Langkawi-Rebak Marina resort(Staycation)

After spending 2 days on foot in KL(read the blog here),it was time for some relaxation and white sandy beaches.It takes 45min from KL by air.Langkawi is an archipelago made up of 99 islands on Malaysia’s west coast.Langkawi means reddish brown eagle in Malay.

Airport

Langkawi is famous for its crystal clear water,beautiful beaches,diving,duty free alcohol etc.Rich in flora and fauna surrounded by picturesque beaches,this is a place for the romantics,no wonder this place attracts a lot of honeymooners and couples.

Port Langkasuka

We stayed at the Rebak Marina Resort,which is an island itself.It takes around 15 min from the Port Langkasuka to the island by jetty.The port is hardly 5 min from the airport.The hotel gives the  airport pick up and drop off service complimentary.A Taj jetty from the port would pick you up and take to the island.

Lobby

Our room was huge with a walk in wardrobe and a big enough washroom.The cottages are made of wooden which give you a feeling of being in the middle of a forest.

The island has a marina and this resort.Away from the crowd,it has got everything you need.This unspoiled gem is rich in fauna and flora.You are amidst a forest.The beauty and hospitality of Taj made us choose this hotel.In case you want to explore Langkawi,you can stay on Land,instead of an island.There are bikes and cars available on rent.

There is a big pool with excellent view and a bar.

Beach recliners are all over the beach.

The private beach has a lot of crabs and fishes.It's fun to watch them running around.

The restaurant,bars and study are quite good.Brekakfast buffet is for 44RM per person and dinner buffet is priced at 85RM per person.The spread is mouth watering and extensive.Lot of vegetarian Indian options as well.The staff and the chef would  make sure you have a hearty meal.The chef spoke personally to us and made sure we liked the food.

This was our fav spot in the resort,we sat here for hours watching the birds,speed boats go by or simply staring at the sea.It was bliss.

Cottages

There are jetties running to and fro from the resort to the mainland.The staff would give you the timings when you check in.

The Marina

Helluva good time

You can spot some exotic birds flying around the island.There are numerous activities on the resort,nature walk being one of them,where you would learn a lot about the flora and fauna on this beautiful island.Make sure you don't miss it.

Hornbill

 Bookings can be made online.We booked all our tickets and hotels online.Check out the hotel websites for some great deals.

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Pattaya!!

Pattaya is one of the most frequented place by tourists to Thailand. Much like other places in Thailand, Pattaya offers you shopping, beautiful islands and fair share of risque-entertainment options.

Our visit to Thailand this year started with a visit to Pattaya. We took a taxi straight from Bangkok airport. Pattaya is a  2 hrs drive from Bangkok.Taxis are available from the airport. They charge 1500 Bhat, which is not a bad deal given the comfort of the ride. Other option is to take a bus to Mochit and then take the taxi from there to Pattaya. 

There are a lot of attractions in Pattaya like Mini Siam,Floating market,Coral island,Ripley's believe it or not museum and the famous walking street

Our visit to Pattaya started with tour of Coral Island.

Coral Island Tour
 There are many options available for the Coral Island tour. We booked a tour to Coral island which included pick up and drop to the hotel,transfer by boat to the island and an Indian lunch,excluding the water sports.

Pattaya Beach

All set for the beach!!

It takes around 45 min by the speed boat to reach Koh Larn commonly known as Coral island.The first stop  was for para sailing,for 400 bhat they take you for a big round.

Para sailing.

 The next stop was for sea bed walking,where you are taken to the bed of the sea some 10 feet down with a device similar to self-contained underwater breathing apparatus(SCUBA). You are supposed to feed the fishes with food so you would be surrounded by fishes when they see the food in your hand. It can be enjoyed even by those who do not know how to swim.This was for 1200 Baht per person.

Once these activities are done you head straight to the crystal clear waters of Coral Island It was a bright and sunny day and we enjoyed  swimming,sunbathing and clicking pictures. 

Our half day tour culminated with a sumptuous meal which was part of the package. We headed back to our hotels for a nap to recharge our batteries. 

Recommended: Spare at least half a day to stroll the streets of Pattaya. The beach side roads are picturesque and lively. 

Along the beach

In the evening we headed out to the street with no specific plans. No matter how much research you do,there are  always a few things which you have to explore on your own. The walk along the lively beach side road were loads of fun. 

Sunset at Pattaya beach

There are a lot of cafes and restaurants along the beach. The one which caught our attention was Au Bon Pain.The interiors seemed  classy.They have outdoor and indoor sitting overlooking the sea.We enjoyed  our coffees ( Caramel mocha ),brownie , some sandwiches and  salads.

We loved the ambiance,the coffee and the food. The food is reasonably priced.Coffee are priced from 100-150 Baht and the sandwiches from 150-200 baht  You can make your own sandwiches too.We got a veg sandwich made for ourselves.Impressed with the place,we decided to come here again for breakfast the next day too.

Bagel with egg and veg sandwich

Au bon pain

With our tummies happy and energy meter showing full ,we shopped as we walked down the road.The next stop was Central festival. 3 years back when I² had visited Pattaya she had seen a fish spa in the mall,so we just hoped it still existed as we walked towards the mall.

Well as you can see in the picture the spa was still there and we indulged in some well deserved  fish therapy.The Fish spa is always fun,priced at 250 baht for a couple for 45 min.

The mall is huge and houses a lot of  international brands.We explored the mall,did some shopping and then it was time for dinner.The top floor has the restaurants.There are very few in fact almost no options for veggies.We had our dinner at this Italian place.The pizza was nice authentic wood fired pizza with some garlic breads.

Our only vegetarian Option!!!

The Night life-

If you are on the streets through the evening you can see the transformation of the place into  what it is so famous for ;). All roads now lead to the Walking street.
The walking street is just next to the south end of the  Pattaya beach.It has around 100 beer bars,30 go-go bars,discos,cabaret shows etc.The street is free form vehicles from 6.00 PM to 2.00 AM. You have to see for yourself the traffic outside the street at midnight.

The Famous Walking Street 

The place buzzes with energy in the night.Open Bars with pole dancers to live sex shows,everything happens here.There is Police to handle any sort of mishap .You have to be a bit careful if you want to enter a bar,do a little research.

TIP: If you are escorted to these places by the guys who are on the street luring you in, you might end up paying extra.  

The best thing to do after walking for hours together is to take a relaxing Thai foot massage. You would have ample options to take one. The services range from Foot, shoulder and full body massage. The good part is that these places are open till 1 AM. We had to wait for 15 min for the massage as the massage parlor was full 11 in the night :).

TIPs: 
1. Give yourself ample time to sample all that Pattaya has to offer. It is unfair to the place to come here only for the beach or the fun at walking street. Spend a day and do it all.

2. You can travel from Pattaya to Bangkok through a taxi or bus. Buses run on these routes at intervals of 90 minutes,  so make sure you reach the bus stand accordingly. Also,book you tickets in advance or you risk waiting a long time for the next available seat.

3. Bangkok traffic is notorious. Best thing to do is to reach the outskirts of Bangkok where you can get a Skytrain. Ditch the road and you can reach the heart of Bangkok faster.
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