Centuries of tradition are woven into the energy of modern Thailand.
Deciding to travel from Texas to Thailand for vacation is a serious commitment because 24 hours of travel time is no joke. Ultimately, our stay in Thailand made it worth all the time spent in planes and airport lounges. The scenery was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the Thai people are some of the friendliest you will ever meet.
There are a number of one-stop flights from the U.S. to Bangkok, and some non-stop flights should be available soon. However, if you fly business with Qatar Airways with a stopover in Doha, you can experience what is arguably the best business class lounge in the world. The sheer size is only eclipsed by the range of amenities and exceptional service. It is worth a longer layover just to spend some time there.
Bangkok
Bangkok is everything one might expect and more…cosmopolitan, crowded, overwhelming, and hot! Even coming from Texas, we were not prepared for just how hot it would actually be, so pack the lightest, coolest clothes you have, a fan, sunscreen, and a hat. You will need them! And when the weather isn’t trying to ensure that you spontaneously combust, it will likely be raining, so pack a light rain jacket and umbrella. Wild weather swings aside, there is so much to see and do in Bangkok that you could easily spend your entire vacation there and never get bored.
We stayed at the Siam Kempinski in the heart of the city, and it was an excellent choice for being close to high-end shopping and a fairly quick taxi ride to many of the sights. Certain times of the day, traffic does get quite bad though, so pack your patience and plan ahead. The spa at Siam Kempinski is a must-visit, but fair warning…the spa ladies might be petite, but they are also exceptionally strong, so expect to walk out feeling like you’ve been manhandled…in the best way possible. The service at Siam Kempinski is second-to-none, and they set a high bar for the rest of the hotels during our trip.
Jet lag aside, our first night in Thailand was one of my favorites of the entire trip. Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand, and the atmosphere in Rajadamnern Stadium was electric. There is so much pride and tradition in Thai boxing that you cannot help but be amazed and engrossed by it. I never expected that one of the most memorable parts of our vacation would be watching people fight each other, but it unexpectedly draws you in. The shouting from the crowd and the spectators betting on each fight only adds to the energy in the building.
Two things that are certainly not in short supply in Thailand are temples and Buddhas. With the song “One Night in Bangkok” on a continuous loop in my head, I knew that I absolutely had to see the Reclining Buddha. What we ended up seeing was two Reclining Buddhas, the Emerald Buddha (it’s actually made of jade), the Golden Buddha, several “Big Buddhas,” and so many more. Our second tour of temples and Buddhas also included a stop to see some cute, but very greedy, monkeys. When the tour guide has to tell you to hold your bag of snacks over your head, you know you are in for an adventure. Apparently, I didn’t hold mine high enough, and it was stolen by a fat monkey that looked like he hadn’t ever seen a snack he didn’t like.
Phuket
Leaving the big city lights of Bangkok, we headed south to Phuket to spend some time on the coast for beaches and, hopefully, cooler weather. We checked in at the Skyview Resort on a hillside with views of the city and stunning sunsets. Phuket has a more laidback island vibe that you would expect from a coastal seaside town, which was a welcome change after the frantic energy of Bangkok. It was also cooler!
A change in scenery doesn’t mean the tour guides’ interest in showing off their stunning and ornate Buddhist temples changes. But this time we also visited a bee farm, a cashew factory, and a jeweler that specializes in pearls. Because I’m mostly ruled by my stomach, my favorite part of the day might have been eating Tod Mun Goong (deep-fried shrimp donuts) at a seafood restaurant right on the water. That was probably my single favorite bite of food during the entire trip, followed closely by the spicy basil fried rice and mango sticky rice at Home Cafe in Bangkok.
After non-stop sightseeing the day before, we opted for a relaxing day at Patong Beach, which turned into more of a rain-soaked day at the beach. But we were committed to sticking it out, and the beach attendants were committed to making sure we had an enjoyable time. They built us a shelter with half a dozen beach umbrellas and kept our drinks full. Even a rainy day at the beach can be a good day with an umbrella fort and a few cocktails.
No trip to Phuket would be complete without a speedboat tour of the Phi Phi Islands, as evidenced by the hordes of tourists at each stop on our fourth day in Phuket. Spending the day on the water and seeing all the beautiful scenery was well worth dealing with the crowds of people, though. While we stopped for some picture-taking, our particular tour didn’t disembark on Monkey Beach, which was fine with me because I’d had enough monkey thievery for one vacation.
Pattaya
Our last stop in Thailand was Pattaya, another beach destination just two hours south of Bangkok. Our hotel, the Royal Cliff Grand Hotel, was directly on the water and had all the amenities you would expect from a high-end resort. Royal Cliff has four properties in the same area, from casual to formal and large to small, so there is something that caters to everyone’s tastes. After checking in, we ordered room service and called it a night since we had an early start planned for the following day.
The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly our rainy early morning visit to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary just outside Pattaya. The sanctuary cares for over 100 elephants, most of whom have been rescued from private owners, in several locations throughout Thailand. The elephants are free-roaming, and there is no forced interaction between the elephants and the guests, which makes it special when one lumbers up to you for attention and a snack.
We spent the morning learning about their nutritional needs, diet, likes (rainy weather and mud), and dislikes (sunshine). Each elephant has a caretaker, their “mahout,” that is responsible for the health and well-being of their elephant. Part of their care is supplementing their diet with vitamins, which we helped prepare and serve. Next up was a mud bath and a scrub and rinse to keep their skin healthy. An elephant spa day! Finally, they demonstrated how to turn elephant dung, which there is TONS of, into paper and let us try it. Based on my dismal attempt, I don’t think I will be adding poo-poo paper maker to my résumé.
The following day we relaxed at the hotel until evening when we headed to Central Pattaya for dinner, dessert, and to soak up some local Thai nightlife. Our destination for dessert was a given because we are old enough to remember when there was a Swensen’s Ice Cream shop in nearly every town. While the chain has completely disappeared from the United States, it is thriving in countries like Thailand. Full of ice cream and nostalgia, we walked to Pattaya Soi 6, which is a street packed with bars, tourists, and local girls. It is the Thailand version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, only much more risqué.
Our final morning of vacation was spent indulging in several spa services at our hotel before packing up and taking a car service back to the Bangkok airport, about two hours away, for a middle-of-the-night 6-hour flight to Doha, Qatar, followed by a 15-hour flight to Houston. Multiple long flights will never be my favorite, but to experience all that Thailand has to offer, especially the beautiful hearts of the Thai people, makes it worth it.
By Denise Narren Camp