| Product: |
Pattaya |
| Date: |
07/04/05 (978 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: SUN, Cheap Prices, Friendly People
Disadvantages: 13 hour flight to get there.
My husband like a bit of adventure. We decided to go to Thailand during the Christmas holidays and were glad we did.
Flights:
We flew out of Heathrow with Emirates and flew economy class. However, economy was like flying 1st class! We got real wet warm flannels upon take off, generous and comfortable seats, as well as personal tv screens. It was a long journey, but flying with Emirates made it a comfortable as it could possibly be.
Airport- Arrivals:
Going through immigration was a long slow process. They are not rushed. So, you must just be patient.
Taxi to Pataya:
We had a taxi booked to go to our hotel. It was there waiting for us. It was airconditioned and got us as quickly as it could to our hotel. A 2 hour trip from Bangkok to Pattaya costs between £10-20. Not a bad deal at all!
Hotel:
We stayed at the Cholchan Pattaya Resort. It is a beautiful hotel with lovely grounds, pool and very generous rooms. Our room was HUGE and all for a very reasonable rate. We seldom ate in the hotel, preferring to dine at small resturants around the resort and in the center of Pattaya. We found the food EXCELLENT! Just remember, if you think the food may not be to your standards, don't eat it. We enjoyed the local food. However, there is more Western food around. Cost- Prices start at about £20 a night!!
Trips:
We took a few trips. One was a wonderful trip along the Chao Phraya River on the Mekhala. Day 1 : Bangkok - Ayuthaya - Mekhala (Lunch, Dinner)
Depart from your hotel around 8 a.m. and travel by minibus to Ayuthaya. Upon arrival, visit the archeological site of the once glorious capital destroyed by the Burmese. Lunch at a local restaurant and then travel to Bang-Pa-In by long-tail boat to explore the Summer Palace. After this visit, your guide will drop you off to board the Mekhala. Cruise down the Chao Phraya River to Wat Kai Tia for a candlelit dinner. Overnight on board in your air-conditioned cabin.
Day 2 : Mekhala - Bangkok (Breakfast)
After a delicious breakfast on board, cruise down the river to Bangkok, passing spectacular views of the Grand Palace and the Temple of Dawn. Arrive late morning in Bangkok.
It was an overnight trip that is NOT to be missed!
Cost- Approxiamately £75 each
We also went to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo which is an interesting experience seeing tigers and pigs raised together. Just 30 minutes' drive from Pattaya, this grand tiger zoo, located on an over-100-acre piece of land, boasts not only over 200 Bengal tigers, 100,000 crocodiles, and various kinds of animals in the natural atmosphere, but it also offers you many amusing activities and amazing shows. We had a personal tour guide on this and he was very accomodating. Cost- Approxiametly £10
Then we went to the Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. It is about 15 kilometers from South Pattaya. The entire area of some 500 acres is beautifully landscaped, with orchid nursery and other botanical gardens We really enjoyed this as there were various shows in traditional Thai boxing and Thai Dancing. The elephants were wonderful. We spent ages watching a baby elephant "peel" bannanas! Cost- Approx. £7.50
Pattaya itself is a combination of Thai and Western influences. We enjoyed walking along the walk on the edge of the gulf and just relaxing. During the day, you can shop at a wide variety of outdoor markets and in door shops. The prices are great! Some places are:
*Baby So Soft Puppet Dolls, High Quality & Hand Crafted Original Dolls
*Buck-A-Gram American Indian Style Jewelry Great Prices
*Good Luck Shop in Windy Plaza on Beach Rd Gifts & Souveniers
I*ndian Shop Hand Made Leather & Gifts on 2nd Rd
*Luukmai Gallery on Walking Street Wood Carvings & Souveniers
*NL Gallery, South Pattaya Rd Art & Paintings
*Pattaya Shoes Dept Store & Manufacturer 2 locations
*Siam Art Shop on Beach Road (Link) Art & Paintings
*Sutin Fine Art, Windy Plaza Beach Rd Art & Paintings
*Tom's Gems & Jewelry Walking Street
Suggestion- Back very little with the intention of buying a lot. You WILL need the space or you can just buy a nice small suitcase for £3 and fill it there!
At night you have a wide variety of pub style establishments to Girly Bars to Lady Boy Bars. Take your pick! Walking street has the majority and there is always a friendly smile to entice you in!
Food is cheap! You can get a complete English Breakfast fry up for £1 and a lovely Thai maincourse for £1.60!
One night there were 7 of use. We went to a local and stayed for 7 hours! We had drinks all night and nibbles off and on the entire night. At the end, our bill came to £30!!! We definately gave a big tip!
Bangkok is another thing all together. It is a busy city with a lot of activity. We enjoyed people watching and shopping! However, that would be another review.
We would reccommend the things we did. However, you must be one that is able to realise this is a bit of an adventure holiday and treated it as such.
Summary:
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Last comment:
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thespurs - 07/04/05 nice review. it sounds pretty wonderful
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