Josie Obguia

Pattaya - No Adventure at the Sin City of Asia We decided to spend our first 2 days in Thailand in Pattaya, a popular beach destination 2-3 hours away from Bangkok. The very hour we landed Bangkok, we then looked for the Bus we booked to take us to Pattaya. There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to transportation from Bangkok to Pattaya. There are cabs, vans and for the more adventurous ones, the public bus. For us, since it is my friend and I's first time roaming around, we choose Bell Travel Services. I highly recommend this if you are either 1. a newbie in Pattaya, 2. if you are not adventurous enough to take risks riding a public transport, 3. if you carry lots of baggage, and 4. lazy enough and just want convenience (like me hehe!). The service is good enough because, at a price just a little higher than the public bus, they will drop you right at your hotel's doorstep. So for me, why would I go through the hassle of taking public transport with all the baggage I brought. It's convenience and practicality in one. We then settled at the hotel named Angket Hip Residence. That time, it was newly constructed and they are very true to their word - they're HIP! The lobby, our room - they look youthful, girly and trendy. Not to mention spacious. I fell in love with the place immediately. The only downside: the hotel is not located in Central Pattaya where all the parties happen - that is if you are a party goer. It is in Jomtien Area, around 20-30 minutes away (depending on the traffic) from Central Pattaya. But for me who prefer to sleep at night (that is part of my perfect vacation idea - to sleep well) and do all activities in the morning up to early evening, it did not matter. Not to mention my friend is also a homebuddy, so the place just fit both of us. But wait, I forgot to mention that the fare for public transport around Jomtien area costs 50 Baht. It's more like 55-60 Php depending on the conversion. Quite expensive but Angket Hip offers free transportation to their guests around Jomtien Area. If you go beyond Jomtien, there is a charge (less expensive than taking public transport or cab) depending on how far your destination is. During the late afternoon, we decided to roam around Jomtien Beach. It is not the beach most Filipinos want, but not bad enough especially for Caucasians who love to relax under the sun. The next day, we then went to Southern Pattaya to have our island hopping tour. We went to Koh Pai (or Koh Island since Pai means Island in Thai). It was very memorable, at the same time awkward for us because 1. it was our first time to go swimming on a beach outside the Philippines, 2. we were the only Filipinos in the tour, the rest are Europeans. The view was suuuppper breathtaking!!! It is indeed one of the best beaches I've been to. It is like El Nido and Boracay in one but very secluded and private. Again, I'm running out of words describing how I love the place. Just view my pictures and see for yourself. The next day, we went our way back to Bangkok to meet my friend there and in the afternoon, we headed our way to Ayutthaya. I will tell the whole story in my next post.