Sometimes you’ll come across the kind of person that enjoys the more cultural side of life. Are you the type that can spend hours in a gallery and thrives off new knowledge, and learning about the histories of humankind throughout the centuries? Whichever it may be, if you’re looking to flee the grey buildings and skyscrapers of Bangkok, this little tropical treasure is just a 52 minute drive away! Nakhon Pathom is a wonderful choice of destination if you’re on the hunt for a total escape that’s not hours and hours worth of travel time from the city!

1. Truly immerse yourself in local Thai cultural – Klong Maha Sawat, Ban Sala Din

One of the best things about travelling is getting to learn new things about different parts of the world. What could be more beautiful than experiencing a few hours in Ban Sala Din, one of the oldest communities along the Mahasawat canal!

This is an awesome cultural trip. Take a boat tour through the canals where there are 7 different points to stop at from the Farmer School to Aunt Jaew House, and even tasting ancient Chinese noodles.

Other than canal boat tour, there are other things to do within this community Take a slow boat around gorgeous lotus pads in a lotus farm (amidst a large fish that swims around in there too!).

Visit the Mahasawat Agricultural Housewife Group, and learn product processing from brown and jasmine rice to crispy noodles. You can also make your own soaps and shampoos!

And if you’re visiting over the weekend, catch the Mahasawat Canal Floating Market which runs every Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 6pm.

Speaking of them, there’s also the Pracharat Floating Market which sells a variety of agricultural products, souvenirs and traditionals foods and snacks!

2. In a world full of flowers – Air Orchid Farm

Oh hey you flower child, you’re going to love this. Picture a truly massive and stunning air orchid farm, showing off a variety of different species and colours! It’s so so pretty and it’s one of the largest in Thailand.

There’s both indoor and outdoor farming areas, and it feels quite spectacular walking through the rows of orchids!

Inside one of the greenhouses, you’ll find The Flask Cafe, a cute farm-style cafe that offers quick and easy dishes such as nuggets and fries, cheesecakes and all the usual coffees.

There’s also a million teeny, tiny succulents lying around, and they also make for some cool photos. Just saying….

3. Live the fantasy as 19th century royalty for a day – Sanam Chandra Palace

This is perfect for a day spent wandering along the lawns with your love, enjoying one another’s company and some interesting architecture from different parts of the world.

Oh yeah and there’s a castle inside too!!

Built in 1907, the palace is set in a beautiful park full of giant trees and perfectly manicured lawns winding around ponds and lakes. In the middle of the garden stands the most unlikely building, a yellow castle!

There are 5 buildings in total, showcasing styles of the French, English (think English manor vibes) and traditional Thai style (all those dark woods and angled tips) architecture.

The main building is called ‘The Chaleemongkolasana Residence’, and is the most popular and most photographed – reminiscent of French Renaissance. All 5 residences here are beautiful and fantastic to see the different style and architecture of the time from different countries.

4. Perfect for groups of friends and the everyday modernists – RK Riverside Resort & Spa (Reon Kruewal)

Built along a river, this resort offers beautiful traditional Thai-style villa bungalows, boasting warm and comfortable interiors. There’s also a big bathtub in each bathroom, perfect for relaxing and unwinding in after a long day of exploring.

If you’re after some extra pampering, enjoy the on-site spa or the private pool.

You can enjoy your morning coffee with the sunrise on your own patio, surrounded by flowers and a yellow golden sun over the water as it rises and sets.

Built along the riverside, it feels really natural, fresh and green out here (and not one tall building in sight!)

Oh it’s wonderful to escape the city, and that means all the skyscrapers, traffic and constant sound of honking horns and motorbike exhausts. So leaving that all behind, in Nakhon Pathom you can experience some peace and quiet, plus a little extra TLC (read: tender loving care).

RK Riverside Resort & Spa

Address: 885, Petchkasem Road, Tambon Sanam Chan, Amphoe Mueang Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Pathom, 73000, Thailand 
Contact: +66 34 241 109

5. A tropical escape from the Bangkok heat – Khum Damnoen Resort (41mins drive from Nakhon Pathom)

Oooooh, this is really niceeee, if you enjoy a perfect balance of tropical, modern, and super chilled vibes.

Using thatched roofs for their modern bungalows with natural interiors, there’s a great mix of minimalism with all the modern niceties.

I really like the look of this and would probably choose something like this simply because of the gorgeous design.

The only downside if you’re looking for a holiday filled with peace & quiet/relaxing moments – is that each villa is built around the main pool, so expect a bit of noise if there are other guests splashing about in the pool.

Otherwise, it’s absolutely perfect for a group of friends travelling and looking to have fun together. Imagine spending days in the pool escaping the heat of the day, they also have a few inflatables (unicorn tubes!) to float on and snap those nice vacation shots with!

6. As close as we can get to the Targaryen dragons – Wat Samphran, Nakon Pathom

If you’re suffering from Game of Thrones withdrawals, well… Welcome to Wat Samphran, the unusual pink dragon temple that’s as close as we can get to the Targaryen dragons.

The very unusually shaped and colored Pink Dragon temple may just be one of the most eccentric temples in Thailand.

Aside from it’s strange structural characteristics, the temple has no written history. No one knows who designed it or how old it actually is.

The soaring temple reaches 17 stories and features a dragon wrapped around the pink skyscraper. Visitors can also find a large bronze Buddha on the grounds.

Wat Samphran, Nakon Pathom

Address: 92/8 Moo 7,Sampran,Nakhon Pathom 73110,Thailand
Contact: +66 34 321 888
Opening hours: Daily from 8am to 4pm