Trip Report - Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket
Apr 1st, 2008 | 07:58 AM
#1
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 52
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Trip Report - Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket
My husband and I spent our 1-year anniversary in Thailand March 2008. We are late 20’s, no kids. We booked the majority of our trip using recommendations from the Fodor’s board, and owe you all many thanks for your detailed insight and thoughtful, prompt responses to our questions.
We divided our time as follows:
Bangkok – 2 nights
Chiang Mai – 2 nights
Phuket – 3 nights
Bangkok – 2 nights
Day 1 – Bangkok
We boarded Cathay Pacific’s flight from JFK to BKK, with a stopover in Hong Kong. The flight was pretty comfortable – we slept a good portion and entertained ourselves with the personal TV monitors, etc. We arrived Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport close to midnight and were greeted with the warmth and humidity as soon as we got off the plane. After a long wait in the immigration/customs line, we quickly collected our bags and took a taxi to our hotel, Royal Orchid Sheraton. There were many people offering taxi rides from the airport, but we were careful to go only to the “Taxi-meter” station. Our taxi driver had to actually pull over on the side of the road to look up the address of the hotel but we were only a street away, so we got there quickly. After checking in, our room key did not work but the staff corrected this quickly and we were on our way to a good nights sleep. I had booked the ROS on Starwood points, and really liked the hotel because of its convenient riverside location, impressive breakfast, and great rooms.
Day 2 – Bangkok
We had our alarm set for 8am but we were up by 7, so we got ready and headed to the hotel breakfast buffet. We were amazed by the massive spread and variety of foods! We filled up, then headed out to the Si Phraya river ferry stop right outside the hotel. Using our Nancy Chandler map as a guide, we went up 5 stops to Wat Po. It was wonderful to see this amazing statue, especially early in the morning before it got crowded. We walked around the grounds a bit, seeing the other chedis, then headed over to Wat Phra Kaew/Grand Palace. As soon as we turned on the block, there was a tour guide and a guard standing at a doorway to the GP. The guide came up to us and told us that the Wat/GP was closed this morning for Buddha Day, and would reopen at 3PM. He then pulled out a map and showed us 3 other wats we could visit and immediately called over a tuk-tuk to take us there. Fortunately, we had read about this type of scam so we said “No, thank you,” and continued on our way. Two other people approached us and said the *exact* same thing, so we were getting slightly wary, but thought we should at least see the main entrance of the building. When we reached the main entry, it was full of people going in and out (so obviously not closed), and also the site closed around 3PM, so we would have entirely missed it had we listened!! We hired a (badged) guide in the front of the building for 500B, then went inside the wat and GP for the tour. We loved hearing about the Wat, its history, and of course the striking Emerald Buddha. Afterwards we walked through the market across the street and near the ferry stop, then took the ferry back to our hotel. We cooled off in the Garden pool (much nicer than the terrace pool), then went for a 1.5 hour Khlong tour. Our guide took us through the Thonburi canals – it was very interesting to see a different side of Bangkok, with all the more humble housing but still brilliant Wats in between. We got a glimpse of what a floating market would be like (there were a few boats selling items), and stopped at Wat Arun. There were at least 8 other long-tailed boats stopping at the same place, so it was quite the traffic jam getting in and out! We climbed the ridiculously steep staircase to the top, enjoyed the views, then got back in the boat to go to the hotel. After we took probably our fourth shower that day, we walked to Tongue Thai restaurant where we had super-spicy papaya salad, Panang curry, fried banana flower, and bean curd with black bean sauce. While the food was very good, we did not think it was anything better than the better restaurants in the US (though to be fair, we live in NY/LA). After dinner, we walked over to the Lebua hotel to have drinks at Skybar (I think it is now called the Dome). We loved this place- the views were truly amazing, and we enjoyed the deep couches so we could stretch out. The martinis we ordered were quite good, and overall it was worth it for my husband to bring an extra pair of closed-toe shoes just to get in Surprisingly we were still not tired, so we took a taxi over to Patpong night market, which we were mesmerized by!! We bought a couple shirts, wallet, and sunglasses, but tried not to go overboard since we had allocated an entire day to shop at the end of our trip.
We divided our time as follows:
Bangkok – 2 nights
Chiang Mai – 2 nights
Phuket – 3 nights
Bangkok – 2 nights
Day 1 – Bangkok
We boarded Cathay Pacific’s flight from JFK to BKK, with a stopover in Hong Kong. The flight was pretty comfortable – we slept a good portion and entertained ourselves with the personal TV monitors, etc. We arrived Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport close to midnight and were greeted with the warmth and humidity as soon as we got off the plane. After a long wait in the immigration/customs line, we quickly collected our bags and took a taxi to our hotel, Royal Orchid Sheraton. There were many people offering taxi rides from the airport, but we were careful to go only to the “Taxi-meter” station. Our taxi driver had to actually pull over on the side of the road to look up the address of the hotel but we were only a street away, so we got there quickly. After checking in, our room key did not work but the staff corrected this quickly and we were on our way to a good nights sleep. I had booked the ROS on Starwood points, and really liked the hotel because of its convenient riverside location, impressive breakfast, and great rooms.
Day 2 – Bangkok
We had our alarm set for 8am but we were up by 7, so we got ready and headed to the hotel breakfast buffet. We were amazed by the massive spread and variety of foods! We filled up, then headed out to the Si Phraya river ferry stop right outside the hotel. Using our Nancy Chandler map as a guide, we went up 5 stops to Wat Po. It was wonderful to see this amazing statue, especially early in the morning before it got crowded. We walked around the grounds a bit, seeing the other chedis, then headed over to Wat Phra Kaew/Grand Palace. As soon as we turned on the block, there was a tour guide and a guard standing at a doorway to the GP. The guide came up to us and told us that the Wat/GP was closed this morning for Buddha Day, and would reopen at 3PM. He then pulled out a map and showed us 3 other wats we could visit and immediately called over a tuk-tuk to take us there. Fortunately, we had read about this type of scam so we said “No, thank you,” and continued on our way. Two other people approached us and said the *exact* same thing, so we were getting slightly wary, but thought we should at least see the main entrance of the building. When we reached the main entry, it was full of people going in and out (so obviously not closed), and also the site closed around 3PM, so we would have entirely missed it had we listened!! We hired a (badged) guide in the front of the building for 500B, then went inside the wat and GP for the tour. We loved hearing about the Wat, its history, and of course the striking Emerald Buddha. Afterwards we walked through the market across the street and near the ferry stop, then took the ferry back to our hotel. We cooled off in the Garden pool (much nicer than the terrace pool), then went for a 1.5 hour Khlong tour. Our guide took us through the Thonburi canals – it was very interesting to see a different side of Bangkok, with all the more humble housing but still brilliant Wats in between. We got a glimpse of what a floating market would be like (there were a few boats selling items), and stopped at Wat Arun. There were at least 8 other long-tailed boats stopping at the same place, so it was quite the traffic jam getting in and out! We climbed the ridiculously steep staircase to the top, enjoyed the views, then got back in the boat to go to the hotel. After we took probably our fourth shower that day, we walked to Tongue Thai restaurant where we had super-spicy papaya salad, Panang curry, fried banana flower, and bean curd with black bean sauce. While the food was very good, we did not think it was anything better than the better restaurants in the US (though to be fair, we live in NY/LA). After dinner, we walked over to the Lebua hotel to have drinks at Skybar (I think it is now called the Dome). We loved this place- the views were truly amazing, and we enjoyed the deep couches so we could stretch out. The martinis we ordered were quite good, and overall it was worth it for my husband to bring an extra pair of closed-toe shoes just to get in Surprisingly we were still not tired, so we took a taxi over to Patpong night market, which we were mesmerized by!! We bought a couple shirts, wallet, and sunglasses, but tried not to go overboard since we had allocated an entire day to shop at the end of our trip.
Apr 1st, 2008 | 09:58 AM
#4
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,334
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I agree. Great start. Keep it coming.
The DOME is the name they give to the entire top of State Tower, I would suspect. It does have a golden dome on the top, but anyway, SKY BAR is fabulous!! Can't wait to return there in a couple of weeks.
The DOME is the name they give to the entire top of State Tower, I would suspect. It does have a golden dome on the top, but anyway, SKY BAR is fabulous!! Can't wait to return there in a couple of weeks.
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Apr 2nd, 2008 | 05:56 AM
#10
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 52
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I think the most common scam was the one we faced - where they tell you a site is closed, and try to take you somewhere else. Tuk-tuk drivers always overcharged, so we would negotiate a price before going anywhere with them.
Apr 2nd, 2008 | 06:06 AM
#11
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 52
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Day 3 – Bangkok/Chiang Mai
We had signed up for the May Kaidee vegetarian Thai cooking class online, so after breakfast we took a taxi over there. Our cab driver was thoroughly confused as to where this place was, and we kept going in circles until my husband eventually spotted it. We made it just in time (9am), though May did not show up until about 9:15. The 6 of us students and May started off by walking to the local market and picked up a stack of spring roll wrappers, while a woman was making them fresh in front of us. May then took us to the supermarket and gave us a very practical lesson on how to shop for Thai cooking: how to substitute ingredients for fish sauce etc., what vegetables to use, what shortcuts to use when in a rush or without specific ingredients. We walked back to her restaurant, and she took us to the back where the class was set up. It was not the formal classroom I was expecting, but more like a backyard with a kitchen set up. There were 3 cooking stations, equipped with a wok, bowls of shredded veggies, sauces, chopped chilies, garlic, etc. We started on the cooking, and found that with all the ingredients in front of us, each dish took no longer than 15 minutes to cook. We made a total of 10 dishes, including my favorites spring rolls with peanut sauce, pad thai, papaya salad. The food was phenomenal, and the instructor, Lee, was great. I started getting tired towards the end, and would have preferred if the class was a bit shorter (we ended almost 2pm). However, I was grateful to learn so many wonderful dishes, and fully intend to cook some back at home.
We started to walk to the Khao San area but it was unbearably hot, so we took a taxi back to the hotel. We relaxed a bit, then packed up, checked out, and headed to BKK for our flight to Chiang Mai. I had booked our intra-Thailand flights using the Discover Thailand pass on Thai Airways – it would have been slightly cheaper to go through Air Asia, but Thai Air seemed to be more flexible if we wanted to change flight times/dates. Our flight was smooth and on-time, and we got our luggage quickly and took a taxi to our hotel, Baan Orapin. Opus greeted us at the door, and gave us a map and some restaurant and sightseeing information of the area. We walked over the Riverview restaurant, and had a nice dinner of spring rolls, pad thai, khao soi (the local CM dish), and their fruit smoothies. The restaurant setting was lovely – we ate outside right along the lit-up river, and there was a band playing indoors. After dinner, we tuk-tuked over to the Sunday Night Walking Market. I loved this market – they had tons of great stuff and it was a very lively atmosphere. It wasn’t as large as the map suggested, so we walked through it fairly quickly and then got a foot massage outside for 60B!
Day 4 – Chiang Mai
I had pre-booked a custom trip (elephant riding, bamboo rafting, waterfalls and Doi Suthep) with Sergeant Kai for the whole day, and asked if he would be able to do the tour himself. He came to pick us up at 8am and began by showing us a local Chiang Mai market. We saw the variety of foods they cook and sell (including the insects, which completely grossed us out). Our next stop was the Mae Wong elephant camp – this is a very small conservatory south of CM. We rode an elephant for an hour through the jungle, and the other 4-5 elephants/riders followed closely behind us. All the elephants kept stopping to stuff themselves with bamboo and other greens or scratch themselves on the tree bark – it was hilarious. The ride ended with a wade through the river and then feeding bananas to the elephants. Sergeant Kai had gotten a great picture of us on the elephant, developed and framed (made from dung paper) – we loved it and appreciated his thoughtfulness. We then drove to a Karen village, where we saw the women weaving traditional garments, kids running around, men having drinks. A couple kids kept trying to sell us some beads, so we bought from them and they were happy. Next we went to the Mae Wong waterfall, and hiked up to see that. Since it was dry season, the water level was low but still very nice. The rocks were very slippery and you have to be very careful walking on them to avoid falling. Next, Kai took us to have lunch at a local sidestreet café. We had a tofu/veggie dish, soup, Thai omelet and rice. It was decent but we didn’t love it. Our next stop was another waterfall - we hiked down quite a bit then reached a lovely (small) waterfall with a foot bridge across. Hubby waded a bit in the water but it was way too cold for me, so I sat on the rocks and enjoyed the scenery. Apparently in the wet season the water level is so high that it washes down the bridge, which has to be rebuilt every year! We then drove to an area where we could go bamboo rafting – this was one of the most fun parts of the day. We sat on this long raft, made only of bamboos tied together, and a kid rowed us through the river. All the other people on rafts starts splashing each other, and the local kids who hang out along the river come and ride on your raft for a bit or splash from the sidelines! We got completely soaked, but it felt great because we were so hot. Again Kai got a nice picture of us framed!
Next, Kai took us back to old Chiang Mai to see Wat Chedi Luang. He told us about this temple which was destroyed in an earthquake but partially rebuilt. We also stopped at the “Monk Chat” area, and briefly chatted with one of the monks. He had been a monk since the age of 13, and told us about his daily life – wake up at 4am, meditate, eat, pray, eat once more, but not after 12 noon – Buddhist beliefs and rituals, process to become a monk, etc. It was neat to talk to an actual monk and hear his thoughts. Finally, we headed up to Doi Suthep. Partway through the 8-mile drive to the top, we stopped at a scenic spot to get some pictures of the great city views. When we reached the Wat Prathat, we took an “elevator” to the top – this was more like a tram up the mountain, but they called it an elevator so we were amused when we saw it come in at an angle through the windows! When we got to the top, my breath was taken away when I saw those beautiful golden chedis. At 6pm, there is a ceremony where the head monk comes out, lights some oil lamps, and begins chanting. All the monks then go into the room with the large Buddha, and continue their chanting. Apparently this is all broadcast nationally via satellite! It was all very beautiful.
We finished our tour with Sergeant Kai dropping us off at the Whole Earth restaurant (7:30 PM). Overall, we were extremely happy with his service – his English was impeccable, we were able to learn so much from him about Thai culture, traditions, politics, history. Though we initially felt his prices were fairly high, it was definitely worth the money and I would highly recommend him to others.
We were not too impressed with the food at Whole Earth but it is a lovely restaurant and enjoyed the outdoor setting very much. Afterwards, we went to the market around the corner and bought a few things there, though they did not have anything we hadn’t seen before. We took a tuk-tuk back to our hotel and pretty much passed out from our long day.
Day 5 – Chiang Mai/Phuket
We intended to get up and see the monks assemble at 6am, but we were so worn out from our first 3 intensive days, we decided to sleep in. After a leisurely breakfast, we strolled across the foot bridge and wandered through the flower market and around town a bit. We lounged a bit in the hotel, then checked out. After our 2 nights here, we thought Baan Orapin was a lovely guesthouse but fairly basic – we prefer the more “hotel-y” places, and would have liked to be in the city center.
Opus called a taxi for us and we headed back to the airport and checked in for our flight to Phuket. While waiting to board, we talked to one of those travel agency stalls there, and the guy offered a 30% off discounted day trip to Phi Phi and other islands. He said that it would be more expensive if we booked in Phuket, but we were hesitant to book a trip without knowing what we wanted to do with our time. We decided to wait a day after reaching Phuket, so we could figure out if we were bored and needed a side trip or were happy relaxing at the beach/pool. The 2-hr flight was smooth and on-time, we got our bags and took the 45-min taxi ride to our hotel, Holiday Inn Resort in Patong. We had booked a room in the Busakorn wing, but we were told upon check-in that they were sold out, and if we would like a deluxe sea-view room (in the main wing) instead, with access to the Busakorn pool (usually reserved for people only staying in the wing), but we would have to move back to the Busakorn wing for the third night. We took a quick look at the seaview room, and pretty much said “hell, yeah!” This room was huge, and had a spacious balcony overlooking the pool in the main wing, views of the beach, unlimited drinks from the mini-bar. We were very unimpressed by the beach, but the pool in the hotel was so fabulous we didn’t care. We were also happy that even though the hotel is in the middle of Patong, we couldn’t hear/see/feel the noise and crowds, and there were plenty of things to do and see within walking distance. We wandered around the hotel, walked on the beach and through the nearby market area. After swimming a bit we ordered room service, watched a movie, then went to sleep.
More to come...
We had signed up for the May Kaidee vegetarian Thai cooking class online, so after breakfast we took a taxi over there. Our cab driver was thoroughly confused as to where this place was, and we kept going in circles until my husband eventually spotted it. We made it just in time (9am), though May did not show up until about 9:15. The 6 of us students and May started off by walking to the local market and picked up a stack of spring roll wrappers, while a woman was making them fresh in front of us. May then took us to the supermarket and gave us a very practical lesson on how to shop for Thai cooking: how to substitute ingredients for fish sauce etc., what vegetables to use, what shortcuts to use when in a rush or without specific ingredients. We walked back to her restaurant, and she took us to the back where the class was set up. It was not the formal classroom I was expecting, but more like a backyard with a kitchen set up. There were 3 cooking stations, equipped with a wok, bowls of shredded veggies, sauces, chopped chilies, garlic, etc. We started on the cooking, and found that with all the ingredients in front of us, each dish took no longer than 15 minutes to cook. We made a total of 10 dishes, including my favorites spring rolls with peanut sauce, pad thai, papaya salad. The food was phenomenal, and the instructor, Lee, was great. I started getting tired towards the end, and would have preferred if the class was a bit shorter (we ended almost 2pm). However, I was grateful to learn so many wonderful dishes, and fully intend to cook some back at home.
We started to walk to the Khao San area but it was unbearably hot, so we took a taxi back to the hotel. We relaxed a bit, then packed up, checked out, and headed to BKK for our flight to Chiang Mai. I had booked our intra-Thailand flights using the Discover Thailand pass on Thai Airways – it would have been slightly cheaper to go through Air Asia, but Thai Air seemed to be more flexible if we wanted to change flight times/dates. Our flight was smooth and on-time, and we got our luggage quickly and took a taxi to our hotel, Baan Orapin. Opus greeted us at the door, and gave us a map and some restaurant and sightseeing information of the area. We walked over the Riverview restaurant, and had a nice dinner of spring rolls, pad thai, khao soi (the local CM dish), and their fruit smoothies. The restaurant setting was lovely – we ate outside right along the lit-up river, and there was a band playing indoors. After dinner, we tuk-tuked over to the Sunday Night Walking Market. I loved this market – they had tons of great stuff and it was a very lively atmosphere. It wasn’t as large as the map suggested, so we walked through it fairly quickly and then got a foot massage outside for 60B!
Day 4 – Chiang Mai
I had pre-booked a custom trip (elephant riding, bamboo rafting, waterfalls and Doi Suthep) with Sergeant Kai for the whole day, and asked if he would be able to do the tour himself. He came to pick us up at 8am and began by showing us a local Chiang Mai market. We saw the variety of foods they cook and sell (including the insects, which completely grossed us out). Our next stop was the Mae Wong elephant camp – this is a very small conservatory south of CM. We rode an elephant for an hour through the jungle, and the other 4-5 elephants/riders followed closely behind us. All the elephants kept stopping to stuff themselves with bamboo and other greens or scratch themselves on the tree bark – it was hilarious. The ride ended with a wade through the river and then feeding bananas to the elephants. Sergeant Kai had gotten a great picture of us on the elephant, developed and framed (made from dung paper) – we loved it and appreciated his thoughtfulness. We then drove to a Karen village, where we saw the women weaving traditional garments, kids running around, men having drinks. A couple kids kept trying to sell us some beads, so we bought from them and they were happy. Next we went to the Mae Wong waterfall, and hiked up to see that. Since it was dry season, the water level was low but still very nice. The rocks were very slippery and you have to be very careful walking on them to avoid falling. Next, Kai took us to have lunch at a local sidestreet café. We had a tofu/veggie dish, soup, Thai omelet and rice. It was decent but we didn’t love it. Our next stop was another waterfall - we hiked down quite a bit then reached a lovely (small) waterfall with a foot bridge across. Hubby waded a bit in the water but it was way too cold for me, so I sat on the rocks and enjoyed the scenery. Apparently in the wet season the water level is so high that it washes down the bridge, which has to be rebuilt every year! We then drove to an area where we could go bamboo rafting – this was one of the most fun parts of the day. We sat on this long raft, made only of bamboos tied together, and a kid rowed us through the river. All the other people on rafts starts splashing each other, and the local kids who hang out along the river come and ride on your raft for a bit or splash from the sidelines! We got completely soaked, but it felt great because we were so hot. Again Kai got a nice picture of us framed!
Next, Kai took us back to old Chiang Mai to see Wat Chedi Luang. He told us about this temple which was destroyed in an earthquake but partially rebuilt. We also stopped at the “Monk Chat” area, and briefly chatted with one of the monks. He had been a monk since the age of 13, and told us about his daily life – wake up at 4am, meditate, eat, pray, eat once more, but not after 12 noon – Buddhist beliefs and rituals, process to become a monk, etc. It was neat to talk to an actual monk and hear his thoughts. Finally, we headed up to Doi Suthep. Partway through the 8-mile drive to the top, we stopped at a scenic spot to get some pictures of the great city views. When we reached the Wat Prathat, we took an “elevator” to the top – this was more like a tram up the mountain, but they called it an elevator so we were amused when we saw it come in at an angle through the windows! When we got to the top, my breath was taken away when I saw those beautiful golden chedis. At 6pm, there is a ceremony where the head monk comes out, lights some oil lamps, and begins chanting. All the monks then go into the room with the large Buddha, and continue their chanting. Apparently this is all broadcast nationally via satellite! It was all very beautiful.
We finished our tour with Sergeant Kai dropping us off at the Whole Earth restaurant (7:30 PM). Overall, we were extremely happy with his service – his English was impeccable, we were able to learn so much from him about Thai culture, traditions, politics, history. Though we initially felt his prices were fairly high, it was definitely worth the money and I would highly recommend him to others.
We were not too impressed with the food at Whole Earth but it is a lovely restaurant and enjoyed the outdoor setting very much. Afterwards, we went to the market around the corner and bought a few things there, though they did not have anything we hadn’t seen before. We took a tuk-tuk back to our hotel and pretty much passed out from our long day.
Day 5 – Chiang Mai/Phuket
We intended to get up and see the monks assemble at 6am, but we were so worn out from our first 3 intensive days, we decided to sleep in. After a leisurely breakfast, we strolled across the foot bridge and wandered through the flower market and around town a bit. We lounged a bit in the hotel, then checked out. After our 2 nights here, we thought Baan Orapin was a lovely guesthouse but fairly basic – we prefer the more “hotel-y” places, and would have liked to be in the city center.
Opus called a taxi for us and we headed back to the airport and checked in for our flight to Phuket. While waiting to board, we talked to one of those travel agency stalls there, and the guy offered a 30% off discounted day trip to Phi Phi and other islands. He said that it would be more expensive if we booked in Phuket, but we were hesitant to book a trip without knowing what we wanted to do with our time. We decided to wait a day after reaching Phuket, so we could figure out if we were bored and needed a side trip or were happy relaxing at the beach/pool. The 2-hr flight was smooth and on-time, we got our bags and took the 45-min taxi ride to our hotel, Holiday Inn Resort in Patong. We had booked a room in the Busakorn wing, but we were told upon check-in that they were sold out, and if we would like a deluxe sea-view room (in the main wing) instead, with access to the Busakorn pool (usually reserved for people only staying in the wing), but we would have to move back to the Busakorn wing for the third night. We took a quick look at the seaview room, and pretty much said “hell, yeah!” This room was huge, and had a spacious balcony overlooking the pool in the main wing, views of the beach, unlimited drinks from the mini-bar. We were very unimpressed by the beach, but the pool in the hotel was so fabulous we didn’t care. We were also happy that even though the hotel is in the middle of Patong, we couldn’t hear/see/feel the noise and crowds, and there were plenty of things to do and see within walking distance. We wandered around the hotel, walked on the beach and through the nearby market area. After swimming a bit we ordered room service, watched a movie, then went to sleep.
More to come...
Apr 3rd, 2008 | 06:55 AM
#15
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
The cooking class was all vegetarian, yes. I found Blue Elephant cooking school had an optional vegetarian menu to follow in their classes, but it was quite pricey.
We gave Sergeant Kai a total of 5000 B, which included everything - the tour, admission charges, and tip.
We gave Sergeant Kai a total of 5000 B, which included everything - the tour, admission charges, and tip.
Apr 4th, 2008 | 12:58 AM
#16
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
if arrive at Chiangmai , don't forget tour these thing ,
http://thailandlive.blogspot.com
http://thailandlive.blogspot.com
Apr 9th, 2008 | 07:44 AM
#17
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Day 6 – Phuket
Our day consisted mostly of swimming in the Busakorn pool, eating at the hotel restaurants (the breakfast buffet at their Seabreeze restaurant was phenomenal), and walking through the market (again bought a few items, though prices are noticeably higher than Bangkok). There were tons of travel agency stalls, all trying to sell island tours at 50 % discount (sooo happy we didn’t book this at the airport!) We decided not to go for a day trip to Phi Phi – we were happy relaxing by the pool and the trip to Phi Phi would have been a very long day, with most of the time spent in transportation. In the evening, we walked to a nearby Indian restaurant called Hot Curry – they had an extensive menu and the food was delicious. Around 10pm, we headed out to the infamous Bangla street in Patong. The street was blocked off from vehicle traffic and was full of tourists (couples, families, singles), club go-go dancers, lady-boys, and other woman who were, ahem, looking for men.. There were a few women dressed with feather tails and headdresses – almost felt like we were in Vegas! They were taking pictures with tourists (for a charge). The whole scene was rather amusing, definitely a sight to see. We didn’t feel the sleazy vibe we were anticipating, and ended up having drinks at a bar on the street so we could people-watch. Although the glass my drink came in was shaped like a naked woman
Day 7 – Phuket
This day was similar to the previous day – a lot of R & R and good food. We dropped off a bag of laundry at this place next door to our hotel and got it back neatly ironed and everything in the evening. We went to this clean-looking place called 5-Star Massage across the street from the Holiday Inn, and decided to try the traditional Thai massage. My husband and I were taken into different rooms (separated only by curtains), and we changed into XXXL cotton pants. My masseuse spent the hour pulling, stretching, pushing my limbs around - at one point she even had me flip halfway over so I was in a complete back arch “bridge!” Both my husband and I loved the massage – I don’t like the type of massages we get here in the US , so this was a great alternative. We ended our day by another few drinks on Bangla street.
Day 8 – Phuket/Bangkok
We had spent the previous night in the Busakorn wing, per our room agreement. We missed the seaview room, but it was very convenient to go up and down from the Busakorn pool. We had the breakfast buffet at the Busakorn restaurant, which was not as good or extensive as Seabreeze. After a swim in the pool, we went back to 5-Star Massage – this time I got a relaxing foot reflexology massage, and hubby got the thai massage again. We got a taxi from a stand outside the hotel to take us to the airport (hotel charges 1000 B for their service vs 600 B if you get a cab on your own). Though it didn’t look like he was a licensed cab driver, just a guy with a car, he got us there safely and on time. We checked in for our flight (back to Bangkok) and again had an easy trip over. The flight attendants actually brought out a fruit plate to this guy sitting in my row, and sang him happy birthday! He was really surprised. When we got to BKK and were waiting for luggage, we learned that half the bags were sent over to the international terminal and we would have to go there to claim them. When we tried going over there, we got stopped by security who said we couldn’t go in, so then we went to Thai Airways baggage service and the woman helped us figure out which carousel our bags had gone to. In the end it took us an extra hour or so to deal with this baggage mess, but we were just happy that we were able to recover them.
We took a cab to our next hotel, Westin Sukhumvit (which again I had booked with points), but there was so much traffic, being 6pm Friday, that it took about an hour and a half to get there! They offered us a 1500 pt upgrade to the executive room - which included breakfast and access to the executive lounge (free daily cocktails, snacks, and internet access). Our room was very modern and comfortable, though we could see the hotel is definitely more geared for the business traveler.
So we went up to the executive lounge for some snacks (very good spread of food), and to check in online for our return home flight, since we needed to select our seats and could do that 48 hours in advance. We took the Skytrain from the Asok stop, literally right outside the hotel, to the MBK mall. We wandered around here, but didn’t find anything too interesting. We asked a tuk-tuk to take us to the Sukhumvit market – we thought we’d shop there a bit then go back to our hotel. The driver dropped us off at a market, which was smaller than what we were expecting and more locals than tourists. Anyway, we picked up some interesting clothes, then started to walk back to the Westin. On the way there was this guy making the most amazing banana roti ever! He flipped around the dough so fast and spread the ingredients so skillfully, we felt like we were watching a show. We went back for another delicious roti, this one without a banana, just coconut cream and sugar on top, then started to walk again. We were confused as to why we could not see the Skytrain, since it runs up and down Sukhumvit street, then just called over a taxi to take us back. We were so far from our hotel, we have no idea what market the other driver had taken us to!! On top of that, after explaining to the driver to take us to the Westin, on Sukhumvit Road, off Soi 19, near Asok Skytrain stop, etc, he took us to a different hotel called the Eastin!! We were surprised that the taxi drivers in Bangkok have so much difficulty in finding the correct stops, especially large hotels.
Will wrap up trip report in next post!
Our day consisted mostly of swimming in the Busakorn pool, eating at the hotel restaurants (the breakfast buffet at their Seabreeze restaurant was phenomenal), and walking through the market (again bought a few items, though prices are noticeably higher than Bangkok). There were tons of travel agency stalls, all trying to sell island tours at 50 % discount (sooo happy we didn’t book this at the airport!) We decided not to go for a day trip to Phi Phi – we were happy relaxing by the pool and the trip to Phi Phi would have been a very long day, with most of the time spent in transportation. In the evening, we walked to a nearby Indian restaurant called Hot Curry – they had an extensive menu and the food was delicious. Around 10pm, we headed out to the infamous Bangla street in Patong. The street was blocked off from vehicle traffic and was full of tourists (couples, families, singles), club go-go dancers, lady-boys, and other woman who were, ahem, looking for men.. There were a few women dressed with feather tails and headdresses – almost felt like we were in Vegas! They were taking pictures with tourists (for a charge). The whole scene was rather amusing, definitely a sight to see. We didn’t feel the sleazy vibe we were anticipating, and ended up having drinks at a bar on the street so we could people-watch. Although the glass my drink came in was shaped like a naked woman
Day 7 – Phuket
This day was similar to the previous day – a lot of R & R and good food. We dropped off a bag of laundry at this place next door to our hotel and got it back neatly ironed and everything in the evening. We went to this clean-looking place called 5-Star Massage across the street from the Holiday Inn, and decided to try the traditional Thai massage. My husband and I were taken into different rooms (separated only by curtains), and we changed into XXXL cotton pants. My masseuse spent the hour pulling, stretching, pushing my limbs around - at one point she even had me flip halfway over so I was in a complete back arch “bridge!” Both my husband and I loved the massage – I don’t like the type of massages we get here in the US , so this was a great alternative. We ended our day by another few drinks on Bangla street.
Day 8 – Phuket/Bangkok
We had spent the previous night in the Busakorn wing, per our room agreement. We missed the seaview room, but it was very convenient to go up and down from the Busakorn pool. We had the breakfast buffet at the Busakorn restaurant, which was not as good or extensive as Seabreeze. After a swim in the pool, we went back to 5-Star Massage – this time I got a relaxing foot reflexology massage, and hubby got the thai massage again. We got a taxi from a stand outside the hotel to take us to the airport (hotel charges 1000 B for their service vs 600 B if you get a cab on your own). Though it didn’t look like he was a licensed cab driver, just a guy with a car, he got us there safely and on time. We checked in for our flight (back to Bangkok) and again had an easy trip over. The flight attendants actually brought out a fruit plate to this guy sitting in my row, and sang him happy birthday! He was really surprised. When we got to BKK and were waiting for luggage, we learned that half the bags were sent over to the international terminal and we would have to go there to claim them. When we tried going over there, we got stopped by security who said we couldn’t go in, so then we went to Thai Airways baggage service and the woman helped us figure out which carousel our bags had gone to. In the end it took us an extra hour or so to deal with this baggage mess, but we were just happy that we were able to recover them.
We took a cab to our next hotel, Westin Sukhumvit (which again I had booked with points), but there was so much traffic, being 6pm Friday, that it took about an hour and a half to get there! They offered us a 1500 pt upgrade to the executive room - which included breakfast and access to the executive lounge (free daily cocktails, snacks, and internet access). Our room was very modern and comfortable, though we could see the hotel is definitely more geared for the business traveler.
So we went up to the executive lounge for some snacks (very good spread of food), and to check in online for our return home flight, since we needed to select our seats and could do that 48 hours in advance. We took the Skytrain from the Asok stop, literally right outside the hotel, to the MBK mall. We wandered around here, but didn’t find anything too interesting. We asked a tuk-tuk to take us to the Sukhumvit market – we thought we’d shop there a bit then go back to our hotel. The driver dropped us off at a market, which was smaller than what we were expecting and more locals than tourists. Anyway, we picked up some interesting clothes, then started to walk back to the Westin. On the way there was this guy making the most amazing banana roti ever! He flipped around the dough so fast and spread the ingredients so skillfully, we felt like we were watching a show. We went back for another delicious roti, this one without a banana, just coconut cream and sugar on top, then started to walk again. We were confused as to why we could not see the Skytrain, since it runs up and down Sukhumvit street, then just called over a taxi to take us back. We were so far from our hotel, we have no idea what market the other driver had taken us to!! On top of that, after explaining to the driver to take us to the Westin, on Sukhumvit Road, off Soi 19, near Asok Skytrain stop, etc, he took us to a different hotel called the Eastin!! We were surprised that the taxi drivers in Bangkok have so much difficulty in finding the correct stops, especially large hotels.
Will wrap up trip report in next post!
Apr 10th, 2008 | 06:06 AM
#19
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Great report! I especially appreciate the reviews of food and restaurants since we will be in all three places you were. We will definitely plan to go to the Riverview. I had Khao Soi for the first time the other night at a Thai restaurant near us and absolutely LOVED it. Can't wait to have it in its own setting.
