yosithezet

Another late start to the day. We expected to be at breakfast around 8:30 and by 9 everyone was still asleep. As we were finishing breakfast the kids headed to the lounge to use the computers for a bit. While I was double checking out plans for the day with the concierge karenkay and her husband were in the lounge. We had plenty of room in the rental for more people so we invited them to join us for the day.

This was a day with another late start but the kids wanted to return to Wat Tham Pla to see the monkeys for a longer time during the day. Off we went and we spent more time feeding the monkeys. We also saw another building there that seems to be more Khmer style.



After we finished with the monkeys it was time to feed ourselves. We stopped back at the roadside restaurant with the delicious chicken. Mr. karenkay likes spicy food so we sampled some additional dishes and everything tasted wonderful.



We headed off toward the village of Mae Salong and the tea growing plantations. We stopped at one tea plantation and while it had a shop with people tasting tea inside, there didn't seem to be anyone to show us around or explain anything. After some pictures we continued towards Doi Mae Salong.

yosithezet

According to Lonley Planet the sunset at Wat Doi Mae Salong is beautiful. It was getting towards the end of the day by the time we arrived. Using Google Maps we reached a parking lot and got out midway up the mountain. There is a temple on top of the mountain which must be the place with the great views.



Only 777 or so steps to the top...



Of course there is a road at the top and you can access it from some other place... the views were nice and the trip down easier.



We took a different route back to Chiang Rai and chased the sun a bit.



We had dinner at a place up the river from the hotel about 200 meters. It is a large outdoor restaurant with live music.

Apparently while we'd been up on the mountain there had been torrential downpours in Chiang Rai but we didn't feel a thing.

yosithezet

April 1, 2009

This day was saved for seeing things in and around Chiang Rai. The concierge strongly suggested that we go to see the Black House. He drew me a map and wrote the name in Thai. We headed in the direction and did a fair job of finding the landmarks on the map. At that point we needed to ask directions. Most people had no idea what we were looking for even after we showed them the Thai name. After driving down some side streets for a while we found some kids on a motorbike that knew what we were looking for and told us to follow them. The led us to a beautiful set of buildings buried away from the main road.



So apparently this is a temple or some sort of artwork being developed by a Thai artist by the name of Thawan Duchanee. After the workers saw us arrive someone came to show us around. Basically he was able to guide us in single words. "Bedroom" "Living Room" but not much else. It wasn't until halfway through that he mentioned the name of the artist and by the time we left it still wasn't clear to me whether this was a memorial to the artist or something the artist was developing. I would say that it is still in development but definitely worth visiting.

It is in a small village north of Chiang Rai by the name of Nang Lae and is at 19.992217� N
99.860183� E.

yosithezet

After the Black House we went south of Chiang Rai to Wat Rong Khun. I'd seen a colleagues pictures of Wat Rong Khun and this is what drew me to Chiang Rai in the first place. It is really beautiful but smaller than I expected. In addition to the temple the art galleries around it have some beautiful works.



As tomorrow we'd be heading south to Khao Lak we decided to give the kids their last bit of really Western food for a while. We stopped in the Big C south of Chiang Rai for some KFC. The hot wings are much spicier than we'd tasted before. Delicious!

While everyone was back at the hotel resting I headed out to buy something. At this point it started to rain. When parking the truck I hit a curb the wrong way and the wrong place and ended up with a huge gash in the side of the tire. Of course now the rain really picks up. No clue how to get the spare from under the truck. I climbed under a few times in the pouring rain using my blackberry as a flashlight. I called Hertz. He had no clue but called someone and tried to explain. Thunder and lightning grow more intense. No clue what he was on about but he was wondering whether I had dinner yet.

Gave the phone to a shopkeep who explained where I was and the guy from Hertz said he was on the way. Meanwhile a high school track team that was in town for a tournament happened by and the shopkeep asked if they would help the foreigner with the tire. They readily agree.

Some squated looking under the car. Shopkeep's wife brought them a flashlight. Some start taking the tools and figuring them out. One gets in the car to move it and straighten the wheels but couldn't get
it into drive so said 'you car you car' At one point the 8 of them lifted the front half of the truck to get the jack in place.
After 20 mins or so they get the tire changed, put all the tools back in place and chant the name of their town/team. The shopkeeps wife brought them a bucket of water to clean up. They are clearly proud of themselves. I tried to give them 1000 baht (120 shekels/30 dollars) but they all adamantly refused. The kindness of strangers always
surprises.

When I finally get back to the hotel, and get showered, we head out to the city and have one more Western meal. Across from the market we find an Italian place. Food was decent enough.

yosithezet

This was a transit day. We woke up early in Chiang Rai as we had a 3.5 hour drive ahead of us to CNX to catch TG129, our 12:35 flight to HKT.

The drive was very pleasant. Beautiful scenery. The roads weren't too busy and there weren't many crazy drivers. At one point we were going through an area with some hot springs and drove through 10 minutes of bugs. When we eventuallys stopped for gas the winshield and entire car was covered with mosquito-like bugs. It must not be common since the Thais were also looking at the bugs on their cars in wonder.



The flight to HKT was uneventful. This time we made sure to have two window seats. After collecting our bags we headed to the Avis desk to pick up another Toyota Fortuner for the drive to Le Meridien Khao Lak. Just after we crossed the bridge leaving Phuket we stopped for lunch. The place was a bit deserted with plastic down over the sides of the area with tables. As soon as we pulled in they started to roll up the plastic and by the time we left there were several other tables full of people. The food was good, the view over the water towards the island of Phuket was nice and the rain kep things cool.

Khao Lak was very different than last August. Then it was deserted. Most shops were closed. There was no traffic at all. This time the villages along the road were bustling with activity. There were lots of tourists around and even what I would call rush hour traffic around the time the afternoon market was open. After checking in we decided to take the kids on a walk around the property and head over to the beach and watch the sunset. As we approaced the beach it started to rain. This wasn't a bit of a drizzle but a serious downpour. We all ended up in different places. I headed to the room and got umbrellas but didn't find the family until later we were all back at the room.

yosithezet

This was our down time for the vacation. We again used one of the Starwood Privilege vouchers for one of the rooms while we booked a suite on points for the other, connected room. I'll post more in the thread about the property. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html



During our time in Khao Lak we ate out from time to time and went out for some massages. We ventured south along the beach to Rim Lay which is a great spot for lunch. Each day between 2 and 4 there would be a torrential downpour. Perfect time for lunch on the beach. We also dined at the 4 table Korean/Japanese restaurant at the Le Meridien Khao Lak and it was wonderful. The kids kept asking to go back as they enjoyed cooking our own food.

The family wanted more time on elephants so they went to the camp a few kilometers south of the Le Meridien and had a good time. It wasn't as good as the experience up north but it included a snake show and tapping of rubber trees as well.



We were at the Le Meridien Khao Lak for the first night of Passover. We'd brought along some Matzot and Haggadot so we could hold a Passover Seder but I needed to head out to find the other ingredients for the Seder. We grabbed some hard-boiled eggs at breakfast. I went to the afternoon market to look around for bitter greens and other things. Some bitter greens and lettuce of varied types would suffice for Maror, Chazeret and Karpas. The roasted shank ended up being a chicken wing. For the Charoset I found a Washington State red and some roasted cashews. I still needed some wine. I headed further south to the big supermarket that caters to tourists. I did find in the supermarket some Mogen David wine but figured the family would balk. I ended up with a nice Thai rose. On the way back I picked up our laundry from the same family we used last year. THB 40/kg, folded and ironed, is a hard deal to beat. Even Rim Lay at THB 25/piece is expensive in comparison.

I do have to admit that we only finished the first half of the seder and then we went out for some grilled giant prawns.

yosithezet

This was another transit day for us. We woke up and had breakfast and eventually started south back to HKT to catch TG208 at 13:05 to BKK.

Along the way we stopped a few times looking for a place that had diesel and would take credit cards. In the end I just paid cash as we were getting close to the airport. I called Avis and had them meet us upstairs at departures.

Much to our surprise the Le Meridien Khao Lak had someone waiting for us to assist us with our bags, clear them through security and escort us to check-in. It wasn't necessary but a wonderful gesture. We headed to the TG lounge. Nothing to write home about. Free internet, a computer, comfortable, but not up to the level of comfort of those in BKK.

Upon arrival in BKK I headed over to the AOT transportation counter while we were waiting for our bags. Usually I just head to the metered taxi stand and never have any trouble. With four people and all the luggage we had my choice was arrange a car or two metered taxis with the hassle of breaking up the group and the potential that the cabbie tries to pull a fast one in the other taxi. The AOT minivan cost THB 1200 including tolls so it was about 3 times what the single metered taxi would have cost but worth much more in peace of mind.

When our luggage arrived, my primary suitcase, a 10 year old Samsonite hardside I received from Delta when another suitcase was damaged on ATL-JFK, had a broken handle. We waiting quite a while for the rest of the luggage and meanwhile I walked over to the luggage assistance counter and opened a claim. The woman created the claim and gave me a list of phone numbers. She said someone would pick up the suitcase and deliver it repaired to the hotel. At the WGS I asked the concierge which number to call and in the end he took the suitcase and told me he'd take care of it. A day later it was back and repaired.

After settling in at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit we headed to the BTS. In retrospect I made a mistake buying passes for the rest of family. The passes give you about 20 rides and we only used 10 rides each during the period. The kids enjoyed using the RFID cards to get through the turnstiles and enjoyed riding the BTS in general.

The first evening we planned to go to IMAX to see Aliens vs. Monsters as it had just opened. When we got to Siam Paragon everyone was hungry so we first headed to MOSburger. I'm a MOSburger fan and now so is the rest of the family. When we went up to the cinema we found that we'd have to wait another hour and a half for the movie to start. We looked at what else was available and in the end went to the Nokia Ultrascreens and watched Race to Witch Mountain. The VIP experience is significantly more expensive then seeing a movie otherwise in BKK but it is still much cheaper than it would have cost us in Israel. The movie was good and we enjoyed the seats immensely. After the movie everyone wanted massages so it was off to King & I.

yosithezet

After breakfast in the WGS lounge we headed back to the BTS. In order to avoid the tourist taxi mafia at the major sites and also experience boats along the river we took the BTS from Asoke to Siam and then switch lines to head to Saphan Taksin. At Saphan Taksin we headed to the pier. There are tourist express boats where you can get a full day pass for THB 120 per person. We were only heading to the area of Wat Pho so we took the local line for I think THB 20 each. We passed all of the hotels along the river and saw the boats they use to ferry people back and forth to Saphan Taksin. We got off at Chang and walked over to the Grande Palace. Of course it was closed. Everyone said so. It opens later today. I had prepared the kids to hear the scam so it was pretty funny when it happened.




After the Grand Palace we walked to Wat Pho. With Songkran coming there was a lot of activity preparing for festivities which would start later. Much Wat Pho was closed but we were able to get in and see the reclining Bhudda. We had lunch at a small place on Thanon Maharat called Rub Aroon. We had initially planned to head to Wat Arun afterwards but everyone was ready to head back to the air conditioning of Siam Paragon to see Monsters vs. Aliens. After initially heading in the wrong direction we eventually found the Thien pier. We hopped on the boat and headed back to Saphan Taksin and then to the BTS. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the movie although the seats were not nearly as comfortable as the Nokia Ultrascreens.

After the movie we headed back to the Asoke BTS station and then over to Korean BBQ restaurant in the Time Square building. I knew this would be a hit since the kids enjoyed the BBQ experience so much in Khao Lak.

yosithezet

In the morning we boarded the BTS again to Siam Paragon. This time we headed to Ocean World in the basement. I have been to BKk many times and had never gone to Ocean World. It is really a beautiful acquarium. they have some shows and a boat ride 'behind the scenes'. While the boat ride is ok, the 3D movie is definitely not worth paying for IMO. Some day I could see myself trying the swimming with sharks. The kids enjoyed getting a treatment where you soak your feet in a pool with live fish.



After the acquarium we had a hankering for some fish. There is a fish & chips restaurant in the Siam Paragon basement food floor. The fish and chips were pretty good.

We then headed back to Asoke. I had to grab some shirts from a tailor and the rest of the gang wanted massages. Back to King & I they headed. Again they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I had some issues with the tailor as the work wasn't done quite right. It all worked out ok after some adjustments.

For the last evening of the vacation we went to the Siam Niramit show. One of the reasons we stayed at WGS and not ROS is the proximity to not only the BTS but also the MTR. To get to Siam Niramit you take the MTR to the Thai Cultural Center station. As you leave the station at the exit for TCC (Exit 1) there is a shuttle waiting there to take people to the venue. Siam Niramit contains a replicated Thai rural village and also a huge theater. The show takes you through the regions of Thailand and the festivals of Thailand. It is a really nice show. Very well done. We opted to have dinner at the venue and that was a mistake. It was the style and level of food you find in a wedding hall. For the price paid it is definitely not worth it. For a cheaper price it would simply not be interesting. The show was great and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Believe it or not, another elephant ride was involved.

yosithezet

The last morning was dedicated to shopping. The wife went off to Robinsons while the men headed off to Panthip Plaza. We boarded the BTS and got off at Chitlom. After walking through Central World and across the bridge we were thorougly warm and sticky. After making our purchases we went outside to head back. Outside, across the street, was a procession of red shirted demonstrators on foot and riding in a truck. This was about an hour before the State of Emergency was declared in Bangkok and about the same time as the attack on the PM's office secretary was taking place. All we saw was a group of people heading down the street chanting.



Now was time for one last bit of fun for the boys. I told them that if the tuk tuk wanted less than THB 250 we could take one back to the hotel. I walked over to the tuk tuk and asked how much to the Robinson Sukhimvit. He said THB 120 and off we went. It was much faster than walking all the way back to Chitlom BTS and a last bit of fun for the kids.

The concierge had arranged for us a minivan taxi for 750 including everything. We checked out and headed to the airport. I ended up in Bangkok another night as I was heading to India for work rather than home. But check-in went smoothly and it was easy enough for me to grab a metered taxi up at arrivals. It wasn't until I was back in the hotel that I realised there was a state of emergency and even the next morning on the way to the airport I saw nothing out of the ordinary. No tanks, not armored vehicles.

yosithezet

It was a wonderful vacation, a wonderful trip. It has been hard to get back into the daily grind of work. Without FlyerTalk I doubt I'd have undertaken something like this. All the points earned from hotel stays, miles earned from flights. Without y'all I'd have never heard of Starwood Privilege and not been able to save so much on the food and beverages or ended up with the vouchers which enabled us to pay approximately the same amount in points and cash but earn stays and nights and additional points. Now to plan the next excursion!

Kalboz

Thanks for sharing the fantastic report ... loved the photos! ^^^

rally

thanks for taking the time to write all of that down ,

sounds like your kids had a great time

Rally

jraphs070

Wow, what a great trip report and fantastic pictures. I am heading to Thailand next month and this is inspiring - thanks!

karenkay

terrific trip report, yosithezet! mr kk and i had a ball meeting and hanging out with you all, and reading about the rest of your trip (from khao lak, no less) has put a big grin on my face. thanks for sharing! ^