Annual Fall Asia Trip

Old Oct 26th, 2015, 06:01 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Annual Fall Asia Trip

Our annual SEA trip begins today.

Tonight we fly from Boston to Munich on Lufthansa, using United FF miles. This connects to a Thai Airways flight to Bangkok.

After a month of packing up our house for our January move to NH, we have never been more in need of some relaxation, Karen especially.

We look forward to meeting up with Hanuman, Tong, Kathie and Cheryl, Peter and Linda, and Clive and Carolyn at various points during the trip.

Our first hotel is the Anantara Riverside (former Marriott). Their new complex next door (Avanti Hotel and mini-mall should be 95% complete, so we look forward to exploring this new venture. Following this we move to the Hyatt Erawan for a few days before heading north to Chiang Mai for 5 days at the Le Meridian. Many of you will remember that we have never liked CM so this is a last attempt to try to warm to it (3 previous attempts failed).

From CM we fly to Phuket and for the first time will not have a car there. We will use a car service to drive us to Khao Lak and our favorite beach hotel, the JW Marriott Resort and Spa where we will stay for 11 days.

We fly back to BKK from there and will spend 2 nights at the new Le Meridian Airport Golf Resort--about a 20 minute drive from the airport.

Following that we fly Qatar Air direct to Hanoi where we will spend 11 days with the HawaiianTravellers in Vietnam (Hanoi, Hoi An, and China Beach {Danang}).

Finally we fly back to BKK and spend 5 or so nights at the Renaissance on Plenochit Rd.

Our FF ticket allows us one stop-over so we have chosen to stop in Vienna for a few nights at the Renaissance Imperial Riding School Hotel where we will enjoy the Christmas markets and a chilly Vienna at a festive season. This flight gives us finally the chance to try out Eva Air with a 3:40AM flight from BKK to Vienna (UGH to the time).

Don't expect sightseeing info in Thailand as we have been there 18 times in the past. But do expect pools, ocean, and tons of food info. In VN there will be some shopping (clothing in hoi an) and more food adventures. Finally Vienna will bring XMAS Mkt. adventures, food and hopefully some world class music.

We put our Christmas tree up last Saturday so our house will feel like Christmas when we arrive home in mid-December. This will be our 38th and last year in this 100+ year old house before it meets the wrecking ball only to be replaced by a $1,350,000. mac-mansion.

LET THE FUN BEGIN...
rhkkmk is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 07:28 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Have a wonderful trip, Bob. Cheryl and I look forward to seeing you and Karen in Bangkok. We will be a week behind you in flying off - but the other direction.
Kathie is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 08:07 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
bon voyage! wish we were going to be there to party with you wild and crazy travelers.

what type of horsie will you be riding? lol
kuranosuke is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 10:38 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Safe travels to you and Karen. I wish we would be there to rendezvous with you, but we've just returned from Japan.

I hope you like Chiang Mai this time.
internetwiz is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 10:39 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 17,949
Received 22 Likes on 4 Posts
Have a wonderful trip. Hanoi and Bangkok are two of our favorites.
HappyTrvlr is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 11:06 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Safe travels, looking forward to the updates, sad we will not be meeting up with you both.
Smeagol is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 02:13 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 27,607
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Have a good trip. Sorry to hear that a 100 year old house is being destroyed.
thursdaysd is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 02:30 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 6,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bon Voyage and a well deserved vacation for you two! Say hi to all our friends at the Anantara riverside. Wish we could be there with you in Bangkok with Kathie, Cheryl and Pook.

We will be waiting for you where else but in the bar at the Hanoi Marriott haha.

Aloha!
hawaiiantraveler is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 03:11 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,897
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry we are not hooking up this time. Jeane and I really enjoyed our rendezvous with you and Karen + Peter and Linda in Japan and Bali in the last two years. Looking forward to whatever tidbits you choose to share on this trip...
Craig is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2015, 03:53 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bon Voyage!
Femi is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2015, 02:15 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 11,651
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes on 1 Post
Have a great trip and I look forward to picking up some more tips for our next trip to SEAsia whenever that may be. Very sad that a 100 yr old house will be demolished.
yestravel is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2015, 02:27 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,811
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Have a great trip! Looking forward to the ongoing TR and reading about meetups with other Fodor folk (Hi to Hanuman!).
progol is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2015, 10:48 PM
  #13  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Both flats were on time and relatively easy--6.75 hrs and 9.75 hrs. On the second leg K had 4 center seats to herself and I had 3 to myself--thank you thai air.

Record time clearing customs and immigration and directly into an SUV taxi to the anantara--700 B flat fee plus tolls.

Our Jr. Suite was ready for us when we arrived about 7:30AM. We went down to the bakery for a bite to eat and then decided to get into bed for about 3.5 hrs after having unpacked.

Up now about 1pm, showered and deciding what if anything to do.... Maybe a ride up the river?? Something easy in any case.

The new avani hotel looks to be about 85% finished--lots of huge glass windows and a large Burger King sign in one corner of the mall.

I think tomorrow we plan to visit the grand palace, wat arun, MBK, golden mount, some jewelry stores, a floating market and a few other places and then relax all afternoon.
rhkkmk is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2015, 01:59 AM
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ended up just hanging out. K swam and I went to the lounge for afternoon tea.

Tonight we will go to the lounge for drinks and hors' and if we awe still hungry we may have a pizza at Brio here in the hotel.
rhkkmk is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2015, 02:03 AM
  #15  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The rooms comes with a free iPhone which will work all over bkk. You can even make free calls to about 12 countries, including the USA... Nice perk.
rhkkmk is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2015, 03:48 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Brad is at Omni on soi 4 if you get to that area for jewelry.

Was your Thai flight on an A380? That's what we like to fly when going to BKK from European hubs. This year, London.

Relax and enjoy! I hope CM pleases you this time.
simpsonc510 is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2015, 06:58 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm glad to hear that you had good flights and are all settled in at your home on the river in Bangkok.
Kathie is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2015, 09:23 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 6,368
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ahhhhh Mr & Mrs Kimballll welcommmme backkkk. Everyone snaps to attention, manager is summoned, flowers and cold juices and hand towels instantly appear. Your suite is in order please follow meeeee. Check in must have been nice for royalty

Glad to hear the flights went well. Must be nice to get away from all the packing and unpacking and pressures at home.

For all those things you have planned tomorrow you must have Tong. You go all the way to Thailand to have pizza?? How un fodor like of you

Have fun, jealous we are not there. Enjoy and details, we want details lol

Aloha!
hawaiiantraveler is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2015, 12:59 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,082
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Have a great trip! Writing this from Tasmania, we've been in Australia for 2 weeks now.
FromDC is offline  
Old Oct 29th, 2015, 05:13 AM
  #20  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What a day...

We went to the grand palace early, only to be turned away-- closed for power washing... So we walked across the river to wat arun, only to be sent away because the king was there exercising running up and down the steps...

So we gave up on sightseeing.

FIREWORKS up the river at the moment.

We headed instead to river city shopping to JS thai silk. In cleaning out our house she found some nice pieces of material so is having some items made.

While waiting for the shop to open we each had a foot/leg massage--420 B for the two of us. Fantastic.

From there we headed to soi 93 sukhumvit Rd to the Jim thompson outlet.
Bingo... Bought 3 pieces of fabric, 2 silk and one cotton or visa versa... Great covering for a love seat we will have reupholstered for our bedroom and a cotton piece for a new bedspread . The third is a contrast color for piping on both... See how domestic I am-- just don't ask me to make the bed. This took a few hours.

A taxi back to anantara just in time for last call at afternoon tea.

When we went to our room the army had arrived--an army of ants... Ugh..

We changed rooms and have been forced to take a large corner room suite... Shut up peter, I deserve it. Several ants crawled over my hands as I typed... And NO I did not speak to a manager to achieve this.

Cocktails followed in the lounge and then a simple pizza in Brio afterwards.

Tomorrow may just be a hangout day.
rhkkmk is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -