Thailand Trip Report
Dec 26th, 2007 | 07:48 AM
#1
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 91
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Thailand Trip Report
We recently returned from a 7-week trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Bali. We want to thank everyone on this forum for helping us to plan this trip. Your willingness to share your experiences is invaluable! I thought I would start with a trip report on our month in Thailand. I'd like to try doing this in summary style and then will be glad to answer any more specific questions.
Bangkok -- We are not big city people, and while we wanted to see Bangkok, we were not expecting to like it. We were so wrong! We loved Bangkok and wished we could have stayed longer. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Silom which was a perfect location just a short walk from both the SkyTrain and the river ferries. The room, with powerful shower, great air conditioning, and black-out curtains was an ideal place to recover from the long flight and an oasis after a day of sightseeing.
We did the usual sightseeing: Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, klong tour. Our favorite was the klong tour. We hired a longtail boat at the Sathorn Pier. (A woman sits at a table by the pier with a map of the river. You tell her what you want to see and she will arrange the boat hire for you.) The klong tour (which ended up being closer to 3 hours than the 2 hours we had paid for) was a fantastic inroduction to Thai life along the canals.
One more comment: We were approached by scammers near the Grand Palace who told us that the palace was closed. Thank goodness, we knew about this scam from others on this forum. However, I just want to emphasize that these guys are REALLY good, so professional and sincere. We were "almost" taken in and we knew better!!
Overnight Train to Chiang Mai - We love travelling by train and are glad that we had this adventure. Our compartment was teeny tiny, but comfortable enough especially when the beds wer made-up with crisp linens and blanket. However, this was the bumpiest train ride I have ever had, a real bone-rattler. It was a fun Thai experience, but one I would probably not repeat.
Chiang Mai -- We really enjoyed our time in Chiang Mai and can't say enough good things about the Baan Orapin (which I learned about on this forum). Opas and Pepsi treated us like good friends rather than paying guests and the grounds of the B&B are peaceful & beautiful. Our favorite activity was just walking the streets of Chiang Mai. I highly recommend the Nancy Chandler map which we used every day. Our favorite sight was the Doi Suthep temple (a true must see) and our favorite activity was the full body massage at the Lanna Massage School. The massage here is very professional and extraordinarily cheap (about $6). Thai massage may not be for everyone (it is quite rigorous), but we loved the kneading and the stretching and were amazed to see the athletic masseuse using her arms, knees, and legs to contort our bodies (kind of like yoga with help).
Pai - We only stayed one night in Pai and wish we had stayed another night or two in this friendly town. Our bungalow in the jungle (a wooden hut on stilts at the Sun Hut was basic, but more than adequate and totally charming (like something out of Robinson Crusoe). The owner, Nid, was very friendly and helpful and even drove us to the bus station.
Buses in Northern Thailand - We rode the public bus twice from Pai to Soppong and from Soppong to Mae Hong Son. All we can say is that these bus trips are not for the faint-hearted. These are truly third world buses (one had a door held in place with a fan belt) and we were jsut grateful that the buses didn't breakdown. My husband spent one bus ride sitting on bags of rice stacked in the aisle and trying to prevent the haphazard pile of luggage next to him from falling on top of our bus driver. At any rate, our bus rides make for great stories to tell back home.
Bangkok -- We are not big city people, and while we wanted to see Bangkok, we were not expecting to like it. We were so wrong! We loved Bangkok and wished we could have stayed longer. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Silom which was a perfect location just a short walk from both the SkyTrain and the river ferries. The room, with powerful shower, great air conditioning, and black-out curtains was an ideal place to recover from the long flight and an oasis after a day of sightseeing.
We did the usual sightseeing: Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, klong tour. Our favorite was the klong tour. We hired a longtail boat at the Sathorn Pier. (A woman sits at a table by the pier with a map of the river. You tell her what you want to see and she will arrange the boat hire for you.) The klong tour (which ended up being closer to 3 hours than the 2 hours we had paid for) was a fantastic inroduction to Thai life along the canals.
One more comment: We were approached by scammers near the Grand Palace who told us that the palace was closed. Thank goodness, we knew about this scam from others on this forum. However, I just want to emphasize that these guys are REALLY good, so professional and sincere. We were "almost" taken in and we knew better!!
Overnight Train to Chiang Mai - We love travelling by train and are glad that we had this adventure. Our compartment was teeny tiny, but comfortable enough especially when the beds wer made-up with crisp linens and blanket. However, this was the bumpiest train ride I have ever had, a real bone-rattler. It was a fun Thai experience, but one I would probably not repeat.
Chiang Mai -- We really enjoyed our time in Chiang Mai and can't say enough good things about the Baan Orapin (which I learned about on this forum). Opas and Pepsi treated us like good friends rather than paying guests and the grounds of the B&B are peaceful & beautiful. Our favorite activity was just walking the streets of Chiang Mai. I highly recommend the Nancy Chandler map which we used every day. Our favorite sight was the Doi Suthep temple (a true must see) and our favorite activity was the full body massage at the Lanna Massage School. The massage here is very professional and extraordinarily cheap (about $6). Thai massage may not be for everyone (it is quite rigorous), but we loved the kneading and the stretching and were amazed to see the athletic masseuse using her arms, knees, and legs to contort our bodies (kind of like yoga with help).
Pai - We only stayed one night in Pai and wish we had stayed another night or two in this friendly town. Our bungalow in the jungle (a wooden hut on stilts at the Sun Hut was basic, but more than adequate and totally charming (like something out of Robinson Crusoe). The owner, Nid, was very friendly and helpful and even drove us to the bus station.
Buses in Northern Thailand - We rode the public bus twice from Pai to Soppong and from Soppong to Mae Hong Son. All we can say is that these bus trips are not for the faint-hearted. These are truly third world buses (one had a door held in place with a fan belt) and we were jsut grateful that the buses didn't breakdown. My husband spent one bus ride sitting on bags of rice stacked in the aisle and trying to prevent the haphazard pile of luggage next to him from falling on top of our bus driver. At any rate, our bus rides make for great stories to tell back home.
Dec 26th, 2007 | 11:32 AM
#3
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 91
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Thailand Trip Report Part 2
Soppong - We wanted to see the "real" Thailand and Soppong filled the bill. This tiny town with just a hand full of businesses lining the dusty highway was a perfect get-away. We stayed at the Sopppong River which we highly recommend for dreamy atmosphere with decks built out over the fast-running green (not brown river), friendly service, and excellent food! Each morning at breakfast, we would discuss what we wanted to eat for dinner with Joy and her daughter "Ahm" so that they could buy fresh ingredients. Our meals here were some of the best of the trip. A highlight of our time here was a tour of Tham Lod where we hiked and rafted through these incredible caverns.
Mae Hong Son -- Mae Hong Son sits in a valley surrounded by incredibly beautiful, misty mountains. The misty mountains are probably my favorite visual memory of Thailand. We stayed at the Fern Resort surrounded by jungle and rice paddies. Fern Resort is a very special place with gorgeous grounds and a jungle walk via the Mae Sakut Nature Trail that begins right from the resort. Resort staff fit you out with walking sticks and "guide" dogs for this amazing jungle trek. We had read that these dogs often desert you enroute; however, our dogs never left my husband's side. He would like you to think that this was his animal magnetism at work, but it may have something to do with the breakfast sausages he had stashed in his pocket!
Highlights in Mae Hong Son included the night market by the lake (we bought vendor food and ate on mats and low tables right alongside the lake) and the Wat on Doi Kong Mu (excellent views and best choice/prices for souvenirs).
Mae Sariang - Not a whole lot to do here, but we enjoyed this friendly town that gets few western tourists. We stayed at the Riverhouse Resort in a comfortable room with a good river view.
Soppong - We wanted to see the "real" Thailand and Soppong filled the bill. This tiny town with just a hand full of businesses lining the dusty highway was a perfect get-away. We stayed at the Sopppong River which we highly recommend for dreamy atmosphere with decks built out over the fast-running green (not brown river), friendly service, and excellent food! Each morning at breakfast, we would discuss what we wanted to eat for dinner with Joy and her daughter "Ahm" so that they could buy fresh ingredients. Our meals here were some of the best of the trip. A highlight of our time here was a tour of Tham Lod where we hiked and rafted through these incredible caverns.
Mae Hong Son -- Mae Hong Son sits in a valley surrounded by incredibly beautiful, misty mountains. The misty mountains are probably my favorite visual memory of Thailand. We stayed at the Fern Resort surrounded by jungle and rice paddies. Fern Resort is a very special place with gorgeous grounds and a jungle walk via the Mae Sakut Nature Trail that begins right from the resort. Resort staff fit you out with walking sticks and "guide" dogs for this amazing jungle trek. We had read that these dogs often desert you enroute; however, our dogs never left my husband's side. He would like you to think that this was his animal magnetism at work, but it may have something to do with the breakfast sausages he had stashed in his pocket!
Highlights in Mae Hong Son included the night market by the lake (we bought vendor food and ate on mats and low tables right alongside the lake) and the Wat on Doi Kong Mu (excellent views and best choice/prices for souvenirs).
Mae Sariang - Not a whole lot to do here, but we enjoyed this friendly town that gets few western tourists. We stayed at the Riverhouse Resort in a comfortable room with a good river view.
Dec 26th, 2007 | 11:34 AM
#4
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 91
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Thailand Trip Report - Part 3
Private Guides in N. Thailand - My husband and I are independent travelers and we had never hired private guides before. We were very impressed with both of these professional and knowledgeable guides who added immeasurably to our understanding and enjoyment.
We spent an unforgettable day with Sgt. Kai (who I learned about on this forum) visiting hill tribes and the Golden Triangle. This was a very long day (which could have been spread out over two days) packed with amazing experiences. A highlight was our visit to a Lahu village where we saw a shawman (holy man) helping villagers to make talsimans out of bamboo to away evil spirits. Sgt. Kai is an excellent guide with a true repoire with hill tribe people who is also happy to share the fascinating stories of his life.
When we left Mae Hong Son, we hired a guide named "Neng" thru Rose Garden Tours. We spent a long, eventful day sightseeing as we made our way to Mae Sariang. Highlights of this day were hill tribe visits, Sunflower Hill, and the Mae Surin waterfall.
Hill Tribe Visits -- We visited numerous hill tribe villages during our stay in N. Thailand and we have never seen anything like it. Visiting a hill tribe village is like stepping into another world; you feel almost like a time traveller going back into the past. Some of our most memorable moments were handing out pencils to hill tribe school children and donating blankets to elderly residents. But, we often wondered if we were crossing the line between tourist and voyeur.
Private Tour with Ratt -- We took a modern, comfortable bus from Mae Sariang to Chiang Mai and then flew back to Bangkok where Ratt (who we read about on this forum) met us at the airport for a 2-day private tour. Ratt is not a certified guide but a taxi driver and at first we were less than impressed. However, Ratt is a very nice person, lots of fun, and she works hard to please. We combined the drive to Kanchanaburi with some sightseeing and spent the night at the Chotika Riverfront Hotel so that we could visit the Floating Market early the following morning. One of our best memories is the night market Ratt took us to where we were the only western faces present. We tried all kinds of foods and everyone there was so friendly. We took a picture of this little boy (with his Mom's permission) and he was thrilled to see himself in our digital camera. When we left, he threw me a kiss and I did the same back to him. A few minutes later, we heard a voice behind us. Here was the father with the little boy we had just met, and the little boy had a bunch of flowers for me. I can't tell you how touched I was. He handed me the flowers and threw me another kiss.
The next morning, I made merit with a monk who rowed up to our hotel on his boat and then we visited the Floating Market. It is definitely touristy, but we thoroughly enjoyed the ambience and took some great pictures.
Kanchanaburi -- My husband is a WWII history buff, and the historical sights of Kanchanaburi were excellent. Ratt had taken us to Hellfire Pass which is the best spot to gain an understanding of the agony of building the Death Railway. But, we also enjoyed riding the Death Railway and visiting the excellent Thailand-Burma Railway Centre.
Couple general comments: What we loved best about Thailand were the Thai people, some of the friendliest, most thoughtful, and gracious people we have ever met. We also loved the food -- absolutely fantastic and we ate everything (including hot street food) without ever getting sick. We went to cooking school in Chiang Mai and made a Thai feast for our family for Christmas.
Up to this point, we have travelled primarily throughout Europe, but Thailand definitely opened our eyes to what Asia has to offer.
Private Guides in N. Thailand - My husband and I are independent travelers and we had never hired private guides before. We were very impressed with both of these professional and knowledgeable guides who added immeasurably to our understanding and enjoyment.
We spent an unforgettable day with Sgt. Kai (who I learned about on this forum) visiting hill tribes and the Golden Triangle. This was a very long day (which could have been spread out over two days) packed with amazing experiences. A highlight was our visit to a Lahu village where we saw a shawman (holy man) helping villagers to make talsimans out of bamboo to away evil spirits. Sgt. Kai is an excellent guide with a true repoire with hill tribe people who is also happy to share the fascinating stories of his life.
When we left Mae Hong Son, we hired a guide named "Neng" thru Rose Garden Tours. We spent a long, eventful day sightseeing as we made our way to Mae Sariang. Highlights of this day were hill tribe visits, Sunflower Hill, and the Mae Surin waterfall.
Hill Tribe Visits -- We visited numerous hill tribe villages during our stay in N. Thailand and we have never seen anything like it. Visiting a hill tribe village is like stepping into another world; you feel almost like a time traveller going back into the past. Some of our most memorable moments were handing out pencils to hill tribe school children and donating blankets to elderly residents. But, we often wondered if we were crossing the line between tourist and voyeur.
Private Tour with Ratt -- We took a modern, comfortable bus from Mae Sariang to Chiang Mai and then flew back to Bangkok where Ratt (who we read about on this forum) met us at the airport for a 2-day private tour. Ratt is not a certified guide but a taxi driver and at first we were less than impressed. However, Ratt is a very nice person, lots of fun, and she works hard to please. We combined the drive to Kanchanaburi with some sightseeing and spent the night at the Chotika Riverfront Hotel so that we could visit the Floating Market early the following morning. One of our best memories is the night market Ratt took us to where we were the only western faces present. We tried all kinds of foods and everyone there was so friendly. We took a picture of this little boy (with his Mom's permission) and he was thrilled to see himself in our digital camera. When we left, he threw me a kiss and I did the same back to him. A few minutes later, we heard a voice behind us. Here was the father with the little boy we had just met, and the little boy had a bunch of flowers for me. I can't tell you how touched I was. He handed me the flowers and threw me another kiss.
The next morning, I made merit with a monk who rowed up to our hotel on his boat and then we visited the Floating Market. It is definitely touristy, but we thoroughly enjoyed the ambience and took some great pictures.
Kanchanaburi -- My husband is a WWII history buff, and the historical sights of Kanchanaburi were excellent. Ratt had taken us to Hellfire Pass which is the best spot to gain an understanding of the agony of building the Death Railway. But, we also enjoyed riding the Death Railway and visiting the excellent Thailand-Burma Railway Centre.
Couple general comments: What we loved best about Thailand were the Thai people, some of the friendliest, most thoughtful, and gracious people we have ever met. We also loved the food -- absolutely fantastic and we ate everything (including hot street food) without ever getting sick. We went to cooking school in Chiang Mai and made a Thai feast for our family for Christmas.
Up to this point, we have travelled primarily throughout Europe, but Thailand definitely opened our eyes to what Asia has to offer.
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Jan 2nd, 2008 | 12:28 AM
#11
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Great report and really helpful as I am frantically trying to finalise a trip for me and hubby - departing in just 3 weeks!!
I have a couple of questions please - we plan to hire a car in Chiang Mai and drive to Pai & Mae Hong Son and then back to CM. I have a map (kindly provided by another fodorite) and have so far booked into a hotel in Pai but there is no availability at the Fern Resort. My questions as follows.....
1) are the areas that you visited easily accessible independantly and by car?
2) are we likely to easily find a hotel in MHS if we just 'turn up' or should we book in advance?
3) If advance booking is recommended - should I look for somewhere in town?
Many thanks.
I have a couple of questions please - we plan to hire a car in Chiang Mai and drive to Pai & Mae Hong Son and then back to CM. I have a map (kindly provided by another fodorite) and have so far booked into a hotel in Pai but there is no availability at the Fern Resort. My questions as follows.....
1) are the areas that you visited easily accessible independantly and by car?
2) are we likely to easily find a hotel in MHS if we just 'turn up' or should we book in advance?
3) If advance booking is recommended - should I look for somewhere in town?
Many thanks.
Jan 14th, 2008 | 06:42 PM
#12
Original Poster
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Sorry, I have been away from the forum for awhile.
Impacked: We really did not need a guide in Bangkok. We found it very easy to get around on our own using the river ferries and the SkyTrain.
I can highly recommend our guide in Chiang Mai, Sergeant Kai (email: [email protected])
vhs 100: You should have no problems making the loop drive on your own. The roads are windy, but all the areas we visited are easy to access by car. I am not sure how crowded Mae Hong Son is at this time of year - I would probably make a reservation. Since you have a car, you may want to try the Imperial Tara which is a short distance outside of town. Have a wonderful time!!
Impacked: We really did not need a guide in Bangkok. We found it very easy to get around on our own using the river ferries and the SkyTrain.
I can highly recommend our guide in Chiang Mai, Sergeant Kai (email: [email protected])
vhs 100: You should have no problems making the loop drive on your own. The roads are windy, but all the areas we visited are easy to access by car. I am not sure how crowded Mae Hong Son is at this time of year - I would probably make a reservation. Since you have a car, you may want to try the Imperial Tara which is a short distance outside of town. Have a wonderful time!!
