Any first-hand experiences with Bangkok-Pattaya tour packages offered by Travel Chacha/travelGuru /Yatra.com?
Can you please kidly share yur experiences, dos donts and such.
Thanks.
I looked at the Bangkok/Pattaya 5 day- 4 night tour on the Yatra website and that's a very good price considering it includes almost everything. It is a very short time, although from India it's not too bad, perhaps you can extend the amount of days and nights if you have the time. I agree with the above answers as far as booking trips yourself, but if the types of day tours Yatra offers appeal to you and you have a limited amount of time, I think the Yatra tour is a good way to go. To do all the things they include and transportation to and from all the locations they go to will consume quite a bit of your time just looking for and booking what they include, and their price is very reasonable. I know nothing about Yatra Tours, perhaps you should post queries about them in the India section of Yahoo Answers since they are an Indian company, but for a single traveler who is coming to Thailand for the first time with a limited amount of time, the price seems very reasonable and will save you a lot of time and trouble trying to arrange all the things they provide. Good luck.
HEY.DON,T TAKE ANY PACKEGED TOUR.IF YOU HAVE 7 DAYS IN HAND,I WILL SUGGEST YOU A GOOD ITENERY.
DAY 1=COME TO KHAO SAN ROAD BY BUS IN YOUR CASE AND THEN VISIT GRAND PALACE AND WAT PO.WAT ARUN IS ALSO A GOOD PLACE.ALSO TRY VINAMEK THRONE HALL.
DAY 2=GO TO SAFARI WORLD AND MARINE PARK BY CONSULTING A LOCAL AGENT.IT WILL COST ABT 900B AND IT WILL KEEP YOU ENGAGED FOR A FULL DAY AND THEN IN THE EVENING TAKE A BUS TO PHUKET FOR ABT 500B.DON,T TRY FOR A FLIGHT.IT WILL BE EXPENSIVE AND IT WILL FURTHER COST YOU ABT 700BFROM AND TO THE AIRPORT.THEY HAVE GOT GOOD BUSES.TRUST ME.
DAY 3=GO FOR A HOTEL IN PATONG BEACH.FROM THERE TAKE A FULL DAY TOURR OF PHI PHI,KHAI NOI AND MAYA BAY..IT IS WORTH THE PRICE.
DAY 4=GO FOR A BEACH TOUR.COVER KATA,KARON,PATONG,SURIN AND KAMALA BEACH.IT WILL TAKE ABT 5 HRS.START BY 7.30 AND COME BACK TO HOTEL BY 2.THEN TAKE A BUS TO SURATHTANI AND THEN GO TO BANGKOK.
DAY5=GO TO DREAMWORLD AND SIAM OCEAN WPRLD.EXPENSIVE BT GOOD.ALSO YOU CAN COVER THE PLACES LEFT ON THE FIRST DAY..STAY AT PATUNAM MARKET AREA.GO FOR SHOP AT BIG C IN THE NIGHT.
DAY 6.GO TO PATTYA FROM EKAMAI.WILL COST YOU< 128B> +70 B TAXI FARE.THEN GO TO KOH LARN ISLAND AND THEN COME BACK TO THE PIER TO TAKE THE BUS BACK TO BANGKOK.DON,T GO TO PATTYA BEACH.YOU HAVE BEEN TO BETTER ONES IN PHUKET.
SHOP AT INDRA SQUARE.
DAY 7=SHOP AT INDRA SQUARE.
I DID ALL OF THIS AND IT WAS GREAT.THE FARES ARE EXACT.
NOW DO AND DON,TS
NEVER TRUST TUK TUK DRIVERS.DON,T TAKEE A TUK TUK AT ALL.
TRY TO EAT THAI FOOD.IT IS CHEAPER THAN INDIAN FOOD.
ALSO DON,T ENCOURAGE TAXIMEN TO TAKE YOU TO SHOP.
BARGAIN AT EVERYTHING.ALSO TAKE A SURVEY.
THE FARES ARE AS FOLLOWS
BANGKOK TO EKAMIA=70 B
BANGKOK TO PHUKET VIA SURATHTHANI=450 B
PHUKET TO BANGKOK VIA SURATHANI=650 B
AIRPORT OT KHAOSAN ROAD=350B
PATUNAM TO AIRPORT=250B
DON,T TAKE A TAXI TO VISIT GRAND PALACE,WATPO AND WAT ARUN IF YOU STAY AT KHAO SAN ROAD.THEY ARE JUST SECONDS AWAY.
ALSO TRY THESE HOTELS.
KHAO SAN ROAD=O BANGKOK,SAWASDEE HOTELS.
PATUNAM=BAIYOKE SKY(1BT 1200B)
PHUKET=NOVOTEL
MAIL ME OF YOU LIKE THIS AND ALSO IN CASE OF ANY PROBLEM.
Buddy, suggest not to take up a tour package. Try for the best airfares through these sites. But its going to be easy for you and you can enjoy better if you don't opt for a package.
I was there recently (3/4 months before) - I managed myself.
While you are at the airport, visa is provided on arrival and its hassle free.
Take a cab from the airport to Bangkok city - should cost you about 300 to 400 baht (taxi fares are slightly costly) - there are also bus which plies at certain fixed time.
Stay in Ambassador hotel in Bangkok - its a decent one, which offers you a breakfast.
Spend couple of days in Bangkok and take a round in the city yourself, there are lot of local tour travellers, who take you for a city tour. You can find the details in the hotel.
Then proceed to Pattaya - there are bus service to Pattaya from Bangkok - If you opt for a taxi, it should cost you about 800 Bhat.
There are lot of cheap and good hotel in Soi Honey street. You can book from the net. Again the hotel has local tour packages which takes you in and around pattaya.
Have a good time and enjoy yourself. Also take care and be prepared to bargain everywhere. Beware of thieves in hotels - don't keep any valuable items in your luggage in hotels (ask for a locker in the hotel - most of the hotels provide this option).
Good luck!
Book only your flights from your country to Bangkok. Plan on a few days in Bangkok to see the city and take some tours. In Bangkok you can find tours at travel agencies. Lots of travel agencies in that city and in Pattaya. These travel agencies will have a menu list of local tours. Tour company picks you up at your hotel and returns you there at the end of the tour. For Bangkok choose a hotel that is near the Skytrain so you can use that overhead train service to get around town quick and easy.
For Pattaya you can take a bus from the Ekamai bus station, off a Skytrain stop on Sukhumvit Road, for around 120 baht. Only purchase the bus ticket from the Pattaya ticket window, ask for the VIP bus. Ride will take around 2 hours. Avoid slower "milk run bus" parked near the left side of terminal unless you want a 4 or 5 hour bus ride and no toilet on a cold bus. Or, you can pay around 1000 baht to take a taxi.
In Pattaya you can find hotels very easy or book ahead of time if you want, but walk-ins are possible. August will still be "low season" pricing. Choose a hotel on or near the Pattaya 2nd Road area so you can easily use the 10 baht baht bus transportation or walk to many places.
Change your money after you get to Thailand for the better rate. Thailand uses real banks to change money over and those banks and mini bank money changers are all over.
You don't mention what your hotel budget is like. How much you want to spend for a hotel will narrow down the hotel recommendations you get.
Hotels you can check out:
http://www.bangkok-city.com/hotels/index.html
http://www.thaiwebsites.com/hotels-sukhumvit-bangkok.asp
Sample hotels:
http://www.hotelthailand.com/bangkok/swisspark/
(Other hotels on same Soi 11/1 side street. (Business Inn, President Inn, Narry Inn with rooms under 1000 baht.)
Pattaya map: http://www.guidetothailand.com/pattaya-thailand/map-pattaya-city.php
Pattaya Hotels:
http://thailand.hotels.hu/pattaya/hotel-hits.en.html
Sample selection:
http://www.sawasdee-hotels.com/
http://www.hotelthailand.com/pattaya/honeyinn/index.html?gclid=CNPrh7nhtYoCFRBCg
Pattaya has lots of hotels in all price ranges for A/C rooms from 400 baht on up to over 4000 baht.
Good luck.
