Cant ski - lets go to Thailand instead

[Tink75]

Just a quick one to say best of luck for the weekend Katie - I'm sure you'll do just great! I hope it all goes well. Then off on sunny climes - have a FAB time and enjoy that pre travel vino!

[katiec68]

Originally Posted by Tink75

Hi - glad the sofas arrived and stayed in one piece OK!

Hope things are going well with the run training - eek not long now.

You are right about the swim up room - I am sure we will all enjoy it and I'm sure you will too. I can't believe it's come around so quickly. I know you booked late on due to having to change your plans, but it has still flown.

Hope your 'packing' piles are coming along nicely :-)

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Originally Posted by Tink75

Just a quick one to say best of luck for the weekend Katie - I'm sure you'll do just great! I hope it all goes well. Then off on sunny climes - have a FAB time and enjoy that pre travel vino!

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Hi Tinks - thank you for you wishes :-)

I cant believe its all so close now - we have regained the packing space I just need to narrow down the 15 pairs of shorts I have laid out

Today my "out of office" will be going on for just over 3 weeks!

Cant say im 100% excited about the holiday just yet - but I will be on Monday morning.

Just the small matter of 26miles to get through first.
I THINK im just about there - a couple of short runs this week and a nice walk along the seafront after work should just about do it.

The weather is not looking like its going to be kind - I dont mind the cold but you have to stand around a fair bit at the start which is soo boring and wont be nice in the cold

I dont drink much and definately not when im in the training zone but Im going to give myself the 3 weeks off and have a few cocktails - especially in the Sky Bar.
But I think I might just have to open up a bottle of red on Monday night - we'll probably be home too late on Sunday to bother

I'll update with some photos as we go along :-)

Katie x x

[Tink75]

Hope the run went well Katie!

Look forward to the pics as you go if you have time. Hope you have an AMAZING time!

[katiec68]

Originally Posted by Tink75

Hope the run went well Katie!

Look forward to the pics as you go if you have time. Hope you have an AMAZING time!

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Hi Tinks

London was AMAZING - despite my "good" knee playing up at mile 19 I had the most fantastic day - enjoyed (pretty much) every second. Soaked up all the atmosphere - which I don't remember doing last time.
The crowds were fantastic - there were no empty spots at all round the route - even the Isle of Dogs was packed.
Just after the run I said "shoot me if I say I wanna do this again" but by Monday night I was saying I was going to put in for next year and try to get under my target of 5hs!
Oh the madness of it all

Anyway - I have a massive cold today - massive runny nose but thankfully feel ok.
I STILL have all the packing to do - have physio at 9 so won't be back all 1030sh - but everything is out and ready to go.

After getting my hair, nails and waxing done yesterday I didn't get back home till 630, then we had the guy doing the patio round so by the time we had dinner it was too late for me - especially with this cold.

So time to get me @r$e in gear and get on with it instead of watching Jeremy Kyle on catch up - well it is only 630am!

Katie :-)

[katiec68]

HELLO!

We are back - got back yesterday morning and I have today off

We had an amazing trip - apart from the heat and the last hotel which wasnt as good as hoped - but we both agreed it was one of the best holidays we have had (and we;ve had a few)

I am going to start on the trip report today but here's a couple of photos to whet your appetite...

We managed to get on the almost empty upper deck (Thai A380) - still economy but there was lots of space...

View of Bangkok from the Moon Bar... just wow!

Floating market outside of Bangkok

Elephant Nature Park - THE MOST AMAZING DAY!

Real Thai cooking lesson

Wonderful beach.

Katie x x

[Tink75]

Hi

Been looking to see if you would post some photos. It looks amazing. That view of Bangkok is fantastic. I am glad you had a great day with the elephants, I knew you would.

Was it the hotel in Khao Lak that you didn't like - The Sands was it? I have read mixed reports about it. Do you think it may have been something to do with the fact that you were in higher accom levels in the other resorts or was it just not good? After all your adventures, I'm guessing that you just chilled in KL? Did you make it to Khao Sok? I love the Bangkok floating markets - yes, I know they are super touristy but good fun! I wish we could take our girls to one but alas we won't be doing Bangkok this trip. Did you visit the Chinese area in Takua Pa or the market at Bang Niang at all?

Look forward to hearing more when you get a chance... Glad to hear you enjoyed it overall, generally, the Thai people are lovely.

Can't wait for us only 212 days to go lol! We have the Algarve to look forward to in the summer though so that will tide us over - ha ha!

[katiec68]

Hi Tink

I have tons of photographs but they are over my phone and camera so I need to get them all on my computer and pick the best ones for the trip report. DH photos link directly to Flickr so ive used his to start with - he takes loads more than me!

I only took my phone with me and not my laptop so in all honesty couldn't be bothered with all they typing on my phone

I just didn't like Khoa Lak all round really
As you say the hotel wasnt up to the standard of our previous hotels - although it was a 4*. i have written a review on Trip advisor - andyandkatieuk - it wasnt a good one!
The first 2 hotels were outstanding and exceeded our expectations - such great hospitality and pretty much everything you would want in a luxury hotel.
The Sands is billed as a "luxury" hotel - the rooms and grounds were amazing and soo well cared for but the attitude of the staff left a lot to be desired - the staff actually would avoid eye contact rather than say hello. When we asked to look at the room it was clearly too much trouble for the receptionist and when we didn't want to sit at the seat indicted by the breakfast staff if looks could have killed we'd have saved a lot on the airfare home!
Most of the staff we came across were lovely but it seemed that those in a position of "power" i.e. the head waitress took full advantage of this. The pool guys and beach guys were great and really friendly.
We decided not to go for the pool access room after looking at it - the "pool" was shared by every room and anyone could just swim up and look into your room! and the room they wanted to give us was set back so it got very little sun.
Also the hotel seemed to be occupied mainly by australians - not really a problem as we met 2 really lovely Aussie families but there were lots of very overweight older men in speedos - just an observation who's wives liked to talk ALL day and would always be in the sunbed next to me!
We felt that the Sands was a hotel you could have stayed at anywhere in the world - there were no Thai touches at all really. I think thats what got to me more than anything.

I also didn't like the Khoa Lak "strip" - the town consisted of shops/restuarants on either side of the main road and that was about it - the shops were just full of tourist tat and it was SOOO expensive compared to CM/BKK. In BKK a tuktuk ride across the city was 40THB - in KL they wanted 150 for a 2 minute journey.

I think by then I was also fed up of trying to work out which street food restaurant would be any good to eat at - all the restaurants sell the same food and trying to pick one just became too much hassle. Luckily we found an amazing restaurant on the beach (The Yellow Bar and Restaurant) where we ate at for 4 nights - would have been 5 nights but a horrendous storm meant no leaving the resort one evening

We also found the the people in general in KL were definitely not as friendly as those in CM/BKK.

we didn't really leave the resort - it was 40deg and 100% humidity most days and just too hot to really do anything - even when the sun went down sitting at dinner you'd just be soaked in sweat

Most of the tour companies had shut down as the numbers were so quiet! we looked at doing the trip to Phi Phi but it also took you to the monkeys and elephants which we didn't want to do and at £70 each it just wasnt worth it.

We did the night market - maybe we were just too early but it was absolutely pants Not a patch on the CM night market (which we also went to early). We spent £6 getting there - £3 each way and were there for only half and hour. I threw my toys out the pram about eating there as I was fed up of trying to find somewhere and I was hot and sticky!

I sound a bit moany - i definitely wasnt as happy with this hotel and KL in general as I had been with the previous 2 hotels. We had definitely been spoiled so it was a shame to end on a bit of a low.
Don't get me wrong if we'd gone there first it would have been just fine but it was just a shame to end that way. Didn't stop us just enjoying being away though!

You are going at a much busier time than us so i think things will be better - we walked up the beach and 95% of the restaurants were shut - as were quite a few on the main strip.
I say restaurants but they;re basically shacks with seats outside.
We found the restaurants on the beach a far better option than those in town.

I think everyone was feeling the heat - it was just relentless and just sucked the life out of us!

We LOVED the floating markets and we also stopped at a market where the train runs thought the middle - no health and safety concerns there
We bought some fried bananas in coconut from an old woman on a boat in the floating market - her boat was 2 boats into the river - the food came to you in a bucket on a pole and in exchange you put the money into the bucket as there was no other way of getting your stuff! We went back for seconds it was soo good!

On the whole we had an amazing trip and we are definitely planning on going back - the question is when. I think we have decided that we like smaller more boutique hotels especially somewhere like Thailand. I have my eye on one of the Six Senses properties for next time!

We have a cruise booked for early September and then skiing next February. Its my 50th the following January so I am trying to decide whether to do Key West and AMI in the following April (Id like to go UC but that would mean no other holiday) or do we just pick 2 or 3 fabulous hotels and go back to Thailand? Decisions decisions!

Your trip will come round before you know it. Once Portugal is done, then is back to school and then its nearly time! Nothing like wishing your life away is there - mind you I'm always thinking how long until our next holiday!

Katie x x x

Edited - everyone said we should get a massage/foot massage etc. We did have a massage but in the spa at the hotel in CM - at vast expense Now I am a massage queen - i love them - but I actually couldnt think of anything worse than some massaging my hot sweaty suncream soaked feet in 40deg heat! I think if it had been cooler then we would have done the street massage.

[Tink75]

Hi

Ah bless, it sounds like you definitely left on a downer . What a shame. I think you hit the nail on the head though, you were actually in KL at the beginning of their quiet season (green season), and so a lot of things and trips do shut down from what I gather. This is because the weather begins to change from early May to their 'monsoon' season. When we go it's full swing/peak season!

That's a shame about Bang Niang market as I've read lots of positives about it and the market in Takua Pa too which is more chinese based. I do believe the market starts to tail off though in May... and it's not a true night market in that it's all finished by 9 pm at the latest, and that's in peak season !

I had read the Sands wasn't fantastic but I think it depends on what you are used to doesn't it and time of year etc - and sometimes you can't tell from people's reviews. The hotel we are staying at is on the best beach (White Sands) in KL and as such gets a great review - and the beach restos look fab - there are about 20 to choose from - we are quite happy to eat in the laid back places and let the kids play on the beach etc - suits us with us being a family. We are intending on doing lots of tours though including Khao Sok which looks amazing so we won't be 'beaching it' too much. Perhaps the Pullman or J W Marriott may have been more in line with the BKK hotels and maybe at a different time of year? Although the cost increases considerably for those hotels esp in peak season !

Our pool access is very similar in that it's straight into the huge pool but then that suits us as it will please the kids - I can sit on my double lounger on my terrace (which look huge) while I watch them and be near enough if there are any issues. Sun can be an issue but all the pool rooms face true west, so while it will be shaded first thing, full sun in the afternoon until sunset which suits us.

We loved Bangkok but it is frenetic and we felt for our first trip to Thailand with the kids, that we wanted somewhere with a bit more laid back vibe etc. I agree that some of the hotels there are amazing! Ours was gorgeous last time we went - beautiful view over the river, but can't remember the name - doh! We loved the floating markets - such fun - and the one thing I'll miss not doing with the kids .

Thailand is a big country so there are plenty of other places to try if you go back - you can always tailor your visit time to the season - as the other side is, I believe, better at this time of year as it's their busier season so everything running/and all on etc.

Sounds like CM was a highlight! :-)

Glad you enjoyed overall and found the Thai people friendly - we've always found that, and a bonus is they love children!

Nice decisions to take over holidays isn't it - sounds like you have quite a list there.

[katiec68]

Hi Tinks

It sounds like a right moan - I was really upset for the first day and if I could have moved on I would have but we still had a great time.

We have been trying to juggle things about and i think i have come up with a plan that will let us go back next year and do Florida again for my 50th!
We had though we would do Fla in April/May as its fairly close to my birthday (in Jan!) but after having giving it some thought I think we could stretch to Thailand in September/October next year and then put Florida back to the end of August/September the following year. Sorted!

And now DH has thrown a spanner in the works saying we could consider Vietnam too - he's turned into an adventurous traveller overnight!

Anyway I digress - I popped on to say that pre/travel day is up - quite boring but its a start!

Katie x x

[Tink75]

Sounds like a plan! We don't plan to do Florida again - we want to try other places, but we did enjoy it and I'm glad we did it. Other Disneylands - now that's something I'd love to try - working on DH and Tokyo atm but he's not budging! Lol.

I'd love to do Vietnam and Cambodia - off to check out your TR! Whoop!