Matchanuland: a convenient day trip from Bangkok

Matchanuland, located in the Salaya area of Nakhon Pathom within the Salaya Leisure Park, is a creative tourism destination centred on learning activities. 

It was awarded the prestigious Kinnaree Award in 2021 for its dedication to providing enriching experiences for families, Thai and international tourists, and visitors of all ages from three to 99 years old.

Matchanuland features four themed zones, each designed to offer unique experiences under the concept of “Eat, Explore, Learn, Play, Relax”. Each zone has its own learning objectives and activities tailored to various lifestyles:

Thaizone: The Land of Machanu’s Origins – Learn about art and the epic Ramayana.
Adventure Island: The Treasure Island – Embark on a zipline mission to help Machanu search for treasures.
Blue Ocean: The Fantasy Underwater World – Help Machanu protect the ocean and clean up global waste.
Café Forest: The Magical Forest – Engage in nature-based crafts, vertical wildlife observation, and crafting water-hyacinth products.

One morning, we visited Matchanuland to learn about water hyacinths and participated in a workshop creating water hyacinth notebooks.

The water hyacinth, a plant in the orchid family, has versatile uses. At the Vari Chava Learning Centre, students of all ages – kindergarten, primary, secondary, and even international visitors – learn to process water hyacinths into products.

The process involves cleaning, blending, drying and crafting water hyacinths into such items as notebooks, fruit baskets, necklaces, deodorising fish ornaments, and fish-shaped mobiles.

In our workshop, we started by sifting finely ground water-hyacinth pulp in water using a wooden frame, and then drying it in the sun. We skipped ahead to assembling a notebook cover, where we glued the dried hyacinth cover to a notebook and decorated it with moulded embellishments such as teddy bears and flowers.

The teddy-bear decoration can also double as a seed bomb by embedding vegetable seeds inside. Children can plant it in a pot, water it, and after five to seven days, discover which plant grows.

From the riverside workshop area by the Maha Sawat Canal, we hopped on to a yellow paddle boat to observe water hyacinths growing in the canal. Afterwards, we took a tuk-tuk to Thaizone, a zone packed with hands-on activities.

Here, visitors can craft miniature Korean-clay or polymer-clay vases, create Ban Chiang pottery, paint monkey and giant masks inspired by Thai classical dance (Khon), tie-dye fabrics using natural dyes, and explore screen-printing techniques.

Inside the Khon Room, exhibits showcase the traditional rituals for honouring dance teachers. The monkey masks feature two designs – open-mouth and closed-mouth styles – while the giant masks have wide-eyed and crocodile-eye designs.

The process of creating a Khon mask begins with moulding a base, traditionally made from a mixture of clay and wood, though modern masks are often made from plaster. The structure is then reinforced with paper strips dipped in glue paste. 

Details are added with decorative patterns, small embossed ornaments crafted using moulds, and finally, lacquer and gold leaf are applied. The entire process takes about three weeks.

We concluded our visit at the Starry Art Lover Café, a romantic venue filled with artistic charm. The second floor houses an artist's workspace and an art room, which is a must-visit spot for every guest. Without a photo here, your visit is considered incomplete.

Location:

Matchanuland
88/8 Moo 5, Salaya-Bang Phasi Road, Salaya subdistrict, Phutthamonthon district, Nakhon Pathom 73170

Phone: 090 197 6009

Admission and details: https://www.thesalaya.com/matchanu-land