Last December 2006 three of us went to Anantara Resort & Spa Hua Hin, located on the Gulf of Thailand, this is a strictly Thai architecture built with the finest teak wood. This resort is tucked inside many hectares of lush tropical gardens, every room on the ground level leads to a garden and sea view. There are ten presidential suites face the sea, some comes with private pool, although the sea is within minutes walk. We took a three night’s stay package which includes economy airfare on Thai Airways to Bangkok, round-trip private transfer by mini-van from the airport to Hua Hin.
Upon arrival we were met by the travel agent representative at about 5:00 pm and transfer to a mini-van with three of us and a Thai middle age driver, who spoke no English as we found out later in the journey. He smiled a lot as we are in the land of a thousand smiles, so it is not surprising that she lives up to her name. I remembered not long ago, Singapore welcome the APEX conference and the ads on the bus printed as: Singapore, the land of four millions smiles so we are better off in smiles than Thailand. Culturally speaking,
Thais smiles a lot and they are brought up since young, it is part and parcel of their lives to learn to live life as it comes. Whereas for Singaporean like us, we are brought up culturally to mind our own business and smile only on the right time and systematically we are trained to be integrated into society prim and proper. Every thing and from top and bottom it works like a clock, everything work in Singapore from the political system to the mass rapid transport. Every one of us expects things to work the way it should be.
Then when we traveled overseas, we expected the same kind of treatment.
We went into the van and unexpectedly the driver stowed away our luggage at the back of the van as it is a ten sweater, three of us can sit on two seats comfortably well.
The traffic in Bangkok as usual is crawling during peak hours where everyone is rushing home on Friday evening, we do not mind as it was a good chance to take stock of the long traffic jams that we hardly experience back home. No honking from all the drivers on the road, how patience is the Thais. Back home it is a different story altogether.
After a while we are back on the smooth traffic and we just sat and stared at the scenery and the driver just drove on. It was past 7:00 pm and about 2 hours passed there was no water stop for us and we began to wonder whether he will stop us for dinner. Guessed as much there was no stop until 8:00pm we break our silence and request him to stop for a drinks and toilet call. It was easy to communicate with the driver our hands, he understood us very well. We bought our dinners at the Thai convenience shop which sells every Thai product from noodles to traditional Thai cooked food. We packed in chewing gums, cup noodles and our beloved potatoes chips in various flavor. The packaging is written in Thai language but from the packaging you can tell the flavor. Dinner was sandwiches and bread as we were not so keen to tuck in cooked food, perhaps the food may not agreed well with the tummy.
Our journey began, it was 9:00 pm and the sky grew darker and darker, the street lights were far away from each other. There were no cars on the road except heavy duty trucks and container trailer. We felt uneasy and what if the driver decided to abandon us halfway through the journey into a deep jungle. We looked at each other and tried not to sleep at least one of us had to be wide awake.
It was a never ending journey and the driver was speeding on the road, 120mph, the trees passed by so quickly, the dark night and we saw nobody walking on the side road.
There were palm trees everywhere and one or two pottery factories.
The driver was looking at us from his front mirror because we stopped talking since after the water stop. It was a frightening experience and alas we passed by a brightly lighted small town with neon lights, a few men was having drinks and then it was back on the dark road again.
At 10:00pm, we saw a couple of resorts and we knew that we reached Hua Hin.
Anantara is the last resort located in the phetkasem beach road; we were finally at the main entrance at 10:45pm. We saw huge wooden cravings of animals, elephant, Siberian tiger, leopard, and all the animals you see in the Sriracha Zoo in Bangkok. This is some kind of a welcome parade for the visitors.
Anantara is not a friendly resort; we had to climb up a ten flight of stone steps in order to step into the reception area. Fresh squeeze chilled orange juice was served immediately and it was a refreshing drink because we were very thirsty from the munching of the chips. We sat and while the counter staff checked us in, with baggage carried to our reserved triple room located near a garden on the second level. We need to climb up three or four flight of steps, passed by a lotus garden, a garden step that lead to the beach, a water lily pond before stepping one last flight of steps into room.
On the way to our room, we were greeted by the bull frogs as it was mating season, the crickets and some other insects; it was a symphony orchestra sound.
Is there snakes we asked and the bell boy smiled and shake his head, I thought it was a no snake around or he could not understand at all so he shake his head and smile.
The room was well-furnished, cozy with a balcony that overlooked the garden.
We saw two wooden lovely umbrellas with hand-painted motifs, Japanese slippers for walking to the beach. All the amenities you can find in a five-star hotel.
That night we slept well except with the few sounds of the insects drumming our ears.
The next morning we combed around the whole place, hectares of tropical trees, lemon grasses, screw pine, basil and other types of herbs you normally find in a Thai garden.
There were many lotus, water lilies and hyacinth ponds around the garden; it is like a maze around the villas. From the beach you can watch the big waves washing into the shore. Nobody sunbath or swim which was not surprising due to last tragedy tsunami events that took place in Puget and Phi Island. The rooms with sea view are still available since the tsunami days.
Breakfast was continental styles and with some Thai desserts, the famous one is the mango with glutinous rice dripped with coconut milk. Not too bad but it was sweet for my taste. As we ate our breakfast we can hear the birds chirping away and the ceiling top decorated with many colored empty bird cages. It symbolizes that birds are born free.
We went to the event counter to book our spa treatment and cooking course on the third day. There were few tourists, mostly European couples. There were five eating places around the resorts, one French and Italian restaurant, two Thai restaurants and one BBQ pool style restaurant. The food prices were expensive compensated by the good and attentive services; otherwise it was not value for money. Most Thai dishes were authentic in taste. Our daily meals added up to about S$200.00 (one lunch + dinner + tea coffee and snack)
In the early afternoon we reserved a shuttle bus to take us to town, in the afternoon the town looked sleepy and shops opened at 10:30 am. Most beach front restaurant was closed and the opening time was 5:30pm for dinner. They do not serve luncheon.
There were some small eateries and family restaurant that serve quite tasty food on par with what we ate at the resort, the price was cheaper by half.
There were nothing much to buy except some dried seafood stuff like dried cuttlefish, dried shrimps and dried mangoes, Thai crackers and snacks. Most of them are fisherman so the seafood prices are comparatively cheap than in Bangkok. The seasonal fruits were mangoes, tangerines and Thai famous limes (we ate them every day as it was always served as garnishes besides the dish).
Subsequently the next two days we ate our lunches and dinner in town before we took the shuttle back to the resort. Hua Hin’s town is one straight road with all the shops lined up at the sidewalks you cannot get lost as it is one straight road.
Around the main road there were many side road that wind into the small lanes, it is these lanes that makes Hua Hin, a popular place with men. There were countless of girly bars, hangout water holes with pretty ladies in a group. Some as young as in their teens,
From their faces, a heavily make up thick foundation and very red lipsticks, but some young girls were innocently fresh without make up, probably a novice from countryside.
Having no choice but to make a living and send money back home to support their parents. This is a familiar story of young Thai teenager girl’s fateful life in the big city.
From head to toe, you can tell how experience they were in the flesh trade
The town suddenly woke up with a big yawn at about 8:00 pm so different when in the day light. In the day, we saw housewives doing their daily provisions, children in school uniforms and working class. In the night, there were lesser locals and more men tourists around and shops were lighted with may small little colored bulbs put together in rows and rows. Many open air bars with lighted candles with the clicking glasses and huge jug of beers being served and girls just sit around and looked pretty.
This is Sodom and Gomorrah's although not as buzzing like in Bangkok city area, it is slowly catching so as I heard from the resort staff.
Works is hard to find in Hua Hin and working opportunity in bars is easily available and tips are good if you are good in public relations. Hua Hin is a tourist spot and naturally service related work will be easily available. There is not much of a choice.
Unlike Singapore is a city of possibilities and we have plenty of choice for employment just as many choices for the types of food you like every day.
The third day, the cooking course was cancelled as there were few takers and we took the whole day off to town for lunch and back for our spa appointment.
We went for our spa which is located at the western side of the resort, a private and secluded garden. When you walked in, there is this feeling like you are walking into secret garden. We selected the massage the essential oil to go with it.
It was like having a massage in a privacy of a garden, with sweet music playing in the background. The massage lasted an hour and it was very refreshing good!
After dinner, we slept soundly like a log.
The next day it was breakfast and wait for our private transfer back to Bangkok city for our flight back to Singapore. The ride was smooth and fast as the driver was going at 120 mph on a broad day light. We tipped him heavily for ferrying us back in one piece.
We were about three hours earlier than our flight so we spend our last baht in the airport transit shops buying all the things we need to gave to friend and family members.
It was a refreshingly good getaway.
Upon arrival we were met by the travel agent representative at about 5:00 pm and transfer to a mini-van with three of us and a Thai middle age driver, who spoke no English as we found out later in the journey. He smiled a lot as we are in the land of a thousand smiles, so it is not surprising that she lives up to her name. I remembered not long ago, Singapore welcome the APEX conference and the ads on the bus printed as: Singapore, the land of four millions smiles so we are better off in smiles than Thailand. Culturally speaking,
Thais smiles a lot and they are brought up since young, it is part and parcel of their lives to learn to live life as it comes. Whereas for Singaporean like us, we are brought up culturally to mind our own business and smile only on the right time and systematically we are trained to be integrated into society prim and proper. Every thing and from top and bottom it works like a clock, everything work in Singapore from the political system to the mass rapid transport. Every one of us expects things to work the way it should be.
Then when we traveled overseas, we expected the same kind of treatment.
We went into the van and unexpectedly the driver stowed away our luggage at the back of the van as it is a ten sweater, three of us can sit on two seats comfortably well.
The traffic in Bangkok as usual is crawling during peak hours where everyone is rushing home on Friday evening, we do not mind as it was a good chance to take stock of the long traffic jams that we hardly experience back home. No honking from all the drivers on the road, how patience is the Thais. Back home it is a different story altogether.
After a while we are back on the smooth traffic and we just sat and stared at the scenery and the driver just drove on. It was past 7:00 pm and about 2 hours passed there was no water stop for us and we began to wonder whether he will stop us for dinner. Guessed as much there was no stop until 8:00pm we break our silence and request him to stop for a drinks and toilet call. It was easy to communicate with the driver our hands, he understood us very well. We bought our dinners at the Thai convenience shop which sells every Thai product from noodles to traditional Thai cooked food. We packed in chewing gums, cup noodles and our beloved potatoes chips in various flavor. The packaging is written in Thai language but from the packaging you can tell the flavor. Dinner was sandwiches and bread as we were not so keen to tuck in cooked food, perhaps the food may not agreed well with the tummy.
Our journey began, it was 9:00 pm and the sky grew darker and darker, the street lights were far away from each other. There were no cars on the road except heavy duty trucks and container trailer. We felt uneasy and what if the driver decided to abandon us halfway through the journey into a deep jungle. We looked at each other and tried not to sleep at least one of us had to be wide awake.
It was a never ending journey and the driver was speeding on the road, 120mph, the trees passed by so quickly, the dark night and we saw nobody walking on the side road.
There were palm trees everywhere and one or two pottery factories.
The driver was looking at us from his front mirror because we stopped talking since after the water stop. It was a frightening experience and alas we passed by a brightly lighted small town with neon lights, a few men was having drinks and then it was back on the dark road again.
At 10:00pm, we saw a couple of resorts and we knew that we reached Hua Hin.
Anantara is the last resort located in the phetkasem beach road; we were finally at the main entrance at 10:45pm. We saw huge wooden cravings of animals, elephant, Siberian tiger, leopard, and all the animals you see in the Sriracha Zoo in Bangkok. This is some kind of a welcome parade for the visitors.
Anantara is not a friendly resort; we had to climb up a ten flight of stone steps in order to step into the reception area. Fresh squeeze chilled orange juice was served immediately and it was a refreshing drink because we were very thirsty from the munching of the chips. We sat and while the counter staff checked us in, with baggage carried to our reserved triple room located near a garden on the second level. We need to climb up three or four flight of steps, passed by a lotus garden, a garden step that lead to the beach, a water lily pond before stepping one last flight of steps into room.
On the way to our room, we were greeted by the bull frogs as it was mating season, the crickets and some other insects; it was a symphony orchestra sound.
Is there snakes we asked and the bell boy smiled and shake his head, I thought it was a no snake around or he could not understand at all so he shake his head and smile.
The room was well-furnished, cozy with a balcony that overlooked the garden.
We saw two wooden lovely umbrellas with hand-painted motifs, Japanese slippers for walking to the beach. All the amenities you can find in a five-star hotel.
That night we slept well except with the few sounds of the insects drumming our ears.
The next morning we combed around the whole place, hectares of tropical trees, lemon grasses, screw pine, basil and other types of herbs you normally find in a Thai garden.
There were many lotus, water lilies and hyacinth ponds around the garden; it is like a maze around the villas. From the beach you can watch the big waves washing into the shore. Nobody sunbath or swim which was not surprising due to last tragedy tsunami events that took place in Puget and Phi Island. The rooms with sea view are still available since the tsunami days.
Breakfast was continental styles and with some Thai desserts, the famous one is the mango with glutinous rice dripped with coconut milk. Not too bad but it was sweet for my taste. As we ate our breakfast we can hear the birds chirping away and the ceiling top decorated with many colored empty bird cages. It symbolizes that birds are born free.
We went to the event counter to book our spa treatment and cooking course on the third day. There were few tourists, mostly European couples. There were five eating places around the resorts, one French and Italian restaurant, two Thai restaurants and one BBQ pool style restaurant. The food prices were expensive compensated by the good and attentive services; otherwise it was not value for money. Most Thai dishes were authentic in taste. Our daily meals added up to about S$200.00 (one lunch + dinner + tea coffee and snack)
In the early afternoon we reserved a shuttle bus to take us to town, in the afternoon the town looked sleepy and shops opened at 10:30 am. Most beach front restaurant was closed and the opening time was 5:30pm for dinner. They do not serve luncheon.
There were some small eateries and family restaurant that serve quite tasty food on par with what we ate at the resort, the price was cheaper by half.
There were nothing much to buy except some dried seafood stuff like dried cuttlefish, dried shrimps and dried mangoes, Thai crackers and snacks. Most of them are fisherman so the seafood prices are comparatively cheap than in Bangkok. The seasonal fruits were mangoes, tangerines and Thai famous limes (we ate them every day as it was always served as garnishes besides the dish).
Subsequently the next two days we ate our lunches and dinner in town before we took the shuttle back to the resort. Hua Hin’s town is one straight road with all the shops lined up at the sidewalks you cannot get lost as it is one straight road.
Around the main road there were many side road that wind into the small lanes, it is these lanes that makes Hua Hin, a popular place with men. There were countless of girly bars, hangout water holes with pretty ladies in a group. Some as young as in their teens,
From their faces, a heavily make up thick foundation and very red lipsticks, but some young girls were innocently fresh without make up, probably a novice from countryside.
Having no choice but to make a living and send money back home to support their parents. This is a familiar story of young Thai teenager girl’s fateful life in the big city.
From head to toe, you can tell how experience they were in the flesh trade
The town suddenly woke up with a big yawn at about 8:00 pm so different when in the day light. In the day, we saw housewives doing their daily provisions, children in school uniforms and working class. In the night, there were lesser locals and more men tourists around and shops were lighted with may small little colored bulbs put together in rows and rows. Many open air bars with lighted candles with the clicking glasses and huge jug of beers being served and girls just sit around and looked pretty.
This is Sodom and Gomorrah's although not as buzzing like in Bangkok city area, it is slowly catching so as I heard from the resort staff.
Works is hard to find in Hua Hin and working opportunity in bars is easily available and tips are good if you are good in public relations. Hua Hin is a tourist spot and naturally service related work will be easily available. There is not much of a choice.
Unlike Singapore is a city of possibilities and we have plenty of choice for employment just as many choices for the types of food you like every day.
The third day, the cooking course was cancelled as there were few takers and we took the whole day off to town for lunch and back for our spa appointment.
We went for our spa which is located at the western side of the resort, a private and secluded garden. When you walked in, there is this feeling like you are walking into secret garden. We selected the massage the essential oil to go with it.
It was like having a massage in a privacy of a garden, with sweet music playing in the background. The massage lasted an hour and it was very refreshing good!
After dinner, we slept soundly like a log.
The next day it was breakfast and wait for our private transfer back to Bangkok city for our flight back to Singapore. The ride was smooth and fast as the driver was going at 120 mph on a broad day light. We tipped him heavily for ferrying us back in one piece.
We were about three hours earlier than our flight so we spend our last baht in the airport transit shops buying all the things we need to gave to friend and family members.
It was a refreshingly good getaway.
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