Mae Salong is know for the many tea plantations in the area.  The town itself is evidence of the importance of tea to the local economy.  There are several large tea stores offering a variety of packaged tea from local plantations.  What is great about these stores is that you can taste test nearly every tea before you decide to purchase.  I wish other tea stores did this.  It is difficult to purchase an unknown tea without tasting first.  I tried several at one tea store and select a few I liked.  Some are a bit expensive. However, unlike stores in big cities, you can negotiate a little bit to get a better price.

Watch for the stores as you drive down the main street of Mae Salong.

Sugar Hut was the best restaurant I ate in during my time in Pattaya.  However, if you do not have a car or scooter, it can be difficult to get to.  You can take the Pattaya shuttle that runs the main road for only 10 Baht and ask them to drop you off at the entrance to Sugar Hill Resort.  Once there you have to walk down the long driveway.

It is an open air restaurant with plenty of shade and fans.  I was dying for good food.  I ordered the chicken satay to start and the Pork Panang for the main course.  Both dishes were very good and if I had more time in Pattaya I would certainly eat here again.

Address:  391/18 Moo 10, Tapphaya Road Pattaya, 20150, Thailand

Hours: Open all day (that is what I was told!)

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR TIPS!

May 2017

My most recent trip to Bangkok was May 2017.  I used Bangkok as a base to visit Chiang Mai and a trip to Siem Reap and Angkor Archaeological Park.  While in Bangkok I visited Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew again.  More people than ever so visit very early, they open at 8:00am.  I also continued my exploration of dining options.  Two excellent option I found was Thanying Royal Thai and Patara Thai Cuisine. They are more upscale dining but Thanying has very reasonable prices for the experience.

I also focused on finding some tea houses.  A new favorite of mine is Seven Suns.  Helpful staff really know their tea.  Chan and Yupa is a nice garden experience but they do not have loose tea.  However the tea they serve is quite good. I hope to return to Bangkok in 2019.

Below are links to specific areas and reviews!

June 2015

During my visit in 2015 I continued to explore the city using the BTS Skytrain and the Chao Phraya river boats. I can’t say enough good things about these two modes of transportation. And when it comes right down to it, becoming familiar with these two will make a world of difference if you visit Bangkok.

As for new sights to see on this trip, I explored the Chinatown district and spent several nights enjoying Khao San Road. Khao San Road should not be missed. I also threw in a day trip to Ayutthaya. If your time allows, this is a great trip!

A favorite activity of mine is eating. My favorite on the trip was my last meal in Bangkok at a place called Smooth Curry. Of course, I finished most days off with a relaxing foot massage. Not all were relaxing but the best on this trip was at Raintree Spa. There are a few locations but the one on Sukhumvit Soi 11 was great!

Easy to get around

What I liked about Bangkok was how easy it was to get to most, if not all the interesting sights in the city. Learning how to use public transportation really came out of necessity. The taxi drivers are not very reliable and prefer not to use the meter which is required. Instead of dealing with their varying rates, I took the time to learn the Sky Train system and the Chao Phraya river boat schedule. I t made traveling around a joy.

Wonderful sights around the city

One of my favorite things to do was to visit the many temples in Bangkok. From the very large to the seldom traveled, each had a special quality. Some of the temples that should not be missed is Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Wat Phra Kaew where the emerald Buddha is kept.

Hotels

Restaurants

Things To Do

Things To Know

Transportation