Thailand Trip

James Bond Island

Bangkok Street

This is my first BLOG ever and I am super excited!! I was thinking about it for quite some time now and finally here I am! I have a feeling I am going to spend a lot of time blogging!!

Thailand Trip (Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket):

Total Number of Days: 8 days (2N Pattaya, 2N Bangkok, 3N Phuket)

During our India trip in July, we wanted to go on a big family vacation with my parents/MIL and sister’s family. I researched a lot of places and finally decided on Thailand/Singapore trip. Although July is not the best season for Thailand vacation, it’s rainy season.

Next came the big question, do we plan on our own or go through a travel agent? We decided to use a travel agent and book a customized itinerary for our family instead of a group tour, this is slightly expensive but worth it. We did the flight bookings on our own. Travel Agent took care of visa, hotels, attractions and transportation. We were very pleased with their service.

We booked a direct flight from Bangalore to DMK international airport. (It’s a rundown airport, maybe Suvarnabhumi is better, since it’s the newer and bigger one)

Indians can get on arrival visa but be prepared to stand in a queue for at least 1 hour and also its almost double the price. It’s unruly crowd who would jump the queue and get into verbal fights with everyone. Not a welcome start to our vacation. We wanted to do the premium line for a higher fee and faster processing but we couldn’t find that counter!!! Even the airport authorities couldn’t help us!! To my shock I realized they don’t speak or understand English, except the person at the counters and a lengthy line of people before we can reach them!

Pattaya: 2 Nights

Landed early morning in DMK, Bangkok and we had a 2-hour drive to Pattaya in a private car. The 2hour drive translated to 4hour drive in Bangkok traffic. Finally landed in Pattaya, it looks like a total run-down place with small streets and made me wonder why did we even chose to vacation here! Having traveled through western countries all along, we expected something more attractive and glamorous destination. We were off to a disappointing start but I stand corrected. We fell in love with Thailand by the end of our trip!!

 The Golden Beach hotel in Pattaya was pretty good and spacious and well-maintained rooms.

Attractions:

Alcazar Cabaret Show (Along Pattaya street):

Very entertaining show. Theater boasts of state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, which make quite a bit difference. Extravagant costumes, convincingly stunning ladyboys, spectacular stage sets are all part of a grander show that delights you with non-stop entertainment.

Coral Island (30min boat trip from Pattaya beach):

It’s a beautiful island but very crowded. It has the pristine beach with emerald green water color but it is very touristy and not enjoyable if you are looking for quiet beach time. If you are going to Phuket/Phi Phi islands then you can totally avoid going to this island.

Wat Phra Yai & Pattaya Viewpoint (15min from Pattaya city):
Very serene and calm place. Beautiful view from the hill top. It’s also very close to the Pattaya city. We hired a tuk tuk for the round trip including1.5hrs waiting time for a nominal 200 baht.

Noong Nooch Tropical Garden (1-hour drive from Pattaya):

It’s a must-see attraction and very different themed attraction that entertains both adults and kids. It has a beautiful garden, animal encounters, elephant ride, car shows and not to forget the tiger petting that scared the life out of me!! I was shivering sitting next to that majestic animal!! Only thought in my mind was, my ENTIRE head can fit in its mouth, hope the animal is not HUNGRY!!! My kids got a kick out of this unique experience. They were absolutely thrilled.

Bangkok: 2 Nights
We stayed in Baiyoke Sky Tower (5-star hotel) and it’s right in the middle of Bangkok. Perfect location for shopping.

Bangkok Shopping:


Weekend markets are quite a sight, around 200 small pop up tent shops will be setup by early morning and I was absolutely delighted to go shopping in Bangkok. It’s a must do!!!! Have fun.

Attractions:

Safari World + Marine Park (1-hour drive from Bangkok)

Nothing impressive, we have been to better safari worlds and drive through animal parks. Also, everything was way too pricey compared to Noong Nooch Garden. The animal shows were not that exciting either. Drive through safari was nothing special and kind of boring. Marine World had some shows which were not bad.

BKK City tour:  5 Temples + Grand Palace

Bangkok is home to many magnificent Buddhist temples, and the majesty, grandeur and beauty of which are mesmerizing. They are close to each other in the same campus and it’s very convenient to see all them in a day trip. It’s very crowded but totally worth a visit.

Below is the link to their official website. Please check dress code and temple timings, since they close early.

https://shopjj.co/travelmag/bangkok/bangkok-5-breathtaking-temples-landmarks-must-see/

Phuket:

Late Night flight from DMK to Phuket Airport. It was short flight and then an hour drive from Phuket to our resort. Here is another point to think about. Patong is the main city and is a party place, very touristy and huzzle, buzzle of travelers, it’s like staying in downtown. If you want a quiet beachfront resorts, Karon/kata beach area is very good. We stayed in Karon beach area in Woraburi Resort, it was an excellent beach front resort, you will enjoy your stay here. One disadvantage of staying in Karon area is, you need to get a ride to Patong city for all the activities and day trips.

3 Day Itinerary:

Phuket is an amazing beach town with some of the most popular Thailand’s beaches and viewpoints. We totally loved Phuket!!!

Also, since it was off season, we didn’t bother to prebook the day trips. You can go to Patong city and select from the many options available. They all pretty much have the same itinerary, unless you choose a private trip.

Massages: World famous Thai massages are one of a kind. It’s a MUST DO. We get 90min massages for 250 Baht. It is very relaxing after a full day of sightseeing. I tried foot/arm/neck message and full body massage. It’s too good, not to be missed!

Day 1	Phuket Full Day Trip(private) – 1800Baht Pickup at resort in Karon area and headed to karon view point , nai harn beach, windmill viewpoint, promthem cape, big buddha, wat chalong temples, patong beach
Day 2	James Bond Island Day trip – 2000Baht
Day 3	Karon Beach photoshoot, Elephant Ride, Phuket Beach, Shopping

We missed the world-famous Phi Phi islands due to tropical storms ☹

Key Notes:

• Can completely skip Pattaya, if you are going to Phuket or other islands. But make sure you visit Noong Nooch gardens, it’s closer to Pattaya than Bangkok though.
• We were initially worried we may not find good vegetarian food for parents. We were proved wrong. Pattaya, Bangkok is loaded with Indian restaurants.
• For family trips, it is better to go with travel agents to Thailand. They have very good packages and local contacts. For solo/couple trips, you can easily plan the entire trip on your own.
• Fruit Stalls are available all over Thailand. Variety of fresh cut and packaged fruits, ready to eat. I have never had so much fruits on my vacation.
• Overall Thailand is a complete package of culture, history, entertainment, animals and variety of beaches. It’s an ALL in one destination for adults and kids.

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