THAIpe na Type! : Our Thailand Summer Escapade

SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT (soo-var-boom):
Arriving at the Suvarnabhumi Airport,( last year's 7th Best Airport in World , and the world's 4th largest single-building airport terminal), set the tone for our stay in the "Land of Smiles". The huge, yet efficient facility not only allowed us to move in between areas at a fast pace, the airport's staff facilitated the arrivals with lightning speed. Even getting through immigrations was a breeze! Probably the fastest ever for both Phil and I, since they had a special line for folks travelling with kids or the elderly. Less than 3 minutes tops! Ah-mah-zing indeed!

travelling with a kid truly has its perks!

while waiting for your luggage, lots of money changer kiosks dot the arrivals area

more money exchange counters and the first bunch of atms are available towards the exit

metered taxis are available one floor down from the arrivals area

on our way down to get a bad. There are several lines to get a cab so getting one is quite a breeze.
An airport employee is at the head of the line to list down your destination and the cost of your ride from the airport to your destination (airport fee, toll + the metered fare).

The interior of the cab. Most of the cabs we got into were Toyota Altises. Keep that in mind on your way back to the airport. These are compact cars, and may not fit an excessive amount of shopping :P
450 baht and 40 minutes later, we arrived at our next destination:

Of course, to have a great vacation, the airport is just the gateway. You'll have to have a decent, if not great hotel to recharge your tired senses. Delicious and filling food to tease your senses, and at the same time, nourish you. Then there are those tourist destinations that allow you to feast on a culture so diverse, yet so beautiful, that they shall be added to those treasured memories you'd look back on with fondness. Of course, one must not discredit the joy that shopping brings. Even more so when most of the items you purchased were bought for a song. Without any further ado, TMW presents to you a rundown of our visit to Thailand:

PRINCE PALACE HOTEL (Mahanak):
Overlooking Bangkok's Mahanak Canal, Prince Palace Hotel is situated on Damrongrak Road at the site, which was once Mahanak Palace of Field Marshal Prince Kromaluang Nakhon Chaisri Suradej (can't miss his shrine on the main lobby at Tower A).

Booking at Agoda, we were able to get really great rates (54% off during the summer) for a suite with living room at this four star hotel. Before you scoff at the "4 star" rating, check out the key points in staying at this hotel via this this link: Living Like A Prince Even ON a BUDGET .

THE GRAND PALACE TOUR:
The official residence of the Kings of Siam up until 1925, and now mostly used for ceremonial purposes and for housing visitors of state, this has been around since the 17th century. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Bangkok, this is a great place to learn about culture and architecture as well as history. Here's a look at the Grand Palace as seen through TMW's eyes: Ain't Life Grand? (The Grand Palace Tour, Thailand).

THE CHAO PHRAYA CANAL TOUR:
Due to our Grand Palace guide's recommendation (my bad for asking about the river tour), we were introduced to this other dude who led us through the maze of street food hawkers across the street from the Grand Palace's walls, until we got to a small wharf  of sorts. For 1500 baht, this is what we got: THE CHAO PHRAYA CANAL TOUR: Reasons To Say NO!

NAKHON PATHOM: (a 3-blog series)
West of  Bangkok is a province with this name. An hour away from the hustle and bustle is a destination you shouldn't miss. In this province we got to see these 3 places:
1. Phra Pathom Chedi (the world's biggest monument to Buddha) - Read about it in Phra Pathom Chedi: Get Your Stupa On!

2. Samphran Elephant Grounds, Zoo and Crocodile Farm: soccer playing elephants, a crocodile wrestling show, local fauna and riding a 10 foot high elephant around the park! Take a look at Our Real Life Jungle Book.

3. Rose Garden Riverside: and here we thought it was only a place where they grow roses! A Thai cultural village complete with a cultural show, fab souvenir shopping not to mention more elephants. and we just checked out 25% of the place! Here's what we saw and missed: Through Rose Garden Colored Glasses.

OF MUSEUMS, FOOD AND WHAT NOTs :
For those who just want to stay in the city, don't forget to check out the Siam area at Bangkok. Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and the Siam Ocean World are great places to check out as mentioned in our blog: Coz Siam What Siam.

I can go on and on about our last visit to the City of Smiles, however, my best memories of the place are all about the food. Check out the street hawkers and their wares, and expect to get figuratively punched in the gut after overeating on exotic and delicious flavors. When it comes to food, the Thais know what they're talking about.

seafood in red curry

mincemeat omelet and chicken in red curry (yes we love curry :p)

goodies (octopus, prawn, chicken and pork sausages) on a stick at less than 30 baht/stick. 

Live a little. Walk the wild side. Ask one of those vendors to come up with a dish for you, amidst the language barrier. You won't be disappointed. My foodie experience was THAT good! Flavorful, prepared with fresh ingredients and quite sanitary (despite the street location) and most importantly, inexpensive, ( I could live off the street food and never cook again :)

special request from our fave street vendor: stir fried watercress, chilies and shrimp

and our huge order of seafood fried rice (75 baht, good for 3!)

So for your next travel destination, Thailand is ALWAYS a great idea. We absolutely loved it, can't wait to hop on a plane and get back to this wonderful tourist oriented city, that somehow, on some inexplicable level, felt just like home.

tender slices of braised pork in a rich sweet-salty sauce at 60 baht

huge grilled chicken thighs at 30 baht

Bangkok or bust!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!

Living Like A Prince Even ON a BUDGET (The Prince Palace Hotel Bangkok Review)

Arriving at almost midnight, the only thing I wanted to do upon landing in Bangkok was to check in our hotel, have a quick soak in a tub and head off to bed. Easy to say if the Suvarnabhumi Airport were near enough, which of course, it wasn't. We had to content ourselves with the AC of the cab for the next 45 minutes.

the wholesale shopping center, BoBae Towers and from the 11th to 32nd floor, one of the towers of the hotel.
This here is the front of Prince Palace

As soon as the hotel was in sight, the cab driver pointed us to our destination which was still a block away. No grand fountain/garden/long driveway to greet you hello, just a decent facade of 3 32-floor towers with a giant image of a prince on it's main tower.

the lobby at the 11th floor

Entering the hotel, a small lobby and small counter was the first thing we saw, as well as a sign saying, "Check in at 11th floor". Getting into one of the 4 elevators, together with the bellboy and all our luggage,  we saw a huge hotel lobby (clearly the real one) in front of us. Checking in was a breeze, and after a couple of directions from the receptionists and a maintenance dude (the hotel is quite huge, with it's 3 main towers and a ten floor wholesale shopping complex attached to it, one could really get lost in the connecting floors without proper directions) we headed off to the next building which housed our home for the next 4 nights.

the staff was pretty efficient at checking us in and bringing our luggage. I mean, who wants to be stressed in the wee hours of the morning right?

For the about 55 USD , or around 2300 PHP, without breakfast though. A breakfast buffet would be an additional 300 PHP to the room per day for two. If you didn't book it in Agoda, it's an additional 200 BAHT/person. As good a deal as that may be, we wanted to be adventurous and try out the local cuisine. The hotel itself has six restaurants, there are various street food a block from the hotel, a 7-11 near that area, as well as a fruit market too. Bo Bae tower houses it's own food court at the 6th floor too with various delicious food selections at real cheap prices. (a full meal can cost as low as 60 baht)

We were uber pleased with the room. The carpet and furniture may have been slightly worn, but nonetheless, the space was bigger than most one bedroom condominiums. Check it out:

a kitchenette is the 1st thing you see when you enter the suite. as with most hotels, coffee and tea sets as well as bottled mineral water are replenished daily. there's also an electric kettle and fridge for those mornings when you want to fix your own breakfast

a dining table for two right beside the living room. the window opens up to showcase a nice skyline, a view of the pool below and a bit further, the canal where the water taxis are

MAX calling dibs on his play area for the duration of our stay

a king size bed was more than enough for the 3 of us! No lumpy pillows and cushions. Sheets and  pillow cases were changed daily (entire suite was cleaned daily too)

left door leads to the living room, right door leads to the bathroom. Internet cables are on the desk. Quite expensive though at 100 baht for 10 minutes

basic toilet facilities, hair dryer's available too. toiletries are replenished if they're not placed on the counter (soaps, shampoo, lotion and bath foam together with a shower cap, cotton buds, and a toothbrush/toothpaste set are provided) Towels are replaced daily whether you hang them or not. 

tub's standard size, hot water's available 24/7 too

The location is also quite ideal. Clothing stalls and shops surround the hotel, as well as the fact that it's attached to a wholesale shopping center. Food and basic necessities, as noted above, will definitely not be a problem. For those who would want to go to The Grand Palace and Siam Discovery, it's just a ten minute cab ride away (around 45-60 baht). 

A water taxi that goes to the ff. route is a 3 minute walk from the hotel's main entrance:

 - BTS Skytrain(Rachathewi station) 5 mins. (Taxi Boat) 
- MBK/Siam Square 5 mins. (Taxi Boat) 
- Pratunam (Platinum/Central World) 10 mins. (Taxi Boat) 
- Golden Mount 5 mins. (Taxi Boat) 

from the hotel ground floor, turn right and walk straight if you'd want to go to the water taxi stop.
fare is around 9-10 baht/person. Best tip ever: sit in the middle of the seats when riding the boat. You're less likely to get splashed on by stinky canal water

I must say that using the water taxi could be quite an adventure. Getting on and off it is quite fast paced. Have folks from the hotel front desk, write your destination in Thai. A travel agency is also available til 10 pm at the hotel's ground floor. We got a good deal for our Samphran Elephant grounds and Crocodile Farm/ Rose Garden and Nakhon Pathom excursion.

Here are more pics of and around the hotel :

the poolside bar. You may think it's too hot for  a swim, but the pool of tower a has a strategic landscaping of it's own to ensure that you'll  be roasted by the sun only if you want to

tower A, the floor above leads to tower B where the spa, fitness center and bigger pool is at

one of the many Jacuzzis in the place.

the aquarium by the pool of tower A

you get 2 of these daily. with the heat, we ended up buying water by the gallon at the nearby 7-11

the hotel's in house travel agency brings you to and from your destination in cars like these (Camry)

food from the food court at the 6th floor of the  Bo Bae Towers (Tom Yum, Pad Thai, Fried chicken and fried rice)
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET THERE:

a. from the main lobby at the 11th floor of tower A (where you check in), use the elevators there to go down to the 7th floor.

b. go one floor down the fire escape stairs and exit to the left where you'll find clothing/accessory stores

c. turn right till you see the Bo Bae Towers office, then go left and walk straight to you see the stairs leading to the ATMs.

d. climb up, and turn left till you see the food court coupon counter. Most stalls accept only coupons. Buy however much you think you'll be needing. If you don't get to use up your coupons at the food stalls, don't save them for another day. have them reimbursed at the counter where you got them within the day. They change coupon colors daily.

It may seem far, but seriously, it takes less than 5 minutes to get there. To go back to the hotel, go back where you came from. to SHOP, go down the escalator near the ATMs leading to the food court.

shopping for MAX's shoes was insane! So many  to choose from at low prices! Ended up with sandals, loafers and  clog type sandals all under 500 baht!

if you see this temple a stone's throw from the hotel, you're heading to the  path of nourishment. from here, go straight  til the end if the block for some decent street food. On the right, at the end of the street is the 7-11.

TMW enjoying the suite living

As mediocre as we are, this was one of the best vacations we've ever had! Much had to be attributed to the good night's rest we received every night by staying in this hotel, and how refreshed we were the next day as we head off to see the sights. The fabulous food we had given our close proximity to it, as well as the hotel being a great starting point to all our adventures as it gave us easy access to all our travelling and daily needs. Value for your money too!!!Can't think of another place I would want to come back to (both the country and the hotel!). For inquiries, check out their website: Prince Palace Hotel

By the way, for those who have flights waaay after check out (ours was at 11 pm) you can ask for a half day rate (good for 6 hours) after the late check out time of 1 pm. We paid around 1200 baht for this. That'll give you time to do last minute shopping at Bo Bae, take a nap and freshen up before you drive off to the airport to check in.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!!

THE CHAO PHRAYA CANAL TOUR: Reasons To Say NO!

The main thoroughfare, this is the part of the river where river cruises (with dinner and entertainment) are held nightly.
NOTE: a river cruise is TOTALLY different from a canal tour

The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand (source: Wikipedia). Guidebooks and various travel writers have always mentioned it (and the points of interest along its banks) as one of the "must sees" when visiting Thailand (especially in Bangkok). As the river flows through the city, a series of narrow waterways or canals are used a thoroughfares for narrow and long pump boats that are either used as public transportation or to hold goods for retail, such as that in the floating market.

fast, traffic free and inexpensive, these public water taxis  could be an option to get to certain stops.
JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED at ALL TIMES!!! Getting splashed on with protozoan filled water and possibly swallowing a drop is not the way to take a vacation!

This prompted us to include it in our itinerary. According to Frommer's guide to Thailand, a day would be sufficient to tour the various museums, temples and what have you's along the river. This was why, we did not hesitate to cough up the 1500 baht to take a canal tour after visiting the Grand Palace. We actually didn't even get to use our tickets for the Vimanmek Mansion since we wanted to take the hour long tour before it got dark (we left the Grand Palace at around 4 pm).

from the main gate of the Grand Palace, turn left, walk to the end of the block, cross the street into the street food market and just ask for directions on where to ride the boats for the canal tour

Getting to the mini wharf from the Grand Palace is just a 5 minute walk away. Passing through a whole block of street food hawkers. Looking back, we were better off hanging out at the food stalls. Paying to a woman who handed out  official looking receipts, we waited for a mere 5 minutes before our boat was ready.

these are the same boats used as water taxis. paying the 1500 rate allowed us to rent it for an hour.
It came with an ornery looking boat man who barely spoke English . Good luck with pointing out the points of interest!

devastation probably caused by last year's flood?

It was such a warm day, that the breeze as we traveled through the narrow canals was a welcome change. At first, we managed to neglect the not so clean smells and garbage floating on the water. 10 Minutes into it, we felt we got screwed! (Pinoys, think boating through esteros in Manila and paying 2300 php to do so). 

a 3 1/2 ft monitor lizard cools off before heading
up the stairs of someone's backyard

We couldn't turn back, we couldn't exactly get off the next stop. So we did what we could: took pictures and pray that the boatman wasn't a secret pirate who kidnapped foreigners for a living :p 

While on the canal tour, we had two stops that the boatman felt was relevant enough for us crazy tourists:

FIRST STOPOVER:  Wat Bangsao Thong

No racy undergarments here. Just a monk on a mission. A mission to sell as much bread as he can! Is he a contestant of the Amazing Race finishing a leg? Nope. Dude's selling bread ( and lots of it) for 10 baht a pack to unsuspecting tourists. This is so that they may feed it to the river monsters that lurk beneath the boat and to the many pigeons (who probably have fleas) scavenging about. Apparently it's for luck. The bread are somewhat oily medium sized dinner rolls that catfish and pigeons seem to love. They love it so much that birds and fish alike have been observed to fight over it (fish vs fish and bird vs bird. you gotta throw the bread in different directions). A different path to enlightenment that's downright fishy!!! (pun intended)

getting splashed on with filthy water is enough to make me rethink this luck thing. Eeeww!!

the bread loving catfish. TIP: throw the bread as far away from the boat  as possible

I have a mild case of ornithophobia. Confronting my fears has NOT changed anything.
I still live by the creed that the only nice bird is one that is fried, steamed, roasted etc (no offense to those who love birds)

more of the lovely view. Venice, this is NOT!

a hovel with satellite tv!

big machines digging to remove sludge from the canal

we passed by gorgeous houses and fine looking temples. But since our boatman did not speak English, we had no idea what these places were!

SECOND STOPOVER: The Floating Market

I've always wanted to see the floating market. Every since I was in 3rd grade and my dad brought home his latest copy of the Travel and Leisure magazine that he subscribed too, I thought it was absolutely charming. 

food to...go? meals on wheels, er, water?

The floating market is normally filled early in the morning. By noon, much of the vendors have paddled away to their individual destinations. However, because of the canal tours being held (we passed by a LOT of unhappy looking tourists who probably felt the way we did *duped*), a few of them stay behind to sell cold drinks (beer, soda and water) and a variety of souvenirs. 

Phil had reached the end of his patience and refused to even look at the vendor and her wares. This was the only pic we had of that particular experience

Samphran cost 300 baht at the floating market. No thank you was what we said. However, "no" was clearly not a word the woman wanted to hear. She even wanted us to buy a beer for the so not helpful boatman. A 60 baht (90 pesos) can of coke zero was all we got from her. Take that you...vendor! Ha!

nearing our destination's end (Thank goodness!!!)

So off we went for the last 10 or 15 minutes of our tour. MAX was the luckiest, as he fell asleep 5 minutes into the tour.

MAX probably knew what was coming when we signed up for the tour :p

Houston, we have landed!

The wharf where the trip ended had this kinda kitschy yet somewhat interesting wooden structure (see left side of pic above) that housed a cafe, a lot of souvenir shops and even ones where artists displayed how they made their wares. Would've loved to look but Phil and MAX weren't happy campers.

All in all, it truly was an experience. Great or quite the opposite, you decide. I, for one, would probably try the River Cruise instead of this the next time around. Oh well. You only live once (unless you believe in reincarnation, then go ahead, be my guest and do whatever), and I can actually say that for once in my life...

I HATED THE FRICKIN' CANAL TOUR!!!!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!