A Week in Sanya, Hainan, the “Hawaii of China”

Posted on by Vicki

Sanya is a city in the southern portion of China’s Hainan Island, known as the “Hawaii of China.” This was our eighth stop on our six-week honeymoon around the world. We were officially in the latter half of our trip and planned to spend a relaxing week in the south of China, soaking up the sun. Continue reading to learn about how we booked the trip, language, currency, transportation, our hotel, food, small town visits, downtown visits, and an excursion to a breathtaking park.

How We Booked

First, I’ll dive into a mini education for those couples reading this that are engaged…While you’re engaged, you have the opportunity to attend many events, such as wedding expos and venue expos. A wedding expo is a general expo probably hosted at a conference center in your town that will feature many different venues and vendors. A venue expo is hosted by a particular venue, and they usually showcase their preferred vendors. The latter is mostly for couples who are already booked or interested in booking that particular venue. These are free opportunities to learn more about venues and vendors. Often, there are door prizes that you can enter into just for attending the event or booth prizes that you can enter if you speak to the representative running that booth. My point in telling you about these events and prizes is that you should take advantage of all the wedding perks you can.

We happen to have won our week-long stay in Sanya as a door prize at a venue expo! Well, we particularly won a week-long hotel stay for a company that had properties all over the world. We knew we’d be in Asia, so we searched their website for an eligible Asia hotel during our dates and found our hotel in Sanya. You do still pay taxes and fees (and likely airfare) when you win trips like these, so it’s not totally free, but it’s significantly cheaper than if you paid the full price.

If you are looking into booking Sanya and aren’t limited by a prize trip (like we were), then you may consider booking closer to the downtown area. Although we were in a quiet resort-lined beach area, we did need to taxi about 23 minutes to get to the main hub on Jiefang Road.

Language

Overall, the main languages in Sanya are Hainanese, Putonghua, Cantonese and, believe it or not, Russian. We learned that a lot of people who live in Russia also vacation to this island, being that it’s a tropical paradise pretty close to home. We even saw signs in Russian when in town.

The first challenge we had experienced in Sanya was that no one working in our hotel spoke a lick of English. It was extreme culture shock, because everywhere that we had been thus far in Asia did speak some English, and Hubby speaks Japanese. It took some patience, and both the front desk receptionist and us using a translating app, but we eventually successfully communicated.

Don’t let lack of speaking the language deter you from traveling to new places. With technology these days, you can communicate easily enough. However, we do always recommend you learn a few pleasantries in the foreign language such as “please,” “thank you,” “hello,” and “goodbye.” We also recommend you learn emergency words such as “help” and “police” just in case. But hopefully you’ll never use those.

Currency

We forgot to use an ATM at the airport to take out Chinese Yuan (the primary currency on the island). We still had some Yuan leftover from our visit to Beijing, but we were running low. So we took a taxi into the downtown area to find an ATM. We stopped into several small banks, and our cards wouldn’t work in the machines. We recognized the Agricultural Bank of China, and that bank allowed us to withdraw. But for a hot second, we thought we were stranded in China with no money or even enough cash to taxi back to the hotel. Very stressful. Long story short, definitely pull out cash in the airport ATM where there is bound to be some English speaker who can answer questions if you experience problems. Not all stores will accept credit cards in China, so it’s essential to carry enough cash on you for your stay. For reference, at the time of writing this post, $1 USD is around ¥7.15 Chinese Yuan—a great exchange rate!

Transportation

The Sanya airport is very small. It’s actually two buildings: one for domestic and one for international flights. Arriving into Sanya was easy. We hopped into a taxi, and our hotel was only twelve minutes from the airport. Upon leaving Sanya a week later, however, we did have some confusion as to which building to be dropped off at. We figured that since we were heading to Japan we should go to the international terminal, so we got dropped off at the larger modern international building. But they made us change buildings, because our flight stopped briefly in Guangzhou, China, and they therefore treated our flight as domestic. Ensure extra time in case you too have to switch buildings. We had to schlep our luggages across the whole terminal, down a couple flights of steps, across a small street, and into the next building.

The domestic building seemed like it was the original airport building. Although smaller and older, it had a charming vibe with wood accents. Though small, it still had an airport lounge with some snacks and beverages, which we were grateful for. Beware that if flying domestic (or if you have a domestic layover like we had) through China, you will go back through a screening process when you land, and any foods and liquids (even purchased in the previous airport) must be discarded. We had packed a few snacks and waters from the Sanya airport lounge, and when we landed in Guangzhou they were confiscated.

Taxis were available easily at the airport. We recommend you print out all of your hotel/excursion paperwork so you can show the address to your drivers. Communication may not be easy, and having the printout will allow drivers to see the exact place you are trying to go. Once at the hotel, because it is located outside of downtown, taxis will need to be called by the front desk. Once you are in the downtown area, you can find taxis all over. Even at the park we visited, there was a taxi line at the exit.

Hotel

We stayed at the HNA @ International Asia Pacific Convention Center Sanya, located in the Sanya Bay Resort District. This area was resort after resort lining just across the street from the beach. When we booked the hotel online through the prize company, the photos looked great! And although the hotel ended up being very nice, it looked absolutely NOTHING like the photos online. So that was a minor shock upon arrival.

Our hotel looked nothing like these two photos that were on our final booking paperwork

They originally gave us a great room, with the exception of the two twin beds. For our honeymoon, that just wasn’t going to fly. So we went back downstairs and used the translation app to say that we wanted the beds together (hand motions and all). They gave us a new room with a king size bed, but now it was a small room with a partial wall and street view instead of the spectacular view that we had before, overlooking the large pool area. This second room should have been a utility closet or something. So we defeatedly went back downstairs and said we would just take the original room. Hubby was awesome and did some rearranging of the furniture, and boom, a king size honeymoon bed!

Our room was very nice! I believe this was the largest room of our six-week honeymoon. It had a separate desk and sitting area, spacious bathroom, closet, mini fridge, newly created king size bed, a balcony with chairs, and a great view. Had we been on a higher floor than the second, we probably could have seen the ocean view over the tree line. But even without an ocean view, our room was perfect because we had a pool view. It also became convenient when one of us went upstairs to grab something and we could talk to the person below to see if they needed anything before heading back down.

The lobby was spacious. We took the stairs most days instead of waiting for the elevator, because we were only on the second floor. The downstairs had a bar, a small convenience store, and a restaurant. The back area included the largest hotel pool I’ve ever seen in my life. It was so large that even with everyone swimming, you were never too close to anyone else. There was plenty of space for kids in shallow waters, exercise laps, and waders like myself getting carried around by the wind on my float. Lounge chairs lined the pool area. I do feel they could have supplied more chairs as only some had optimal sun vs shade ratio. We had to get downstairs early to claim our chairs, but after learning that on our first day, we were fine. There was also an outdoor portion of the restaurant and fountains leading to the beach across the street.

Once across the street, you are literally in the sand. The beach was never too busy. As the whole area has resorts lining the beach, it was private. I am an avid seashell finder, and when I am at any beach I am scoping the sand for pretty shells. We started to find a bunch of shells and were picking them all up. Then we realized there were small creatures living in them and dropped them back into the water. We found very few shells without small crabs and snails inside. So, although the beach in this region has nice shells, you will be hard-pressed to find something you can bring home. After seven days, we probably only had a sandwich bag full. There was definitely a noticeably higher level of waste in the water than we had experienced at any other beach around the world. But we saw lots of jelly fish in the water at the time of year we visited (May), so we didn’t go in anyway. But that didn’t stop us from enjoying daily sunset walks on the beach.

Food

On our first night at the hotel we ate dinner at the poolside restaurant. There was a talented singer who performed nightly, which created a nice ambiance. But we ordered a beef dish and literally got a plate full of small bones with no meat on it. We couldn’t even tell what part of the animal it was because it was in such small pieces. Beef at all? Questionable. We felt like we were being pranked. We tried to eat it, laughing the whole time at the scenario. Even in Beijing China, we hadn’t had difficulty ordering because all the menus had photos next to each dish. Here, too, there were photos, but nothing was in English so we weren’t even sure what we ordered! We left a bit hungry that night but with good laughs. Other nights that we ate dinner at our hotel, we took a cue from the Russian tourists and ordered meat kebabs. Those were great!

Super Skeptical about the kebabs after our first dining experience…but they ended up being great!

On the second night, we ventured to a neighboring hotel’s restaurant. Our goal in exploring the neighborhood had honestly been to find an ATM. The hotel was a Sheraton, so we figured maybe the American brand hotel would have an ATM that our cards would work in. It didn’t. However, we learned they had a buffet and decided to eat there for dinner. This buffet was about $30 USD per person. For China, that was expensive, but they had great food. Our favorite was the endless supply of grilled lamb chops. Nice ambiance again with live entertainment and outdoor seating under the moonlight. Ended up being our nicest and most romantic dinner.

The next day, we went to the front desk to ask about things to do in the area and grocery stores to buy snacks. We tried using the translating app again to communicate. Then a friendly pilot from an airline company came over and introduced himself. Apparently, his company puts the pilot and flight attendants up in the hotel overnight all the time, as it’s so close to the airport. He knew the area like the back of his hand. He explained that local small-town food shops and restaurants were in walking distance just a few blocks away. We were so excited to meet another English speaker and grateful that stores were so close we could just go out and explore.

We followed his directions exactly: walk out of the hotel to the main front road, turn right, walk down to the first stoplight, cross the street to the left, walk down a block, cross a small bridge, and then that upcoming strip of stores was our destination on Taoyuan Road. It was about a ten-minute walk and well worth it! We found many grocery stores. For beverages, we purchased large bottles of water and juice. For breakfast, we got fresh fruits like different varieties of mangoes and bananas, muffins, buns, and yogurt. For lunch, we got instant ramen bowls. There were so many flavors to choose from that each day it felt like we were eating something different. We also purchased a ton of snack foods like crazy flavored chips (the steak flavor was my ultimate favorite), cookies, candies, etc. All the food was extremely affordable, but the ramen was our best purchase. It was so hot outside in May that we also purchased ice creams and ate them as we continued our walk.

On our first trip to this strip of stores, we found a small family-owned local restaurant to stop in and eat lunch. They had pictures posted of all the food, so we felt confident when we ordered. We got a beef noodle dish and a chicken dish, and both were delicious! The gentleman who owned the shop literally hand-made the noodles in front of us, folding the dough over several times until it became many layers, stretching out the layers until they were thin strings, then cutting the long strings into delicious, fresh noodles. On another occasion, we ate at a Chinese fast food chicken and burger joint. We didn’t know the name, but they had a picture of a Ninja Burger as their logo. They sold fried chicken sandwiches that we really liked. We ended up visiting this restaurant a few times during our stay, as it was convenient, reliable (not a plate of bones!), and had a scene of young people our age eating there due to free Wi-Fi. We also saw on the map app on our cell phones that there was a dumpling joint nearby and tried to eat there, but it seemed to be closed permanently.

In the downtown area that was a taxi ride away, we found a bunch of stores, restaurants, and fast food options. The day we were walking around that area, we found Pizza Hut and decided to stop in to eat. Even though that chain is somewhere we could eat in America, it was totally different than America, because they had very unique flavors for pizza. Hubby’s pie was actually a square cheese-stuffed crust segmented into four flavors: pineapple ham, pepperoni, vegetable, and Korean BBQ pork with eel sauce. I got a personal pan pineapple ham (my favorite). On another trip to the downtown area, we also got McDonald’s. I know, we kept choosing American fast food in China, but honestly after the plate of bones on the first day, a real meal was more than welcome. On the taxi ride to the downtown area, you will also pass some really cool buildings with some creative architecture. Pleasant surprises everywhere you look in Sanya!

Day-Trip Excursion

This honeymoon stop was totally supposed to be about relaxing and no excursions, and although Hubby would have been pleased to spend a full seven days tanning poolside, I was going stir crazy only a few days in. We did some impromptu online searches for things to do in the area and found the Yalong Bay Tropic Paradise Forest Park. We got ready for the day, took a taxi into town (Jiefang Road) to a large grocery store for snacks and water bottles. Then we hailed another taxi and drove about 35 minutes to the park. On the way there, we kept researching and learned that by the time we arrived we would only have two and a half hours to explore before they closed. Oh well, we were already on our way!

Upon arrival, you purchase the ¥158 CNY ($22.10 USD) ticket and then get ushered onto a small open-air bus that takes you for a ride up the mountain. When we got off, we went on a great hike up steep rock steps until we finally came to a large canyon with a rope footbridge. It was a breathtaking view. A bit crowded, but if you have patience, you can get some less obstructed shots. After the bridge, we continued on our hike to some treehouse lookouts. Although we had a great day, we wished we had known about the hours of operation prior to visiting, because we would have made an earlier start and had a full day there. The park definitely has a lot more to offer than we experienced. Plan your day accordingly. Even writing this post, I looked up the park again and realized they have a transparent-floor illusion bridge. Can’t believe we missed that!!

My Biggest Regret

Whether lounging poolside, walking along the beach, taking a taxi into town, or at the park, everywhere we looked we saw couples with professional photographers doing photoshoots. This was a popular activity in Hainan because of the tropical lush greenery and blue water vistas. I wholeheartedly regret not going over and trying to communicate with them to see if we could set up a photo shoot. They had been at our resort daily, so it would have been convenient, and with the exchange rate it probably wouldn’t have been too expensive. The photographer at our resort brought a see-through kayak, a surf board that said “engaged” on it, and some other props. Often, the photographer placed the couple, stepped back to get himself ready for the shot, and then his assistant did the final touch before the photo was snapped. This could have been something like drifting the kayak out into the pool to make them look like they were in the middle of the water or splashing water at just the right spot. The photos were completely staged, but I’m sure they looked beautiful in the end and would have been a unique souvenir of our time in China.

Pro Tips

  • Hainan is a tropical place, and small creatures may find their way into your room. Therefore, avoid leaving any open food out. There was a time we went out for dinner and came back in to find a small animal (of an unknown variety still to this day) scurry out of the way when we flipped the lights on. I screamed, and it was gone. Maybe a large mouse or shudder very large spider. I couldn’t even sleep in the room that night until Hubby completed a full inspection of the place and confirmed he couldn’t find it. I guess however it got in, it got back out. We never saw it again, because from that point on we wrapped up everything and put it into the fridge when we were done with it.
  • We found a store that sold general items, and I picked up a large donut pool float. Our resort had floats for rent, which were such a waste of money because they rented per hour! So I was extremely happy when we found these floats. It came deflated and they filled it with a machine when we purchased. After we got back to the hotel, we realized it was beginning to deflate—just our luck! But we are in China, so there was no option of returns. A hole in my new donut float! I was devastated. Haha We took the float to the pool to see where the bubbles of air were coming out, and then get crafty and covered the tiny hole with a sprinkle size piece or duct tape. In the end you can hardly tell that we did a repair because it blended in so perfectly with the design. We already had duct tape on hand because our brand-new luggage broke earlier in the trip, and we had to buy duct tape to tape it back together until we got back home to return it. The float was a total splurge, because the price was about what I would have paid in America, but I will say that it significantly increased my poolside enjoyment, and over a year later I still have it. So well worth the money! Don’t waste money on renting from your resort.
  • You will find the most unique purple seashells in Sanya. Beware that even when no animal seems to be living inside, if you take it from the beach, it will smell like something died in it. Purple is my favorite color and I was taken aback by the beauty of these shells in varying shades from lilac to plum. I took two back up to our hotel room and ended up relocating them to the balcony until I finally ditched them back on the beach. Stinky little things! Pictures below show the snail type animal that would normally live in this shell.

The island of Hainan, in China, and the city of Sanya specifically, was a complete surprise to us. We booked it on a whim, having never heard of it before. We planned on sun and relaxation and got so much more. Everything since even before wedding day had been a whirlwind, and this week of lounging poolside allowed us to reset. Staying off the beaten path allowed us to explore and dine like locals. We also learned some valuable travel lessons that we’ll keep with us forever. We highly recommend Sanya!

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Two Days in Bangkok Thailand

Posted on by Vicki

Songs like Murray Head’s One Night In Bangkok and movies like The Hangover Part 2 showcase Bangkok as a crazy fun city that you don’t need to spend too much time in (because it could get you in trouble). So the perfect place to honeymoon, right? Next stop on our six-week honeymoon around the world is Bangkok! If you missed our other Thailand posts, click here for Chiang Mai Part 1 and Part 2 and Phuket Part 1 and Part 2. Bangkok is an enjoyable city full of culture and nightlife but small enough that you can experience most of what it has to offer in a short duration of time. In this post, we’ll be covering transportation, hotel, temples, and nighttime activities.

Day 1

We were flying domestic from Phuket Thailand to Bangkok Thailand and used Thai Air. The best part of the flight was the meal surprisingly. They served these hot-pocket style margherita calzones that were so tasty. For an hour-and-twenty-five-minute flight, we were surprised they fed us anything. Flights within Thailand are so cheap too! We only paid $37 USD per person. For that price, it’s absolutely worth it to see several cities, not to mention that it may be cheaper flying internationally out of Bangkok because it’s a larger airport hub than some other big cities in Thailand. Adding a few days’ stay in Bangkok may save you some dough in the long run on flights alone.

After the flight landed at 3:30pm, we took a train to our hotel. As always, it’s important to us that our hotel is close to public transit so we can avoid taxis. We booked the Hotel Solo Sukhumvit 2, which was walking distance from the train and sported a modern lobby and a spacious room.

  • Although we were near transit, in hindsight, the biggest downfall was that we were too far from the attractions that we wanted to see. We had selected a hotel that was close to a train station, but if we had selected a hotel that was closer to the temples, then we wouldn’t have needed to go on trains at all. Our train rides didn’t take that long, but it was extra travel time that took away from us enjoying the city. So our major advice for Bangkok (or any city you stay in for about 48 hours) would be to stay in walking distance from your attractions, if affordable.
  • The second downfall is that our hotel included a nice rooftop pool and we didn’t even have time to go in it. We only searched for hotels with pools, so perhaps there would have been more availability, cheaper rates, or options closer to the temples had we not filtered by that amenity. If you are visiting a city for a brief stay, just skip the extra search filters. You’ll hardly spend much time in the hotel anyway.
  • Photo Credit: Hotel Solo Sukhumvit 2
  • Photo Credit: Hotel Solo Sukhumvit 2
  • Photo Credit: Hotel Solo Sukhumvit 2
  • Photo Credit: Hotel Solo Sukhumvit 2

By the time we checked in, unpacked, and got ready for the night, it was already starting to sunset. I had learned of a riverside market called Asiatique The Riverfront that had dining, shopping, and some rides. A night market sounded like the perfect activity for our first night. We took public transportation there, which included two above-ground trains followed by a brief ferry ride. The total trip was about 50 minutes. The trains seemed older than the trains in China and Hong Kong, but it was actually really nice arriving by ferry over to the attraction, because the route was more scenic than if we took a taxi.

We were ready for dinner, so we went straight to the BKK Food Fest area. There were many vendors with booths of varying options. We first walked around to see the options and create a game-plan, then we got to work ordering and eating our small bites. We ate so many different things! Lots of little deep-fried sea foods, so hubby was happy, but there were all sorts of choices. The food was tasty, we left full, and we did not get food poisoning. Hubby had just recovered from a bad bout of food poisoning from Phuket, so we were super grateful that the newly introduced food didn’t bring the illness back. There there were some adventurous scorpion and insect options too, though we didn’t partake.

After we ate, we walked around the rides area that included bumper cars, a ferris wheel, a carousel, and other smaller amusement rides. Then we headed indoors to check out the shopping. There are some storefront options of chain stores, and then there are booths like a real night market. They sold all types of goods, so we picked up some souvenirs as we walked around.

We finished shopping and decided to go back the exact way we arrived. Since Asiatique was soon closing, there was a long line for the ferry to leave. We figured we’d wait so we could experience the river at night. It moved pretty fast, and soon enough we were on the two trains and then walking to our hotel. It was close to midnight when we arrived back and we were waking for an early start, so we went straight to bed.

Funny art installation we saw while on the train

Day 2

Before our trip, I had done a lot of research on what there is to do in Bangkok. I read about the several main temples and attractions that, if timed out perfectly, you could see all in one day. So my mission became creating the most perfect one-day Bangkok temple itinerary!

Start your day with an early wakeup, and either eat breakfast at your hotel or on your walk to the attractions.

8:15am-10:30am:

The first stop will be the Grand Palace which opens at 8:30am daily. I recommend you arrive 15 minutes early to get in the queue to purchase tickets, which are free of charge for Thai natives and ฿500 TB ($16.30 USD) for foreigners. These tickets provide access to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace, and Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.

The site was very busy in the morning. Lots of tourists like ourselves trying to start their morning with the Grand Palace. But don’t let that scare you away though. I’m sure it’s just as busy all day long, because it was definitely worth the stop. The site is massive. There are many buildings and beautifully manicured garden areas to explore and take photos of. We first stopped at the Emerald Buddha, which is a large meditating Buddha made from a solid piece of green jade, clothed in gold and diamonds. This attraction was the most crowded. We took our shoes off, walked in, saw the buddha, and then exited. It was very unique from the rest of the buddha figures we had seen in Thailand though. Had it not been so crowded inside, we may have spent more time looking around.

Just after seeing the Emerald Buddha, it started to downpour, and the rain did not let up for a short while. We took refuge in one of the open structures and waited out the storm. The storm definitely helped to lessen the crowded morning rush, because after it stopped there were so many less people on site. We continued to walk around and explore the grounds. The Grand Palace that was once lived in by kings has fantastic architecture and garden courtyards. We didn’t go inside any of the Palace buildings, but it was still neat seeing them up close.

Next stop was the Queen’s Textile museum which showcased many outfits Queen Sirikit had worn, with photos of her at outings wearing them. I loved seeing all the vintage outfits, hats, and bags. While we were visiting, the Textile Museum had a special exhibit celebrating the 200-year-old friendship between the U.S. and Thailand. We hadn’t known what the exhibit was when we entered the museum, but it was cool we got to experience something so relatable! Not sure if they do this for all exhibits, but don’t miss the interactive area on the first floor left side. If all exhibits are as wonderfully done as the one we experienced, this museum is a must-see! It’s totally indoors and a nice air-conditioned break from the heat. We spent around an hour in the museum alone, but in total you could spend two to three hours at the Grand Palace. Had we not been rained out, we probably would have spent more time exploring the grounds.

10:30am-10:47am:

Next stop was to the Wat Pho Temple which was a 17-minute walk from the Grand Palace.

10:47am-12:50pm:

Wat Pho Temple or Temple of the Reclining Buddha opens daily at 8:00am. Upon arrival, you will wait at a ticket booth to purchase your ฿100 TB ($3.26 USD) ticket, then you are allowed entry into the large property. We first got in the queue for the large golden reclining Buddha. This was my favorite temple of the day, because the Buddha was so large: 160 feet long to be exact! It made for some really great photos. The line snaked us through the building, and along the way you had many opportunities to snag some sweet pics of every angle of the structure. Since you were always walking along the railing, you had unobstructed views for photos. The line brings you down the front then up the back of the long Buddha body.

Although the Reclining Buddha is probably what brings most people to this property, there is so much more to see. We walked around for another good bit of time taking pictures. There were other buildings, statues sprinkled throughout the gardens, and sweet sleepy kitty-cats everywhere (photos at the end)! We spent almost two hours at the property.

12:50pm-1:20pm:

Next, we walked right across the street about a minute’s walk to a restaurant called the Tha Tian Store City Lodge. It was a small place but was busy, so we figured they must have some good food. We found the food to be tasty and the service to be good and fast. We didn’t want to spend too much time at lunch, so it perfectly worked into our schedule. Looking at this restaurant’s reviews on Google, I see now that it has mixed reviews. We had a fine time, but if you wanted to check out other options, that whole street is lined with food options. Don’t veer too far, because the ferry is close by and also our next mode of transportation. I’ve read good things about these other options: Krisa Coffee Stop, Krua Khun Kung, and Old Town Café.

1:20pm-1:30pm:

This next stretch of time was spent walking from the restaurant down a side street to the ferry, purchasing our ฿4.00 TB ($0.13 USD) ticket, waiting for the boat, boarding, and riding directly across the Chao Phraya River to the next temple. With no waits, this trip is 10 minutes. I have some more notes in the transportation section below to help you speed up the process of finding the ferry.

1:30pm-2:30pm:

Our next stop was to the Wat Arun Temple or Temple of the Dawn, which opens daily at 8:30am. When you get off the ferry, you will need to purchase a ticket to enter the grounds for ฿50 TB ($1.63 USD). The way it was built in a tall, towering structure reminded me of the pyramids from Egypt. Unlike some of the other colorful Thai temples we had seen, Wat Arun from a distance looked very white, but as you got closer you began to realize the backdrop of the temple is white with a very intricate pattern of red, blue, green, and yellow mosaic tiles. I found this temple exterior to be the most beautiful. We spent about an hour walking around the grounds.

2:30pm-3:15pm:

When we left Wat Arun, we took a ferry back across the river to where we had started, then we transferred to a different ferry line that would take us farther south toward our next destination. There were several stops along the way, so the ride took a little bit of time, but I’ll never complain about a nearly free boat ride!

3:15pm-7:00pm:

Next, we headed to the River City Shopping Complex, which is a huge mall that specializes in antiques. We weren’t really in the market for antiques, but our next activity was a dinner cruise that left from the waterfront of this shopping center, so we decided to head there a little early and hang out in the mall. We explored some of the stores which really did sell all types of antique items, and then we stopped at their pharmacy to pick up some essentials we had been running low on.

7:00pm-7:30pm:

Then we were ready to cap off the night with a Princess dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. They suggested you arrive 30 minutes early for the 7:30pm departure. We walked back downstairs pier side, and it was a sea of people! Apparently, our Princess dinner cruise wasn’t the only company leaving from this pier. It took us a few minutes to maneuver through the crowd and find our actual boat. There were these ornately dressed, overly-pleasant hosts that greeted us. They asked for our ticket and in exchange they provided us with a purple orchid and greenery corsage pin and an orange sticker. Each boat company did the same with a different color flower and sticker. Later as they would check everyone in, this would help make it easy to board: wrong flower and sticker, wrong boat! Next, the host took a picture of us. Then, we were welcomed to take a seat and wait for boarding.

7:30pm-9:30pm:

The website states that “The River Star Princess Cruise will take you to enjoy the beautiful night scenery on both sides of the Chao Praya River in our cruise seat. The captain of River Star Princess Cruise will be leading the boat up to Rama 8 Bridge and then, you will have an unique opportunity to get some snapshots of two most wonderful night spots in Bangkok, Wat Arun The Temple of Dawn and the Grand Palace & Wat Pra Kaew -The Temple of Emerald Buddha. Time for your dinner under the candle light with “Live Music” in a romantic atmosphere. Delight the Thai & International cuisine in a superb buffet. Enjoy the Thai classical dancing performance and disco on the cruise.”

I recommend you arrive early so you can guarantee a seat right on the water. Hubby and I were seated at a table with other people, but we arrived first, so we sat across from each other and took the river seats. This allowed us to get unobstructed photos without heads or the boat in them. For ฿1,400 TB ($45.66 USD), everything was pretty much included. We had drinks, a huge yummy international buffet spread, live entertainment, and the cruise itself, which allowed us to see all the temples we saw during the day all lit up at night and a great vantage point for photos. We really enjoyed ourselves. While we were eating dessert, the host delivered our framed photo in a cute red frame. While we were dining, they must have printed them and got them all ready as included souvenirs. This was very unexpected and a nice touch to end the evening.

9:30pm-10:30pm:

The only disadvantage of the cruise was waiting for a taxi to get back to our hotel. As you can imagine, all the cruises arrived back at the same time, so it was another madhouse on the pier. The taxi stand was an absolute wreck! It took us forever to find our car (hailed via a Thai version of Uber or Lyft) and leave. If I could do this over again, I’d either take a ferry back toward Wat Pho Temple or walk several blocks away from the mall to call a taxi on the street.

By the time our taxi found us, we were exhausted, and just wanting to go back to the hotel to crash. The ride back wasn’t too bad once we were in the car. In hindsight, this was our only night to go and enjoy the rooftop pool, but we were exhausted and just wanted to crash. Walking temples all day and eating a big meal will have that effect on you.

Alternatives for the Itinerary:

  • There is definitely a chunk of time between our temples and the dinner cruise—however, you really can’t plan down to the minute because you’ll want to have enough time to walk through each temple property without being rushed. You may take more or less time than we did. So leave some wiggle room and maybe have a backup activity to fill the gap and maximize time if your temples finish fast.
  • To fill the gap, you could add an activity such as a longer nice sit-down lunch, a short Thai cooking class, a massage parlor, the National Gallery Bangkok, or a Jim Thompson House tour.
  • Our hotel was too far to go there and back between temples and the dinner cruise. It would have been nice to get all dolled up for dinner. Perhaps if you select a hotel closer to the attractions, you can run back, relax poolside, or take a honeymoon siesta, then get freshened up before you head out.
  • Even though you may think 8:30am is too early to be at the first temple, and if you have room you can shift everything later, DON’T! It’s literally so hot, you guys – SO HOT IN THAILAND. The earlier in the morning you go, the cooler it will be. We arrived at the shopping mall at the peak of heat for the day, and the air conditioning was welcome.

Day 3

We woke up and packed up the room. The end of Bangkok was quickly approaching. The next stop on our honeymoon was to a city called Sanya, located on the island of Hainan in China. Due to us flying international, we wanted to be at the airport three hours in advance. Our flight departed at 4:00pm, so we arrived by 1:00pm.

Transportation Options

  • The Bangkok Skytrain (known as the BTS) and the Bangkok Subway (known as the MRT) are the two most convenient ways to travel around Bangkok. Trains were good, but in my opinion it’s not a large system with enough lines. In comparison, the BTS and MRT in Bangkok only jointly have 5 lines, whereas Beijing and New York City have 20+ lines.
  • Skytrain Photo Credit: Bangkok.com
  • Subway Photo Credit: Bangkok.com
  • Ferries were also a great option if traveling along the riverfront. They make multiple stops along the way, so it’s not that quick, but it was nice being on the water. The trickiest thing about the ferry is finding some of the entrance booths to purchase tickets and get on. It’s not as commercialized as you would think. There is not a lot of signage, and some of them sort of look like you are entering a tin shopping or food hut (like a night market booth), not a ferry terminal. We always pre-download maps of the cities we are visiting, so we used Google maps (which was surprisingly reliable and accurate!) to help us find the exact locations of the entrances. We took ferries to get to Asiatique and our dinner cruise.
Photo Credit: Travelvui.com
  • Taxis are expensive, but tuk-tuks are even more expensive. There is an Uber/Lyft-like app you can download called Grab. For us, it said “five minutes until pick up” but that easily turned into a 30-minute wait. Maybe it doesn’t take traffic into consideration? if you don’t mind waiting, the Grab app is the cheapest kind of car transit. I recommend you download it before your travels.
  • Taxi Photo Credit: Bangkok.com
  • Tuk Tuk Photo Credit: Bangkok.com
  • Walking in May just wasn’t an option for us. We tried to walk where we could, but it was so hot. If you visit Bangkok at a cooler time of year, then stay as close to your attractions as possible and walk. It will save you money as well as time waiting for transportation.

Pro Tips:

  • Women must cover up shoulders and knees while visiting sacred temples. It was so hot in May that I decided to wear a sleeveless, below-the-knee dress and then brought a t-shirt along with us that I threw on whenever we were going inside a temple. I just couldn’t bear the heat, being so covered the entire day, so adding the t-shirt layer worked perfectly.
  • Sticky mango rice is life. We didn’t eat it nearly enough times in Thailand, and you can hardly find it of the same quality back in America; when you find it, it tastes totally different. I don’t even eat coconut, but I LOVED this dish.
  • To avoid illness, don’t drink the tap water in Thailand. Only take ice when it has the hole in the center. This is a sign that it may have been processed and purified. If you have access to airport lounges, stock up on a few water bottles that will tide you over until you can purchase bottles at a convenience store.
  • The largest market in the world, called Chatuchak Weekend Market, exists in Bangkok, but it’s only open on weekends. We missed it since we visited on a Thursday and Friday and didn’t have a full weekend day to explore. If you visit on a weekend, then maybe add in a day just for shopping and exploring this area of town.
Photo Credit: Tripsavvy.com
  • Bangkok is also known for having fun full-moon rooftop parties. Unfortunately, we weren’t visiting during a full moon, but if you are then definitely look into if your hotel or a local bar is having a party you can attend.
  • Be cautious if wanting to purchase Buddha memorabilia. You will see it sold everywhere you turn, but Buddha is a sacred symbol and there are fines or jail time if you are seen to be disgracing the symbol or not following the strict exportation of Buddha rules.

Bangkok is a great stopover if you are headed to a destination in Asia and want to spend a few days in an additional city. We were able to experience multiple iconic temples, enjoy an exhibit on Thailand and American friendship, and have two nights out on the town. Although short-lived, we enjoyed our jam-packed 48 hours in Bangkok.

…Ending on some temple animals for your viewing pleasure…

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3 Day Phuket Thailand Itinerary – Part 2

Posted on by Vicki

Welcome back to our Phuket, Thailand, three-day itinerary! If you haven’t yet read Part One, where we cover our wonderful resort and the Patong Beach city center, then click here. This week’s post will cover the most spectacular beach with the clearest water, fewest people, and best snorkeling in Phuket, Thailand (and maybe the world?)!

My biggest fear is being eaten by a shark in the ocean. As irrational as it sounds, I even hesitate to dip my toe into the water, or a shark is going to just open its mouth and eat me whole. I don’t have severe phobias such as Galeophobia (fear of sharks) or Thalassophobia (fear of the ocean or deep dark water), but I won’t go in water if I can’t clearly see my toes. Knowing this, my hubby knew it was essential that we find the clearest water if I was going to enjoy snorkeling with him. He just didn’t want to be in a super touristy area and surrounded by people.

Just the day before, we had been in town near Patong Beach at the Jungceylon Shopping Center, and we stopped at a travel agent booth to book our tour:

  • Travel agent recommended: Based on our guidelines of clear water, few people, and great snorkeling, the SeaStar Andaman company is the only option that is willing to go the extra distance and take guests out to the middle-of-nowhere paradise. This tour literally takes you to the farthest south island of Phuket, meaning that it has to be an all-day tour because it is a long distance to cover.
  • What our travel agent said to avoid: She said most people ask for the famous Phi Phi Islands or James Bond Islands of Phuket. Although those are the most photographed, the water is brown because of the quantity of boats and people visiting daily. The fish avoid those areas because the water is so murky, and therefore there isn’t good snorkeling. The other companies jam multiple tours in a day by completing half-day excursions to these nearby mainland attractions.

I was wavering booking at first because I don’t like to make quick decisions, and it seemed so expensive at ฿ 2,315 Thai Baht. Hubby on the other hand can make more impulsive buys with the facts, so he quickly ran the conversion numbers for me. ฿ 2,315 Thai Baht equals $75 USD. That was a more palatable number for me, and with the conversion and travel agent recommendations in hand, we decided to book.

Day 3

I began my day at the resort’s beachfront restaurant breakfast buffet by downing my breakfast as quickly as possible as to not be late for our early shuttle pick-up. Hubby stayed in the room and didn’t eat breakfast, because he had a violent case of food poisoning the night before and his body was still in the process of rejecting the white seafood pizza that he had for dinner the night before. It was really unfortunate that he had to be sick on a day we were leaving the hotel, as opposed to a day that we were lounging around, but when you book a tour in a foreign country, it’s not easily possible to cancel for refunds, so we were going to make the most of our day.

The shuttle van picked us up first and we headed off-property to pick up more guests. The ride was about an hour and we stopped at one other hotel to pick up an English-speaking couple, then we rode to Panwa Pier by the Chom Thong Village.

Credit: SeaStar Andaman

Upon arrival, we were ushered into a holding room with many other guests where there were light refreshments being served and gear for purchase. We began our check-in process in that large room. We figured that everyone there was for the same tour as us, but receptionists began to come in and call guests out for two other excursions. Before we knew it, there were only four people left in the room: us and the other couple we had picked up in our shuttle van. We began to joke that they must have forgotten about us. We thought it couldn’t be possible that the whole excursion was going to be for just the four of us.

We got called next. The receptionist said that it was our lucky day because only four people reserved today’s excursion. Say what?!?! She explained that the day before they had 40 people on the boat, and today it would only be the four of us! We all got super giddy because we knew that besides the fact that we chose the farthest away and most remote beach possible, this was going to be SUPER exclusive because we would basically be THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE. Talk about a deserted island! It was seriously lucky. Had we picked just a day earlier, it still would have been paradise, but not the private beach type of day that we experienced.

They gave us our goggles and flippers, and we headed to our boat. Along the walk down the dock, they stopped and took a photo of us before we boarded. Besides us, there was a captain and three other staff members on the boat. We began to depart the marina and head out to the open waters.

I felt so bad for my poor hubby. As we rode, he just felt sicker and sicker. Poor thing was laying across a bench in the back of the boat with a towel over his head. He had hardly slept the night before, and he was still queasy. Not a great mix for a day at sea. While he tried to recover from the last hours of food poisoning, I took as many photos as I could. I knew he would appreciate looking through them later.

Thailand is the most gorgeous tropical place I have ever been to. Mountains and rock formations that blend perfectly into the ocean. Many islands, some inhabited by locals, some developed by resorts, and some totally pristine and undeveloped. The bluest teal and turquoise water I have ever seen. Like literally the stuff I had only ever seen in movies which I figured was photo-shopped.

I grew up on the east coast of southern Florida. I thought the water there was clear and perfect, but once I saw southern Thailand’s waters, there is no comparison. As we went farther and farther from the mainland, the water became more clear and more blue. As we rode through the ocean past each island, we got farther and farther away from civilization. The final island we came to, Raya Noi Island, was totally uninhabited. It was a good distance from land, which may be why it wasn’t developed. As we rode in closer to land, it became more and more impressive. It was a culmination of the most unbelievable sights: mountains and rocks going straight into the ocean, a lush jungle, white sand, the bluest blue water I had ever seen in my life, and not a person in sight for miles. In the moments before we got off the boat, I knew we made the right choice booking this excursion.

There was no dock, so they turned the engine off, opened the back door, and we walked down right into a foot deep of water and onto the beach. The white sandy beach looked small enough that it may only be exposed in low tide and totally submerged in high tide. The sand at Raya Noi Island is so white that the shallow water is crystal clear pale blue. The medium water is crystal clear teal, and the deep water is royal blue. Clear light blue water is my kind of water!

The four crew members exited the boat and immediately started setting up a picnic of snacks. The tour included a full lunch (to be served later) as well as bottled drinks, fresh fruits, and packaged goods like chips and cookies on the boat and on land. We were able to go back to the picnic blanket and help ourselves as much as we wanted while at this island.

The tour also included all the snorkeling gear we needed. We put on our gear and immediately jumped into the water. I initially stayed right at the water’s edge, and hubby swam out a bit. Even though the water was super clear, I was still terrified because I hadn’t snorkeled since I was a child. I didn’t see many fish in that shallow water, so I swam out a bit farther and saw some. Eventually, I decided to take off my gear and walk on a nearby rock formation and look for shells. We ate some snacks and went back to continue snorkeling. Hubby was way braver than I was and went out deep and found vibrant coral. I could have honestly stayed at this beach all day and been 100% happy with what we paid for the excursion, but this was only stop one of four! So after maybe an hour and a half, the crew packed up and we boarded the boat to move along to the next spot.

The island north of us was Raya Island. This time, there was no beach, so they stopped the boat about 20 feet from the rocky cliff going into the water, and we were expected to hop into the middle of the sea to snorkel. Now I was really terrified! I probably would have been more comfortable if there were more people in the water with me (you don’t have to out-swim the shark—just the other people with you haha!), but it was just the four of us and another neighboring boat with a few people in the water snorkeling. From this spot, you had to jump off the back of the boat into about 20-feet-deep water. I only did it because the water was so crystal clear that I could see the bottom. Otherwise, I’d have been sitting back taking pictures of my husband enjoying himself. The area had large coral reefs and lots of colored fish swimming around. There was also a lobster in the reef. Hubby used his flippers to swim deep and capture the coral and fish with our GoPro camera. The underwater photos are awesome! I recommend anyone who does a water excursion to either have a GoPro or other underwater camera so you can cherish the memories forever! We didn’t stay in this spot as long as the first beach, because you had to swim the entire time and it does become exhaustive after a bit. So about 45 minutes later, we boarded the boat and moved along.

The next stop was for lunch being served at Siam Bay. We had worked up a mighty appetite snorkeling, and I was looking forward to a proper meal. This time, we pulled up to a more developed island called Ko Racha Yai. It had a restaurant right on the water, as well as several other buildings and resorts. There was no dock, so we pulled up the boat as close as we could to the sand and hopped into the water to walk to shore. They sat us at a four-top and paired us up with the other couple for a family-style lunch. By this point on our six-week honeymoon, hubby and I didn’t mind the company. Of course, we would have also enjoyed eating privately, but the company was welcome! We ended up having a lovely time connecting with them while we ate.

My hubby was still feeling unwell from his food poisoning, so he didn’t eat anything, but boy did he miss out! The food was delicious. This ended up being my second-favorite meal in Thailand (first being a cooking school in Chiang Mai where they let you customize your dishes). They served Thai classics—a lot of the same dishes we cooked at the cooking school—and the portions were plentiful.

After we ate, we had some time left on the island. We used the restrooms then separated from the other couple so we could explore a bit. We made our way to the water and took some time strolling down the beach and taking a few more pictures. Even though the island was more developed, it still felt like our own personal paradise and not too over-commercialized.

We were heading back north towards the marina and made our last stop at Maiton Island, a spot notorious for spotting wild dolphins. When they cut the engine, there was another boat nearby. Both captains began to blow a high pitch whistle to capture the dolphins’ attention. Soon enough, we were audience to a small school of dolphins that swam by to visit. I think we were really lucky that they happened to be around that day. The guides do say that dolphin-spottings are not guaranteed, so we felt even luckier about our already perfect day.

After the dolphins, we made the final leg of the trip back to mainland. After docking, we departed the boat and were handed a small framed photo as a parting gift. They had printed the photo we took at the beginning of the day and put it into a branded SeaStar frame. What a nice, unexpected touch! It was rare on the honeymoon we got a photo of the two of us that wasn’t a selfie, so this photo is really special! We boarded the van and made our way back to the two hotels for drop off.

When we arrived back to the Tri Trang Beach Resort, we were exhausted. The long day of swimming, saltwater, and sun had taken a lot out of us. We went downstairs to the resort’s beach-side restaurant and enjoyed our last dinner in Phuket as we listened to the sounds of live music and waves.

Day 4

We began our day with a final breakfast buffet at the resort’s beachfront restaurant. We savored every bite as we enjoyed the final ocean views. We went back upstairs and packed up our massive hotel room. This task actually took longer in Phuket than other cities, because the room was so spacious that we had really spread out and unpacked.

We schlepped all our bags down several flights of elevators and stairs leading to the front desk. The only thing worse than carrying our bags down all that way was actually leaving Phuket. We had really come to fall in love with this city. The front desk called us a taxi, and we made the hour-long drive to Phuket International Airport arriving at 11:30am. Next stop on our trip was Bangkok, Thailand, which is a domestic flight. We allotted ourselves two hours to go through security for our 1:25pm flight. Ends up, security at Phuket International is very fast. There was a quick curbside bag scanner and magnetometer walk-through, then we were inside the airport.

We are Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holders, which gives us access to Priority Pass airport lounges around the world. Normally, most airports only have lounges in the international terminals, but Phuket had both domestic and international lounges available, so since we still had almost two hours to spare, we headed to the Coral Executive Lounge. We noshed on snacks and beverages and utilized the WiFi to get a little work done and FaceTime our families. Soon after that, we boarded the flight and were on our way to Bangkok.

  • Photo Credit: LoungeBuddy
  • Photo Credit: LoungeBuddy
  • Photo Credit: LoungeBuddy
  • Photo Credit: LoungeBuddy
  • Photo Credit: LoungeBuddy

Environmental Damage

In recent years, the Thai government has decided to close certain beaches and public waterfronts due to environmental damage. I remind everyone to be respectful of the places you travel to. Never litter, do not anchor boats to coral reefs, and do not disturb the wildlife. I recommend before you travel to Thailand that you look up the beaches and islands that are restricted. This may affect the location you pick to stay. Below you can read articles about the closure of Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Leh island (as of August 2019):

Upcoming Development

Though it may seem backwards, with the closure of beaches for environmental remediation and recovery, the country has approved plans for a new Phuket airport that would open in 2025 and bring in an additional 10 million tourists a year. Having experienced the original airport, I will say that an upgrade would be nice. It would definitely make visiting a tad easier if the airport was located more centrally or in the southern area, which would cut down on travel time from the north to the bulk of the southern hotels. Location has not been announced yet, but keep your eyes open for the opening of this airport if you plan to travel to Phuket after 2025.

Our beachfront resort was more than we could have hoped for. Our excursion to a private beach in the middle of the ocean was literally paradise and our favorite day of the six-week honeymoon around the world. Sometimes I look at my husband and just groan, “Ahhhhhhh… Take me back to Phuket!” We love to visit new countries before we revisit others, so it may be a little bit before we visit Thailand again. But the beauty of Phuket’s water is something I will never forget. To me, it really can’t come back soon enough. Stay tuned for our next Amarvelous Honeymoon post that will cover our final city in Thailand – BANGKOK!

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3 Day Phuket Thailand Itinerary – Part 1

Posted on by Vicki

Phuket is a true paradise. If I had to pick one destination in the world that I have already visited that I would love to go back to, it’s Phuket. Some of my favorite honeymoon memories are from this city. In these two posts, we’ll cover the awesome beachfront resort we stayed at, Patong Beach and shopping area, and a snorkeling excursion to the most gorgeous beach I have ever seen.

Travel and Accommodations

We flew domestic from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Phuket International Airport. We knew we’d be hiring a taxi to transport us from the airport to the hotel, so, initially, proximity was important to us. But then we started investigating Phuket and realized proximity to the airport isn’t realistic. Just south of the airport is a large park space. Then the west coast of Phuket is scallop-shaped down the coast, with a beach in each scallop and hotels along each beachfront. We found that hotels farther north and closer to the airport were expensive brand-name resorts or small luxury boutique hotels that were more expensive and included less of the amenities we were looking for. So we opened our minds to taking upwards of an hour taxi ride in order to find the perfect hotel.

Picking a beachfront resort was the most important thing to me. I wasn’t going to visit a beach town and cheap out and stay a few rows back at a hotel farther inland from the beach. That makes literally no sense to me. If I was going to the beach, I was going to wake up and see the view, and sit at my hotel with my feet in the sand. I was willing to pay. We wanted to stay on the west coast of Thailand to be on the open sea, as opposed to the bay side. As Floridians, we know the difference between east-coast Atlantic Ocean water versus west-coast Gulf of Mexico water. Both are nice, but open ocean water is our preference because it is usually clearer and not brackish, like gulf or bay water can tend to be. In hindsight, that didn’t matter too much, because the scallop-shaped beaches have the same effect as the bay area, and seaweed can get swept up into those areas easily. I am really afraid of the ocean and will not go in if I can’t see my toes. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t clear enough for my intense standards, so I didn’t go in much. Hubby loved it. I tanned on the beach and reserved swimming for the pool.

Photo Credit: Tri Trang Beach Resort

We stayed at the Tri Trang Beach Resort just south of Patong Beach. This was a three-and-a-half star hotel, with 544 reviews on TripAdvisor.com. They offered a lot of awesome amenities which aided to the decision of picking this resort.

  • The resort has an in-house restaurant and bar that was located on the lower level right along the beach. The menu was diverse with foods from around the world. Having the ability to eat all your meals on-site was super convenient. We did stop by a convenience store in town to pick up snacks and bottled water for lounging poolside, but we ate all (but one) meal at the hotel restaurant. There was also a second bar in the lobby area that overlooked the ocean, and the hotel offered room service.
  • The stay included a daily breakfast buffet. There was an abundance of items to choose from including cold, hot, and cooked-to-serve options like omelets. We LOVE hotels that include breakfast, because it allows us to fill up and then either have just a snack for lunch and a full dinner, or an early dinner, and save money on a meal for the day.
  • They had organized morning entertainment of yoga, volleyball, darts, and frisbee. We didn’t partake in these activities, because we were on island-time and wanted to relax and be less structured, but it was nice that the hotel offered these activities.
  • The resort also had nightly entertainment. One night, we saw a musical group perform on the beachfront patio. You could be serenaded while having dinner and drinks overlooking the ocean. Even though we were in Thailand, we knew a bunch of the songs they played. Maybe they were catering to the Western taste of the crowd? No complaints over here! On other nights, they offered karaoke, retro party, beach party, or a movie. You are provided a schedule upon check-in so you can plan your days and attend the activities you want.
  • There was a spa at the resort. It’s not very fancy, but it was clean. My aunts had gifted us a couple’s massage to enjoy on our honeymoon (P.S. everyone deserves a couple’s massage on their honeymoon). That was both of our first times having a Thai massage. The ladies may be small, but they are mighty strong. I recommend you get a massage before you tan. Hubby got a little sunburned and then the excess rubbing of the massage hurt. I loved it.
  • The hotel is a drive from Patong Beach, so they offered a daily complementary shuttle service into town and back.
  • Tri Trang has multiple places for you to cool down in the water. They own a long stretch of private beachfront property. They also have two swimming pools on the property, and towels were provided in the lobby building. Swimming pools were a necessity for me in the hotel search. Literally searched for a beachfront property with a good-looking pool.
  • The resort was built on the side of a mountain, so it is multi-level. This was awesome for us, because they had two buildings, and, although they were all ocean-view rooms, the ones farther back and higher on the mountain were cheaper. Our upper building was a little farther walk from the beach, but we had our own pool, so we didn’t need to go far to get to water. It was a couple minutes’ walk through the property to the lower buildings’ pool and to beach access. I didn’t find it a bother at all getting up to our room. And our room had the most spectacular view, with a big balcony for a fraction of the price!
Photo Credit: Tri Trang Beach Resort
  • The room was HUGE! This was the second-largest room and bathroom we had on our six-week honeymoon. We didn’t even need all that space, but it was a very relaxing feeling to come back to a room with all your bags and clothes put away in storage and a ton of open space.
  • Photo Credit: Tri Trang Beach Resort
  • Photo Credit: Tri Trang Beach Resort
  • Photo Credit: Tri Trang Beach Resort
  • The room had a mini-fridge that we used to put our drinks in to keep cool. It was so hot outside.
  • We didn’t end up doing it, but they sell a romantic dinner for two on the beach as part of the honeymoon package. They set up a small table and all these tiki torches around you. It is private and romantic. However, they have beach dining on picnic tables with votive candles already included, so we decided against paying the extra fee.

Our western hotel standards are higher than other regions of the world. I would recommend that, if you are visiting Asia, you try to stay in a minimum three-and-a-half star accommodation so you are comfortable. Something that we observed with hotels in Asia is that four-star and five-star hotels are very affordable! You can have the luxury accommodation for a fraction of the price. If we had to rate the Tri Trang Beach Resort on a site like TripAdvisor, we would for sure give it five stars. We absolutely loved it. I felt some of the reviews on TripAdvisor are one star for all the wrong reasons. For example, someone gave a negative review because they only offer the free shuttle into town two times a day. Upon check-in they provide you with the schedule, and they explicitly have it in writing. It’s easy enough to follow a a schedule. If you can’t, then you just have to pay for a cab. Some reviews are unfair, so take that into consideration when reading reviews. Most other hotels in Asia we stayed at four-star or five-star accomodations, but because some of these negative reviews were bogus we gave Tri Trang a chance. So happy that we did!

If you are looking to save some money on accommodations, then I would recommend that you avoid all the common hotel franchise names you find in America and elsewhere around the world. Not trying to knock them at all, because I am sure they are spectacular, but these brands are all over the world so that Westerners can go to that country and feel comfortable knowing it’s a brand they trust. However, those rooms can run upwards of $200 a night. That’s basically the same price as if you stayed with them in America! You are paying for a name, not necessarily because they are better than the other options available. In Thailand, you should be spending less on a higher-end hotel than in America. A quick Kayak.com search shows that the cheapest four-star hotel you can find in Phuket is $18 USD a night. We didn’t go that cheap, but we decided to save money and stay at a locally-owned resort, and we had a wonderful time. So, in the end, we were glad we didn’t go with what we knew and decided to take a chance. Reviews like mine from this post, and other sites like TripAdvisor, should be considered before booking any hotel.

Day 1

We spent the morning of Day One flying from Chiang Mai into Phuket, traveling from the airport to the hotel, checking in, then exploring the hotel grounds.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we checked in at the lobby building. Unlike some of the other hotels we stayed at in Asia thus far, everyone at the front desk spoke English which was really nice. We were given a cold refreshment while we were signing in and doing paperwork. They had bellman available to assist with bringing our bags to our room. As I mentioned before, we picked the upper building, so we left the lobby, carried the bags up a flight of steps and across a small bridge ramp (over the street below), then by the pool area of our building, up a few more steps, then we were at the elevator for our building. The only time it was difficult being in the upper building was upon arrival and departure with all our bags. We were so grateful the bellman were available to help! Haha

When we opened the door to our room, we were blown away!!! The room was humongous. Coming from one of the tiniest rooms of our honeymoon in Chiang Mai to one of the largest rooms in Phuket, we were giddy with joy over the space. The whole room seemed to have been newly remodeled. There was plenty of closet, hanging, and storage space to fully unpack our bags and then stow them away. The bathroom was a great size, although it did not have a window like you may see in photos online. The view was breathtaking. We were in the upper building, so we had a more elevated view of the water and mountains. We saw the roof-lines of the buildings below us, but our building was so much higher than theirs that it didn’t take away from the scenery.

  • Photo Credit: Tri Trang Beach Resort

We unpacked quickly then threw on bathing suits and went out to explore the property before dusk. We firstly went down to the restaurant to grab a bite to eat for lunch. I ordered grilled chicken over pasta and hubby ordered pasta carbonara. This was the first time in Asia that we had the option of eating Italian food, so we jumped on it haha! We also ordered mango smoothies, which were absolutely heaven. They were so refreshing and the perfect drink for the extreme heat. We loved them so much that we ordered them daily. A necessity to try if you stay at this resort.

After lunch, we spent a little time at the beach then went to lounge by both pools. We tested out each pool to see which one we preferred. The pool on the lower level seemed a little nicer or more newly renovated, but it was smaller. The one on the upper level could probably use an upgrade, but it was a lot larger than the lower level pool and was nice enough for me. Both had lounge chairs available.

At this point, the sun was beginning to set and we noticed the sky was changing color a little so we ran upstairs to grab our camera. By the time we got to our room, the color was stronger, and by the time we got back down to the beach, it was even stronger. We walked down the beach to these big rocks protruding from the water and took a mini photo-shoot. The sky went from a crystal clear blue during the day to yellow, then orange, then red, then pink, then purple, and finally black. I had never seen a more beautiful sunset. While watching the sunset, I was really grateful we chose Phuket. The pictures below speak for themselves.

Day 2

Buffet breakfast was served daily from 6:30am-10:30am. We began our day at 8am with the most yummy breakfast overlooking the beach. We knew it was a hot-and-cold breakfast, but the abundance of food was really impressive. Even in America and Europe, our buffet breakfasts don’t include so many options. We had Western-type foods as well as Thai and Asian foods. We left with full, happy bellies.

The resort included a daily shuttle service into town at 9:30am and 3pm for free. Then at 12pm and 5:30pm they have an extra fee shuttle for 50 Thai Baht ($1.62 USD). Free shuttles back to the resort are at 12:30pm, 3pm, and 6pm. This was awesome, because we had planned on visiting town and thought we would have to pay for the taxi. We finished breakfast and got on the first shuttle out. We hadn’t known this when we picked the earliest shuttle that morning, but at 9:45am when we arrived at the mall they weren’t open.

So we walked around and explored town. We stopped at a convenience store and picked up snacks and bottled water. We walked over to Patong Beach and passed a bunch of bars and restaurants along the way. That was definitely the downtown area that would be poppin’ if you were looking for nighttime entertainment. We also came across a few happy-ending massage parlors. After the fact, I read online that Patong Beach has the highest amount of happy-ending massage parlors in Phuket! We didn’t partake, but this was something I’d only ever seen in movies, so it was funny to see them exist in real life.

When the Jungceylon Shopping Center opened, we walked around and found a travel agency booth. We explained that hubby wanted a isolated and private spot that wasn’t too touristy, and I wanted crystal clear water. The woman recommended a snorkeling tour that only one company (SeaStar Andaman) does because the island is the farthest south and most tour groups go to the northern more popular islands (which end up being more crowded). After looking at the brochure and seeing how perfect it looked, we deliberated for a while then booked our tickets for that next day. We purchased tickets for around $70 USD (over 2,000 Thai Baht) each. That seemed expensive for an excursion in Thailand, but in my next post you’ll see how incredible it was and why it was worth every penny.

We spend half the day exploring that area of town. We walked around so much that we got really hungry while we were out and ended up stopped at Burger King in the mall to grab some chicken nuggets as a snack. After that, we took the 3pm shuttle back to our resort.

We lounged poolside for hours and just relaxed and enjoyed the amenities. We had dinner again beach-side. Tonight, I had the pasta carbonara that hubby ate the day before, and hubby got a white sauce seafood pizza.

Pro Tips:

  • Investigate if your hotel offers a shuttle from the airport or not. The one we picked did not. Our taxi seemed expensive, but with the exchange rate from Thai baht to US dollar, it wasn’t bad for the 20-30 miles and an hour to an hour and a half that we covered.
  • Westerners should avoid tap water in Thailand. This doesn’t only mean drinking bottled water though. Consider that ice, washed fruits and vegetables, and cold deserts are all made with the same tap water. You are better off purchasing a cold refrigerated bottle or canned beverage to avoid the ice, ordering a food like a burger and holding the lettuce and tomato, skipping salads altogether, buying whole fruits and rewashing it with bottled water, and eating hot deserts. If the water has been boiled, it’s safe to consume. Sometimes drinking the water is unavoidable, so be prepared with medicine for light food poisoning or queasiness.
  • Consider playing it safe when selecting food options in Thailand. Hubby got a serious case of food poisoning while in Phuket. He had ordered a creamy white sauce seafood pizza, and that night and all the next day he was violently ill. Not sure if it was the cream sauce or the seafood that did him in, but it was bad. Ask your doctor to prescribe a backup antibiotic pill that will help in case of serious food poisoning. Our doctor prescribed hubby and me each two 500mg pills of Azithromycin, which is the generic for Zithromax. It’s a heavy-duty antibiotic, so he warned that it will kill both the good and bad bacteria, but it would clean you up if you caught a bad bug.
  • Never leave luggage or electronics under in-room air conditioning units. Our hotel room had one of those long, narrow units installed in the top of one of the walls. It was really hot in the room, even at night, so we slept with the A/C on, but it created condensation and started to leak! We had our luggage and laptop in close proximity along the wall. Had hubby not woken up during the night and turned on the light, we may have wrecked our possessions by morning. In the morning, we called the front desk and they sent someone to look at it.

Our time in Phuket is only halfway done, and the best is yet to come!! Visit back next week for a post on weddings, and in two weeks we’ll finish up Part 2 of this Phuket, Thailand, itinerary with a review of the beach with the clearest water, fewest people, and best snorkeling in Phuket, Thailand!

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3 Day Chiang Mai Thailand Itinerary – Part 2

Posted on by Vicki

This post begins our third and last day of our Chiang Mai, Thailand, itinerary. If you haven’t read about our adventures on days one and two yet, then click here. In this post, we’ll be discussing temple tours and three of the most famous ones to visit while in Chiang Mai: the stunning White Temple (pictured here), the ornate Blue Temple, and the eerie Black House.

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Quick note: Our trip to Thailand includes photos that some may find offensive. Lots of phallic imagery in this country: soaps, sculptures, paintings, and more. If you don’t wish to see these images, then check back in next week for a new Amarvelous Wedding post instead!

Day 3

We began day three with breakfast at our hotel before we were picked up by our tour bus. Since we were spending the day at temples, I needed to have covered knees and shoulders. I wore my new long wrap skirt I had purchased in Thailand on day one and a white t-shirt. Hubby wore a t-shirt and shorts. For shoes, I wore flip-flops that were easy to take off in and out of temples. Hubby wore sneakers he had to re-lace when he left each temple.

Once on the bus, we began our ride north outside of the center of town towards Chiang Rai (yes, “Rai,” not “Mai”). This was a long trip, so the tour company broke it up with several stops along the way. The first mini-stop was to a natural hot spring. It was a small watering hole that had been developed into a few stands to buy souvenirs, a convenient store, some bathrooms, and a relaxing sitting area shaded by trees with warm hot springs nearby. It was very touristy and felt like all bus companies used the same pit-stop. There were areas you could get pretty close to the hot spring for a photo op, but the water is too hot to touch, so don’t get too close! We spent a half hour here using restrooms and picking up a few snacks and cool drinks in the store. Then, once everyone was back on the bus, we continued on our journey.

Our first stop was Wat Rong Suea Ten, better known as the Blue Temple, although the name literally translates to House of the Dancing Tiger. 100 years ago, there was an ancient temple that stood in this very same spot, but over time it had deteriorated. The land had been known for wild tigers that would frequently roam the temple’s six-acre property. The town decided in 2005 that they wanted to rebuild a modern-day temple on the old property and began construction. Although the main hall is complete, there were parts still under construction (we visited in 2018), but that did not detract from the beauty. The first temple we had experienced in Thailand (on day one) was very traditional with simple coloring and style. In comparison, the Blue Temple is exploding with color and extravagant statues. The temple colors are primarily shades of blues, with pops of neon colors and many gold accents. The main hall has an underwater effect with blue from floor-to-ceiling. Something to note about this temple is that admission is free, but there is no public transit here—so instead of booking a tour, you could rent a car, or hire a tuk tuk or taxi, but I’m not sure if it would save you money in the end. For us, the convenience of being on a schedule and seeing all the temples in one day really worked well for our short trip. Once everyone made it back to the bus, we headed off to our second location.

The next stop wasn’t an actual temple but the Baan Dam Museum, literally translating to Black House. The famous Thai artist and architect Thawan Duchanee designed this property, and it was his architectural masterpiece and home until he passed away in 2014. Although mixed with gardens, the large property has a dark feeling with 40 mixed-size matte black buildings. If there are other colors mixed in, they are colors of nature, creams, and brown shades. The buildings house a very unique collection of artifacts from around the world. The two themes you will see over and over again are animal bones and parts and phallic objects. Vegans and children beware haha! Our tour guide had said the property was representative of death, suffering, human desire, and cravings. Art is subjective, so I am sure others have different interpretations than mine, but I saw natural beauty represented at the Black House. Death is a part of life, and Duchanee does well to honor the animals that came before us. There is an entry price for this museum around 100 TBH ($3.25 USD). The price was included in our tour fee.

By the time we left the Black House, I was famished. It was a super-hot and humid day, and by now we had spent a few hours either on the bus or exploring at each stop. I was so ready for lunch. We all got back on the bus and headed to our next location. Lunch was conveniently located across the street from the final temple. Sure, it was included in the price of our day, but I did not care for the lunch choice. Being so hot outside, my body could have used a retreat into some air conditioning. However, the restaurant was totally open walled and exposed to the outdoors. I hate nothing more than being hot, so this was already a bad start. We all sat and ate family style, and I was underwhelmed with the food offerings. We had the best Thai food at the cooking class on day one, so when comparing this food to that, day three was inferior. The restroom situation was also not that great. Overall, I wouldn’t go back to the restaurant. The area had a bunch of places to eat, and I would have selected a place with air conditioning if I had a choice.

We crossed the street and were standing in front of Wat Rong Khun, the famous White Temple. Opened in 1997, this was the oldest property we had been to. The original Wat Rong Khun had also been deteriorating and in bad shape when local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat decided to rebuild the temple with his own funds. A great portion of the project is completed, but there are still portions under construction that aren’t expected to be completed until 2070! This was my absolute favorite temple of the day. Every structure is white on a backdrop of the blue sky and green grass. The super-white buildings and statues look almost angelic from a distance. Some structures to note are “the Bridge of the Cycle of Rebirth,” which you use to walk up to the temple; the Gate of Heaven guarded by two statues, one representing death and the other Rahu; Ubosot, the large white building with fragments of mirrored glass embedded into the façade; and the Golden Building for restrooms. You’ll see a slew of stunning exterior photos below, but the artist doesn’t let guests take photos inside the temple, so we don’t have any photos indoors. At first, we thought that was due to a sign of respect for the place of prayer, but after being inside, we felt the paintings may be the reason why. Upon entry, turn around, and you are greeted with an incredible colorful mural sprinkled with well-known cartoons and superheroes. Just my own thoughts here, but maybe the no-photography rule has something to do with copyright laws? We purchased these thin sheet metal ornaments that you are supposed to hang on the property to add to the newest artistic walkway. However, we collect Christmas ornaments, so we figured we could use that as a memento. I felt I could have stayed at this property all day. Every turn you saw something new and beautiful. Even the bathroom area was beautiful! Based off my pictures below, and my rosy cheeks, you can probably tell how hot I was feeling. By the end of the visit, I was doing everything in my power to cool down: I had tied my hair into a top bun, had a wet towel around my neck, a cold-water bottle on my forehead, heavily utilized my paper fan, and purchased ice cream to consume while we were waiting for the rest of our party to make their way to the bus. Heat stroke, anyone? Definitely plan ahead if you are visiting in the hot season. Admission fee is a minimal 50 TBH ($1.63 USD), but they do accept additional donations. Again, the fees were included in our overall fee for the excursion.

We rode the bus back towards town and were exhausted! We got back to our hotel and took a break to wash laundry while we lounged poolside for a bit. When the wash was done, we hung it up then changed to go out for the evening. We headed to Rachadamnoen Road for the Sunday night street market and walked around from tent to tent and purchased a bunch of souvenirs for family and friends. If you are ever purchasing multiple items from one vendor, then try to work a deal into the pricing. They are usually flexible to throw in something for free.

I stopped along the way and got a foot massage while hubby kept exploring nearby. There are so many massage shops to choose from, and they are all priced similarly. I’d recommend to just pick one that doesn’t have a wait. After such a long day walking around, it was rejuvenating, and a 90-minute massage for 461 TBH ($15 USD) was expensive for Thailand but well worth it. Massages in Thailand are much cheaper than the US though! I should have gotten one a day. Don’t make my mistake.

On the bus ride back from the tour, we had run into some other Americans who told us they had been in Thailand for a couple of weeks so far and ate a lot of street food without getting sick. They recommended purchasing something directly off the grill and not to purchase something that looked grilled but had finished cooking and sat out after. As New Yorkers, we already play street food somewhat safely when in the States. Of course, we were going to play it even more safely on the streets of a night market in Thailand. We hadn’t intended on eating dinner at the market that night, but keeping in mind our new friends’ advice we felt more confident to eat some grilled snacks along the way. We didn’t end up getting sick, so I was glad that we took a chance and tried some grilled meats.

We got back to our hotel, brought our newly-washed-and-hang-dried clothes back to our room, and, after such a long day, just crashed.

Day 4

With all of our clothes cleaned and a bunch of new souvenirs to pack, we had an alarm set to wake up early and pack up the room. It didn’t take too long, because we were basically living out of our suitcases. We brought our bags downstairs for the front office to hold while we crossed the street to enjoy breakfast for the last time. We took our time while eating, because although we have airport lounge access they only had a lounge in the international terminal. Our next stop was to Phuket, Thailand, and it was a domestic flight, so we only needed to be at the airport an hour in advance. Our flight was scheduled for 11:35am. The front desk called us a taxi. We left the hotel around 9:45am and got to the airport by 10:00am. The airport is super small, so we got through security and to our gate very quickly.

Pro Tip: Domestic flights within Thailand are super cheap! With flights being so affordable between cities, you should take advantage of seeing more than one city while in Thailand. There are other options to take a train or a bus between cities, but the flights are so quick that it’s the most time-efficient option.

Our first two days in Chiang Mai were spent exploring town, taking a cooking class, and enjoying a day with rescued elephants. Our final day in Chiang Mai was jam-packed with temples, each one more unique than the next. Overall, I think it is possible to see Chiang Mai in a minimum of three days. There were many other tours or activities you could do while in Chiang Mai, but I feel we experienced a great mix of shopping, food, temples, and nature. Stay tuned for our future Thailand blog posts on Phuket and Bangkok!

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