Help, please! Thailand for six days in early April.
 

Hello everyone! I am joining my husband on a week-long business trip to Singapore and Thainland. We'll be in Singapore for two days, Bangkok for another few, and then the weekend (early April).

I'd appreciate some guidance on the following:

1. Singapore. this is my second time to Singapore, so I've the "sights". This time, I'm mostly interested in walking around, eating, and shopping! After six months in Bangalore, I especially miss good salads, a great bakery, and weekend brunch. Any suggestions on those, and good dim sum (hard to find since I don't eat pork or chicken)?

2. Bangkok. What are favorite places to eat, shop, and see? I've got three full days on my way own.

3. Weekend trip. We would probably leave Bangkok on Friday evening and need to be back by Sunday evening. Is there someplace we can drive/bus/train to rather than jump on an airplane. I've been to the north, and my husband would probably prefer a relaxing weekend on the beach. Are the beach resorts too far away for a weekend?

Thanks!

I think questions 1 and 2 are pretty well covered by other posts; run a search here, look at the "Destinations" guide above, also look at Frommers.

For brunch in Singapore, my personal favorite for brunch is the Shangri-La, although the deli in the Raffles is very good for a huge sandwhich/deli lunch rather than a true brunch.

For #3, which has also been covered in other posts, Hua Hin and Pattaya are about 3 hours by car or bus from Bangkok, and while they are not the prettiest beaches in Thailand, are fine for a weekend. The various towns are kind of dumpy, a very down scale Miami beach, high rises and a lot of average restaurants and girlie bars. There is a national park not too far that is quite nice and has literally thousands of butterflies. My personal recco for a weekend escape there would be to go to Chiva Som Spa & Resort on the beach in Hua Hin. As it is just you and your husband with no kids, you might really enjoy the chance to take treatments and fitness classes. This is a world-class spa, which generally makes the list of top 10 spas in the world. A 5-star hotel on the beach with incredible food - you won't even know you are eating health food. They generally always have lots of veggie options as well, and usually offer a fasting plan too. You can take water aerobics or other fitness classes, work out in the gym or try one of dozens of face and body treatments. Truly Thai pampering! Take a look at chivasom.com. If you don't want to stay at a health resort, there are two Marriotts and I think a Hilton and other large hotels there as well, run a search here or look at major chain websites.

Personally, if you really can't leave Bangkok until Friday night, and have to be back on Sunday for a flight out, you might just want to stay in Bangkok at a good riverside hotel and stay poolside there for your weekend, this will give you a sense that you have been away. Almost as nice as beachside and the beaches in Hua Hin/Pattaya are not so special IMO that they are worth that long a drive for that short a trip. (You could also go to the Weekend Market in Bangkok if your husband could not be persuaded to go with you, which is another good reason to stay in Bangkok for the weekend.)

Another beach option near bangkok and 3hours drive is Koh Samed. Stay at le Vimarn here. Is an ideal getaway to do nothing except enjoy the beach as it is a very small town and the resort is secluded and lovely.

Thanks, Cicerone! Your suggestion on Chiva Som Spa sounds perfect...if my husband can get out of work early enough on Friday, we will try and get out there.

One question: what's the best way to get there from BKK? Rent-a-car/ hired car and driver/bus - if you have any specifics, please let me know.

You're right on my questions about Singapore and BKK - after some browsing on these pages, I've found some great spots for good eats in both places.

thanks!

Thanks, Hobbes. You've always got great suggestions, so I'll certainly look into this one as well. BTW, your reccos for some of my questions on travel in India have been very helpful.

I've got the same question for you: what is the best way to get to the property you've reccomended? Thanks!

To get to Hua Hin, hire a car and driver to take you there. Any of the "limo" companies at the airport will do that for you at a reasonable price.

The spa at the Chiva Som is fabulous, but I was not impressed with their accommodations. The prices are very high, and the rooms and free-standing villas are claustrophobic. At that price, I want a gorgeous room. I stayed at the Hyatt once and went to the Chiva Som for a full day and a half day of treatments. The Hyatt is a lovely resort, and you would be very happy with it. One warning about the Chiva Som's spa, they do not do couples treatments.

Another place to consider is the Anantara, which has a wonderful spa and does couples treatments. Their treatment pavillions are very nice, a combination of open air and inside air-conditioned spaces. The Deluxe Lagoon rooms at the Anantara are really stunning!

I wouldn't stay at the Marriott in town, even it's fans declare the rooms dark and outdated.

two other suggestions, maybe three actually....

in hua hin take a look at the hyatt and also at wora bura, a brand new resort....both are in the same neighborhood as is the CS spa...stay at one of them and do spa treatments on a day basis thus saving huge money on the rooms there, which your husband might not enjoy as much...

HH is about a two hour ride from bkk and costs about $65 by limo from AAC limo...

pattaya is different...if you don't stay downtown, then you will like it quite well....the sheraton is quite lovely and we will stay there for 4 nites in november....jontiem beach is far nicer than pattaya itself....

if you stay in town, then i would choose either the marriott or the peninsula for their pool areas...

i have a restaurant list for bangkok if you are interested just ask me at:

[email protected]

jamesA has suggested one restaurant in HH, and i have added a couple more for you:

Let's Sea which is near hyatt and wora bura and right on the beach....

La Mer up on the cliff is an excellent sea food place as well with a fabulous view of the beach all the way back to the town....

La Villa has also been suggested to me by an expat

You can head towards Pattaya, Jomtien beach are the area are quieter, Sheraton, Royal Cliff are the top resorts. North Pattaya the Dusit. Also Marriott and Hard Rock in downtown Pattaya. Pattaya is a 'city' on the coast, Jomtien over the hill is more relaxed. Lots of shopping activities, shows, Thai spectacular show at
The Alangkarn is a must see:
www.alangkarnthailand.com/galleries.htm

Hua Hin is far more relaxed, Chiva Som health resort is very expensive but great if yuo have the money.
Hyatt Regency is excellent especially Club Rooms, has everything you want, wide range of restaurants, the Thai restaurant in the garden is especialy nice.
There is a Hilton but it's a high rise right in town, has never appealed to us at all. The Sofitel is a classic 1920's style top class resort, excellent if you go for the suites.
Note regarding chiva Som, you are looking at anything from USD 500-1,000 a night, honestly compare with with about USD 120 for the Hyatt or Sofitel, even up to max $ 150 for Club rooms at Hyatt!!
Another note worthy are Anantara Resort and Spa, possibly Marriott, the new Wora Bura.
If you can get a room the Hyatt I think would be ideal but getting rooms at the weekend in Hua Hin is very difficult!
2.5 hrs by limo, you can take a flight, does not save you time unless you enjoy scenic flights, 4 times per hay, costs about USD 185 return, 12 seater.
Top restaurants include: Let's Sea ( my personal top choice ), Supatra-by-the-sea, Istara, La Mer, for french la Brasserie near the fishing piers, also Oyster Pot, Fisherman's Wharf, Monsoon, all in the pier area.
If you do want to Elephant ride there are several locations. Thai dance show at Sasi restaurant ( next to Hyatt towards the main road ).
Dining at the Sofitel whether staying or not is superb!!, not cheap but the Palm Pavillion and salathai are top class, old fashioned Afternoon tea in the Museum Room, even if you don't stay a must see.

Hyatt Hua Hin pics:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...ency/pictures/

Sofitel Hua Hin:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...ntral/details/
Marriott:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...riott/details/

For Jomtien area:
Royal Cliff
www.royalcliff.com/
Sheraton:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sherat...ropertyID=1549

I had a very different impression than Kathie of the Chiva Som, and have been three times, and am going again for Easter. The rooms are about 35-40 square meters, which is a good size, I have not seen the villas so can't comment. I found the decor very nice, and I understand they have had a redo in 2005 so should be even nicer. I don't understand Kathie's commennt, but she likes the Bangkok Sheraton on the river, which I don't, so it may be a difference in taste.

The difference between Chiva Som and the Ananatar and Hilton, etc is that Chiva Som started out and always has been a spa and health resort that has a hotel, the others are hotels which over the years have added spas. One is a specialist, the others jumped on the spa bandwagon. I think Anantara's spas are perfectly fine, but theare are NOT in the same class, you won't get individual assessments, the range of fitness classes or treatment, etc or the food offered at Chiva Som. Chiva Som offers couples treatments as well, they all do now.

I would have a car and driver take you to Hua Hin, it is the easiest way. Renting a car and driving is, IMO, the hardest way, having to deal with traffic, Thai roads and drivers, directions, etc. I wouldn't find it relaxing at all. A bus would be a mid-way option; but really at the Chiva Som prices, you might as well get a car and driver anyway. The hotel can arrange for one to meet you at the airport, or you can arrange for one yourself, I think if you search here you will find reccos for limo services, or maybe check the website for the Bangkok airport at http://www.airportthai.co.th

Since it's been a couple of years since I was last at the Chiva Som, I defer to Cicerone's info that the Chiva Som now offers couples treatments.

The room preferences may simply be a matter of taste. I tend to opt for a suite wherever I stay. I looked at the suites at the Chiva Som and they were lovely, but the prices were astronomical. The little villas seemed very small, and opening the doors gave a sense of spaciousness, but then you have absolutely no privacy. As I'm one who enjoys time in my room/suite this is important to me, but may not be important to you.

I don't think there is any dount that the Chiva Som is a superb place, highly popular with the rich and famous. From my side it would just be the cost as it is 'so' expensive. I guess if you want the real tops it would be great, as long as you appreciate just how much it costs.

Cicerone, do try out Let's Sea if you haven't before, it really is a great restaurant ( first turn left past entrance to Hyatt, take a right past Baan Duangkaew, take a left past Chom View. Apart from the great atmosphere and food even going to the bathroom is a surprise, enter and close the doo and see lily ponds open air in front of you, unique or what!!
Something else new you will see is the huge Hua Hin Market Village ( zero points for name choice ! ), large 4 storey mega mall. Has a lot of good quality arts and crafts, fashion shops, also some good restaurants, Fuji Japanese although high tech modern style, the food is excellent! It's not Siam Paragon but at least excellent addition to HH.

Although you can't miss it, Hua Hin Market Village is between Chiva and Marriott. if you are down by the piers 'Monsoon' is a lovely Oriental style place ( HK owners I think ) for a nice drink or food, old world charm, really nice.

Thanks, everyone! HH sounds like a good choice - its relatively close to BKK and seems to have some nice properties. Chiva Som looks fabulous, but at $1,000/nt, its out of our price range. We'll try for the Hyatt or another suggested property. Thanks for all the great food reccos!

My first choice, though, is Hobbes' reccomendation of Koh Samet's le Vimarn - small, quiet, and sounds like good food. Does anyone know how to get there from BKK (from the map, I can't tell if its a drive plus a boat ride)?

FC-the Central Sofitel is very nice and relaxing. An old style hotel with very comfortable accomodations. It's very well located.

Yes, if you want to stay right in town, the Sofitel is lovely (and the only in-town hotel I would consider in Hua Hin).

Note that if you opt for Koh Chang or Koh Samet those are both considered malarial risk areas, while none of the other places you've talked about are considered malarial risk.