July 07 - Thailand & Laos - help with Hua Hin and Luang Prabang pls!
Jun 17th, 2007, 03:33 PM
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July 07 - Thailand & Laos - help with Hua Hin and Luang Prabang pls!
Hello all - long time no post, have been out of action for a while...
Mr BB has given the go ahead for a 2 week trip to Thailand/Laos in the last two weeks of July before he starts a new job. A possible trip only at this stage as we have only this two week window and it may be that the funeral of my close friend is during that time, in which case we would not go to Asia. We will hopefully know the date of the funeral in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I thought I would try and finalise some plans so that we can book if we are able as soon as we know.
Last year, we had a fantabulous five week trip to Thailand for our wedding with 25 close friends and family plus our toddler and had a wonderful time. This year, Little Miss BB (now aged 3) voted with her mum for Thailand as the destination of choice. She practices her Thai - sawadee ka, khap khun ka (sorry about sp...) and sabai di mai v frequently. To persuade Mr BB that we should return to Thailand, she has taken to wai-ing at him many times during the day. She wants to go back to see the elephants.
We will be travelling from London - so jetlag is not so bad but I think the direct flights will be v expensive at this late stage so it may be we come on Emirates which is showing up about £200 cheaper per person.
We are not sure of the order yet, but plan to spend time in Bangkok, Hua Hin and Luang Prabang. So I've been doing some research and have gone round in circles...and would love some input!
Bangkok: we are going to stay in the Marriott on the river. I would love to return to the Oriental, Mr BB would love to return to the Peninsula - bank manager would point us in the direction of the Marriott which is a great place for Miss BB in any event and saves us having a big row about O v P as well. (I still have secret plan to slip in the Oriental at some point, just need to be surreptious about it...)
Hua Hin: we passed through a few years ago but have never spent any time here. We want to spend 4 nights or so by the sea for R & R - this might be our first port of call to get over jet lag etc.
Possible hotels:
Hyatt, Sofitel, Anantara, Wora Bura. All of these are within our price range - any other similarly priced options considered too
Would welcome opinions on any of these. Sports facilities are needed to keep husband happy (tennis, golf, watersports - any sports!), kids club/other kids to play with/kids facilities would be great for my daughter. I would love to be somewhere that either had yoga classes or was near a yoga studio (have found 2 nr the Sofitel) and spa facilities. We all would like a great pool as I have read that beach has jellyfish on it sometimes so want to have backup.
I think all of these resorts meet some/all of these wishes but I'd love to hear your opinions. We tend not to eat where we are staying in the evening, but lovely breakfasts would be v popular! Any restaurant recommendations for evening welcomed too.
Finally, Luang Prabang. First question is - how long? I was thinking 4 nights - but then have read that I will want to stay there at least double that! Maybe we should go there straight away in case we love it and don't want to leave! We would like to include LP in this trip but if we can't get the flights/hotel then we may head up to Chiang Mai to stay at Baan Orapin again.
For Luang Prabang, we need somewhere with a pool as it will be hot and our 3 year old will need activities like that to cool off. So options are, I think:
Maison Souvannaphoum
La Residence Phou Vao
Satri (but have read some poor write ups on Tripadvisor)
Are there any others with a pool? Will we be 'out of the action' with these two options and if so, how easy is it to get transport or walk into town?
In/nr Luang Prabang, is there somewhere like the elephant conservation centre in Chiang Mai that we can visit?
Flights to Luang Prabang - cheapest way to get there seems to be Lao Airlines and I have read that they are no longer using those old rustbuckets that they used to which is good - that is something I don't want to experience again! What is the best way to book tickets?
Many thanks in advance,
BB
Mr BB has given the go ahead for a 2 week trip to Thailand/Laos in the last two weeks of July before he starts a new job. A possible trip only at this stage as we have only this two week window and it may be that the funeral of my close friend is during that time, in which case we would not go to Asia. We will hopefully know the date of the funeral in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I thought I would try and finalise some plans so that we can book if we are able as soon as we know.
Last year, we had a fantabulous five week trip to Thailand for our wedding with 25 close friends and family plus our toddler and had a wonderful time. This year, Little Miss BB (now aged 3) voted with her mum for Thailand as the destination of choice. She practices her Thai - sawadee ka, khap khun ka (sorry about sp...) and sabai di mai v frequently. To persuade Mr BB that we should return to Thailand, she has taken to wai-ing at him many times during the day. She wants to go back to see the elephants.
We will be travelling from London - so jetlag is not so bad but I think the direct flights will be v expensive at this late stage so it may be we come on Emirates which is showing up about £200 cheaper per person.
We are not sure of the order yet, but plan to spend time in Bangkok, Hua Hin and Luang Prabang. So I've been doing some research and have gone round in circles...and would love some input!
Bangkok: we are going to stay in the Marriott on the river. I would love to return to the Oriental, Mr BB would love to return to the Peninsula - bank manager would point us in the direction of the Marriott which is a great place for Miss BB in any event and saves us having a big row about O v P as well. (I still have secret plan to slip in the Oriental at some point, just need to be surreptious about it...)
Hua Hin: we passed through a few years ago but have never spent any time here. We want to spend 4 nights or so by the sea for R & R - this might be our first port of call to get over jet lag etc.
Possible hotels:
Hyatt, Sofitel, Anantara, Wora Bura. All of these are within our price range - any other similarly priced options considered too
Would welcome opinions on any of these. Sports facilities are needed to keep husband happy (tennis, golf, watersports - any sports!), kids club/other kids to play with/kids facilities would be great for my daughter. I would love to be somewhere that either had yoga classes or was near a yoga studio (have found 2 nr the Sofitel) and spa facilities. We all would like a great pool as I have read that beach has jellyfish on it sometimes so want to have backup.
I think all of these resorts meet some/all of these wishes but I'd love to hear your opinions. We tend not to eat where we are staying in the evening, but lovely breakfasts would be v popular! Any restaurant recommendations for evening welcomed too.
Finally, Luang Prabang. First question is - how long? I was thinking 4 nights - but then have read that I will want to stay there at least double that! Maybe we should go there straight away in case we love it and don't want to leave! We would like to include LP in this trip but if we can't get the flights/hotel then we may head up to Chiang Mai to stay at Baan Orapin again.
For Luang Prabang, we need somewhere with a pool as it will be hot and our 3 year old will need activities like that to cool off. So options are, I think:
Maison Souvannaphoum
La Residence Phou Vao
Satri (but have read some poor write ups on Tripadvisor)
Are there any others with a pool? Will we be 'out of the action' with these two options and if so, how easy is it to get transport or walk into town?
In/nr Luang Prabang, is there somewhere like the elephant conservation centre in Chiang Mai that we can visit?
Flights to Luang Prabang - cheapest way to get there seems to be Lao Airlines and I have read that they are no longer using those old rustbuckets that they used to which is good - that is something I don't want to experience again! What is the best way to book tickets?
Many thanks in advance,
BB
Jun 17th, 2007, 04:07 PM
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Welcome back. We stayed at the sofitel in HH and loved it. Centrally located, wonderful pool and very relaxing. Short walk into town.
We're going to LP for four days in November. It seems to be the minimum.
We're going to LP for four days in November. It seems to be the minimum.
Jun 17th, 2007, 04:12 PM
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The Peninsula has a great rate now for suites called "The Suite Life". It's room only, but $275.00/night ++ for two nights.
The Oriental also has a very nice "Getaway" package that on the surface may seem expensive at first, but has RT limo transfers, China House lunch and daily breakfast incuded, making it the best deal I could find for the Oriental this summer.
On a health note, the rainy season in SEA started a bit early, and the mosquitos are high in number. Cases of dengue and malaria are both increased from previous years, with July being the peak dengue month. Use lots of DEET, cover skin with clothing. Luang Prabang is a malaria risk area, so you may want to consult your doctor/travel doctor about prophylaxis.
The Oriental also has a very nice "Getaway" package that on the surface may seem expensive at first, but has RT limo transfers, China House lunch and daily breakfast incuded, making it the best deal I could find for the Oriental this summer.
On a health note, the rainy season in SEA started a bit early, and the mosquitos are high in number. Cases of dengue and malaria are both increased from previous years, with July being the peak dengue month. Use lots of DEET, cover skin with clothing. Luang Prabang is a malaria risk area, so you may want to consult your doctor/travel doctor about prophylaxis.
Jun 17th, 2007, 05:01 PM
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Welcome back to the Asia board, BB!
We very much enjoyed Hua Hin. While we loved the Anantara, I'm not sure it really has much in terms of children's activities. And the Sofitel is the only hotel in town I would consider, but again, I don't know about children's activities.
I'd recommend the Hyatt - it has a children's club to Bella. It has a new spa (which was built after I was last there) but it is a five minute walk from the Chiva Som which is often considerd the best destination spa in the world. It's a truly amazing place, with truly amazing spa treatments. They also have things like yoga classes. Sports facilities are readily available for Mr. BB. It has several nice swimming pools - and a special wading pool for Bella.
For Luang Prabang, you'll need to fly Bangkok Air from Bangkok to LP. Lao Air has several flights a week from CM to LP, but it's not worth flying to CM to get there. I'd highly recommend La Residence Phou Vao. The swimming pool is gorgeous, as is the view from the rooms of LP and Mt. Phousi. It's located right on teh edge of town. The hotel has a shuttle that will take you into town, and any tuk-tuk will take you back. We never felt too far away. I'd say four nights is ok. We did spend a week and just loved it.
It sounds like a great trip!
We very much enjoyed Hua Hin. While we loved the Anantara, I'm not sure it really has much in terms of children's activities. And the Sofitel is the only hotel in town I would consider, but again, I don't know about children's activities.
I'd recommend the Hyatt - it has a children's club to Bella. It has a new spa (which was built after I was last there) but it is a five minute walk from the Chiva Som which is often considerd the best destination spa in the world. It's a truly amazing place, with truly amazing spa treatments. They also have things like yoga classes. Sports facilities are readily available for Mr. BB. It has several nice swimming pools - and a special wading pool for Bella.
For Luang Prabang, you'll need to fly Bangkok Air from Bangkok to LP. Lao Air has several flights a week from CM to LP, but it's not worth flying to CM to get there. I'd highly recommend La Residence Phou Vao. The swimming pool is gorgeous, as is the view from the rooms of LP and Mt. Phousi. It's located right on teh edge of town. The hotel has a shuttle that will take you into town, and any tuk-tuk will take you back. We never felt too far away. I'd say four nights is ok. We did spend a week and just loved it.
It sounds like a great trip!
Jun 17th, 2007, 05:53 PM
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we also loved the la residence, aka the pansea...
there is a small kids play yard on the property...plus a nice pool, but no kids pool...
it is on the edge of town....
maison is nice and the closest to town that you mention, so would be the most convenient, but many rooms are reportably small...
la res. rooms are huge and our had two balconies...
villa santi resort is the one with the pool.....we looked there but it is way out of town and we did not like the rooms....not a good choice...villa santi in town has no pool....
4 nites would be perfect ....
there is a small kids play yard on the property...plus a nice pool, but no kids pool...
it is on the edge of town....
maison is nice and the closest to town that you mention, so would be the most convenient, but many rooms are reportably small...
la res. rooms are huge and our had two balconies...
villa santi resort is the one with the pool.....we looked there but it is way out of town and we did not like the rooms....not a good choice...villa santi in town has no pool....
4 nites would be perfect ....
Jun 17th, 2007, 06:56 PM
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Hua Hin. We stay at the Hyatt with our 3 children but as for kids club...not so good. The rooms are also very very small. They did build a new spa which I hear is wonderful. The Sofitel just finished redoiong their 1 bedroom villas (not sure the price), but if you need extra space and they have a plunge pool. The Evason, a bit more $$, but they have the best kids club in my opinion as you can drop them off for many activites. (however, far from the city and no beach access but it is on the water). The Hilton on the river just opened and I also hear good things.
Jun 17th, 2007, 07:10 PM
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Wm--i assume you mean the hilton in bkk?? if so, the rooms are weird there....you would never fit one kid in never mind 3...
the rooms at hyatt are not small at all....they are amoung the biggest rooms i have seen in thailand....are you sure you have the right hotel?
the rooms at hyatt are not small at all....they are amoung the biggest rooms i have seen in thailand....are you sure you have the right hotel?
Jun 17th, 2007, 07:46 PM
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Yes. I have the right hotel. I live in Bangkok and travel there often and they are the smallest I have stayed in Hua Hin. Having said that, it is usually our hotel of choice. If you stay in the regent level you can easily accommodiate 3 people, but no more than.
Jun 17th, 2007, 08:09 PM
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Wm...not to kick a dead horse....but on most recent stay i first stayed in room 1230 in the regular section and it was very lovely...
we then moved to the club section....we had two rooms there and both were smaller than the regular room but not by much....
we then moved to the club section....we had two rooms there and both were smaller than the regular room but not by much....
Jun 17th, 2007, 08:10 PM
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Wm, are you talking about the Regency Club rooms at the Hyatt in Hua Hin? While I liked the Hyatt, I thought the Regency Club rooms were the same size as the regular rooms (at least I can't imagine the regular rooms being smaller!).
Jun 17th, 2007, 10:39 PM
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welocme back BB.
I can second the Hyatt in HH. we stayed at the regency level in the Hyatt last year and thought it fantastic. As Bob said the food in the hotel itself is very resonable.
On the flight front have you checked out Eva? (I am sure you have as i seem to recall you flew with them last year) and also travelmood.com on the net? I have had some good deals off them in the past and they have some GREAT flight offers usually( click on hot deals and then flights - not sure what class you want to fly but currently they have a deal with royal jordanian economy for £379!!!!-there is a store on Angel high street too)
Smeagol
I can second the Hyatt in HH. we stayed at the regency level in the Hyatt last year and thought it fantastic. As Bob said the food in the hotel itself is very resonable.
On the flight front have you checked out Eva? (I am sure you have as i seem to recall you flew with them last year) and also travelmood.com on the net? I have had some good deals off them in the past and they have some GREAT flight offers usually( click on hot deals and then flights - not sure what class you want to fly but currently they have a deal with royal jordanian economy for £379!!!!-there is a store on Angel high street too)
Smeagol
Jun 18th, 2007, 02:28 AM
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Thanks for all the tips and advice.
Flights - thanks Smeagol, will look into Travel Moods. Just found 3 flights on Emirates for £1536 - not direct though. Going to ring around the companies and see what deals can be done if we book some hotels through them too as have found in the past that Eva, BA and Thai become equivalent rate then.
We are now thinking of flying so we arrive on 14th July. Fly out on evening of 28th/29th July so we have 14 nights to play with.
Current thinking is 4 nights Hua Hin, 4 nights in Luang Prabang and 6 nights in Bangkok (cd be split up). But flights on Bangkok Air at the moment are seem expensive. They have a 2 for 1 deal if you book with Amex, but we can't add onto that deal the flight for Bella. They also have some promotional fares but they only go up to 30th June so perhaps we will have to wait and see if anything comes up.
I had found on Laos Airlines timetable flights from Bangkok to LP - http://www.laoairlines.com/timetable_new_i.html - they are not included in the Discovery pass but perhaps they are no longer running. Does anyone know? Virtually half the price of Bangkok Air.
HH hotel - favouring Hyatt at the moment for fantastic kids pool area and rooms for £60 (£10 less than budget and proximity to Chiva Som - v v exciting...
LP - Mr BB's first choice is now La Residence PV - the pictures of the pool remind him of Maya Ubud.
Kim - thanks for Oriental deal tip. Might just have to squeeze that in - on the basis that it will nearly be our anniversary...
Thanks all again - any more tips still welcomed!
BB
Flights - thanks Smeagol, will look into Travel Moods. Just found 3 flights on Emirates for £1536 - not direct though. Going to ring around the companies and see what deals can be done if we book some hotels through them too as have found in the past that Eva, BA and Thai become equivalent rate then.
We are now thinking of flying so we arrive on 14th July. Fly out on evening of 28th/29th July so we have 14 nights to play with.
Current thinking is 4 nights Hua Hin, 4 nights in Luang Prabang and 6 nights in Bangkok (cd be split up). But flights on Bangkok Air at the moment are seem expensive. They have a 2 for 1 deal if you book with Amex, but we can't add onto that deal the flight for Bella. They also have some promotional fares but they only go up to 30th June so perhaps we will have to wait and see if anything comes up.
I had found on Laos Airlines timetable flights from Bangkok to LP - http://www.laoairlines.com/timetable_new_i.html - they are not included in the Discovery pass but perhaps they are no longer running. Does anyone know? Virtually half the price of Bangkok Air.
HH hotel - favouring Hyatt at the moment for fantastic kids pool area and rooms for £60 (£10 less than budget
and proximity to Chiva Som - v v exciting...LP - Mr BB's first choice is now La Residence PV - the pictures of the pool remind him of Maya Ubud.
Kim - thanks for Oriental deal tip. Might just have to squeeze that in - on the basis that it will nearly be our anniversary...
Thanks all again - any more tips still welcomed!
BB
Jun 18th, 2007, 03:16 AM
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LP may be out - been reflecting malaria situation. Not sure I want B to take anti-malarials at this age, wouldn't go without taking them either.
Any other suggestions for 3rd place - we have friends in Singapore and family too so we could incorporate a trip there but not quite the relaxing atmosphere we had hoped for. I wonder if we could go to Bali and Bangkok - it is the dry season in Bali, is that right?
BB
Any other suggestions for 3rd place - we have friends in Singapore and family too so we could incorporate a trip there but not quite the relaxing atmosphere we had hoped for. I wonder if we could go to Bali and Bangkok - it is the dry season in Bali, is that right?
BB
Jun 18th, 2007, 03:36 AM
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We've been to Bali and love it. We're going to Singapore, and actually extended our time there from our original plan as there is a lot we want to see/do there. Lots for kids...zoo, night safari, bird park, Sentosa, hotel pool, hawkers (perfect for grazers), toy museum...endless opportunities. http://www.visitsingapore.com/publis.../en/index.html
I would say 4 -5 days Singapore and the rest in Bali. There is tons to do in Bali, too, or it's a perfect place to relax and let the holiday happen. Kids are welcomed everywhere. Many, many great hotel options, from basic to luxurious. Bali is overall cheaper than Thailand we think.
I would say 4 -5 days Singapore and the rest in Bali. There is tons to do in Bali, too, or it's a perfect place to relax and let the holiday happen. Kids are welcomed everywhere. Many, many great hotel options, from basic to luxurious. Bali is overall cheaper than Thailand we think.
Jun 18th, 2007, 03:45 AM
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Also tempted by Anantara Golden Triangle - looks gorgeous, and elephants for B. No risk for Chiang Rai city on CDC website either. Is Anantara close to the city?
Gutted about LP
- that will have to wait until another time
. No risk for Chiang Rai city on CDC website either. Is Anantara close to the city?Gutted about LP
- that will have to wait until another time
Jun 18th, 2007, 03:50 AM
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Just seen your post Kim - am plotting out alternative trip with Bali and/or Singapore included. Even if we don't venture down as far as Bali (the cost of flights from London would be considerably more), we may well take in Singapore.
John likes Bali as he can surf and we like Ubud.
So many possibilities...but I do want to spend some time in Bangkok and catch up with Tong too.
I think you have been to Anantara with your daughter - or is that this trip forthcoming?
John likes Bali as he can surf and we like Ubud.
So many possibilities...but I do want to spend some time in Bangkok and catch up with Tong too.
I think you have been to Anantara with your daughter - or is that this trip forthcoming?
Jun 18th, 2007, 04:37 AM
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The Anantara trip is in August. And it's also in a malaria risk area. Chiang Rai city is not, but the border areas of Laos, Thailand and Burma are risk areas and the Anantara is right there. I have a good friend who is a malaria expert and he has strongly advised us to take meds for that area, especially this. Malarone has just been made available via personal import scheme in Japan, at a hefty ¥1000 per dose, but we're going to buy it and take it.
Jun 18th, 2007, 04:59 AM
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Wow that is pricey! I am sure you will have a fantastic time - I remember that your daughter enjoyed the Elephant conservation centre nr CM.
Thank you for the info re. malaria. I think that means for us, Anantara is also out...back to drawing board
Thank you for the info re. malaria. I think that means for us, Anantara is also out...back to drawing board
Jun 18th, 2007, 06:48 AM
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Hi Bella_Bluebell:
We were in Cha-Am/Hua Hin in February of this year, and really loved it. We stayed at the Veranda Resort in Cha-Am, which was perfect for recovering from jet lag and enjoying the beach. This from my journal:
"<b>Veranda Resort, Cha Am</b>
Lovely resort; 2 restaurants, small fitness center, spa, huge pool, nicely landscaped grounds, beach. We had an Executive Suite, which was nice to have the extra space. Furniture was not very comfortable – no arms on the chairs to support Peter’s back, and low to the ground. Because we were in the suite, every night we got some little “goody” left in our room – one night it was a plate of hor d’eurves, another night a plate of fruit, one night a bag of chips – it was always fun to see what would be brought. There was wireless internet, which they give you 24 hours for free. Rated as superior."
They did something that was so sweet and unexpected -when registering, they noticed that we were staying there on DH birthday - and they baked him a cake and delivered it to our room with a botte of champagne!
It seemed to be a very kid-friendly place - small horses(ponies?) available for riding right on the beach in front of the resort, jet skis, bannana-boats, great pool. It is about 20 minutes from Hua Hin, and they have a free shuttle that runs to town a number of times. We did not find being outside of Hua Hin to be any problem at all.
The following link is to some photos of the grounds of the Veranda and Hua Hin. There's a couple there from a restaurant called Supatra by the Sea - a very good restaurant that has a sister-restaurant in BKK that is also very good.
http://tinyurl.com/3bhpsu
<font color="green">Cyn</font>
We were in Cha-Am/Hua Hin in February of this year, and really loved it. We stayed at the Veranda Resort in Cha-Am, which was perfect for recovering from jet lag and enjoying the beach. This from my journal:
"<b>Veranda Resort, Cha Am</b>
Lovely resort; 2 restaurants, small fitness center, spa, huge pool, nicely landscaped grounds, beach. We had an Executive Suite, which was nice to have the extra space. Furniture was not very comfortable – no arms on the chairs to support Peter’s back, and low to the ground. Because we were in the suite, every night we got some little “goody” left in our room – one night it was a plate of hor d’eurves, another night a plate of fruit, one night a bag of chips – it was always fun to see what would be brought. There was wireless internet, which they give you 24 hours for free. Rated as superior."
They did something that was so sweet and unexpected -when registering, they noticed that we were staying there on DH birthday - and they baked him a cake and delivered it to our room with a botte of champagne!
It seemed to be a very kid-friendly place - small horses(ponies?) available for riding right on the beach in front of the resort, jet skis, bannana-boats, great pool. It is about 20 minutes from Hua Hin, and they have a free shuttle that runs to town a number of times. We did not find being outside of Hua Hin to be any problem at all.
The following link is to some photos of the grounds of the Veranda and Hua Hin. There's a couple there from a restaurant called Supatra by the Sea - a very good restaurant that has a sister-restaurant in BKK that is also very good.
http://tinyurl.com/3bhpsu
<font color="green">Cyn</font>
