I love you Tai!
So it's time for my next trip, and for the second time I choose Thailand.
Tour operator "ITM", firm "ILVES TOUR"
Thailand Pattaya, Grand Jomtien Palace Hotel
So, June 18 - July 4.2010
100 baht = 100 rubles!
HOTEL and ROOMS:
I chose this particular hotel, because two years ago my friends lived in it, and I saw all the infrastructure. 12 storey building with the letter T, almost all the windows of the rooms partially overlook the sea. The view is not obscured by large buildings, since Jomtien Beach is quite far from the center, where the construction is colossally crumpled.
The area is not big, but cozy. Large lobby at the reception, 2 restaurants (on the 1st and 2nd floors). 3 pools, but the main one and it is with sea water. It has a children's swimming area, sun loungers, umbrellas, a bar and massage houses nearby. Massage at the hotel at the same prices as in the city center. Foot massage and Thai for 200 baht, with oil 300. They always have a lot of clients.
The rooms are cozy, clean, air conditioning and hair dryer worked properly, only the TV was very rippled and only 1 Russian channel showed. The bar, as elsewhere, in the room is paid. Tips were left every other day for 10-20 baht, but no cardinal changes in cleaning were noticed. They say that those who didn’t leave “tea” either had no towels or toilet paper, but one call to the reception decided everything. : )
For each bottle of water 0.5 in a glass container per day. If you don't drink it, they won't change it. We rinsed our teeth with it, because it is strictly forbidden to drink water from the tap, otherwise diarrhea will take you by surprise for a couple of days : ))))
Near the hotel there is a small market (clothes and fruit), everything is pretty inexpensive. There are also street tours, which were willingly bought by all those with whom we communicated, because the prices are lower than those of tour operators. There is also a 24-hour store of the huge Seven Eleven chain, it has EVERYTHING you need from food / water to creams / knives / pads.
Breakfast from 06.00 – 10.30
Buffet. The choice is quite large: fish, meat, omelettes, rice, potatoes, noodles. There are a lot of chopped fruits, vegetables and lettuce leaves. Toast and muesli with milk. Tea, coffee, soda. You can even overeat, I would say.
At lunch, we either bought fruit on the street or bought yogurt buns at Seven Eleven. We ate at cafes on the street. Of course, on the first line of the beach street, prices are expensive. For example, rice with seafood there costs 140 baht, and it’s already 120 baht to go into the yard, and if you go to a large BIG C supermarket (like our Lenta, Carousel, Metro), there you can such a dish for 50 baht to eat. We only bought water from Seven Eleven. A plastic bottle of 1 liter of water costs 6 baht, the rest is more expensive. There is no point in overpaying!
There is a Russian restaurant with delicious borscht for 85 baht! It is located on the first floor of the Russian hotel.
From "Grand Jomtien" to the left through the temple to a busy street, then again to the left through restaurants and massage parlors, on the left there will be a restaurant "Eitin".
The beaches are urban everywhere, so the sun loungers on the beach are the property of some Thai who pays the state for renting the beach. A sun lounger costs 30 baht and sit at least all day. They are really not comfortable - sedentary, therefore, sunbathing in them is finally not convenient. When the moon is waning, the sea during the day goes 150 meters sometimes. The water is dirty, but we swam a couple of times.
It is better to go to the nearest islands from the pier. From the hotel by tuk-tuk to the Camelot Hotel (the sign will be visible, drive for 15 minutes) for 10 baht per person, and then cut off along the courtyard street and go to the end of Walkin Street. That's where the pier is. Every hour from 9.00 to 16.00 at zero-zero, the ship sails to the island of Koh Lan (Coral Island). The last ferry from the island at 16.00 from the main pier, and at 17.00 from monkey beach. The ferry costs 30 baht per person one way.
On the island, a sun lounger is 50 baht, there is a lot of food and drink, albeit a little more expensive, but the beach is simply amazing, even with low tide.
It is absolutely easy to get burned in water (due to its refraction)! You swim for 10 minutes and that's it, you can get terrible burns, so a protective cream is a must. Some swim in T-shirts.
After returning from the island, tuk-tuks are waiting at the pier. You need to say the name of your hotel, and the driver will tell you which car to get into. The cost of the trip is 20 baht.
We went to the River Kwai. By the way, Thais really don't like it when they say Kwai, it is correct to pronounce Kwae (the river of bulls). The tour is a little tiring - 2 days, but a lot of photos and emotions. Cost from 2500 baht and above.
I also went to Cambodia for 2 days. I have long dreamed of seeing Angkor Wat and now it happened! VERY LIKE IT! ! ! It would seem like a 5 hour drive, and the country is very different from Thailand. There, by the way, for prostitution almost the death penalty.
The cost of the trip is from 7000 baht and above. BUT it's worth it! ! !
By the way, we had a hotel guide, Roman, who seemed like a nice guy, pleasant to talk to, but ...he would not miss his “piece of bread”. I bought a tour to the Kwae River from him, he said that it costs 3000 per person, then I looked in the price list - 2800. He calls me an hour later, after my purchase of the tour, and says that I should not tell anyone that I bought for 3000, i. e. to. Now this tour costs 3300. In short, I took the profit! But then, I found out that the entire “low season”, the ILVES TOUR company offered free trips to the Nong Nooch tropical park, subject to the purchase of a trip to Kwae. Roman didn't even tell us about it, you bastard! : (((( It's a shame when they deceive their own people, they don't tell the truth, they keep silent! : ((((
THE MEDICINE:
All paid medicine in Thailand! ! ! But tourists have insurance, and this sometimes helps them out. But be sure to take a minimum first aid kit with you (for the head, stomach, etc. ).
Many Russians experienced terrible stomach upsets in 10 days, up to a temperature under 40 and vomiting. They say that even in fruits there are some bacteria that are not favorable for the Gastrointestinal tract of Russians.
Massage can be done anywhere and in any salon. Foot massage (1 hour) - 200 baht (can be found for 150-170). Thai massage (1 hour) - 200 baht (I highly recommend. They give out special clothes). Oil massage (1 hour) – 300 baht (I recommend! Relaxation is amazing! )
Thais learn this in special schools, so they are not hired without certificates. Some salons serve herbal tea after the massage. In the spa centers there are also fruits, but there is a different price tag, from 1800 for 2 hours.
You can travel around the city by tuk-tuks for 10 baht (20 if you cross the center to the other side of the city), if you just waved your hand while standing by the road or nodded in response to the driver's signal. If you ask the name of the hotel and go, then the trip from each is 100 baht.
In the evening or at night, of course, it is more profitable to ride motorbikes, the trip costs 50 baht per person at any time of the day or night - quickly and with a breeze.
EMERGENCIES:
Rented scooters attract Russians because they are cheap: 30 minutes - 800 baht. BUT! When they return the scooter after riding on the water, it turns out that it is dented or broken, etc. One guy from our hotel drove for half an hour with a happy face, and when he gave the scooter back, it turned out that there was a huge hole on the bottom! I could not prove anything - I paid 300 euros! ! !
You can’t ride motorbikes without a Thai license, but our Russians easily rent and drive, despite the left-hand traffic. The Thais are also not stupid, adjusting the situation with an accident and shaking out the pockets of farangs (white people).
Therefore, if you rent a vehicle, you just need to carefully inspect it!
SEX AND ENTERTAINMENT:
Animation in hotels, as in Turkey and Egypt, no!
All the fun on the beach street and on Walkin Street (Red Light District). There are also disco clubs and restaurants.
On Walkin Street, there are people at every meter who poke posters with inscriptions in different languages in the face. The content is something like this: Here you can see shocking Asia! Well, think for yourself what Taiki can show on the stage of this institution. These people shied away from me, saw my piercing, cold look and left. : ))))
The choice of gays, lesbians, transvestites and others is great. Perhaps the largest concentration in Asia. It is worth noting that EVERY THIRD GAY IS SICK WITH AIDS! In general, catching a venereal infection after a night with any representative of Walkin Street is quite simple! Alas!
Of course, it’s better to do shopping in Bangkok - it’s cheaper and the choice is huge, but in Pattaya there are no problems with this either. On Saturday and Sunday, the city has a SUPER ECONOMY market, where everything costs a penny.
Ask your guides, they will explain how to get there.
Of course, the jewelry and latex factories offer everything, but they sell really good things there! You just need to ask for a DISCOUNT, sometimes they even reduce it by 50-60%. : )))
SUCCESSFUL REST ALL! ! !
