Learning about Chiang Mai Night Safari

When I booked Studio 99 Serviced Apartments I noticed a night safari on their list of tours.  No word says, “getting out of the big city” more than safari.  Being the animal lover that I am, it sounded much more appealing than the Chiang Mai zoo although the zoo is home to famous Chinese panda along with its baby panda.

As soon as I arrived to my hotel after the hour flight into Chiang Mai from Bangkok and 10 minute taxi ride to the hotel, I asked the front desk about the night safari.  They told me to arrive there around 7pm and told me a little about it.  They tried to find me a driver as well.

Getting There

Even though I rented a scooter I didn’t think I would be able to find the night safari as it was out of town.  Like I mentioned before, there are no regular taxi or bus services in Chiang Mai so I resorted to tuk tuk.  I asked a driver how much and they asked for 400 baht ($12 USD) for a ride out to the night safari and back 4 hours later.  While I could have probably negotiated I accepted his offer and packed my camera and tripod for the journey to the Chiang Mai night safari.

The tuk tuk ride from Montri Hotel smack dab in the center of Chiang Mai took around 30 minutes.   Upon arrival myself and tuk tuk driver noticed about 100 various types of deer roaming freely before the entrance which was a sign of things to come.

As I got there (picture on very top is entrance) and paid the fee of 500 baht ($15 USD) I was greeted in the lobby by an amazing elephant who could play the harmonica while swinging a hula hoop around its trunk (video below).  It could also play this other instrument which its master put in its mouth.  Banannas and bamboo were available for purchase to feed this talented beast.

Looking across the lake from the lobby I could see a bunch of trees and nothing man made.  I was smart this time, and purchased some mosquito repellent lotion so I wouldn’t get eaten alive while taking photos.

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Walking around Lake

They gave me an itinerary of the night safari experience as I purchased the ticket.  I arrived around 7pm and the tram ride safaris were not until around 9pm which allowed around 2 hours of time which was not idle.  They recommended a walk around the lake which was surrounded with various animal exhibits from tortoises to tapirs.  Most of the exhibits were minimally distracting including the tiger’s in which the fence seemed pretty low to prevent a tiger from escaping.

Towards the end of the walk around the lake I nearly jumped out of my pants as I was passing multiple wild cat exhibits and heard a giant roar/growl from what I thought was a lion and it actually turned out to be coming from a nearby speaker.  Walking in the dark alone surrounded by cats ranging from small house cat sized wildcats to cervals to scary looking black panthers while not scary was kind of uncomfortable.

They recommended returning after an hour to watch the water and laser show but I decided to stay across the lake and take some pictures without anyone in my way.  The water show was a photographers dream with a bunch of cool looking lights and reflections which make some pretty spectacular looking, easy to take photos.  After the water show I made my way back to the main area where I had some Thai food at the restaurant.

Watching the Laser Water Show on the Other Side of Lake

The Safari

At around 9pm they ushered the English speaking guests to one side and the Thai/Japanese speaking people to the other side for each tram safari.  Everyone packed on these tram safari vehicles and they were off.  I would guess there were 25 people on each tram which could have accommodated for 100 so I considered myself lucky because I had the ability to move from side to side to get pictures of animals on either side.

Each safari was separated into sections which included animals of southeast Asia, Africa and Australia.  The tram would slow down and a spotlight would turn on each side which enabled everyone to see the animals 90% of the time.  Trying to photograph the animals was made difficult by the driver who would slow the tram down to a crawl but never really let it come to a complete stop.  Coupled with the low light, movement made it very difficult to get a good picture of one of the animals.

I saw a bunch of animals which I have never seen before including about 10 species of deer/cow like creatures which didn’t excite me too much.  The animals I was really impressed with were the hyenas.  They were almost twice as big as I thought they would be.  You can see some pictures of some of the animals at the bottom of this post.  After returning from the first safari there was a 30 minute break until the next safari which enabled everyone to get a drink or…

Before Boarding Safari Tram on Beautiful Chiang Mai Night

Surprise Surprise

I was presented the opportunity to handle a baby tiger for a picture which cost a couple hundred baht.  While I have no interest in being anywhere near a blood thirsty adult tiger a baby was a lot more appealing.  They had 3 baby tigers in this glass encased room.  Two tigers were very small baby orange tigers which I thought I was going to have my picture taken with and there was this older white tiger which was twice the size of the little orange ones.

After I washed my hands they walked me right in and had me sit down on this wooden step and before I could sit comfortably I see this white tiger come running at me!  The handlers handed me a bottle with Tiger’s milk as the tiger jumped on my lap and I fed it for 30 seconds as they snapped pictures.  I must say the fur on the baby tiger felt EXACTLY like my sister’s dog, a year old male corgi.  They gave me a CD with the pictures on it as well as a print.  After the tiger feeding I went on the second tram ride to see the animals from Australia and more from Africa.

Feeding Adolescent? Tiger Milk for 30 Seconds

Overall Impression

While the Chiang Mai night safari was no replacement for actually visiting the animals in their natural habitat it was a fun experience.  I thought the presentation of the animals at night made it tenfold more interesting than walking around in a crowded zoo looking at caged animals.  The price was a little steep for Chiang Mai standards as total I spent over 1000 baht ($30 USD) but it was well worth it.  You can find more detailed information on the Chiang Mai night safari website.

Some of the Animals Seen on the Night Safari

Exercise at Lumpini Park

Any health minded person who has ever lived or visited Bangkok for an extended period of time has visited Lumpini Park.  Besides being a relaxing oasis from the sometimes hectic Bangkok traffic,  Lumpini park is also a place where thousands of people come to exercise on a daily basis.  Throughout the day there is a nonstop flow of bicyclists and  runners , going around the lakes on the cement paths complete with kilometer markers and the newly rubberized track & field style running paths.

Every single day at 5 and 6pm giant aerobics classes start complete with cheesy Thai aerobics music and a few hundred people (mostly women) performing basic aerobics class steps to the music.  In addition to the swimming pool, tennis court,  basketball court and senior citizen center there are various sometimes odd fitness contraptions spread throughout the park.  Fitness also extends onto the water as a couple dozen pedal boats are available to rent as well.

Outdoor Gym #2

Outdoor Gyms

I knew there was an outdoor gym in Lumpini Park on the Rajadamri Road side (north end) of the park (video & pictures on bottom of page).   I worked out there a couple times before which cost 35 baht ($1 USD) per workout.  The gym has a punching bag and enough equipment for people of most strength levels (myself included) to get a good workout.

Every time swing by the gym there is never more than 5-10 people working out which is a stark contrast to the crowded corporate gym I painstakingly chose to get a membership at California WOW fitness.  The only thing I didn’t like about Lumpini Park’s outdoor gym was when I accidentally touched a tree and the next thing I knew I had a few dozen fire ants stinging my sweaty forearm.

Hardcore Lumpini Park Gym

"Hardcore" guys Posing Outside of Gym

I was looking to explore the rest of the park to find some material for pictures on my Tourism Pics photography site when I came across another gym in Lumpini Park!  When I walked by this gym located on the Rama IV road (south end) of Lumpini park I immediately noticed the people working out were pretty hardcore.  There were a group of around 10 shirtless guys who looked as if they were professional bodybuilders, muay Thai fighters, prison inmates or all the above lifting heavy weights.

I thought it was very cool looking so I decided one day I would head to the “hardcore” Lumpini Park gym and work out.  I planned on going for a long bicycle ride through the busy streets of Bangkok and after I witnessed 2 car accidents I thought better and ride my bike to Lumpini Park.  As I was riding through Lumpini Park I rode over to the “hardcore” Lumpini Park gym and noticed another big group of “hardcore” weight lifters as well as an awesome barbell bench press with 2 tires which I just had to lift.

I brought my bike in the gym and asked the lady how much it cost for “Aw Kam long Kai” which means exercise in Thai and she showed me a card with the prices.  I was rather shocked to see that a workout cost 20 baht (60 cents) and a monthly membership costs 200 baht ($6 USD) which is less than the other gym.

I warmed up a few sets of bench press to work up to the tire barbell which I had no idea how much it weighed.  I even got a spotter to make sure I didn’t kill myself and to my surprise (slight disappointment) the barbell with the tires wasn’t that heavy.  I would estimate the weight which had a bar which was smooth and about twice the diameter of normal Olympic bars weighed between 175-195 pounds.

Even though the “hardcore” patrons of this gym were a bit imposing, as usual the Thai people working out at the gym were very nice and friendly.  They even encouraged me to use heavier weights as well as helped me locate dumbbells that I needed.  I was the only farang (foreigner in Thai) working out but there were many farang passersby in the park who just looked in the gym out of curiosity.   I snapped the pictures inconspicuously with my cell phone camera as I wondered whether the “hardcore” gym patrons were Muay Thai fighters, powerlifters or bodybuilders.

If I knew that this gym existed before I think choosing a gym in Bangkok would have been a lot easier as I would have probably avoided the membership at the California WOW gym I paid 17,000 baht ($511 USD).  The video and equipment below is from the non “hardcore” gym on the north side of Lumpini Park.

Also See:  Things to do in Bangkok:  Lumpini Park:  Part I

Some of the Equipment at the West Side Gym

Also See:  Things to do in Bangkok:  Lumpini Park:  Part I

Don’t forget to Also Cheek Out: Things to do in Bangkok:  Lumpini Park:  Part I

Getting from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

My hour long Air Asia flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai started off on a good foot as I barely made it to the airport in time which turned out to be a blessing because I didn’t even have to wait a single minute.  When it was finally time to board the plane I was pleasantly surprised when I boarded a BRAND NEW airbus 320 jet!  The fact that the plane was new was immediately noticeable upon walking into the plane by the smell.

The interior of the plane smelled like brand new leather.  I first wondered if they just had the seats reupholstered but the usual yellow interior from the ancient Air Asia planes was white and brand new looking.  I asked the flight attendant and she said the plane was delivered 3 days ago.  I was debating in the back of my head whether a new plane was a good or a bad  thing since old planes have obviously stood up to the test of time while new planes were a proven commodity.

The new plane meant less freebies from Air Asia as I was charged  not only for my meal (a sandwich I paid for at booking) but a can of soda while on board.  If charging for the soda wasn’t enough, they actually charged me for a cup and ice!  Personally I will take a brand new plane over free soda but some people may have other ideas.  The hour long flight was smooth with absolutely no turbulence and the landing was smooth.

Looking Down on Chiang Mai from Moutain near Doi Suthep Temple

Where are all the Skyscrapers?

Regardless of which country you think about, you would expect the 2nd largest city to be pretty big.  The countries and cities that come to mind first such as the United States (New York, Los Angeles), Brazil (Rio De Janiero, Sao Paulo) and China (Shanghai, Beijing) are some of the largest countries in the world and obviously several times larger than Thailand.  Even so I would expect a city of 600,000 in northern Thailand to have some resemblance to the metropolis I live in Bangkok. I already knew the airport was only 10 minutes via tuk tuk to the city center so I was paying attention to the city while the plane was making its final decent.

I was looking for some evidence of city and I saw none so I figured that we didn’t fly over that part.  It turns out Chiang Mai has no skyscrapers and very few noticable buildings over 20 stories. An interesting fact about Chiang Mai is the city center or “Old Town” is completely surrounded by a moat!  Yes, you read that right.  The center of Chiang Mai used to be surrounded by brick walls which were surrounded by a moat.  A small section of the brick wall still remains which is where the beginning of the Sunday walking market is (you can read about it below).

Traffic Around Chiang Mai's Moat just After Sunset

Getting Around in Chiang Mai

Unlike Bangkok which has to be top 10 on the list of worldwide cities with the most taxi cabs, Chiang Mai has very few.  I saw less than a handful of “taxi-meters” during my 72 hours in Chiang Mai.  Tuk Tuks on the other hand were plentiful.  Taking the place of the taxis were trucks with benches on either side of their covered beds (I don’t know the name of them). Since there is less traffic volume than Bangkok, many tourists also take to the roads themselves.  In addition cars which cost in between 1000-2000 baht ($30-60USD) per day you can rent motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles.  I decided to brave the Thailand traffic on a moped which I rented for 200 baht ($6USD) a day.

The automatic Honda scooter/moped? I drove around on was more than adequate to explore the city. The first thing to know if you’re driving around Chiang Mai is the moat is surrounded by traffic on each side which are going in opposite directions.  It is pretty easy to get caught up in the traffic flow and just go around in circles (or squares in the case of Chiang Mai).  To actually leave the city on your own is not that bad.  Traffic gets less congested as you leave the main city into the surrounding areas.

If you inspect the map (below) and the tourist map you can pick up at the airport, you can see there are only a handful of main roads which exit the main part of the city in each direction.  A major landmark such as a shopping mall or sign for the zoo usually marks the right road to use to get to an out-of-town location.  Walking is always a viable option which is best at night when it cools down a bit.  This is why choosing the right accommodations will help you get around more efficiently as well as save money although you’ll no doubt want to leave the city limits to explore the surrounding areas of northern Thailand.

City Center Surrounded by Moat (green sqare)

Things I did In and Around Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Night Safari

Sunday Market Walking Street Fair

Visit the Long Necked Karen Hill Tribe

Monkey School

Insect Museum

I saw the sign for the insect museum while returning from the long neck hill tribe visit.  My driver hadn’t been to the museum so I decided to check it out.  The entrance fee was 100 bht ($3USD) and it reminded me of most insect museums I have been to.  The insect museum consisted with the standard cases of dead, pinned-up insect species as well as a decent selection of live beetles, scorpions and various other bugs as well as live butterfly and dragonfly netted in rooms.  Although the $3 15-minute tour wasn’t a total waste of money, I would only recommend it to serious insect lovers (or haters) as it was pretty much standard fare.

Night Bazaar

I was warned by a Canadian expat about the night bazaar being overpriced.  I just gassed up my moped and decided to go check it out around 9 or 10 at night.  The night bazaar consisted of a bunch of food and product vendors on a few streets at which looked like a small China Town.    It is located around the Mae Ping river on the east side of Chiang Mai (yellow area on above map).

From Bridge over Mae Ping River Near Night Bazaar

More Things You can do In & Around Chiang Mai

Things which were advertised all over the place and included in various tours I checked out but didn’t fully pursue.  Any of the following popular attractions are worth checking out especially if you are interested in the individual activities.

“Templing”

There are dozens of temples big and small within the Chiang Mai city limits and many more in the surrounding areas.  I overheard two tourists talking about “templing all day” while I was eating breakfast and for some reason it made me not want to ever enter a temple.  I have been in Thailand for the past 8 months and visited for 3 weeks back in 2005 and I still have not been inside a temple.  I actually rode my rented moped about 20km out of the city to go to Doi Suthep temple which was near the top of a nearby mountain and didn’t enter because it was completely saturated with tourists.  If “templing” turns you on, Chiang Mai is a “templer’s” paradise so knock yourself out.

Elephant Camps & Treks

Another thing to do out of Chiang Mai was various elephant camps and treks.  Most multiple day all-inclusive tours included something to do with elephants.  They look like quite an experience but I’m just into sitting on the back of a stinking wild animal for hours getting bit my mosquitoes in the middle of the jungle.

White Water Rafting & Off-Roading

Most packaged tours included some form of rafting.  There were also numerous tours which involved off-road motorcycles and ATVs.  With less rules and regulations than the US I would be willing to bet that any daredevils who like outdoor motorized activities would have a blast with these.

Flight of the Gibbon

Along with Tiger Kingdom, Flight of the Gibbon was advertised everywhere.  It was included in many 2 or 3 day package tours and consisted of zip lining, rock climbing and eco-tourism.  You can read about it on TreeTopAsia.com It looked pretty fun but I didn’t have the time.

Tiger Kingdom

Tiger Kingdom was promoted hugely from everything to pamphlets at the airport, to numerous billboards to stickers in tuk tuks.  The Canadian expat woman I talked to in the huge 3 story Starbucks by the gate at the beggining of the Sunday walking street fair told me to avoid Tiger Kingdom.  She said the tigers were drugged and one of her friends got clawed and had to get 60+ stitches.

If the chance of getting mauled by a 500+ pound feline beast isn’t reason enough to avoid an attraction I don’t know what is.  I actually went to Tiger Kingdom because my driver recommended the buffet which I guess was actually 1/2 of the attraction.  The buffet was actually really good and hit the spot after the hill tribe visit.  Some tables actually were aligned right next to the tiger cage in which the workers played with the tigers like house cats (video below).

Accommodations in Chiang Mai

This was my first trip I have taken with TourismPicks.com at the top of my mind so I planned to stay in a different places with different costs each night I stayed in Chiang Mai.  Searching online for a hotel was like trying to find a piece of hay in a haystack so I turned to the Thaivisa.com forum which I made a thread asking for recommendations.

The first person who responded on the forum within 10 minutes recommended the Montri hotel so I booked it for a single night to make life easier.  I had arranged a pick-up from the airport to my booked hotel which cost 150 baht ($4.50USD) and had a guy waiting for me with a sign with my name on it.  I had a whole 15 seat tourist van to myself.  There are many hotels in Chiang Mai to accommodate for the bustling tourist industry and I had a chance to sample 3 of them for my 3 night stay.

Places to Stay in Chiang Mai:  Montri Hotel

Places to Stay in Chiang Mai:  Studio 99 Serviced Apartments

Places to Stay in Chiang Mai:  Royal Guest House

Outside of Royal Guest House in Central Chiang Mai

Thailand’s Tallest Building

I lived in my apartment for around 7 months how and I can fully see Thailand’s tallest building from my window.  Usually when you think of the tallest building in any country you think of something impressive looking such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.  Thailand’s tallest building is not the coolest looking building I’ve ever seen it’s actually pretty ugly during the day with a uber tacky BMW 7 Series advertisement dominating it.  The Baiyoke tower doesn’t really dominate the skyline like many featured skyscrapers.

One day a couple weeks ago it dawned on me that I had no idea what the building even was.  Only after I bought my new Nikon D90 digital SLR and started taking pictures did I find it was a hotel.   On the top there is a brightly lit multi-colored rotating  pattern message changer.   At night it causes a most photos to come out overexposed with the top of the tower looking like a big bright light.  One night I was actually reading the messages which are displayed in Chinese and English and it said, “Baiyoke Sky Hotel” so mystery solved.

Lightning strike Near Baiyoke Tower II

Baiyoke Sky Hotel

Even though Baiyoke Sky Hotel appears rather close to my apartment, like most tall buildings it is a pretty far walk away.  Baiyoke Sky Hotel is actually Baiyoke Tower II as there is a Baiyoke Tower I which is close by the sky hotel.

Baiyoke Sky Hotel is located in Pratunam District which can be reached from Bangkok’s main road Sukhumvit Road by walking north on Ratchadumri Road (which becomes Ratchaparop Road) which is in between Bangkok’s largest shopping center Central World and Big C.

If you decide to go to Baiyoke Sky Hotel from Sukhumvit Road  it’s important you know how to walk there because many taxi drivers will refuse to take you there because of the horrendous traffic.

The Surrounding Area

The area surrounding Baiyoke Sky Hotel is rich with shopping.  There is outdoor vendor stands lining almost all the sidewalks from Central World all the way to Baiyoke Sky Hotel.

There are also a few shopping centers which kind of reminded me of MBK but I could tell they were old.  I would guess that before MBK was built, these shopping areas in Pratunam were some of Bangkok’s finest.

The area in front of the hotel and the hotel itself is absolutely loaded with tourists from all over the world so the shopping and food is probably more expensive than less touristy areas.

BEWARE:  Tuk tuk drivers near Baiyoke Sky Hotel will prey on the naive tourist, taking them on unwanted trips to tailors, jewelery stores and other places to try to get a commission.

Shopping: Just stepping out of Baiyoke Sky Hotel

Daytime Visit

I took advantage of a rare cloudless weekday afternoon to visit Baiyoke Sky Hotel and the rotating deck.   I walked down Petchburi Road from my apartment after walking along the rail road tracks from Sukhumvit Road.  Seeing a tall building in the distance I had no idea how far it was so I just walked in the general direction.  I had a chance to explore the area which is full of shopping and food stands.  I got lucky and even found a massage place which offered fish foot massage.

Once I finally made my way to the tower it was easy and obvious where to buy the ticket to get to the observation deck.  They charged me 200 baht ($6) which I paid without thinking about negotiating which I will talk about in the night visit section.  I was in the elevator with a few people and it took a couple minutes to go up.  Once the elevator reaches the 77th floor I believe you get out and there is a giant room with binoculars, information and souvenirs.  I took some time taking pictures through the smudged up glass when I realized that I should be on the rotational deck.

To get to the carousel you have to take another elevator up a few floors and after that, walk up one more.  The deck wasn’t very crowded during the day and I had a chance to take a bunch of photographs as well as a vide0 (bottom of post) with my Nikon D90.   I had to get to Thai class so I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have liked to but I knew I would come back to get my fish massage as well as see Bangkok from above during the night.

View from Baiyoke's Rotating Observation Deck during Day

Night Time Visit

After seeing the view from the revolving deck during the day I wanted to see it at night time as I really enjoy taking night photographs.  As I mentioned I walked from Central World after buying a new tripod and got to the hotel around 8 at night. When I got to the hotel they tried to charge me 250 baht ($7.50) which I said I wouldn’t pay and they accepted the same 200 baht as I paid the day before.  I definitely think you can get up there for even less if you remember to bargain with the ladies at the ticket counter.

It was a Wednesday night (October 28, 2009)  and the hotel was jam packed with tourists most of them I assume staying at the hotel.  Everything was a lot more inconvenient at night.  The elevators were constantly full and would beep when there was too much weight on them and people had to get off.  There was no dedicated elevator for the observation areas at the top so the elevators would stop every few floors for the hotel guests.

Everything was the same at night except the top of the tower was lit up (as in pictures at top) and it was windy.  Taking pictures during night time on the rotating deck was very difficult as I’ll explain as you read on.  There were many people who I assumed to be hotel guests either going to eat or drink at the many restaurant bars and restaurants.  In hindsight I wish I tried out a restaurant in Baiyoke Sky Tower but I went to a very close restaurant called Rave instead.

Night View from Inside Observation Deck Room (behind glass)

Photography

I was not the only one trying to get some great pictures from the Baiyoke Sky Tower.  I counted at least 4 guys with tripods and SLRs who were just as frustrated as me trying to get the perfect shot.  During the daytime the rotating observation deck was a perfect place to take pictures.  There was no glass just a thick wire mesh in which a camera easily fit through to take some good pictures.  Even though the deck is rotating the shutter speeds are fast enough that you can get clear pictures and don’t have to worry about reflection of the glass.

At night the photography situation was the opposite.  Taking photographs of the city sites on the rotating deck was virtually impossible at night as the constant movement would cause blur with the prolonged shutter speeds.  I tried to open the aperture and have a faster shutter speed but the pictures almost all turned out blurry.  I also tried to pan the camera very slowly the opposite way of the carousel but I didn’t expect my movement speed to match the carousel’s speed which is not impossible I suppose but I couldn’t do it.

I had better luck taking night photographs by taking the pictures through the glass at slow shutter speeds.  I had to experiment with different locations to avoid any reflections.  I found it best to put the camera’s lens flush against a clean section of the glass as close to the ground as possible.  After I set the camera settings I positioned my body to block as much light and reflections as I could and as you can see in the above and below pictures, they came out pretty good for being behind glass.

View from Baiyoke Observation Room (Behind Glass)

Overall Impression

If you are a tourist in Bangkok and you like the very touristy atmosphere Baiyoke Sky Hotel is the perfect place to stay in Bangkok.  I looked at the prices and pictures of rooms on Baiyoke’s website and it looks to be a bargain when you consider that you’re in an inner city luxurious tower compared to your average $15 a nigh guesthouse.  If you are looking for a place to stay in Bangkok definitely check out the Baiyoke Hotel website

There are a bunch of restaurants, bars and a whole lot more going on at Baiyoke Sky Hotel so if you’re one of those types who likes to have all the conveniences of home at your travel destination and maybe you want to meet with some fellow travelers, Baiyoke Sky Hotel has got to be on top of your list.  If you are living in Bangkok, it is definitely worth it to head to the top of Baiyoke once but you probably won’t want to go back unless you want to meet some travelers.  If you are a backpacker, you also want to pay the 200 baht or whatever you can get away with paying and get some good photos looking down on Bangkok.

Something’s Fishy

I found MaiThai Massage as I was walking from Sukhumvit Road to Baiyoke Sky Hotel the tallest building in Thailand  to take pictures.  Massage places are a dime a dozen in Bangkok but  MaiThai Massage had something I have only heard about on TV news broadcasts and seen on the internet.   The advertisement in the front (pictured above) said it all.  I had to pass up the fish foot massage the first time I saw it because I was late for my Thai language class but I really wanted to check it out so I ended up going back the next night.

Fish Started from the Surface and Proceeded to the Toes

Did it Hurt?

Whether it hurt or not is the first question out of most people’s mouths and the answer is of course not.  Getting stung by a bee and even a deep tissue shiatsu massage hurts.  The salt water was lukewarm room temperature and the tank was lit with a fluorescent light.

It felt weird when I first put my feet and lower leg in the water but I soon got used to it and it felt good.  It was interesting that when I first put my feet in the water, it seemed the majority of the fish swam upwards and attacked my mid, lower leg around the surface of the water (picture above).  After a couple minutes the fish began moving down and even got between my toes.

I don’t think massage is the right term as it feels more like scraping or exfoliating.  The bottom of my feet are extremely ticklish and to my surprise the attack of the “doctor fish” didn’t tickle.  I noticed some of the fish were sucking on the side of the tank like the “sucker fish” which you put in your fishtank to prevent scum from accumulating on the glass and I assume these fish are a type of “sucker fish.”  I asked the lady at the reception and she said they were from Turkey which I found was true.

Lunch time for the "Doctor Fish"

Location

I found MaiThai Massage as I was walking towards the Baiyoke Sky Hotel from Central world.  I had to cross Ratchaparop Road which is the same busy road in between Central World shopping center and Big C.

To cross I had to use an elevated crosswalk as I was in the shadow of the 80+ story Baiyoke Sky Hotel when I saw MaiThai massage which is literally right on the top of the steps across the street from the Indra Hotel.  I have heard there are a few different places in Bangkok where you can get the fish massage but this was the first place I saw.

MaiThai massage seemed to be a very busy.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Bangkok, you should know that most massage places do not offer a “happy ending” and are not even private with many people in the same room, often seperated by curtains getting massages.

I was there from about 9:30 til 10pm and there were at least 10 people who came in to get massages.  I was sitting in the opening room where the fish and the reception was alone for the first 15 minutes then shared the fish tanks with a few Dutch tourists as many people walked by to get massages while others were waiting in line.

Overall Impression

For me the fish foot massage was nothing like anything I’ve ever felt before.  There is no real way to explain how you feel during the 15 minutes when the 1.5-2.5 inch long fish are eating your dead skin cells but afterward your feet feel extremely clean.  For a price of only 150 baht ($4.48USD) for 15 minutes or 250 baht ($7.47) for 30 minutes it is definitely worth trying once.

Personally I plan to go back some day and do it again.  I have read the fish are known to help people with psoriasis and excema releive and even remove symptoms which makes me think how remarkable these little fish are and I can only imagine what types of uses these little “doctor fish” or “nibble fish” will have in the future.  Fish facial anyone?

South to North Vietnam

After returning from Vung Tau to Ho Chi Minh City on an early morning hydrofoil trip we barely made it to the Saigon airport in time to catch our flight but of course our Jetstar Pacific flight was delayed.  Once we got in the air the flight was only around 2 hours and touching down in North Vietnam had me thinking if Hanoi would be a repeat of Saigon which I found to be nerve racking and not very enjoyable.

After the flight landed at around 4pm I really wanted to head to Halong Bay right away.  I asked a booth about the trip to Halong Bay and the packages they offered were pretty consistent with what we actually paid.   We decided to book the 2 day excursion to Halong Bay the next morning from our hotel in Hanoi.  We easily found the legitimate taxi (so we thought) and started off for the hour or so long drive into Hanoi.

Taxi Driver Hotel Scam

I saw two things that interested me during the taxi ride from the airport.  First of all, the air was completely filled with smoke.  I couldn’t tell if it was from a celebration or just a bunch of farmers.  The date was September 20th, 2009 so if anyone reading this knows do tell.  Secondly I noticed the very large presence of foreign companies.  Almost every billboard which were plentiful were from Korean and Japanese companies.

Chalk up another victory to the Lonely Planet Guide for warning us about the taxi driver scam.  We asked the taxi driver to take us to Church Hotel which was recommended by another guide book, the Hanoi Wallpaper Guide.  The Lonely Planet warned about taxi drivers taking you to the wrong hotel, or in our case he took us to a random room above a shop.  I know the language barrier is significant, but this guy was obviously trying to make some extra bucks.  I was not surprised because of my experience with the rip-off and scam artists in Ho Chi Minh City which were also in the Lonely Planet.  This taxi driver hotel scam had me thinking again that Hanoi was going to be a repeat of Saigon.

Hanoi is Nothing Like Ho Chi Minh City!

After the taxi driver started driving to the real Church Hotel I had a chance to sit back and observe Hanoi.  It was even apparent on the highway from the airport that Hanoi was a lot more friendly than Saigon.  In Hanoi I noticed a presence of young, smiling faced people.  It seemed that every time I turned my head in Hanoi I would see an attractive 20-something girl or a beautiful 30 something woman doing her thing. I

thought Hanoi really had a small town atmosphere, especially when compared to Saigon.  Most of the streets were narrow and while the traffic was hectic, there was nowhere near the volume of Ho Chi Minh City.   We finally got to Church Hotel and incoincidentally was located right next to this big Catholic church.  We had a chance to get our rooms and relax for a little bit then it was time to head out in Hanoi for the first time.

Places to Stay in Hanoi:  Church Hotel:  -Coming soon

Paces to Stay in Hanoi:  Gia Bao Hanoi Hotel

The Lake

Hanoi is a city with many lakes but the Hoàn Kiếm Lake is seemingly right in the center of the city.  Both hotels we stayed at were located a very close walk from Hoàn Kiếm Lake.  all around the lake was a very peaceful and relaxing place even though it was surrounded by the normal swarm of motorcycle traffic.  The noise of the traffic somehow disappeared when I was walking around the lake.

During the day the lake was a place for people who were just getting off work to sit and rest for lunch and by night time it was a place for couples and friends to go and just relax.   I would estimate the circumference around the lake to be around 1.5 miles and there is plenty of shops and restaurants across the street from the lake and one restaurant actually outside alongside the lake called Hapro Bon Mua. I met a guy selling Lonely Planet guides and post cards walking around the lake.  I first gave him the usual cold shoulder but ran into him again a short while later and started talking.

He said he was a student and explained his life story and we chatted for around 3o minutes.  He told me that he knew some good karaoke places and gave me his phone number and offered to show and my friend around.  He insisted I go across the street from the lake where there was a large group dancing.  It turned out the dancing they were doing was very far from traditional Vietnamese dancing.

Looking Across Hoàn Kiếm Lake at Night

More Rip-Offs

My friend who I was traveling with told me about the Lonely Planet warning about the English speaking people around the lake, I decided not to call back the guy who I spoke with at the lake.   I can usually tell if people I meet are good natured but the Lonely Planet had been 100% so I decided to not take the risk of getting ripped off.  Unlike Saigon there were very few cyclo drivers and other annoying people on the streets trying to sell you something or provide a service.

Taxi drivers seemingly drove around the lakes multiple times for no apparent reason which lead to large taxi bills.  They even did this when we were with our Vietnamese guide who we asked to show us some night venues when he was our tour guide at Halong Bay.  We asked him to show us around since he spoke English well but his guidance led to more rip-offs as he definitely brought us to less than spectacular places because he was going to get a commission.  This wasn’t necessarily a rip-off but an annoyance nonetheless.

Thinks I did in Hanoi

Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)

Shopping at Cho Dong Xuan

Overall Impression

Since my less than optimally planned trip to Halong Bay cost 3 days I only had the chance to visit Hanoi for 1 full day and a couple nights.  I had the chance to stay longer I just booked my return ticket too soon.  At the time I felt it was time to head home to Bangkok but I definitely want to return to Hanoi as I missed out on a few tourist attractions as well as the city away from the lake.  Since Hanoi is close to China I’m thinking I may try to obtain a visa for mainland china and start my journey in Hanoi to see what I missed.

Go to Hanoi and Have a Seat!

Save a Day

Since the flight from Saigon to Hanoi was only around 2 hours I thought it would be a good idea to try to get to Halong Bay the same day.  Halong Bay is a good 4 hour van/bus ride from Hanoi so I figured if you could take the flight and then drive straight from the airport to Halong bay it would save a day of travel.  If you read about my experience with flying Jetstar Pacific Airlines you will already know a flight cancellation and the associated delays cost me at least 3 hours of travel.

For anyone reading this who wants to go to Halong Bay, there are booths selling sleeping boat tours (for fair prices) at the airport so it still may be a possibility.  The moral of the story is, if you want to get from Saigon to Halong Bay in a single day, make sure you take the earliest flight from Saigon to Hanoi and book in advance.  I never book in advance so I ended up having to spend a night in Hanoi which wasn’t a bad thing but sometimes it just feels better to get the bulk travel done all in one shot.

Booking & Bus Ride from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Halong Bay is one of Vietnam’s biggest tourist attractions so finding sleeping boat tours is very easy in Hanoi.  Most hotels and all tourist information centers had multiple types of Halong Bay excursions to offer.  Myself and a friend chose a 2 day package which included 1 night on a sleeping boat.  They told us the itinerary which included swimming, kayaking and of course sight seeing and one night sleeping on the boat.  There are also tours that include hiking.

Before you can go on the exciting nautical adventure you need to get there.   I read you can take an hour helicopter flight for around $100/hr which I would have considered due to the fact I have never been in a chopper before and it would shave 3 hours off the trip.  The all inclusive cost for our Halong Bay sleeping boat exrursion included included the 4 hour bus/van trip so why not.

The good part about van trips to excursions like this is you get to meet a lot of interesting people.  Getting stuffed like a sardine to fit 13 or so people in an extended air conditioned van or short bus gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with your possible shipmates.  Our group included a bunch of different characters on different points of their travel which I will talk about later.  Needless to say, the 4 hour ride which stopped once for a restroom and food break allowed us to get acquainted with some interesting travelers and is a blessing in disguise.

Once we crossed the bridge we knew it wasn’t too long before we boarded our temporary home on the water.  They separated the people in the van into groups depending on whether you were on the 2 or 3 day trip which meant we lost some of our bus companions for people in another bus.  After getting off the bus it took about 30 minutes to all board a small boat to take us to the large sleeping boat.  In a couple minutes we got to the sleeping boat and set sail (not literally) for the middle of Halong  Bay where we would anchor down for the first and in our case only night in Halong Bay Vietnam.

Just Boarded Sleeping Boat, Heading for Middle of Bay

Welcome Aboard

When we first boarded our sleeping boat which was called the White Dolphin we were given choices of rooms.  I was with a friend so we shared a room which had twin beds, nice washroom, mini bar and most importantly air conditioning.  For anyone who travels alone keep in mind you will likely be sharing a room with a complete stranger.  If the thought of this bothers you, it’s probably a good idea to make prior arrangements to avoid this situation.

The White Dolphin had 3 levels.  The bottom level had all rooms.  Our room happened to be the last one on the bottom level towards the back of the boat (sorry for not using the correct nautical terms) so the water was right outside our window.  The mid level had the dining room, bar and more rooms and top level had a bunch of lounge chairs and outdoor tables and furniture.  We barely got a chance to explore the boat after we got our rooms when we were called up to the main deck for lunch.

Lunch & Conversation

Food was included not surprisingly drinks were not.  They served the first meal in 3 courses of pretty good food.  The dining room was very nice with tablecloths and the whole nine yards.  Most of the tables had 4 seats which allowed us to chat with 2 people who happened to be two friends from Australia who have been traveling the world this year.  The conversation was interesting but as soon as we were close to finished we were told that we would leave the White Dolphin via small boat to explore a large cave in 15 minutes.

The Cave & Swimming

We were all shuttled to a big cave which was famous for having several rock formations which looked like objects from a lion to Buddha to the infamous pink genitals!  After the boat landed there was a decent hike up a bunch of stairs to get to the entrance of the cave.  By that time I was very hot and sweating profusely but it came as a relief to find out it had to have been 10 degrees cooler in the cave.

It was unexpected and surprising to me that the first thing we saw upon entering the cave was this very obvious pink penis with scrotum.  Our guide spent a good 5 minutes talking about this pink penis and seemed genuinely excited to talk about the pink phallus which I think was lit up for show.

The rest of the cave wasn’t nearly exciting as the pink phallus.  There was a basic 10 minute walk looping around the cave and then it was time for pictures.  After leaving the cave there are some great picture opportunities which allowed me to take the one at the top of this post.  After leaving the cave everyone got the chance to go to a nearby beach and swim, swim of of the boat or stay on the boat and relax which is what I did.   Most of the people in our tour opted to swim on the beach while a couple others were content to jump off the top deck of the boat.  Everyone seemed like they burned a lot of energy swimming and after I took a nap it was beginning to get dark…

I Told you our Guide was Excited!

Continue to Halong Bay Part II:

Get There; Beware!

To get from Ben Thanh Market from anywhere in the backpacker’s district near Pham Ngu Lao Street you can walk in less than 15 minutes.  I was staying at Elios Hotel on Pham Ngu Lao Street and I decided to go for a morning errand run and got to Ben Thanh Market by accident just by following the park and NOT following the advice of cyclo drivers, moto taxi drivers and various other people trying to make some money off a Saigon first timer.

(View from Elios Hotel Roof Restaurant) Park along Pham Ngu Lao St. Leads to Ben Thanh Market

Rip – Offs:  Getting There

Cyclo are Everywhere near Pham Ngu Lao

If you walk to Ben Thanh Market you will be under constant pressure from people trying to sell you services.  As mentioned in the overview of Ho Chi Minh City the best (and only) way to deal with the people who try to talk to you is to completely ignore their existence.  Yes, it does sound rude and against the mantra of most travelers but it is absolutely necessary dealing with the following skilled and very persistent characters roaming around district 1.

First and foremost you have cyclo drivers.  Cyclos are everywhere and while you want to ride in them the drivers have a horrible reputation for taking you to places you don’t ask to be taken and charging too much.  You also have motorcycle taxi drivers who will constantly be telling you that the Cyclo drivers will rip you off but they won’t.  They seem a little more trustworthy than the cyclo drivers and even provide testimonial books but seem pretty shady.   One thing they all have in common is they will tell you that Ben Thanh Market is expensive and they can take you somewhere cheaper, usually Chinatown.

Secondly you have shoe shine boys.  These kids who seem to be very poor and/or addicted to meth walk around and try to shine or brush your shoes with tooth brushes.  They are very very persistent and will follow you for blocks and if you talk to one, you’re likely to have a group surrounding you.  If you make the mistake of talking to them, they will likely demand several hundred thousand dong.

Lastly I ran into the Filipina women.  I was actually warned by a cyclo driver about the women and it was just in time.  I already had talked to 2 Filipina women in the park who asked where I was from in perfect English (as most Filipinos speak) and coincidentally she knew people there.  Next was talking about where you live and they gave me their phone number and asked to have lunch later.  Evidently they get tourists to trust them and somehow get them involved in gambling which can cost a lot of money.

I wouldn’t have thought twice about it at first, but I ran into 2 or 3 Filipina women on the walk who all said the same thing, “Hello, where you from? …. Oh my sister lives there…. “  It seemed to me that all the scam artists were working against each other.  I know it sucks having to suspect everyone being a scam artist but unfortunately in Saigon it seems to be the norm.  I guess you would expect this in a developing, communist country which has only been open for tourism around 25 years.

Rip – Offs:  At Ben Thanh Market

Before going over what is actually available at Ben Thanh Market you should know that you have to bargain very hard at Ben Thanh.  Not a rip-off per say but you can learn from my mistakes.  I bought some designer underwear (which I assume was knock-off) and nice Abercrombie cargo shorts and some T-shirts and I paid around 2,500,000  or more dong (around $140).

When I told this to my 2 expat friends over lunch, I received the dreaded double face palm as they painfully explained that the starting negotiating point for anything at Ben Thanh Market is 20% of the asking price!

Shop for Everything under the Sun Roof

You can literally find anything under the roof of Ben Thanh Market.  It is very big and crammed together like most markets in Asia.  There seemed to be no real organization of goods.  You could find clothes on one stall which was next to a stall selling mystery food (see picture below).  Vendors (especially young women) were often grabby when I expressed interest.  I found some pretty high quality (what I assumed to be) knock-off clothes and other products.

Name that Food

Recommendation

If you go to Ben Thanh Market take your time and bargain very hard.  You are no doubt going to visit another shopping area so compare prices and you can always come back if you don’t find what you want in Chinatown or another shopping area in Saigon or anywhere in Vietnam.

Getting to Vung Tau

After spending 4 days in Ho Chi Minh City we desperately needed to go somewhere less nerve racking and the closest beach was Vung Tau.  While driving to Vung Tau was possible a boat was recommended.  The boat was actually a Russian made hydrofoil which zoomed very fast along the river.

The seats were comfortable enough for the smooth 90 minute trip.  Take note:  If you have large baggage and long legs, try to get to the front of the boat as there is far more room than the rest of the seats.

Kids Selling Stuff at Buddhist Shrine

Scooting Around Vung Tau

From the map handed out by the scooter rental, you can tell it is very easy to get around in Vung Tau.  From the ferry terminal you can go either left or right.  The left leads you to the main city while the right leads you to most of the resorts including a 10km beach called Back Beach which leads to another part of the city.

We chose to stay near Back Beach so we took a taxi to hunt for places to stay.  We ended up finding a place called Vung Tau Entourco which was located right on Back Beach and had bungalows.  As soon as we checked in and got our bungalows we head to the front desk and rented scooters which cost around $15USD per day.

The traffic was non-existent compared to Saigon so driving the moped (which happened to be my virgin ride) was not a problem at all.  It felt great to ride throughout Vung Tau looking at some beautiful natural and man-made scenery.  The moped was great because it gave us the ability to stop at our own pace to see the Buddhist and Christian shrines throughout Vung Tau.

The people we met seemed to be a lot friendlier than Saigon.  Thankfully there was a complete lack of hustlers trying to get you to buy junk or services you did not need which was a breath of fresh air.

More than Just a Beach

If you make it off the beach, plenty of physical activity awaits in Vung Tau.  There are 2 main hills you will notice with Christian statues which you can hike up.  Be warned:  To get to the top of the cross at the top of the hill (picture below) it took a lot of effort and was very hot so bring water and sun block.  Another hill has a Jesus statue which reminded me of Rio De Janeiro as I walked along Back Beach looking up at it.  You can also climb to the top of Jesus’ shoulders which I did not do because I had mild heat exhaustion from climbing to the top of the (below) hill on a low water tank, idiotically wearing a black T-shirt.

Many Many Steps to get to the Cross on the Top of the Hill

See Seafood

Since fishing is obviously Vung Tau’s bread and butter so to speak you can expect to find some great seafood restaurants which we did.  We saw a large parking lot filled with cars and mopeds which attracted us to this restaurant which I forgot the name of.   As you walk down the stairs you see the live menu items in pools on either side.  I saw everything from fish, lobsters, sea snakes and turtles which also appeared on the menu.

The dining area which is literally 1 meter from the sea and was shielded from the wind via sideways umbrellas.  The place was packed with Vietnamese people and the food (especially the fish) was delicious and fair priced.  I apologize for the vague details but I think it still deserves a mention.

Turtles and Sea Snakes = Yum

Hit the Beach

Back Beach was very long and big.  The sand was fine with few rocks and the surf was very mild.  To my surprise there were very few western tourists on Back Beach.  It appeared to me that the beach which was crowded all the way to dusk was filled with mostly Vietnamese people.

Back Beach was a very swimmer friendly beach with thousands of people swimming in the calm waters.  If you want to surf, unless there is a tsunami, Back Beach is not your spot.  I did see some people on jet skis.  A beach is a beach and the only thing I noticed different about Back Beach was all the spiral sea shells which were on the menu at a Saigon restaurant were inhabited by hermit crabs.

Back Beach with Jesus Statue on Hill

Overall Thoughts

Being in Saigon for me was like torture so I would have been happy if Vung Tau only marginally sucked but I actually liked it quite a bit.  We only stayed there one night because we had our flight booked from Saigon to Hanoi the next afternoon but I would think most people would enjoy 2 days in Vung Tau, 3 days max.  There are plenty of seafood restaurants, Buddhist and Christian shrines as well as nightlife and entertainment to keep most tourists happy for a couple of days.

Tunnel Away from Ho Chi Minh City

Regardless of how much you enjoy city tourism Ho Chi Minh City is likely to get on your nerves if you stay within the city limits  too long.  The Cu Chi Tunnels are located about an hour away from Saigon via car and are a great way to get out of the city, walk around without the endless parade of motorcycles, cyclo drivers and street vendors.

The most common way to get to the tunnels is purchasing an all-inclusive tour which includes transportation.  If your hotel doesn’t have a tourism center there is probably one very close by where you can view the various tour packages.  Most packages offered are full day 8am to 5pm trips which include the Cu Chi Tunnels and other tourist attractions.

Since waking up at 8am wasn’t a viable option we ended up opting for a “4 hour” trip solely to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  I say “4 hour” trip because the Saigon traffic will largely determine how long it actually takes to get there.  We decided to leave at around 12 noon and we returned around 5:30pm.

We were offered a price by a taxi driver for a trip to the tunnels but we chose to book through the hotel.  I don’t remember the exact prices but I’m pretty sure the hotel charged more than the taxi driver although the trip included admission to the tunnels and an English speaking guide.  We ended up paying $80 each which seemed quite expensive.

Dine along a Stream before the Tunnels

Eat Along the Way

The cost of a meal was not included in the price of the trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  You can bring snacks or your driver will take you to a restaurant before you visit the tunnels.  Dine along alongside a flowing stream (Picture on left) and amongst tropical greenery at an indoor/outdoor Vietnamese restaurant.

The prices were moderately cheap, the food was good and the service was excellent as we ate alone in the restaurant.  I remember the mango and other fruit smoothies were so good we both ordered two.  The restaurant looked like it was ready for a lot of people so I think it would be busieer if you were on the schedule of a full day tour rather than our 1/2 day tour.

More War History

After parking the car you walk uphill through a large (unrelated) tunnel before you meet with your guide at the top.  After a brief introduction you are lead to a covered bunker looking encampment to watch a video.  The video is a straight out of the 1970s (literally).  As well as providing some history about the war and the area it also talks about rewarding the Cu Chi people for being the best “American killer” as well other war time propaganda.  I liked how they threw in a classic video (I assume on purpose).

Not Just Tunnels

Array of Available Weapons to Fire

The guide walked us in a small group around the wet, clay floored forest as he explained everything.  The first thing he showed us was one of the tunnel entrances (video below) which was so small I couldn’t even fit both of my thighs in it.  The people small and flexible enough were allowed to attempt to squeeze in.  One German tourist said he saw a bat in that first tunnel which made me think how horrible it must have been to live in those tunnels while constantly being bombed and attacked.

The actual Cu Chi Tunnels are only a small part of the attraction.  We were shown the actual infamous array of booby traps used by the Vietnamese.  The demonstration of the traps gave me chills thinking of how bad they would hurt a human being or an animal for that matter.  There were various set-ups showing how the soldiers would have looked like during war time including a robotic group of soldiers creating weapons from US bomb scrap metal.

Finally we were invited to enter a tunnel as a group.  The tunnel was enlarged to accommodate for western tourists (Thank God).  I am extremely claustrophobic and while duck walking through the sweltering sauna-like heat and darkness of the tunnel was uncomfortable it wasn’t unbearable.

After the tunnel we were  invited to a gift shop where you can not only buy souvenirs but you can shoot high powered assault rifles!  You are given a choice of 5 or so assault rifles used during war-time then and now.  The catch:  each round cost $1USD to fire with a minimum of 10.  Even though I knew my money was literally going up in smoke I still couldn’t resist and fired 10 AK-47 rounds while my travel buddy fired from the extremely loud M-60.  Don’t worry, all the guns are mounted and do not allow anybody to shoot someone’s eye out.

Cu Chi Tip

If you plan to fire an assault rifle make sure to fit your ear protection properly and/or bring your own ear protection.  The ear protection they gave us was shotty at best and firing the M60 was deafening to say the least.  As you would expect the area is very hot, damp and clay-muddy so make sure you don’t wear your school clothes or you will get muddy.

Overall Impression

Leaving Ho Chi Minh City was a prize in itself but the Cu Chi Tunnels were definitely a highlight of my Vietnam experience.   The trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels not only showed a lot about the Vietnamese people but it made you learn a lot more about how the Vietnam war was fought and the actual poor peasant people who stood against the military juggernaut and won.