Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Phuket here we come..

image from smh.com.au


At first I was so excited for our upcoming trip to Phuket this month. We will be going there for conference. I thought we could go a bit early or stay back after the seminar to see more of Phuket but then, due to time and budget constraints we won't be able to do that (huhuhuh!). But I guess there's still a glimmer of hope..heheh! I heard that the schedule of the conference is not that heavy so I hope there'll be time to go around. Actually, it'll be my third time to go to Phuket but I haven't seen the whole place yet.

Things I want to do in Phuket

1) Go to the Old Phuket Town - I love the to see some historical places. I heard their blend of Colonial and Chinese architecture is a beatiful sight to see here.
2) View the beautiful sunset from Phromthep Cape - From this hill you can see also see the islands surrounding Phuket. My Hubby has been here and he said it's beautiful.

3) See the beaches - Yes, you read it right.."see" not swim..since time our 'free time' is limited and I guess all we could do is to take a peek. So, maybe we'll just take a look at the famous beautiful beaches such as Patong, Karon and Kata, take some pictures and off we go.

I have only 3 things in my things to do list. I won't be so ambitious given that we have some constraints. I'll already be soo happy if we could accomplish these 3. And if not then, I'll just have to be contented in letting my kids swim in the swimming pools at the hotel where we're staying. LOL!

So, this is all for now and I'll surely post some pictures, after our Phuket Trip.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Things to do in Thailand

photo from travel-images.com


This is a repost from my personal blog " Lalaine's World". Since it's travel related, I'm bringing it here.


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Thailand is considered my second home. Even if my Hubby is from Malaysia but I lived here in Thailand longer than in Malaysia. I'm thankful that God has allowed us to stay in this beautiful country. Indeed, it's true that this country is just amazing. They have the most beautiful beaches, the gentlest people, and the cheapest bargains.


So, if you were to come to this country, here are the things I suggest you to do.


1) Go shopping. For Filipinos, this is a must...to go to the malls and shop or even just window shop. But here in Thailand, the cheapest bargains are found in their weekend markets. Most of the cities have their weekend markets like the Chatuchak in Bangkok. You can buy fashion blouses as low as 50 Baht (that's like 75 pesos). But sad to say, these blouses don't fit me as Thai girls are small/pettite so most of their blouses/shirts are small too. Anyway, you can name all items in these weekend markets and they have it, from bags to jewelry, plants, pots and even pets for sale. If you're a business person, then this is it, find the cheapest items here and sell it back to your home country, double or triple the price! :)


2) Go to the islands and stay there for at least a night. You can swim in the beaches, dive, snorkel or just lay in the hammock and relax. Remember the movie, The Beach? Yes, their islands, beaches look like that. The waters are like aquamarine in color, the sand is so fine, the scene around you will just be breathtaking. There are package deals in most islands that includes 2 nights stay, 1 meal, snorkeling and boat rides at affordable prices. Most of the middle class local Thais go island hopping too, which means their rates are not that extravagant and only affordable by westerners.


3) Savor Thai food. If you're into the spicy stuff you'll enjoy a wide variety of Thai dishes. My favorite is Green Curry and Fried Catfish with Mango Salad. If you can't take spicy food, Thai Fried Rice will suit you best. One thing amazing here is that, wherever you eat, whether in an expensive restaurant or side walk vendor, you're assured to have clean and delicious food. I'm not exaggerating. Being from a city from the Philippines, it's really a no-no to buy from the side walk vendor since you're not sure if the food is clean. But here, everyone buys from the street vendors and it's clean. In my 5 years stay here and eating everywhere, I didn't have problem with food (or maybe my tummy is just strong??) and I'm enjoying every bit of Thai food.


4) Go for foot or body massage. You can treat yourself here with a nice massage for only 130baht ( less than 200pesos) per hour. Their masseurs are real experts. They really do a good job and even sometimes pinpointing your body's problem areas without you telling them first. Just be careful that you go to the 'wholesome' massage parlors. Those inside the malls are the best choice.


5) Go for a haircut, manicure/pedicure or spa. I think one of the Thai's strong points is their good service. They really go beyond what is intended for them to do. For example, you want your hair cut. First, they will wash your hair (shampooing and conditioning your hair 2-3 times), then cut, then blowdry/ iron your hair, then moisturize your hair, then massage your head and shoulders. Who wouldn't feel good or beautiful after this? This procedure goes for most of the saloons here for an average of 100-120 baht ( less than 200 pesos).


6) Visit the landmarks in the places. And of course do 'picture picture'. Bangkok has their very famous Floating Market, The Grand Palace. Ayuthayya has this temple ruins, Phuket has their beaches, Chiangmai has their mountains and so on and so forth.


7) Ride, touch or have picture taking with the elephant. The elephant is quite a common sight here. They're not contained in the zoos but on some days they are out in the streets.
So far this is all I could think of as of now. So to all my friends come and experience Amazing Thailand! hehehe! I think the Tourism Authority here should give me commission for advertising their country. Hehhehe! Anyways, I'm just encouraging you to go out for a holiday and it wont be that expensive considering the rate for Pesos and Thai baht is not that big..and with all the promotions now from Airasia or Cebu Pacific (if your'e from the Philippines) , everyone can fly..hehehehe! Last year, my mom was able to purchase a roundtrip ticket for only 2,800 pesos. Imagine that? :)

Sunday, March 09, 2008

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Friday, March 07, 2008

Thank You!

Thank You so much for taking time to browse this site and for contacting me. I will be in touch with you as soon as I can.

God bless!

Thursday, March 06, 2008

The Birth of My Travel Diary

This day marks the birth of this travel diary. We do travel a lot, based on the fact that I'm a Filipino married to a Malaysian and we're living in Thailand. So, you could imagine that we would be in and out in these countries simply because we have families from 2 countries.
I will be posting pictures, sharing our experiences and listing recommendations of things to do in the places we've been to and maybe we want to be in. That explains the title : From Asia and Beyond. Who knows we might be able to travel beyond Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.
I hope you'll be blessed as you journey with us from Asia and Beyond....