Anantara Golden Triangle questions
Oct 15th, 2006, 02:34 PM
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Anantara Golden Triangle questions
We will be staying at the Anantara resort in early December. Their limo service from Chaing Rai airport seems expensive ($50 one way) are there less expensive Taxi options or should we book the hotel service? Also which activities have people enjoyed and why? They all look great on the Web site but not sure we can do all of them. Do you need to book Elephant camp activities in advance? Thanks for the help.
Oct 15th, 2006, 03:11 PM
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Their car service is expensive, yes, but it is a trip of a bit over an hour. I had checked a few other agencies/car companies, and their prices ranged from cheaper to more expensive. I am thinking we will take a taxi/car from the airport arranged when we get there as it couldn't likely be more expensive. But am also keeping my eye out for options until then too.
If you want to do the mahout training program, it must be booked in advance as there are only 4 elephants for this. Looking and rides I think can be arranged once you are there. Wouldn't hurt to e-mail them and see. They have some information sheets about activities and costs...the tours they offer can be done with an outside driver/guide for much less, but you've got the hassle of finding and arranging everything on your own.
If you want to do the mahout training program, it must be booked in advance as there are only 4 elephants for this. Looking and rides I think can be arranged once you are there. Wouldn't hurt to e-mail them and see. They have some information sheets about activities and costs...the tours they offer can be done with an outside driver/guide for much less, but you've got the hassle of finding and arranging everything on your own.
Oct 15th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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We did use their transfers. At that time, it was $50 roundtrip, but it may have been a "special" as we were there right after they opened. It is about an hour, and I was glad to have their very comfortable 4WD car to take us.
Other than the Mahout training, you do not need to book visiting the elephants in advance. Talk with John once you get there and decide what you want to do.
We asked the conceirge there to get us a driver for one day, and she did arrange it. The prices were higher than other parts of Thailand, but at that time, there weren't a lot of options. There may be more now. Even thouigh we paid about US$100 for a full day of a car and driver, I felt it was worthwhile. By the way, we had a list of places we wanted to see, and the conceurge was helpful in modiifying that list, and putting it in order for our driver.
Other than the Mahout training, you do not need to book visiting the elephants in advance. Talk with John once you get there and decide what you want to do.
We asked the conceirge there to get us a driver for one day, and she did arrange it. The prices were higher than other parts of Thailand, but at that time, there weren't a lot of options. There may be more now. Even thouigh we paid about US$100 for a full day of a car and driver, I felt it was worthwhile. By the way, we had a list of places we wanted to see, and the conceurge was helpful in modiifying that list, and putting it in order for our driver.
Oct 15th, 2006, 04:49 PM
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We spent four nights there in the summer of 2005. We also used their airport transfer service and, although it was pricey, it was very good service: comfortable van, AC, bottled water, and a skillful driver who was amenable to stopping on occasion for the photo opportunities my husband just could not resist. It is an hour's ride which provides a delightful opportunity to sit back and soak up the views of the countryside.
We loved the elephant camp. One day we went over and got acquainted with the elephants, filling their trunks with water from a garden hose, feeding them bananas, and that sort of thing.
The next day we went for a glorious trek that was over way too soon for my taste but others find the 1 1/2 hours or so suficient. Three elephants were available so my teen-aged children each rode bareback while my husband and I shared a more conventional ride on that bench-style seating(sorry to have forgotten proper terminology). Tremendously enjoyable.
Other things we enjoyed enormously:
1. getting up early to greet the monk's procession to make merit
2. lazing around the lovely infinity pool
3. getting a massage at the on-site spa
4. taking a long-tail boat ride on the Mekong
5. going to the Opium Museum across the way.
6. having leisurely meals
7. walking around the town of Chiang Saen where there were accessible temple ruins that we shared with nobody else, just a few stray dogs.
Things I wish that we could have done but did not:
1. take a cooking class, particularly one that starts with a trip to market,
2. explore surrounding hill towns.
Things we did that were not necessarily worth it:
1. Our long-tail boat driver took us to a market that is technically in Laos -- you apply for a Laos stamp -- but that is merely a set of stalls with low-end merchandise. We bought some pretty laquerware trays that have worn poorly.
We loved the Anantara and recommend it enthusiastically. It is exceptionally pretty at night, by the way, on account of all the candles.
We loved the elephant camp. One day we went over and got acquainted with the elephants, filling their trunks with water from a garden hose, feeding them bananas, and that sort of thing.
The next day we went for a glorious trek that was over way too soon for my taste but others find the 1 1/2 hours or so suficient. Three elephants were available so my teen-aged children each rode bareback while my husband and I shared a more conventional ride on that bench-style seating(sorry to have forgotten proper terminology). Tremendously enjoyable.
Other things we enjoyed enormously:
1. getting up early to greet the monk's procession to make merit
2. lazing around the lovely infinity pool
3. getting a massage at the on-site spa
4. taking a long-tail boat ride on the Mekong
5. going to the Opium Museum across the way.
6. having leisurely meals
7. walking around the town of Chiang Saen where there were accessible temple ruins that we shared with nobody else, just a few stray dogs.
Things I wish that we could have done but did not:
1. take a cooking class, particularly one that starts with a trip to market,
2. explore surrounding hill towns.
Things we did that were not necessarily worth it:
1. Our long-tail boat driver took us to a market that is technically in Laos -- you apply for a Laos stamp -- but that is merely a set of stalls with low-end merchandise. We bought some pretty laquerware trays that have worn poorly.
We loved the Anantara and recommend it enthusiastically. It is exceptionally pretty at night, by the way, on account of all the candles.
Oct 15th, 2006, 08:15 PM
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sue--i too thought the transfers were a lot, but it is quite a ways....one hour as stated....no traffic at all...
i decided to rent a car from budget and that worked just fine....ended up at about $130 for 4 days....gave us total flexibility at the hotel as well as it is very issolated....services other than those provided by the hotel are almost non existant....
there was no traffic and there were only about 4 turns between the chiang rai airport and the hotel...gas was reasonable....it allowed us to go out to dinner once, go into chiang saen as we wanted and also spend a day on a loop trip that included the burma bridge crossing town and doi tung (a must visit)...
so for not much more than the round trip transfers we had total flexibility....i would never consider driving around bkk or some of the other busy parts of thailand, but this was fine....
RENT A CAR!!
i decided to rent a car from budget and that worked just fine....ended up at about $130 for 4 days....gave us total flexibility at the hotel as well as it is very issolated....services other than those provided by the hotel are almost non existant....
there was no traffic and there were only about 4 turns between the chiang rai airport and the hotel...gas was reasonable....it allowed us to go out to dinner once, go into chiang saen as we wanted and also spend a day on a loop trip that included the burma bridge crossing town and doi tung (a must visit)...
so for not much more than the round trip transfers we had total flexibility....i would never consider driving around bkk or some of the other busy parts of thailand, but this was fine....
RENT A CAR!!
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