The Golden Mount: In Bangkok, Thailand

I didn't take this picture, I found it on the internet.  When I went back to give the photographer credit, I couldn't find it anymore.

The Golden Mount is also known as Wat Saket, or Golden Mountain.  It is a Buddhist Temple built on a man-made hill.  You need to climb about 300 steps to get to the top.  Before you shriek and say that it is impossible to take your small kids up 300 steps know that it isn't that bad.  The steps are very short and an adult can easily skip 2 or 3 steps with a regular stride up the mountain.  My 3 year old did all the steps the whole way with almost no complaining and I easily carried my 19 month old all the way up.

We found this boat ride that took us all the way there. It is the Khlong Saen Saep boat service, and it was an exciting experience!  We got on at Asok Pier which is just off of Petchaburi MRT stop.  The boats come and go quickly just like a subway so you have to get on quickly.  Strollers would not be recommended unless you have 2 adults and 1 child so that one adult can hold the child and the other the folded (small) stroller.  During the boat ride, someone standing on the outside of the boat will come by and you pay them for your ticket.  Our kids were free and each adult ticket was 14 baht, a lot cheaper than any other way of getting to Golden Mount.  So you stop comes, you are already have your kid in your arms and ready to clamber over the side of the boat to jump off.  It all happens very quickly.  There was a time when my husband and I were holding both our kids standing on the outside of the boat and it drove off so we had to clumsily clamber in while the boat was going.  Half way through we also had to change boats... we couldn't figure out why... 

This is the inside.

We walked a little ways from the boat stop and here it was!  

A pretty building on the grounds...

  On the way up the stairs!

There was lots of pretty things on the way up.

And a gong to ring.

This is Will climbing up the stairs.  Almost to the top!

The view from the top.  You can see ancient Bangkok and also new and modern Bangkok along the skyline.

The inside is more of a tourist gift shop than a Buddhist temple in my opinion.  But there are still pretty things to see and the view from the top is amazing.