Thailand and Cambodia Reviews
Thailand
Thailand was the sixth destination on our world tour. We left Bali with stars in our eyes and not sure what we’d find in Thailand. We flew into Bangkok at night and nearly got lost in the airport. Yes, it is that big. We had no idea how big Bangkok is until we were riding in a taxi bound for the city. It is massive. It appears that the city started near the river and grew outward from there.
A night ride through the streets of Bangkok is like stepping into the movie Bladerunner. There are people everywhere and the streets are quite narrow, sometimes barely wide enough for a car to slide between the food stands and other mobile businesses that line the curbs and walls. There is steam rising from the many cafe style restaurants, blindingly bright lights detailing the knock-off Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags, shoes and wallets and the other miscellaneous shop merchandise. Neon tubes illuminate peoples’ faces with a dozen unnatural colors. Your senses are on overload. The smells of Pad Thai, roasted, fried and baked meat and vegetables, nuts, tropical fruits and unidentifiable piles of chopped brown chunks. There are Roti stands with banana, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth and then some. Tuk Tuks taking tourists to temptations. You can get pretty much anything you want in Bangkok, for a price. Whatever you see on the street can, and should be, haggled for as these items are all priced high for unaware tourists. During the off season you can usually get something for half the asking price, but during the high season you will be lucky to get 20% off. One strategy is to go late, just before the stands are closing, and ask the vendor what his/her best price is. Sometimes it will be cheaper than you expected to pay.
Our first hotel, the Citin Pratunam, is situated right in the middle of the action. We never had to go more than a couple blocks for anything. We had some of the best Thai food we’ve ever had just outside the front door of the hotel. A 7-Eleven type convenience store was across the street for any incidentals and beer. A Roti stand could always be found on our block. The laundry was two blocks away. A movie house and mega mall was about four blocks away. A short Tuk Tuk ride would get us to the elevated train and from there we could get to just about everywhere else in the city. We were in the heart of convenience.
While in Bangkok, we arranged for a trip to head north to Ayutthaya and eventually Chiang Mai then return to Bangkok before heading east to Cambodia. Taking the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya we were in the 3rd class car as it was a short two hour ride. They were comfortable cars with bench seating. For the next leg of our trip north we upgraded to a second class sleeper car. This was a basic sleeper car with two rows of bunks that lined each side of the car. Faizah took the upper bunk while I was on the lower. We were served dinner and breakfast in the convertible beds/chairs for a small fee. The food was decent but reminiscent of airline food with segregated food trays covered with plastic wrap.
Ayutthaya is a former capitol of Thailand, as was Chiang Mai, before Bangkok took that honor. We took the train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and stayed in a lovely place called Baan Thai House with about a dozen individual bungalow style rooms. The property was away from the main hustle and bustle of the city center which made for a nice, quiet retreat. Ayutthaya has a large number of ancient temples and other structures in ruins. Because Thailand is predominantly Buddhist the majority of the temples are as well. One of the most famous attractions is a Buddha statue head encased in tree roots. There is a nightly laser light show at one of the oldest sites complete with cannons and fireworks. The cost was beyond our budget but we still heard the cannons and fireworks.
Upon arrival in the Chiang Mai train station we located our group handler and were gathered with our fellow tourists, most of whom were from the UK. This brings up an interesting point; on our world tour we rarely meet other Americans and when we do they are usually on a short two week stay wherever we are at the time. Very few Americans set out on adventures to see the world. This is shameful. It also explains the attitude most Americans have about the rest of the world: “Huh? Where? What’s that?” If nothing else, I hope that these reviews I write inspire you (American or otherwise) to travel, to see the world. There is a lot to see out here and the people you meet and experiences you have will enrich your life forever. No kidding.
Chiang Mai was another surprise to us as we expected a much smaller city. Again, our hotel, Lanna House, was located close to the action and we could walk to any number of fantastic eateries, shopping stalls galore and at least a dozen used book stores. Having breakfast included is a very common thing in Asian hotels we have come to find. They range from the basic eggs, toast, juice and meat fare to lavish buffets with omelette stations, crepes, dozens of different fruit choices and gourmet dishes. At the Lanna House we were closer to the low end of the scale.
Thailand was celebrating the 82nd birthday of their king while we were there. The king of Thailand is the longest ruling living monarch in the world. The royal family is highly revered and to insult the royal family in any way is a criminal offense and could possibly land you in prison. I found this out through Wikipedia, but I had to load a cached version of the Wiki page through Google. While reading the Wiki page I found out why; Thailand blocks this page from being viewed while connected through their networks. The thing is, I couldn’t find any disparaging remarks about the king on this page. I guess they have their reasons.
While in Chiang Mai we embarked on a three-day trek through the mountains of the surrounding area. We hiked through villages, rice fields, jungles, rivers and waterfalls. We passed by dogs, cows, pigs, huge spiders, snakes and numerous birds. We slept in huts with bamboo floors and ate local food. We showered in a waterfall. We warmed ourselves by campfires. It was a great camping adventure. Toward the end of our trek we were treated to a ride on an elephant. Two people sit side by side on a specially fitted bench behind the elephant “driver” who sits atop the pachyderm’s neck. It was a preset course and the animals seem to know it well. Various vendors would sell you bananas and sugar cane to give to your elephant along the route. After the elephant ride we were taken down river on bamboo rafts that barely sat above water. No photos were taken as our cameras are not waterproof but we had a good time getting soaked in the cool river.
The day after our trek through the jungle, Faizah took an all day cooking class where she made all sorts of great Thai dishes. I can’t wait to get home and try them out.
On the return train ride from Chiang Mai we rode in the first class car and we loved it. We had a cabin to ourselves which spanned nearly the entire width of the car, save for the hallway just outside our locking door. We still slept in bunks but did not have to worry about our belongings in a semi-public space. The orientation of the bunks made for a more restful sleep so that when we arrived in Bangkok we felt ready for the ten hour bus ride to Cambodia. Ok, no one is ever “ready” for a ten hour bus ride to Cambodia, but we were, well… awake.
Cambodia
While in Thailand we detoured into Cambodia. A holiday from our holiday if you will. Our experience of Cambodia was limited to Siem Reap, the northern end of lake Tonle Sap, and the temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the surrounding area. We arrived at night into Siem Reap after an overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and a bus ride from Bangkok to the border and yet another bus from Poipet to Siem Reap. This was a long travel day.
Crossing the border at Poipet from Thailand into Cambodia is an experience to say the least. First you have to get your Cambodian visa approved which is facilitated by a “handler” on the Thailand side. The visa itself is about $22US but when you tack on the handling fee it’s closer to $36US. You could apply for the visa yourself quite easily if you know where to go. The handler will tell you that this might delay your entry into Cambodia and you might have to take another bus two hours later, but the choice is yours. Once you get to the border you walk across a sort of political “no man’s land” in the form of a bridge. After crossing the bridge you are handed back your passport with the visa in place just in time to have it stamped by someone in uniform who asks you no questions. There might as well be a turnstile and a hand stamp.
Siem Reap has been built up on the tourist dollars that bring people from all over the world to see Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. It’s inhabitants deal mostly in the tourist trade. Outside of tourism, Cambodia relies on its textile industry. From what I’ve read and heard from visitors, Siem Reap is the best of what Cambodia has to offer in terms of tourist comforts. It is just south of Angkor Wat by a 20 to 30 minute taxi or Tuk Tuk ride. Further to the north is Angkor Thom and to the east of those two sites are a number of smaller, though no less impressive, temples. To the south of Siem Reap is a large lake called Tonle Sap. It is home to hundreds of people living in floating “villages” of homes and other assorted structures. When the rains and subsequent floods happen each year, these people take their homes to higher ground on trailers and vehicles. It’s an incredible thing to see how these people live on the water.
Cambodian cuisine was a surprise to us. We weren’t expecting anything beyond average Asian fare but the food we found was fantastic. There seems to be a bit of French influence left over from the occupation many years ago. We enjoyed a Cambodian BBQ restaurant in Siem Reap where various meats were brought to the table. The usual beef, chicken, pork and seafood, but then we also got to enjoy crocodile meat. Crocodile meat has a texture similar to fish but tastes a lot like chicken. Yes, the old adage is true, many things DO taste like chicken.
Most Cambodians live below the western standards of poverty. On average they make less than one US dollar a day. There are wooden shacks lining the banks of rivers throughout Siem Reap. We were never approached by anyone asking outright for money or help. However, there were plenty of persistent vendors in the Angkor complexes selling everything from water and soda to jewelry and clothing. We were warned to watch our belongings but never had a problem with anyone trying to take anything from us. There does seem to be a problem with the number of young children working the stores and parking areas. At one of the last places we stopped three young boys, about ten or eleven years old, approached us for the hard sell. They asked us where we were from and upon our replies they recited all sorts of random (and mostly incorrect) facts about America; the population, number of states, and everyone’s favorite new president, Obama. One of them gave me a bracelet as a gift and would not take it back. He did seem rather upset when we didn’t visit his store to buy water we didn’t need. Most of the items for sale around the temples are of low quality and overpriced.
The Cambodian currency is called the Riel. While we were there the exchange rate was about 4,000 Riel to $1US. Exchanging Dollars for Riels was not entirely necessary as most businesses will take US dollars as easily as they take Riels. Some actually prefer dollars. That being said, we found it advantageous to have both currencies in situations where sometime cost less than a dollar’s worth of Riels. It’s best to be aware of how much things should cost however as the tourists in Siem Reap usually get charged a higher price for goods and services.
Angkor Wat is a large complex with a central court of buildings surrounded by manicured grass fields and a few ponds. Surrounding it all is a large wall that runs the entire outside perimeter and a water moat around the west entrance that funnels visitors through a series of stone arches and gates. We arrived before sunrise with hundreds of other tourists stumbling around in the dark over the uneven stone walkways. As the predawn light began to filter over the top of the main buildings people huddled together in front of a large Lotus pond just to the left of the main walkway through the central courtyard. It was a sea of LCD screens and aberrant flashes of amateur photographers attempting to capture the cool morning beauty. We tired of the jockeying quickly and decided to proceed into the temple to escape the noise and elbows. This turned out to be a very wise choice.
The solemn beauty of Angkor Wat is best experienced in very small groups or even alone if possible. There is a wonderful sense of discovery at dawn as the sun slowly reveals more and more detail with every passing minute. The tranquility of the interior is disturbed only by shuffling feet, whispers and the occasional flapping of bird’s wings. It is truly a privilege to experience this place. As we continued through the building and out through the east entrance we noticed a considerable restoration effort was under way and expected to be completed some time in 2010. Once outside the central structure we continued east through a small forest of large majestic looking trees. Just at the edge of the trees we turned around to see the sun striking the temple with its golden rays.
Departing Angkor Wat our driver took us north into the larger Angkor Thom complex. Greeting all visitors at the south entrance is a bridge lined with seated stone figures which lead up to a large stone gateway below a multi-faced tower. Faces are a common architectural element at Angkor Thom. They seem to be everywhere, almost like guardians. These temples were once dedicated to Hinduism but are now actively used as Buddhist temples. None of the major architectural elements have been changed so the history of these structures is still intact save for centuries of environmental decay.
Getting back onto the tourist drive, we stopped at a small opening in the forest. Our driver motioned to the opening for us to walk through and said he would meet us on the other side. It was a bit sketchy but after seeing a few westerners coming out we were able to breathe a little easier. Along the passage we encountered a couple local bands playing music and hawking their CD’s. At the end of the path through the forest was a stone wall built around and through a number of large trees leading up to a building that was clearly in a serious state of disrepair. A crew of workers appeared to be making slow progress on the renovation of the grounds and encompassed structures. Surprisingly, we could actually walk into these structures without being run off by a docent or security guard. No security tape or blocked passages. Personal safety was not a priority. As we continued through the complex we saw a number of large trees that seemed to sprout up in the middle of the walls, growing into an intertwining puzzle of branches, roots, blocks and mortar. In some places it was difficult to tell which part was being held up by the other.
Our return trip to Thailand started at 6am in Siem Reap and concluded around 8pm at our hotel in Bangkok. Nothing was on time that day.
Thailand (Part 2)
Our second hotel in Bangkok was across a large street from the train station. It was located in a mostly industrial section of the city. We spent Christmas there and it was pretty much a non-event save for a Skype call back home to the rest of the family. This was not a new concept for us as we spent Thanksgiving in Bali. What we came to find is that we are the ones that make the holidays mean what they mean. Aside from missing friends and family it was a relief to be away from the mass commercialization of the holidays.
The missing of loved ones was quickly replaced with a sense of excitement though as our friends Carrie, Jenn and Brie would be joining us over the next two days. Carrie arrived first on the day after Christmas and the following day we all moved to a different hostel called Urban Age in a much better neighborhood. Brie and Jenn joined us there. We were elated to see our good friends from back home.
After the lovely ladies had settled in we set out to explore the city on foot. The Patpong district was just down the street from where we were staying. It is known as the red light district of Bangkok, but there is more shopping, restaurants and bars than the adult entertainment type places. On every corner was a guy holding fliers advertising the various “acts” that can be viewed at the clubs. I won’t go into too much detail here so you will have to use your imagination, but I will say that there were things that I didn’t even think were possible. We did visit one such place. We were lured in with the false promise of cheap beer. The cheap beer is a ploy to get you to go in and sit down. What they don’t tell you is that once you sit down you are going to get charged for the various shows that are performed on stage whether or not you actually watch them. This is discovered when the bill is presented for 4,000 Baht (around $120 US) for what was assumed just a couple of small beers at 100 Baht each. When you protest the astronomical bill the two to three “hosts” that delivered the news begin to raise their voices and act tough. If you find yourself in a similar situation, what I can recommend is what we did; pay for the beers only and leave immediately. They might yell and usher you out but this is part of the game.
After our Patpong ping-pong show, we continued to walk through the hundreds of vendor stands that clogged the streets. There are a crazy assortment of clothes, home decor and cheap toys/office distractions. It’s a tightly packed environment where you need to keep your head up to avoid running into people at every step. You weave serpentine style in between the hawkers and oncoming sidewalk shoppers.
The next day we headed out to the west end of Bangkok along the river to see the Grand Palace and Khao San Road. Riding the elevated train in Bangkok is like coming up for air while swimming. It gives your mind a chance to breathe in the views unencumbered by waves of people, taxis and buildings. At the end of our train ride we descended the stairs and made our way into one of the many water taxis. We were warned by the manager of Urban Age to not purchase a ticket at one of the tourist booths as they charged as much as twenty times what you would pay on the boat. With that in mind, we crammed into one of the long people movers with at least a hundred other passengers.
We disembarked at dock nine close to the palace and made our way through the various vendor stands of shoes, fruit, bamboo fans and other assorted wares. After crossing the street and walking along side a large white wall we arrived at the entrance with several armed guards. Once inside the gates we could see the amazing structures of the palace grounds. The admission price is quite steep for Thailand standards but it’s well worth the money paid. If you find yourself in Bangkok, this is a must do.
After walking through the temples, shrines and other buildings, including the world’s largest reclining Buddha, we headed to Khao San Road. Khao San is known for its incredibly cheap accommodations and night spots. There are no cars allowed but the occasional scooter could take you out if you aren’t paying attention. After walking around all day the girls decided to get their feet pampered.The pampering was performed by hundreds of fish. Yes, fish “massaged” their feet.
The next day we all flew to Phuket on three separate flights. We regrouped at the airport so we could take one taxi to Patong Beach. Patong is a warm, beach town on the west coast of Thailand. Our hotel was just a fifteen minute walk to the beach and the main drag where most of the restaurants and clubs are located. We had a couple days to scope out the town and figure out where we would be spending New Year’s Eve.
On New Year’s Eve day we got up early to head to the beach do some snorkeling, and soak up some sun before returning to the hotel for a pre-festivities nap. Just south of Patong Beach is a stretch of coast called Karon Beach with all sorts of water activities to do; paragliding, jet skiing, diving, snorkeling and more. We pulled up to one of the many beachside grass hut cafes to have breakfast and rent a couple lounge chairs and umbrellas. The water temperature was like taking a warm bath. The drop off from the shore was very gradual and gives beginners a chance to get acclimated and figure out any issues with gear before getting into deep water. The visibility varied from a few feet in the stirred up areas to as much as twenty feet in the calmer areas. The experience was worthwhile but the location we chose was not ideal. I think if we had gone out to a reef or island away from the mainland shore the visibility would have been much better.
After resting up from the sun and surf we made our way down into the city in a Tuk Tuk. This night we were unable to get closer to the main beach in Patong than a few blocks by taxi, so the rest of the journey was made on foot. The city was an explosion of people and partying. The streets were flooded with bodies where cars usually ruled. We managed to get down to a central restaurant for dinner and struggled to get out of there before the strike of midnight. We wanted to be on the beach with drinks in hand before the clock’s big hand was on the little hand. After slaloming through the crowd we arrived on the beach and at the front of a bar line to purchase five cans of suds. YAY CHANG! With cans in hands we counted down the numbers together. FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Objective achieved. The rest of the night was a blur of people, drinks, high fives, music, fireworks and paper lanterns flying high in the sky.
The next day was, as expected, quiet. Breakfast was enjoyed around 2pm. People moved more slowly than normal and voices were kept low. The sound of car horns were met with hostile hand gestures. A good time was had and now payment was due. Air conditioning never felt so vital. Sprite was an elixir. The names of certain drinks were not to be uttered or the violator was punished with harsh stares and expulsion from the conversation.
The following day Faizah and I flew back to Bangkok as the next morning we had a flight to catch to Bangladesh. We stayed at a small hotel called the Paragon Inn where Faizah and I hibernated before our adventure into what we assumed was to be a departure from western conveniences. In some ways we were right, but mostly we were pleasantly surprised. More about that in my next reviews of Bangladesh and India. The Paragon is ultra close to the airport and is a nice place to stay for one or two nights if Bangkok is a stop over for a business traveler or wayward tourist. It’s distance from the main city make it less ideal for someone looking to get out and explore Bangkok.
Overall Thailand was a fantastic place to visit. The food is amazing, the culture is steeped in tradition, the people are kind and for the most part, honest. There are fantastic things to behold. Your Dollar, Pound or Euro will go far. You don’t have to worry much about sacrificing western standards of comfort, but you might have to relax your expectations. Travel within the country is easy, whether by train, tuk tuk, bus or plane. If shopping is your thing, Thailand is your place. Bangkok has so much to sell and for such low prices that some people come just to shop. We highly recommend Thailand as a destination and would go back without hesitation.
To see the Thailand photo sets on Flickr, you can visit Faizah’s and Cooper’s.
To see the Cambodia photo sets on Flickr, you can visit Faizah’s and Cooper’s.
