I was there from January 28.2011 to February 17 for an inexpensive tour, this hotel is what you need, good breakfasts Russian chef, next to the hotel a closed cafe with European cuisine is not expensive and a massage parlor, the only thing I didn’t like was a 45-minute trip to the beach like to work, so the last For 4 days we rented supports near karon beach.
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I was there from January 28.2011 to February 17 for an inexpensive tour, this hotel is what you need, good breakfasts Russian chef, next to the hotel a closed cafe with European cuisine is not expensive and a massage parlor, the only thing I didn’t like was a 45-minute trip to the beach like to work, so the last For 4 days we rented supports near karon beach. And everyone liked it!
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Rest time: January 2011 Advantages: food, Russian-speaking hotel staff, infrastructure around the hotel. Cons: service, room comfort, beach. It is important: - Getting to the sea is not so easy and fast. If by bus, which the hotel provides for free, then 40-45 minutes to Karon Beach. It all depends on traffic jams.
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Rest time: January 2011
Advantages: food, Russian-speaking hotel staff, infrastructure around the hotel.
Cons: service, room comfort, beach.
It is important:
- Getting to the sea is not so easy and fast. If by bus, which the hotel provides for free, then 40-45 minutes to Karon Beach. It all depends on traffic jams. If you rent a motorbike, then no more than 30 minutes of a very calm ride.
- there is no motorbike rental right next to the hotel. You have to walk for 10-15 minutes. Prices from Patong differ at times. In Patong, they start bargaining from 500 baht per day. Here I took 200 baht per day for two weeks.
- it is clear that you cannot ride without a helmet - a fine for Europeans is almost inevitable. But it is better not to go to Patong without a license. Police cordons are regularly set up to check documents precisely at the entrance to Patong. Both from the side of Phuket Town, and from the side of Karon Beach. I don't know what happens to those who are detained without rights. I have never ridden without a license and without a helmet, so there have never been any problems with the police.
- Russian in the hotel (in January) about half. They talk about "horror stories" in December (drunkenness and fights), but nothing like this happened during my stay. Vice versa. All pretty sane and decent people. They gather regularly in the evenings in the hall on the fourth floor. Quietly and calmly talk, get acquainted, share impressions.
- if you still consider that this is a 3-star hotel, then the food is very decent. Egypt and Turkey cannot be compared. Probably, the presence of a Russian chef is the reason for this. There was even a real borscht with sour cream and green onions. (it’s a pity that there is no black bread in Thailand by definition
- probably because no one at the reception speaks English, almost always in the lobby on the first floor there is a Russian-speaking representative with whom you can resolve all the unclear questions that have arisen or get some advice. Muscovite Natasha was especially remembered. Very sweet, very calm, very friendly and caring. Like a real Thai - I always met with a smile and in a good mood. It's a pity I didn't have time to get to know each other better.
- very close to the hotel - a chic supermarket "Robinson". Round-the-clock small vegetable market and a large vegetable market in the morning. Lots of cafes. Prices are much lower than on the beach. Massage parlors are also nearby.
P. S. When buying a treshka in Russia, you must always understand what you can get from 3 stars. Yes, this is not 4 or 5. But if the sun, the sea, the beach, excursions are more important for you, then this is a pretty good option for a budget holiday.
Advantages: food, Russian-speaking hotel staff, infrastructure around the hotel.
Cons: service, room comfort, beach.
It is important:
- Getting to the sea is not so easy and fast. If by bus, which the hotel provides for free, then 40-45 minutes to Karon Beach. It all depends on traffic jams. If you rent a motorbike, then no more than 30 minutes of a very calm ride.
- there is no motorbike rental right next to the hotel. You have to walk for 10-15 minutes. Prices from Patong differ at times. In Patong, they start bargaining from 500 baht per day. Here I took 200 baht per day for two weeks.
- it is clear that you cannot ride without a helmet - a fine for Europeans is almost inevitable. But it is better not to go to Patong without a license. Police cordons are regularly set up to check documents precisely at the entrance to Patong. Both from the side of Phuket Town, and from the side of Karon Beach. I don't know what happens to those who are detained without rights. I have never ridden without a license and without a helmet, so there have never been any problems with the police.
- Russian in the hotel (in January) about half. They talk about "horror stories" in December (drunkenness and fights), but nothing like this happened during my stay. Vice versa. All pretty sane and decent people. They gather regularly in the evenings in the hall on the fourth floor. Quietly and calmly talk, get acquainted, share impressions.
- if you still consider that this is a 3-star hotel, then the food is very decent. Egypt and Turkey cannot be compared. Probably, the presence of a Russian chef is the reason for this. There was even a real borscht with sour cream and green onions. (it’s a pity that there is no black bread in Thailand by definition
- probably because no one at the reception speaks English, almost always in the lobby on the first floor there is a Russian-speaking representative with whom you can resolve all the unclear questions that have arisen or get some advice. Muscovite Natasha was especially remembered. Very sweet, very calm, very friendly and caring. Like a real Thai - I always met with a smile and in a good mood. It's a pity I didn't have time to get to know each other better.
- very close to the hotel - a chic supermarket "Robinson". Round-the-clock small vegetable market and a large vegetable market in the morning. Lots of cafes. Prices are much lower than on the beach. Massage parlors are also nearby.
P. S. When buying a treshka in Russia, you must always understand what you can get from 3 stars. Yes, this is not 4 or 5. But if the sun, the sea, the beach, excursions are more important for you, then this is a pretty good option for a budget holiday.
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Good afternoon everyone! We really wanted to write a review about this hotel. Vacationing with my husband. I liked everything very much. The hotel lives up to its stars and more. This is what they wanted to write about. Pavel, that's who impressed us the most. This is the chef of this hotel. The menu changed every day, it was varied and very, very tasty.
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Good afternoon everyone!
We really wanted to write a review about this hotel. Vacationing with my husband. I liked everything very much. The hotel lives up to its stars and more. This is what they wanted to write about. Pavel, that's who impressed us the most. This is the chef of this hotel. The menu changed every day, it was varied and very, very tasty. The breakfasts were the kind you don't get in 5 star hotels. Well done! If we go again, then only in this hotel. !
We really wanted to write a review about this hotel. Vacationing with my husband. I liked everything very much. The hotel lives up to its stars and more. This is what they wanted to write about. Pavel, that's who impressed us the most. This is the chef of this hotel. The menu changed every day, it was varied and very, very tasty. The breakfasts were the kind you don't get in 5 star hotels. Well done! If we go again, then only in this hotel. !
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• traveled 13 years ago
I stayed at the Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel from November 8 to 20.2010, so the impressions are the most recent. Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 *, located in the heart of the friendly Phuket-Toun, is part of the Thai network of several hotels of different stars under the general name Thavorn. In my quite sophisticated look (this is not the first time in Thailand, from the countries of Southeast Asia I have also repeatedly visited Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia), the city hotel Thavorn Grand Plaza fully meets the needs of an experienced tourist and firmly corresponds to the declared category.
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I stayed at the Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel from November 8 to 20.2010, so the impressions are the most recent.
Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 *, located in the heart of the friendly Phuket-Toun, is part of the Thai network of several hotels of different stars under the general name Thavorn.
In my quite sophisticated look (this is not the first time in Thailand, from the countries of Southeast Asia I have also repeatedly visited Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia), the city hotel Thavorn Grand Plaza fully meets the needs of an experienced tourist and firmly corresponds to the declared category.
CHEAP AND TASTE
For little money (a room costs from $ 20, that is, about 600 rubles, or 600 baht per day) you get not only everything you need, but also a lot of pleasure: the room is very large (I lived in the DeLuxe single), the bed is wide and comfortable with elastic quality mattress.
There is a refrigerator (two bottles of mineral water are put there daily for free), a TV with 50 international channels (Russian-speaking - one), a comfortable bathroom, finished in marble, equipped with a large bathtub, and not just a shower.
Air conditioning individual, with temperature control. Of course, he could work quieter, but that's how lucky you are with the number. The furniture is old, but made of natural wood. The floor is paved with nice tiles - in my opinion, it's cool to walk on it barefoot, it's better to wear slippers, which, by the way, as well as bathrobes, are included in the price of only DeLuxe rooms.
Cleaning in the rooms - daily, high-quality, linen is changed depending on the degree of pollution. I left all the small money on the TV stand and on the table - I thought they would take it - but no one touched it during my entire stay at the hotel.
The refrigerator can be loaded with local beer / rum / whiskey, if desired, bought for a penny (by Moscow standards) in a supermarket opposite the hotel.
FREE INTERNET AND TWO POOLS
Thavorn Grand Plaza unexpectedly found a good infrastructure. The hotel was built and decorated in a business style, and since it is not located on the sea, but in the center of Phuket-Toun, it is equipped with two swimming pools at once (on the 10th and 3rd floors).
What pleasantly surprised me was Internet access: in a 3 * hotel it is absolutely free and is presented in two forms: there is Wi-Fi (it is caught, however, not from all rooms: from mine, located on the 9th floor, the reception was, but unstable, but from the halls, the restaurant and even the pool, the signal is good, so feel free to take a laptop).
Wired, free and, by the way, very fast Internet is presented on the 4th floor in the so-called "Social Zone": there are four computers equipped with brand new flat screens.
You can sit as long as you want, no one will say a word, there is a bar, a huge LCD TV panel on the wall, soft sofas. No passwords are required to connect to the Internet: just click on the Internet icon and go!
EXCELLENT LOCATION
The most important advantage of the hotel, in my opinion, lies in its location, although this is a matter of taste: after all, someone needs round-the-clock attention to his person. However, if you are a traveler by nature, have been not only in Turkey and Egypt, and do not intend to overpay in Thailand just for the fact that the hotel will be located across the road from the beach and cost from $ 100 per day, then Thavorn Grand Plaza, it seems to me , You'll like it.
Once again, this is not a beach hotel! It is located in the heart of the real Phuket with its cheap Thai prices, the freshest seafood in numerous wonderful restaurants, supermarkets and shops designed for every taste and budget.
In general, all the necessary services are located right around the hotel - ranging from several massage parlors offering the classic Tai massage (from 200 baht per hour, two hours for 300), to the notorious All Body massage: in Thailand, this is the name of Thai massage with a naked body, followed by penetration into her)).
I must say right away that I haven’t tried it myself - I prefer a sweet acquaintance out of mutual sympathy, but there is no friend for taste and color, as they say: the cost of evening service in a three-story house of dates (it is red and white with balconies and is located directly opposite the hotel from the opposite main entrance side) is 2500 baht per hour.
Since the windows of my room faced exactly this side, I could make sure that this institution is very popular, including among the Thais themselves, which, apparently, can indirectly indicate the good quality of the services provided there.
Returning late one evening on a motorcycle from another voyage around the island, I looked into the window of this institution: there, as in an aquarium, behind glass in a lighted room, young and very attractive Thai women sit and lie on armchairs.
A pimp mother came out to me and told me about the conditions described above, and the girls from the aquarium at that time invited me to come in and have some fun with inviting gestures and sweet poses. I did not accept the offer, but after all, this information may be useful to someone, right, guys? ))
ASK FOR A UPPER FLOOR
When I was choosing a tour in Moscow, I thought: since Thavorn Grand Plaza is located in the city center, I will have to put up with the inevitable noise from numerous motorbikes. It turned out nothing of the sort! Just ask for a higher floor when you check in. This hotel is one of the highest in Phuket-Toun, and a small rumble from below does not bother you at all, and there are no noisy nightlife under the windows.
FREE DAILY SHUTTLE BUS TO THE SEA AND BACK
A free minibus to Karon Beach from Thavorn Grand Plaza runs daily. In my opinion, the check-out time - 10.00 - is the optimal one: you have time to sleep, have a leisurely breakfast and go to the beach.
I personally set the alarm for 8.00, got up at 8.30, slowly took a bath, then went down to the first floor, had breakfast, and when I got up from the table, an air-conditioned Toyota minibus was already standing at the entrance. True, there was a case when the new driver was late for half an hour, and they left for the sea at 10.30.
The road really takes 30-35 minutes, even with possible traffic jams. There are even two return flights from the sea to the hotel: at 15.30 and at 19.30.
ADVANTAGES OF A CHAIN HOTEL
As I understand it, the city's Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * is part of a chain of hotels located on the island in different places. The minibus will bring you to Thavorn Palm Beach 4 * located on the really beautiful Karon beach: wide and long, strewn with luxurious sand.
So it turns out: you pay from 20 dollars a day, you live in the very center, you go to a quality Thai massage at prices for locals, you have free Internet, and at the sea you enjoy the benefits of a 4 * hotel, where a room costs from 100 dollars a day, and one cocktail - 300 baht.
At the same time, dishes of Russian cuisine - borscht, lazy cabbage rolls, goulash with potatoes, which are sometimes so nostalgically lacking in a foreign land, are cooked for Thavorn hotels of three, four and five stars, as it turned out, by the same person - Russian chef Pavel, with whom we met later.
PURE HUMAN
As an experienced traveler, it is difficult to pleasantly surprise me with something: more often it happened the other way around)). But miracles, it turns out, still happen: upon arrival at Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 *, I asked at the reception for a room as high as possible, to which I received an answer that the Standard category room due to me on the ticket is available only on the second floor.
I was already in the mood for long unpleasant negotiations with the staff, when suddenly an intelligent young man approached me and politely asked in Russian what wishes I would have about the room. "The floor is higher so that there is less possible noise from motorbikes, " I replied.
And then everything was simple, clear and beautiful. "Standart really stayed only on the second floor. But we are glad to have a guest from Russia, we have a free DeLuxe-room, and we will accommodate you there without any additional payment, " the young man instantly decided the question.
Accompanying me to my magically drawn suite, Adele (that was the name of my new acquaintance) told me that he had moved to Phuket from Kazan two years ago. And although he works in Thavorn Palm Beach Resort 4 * on the coast, he was specifically asked to come to Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * to meet and comfortably accommodate Russian tourists. And besides me, there were only four Russians in the hotel, and they also got DeLuxe.
It happens like this: usually our compatriots abroad are trying to quickly "divorce" for money, "selling" them something expensive and not very necessary, until they get used to it. And Adele demonstrated a professional, clear, and most importantly, a human approach, already forgotten in Russia itself.
The issue was not limited to number. After checking in, Adele answered all my picky questions about Phuket and, with pleasure and obviously from the bottom of his heart, gave a tour of the surroundings where the hotel was located, so after an hour I already knew where everything was.
In addition, on the free map received at the reception, Adele, at my request, marked all the sights that are worth visiting on the island, drawing the most convenient ways to get to them with arrows.
Looking ahead, I can say that Adele also helped with the rental of a Honda 125CC motorbike with a semi-automatic transmission, on which I then traveled independently around Phuket for 10 days.
Of course, you can rent a bike in any country in the world on your own, but the price and the issue of trust between the local rental company and the motorcyclist are important here.
MOTOBIKE RENTAL
If you have been riding around your hometown on a scooter, or a full-fledged motorcycle with a gearbox, do not be afraid to rent this vehicle in Phuket-toun as well. I assure you that the traffic in Thailand is much friendlier, more predictable, more gentle and safer than in most major cities in Russia.
At first, always control yourself by leaving in the morning on the roadway: are you driving in the oncoming lane? Be sure to wear a helmet on yourself and the head of your half: in addition to creating the illusion of safety, this will save you from a large fine)).
In Thailand (as well as throughout Southeast Asia), motorcycles with engines of a small volume by European standards (from 50 to 125 cubic centimeters) and with a semi-automatic transmission are justifiably very popular.
Modifications of the Honda Cub (cub) scooter, which has been produced since the mid-fifties (! ), at one time brought the supercompany Honda to the leaders of the world motorcycle industry, and still brings the lion's share of the profit to its budget.
In Thailand, this amazingly light, powerful and agile motorcycle is branded as Honda Wave/Honda Innova/Honda Dream. Renting this legendary toy in Phuket-Toun in the Thavorn Grand Plaza area, I was told, should cost no more than 150 baht per day (on the coast from 200 baht per day).
A prerequisite is the presence of a driver's license (better, of course, categories "A" and "B", like mine, but just "B" will work). Never leave your passport as a pledge, to anyone and anywhere, but rather make photocopies of all the main documents in advance, which you present only at the request of the police. They took the original driver's license from me as a deposit (ha, they didn't know it was a duplicate)).
The fine for driving without a license by agreement with the policeman is paid on the spot, and is 500 baht. Cheap or expensive - decide for yourself. I will only note that if you do not drive like crazy, do not break the rules hard and drive in a helmet, the chance that a policeman will stop you is negligible. If this happened (it happened to me in Pattaya, when I taxied without a helmet forgotten in a cafe at low speed on a huge Honda Shadow-750 chopper in the Walking Street area) advice: smile and don’t act Russian aggressively. Do not swing your rights in bad English: in any case, you will turn out to be wrong, but then you will immediately end up with an unreasonably large amount.
I personally agreed to a trip to the police station: I was wondering how they are there)). It turned out to be very decent.
I had a cheerful and kind conversation with the police, they issued me an absolutely real receipt with an official fine for driving without a helmet (something in the region of 300 baht), after which a friendly motorcycle taxi driver, at my request, took me to the Honda Shadow parking lot, from where I set off on it in a cafe behind a forgotten helmet. Every cloud has a silver lining: they gave me the helmet without talking, otherwise I would have remembered it only in the hotel)).
EXPERIENCED TIPS))
If you really want to look at the life of native Thais (and they, unlike those who work in the tourism industry on the coast, are very nice, sincerely smiling, and quite disinterested towards a friendly European, simply because he is big and white) do not immediately go to Patong Beach with its ostentatious comfort, debauchery and triple the prices (from this point of view, even Pattaya with its famous Walking Street looks much more advantageous).
If you arrived at least for two weeks (and for a shorter period, in my opinion, it’s not worth going to Southeast Asia (SEA), one flight eats up two days), then:
Be sure to rest calmly for a couple of days after the flight.
Do not drink a lot of alcohol according to the stupid Russian tradition “for arrival”, smoke less, sleep longer, moving away from Russian stresses.
Acclimatize, get used to the time difference, and in general, relax, look at the world with a smile, as you will be reminded of all the problems upon returning to Russia)).
JUST SO, FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Let me remind you of banal things: when in Thailand, use UV creams with a high degree of protection (from 20), because even through a cloudy sky, being outdoors all day, you risk getting badly burned in the very first days and ruin your own vacation.
If you are unaccustomed to national Thai cuisine, when ordering, be sure to say "No Spicy! " loudly and clearly several times when ordering.
Please note: Spicy will still be, but at least you can eat what you ordered)). And after a week it will seem to you that eating without Spicy is not interesting at all, and after 10 days you won’t understand at all how you lived before and could eat deliciously without Spicy))
SUMMARY:
What will be the rest in any country and for any money depends only on you and your attitude: as a rule, it is useless to blame the tour operator for its inevitable shortcomings on the spot, as well as to spoil your nerves when dealing with an unlucky local guide, in whose wishes, by and large account, is to "sell" you at the first and sometimes the only meeting with him a tour at an unreasonably high price.
All you need in any country in the world is a minimum knowledge of spoken English, friendliness to the locals and the understanding that no one will do anything better for you than yourself, and for this you just need to think a little and collect minimal information.
It is not wise to purchase any service without knowing how much it can cost around the nearest local corner and succumb to the guide's exhortations that it is not safe: everything will be the same, if not better, and as a rule, both better and cheaper.
But, nevertheless, be nice and friendly with the guides, and always have their mobile phone number with you, which you write down at the first meeting: in case of unforeseen circumstances, they will be obliged to provide you with minimal assistance.
Upon arrival, immediately firmly remember the name of your hotel. If you get lost, lost, drunk, do not panic at any time of the day or night: any taxi driver / auto rickshaw / tuk-tuker knows how to get to where you left off - just clearly name the hotel and bargain for the fare.
If you go to the Thavorn Grand Plaza hotel, keep in mind that this is one of the tallest buildings in Phuket-Toun, and, as I have personally seen, every local resident knows its location.
Have a good trip! ))
Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 *, located in the heart of the friendly Phuket-Toun, is part of the Thai network of several hotels of different stars under the general name Thavorn.
In my quite sophisticated look (this is not the first time in Thailand, from the countries of Southeast Asia I have also repeatedly visited Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia), the city hotel Thavorn Grand Plaza fully meets the needs of an experienced tourist and firmly corresponds to the declared category.
CHEAP AND TASTE
For little money (a room costs from $ 20, that is, about 600 rubles, or 600 baht per day) you get not only everything you need, but also a lot of pleasure: the room is very large (I lived in the DeLuxe single), the bed is wide and comfortable with elastic quality mattress.
There is a refrigerator (two bottles of mineral water are put there daily for free), a TV with 50 international channels (Russian-speaking - one), a comfortable bathroom, finished in marble, equipped with a large bathtub, and not just a shower.
Air conditioning individual, with temperature control. Of course, he could work quieter, but that's how lucky you are with the number. The furniture is old, but made of natural wood. The floor is paved with nice tiles - in my opinion, it's cool to walk on it barefoot, it's better to wear slippers, which, by the way, as well as bathrobes, are included in the price of only DeLuxe rooms.
Cleaning in the rooms - daily, high-quality, linen is changed depending on the degree of pollution. I left all the small money on the TV stand and on the table - I thought they would take it - but no one touched it during my entire stay at the hotel.
The refrigerator can be loaded with local beer / rum / whiskey, if desired, bought for a penny (by Moscow standards) in a supermarket opposite the hotel.
FREE INTERNET AND TWO POOLS
Thavorn Grand Plaza unexpectedly found a good infrastructure. The hotel was built and decorated in a business style, and since it is not located on the sea, but in the center of Phuket-Toun, it is equipped with two swimming pools at once (on the 10th and 3rd floors).
What pleasantly surprised me was Internet access: in a 3 * hotel it is absolutely free and is presented in two forms: there is Wi-Fi (it is caught, however, not from all rooms: from mine, located on the 9th floor, the reception was, but unstable, but from the halls, the restaurant and even the pool, the signal is good, so feel free to take a laptop).
Wired, free and, by the way, very fast Internet is presented on the 4th floor in the so-called "Social Zone": there are four computers equipped with brand new flat screens.
You can sit as long as you want, no one will say a word, there is a bar, a huge LCD TV panel on the wall, soft sofas. No passwords are required to connect to the Internet: just click on the Internet icon and go!
EXCELLENT LOCATION
The most important advantage of the hotel, in my opinion, lies in its location, although this is a matter of taste: after all, someone needs round-the-clock attention to his person. However, if you are a traveler by nature, have been not only in Turkey and Egypt, and do not intend to overpay in Thailand just for the fact that the hotel will be located across the road from the beach and cost from $ 100 per day, then Thavorn Grand Plaza, it seems to me , You'll like it.
Once again, this is not a beach hotel! It is located in the heart of the real Phuket with its cheap Thai prices, the freshest seafood in numerous wonderful restaurants, supermarkets and shops designed for every taste and budget.
In general, all the necessary services are located right around the hotel - ranging from several massage parlors offering the classic Tai massage (from 200 baht per hour, two hours for 300), to the notorious All Body massage: in Thailand, this is the name of Thai massage with a naked body, followed by penetration into her)).
I must say right away that I haven’t tried it myself - I prefer a sweet acquaintance out of mutual sympathy, but there is no friend for taste and color, as they say: the cost of evening service in a three-story house of dates (it is red and white with balconies and is located directly opposite the hotel from the opposite main entrance side) is 2500 baht per hour.
Since the windows of my room faced exactly this side, I could make sure that this institution is very popular, including among the Thais themselves, which, apparently, can indirectly indicate the good quality of the services provided there.
Returning late one evening on a motorcycle from another voyage around the island, I looked into the window of this institution: there, as in an aquarium, behind glass in a lighted room, young and very attractive Thai women sit and lie on armchairs.
A pimp mother came out to me and told me about the conditions described above, and the girls from the aquarium at that time invited me to come in and have some fun with inviting gestures and sweet poses. I did not accept the offer, but after all, this information may be useful to someone, right, guys? ))
ASK FOR A UPPER FLOOR
When I was choosing a tour in Moscow, I thought: since Thavorn Grand Plaza is located in the city center, I will have to put up with the inevitable noise from numerous motorbikes. It turned out nothing of the sort! Just ask for a higher floor when you check in. This hotel is one of the highest in Phuket-Toun, and a small rumble from below does not bother you at all, and there are no noisy nightlife under the windows.
FREE DAILY SHUTTLE BUS TO THE SEA AND BACK
A free minibus to Karon Beach from Thavorn Grand Plaza runs daily. In my opinion, the check-out time - 10.00 - is the optimal one: you have time to sleep, have a leisurely breakfast and go to the beach.
I personally set the alarm for 8.00, got up at 8.30, slowly took a bath, then went down to the first floor, had breakfast, and when I got up from the table, an air-conditioned Toyota minibus was already standing at the entrance. True, there was a case when the new driver was late for half an hour, and they left for the sea at 10.30.
The road really takes 30-35 minutes, even with possible traffic jams. There are even two return flights from the sea to the hotel: at 15.30 and at 19.30.
ADVANTAGES OF A CHAIN HOTEL
As I understand it, the city's Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * is part of a chain of hotels located on the island in different places. The minibus will bring you to Thavorn Palm Beach 4 * located on the really beautiful Karon beach: wide and long, strewn with luxurious sand.
So it turns out: you pay from 20 dollars a day, you live in the very center, you go to a quality Thai massage at prices for locals, you have free Internet, and at the sea you enjoy the benefits of a 4 * hotel, where a room costs from 100 dollars a day, and one cocktail - 300 baht.
At the same time, dishes of Russian cuisine - borscht, lazy cabbage rolls, goulash with potatoes, which are sometimes so nostalgically lacking in a foreign land, are cooked for Thavorn hotels of three, four and five stars, as it turned out, by the same person - Russian chef Pavel, with whom we met later.
PURE HUMAN
As an experienced traveler, it is difficult to pleasantly surprise me with something: more often it happened the other way around)). But miracles, it turns out, still happen: upon arrival at Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 *, I asked at the reception for a room as high as possible, to which I received an answer that the Standard category room due to me on the ticket is available only on the second floor.
I was already in the mood for long unpleasant negotiations with the staff, when suddenly an intelligent young man approached me and politely asked in Russian what wishes I would have about the room. "The floor is higher so that there is less possible noise from motorbikes, " I replied.
And then everything was simple, clear and beautiful. "Standart really stayed only on the second floor. But we are glad to have a guest from Russia, we have a free DeLuxe-room, and we will accommodate you there without any additional payment, " the young man instantly decided the question.
Accompanying me to my magically drawn suite, Adele (that was the name of my new acquaintance) told me that he had moved to Phuket from Kazan two years ago. And although he works in Thavorn Palm Beach Resort 4 * on the coast, he was specifically asked to come to Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * to meet and comfortably accommodate Russian tourists. And besides me, there were only four Russians in the hotel, and they also got DeLuxe.
It happens like this: usually our compatriots abroad are trying to quickly "divorce" for money, "selling" them something expensive and not very necessary, until they get used to it. And Adele demonstrated a professional, clear, and most importantly, a human approach, already forgotten in Russia itself.
The issue was not limited to number. After checking in, Adele answered all my picky questions about Phuket and, with pleasure and obviously from the bottom of his heart, gave a tour of the surroundings where the hotel was located, so after an hour I already knew where everything was.
In addition, on the free map received at the reception, Adele, at my request, marked all the sights that are worth visiting on the island, drawing the most convenient ways to get to them with arrows.
Looking ahead, I can say that Adele also helped with the rental of a Honda 125CC motorbike with a semi-automatic transmission, on which I then traveled independently around Phuket for 10 days.
Of course, you can rent a bike in any country in the world on your own, but the price and the issue of trust between the local rental company and the motorcyclist are important here.
MOTOBIKE RENTAL
If you have been riding around your hometown on a scooter, or a full-fledged motorcycle with a gearbox, do not be afraid to rent this vehicle in Phuket-toun as well. I assure you that the traffic in Thailand is much friendlier, more predictable, more gentle and safer than in most major cities in Russia.
At first, always control yourself by leaving in the morning on the roadway: are you driving in the oncoming lane? Be sure to wear a helmet on yourself and the head of your half: in addition to creating the illusion of safety, this will save you from a large fine)).
In Thailand (as well as throughout Southeast Asia), motorcycles with engines of a small volume by European standards (from 50 to 125 cubic centimeters) and with a semi-automatic transmission are justifiably very popular.
Modifications of the Honda Cub (cub) scooter, which has been produced since the mid-fifties (! ), at one time brought the supercompany Honda to the leaders of the world motorcycle industry, and still brings the lion's share of the profit to its budget.
In Thailand, this amazingly light, powerful and agile motorcycle is branded as Honda Wave/Honda Innova/Honda Dream. Renting this legendary toy in Phuket-Toun in the Thavorn Grand Plaza area, I was told, should cost no more than 150 baht per day (on the coast from 200 baht per day).
A prerequisite is the presence of a driver's license (better, of course, categories "A" and "B", like mine, but just "B" will work). Never leave your passport as a pledge, to anyone and anywhere, but rather make photocopies of all the main documents in advance, which you present only at the request of the police. They took the original driver's license from me as a deposit (ha, they didn't know it was a duplicate)).
The fine for driving without a license by agreement with the policeman is paid on the spot, and is 500 baht. Cheap or expensive - decide for yourself. I will only note that if you do not drive like crazy, do not break the rules hard and drive in a helmet, the chance that a policeman will stop you is negligible. If this happened (it happened to me in Pattaya, when I taxied without a helmet forgotten in a cafe at low speed on a huge Honda Shadow-750 chopper in the Walking Street area) advice: smile and don’t act Russian aggressively. Do not swing your rights in bad English: in any case, you will turn out to be wrong, but then you will immediately end up with an unreasonably large amount.
I personally agreed to a trip to the police station: I was wondering how they are there)). It turned out to be very decent.
I had a cheerful and kind conversation with the police, they issued me an absolutely real receipt with an official fine for driving without a helmet (something in the region of 300 baht), after which a friendly motorcycle taxi driver, at my request, took me to the Honda Shadow parking lot, from where I set off on it in a cafe behind a forgotten helmet. Every cloud has a silver lining: they gave me the helmet without talking, otherwise I would have remembered it only in the hotel)).
EXPERIENCED TIPS))
If you really want to look at the life of native Thais (and they, unlike those who work in the tourism industry on the coast, are very nice, sincerely smiling, and quite disinterested towards a friendly European, simply because he is big and white) do not immediately go to Patong Beach with its ostentatious comfort, debauchery and triple the prices (from this point of view, even Pattaya with its famous Walking Street looks much more advantageous).
If you arrived at least for two weeks (and for a shorter period, in my opinion, it’s not worth going to Southeast Asia (SEA), one flight eats up two days), then:
Be sure to rest calmly for a couple of days after the flight.
Do not drink a lot of alcohol according to the stupid Russian tradition “for arrival”, smoke less, sleep longer, moving away from Russian stresses.
Acclimatize, get used to the time difference, and in general, relax, look at the world with a smile, as you will be reminded of all the problems upon returning to Russia)).
JUST SO, FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
Let me remind you of banal things: when in Thailand, use UV creams with a high degree of protection (from 20), because even through a cloudy sky, being outdoors all day, you risk getting badly burned in the very first days and ruin your own vacation.
If you are unaccustomed to national Thai cuisine, when ordering, be sure to say "No Spicy! " loudly and clearly several times when ordering.
Please note: Spicy will still be, but at least you can eat what you ordered)). And after a week it will seem to you that eating without Spicy is not interesting at all, and after 10 days you won’t understand at all how you lived before and could eat deliciously without Spicy))
SUMMARY:
What will be the rest in any country and for any money depends only on you and your attitude: as a rule, it is useless to blame the tour operator for its inevitable shortcomings on the spot, as well as to spoil your nerves when dealing with an unlucky local guide, in whose wishes, by and large account, is to "sell" you at the first and sometimes the only meeting with him a tour at an unreasonably high price.
All you need in any country in the world is a minimum knowledge of spoken English, friendliness to the locals and the understanding that no one will do anything better for you than yourself, and for this you just need to think a little and collect minimal information.
It is not wise to purchase any service without knowing how much it can cost around the nearest local corner and succumb to the guide's exhortations that it is not safe: everything will be the same, if not better, and as a rule, both better and cheaper.
But, nevertheless, be nice and friendly with the guides, and always have their mobile phone number with you, which you write down at the first meeting: in case of unforeseen circumstances, they will be obliged to provide you with minimal assistance.
Upon arrival, immediately firmly remember the name of your hotel. If you get lost, lost, drunk, do not panic at any time of the day or night: any taxi driver / auto rickshaw / tuk-tuker knows how to get to where you left off - just clearly name the hotel and bargain for the fare.
If you go to the Thavorn Grand Plaza hotel, keep in mind that this is one of the tallest buildings in Phuket-Toun, and, as I have personally seen, every local resident knows its location.
Have a good trip! ))
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