Phuket /Bangkok - honeymoon report
Feb 17th, 2005 | 01:02 PM
#1
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Phuket /Bangkok - honeymoon report
As I am pretty new to Fodors, I want to share my honeymoon story more than 2 month later. My wife and I stopped by Tokyo for 4 days and this story does not include Tokyo.
Our honeymoon took place in November, before the Tsunami.
We arrived at Bangkok in the afternoon, and had a nice ride to the Peninsula in their Mercedes sedan. We noticed a lot of temples on the way to the hotel and also a lot of traffice and pollution. The view from the hotel was nice but the air wasn't that refreshing. We went across the river to Madarin Oriental and crossed the river again to get to the Sala Rim Naam restaurant. The food was good, service was great but the show was boring. Our bed was made by the butler and we had a great night of sleep.
We got up early and took the boat bus to Wat Po. At Wat Po, we hired a enthusiastic private guide (recommended) who showed us the amazing Reclining Buddha. We then had the Thai massage at the massage school which was cheap and refreshing. We headed to Khao San Road and did some street shopping.
We went back to the hotel and headed to the airport via taxi (our driver cut off every car on the way but we made it safe).
Our honeymoon took place in November, before the Tsunami.
We arrived at Bangkok in the afternoon, and had a nice ride to the Peninsula in their Mercedes sedan. We noticed a lot of temples on the way to the hotel and also a lot of traffice and pollution. The view from the hotel was nice but the air wasn't that refreshing. We went across the river to Madarin Oriental and crossed the river again to get to the Sala Rim Naam restaurant. The food was good, service was great but the show was boring. Our bed was made by the butler and we had a great night of sleep.
We got up early and took the boat bus to Wat Po. At Wat Po, we hired a enthusiastic private guide (recommended) who showed us the amazing Reclining Buddha. We then had the Thai massage at the massage school which was cheap and refreshing. We headed to Khao San Road and did some street shopping.
We went back to the hotel and headed to the airport via taxi (our driver cut off every car on the way but we made it safe).
Feb 17th, 2005 | 01:18 PM
#2
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Joined: Feb 2005
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We took Bangkok Airways to Phuket and arrived in the evening. We took a taxi to our hotel, JW Marriott Phuket, where we stayed for 7 nights. The hotel was middle of nowhere but the first sight of the hotel was impressive at night with all the fire and lighting. The lobby was in front of the pond and the sound, smell of flowers, atmosphere were very tranquil. Our room was huge with very comfortable bed. We liked this hotel more than the Peninsula!
The next morning, we had the hotel's buffet breakfast which was very good (but we got tired of it after the third day of same breakfast).
The hotel is on a stretch of Mai Khao beach in the northern part of Phuket. We headed out to the beach but the ocean was not that calm, the sand was not that soft and the water got deep very quickly. And the beach was pretty much deserted. It was beautiful to look at but our pool was a better choice to lounge in.
The next morning, we had the hotel's buffet breakfast which was very good (but we got tired of it after the third day of same breakfast).
The hotel is on a stretch of Mai Khao beach in the northern part of Phuket. We headed out to the beach but the ocean was not that calm, the sand was not that soft and the water got deep very quickly. And the beach was pretty much deserted. It was beautiful to look at but our pool was a better choice to lounge in.
Feb 17th, 2005 | 01:42 PM
#3
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We booked an overnight trip to the Phi Phi Island from our hotel. The van took us to the ferry stop. We observed the life of Phuket on the way. There are tons of motorcycles, tons of pictures of the royal couple, and area around the ferry stop had very poor living conditions. It was sad to see the places these people were living in and we realized we are very fortunate.
The ferry ride was little too long but when we saw the Phi Phi Leh, our eyes were wide open. We got a glimpe of "The Beach" or Maya Bay, where we returned the next day.
The dock at Phi Phi Don was busy and the blue water was polluted with the long tail boat's oil. We took one of the long tails to a little cottage, Maprao Resort. The private beach they advertised was polluted and the room was a dump. The mosquitoes were eating us left and right. We missed our room at Marriott. After our bodies were eaten by the mosquitoes, we rented a kayak, snorkling equipment and took a short ride to the other side of the island. We stopped at a deserted beach where the water was blue and the scenery was just like the postcard. I did little snorkling and saw some beautiful sea creatures.
After returning our kayak, we headed to the town where we had good Thai dinner, reserved a snorkling trip for the next morning, and tried to drink at an outdoor bar but, mosquitoes were attacking us again. We headed back to the cottage, and thankfully, we were so tired we slept well.
Next morning, we and 4 others, and a guide from New Zealand took a long tail boat to Phi Phi Leh. Our fist stop was the Maya Bay. Although there were some tourists, it was not that crowded. The beach with its white sand was truly amzaing. I've never felt anything softer.
The ferry ride was little too long but when we saw the Phi Phi Leh, our eyes were wide open. We got a glimpe of "The Beach" or Maya Bay, where we returned the next day.
The dock at Phi Phi Don was busy and the blue water was polluted with the long tail boat's oil. We took one of the long tails to a little cottage, Maprao Resort. The private beach they advertised was polluted and the room was a dump. The mosquitoes were eating us left and right. We missed our room at Marriott. After our bodies were eaten by the mosquitoes, we rented a kayak, snorkling equipment and took a short ride to the other side of the island. We stopped at a deserted beach where the water was blue and the scenery was just like the postcard. I did little snorkling and saw some beautiful sea creatures.
After returning our kayak, we headed to the town where we had good Thai dinner, reserved a snorkling trip for the next morning, and tried to drink at an outdoor bar but, mosquitoes were attacking us again. We headed back to the cottage, and thankfully, we were so tired we slept well.
Next morning, we and 4 others, and a guide from New Zealand took a long tail boat to Phi Phi Leh. Our fist stop was the Maya Bay. Although there were some tourists, it was not that crowded. The beach with its white sand was truly amzaing. I've never felt anything softer.
Feb 17th, 2005 | 09:27 PM
#6
Joined: Feb 2004
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Thanks! I am getting really excited as we are doing this similar trip at the end of March (BKK, Phuket, PhiPhi, Krabi, and Hong Kong.)
Any good tips for the JW in Phuket? We will be staying there.
Any particular place you saw in Phi Phi that caught your eye (hotel or beach)? I think we will be at the Holiday Inn there.
Congratulations on your marriage!
Best Wishes!
Any good tips for the JW in Phuket? We will be staying there.
Any particular place you saw in Phi Phi that caught your eye (hotel or beach)? I think we will be at the Holiday Inn there.
Congratulations on your marriage!
Best Wishes!
Feb 18th, 2005 | 05:27 AM
#7
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More about Phi Phi...
We spent about an hour at the Maya Bay and moved onto another bay which had very little tiny beach and the water there was very calm and blue. It was a paradise surrounded by cliffs and greens. There were a lot of snorkling groups in the area. This will be the perfect place to snorkel for the beginners. Our guide decided to go around the island little more to a rougher area (very deep) where no other groups were and we began our snorkling. The water was pretty rough but the sea life underneath was really fantastic. Since my wife and I were not advanced snorklers (I was very tired after a while), I think we would have liked to snorkle at Maya Bay or the other bay we stopped by. If I had a choice, I think I would have liked to spend more time at the Maya Bay. It's just that gorgeous even with some speedboats, long tails, etc.
We came back to Phi Phi Don and had few hours until we catched the ferry back to Phuket. My wife decided to get a massage and I decided to look around the island. I found a path and climbed to the top of the island. It was pretty exhausting (20 miniute climb) but the view from the top was exactly what you see on the postcards: island with beaches on both sides.
Phi Phi Island had a lot of tourists from Europe. The crowd was definitely younger. English is widely spoken and understood. There were a lot of diving shops, restaurants and bars. The main beaches are not great to relax or swim in. However, I am told there are a lot of hidden little beaches around the island where not many people are, like the one we found while kayaking.
travelmom13, I believe Holiday Inn is in the northeastern side of the island away from the main area. It should be a short boat ride over and should be beautiful.
The Tsunamis have killed hundreds on Phi Phi and damaged the main part of the town. My deepest sympathy to those who are affected. I am not sure how Maya Bay or that little Phi Phi Leh was affected. Perhaps it's more beautiful now. The lobby area of the cottage we stayed at is totally damaged. I am thankful we witnessed the beautiful islands (even somewhat polluted in some parts and overbuilt) before the tsunamis.
We spent about an hour at the Maya Bay and moved onto another bay which had very little tiny beach and the water there was very calm and blue. It was a paradise surrounded by cliffs and greens. There were a lot of snorkling groups in the area. This will be the perfect place to snorkel for the beginners. Our guide decided to go around the island little more to a rougher area (very deep) where no other groups were and we began our snorkling. The water was pretty rough but the sea life underneath was really fantastic. Since my wife and I were not advanced snorklers (I was very tired after a while), I think we would have liked to snorkle at Maya Bay or the other bay we stopped by. If I had a choice, I think I would have liked to spend more time at the Maya Bay. It's just that gorgeous even with some speedboats, long tails, etc.
We came back to Phi Phi Don and had few hours until we catched the ferry back to Phuket. My wife decided to get a massage and I decided to look around the island. I found a path and climbed to the top of the island. It was pretty exhausting (20 miniute climb) but the view from the top was exactly what you see on the postcards: island with beaches on both sides.
Phi Phi Island had a lot of tourists from Europe. The crowd was definitely younger. English is widely spoken and understood. There were a lot of diving shops, restaurants and bars. The main beaches are not great to relax or swim in. However, I am told there are a lot of hidden little beaches around the island where not many people are, like the one we found while kayaking.
travelmom13, I believe Holiday Inn is in the northeastern side of the island away from the main area. It should be a short boat ride over and should be beautiful.
The Tsunamis have killed hundreds on Phi Phi and damaged the main part of the town. My deepest sympathy to those who are affected. I am not sure how Maya Bay or that little Phi Phi Leh was affected. Perhaps it's more beautiful now. The lobby area of the cottage we stayed at is totally damaged. I am thankful we witnessed the beautiful islands (even somewhat polluted in some parts and overbuilt) before the tsunamis.
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Feb 18th, 2005 | 06:16 AM
#8
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Joined: Feb 2005
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JW Marriott...
Food - Buffet breakfast is served in two different restaurants (Marriott Cafe and Tuscan Grill). However, we realized the food is exactly the same for the both locations and the selections were pretty much same for all the days we ate. Food quality is good. There is also a bakery where you can get fresh baked goods, sandwiches, etc. It's perfect for eating light and economically. The dinners at the restaurants were just average. Nothing to rave about.
Service - The young staff were less experienced than, let say the Pensinsula. But they were willing to serve and do not know how to provide bad service. Thai people are all so polite.
Pool/Garden - This area is gorgeous and the chairs get pretty much filled by late morning. The guests range from families to twenties to oldies. Ice water and cold towel is provided nonstop. I've witnessed couple of topless bathers.
Concierge/transportation - The hotel provides, for a fee, transportation to Phuket Town and Patong. We usually reserved a day in advance. The ride to both of these towns take about 40 minutes in a van. It's usually same group of young poeope that always take the van ride to Patong and it's good time to meet other travelers. For Phi Phi trip, we were the only ones from our hotel and the van ride was by ourselves roundtrip.
Sauna/gym/tennis - These areas are nice and they provide activities throughout the day.
Atmosphere - Very clean, beautiful, don't miss the sunset from the lobby through the pond. Hotel is pretty quite and not much to do (couple of shops). We took many trips to Patong after our morning pool lounging because hotel was too relaxing.
Spa - We had a heavenly spa treatment at the Mandara Spa. We chose half day package for 2. I highly recommend the spa treatment. The staff, the treatment, the setting is all so good. Book in advance!
Food - Buffet breakfast is served in two different restaurants (Marriott Cafe and Tuscan Grill). However, we realized the food is exactly the same for the both locations and the selections were pretty much same for all the days we ate. Food quality is good. There is also a bakery where you can get fresh baked goods, sandwiches, etc. It's perfect for eating light and economically. The dinners at the restaurants were just average. Nothing to rave about.
Service - The young staff were less experienced than, let say the Pensinsula. But they were willing to serve and do not know how to provide bad service. Thai people are all so polite.
Pool/Garden - This area is gorgeous and the chairs get pretty much filled by late morning. The guests range from families to twenties to oldies. Ice water and cold towel is provided nonstop. I've witnessed couple of topless bathers.
Concierge/transportation - The hotel provides, for a fee, transportation to Phuket Town and Patong. We usually reserved a day in advance. The ride to both of these towns take about 40 minutes in a van. It's usually same group of young poeope that always take the van ride to Patong and it's good time to meet other travelers. For Phi Phi trip, we were the only ones from our hotel and the van ride was by ourselves roundtrip.
Sauna/gym/tennis - These areas are nice and they provide activities throughout the day.
Atmosphere - Very clean, beautiful, don't miss the sunset from the lobby through the pond. Hotel is pretty quite and not much to do (couple of shops). We took many trips to Patong after our morning pool lounging because hotel was too relaxing.
Spa - We had a heavenly spa treatment at the Mandara Spa. We chose half day package for 2. I highly recommend the spa treatment. The staff, the treatment, the setting is all so good. Book in advance!
