HoodLims multipart Thai honeymoon report!
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 06:21 AM
#1
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Joined: Jan 2007
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HoodLims multipart Thai honeymoon report!
HOODLIMS THAILAND HONEYMOON REPORT
We had a fantastic time in Thailand and I would definitely do it again and recommend it to everyone! We planned this trip on a moderate budget and with the mentality that we wanted to immerse ourselves as much as we could in Thailand – which meant staying and eating where there were more locals than farangs. So please keep that in mind when I espouse opinions on certain places. Also, I am American, so if I make any monetary references, it is in American dollars. Thanks!
Locations
Bangkok – 4 nights
Chiang Mai – 3 nights
Koh Chang – 3 nights
Bangkok – 1 ½ nights
Planning the Trip
In planning the trip we relied mostly on Fodors: Thailand, Lonely Planet: Beaches and Islands, Fodors Forum: Asia, and Nancy Chandler Map: Bangkok and Chiang Mai. My opinion on these: While the Fodors guide was a good outline, I did not find it detailed enough. It also caters to a very Western palate in terms of living and food choices, and definitely when it came to spending. Many of the things they recommended were not in our budget. I would’ve preferred the Lonely Planet: Thailand that we later perused through at our B&Bs. I also would’ve scrapped the Lonely Planet: Beaches and Islands
book completely, as it was sparse on information. The Fodors Forum: Asia was an invaluable resource. My favorite to have was definitely Nancy Chandler – she was like a wise friend that walked around with us. A must for recommendations on food, lodging, and shopping, plus she lists a lot of ballpark prices for transportation!
We had a fantastic time in Thailand and I would definitely do it again and recommend it to everyone! We planned this trip on a moderate budget and with the mentality that we wanted to immerse ourselves as much as we could in Thailand – which meant staying and eating where there were more locals than farangs. So please keep that in mind when I espouse opinions on certain places. Also, I am American, so if I make any monetary references, it is in American dollars. Thanks!
Locations
Bangkok – 4 nights
Chiang Mai – 3 nights
Koh Chang – 3 nights
Bangkok – 1 ½ nights
Planning the Trip
In planning the trip we relied mostly on Fodors: Thailand, Lonely Planet: Beaches and Islands, Fodors Forum: Asia, and Nancy Chandler Map: Bangkok and Chiang Mai. My opinion on these: While the Fodors guide was a good outline, I did not find it detailed enough. It also caters to a very Western palate in terms of living and food choices, and definitely when it came to spending. Many of the things they recommended were not in our budget. I would’ve preferred the Lonely Planet: Thailand that we later perused through at our B&Bs. I also would’ve scrapped the Lonely Planet: Beaches and Islands
book completely, as it was sparse on information. The Fodors Forum: Asia was an invaluable resource. My favorite to have was definitely Nancy Chandler – she was like a wise friend that walked around with us. A must for recommendations on food, lodging, and shopping, plus she lists a lot of ballpark prices for transportation!
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 06:22 AM
#2
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Lodging
I picked most of these places based on recommendations from the forum.
Bangkok: Old Bangkok Inn www.oldbangkokinn.com
Absolutely loved this place! It was like staying at my favorite aunt’s house. Nantiya and her staff are so warm and helpful, and will call and make reservations for you free of charge. Also, the Banglamphu area is very convenient to the river and the klong (canal). We could either go down the river to hit a lot of places, or down the klong to get to MBK, Jim Thompson, etc. Chinatown and Dusit were within walking distance. Nice area with a lot of locals and tons of street food (yummy) and restaurants. Nantiya also recommends the best restaurants and spas, just for our budget! Between $100-$120 a night.
We had the congee (rice porridge with pork – what can I say? I’m Chinese and it reminded me of my childhood) every morning with a ton of fresh fruit – more fruit than I could’ve ever imagine eating! Another great thing is that they have computers with fast internet + TV/DVD. They also have a DVD library and some books you can utilize while there. We loved it so much here that we even booked it for the tail end of our trip. Since we stayed in 3 different rooms (and peeked into a few more), I think I can give a pretty good assessment on each room.
Downstairs: Lemongrass and Rose. Lemongrass is TINY but they have an outdoor garden. I never used it of course, since I get such bad reactions to mosquito bites. It is a one large bed and the TV and computer are on the same screen, different inputs. Bathroom is the same as all others (besides Rose I think), with a glass shower, deep ceramic bowl for a sink, a toilet, and beautiful hardwood floors. All bathroom comes with a bevy of supplies in case you forgot yours at home: cotton buds, toothbrushes, shower caps, etc. She also includes shampoo and body wash in every room; they are individually scented to match the name of the room. Remember, shampoo is in the top shelf! Rose I did not see, but it is in a separate wing from the main building. You can access it through a glass door in the main lobby area. OVERALL, I did not like the downstairs because it was a bit loud in the morning. You can hear people coming downstairs, or talking, or the ladies cleaning. This won’t happen in the Rose though, since it is off to the side.
Upstairs: holds the Orchid, Jasmine, and Rice rooms. In the separate wing, it holds the family room (on top of Rose).
We stayed in the Orchid, which is a loft style room decorated in shades of pink and purple (nice shades). We loved this room because there is a sitting area downstairs, and a loft upstairs. Only problem is that the stairs are super steep. Since we are relatively young, this did not bother us, but the stairs are more like a ladder. If a guest can’t make it upstairs, the downstairs sitting area is a good place to pass out. The Orchid room also has a TV and a computer, so you can do both at the same time. Jasmine room is laid out the same way but I did not get a detailed look. The Rice room is NOT a loft. It has two twin beds in it and was quite spacious, more so than the Lemongrass room. I enjoyed my stays in Orchid and in Rice over Lemongrass because they are upstairs (more private, less noise) and because they are spacious!
Chiang Mai: Baan Orapin www.baanorapin.com
Talk about luxurious dwellings with the most comfortable bed I have ever been in! We were upgraded to a suite in the new wing and absolutely loved our time in Chiang Mai. Opas and his staff are very sweet and friendly. The rooms are humongous, quiet, and very private. Our room had a huge living room area with a satellite TV, couch, and coffee table. We slept in a large 4 poster bed that felt like heaven. There is a vanity in the bedroom area. The bathroom is a large as another room, with a shower, tub, toilet, and large sink area. The compound is set on lush, tropical grounds – I seriously felt like we were in the jungle at times. Amazing. Our room also had a little patio area with lounge chairs (again, we didn’t use these because of my bad reaction to mosquito bites). We ordered Set #6 for breakfast, which consisted of pork and sausages Thai style, with a chili dipping paste, sticky rice, and some lemongrass noodles. YUM YUM. They recently installed a pool so bring your bathing suits! Oh, and they are working on a new wing so there will be more rooms available soon enough. The location is extremely convenient – it’s right by the Mae Ping River and a 10 minute walk to the Old City. Approx $60/night
Koh Chang: Bhumiyama Beach Resort
We were upgraded here too, to a seaview room. We had an excellent room right in the front, closest to the beach. This is a very nice hotel with good rates., especially for being beachfront. We were situated on Lonely Beach, which has its good and bad points. Good: VERY private, not very developed, beach isn’t too crowded. Bad: Hard to get transportation to other parts of the island from here, no late night food options (which only bothered us one night). Keep this in mind when you are booking. White Sands Beach is super crowded and touristy if you are looking for a ton of action.
Anyway, the room was decorated with flowers and towel swans. The staff was very nice. The thing that bothered me most about this place is the outdoor bathrooms. Yes, I know it seems cool and sensuous. But when you are a mosquito treat, it is NOT fun. It was sweltering everytime I had to leave the bedroom to go to the bathroom, the door sometimes stuck, I could see/hear things swarming around me, and little ants would crawl into my overnight bag. By bathroom also backed up to the restaurant/bar next door (Nature Rocks – more on that later) so I heard Rhianna’s nasally voice until 2 in the morning.
Food here is “meh”. Breakfast is included and we always got the Thai sets, which is more like Chinese food. We were probably the only ones eating fried noodles with seafood in the morning, but we figured we’d better get our money’s worth! Drinks are US prices (we ended up buying our own rum and mixers at the mini-mart).
Oh, and forgot to mention that after being in a B&B where you feel like you are visiting family, going to a hotel is a bit of a shock. We were charged for asking the front desk to make a phone call to call us a cab!
I am not sure if I would recommend this place. Location and people were really nice, but it felt too “hotel”ish.
I picked most of these places based on recommendations from the forum.
Bangkok: Old Bangkok Inn www.oldbangkokinn.com
Absolutely loved this place! It was like staying at my favorite aunt’s house. Nantiya and her staff are so warm and helpful, and will call and make reservations for you free of charge. Also, the Banglamphu area is very convenient to the river and the klong (canal). We could either go down the river to hit a lot of places, or down the klong to get to MBK, Jim Thompson, etc. Chinatown and Dusit were within walking distance. Nice area with a lot of locals and tons of street food (yummy) and restaurants. Nantiya also recommends the best restaurants and spas, just for our budget! Between $100-$120 a night.
We had the congee (rice porridge with pork – what can I say? I’m Chinese and it reminded me of my childhood) every morning with a ton of fresh fruit – more fruit than I could’ve ever imagine eating! Another great thing is that they have computers with fast internet + TV/DVD. They also have a DVD library and some books you can utilize while there. We loved it so much here that we even booked it for the tail end of our trip. Since we stayed in 3 different rooms (and peeked into a few more), I think I can give a pretty good assessment on each room.
Downstairs: Lemongrass and Rose. Lemongrass is TINY but they have an outdoor garden. I never used it of course, since I get such bad reactions to mosquito bites. It is a one large bed and the TV and computer are on the same screen, different inputs. Bathroom is the same as all others (besides Rose I think), with a glass shower, deep ceramic bowl for a sink, a toilet, and beautiful hardwood floors. All bathroom comes with a bevy of supplies in case you forgot yours at home: cotton buds, toothbrushes, shower caps, etc. She also includes shampoo and body wash in every room; they are individually scented to match the name of the room. Remember, shampoo is in the top shelf! Rose I did not see, but it is in a separate wing from the main building. You can access it through a glass door in the main lobby area. OVERALL, I did not like the downstairs because it was a bit loud in the morning. You can hear people coming downstairs, or talking, or the ladies cleaning. This won’t happen in the Rose though, since it is off to the side.
Upstairs: holds the Orchid, Jasmine, and Rice rooms. In the separate wing, it holds the family room (on top of Rose).
We stayed in the Orchid, which is a loft style room decorated in shades of pink and purple (nice shades). We loved this room because there is a sitting area downstairs, and a loft upstairs. Only problem is that the stairs are super steep. Since we are relatively young, this did not bother us, but the stairs are more like a ladder. If a guest can’t make it upstairs, the downstairs sitting area is a good place to pass out. The Orchid room also has a TV and a computer, so you can do both at the same time. Jasmine room is laid out the same way but I did not get a detailed look. The Rice room is NOT a loft. It has two twin beds in it and was quite spacious, more so than the Lemongrass room. I enjoyed my stays in Orchid and in Rice over Lemongrass because they are upstairs (more private, less noise) and because they are spacious!
Chiang Mai: Baan Orapin www.baanorapin.com
Talk about luxurious dwellings with the most comfortable bed I have ever been in! We were upgraded to a suite in the new wing and absolutely loved our time in Chiang Mai. Opas and his staff are very sweet and friendly. The rooms are humongous, quiet, and very private. Our room had a huge living room area with a satellite TV, couch, and coffee table. We slept in a large 4 poster bed that felt like heaven. There is a vanity in the bedroom area. The bathroom is a large as another room, with a shower, tub, toilet, and large sink area. The compound is set on lush, tropical grounds – I seriously felt like we were in the jungle at times. Amazing. Our room also had a little patio area with lounge chairs (again, we didn’t use these because of my bad reaction to mosquito bites). We ordered Set #6 for breakfast, which consisted of pork and sausages Thai style, with a chili dipping paste, sticky rice, and some lemongrass noodles. YUM YUM. They recently installed a pool so bring your bathing suits! Oh, and they are working on a new wing so there will be more rooms available soon enough. The location is extremely convenient – it’s right by the Mae Ping River and a 10 minute walk to the Old City. Approx $60/night
Koh Chang: Bhumiyama Beach Resort
We were upgraded here too, to a seaview room. We had an excellent room right in the front, closest to the beach. This is a very nice hotel with good rates., especially for being beachfront. We were situated on Lonely Beach, which has its good and bad points. Good: VERY private, not very developed, beach isn’t too crowded. Bad: Hard to get transportation to other parts of the island from here, no late night food options (which only bothered us one night). Keep this in mind when you are booking. White Sands Beach is super crowded and touristy if you are looking for a ton of action.
Anyway, the room was decorated with flowers and towel swans. The staff was very nice. The thing that bothered me most about this place is the outdoor bathrooms. Yes, I know it seems cool and sensuous. But when you are a mosquito treat, it is NOT fun. It was sweltering everytime I had to leave the bedroom to go to the bathroom, the door sometimes stuck, I could see/hear things swarming around me, and little ants would crawl into my overnight bag. By bathroom also backed up to the restaurant/bar next door (Nature Rocks – more on that later) so I heard Rhianna’s nasally voice until 2 in the morning.
Food here is “meh”. Breakfast is included and we always got the Thai sets, which is more like Chinese food. We were probably the only ones eating fried noodles with seafood in the morning, but we figured we’d better get our money’s worth! Drinks are US prices (we ended up buying our own rum and mixers at the mini-mart).
Oh, and forgot to mention that after being in a B&B where you feel like you are visiting family, going to a hotel is a bit of a shock. We were charged for asking the front desk to make a phone call to call us a cab!
I am not sure if I would recommend this place. Location and people were really nice, but it felt too “hotel”ish.
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 06:22 AM
#3
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Transportation
Here I will include our methods of transportation and prices.
Bangkok:
River – recommend taking the tourist river boat, which costs 40 baht p/p for the whole day and you can get off and on however many times you please. Or, you can pay per leg. Oh, and you can take some of the big hotel boats for free…we had a drink at the Oriental and the lobby guys just told us to get on the boat, even though we informed him we were not guests.
Klong (canal) – by far my favorite way to move! All the Thais take this and from our location at the OBI, we walked about 2 minutes to the closest stop. This klong took us SE bound, and dropped us off within walking distance of Jim Thompson and all the major shopping areas. Cost 8 baht per person
Taxi – FROM airport, 450 baht. We used the public taxi service downstairs. TO airport (w/o surcharge) it was about 220 baht (metered). Always take a metered taxi, it is always cheaper. Problem is, some taxis did not want to offer a meter pay system to farangs, so you have to keep trying. Cost from MBK to OBI approx 60 baht. Nothing should cost much more than this, unless you are going to the airport.
SkyTrain – we took this once and I have no idea how much it cost. Relatively inexpensive and used by locals and tourist alike.
Tuk tuk – not used in Bangkok for fear of falling out and getting scammed.
Chiang Mai:
Airplane - Air Asia from BKK to CM. Would not fly this airline on a longer flight. It is a mad dash to the plane. Be prepared to throw elbows and push your way in to get the seat you want. No drinks are served (not even water) and if I hadn’t slept through it all I would’ve been thirsty beyond belief. It is really inexpensive though…around $40 p/p
Taxi - to and from airpot was about 120 baht. No surcharge added.
Tuk Tuk – from Baan Orapin (near Mae Ping River) to Old City was 40 baht. From Baan Orapin to Doi Suthep was 100 baht.
Songthaew – shared ride trucks. Approximately 20 baht per person, although I think this was the farang price.
Koh Chang:
Airplane – from BKK to Trat. Trat is a tiny airport. We took Bangkok Airways (only airline to Trat), which was not inexpensive ($140 p/p). We loved this airline though because they had a lounge for ALL customers which offered free food/drinks and free internet. Then they served us dinner on a 30 minute flight! The best part was the return trip – they canceled our flight due to bad weather, put us on shared ride vans to BKK with a snack and bottled water for free, AND they refunded us the cost of our ticket! Great customer service!
Shared ride van – do not know the same of this company, but it’s the only one available at Trat. Costs 650 baht per person for round trip, includes the cost of the ferry ride and drop off at your hotel. They also took us back up to BKK when our flight was canceled and did a great job (the airline paid them then)
Ferry – from Trat to Koh Chang. Quick and painless ride. Some ferries are nicer than others.
Here I will include our methods of transportation and prices.
Bangkok:
River – recommend taking the tourist river boat, which costs 40 baht p/p for the whole day and you can get off and on however many times you please. Or, you can pay per leg. Oh, and you can take some of the big hotel boats for free…we had a drink at the Oriental and the lobby guys just told us to get on the boat, even though we informed him we were not guests.
Klong (canal) – by far my favorite way to move! All the Thais take this and from our location at the OBI, we walked about 2 minutes to the closest stop. This klong took us SE bound, and dropped us off within walking distance of Jim Thompson and all the major shopping areas. Cost 8 baht per person
Taxi – FROM airport, 450 baht. We used the public taxi service downstairs. TO airport (w/o surcharge) it was about 220 baht (metered). Always take a metered taxi, it is always cheaper. Problem is, some taxis did not want to offer a meter pay system to farangs, so you have to keep trying. Cost from MBK to OBI approx 60 baht. Nothing should cost much more than this, unless you are going to the airport.
SkyTrain – we took this once and I have no idea how much it cost. Relatively inexpensive and used by locals and tourist alike.
Tuk tuk – not used in Bangkok for fear of falling out and getting scammed.
Chiang Mai:
Airplane - Air Asia from BKK to CM. Would not fly this airline on a longer flight. It is a mad dash to the plane. Be prepared to throw elbows and push your way in to get the seat you want. No drinks are served (not even water) and if I hadn’t slept through it all I would’ve been thirsty beyond belief. It is really inexpensive though…around $40 p/p
Taxi - to and from airpot was about 120 baht. No surcharge added.
Tuk Tuk – from Baan Orapin (near Mae Ping River) to Old City was 40 baht. From Baan Orapin to Doi Suthep was 100 baht.
Songthaew – shared ride trucks. Approximately 20 baht per person, although I think this was the farang price.
Koh Chang:
Airplane – from BKK to Trat. Trat is a tiny airport. We took Bangkok Airways (only airline to Trat), which was not inexpensive ($140 p/p). We loved this airline though because they had a lounge for ALL customers which offered free food/drinks and free internet. Then they served us dinner on a 30 minute flight! The best part was the return trip – they canceled our flight due to bad weather, put us on shared ride vans to BKK with a snack and bottled water for free, AND they refunded us the cost of our ticket! Great customer service!
Shared ride van – do not know the same of this company, but it’s the only one available at Trat. Costs 650 baht per person for round trip, includes the cost of the ferry ride and drop off at your hotel. They also took us back up to BKK when our flight was canceled and did a great job (the airline paid them then)
Ferry – from Trat to Koh Chang. Quick and painless ride. Some ferries are nicer than others.
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 06:47 AM
#5
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Bangkok:
Street food – if your stomach can handle it, do it! Surprisingly I didn’t have digestive problems at all (and I have a sensitive stomach, having problems on nice cruises and at friend’s houses). It’s cheap and delicious! My only tip would be to eat hot things and to hit up the carts where you see a million students on a break from school. I think we ate the majority of our food here so I can’t report on everything!
Chote Chitr www.chotechitr.com - recommended to us by Nantiya. Delicious food in a hole in the wall place by a granny who speaks English and who has translated the HUGE menu into English. Highly recommended!
Food Court at Siam Paragon – for those of you who have visited FoodLife at Water Tower in Chicago, this is the same concept. Prepay for a card, and swipe as you go! Food was pretty good and there is a large variety.
Café Khao San – we only had drinks here which were fine but the clientele of Khao San Road put a bad taste in our mouths.
The Oriental Hotel – had drinks and Vietnamese spring rolls here. Spring rolls were terrible and drinks were expensive. Nice view though.
Jim Thompson Bar and Restaurant – food was relatively good but definitely for a farang palate. Beautiful patio setting and good prices for being at a tourist stop.
Krao Sri – dimsum in the Old City. Bleh. Not a lot of variety and the soy sauce seemed too vinegar-y.
Shangri La – dimsum in Chinatown. YUM YUM! 40 baht per dish.
Royal India – delicious Indian food in a touristy area. Very good. Was about $18 for two, the most money we spent on a meal yet!
Lucky Fortune (or something to that effect) in airport – ordered congee and dimsum. Congee good, dim sum bad. I think it was frozen and then microwaved.
Chiang Mai:
Huen Phen – so good! We didn’t order much here but its delicious. Located in the Old City. Lots of Thais here. We had khao soy, sticky rice, and my memory now escapes me.
The Wok – ugh, skip. Made for farangs. Service was terrible and the food was bland. Pricey too!
Baan Romney – OH SO GOOD! It is on the Nancy Chandler map for sure, near a lot of the shopping areas and the big bookstore. It is located in a romantic garden setting with lights and ponds. Tons of Thais go here too (it was recommended to us by Opas). I think we ordered 4 dishes, asked for them to be “pet pet” (spicy) and we were not disappointed! We ordered squid, shrimp, sticky rice, some basil chicken thing, and more. Would definitely go back.
Jerusalem Falafel – delicious pita and an excellent chicken fatoush salad. Probably the best I’ve ever had. Babaganoush was delicious too. This place was pricier than I anticipated but I didn’t order much.
Koh Chang:
This should be easy to write, as there was not too much variety. All restaurants are located on Lonely Beach.
Baan Mai – BEST FOOD WE HAD. Total hole in the wall, but absolutely delicious. We had a spicy seafood salad with glass noodle soup and I swear I was crying from the spices afterwards. We also had squid with lime and cilantro that came out in deep dish with a flame underneath it. I can’t remember what else we had but I would NOT skip this one! Located right next to a mini-mart that looks like 7 Eleven.
Nature Rocks – this was a bar/restaurant located right on the beach next to our hotel. Such great pad thai with seafood, only 50 baht! We ate here a lot for the convenience
and absolute yumminess.
We did visit another restaurant which offers fish tacos, the only place that does so on Lonely Beach. I cannot remember the same of it but the owner’s name was Malika I believe which I thought was weird because it sounded Hawaiian (she looked it too) but she was Thai. Food was above average but not as good at Baan Mai. Service was great and the host is super sweet! She is very proud of her fish tacos, which she learned from a friend in California (my home state)!
Street food – if your stomach can handle it, do it! Surprisingly I didn’t have digestive problems at all (and I have a sensitive stomach, having problems on nice cruises and at friend’s houses). It’s cheap and delicious! My only tip would be to eat hot things and to hit up the carts where you see a million students on a break from school. I think we ate the majority of our food here so I can’t report on everything!
Chote Chitr www.chotechitr.com - recommended to us by Nantiya. Delicious food in a hole in the wall place by a granny who speaks English and who has translated the HUGE menu into English. Highly recommended!
Food Court at Siam Paragon – for those of you who have visited FoodLife at Water Tower in Chicago, this is the same concept. Prepay for a card, and swipe as you go! Food was pretty good and there is a large variety.
Café Khao San – we only had drinks here which were fine but the clientele of Khao San Road put a bad taste in our mouths.
The Oriental Hotel – had drinks and Vietnamese spring rolls here. Spring rolls were terrible and drinks were expensive. Nice view though.
Jim Thompson Bar and Restaurant – food was relatively good but definitely for a farang palate. Beautiful patio setting and good prices for being at a tourist stop.
Krao Sri – dimsum in the Old City. Bleh. Not a lot of variety and the soy sauce seemed too vinegar-y.
Shangri La – dimsum in Chinatown. YUM YUM! 40 baht per dish.
Royal India – delicious Indian food in a touristy area. Very good. Was about $18 for two, the most money we spent on a meal yet!
Lucky Fortune (or something to that effect) in airport – ordered congee and dimsum. Congee good, dim sum bad. I think it was frozen and then microwaved.
Chiang Mai:
Huen Phen – so good! We didn’t order much here but its delicious. Located in the Old City. Lots of Thais here. We had khao soy, sticky rice, and my memory now escapes me.
The Wok – ugh, skip. Made for farangs. Service was terrible and the food was bland. Pricey too!
Baan Romney – OH SO GOOD! It is on the Nancy Chandler map for sure, near a lot of the shopping areas and the big bookstore. It is located in a romantic garden setting with lights and ponds. Tons of Thais go here too (it was recommended to us by Opas). I think we ordered 4 dishes, asked for them to be “pet pet” (spicy) and we were not disappointed! We ordered squid, shrimp, sticky rice, some basil chicken thing, and more. Would definitely go back.
Jerusalem Falafel – delicious pita and an excellent chicken fatoush salad. Probably the best I’ve ever had. Babaganoush was delicious too. This place was pricier than I anticipated but I didn’t order much.
Koh Chang:
This should be easy to write, as there was not too much variety. All restaurants are located on Lonely Beach.
Baan Mai – BEST FOOD WE HAD. Total hole in the wall, but absolutely delicious. We had a spicy seafood salad with glass noodle soup and I swear I was crying from the spices afterwards. We also had squid with lime and cilantro that came out in deep dish with a flame underneath it. I can’t remember what else we had but I would NOT skip this one! Located right next to a mini-mart that looks like 7 Eleven.
Nature Rocks – this was a bar/restaurant located right on the beach next to our hotel. Such great pad thai with seafood, only 50 baht! We ate here a lot for the convenience
and absolute yumminess.
We did visit another restaurant which offers fish tacos, the only place that does so on Lonely Beach. I cannot remember the same of it but the owner’s name was Malika I believe which I thought was weird because it sounded Hawaiian (she looked it too) but she was Thai. Food was above average but not as good at Baan Mai. Service was great and the host is super sweet! She is very proud of her fish tacos, which she learned from a friend in California (my home state)!
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 07:24 AM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 77
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Activities
Bangkok:
The usual sightseeing - will not elaborate
Khao San Road – we were recommended to eat here late at night by the young night guy at OBI. BIG MISTAKE. In my opinion, unless you are an 18 year old tourist who loves to get drunk OR you are looking for a Thai hooker, this is not the place to go. The only Thais in sight were the aforementioned Thai hookers (who surprisingly just look like Asian- American girls going clubbing, myself included) or the people working at restaurants. Plastered farangs everywhere, stumbling down the streets. It was like a huge frat party…I think I’m too old for this scene!
Massages at Lullaby Spa in the LH building – OH MY AMAZING! For $15 p/p, we each got a 1 hour Thai massage and a ½ hour foot massage. Nantiya hooks up you with a special discounted rate of 40% off. This is a luxurious posh spa – we loved every minute of it and we were both sleeping like babies during it!
Massages at Wat Po – something to do just for the sake of getting it done, but its pretty pricey now 350 baht for ½ an hour and its not luxurious by any means. I would’ve skipped it for monetary reasons and just gone for the Lullaby massage!
Shopping – I am not a big shopper, but more than anything I hate bargaining and I hate souvenirs/cheap stuff. This made it hard for me to shop in Thailand. I refuse to wear designer knock-offs and my husband learned that he hates pirated movies for their bad quality. American brands are cheaper in the States and the markets are too hot and pushy. My personal opinion is that if you were to buy furniture or home décor items, Thailand is a great place to go. We are currently a year off from selling our home and buying a new one, so it wasn’t the time for us to purchase any of those products. Oh, and if you think the regular air in Thailand is hot, just wait until you get under those umbrellas and tents at the markets! Temp goes up about 15 degrees! The malls are pretty cool (check out Paragon!) but I wouldn’t be able to afford anything there.
Chiang Mai:
Sightseeing – do not have the name in front of me, but the coolest thing we saw was the ruins of the wat smack dab in the middle of the Old City. Doi Suthep was ok, but I think I would’ve preferred hiking around there on my own better, and there were no clearly marked trails to do so.
Elephant Camp in Lampang – highly recommended! We loved it! The show was neat (once they got past the elephant pulling the logs) and the ride was thrilling. It’s not exactly what I would call a smooth ride, but it is something you should try while there. We got suckered into buying the picture at the end of the ride, for $6 I think it was well worth my money. It is a good picture of you on the elephant and it comes in a nice frame (possibly made out of elephant dung?)
Koh Chang:
If you can call laying around on the beach of by the pool an activity, then that’s what we did for the most part. This was definitely my husband’s part of the honeymoon – he really wanted an opportunity to do that. The sun seems really hot in Koh Chang – I think it’s because there aren’t a lot of buildings to shade you. WEAR SUNBLOCK!
We also rented kayaks (down the beach at another hotel) and snorkeling gear (BB Dive School) and went kayaking one day. A little piece of advice: ask your hotel whether rain is in the forecast! We had to hurry on back quickly and seeing a storm out on sea to each side of you is NOT the way to enjoy your kayaking trip. But we did see all sorts of marine life (we brought some bread) and even jellyfish as we were madly paddling back to shore!
Bangkok:
The usual sightseeing - will not elaborate
Khao San Road – we were recommended to eat here late at night by the young night guy at OBI. BIG MISTAKE. In my opinion, unless you are an 18 year old tourist who loves to get drunk OR you are looking for a Thai hooker, this is not the place to go. The only Thais in sight were the aforementioned Thai hookers (who surprisingly just look like Asian- American girls going clubbing, myself included) or the people working at restaurants. Plastered farangs everywhere, stumbling down the streets. It was like a huge frat party…I think I’m too old for this scene!
Massages at Lullaby Spa in the LH building – OH MY AMAZING! For $15 p/p, we each got a 1 hour Thai massage and a ½ hour foot massage. Nantiya hooks up you with a special discounted rate of 40% off. This is a luxurious posh spa – we loved every minute of it and we were both sleeping like babies during it!
Massages at Wat Po – something to do just for the sake of getting it done, but its pretty pricey now 350 baht for ½ an hour and its not luxurious by any means. I would’ve skipped it for monetary reasons and just gone for the Lullaby massage!
Shopping – I am not a big shopper, but more than anything I hate bargaining and I hate souvenirs/cheap stuff. This made it hard for me to shop in Thailand. I refuse to wear designer knock-offs and my husband learned that he hates pirated movies for their bad quality. American brands are cheaper in the States and the markets are too hot and pushy. My personal opinion is that if you were to buy furniture or home décor items, Thailand is a great place to go. We are currently a year off from selling our home and buying a new one, so it wasn’t the time for us to purchase any of those products. Oh, and if you think the regular air in Thailand is hot, just wait until you get under those umbrellas and tents at the markets! Temp goes up about 15 degrees! The malls are pretty cool (check out Paragon!) but I wouldn’t be able to afford anything there.
Chiang Mai:
Sightseeing – do not have the name in front of me, but the coolest thing we saw was the ruins of the wat smack dab in the middle of the Old City. Doi Suthep was ok, but I think I would’ve preferred hiking around there on my own better, and there were no clearly marked trails to do so.
Elephant Camp in Lampang – highly recommended! We loved it! The show was neat (once they got past the elephant pulling the logs) and the ride was thrilling. It’s not exactly what I would call a smooth ride, but it is something you should try while there. We got suckered into buying the picture at the end of the ride, for $6 I think it was well worth my money. It is a good picture of you on the elephant and it comes in a nice frame (possibly made out of elephant dung?)
Koh Chang:
If you can call laying around on the beach of by the pool an activity, then that’s what we did for the most part. This was definitely my husband’s part of the honeymoon – he really wanted an opportunity to do that. The sun seems really hot in Koh Chang – I think it’s because there aren’t a lot of buildings to shade you. WEAR SUNBLOCK!
We also rented kayaks (down the beach at another hotel) and snorkeling gear (BB Dive School) and went kayaking one day. A little piece of advice: ask your hotel whether rain is in the forecast! We had to hurry on back quickly and seeing a storm out on sea to each side of you is NOT the way to enjoy your kayaking trip. But we did see all sorts of marine life (we brought some bread) and even jellyfish as we were madly paddling back to shore!
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 07:30 AM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
A Bit of Advice
Clothing – the younger you are, the more you get away with. Thai girls my age (I’m 25) wore skirts above their knees, heels, and cute purses. But they all covered up their shoulders. This was more apparent in BKK, but they were all trendy and cute. The only Thai girls who did not cover up their shoulders were the ones who work in the sex industry.
Shoes – bring big shoes. Your feet will definitely swell. On that note, bring bandages.
Taxis/tuk tuks – you can always bargain. Never get into a taxi without a meter (unless you are going from the airport in BKK on the public taxi).
People – DON’T converse with anyone whose English seems too good to be true. These are people who will say “How long have you been here?” or “Where are you going?” or “Grand Palace is closed!” It’s a scam. DO be polite, smiling, and quiet. Don’t argue. They also like it when you do a “wai”? It’s basically when you put your palms together and bow a little. I got a ton of smiles and pats on the arm when I did this.
Bargaining – the books tell you 20% - 30%, but I think you can ask for a 50% off discount. If its below their selling point, they will say “no” and at that point you can offer a higher price.
Eating – don’t be afraid to eat fruit (we ate the ones that our hotels prepared) or to eat off the street! It’s delicious and affordable! Have a great time!
Clothing – the younger you are, the more you get away with. Thai girls my age (I’m 25) wore skirts above their knees, heels, and cute purses. But they all covered up their shoulders. This was more apparent in BKK, but they were all trendy and cute. The only Thai girls who did not cover up their shoulders were the ones who work in the sex industry.
Shoes – bring big shoes. Your feet will definitely swell. On that note, bring bandages.
Taxis/tuk tuks – you can always bargain. Never get into a taxi without a meter (unless you are going from the airport in BKK on the public taxi).
People – DON’T converse with anyone whose English seems too good to be true. These are people who will say “How long have you been here?” or “Where are you going?” or “Grand Palace is closed!” It’s a scam. DO be polite, smiling, and quiet. Don’t argue. They also like it when you do a “wai”? It’s basically when you put your palms together and bow a little. I got a ton of smiles and pats on the arm when I did this.
Bargaining – the books tell you 20% - 30%, but I think you can ask for a 50% off discount. If its below their selling point, they will say “no” and at that point you can offer a higher price.
Eating – don’t be afraid to eat fruit (we ate the ones that our hotels prepared) or to eat off the street! It’s delicious and affordable! Have a great time!
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Aug 2nd, 2007 | 07:39 AM
#8
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Edited to add one more restaurant and one important piece of advice!
Chiang Mai:
The Good View Restaurant and Bar - pretty good, if not a bit touristy. We enjoyed our time there.
Another piece of advice:
ALWAYS CARRY AROUND YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER.
Chiang Mai:
The Good View Restaurant and Bar - pretty good, if not a bit touristy. We enjoyed our time there.
Another piece of advice:
ALWAYS CARRY AROUND YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER.
Aug 2nd, 2007 | 11:43 AM
#18
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Thanks for reading my long report.
JGG - I would recommend sandals for everyday activities but bring a pair of closed toed shoes for "just in case". I learned that I could walk around the grounds of the wats with sandals fine, because I had to remove them upon entering where Buddha actually resided anyway. I would skip bringing sneakers and try to find a pair of lighter/airy-er closed toed shoes. My husband wore Tevas Dozers and loved them.
JGG - I would recommend sandals for everyday activities but bring a pair of closed toed shoes for "just in case". I learned that I could walk around the grounds of the wats with sandals fine, because I had to remove them upon entering where Buddha actually resided anyway. I would skip bringing sneakers and try to find a pair of lighter/airy-er closed toed shoes. My husband wore Tevas Dozers and loved them.
