Winding Roads & Never Ending Tales

10 Days in Thailand: Beaches and Temples

What to Do in Thailand for 10 Days: A itinerary for a family with kids Thailand is a land of contrasts, which on one hand soaks in the t...

What to Do in Thailand for 10 Days: A itinerary for a family with kids

Thailand is a land of contrasts, which on one hand soaks in the traditionaBuddhistst culture and on the other hand is knee deep in Fun and frolic. Where at places you can not even enter if you are not dressed properly there are places where you don't even need your clothes. Its a land of extremes, where everything is possible if only you are willing to go. We wanted to explore both the worlds and hence the plan below. Instead of spending the last 5 days in Krabi and Phuket you can instead go to Koh Samui region and explore the area.

Not to be missed is getting in touch with Northern Thailand and you will thank me later for sure. Overall a very simple to follow itineary with all activities that you can cover with your family with kids. Dropped some famous landmarks just because it could not be done with Kids. So please go through and let me know you queries in comments below.

Day1: Bangalore to Bangkok

Arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport, pick a taxi and lie down in your hotel pool, evening take a stroll through night market or do a beer hopping in downtown.

Day2: Bangkok sightseeing

Get up, get dressed and head for the palace. Don't forget sunscreen and umbrella or Hat, it's scorching heat here

Grand Palace & Emerald Buddha- get up early as the place closes by 12 pm.
Madam Tussad
Tales of the sea - Must see if you are with Kids, opt for pre-booking at Klooks.com for some really huge discounts.
Flight from Bangkok to Chiangmai/You can also take an overnight train to Chiang Mai but you will have to book in advance. The journey through Hills is really memorable and worth a shot.

Day3: Chiang Mai local sightseeing(temples):

This is one of the best stops of the trip, very nice weather coupled with equally cool vibes of the place. Stay near Night market area for enjoying a leisure stroll after hours.

Walk toward the old city and visit the amazing collection of stupas and temples, all beautifully carved and maintained.

Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan
Wat Chedi Luang
Wat Pan Ping
Wat Chiang Man
Wat Pan On
Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan
Night market

At night do not forget to try in amazing restaurants in the area, many stories are born in the cafes here.

Day4: Chiang Rai sightseeing:

Pre-book a cab to head early towards Chiang Rai the sister city of Mai to devour some amazing privately maintained Temples. This place is a rhapsody of colours with some amazing architecture.

Mae Kachan Hot Spring and Geyser
White temple - Wat Rong Khun
Blue Temple - Wat Rong Sueur Ten
Black temple - Baandam Museum
Wat Saeng Kaeo Phothiyan

Day5: Chiang Mai to Koh Lanta

Add 1 more day in Chiang Mai if you have time to visit Tiger Park and Elephant Park along with a trip to Doi Suthep for an amazing view of the city in Chiang Mai. We couldn't but would love to come back once more to this beautiful city. After Sun its time for Water, head to paradise in Koh Lanta, you could also choose Koh Mood or Lipe. Else enjoy the beautiful city after crossing the mainland with ferry and soak in the blue waters of Laem Kho Kwang beach.

Take a stroll or head towards the market area for handmade items. Don't want to walk take a Tuk Tuk back to your hotel. Eat, Drink, Read a book or just lie under the sky everything is a bliss here.

Day6: Koh Lanta 4 island tour

How can the trip end if you haven't seen the islands up close and beautiful? Take a private longtail boat and enjoy the beauty in unspoilt form. Snorkel and if you know dive amongst the worlds best sites. Get lost in the colourful world of sea life.

Ko Chueak- Amazing place to snorkel and witness God at its best creation
Ko Ngai - White sand all along with blue water to give the contrast and yes you are in Heaven
Ko waen
Markot(Emerald) Cave - Want to feel like Pirates of Carribean, head to this pace wherein you swim under a mountain pitch dark to open on the other side of a cave where the loots were kept in those wonderful pirates days.

Day7: Koh Lanta to Krabi

Enough of privacy lets head back to the mainland for a bit of fun and nightlife in Krabi, Ao Nang Beach.

Day8: Phi Phi island tour/Hong Island Tour

Beach Hopping is incomplete as you head towards Phi Phi island the place that inspired "Avatar" Floating mountains and Leonarda Caprio's "beach". A speedboat takes you to an unforgettable journey and yes food is also provided. If you want to go more secluded take the Hong Island Trip instead. Try starting early to have these beaches less disturbed by hordes of tourist which unfortunately didn't happen in our case as one of the group woke up late

Bamboo island
Viking Cave
Monkey Beach
Pileh Bay
Lohsamah Bay
Maya Bay

Day9: Railay /Phra naga beach

So well got tired moving with the group and want a piece of heaven on your terms to go to Pier and get yourself a boat to drop either at Railay beach or Phra Nang beach. Both of them are just a cliff away from each other but not connected via land and so making each of them less crowded yet close to the main town for all comforts.

Day 10: Krabi to Bangkok

If you take an early morning flight head straight to the Siam Ancient City which is a wonderful place to see and visit all of Thailand you might have missed albeit on a miniature level. You can take your car or drive a bicycle provided free of charge as part of the ticket cost to explore this place.

Else head for the downtown market to shop till you drop.

http://ancientcitygroup.net/ancientsiam/en/gallery/

Day11: Bangkok to Bangalore

With heavy heart bid farewell to this place and head back to home to reminisce about what you witnessed.

Top 10 Things to Know before visiting Thailand

By Abhinav 14:25 Flight, Thailand, Top 10, Travel Plan, Visa

Thai Sojourn: Top 10 things to keep in Mind There were many times when Thailand came in our vacation plans but somehow we always...

Thai Sojourn: Top 10 things to keep in Mind

There were many times when Thailand came in our vacation plans but somehow we always thought of it as a mere overcrowded beach destination. This time though as we were planning one of my friends said Thailand and I thought well let’s explore the place. And boy oh Boy (not the Bangkok one.. ahem ) was I in for a surprise. Quite unknown to most of the tourists especially from Indian sub-continent Thailand is a land of Temples dotted all along the northern side. Nature has endowed the place with pristine beaches on southern side but has also provided amazing hillocks up north much like India. The place is suited for all kind of budget travellers and can be customized to suit all. Every travel website thus is full of a variety of packages to Thailand. But having gone through all of them and after completing this trip I can guarantee about one thing, the best part of our vacation were places which were not part of any such packages.

Let me take you to Top 10 things you must know while planning for a Thai Vacation

Item 1: Visa

Standard visa cost for Thailand Entry is 2000 Baht. Once you land in Bangkok airport you will see a big line for On-Arrival visa processing, I will recommend walking some more time as there is a second shorter line ahead and it will save you quite some time as during peak season rush is huge.

Tips:

1. Make sure you have Thai Baht before you get in line as that is the only accepted mode for visa fees

2. Make sure to carry 2 passport size photographs for everyone

3. There is a separate line for ladies with kids, use that.

Item 2: Transportation

Thailand has a pretty decent availability in terms of various modes of transport. All major cities like Bangkok, Phuket have a long supply of colourful taxis, which although have a meter but may or may not use them. So either bargain or clearly ask for using them. In general, I have found that for short distances they will tend to charge you around 200 baht fixed amount. All of them come up with AC which seems a must in most of the daytime travels. There is a more adventurous way of commute in terms of open TukTuk’s which at majority places will charge you in terms of per seat share. There will be a lot of stories of overcharging in blogs but what we saw was that only happens if you do not ask before you sit. We always fixed our rates before we entered and didn’t face any major issues. A rather alternate

Tips:

1. Google Maps work like charm in Thailand to ensure your driver is sticking to the correct route.

2. In Bangkok Only, there are additional toll charges if you take Highway which does save time during peak hours.

3. Always keep a buffer time whenever you are travelling on the road as the traffic is really bad and prone to long jams.

4. Always carry your hotel address in the local language as many cab drivers do not respond to the English addresses.

5. Prefer moving cabs to the standing ones, the standing ones will always have some story so as to not using their meters.

6. Thai Baht is the only mode of payment for any cab/TukTuk.

7. Only for Airport extra charge of 50 Baht for sedan class and 100 baht for SUV class Taxi is applied. The booking counter is at L1.

Item 3: City hopping

Although all the major cities have international connectivity but an equally impressive is connectivity amongst the cities. For easy travelling, there are a plethora of flights and it easy to plan ahead and save a lot in air travel. Major cities are also connected via Trains and make a great companion especially if you are travelling towards the northern Hill area of Chiang Mai and Rai. Selection of flight was a bit of challenge with the majority being low-cost carriers with one or another. For ease of reference see the following list -

Tips:

There are two airports in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. All the domestic carriers flow from Don Mueang.

Item 4: Food

Food options are limited only if you are a vegetarian as fish oil is kind of mandatory ingredient in anything which you order on local stalls. Even if you ask them for a Meat-Free option chance are you will get food made with fish oil. Bigger hotels have an option that they will prepare food for you without Meat. Rice is available in all the restaurants and could well be one of the last resorts. If you are into seafood then you are in for a treat, but beware Thai like their food spicy so be clear in what level you want. There will be street stalls on almost all market areas selling all varieties of roasted meat which are really yummy and cheap. I had chicken wings in one of them for only 5 THB and it was spicy and moist just the way I like it.

The one item not to be missed here are pancakes, keep looking for the stalls where they have an unlimited variety of fillings ranging from Nutella, chocolate, banana, coconut etc. They are literally mouthwatering and cost only 50 Baht or less. Another dish to try on is Mango sticky rice costing around 50 Baht and is made of sweetened rice and served with fresh mango slices on top of it. I bet you can’t eat just one.

Noodle Curry

Tips:

Be very clear in using No-Meat while ordering if you are vegetarian.
Try all fruit options here they are really very juicy and sweet.
Must try local Thai cuisine there are some absolutely wonderful, they also have cooking classes for visitors.

Item 5: Money Exchange

Money exchange is everywhere in Thailand making THB one of the most bought currencies in the world. Airport exchanges are a bit costly as expected but you will need them to pay for your taxi bills so exchange around 100 USD at max from the airport. There are banks all along which will give you better rates. In case of emergency look for local counters that display exchange rate in electronic boards, they are standard ones and their rates change daily. We saw a difference of 300 baht for an exchange of 100 USD amongst normal and electronic counters situated at a distance of a few meters.

Item 6: Thai Massage

Everyone who comes here would have definitely heard about Thai massage and they are really dirt cheap here. But the issue is the problem of plenty. They are so many here that to decide which is good and which is better is a real matter of luck. The prices for authentic Thai Dry massage is around 300-500 THB and well even though it is painful at the start you will really feel relaxed once it is over. The good thing is you can always try the next one if your current one is not great.

Item 7: Dressing

Thailand is a Buddhist state and the first warning you will see once you land will be “Buddha is our father and any show of disrespect will be bound to criminal charges”. So if you have some tattoo with the only head of Buddha you better keep it covered as that is also considered disrespectful here. Over any place in Thai land any dress is alright but if you are planning to visit any Temple or Grand Palace be sure to have your knees covered along with your sleeves. One of my friends who was wearing a sleeveless dress was forced to buy and wear a T-shirt over the dress just to enter the premises. Bikinis and shorts on beaches are absolutely not a problem until you decide to let them go in public.

Item 8: Shopping

Thailand has 7-eleven stores spread all around and if you don’t see any ask your hotel guys they will be more than willing to guide you to one. There are other markets as well but I found 7-eleven and Tesco to be the cheapest and best organized. They even do Mobile recharges and accept all major credit cards without any fees.

For souvenirs, you can always visit Night markets of Bangkok, Krabi, Chiang Mai which have an amazing collection of clothes and accessories as well to really make it a great place to buy things. Bangkok on other hand has proper shopping malls like Siam Paragon etc. which suits the brand-conscious crowd as well.

Tips:

Must try Chatuchak Weekend Market which is the largest street market of Thailand and has an amazing collection. Do go with a full stomach as it is huge and does not have proper eateries.
If going on weekday visit Pratunam Market which is open every day till 7 pm.
The much publicized Khlong Lad Mayom Floating Market is good only if you have free time and for the experience of it only. You will be taken in a boat where vendors will have wooden boats filled with goods & souvenirs for sale.
Do bargain in street markets, everything is open to your negotiation skills.

Item 9: Kids

Thai people, in general, love kids very much and will not grimace even if your kid is having a bad day. I loved the hospitality of Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai) more than Southern beach (Krabi, Phuket) locations. But nevertheless, it will be a smooth ride with your kids here.

The only problem is Medicine for kids, for most of the pharmacy here will sell you across the counter drugs but only for adults and not for Kids.

Item 10: Beaches

Mind it if you really want to enjoy the beaches do not go on a package tour because that will mean thousands of boats all at the same time spoiling the beauty of the place. There are two types of boats which ply here one is Speedboat which will be bigger and faster and another will be Long Tail boats which will be slower. Depending upon your budget try booking the entire boat so as to enjoy beaches or snorkelling joints without the crowd.

If that is too much to ask then look for boats to lesser-known islands like Koh-Mood, Koh-Tao, Hong Island, Ko Nagai, Koh Chang, Koh Lanta etc. Most of these places have hotels to stay as well and will be really worth the time and effort in getting there. The difference will be clear when you see the colour of the water at these places as compared to Ao Nang or Phi Phi Island.

Sri Lanka Diary: Things To Do in East Coast - Arugam Bay, Yala National Park, Udawalawa, Passikudah

By Abhinav 11:11 arugam bay, clean beach, panama beach, panama tank, peanut farm beach, surfing point

East Coast Passekudah, Trincomalee, Arugam Bay, Batticaloa, Nilaveli, Kuchchaveli Trip route: Negombo-Galle-Mirissa-Arugam bay- Passikud...

East Coast
Passekudah, Trincomalee, Arugam Bay, Batticaloa, Nilaveli, Kuchchaveli

Trip route: Negombo-Galle-Mirissa-Arugam bay- Passikudah-Nilaveli-Sigiriya-Colombo
Total Trip duration: 9 days
Type: Family with Kids, leisure
Average Cost: 75k INR (1250 USD approx) excluding flights

Read Here
Day 1 - What to do in Negombo
Day 2 & 3 - Sri Lanka West Coast Beaches

Weather:

Unlike many other Asian destinations, Sri Lanka is a true year-round holiday destination. You just have to know which side of the island to focus on in any given month, and this is never more important than when planning your beach destination. For that, you can break the weather in two zones. The south-western monsoon brings rain to the south-west of Sri Lanka between May and September, while the dry season in this region runs from December to March. In contrast north and eastern coastal regions of the country, the weather is influenced by the north-eastern monsoon, which brings wind and rain between October and January, and drier weather between May and September.

As with many South-East Asian destinations, the period from December to mid-April is considered the peak season for overall weather and therefore overall visitor numbers. Though that remains a fact you can still choose transition periods often providing the best of both worlds; namely great weather and lower visitor numbers (Bargain deals on Hotels)

Travel Journey (Day 4-6)

Our next leg of travel was still developing East Coast of Sri Lanka. With the are still being commercialised and many places having minimal facilities it promised less crowded pristine beaches all to us. Though the weather forecast was not in our favour what I have learnt during my travels is don't trust the forecasts a lot. I called up my hotels in Arugam Bay area and they confirmed that rain is very minimal this year. The journey time from Mirissa to Arugam Bay is around 6 hours and we thus planned to have a halt in between. There are few major gorgeous destinations in between and one should definitely try to visit them.

Udawalawe National Park

Stretching over a land of 30,821 hectares, Udawalawe National Park is famous for its large population of elephants. Hence, this national park is ideal to observe the herds of marvellous Asian elephants in their unique natural habitats. It is known that about 400 elephants in total are sustaining here while about 250 of them are considered as permanently resident and the probability of encountering one such herd is higher as compared to any other parks in Sri Lanka. We also met one and offered them Bananas which they gleefully obliged by devouring all of them.

Average cost of Jeep Safari for couple: USD 95
Accommodation: Not many good options, better to stay in Galle or Mirissa and take a jeep from there

Sinharaja Rain Forest

Sinharaja Rain Forest (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), is the last viable remnant of Sri Lanka’s tropical lowland rainforest spanning an area of 18900 acres. It a wonderful conserved rainforest which gives tourist two trails to enjoy the place to its full though beware of leaches :). The forest is densely crowded with tall trees growing in close proximity and winding trails make the trekking a paradise. Small streams of crystal-clear cool water, that is home to a variety of fish, toads and crabs, crisscross the trails being home to mixed species of birds. As we heard a moderate difficulty level fo treks we decided to skip this for the time because of the kids.

Sinhagala Nature Trail

Trailhead: Entrance to the protected area, Kudawa Conservation Centre, Weddagala, Kalawana
Trail end: Sinhagala Peak
Length of the trail: 2.4 km
Rise in elevation gain along the trail: 300m at Trail Head: 473m at Trail End
Approximate time: 5-7 hours
Hiking Season: Best months are December to April

Mulawella Nature Trail

Trailhead: Entrance to the protected area, Kudawa Conservation Centre, Weddagala, Kalawana
Trail end: Mulawella Peak
Length of the trail: 2.4 km
Rise in elevation along the trail: 457m at Trail Head to 758m at Trail End
Approximate time: 1-2 hours
Hiking Season: Best months are December to April

Yala National Park

Yala is an ideal place to spot the “big four” of Sri Lankan wildlife, the elephants, the sloth bear, the elusive leopard and the wild buffalo. We also saw roaming elephant herds at the small-scale reservoirs. According to recent studies, Yala is said to have the highest concentration of the elusive Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya). The Sri Lankan leopard is also known to be the biggest of the eight known species of leopards’ world over, with the possible exception of Amur leopards. The leopards are more elusive and primarily nocturnal in other countries but are easier to spot in Sri Lanka than any other place in the world due to the lack of any other predators’ presence.

When to visit?
Throughout the year but best in June to September
Park opening hours
6 am to 6 pm
Mode of Game Drive -
by Jeep cost, approx 150 USD for a safari could be shared by 6-8.

The park is huge and could be roamed only by a 4-wheel drive due to muddy roads. Although our driver was a decent one and was trying best to avoid potholes still if you are with Kids it is very tiring for them and should be avoided.

Arugam Bay:

We reached our hotel in Arugam bay - The Bay vista around late lunch time. The hotel and town as such were completely deserted on account of it not being the peak season and which was good as we could roam around the town very leisurely as well as bad because that meant most of the eateries were closed. There are some very good hotels nearby with their own private beaches and should be a better catch the hotels like Roccas which has a well maintained swimming pool overlooking the sea. As the area is still gaining popularity so the government is yet to invest more in this area which was quite evident as beaches in front of our hotel were crowded by fishermen and their boats. The main beach of Arugam bay was not very clean although the high waves at evening made us realise why this has emerged as the most famous surfing destination in the country.

What to See?

Own the Road - Arugam Bay

we ventured to see some offbeat beaches and got the feeling that even now this sleepy town has many areas under control of Military camps reminding how critical its position was during Wartime. Almost all the famous surfing points as mentioned below have direct access blocked by Sri Lanka military but you always have shortcuts to the place but that could be accessed via Tuk Tuks only. This though has the advantage that beaches are relatively clean and not commercialised. The main destinations we covered were the following one -

1. Arugam bay Point: this is the surf spot actually located in Arugam Bay. Every morning you’ll see dozens of surfers out there catching some quality waves. This is recommended more for intermediate to advanced surfers.

2. Whiskey Point: About a 15-minute drive from Arugam Bay is this famous surf spot. It’s a really beautiful beach as well and can provide some excellent waves for beginner surfers. You’ll also notice heaps of people on surfing lessons.

3. Peanut Farm: As per us the most beautiful of all and well maintained by Army. Only about 25 minutes from Arugam Bay this is awesome tucked away beach/surf spot. Very popular, and highly recommend.
4. Panama Tank: Believe it or not but its a surreal site to drive through a narrow road with water on both sides and get this filled with crocodiles, yes you heard it right this place is famous for real-life crocodiles. Any night drive should be avoided for obvious reasons.
5. Panama Beach: A very direct to approach and clean beach with crystal clear water and stone cropping making this one of the most picturesque ones out of all available ones. The drive time was around 30 minutes but in opposite direction to Peanut Farm beach. The waves are less strong here as compared to Arugam Bay and ideal for a family outing with kids.

Cost:

No entry ticket for any of the beaches
Tuk-Tuk rides are around 500 rupees one-way to Whiskey Point & Peanut Farm.

Where to Stay?

The place has limited high-quality hotels as compared to the western side of Sri Lanka but you hardly feel the difference as you are hardly inside the hotel. The best of the lot are Bay Vista, Roccos, Spice Garden and Blue Wave. All of them have decent rooms and access to the beach is within few minutes. The food is also decent and you might get your hand on Indian food in this area quite easily.

Another option which I came to know while talking to the locals is the availability of Beachfront villas and bungalows which at less than half the price give you private beaches along with an excellent stay option. The only challenge being you will have to arrange for your own food from nearby restaurants.

₹ 5,970

The Blue Wave Hotel

4.3 (89) · 3-star hotel

Casual rooms & suites in a laid-back hotel near the beach, featuring an outdoor pool & a restaurant.

₹ 2,513

Stardust Beach Hotel

4.1 (49) · 3-star hotel

Modest quarters in a laid-back beachfront hotel with tropical gardens, terrace dining & yoga.

Ocean Beach Hotel Arugam Bay

Passikudah

One of the most famous destinations of eastern Sri Lanka and is dotted with all the major hotel and resorts. all the hotels have their own private beaches and are thus the most famous destinations on this side of the Srilankan coast. Though all this tranquillity and beauty comes at a steep price, but I guess when you are on a holiday you can splurge a bit.

This place lies exactly between Arugam-Bay and Trincomalee and is an ideal spot for a break if you are on a road trip across this like us. We enjoyed the beach which was though filled with people but even then was very pristine. The waves are also not very high and it makes an ideal spot to build sand castles with your kids.

Food

Food choices in this area are limited by the resort you are staying in as there is hardly any other good alternative. But even the resorts know it and hence they have all the cuisine in their in-house restaurants.