Venice 2009

Getting there
In order to get to Venice we had a few options, but we only short-listed flying from Manchester to Venice with SWISS (stop-over in Zurich) and flying from Liverpool to Venice with Ryanair (no stop-over).
We opted for SWISS because of the arrival time in Venice, which was ideally scheduled when looking at the hotel's check-in time. Manchester airport is closer anyway and SWISS flies to the international Marco Polo airport in Venice, while Ryanair flies to Treviso airport, which again is further away from where you ultimately need to be.

Getting from Marco Polo airport to our hotel Ca' Sagredo was actually easier than expected. I had read about many different options available to us, but one of the quickest and cheapest options was to simply take the ATVO private line bus to Piazzale Roma. From Piazzale Roma take the Vaporetto (Venice's floating equivalent of the public bus) Line 1.

ATVO Private Line bus tickets can be bought in the arrival terminal at Marco Polo airport (3 Euro), and the bus can be found just in front of you when you exit the terminal building. Just make sure to ask the ticketing desk when the bus is leaving, check the electronic display signs outside the terminal and aim for the blue bus. Don't forget to validate your ticket when you are getting on this bus, because you could risk a 40 Euro fine each.
When you get off the bus at Piazalle Roma, the Vaporetto boats actually leave from this square (please refer to this map). Look out for a ACTV ticketing office on a corner of the square (get yourself a single journey ticket at 6.5 Euro), the boats are docked just behind it. Try to go sit at the back of the Vaporetto, which is outdoor and allows you to take in the scenery. In order to get to our hotel we took Line 1 (leaves every 10 minutes) for a few stops and we got off at Ca' d'Oro, which was in front of our hotel. We just had to walk around the block to get to the main entry.
The entire journey didn't take more than 45 minutes and gave us a flavour of Venice.
When making this journey in the opposite direction, make sure not to make the same mistake I made and buy ACTV bus tickets to get back to the airport. These busses will take twice as long because they make several stops. I realised this after buying the ACTV tickets, so I had to buy new ATVO tickets again.

Places to Stay
When looking at hotels in Venice, we came across Ca' Sagredo on XO Private's web site. The pictures of the hotel looked absolutely amazing, so we decided not to go through our usual route of checking out all the hotels on TripAdvisor and booking direct, or through one of the popular booking sites. We saw something we really liked on XO Private and we just went ahead and booked via them. 

We had booked a "standard" Premier Room, but when we were shown to our room we realised we had been upgraded to a really nice Prestige Room with view on the Grand Canal. We also had some chocolate-dipped fresh strawberries in our room. Excellent start!

The hotel's interior looks absolutely amazing, while the exterior doesn't really give this away. Imagine having a room in a museum or palace, and you're about there.
Everything in the room and the hotel looked absolutely immaculate. Not the tiniest stain to be spotted, no signs of wear-and-tear and everything was impeccably clean (I mean flawlessly clean).
The staff at reception were very kind, efficient and service-minded. I asked to confirm (and reschedule) restaurant booking a few times, which was always done with a smile. When I went to the reception to ask for a bath robe, this was delivered to the room before I actually managed to get back to the room... speedy!
Service is always discreet but very efficient with a focus on guests' privacy.

When booking the hotel, I wasn't aware of how well it was located actually. The Traghetto (little ferry that gets you across the Canal) was just on the hotel's doorstep and this takes you to the vegetable and Pescheria fish market. 

Now, we didn't intend on making a 3-course meal ourselves but nearby this market square you find a high concentration of excellent Osteria (similar to a tavern, pub, restaurant) that are not solely aimed at tourists.

The Traghetti don't run at night time, but you can still easily cross the canal via the nearby Rialto bridge.

Some tips:

• Since we had a view of the Grand Canal this also meant that the noise from the Vaporettos could be disturbing in the morning. Just pack some earplugs like we did and you will be fine.
  
• Seemingly legislation doesn't allow hotels in Italy to have an iron and ironing board in the rooms. So try to be clever about packing or make sure you will know what you will be wearing in the evening or the next day and use the hotel's pressing service.
  

Conclusion:

• Ca' Sagredo is a fantastic hotel in an excellent location, especially if you will be sampling the local food. If/When we go back to Venice, there is no doubt in our minds we will be staying at Ca' Sagredo again.
  
• XO Private's selection of hotels is spectacular and this experience has now changed my online hotel search habits. I will now start with XO Private first before looking further on other sites.
  

Places to Eat
First things first: order Venice Osterie, by Michela Scibilia. If you like your food, this will be your best few quid spent in preparation of a Venice trip.

On our first night in Venice, we decided to give Alle Testiere a try based on the review in Venice Osterie (a 10 minute walk from the hotel). We had booked during the week and we were only able to secure a table for 21:30. On arrival, there was a really nice buzz in the restaurant, both owners (I think) who manage front of house and the kitchen were standing behind the counter with a big smile on their faces. This happy vibe, of staff and customers, went along with excellent food. Since we had some chicetti earlier that evening, we asked if we could skip the starters, order the swordfish main to share, as a starter because we both fancied this, and afterwards have the mixed grilled fish. This was no problem whatsoever and they immediately understood what we meant. The swordfish dish was excellent and the grilled mixed fish was very good. The latter dish didn't come with condiments, nor cover-up sauces but was a dish of excellent fresh produce. We didn't even ask for anything to go with the fish because it was just that good (and it was a generous plate of food). The white wine that was suggested to us was good, but a little strong to my partner's taste (14 degrees for a white wine is quite strong). However it did work well with the food, but would be a little heavy as an aperitif wine. I unfortunately don't remember the name of the wine.
The almond ice cream and pistachio pannacota were really good deserts to finish off an excellent meal.
We would certainly go back and this restaurant really deserves its good reputation.

Remarks:

• Even after 21:30 people were still coming in to have food. The restaurant was packed throughout the evening.
  
• The same owners have opened Pesco Pronto at the Pescheria Fish market. An excellent place to have an excellent fresh quick lunch.
  

On our second evening we went to I Figli Delle Stelle, located on Giudecca. Getting there from our hotel was a bit of an expedition really. I had imagined it as having an enjoyable Vaporetto ride, enjoying dusk from the outdoor back-section of the Vaporetto and taking in the views of the Giudecca island opposite San Marco while jumping on a second Vaporetto that would get us to the restaurant.  It was more something like being in a rush because we wanted to have a rest after a long day of walking around Venice, meaning we were running late for the restaurant. The romantic-envisioned Vaporetto ride didn't really turn out that way. The outdoor section was not an option because it was freezing. Inside was more like being stuck on a damp public bus in England. You couldn't see anything outside and that was going to be our ride for over 30 minutes. Romantic ... not really! In my "Men are from Mars and can read maps" attitude, I had taken control of the Vaporetto lines' map, which unfortunately ended up with us shooting past our intended San Zaccharia stop. So we had to jump off and get the next Vaporetto back for one stop, before taking another Line to get to the island of Giudecca (Zitelle).  My partner, Siân, was not impressed with my restaurant selection by this point, and neither was I actually. One hour to get to a restaurant I had read about on TripAdvisor  and in Venice Encounter was just a bit much, especially considering that we had so many good Osteria near our hotel.
So, when we finally got to I Figli Delle Stelle it looked nice but there were only 4 other customers present at 20:55, and I do mean 4 customers not 4 tables, on a Saturday evening. This was a big contrast in comparison to our previous night at Alle Testiere. We had booked in advance, so we had been allocated a really good table at the window with views across the water of the Southern part of Venice.
I did kind of get why this restaurant would be a really good option during the summer when you are staying in a nearby hotel such as Danielli. Under the sun this must indeed be quite appealing if it is a short Vaporetto ride away, but in our case it just wasn't a good option.
Now, back to the food and wine. The Prosecco and our starter of crostinis with fish were tasty indeed, but unfortunately this is where the good news ended. Being in Venice, we again ordered the grilled mixed fish but this time the experience wasn't as positive. The filleted sea bass had gone cold, because it was put on a cold plate. This was quite unfortunate because the taste was good. The accompanying scallops were raw. We didn't want to make a completely fuss, so we quickly ate the sea bass before it was beneath freezing point, returned the scallops and proceeded to eat the langoustine which was nice. The same, slightly chopped up, scallops were heated up a bit longer and we got them back after a few minutes. The initially raw scallops were supposedly the Chef's way of cooking them ... hmmm!
When we mentioned that the sea bass had been quite cold, because of the cold plates, the lady who was serving us said "oh I will tell them in the kitchen because they are still very young". Did I hear this correctly? Who exactly had been cooking our food?
We proceeded with some desserts, a coffee semifredo and a white chocolate mousse, which didn't have the texture of a mousse at all (more of a froffy custard) but was still ok.
We had also ordered some coffee and were told a little later that our bills were ready at the till, which was probably the owner's way of letting us know it was time to go because we were the only ones left by that point.
So after this average dining experience we headed back to our hotel, only for my partner to be sick during the night. Was it food poisoning? It really looked like it (and was affecting her for several days) but according to a lady at the Farmacia a virus was currently affecting quite some people. So, it would probably not be fair to resolutely blame this on I Figli Delle Stelle's food, but with the raw scallops, lukewarm food and low turnaround I am not entirely dismissing the idea neither.

Remarks:

• I Figli Delle Stelle specialises in Puglian food and just maybe we should have opted for some of the typically Puglian dishes instead of the fresh grilled fish?
  
• This restaurant could still be a good option in the summer, if you stay at a nearby hotel and go for the more typical Puglian dishes while enjoying the scenery, which I'm sure must be amazing at sunset. The owner/manager even said "people come here for the location" and then hastily added "and for the food of course"... I guess that just about sums it up really.

On our last night in Venice, I went for a quick discovery tour of the nearby Osteria and from Ca' Sagredo we were spoiled for choice really. Ca' d'Oro, Banco Giro, Naranzaria, etc are all just a short walk from the hotel and favourites of Michela Scibilia, the author of Venice Osterie, and I can understand why. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Campo San Giacometto where Banco Giro and Naranzaria are located, with people having a glass of wine while standing outside or having some wine and cicchetti inside. Both places also allowed for a seated meal (Naranzaria also does sushi which makes sense with the daily fresh fish). I went back to the hotel and did my best to get Siân, my partner, out of bed because she still wasn't feeling well. Some medication and loads of braverie from her part, and off we went to actually have a drink and some food at these Osteria (well I did most of the drinking and eating obviously).
I had some chicetti at Narazaria and they were good, but I must admit that Banco Giro's chicetti were excellent and topped Naranzaria's but both had a really good atmosphere and served nice spritzers and wines. Many of the places I wanted to try, such as Al Marca and All'Arco were unfortunately closed. Maybe because they needed some time off after the Carnival weekend that had taken place the previous week.

Conclusion:

• There is loads of great food in Venice, when you look beyond the beaten track and go on a cullinary discovery trip in little side alleys. But there is also loads of rubbish pastries and cakes being sold in the main shopping streets. And strangely, the more rubbish a place was, the more expensive the coffee. The nicer places only charge something like 1.5 euro and the rubbish tourist traps (not even on San Marco) charge 3.5 euro. The quality of a place is seemingly inversely proportional to the price of its coffee. (this might not apply for luxury hotels of course)
  
• Get yourself Venice Osterie in order to have great food while staying in Venice. I'm really happy I did.
  
• I haven't seen one overweight Italian in Venice, so I guess their diet, which is rich in fish, combined with loads of walking keeps the locals really fit.
  

Shopping:
It's quite simple really. If you are looking for designer brands head for the streets surrounding Piazza San Marco.

If you are looking for artisans' shops go to the Dorsoduro area. The shops there are quite different from the shops and stalls where mass produced items are being sold. We came across the artisan's shop who supplied many of the masks used in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. So, we bought a signed mask there and packed it carefully for our trip back.

You can buy Murano glass all over Venice but I didn't spend as much time investigating shops as I did places to eat. Michela Scibilia also wrote a book about shopping in Venice, which might be worth checking out if you're more of a shopaholic.

Venice, the verdict:
Venice is an amazing place, where I would definitely like to return to. Next time I might however opt to go in Spring or Summer, during the week, while avoiding bank holidays. Even during low season some of the streets get really crowded so I expect things to go a little mental during high-season bank holidays.

More pictures to give you a feel for the place.

Bangkok June 2008

Our latest Thailand holiday in June 2008 was quite an impulsive booking. The previous months had been quite hectic so we decided to treat ourselves to a Thailand holiday when my girlfriend stumbled across some reasonably priced Singapore Airlines tickets from Manchester to Bangkok, with only a short stop-over in Singapore. £530 to fly with Singapore Airlines really was a good deal and June being low season in Thailand, we would be able to book good value for money accommodation.
However, we did experience some major trouble trying to book the tickets online with Singapore Airlines. The online booking module just didn't work and when calling customer services we were told "you can only book this tickets via the web site" ... which didn't work!
Fortunately, I remembered that a colleague at work had spoken highly of Trailfinders and someone at the sports club I am going to had also mentioned Trailfinders for booking his flights, so we decided to give them a try. If the online module from Singapore Airlines didn't work, maybe that Trailfinders would have access to the actual booking system? I spoke to a lady at Trailfinders and I explained which tickets I was after. She was very helpful and came up with some options, but not the particular flights we were after. I was slightly disappointed and I ended the call with "thanks for your help, we will have a look at the other options". A couple of minutes after having hung up, the phone rang and it was Trailfinders. The lady we had spoken to previously had actually found the tickets in a special promo section under duo-tickets (or partner-tickets) and had asked the technical supervisor what the last phone number was that had called her so she could ring us back. A few minutes later our flights were booked and we ended up paying only a fraction more (between £10 and £15) than the prices mentioned on the Singapore Airlines web site. We were really impressed with Trailfinders and decided we might use their services again in the future, because you can easily spend an entire day browsing the web to find good value flights.


So, 10th of June we departed from Manchester and having checked in online, we enjoyed the fastest long haul check-in ever. Singapore Airlines provided excellent service, video on-demand and a constant flow of drinks. This would have been an excellent flight if it wasn't for the screaming kids. No sleep and a serious jetlag later we landed in Bangkok on a Sunday morning. It only took took a short taxi ride to get to our hotel on Soi 29, off Sukhumvit Road. We had booked Legacy Suites for the rooms, the location and the swimming pool. Value for money seemed good so we decided to give this hotel a try. First impressions on arrival were really good. Nice looking lobby, friendly and efficient staff, we were allowed an early check-in and received a free upgrade to a Legacy Suite (maybe because we had another booking with them 2 weeks later?). So far, all good! When we got to the room, we were nicely surprised. It was huge! A kitchen, living room, bed room, 2 Samsung lcd TVs and really nice bathroom (with Grohe fittings). Unfortunately the trouble started when we jumped in bed for a rest... the lights just didn't switch off. The domotics system was going completely mental and there was no relation between switches and light bulbs anymore. 3 hours and a horde of technicians later the problem was finally solved and we could have a nap. It was 3pm by this point and the early check-in had been completely waisted by this point ... and so were we.


Legacy Suites Review:
We had only booked 2 initial nights in Bangkok, before setting off to Koh Phangan. On our way back we stayed at Legacy Suites for 4 nights time, so we spent 6 nights in total at Legacy Suites.

Let's start with the positives:
Very modern, fully equipped spacious rooms. Excellent value for money.
Modern, spacious lobby.
Free Wi-Fi in public spaces.
Knowledgeable, polite and friendly efficient staff.
When you need a taxi, the hotel's staff always manages to find you one in the shortest time possible and when booked via the hotel you never need to negotiate for the taxi driver to put on the meter.
Location is quite good on Soi 29, in between 2 Skytrain (BTS) stations. Just off Sukkhumvit but really peaceful to Bangkok standards (once in the room, I said "listen ... you can't hear anything").
The pool looks good and is big enough for a swim, but it could do with a clean early morning, every morning. The sun loungers are new, comfortable and the hotel provides towels.

The negatives:
The "electrics" seemed to be a problem during both our stays. On our first stay the domotics system in our room didn't work, causing the lights to stay on at all times. On our next stay there were problems with the elevators, so we had to take the service elevator to get from our room to the ground floor.
Musty smell in the bathroom (in a Legacy Suite).
Attention to detail when dusting and cleaning the rooms. DVD player shelf was heavily laden with dust during first stay (in a Legacy Suite) and the rug was badly stained during our second stay. We are not neurotic about stuff like this but it is just a shame really because the rooms look really good.
In order to go to the swimming pool you need to go through the lobby, which sometimes feels a bit weird when you are dressed in shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops amongst other guests in suits (this is probably more of an issue for women).
The little things: very modern toilets in the lobby but nothing to actually dry your hands, 2 Samsung LCD TVs and a DVD player but no DVDs you can borrow, always items missing in the mini bar (which you have to notify reception about in order to avoid being charged), fully equipped kitchen but no towel or cloth (if guests can keep the kitchen more tidy there is less work for cleaning staff), the condom pack on the list of items in the room makes it sound like a seedy hotel while it isn't at all, confusion about the Free Wi-Fi by one member of staff, who pretended we needed to pay for it (happened only once I must admit)
During our stay there was extra refurbishing work in other rooms going on, causing quite some noise ... but they scheduled it well and this was unavoidable really.
No room service nor available snacks or drinks when at the pool, which makes sense for serviced apartments. You might be able to get some Japanese food from the restaurant but no easy snack or quick sandwich.
Breakfast ... don't bother! It took 4 attempts to get fried eggs that were actually well done (without being fussy) and we suspect that it actually was a lady serving the food that went in the kitchen to actually get the job done. By the time the eggs were ok (9:45am) there was no bacon left and we had to ask for knives, coffee cups, butter and bread because after 9:30am things seem to "slow down". We stayed 6 nights and had breakfast twice. But we never considered this a problem really. In Bangkok you only have to walk a few yards to find food anyhow.
The Japanese restaurant that is part of Legacy Suites and where breakfast is served, is quite pricey really (just check the price of a Singha beer). However, this restaurant must be doing something right because they were doing very well every evening. Mainly Japanese people ate there and I guess you would be ready to pay a premium if the food is really good and you actually know what you are ordering ;-)
Overall I would say that this place seems to suffer from an identity crisis "Am I a hotel or serviced apartments?"

Conclusion:
Would we stay at Legacy Suites again? Not sure really ... they are competing in a price bracket where by paying a little more you can get the full 4/5 star treatment (when shopping around). We would for example consider the Marriott Resort & Spa on the river for our next stay, being fully aware that the rooms would probably not compare.
It depends what you are looking for really?
If you are looking for spacious modern rooms and will be self-catering, then Legacy Suites is perfect.
If you want the luxury of a nice breakfast, room service, snacks and drinks at the pool, an international bar and restaurant, then Legacy Suites isn't for you.
Legacy Suites' management could turn these serviced apartments into something VERY good by paying more attention to detail and deciding whether they want to run a hotel or serviced apartments. If they would just forget about the breakfast (but put some essentials in the fridge for the guests on arrival), completely go for the serviced apartments approach and slightly reduce the price this would result in a really good differentiated offering.


Bangkok, Tips for Starters:
I described many Tips in my previous Thailand post, but would just like to add a few...
Unfortunately I wasn't able to find the magazine Farang, Untamed Travel anymore but luckily the magazine Bangkok 101 tells you everything you need to know when in Bangkok. You can find this magazine in most of the better book shops.
Dress well and pay less! It struck me that when you replace your traveler T-shirt with a shirt, and shorts with a pair of decent jeans, you all of a sudden find yourself paying only 10B at the fruit stalls, instead of 20B, and when buying a Frappucino you get a loyalty card "buy 5, get 1 free". So basically, look like an expat instead of a traveler and you might find you end up paying less. Another advantage is that you won't get hassled by the con-men trying to get you into a gem-shop ... a classic! When your tuk-tuk ride in Bangkok is ridiculously cheap, there is a catch!
When taking the Public Taxis at the new airport, do not accept anything else than "meter"! The public taxis at the airport are quite well regulated, but on this occasion one of them tried to rip us off ... when we asked him to put the meter on he said "oh no, 450B because big bags". He probably didn't realise this wasn't our first time in Bangkok and we actually know what the ride should cost, so we decided to get out of his car and take our bags back to the public taxi desk. The supervisor handled the situation really well and we got back into another taxi a few moments later. The same supervisor had a chat with that taxi driver ... don't know what they exactly said but the supervisor described him as "bad man" afterwards. This is quite exceptional actually and it was the first time that a taxi driver refused to put on his meter at the airport. In the city centre however this might be a bit more of a struggle and some taxi drivers will refuse to take you somewhere if the destination is a bit of a nightmare to get to or doesn't make up for their time. You can get really stuck in Bangkok traffic, so I do understand that some taxi drivers must be struggling with the increasing petrol prices. We made sure to always leave a decent tip to the taxi driver!

Going Out in Bangkok:
Please also have a look at my previous Thailand post.
If you want a night out in Bangkok, especially when you are staying near Sukkhumvit Road, you can start of with a few drinks at Cheap Charlies...


From there continue to Bed Supperclub on Soi 11 (700B to get in, but you get 2 drinks for free). Just make sure you have your passport with you, because you won't get in without it. In Bed Supperclub's main white room the music was excellent and Bed seems to draw in a nice crowd. We went on a Saturday and the DJ was playing some really groovy tunes. The sound quality in there is really good actually and they don't push the volume up too loud, which makes it more enjoyable in my eyes ... or ears in this case.


Places to Eat and Drink:
We didn't try many new places, but we ended up eating at Fuji quite often. The Fuji chain of Japanese restaurants can be found in the shopping malls, which sounds a bit naf but the food was really good actually. We were lucky enough to be close to Emporium, which is my favourite shopping mall, and Fuji became our "sushi pitstop" on many occasions.

If you want something different there are many impressive rooftop restaurants and bars in Bangkok, such as the Vertigo Grill & Moon Bar, Sky Bar at The Dome, 360 Lounge at the Hilton Millennium, ...
Dining river cruises can offer an alternative experience, but make sure to compare the different options available. The converted rice barges such as Manhora offer the coolest experience I would think. I believe this type of boat was shown on Five Travel's Rough Guide to Bangkok.


Places to Stay:
Well, obviously Legacy Suites is an add-on in comparison to previous posts.
A colleague recommended the Marriott Resort & Spa in Bangkok (on the river) and I must say this sounds like a tempting option. It has the added advantage of the Manhora Dining Cruises leaving from the pier at this hotel.
Bill2p on TripAdvisor recommended several "character" hotels in Bangkok and they all looked pretty amazing (click here for the TripAdvisor post).

I will soon post "From Bangkok to Koh Phangan" and "Koh Phangan June 2008".

In the meantime, please have a look at my Picasaweb albums for Thailand (new and old)

Barbados September 2007

A one week holiday to Barbados all of a sudden sounded feasible now that I am living in England. Flights were reasonably priced and it was possible to have a direct flight from Manchester airport, so off we went on September 3rd to the Caribbean. Even though this was during the hurricane season, we decided to chance it because Barbados seems to be very rarely directly hit by a hurricane. The island's more Eastern position, compared to the other Caribbean islands, safeguards it from most hurricanes. We enjoyed loads of sunshine and the little rain that fell didn't affect our holiday at all.

PLACES TO STAY and PLACES TO EAT:
Since we had trouble deciding where to stay on the island, we finally opted to stay in 2 different places. We spent 4 nights at the Yellowbird Hotel in St Lawrence Gap and 3 nights at The Crane. The former placed us right in the middle of the "action", close to many bars and restaurants. The latter offered a 5* experience at a reasonable rate, in a more remote location.
The central location of the Yellowbird Hotel allowed us to easily travel by bus or rented car. We decided not to stay on the East Coast because from what I read this part of the island was mainly packed with luxury resorts.
We had hoped to stay at Little Arches, near Oistins, after reading many positive reviews on TripAdvisor, but the hotel was fully booked. If this would not have been the case we would probably have stayed at Little Arches for our entire stay.

The Yellowbird Hotel itself is located in a little bay, which offers really nice views from the balcony. The hotel is separated from the little stretch of sand in front of it by a small one way road.


This stretch of sand is not ideal for sunbathing or swimming but this is no issue at all, since there is quite a nice beach, called Sandy Beach, just next to this bay. You easily reach this beach when you walk to the right when leaving the hotel and facing the sea. When you walk in the other direction, a small walk gets you to Dover Beach which is an even nicer beach.


Compared to other beaches I have seen in South-East Asia these beaches are not especially nicer, but I must admit the turquoise water is impressive.
But let's get back to the hotel itself. The Yellowbird Hotel offers good value for money with spacious rooms, sea front balconies, aircon, kitchenette, free local phone calls, etc. But, the rooms could do with some refurbishing, because everything looks a bit dated and worn out. However don't let that put you off because this hotel is really reasonably priced when compared to many other hotels and the staff is very friendly, helpful and super-efficient (you will know what I mean when you see Michelle at work). When booking a room at Yellowbird just make sure to ask for a room that is not located near the noisy bars (a room that does not end with "1") and make sure you bring some earplugs anyhow. The nearby bar/club has quite a powerful sound system and it is a nuisance for people wanting to have a rest.
"The Gap" is home to many bars that are a bit "rough on the edges". The new Pravda Lounge Bar, just next to Yellowbird Hotel, however offers a refreshing alternative to the louder bars further down the road.

St Lawrence Gap is known as a hotspot for many popular restaurants such as Pisces, Josefs, David's Place, etc. but we ended up going to Little Arches' restaurant called Café Luna. The hotel and restaurant have a "romantic" intimate feel to them and the service at the restaurant was second to none. Food was really good and so were the wines but expect a "European style bill". Luckily the Dollar (and the Barbados Dollar) were quite weak compared to the Euro and British Pound so the bill came in on par with what you would expect to pay in Western Europe for a really decent meal. If the exchange rate wouldn't have been as favourable, prices would have been quite hefty and this does not only relate to the restaurants. This probably explains why on the island many of the hotel rooms come with self-catering facilities.
If you want a less posh meal and you fancy something a bit more casual, make sure to go to Oistins for the evening "Fish Fry" where dozens of food stalls sell freshly fried fish. Strangely the "Fish Fry" is being advertised all over the island as taking place on Friday evening only, which results in bus loads of tourists being dropped in flocks on that specific evening. We went on a Saturday and there was still a busy Fish Fry with more a local feel to it ... sounds like a much better plan to avoid the crowds by going another day.

After our stay in St Lawrence Gap we moved to our next hotel, The Crane. When we got there, my girlfriend was a little annoyed at me for not having stayed at The Crane for our entire stay ;-)


The rooms are very nice, the cascading pools are fantastic and the beach is great. I've seen statements saying The Crane has "One of the ten best beaches in the world" ... which is a bit of an exaggeration really but it is quite impressive with its pinkish sand, aligned palm trees and rough sea.


At the time we went, the prices were really competitive because there was construction work going on. When choosing a garden view room you get the best deals, but you just need to do some lobbying with The Crane staff (via e-mail) prior to your arrival in order to get a room that is not overlooking the construction work. The only "problem" with this hotel is its location. It is quite remote and if you don't have a rental car you might feel a little stuck. The hotel's restaurants Zen and L'Azure are quite posh and pricey and the entire resort "goes to sleep" pretty early, which is when the rental car comes in handy.

THINGS TO DO and TIPS FOR STARTERS:
> Get yourself Dollars to exchange for Barbados Dollars (B$) on the island. Strangely it was much better for us to first change Pounds into Dollars (2$ for 1£) in the UK and then change these Dollars into Barbados Dollars on the island (2B$ for 1$). If we would have brought Pounds to the island and would have exchanged it into Barbados Dollars, we would have seriously lost out on it.
> Footprint Travel Guides does a pocket book for Barbados. I bought it and it came in really handy.
> On the Lonely Planet web site you can download the Barbados chapter from their Caribbean Islands guide.
> Do not wear camouflage clothing on the island. Even though it is mentioned nowhere in the Footprint guide nor in the Lonely Planet's Barbados chapter "it is an offense for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing".
> Get yourself the free "Barbados Shopping Island Map" and the free "Barbados in a Nutshell" guide at the reception of your hotel. The former is a really good map for when you want to visit some of the towns (a bit similar to Nancy Chandler map drawings of the towns), the latter gives you a good overview of all the restaurants and bars on the island.
> Once you have settled in your hotel room, get yourself a Mini Moke rental car. I used my Footprint guide and called some car hire companies I found in this guide. Sunny Isle Sixt Rent a Car in the nearby Worthing had a promo deal going on. We ended up paying 253 Barbados Dollars for 3 days, which is about £20/day.


> Have a drive out to Bathsheba and see how the surf crowd "hangs out".


> Eventually also have a drive out to the West Coast and Bridgetown, but I must honestly say I wasn't that impressed by neither of them.
> Make sure you go for one of the Catamaran Sailing Cruises, that is being advertised on the island. A colleague had recommended Cool Runnings and I was really happy we finally went for this cruise because it was one of the highlights of our Barbados holiday. Even though you might feel these cruises could turn out to be a little "commercial", once you set foot aboard the catamaran you can't help but smiling. The staff on board are just great, helpful and smiling. We had a really good time and my girlfriend enjoyed the snorkeling so much she would like to do much more of it.
> Try some of the local rum, it really is quality rum. Even the "standard" Mount Gay Rum is very good.

MEET THE LOCALS:
The island left me with mixed feelings about the "locals". I had some really great experiences and some less great experiences.

Let's start with the negatives:
> You remember me saying that camouflage clothing is an offense, well guess how I found out? On our first day (still jet lagged and tired) I popped out of the hotel, for an Internet Café, in a pair of knee-length shorts I bought in Thailand and they had a camouflage pattern printed on them. This led to an altercation with some local youths who were being quite verbally aggressive. In our hotel room I found a book "Ins & Outs of Barbados" that indeed explained that this was an offense. I felt really annoyed at myself for not knowing about this because I always read up about local customs and I didn't know about camouflage clothing to be an issue on this island. So I felt pretty bad about this, but the way this was communicated to me was plainly wrong.
> On another evening, driving away from the Oistins Fish Fry in our Mini Moke someone shouted "white kunts" at us. Aarrgghh, why? We always behave in a respectful, polite and open minded way ... why would someone just shout at us?
> One of the Aloë Vera sales guys you find on many beaches also got verbally aggressive when I gave some of the Aloë Vera, that we just bought from him, to a girl who was traveling with her mum. We had been speaking to them for a while and since the sales guy talked me into buying some of his stuff, I ended up with too much of it and gave some away to our fellow travelers. Now, this was not to the liking of the Aloë Vera sales guy who became verbally abusive because he hadn't managed to sell to them earlier and now we were giving away some of our Aloë Vera. By this point I must say I was starting to get fed up with the attitude of some of the rum-fueled locals.

The positives:
> The overall levels of service and politeness are really good around the island. The first taxi driver that took us from the airport to the Yellowbird Hotel immediately set the tone by being very friendly, sympathetic and polite.
> Hotel staff is always very professional, polite and helpful. Bigger hotels maybe result in a less personalised service and are maybe slightly less welcoming but overall the experience is still very good.
> Our dining experience at Café Luna was amazingly good. The staff were excellent and they were genuinely friendly and helpful.
> On board of the Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruise we again experienced amazing staff.
> My favourite experience was when I went for a drive to Bathsheba and I got a bit lost on the way back to The Crane. I ended up asking a few people who pointed me in the right direction and finally an older gentleman who was going in the same direction just jumped in the car with me. This was definitely better than GPS ;-) Once the gentleman arrived at his destination, which was on the way to The Crane, I drove on for a little while but had to ask again. I was in a little village where I asked, I presume, a local teacher for directions. The lady pulled a brand new metallic blue Jeep over and had a chat with the driver of this car. The two ladies in the car must have been in well their fifties (if not sixties), they were wearing big white posh hats and were driving in the direction I needed to go. I had some serious trouble trying to keep up with them in my Mini Moke ... it felt like a scene from "Cocoon" ;-)

CONCLUSION:
Would I go back? Well, probably not actually. However if you have loads of cash to spend and you want a tropical short-stay destination that is just a direct flight away , then Barbados might indeed work out just fine.

USEFUL LINKS:
Locations:
St Lawrence Gap
Oistins
Bathsheba

Places to Stay:
Little Arches
The Crane Resort & Residences
Yellowbird Hotel

Places to Eat:
Café Luna
Josefs
Pisces
David's Place

Miscellaneous:
Cool Runnings
Footprint Travel Guides
Lonely Planet
Mini Moke
Sunny Isle Sixt Rent a Car

Picasaweb Album

Ghent - Places to Stay

This is my selection of hotels and B&Bs in Ghent + my favourite restaurant, shown on a Google Map.
If you would happen to stay at one of these places or have some fantastic food at The House of Eliott, please leave me some feedback.

Brussels - Places to Stay

This is my selection of hotels and B&Bs in Brussels, shown on a Google Map.
If you would happen to stay at one of these places, please leave me some feedback.

Cambridge City Trip, February 2007

I spent a few days in Cambridge and have compiled some information that might be useful to people who enjoy their food and wine, or just chilling out in a bar.


Intro:
Cambridge is oozing cultural heritage!


If you have time for a walk in the city I would suggest entering the city from the North through Magdalene Street (see junction with Northampton Street, Castle Street and Chesterton Lane).
From Magdalene Street, go over the bridge and continue on Sidney Street or take right for St Johns Street. From here, just wander on through the maze of little streets and enjoy the atmosphere.

Cambridge does have a very academic (even religious) feel to it, but lacks the youthful energy you would expect from a student city ... well it even seems to lack the youth really ;-)
On arrival make sure to pick up a free Explorer Magazine at your hotel or the nearest bar who offers them. Not only will you have an overview of everything going on in the city, but you will even find some vouchers for a free bottle of wine or a reduction at many restaurants. Also make sure to tear out the map that is printed in this magazine!


Places to Stay:
Having stayed in one hotel, I can only comment on Arundel House Hotel (Chesterton Road).
The location is ideal and when staying in a front room with bay windows you do get to enjoy quite a nice view on Jesus Green park.


The hotel however feels a bit dated and even though the restaurant is being described as contemporary, this statement must have been made a few decades ago.
For business people this hotel might not be ideal because they don't allow laptops nor mobile phones in bar & restaurant. Another major disadvantage is the total lack of Internet connectivity in this hotel.
On the plus-side everything is impeccably clean, the location is spot on and the service is friendly and efficient.




Places to Eat/Drink:
Since I was staying just at the northern outskirts of the city I often ended up eating (and having a drink) in the more "touristy" part.
On Bridge Street you will find many restaurants that are part of a chain. Chez Gerard has recently undergone a face lift and offers decent food in a nice contemporary deco, but Café Rouge seems to be a safer bet. The food is not spectacular but is consistently good and the atmosphere inside is quite charming. Service is friendly and efficient and all of this translates in the restaurant being packed every night while the surrounding places seem to be begging for customers. In the same area you will find Galleria which to my understanding will only be worth your money during summer days, if you can sit on the balcony that literally hangs over the river. Edwinns restaurant does look very good when walking past it, but the place doesn't seem to draw a crowd and when doing some more research about this place the reviews are very mixed.
Although being a bar, B Bar is my favourite place in Cambridge. A nice venue, with a warm friendly atmosphere, that offers a decent wine selection and bar food that is way better than one would expect. Daytime this place is nice to have a coffee and afterwork it is ideal for a drink, a snack (the sharing plates are really good) or a proper meal. The place has a loungy feel to it and you feel like you could spend the entire day here. Since it is quite big, it however isn't the most romantic place for a "tête à tête" dinner.

While being in Cambridge I did quite some research and asked some locals about the best places for food.
Le Gros Franck (read as The Fat Frank) has a really good reputation and is a place I would definitely like to go to on my next visit.
De Luca Cucina & Bar seems to provide amongst the best cocktails in the city and is supposedly a really nice place for an aperitif drink and some antipasti. The food, service and atmosphere seem to enjoy an overall excellent reputation. Another place that is certainly worth visiting!
Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar has recently undergone a little face lift. It had quite a good reputation but please check on www.localsecrets.com for recent updates because reviews are mixed nowadays.
Dojo isn't situated in the most cosy spot of the city but seems to offer a good and tasty selection of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai food.

This list is obviously not exhaustive and doesn't include Michelin star restaurants nor the really posh expensive restaurants like Midsummer House .
The restaurants mentioned above are not "cheap" (except for Dojo) but they won't cost you a week's salary either ;-)
If you want to save a few quid when going for food, make sure to register with www.localsecrets.com and print the online vouchers that are available for many of the places mentioned.

FREE WiFi:
Since I was staying in a hotel without Internet connectivity I went on a quest for free wifi!
I wanted to find some "loungy" bars that offer free wifi, in order not to end up in a typical "Internet shop/café" where the background "music" consists out of keyboards being hammered.
It took me quite a while, but finally I managed to find a couple of places where you can enjoy sipping an espresso while checking your mails.
Ta Bouche, opposite to B Bar, offers free wifi (BT) and quite a nice venue with a friendly atmosphere. The food looked really good but the day I went for lunch an overly noisy bunch spoiled my appetite ... how can just 6 people make so much noise? I have no idea why some people think they need to scream at each other instead of talking!? The wifi signal of Ta Bouche reaches B Bar, but you will still need the wifi wep password from Ta Bouche.
The Box Tree is anther loungy contemporary place that offers free wifi, but it's location isn't particularly great next to Grafton Shopping Centre.
The Fountain Inn pub also offers free wifi (Tiscali).
De Luca Cucina & Bar also has free wifi.

So far my travel report on Cambridge ... Just some extra pics underneath to give you a feel for the city






More pics can be viewed on my Picasa Web Album:

Cambridge_2007

THAILAND December 2006, January 2007

Off we went on December 25th with Emirates.
The main advantage of flying out on Christmas day was the price of the tickets, the taxi however was obviously more expensive. We had hoped for a relaxed flight, assuming most people wouldn't want to travel that day ... well, we were wrong! The queue at check-in was huge and the Boeing 777 was absolutely packed.
I however was impressed by the service and facilities on board. The in-flight entertainment system was amazing.
A short stop-over in Dubai, changing planes and Bangkok finally felt in reach.

BANGKOK:
Suffering from jetlag we landed at Bangkok's new stunning airport. Once we picked up our luggage we went to get a taxi and this is where we figured out you need to go one level lower than the floor you seem to be automatically guided to. When you just follow the flow getting out of the terminal you get to the limousine services that charge 800 Bath. If you go down one level you can take a public taxi that will cost you approximately 300 Bath to go to the city centre.
So, we jumped in a taxi, told him to take the toll road (prepare some money for the driver, because he will ask you to pay at the toll booth) and 20 minutes later we arrived at Swiss Park Hotel on Sukhumvit Road. This hotel offers good value for money and the staff is friendly and efficient. But, next to the hotel a new skyscraper is being built and construction work goes on all day and night > 24h/day!!! When booking a room, make sure to ask for pool side (room numbers ending on 2,3 or 4 are the safest bet). Don't allow for anything else because it is impossible to sleep or relax when you have Bob the Builder on Red Bull going on a frenzy.
For me it was the first time I had a pool when staying in Bangkok and it was great! Chilling out at the pool is a nice way of coping with Bangkok's chaos.
Unfortunately the combination of jet-lag, constant air-con and the heavy air pollution turned out to be a perfect recipe for throat-nose-ear infections.

On our way back from the islands we also stayed at Swiss Park Hotel for the last two days. Since we came back from Koh Phangan earlier than expected we needed another hotel for a couple of days. My partner managed to find us Zenith hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 3. Now this hotel was definitely in another league. The lobby and restaurant are really nice but try to get one of the refurbished rooms. The main asset of this hotel however is it's large Sky Pool on the upper floor of the hotel. This makes the hotel quite unique.



The neighbourhood isn't particularly great but it is very close to Nana BTS station on Sukhumvit.
We were also looking at other hotels in Bangkok and two really seemed to jump out of the crowd. The Davis Bangkok seems absolutely stunning and Napa Place seems to offer something different, but it's prices have just gone up and I think it will have trouble competing with luxury hotels that offer swimming pools and larger rooms.

On previous Thailand holidays I used to stay in Old Bangkok, just north of the Banglamphu area. Guest houses like Shanti Lodge and Sri Ayuttaya (behind the national library) offer a nice alternative when looking for a place close enough to the old city centre but far enough to be a bit more chilled. Shanti Lodge has a more hippie new age vibe to it, while Sri Ayuttaya offers decent rooms that will be more quiet.

Remark:
The difference between old and new Bangkok is huge. When staying near Khao San Road, being mainly surrounded by other travellers one could think that in order to fit in you need to be wearing rags, dreadlocks and a couple of henna tattoos. A trip to the Thai shopping malls will quickly open your eyes and make you realise that the local youth is very trendy and fashionable. Compare this to the crowd you find near Khao San and you soon put things in perspective.

TIPS for starters:
Farang Untamed Travel is a must buy magazine when you arrive in Thailand. In this magazine you will find an extensive overview of things to do plus restaurants, bars and clubs in Bangkok. You also get much useful information about the islands. 99 Bath well spent if you ask me ;-)
Get a Nancy Chandler Map of Bangkok. These colourful maps are extremely useful.
When booking hotels www.sawadee.com is the best online booking site around. It is fast, reliable, offers great service and you pay less than booking direct.
When wandering near Khao San Road, try to pick up a Khaosaner magazine for the info and map inside.
When going clubbing, you will need your passport as ID ... it's not a matter of age. Even Keith Richards wouldn't get in without his passport ;-)
Get a Thai SIM card and you will save a lot of money on your text messages and calls. You can pick a Starter Kit from Happy for 199 Bath (check for the "Ready for International Calls" mention).
For continental flights (and even international flights in SE Asia) Bangkok Airways provides the best experience considering it's fares are very reasonable. It is easy to book online with Bangkok Airways and the level of flexibility and service you get is truly amazing. If Bangkok Airways flies to your destination, just fly with them and you won't be disappointed.

Things to do near Sukhumvit Road:
Try the Sky Train or also called BTS, you can't miss it and it is worth giving it a try. It also is a nice way to cool down when the temperatures are soaring, because of the aircon inside. Jump off at Siam, and check out the shopping malls. Paragon is the newest most exclusive one where you can actually buy a Ferrari if you would want to seriously splash out. MBK (Mah Boon Krong) however offers more "realistic" goods at normal/local prices and is just one Sky Train stop further along the road, National Stadium, or within walking distance of the BTS Siam station.

Things to in Bangkok (not near Sukhumvit Road):
Lumpini Park is a nice getaway from the constant noise and pollution and is easily reached by Sky Train.
Go to the Chatuchak Weekend Market (see Nancy Chandler map).
Also visit Suan Lum Night Bazaar (Nancy Chandler maps are available) to guide you around. This night market is situated next to Lumpini Park.
When staying in the older part of Bangkok you can easily visit the Grand Palace, all the different Wats (temples) such as the temple of the Lying Buddha, the temple of the Emerald Buddha and many more. The Grand Palace is definitely worth visiting.

Places to Eat/Drink near Sukhumvit Road:
Cheap Charlie's (from Sukhumvit Road take Soi11 and after approx. 250m you will find a little street and Cheap Charlie's to your left) is a relaxed place to have a couple of drinks to start the evening. It's rather a shack with some chairs and tables but it offers a nice atmosphere and obviously cheap drinks.
Check out Suk 11 just around the corner from Cheap Charlie's, this guest house offers a very different feel than the other places on and near Sukhumvit Road. But you won't have the luxury of a pool ;-)
Very close to Swiss Park Hotel on Soi 11, posh restaurant Zanzibar offers fantastic food, a nice surrounding and a live band that mostly plays jazzy tunes. Food was really excellent when we went but it came with a price tag. The more upscale places will charge you VAT and service charge, while the "smaller" places don't.
Restaurants Cabbages & Condoms and Crepes & Co are two popular spots on Soi12.
The shopping malls offer a good selection of restaurants. In MBK you will find a variety of really nice Japanese restaurants, like Kobune. I even had to ask for a doggy bag because I couldn't finish the huge sushi plate I ordered ;-)
If you fancy a good coffee, have a look near Asok BTS station next to Sheraton Grande. You can see a Boots chemists (part of a shopping complex) and at the top of the stairs there is a little coffee stall that offers really good value for money. The coffees are cheap but really good actually, especially when compared to other strange brews I tried in Bangkok that also were labeled "coffee".

Places to Eat/Drink in Bangkok (not near Sukhumvit):
Near Khao San, on Phra Arthit Road you will find a stretch of little bars and restaurants. The furthest one down the road, called Hemlock, served very nice food in a very nice atmosphere and with excellent jazzy music in the background. The difference in price with eating at a more upmarket place near Sukhumvit is huge. At Hemlock you can have really nice food at very affordable prices.
Having a drink on Khao San Road will never feel like an exclusive luxury happening but a place like Silk Bar definitely has a more upmarket feel to it. On Rambuttri Road, parallel with Khao San, Cinnamon Bar also offers a very different look&feel from what one would expect in this area. Definitely worth a visit.
Wok masterchef Ken Hom's favourite restaurant in Bangkok seems to be Ban Klang Nam, a floating seafood restaurant on the Chao Praya river. We tried to get there but the taxi drivers were asking a ridiculous amount of money to drive us there.
If you want to impress your partner with a fab place to have a drink, definitely try Sky Bar on the 64th floor of State Tower but don't trip over when you get your bill.

Clubs in Bangkok:
The most popular clubs in Bangkok still seem to be Q Bar and Bed Supperclub both on Soi 11, with the latter being the most trendy. But we must emphasize that these clubs are the most popular when considering a mixed crowd of locals, expats and travellers. I was however completely blown away by the stretch of superclubs at RCA/Rachada (BlockD). These places seem to cater mainly for locals but even midweek there is such a buzz it is frankly impressive. Clubs Flix and Slim look very trendy and are packed every night. Hip-Hop seems pretty big nowadays with the local youth and Slim mainly caters for the Hip-Hop crowd. Flix however mainly plays house music and according to my girlfriend this place has to the most funky women's toilets ever. In front of these clubs you will find an impressive amount of tuned cars all nicely aligned, giving the entire scene a Fast & Furious-feel.


KOH LANTA:
After having spent 4 days in Bangkok we flew out with NokAir. Unfortunately none of the budget airlines seemed to be flying on Krabi at that time. So we had to fly to Trang, a central travel hub in South Thailand. Trang isn't particularly funky, but it is just a functional stop-over on your way to another destination.
Remark: In the past, Bangkok Airways used to fly on Krabi and they even had flights from Krabi to Samui. This was the ideal island hopping solution because it easily got you from one side of the peninsula to the other. NokAir has recently (15th Jan 2007) opened up a new route flying from Bangkok to Krabi, something that was only available through Thai Airways in 2006. You can still get from one side of the peninsula to the other side by using Bangkok Airways' flights from Phuket to Samui.

Arriving at Trang's airport isn't a particularly exhilarating experience. We got our luggage and rushed to KK Tour & Travel because calling them from the airport, we were told that the busses were packed and it was very busy to get to Koh Lanta.KK Tour & Travel has several daily air-con vans between Trang and Koh Lanta but with it being 30 December, many people wanted to travel to the islands.
We fortunately managed to get on a crowded mini bus and off we went for a bus ride of hell. Obviously the trip will take you double the time that was mentioned, it will be packed with screaming kids, but the frustration you accumulate during this drive is the worst thing. Whenever the driver stopped, he got out of the bus, had a cigarette but left everyone stuck inside. On the first ferry he managed to park the mini bus in such a way we couldn't get out and waiting for the second ferry he got out again, lit a cigarette and was having a walk in the fresh air while we were again stuck inside. When the bus wasn't driving the temperatures inside were soaring and I started to lose it. Seemingly nobody could actually open the door of the minibus from the inside and all windows had been closed off using metal wire (probably in order to optimise the air-con). We eventually managed to get out for some air but our mind was made up: No more mini bus rides from hell!!!

When we finally arrived on Koh Lanta, we were dropped at Ban Sala Dan (north of the island). Trying to avoid the overly pushy taxi drivers, we went to have a drink in a nearby hotel and we called our resort, Kantiang Bay View. 30 minutes later a pick up truck showed up and we had a free ride to our resort.
It must be said, Koh Lanta doesn't make a great first impression. The beaches look very nice, but the "backyard" is a huge mess. The tsunami aftermath is still very visible and once you leave your resort you will stumble upon debris and waste. The little dodgy shops near the resort look terrible and are far from being "inviting".
On arrival at the resort nobody welcomed us, we just were entitled a "follow him" in order to be led to our rooms. So again, not a fantastic first impression. This was quite a shock! When compared to islands like Samui and Phangan, Lanta doesn't score very high on the "friendly welcome" scale.
The rooms were not great and the bungalows were packed close together. We were both tired from all the travelling and our first feeling on arrival was far from good.
So in the evening we decided we would try and leave one day earlier than expected and avoid mini buses to get to our next destination, Koh Phangan.

Luckily we had indeed picked the best beach of the island and on the same beach you also find the Same Same But Different restaurant, which offers a very nice setting on the beach.
We soon found out the food at our own resort was actually very good too. The restaurant offers a nice setting right on the beach.



The Why Not Bar, ran by super-cool-dude sea gipsies, was a fab place to have a drink in the evening and was on the same premises, making it ideal for a late night drink.







For New Year's eve the staff of the Why Not Bar had set up a bar on the beach and we had a fantastic New Year on the beach! By the way ... a tip from my girlfriend: try the Pina Colada with fresh coconut milk!






Slowly this place started to grow on us. The beach was absolutely fabulous, the food was excellent and the bar on the premises was a really cool place with excellent drinks and good music.





We rented a scooter and drove around the island. This indeed confirmed that Ao Kantiang is probably the best beach on the island but it also confirmed the island hasn't that much too offer.


In Ban Sala Dan (the "capital" of the island and main entry and exit point to the island) we were even stopped by the police because we weren't wearing any helmets. The police had set up a barrage and all westerners that were driving scooters without wearing helmets were pulled over. It took us some negotiation and we even ended up calling our resort. Someone from the resort was close-by and he popped by to help us out ... we managed to drive off without needing to pay a fine. Needless to say our appreciation for the resort we were staying at grew throughout our stay.

After 6 days it was time to leave and head for Koh Phangan. Definitely avoiding the mini buses we took a boat to Phuket (stop-over at Phi Phi), a taxi from the pier to Phuket's airport and we managed to get on an earlier flight to Samui, thanks to Bangkok Airways' flexible and friendly staff.


Conclusion:
Koh Lanta left us with mixed feelings. It doesn't have the warm friendliness of many other Thai islands, nor does it have particularly spectacular scenery.
I think we were very lucky to have stayed on Ao Kantiang at Kantiang Bay View Resort. We ended up really enjoying our stay and the positives were definitely outweighing the negatives.
I however don't understand why the prices for scooters, rooms, etc are so much higher than on Koh Phangan, that isn't linked to the mainland and doesn't have an airport neither. Is it the nearby Koh Phi Phi that has made this island the next to best island if you can't stay on Phi Phi and thus boosting the prices? (e.g. a scooter on Lanta will cost you 300 Bath while on Phangan it will cost you 200 Bath, the bungalow we were staying cost us 2000 Bath while on Phangan our much more impressive bungalow cost us the same 2000 Bath)
Out of curiousity I went to ask for prices at nearby resorts on Ao Kantiang, such as Baan Laanta Resort & Spa and I don't even want to know about Pimalai Resort. Well, the place we were staying seemed to be bargain on this island.
The big resorts and the prices doesn't make sense to me. Why would one want to go to an overpriced resort on an island that actually hasn't that much to offer and that is difficult to reach? I'm all for islands that are not overly developed , but this island didn't have the charm of an unspoiled island nor did it have the infrastructure of "bigger" islands like Samui.
The island is of course struggling with the tsunami aftermath and it is amazing at which pace everything has been rebuilt. Local authorities have now created Tsunami escape routes and safe areas, which are well indicated all along the island's risk zones. One can try to imagine the impact the tsunami has had on daily life and on the people affected by the loss of family and friends, but I don't think we can grasp the scale of it. When I say Koh Lanta isn't the most welcoming smiling place, I am aware of the fact that such a statement is easy for me to make when at the same time it must be really difficult for the locals to keep up a brave or smiling face after the traumas they have experienced. They went straight back to providing services to travellers, seeking good times, after having been through such a traumatic experience themselves. By the way, you now notice that many private houses are being built on hills and definitely not near the beach anymore.





KOH PHANGAN:
So we landed on Samui and from this charming little airport we took an overpriced taxi to Big Buddha Pier. We had to wait for the ferry leaving at 4PM and taking us to Haad Rin. On arrival at Samui airport we were seriously disappointed by the weather. It was heavily overcast and it looked like it would stay like that for a long time.



While waiting for the ferry we asked another traveller who had been on the island for a while about the weather and he said it had been very sunny for the last 7 days but that it just went clouded today. We felt better hearing this and hoped for more sunshine the next days. We came from a sunny island after all!
On our arrival at Haad Rin, I called our resort, Sarikantang, and they came to pick us up straight away. I had stayed at this place in 2005 and they still remembered me. We received a really friendly welcome and the place hadn't lost any of it's charm. The bungalows had even been "improved" with a mini fridge, TV and DVD player. But this resulted in the bungalows becoming more expensive in the process.
We were staying in a really nice beach front bungalow with open air bathroom. It all looked fabulous.
The staff is amazingly friendly and will go to distances to help you out in any way they can. This place is being ran very professionally with great care for personalised service with a smile.




My girlfriend treated herself to an afternoon at the Spa of the resort. The setting was absolutely great, she enjoyed it very much and she was showing off her baby-soft-skin afterwards :-) My skin felt like sandpaper compared to hers ;-)
My only negative comment about Sarikantang would be the food and the restaurant deco. I remembered this place as providing excellent food, but on this occasion I was mostly disappointed by it. The entire resort looks absolutely charming but the restaurant could do with a bit of a make-over in order to have the same feel as the rest of the place.



So far the good news. The bad news was that the rain was pouring down ... ALL day and night! So, we were staying in a fabulous resort on a fantastic beach but the weather was absolutely lousy! Watching DVD's and trying to make ourselves comfy wasn't our idea of a beach holiday. One evening I even went out on a scooter, in the rain, to Mr K ("Chicken corner", near Cactus) to get some take away food for a DVD night... not the ideal scenario, but you try to make the best of the situation. By the way, Mr K does some really nice food and does excellent "luxury" sandwiches. It's not the most cosy place to have food, but ideal for take away.

The next day we checked the weather forecasts and it was looking pretty grim. Rain, clouds and stormy weather for the next 6 days ... Haad Rin had in the meantime become a collection of big puddles and felt deserted. Very strange because only a few days ago the place was buzzing with the Full Moon Party. We asked a local expat shop keeper and she confirmed that the weather was too extreme for the season. We knew that Koh Phangan could experience some rain in January (more likely than the other side of the peninsula), but normally you don't get constant rain for a week.
So, we needed a solution! Since there were no flights anymore from Samui to Krabi (Bangkok Airways had them in the past, but canceled the route) it would take us too much time and effort to get back to the other side of the peninsula, plus we still had a flight booked from Samui back to Bangkok. The solution: returning to Bangkok earlier than initially planned! We contacted Bangkok Airways and just about managed to arrange for an earlier flight to Bangkok. Everybody was fleeing the islands because of the weather, so there were huge stand-by lists at the Samui airport.
My girlfriend found us a great hotel on www.sawadee.com and so we were unfortunately leaving Koh Phangan after just a couple of days.


TIPS for starters:
On arrival at Koh Phangan and even at the ferry on Koh Samui you can find handy little magazines like Go Phangan (formerly known as Phangan.info) and Phangan Explorer.
Don't drink an overload of "buckets" (local party drink) and jump on a scooter. The mix of alcohol and concentrated Thai-style Red Bull will diminish your perception of how drunk you really are.
Wear flip-flops on the beach! Especially on the party beaches broken glass and cigarette buds often cause injuries.
When going to the Full Moon Party, don't take any valuables with you. Pickpockets will target digital cameras, money, etc. Avoid carrying bags and if you need a wallet, physically attach it to your clothes, or yourself, with some wire or a chain. Boozed out travellers are an easy prey! Try not to leave any valuables in your room neither, rather ask reception if they have a safe. FMP night is an ideal time for burglars to break into guesthouses because most of them are deserted anyhow.


Places to Stay (or not to stay in some cases):
My favourite resort when staying in Haad Rin, still is Sarikantang. It is very well located on a fantastic beach, Haad Seekantang, offering a relaxed getaway from the party beach while being very close-by at the same time.
Next to Sarikantang you will find Coco Hut, which also offers nice beach front bungalows that are very nicely spread out on the beach. The view from the deck is absolutely stunning but to my feeling you get better value for money at Sarikantang. When I stayed there, Coco Hut had a less friendly feel to it, it felt more like a "holiday factory" but maybe other people will experience this differently.




If you want to experience a different Koh Phangan, the beaches Ao Thong Nai Pan Yai & Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi at the North-East of the island offer a nice alternative. These two beaches offer a more secluded feel and are ideal if you are looking for something neither too busy nor too isolated. You will need a pick-up to get there, or go by boat. The road towards these beaches goes straight through some rain forest and is absolutely fantastic. I wouldn't suggest to try it with a scooter because the monsoon regularly reshapes this road into something you'd rather tackle with a 4-wheel vehicle.


On Ao Thong Nai Pan Yai, Dolphin is definitely a guest house with a rich ambience, set amidst jungle grounds that are right on the beach. It is run by a Kiwi-Thai couple and they turned this place into something great, with a bar that offers really cool loungy sitting decks.



Only problem is they don't do bookings, so you might find yourself ending up next doors at White Sand Resort, which actually isn't a bad deal neither. Even though it lacks the atmosphere you find at Dolphin it provides with large clean airy bungalows in a nice setting perpendicular to the beach.




The other beach, Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi, has a different feel than it's big brother "Yai". It has a hippie-feel to it, but I personally think it is all a bit more ramshackle. I tried staying at Baan Panburi, but the beach bungalow I was led to was absolutely not up to standard. This place heavily relies on a Lonely Planet quote from years ago for their advertising. I wasn't impressed at all by this place and I left 15minutes after getting there. I ended up at Thong Naipan Beach Resort & Spa, which wasn't fab neither but at least it offered better value for money at the time I went. When looking at the prices now, I am amazed how much they went up ... I remember paying 800 Bath in March 2005.

Places to Eat/Drink:
When staying in Haad Rin there is a multitude of places to have a drink or some food.
The Shell offers good Italian food in a nice setting, that feels a bit more chilled than most places in Haad Rin.
Om Ganesh is located right at the ferry in Haad Rin and has undergone some major refurbishment over the last few years. It offers good Indian food at reasonable prices.
Nira's Bakery offers good pastries and coffees but they come with a higher price tag.
A couple of more recent places offer a more upscale dining experience. Kinera has recently opened and it's warm dark red interiour sets it apart from the other places on the Haad Rin beach strip. The cuisine is mediterranean with an extra Italian touch. Emotion of Sushi offers decent sushi and cocktails in a loungy place.
If you feel like having a drink or you want the party vibe in the evening, just walk down to sunrise beach from "Chicken Corner" (Mr K) and once you reach the beach you can have your pick. Cactus is a popular place but there are so many bars to choose from.
When staying at Ao Thong Nai Pan Yai, Dolphin is the best place to have a drink. As a lounge bar this is as good as it gets. On this beach most bars are part of the guest houses or resorts.
At the other side on Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi you can find a couple of extra bars like the Jungle Bar, Rasta Bar and Outlaw Bar.
Seesha Bar on Chaloklum offers a completely different experience. I haven't been there myself but just have a look at their site www.sheesha-bar.com.



KOH SAMUI:
I never really went to Samui on purpose. I got stuck there at one occasion and ended up staying at P. Chaweng Guest House. A French expat, running a bar on Samui, recommended this place to me and he even went in to negotiate a better price. I think it only cost me 400 Bath for a nice clean room with air-con, tv and a mini fridge. It was great! I was really tired and this place was ideal to actually have a nice sleep and relax a little. It is not a funky place to stay but just offers really good value for money. I ended up staying an extra night because I really enjoyed having a decent quiet room.
Chaweng however didn't impress me at all. It felt like one big tourist-trap stretch of bars, shops and restaurants.
The next day I rented a scooter and went on a discovery ride around the island. Luckily not all of Samui has the same feel as Chaweng and you can still find some nice beaches that aren't too busy. Some of the resorts I saw on the island looked really great.
I don't understand why, but the taxis on the island are so overpriced compared to the rest of Thailand. Last time we were at Samui airport we had a few hours to kill and I thought it would be nice to go have a drink at nearby Billabong Surf Club on Bophut beach, but the taxis were charging such ridiculous prices we just stayed at the airport.
If I would ever end up on Koh Samui for a few days again, I think I would stay at Gecko. This place seems to offer nice bungalows with a trendy feel to them.

So far my Thai Blog ... I hope this information will prove useful.

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