The Palamei guesthouse is most recommended: it offers beautiful bungalows and is run by a friendly family with whom you can share cooking and dinner. Our 6-years old especially enjoyed the English lesson with young villagers.

- There's an organic coffee farm and ethnic home stay on the way from Tad Lo to Pakse. The place is great-looking, the coffee excellent and the owner very friendly. A wonderful stop for a drink or a night.

One day packed with fun activities in Southern Laos, Champasak province

There are many things to see and do around Pakse, here's our pick for one day in the Champasak province, south of Pakse.

- Visit of Vat Phu Champasak: the children loved the ascension to the temple. It's splendid and quiet at the same time. A wonderful site that made us feel like great explorers. Try to discover the elephant, the crocodile and Buddha's foot carved in stones.

- (Ferry crossing from Champasak: it would have been nice to float on the bamboo raft but we didn't do it. The fare price was much higher than the cost of driving back to Pakse and crossing over the bridge. We chose the cheap option over the exciting one.)

- Elephant ride in Ban Kniet Nong: my son was waiting for it since we arrived in Asia. We did our Elephant ride in the village of Kniet Nong, some 60 kilometres south of Pakse. It was an excellent choice: the ride takes approximately 1,5 hour and brings visitors to the wonderful site of Phu Asa with beautiful views on the surrounding hills, swamps and forest. Book your tour slightly in advance, as villagers need time to prepare the elephants.