I know I’ve been away from wordpress for a while because I’ve really got so many things to do during this new year. Actually, it’s not that too many activities to do but it’s just too many places to go. Travelling in winter is cool for me because of the weather. It also gives me a full charge of battery to start a new year! Well, it’s just the excuses because I’m addicted to travelling. 😀
Isan or the Northeastern region of Thailand is famous for spicy papaya salad, handicraft, country music, and unique cultures. It’s the largest region as well as the most drought area in Thailand. I’ve heard a lot about it but never experienced the real Isan as much as I would. So, it sounds reasonable enough to go, right?
I planned to go to Isan with my sister long time ago. But, we made decision when we noticed the cheap flight to Ubon, this was last year. So when the time came, I nearly forgot the trip.
Ubon Ratchathani is a very large province located in the East of Isan closed to Lao and Cambodia. Actually, It’s the first place in Thailand to see the sunrise. Since there’re so many attractions to explore, so we rented a pickup for this mission.
We started a trip with Man-Lao coffee (ร้านกาแฟหมั่นเหลา) in Warin Chamrap. I loved the interior and also the friendly and service-minded staffs. The taste of coffee is good as well as its chicken noodle. Then we proceeded to Mor-E-Daeng Cliff and Khao Phra Vihan National Park which actually located in Srisaket Province but not that far from Ubon. The clear blue sky and sunshine was really amazed me because all I could see in Hat Yai before I left was cloudy and raining. However, the mountain scene I saw from Mor-E-Daeng Cliff was so beautiful. Next day, we drove to Sirindhorn Dam. The panorama and endless view of the dam was so stunning. We found some local restaurants floating in the dam, so it’s the chance to get closer to the nature. You know, the view around us while we had lunch was so wonderful. I personally could spend a whole day on that floating restaurant. Then, we went to Chongmek, Lao border, to do some shopping. It was so much fun but I liked Rongklear more.
Next day we spent all of the trip along Mekong river starting with Pha Taem National Park. The Mekong river I saw from the view point was overwhelming. Further, I decided to walk along the cliff to see the old rock art which was very amazing. I was so exhausted and thirsty because of the long walk and hot weather. Unfortunately, the new view point found along the way was so much beautiful. I was speechless. Even I was so tired but it’s worthwhile. Then, we drove to Samphanbok, the sandstone in different shapes and holes appeared in the Mekong river during dry season. It’s so exciting and marvellous to see this kind of natural phenomenon.
We stayed at Khong Chiam for a night. It was a lovely and small town with two major rivers, Mekong and Mun river. We tried some local foods, especially the fish from Mekong river. Then, we drove back to the town to visit some temples before flying back to Bangkok to prepare for the upcoming trip!
I am so lucky to be born here, in Thailand. Not only there’re so many beautiful places for you to explore, but the cost of living is also cheap. We have plenty of foods and people are so nice. Well, there’s a lot of good things about Thailand but that’s not what I want to tell in this post. 😉
I went to Phang Nga last week. It’s one of the famous tourist attractions in Thailand. If you’ve heard about Khao Lak, Similan Islands, Surin Islands, and Tachai Island, yes they’re all in Phang Nga province. Our trip began when one of my best friends flew back from Australia and planned to stay here in Thailand for a few weeks. She got a plan to meet couple of friends by taking a short trip together. Luckily, I was one of her very special friends to meet! So, we agreed to visit Tachai island, or the other name called, the Maldives of Thailand.
I leaf Hat Yai early morning because I was a driver and I needed to pick up my friends at Trang and Krabi before heading to Khao Lak, where we stayed. Khao Lak that day was so different from last year I’d been and probably before the Tsunami. Buildings were flourishing while some Tsunami memorial places remained to remind us how severe the natural disaster was.
Well, next day we booked a one-day trip to Tachai island. I really wanted to go to this island long time ago because of its popularity. However, when I got there, its beauty was under my expectation. The white beach, blue sky, and clear sea were superb but the rest was just okay. There’s nothing much to do except appreciating the white sand and clear blue sea. Other activities like jungle walk, observing hairy legged crab, and snorkelling around the island were just average. But, what made this trip different and interesting was our tour agency, Seastar. I would recommend this agency because we had a very good time with all staffs and tour guide. They were service-minded, cared for us, and gave priority to our safety.
In my opinion, however, it’s one of the most happiest trips of mine because of the time we were together. It doesn’t depend on the most beautiful places or the most fun parties we’ve been, it depends on the people I go with. Well, it probably depends on the purpose of traveling because I’d love to travel alone sometimes. But, this time is different because I travel with my best friends (even I’m not sure they will call me the same!) and it’s very difficult to meet up like we did before. So, taking a trip for just a few day is more than enough to keep our friendship and relationship last long. 🙂
Last month, my brother got an idea about family road trip. It’s not only just for a vacation but also a business reason! After I heard him, I did not hesitate to be a part of it, to be a driver (haha). There’re three reasons. First, my mom always bought tours with her friends to many places domestically and internationally. She preferred on the road travelling because she thought it’s safer! So, with this plan, it’s cheaper and she could take a tour with her own plan. Second, our family business relied on middle men. If we could reach suppliers by ourselves, that meant the huge cost saving. With our pick-up truck, it’s possible to find them. Third, I love driving. I love to take trips on the road because I could drive anywhere I wanted. Moreover, every place, every road, every scene I drove pass, never felt the same because they’re always changing.
With all these reasons, our trips on the road has begun!
The first business+casual trip was last month. We drove to Amphawa floating market and spent a night there. Later, we went to Rong-Keau market at Aranyaprated (close to Cambodia). I loved shopping here because it’s cheap. Yes, we stayed there for a night. Next day, we did the first business trip mission. We found the suppliers along the way back to Bangkok. But, we stayed at Salaya instead because it’s close to another suppliers. The next following day, we did the business mission again and finally dropped by at Donwai floating market. Shopping in this market was good because it’s cheap and had organic products. I got a feeling of Central regional market. People were kind and their life was closely related to rivers and rice fields. Hua Hin was the last spot. We spent a night there before we drove back to Hat Yai.
Recent trip was in the beginning of this month. The first day of the trip was so wonderful because we found one of the most delicious restaurants in Chumporn. The taste of that day was always in my mind! Loved every dish we tasted. However, we spent two night in Bangkok. So, I had a chance to take my family to IKEA. I thought they might like it, and they did! We spent a half-day and got a lot of stuffs. Unbelievable, we still had time for a business mission later that day. Next day, we planned to stay in Korat. Before we would do another business mission, I took a short tour around Khao Yai National Park. My family was so exciting about those western style buildings and garden decorations. However, we’re back to Bangkok again after a half-day business activity in Korat. The last day, we aimed to go back to Hat Yai but we couldn’t because of heavy rain. Luckily, we found another great taste restaurants in Surathanee. So, this day was not so tiring and boring because we had an awesome dinner. We stopped at Thungsong for a night before heading back home.
Two trips were counted more than 5,000 kilometers. It’s so exhausted but worthwhile because we could complete all the targets we set. Experiences, creativities, and business opportunities were what we got from these trips.
Next plan is to go back to Korat and also visit Lampang. Let’s see when will we go again!!
I just got back from Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, well-known for traffic jams, shopping centers, and cultures.
I am not really sure how foreigners have opinions about this city. It maybe like what I’ve mentioned earlier. However, most of Thais see this city as the centre of everything, especially the place where they can earn some money! They have the hope to get paid more than they could get elsewhere. But, the expenses are very high as well.
I am the one of those ‘most of Thais’. I had a chance to study and work there for a few years. It’s a bit hard to stay there but it’s extremely easy if you had lots of money!! You would be enjoy yourself a lot because there’re so many things to see, to do, to experience, to eat, to drink, and to shop. This was the hardest part, to control yourself not to spend that much! Also, the cost of living was quite high compared to other provinces. So, it’s very important to live there wisely and consciously then you could be happy.
One of the most important thing in Bangkok is its society. It’s totally different from what I’ve ever expected. To get highest earnings, to be promoted, to get a job offered, or even to get a project approval, competition is inevitable. You may have a very good friend or boss on your first working day. Everything is extremely perfect. All the mottos, slogans, or strategies of your company sound great, especially the first day you attend the meeting. Well, your good feelings will not last long enough, I’m sure. You may rarely trust someone except yourself. Whenever people are tempted by money, prestige, title, and good image, they may turn people into someone we don’t know. But, this is a bit exaggerating because you can experience this type of people anywhere, not just in Bangkok.
There are still so many things you can find in Bangkok, nice people, nice temples, and tasty food (but Hat Yai is better!). One of the most favourite things is driving in such traffic jam roads with very fast cars. You really need to have a special skill to drive. If you can drive safely in Bangkok, nothing to worry to drive elsewhere.
Staying in Bangkok for a while really makes me smile (like a poem!) because I still miss this city. I miss the civilisation. So, each day I would plan to go shopping, see concert or musicals, drive to nearby attractions, and meet up my friends. There’s still a lot of things to do. This city never get me bored.
Last week, I went to Hua Hin again. It’s my sixth time having a short stay there. I had no idea why I went there quite often. Actually, I just knew it when I started to count. Hehe+ Well, my recent short trip to Hua Hin this time was different because I didn’t plan to go, it’s unexpected! This might be the reason why I loved this place more than before. Since you had no expectation on something, you would definitely have a good feeling about it because everything was beyond your expectation!
I took a public van from Victory Monument to Hua Hin, taking only 2.30 hrs. Then, my friend welcomed me with variety of seafood dishes at Baan Issara. The tastes of all dishes were awesome, especially stir fried squid with basil sauce. OMG my tummy’s rumbling!! Hehe+ After that, we went to Cicada market to get the first row in Plum Rang band performance. This is the highlight of the market for me. I really love this band not only they are the real artists but also unintentional comedians! Hehe+ P’Pang, lead singer, truly has talent in making audiences happy by her voice and her jokes. Moreover, she always holds donations and charities to support local groups or community projects and places where the help is needed. Again, I’d like to thanks my friend who asked me to go see the band. Well, I love the way they present this market as well. It’s kinda unique concept, most of goods are handmade and the decoration is in classic and vintage style. Moreover, they open for individuals or groups to show their interests through performances such as magic, music, dog show, cosplay, painting, and so on.
Next day, we had another seafood meal at Jimdeang restaurant near Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. It’s simply a small seafood restaurant by the sea but the cooking technique was not simple. Of course, the taste was superb. My tummy’s rumbled once more!!!! We’re back to Hua Hin to go see Plum Rang band for the second time. If you have a chance to visit Hua Hin on Friday and Saturday, don’t forget to drop by and say hi to them.
We planned to spend all afternoon at Santorini Water Fantasy on the following day. This was my first experience with water park. It was fun, so much fun, even my stomach was full with chlorinated water! The rides really thrilled me especially the most difficult ones such as Vulcan’s Kamikaze, Hermes Falls, Ares’s King Cobra, and Apollo’s Drop Screamer. In my opinion, the last one was the hardest and a must-conquer because you would be dropped from almost vertical rocket (85 degrees). Your heart might stop for a few second, hehe+
Last day in Hua Hin, we had traditional British Sunday roast at a Ye Olde Buffalo Tavern restaurant while looking at Hua Hin sea. It was so good. I was getting excited again once I stepped up on the propeller plane bound for Hat Yai.
My trip has ended but my happiness still remains. I’ll go back there soon 🙂
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