Eating my Way Through Thailand
Thailand
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Mar 24 - Mar 31, 2023
The trip was amazing! Working with Lacey to plan exactly what we wanted to do was one of the easiest processes. She was very responsive no matter what day it was. (does she ever get a day off?) She was patient with me as I had to check with other travellers to answer her questions sometimes. She was very knowledgeable and gave us great advice on hotels as well. It was great that she gave us choices.
Pom in Bangkok was very knowledgeable and a lot of fun. He had a great sense of humour and could answer all of our questions. The W22 hotel was in a great location for walking around Chinatown. We moved through the sights quickly and efficiently and he knew where to get the best souvenirs, how to barter and where it was appropriate and he found us all the great foods to eat. I felt like we ate our way through Thailand.
Mona was fantastic, she was also very knowledgeable, answered all of our questions. She offered so much information about Chiang Mai and the surrounding area. We wished we had more time there. The Thai Akara is a beautiful hotel and we spent some time relaxing in the courtyard by the pool. The cooler weather was a welcome change from Bangkok. The Elephant Sanctuary was definitely a highlight for all of us in my group. We met some wonderful young people on our ride out there and back. One thing we were not expecting was the red taxi ride out to the sanctuary. We had been in air conditioned coaches all along and then to ride in the back of the red taxi was unpleasant. The street food tour was amazing with so much great food. Mona and our driver Aude were so friendly. Mona's tips about the night market and the accessibility from our hotel on foot was great. The temple and the blessings by monks were both very spiritual for me and a great way to start the day. The extra stop at a cute little coffee shop was a nice touch and it was nice to get to know Mona a little bit on a personal level. We will definitely come back to this area of Thailand and spend more time.
Phuket was hot and humid. The Cape Penwa hotel was divine. The breakfast buffet was huge, the beach was lovely and the service excellent. We only had limited contact with Kai because of the type of experiences we had there but she was able to ensure we had a driver when we needed one. She was very responsive to all my questions via what's app throughout our stay and got us tickets to the cabaret on the last night. She was also very knowledgeable and so helpful.
The island and snorkeling tour we went on was enjoyable but we were surprised at the size of the boat and group with us. We were all given a coloured wristband when we arrived but no further instruction. We almost missed our briefing and the group leaving because no one called out colours or anything. There was a large, loud group at the back of the boat that never moved and so some of us had to fight for space inside out of the sun. (one of them laid down in the back and went to sleep so we had to climb over her to get off the boat) There was not enough room out of the sun for all of the people on the boat. The snorkeling was great for us that are experienced snorkelers but if you were a first time snorkeler, there was no instruction, rules, what to do and what not to do. The masks were handed out and we jumped in. The buffet was horrible. The food was edible but it was small, no service and we were left alone. The tour could have been much shorter, we had way too much time at each stop and the beaches had no lounge chairs or anything. We would not do this tour again.
We absolutely loved our trip to Thailand and will definitely return for a longer visit.
Hotel Review
Beautiful, well situated hotel. The courtyard area around the pool was quiet, and the pool bar staff were attentive. Breakfast buffet wasn't large but had lots of choices as well as a small menu for eggs made fresh. I would definitely stay here again.
Activity Reviews
Food was incredible 5 star for sure, views spectacular and staff were able to answer questions about what we were seeing as we floated past.
Temple was beautiful. Food was great, Mona was helpful and knowledgeable. We were stuffed by the time we were done eating.
This was an experience like none other we have had. The temple in Chiang Mai was so different from the flashy gold ones in Bangkok. We really loved this experience and the blessings from the monks.
Words cannot express how we feel about the elephant sanctuary. This sanctuary is a no riding sanctuary which is an important distinction for us. These elephants are rescued from working and begin ridden. We fed them, interacted with them, got up close. We made and fed them their medicine, Ken was great at teaching us lots about the elephants, and we all learned new things. We watered them and had a big water fight. It was simply a great afternoon.
This was a wild ride for sure. The tuk tuks are an adventure in themselves but we had a great guide and great food all evening long. We started in a restaurant for some Thai food and then went out on the street which was much different than it had been during the day.
The markets were like nothing we had experienced before. We had so much fun, and bought original artwork, souvenirs and elephant pants. You have to get some elephant pants, great for going in temples and so comfy for the flight home.