Just back from 14 nights in Phuket and 4 nights in Bangkok and now back at work (yuk)

There were four of us myself, husband Geoff, Chloe 16 and Romi 14, oldest daughter house sitting. We also went with 8 other couples ranging in ages from 21 to 70. Picked up by minibus at 5am for our flight from Perth at 8.50am.

We flew Thai Airways which was good, this year I had my husband and one of our daughters sitting in front of me in the window seats, as last year I had an idiot who insisted in having his seat completely down so I was more or less pinned in my seat the whole of the journey.

Touched down in Phuket (27thApril-11thMay) and it was raining we got our minibus to Patong Merlin, it was great going back there, as they had no pool view rooms we where in building 6 over looking the front of the hotel, a bit noisy at night but good when sitting on the balcony to watch what was going on. Rooms where nice and they had safe’s in as well which was better than keep going to reception when we had building 2 last year (building 2 are being refurbished at the moment and building 1 has now been finished.

Breakfast very good as usual jut love their omelettes’ yum (back to nothing for breakfast now at home!)

We had a lot of rain this year, and quiet heavy got soaked a few times, but it did not stop us going out, couple of people we went with stayed in their rooms because of the rain, which I think personally is a waste, and it is still nice and warm.

Only got to the beach 3 times because of the rain and the beach boys we made friends with last year came running up, we always go to the beach opposite Ocean Plaza. Eddie who does the sandwich (which is lovely) said he was not making hardly any money because of all the rain.

We did not do any tours this year, but the other couples went to Simon Cabaret and the next day they complained that they thought it was a waste of money apparently there was only two songs in English then the rest was in Japanese, and five of them fell asleep!!

We did most of our shopping at the O Top Markets at the front of the Patong Merlin, as at the beach side we were getting fed up with the Indian suit sellers at the beach front, definitely more in your face this year than last.

We caught the free bus shuttle from the hotel and went to Central Festival, had my hair cut there at Cut & Curl looks really good and only cost 300 baht for cut shampoo & blow-dry.
Then we caught a tuk tuk to Tesco Lotus.

Food

Sweets a few times good each time especially chicken in oyster sauce.

Banana Leaf was very disappointed this year just the four of us went and our food did not come up at the same time so we all had to eat ours at separate times my daughters’ came 30mins after mine, and the meals where not very nice, did not go back

The Orchid we had two meals in there the first was really nice, the second time they had to reheat the food as it was cold, did not bother to go back again, but I must say that the waitresses where very sweet and friendly.

Chez Bernard No.6 Had my favourite spaghetti carbonara which was still good. I love sitting on the beach there and walking back to the hotel along the beach.

Shakers Cheap and was handy when it was pouring down with rain as it was only a quick run across the road from the hotel, the girls liked playing pool there, and the boys liked watching the footy.

We use to go to the Blue Coral Bar opposite Absolute Sea Parl Beach Resort, which is from Patong Merlin turn left coming out from the beach side and walk around the corner and there are about 4 bars, the girls and owner where great, it was our regularly stop at about 4pm.


Foot massage - Original one next to sweets $190 baht for one hour sheer bliss the girls in there are lovely.

We took a tuk tuk to Phuket Zoo watched the crocodile show, and elephant show and had our photo’s taken with the tiger the bloke looking after him with one arm is a bit off putting!
And we also had photos taken with the Orangataun wearing his sunglasses.

DVD’s and CD are all from Kitty’s 60 baht each.

We were picked up from our hotel at 9am for our domestic flight to Bangkok 11th -15th May
Nice quick flight, the meal was a chicken patty they looked raw but one of my daughters was browned and cooked came with a big chunk of raw cabbage and two raw runner beans, we did not eat any of it.

Our transfer was waiting of for us and we were quickly on our way to the Indra Regent Hotel, the traffic was jammed packed, we saw people living under the bridges in make shift houses, very sad.

Once we had checked in we went for a look around the markets that are attached to the hotel it was like a rabbits warren trying to find our way out back into the hotel again, our girls could not wait to start shopping yet again!

The hotel is very clean, the breakfast was nice but the staff could have been a bit friendlier not like at the Patong Merlin they are so friendly there and always smiling.

3 o’clock we needed a nice cold beer and wanted to stock up our bar fridge in the hotel room so headed for the 7 eleven shop over the subway, got the basket loaded up and when we got to the check out “sorry cannot sell alcohol until after 5pm” buggar, so we had a drink at the hotel. Waited till 5pm and went back and stocked up. Got a taxi 100 baht to the MBK Wow what a place 8 levels, my girls eyes were out on stalks. Brought some bra’s 90 baht each knickers 39 baht each so cheap.

Next was glasses for me went to the fifth floor I wanted some new frames as they were so expensive back home the ones I wanted were $450 not paying that . Found two l liked worked out $47 each.

We where all getting tired so headed back to our hotel there are markets all along the road near the hotel at the weekends so of course we shopped yet again, and found a chemist that sold beer and sold it anytime of the day, so yet another stock up of alcohol, I don’t think they have sold so much beer in that chemist before.

The next day we had to be waiting in the reception at 7am as we were going to the Bridge Over River Kwai and the Tiger Temple, I had already booked our tour with Ratt back at home, she sent me an email saying that she was booked up that day but her husband would service me (lovely extra’s) he was so sweet. It was over a 2 hour journey there he pointed out the palace where his King lived and temples. We arrived at the River Kwai
And read about all the poor men that died building the bridge we took photo’s and walked on the bridge.

The girls needed to go to the loo so we found somewhere and paid our 1 baht each they were squat loos and no paper; the girls have never seen these before another experience for them.

Next stop was the Tiger Temple I have wanted to do this ever since I saw it on the Getaway program. We paid 300 baht each and you receive a book also telling you about each tiger. The tigers were in their cages and a baby cub was asleep in a separate cage so cute, our driver said we where too early, as they do not bring out the tigers until 12.30pm, so we drove and got some coffee and ice creams for the girls.

Our driver said he would take us to see the monkeys that come down from the mountains and you can feed them bananas, we get there and no monkey’s they where still in the mountains the driver apologised we said it does not matter, one of those things.

Drove back to the Tiger Temple showed them our tickets that we had already purchased earlier. The tigers where out on chains. They are lovely and they also brought out the cub that we could stoke. I heard someone call out and it was a bloke at work!

We walked down to the canyon with the monk and tigers, we went in with the tiger’s one at a time and gave the helpers our camera and they took the photo’s which came out really good; it was a great experience, very hot there. It was 8 hours all up a very long day but well worth it.

Next day after my yummy cheese and ham omelette our driver picked us up at 8am and we went to The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market which was 1.5 hrs drive from our hotel, once we got there it cost 600 baht they gave us coconut drinks, very nice people, they took photo’s of us in the boat.

It was great seeing how they live, one bloke was brushing his teeth and using the water which was a murky brown colour, people come up with their boats and food to sell, we had chicken sticks which were so nice, we had a have more, and also fried banana’s which are so good. There was also floating stalls selling wooden items etc .We also stopped at a temple there and you are given gold leaf to place on one of the statues, and also we were given some fish food, which we throw into the water and loads of fish came jumping up. It takes about 1.5hrs to go around and we all enjoyed it, we gave our boat driver some money which we said was for him only, he was very pleased.

They gave us cold water when we got back and we brought our two photos’s which they had put onto plates with stands they both cost $250 baht and look really good.

We had a couple of meals in the hotel, but very expensive.

Next day had a lay in which was nice, and got a taxi 100 baht to the MBK for our last day
Shopped and shopped brought another pair of frames I liked on the ground floor and they read my prescription from my glasses I was wearing and I had frames complete with lenses ready in 1 hour cost me $62. I did not have my other frames with me and did not have time to go back and get them, when I got home and went into OPSM just for normal lenses to be put into my frame $450 and 10 working days to do them! I am going to email the shop in Bangkok and see if I send them the frame how much to do them and send them back to me.

We asked for an early morning call (4am) we had to be in reception at 5am for our transfer to the airport.

At the new airport we queued for over an hour to check in our luggage, they had to get some people out of the queues for some flights were waiting to go!
I was worried our luggage would be over weight but we had 10 kilos to spare.

Flight back had quiet a few spare seats, good flight back.

Sorry got a bit carried away typing this out, will definitely go back to Bangkok again for a few days, especially the MBK.

Thanks for reading

Thanks for that Sharrie, What did you think of the Phuket Zoo, theres been a lot of bad reports over the years so we have never bothered going there.
Cathy

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http://www.cathyandgarystravelpages.com

Hi Cathy,

I felt very sorry for the elephants as before the show they are chained by their ankles with a couple of inches that they can move around in .
I would not go again, our girls really wanted to go.

If we gave up on restaurants that didn't "time" the meals to be served all at once, we would probably need to stay home.

Many Asian cultures see dining as a communal/social thing. Unlike most Westerners, there is no concept of "mine" or "hers", there are simply dishes to be shared with everyone.
Since the food is everyone's, everyone is, in a sense, served at the same time.

Although many eateries now accomodate Western dining, the service often reflects the culture.
Even when we order "set" meals, we are still sharing each other's food.

I'm off to Bangkok tomorrow (yes, have to keep saying it to believe it!) and staying at Pathumwan Princess in the MBK centre.

Most of the optical shops I've been to there aren't that much cheaper than OPSM in Melbourne!

Thanks for any advice/info Sharrie.

DB

Hi Daniele,

Have a great time, I went to Eye Lab Express on the ground floor.

Lookforward to your JBR when you get back.

Thanks I enjoyed that.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Very enjoyable.Another litttle trip to Thailand for me without even having to leave the house.Thankyou for sharing
Cheers Laurs

thanks for the JBR sounds fantastic. We are going in November and i want to do the River Kwai and Tiger Temple. Just wondering how much you paid for the day and how your tour guide was.

Also where did you stay in Bangkok?

thanks for that look forward to your reply

cheers
Kathy

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KathyE

Hi kathy

We stayed at the Indra Regent, we used Ratt her email address is
rat_bkk@hotmail.com if you contact her and say the tours you want to do she will reply back quickly with the cost.

But we paid 3500 baht(including petrol) for 8 hours when we went to the River Kwai and Tiger Temple and that was also including entrance fee 300 each
2 coffee's and 2 ice creams, then the next day was four hours when we went to the floating markets and included the fee for the boat.
We priced this at Travelworld before we left and it would have cost us $600, and all up it cost $125.