Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pai Info please

Hi I was wondering if someone could please give me some advise about Pai.



I am back packing through Asia for two months and have just heard a bit about this place.



Just wondering how long do you think I would need to stay here? and what things are there to do here?



I will be traveling from Chang Mai prob by bus? I believe it takes approx 2 hours?? How much does the trip normally cost?



and how is the night life here?





Thanks in advance for your help :o)





Pai Info please





The area is quite scenic and the bus trip is something that you WILL remember. The trip takes 2-3 hrs and the bus stops half way for a comfort stop.





Very laid back town, with elephant camps, river rafting, jungle treks etc. Cost of transport was quite cheap and booked through our Guesthouse although you could go straight to the bus station.





We have some pics, maps and stories of our Pai trip here... www.bobandjanette.com which may help.





Happy %26amp; safe travels





Bob





Pai Info please





wow thanks for the info I was also just wondering if i could book accommodation as I arrived instead of in advance? I will be traveling around June. Looking maybe at Baan Pai









We nearly always book our accommodation once we have arrived in a location and inspected a room. Pai is no exception. Plenty of accommodation to suit all price ranges.









pai is a lovely little place,and we really enjoyed our stay there ,the bus will be very cheap but not great for those with travel sickness.we flew on a 12 seater from chaing mai ,for the experience...nok air.









June is low season in Pai so no need to book, this gives you the chance to check out the accomodations before you commit yourself, the longer you stay the bigger discount, discounted bookings must be paid for in advance so I would advise you to stay the first night to see if you like it, if you do have that first night included. 20-25% discount for a one week stay would be fair, don%26#39;t expect any more this would be in bad taste. Always barter with a smile and respect this will get you a long way, if your offer is refused dont be offended, remember these guest houses work on very small profit margins, simply leave with a smile making a complementary observation about the guesthouse, or up your offer.





Night life is great plenty of live music bars and our very own night club Be Bop.





You wont be disappointed with Pai, however many days you have allocated for your stay I would highly recomend that you at least double this.









Minibus booked by your guest house should be no more than 200B.





To get to Chiang Mai bus station costs 80B by Tuk Tuk





From here





Local bus small seats slow uncomfortable takes 3 1/2-4 1/2 hours about 70B





Modern local bus comfortable air con large scenic windows takes 3-4 hours 150B (best option for those prone to travel sickness)





Mini bus 150B takes 2 1/2-3 hours





Flying from Chiang Mai Airport Nok Air 1,850B





Prices correct June 2009





Enjoy













I will be traveling to Pai in late November. Will it be difficult to find accommodation at this time? I have heard this place is great from a few friends and I really want to go!





Thanks!









I will be traveling to Pai in late November. Will it be difficult to find accommodation at this time? I have heard this place is great from a few friends and I really want to go!





Thanks!

To pre-book or not to pre-book?

My boyfriend and I are planning a 3 week trip over xmas and new year. We will be arriving and leaving from bangkok and also travelling to krabi and khoasok. I know this is peak season (eeek!) so I%26#39;d like to know if it%26#39;s advisable to prebook all our accomodation and tours or if we%26#39;ll be able to be more flexible and book some while we%26#39;re there.

Has anyone booked through limestone lake forest tours?

To pre-book or not to pre-book?

Prebook accommodation or you may end up sleeping on the beach !!

As for tours, you should be able to book most of those after arrival, but tour firms will be quite busy too.

  • blue hair
  • Shots for Thailand

    Well, I%26#39;ll be there for a month





    I%26#39;ll be visiting Bangkok, Ayuttaya, Angthong, Chiang Mai etc.





    Perhaps a visit to Laos, too





    So, what shots would you recommend, and would malaria pills be recommended?





    Last time I was there, got all the shots/malaria precautions..but I was there for a longer period of time





    Cheers



    Timmy





    Shots for Thailand





    I think the prerequisite would be to have the standard course of Hep A/B injections Timmy.There are 2 ways you can go about this...the rushed course(which you can have 3 injections over 3 weeks)or the more conventional medical multi Twinex course of 1 injection ,another 4 weeks later and a last one 6 months after that..(lasts 8 years).Better immunity is given to the body this way and would definitely suggest you have this one,as you never know where or how you can be infected nowadays!





    Shots for Thailand





    Make sure your tetanus booster is current.





    Because of the ease of transmission, Hep A vaccine might top the list.





    Hep B if you plan to get ';friendly'; and it will protect you in a medical emergency.





    Most other precautions would depend on your personal health history.









    Hi,





    Some good suggestions so far.. I would add that you should have this conversation with either your personal physician/GP or a travel medicine specialist who will have access to your personal health records.. While there are some good things to be ';current'; on such as tetanus-- vaccines and such should be determined jointly between you and your health care provider as each persons carries a different risk profile and health history..





    Don%26#39;t wait too long to do to inquire as some vaccines require multiple visits (injections) spread over a defined period of time and/or only become fully effective after a specific number of days has passed since its administration.





    Travel Safe,









    Thanks guys





    I%26#39;m leaving on Monday morning(will be there for a month)





    And, I haven%26#39;t got any shots done, yet..but will go tomorrow





    However, pretty sure my Hep A/B is alright





    So, is there a Hep A/B booster shot?





    Cheers



    Timmy









    Depends when you had your last one,as you may not need one.As GOPBI and others have stated check with your doctor and Hep A/B shot needs 3 week s generally to be effective ...you may have left your run a bit late if leaving on Monday!









    HepA/HepB - is a series of 3 shots that pretty much covers you for life. (TWINREX)





    first shot - 0 day



    second shot - 30 day



    third shot - 6months





    Take first shot - you%26#39;ll have 1/3 of the immunity which is better than none.





    Also suggest a tetanus booster which is always good if u havent had one recently.









    Got my tetanus, measles, and Typhoid





    Plus, he gave me a prescription for anti-malaria pills(doxycycline), and something for travellers diarrhea





    Found out that I didnt need Hep A/B..already had them done





    So yeah, got all the bases covered





    Cheers



    Timmy

    Doi Inthanon National Park

    Has anyone a good suggestion for a day trip out there on a Sunday in May please? Is it worth the trip? I hear there%26#39;s a big waterfall, amongst other things. Thanks...





    Doi Inthanon National Park





    My wife and I go to Doi Inthanon often. When it gets too hot to stay in Chiang Mai city, no worries, just go to Doi Inthanon National Park a short 90 kilometers away. In May it is very hot. Take a jacket, believe it or not, you will need it.





    See a video here.



    tripadvisor.com/ProfileGallery-i16778411.html





    To learn more go here.



    http://www.squidoo.com/Doi_Inthanon_Thailand





    Enjoy,



    Randy and Ning





    Doi Inthanon National Park





    I would say Doi Inthanon is worth the visit, its a nice day drip out of the city. In just under an hour you can be out of the city and feel like your%26#39;re away from the hustle and bustle.





    Yes lots of waterfalls along the way, the two most impressive probably being Wachiratharn waterfall and Mae Ya waterfall.





    The locals like to go to Mae Ya waterfall which is slightly off the road to Doi Inthanon, as you can play in the water and have a Thai style picnic.





    The last post is true can get pretty chilly as you%26#39;ll be approx 2,500m above sea level so bring a light jacket/long sleeves.













    We did a fantastic day trip there earlier this month with Jimmy from Sergeant Kai%26#39;s tour company.



    The day included elephant ride, lunch, 2 hour easy trek past waterfalls to some hill tribes and then a visit to the big waterfalls.





    The whole day was only 1800 baht for 8 of us in a minivan including lunch and cold bottled water during the day.





    Jimmy was sensational as a guide, he was especially good at entertaining our kids during the trip.









    If you have the time hike the Gew Mae Pan trail. This is a nice 2 to 3 hour hike. The trail is closed from June to October so it can grow back. Here is the video.





    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY3rxs8AmDQ





    Enjoy,



    Randy and Ning









    Thanks to everyone for all this helpful advice. I%26#39;ll certainly give it a try, and bring a pullover as well! that last piece of information is not what you expect, and vert hepful as a result! Thanks...









    Could someone name me a hotel in Inthanon National Park please? TA only lists 2 resorts. I found Navasoung but it seems to be up near Mae Hong Son Loop.



    Any price is fine. I only need the names %26amp; will do my own search.



    Thank you.

    any Bungalows in patong ?

    i am traveling in Feb, and would like to stay at a romantic bungalow surrounded by greenery and palm trees and luxury service to offer only in patong,,,,any suggestions? rates no matter





    any Bungalows in patong ?





    Hi sam,



    Try le jardin bungalows. www.lejardin-phuket.net.

    Doi Inthanon - clueless, need help

    Hi fellow Tripadvisors,





    Hope you could help me with some information on Doi Inthanon. I%26#39;ve googled for the past hour but can%26#39;t find satisfactory information.





    Very simple questions really:





    - How safe is it to drive up there? When it%26#39;s rainy?(will be a rental car anyway so let%26#39;s pray brakes are included)





    - What should I be wearing up there in August? Jacket? Raincoat? Emperor%26#39;s new clothes? ;)





    I%26#39;ve never been up somewhere this high so that will explain the cluelessness.









    Thanks in advance!





    Doi Inthanon - clueless, need help





    It is safe to drive, just take your time and enjoy the ride. The only drawback is you as the driver have to watch the road not the scenery.





    And remember the rule of descending off a mountain, always come down in the same gear or one gear lower than what you came up in. All too often folks upshift during the descent and ride the brakes, bad idea, hot brakes fail. Use a lower gear on your transmission to keep your speed down.





    Definitely take a raincoat, its rainy season and storms brew in the mountains.





    Doi Inthanon - clueless, need help





    Thanks for the quick reply! Agreed re engine braking, definitely. Would be plain silly (and scary) to be descending a steep hill using a high gear.





    Will take a raincoat along. And hopefully watch the road instead of the scenery. ;)









    I took a scooter out of chang mai,went all the way up until the last 1/2 mile,then had to push it up to the top,less oxygen for the motor.Glad i went very beautiful,the river , the falls.great time









    Here is a good article about Doi Inthanon I found with detailed description for driving in the park.





    blogyoursite.com/2009/…





    Yes it will rain almost all day and night. The summit will be in or above the clouds most of the time in August.





    Have fun,



    Randy and Ning









    make sure you have enough petrol,not much in the way of petrol,maybe 1 lil shop.definately bring jacket,I was there in March.









    Chris,





    We visited a couple of years back in the month of September. At that time of year it was 14 degrees at the very top.





    Around the waterfall areas the steps get very slippery %26amp; muddy.





    I hope the waterfalls are raging for you as they were when we visited it was spectactular.





    Definately have the raincoat %26amp; don%26#39;t forget the camera. There is a little kiosk at one of the waterfalls selling chicken drinks etc.





    Have fun.. CJ









    Really appreciate all your replies. Helps a lot in terms of planning.







    Checklist:





    - full tank of petrol



    - raincoat



    - jacket in case



    - camera



    - replacement camera in case the first gets damaged in the rain :)









    Dear Chris,





    I have some other tips for you. If you are at the highest point of Doi Inthanon, opposite the food booth (on the other side of the road) there is a nice natural walk.



    An why not overnight at Mae Sariang? The route 108 -Hod to Mae Sariang (to Doi Inthanon) is a very nice route and Mae Sariang is a nice little place to stay for one night. I enjoyed it last year when I visited Doi Inthanon in November.



    Have a safe drive.





    Tony









    Could someone name me a hotel in Inthanon National Park please? TA only lists 2 resorts. I found Navasoung but it seems to be up near Mae Hong Son Loop.



    Any price is fine. I only need the names %26amp; will do my own search.



    Thank you.




  • prescription cream
  • marina phuket resort

    we are interested in staying at MPR in Feb 2010. could anyone recommend either the jungle or seaview rooms..which is the nicer..is it a good seaview and worth the extra cost? which rooms are closer to the pool/reception area as I understand the resort spreads uphill. also a few reports have suggested that karon beach is dirty..is this true and if so is it far to walk to kata beach. have also heard that there are not too many shops/restaurants near MPR..sorry about all the questions but this is our first trip to Thailand. all help would be appreciated...thankx.

    marina phuket resort

    Haven%26#39;t stayed but have walked past and it looked lovely from the outside. Don%26#39;t know what the seaview there is like. Personally, when I%26#39;m costing a place, (for exactly the same room type) I reckon a seaview is worth $20-$40 extra, max. Often you get a room upgrade along with the view, i.e. it will be deluxe instead of superior. This is usually worth the extra.

    Karon beach is not dirty, but at the Marina end there is a huge stormwater drain and culvert onto the beach. It%26#39;s not in front of your hotel, and you only have to walk 30 metres and you wont notice it.

    Like any of the major beaches along there, you get rubbish washed up on the shore, but it%26#39;s not like a tip or anything.

    marina phuket resort

    Hi favnet

    We are leaving on Friday for a week at MPR. I emailed them a while ago about the difference between jungle %26amp; seaview and this was there response:

    ';Q: 3.) I am unable to decide between jungle and ocean rooms. The website mentions privacy in the jungle rooms, are the ocean rooms private also? Is there any ocean view from the jungle rooms balcony?

    A: You would feel private in both room categories. The Jungle View rooms are newer located in the jungle while the Ocean View rooms are larger, elegant in Thai style and well maintained yearly. All of these rooms have a private balcony, air-conditioning, hot and cold water, bath and shower, a digital safe deposit box, daily complimentary coffee and tea, a refrigerator, an LCD TV, a top-of-the-line Mini-Computer, world radio, free 24-hour Internet, and in-room facilities for burning CD/DVD.

    A Jungle View room with ocean view is unavailable.';

    From looking at many photos in the reviews it looks like the seaview is slightly obscured by jungle, but apparently you can still see and hear the sea, which is important to me.

    I have seen the resort on a previous visit and the grounds were spectacular. There were heaps of shops and restaurants etc. right out the front.

    I was trying to attach the Mapjack link, but it isn%26#39;t working for me - hopefully someone else can post it.

    Deb


    I have stayed at the Marina Phuket in an ocean view room and the view is partially obstructed by foliage, we didn%26#39;t see inside the jungle rooms, but I think some might be closer to reception, pool and Sala Thai restaurant and others less so.

    You don%26#39;t notice the storm water drain when staying there, although it%26#39;s a steep walk up/down the stairs to get to the beach, walk a very short distance to the right and you are in front of the Karon Beach hotel frontage. The beach is not dirty, just has a bit of an undertow at the end there.

    As for shopping/restaurants, not sure where you read there are not many as there are quite a few across the road and walk either left or right and you will find plenty within 5-10minutes walk. There are markets at the north end of Karon and the south end of Kata, both easily accessed via a 20baht/person songteow (open air bus) ride if you can%26#39;t be bothered walking.

    Have a look at our photos at the link below, if staying there again, I would possibly consider the jungle room (not the standard room), if it was not too far to walk from reception.

    Lee

    …google.com/leebee88/MarinaPhuketResort#


    Try this link for map jack and choose Karon beach at the side. Not sure if Marina Phuket web cam is working but you can try accessing that via their web site.

    Lee

    http://www.mapjack.com/?nCqwTmWsWcXD

    http://www.marinaphuket.com/home.html


    Didn%26#39;t know map jack existed, thankyou for sending the link..has made everything much clearer now. All the info you gave me is really appreciated.


    Kata Beach is less than a 5 minute walk from the Marina Resort.


    If you have time when you return I would love to hear which room you decided on and what your thoughts are...have a great trip.


    Hi djhl, how was your holiday in Phuket? Just wondering if you decided to stay at Marina Phuket Resort...if so which room did you stay in and what are your overall thoughts on the resort and area? I will be booking soon and would love to have your input.....regards favnet


    Hi favnet

    Yes, we just got back from 6 nights at Marina and I absolutely loved it. The only fault I could find was that it was very hot on the balcony and it would have been good if they had a fan out there, other than that everything was perfect.

    I just noticed a review saying the staff were not friendly. I find that amazing, as they were always smiling, remembered our names and could not do enough for us.

    The rooms were beautiful, exactly as they are shown on their website. We had an ocean view room, D206, which had a very good view of the sea. There were a few leaves and branches, but it didn%26#39;t disrupt the view at all.

    The pool was great, I could see it might be a bit small in high season, but in low season it was plenty big enough.

    I loved the breakfasts at Marina. There is probably not as much choice as at some larger hotels, but that was a good thing - I didn%26#39;t eat as much! When you sit down they ask you to order your eggs, bacon, sausages etc. from a menu and while they cook that to order you can choose from cereals, fruits, asian foods, various breads, pastries, croissants, cheeses etc. There was also a couple of other hot dishes such as fried potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, waffles, pancakes, etc. that changed daily. We stayed at the Peninsula in Bangkok afterwards and I think the Marina did better eggs.

    There were massages by the pool, and I had a pedicure. We also ordered liqueurs and coffee delivered to our room to enjoy on the balcony.

    All in all it was a perfect week, and thank god it was a long way from Patong.

    Deb


    Hi favnet,

    Deb%26#39;s (djh1) reply could have lterally been mine, too. Had exactly the same experience. I think also the same room (';second row'; bungalow with a hardly obstructing lowered roof and a palm tree in front, with a great view of Karon Bay). I slso second her thoughts on Karon and Patong letter for letter. I was amazed how friendly the staff was, and that everybody seemed to know our names, service always present but never intrusive, just a great place (on a somewhat commercialized island)!

  • compact disc drive back