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Hotel BED Phra Singh, Chiang Mai We stayed here for two nights in January 2018.
Pros:
1) The location is good. It is bang next to Wat Phra Singh and all the temples inside the city centre is within walking distance.
2) The tariff is quite cheap for the quality of the hotel.
3) Rooms and bathrooms are clean
4) The breakfast is excellent! There are lots of vegetarian choices as well.
5) The sleep quality is great. It is very quiet at nights.
6) There is free WiFi and the connectivity was great.
7) The staff was very courteous and knowledgeable and spoke quite good English.
8) There are lots of good restaurants within a 10 min walking distance.
Cons:
1) Their laundry is 24 hours and not 12 which is standard everywhere else.
2) The rooms and bathrooms are bit on the smaller side.
3) This is an adults only hotel. So if you are travelling with children, this is not an option for you.
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Scent of Sukhothai, Sukhothai Stayed here for two nights in January 2018
Pros:
1) This is a quite a well done property and the rooms have privacy, sit outs etc.
2) Rooms and bathrooms are spacious and very clean
3) The tariff is very cheap
4) The place is very quiet and away from the bustle of the town.
5) The breakfast is great and is served early and on time. They make special vegetarian dishes if you inform them the previous evening.
6) They have a 12 hour laundry and the service is good.
7) WiFi connectivity is great and it is free.
8) Staff is extremely nice and courteous and speak decent English.
Cons:
1) The location is a bit far from the main entrance. They rent out cycles and that is the best way to get to the entrance. It is not easy to find transport outside the hotel.
2) They don't serve lunch or dinner here. There are couple of good eating options in walkable distance. But if you want to more options, you have to cycle to the town centre.
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Silp Pa Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Stayed here for two nights in January 2018
Pros:
1) The rooms and bathrooms are very spacious and clean
2) The staff is very courteous and speak excellent English
3) They have a 12 hour laundry and the service is good
4) The WiFi is free and the connectivity is excellent
5) They have a restaurant serving lunch and dinner and they make vegetarian dishes on request and the quality is good.
6) They helped with all our transportation needs
7) The tariff is very cheap
8) The place is very quiet and sleep quality is great.
Cons:
1) The location is bit far away from the ruins. But it is reasonably easy to find tuk-tuks from/to here. There aren't too many great eating options next to the hotel.
2) The breakfast choice is quite limited. Their vegetarian option is egg based (which was ok with us).
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Sala Rattanakosin, Bangkok Stayed here for 3 nights in Jan 2018.
Pros:
1) The rooms and bathrooms are clean
2) The staff is very courteous and speak excellent English. They helped with booking all our transportation needs.
3) They have a 12 hour laundry and the service is good
4) The WiFi is free and the connectivity is excellent
5) They have a restaurant serving lunch and dinner and they make vegetarian dishes on request and the quality is good.
6) They helped with all our transportation needs
7) The tariff is not cheap, but probably par for the location.
8) The views are absolutely gorgeous. It is bang opposite Wat Arun and watching the sun set/rise is priceless.
9) The location is great. It is right next to the ferry stop, right opposite Wat Pho and a short walk to the Grand Palace. There are plenty of great eating options very close to the hotel.
10) Breakfast was great and there are good vegetarian choices.
Cons:
1) The rooms and bathrooms are tiny, but probably what one should expect for the location.
2) The place smells of sewage. It is not unbearable, but obviously, not pleasant either. But the smell was restricted to the corridors and our room was ok.
3) The place is a bit noisy. The bar on top can get loud. The worst part is continuous gnawing sound from inside the walls which I believe were rats.
4) Cost for services and food are high.
- Wat Phra Singh - Must See: Quite lavishly decorated temple. It houses the famous Phra Singh Buddha statue - it is not the main Buddha image that you see in the main Wihan. It is the one inside the chapel to the rear.
- Wat Chedi Luang - Must See: The photogenic 1441 chedi is the main attraction. It is also lighted at nights.
- Wat Phan Tao - Should See: Although not a must-see, it is located bang next to Wat Chedi Luang and should be an easy in-and-out. The main attraction here is the Wihan itself which is made from old teak. This used to be a royal residence.
- Wat Ku Tao - May See: This is little bit of a long walk to get here. The main attraction is the unique chedi composed of diminishing spheres.
- Wat Jet Yod - Must See: This is close to the National Museum and can be clubbed along with it. This has a replica dating from 1447 of the Mahabodhi Temple.
- Wat U Mong - Must See: The chedi is imposing. The main attraction are the painted tunnels underneath the chedi - quite unique in Thailand.
- Chiang Mai Arts & Cultural Centre, Way Chiang Man: Both of these are missable in our opinion.
- Chiang Mai National Museum - Should See: There is not much in here. Just two floors. But tastefully done and there are couple of pieces that stand out. It should not take you more than hour to see this museum. If you are short on time, you can skip this without any remorse. If you have the time and are visiting Wat Jet Yod, you might as well peep in.
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep - Must See: Well, this is the crowning glory of Chiang Mai. It is a 30 to 40 min ride here from the city centre and you need about an hour here to do justice.
- Wat Phra That Haripunchai - Must See: This does not look much different from the temples in Chiang Mai. But its golden chedi is a bit more imposing and it houses the tallest chedi from ancient times - the 21 m high pyramidal Suwanna Chedi. It is dwarfed by the main chedi and is easy to miss. Look for it on the rear.
- Wat Chama Devi - Must See: It has another famous Haripunchai style (square cross section instead of round) chedi which is its main attraction.
- Haripunchai National Museum - Skip it: I am a museum buff and I found it largely boring.
Si Satchanalai Historic Park
- It is about an hour from Sukhothai and it is fastest by a private transport or a taxi. Even if you have seen Sukhothai, this is different enough to warrant a visit (our opinion, of course). About couple of hours is what it will take to do justice although you can rush through this in an hour.
- Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat - Must See: This is not on the main area and should not be missed and it is on the other side of the highway in Chaliang. The central prang is magnificent. So are the huge Buddha statues in sitting, walking and standing postures.
- Wat Nang Phaya - Must See: For this and other sites in the main central region, you can hire a bicycle to get around. The roads are in better condition to cycle around than in Sukhothai. This one is just a chedi, but it is breathtaking.
- Wat Chedi Jet Thaew - Must See: Jet means 7 and there about that many chedis, each unique, in this temple. Don't miss the white "Buddha protected by Naga" relief.
- Wat Chang Lom - Must See: This is a giant chedi supported in a base covered with elephant relief. This one is better than the one in Sukhothai or Kamphaeng Phet.
- Wat Phanom Phloeng - Should See: This one is up the hill and you have to climb a series of stairs. The main attraction is the view from top rather than the temple itself.
- We started at around 8:15 and we done by 3:30 (note that we were on bicycles). That included a 45 min lunch break and a 45 min dekko at the museum. The museum is good and is highly recommended. All the monuments in the central section are must-see: Wat Mahathat, Wat Sa Si, Wai Si Sawai, Wat Trapang Ngoen, Wat Tra Kuan. Just this central portion would take a minimum of 2 hours, more if you want to explore in detail. There is separate entrance fee to the Western and Northern section. West is the larger one and it is bit of an uphill ride. But is also the most secluded. The must sees in the west are: Wat Chedi Ngam, Wat Saphan Hin Wat Khao Phra Bat Noi and Wat Mangkom. If these only Mangkom is on the bike path. The other three is a hike uphill from the main road and Saphan Hin is the biggest climb and most rewarding. There is a good restaurant on the western side as well and you can time it for lunch. Northern section has the most stunning wat after the Mahathat - Wat Si Chum. The other ones worth stopping by are Wat Phra Phai Luang and Wat Sorasak.
- It is about an hour from Sukhothai and can be combined if you are driving from/to the South. The place is very different from Sukhothai or Satchanalai. The ruins are in much more pristine condition. The ruins are divided into two sections. In the one closer to the main road are Wat Phra That and Wat Phra Kaew (one with the famous triplet of seated and sleeping Buddha) and other side has Wat Chang Rawp, Wat Singha and Wat Iriyabot. If you have a motored transport to get around, couple of hours is plenty to check out this park.
- We found Ayutthaya to be much more challenging to get around on a bicycle. The ruins are spread all over town and most roads don't have a bike path. With tuk-tuk, you can rush through the sites in half a day. But one day would help you soak it in. Must sees: Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchburana (don't miss the dekko into the crypt), Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Chaiwattanaram, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Phanan Choeng and Wat Pho Khao Thong. If you have time, try to add: Wat Phra Ram, Wat Suwan Dararam and Wat Na Phra Meru and Wat Thammikarat. The museum houses the gold treasures recovered from the crypt of Wat Ratchburana and is definitely a must-see because of it.
- Prang Sam Yot - Must See: This is the famous temple with the three Khmer style prangs. Yes, it is infested with macaques. But if you go when it is reasonably crowded, you can be assured, there is some tourist there feeding the monkeys. So they leave you alone. If you want to be the one feeding the monkeys, thank you for saving the rest of us!
- Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat - Must See: This is a reasonably big complex and would take about 30 mins to an hour to roam around. It is pretty nice.
- Phra Narai Ratchaniwet - Must See: It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and we went on a Tuesday. It was still worth visiting because the front area that houses the ruins of King Narai's palace is open to public on all days and that is one of the important reason to visit the museum anyway.
- Ban Wichayen - Skip It: Unless one Constantine Phaulkon means a lot to you.
- Grand Palace - Must See: Note that most of the palace is out of bounds and the only building you enter has a very boring museum. So you are mostly gaping from the outside. But it is still a must see for the Wat Phra Kaew that is present inside its walls. This houses the famous Emerald Buddha and get here early in the morning and head to the temple first in order to beat the crowd. Don't miss the Ramakian murals on the outer walls of the temple.
- Wat Pho - Must See: Reclining Buddha is magnificent. But do spend some time walking the temple grounds. The array of impressive chedi is mesmerising, especially at sunset. About an hour is sufficient to do justice.
- National Museum - Must See; 1-2 hrs: The Buddhaisawan Chapel is impressive. So is the museum itself which used to be the palace of the Viceroy. Apart from the usual array of Buddha sculptures, the unique stuff not to be missed are the period rooms of palace of the king Pinklao and the collection of magnificent Royal Chariots.
- Royal Barges National Museum - May See: Don't try to get here from the land side. You will get lost and it is not a pleasant walk. The best way to get here is via the river side. But that means paying a lot for the long boat. The chariots at the National Museum are more impressive and this can be skipped unless the uniqueness of the setting is attractive to you.
- Wat Traimit - Must See: This houses the famous 3m tall 5.5 tonne solid gold Buddha. And it is quite different from the gold plated statues that you see everywhere else.
- Golden Mount - Should See: It is about a 10 min climb. But the views are quite nice from the top.
- Wat Suthat - Must See: The murals inside the temple is breathtaking. It will be good if you can find someone to explain it to you. Also, don't miss (well, you can't) the giant swing in front of the temple.
- Suan Phakkad Palace Museum - Must See: This one is a hidden gem. The Lacquer Pavilion is breathtaking. Other period houses are also quite nice to walk through. Don't miss the mask exhibit and the walking Buddha statue in house no. 4.
- Jim Thompson House - Should See: You have to take one of the guided tours. But they leave often enough that the wait time is about 15 mins. The house is very tastefully furnished and there are some very good art work on display.
- It is about 2 hours from Bangkok. Whether it is a must-see depends upon what the history of the area means to you. The bridge is almost always too crowded.
- It is only an hour further from Kanchanaburi and the drive is quite scenic. Kanchanaburi plus Erawan would make a nice and easy day trip from Bangkok. The main attraction in Erawan are the falls and it is 2 km (one way) and a 3 hour (return) to visit all the seven levels. The path is very easy to negotiate till Level 4 and gets moderately difficult (scrambling over boulders) after Level 6.
Food (Indian Vegetarian View Point)
- It is very easy to find vegetarian option. Any one can whip up a veggie Pad Thai or a Green Curry. The challenge is to communicate your request. We suggest writing down Thai words for Vegetarian, Vegetables and Tofu (and maybe Egg) down and just point and you will be fine. Food is delicious everywhere. Don't worry about the ice in Thai Iced Tea. If you are from India, the water (in the ice) will do nothing to you.
- We had two long drives - one day from Chiang Mai to Sukhothai and a couple of says later from Sukhothai to Ayutthaya. We wanted to do sightseeing on the way. From our research it looked like if we used public transport it would have been a challenge to squeeze in the enroute sightseeing. This was our first trip to Thailand and we did not want to bother with self-driven car rentals - there was this question of one-way drop off which forced us to drive all the way to Bangkok to drop off the car.
Oriental Escapes fit our bill perfectly. They were easy to contact over e-mail, easy to make on-line payment to confirm the booking and easy to reconfirm a day before the trip. They are very responsive over mail. Their vehicles are in excellent conditions. They drivers are great and are on time. They are extremely courteous and speak decent English. They have GPS on their phones and can take you where you want to.
The cost came to about what we pay for luxury rentals in India (~INR. 25/km). For a one way drop from Ayutthaya to Bangkok, we booked a taxi from the hotel and that was about as costly with a poorer vehicle in comparison.
My only nitpick is that their English was a bit challenging to break through initially when I was communicating with them over the mail to get a quote. But once I got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing.
Here is the TripAdivor review of the same.
- To avoid repetition: All the roads are great. They are all comparable to western standards. So I am just giving you the distance and the time that took us to get from A to B.
- Chiang Mai to Lamphun : 20 km; 45 mins.
- Lamphun to Si Satchanalai: 230 km; 4 hrs
- Si Satchanalai to Sukhothai: 55 km; 1:15 hrs
- Sukhothai to Kamphaeng Phet: 80 km; 1:15 hrs
- Kamphaeng Phet to Lopaburi: 250 km; 3:15 hrs
- Lopaburi to Ayutthaya: 70 km; 1:15 hrs
- Ayutthaya to Bang Pa In: 20 km; 40 mins
- Bang Pa In to Grand Palace (Bangkok): 70 km; 2 hours
- Grand Palace (Bangkok) to Kanchanaburi: 125 km; 2:15 hours
- Kanchanaburi to Erawan National Park: 70 km; 1:15 hours
- Thailand allows Visa on arrivals for Indians. To avoid filling out the cumbersome forms at the airports, we filled it out online before departure here. We took a print out and signed it. Our flight landed at 2 pm on a Friday (Jan 2018). It was a 45 minute wait at the normal VOA queue. They just wanted the first night's hotel reservation (we had print out for every night) and our return flight information apart from our passports, the print out of the application form and one photograph each. It took about 10 minutes for us to get our passports back and a further 10 minutes to get through the formal immigration. Do save the departure cards that they hand out inside the airline before you land. You will need it when you leave Thailand. If you don't receive one or lose it, don't worry. You can fill one out at the emigration line.
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