Mr.Mac’s Hotel Blog : The Pattaya Blog

Thailand is great value; an outstandingly beautiful country; the people are warm and welcoming; it offers a multitude of outdoor activities; it’s home to wonderful ruins of ancient kingdoms as well as present day temples; the food is out of this world and Thailand has some of the finest beaches on the planet.

Chiang Mai and its surroundings is any adventure enthusiast’s playground with a huge array of activities on offer- from outstanding mountain biking and trekking to rafting and elephant riding. You can even cycle all the way to Bangkok!
If Chiang Mai and the north are associated with adventure and activity then the south is with beaches and sunshine. The islands are split on either side of Thailand’s peninsular, with, amongst others, Phuket, Koh Lanta off the Andaman coast to the west and Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan to the east in the Gulf of Thailand.

There is of course plenty in between as well, not least the ‘City of Angels’ - Bangkok, surely one of the most vibrant city’s on the planet! So many visitors pass straight through, convinced that it offers nothing but pollution and noise. Take our advice; give it a couple of days and you’ll fall in love with the place.

In the heartland of Thailand you’ll have the opportunity to trek, explore lost kingdoms, ride elephants, walk with tigers, raft and visit, and even stay with, hill tribe people!

Nick Pulley is CEO of Selective Asia, a UK based specialist tour operator running privately guided itineraries in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Visit www.selectiveasia.com for further information

Share This

You know you are going somewhere special when your resort complex has its own lounge at the airport. Laguna Phuket Airport Hospitality Centre at Phuket Airport is available to resort guests for relaxing after or before their flight. And there is staff on hand to assist with arrival and departure queries.

Laguna Phuket is situated on sandy Bangtao Beach around 30 minutes south of Phuket International Airport. The beach stretches some 8 kms, along the edge of the Andaman Sea, on the west coast of Phuket Thailand.

Today, Laguna Phuket is probably Asia’s premier resort complex but when I first saw the area in 1982 it was nothing more than wasteland.

The dramatic transformation was brought about by the visionary Chairman of Singapore’s Wah Chang Group. From a tin-mining wasteland there grew 5 top-quality hotels and a shopping ‘village’ all set amidst beautiful landscaped gardens and a network of lagoons. Between them the hotels have 30 bars and restaurants and a whole host of facilities including gyms, games rooms, tennis, archery, swimming pools and watersports.

Adjacent to the resort is the 18-hole Laguna Phuket Golf Club This par 71 course makes good use of the undulating landscape and lagoons. All Laguna Phuket guests can enjoy reduced green fees.

Each of the hotels has a spa and by all accounts the Banyan Tree Phuket Spa is probably the best. When it comes to awards I tend to be a little cynical but there must be some substance when a hotel, like this one, is voted World’s Best Spa Resort by readers of Cond

Share This

So you’re interested in a homestay experience with a rural hilltribe community in northern Thailand? Sounds Great! Just remember, don’t be expecting luxury or hotel type accommodations. Be prepared for rather basic accommodations without too much amenities. Most likely your shower will be very rudimentary and consist of a bucket of cool water that you empty on yourself, and your toilet will be the traditional Thai squat toilet, which is low to the ground and does not flush by itself; you’ll have to pour a bucket or two of water to induce the toilet to flush. Don’t worry; if you have chosen the right homestay, you’ll get a very rustic but clean room with a functional bed. Don’t be anticipating gourmet restaurant style food, however meals should be very tasty and healthfully prepared. The ladies in the village who prepare your meals will most likely be very experienced cooks and well versed in their own culinary traditions. If you’re a vegetarian, they should be able to accommodate you.

Just a tip - if you’re staying with a hilltribe community - i.e. Akha, Hmong, Lisu, Lahu, Karen or Mien, it wouldn’t hurt to do some research in advance on their culture and history.

While I have no personal experience with homestays in Thailand per se, I had the opportunity to do a site inspection of a relatively new homestay in the mountains, about an hour drive from Chiang Mai, the tourist hub of Northern Thailand . Rooms were simple and small as expected but very clean and had a small outdoor verandah with chairs in addition to a small area inside the room to lay your personal belongings.

The villagers grow both tea and coffee in the immediate vicinity and many people in the community were engaged in farming and other agricultural pursuits. While perusing the merchandise in their community’s gift shop, I bought a special neck collar-pillow stuffed with aromatic green tea. For some strange reason, I thought that US Customs might tear it apart looking for marijuana but they didn’t even bat an eye.

Bus Goldberg is a seasoned world traveler and the director of Calypso Island Tours, a travel company that specializes in botanical adventures and nature tours to such diverse destinations as Costa Rica, Thailand and the Caribbean. He also maintains his own travel blog, Calypso Island Chronicles

Share This