Scott and Chez’s Wedding

Lots of you will have the weekend in Bangkok so here are some ideas of things to do.

Shopping

Natalie Griffin has put together an amazing shopping guide that we’ll send to everyone. Bangkok has some great shopping for whatever you’re looking for - you won’t get bored.

Boxing

Scott is going to try to get a group together on the Saturday night to go and see Mui Thai Boxing at Lumpini Stadium. It’s between $8 (cheap seats) - $40 (ringside seats) for tickets and it’s easy to get to on the Skytrain.

Golf

Scott is also going to organise a game on the Saturday while the girls go shopping. Anyone interested in a game of golf should let Scott know so we can get an idea on numbers….

Spas

There is a great little day spa/massage parlour (no, not THAT kind) just up the road from the Davis Hotel. They do amazing massages and nice facials as well as manicures, pedicures, etc. Bangkok is full of day spas so there are millions of places to go and relax for a few hours.

Khao San Rd

I (Cheryl) will probably head over to Khao San Rd on the Saturday night when Scott goes to Mui Thai boxing. Khao San Rd is the backpackers street and it’s very funky, hippy and backpacker. There is a nice little outdoor restaurant I like there called Silk, it’s a great place to eat and have a few beers

Patpong Markets

According to Nat Griffin, “this market, is kitsch, it is tacky, it is expensive and the street vendors will hassle you to no end. BUT you have to check this place out, just for the culture and the experience. And if you want to see a Ping Pong show – there are plenty on offer here.

There are also some places along here that are beauty salons, and you can get a great foot massage or pedicure/manicure – for really cheap!!

Best for : Cheap/not-so-great rip-offs of everything, Tiffany jewellery, handbags, motif tees.

here is a store that is air-conditioned just next to the 7-eleven by the side of the heart of the market. It sells the most expensive fake handbags, and does AMAZING Hermes wallets. “

Floating Markets

We’ve never been to the Damnoen Saduak (Klong Lat Phli) Floating Markets as they sound a bit touristy, but apparently they are quite cool if you’re into that sort of thing. They are about 80km outside of Bangkok so it’s easiest to do a tour to go there. They are open very early in the morning and the best time to get there is 7am (another reason we’ve never been).

Grand Palace

The grand palace is really cool and worth a visit if you have the time. Apparently:

The Grand Palace an absolute MUST, as it is an outstanding architectural achievement, that also houses the infamous Emerald Buddha, which is the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. We suggest that you go early in the morning to avoid the major crowds, it will still be busy but getting there around 9 am or 10 am will give you a little more space. Do not wear shorts when you visit, and if you are female we recommend that you do not wear sandals, skirts and suggest that you wear a long sleeved blouse or something.

We are having cocktails (thanks to Brian and Ruth Gledhill) at the Moon Bar in the Banyan Tree on at 5pm on Sunday night. It’s 61 floors above Bangkok with a 360 view of the city and it’s totally gorgeous. We’ll do cocktails until after sunset and then we’ll find dinner somewhere.

There is a really nice restaurant called Saffron on the 51st floor of the Banyan tree (just downstairs from where we’ll be). They do casual dining, it’s really gorgeous thai food and really reasonable prices - it’s expensive for Thailand but still normal for Australians/Canadians (about $15 for a pad thai). We’ll probably end up heading down there to eat dinner if they can fit us all in.

Moonbar 180 view…

… our recon mission at Moonbar.

We have just returned from a “research” trip and we’ve found a perfect venue on Koh Tao. We’re holding the wedding at Charm Churee Villas, in Jansom Bay on Koh Tao. It’s a gorgeous little spot, it has a palm-tree lined beach with great snorkeling, really nice villas (with airconditioning) to stay in, and a beautiful restaurant. It’s only a 10 minute stroll into town as well, so it’s really nice and central.

Charm Churee are giving everyone 25% off their accommodation, which is a really great deal. Accommodation ranges from about AU/CA $80 per night up to about $500 a night for a 3 bedroom apartment. We’ve seen all of the rooms, villas and apartments they have, click here to see photos and a price list. For those backpackers amongst you, there are also a lot of other options around if this is out of your price range.

Please give us an email or call if you are thinking of staying here. We have checked all the rooms out and can advise on the best villa locations, or perhaps who can split up into which shared apartments. We checked them all out while we were there…

There is a backpacker’s bungalow next door , and they have beachfront villas from about AU$20 per night. They are very very basic, and if you haven’t backpacked before then you should not even consider it – it’s just a bed with mosquito net, fan and toilet. There is also a mid-range complex within 5 minutes walk, and their villas looked really gorgeous as well - their prices start from AU$40 a night for a basic double room with fan.

We also found an amazing boutique hotel in Bangkok called the Davis Hotel. It’s a gorgeous oasis in the chaos of Bangkok, they have a beautiful pool with loungey deck chairs, great bars and restaurants, and they are very central to everything. Rates here start at about $100 per night. We also have recommendations for cheap backpacker places as well as more mid-range hotels.

So what’s next?

February is high season in Thailand so everyone should book their accommodation in Koh Tao by September. You need to leave a 30% deposit when you book, however you get it all back if you cancel the booking more than 10 days before you arrive. For all those people that are a “maybe” on coming, I suggest that you book soon anyway, and then you can cancel with no penalty if you decide you’re not coming. When you book, mention that you’re coming for the wedding and they will apply the discount.

So the plan at the moment…

Arrive in Bangkok on the weekend of 22nd February. It would be great if everyone stays at the Davis as it’s such a lovely hotel, however you can stay wherever you want to. All meet for dinner and drinks on Sunday night 24rd at Vertigo, the nicest bar in Bangkok.

Monday 25th
Fly from Bangkok to Samui, a 50 minute flight. We’ll try to arrange to all be on the same/similar flights. We will organize a private boat to take us from Koh Samui to Koh Tao, a 2 hour boat trip. We’ll then be picked up and taken to Charm Churee. Depending on which flight we take out of Bangkok, we should get there about 2-3pm.

Spend the rest of the day settling in, relaxing and enjoying Koh Tao. All meet at sunset for cocktails and beers.

Tuesday 26th
More relaxing and beach time if you want it. We are organizing a thai cooking course for anyone interested in learning thai cooking, and they will also run a massage course for anyone interested in learning Thai Massage (no happy finish, Justin). Possible other activities are: scuba diving, wakeboarding, snorkeling, a longboat tour of the island, scooters around the island, day spa/massage treatments etc. Again all meet at sunset for dinner and drinks.

Wednesday 27th
Morning activity – elephant trekking to the next beach. Totally voluntary as you won’t catch me on an elephant - but I’m happy to take photos for everyone. Alternate activities are as before – massages, scuba diving, longboat trips, snorkeling.
Afternoon/evening – wedding at sunset.

Thursday 28th
We will probably stay on Koh Tao for another night after the wedding, but if anyone wanted to go to Koh Pha Ngan or Koh Samui there are ferries that leave between about 9 and 2pm. Koh Pha Ngan is about an hour and a half away, and Samui is about 2 hours. The ferry is 500 baht (about $15-20) and includes a transfer to your hotel/airport if you’re going all the way to Samui.

If you’re going to stay on Koh Tao, it will be more of the same… drinking beers, eating great food, snorkelling, scuba diving, etc. We’re still not sure how long Scott and I are going to stay or where we’ll go next, but will be staying in Thailand for another week or so after the wedding, probably staying in the islands.

We’ll just be chilling out and hanging around so definitely feel free to stay where we’ll be staying. I know some people are planning on going to Angkor Wat in Cambodia after the wedding, and I’ve heard some people are going to go to Vietnam or other parts of Thailand. It’s very easy to get around Thailand, there are always ferries, flights and buses so you won’t get stuck anywhere.

Click here for prices and photos of Charm Churee
Click here to see other options instead of staying at Charm Churee - nearby resorts

Click for larger version

Release your inner Mad Max

Chill by the beach

sunset cocktails

Vodka lemon shake goodness