Nong Nooch Tropical Garden

Sunday 23rd September, 2007

 

Sunday we spent the day at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden.  Quite the day, I must say!  Lots of beautiful gardens, a cultural show, an elephant show...and the highlight of the day:  an elephant ride!

So rather than bore you to death with a description...I'll just get right to the pictures.  Click to see a larger image.

David at the fountain near the entrance.

Devin and David posing by the sign.

A cool hanging flower.

An orchid with a beautiful fragrance.  Our guide, Tony, told us Her Majesty, the Queen, made a perfume using this scent.

 

 

 

 

Check out the size of those leaves!

This one's for you Donna.  Devin said you like these flowers.

Thank you.

There were a lot of rock carvings/statues around.

A nice place to recline.

 

 

 

 

More rock carving. 

David on the "secret path."

More carvings.

David by a flower-pot owl.

 

 

 

 

Aaaw.  Isn't that sweet.  The whole family.

David in a flower-pot tuk-tuk.

Hmmmm.

For those of you from my generation...think about an AC/DC song...

 

 

 

 

Beautiful setting.

David riding the pig.

"I'm the king of this castle!"

Devin and David on an elephant.  (Video coming soon, I hope...)

Lowell on his own elephant. 

Lowell, with Devin and David in the background.

I know this is a rare occurance, but I actually felt small next to the elephant.

Devin and David on their elephant.

 

 

 

 

And another shot...

Whoa!  Slow down elephant.

Inside a temple.

A huge vase inside the temple.

 

 

 

 

A "French" style garden.  I didn't think I'd like this area, but I actually thought it was kind of cool.

David on the suspension bridge.  (It's not as high as the one we went over in Vancouver, BC...the Capilano Suspension Bridge...)

Self-portrait in the cactus garden.

That cactus is bigger than David!

 

 

 

 

Another view of the French garden.

And yet another view...I told you...I thought it was cool.

Alright...last one, I promise.

David on the stairs of one of the pavilions.

 

 

 

 

Looking up at the pavilion.

Another song reference...think Led Zeppelin...  "And she's buying a stairway to heaven."

Looking at a statue and up at the pavilion.

Devin and David on the tour bus.

 

 

 

 

Stonehenge (lite)

An elephant and her baby.

This picture is specifically for Tim.  He'll know why.

A cool looking flower in the butterfly garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a picture of the cultural performance.

The grand finale of the cultural show was a "reenactment" of a historic battle.

 

 

So...part of me thought this was kind of a tourist-trap place with "staged" stuff.  But the reality is that we had a fun day spending time together.  And besides, we got to ride elephants!