Magical Thailand

Thailand is a kingdom in South / East Asia and its touristic destinations of Bangkok, the capital city, Pattaya and Phuket are famous worldwide. Well, you can search the www for more literature on Thailand and believe me it is actually as beautiful as described in different sites. We got our trip booked through makemytrip.com for Rs 30,000/- per person. It was more than what showed on the site but since we booked so late, we were charged late fee. Jokes apart, actually we booked a littleeeee late (last two seats...Oops!) just 3 weeks before, hence, due to high flight prices (December being the peak season) the trip charges were more. Still, this was a reasonable deal to spend our New Year vacation holidays overseas. A little bit shaky as it was our first time with such kind of travel booking sites but the popularity of this site in air ticketing made us take this chance. Moreover, this package included return air fare (to and fro Delhi), all meals, hotel accommodation in 5 Star hotel… wow!, Local transportation, speed boat and almost all tour tickets.

We set off from Delhi on December 26 early morning at 4:00 a.m. Well, till this point you have to be on your own, finish off all the formalities and catch the flight. But, not to worry about this as there is nothing much to do. Just don’t forget to carry cash and exchange it at airport for Thai currency (Baht) or at least US $ (it’s easier to exchange $ than INR).

Day 1: 26th December 2009

We landed at the Swarnabhumi International airport at Bangkok around 10 a.m., local time. Thailand is GMT+07.00 hours. Hence, there is a time difference of 1 and ½ hours between India and Thailand. We got a Visitor’s Visa on arrival. This Visitor’s visa was for free...Good. Our eyes were searching ‘Make my trip’ representative as per the itinerary given. "Make my trip.. Make my trip.". These words just caught our attention and we saw Tina, our travel guide at the exit gate waiving a sign board for us. As soon as we came out of the air-conditioned airport, we found the weather was very hot and humid for the month of December. We regretted having worn full sleeved shirts and long trousers. The first pleasant thought that came to our mind then was ‘Shopping’, yeah.

The colorfulness of this country is visible the moment you step outside the airport. Colorful taxis and buses are ready there for your travel and simply catch your attention. Our jumbo “a beautiful air-conditioned bus” was eagerly waiting for us to start the journey.

Tina was an expert guide and travel organizer. After a small introduction from all the group members, she explained the trip itinerary and we started our journey from Bangkok to Pattaya.


With our stomach crying and growling for food, the first unanimous decision of the newly formed group was to direct the bus straight to a restaurant. Believe me, a hungry soul in another nation getting delicious Indian food, yummy, what else you need to indicate that the trip is going to be a great one.

Pattaya is a beautiful city located in the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It has beautiful beaches, roadside shopping malls, small restaurant, and great bars. Trust me it is one of the most lively and colorful cities I have seen. The life starts generally in the evening hours and continues till late morning.

We stayed at a beautiful garden wing of a five star hotel “Amari Orchid Resort & Tower”, which overlooked the beach. We were given the whole afternoon to check in, shower and relax. In the evening, we were taken to the famous Alcazar show, which is the most popular show in Pattaya. It was a mesmerizing show with beautiful and advanced technological background show set ups. Enjoys some pictures and we will soon share a secret with you.

So, did you fall in love with any of these damsels? Well, they are not women but talented transgender who are so popular and sought after. It is a great way to give them an opportunity to express their talent and also to respect them for who they are. Well done, Pattaya.

After the show, we were taken to an Indian restaurant for food and again good Indian food for a good night sleep. Throughout the trip, we were taken to different Indian restaurants for our lunch and dinner and we found the food palatable everywhere.

Day 2: 27th December 2009

This was our beach day. We set off for the Pattaya Coral Island early in the morning. The speedboat ride was a electrifying one. We had to literally keep ourselves fixed to the seats of the speed boat as it made its way cutting through the waves. Our first stop was at a para sailing station. The para sailing was for 350Baht per person and it was a great experience. Buy one para sailing pack and you get a free dip in the ocean water with the para sailing.. :-). Well, girls get an additional dip free… This was a breathtaking experience worth not missing and to overcome all your fears.

The next halt was at the undersea waking station. An opportunity to go down 6 to 8 meters inside the sea to see and feel coral reefs. At 1200 Baht per person and a separate charge of 600 Baht for video & image capturing (optional) was little expensive. But, its worth spending once you are there. Finding yourself inside sea exploring the coral reefs and feeding fish was really amazing ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2d2NaBAw88 ). At times the number of fish is so high that you cannot see anything else but just fish around you.

Later, we went to the beach. This was the best experience of the entire trip. You could Jet Ski, speedboat, go swimming, shopping at the beach side shops, or just enjoy exotic Thai food. This was the best part of the entire trip.

We finally set off back to our hotel by the speedboat. In the evening, we went for a Thai physical massage, which was a 2 hours massage (350 Baht). The massage was so rejuvenating that we would recommend it to all. Later, we had excellent Indian food for dinner.

Day 3: 28th December 2009

Checked out from the hotel and set off for Bangkok with heavy heart, missing last two days adventures and with a promise to our self to visit this beautiful city once again.

Like our metro cities Bangkok is no better, when compared for traffic jams. We had two temple visits in the itinerary: the Reclining Buddha temple and the Temple of Golden Buddha. The latter was under construction hence, we could visit only the former. The Temple of Reclining Buddha is the largest temple in Thailand with a Reclining Buddha statue of 46 meters and all covered in gold leaf.

You will be surprised to see a very original and famous Shiv lingam here.

After this visit to the temple and of course not missing the traffic jam, we struggled on our way and checked in Amari hotel which was situated in the heart of the city of Bangkok. Lucky.... we got a room on the 20th Floor. Bangkok, centre of the city, five star hotel and a panoramic view from the 20th floor, wow!

We were given the full evening for shopping and other activities.

In the evening, we went for a Night shopping bazaar, which opens only at nighttime and closes before dawn. This specially caters to the tourists but the downside is that the stuff here is comparatively more expensive.

Day 4: 29th December 2009

This day was booked for the Safari show in the morning and shopping in the evening at Bangkok. Safari is a must visit place for all tourists visiting Bangkok. We had Dolphin, Sea lions, Orangutan and Elephant shows.

  

Day 5: 30th December 2009

We finally checked out from the hotel and boarded the flight back to Delhi with our bounty full of sweet memories of beautiful Thailand. We reached Delhi around 9:00 pm local time in the evening. We were packed with the reminiscences of the trip with all the wonderful places we visited and great friends we made in our group and outside throughout the trip.

Finally, Some DO’s and DON’T’s: (This list is not exhaustive, just based on our experience)

DO’

1. If traveling with family, go for a planned tour with some reliable travel agency
2. Carry lots of summer clothes even if you are traveling in winter
3. Carry currency in either Baht, the local Thailand currency or in US Dollars.
4. Don’t forget your sunglasses / hats and of course sun screen cream
5. For a five day trip, carry around 20,000 Rupees extra per person for your own expenses and shopping.
6. Go for a Thai massage. There are good packages for families too.
7. Go for the Alcazar show at Pattaya
8. Get a camera to take tons of pictures and carry back all memories safe with you forever. Don’t forget to carry an extra pair of batteries and memory card for camera, you will definitely need it.

DON’T’s

1. Don’t wear sleeveless tops to any of the temples at Bangkok
2. Don’t go for fixed rates while shopping. Bargain a lot and test your skills to the best.
3. Don’t forget to carry multiple sets of clothes for changing on your way to Coral Island in Pattaya; one for Para sailing, another for undersea walking and then for the beach.

Last but not least, we would like to thank our tour guides Tina and Ratna, our group members Mr Bhavesh and his family, Gupta family and Dubey family who all made this trip lively and pleasurable.

  

- Lakshmi Sanjeev (February 15, 2010)