rhkkmk's to start 10th asian trip

Have a great flight !

Karen may want to look at this, is in today's Bangkok Post about Phetchaburi - interesting about sights to see and more on those temples etc!

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Horizons/24Apr2008_hori005.php

Looking forward to what you think of the Sheraton Cha Am

This is so unfair. How do innocent Pandas get blamed for Bob careening around in asia for two months? I can only hope he did not mention my name in the endless telephone calls with the United staff.

Speaking of which, does anyone else have a hard time imagining Bob interacting with any ticket agents that really want to help? I strongly suspect that their primary motivation was to end the call as soon as possible.

Bob
I hope the trip goes off without a hitch, since securing the flights was such a nightmare. I know how much you love pre-planning. I'm sure it was a bit unsettling to find out that all your plans had to change!

Looking forward to seeing you back in Bangkok! Andy, too bad you and Beth can't make it to the GTG.

Carol

What does your entire itinerary look like?
Is Bali ready for both the rhkmk's and the pandas on the same island at the same time?

Thanks James A....I will copy that to refer to when we are in the area. Are we going to get to meet you finally?

so lorna, here is the trip outline...

one way car rental, home to JFK; dinner with Laurieco; overnite at fairfield inn JFK;
thai air to bkk; 4 nites at the bangkok marriott resort and spa; hyatt shuttle to Hua Hin; 2 award nites at the hyatt regency, HH; rent a car for two days; move north to the new sheraton HH for just one nite to check it out; then back to the hyatt for 2 award nites in the regency club; hyatt shuttle back to bkk (500B per person each way); one nite at the Plaza Anthenee, bangkok; air asia flight to Kuala Lumpur; 4 nites Imperial Hotel (sheraton); road transfer to Melaka; 3 nites Renaissance Hotel; road transfer to Kuantan; 3 nites Hyatt; road transfer to K/L for one nite at Imperial; OK I KNOW YOU THINK WE ARE MOVING AROUND WAY TOO MUCH; air asia flight to Bali; 2 nites at the Puri Santrian in Sanur; Merpati Air flight to Lombok; 3 nites at Qunci Villas (thanks kathie and cheryl); late afternoon flt back to bali; meet up with Pandas in Ubud; 5 nites at Alam Shanti, outdide Ubud (thanks Putu for suggesting this small group of hotels); during a day with Putu we will change hotels back to Sanur; 4 nites at Tandjung Sari, Sanur (sharring a family bungalow with 2 master suites with the Pandas); afternoon air asia flight to K/L; Imperial hotel one nite; afternoon air asia flight to bangkok; one nite bangkok marriott resort and spa (change over of left luggage); limo to Pattaya; 4 nites in a friend's villa at jontiem beach; road to airport for air asia flight to Phuket; 4 nites Le Meridien Phuket; car rental for 1/2 of this stay through to leaving phuket; transfer to Krabi Sheraton for 4 nites (meet up with fodorites while there); transfer to Le Meridien Khao Lak for 3 nites; return car at phuket airport; air asia flight to bangkok; 7 nites Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa (meet up with fodorites one afternoon)....

so that's it, just a simple trip, with lots of moving around, but lots of down time as well....

Sounds like quite a trip. I cannot wait for the report.

Thanks for sharing the airline story. It gets more complicated each day to book the award flights, but perseverence does pay off. Don and I were in Singapore last month; way more interesting than I had been told to expect. (however, pricey by Asian standards.) We are very interested in hearing about your Bali trip; We went 7 years ago and loved it. Haven't been back since the political situation changed, but we'd love to return. We're looking forward to your trip report.
Speaking of that, we do want to put together one on our last trip to SW China (Lijiang). Finally, we may be able to "give back" with some suggestions about hotels and restaurants in that area. Information was kinda scarce and not always accurate. As soon as the school year is over, I'll post.
Have a wonderful time, Karen, Bob, Beth and Andy!.

Joyce and Don
p.s. Don and I are going to be up your way twice this summer....The Cape the last week in June, and Hartford the end of August. Any Get-Togethers being planned near those dates?

you will note that we are staying in quite a few sheraton and sheraton family hotels....their FF points plan is really a good one and we are often taking advantage of their cash and points deals...using this, we pay as little as 1600 points plus $30 for one nite's lodging....that is a steal for 4 and 5* accomdodations...

as for all the planning....it has all been done using the internet...i have spent the better part of the year tweaking and retweaking my plans....as recently as yesterday i made a change....it is my hobby, along with fodors...

we have a small Fodors GTG scheduled for may 3 in bangkok, when about a dozen will meet at the bangkok royal sports club one afternoon, thanks to hanuman....we look forward to seeing michaelbkk again at the GTG, as well as some new faces..

karen and i will have dinner with hanuman and his family the nite before, (may 2), at the JOK kitchen restaurant in china town...this looks like a very exciting evening...we will meet them at their house, for drinks, prior to the dinner...we look forward to meeting them after a correspondance of several years....we always enjoy his fodors posts....including his great pictures...

we will meet up with carol too, at the GTG, if not in some very dark market around town....

we will visit with our friends gal and cherry in pattaya again...

we will share a drink with two other fodorite families, one in krabi and one at the marriott...we look forward to these visits as well...

tong says that she will join us for dinner at harmonique on our first nite.....we will be glad to see her again...we have hired her for a full day at the end of our trip. originally we thought we would visit the tiger temple, but now we think we may just hang around bkk and visit some areas that she may be able to introduce us to that we have not visited before, like the back alleys of chinatown.....i think we will make another orphanage visit as well...we hope to meet up at the end of the day with chang, tong's husband, to enjoy a dinner at the now infamous CC restaurant...we also hope to meet pear, her small daughter, and maybe even visit her house...Tong's husband's family own eyeglass shops, so we plan on both coming away with several new pairs of glasses...

we plan on visits to the flower market...this is always one highlight of our bkk visits...

andy and i have hired putu as our driver/guide for several days in bali and we look forward to that...thanks to craig, we used him on our first visit to bali several years ago....

i should interject here that we had a lovely brunch last sunday with craig and jeane at sturbridge, MA, a place about 1/2 way between their CT house and our MA house....its always fun to get-together with them....we talked about our trip and their recent trip to sri lanka....jeane wore a beautiful new neckpiece which she had aquired at kathie's SJ jewelers in bkk....

we also look forward to lots of shopping, although we will, for the first time, be very conscious of any added weight to our suitcases...hate all these new airline rules..karen and beth have already discussed shipping things home from bali....we shall see....

so i think that is all for now...i may report our ny visit with laurie and then the next report will be from bangkok....

bob and karen

already i have made my first mistake....THIS WILL BE OUR 11th ASIA VISIT...

joyce---don't know of any, lets see if craig takes the bait???

It's sure to be nothing short of an adventure--you two (and the Pandas) have a blast!

Always wanted to be able to make one of the BKK GTGs but, alas, it's not in the cards again.

Can't wait to read about your trip...warm the city up for us, we'll be there in a few (long) months!

Have a great trip!

You're one of the nicest posters around and always willing to help someone out. (Is Gpanda retching?) So here's another one looking forward to your trip report!

Bob- we will want a critique of the cashew chicken in every venue!

Your trip sounds awesome, going to loads of cool places, have fun!! That is my type of trip..

K has convinced me that i need to branch out away from the cashew and chicken, so while i will often have it i will have many other things as well....as a yardstick, it has proven itself very well over all these years...

god only knows i may eat lettuce, buffets and ice in my drinks....naught....

Yes, Jeane and I very much enjoyed our mini-GTG with Bob and Karen where we received a preview of all the gory details of their upcoming trip...

Have a wonderful time B&K!

Joyce and Don - we will take the bait - perhaps we can do a mini-GTG in late August when you are in the Hartford area??

For the "drinks" at our house I will use real rocks for your whiskey on the rocks.

I know you'll have a wonderful time! I'm looking forward to all of the details!

pook, singha will do just fine, leave the rocks in the garden....haha

Bob- have a great trip! I'm anxious to see how you like Plaza Athenee and Cha Am Sheraton as we may stay there with points in July.

I can't wait for the trip reports. Will it read like AsOksanas where Bob throws his weight and attitude around like a Nasty Needhamite? or will the plot head into Laartista's tale of cursing co-travelers? Will Tong have to be fiired when she become smitten with Bob's face?

Oooh, my anticipation builds....!

Nah, I know you and Karen will have a fabulous time and everyone here loves your detailed and fun reports.

I only wish we were both going to be in KL at the same time, so you could meet my group..Forodites Mari808, MelissaHI, my DD from BU, plus 3 other future Fodorites. We'll share notes in Honolulu in September though!

Bon voyage, Bob and Karen! What a wonderful time awaits you.

Thanks for the instructive and helpful detail about airline booking problems. I look forward to reading your observations about the different carriers you are using on this trip.

It looks as though we'll be spending some time in Vietnam this summer but we're way behind you in making plans.

Safe travels!

Bob, quit bad mouthing lawyers or I'm going to poison you Monday night. Karen, of course, will be safe.

I'm in Bali now. I've managed to warn just about everyone of your arrival. The stalls at Jimbaran are laying in more coconuts for the fires, and reinforcing the sand around the tables. The waiters are bulking up as best they can. Since it's low season, Sanur decided to just close up and leave town for a few weeks. The 'transport' mob are ensuring you can't possibly escape them this time.

Wow! Seems like those two months are sure to fly by. Will this be the longest trip thus far?

Looks wonderful.

Katie Bar The Door!!

Bob and Andy are returning to SEAsia and the region may never be the same again. And, now that Carol is there too, there really may be nothing left for anyone else to purchase. I can already imagine the vendors re-pricing their goods upwards, so that after all the bargaining they will be subjected to, they will be able to get the prices the items are selling for now. Of course, its also been reported that local restaurants are already calling out for more food.

We look forward to your reports. Now, for such an extended trip, I imagine the late posting penalties will have to be both more severe and more quickly doled out. All payments should be distributed at the next few GTGs. In view of the dollar's continuing and precipitous fall - penalties to be paid in Euros, or Baht.

Have a terrific time.

karen prides herself in being able to travel light....this is especially important this year given the airline crack down on carry on and checked luggage weights....add to this the fact that we will have several flights on air asia, i too will comply this year.....also we expect to purchase way less than we have in other years...no more place mats and table clothes and other bulky items...

we each have a 22 inche roller as our main suitcase....this year we each have added an 18 inche roller as our carry-on...i am also taking a small duffle bag which currently is full of 'throw away' old undies
and a few odd things to be left behind during the trip... it will serve as an overflow bag for items purchased during the trip....we do plan to ship items if necessary....karen has her eye on tons of grass/straw items from bali...

we will rely heavily on local laundries to assist us all along the way....we use them for everything except k's white slacks or blouces.....when necessary we also utilize hotel laundries...

health----we keep up to date on our shots....we always visit the travel clinic at a harvard teaching hospital before we travel to developing countries or tropical countries....this winter we had our visit and the only thing we needed was scripts for malarone for malaria...our health insurance covers the visit and the shots and meds, with a small co-pay...

allied to this we are very careful what we eat, where we eat and what we drink all during the trip...we shy away from ice mostly...no salads and try to have most things cooked for us...exceptions are made: daily buffet breakfasts..at 4 and 5* hotels we loosen up a bit....we also prefer never to eat at buffets for lunch or dinner...in many many trips these rules have worked for us....why change now...

we also bought evacuation insurance last year through DAN, the divers association....very reasonable and coverage seems decent....thanks kathie for suggesting this one...

our health insurance will cover us for overseas travel mishaps on a reimbursement plan...

we have visited bummergard hospital in bkk for a look around and are satisfied that they can provide anything we might need in the future for treatment....

pills....at our age we take a few pills...in other years we have been careful to take them in carefully marked script bottles....this year they are all in baggies....see you in jail...maybe...

our health insurance allows 2 vacation early refills per year so managing the pills for a 60 days trip is quite easy...

karen brings a little health kit of her own to cover anything we might need....we also get a script for tummy problems/food poisoning...we take sleeping pills on the plane--halcion...



we bring a few gifts for people we will encounter along the way, especially for people who provide us with service trip after trip...we try to bring something from new england...

femi---yes this will be our longest ever trip, well except for our marriage of 41 years....

robert (ten.) do you think it wise that i have choosen an attorney to travel with?? laurie threatened to poison me if i don't lay off attorneys.....sounds like a plan, lay off all attorneys....

Sounds like quite a trip. I am looking forward to hearing the details as your trip progresses. Safe travels, and enjoy.

Bob

Glad you are bringing gifts. Remember, I'm here and I like the Louis Vuitton "jokes" bags... from another thread. lol

Looking forward to your report. Sounds like a great adventure.

Carol

Have an amazing time!
& Take care
J

carol---the bags have now become part of the thai national lottery....i will participate when i am in town and offer up the bags...only worthy individuals can have one....

Bob cannot let the hotels know he has the evacuation card from DAN. they will keep calling to have hime evacuated.

Karen will be stuck with him for two months. What is the approximate number of hotel managers to whom he will speak? I'd guess seven. Any other guesses?

WOW! Great trip. Can't wait for the reports along the way. Sharing a villa in Bali with the Pandas -- hmmm, you and Andy will either kill each other or die laughing from all the jokes back and forth. Beth and Karen will certainly be entertained!

We're planning Bali as our next trip, so anxious to hear all the wonderful details you always provide. Have fun!

Craig, I'll take the bait too and will be happy to help you organize a GTG in CT in late August when JoDo are in Hartford. Maybe we can also get some of the NYC Fodorites to come north to the "country." Cruisin, Laurieco?

It's not fair to make us all jealous.
Have e great trip.

I'm sure that you both will have a great trip.

Is there a big enough cage for the Panda?

Remember not to poke a stick through the bars.

Have a fantastic trip, I know you two will and can't wait to hear all about it!

Really looking forward to your report and am especially interested in the villas in Bali which look great.

What a story with the ff tickets! We have generally ended up using American and have had very good luck with them. I was able to get our tickets to BKK through them with only $40 each in taxes! We are on Japan Airlines - my only complaint being that it is a 747 which I don't like because I get stuck in a middle seat since there are 3 seats along the windows . Oh well.

We are looking forward to meeting up with you at the Marriot in BKK. And since you'll be at the end of your trip we can hear all about it !

Safe Flight!

TWO MONTHS......are you sure you weren't a lawyer before retirement. Those are the only people I know who can afford that style and length of travel, lol

Have fun, I know you and Karen will. I am especially looking forward to your return to Bali and ensuing trip report as it is on our radar, maybe 2009.

Aloha!

J.C.---nist 747's have a few rows at the very back with two seats....they are fantastic....we always try to get them....huge space between the window and window seat

i just looked at seat guru....all japan 747's have the two seaters....

63-65 A&B

64-65 H&K

don't take 66 as it does not recline probably...

rhkkmk- Are you the reason I'm having trouble getting those seats anymore??? You let the cat out of the bag!

haha

should we be referring to you as BostonBaliBangkokBob now?

i answer to all names...

POB suits perfectly, Prince of Barkness.

Hey Bob, thanks for the info on the Japan 747's. Now I need to double check our seats and make sure we have ones that recline. I had trouble finding what I needed on seat guru when I was booking the flight.

Uggh - just checked and it's a 744 (I've never even heard of that) and it's a 3-5-3 configuration. Oh well. We'll just have to deal with it. A little discomfort is a small price to pay to head to Thailand !

744 is shorthand for a 747-400.

these are the ones with the 2's in the back....see if they will change you...its worth it, imo

this post may end here if i am poisoned while eating at gpanda's house tonight....he is attempting to make indian food....

Maize and buffalo are the primary ingredients.

Wow - looks like a great trip - hope you and Karen have a wonderful time, and I'll look forward to all the trip reports.

I would also be up for a Hartford GTG - easy enough for me to come down from VT, & I would love to see Joyce & Don again!

Cyn

Bob and Karen.....we look forward to meeting you in Krabi! It will be fun sharing our 1st trip to Thailand with you in person! Have a great time in Bali. We will want to hear all about it. That was our daughter's 1st choice for this family trip. See you on June 14th.
~Karin

Karin-be careful what you wish for, it may come true. I can assure you that Bob in person is not the same. Instead of being able to skim his senseless posts, you're stuck listening in real time. I'm sure it's not true, but it seems like time moves backwards.

Bob, have a wonderful trip and I look forward to hearing all about it...

Also looking forward to the updated restaurant reccos for BKK...

the deed is done....we are all packed save a few last minute items...both of us are under the thai weight limits...we'll see how we can trim things down before our first air asia flight the week after next....

looking forward to our drive to nyc tomorrow in the rain....very much looking forward to seeing laurie again and to the hot dogs she got for us at coney island....we love kraut too...

probably my next report will be after our arrival in bkk on the 30th...

Have a great time. Happy Travels!

Hasta la vista & vaya con Dios!

Muffin and I wish you a Fantastic trip, think of us when you are at the Hyatt Hua Hin. Oh and dont forget to eat at Choa lay in Hua Hin (the Hyatt recommended us last time) REALLY nice seafood and great value
XXX

Bon Voyage!!!

The good news is that he's travelling and will have limited access to a computer. This will reduce the flow of senseless drivel to a trickle. With any luck it will resemble his self-imposed two month hiatus induced bt Spygirl.

Have a wonderful trip!

well we are here after an easy drive to JFK in the rain.....a fantastic dinner with laurieco and cat, sans eric, and the best ever flight on thai arriving bkk one hour early....1 hour from arrival to sitting in limo...fantastic...

dinner last nite with tong and family...she sends hugs to you all...

HARMONIQUE IS CLOSED UNTIL MID MAY FOR ANYONE HEADING THIS WAY...

more details when i get on my own computer....

K&B

off to jewelers....don't see carol her on soi 4???

Thanks for the check-in. I'm glad you've arrived safely in Bangkok. And since Eric couldn't make the dinner, I'm glad to hear that the cat filled in for him.

Bob.... I'm still on Samui! Not soi 4...

Glad you arrived in good shape. I hope you have a great time in BKK and all your other trip locations this time.

Samui is hot hot hot. I thought Bangkok was hot... but it pales in comparison to the heat we've had here. Thank goodness for a nice breeze today, off the water.

See you Saturday!

Carol

Glad you enjoyed the Thai flight - now you're spoiled for life...

We look forward to hearing from you regularly over the next 8 weeks.

Safely half a world away. This pathetic entry6 does not qualify as the beginning of a trip report. For instance, one would assume that if harmonique was closed, you ate somewhere else. No mention.

Andy - you really are VERY funny.

N-thanks. I know it will burn his Bobness to read that. He may start a new thread to avoid having to read it twice.

Glad you arrived safely...who could have imagined "early" as well? Can't wait for the report to trickle out.

So glad to hear you made it safely to JFK despite the rain, and to Thailand. Sounds like the Thai nonstop is the way to go from the East coast. I'm sure you are enjoying the Marriott right now.

Happy to hear that you arrived safe and sound, even after my cooking! Sweetie (cat) and I really enjoyed having you both over to our humble abode. Eric sends his regards.

NOW I AM A GENIUS...I FIGURED OUT HOW TO CONNECT THE COMPUTER IN MY ROOM TO AVOID THE CHARGES, USING AN OUTSIDE DIAL UP I HAD JACK THE TAILOR BUY FOR ME FOR 169 B.....SEEMS TO WORK FINE...

now if i can just get used to K's keyboard...

sad to say that after finding harmonique closed we drove over to gallery cafe for dinner.....we had fun but the food was only so so....sort of dumbed down the way certain pandas like it..... let that twist HIS nose... we love beth nowever....

had a busy day yesterday, will report later today with any luck before we head out to hanuman's house in the burbs...

its warm here but manageable....wednesday nite in fact i said to K that i thought it was the coolest i had ever experienced bkk being....yesterday i felt the warmth however....

thanks for the good words...

i think i will try to keep writing on this thread so the nazi fodorites don't yell at me and tell me its too hard to find or read...i will do paragraphs too....haha

nikki...don't keep humoring him...he is not funny, only funny looking and acting....

Look forward to having you and Karen at our house. Don’t forget the direction – take the number 4 bus to last stop and then walk to the nearest Wat you can see. From there Cross the paddy field with the 2 scarecrows and then wade across a small Klong, don’t forget your anti leech sock! We are the only house a TV antenna so you can’t miss it.

Can't wait to read the next installment. Ignore the Panda - you'll have plenty of time to deal with him in Bali.

Don't forget to bring some left over food so that you can distract the street dogs when they chase after you, happens quite a lot near the Wat.

First Bob dines at Andy's house for dinner. The he dines at Laurieco's for dinner. Then he gets a freebie meal courtesy of Thai Air. And now he's heading over to Hanuman's for a free meal. Is it only me or, does anyone else see a pattern?

And, unless I missed it, Bob didn't post from NY before his Thai Air flight, he didn't post from the Thai Air flight (surely he could've found a good Wi-Fi connection onboard) and he didn't post from BKK until he was there for days. I can only imagine the late posting penalties that should be imposed. It likely involves some LV bag.

Anyway, glad you made it safely to BKK. Now please let us know if you are yet eating street food and salads this trip.
Have fun.

how are all you common folks left there in the usa??

i am really scarred of the leaches and laurie did not give us her leach socks....

i think we will stay home....can you imagine anything that hanuman may cook being eddible?? but at least he can spell in at least 2 languages...

hope to start on the real report tonight if he does not force feed us thai whiskey....

hot and sunny today....first bad taxi ride the PM...i had to tell him where to go....wasted 15 minutes...

Does reporting that BKK is hot and sunny qualify as breaking news? How witty and incisive!

Who do you think had a worse taxi ride, Bob or the driver?

Hopefully, Hanuman will obtain justice for the entire Thai nation.

Lovely evening with Bob and Karen. I must apologize to Bob because my dog attacked him when he first approach our house. I've never seen a golden retriever attack someone so viciously! He should be ok as we took him to the free clinic down at the Wat and the monk did a good job patching him up. I think the problem was when I yelled to Bob to eat some snack - my dog happened to be named Bob as well!

i have been released from the hospital after hours of intense treatment....i made it to the lawyer's office just as he was closing for the weekend....note to attorneys, it was 10:30PM when he was closing....

we have attached hanuman's house, cars and only daughter....oh yes and the Lear IV also...

maybe we can teach him a lesson for having us muk through the rice paddy to get to his house...

in fact we had a lovely time with pook (hanuman), his wife and daughter this evening at their house....more on that later...

we drove back together to bkk for our res at JOK Restaurant in china town....another couple joined us for dinner and we had tons of laughs and very very good seafood...more when i get to it in the report....

brad in bkk had invited us to come to a sukhumvit bar to hear him play drums tonight but we ran out of energy....hopefully another time...

I think that Brad did not offer to feed Bob and that was why he could not make the appointment.

Bob and Karen,
You missed a good time at the Londoner Pub. Brad did a good job playing the drums on four numbers. Actually, we did not pay for our dinner (snacks) as the tab was picked up by someone else (smile).

Finally on line after nearly 48 hours. My body is twitching!! haha

Carol

we're heading to toronto next but i suppose we will only be offered dried seal meat there

heading out to the GTG in about 15 minutes...hope to see you there....panda's not allowed...

Yes, but only seal meat of the best quality.

Monday Apr 28---

Up early which is strange for us….did some last minute things around the house…K drove me to Dedham where I had a Hertz car reserved…..nice small SUV—ford…
We were doing a one way rental with drop off at JFK….again used www.carrentals.com which seems to have fantastic rates…..Hertz gave me an even cheaper rate when I picked the car up….about $70..

Came home, packed up the car (2-- 22 inche cases, two 18 inche rolly carry-ons and a small gym bag to check) and we were off by 11:15….stopped in framingham at AAA to pick up a current NY map…..decided to have lunch before we hit the turnpike so quick salads at Chilli’s….

No traffic to speak of until we were near 495 in NY….found the Fairfield Inn we had reserved with Marriott points….i had stayed there before when it was a doubletree strangely enough…..adjacent to airport…checked in and we were off to Queens (Forrest Hills) to have dinner with Laurieco…..mapquest took us to her street but in the wrong area, so it took ½ hour to find her…..found a parking space real easily---pure luck….


She had the wine laid out and some yummy cheeses…..we chatted for quite a while….she had prepared a fantastic Italian dinner for us, but at the last minute was not satisfied with her homemade pasta so froze it and instead prepared some delicious hens with a wonderful glaze….and the best potato wedges with a mustard coating---really good…we were in NY and of course had cheese cake for dessert… wine flowed….

Back to the hotel after a delightful evening….

Up early again and down for the included breakfast….packed up and loaded up the car and off to hertz at the airport….

Thai air check in was a breeze….we now had a couple of hours wait for take off time….they boarded on time and we were on our way right on time….the flight was perhaps only ½ to 2/3 full so there was plenty of room to spread out…

The flight was perhaps the best ever flight for us….plenty of room in economy even for a fat boy….staff were through the cabin all during the flight with drinks, etc, plus there were always snacks and drinks available in the rear galley…..

A good entertainment system was available…three very decent meals were served and they offered tons of wine and other drinks (all gratis---are you listening all other airlines??)

We arrived in bkk about an hour and 10 minutes early….

Our friend Gal Avarin (husband to star guide Cherry) had arranged for diplomatic arrival greetings for us…Two uniformed women greeted us at the plane door and escorted us through the diplomatic immigration area…no waiting….

The suitcases were coming out when we arrived at the pickup area….ours took quite a while naturally….

We were in the limo I had reserved from AAC Limo within one hour of the plane’s arrival….perfect…

Traffic was ok into Bangkok except around the base of silom road….

We arrived at the Marriott Resort and Spa in good spirits and not too tired…..we had each taken sleeping pills (halcyon) and got some sleep on the plane…

Our room was in the main building which we prefer….several people greeted us in the lobby (aka AO) from our previous stay….we were escorted to our room by a hotel rep…

Right into our bathing suits and down for a swim….refreshing and welcome.. pool area is in great shape…

Unpacked a bit and off to dinner at Harmonique….Tong was meeting us there, but when we arrived there was a sign on the door that said closed until may 15 for holidays….we waited for tong to arrive but before she did her husband, Chang, and daughter Pear, arrived in a taxi….shortly thereafter Tong arrived in her car….

I suggested that we go to nearby Gallery Café for dinner---near the Sheraton—they have parking out back…it’s a Gpanda hangout….the food was ok, a bit dumbed down really….

Back to the hotel and a welcome bed….

The Thai Air flight really is the best way to go from the east coast of the US. Great service, qick and plenty of space in economy.

Does anyone else have a problem with a trip report with siuch a bogus title? How can the new Fodorites glean that this is a report?

I agree.
Bob, I really think you should start a new trip report with your last post. Use a better title which includes all your destinations for this trip.
Looking forward to more.
K

Looking forward may be a bit strong. How about tolerate?

Plus, why would Einstein use the possessive in the title when he meant the plural? What language do they speak in Needham? The title Needham High School (Bob's alma mater) is an oxymoron.

I'm puzzled by his meeting AskOksana in the lobby of the Marriott.

By the way, for anyone in Boston looking to take the TG flight using FF miles (and not stopping for a free dinner in Queens), you can get a BOS-NY flight as part of the ticket by flying to LaGuardia instead of JFK. The United agents won't see this connection listed on their screen, but it's easy for them to do it manually once you tell them what you want. You'll have to get from LGA to JFK on your own, but that's easily enough done.

rizzuto - as a former New York suburbanite I will ask why would you want to fly to La Guardia and then transfer to JFK? Unless you have tons of time, switching airports is not recommended at all - you are much better off doing what Bob did - renting a car from the Boston area and driving to JFK.

We booked on Orbitz from Boston and they flew us down on a Com Air (Delta) to JFK and then out on Thai.

Last year we booked a JFK-Hong Kong-BKK on Cathay Pacific (for $850) and just flew down on a Jet Blue. Simple.

Craig, I was talking only about frequent flyer tickets, where you are typically limited to Star Alliance carriers. Because there's no Star Alliance service from BOS to JFK, you'd either need to get from BOS to JFK on your own or take the US Airways shuttle to LGA.

The BOS-LGA shuttle is probably the most efficient operation among US airlines, and it's then a simple $25+tip cab ride to JFK. I've twice taken the 7.30 shuttle on a weekday morning and been at T4 by 9.15 for the TG flight. The BOS-LGA flight is included in the FF ticket, of course.

I'd agree w/Gpanda of course that if you're paying real money for the ticket, then get a BOS-JFK flight included in the ticket.

Bob you're in HH yet? For a quick fix of Italian food try La Villa. One of the oldest Western restaurant in HH and the food is not bad and inexpensive too.

After having dinner with Bob, Hanuman has correctly deduced that the POB is cheap, cheap, cheap.

cheap---so who else retired at 50...???

thanks pook, i had that on my list for last year but never got there....

HH is hugely crowded....more traffic than bkk..

Bob
Hope the Hyatt is as good as the last time you/we were there. can't believe its crowded in HH.
loving the updates
Nx

Bob,

HH is crowded because it's a long weekend holiday. May-day on Thursday and then Monday is a national holiday as well. From Tuesday I predict that you'll have the town to your selves!

Don't forget to give kite boarding a try!

If you do go further South, into Wolfgang's territory, then I recommend a restaurant/shack name "Jim-Dang". One village before the entrance into Sam Roi Yod National Park and it's right on the beach.

daily i have been typing my updates, but i'm too cheap to pay the hotel internet prices.....but on friday i will post them all up to date...

the new sheraton is fantastic in HH

Clearly, he's sold his Marriott stock and will now be pimping for Sheraton. Next, we'll read about his love for the Royal Orchid Sheraton!

Psss.. go to the Red Mango coffee shop, on the main street almost opposite the night market. They have FREE internet access!!!

Seriously good place to have breakfast and use the net at the same time.

Pook, I would pay money to watch Bob try kiteboarding!

If you do try it, make sure K takes movies for us to watch at the GTG!

Forget kiteboarding. You might as well ask him to grow a third arm. Not happening.

or even more unlikely turn down a free meal?? (LOL)

there was a whale sighting off HH in the sky this AM...it was not me...alas

I promise that there have been many wail soundings in HH, most of which involve RhkKmk.

May 1

Did not sleep very well, although the beds are exceptionally comfortable…awake about every two hours….so what else is new…
We were up by 6:30…down to our included breakfast buffet in the Market Restaurant…the usual selections but this year they have included a huge table with fresh sliced prosuito (sp) , ham, salami, etc…I loaded up each day….fresh fried mushroom and broiled tomatoes….tons of fruit, pastries, cheese, eggs of all kinds, cereals, asian specialities….more than anyone could want and all so fresh….tons of willing and friendly staff….

We were disappointed that the computer connection was so expensive at the hotel….more on that later…

Back to the room and then out for a swim…..warm water but it felt so good….

Took a taxi over to soi 4, sukhumvit to drop off some things at the jewelers, but stopped nearby to do some quick internet…..

Thai Stone Jewelry; Nana Hotel lobby (very grotty hotel); soi 4 Sukhumvit…

Karen ordered a few things to be made and left a couple of repair jobs….our usual lady was away for a month so we will see her later when we both return to bkk…

Took a taxi over to Siam Paragon mall from the jw Marriott (always easiest to go to a hotel for taxis rather than on the street, especially in the Nana area…

Beth (mrs gpanda) had taken Karen to her favorite eye glass place in boston a few weeks ago and K wanted to see if she could find the French frames she liked, here in bkk, for less $….Francois Pinton….no luck but we saw tons of frames at around $1000….kathie….we went to paris maxi and they were not friendly and really had little interest in even talking to us….andy must have warned them that we were coming…walked around paragon a bit, but honestly we were still a little tired…

Taxi to the Conrad for Dim Sum at the Liu restaurant on the 3rd floor….place was packed and we had not made a res….it was in fact labor day, so many people were not working and the place was full of Thai Chinese…lots of smiles from me persuaded the hostess that in fact she did have a table for us in a private room….we lucked out….ds was delicious as usual….we had about 11 different dishes….price 1295 B (~$38)…note to andy: this requires no snide comments, or I will cut off this report now--AO

From the Conrad we took a taxi to Tong’s husband’s optical company (actually owned by his parents)….its not far from khao san rd…. they have a limited supply of frames to choose from be we managed to get 4 pairs of new glasses plus new lenses for two other pair….some bi-focal, some progressives, some clear, some dark glasses….total about $675…..we were very pleased…. Chang is such a nice guy too…

Santong Optical; 191 Chakrapongse Rd; Banglumpoo; Tel: 02-2803449
Chang speaks very good English btw….

After the glasses purchase Chang took us into the local market where we bought a used cell phone---older style nokia…..works fine but battery is weak….may replace battery or phone or both….600 B…

Taxi back to the hotel….K napped and I went out to see Jack, my tailor, at Monet il Sarto, in the Marriott mini mall/Royal Garden shopping mall….i ordered a few shirts from him while out visiting…

Jack also ordered a sim card for me and a computer network access system over the phone…they were to be delivered to his shop later that evening…..he left them at reception for us….such a nice guy!!! ~500 B

We had some beer in our room before going down to the terrace on the river to use the free dinner coupon which came with our room booking….quite a good deal as the buffet was 1100 B each ($33)… the food was the usual buffet, but included lobster, shrimp and oysters, Indian food, Italian food, thai food, etc…..the BBQ was accompanied by a thai dance show, which I could have done without….

Our hotel reservation was booked through Agoda, on michaelbkk’s suggestion… good rates and a freebee thrown in…

Off to bed as we were dead tired….



May 2

Better sleeping this nite…breakfast and then swim…. Took the hotel boat up to taskim (runs every 15 minutes)…. The Sheraton boat was there, waiting for ‘victims’, so we took it to that hotel….over to River City to Karen’s seamtress:

JS Thai Silk; ground floor, River City shopping center, opposite to the info booth..

We were disappointed to learn that our friend ms yai is no longer able to work there as she has medical problems…..instead we will now work with Penny whom we have known for years also….Karen’s idea of the stop was just to see what they had that was new and to think about what she might want….she ended up ordering a few things and said we would probably be back with cloth from Malaysia/Bali to have them make up additional items…we took the Hilton boat over to that hotel where we intended to have lunch….wrong…..they had a huge convention and all the dining rooms were full and they wanted us to eat in the sushi bar at low tables that would be uncomfortable I felt, so we moved on…..needed to go to the flower market in search of a hostess gift for the evening, so we took a taxi there with the idea we would return to our hotel after a quick stop….we easily found a magnificent bouquet of white lilies and white cala lilies, accented with purple heather…..the stocks were very long and it made a dramatic statement…perfect….
Back to the hotel and we had a nice simple lunch at the bakery on the Marriott ground floor….

This evening we had been invited by the famous Hanuman (Pook) for cocktails at his suburban bkk house, followed by a chinese seafood dinner at JOK In Kitchen Restaurant in Chinatown, Bangkok….

We left the hotel exactly at 4PM as Pook had suggested…immediately I knew that the driver was going to be a dud…..pook had faxed me a fantastic hand drawn map which was very detailed with thai instructions….the doorman spent several minutes going over it with the driver and he seemed to understand it….naught!!! he did not turn on the meter at first as we were leaving , even though I asked for it….then he said something about it being a long ways….i said take us back to the hotel (we were still on hotel property)…he put on the meter but said it would be 50 B extra supplement….who cares I said to K….so off we went…and went and went….finally he decided that he did not know exactly where we had to go…. Among other things he was holding the map upside down….so I told him to call pook…our cell phone had run out of power…he called and pook explained to him at length again… we had gone way toooooo far….so we headed back to a location that they arranged…..pook sent his driver out to meet us along the road…that was easily accomplished but not until after we had driver maybe 20+ extra miles and paid two small extra tolls…
We easily found pook’s driver by the side of the road…we changed cars and headed off the short way to our destination….

Pook lives in a lovely gated community that reminded us of certain areas of south florida…the house is on a “clean” river and there are lovely views from his property….mrs hanuman is a fabulous horticulturist and does much of the planting, etc with some help….she specializes in rare orchids….

Their residence is lovely and a combo of Thai, European and American in design and feeling….

We had champagne upon arrival and sat and talked for a while….later we toured the the grounds….k was very pleased to see the orchids…. We also toured some of the interior of the house and then sat in the living room for more champagne and hors…..Mony, their 17 year old daughter, joined us and entertained us with some piano music….she is a charming young woman….

Dang (mrs hanuman) said it was time to leave so we piled into a large van and the driver took us into Chinatown….

The restaurant is located down a series of alleys off the side streets of Chinatown, Bangkok….

JOK In Restaurant, 23 Trok Issaranuphap, phlap phla chai rd, khet pom prap sattru phai, Bangkok; tel: 0-2221-4075…no e mail address

The restaurant is very small and has a/c….originally conceived as an hobby by a seafood company owner with a single table….his hobby was cooking his seafood….there is no menu…you are just served the freshest of seafoods in the way the chef chooses to prepare them that day…today there are two rooms….each with 2-3 tables….currently the waiting list for reservations is about 2 months…..

Although Chinese, this restaurant is the “real” Thailand…..

Pook had invited another couple to join us….they were just as nice as pook and darn and we had a lovely evening meal….pook had brought along a few bottles of white burgundy from his chilled wine cellar which really rounded off the meal…BYOB btw…although they will send out for anything you might want…

The menu as I remember it was as follows:

Wine and water
Shrimp dumplings, which were out of this world
Smoked sliced duck—the best I have ever had
A huge platter of cracked “special” steamed crabs
A platter of large river prawns
A large steamed snow fish
A special soup with fish
A platter of Fried ginko nuts

Dessert was sticky rice with bean curd and ginko sauce plus pieces of taro

Pook will correct this if I have missed anything….

The meal was fantastic, made all the better because of the unique company we enjoyed…

Taxi back to the hotel…

May 3

Down for breakfast as usual….out for a swim…taxi to the Fatima shop between soi 33-35 sukhumvit---at the entrance to the villa supermarket….this shop has childrens things from cloth books to smocked dresses and quilts for babys….this charity shop is a project to help employ rural women…we needed a couple of baby gifts….karen ordered two smocked dresses….custom work takes about 10 days….

From there we took a taxi to the Jim Thompson main store…had a good look around at all the new items including checking out fabrics…..had a wonderful lunch at the café on the 2nd floor….i had water and a pomelo salad (gpanda says the best in bkk) and Karen had Jim Thompson pasta…..we shared an apricot/banana tart….all was delicious…

Taxi back to the hotel…checked in with jack the tailor and back to the room to change for the fodors GTG at the Bangkok Royal Sports Club near the four seasons hotel…

The club is an old private club smack in the center of the city….hanuman had graciously invited us to hold our mini GTG there…..karen and I were the first to arrive…we met in the air bar, which is an open air covered area overlooking the golf course, race track and the lovely green areas….attendees were Karen and myself, hanuman, carol and brad simpson, michaelbkk, and wolfgang from germany and Thailand….we had several beers and tons of talk…

After the GTG we took yet another taxi to pickup our glasses….we are very pleased with all of them…from there we took a taxi to Tongue Thai for dinner….they have sprung back and we had a delicious meal….chicken and cashew, river prawns with garlic and pepper, pineapple rice, fried morning glories, 2 beers and H2O—1191 B…
Everything was perfect….

We walked through Oriental Place window shopping, sat for a few minutes in the Oriental lobby….gloria was sadly missing….the string combo was lovely…

Oriental boat to taskim, where we transferred to the Marriott boat…







May 4


Moving day….up about 7, breakfast and showers and last minute packing up….
We are moving to the Hyatt Regency in Hua Hin…..the hyatt system offers a shuttle van from their Bangkok location to their hua hin location for 500 B per person…make a res far in advance….its a 3 hour drive approximately….we took a taxi from the Marriott to the hyatt and had about ½ hour wait for the departure…..we sat in the lobby for that time and the doormen kept our bags for loading into the van when appropriate…..while in the lobby I took the opportunity to consult with the concierge about a special royal show which opened on may 2 at one of the throne halls….this hall is rarely open to the public.. michaelbkk had told us yesterday that we should really make the effort to visit the show….all the ads for the show only reveal the opening date and not the closing date…we thought maybe we could visit nearer to the end of our trip….the concierge, who knew nothing of the show, said she would check and later came and found where we were sitting and gave us an e address for info and the times….she also suggested that these types of things only usually run for about two weeks….luckily we think we have time to visit when we return to bkk next weekend for one nite….they are open until 8PM….

Arts of the Kingdom V, Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Dusit Palace, Si Ayutthaya Rd; Tues-Sat 10-8…150 B…Tel: 02-283-9411; www.artsofthekingdom.com

The van was carrying 7 passengers….sitting in back of us was a lovely couple from korea with whom we spent most of the ride talking …..he is now in the pizza business having previously worked for Samsung and sony….they have a really nice boy of 7…he and I were just about on the same level….i put that in before andy did…

Before arriving at the hotel it began to rain slightly…Our room was not ready but they were honoring my request for room 1230 which we had previously had and found convenient….

We went down to Figs, the general use restaurant, for some lunch….pasta and a pizza with water for 718B….

Out for a swim…as pleasant as ever….the reason we like rm 1230 is we only have to go down one flight of stairs and part of the lagoon passes there so we can jump right in….great swim all around the lagoon…..walked out onto the beach which was particularly nice this day… because it was overcast the sun was not oppressive… we had been warned about jelly fish so we only put our feet into the water this time…there were horses on the beach for rent, but no vendors…the sand in this stretch is lovely, soft and white, unlike many places in Thailand…

Back to the pool and then back to the room to unpack a bit….we decided to take the 6PM shuttle into town (make a res early for this, cost 50B per person)…goes on a schedule hourly…

We got off at the Market Villa or Market Village…this is the newish mall across from the Marriott Hotel….walked around a bit….decided to eat at Figi , which is a japanese/thai chain….we both had a benito box plus an appetizer plate of sushi which we sharred….way too much food, but good….not high quality but not low either….717 B with one water and one beer….

We have started a new habit…..evening ice cream at Sweansons….bad habit, but oh so refreshing and good….better than chocolate cake however….

Tuk tuk back to the hotel 120B seems to be the standard now…





Monday May 5, 2008

Took a sleeping pill last nite and finally got a good nites’ sleep….went over to Figs for the morning buffet….nice but not fabulous….about 550 B per person….they no longer have the smoothies which were a real treat….

We are noticing that the hotels seem to be cutting back a bit on food items….marriott no longer offers dim sum and smoked salmon in the morning and hyatt no longer has the smoothies….the buffets are delicious and there is plenty to enjoy, but economy is evident….we also noted about ¼ the number of breakfast staff at hyatt in comparison to the Marriott…Marriott really keeps staffing levels high and it shows in their product…

Karen went right out and found us some chairs under palm trees…I never found her…I stayed in the room and read the paper on the balcony, aka as a snooze, and then went for a lagoon swim by myself…she spent most of her time under the palms at ocean side….

About 2, we went over to You and Mee, the pool side eatery, for a lite lunch…..

Spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around, reading on our balcony and just relaxing…

Took an a/c taxi/truck into town from the end of our street…150 B now seems to be the standard fee--$5…in bkk you could travel miles and miles for $5., but not in HH


We had a reservation (not needed) at La Villa Restaurant….K had veal with prosc. with a garlic and wine sauce, veggies and fries…. I had an eggplant lasagna…quite good….we ate right on the sidewalk…it was quite comfortable….

Back to the hotel in a tuk tuk… we had some ice cream and retired…

The weather has been very cool for Thailand the last few days….this afternoon there was a huge rain storm…

Bob, have you taken a look at the Barai Spa yet?

Interested to see the bottom line on the Hyatt v Sheraton HH.

Bob
Great start to your report. I'm glad you are having a good time.

Arts of the Kingdom was a fantastic show, so say DS and German friends K and G, who just saw the exhibit this past Tuesday. Well worth the time to find it, they say.

HH and Ko Samui are alike, in that the tuk tuks/songtaus (sp) and taxis seem to cost LOTS more than in Bangkok!

Keep the report coming. BTW, Brad is still in BKK until the 26th, so you might run into him again.

Carol

I'm glad you and K enjoyed our company!

Have fun in Bali with the Pandas and we'll see you when you get back to BKK.

Good info, Bob. Sorry to hear you didn't have a good experience at Paris Miki. Cheryl is planning on another pair of glasses this year.

Clearly, young Bob has chosen to ignore our suggestions and write his "report" in this inappropriately titled thread. Anyone surprised?

He need not worry about jellyfish. They would not sting him out of professional courtesy.

I pity the poor Korean couple and their son. Trapped in a three hour van ride with Bob. Would have been a very good time for some ambien, either them or Bob would have worked.

Loving your story telling Bob. When are you "Tonging?"

bob, when are you going to be back in bangkok?

does anyone know when the arts of the kingdom exhibit ends?

Bmtokyo, perfect. That's how we should refer to the POB, "Story telling Bob" STB to the cogniscenti.

loving the updates, i look forward to reading more when i am back from my hols.

Good accounting of your experiences so far. However, your report needs more spice - perhaps you could reread AO's writings for inspiration before you continue...

Yeah, Bob!...go yell at some concierges for no particular reason; or hire a gaggle of porters to follow you and Karen around for the rest of the trip; or cart yourself around in a wheelchair just for the hell of it!

As you can tell, we all miss her dearly.

ANdy, You got it !!!

I believe that they have already had dinner with Tong, Chang and Pear. They have a day with Tong later on in their trip. It may be a tasting tour with samples of food from many BKK delights. Perhaps they'll hit every MacDonalds in town.

Thanks Andy.

I forgot to mention that both Anika & Luke got Rx glasses from Chang for less than 50% they would pay here in TKY or SF. He managed to get it done in 1/2 hour but we were too busy shopping with Tong. Anika needed Transition lenses which is why they ended up mailing her glasses to us in perfect order.

Enjoying your report as usual. Sounds like this is a very relaxing trip. We also love the Marriott BKK. Wish we were there now!

So enjoying your report. I am sorry I've not written in some while but until recently had no travel plans for Thailand. BUT, yea yea yes... we are returning leaving freezing Chicago on Jan 1st 09. We will be spending a month in Thailand (at several of Bob's venues). - then on to Hawaii homeward bound for 2 weeks.

Last evening I read through this whole thread and loved reading every post.
Thank you Fodors Asia - you were so great for steering us in the right direction for earlier trips, now I'm eagerly awaiting our 5th trip in 6 years and just smile each time I think of being back in Thailand.

Looking to Bob for a new updated Restaurant list for BKK and, any new and interesting sights he and Karen discover. Say Hello to Tong for us.

Your moving around sounds a bit too much packing and travel days for my pallate, however, when you are gone longer, you can take that more in stride. I'll be very interested how you rate all the traveling/moving upon your return.

It's so great to see all the usual names still here and to know that you are all still joshing each other as usual.

Have a wonderful trip. Looking forward to reading now again on a regular basis.
Sue
(in Chicago)

greetings from K/L on this sunday morning....its a bit hot but manageable....i have written my story up to date on word but it is in my computer in the hotel awaiting my courage to pay the $20 per day fee for the internet...ugh!!

karen found a few things in the central market today....prices seem at a medium level...more in the report...

the hotel imperial, formerely a regular sheraton, now a luxury group, is very very nice....hightly reco. it, especially with cash and point---down=right cheap that way...

returning there shortly for a swim and relax...

ignor anything gpanda says as he is just jelous that he only has two weeks vacation...maybe 3 now...

ken...we will not be back to bkk for more than one nite before june 20....

thanks to everyone else for encouragement....

kuranosuke,

The "Arts of the Kingdom" exhibit will be on for a long time, until 2011!

Sounds like the exhibit and Bob will be on for the same length of time.

Hey Sue (Chicago),
There are others of us here who will be in BKK and in Thailand during your same timeframe! Maybe a mini-GTG in BKK will be in order.

Bob,
I know what you mean by the fee for internet at hotels. Adelphi is free. Grand Sukhumvit Sofitel "says" it has "free" internet for 24 hours... not true. I got charged when I checked out! UGH and AAAAARRRGGGHHH! I was not happy with that one. But then, I am not planning on staying at Suk Sof again anytime soon anyway. Nice hotel and all that, but I just prefer Adelphi.
Carol

May 6


Finally slept in a bit….over for breakfast (490B each ++)…back to the room and into swim suits….karen went out by the beach and I went into the lagoon, near to our room….i worked my way around to where she was sitting…..on the way I encountered the Korean lady from the van and her son by the huge 3-4 story water slide…..we spoke for a few minutes…she has trouble with English, but works with it slowly….she could not understand my Korean dialect…shut up andy!!!

I sat out under the umbrella with Karen for 30 minutes or so but I was scared I was getting sun burned….so back to the lagoons again…..a word about the lagoons….they are canals snaking around the sea side of the property linking pools….dense vegetation is all along the banks….its very refreshing I find, especially when few people are around….the hotel was fairly empty today as yesterday was a thai holiday and most people went home at the end of the day….on the way I met the Korean man and his kid, again at the slide…we talked for about an hour….i tried to shield myself with the vegetation but I failed and tonight I am a bit red….we had a great conversation talking about American/Korean politics, the pizza business and family….

I returned to the room and Karen came along after a while….we sat on the balcony reading for a couple of hours….we had late checkout at 2…..our rental car was being delivered at 2 by Huahin car rental….(huahincarrental@hotmail.com ) 950 B per day for a small Toyota, slightly smaller than a corolla…all tax and insurance plus delivery and pick-up included…great deal…

We checked out of the Hyatt about 2, loaded up the car and were off to the new Sheraton Hua Hin, for just one nite…..its nearer to Cha Am, north of HH…..the complex is a hotel on the ocean with condos/timeshare behind it, nearer to the road…reason for the visit is to be able to give fodorites first hand knowledge of the hotel…..

The hotel has a huge open air lobby…..nothing is thai here, but rather a very minimalist feeling….lovely and attractive, rather than warm and thai….being a mountain, goat might help residents here….you are constantly going up or down a few stairs---no elevators at all….the shape of the hotel is a “U”…down the entire center are pools, gardens, sculpture, sitting areas, all the way to the sea---a very lovely complex indeed…..the ground floor rooms all have direct access to the lagoons from their balconies….we are on the second floor….we did a cash and points deal with Sheraton FF points….2800 plus $45 per nite….again a fantastic deal….cost to me $53.

Thus far we really like the hotel and would consider returning here….i would however not want to be here without a car because it is quite isolated….there is a shuttle to town but that tends to be a drag…..breakfast here is 650B—quite expensive in comparison to other places…try to get it as part of your rate…

The car rental agent/owner suggested a place for our dinner….it is right on the beach and not all that far from our hotel…in fact it is right next to the new Marriott courtyard, soon to be opened….the restaurant is Platoo…..there are signs along the highway. We entered through the driveway of the former regent hotel, now a holiday inn….

There is an extensive English menu….we ordered a whole sea bass steamed, stuffed with green veggies and mushrooms with a soy/ginger/garlic sauce…..650 B
In addition we had some white rice, a large beer, some H2O and two other dishes:
A fried shrimp and veggie dish, and a fried chicken and fried garlic dish (garlic was small pieces, crunchy and tasty)…994 B all in….great thai meal!!!

We drove through the little village around the restaurant….we had a laugh as this must be the “real Thailand” that many fodorites are always wanting to see…..

We drove into hua hin in search of ice cream…Swenson’s was found on the main drag…we lucked out with a parking space right in front…39 B per scoop for some of the best ice cream in Thailand…

Back to the hotel….we walked all around the central area all the way to the beach….there are a couple of restaurants down by the beach…..it is truly lovely….we look forward to exploring more in the day…..the hotel is not dissimilar to the Conrad in bali…I’m guessing the same designer….

Btw, it get dark in Thailand about 6-7 this time of year….







May 7, 2008


Up about 6:30 to enjoy a swim before the sun becomes too hot….wonderful nites’ sleep… we really like this hotel….very few people here actually…..I am alone in the lagoons which ring the entire center of the hotel…..karen comes out after me and we meet up eventually….we are the only people in the water….we go out to the large pool near the beach with its infinity edge overlooking the beach….the water is so tranquil, the sea so calm….

We float around for quite a while, eventually making the whole circuit around the property…..karen heads for some sun on a chaise, and I head for our balcony, out of the suns rays but yet hanging out over the water…. We both work on our books…I am reading an old autobiography of Katherine Graham…interesting woman….i can hardly wait to read gpanda’s autobiography----paperback----really just a two page pamphlet…4 paragraphs on the proper alignment of a speedo and a huge picture of that wonderful face…

We ask for late checkout at 2….we decide to have a sheraton lunch as we had eaten a small pastry breakfast on our balcony from starbucks…. Karen springs for a burger and I have a dish described as crab wrapped in pasta (i.e. fancy tri color ravoli) in a spicy red cream sauce….both very good…

We check out….and head for the hyatt….this time we are in the regency club rooms…just as last time, we are disappointed with our room….it is smaller than the one we had earlier in the week in the regular part of the hotel….otherwise everything is the same….the only benefit to club rooms here are that the pool area is more quiet, although there are only two small pools…..and breakfast is included in the club building---a nice open air lounge area…..and in the evening there are free drinks and hors….

Before our arrival at the hyatt we pass by the hotel and climb the hill at the end of the beach to check out the La Mer Restaurant…..we went there on our first visit to HH and wanted to see if it was still running….same same….we will return tonight for dinner… jamesA ---we also drove up the hill to see the wat….did a drive by….

Checked in and hung out in our room for a while….received a phone call from wolfgang (from the GTG in bkk) inviting us for dinner the next nite….we will meet in central HH at 7ish….

Went into town and used the local internet at the mall---35 B for ½ hour usage…

Back to hotel in time for the cocktail hour (5-7)…..lovely hors and drinks, very pleasantly presented….ate toooooooo much…

We had invited the Korean family to join us for dinner, but the child wanted to go into town so they declined…. We headed off to La Mer… had a crab, yellow curry dish, a platter of fried morning glories, water, large whole shrimp fried with a garlic coating….890 B…this restaurant is perched high on a cliff looking down the entire beach to central HH…in the water one can see the navy ships sitting offshore guarding the king---he now resides primarily at his palace in HH….also are green lites on the fronts of many many fishing boats….many of those boats come from just below this restaurant in a small fishing town harbor….

After dinner rode into town to fill up the car with gas…

I hear Karen sleeping behind me, so time for bed…

Hanuman, thanks for the info on the Arts of the Kingdom exhibit. We'll put it on our list!

A "drive by" of a Wat? This is pathetic even for Bob. Did they take theoir shoes off in the car?

So, let's see. In HH, it's stay in the Hyatt, stay in the Sheraton and then back to the Hyatt. Who was the brain child that deduced this itinerary? Does Hyatt have a prohibition against moving from one type of room to another? Is Bob getting reimbursed for his mileage?

hanuman, thanks for the info on the arts of the kingdom. what a nice bonus for my trip next week. i hope i can find the exhibit hall with no difficulty. is it close to a skytrain or subway station?

andy, i hope bob will be around for a time longer than 2011. karen too.

kuranosuke,

You can't miss it. It's the throne hall by the statue of King Rama V riding on his horse and it's quite close by to the Dusit zoo. It's not near any sky train or underground but the taxi ride will be fun since they allow you to drive up to the front door of the throne hall! We parked by the front entrance and it felt really weird being able to do that.

K- I meant that this endless thread and the exhibit would both end in 2011. Bob will haunt us forever. It is my plight.

thanks hanuman. from your description, it should be easy to find.

if you are facing the building from outside the fence....there is a gate way to the right...that is where you enter the grounds...from there it is clearly marked...time is 10AM to 8PM.....

May 8, 2008


Finally slept in to more my normal time…got up perhaps at 8:30….updated this report…off to breakfast in the club lounge….decent array of food…eggs cooked to order, etc….really delicious pineapple….

As in an AO method, we picked out our pool beds on our way back to the room…no need really as there are so few people here….but I wanted total shade….still suffering a tad from sun burn….very quiet here really…

Suits on and back to the pool for the morning…..the Korean man came by to give me his card…I had previously given him my card….we met a nice Dutch couple and had pleasant poolside conversations with them…

The poolman passed pineapples on a stick, which were quite nice….later he asked about drinks and we asked for water with lemon juice….he actually brought lemonade without sugar which was quite refreshing….

Back to the room about 12….changed and drove into town for a quick lunch and to buy a new cell phone….the horrid one I had bought was driving me crazy…bought a mid range Samsung, although my friend gal had told me to buy a nokia….i just liked the Samsung better and its feel….i have not had a cell phone for years---I pride myself on it….its a retirement thing I guess….we sort of ran out of time…did some internet too… it was a KFC lunch---quite good actually…rushed back to the hotel because the car rental guy was coming at 2 to pick the car up….

I dropped Karen at the front door and the car guy was not there so I thought I would look in the parking lot….as I rounded the back part of the lot going the wrong way I grazed the front bumper on a high curb----DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN….cost me 2000 B….small money for a decent gash…..at home it might be $300-400…

So instead of $60+ for my car rental it ended up at double that….gpanda---take it from here and get my $60 back….do something for your annual retainer, please, for a change….

Came up to the room just as the daily downpour started…..really came down today for perhaps 1 hours….the electricity even went out….no a/c for maybe 30 minutes….we sat out on the balcony and read and enjoyed the rain….a family of cats were down below….the mother got the little ones behind a trellis and she climbed to the top of it looking for some safety……they were all fine and ran away right after the rain stopped….

Heading down for drinks shortly and then we will meet Wolfgang at a fish restaurant in town about 7:15..

Btw, the club rooms offer two pieces of laundry free per day….we took advantage of that…did I also mention that day before yesterday we dropped off quite a load of laundry near the end of the hotel entrance road for laundering….quite reasonable as always….it came back very nicely all wrapped up and ironed….LADIES---IRONING IS THAT THING YOUR MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS USED TO DO….they also stayed home and made cookies all day too…

Took a tuk tuk to the chao ray restaurant in central HH on a pier, only to find it closed…just as we arrived wolfgang arrived too…..so we went next door to chomkluen restaurant, also on a pier….wolfgang brought a lady friend along with her 12 year old daughter….they spoke little English but smiled a lot as one might expect…

K & I were not overly hungry, so we only ordered lightly….we had chicken and cashew, fried morning glories and a small plate of fried rice with pineapple---perfect….the food was good…. They ordered a whole fish, some crab and white rice….

We had lots of laughs with wolfgang….he has been coming to Thailand from germany for about 40 years….he has been here about 7 months this time…

We all wanted something cool and soothing after dinner so we walked to the main street to swenson’s for some ice cream….we said our good-byes and promised to meet on fodors soon…

Got back to the hotel about 10:15 and asked for late check-out for tomorrow which was granted, but not before I dropped a few names: gpanda, hanuman, craig, but the name laurieco made them move fast….

Plan to hang around the hotel in the morning and take the 2PM hyatt shuttle back to the bkk hyatt and from there a taxi to the plaza anthanee, where I hope to be able to post this trip report…May 6






May 9, 2008


Up at a decent hour….down to the club lounge for breakfast….less choice than the main buffet, but very sufficient for us…..cooked to order eggs, etc….

Suited up and off to the club pool….found a shady spot for a while… Karen stayed on but I returned to the room to sit on the balcony and read the paper and my book…we had a nice conversation with a couple for Holland….there are many dutch and scandanavians in HH at this time….

Checked out just before 2….the van back to bkk loaded up and was off about 1:55….a little more traffic than on our way down to HH….taxi from the bkk hyatt to the plaza anthanee, where we were upgraded to an executive room, but with no privledges…fine…had trouble getting taxis there, btw…room was very nice as is the hotel…tried to sign up for internet but could not connect….asked for help and a lovely French woman came to help…she could not do it either, so she had a thai guy come and he did finally get it…we did skype calls to our older daughter and we got to see their two new pugs and also to talk to 4 grand kids…then did the same with K’s parents, who even in their late 80’s could manage skype….could not connect to the other daughter…

Dashed down for a taxi to the Rembrandt hotel to senor pico where we were meeting our friends gal and cherry…..we had carried a new camera from usa for her from gal….they had invited his best friend from Israel and his girlfriend (not a thai) as well to join us…we had a great dinner, lots of laughs….we were invited to go on to the landmark hotel for a special Israel independence celebration, but at 10:30 we were beat so we passed on it…gal drove us back to PA….nice sleep.




May 10, 2008


Up early….great view out from our 27th floor window…look directly down on the US Ambassador’s residence….huge piece of land with big pool and tennis courts…. Bkk has a nice skyline…

I went down to the bakery and bought some real French pastry…flaky and rich….we ate a simple breakfast in the room...

Into a taxi and over to the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, near the zoo and king’s palace…the support foundation of her majesty queen sirkit was sponsoring an exhibition of masterpieces….michaelbkk had told us we must go if only to see this fabulous building…its quite something….the painted walls, ceilings, etc of this 1907 building built by rama V….the works on display were a few huge pieces of modern traditional tapestry, many gold/silver gem encrusted chairs, boats/junks, etc….all are masterpieces and are were made in the 1990’s and 2000’s to commemorate the king’s and queen’s special occasions in workshop within the palace set up to keep the old arts going and thriving…there seemed to be more diamonds than any other stone…thanks Michael, we really loved going there….150B included audio description…

Taxi back to the hotel arriving at 11:55AM and were being picked up at noon by gal for a ride to the airport for our flight to Kuala Lumpur…

Easy drive and easy check in….decided on lunch at burger king, but for some reason it was closed…ended up at another place and we both had phad thai---how American…

Flight was right on time loading and leaving and also arrived exactly on time…
We were nervous about Air Asia…we have come away from this flight in awe of AA….everything was perfect or better….

You do need however to pay a small fee to express boarding….this allows you to board first…..otherwise it is a real cattle call…

When you arrive in K/L, there is no gate….you park near buildings but must walk on the tarmac for a short distance right into the arrival hall….immigration was almost a non event and so was customs….bags came out quickly….

Went to the ATM to get some money and then back to the taxi desk to get a taxi into town….92.40 R for the large taxi….there are two sizes….i did not choose the big one, so next time for a cheaper price I might choose the small cheaper one….drive is about 1 hour into town…

Staying at the Imperial Hotel formerly the Sheraton Imperial….still an SPG hotel but now part of the ‘luxury collection’…..

27th floor with great view out over city but not the P towers, but we do look directly out on what I think must be an attractive radio/tv tower??

In back of the hotel, there is a whole street of clubs and restaurants….we had a nice meal at Palacio…..lunguini and chicken/mushroom for me and several beers….broiled salmon on a bed of purree of mushroom and topped with a mango sauce for K….creme brulee for K and ice cream parfait for me….off to bed and a real comfortable bed.

will update the rest in a few hours...

Bob, any reason you didn't take the train? It takes half the time, they have porters for your luggage and you can have a Mercedes waiting to take you to your hotel. We loved it!

Just to clarify my post - I meant the train from the airport into the city vs. a taxi from the airport.

good question....air asia arrives at a seperate airport....you have to climb down stairs like in the old days...remember the old days??

the only option we saw available was the taxis and bus....it worked out fine...

May 11, 2008


Decided to have the buffet breakfast to get the lay of the land here at the Imperial…very nice breakfast in a very lovely huge open feeling room on a couple of levels with an atrium going up a couple of floors in some places….lots of architectural details in this building….very nice breakfast with western, asian, and lots of other offerings….

Took a taxi to the old central market, which has been converted into a tourist paradise with hundreds of shops….since we last visited over ten years ago the surrounding area has also grown to include many shops….karen bought a couple of blouses and we got a malay sim card….this card will carry us through Malaysia and Bali….

We walked around both floors of the market and then crossed the street for a quick lunch at andy’s favorite….you guessed it McDonalds---he calls it upscale….we actually liked it…

From there we wandered through Petaling Street, the knockoff headquarters, for this part of K/L….its part of Chinatown….no purchases…

We did some internet in a 2nd story den, full of teenagers playing computer games….2.5 R for 1 hours---less than $1…..

We took the subway back to our hotel from there---k points out that it starts above ground there and then goes underground….there are both subway and monorail in K/L…

Out to the very nice pool area on the 5th floor for an afternoon swim….so refreshing….the coolest water we have found yet….

Dinner was again on the local restaurant street at a club/cum bar/cum restaurant called Mojo…we shared two dishes: chicken/mushrooms and rice cooked in a clay pot and Indian curry chicken….they were a nice complement to each other---one spicy and one not….apricot tart with vanilla ice cream for dessert for each of us….beers were $5 which really irritated me….

When we returned to the room, or before dinner, I forget which I bought 24 hours of internet from the hotel for about $20….we did skype with karen’s parents and both of our kids….skype is really good to use….great pictures and good clarity of voice and best of all free….

Did some other internet to get caught up including this report….

Bed watching the 30” in wall tv….more hillary, mccain and barak….will it ever end!!!






May 12, 2008



Breakfast in the room using some pastry we had purchased the evening before…
More skype with the kids and grandchildren….
Out for a swim….went to a travel agent in the attached office building to see about arrangements for our onward malay venture….i had not arranged anything….bought more time for our cellphone…..btw, a one minute call to home this AM was only about 30 cents US…..cell phones are the way to go….

Took the monorail to bintang…this area is full of upscale hotels and huge malls…we had decided to eat lunch at Mythai at Starhill shopping center….this again is one of those magnificent malls that you never see in usa or Europe….multi floors, flower decked, very very upscale shops…..in several places there were guards with machine guns sitting in the corridors near to upscale places like cartier, etc…..there is a Jim Thompson shop in this mall too…

The restaurant is conceived using what the owner considers to be Jim Thompson style…it lives up to that billing….all the restaurants are on the lower level of the mall….each more unique and lux than the next….mythai was very lovely….my small water (evian) was $5 if that is any indication, but my main course was only about $8….go figure….we both had pasta dishes---K’s was sweet with roasted basil on top and mine was spicy and sour with shrimp…..quite a nice meal until the older german/dutch couple sat next to us with two bratty kids and at one point both were crying and the husband banged his hands on the table and jumnped up----sort of gpanda style….

Back to the hotel, after buying tomorrows breakfast in istan store….went into the travel agent to see what she had found out….toyed with flying one leg and a car to drive us the other, but ended up with a car and driver for all legs: K/L to Melaka, Melaka to Kuantan (from west to east coasts), then finally from kuantan to the K/L airport where we will spend the nite at the pan pacific hotel before flying to bali the next day….initially we were staying back here at the imperial, but this just made more sense….price for car about $440----1450 R….our splurge instead of staying at the ritz or peninsula…

We have a reservation for Top Hat Restaurant tonight…..K found it in frommers so not sure what we will find….it offers malay/Indian/western and other cuisines…

We have late check out tomorrow at 2, but the car will come for us at one, allowing time for an early lunch beforehand….

This will allow us to visit the petronas towers tomorrow morning

Not sure when I will next post...

sorry my posts lack the usual tourist things, but somehow we have little interest in sights this trip....many of the places we are visiting are return visits...

here in K/L it is a nice enought city but lacks the interests of say a bangkok for instance...

shopping is good here and so are the hotels at very affordable prices...

Bob
No mention of the big China quake. Were you still in BKK when it hit, or had you left for KL by then?

Shopping! Tell me about the shopping! What are the good buys? The malls in KL sound lush.

Carol

Hi B and K
Nice seeing your pics and hearing about your journey!
I lost the thread here for a few weeks....but I see that Craig has taken the bait..(.We'll be in Hartford for a wedding on Labor Day weekend....still trying to figure out flights; may end up driving at this rate)...and may end up coming before the weekend to avoid the holiday stuff. Hope we can arrange to see everyone, including Cyn from Vt.~~We'll keep you posted on our arrival!

Bob, the mall you described is just like the malls we went to in South Africa! Several of the stores had armed guards with bullet proof vests standing outside.

Sorry to hijack your excellent trip report Bob but I want to respond to Jodo's post:

Joyce and Don, we will not be available for a GTG over Labor Day Weekend - hopefully you'll be around the weekend before???

Bob...why not start a new thread...a Part 2? I'll probably never catch up on this one. Happy Travels!

Guenmai-he has stubbornly refused to start a new and vastly improved thread. We should feel fortunate that he has the rudimentary keyboard skills he exhibits, Forget thinking outside the box, he doesn't think inside the box. He just stays there. And it's not a great box to beging with.

Joyce and Don - actually Labor Day weekend might work - I spoke to the "boss". Look for an e-mail to you with ideas. For others near Connecticut, we will start a new post with an announcement with details.

See if this link works:
http://tinyurl.com/3jqps3

You went to the turf club!?

mrwunrfl,

The "turf club" only exist on the alternate Sundays when the Royal Bangkok Sports Club transformed into the Royal Turf Club for horse racing(and gambling). It is partially open to the public on "racing" Sundays but the general public only only has access to the spectator's grandstand and not into the other areas of the club.

What happened to Bob's original link to his pictures?

Gpanda...Oh, well. I guess I'm missing a lot of this report and future additions. I'm just too busy to go through it all to catch up. Happy Travels!

Hanuman-do they ever play poker there? Is there any poker in BKK?

G-he just will not follow suggestions. Try organizing a GTG with him. The patience of Panda!

Andy,

They do play a lot of Bridge at the sister's club - The RBSC Polo Club. I don't believe there are any organized Poker playing at the clubs.

H-thanks. I haven't played much bridge since college, back in the 1800's. It's much tougher to bluff in bridge.

Hi Bob and Karen,
hope you guys are still ok, because there was no report during the last few days.
Nice to meet you in Hua Hin after I could attend the GTG at RBSC just for a few minutes. Alas there are still a few stupid cab drivers in Bangkok.
Just found out that you are going to stay at the Santrian in Sanur. Believe it or not I stayed at that marvelous place during my one and only visit to Bali in 1975. Couldnt believe its still existing. It was really like a fairy-tale with small balinese style bungalows, surrounded by green and flowers.
The opposite was the quite lousy beach, the annoying vendors and plenty of drunk ozzies.
By the way, today I went with my new flame, her sister and daughter to a really nice restaurant in Paknampran. Situated right at the beach, nice seating with green and palm trees around and really good food. At least much better than last week in HH. And not so costly at all. A big fried fish, tom yam taley, shrimp steamboat,big plate of spicy thai salad, large leo beer and some water just came up to 650 Baht. The place is called Tontoresort or Chatelet Hua Hin-Pranburi.Anybody know it so far?

Mercifully, his Bobness has been quiet. We all benefit therefrom.

no longer quiet...ok i will start a part II....i am alswys outside the box ...it is some of you narrow people who can't even see the box...my new posts will have no paragraphs to save you eye strain and annoyance and will not allow you to read between the lines...

sitting in a great little starbucks in kuantan....

shopping we saw in k/l carol was all very high end stuff....very boring, but malls were beautiful....the exception was the central market

END OF THIS POST

Love the report & posts! Have been AWOL and now I remember why this site can be addicting!

this is very old

HAHAHAHA I see it is 2008! EIGHT!
Bob- trying to find SA trip report..haven't been on since new Fodors layout...am a slow learner! ...a year slower than the rest of the gang....

where is the rest of this??