Sa-wa-dee-ka
With a few rands saved up and a holiday overdue, I researched a few cities I wanted to visit while on leave for 2 weeks….
I thougth I would keep to the “right side” of the world and visit all the countries on that side seeing that I went to Australia in 2014. I always wanted to visit Asia as I am so fascinated by the Asian culture and Mulan is one of my all time favourite Disney movies. I narrowed it down to China, Japan and Thailand. I ended up picking Thailand as I only had 10 days- the country is quite small and only had a little saved up for the holiday,also the Rand was double the Thai Baht- currency. I left at the end of April 2015 before monsoon season and just before winter- for some nice cool Thai weather, but I was in for such a surprise.
Bangkok:
I flew via Dubai (as I always plan to do) and arrived in Bangkok midday to a cloudy but humid city, when I say humid I mean can’t breath humid. I spent two nights in Bangkok, the first half day was spent shopping, as I book into a hotel right in the city center and a walking distance from the 4 major Bangkok malls(MBK, Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Siam Square). Each mall had 4 levels or more and I had the best time shopping! The hotel I booked into was the Lit Bangkok Hotel which is a small but totally modern hotel, which is split into a hotel and residence, my travel agent booked me into the residency as it was the same price I think to the hotel that time and I’m so grateful that she did because I walked into a air-coned mini apartment. This apartment had everything, huge kitchen with fridge and dishwasher, lounge with TV, bathroom with tub & shower and room queen bed with built in cupboards and TV. I spent those two days in my “own” little apartment. Fun! Day 2 was the day for my tour of the famous floating market, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Its one of 2 floating markets in Bangkok. My tour group picked me up with the hotel extremely earlier before the hotel breakfast started and the hotel reception was so sweet they made me a little takeaway breakfast. From the hotel it takes about 2 hours to the floating market, and on the way our tour guide gave us a little tour on the city and buildings we passed. We also made a stop by the coconut farm and the villagers demonstrated how they turned coconut into coconut oil, sugar and sweets. An hour later and we arrived at the start of the river, we then took a speedboat to take us to the actual market which was a fast and noisy ride between village houses built on stilts- its was interesting to see how people in other countries live and their way of life. I arrived at the floating market to find that it was just another market on land and that if you wanted to go on a boat and see the shops on the waters edge you would have to pay extra. My options didn’t look good, I was willing to pay the extra 100 baht (R50) but a floating boat would only take 8 people at a time, so I waited as I didn’t want to go alone either. I met a girl from Germany who was also alone and wanted to go to the floating market. So we went together as one of the villagers said he would take two. After a long two hour drive back to the hotel, I went shopping! The next morning, I left to Phuket.
Phuket:
I spent 8 days in Phuket and chose the famouse Patong Beach as my relaxation destination. I got into Phuket around 2pm and the drive to Patong from the city was about 1 and a half hours through ancient city buildings, modern highways, mountains and bustling streets of Patong beach. I booked into the Patong Beach Hotel as its a very modern and hip hotel with a mini mall in front of the hotel and in front of the mini mall was the beach! I also choose this hotel because it was a block away from the famous Bangla Road and Jungceylon Mall. I was great at the entrance of the hotel parking by a usher you took my bags and led me to the hotel reception, I walked down an open outdoor corridor- were my eyes deceiving me? I know that’s music…but were they playing Lil Wayne tracks? aloud? for the whole hotel to hear? YES, they were, this hotel was so hip and cool and all the staff wear converse, tomy’s or the equivalent. My room was beautiful with my own little AstroTurf balcony- I could see the Andaman sea and amazing sunsets everynight. I planned an activity every single day for 6 out of the 8 days and kept 2 days just to relax at the hotel. My tours included Siam Elephant Safari ( riding on an elephant through the forest), Thai Cooking Class (learning a 5 course Thai meal that I still have yet to remake at home), James Bond Island ( exploring in caves, eating at a Muslim village built on the water and seeing the famous James Bond Island from The Man with the Golden Gun), FantaSea word & show ( playing games and watching a stage performance where huge elephants walk through the theater. I also went to the mall and stalls they have alongside the roads. I met people from America, Beijing, Mexico and Cape Town!!! hey that’s where I’m from! We met at the cooking class and that night we all went to Bangla Road to see what all the fuss was about and there it was clubs, next to clubs and some X rated things I won’t mention. There are so many food stalls on the side of the roads which I was so scared to buy from, but I did go with Amy and Sean (couple from America, I met at the cooking class) to an outdoor restaurant and tried extremely fresh crab curry and sweet and sour chicken.
I’m so glad I did Thailand, and planned everything before I went. A very big thank you to Flight Center and Pentravel for my flights and tours. Because I planned everything in advance, I had no hassle when I actually got there. I was sent letters every afternoon by the tour company’s on the next days tour and meeting times, etc. I was however a bit disappointed at some of the pricey in Thailand because some places I would buy a bottle of water for 80 thai baht (R40) and other places 7 thai baht (R3.50) or R50 for a can of coke? really? there’s no consistency… but I think this is because most of Thailand’s tourist are from countries like America and Europe where their currency is stronger,so Thailands has to increase their prices- My theory. I would definitely go there again see some of the other beaches…
So here is Thailand, in 30 Frames…
Prenisha x
