I am planning a 3 week holiday to thailand with my energetic, fun loving son! I'd love some feedback on my plans so far.
get to Bangkok 20 march, staying with a friend for 3 nights (what to do...lumphini park, kite flying, wats, eating? My boy is fancying the snake farm, but is it ethical...?) before heading off to Chang Mai for 4 nights. My friend will still be with us so has offered her babysitting services if I want to do a thai masaage/cookery courses. what do you think? to be honest, being given a thai masssage will be just the ticket!
we're planning on volunteering at the elephant nature park for a day. it's priced at 68 dollars for the day on the net. is it worth booking now or booking it there? we'll probably do this on the weekend.
so whilst in chang mai, apart from eating( we love our food...recommendations greatly appreciated!) and taking it all in, what else would people suggest for us? also, can you recommend any accomodation, nice but cheap/midrange?
we're then planning to move on to ko samui and spend 6 nights on ko pan gnan. any suggestions for beautiful beach, reasonable accomodation with lots of other children for my son to play with? he's very excited at the prospect of making thai friends! then i've been looking at bungalow's on big budha beach for 6 nights...has anyone stayed there... am a little concerned about air traffic noise.i like the look of the bungalows at secret garden, that's 2000 b per nighthich i'm willing to pay, but could do with paying less! and am concerned it'll be full of honey mooners who won't appreciate my son's wanton abandon!...any other suggestions?
also, introducing my boy to that whole new world under the sea is a priority, so beaches/places with good snorkelling, would be fabulous.
all info/sharing/ and reading this ramble, much appreciated!
I am planning a 3 week holiday to thailand with my energetic, fun loving son! I'd love some feedback on my plans so far.
get to Bangkok 20 march, staying with a friend for 3 nights (what to do...lumphini park, kite flying, wats, eating? My boy is fancying the snake farm, but is it ethical...?) before heading off to Chang Mai for 4 nights. My friend will still be with us so has offered her babysitting services if I want to do a thai masaage/cookery courses. what do you think? to be honest, being given a thai masssage will be just the ticket!
we're planning on volunteering at the elephant nature park for a day. it's priced at 68 dollars for the day on the net. is it worth booking now or booking it there? we'll probably do this on the weekend.
so whilst in chang mai, apart from eating( we love our food...recommendations greatly appreciated!) and taking it all in, what else would people suggest for us? also, can you recommend any accomodation, nice but cheap/midrange?
we're then planning to move on to ko samui and spend 6 nights on ko pan gnan. any suggestions for beautiful beach, reasonable accomodation with lots of other children for my son to play with? he's very excited at the prospect of making thai friends! then i've been looking at bungalow's on big budha beach for 6 nights...has anyone stayed there... am a little concerned about air traffic noise.i like the look of the bungalows at secret garden, that's 2000 b per night which i'm willing to pay, but could do with paying less! and am concerned it'll be full of honey mooners who won't appreciate my son's wanton abandon!...any other suggestions?
also, introducing my boy to that whole new world under the sea is a priority, so beaches/places with good snorkelling, would be fabulous.
all info/sharing/ and reading this ramble, much appreciated!
> My boy is fancying the snake farm, but is it ethical...?
Absolutely not. Having been a snake myself in my last life let me tell you that performing for 4 year olds is degrading. That's what we snakes call "too old to eat, too young to be properly appreciated on an artistic level'.
If you go though, there's one in Bangkok that's part of a medical institution where they make anti-venom. That would be both ethical and educational.
> the elephant nature park for a day. it's priced at 68 dollars for the day on the net. is it worth booking now or booking it there?
Doesn't matter. The site is run by the people who run the park, and so is the only agent in town where you can book it. Yes it's really really expensive, but everyone who visits says it's totally worth it.
Cheers,
Chanchao
I don't know the elephant park you mention, but I urge you to be very wary of anything that combines Thais with animals. Although some are well run and appear to benefit the animals, many are little more than second rate circuses whose only interest is balancing books..
Amongst the most notorious is the Sri Racha tiger zoo, don't go there unless you have a humane killer with you...it's up to you whether you use it on the animals or the humans running the place.
I went to a snake farm on Samui, and just like most of the places I've visited it was dismal.
The only reason that these places survive is because western tourists are still unbvelieveably uncritical about what they see. you sopund as if you do have some concern for animal welfare etc....if you don't like what you see, please at least let everyone on this site know....
I can recommend the snake show at the International Red Cross in Bangkok. It's where they make anti-venon, very educational, and humane.
Don't go sparingly on the massages. After a day out walking/touring, get a foot massage at the very least. Treat yourself to a spa. Massages, and spas are cheap, and everywhere in Thailand, even on the beaches.
Book all your adventures after you get there. Your guesthouse/hotel is usually the best place to book from.
In Chaing Mai, your son might like the pandas at the zoo. The private 4x4 tours are great, also the trip to the golden triangle with a stop at the long neck village.
Just some thoughts.
koolbreez
Photos
yes to the snake farm, but by no means, let them put the snake near your son, which they like to do so you can take pick, maybe a python or boa on his shoulders, remember, they are still wild animals and can bite at any time.
The snake show at the Red Cross in Bangkok is great. took my then 8 year old son and he loved it!
Elephant Nature park is not a circus, elephants do not do tricks. They get fed (which you will help to do) and bathed (which you will help!) and they generally live the life an elephant should! worth every cent and you will be a supporter for the rest of your life. Say Hi to Michelle for us!
We booked over the net and did not have a drama but as already metioned, there office is near the night market and either way to book will be ok.
Enjoy it!!!!
I highly recommend a day at the Elephant Nature Park, much better to support this then somewhere like the Elephant Conservation Park which still does elephant rides and the elephants perform degrading tricks!!!
Have a look at my blog from our day at the elephant nature park.... worth every cent... next time I will stay for a few days.
ENP Blog
Also if you want to do a cooking course I can highly recommend A Lot of Thai in Chiang Mai - again look at my blog
Cooking Blog
We loved staying at CM Blue in Chiang Mai... cheap but great value and the guys who own it are brilliant
Reet xx
> They get fed (which you will help to do) and bathed (which you will help!) and they
> generally live the life an elephant should!
Live the life an elephant should.. Daily soapie massage parlour visit? :)
Damn I know what animal I want to come back as.
My two liked the Ocean World aquarium near to Siam Square. Difficult to see how you can be unethical to a snake. All it does is just sit there, if sit is the right word, and get fed, then once in a while give up some of its venom.
See how Thais treat a poisonous snake they come across in the wild to see ethics at work.
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