For those of you planning a Thailand adventure of your own, here are our recommendations:
Bangkok
Both of the hotels we stayed at we were quite happy with. We wanted clean accommodations where we could feel safe while resting our heads. We didn't plan on spending lots of time at our hotel, so we weren't necessarily looking for luxury.
Hotels:
Citin Pratunam : (approx. 1050 Baht/night = $35 CAD/night) our room was quite small, but it was clean. We had one king size bed for the four of us, which was fine for our short stay. Contrary to the noisy street below (we were in the heart of the Pratunum market) it was relatively quiet. There was wi-fi, hot water and air conditioning. We were able to walk to the hotel from the airport rail link's "Ratchaprarop" station, which took about 15 minutes. *Note there are two separate buildings for Citin Pratunum, the main one, which is also where you check in and there's also another tower right across the street (which is where we stayed). There is an Indian restaurant located in the tower we were staying in, but we never ate there... who goes to Thailand to eat Indian food?
The advantage to staying here is there's lots to see just by walking around. The night markets have great food options right outside your door and if you walk a little further, you'll hit the other vendors selling their wares. In the morning there are more food vendors waiting to fill your tummy for next to nothing: Freshly made Thai omelettes, fresh fruit (you must try the durian fruit!)... and if you would like a more "American" breakfast, you can take a short stroll to the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. (Compared to the cost of the street vendors, it's pretty "pricey", but all things considered it's still pretty reasonable)
Boss Suites: (1200 Baht/night = $40 CAD/night) If you are okay with having to travel through the Red Light District to get there, it's well worth staying here. This is a beautiful hotel with nice sized rooms– again we opted for a king size for all of us, which worked out well. Rooms were very clean, air conditioned and had hot water and wi-fi. Breakfast buffet cost approx. 150 Baht per person (=$5 CAD pp) and featured Thai and American options. A complimentary tuk-tuk shuttle was available and there was also a pool and sauna. The only downside to staying here was there wasn't much to see by foot (outside of the Red Light District, which we weren't interested in) but we did find a really good restaurant to eat at on Sukhumvit road (in the opposite direction of the Red Light District), can't remember the name of it, but it was close to the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly.
Things to do in Bangkok:
Siam Paragon is beyond a super mall, it's ridiculous. But if malls are your thing, then you wouldn't want to miss this one. All of the high end stores are here: Versace, Chanel, Coach, Burberry, Hugo Boss, etc., etc. There's also Thailand's largest aquarium, a skating rink, super cineplex and IMAX theatres, a bowling alley, art gallery... and the list goes on. But if it's deals you're looking for, then your best bet would be the MBK centre... deals galore! If Bangkok is your last stop before leaving for home, it's a great place to stop to pick up any last minute souvenirs, without it being an Americanized mall experience.
The Grand Palace was nice, but personally, I think our trip would've been okay without stopping there. It was super busy (kind of reminded me of Disney World at Christmas time). There were a lots of hustlers waiting for tourists outside of the gates to rent sarongs for women to enter the temple if they were improperly dressed (meanwhile you could get them for a refundable deposit once inside the gates), tuk tuk drivers who had the "inside scoop" on wats and would take you on a personal tour (which we fell for and ended up at a tailor shop) and vendors who were very much in your face trying to sell you something. The palace itself was nice, but didn't really do anything for me. If you're pressed for time, don't bother.
A must see is Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddha. Plan for at least half a day here. It's absolutely breathtaking. We also had a 1/2 hour family Thai massage for approx 280 Baht/pp (=$10 CAD/pp) which was lovely.
Best mode of transportation in Bangkok with a family outside of the rail system is a tuk-tuk. If your without kids, rent a motorbike taxi (but only if you have a high sense of adventure). Word of caution, the exhaust fumes are very strong on the roads, which tend to be quite congested. the tuk-tuks and motorbikes tend to overcome traffic jams by weaving in and out of traffic.
Hotels:
Citin Pratunam : (approx. 1050 Baht/night = $35 CAD/night) our room was quite small, but it was clean. We had one king size bed for the four of us, which was fine for our short stay. Contrary to the noisy street below (we were in the heart of the Pratunum market) it was relatively quiet. There was wi-fi, hot water and air conditioning. We were able to walk to the hotel from the airport rail link's "Ratchaprarop" station, which took about 15 minutes. *Note there are two separate buildings for Citin Pratunum, the main one, which is also where you check in and there's also another tower right across the street (which is where we stayed). There is an Indian restaurant located in the tower we were staying in, but we never ate there... who goes to Thailand to eat Indian food?
The advantage to staying here is there's lots to see just by walking around. The night markets have great food options right outside your door and if you walk a little further, you'll hit the other vendors selling their wares. In the morning there are more food vendors waiting to fill your tummy for next to nothing: Freshly made Thai omelettes, fresh fruit (you must try the durian fruit!)... and if you would like a more "American" breakfast, you can take a short stroll to the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. (Compared to the cost of the street vendors, it's pretty "pricey", but all things considered it's still pretty reasonable)
Boss Suites: (1200 Baht/night = $40 CAD/night) If you are okay with having to travel through the Red Light District to get there, it's well worth staying here. This is a beautiful hotel with nice sized rooms– again we opted for a king size for all of us, which worked out well. Rooms were very clean, air conditioned and had hot water and wi-fi. Breakfast buffet cost approx. 150 Baht per person (=$5 CAD pp) and featured Thai and American options. A complimentary tuk-tuk shuttle was available and there was also a pool and sauna. The only downside to staying here was there wasn't much to see by foot (outside of the Red Light District, which we weren't interested in) but we did find a really good restaurant to eat at on Sukhumvit road (in the opposite direction of the Red Light District), can't remember the name of it, but it was close to the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly.
Things to do in Bangkok:
Siam Paragon is beyond a super mall, it's ridiculous. But if malls are your thing, then you wouldn't want to miss this one. All of the high end stores are here: Versace, Chanel, Coach, Burberry, Hugo Boss, etc., etc. There's also Thailand's largest aquarium, a skating rink, super cineplex and IMAX theatres, a bowling alley, art gallery... and the list goes on. But if it's deals you're looking for, then your best bet would be the MBK centre... deals galore! If Bangkok is your last stop before leaving for home, it's a great place to stop to pick up any last minute souvenirs, without it being an Americanized mall experience.
The Grand Palace was nice, but personally, I think our trip would've been okay without stopping there. It was super busy (kind of reminded me of Disney World at Christmas time). There were a lots of hustlers waiting for tourists outside of the gates to rent sarongs for women to enter the temple if they were improperly dressed (meanwhile you could get them for a refundable deposit once inside the gates), tuk tuk drivers who had the "inside scoop" on wats and would take you on a personal tour (which we fell for and ended up at a tailor shop) and vendors who were very much in your face trying to sell you something. The palace itself was nice, but didn't really do anything for me. If you're pressed for time, don't bother.
A must see is Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddha. Plan for at least half a day here. It's absolutely breathtaking. We also had a 1/2 hour family Thai massage for approx 280 Baht/pp (=$10 CAD/pp) which was lovely.
Best mode of transportation in Bangkok with a family outside of the rail system is a tuk-tuk. If your without kids, rent a motorbike taxi (but only if you have a high sense of adventure). Word of caution, the exhaust fumes are very strong on the roads, which tend to be quite congested. the tuk-tuks and motorbikes tend to overcome traffic jams by weaving in and out of traffic.
Chiang Mai
During our entire stay, we settled in at Sakorn Residence and we weren't at all disappointed. As far as hospitality goes, the family-run hotel staff were extremely helpful and warm. Our room was spacious– this time opted for a cot since we only had a queen size bed. It was super clean, had air conditioning, hot water and wi-fi. There was a pool, a small workout area, and a restaurant that served a delicious breakfast, which was included. Just up the street, near the corner was a shack of a restaurant called "Bake-n-Bits", which had phenomenal food. It was a little off the beaten path, which made it nice and quiet, yet it was a short tuk tuk ride to where all the action was.
Despite my nervousness of Kevin having suits made, I would highly recommend the talent of Dave and his crew at CM Custom Tailor. He and his team did an outstanding job on both of Kevin's suits and shirts. The only downside is it requires a fair amount of time for fittings (minimum of 5 hours).
The night markets in Chiang Mai are outstanding. Be sure to hit the food court at the Kalare Food Market. There are so many delicious options here and for a cost of next to nothing. It works on a coupon system, where you by a bunch of coupons to trade with the vendors for food. If you can only hit the night market once, then go to the Sunday night market, which has its own special location and is by far the largest outdoor market you will ever see. You'll be shopping with the locals and seeing lots of unique offerings outside of the typical tourist wares.
As for wats, you must see Wat Doi Suthep and Wat Umong. These two wats undoubtedly, are very special places.
If you're looking for adventure, head to Patara Elephant Farm to spend a day caring for an elephant. (Even though I personally had a bad experience with our trainer, it is clear that Patara Elephant Farm has a strong philosophy around the proper care and respect of elephants. I can't let one bad apple ruin the whole experience.) We also highly recommend the rainforest zipline tour with Flight of the Gibbon. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
The best way to get around in Chiang Mai is by a songtow, a red pick up truck with benches in the back. Songtows don't tend to take tourists on scam rides to jewel shops, whereas we've heard tuk-tuks do.
We could have easily stayed another week in Chiang Mai. It is such a lovely place to visit.
Despite my nervousness of Kevin having suits made, I would highly recommend the talent of Dave and his crew at CM Custom Tailor. He and his team did an outstanding job on both of Kevin's suits and shirts. The only downside is it requires a fair amount of time for fittings (minimum of 5 hours).
The night markets in Chiang Mai are outstanding. Be sure to hit the food court at the Kalare Food Market. There are so many delicious options here and for a cost of next to nothing. It works on a coupon system, where you by a bunch of coupons to trade with the vendors for food. If you can only hit the night market once, then go to the Sunday night market, which has its own special location and is by far the largest outdoor market you will ever see. You'll be shopping with the locals and seeing lots of unique offerings outside of the typical tourist wares.
As for wats, you must see Wat Doi Suthep and Wat Umong. These two wats undoubtedly, are very special places.
If you're looking for adventure, head to Patara Elephant Farm to spend a day caring for an elephant. (Even though I personally had a bad experience with our trainer, it is clear that Patara Elephant Farm has a strong philosophy around the proper care and respect of elephants. I can't let one bad apple ruin the whole experience.) We also highly recommend the rainforest zipline tour with Flight of the Gibbon. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
The best way to get around in Chiang Mai is by a songtow, a red pick up truck with benches in the back. Songtows don't tend to take tourists on scam rides to jewel shops, whereas we've heard tuk-tuks do.
We could have easily stayed another week in Chiang Mai. It is such a lovely place to visit.
Southern Thailand
Khao Sok
Our Jungle House was a fun place to stay. It's not often you get to sleep in a tree house in the jungle. The accomodations are rustic, but clean... keeping in mind of course that you are still in the jungle and the tree house isn't sealed tight, so you may get the odd visitor. If you don't like camping then you may have a problem with the tree house experience. The sounds at night are fun to listen to. Our girls especially loved the "princess" effect of the bug nets over the beds (which work marvously). The food is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend the paradise crepe for breakfast (or dessert!). There are lots of activities to choose from such as tubing down the river, going on a night safari and hikes at Kao Sok National Park. There's a little village market area within walking distance, though we didn't have enough time to explore it. And if you get a chance, you must sit down and talk to the manager, Bodhi, who founded Andaman Discoveries and still does some consulting work for them.
Our Jungle House was a fun place to stay. It's not often you get to sleep in a tree house in the jungle. The accomodations are rustic, but clean... keeping in mind of course that you are still in the jungle and the tree house isn't sealed tight, so you may get the odd visitor. If you don't like camping then you may have a problem with the tree house experience. The sounds at night are fun to listen to. Our girls especially loved the "princess" effect of the bug nets over the beds (which work marvously). The food is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend the paradise crepe for breakfast (or dessert!). There are lots of activities to choose from such as tubing down the river, going on a night safari and hikes at Kao Sok National Park. There's a little village market area within walking distance, though we didn't have enough time to explore it. And if you get a chance, you must sit down and talk to the manager, Bodhi, who founded Andaman Discoveries and still does some consulting work for them.