Bangkok Natural Spa & Resort – in BKK

With the heat lately I’ve been trying to cool myself off in Bangkok and relax myself after a huge event, so I decided to go to the spa, but not just any, because I’ve been to many (which are all very good), but I wanted to try out the realllly good ones for once, and I must admit it was really worth it. So I decided to go to the Bangkok Natural Spa & Resort

There are hosts of spas selection I found in the http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/ which were pretty good as well, depending on where you like to go. It’s in the “Wellness” section.

I suggest most of you to reserve first before you go because although the place is big (trust me, it’s huge!). The location is right next to Pattanakarn Soi 32 (on Pattanakarn road, the parallel road to Sukhumvit road).

They’re quite a few packages, but I went for the Body and Facial Scrub, which is very relaxing, after a long week of hard work, it is sooooo worth it, I finally understood the word ‘rejuvenated’. There are many other packages as well, including going to the Skin Treatment section, fitness center, relaxing room (very relaxing indeed, with jazz music or oriental music). The deco of the place is of course in Oriental, but modern oriental. This place is a resort as well, so try sleeping over and really enjoy yourself then you’ll feel rejuvenated (I prefer to stay a night).

The price is not so cheap, but i still prefer it for the quality, which is pretty surely one of the best around.

Actually, the Miss Universe competition that took place in Thailand a couple of years ago used this spa for their contestants as well before the competed, so I’m sure it’s that good ;)

Go spoil yourself!

Doi Angkhang – untouched spot in N.Thailand

Doi Angkhang is a very well known place in Northern Thailand right in the Chiang Mai province. This mountain (doi means mountain)is in the northern part of Chiang Mai, so the weather is just amazing (very nice and cold during winters, actually gets to 4-5 degrees Celsius during winter season).

Doi Angkhan actually doesn’t feel like the normal Thai place you’d usually go to, because of a lot of Chinese (Yu-Nan) influence, as well as Yu Nan Chinese folks living there. You can actually see Sakura flowers blossom there during the winter (which is when I had the opportunity to visit). Many of the places there is virtually untouched and kept as it always was.

What you cannot miss is the Royal Agricultural Project, which has many amazing sights and seeing with the strawberry farms, miniaturized plants, beautiful gardens, and many more that I just want to go over with. These include: fruits, flowers, vegetables, herbs, crops, etc. In the Royal Project Cooperative’s Compound, you can buy the fresh fruits and products straight from the farm.

I particularly liked the strawberry farm because of how it is laid out, which is just very beautiful (see it for yourself in my pics).

The hill tribe people there are very nice and generous, and you can see them farming most of the time. More info from the place where I went and other northern spots that I found out about and was able to visit is at  http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/

The road there is just spectacular with no rough pathways and very beautiful trees and sceneries from the mountains on both sides of the road. It’s quite steep however, but still very safe to drive by yourself if you want, it’s around 26 kilometers up the hill but it’ll be a very nice and peaceful drive for sure.

Toscana Valley Golf Course, Khao Yai – Thailand

Khao Yai is once again reviewed because there’s just so many new places springing up in this mountainous part of Thailand and it’s just too good to leave out.

This latest place to review is a gigantic project called the Toscana Valley which is a residential housing project, a golf course, town square, and so much more. What’s the highlight about the Toscana Valley is the Italian architecture of all the buildings, which just looks very luxurious and magnificent (in a grand scale) at the same time. Another fact that they sell very well is the scenery and the landscape, which they claim to have mastered. This I must agree because it is just truly gorgeous. The concept seems be like the residents just live in the development project with everything you need there for you.

The golf course, the Toscana Valley Country Club is an 18 holes golf course which is very new and right next to the Khao Yai National park. Many golfers claim this is one o the most challenging golf courses in Thailand because of the landscape and it is just truly beautiful (I mean you can just check out the scenery if you don’t’ golf!).

Other golf courses in Thailand are very nice as well, like the Black Mountain Golf course that’s also really famous, but that’s in Hua Hin, southern part of Thailand (also 2 hours drive from Bangkok, like the Toscana Valley in Khao Yai). Easily, you can get a list full of places to check out at the http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/ website in the “trends” section.

Koh Chang - Bang Bao Beach, Thailand

Koh Chang is a well known island located in the southern region of Thailand, and the beaches there are crystal clear, and that, anyone who’s been there including myself can guarantee you. This one beach that I particularly like is the Bang Bao Beach, which is on the southernmost tip of the west coast of the Koh Chang island. Keep in mind that the west coast is the most beautiful part of the island, so I’m pretty sure this is the place to be (as many have said that).

The Bang bao beach has a well sheltered bay with a small and quiet beach, and most of the people living in the area are part of a fishing community. What’s really neat is how these locals still live in houses built on stilts and are connected by wooden bridges, which is very typical.

What’s really common for people who go there is scuba diving because of the clear water in the area, so there are many scuba shops around. Also, on the southern tip of the island, its’a perfect spot for snorkeling and diving by taking boats and going around close-by islands.

For restaurants, seafood restaurants are everywhere and really abundant with choices, since this region does a lot of fishing, you’ll find good fishes for good prices. There are cheap seafood restaurants, as well as up-scale restaurants on the bay area s well. There’s really so much to choose from so try going to the http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/ website and look up Koh Chang and Bang Bao Beach on there to get a better picture.

Have fun!

Ayutthaya historical city (pt.2)

Touching back on the Ayutthaya province, I took a more extensive tour of the rides down the river and got it touch with the scenery a lot more. What a lot of groups do when they go there is rent a “rice boat” and stroll down the river (usually takes around half a day or a full day if you want to) and enjoy meals on there (prepared by yourselves, this is no restaurant) but what’s exciting is the atmosphere and the scenery.

But also, there are these rice boats that transformed into floating restaurants that anyone can go and eat as well, the menus are pretty similar, with normal dishes and seafood dishes as well, and the prices don’t vary so much (as far as I can tell)

These rice boats aren’t run down or anything like that, but they do have television and karaoke and even refrigerators in some of them.

Oh, instead of taking the rice boat as your means of transportation down the river, you can also take the ‘long tail boat’ which is a lot quicker and a lot smaller, so the trip will be more brief (though still takes up an hour or two of enjoying the scenery). If you’re pretty interested in traveling around this town (Ayutthaya) and all, the 7 Thailand wonders website (http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/) has quite good resources and locations to travel and eat, so you can give it a try.

What you’ll get from these boat rides is seeing how people live along the river and enjoy the scenery of temples and ancient buildings and bridges along the river, if you haven’t done anything like this before, I highly suggest you do so.

Enjoy!

Panda tour in Thailand

If you’ve been in Thailand lately, you must have heard of the Panda by the name of Lin Ping. This Panda is becoming the biggest superstar in town, and it even has its own t.v. channel! (no, I’m not kidding here…)

This superstar’s name is Lin Ping (which is named by a child who entered the nationwide contest of naming the panda) and is actually a present from the Chinese government. The Panda is at the Chiang Mai Zoo (which is in northern Thailand) and the panda has attracted a considerable amount of attention from all over the nation. As a result, the tourist attraction in Chiang Mai has just skyrocketed and many new places have opened up (not to say that the Chiang Mai tourism business has already been doing great all these years).

There are already many reviews done in Chiang Mai, but I highly suggested all of you to go and check out this adorable panda that is probably the most well known animal in the nation. There’s also a lot of info on Chiang Mai at this website  http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/ if u want.

Overall, I just think it’s a great trip and experience to check out the Panda Lin Ping, and the hype surrounding it, which is just amazing. As a result of this panda, many businesses are booming in Chiang Mai, especially restaurants and places to stay.

Enjoy!

Sri Panwa – ultra exclusive resort in Phuket, Thailand

When talking about top-notch getaways, Thailand’s surely in the top list with Maldives and other getaways and that’s because of Sri Panwa, that’s something I can guarantee. This super exclusive pool villa resort is in the famous island of Phuket, south of Thailand.

There are only around a dozen pool villas in this resort and boy do they cater you like a prince. The service is just flawless, including the rooms, that all give u a panoramic view of the ocean, with the pool below your bed.

The concept of the place is what they call “tropical contemporary” because it really gives you that ‘maldives’ feeling but just at another level of being spoiled.

The only problem with this place is its price, which I’m sure for those of you looking for this level of luxury. This niche market is spectacular, especially for those who can afford it, but it’s actually a growing business in Thailand, and you can find many forms of these exclusive resorts all over the country. Try out the http://www.tourismthailand.org/7wonders/ website and you can look up for a selection of these sorts of resorts.

It’s a must try!
Enjoy!