A cool way to escape the heat and have fun and learn while doing so
It is an undeniable fact that the weather in Bangkok is always hot. This was made extra clear when I arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 12:30 in there morning via Philippine Airlines’ Cebu to Bangkok flight and the captain advised that the weather outside is at a warm 31 degrees Centigrade.
The heat, however, did not stop me from having a great time exploring Bangkok’s palaces, temples, and massive Chatuchak Market. And just the Philippines, Bangkok’s massive air-conditioned malls are a much-needed reprieve from the smothering tropical heat.
Inside the malls, one can find almost anything and everything from pasalubong items, to local treats, to luxury goods and even fancy cars. What was even more amazing was the aquarium located at the lower floor of the Siam Paragon Mall.
The largest aquarium in Southeast Asia, Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World is home to thousands of species of fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic birds and mammals. From the moment I entered the aquarium, I felt a chill down my spine as I made my way through the various zones and meeting the various creatures that inhabit it.
One interesting area was the aquarium’s Shark Walk which features an interactive wall and a glass floor which sits atop the aquarium’s massive shark tank. Looking down, I saw various sharks swimming about with the odd glass-bottomed boat filled with brave passengers also making an appearance every once in a while.
For kids and kids at-heart there is a Coral Reef zone where various colourful coral and reef fish can be seen. There are also interactive tunnels for everyone to get up close and personal with Nemo and his gang.
One unique zone that Sea Life Bangkok has is the Seahorse Kingdom which features various colourful seahorse and their relatives. I was honestly enthralled and amazed by these curious-looking creatures which are now threatened due to habitat destruction and climate change. Aside from giving guests a window to the underwater world, the aquarium also ensures that visitors learn about the creatures and how to better protect the environment.
There is even a behind-the-scenes tour one can book to see the scenes and explore the secrets behind Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World. From checking out their quarantine and nursery centre and their water quality monitoring laboratory, guests also get a chance to go hands-on with the real-world ocean exploration equipment.
For the more daring, the aquarium has a Dive with the Sharks programme where one can go face-to-face with sand tiger and black tip reef sharks, and an Ocean Walker tour where you can walk underwater with a dive helmet to explore the aquarium’s massive underwater tunnel tank.
What makes Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World even more amazing is the fact that the aquarium is in the middle of Bangkok and is hundreds of kilometres from the sea. Just imagine how the aquarium is able to bring the ocean and keep its ocean-dwelling denizens happy and well.
I have been to many aquariums before and Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World sits quite comfortably on the upper half of my list for being one cool place to enjoy the beauty of ocean life and one cool place to escape from the heat while learning and still having fun.
