Jan 2010 Trip Report: Ko Lanta and Bangkok
Jan 26th, 2010, 11:46 AM
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Jan 2010 Trip Report: Ko Lanta and Bangkok
I was asked to write a trip report - I hope it isn't too boring! We didn't do anything that other people haven't done before, but since this was our first trip to Thailand, maybe our insights will help other first-timers. I am tired and jet-lagged, so forgive the lack of eloquence, but I suspect the details will be good since everything is still fresh.
Day 1 (or really 2): After an epic journey on three airlines, but mostly on ANA, we arrived in Bangkok at 11 PM. ANA was really great, except the seats in economy are really tiny. My husband is stick-thin but 6 feet tall and was pretty uncomfortable. Immigration took a while (about 45 minutes). We changed about $400 US at the airport - the rate was OK ( 31.5 baht for the dollar - the rates in the city are better, about 32.5 baht per $) but there were no fees.
On the advice of people on this forum, we brought cash with the intent to exchange it as needed. This worked really well, except that the banks in the city close at 3:30, something we found out later.
Since we had an early morning flight to Krabi, we booked the airport Novotel to refresh and relax - we got a room for $60 US on agoda. The hotel has a shuttle that takes you there in less than ten minutes (it takes more time to load the shuttle than actually get to the hotel). The hotel is an amazing welcome to Thailand. The lobby is lush and green, there's a pool, and the room was incredible - marble bathroom with shower and a tub, glorious king-bed, plus a view over the pool. Too bad we were staying there only for six hours!
Day 3: At 5 AM, we headed downstairs to get a quick bite at the restaurant. I had shrimp with basil (jetlagged, OK?)and my husband had waffles with fruit. Both great. We then took the hotel shuttle to the airport and boarded our one hour flight to Krabi on Thai Airways. The flight, which cost $170 RT booked three months in advance, was jam-packed, mostly with Europeans. After we landed in Krabi, we got info from the TI about how to get to the ferry terminal by public transportation. We had to take a bus and then a minivan (sort of like a "combi" in central and South America). We bought our bus and ferry tickets at the TI. Getting to the ferry terminal and onto the ferry was a little confusing and disorganized but we had no problem catching the 11 AM ferry to Ko Lanta after arriving at Krabi Airport on time at 9 AM. The 11:00 ferry actually left at 11:45.
The ferry was fine and the journey featured some stupendous scenery. The trip took about two hours and involved some brief stops in which some hotel owners would paddle up to the ferry in longtail boats to pick up their guests. We arrived at Ko Lanta at 2, where a minivan from our hotel (Lalaanta Hideaway resort) was waiting for us. The trip to the resort took 45 minutes so we got to see a lot of the island. Definitely built up and touristy but in a low-key way. The residents of Ko Lanta include a lot of Muslim fishermen and their families but it appears that the economy now centers on tourism.
The Lalaanta Hideaway Resort is a collection of about 20 bungalows situated on Bamboo Beach right near a national park. Immediately after we arrived, we were given a welcome drink (mango juice) and a warm welcome from Mackie, the bartender/manager type. He informed us that the point of the resort was to "make things easy" - all food, drinks, activities, etc. could be charged to the room. Our bungalow, "Horizon Gaze", cost $113 per night, all taxes and breakfast included, and was a little hut, done in dark wood with white linens, with a TV, DVD player, AC, and an attached bathroom with a shower. everything you need, nothing you don't. The bed also had a mosquito net. The resort also has two swimming pools, a restaurant, a cafe, and a little internet/library area which has two computers and DVDs and books that people have left behind. Just steps away from the restaurant is a magnificient stretch of white sand beach, with hammocks, toys for kids, some canoes that can be borrowed free of charge, and a little area for massage and other treatments.
The beach is sublime and isolated - white sand, warm water. We never had to fight for a chair or a hammock. The other guests were mostly Europeans - mainly Germans and Scandinavians - of various ages - young familes, honeymooners, and people in their 50s and above. A few daytrippers pop in and out but the resort is so isolated that it keeps many away.
The staff was incredible - and some of them looked like they were having more fun than the guests despite working 15 hour days! They were always smiling and friendly but not in annoying way. And they kept the beach so clean, even though some of the guests used the beach as an ahstray and left their butts in the sand. Every morning, one or two of them would be dutifully picking up all the trash with a little stick. At the far end of the beach, there was a little "shrine" composed of discarded flip-flops, lighters, water bottles, beer bottles, and all the trash that people leave on the beach.
The restaurant is perfect - right on the beach, with the most hilarious staff. The Thai food was excellent and cheap. They also serve burgers, fries, and pasta.
Day 3-7: There is lots of stuff to do on the island, snorkelling, diving, excursions to other islands (like Ko Phi Phi) and you can rent scooters from the resort and they are happy to drive you places, but we stayed put except for an afternoon of elephant trekking with a small hike. We ate only at the restaurant and spent our days swimming, reading, sunbathing and sleeping. It was heavenly. What was especially sweet was that on our third day, one of the owners, June, made it a point to stop by our table at lunch, chat with us, ask us how everything was and the elephant trekking in particular, and invited us to have a drink with her that night. She knew we were Americans and where we were staying and what we were doing and she bothered to learn all this before approaching us. No wonder this place is constantly booked up months in advance.
Day 7: Sadly, we had to leave Lalaanta. This involved a three-hour minivan ride to Krabi airport. We arrived at 1 PM for a 3:40 flight and luckily had eaten breakfast and brought reading because there is nothing to do or decent to eat at the airport. By 5 PM, we were in Bangkok and off the plane but our luggage took 45 minutes (almost as long as the flight) to arrive.
We had emailed Tong in advance for an airport pickup and were not disappointed - for 700 baht, a cheerful man was waiting for us, took us to an air-conditioned sedan to our hotel with no fuss or drama. For first-timers, this was a great little service. Had we chosen to use an airport taxi, we would have probably saved 200 baht or so, but here we had no stress or drama of finding the hotel or getting ripped off. Our hotel was a little hard to find but our driver just rang them up on his cell and got directions.
We booked an Orchid Loft Room in the Old Bangkok Inn at an Internet Rate of 116 per night. The hotel is on a busy street near the Democracy Monument and abo,t a ten minute walk from Khao San Road, the backpacker ghetto. The OBI is an old house converted to a ten-room boutique hotel, with custom-made dark wood furniture, bowls of water with floating flower, and pretty little one-of-a-kind knickknacks scattered throughout. Our room consisted of a lower floor with a sitting room with a couch, TV, and computer with internet (!!!) and a bathroom with a shower. Then, there are stairs to a loft with a gorgeous four poster bed, dressed in gauze and silk. It felt like a home and not a hotel. There's AC (albeit a bit loud) and, instead of travel-size toiletries, the shower gel and shampoo are housed in pretty bottles. After we settled in, we asked the helpful desk staff where to get dinner - she suggested Khao San Road or a nearby road if we found Khao San too crowded/touristy.
Khao San Road was about ten minute walk away and it was touristy and crowded but we were tired and hungry so we didn't mind. On the way, there were tons of street stalls for noodles and satays but we wanted something a little lighter. The place is a zoo, but we settled on a random restaurant that specialized in barbeque and had a perfectly acceptable meal (two seafood dishes and a beer) for about 350 baht. Then we came back, cranked the AC, and crashed. Despite being in the middle of the city, there wasn't much noise - the loft bedroom definitely helps in that regard.
Day 8: Breakfast at the OBI is incredible - a plate or artfully cut and arranged fruit ( two types of watermelon, dragonfruit, papaya, pineapple, rose apple, rambutan, and more), jackfruit, tamarind, your choice of eggs and bread and sausage and bacon, thai coconut pancakes and other doughnut like breakfast treats, coconut yogurt, juice,and tea/coffee.
At 10:00, Anjana, who we had booked at 1500 baht for eight hours from Tong, arrived. Anjana asked us what we wanted to do, and we said temples, longtail boat around the canal, grand palace, and the flower market. We piled into a tuk-tuk and headed to the Grand Palace. After that, we booked a long-tail boat and cruised the Chao Phraya, weaving in and out of little communities of teak houses while Anjana pointed out different things and explained certain aspects of Thai culture to us. We got off at the Wat Arun, checked it out, and then took a local ferry to Wat Pho, another temple. Anjana was great as she pointed out the special features of the temple and moved us along at our pace without rushing us. Next, we took a cab across town to the Vinmanek, which Anjana recommended. It's teak palace set in a garden that had been the home of Rama V. It was exquisite, and admission was free with our Grand Palace ticket.
We told Anjana we wanted to try some Thai for lunch - she took us to the Bangrak, which was really interested - iwhere you can dine alfresco on the second floor by windowboxes of greens and fresh flowers. The rest of the second floor was like a curiosity shop -crammed full with random knicknacks (scooters, antiques, books, furniture - it looked find of like an Anthropologie store but nothing was for sale. The food was sort of expensive (600 baht for two plates and a beer) and nothing special, but, again, like Khao San Road, the people watching was awesome - we watched Thais go about their business from the window above - school children, business people, etc. Anjana left us alone to have lunch and she returned 40 minutes later, with a gift - just before I left for Thailand, I found out I was pregnant and told Tong - so Tong sent Anjana to buy me prenatal milk!
The last item on our list wasthe flower market - and this involved a 50 minute cab ride in Bangkok's rush hour, which was the opposite of fun, but I got to learn the layout of the city by matching the road signs to the map in my Time Out Bangkok guide. Even though the cab ride was 50 minutes, the cost was only 100 baht. The flower market was worth it though - fresh flowers, fresh fruit, garlands, food - artfully arranged and painstakingly prepared. Anjana pointed out the different flowers and foods and explained what food was eaten for festivals, which flowers were taken to the Buddha as offerings, etc.
After the flower market, we tuk-tukked back to the OBI, where I discovered I was supposed to pay Anjana the remainder of her fee (we left a 1000 baht deposit with Tong through paypal) there and then. I was so embarrassed but I did not have the 480 baht cash on me,. as I had expected to settle with Tong after the second day, and the banks were not open (they close at 3:30!!!). I had not brought an ATM card with me, only cash, so I was in a bit of a bind. I had not exchanged cash since the $400 at the airport - it lasted 5 days!!! I wish I had asked the hotel staff, as later they informed me that there were money exchange places nearby on Khao San Road. I offered Anjana to give her $50 US, her full fee which she could easily exchange at a bank with a good rate and no fee, or $15, the part remaining out of the deposit, but she was uncertain about the exchange rate She called Tong, who said that we could just pay her the next day. Anjana was extremely polite but understandbly upset (she asked me "how can you travel without an ATM card" but calmed down after I explained to her that ATM cards are risky and with cash, you can get $$ with no fees and a good rate at the banks). She smiled, gave us a hug, and went home.
Does everyone need a guide in the city? Probably not, but it was our first day in the city and it was great to have someone show us around. We covered far more than we would have eben able to do on our own and didn't have to stress about etiquette, tuk-tuks, cabs, and transportation.
After Anjana left, we asked the hotel clerk where we could get an affordable dinner using a credit card. The clerk, a very sweet man in his early twenties, explained to us we could change money on Khao San Road and then gave us several different options for affordable, authentic Thai food in the area. We went to Khao San Road to change money and then, with the intention of trying the eateries suggested by the lad, got distracted by a street vendor selling grilled corn. While we were munching on the corn, we noticed a Japanese restaurant with a 99 baht Asahi beer special. As lovely and amazing Thai food is, nothing beats Japanese - it's light and healthy plus I had some mild nausea so we succumbed. The restaurant is called Taiteki and it's a chain in Bangkok - I had kake soba and my husband had sushi and it was so perfect after such a long day.
Day 9: We wolfed down breakfast at 6:30 because Tong was early! She was supposed to be there at 7 but I guess traffic hadn't been too bad. She told us not to eat too much, as today would be an "eating" day, and then disappeared while we enjoyed our last few minutes at the OBI. Then , off we went - Tong was our driver and she had us in stitches for an entire hour as she drove to the railway market . This woman has unbelievable energy. At the railway market, she parked and took us through the market, which exists on either side and sometimes on top of railway tracks, pointing out different foods and fruits, cracking jokes the entire time. Eight times a day the train comes through and the vendors pull all their stiff off the track. Tong had it timed perfectly - she took us to a stall right before the train came and we literally watched the train run over the fruit and veg!
Next was the floating market. Tong advised us that it was better not to buy anything there, but, if we did buy, we should bargain, and if we did bargain, we should check with her before agreeing on a final price (and that it would be rude to ask her AFTER agreeing). We hired a boat and cruised the floating market with Tong stopping to buy: satay, papaya salad, fresh mango, noodles, tamarind candy, and fruit. After the market was done, Tong had the boatman take us through the back to see the wooden houses and river life.
We hit the road again, Tong joking the entire way. We stopped at a handicraft center to use the facilities ("get happy") and check out the furniture made there. Tong made it clear she wasn't taking us there to buy anything but to see the handicrafts and that we were only going to be there for ten minutes.
Next was the fishing village. On the way, Tong bought what seemed like her body weight in bananas and some watermelon. We arrived at the fishing village and got on a boat and started cruising, this time on the Gulf of Thailand. First up were the wild monkeys, who are bananas about bananas, not to mention watemelon. We fed them for a good 20 minutes - some of them even climbed up in the boat with us. It was insanely entertaining. Then, we cruised through the mangroves, saw oyster beds and mussel beds, fishermen's houses, birds and other animals. We stopped for lunch at a fisherman's house and were treated to steamed fish with lemongrass, tamarind soup with shrimp, fried catfish with shrimp paste, rice, and fresh crab. After that, we cruised some more and headed back to Bangkok.
The entire experience was incredible and I am afraid I am not giving it justice. Tong is so engaging and energetic. She really cares about her culture and that people have as much of an authentic experience as possible. She admitted that the floating market is touristy but said she is glad it exists because people can have a chance to see how Thailand used to be. She makes sure you see what you want to see, no rush, no pressure, and works hard to make it special.
Around 5:30, we arrived at the Shangri-La - I reviewed it in another thread so there's no need to rehash here. We relaxed a bit and took the hotel boat to the Mandarin Orientla next door for some drinks and people watching. We were still too full from the day for any dinner.
Day 10: We rose leisurely and spent 1.5 hours having breakfast by the river at Next2, which is the Shangri-La restaurant where the buffet is located. The buffet is legendary, as has been described before on this forum. We got a table right by the river and could have easily stayed there all day long, just watching. Around noon, we took the Sky Train to Mo Chit, walked through the adjacent park, and found ourselves at the Chatichak Weekend Market. The skytrain was colder than a meat locker - bring a sweater- but cheap and extremely convenient. We each bought a one-day pass for 120 baht each, figuring it would cover the roundtrip from the S-La to Mo Chit plus whatever else we felt like doing. Buying individual tickets requires coins, so if you don't have coins, you need to queue up, get change from the clerk, and then proceed. Since the savings, if any, would be marginal, we got the pass.
We spent a good five hours at Chatuchak, weaving through the mazes of stalls. Prices are pretty good, not dirt cheap as they apparently once were, but very reasonable and better than Bangkok (as we found out the next day). I bought a sundress , incense, purses, and shawls to give as gifts, a little pleather bag with very pretty embroidery, and some postcards; my husband bought some ties in little boxes with matching cufflinks and tie clips as well as a little wooden elephant. We also bought, for 350 baht, a gorgeous wood wall-hanging of elephants - the shopkeeper was tough! She wouldn't bargain at all, but at 350, the piece was gorgeous and I didn't mind paying full price for it. Still full from breakfast, we bought a few little doughnuts as a snack and headed back to the S-La.
When we got back, we lounged by the gorgeous S-La pool, which, despite the hotel's full occupancy, was not overcrowded, relaxed, and watched the sunset. Then, we headed up for a dip in the jacuzzi at the health club - also, strangely empty. We then took the Skytrain to the next stop, Surasak, checked out a temple there (a Hindu one), and then walked all the way to the Sala Daeng stop, just absorbing life. We ended up in Little Tokyo and at a Japanese restaurant, "Zen," for again, affordable soba noodles and sushi. I know - we are terrible, but Japanese food is so good and so light! As wonderful as thai food is, I just can't do it for dinner, plus with my mild nausea, it was best to stick with simple things.
Next, we headed to Lebua at the State Tower to see what all the fuss was about the rooftop skybar. It's crowded and the drinks are extremely expensive, but the views are spectacular.
Day 11: Our last day!! We lounged around as long as possible and then raced downstairs to get breakfast before the buffet closed at 10:30. We checked out and left our bags at the hotel with the idea of wandering around Bangkok fort he day. It was raining, however, so we scrapped plans to do extensive walking and took the freezing sky train to the Central World mall, which includes the Japanese Isetan department stor, where we browsed around, checked out Thai fashion (there were some exhibits) and again, watched more Thai people! After a few hours (the mall is enormous), we headed over to the nearby Siam Paragon, which was more like a museum with really high end stores). There was a little tae-kwon-do festival outside and lots of Thais milling about but no one was really buying anything. By the time we finished with the Siam Paragon, it was around 5 and the sun was shining. We figured we would tale a tuk-tuk back to the hotel to avoid the freezing cold skytrain and to experience some more time in the city, but we couldn't find one sho we shivered back to the S-La on the skytrain.
Taking advantage of our 20% discount, we booked spa treatments at the CHI spa, located in the Krungthep wing. My husband got the Thai massage and I got a body scrub and mask. Then, we took the shuttle boat to the Peninsula, where we got some salads and some drinks and just relaxed for a while, soaking up the atmosphere.
We caught a cab from the Shangri-La to the airport. It was Sunday night, and there was no traffic, so we paid only 280 baht, plus about 50 baht in tolls. The epic journey of 30 hours home to Boston was not bad - ANA is an exceptional airline - except that my poor 6-ft-tall husband got shoehorned into what must have been the smallest seat on the entire plan.
So that was our trip. We brought the Lonely Planet Thailand and Time Out Bangkok but ended up using only the Time Out, which is really easy to use and has great maps. We generally took it easy and I wish we had more time to check out the street food. The skytrain is a great way to get around. We will be back.
Day 1 (or really 2): After an epic journey on three airlines, but mostly on ANA, we arrived in Bangkok at 11 PM. ANA was really great, except the seats in economy are really tiny. My husband is stick-thin but 6 feet tall and was pretty uncomfortable. Immigration took a while (about 45 minutes). We changed about $400 US at the airport - the rate was OK ( 31.5 baht for the dollar - the rates in the city are better, about 32.5 baht per $) but there were no fees.
On the advice of people on this forum, we brought cash with the intent to exchange it as needed. This worked really well, except that the banks in the city close at 3:30, something we found out later.
Since we had an early morning flight to Krabi, we booked the airport Novotel to refresh and relax - we got a room for $60 US on agoda. The hotel has a shuttle that takes you there in less than ten minutes (it takes more time to load the shuttle than actually get to the hotel). The hotel is an amazing welcome to Thailand. The lobby is lush and green, there's a pool, and the room was incredible - marble bathroom with shower and a tub, glorious king-bed, plus a view over the pool. Too bad we were staying there only for six hours!
Day 3: At 5 AM, we headed downstairs to get a quick bite at the restaurant. I had shrimp with basil (jetlagged, OK?)and my husband had waffles with fruit. Both great. We then took the hotel shuttle to the airport and boarded our one hour flight to Krabi on Thai Airways. The flight, which cost $170 RT booked three months in advance, was jam-packed, mostly with Europeans. After we landed in Krabi, we got info from the TI about how to get to the ferry terminal by public transportation. We had to take a bus and then a minivan (sort of like a "combi" in central and South America). We bought our bus and ferry tickets at the TI. Getting to the ferry terminal and onto the ferry was a little confusing and disorganized but we had no problem catching the 11 AM ferry to Ko Lanta after arriving at Krabi Airport on time at 9 AM. The 11:00 ferry actually left at 11:45.
The ferry was fine and the journey featured some stupendous scenery. The trip took about two hours and involved some brief stops in which some hotel owners would paddle up to the ferry in longtail boats to pick up their guests. We arrived at Ko Lanta at 2, where a minivan from our hotel (Lalaanta Hideaway resort) was waiting for us. The trip to the resort took 45 minutes so we got to see a lot of the island. Definitely built up and touristy but in a low-key way. The residents of Ko Lanta include a lot of Muslim fishermen and their families but it appears that the economy now centers on tourism.
The Lalaanta Hideaway Resort is a collection of about 20 bungalows situated on Bamboo Beach right near a national park. Immediately after we arrived, we were given a welcome drink (mango juice) and a warm welcome from Mackie, the bartender/manager type. He informed us that the point of the resort was to "make things easy" - all food, drinks, activities, etc. could be charged to the room. Our bungalow, "Horizon Gaze", cost $113 per night, all taxes and breakfast included, and was a little hut, done in dark wood with white linens, with a TV, DVD player, AC, and an attached bathroom with a shower. everything you need, nothing you don't. The bed also had a mosquito net. The resort also has two swimming pools, a restaurant, a cafe, and a little internet/library area which has two computers and DVDs and books that people have left behind. Just steps away from the restaurant is a magnificient stretch of white sand beach, with hammocks, toys for kids, some canoes that can be borrowed free of charge, and a little area for massage and other treatments.
The beach is sublime and isolated - white sand, warm water. We never had to fight for a chair or a hammock. The other guests were mostly Europeans - mainly Germans and Scandinavians - of various ages - young familes, honeymooners, and people in their 50s and above. A few daytrippers pop in and out but the resort is so isolated that it keeps many away.
The staff was incredible - and some of them looked like they were having more fun than the guests despite working 15 hour days! They were always smiling and friendly but not in annoying way. And they kept the beach so clean, even though some of the guests used the beach as an ahstray and left their butts in the sand. Every morning, one or two of them would be dutifully picking up all the trash with a little stick. At the far end of the beach, there was a little "shrine" composed of discarded flip-flops, lighters, water bottles, beer bottles, and all the trash that people leave on the beach.
The restaurant is perfect - right on the beach, with the most hilarious staff. The Thai food was excellent and cheap. They also serve burgers, fries, and pasta.
Day 3-7: There is lots of stuff to do on the island, snorkelling, diving, excursions to other islands (like Ko Phi Phi) and you can rent scooters from the resort and they are happy to drive you places, but we stayed put except for an afternoon of elephant trekking with a small hike. We ate only at the restaurant and spent our days swimming, reading, sunbathing and sleeping. It was heavenly. What was especially sweet was that on our third day, one of the owners, June, made it a point to stop by our table at lunch, chat with us, ask us how everything was and the elephant trekking in particular, and invited us to have a drink with her that night. She knew we were Americans and where we were staying and what we were doing and she bothered to learn all this before approaching us. No wonder this place is constantly booked up months in advance.
Day 7: Sadly, we had to leave Lalaanta. This involved a three-hour minivan ride to Krabi airport. We arrived at 1 PM for a 3:40 flight and luckily had eaten breakfast and brought reading because there is nothing to do or decent to eat at the airport. By 5 PM, we were in Bangkok and off the plane but our luggage took 45 minutes (almost as long as the flight) to arrive.
We had emailed Tong in advance for an airport pickup and were not disappointed - for 700 baht, a cheerful man was waiting for us, took us to an air-conditioned sedan to our hotel with no fuss or drama. For first-timers, this was a great little service. Had we chosen to use an airport taxi, we would have probably saved 200 baht or so, but here we had no stress or drama of finding the hotel or getting ripped off. Our hotel was a little hard to find but our driver just rang them up on his cell and got directions.
We booked an Orchid Loft Room in the Old Bangkok Inn at an Internet Rate of 116 per night. The hotel is on a busy street near the Democracy Monument and abo,t a ten minute walk from Khao San Road, the backpacker ghetto. The OBI is an old house converted to a ten-room boutique hotel, with custom-made dark wood furniture, bowls of water with floating flower, and pretty little one-of-a-kind knickknacks scattered throughout. Our room consisted of a lower floor with a sitting room with a couch, TV, and computer with internet (!!!) and a bathroom with a shower. Then, there are stairs to a loft with a gorgeous four poster bed, dressed in gauze and silk. It felt like a home and not a hotel. There's AC (albeit a bit loud) and, instead of travel-size toiletries, the shower gel and shampoo are housed in pretty bottles. After we settled in, we asked the helpful desk staff where to get dinner - she suggested Khao San Road or a nearby road if we found Khao San too crowded/touristy.
Khao San Road was about ten minute walk away and it was touristy and crowded but we were tired and hungry so we didn't mind. On the way, there were tons of street stalls for noodles and satays but we wanted something a little lighter. The place is a zoo, but we settled on a random restaurant that specialized in barbeque and had a perfectly acceptable meal (two seafood dishes and a beer) for about 350 baht. Then we came back, cranked the AC, and crashed. Despite being in the middle of the city, there wasn't much noise - the loft bedroom definitely helps in that regard.
Day 8: Breakfast at the OBI is incredible - a plate or artfully cut and arranged fruit ( two types of watermelon, dragonfruit, papaya, pineapple, rose apple, rambutan, and more), jackfruit, tamarind, your choice of eggs and bread and sausage and bacon, thai coconut pancakes and other doughnut like breakfast treats, coconut yogurt, juice,and tea/coffee.
At 10:00, Anjana, who we had booked at 1500 baht for eight hours from Tong, arrived. Anjana asked us what we wanted to do, and we said temples, longtail boat around the canal, grand palace, and the flower market. We piled into a tuk-tuk and headed to the Grand Palace. After that, we booked a long-tail boat and cruised the Chao Phraya, weaving in and out of little communities of teak houses while Anjana pointed out different things and explained certain aspects of Thai culture to us. We got off at the Wat Arun, checked it out, and then took a local ferry to Wat Pho, another temple. Anjana was great as she pointed out the special features of the temple and moved us along at our pace without rushing us. Next, we took a cab across town to the Vinmanek, which Anjana recommended. It's teak palace set in a garden that had been the home of Rama V. It was exquisite, and admission was free with our Grand Palace ticket.
We told Anjana we wanted to try some Thai for lunch - she took us to the Bangrak, which was really interested - iwhere you can dine alfresco on the second floor by windowboxes of greens and fresh flowers. The rest of the second floor was like a curiosity shop -crammed full with random knicknacks (scooters, antiques, books, furniture - it looked find of like an Anthropologie store but nothing was for sale. The food was sort of expensive (600 baht for two plates and a beer) and nothing special, but, again, like Khao San Road, the people watching was awesome - we watched Thais go about their business from the window above - school children, business people, etc. Anjana left us alone to have lunch and she returned 40 minutes later, with a gift - just before I left for Thailand, I found out I was pregnant and told Tong - so Tong sent Anjana to buy me prenatal milk!
The last item on our list wasthe flower market - and this involved a 50 minute cab ride in Bangkok's rush hour, which was the opposite of fun, but I got to learn the layout of the city by matching the road signs to the map in my Time Out Bangkok guide. Even though the cab ride was 50 minutes, the cost was only 100 baht. The flower market was worth it though - fresh flowers, fresh fruit, garlands, food - artfully arranged and painstakingly prepared. Anjana pointed out the different flowers and foods and explained what food was eaten for festivals, which flowers were taken to the Buddha as offerings, etc.
After the flower market, we tuk-tukked back to the OBI, where I discovered I was supposed to pay Anjana the remainder of her fee (we left a 1000 baht deposit with Tong through paypal) there and then. I was so embarrassed but I did not have the 480 baht cash on me,. as I had expected to settle with Tong after the second day, and the banks were not open (they close at 3:30!!!). I had not brought an ATM card with me, only cash, so I was in a bit of a bind. I had not exchanged cash since the $400 at the airport - it lasted 5 days!!! I wish I had asked the hotel staff, as later they informed me that there were money exchange places nearby on Khao San Road. I offered Anjana to give her $50 US, her full fee which she could easily exchange at a bank with a good rate and no fee, or $15, the part remaining out of the deposit, but she was uncertain about the exchange rate She called Tong, who said that we could just pay her the next day. Anjana was extremely polite but understandbly upset (she asked me "how can you travel without an ATM card" but calmed down after I explained to her that ATM cards are risky and with cash, you can get $$ with no fees and a good rate at the banks). She smiled, gave us a hug, and went home.
Does everyone need a guide in the city? Probably not, but it was our first day in the city and it was great to have someone show us around. We covered far more than we would have eben able to do on our own and didn't have to stress about etiquette, tuk-tuks, cabs, and transportation.
After Anjana left, we asked the hotel clerk where we could get an affordable dinner using a credit card. The clerk, a very sweet man in his early twenties, explained to us we could change money on Khao San Road and then gave us several different options for affordable, authentic Thai food in the area. We went to Khao San Road to change money and then, with the intention of trying the eateries suggested by the lad, got distracted by a street vendor selling grilled corn. While we were munching on the corn, we noticed a Japanese restaurant with a 99 baht Asahi beer special. As lovely and amazing Thai food is, nothing beats Japanese - it's light and healthy plus I had some mild nausea so we succumbed. The restaurant is called Taiteki and it's a chain in Bangkok - I had kake soba and my husband had sushi and it was so perfect after such a long day.
Day 9: We wolfed down breakfast at 6:30 because Tong was early! She was supposed to be there at 7 but I guess traffic hadn't been too bad. She told us not to eat too much, as today would be an "eating" day, and then disappeared while we enjoyed our last few minutes at the OBI. Then , off we went - Tong was our driver and she had us in stitches for an entire hour as she drove to the railway market . This woman has unbelievable energy. At the railway market, she parked and took us through the market, which exists on either side and sometimes on top of railway tracks, pointing out different foods and fruits, cracking jokes the entire time. Eight times a day the train comes through and the vendors pull all their stiff off the track. Tong had it timed perfectly - she took us to a stall right before the train came and we literally watched the train run over the fruit and veg!
Next was the floating market. Tong advised us that it was better not to buy anything there, but, if we did buy, we should bargain, and if we did bargain, we should check with her before agreeing on a final price (and that it would be rude to ask her AFTER agreeing). We hired a boat and cruised the floating market with Tong stopping to buy: satay, papaya salad, fresh mango, noodles, tamarind candy, and fruit. After the market was done, Tong had the boatman take us through the back to see the wooden houses and river life.
We hit the road again, Tong joking the entire way. We stopped at a handicraft center to use the facilities ("get happy") and check out the furniture made there. Tong made it clear she wasn't taking us there to buy anything but to see the handicrafts and that we were only going to be there for ten minutes.
Next was the fishing village. On the way, Tong bought what seemed like her body weight in bananas and some watermelon. We arrived at the fishing village and got on a boat and started cruising, this time on the Gulf of Thailand. First up were the wild monkeys, who are bananas about bananas, not to mention watemelon. We fed them for a good 20 minutes - some of them even climbed up in the boat with us. It was insanely entertaining. Then, we cruised through the mangroves, saw oyster beds and mussel beds, fishermen's houses, birds and other animals. We stopped for lunch at a fisherman's house and were treated to steamed fish with lemongrass, tamarind soup with shrimp, fried catfish with shrimp paste, rice, and fresh crab. After that, we cruised some more and headed back to Bangkok.
The entire experience was incredible and I am afraid I am not giving it justice. Tong is so engaging and energetic. She really cares about her culture and that people have as much of an authentic experience as possible. She admitted that the floating market is touristy but said she is glad it exists because people can have a chance to see how Thailand used to be. She makes sure you see what you want to see, no rush, no pressure, and works hard to make it special.
Around 5:30, we arrived at the Shangri-La - I reviewed it in another thread so there's no need to rehash here. We relaxed a bit and took the hotel boat to the Mandarin Orientla next door for some drinks and people watching. We were still too full from the day for any dinner.
Day 10: We rose leisurely and spent 1.5 hours having breakfast by the river at Next2, which is the Shangri-La restaurant where the buffet is located. The buffet is legendary, as has been described before on this forum. We got a table right by the river and could have easily stayed there all day long, just watching. Around noon, we took the Sky Train to Mo Chit, walked through the adjacent park, and found ourselves at the Chatichak Weekend Market. The skytrain was colder than a meat locker - bring a sweater- but cheap and extremely convenient. We each bought a one-day pass for 120 baht each, figuring it would cover the roundtrip from the S-La to Mo Chit plus whatever else we felt like doing. Buying individual tickets requires coins, so if you don't have coins, you need to queue up, get change from the clerk, and then proceed. Since the savings, if any, would be marginal, we got the pass.
We spent a good five hours at Chatuchak, weaving through the mazes of stalls. Prices are pretty good, not dirt cheap as they apparently once were, but very reasonable and better than Bangkok (as we found out the next day). I bought a sundress , incense, purses, and shawls to give as gifts, a little pleather bag with very pretty embroidery, and some postcards; my husband bought some ties in little boxes with matching cufflinks and tie clips as well as a little wooden elephant. We also bought, for 350 baht, a gorgeous wood wall-hanging of elephants - the shopkeeper was tough! She wouldn't bargain at all, but at 350, the piece was gorgeous and I didn't mind paying full price for it. Still full from breakfast, we bought a few little doughnuts as a snack and headed back to the S-La.
When we got back, we lounged by the gorgeous S-La pool, which, despite the hotel's full occupancy, was not overcrowded, relaxed, and watched the sunset. Then, we headed up for a dip in the jacuzzi at the health club - also, strangely empty. We then took the Skytrain to the next stop, Surasak, checked out a temple there (a Hindu one), and then walked all the way to the Sala Daeng stop, just absorbing life. We ended up in Little Tokyo and at a Japanese restaurant, "Zen," for again, affordable soba noodles and sushi. I know - we are terrible, but Japanese food is so good and so light! As wonderful as thai food is, I just can't do it for dinner, plus with my mild nausea, it was best to stick with simple things.
Next, we headed to Lebua at the State Tower to see what all the fuss was about the rooftop skybar. It's crowded and the drinks are extremely expensive, but the views are spectacular.
Day 11: Our last day!! We lounged around as long as possible and then raced downstairs to get breakfast before the buffet closed at 10:30. We checked out and left our bags at the hotel with the idea of wandering around Bangkok fort he day. It was raining, however, so we scrapped plans to do extensive walking and took the freezing sky train to the Central World mall, which includes the Japanese Isetan department stor, where we browsed around, checked out Thai fashion (there were some exhibits) and again, watched more Thai people! After a few hours (the mall is enormous), we headed over to the nearby Siam Paragon, which was more like a museum with really high end stores). There was a little tae-kwon-do festival outside and lots of Thais milling about but no one was really buying anything. By the time we finished with the Siam Paragon, it was around 5 and the sun was shining. We figured we would tale a tuk-tuk back to the hotel to avoid the freezing cold skytrain and to experience some more time in the city, but we couldn't find one sho we shivered back to the S-La on the skytrain.
Taking advantage of our 20% discount, we booked spa treatments at the CHI spa, located in the Krungthep wing. My husband got the Thai massage and I got a body scrub and mask. Then, we took the shuttle boat to the Peninsula, where we got some salads and some drinks and just relaxed for a while, soaking up the atmosphere.
We caught a cab from the Shangri-La to the airport. It was Sunday night, and there was no traffic, so we paid only 280 baht, plus about 50 baht in tolls. The epic journey of 30 hours home to Boston was not bad - ANA is an exceptional airline - except that my poor 6-ft-tall husband got shoehorned into what must have been the smallest seat on the entire plan.
So that was our trip. We brought the Lonely Planet Thailand and Time Out Bangkok but ended up using only the Time Out, which is really easy to use and has great maps. We generally took it easy and I wish we had more time to check out the street food. The skytrain is a great way to get around. We will be back.
Jan 26th, 2010, 12:04 PM
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Sounds like a perfect first trip, uname. Reading your account definitely brought me back to our first trip to Thailand (where we coincidentally stayed at the OBI--we loved it too!) where everything was just a whirlwind of sounds, smells, colors, energy and insanity.
Amazing job capturing it all so well for the rest of us.
Sounds like you've been bit by the bug--so hopefully this will be one of many more trips to the area. There's so many other jewels in SE Asia worth seeing--God knows our list just keeps growing and growing.
Amazing job capturing it all so well for the rest of us.
Sounds like you've been bit by the bug--so hopefully this will be one of many more trips to the area. There's so many other jewels in SE Asia worth seeing--God knows our list just keeps growing and growing.
Jan 26th, 2010, 12:15 PM
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Thanks for the report. It was great. Ko Lanta sounds really wonderful. A perfect beach relaxation. Glad to see that Tong has another fan. She is wonderful. I can't bel;ieve you spent 5 hours at the weekend market. You must have a lot of energy. Timely report, no penalty.
Jan 26th, 2010, 12:54 PM
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Ko Lanta, and Lalaanta, were definitely worth the epic journey (43 hours door to door). That's a special place. Haven't seen is discussed on this forum at all - I chose it after reading tripadvisor reviews which, for once, were right on the money.
Jan 26th, 2010, 02:47 PM
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We felt so guilty eating Japanese but we did manage to eat amazing Thai for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday at Lalaanta and with Tong. We cannot resist Japanese food - we eat it everywhere!
I forgot to mention the weather in Thailand for others planning a January trip - it was hot, dry, and sunny. In Ko Lanta, there was a magnificient breeze that actually made me a little cold despite the 90 degree temperature and bright sunshine (I am all about hot weather). Found out from the clerk at the OBI that the "low" temperature is 70 degrees. Wow.
I forgot to mention the weather in Thailand for others planning a January trip - it was hot, dry, and sunny. In Ko Lanta, there was a magnificient breeze that actually made me a little cold despite the 90 degree temperature and bright sunshine (I am all about hot weather). Found out from the clerk at the OBI that the "low" temperature is 70 degrees. Wow.
Jan 27th, 2010, 06:20 PM
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Hmmm... when I was talking about low humidity, I was referring mostly to Ko Lanta. Looking at my pictures there must have been some humidity in Bangkok because my hair looked like the Bride of Frankenstein one day and we did have some rain another day (or maybe the same day). But for the most part, the humidity in Bangkok was not very noticeable because we barely sweat at all despite the bright sun. Maybe we just got lucky for those four days.
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