Anantara, Laos & Bangkok trip report
May 14th, 2007, 05:24 AM
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BANGKOK
We flew Bangkok Airways from Luang Pranbang to Bangkok but not before a little excitement at passport control! See thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34984619
Upon arrival at the new airport from the Conrad was waiting for us. 30 minutes later travelling in a nice new Mercedes 220 and we were whisked up to Executive lounge and were being checked in. Booking online on the Hilton website gave us a very good rate $210 for an Executive Room including the airport transfers. We were whisked up to the executive lounge and checked in. Possession of a Hilton “VIP” entitled us to an upgrade to the next available category. None was available that night but we were moved to a corner room the following night . IMO the rooms at the Conrad are amongst the best in Bangkok, a very comfortable bed with an extensive “pillow menu”, great bathroom and flat screen HDTV and DVD player plus an iPod docking station with speakers (if only my wife shared my taste in music!).
The executive lounge had a limited, but very good, range of food for breakfast and evening cocktails. Service in the evenings was bit hit and miss for a couple of nights (as we found out later the lounge manager was on vacation for a few days), while the cats away etc…. Some of the waitresses were more concerned with flirting with some of the single male guests than with attending to the needs of all guests. Not what I expect from a hotel in this class but things did improve dramatically a couple of days later when the executive lounge manager returned.
We did experience some other problems with service during our stay which were not dealt with very well by the duty manager concerned. We got the feeling that the hotel was being run on a skeleton staff (this was the days just before Songkran). As a result, I doubt that we will stay there again.
We did however, have a couple of excellent meals in the Conrad. On our first night we ate in the “buffet” restaurant and, although the price (1100baht ++) had increased substantially since the last time we stayed over New Year 2003, the quality was even better. On our last night we chose to eat in the hotel and decided upon Teppanyaki in “Drinking Tea Eating Rice” the food and services were excellent which was excellent including some memorable Kobe beef. An expensive meal by Bangkok standards, but probably 50% of the cost of a similar meal here in London.
In our pre holiday research we had decided upon Supatra river house for our anniversary dinner, however The Conrad was a bit too far away from the river so we ended up having dinner at a street stall that night. We also had an excellent meal at Baan Khanitha. In need of a steak fix we also tried Neil’s Tavern, just along from the Conrad thinking that as it is next to the US embassy, the steak must be good. How wrong could I be! After looking at the menu we could not decide which steaks to go for so, as I have done numerous times when visiting the US, I asked to see some so I could pick. Eventually, the waiter reappeared with a tray proudly displaying a dozen steaks, frozen solid and wrapped in cling film! Somewhat disillusioned, we left and moved on to another restaurant. If anyone knows of a decent place for steak in Bangkok, please share it as I have searched in vain over many years.
This was our 10th wedding anniversary trip and having been to Bangkok many times before, we decided to revisit some of the places from our trip 10years ago and combine this with some shopping, a watch for me from Gaysorn and a sapphire ring from SJ Jewelry, a great recommendation from Kathie, but quite a long way out ofcentral BKK. – A tip if you want to visit SJ is to combine it with a visit to Vimmannek Teak Palace as they are not too far apart.
The Grand Palace was very busy but I was impressed with the restoration work that had been carried out since the last time I visited. A trip to Wat Po for a massage is compulsory for us (in fact we visited twice), as ever the best place in town for a massage.
For the first time we visited the Vimmannek Teak Palace and we were very impressed although it was very, very busy as we seemed to arrive at the same time as what seemed like about 50 busloads of Korean tourists! This palace was a little difficult get to, but, as we discovered later, not too far from SJ Jewelry, so we could easily have combined the two. The taxi ride back to the hotel was the quietest I have ever seen Bangkok, it was the Thursday before Songkran and many of the shops and restaurants seemed to have already closed for the weekend.
We then visited Jim Thompson’s house which now provides compulsory tours which we were not too keen on, and then on to Suan Pakkard Palace which was our first visit and we really enjoyed which was largely down to a very knowledgeable guide.
We left Bangkok on the Friday 13th April, the first day of Songkran. I have never been in Thailand over Songkran and have never seen the streets so empty. The trip to the airport scheduled to take 45 mins took about 25 as the expressway was empty of cars. Oh well, back to planning the next trip!
We flew Bangkok Airways from Luang Pranbang to Bangkok but not before a little excitement at passport control! See thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34984619
Upon arrival at the new airport from the Conrad was waiting for us. 30 minutes later travelling in a nice new Mercedes 220 and we were whisked up to Executive lounge and were being checked in. Booking online on the Hilton website gave us a very good rate $210 for an Executive Room including the airport transfers. We were whisked up to the executive lounge and checked in. Possession of a Hilton “VIP” entitled us to an upgrade to the next available category. None was available that night but we were moved to a corner room the following night . IMO the rooms at the Conrad are amongst the best in Bangkok, a very comfortable bed with an extensive “pillow menu”, great bathroom and flat screen HDTV and DVD player plus an iPod docking station with speakers (if only my wife shared my taste in music!).
The executive lounge had a limited, but very good, range of food for breakfast and evening cocktails. Service in the evenings was bit hit and miss for a couple of nights (as we found out later the lounge manager was on vacation for a few days), while the cats away etc…. Some of the waitresses were more concerned with flirting with some of the single male guests than with attending to the needs of all guests. Not what I expect from a hotel in this class but things did improve dramatically a couple of days later when the executive lounge manager returned.
We did experience some other problems with service during our stay which were not dealt with very well by the duty manager concerned. We got the feeling that the hotel was being run on a skeleton staff (this was the days just before Songkran). As a result, I doubt that we will stay there again.
We did however, have a couple of excellent meals in the Conrad. On our first night we ate in the “buffet” restaurant and, although the price (1100baht ++) had increased substantially since the last time we stayed over New Year 2003, the quality was even better. On our last night we chose to eat in the hotel and decided upon Teppanyaki in “Drinking Tea Eating Rice” the food and services were excellent which was excellent including some memorable Kobe beef. An expensive meal by Bangkok standards, but probably 50% of the cost of a similar meal here in London.
In our pre holiday research we had decided upon Supatra river house for our anniversary dinner, however The Conrad was a bit too far away from the river so we ended up having dinner at a street stall that night. We also had an excellent meal at Baan Khanitha. In need of a steak fix we also tried Neil’s Tavern, just along from the Conrad thinking that as it is next to the US embassy, the steak must be good. How wrong could I be! After looking at the menu we could not decide which steaks to go for so, as I have done numerous times when visiting the US, I asked to see some so I could pick. Eventually, the waiter reappeared with a tray proudly displaying a dozen steaks, frozen solid and wrapped in cling film! Somewhat disillusioned, we left and moved on to another restaurant. If anyone knows of a decent place for steak in Bangkok, please share it as I have searched in vain over many years.
This was our 10th wedding anniversary trip and having been to Bangkok many times before, we decided to revisit some of the places from our trip 10years ago and combine this with some shopping, a watch for me from Gaysorn and a sapphire ring from SJ Jewelry, a great recommendation from Kathie, but quite a long way out ofcentral BKK. – A tip if you want to visit SJ is to combine it with a visit to Vimmannek Teak Palace as they are not too far apart.
The Grand Palace was very busy but I was impressed with the restoration work that had been carried out since the last time I visited. A trip to Wat Po for a massage is compulsory for us (in fact we visited twice), as ever the best place in town for a massage.
For the first time we visited the Vimmannek Teak Palace and we were very impressed although it was very, very busy as we seemed to arrive at the same time as what seemed like about 50 busloads of Korean tourists! This palace was a little difficult get to, but, as we discovered later, not too far from SJ Jewelry, so we could easily have combined the two. The taxi ride back to the hotel was the quietest I have ever seen Bangkok, it was the Thursday before Songkran and many of the shops and restaurants seemed to have already closed for the weekend.
We then visited Jim Thompson’s house which now provides compulsory tours which we were not too keen on, and then on to Suan Pakkard Palace which was our first visit and we really enjoyed which was largely down to a very knowledgeable guide.
We left Bangkok on the Friday 13th April, the first day of Songkran. I have never been in Thailand over Songkran and have never seen the streets so empty. The trip to the airport scheduled to take 45 mins took about 25 as the expressway was empty of cars. Oh well, back to planning the next trip!
Aug 2nd, 2007, 02:20 AM
#22
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi there
Would love your advise. we am planning to go to Lao end of August for our wedding anniversary as well. We are flying from Sydney and dont have very long. I was thinking of flying from Bangkok to Chiang Rai then stay 2 night at the Anantara. Then take the slow boat (over night)to Luang Prabang stay at LP at Le residence 3 nights before spending one night in bangkok and then having to go back home. Would love your advise on whether you think we should do the slow boat which would mean we would have to leave the Anantara at 6.30am (so effectively only have 1.5 days there) to get to LP OR blow off the boat trip and spend the extra night/2 days at the Anantara? Also any other must do/see/eat/hike, Thanks so much for you help - Carole
Would love your advise. we am planning to go to Lao end of August for our wedding anniversary as well. We are flying from Sydney and dont have very long. I was thinking of flying from Bangkok to Chiang Rai then stay 2 night at the Anantara. Then take the slow boat (over night)to Luang Prabang stay at LP at Le residence 3 nights before spending one night in bangkok and then having to go back home. Would love your advise on whether you think we should do the slow boat which would mean we would have to leave the Anantara at 6.30am (so effectively only have 1.5 days there) to get to LP OR blow off the boat trip and spend the extra night/2 days at the Anantara? Also any other must do/see/eat/hike, Thanks so much for you help - Carole
Aug 2nd, 2007, 06:48 AM
#23
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Caroles, I'm not crellston, but with so little time, I'd recommend you spend the whole time at the Anantara or the whole time at La Residence in LP. Going two places will mean you spend a lot of time getting from one place to the other. Also, since you are flying from Sydney, if you go two places you may spend more time in transit on your trip than actually enjoying and relaxing.
Aug 2nd, 2007, 11:45 PM
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with Kathie. With so little timeyour best bet is to stay a few extra nights @ the Anatara. Having said that, how are you planning to get to LP? I may be wrong but I don't think that there are any direct flights from CR to LP and going via Bangkok would be a real pain. The trip downriver is not what it was a few years back and I feel you may be disappointed. If going overnight the boats stop in Pakbeng which is a bit of a charmless place. Luangsay do a luxury boat with an o/n at the Luangsay lodge but it is very expensive ($700 for 2).
The Anantara is a nice hotel with lots of activities (see their website) but whilst some are free, many are very expensive. We hired a car and went to Mai Sai & Mai Salong and were underwhelmed by both. We also rented a couple of bikes and cycled to a few local villages but quite honestly there is far more to see and do in LP, although I doubt the hotels will be as good. I recommend the trekking around LP and there are lots of operators along the main street.
With the limited time you have available you may wish to consider just Bangkok plus one other location.
The Anantara is a nice hotel with lots of activities (see their website) but whilst some are free, many are very expensive. We hired a car and went to Mai Sai & Mai Salong and were underwhelmed by both. We also rented a couple of bikes and cycled to a few local villages but quite honestly there is far more to see and do in LP, although I doubt the hotels will be as good. I recommend the trekking around LP and there are lots of operators along the main street.
With the limited time you have available you may wish to consider just Bangkok plus one other location.
