Hello my beautiful Gems!
It feels like a lifetime since I last wrote a blog for you all and I am sorry I have been MIA. I have been crazy busy with Life's ups and downs and excitements.
If you follow me on Instagram you will know that me and my Husband Tom have recently returned from Thailand, and this was our second visit there. What can I say...the place is full of wonders, smiles, curiosities and hangovers! I thought I would share my experience of Thailand with you all and give you some tips on some of the best places we visited, what to avoid and things to do. So if this interests you, grab a cuppa and keep on reading!
FLIGHTS
We flew with Emirates the first time we went to Thailand, which was in November 2017. This was our first experience flying with this airline and I can tell you it did not disappoint! The flight was around 17 hours with a change over at Dubai airport. The service on the plane was excellent, and I liked that there were a large variety of Movies and TV shows that you could sit and comfortably watch, which is great especially for people who are nervous flyers.
With our most recent visit to Thailand in February 2019, we flew with Thai Airways. This was also our first experience flying with them and they were also great. However, I would say I prefer Emirates only because the standards in service were much higher, and there weren't a lot of Movie choices to watch with Thai Airways, which I know is not a big deal, it's just personal choice.
TOUCHDOWN IN BANGKOK
When you arrive at Bangkok Airport, (I believe there are 2 main ones), it may be worth paying to skip the queue as this can sometimes be a very long and tiring wait to get through. We had paid for this service the first time and had someone assist us pass the queue and showed us where we needed to go. Everyone will also need to fill out an immigration form where you state exactly where you are staying. DO NOT lose this as you will also need this when you return home, else you may have issues departing.
BANGKOK CITY
Bangkok is all about the hustle and bustle of a city life and has almost everything you need. Although I'm a small town young woman, I thrive in City vibes. With Bangkok's next to none food choices including the famous street foods, you will never get bored of eating. I know some people may worry about eating street food, but there is nothing wrong with it. It's fresh and tasty and cooked by the locals who are really pleasant. I would say just use common sense and ensure the food is cooked through. One great place to eat is Zanzibar, which has a really nice atmosphere, delicious foods and is located not far from Soi 8. Just so you know, a Soi is a side street that branches off a main road.
HOTEL
We stayed in Soi 8 which is very close to the Sky Train, at Adelphi Suites which is a modern and very affordable hotel. It has a restaurant called Monsoon which is very popular and the food is amazing. It is available to anyone but you may have to book a table as it's so popular.
The hotel which we stayed in Soi 18 was called Park Plaza and this is a fantastic hotel to stay in. The service was Brilliant and the rooms were beautiful.
SHOPPING
Shopping is a MUST in Bangkok, and there is A LOT of shopping that can be done! Make sure you check out places such as Terminal 21 and MBK Centre, which are both huge in door shopping centres . Number 1 rule when you shop, don't forget to haggle! To be honest the locals also love to haggle with you.
TRANSPORT
Although you can easily catch a taxi or tuk tuk anywhere, I feel the fastest way to get to places that are too far to walk is by taking the Sky Train. Trains arrive every 2 minutes so you don't have to wait long at all. It is mostly packed with people so be sure to hold on to something so you don't fall over! If you do prefer to take taxi's then download an app called Grab, which is similar to Uber.
MASSAGES
Massages are one of the things I absolutely love and look forward to when I go to Thailand. The prices vary but there are so many massage salons everywhere! On average a 60 minute full body massage will cost you 400 Baht. Currently the exchange rate is 40 Baht to £1 GBP. So the massage cost me £10! In Soi 8, I recommend Ivory Spa as their treatments and services were great! In Soi 18 which is where I stayed the first time I went, you need to try the Lean on Tree for massages. It will look like a restaurant but if you walk further in, you will see a door to their spa. The staff were super friendly and made me feel very comfortable.
Yes, you do have those special massage salons, if you're into the whole 'Happy Ending' thing, and it is easy to tell which ones they are simply from the outside. The ones who offer those services normally have quite a lot of girls outside dressed in more fitted clothing and wear more makeup. But to be fair the biggest give away is that they will grab your attention if you are a guy and are walking passed either alone or with a group of lads. I noticed they won't say anything if you are a guy and are walking with your female partner.
TEMPLES
There are plenty of temples to visit in Bangkok such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha which is absolutely beautiful to look at. There are Temples all over Thailand not just in Bangkok. Regarding the dress codes, you need to be quite covered up as a sign of respect. There is normally a sign when you get there that tells you what is allowed and what isn't. However don't worry there is normally a place within the temples that you can either buy, or wear something for free to cover up.
NIGHTLIFE
The nightlife in Thailand is epic if you know where you're going and what you want to see. If you want affordability and you like strip clubs, go go bars etc then Nana Plaza is the place for you. If you enjoy Sky Bars and don't mind splashing a bit of cash then I would recommend Lebua State Tower, which you see a glimpse of at the beginning in Hangover 2 movie, and Escape Bangkok which has a beach theme, a lot of neon lights and the drinks and food are amazing!
PHUKET
This was our first time going to Phuket, and we stayed in Patong. I have to say, I didn't actually enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It is VERY touristy so the beaches were quite crowded, whereas me and my Husband prefer more quieter and secluded beaches for that luxury kind of feel. However, we still had a great time, and OMG it was HOT! I couldn't use anything less than Factor 50 as most days it was close to 40 degrees celsius and we were in the dry season. Also definitely take mosquito spray with you.
HOTEL
We stayed at The Charm Resort. The hotel has four different sections and I only saw one section of it. The rooms were good and the rooftop pool and bar area is really nice. The best thing about it was that we got a perfect view of a sunset every evening around 6 pm, which is great to watch in the infinity pool. The only thing I would say is I didn't feel the service was as good as the other hotels I have stayed in. However, it could be due to the fact that they are a much bigger hotel, therefore the service didn't feel quite as personal.
MASSAGES
So of course once I got there I had to try a few different massage places to find my favourite Go To place as I like sticking with the same one. In no time I found Kanak. My initial thoughts to be honest was, I wasn't sure! Only because I have only gone to Spas with a proper massage bed. However, although the place was decorated nicely, they had mattresses behind curtains, which now I know is actually common. The girls that work here are so nice! I actually made friends with them all and we had such a laugh. Their massages were amazing I highly recommend them!
NIGHTLIFE
If you want the nightlife then Bangla Road is for you! It's a strip with bars and clubs on both sides as you walk down, lights and billboard screens everywhere and open strip bars. You will also get a lot of people come up to you selling tickets to see shows such as Ping Pong. If you want to know what it is google it. Unless you are underage in which case stay away from the internet! The first time I had heard of this I had no idea what it was and innocently asked my dad! The tuk tuk's in Patong seemed to all have a set price of 200 Baht. However we hardly used them and mainly walked.
TRIPS AND TOURS
If you want to book any trips such as the James Bond Island, (I highly recommend this trip I had so much fun), I recommend booking it with A S Tour and Travel. There are a couple of these shops which you can go into on the main road. The girls are very well spoken and you can still haggle and agree on a great deal together. Travel is included in the tour where a taxi would normally arrive at your hotel to collect you and drop you off too. Normally booking tours and trips through your hotel can be quite pricey, however you can get quotes and compare prices before you book. Other trips which are worth considering is the famous Phi Phi Island tour. Due to my injured leg and not being able to get it wet whilst it healed I had to cancel this trip. You also have the elephant sanctuary. Avoid elephant trekking if you are against animal cruelty. I have an elephant post on my Instagram from 2017 with more detail about this.
TIP. If you want to go on Jet Skis DO NOT go directly with them when they ask you on the beach! There is a scam going around which involves some people taking you out and then later accusing you of damaging their Jet Ski, resulting in them refusing to take you back until you pay them for the damages, which they would of caused themselves. Just make sure you are safe and book through a legit tour/travel agency, or through your hotel.
KOH SAMUI
Samui Island was where we stayed the first time we travelled to Thailand for our Honeymoon. This place was right up our street! It is...beautiful. It is pretty much postcard picture perfect, with its quieter luxurious beaches, white sands and clear waters. Price wise it can be bit more pricier, but overall for what you get it is still cheaper than what you would normally pay.
We stayed at Sareeraya Villas & Suites. This place took my breath away. Hands down the best accommodation I have stayed in so far. We had a large bedroom with a sliding door that opened up on to the balcony, where you had your own hot tub and view of the sea as we were right on the beach. Sareeraya also has a high end Spa which is actually in a separate building behind the villa. However as it is very high end, the massages here cost £50 for 60 minutes. That didn't stop me though!
The town still has everything you need from shops, to bars to restaurants, however it's not as hectic and full of tourists which is quite nice. I would say Koh Samui is ideal for couples and Honeymooners. At times Tom and myself ate on the beach at night with no one around us, with a romantic candle lit atmosphere...memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
So I hope you found this helpful and if you have been to Thailand before I hope this brought back some amazing memories of your own, and if you have never been, get saving, grab your bags and go and get LOST in Thailand! We have been twice yet have not seen everything yet as there is so much to see! If you have any questions you can always email me or DM me in Instagram.
XOXO
