Thailand
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| The view from our room at the Chatrium Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand (the famous Chao Phraya River) |
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| A temple in Bangkok |
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| Famous dance of the warrior monkeys in Bangkok, Thailand |
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| The Big Buddha - Phuket, Thailand(a very hot & bright day!) |
This was a lovely stay for sure, our view of the famous Chao Phraya River was spectacular. This hotel was immaculate, quiet and the service was outstanding. When we arrived it was like we were royalty, they whisked away our luggage and a lovely gentleman named Chatchawan took us on a tour of the hotel.
We were shown the amazing office space where we could use top of the line computers and the internet for free, enjoy cocktails and canapes each evening and then our spacious room. He was very helpful and full of suggestions for us. Breakfast was included and the buffet was unreal.. anything you could want for breakfast or you could order a la carte. There is patio dining if you wish.
There's a free small ferry that would take you down the river and back to sightsee. Unfortunately we did not get to take advantage of the beautiful pool, as we were with a Rotary Convention so had not a minute of free time, but it did look lovely.
The hotel room was spacious with plenty of space for clothing to be stored, a proper iron and ironing board; the washroom was large and well appointed; room service was quick and delicious. I would highly recommend a stay here and do hope to go back one day.
Another note: the Chatrium will help you to book a reputable dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River as we did and the temples etc were a lit up beautifully. They serve a buffet dinner, ours was excellent, and there is entertainment. Well worth it, especially as we had taken video and to know you've been on this famous working waterway is priceless.
The Return Ticket gives the Chatrium Hotel Riverside, Bangkok: five tickets out of five.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha(Wat Phra Kaeo)
This is Thailand's most valued temple and it's located inside the grounds of the Grand Palace. This is where the magnificent Emerald Buddha is found that dates back to the 14th century.
It was incredibly hot, so be sure to take plenty of water and have a hat if not an umbrella to shade yourself. I would also suggest taking an extra memory card because you will take so many pictures! You cannot take pictures of the actual Emerald Buddha(cameras are not allowed) but you may of everything else, including the Palace, the guards, the surrounding temples, etc.
The history is amazing - you should go with a guide; we did and he explained so much more than we could have learned on our own. His name was Tao and he worked for Tourism Thailand.
Please remember to dress appropriately(no shorts or skirts where ankles can be seen, and no uncovered shoulders) or you will absolutely NOT be allowed to enter.
The Return Ticket gives the Wat Phra Kaeo: five tickets out of five
Chao Phraya River
This scenic river that flows through the heart of Bangkok, has convenient boat transportation and sightseeing cruises since many of the major city attractions are easiest to get to this way rather than by travelling the crazy busy streets.
We went on a dinner cruise and it was beautiful. I would suggest asking your concierge at your hotel for the name of a reputable company. Be sure to take a video camera, it's quite dark for regular photographs and you will want something captured of your evening. The palaces and temples are completely lit up at night and are amazing.
There are free shuttle services daily from the hotels on cute little ferries that stay cool with a breeze as you go. The Chao Phraya is still a working waterway and you can see many types of barges carrying good to and fro.
The Return Ticket gives the Chao Phraya River: four tickets of out five
Siam Naramit
Siam Naramit is located in the centre of Bangkok. It is a state of the art theatre that is open every day and presents one of the world's largest stage productions. There are three restaurants and an authentic traditional Thai village where visitors can stroll through and get a taste of Thai life from years ago. The village was amazing, primitive, but unbelievable.
This show was fantastic! I won't go into detail as it would give away the stunning details and you must see it yourself to believe it! You are able to take photographs outside of the theatre and in the village but you must check your camera in the coat check pre-show. It's possible to buy a CD of the show afterwards.
The Return Ticket gives Siam Naramit: five tickets out of five
Pacific Club Resort, Karon, Phuket
I cannot say enough about this resort! The staff are unbelievable to start with... we arrived straight from the airport & while checking in, we were brought fresh squeezed juice. It was so refreshing because it was so hot compared to what we are used to. Gay, at the front reception was absolutely lovely & couldn't have been more helpful. She recommended trips/tours for us & gave suggestions of what we could do while there.
The restaurant has an excellent breakfast buffet, we also ate dinner there on two occasions and it was delicious as well. Room service was excellent. You can rent mopeds right at the hotel which was a great idea because the resort is on a fairly steep hill. The herbal sauna was lovely, along with the cooling jacuzzi outside of it. The rooftop pool was absolutely amazing, you could see for miles(including the Big Buddha!), and there were many areas to sunbathe, sit and eat or read under an umbrella.
The rooms themselves were excellent with large comfortable beds, lots of extra towels, a fridge for extra water, and a little balcony with a drying rack and table and chairs to sit at. There was plenty of clothes storage, if you're staying for any length of time.
The resort is not far from the beautiful beach where the water is unreal and the waves are fun to play in! Take a moped, backpack, water and explore the little markets that are everywhere. We grabbed some drinks and snacks to have in our room as well for when we didn't feel like a meal. The resort is immaculate and the staff in the dining room are very efficient; we really liked a gentleman named Ead.
A little tip: we were on the fourth floor as quite a few tripadvisor reviews suggested it and it was perfect!
The Return Ticket gives the Pacific Club Resort, Karon, Phuket: four tickets out of five
The Mantra Day Spa
The Mantra Day Spa is the Pacific Club Resort's own spa. Lili was my masseuse and she was unreal. I have never had such a thorough massage(the cellulite one), green tea wrap, or pedicure. The prices were that, you can have nearly every service there is and still find it incredibly reasonable! My husband had a neck and scalp massage and also enjoyed it.
Be prepared when you have the full body massage that you will have a very intense massage in every muscle but it is so so worth the little bit of discomfort here and there. Lili herself must have been exhausted after because she gave it her all!
The Return Ticket gives the Mantra Day Spa: four tickets out of five
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