Saturday, February 26, 2011

Songkran in Chiang Mai: Places to Stay and Activities


Hello April! Hottest time of the year in Thailand, but should that stop you? No! Quite the opposite, in fact. It's the perfect time if you want to try something new, fun, and special--Songkran! Don't know what it is? Well, what it is is something superb for your Thailand holiday. Bring yourself, bring the kids. They are gonna love it.

Songkran what? You may know Songkran as the Water Festival. It's also the Thai New year which falls on 13 - 15 April every year, taking place in the hottest month in the year. To combat this, Thai people came up with a truly amazing yet simple way: water. A lot of water being thrown at each other. It's everyone's opportunity to play like kids and get away with it--of course other folks will be doing it to you too, but where's the fun if they don't? That's not all there is to Songkran and there are temple ceremonies you might want to join in, but the absolute highlight is surely the water-throwing. Rent a pickup and hop onto the back, grab a hose and water pistols, show up around the canals and go!

Okay, but where?  All of Thailand celebrate Songkran; the usual suspects like Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin are some of them, but nowhere does it with the same enthusiasm as northerners. The hotspot, then, is Chiang Mai. For a start, Songkran in Chiang Mai kicks off fast. Should a weekend precede 13 - 15 April, you can expect it to begin as early as three or four days before the thirteenth and this is the case for Songkran 2011. The entire week, which is to say 8 - 15 April, is water-throwing all the time. 

Where do I stay during Songkran? When looking for Chiang Mai accommodation during Songkran, you might want to consider staying away from the concentrated activities. Around the Old City and the Night Bazaar, for example, is going to be packed throughout the day and if you don't want to get drenched while leaving or returning to your hotel, you don't want to stay around there. The ideal place to be, then, is the Chang Klan road some distance from the Night Bazaar: this four-star hotel, for instance, is as close to perfect as you can get. You can still reach the Night Bazaar and the Old City on foot (in 5 and 10 minutes respectively), there are pharmacies, a bank, and restaurants nearby, but you won't risk getting soaked 24/7. It's the best of every possible world. Book in advance, though, to ensure you get the best-value rates.

So what do I do? The entirety of Chiang Mai is fair game for Songkran fun and mischief, but the most concentrated spot is around the Old City, where the canals (no worries about dirty waters; they're cleaned just for the occasion) provide a convenient source of water. Everyone will be there and vendors will show up on the sidewalks to hawk protective plastic covers, colorful buckets, hoses and water pistols.  

Friday, February 18, 2011

Traveling to Thailand: Gadgets and You

The tech-savvy traveler goes nowhere without a smartphone and a laptop. Throw in an mp3 player plus an e-reader, and you’ll be toting quite a bit of technology. No judging; these days it’s no fun to do without. But taking your gadgets across distances worth eight hours of flying or more isn’t like taking the same across the states border. You don’t want to end up with dead batteries at your destination and no way to recharge, and you certainly don’t want your smartphone to go dumb when you need Google Maps to find that restaurant or book that hotel. So here are a few things to keep in mind.

First, a checklist! Bringing your charger and power cables is a given, but if you are coming to Southeast Asia chances are good the pins won’t quite fit into power sockets in Thailand. Invest in a power adapter or three, or bring an extension. Hotels in Thailand worth their salt will let you borrow one for free, but it’s best to take your own just in case. For good measure, consider extra batteries too: again, there’s no telling whether you will be stranded in an airport due to delayed flights or other mishaps and despite your best efforts, your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch might still run out of juice mid-flight (though in the case of iPod/iPad you will be a little hard-pressed to swap batteries unless you feel like taking a screwdriver to it, so look into power mats instead or start considering alternative devices). 

Once you’re aboard the plane, there are some more things to keep in mind. While the stewards may bother you about shutting down your devices, some airlines aren’t too strict with this (and provide in-flight WiFi to boot). However, if you leave your phone’s radio on—the bit that checks for cellphone towers—the battery will drain to nothing within an hour or two of the plane’s takeoff; nothing sucks down power like a phone looking for a cell tower while being out of range of any. How do you fix this without turning your phone off? Simple: turn on airplane mode. It will shut down all phone signal and Bluetooth radio, but you will still be able to connect to WiFi (if any is available) and you can still use your smartphone for everything else, whether to e-read or play Bejeweled to pass the time.

Prior to touching down at Suvarnabhumi or Chiang Mai International Airport, make sure to research your phone’s specs. Nothing complicated! Just try a search with the keyphrases “[your phone’s model] 900 3g” or “[your phone’s model] 850 3g,” as those are the two bands most conveniently available in Thailand. At the time of writing, 3G in Thailand is can be had through the carriers AIS and TrueMove, which have licenses for the 900MHz and 850 MHz bands respectively. Assuming your phone is unlocked and GSM, meaning it has a SIM slot, when you arrive you can pop in an AIS or TrueMove SIM and you’ll be on your merry way. Don’t forget to make sure it’s a 3G SIM and don’t bother with DTac; they are currently offering data at speeds no higher than Edge and what they do offer is not cheaper than their counterpart packages from AIS and TrueMove.

These should get you started on preparing your gadgets for traveling to Thailand. Never make do without your beloved devices again!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Thailand Holidays Off-Peak: 5 Tips Why You should

So you’ve decided that the Land of Smiles is the destination for this year’s vacation. Tropical, easy on the budget, great food, what’s not to like? And to make the best of your time, you go when things are happening—Flower Festival in Chiang Mai, Songkran in northern Thailand, New Year, the Lantern Festival. Right? Wrong. Here’s why.

  1. Airfare deals, bargain flights. Budget travel is the key. Take a look at Thai Airways or do a general search for flights to Thailand, and you’ll find great packages and cheap flights. Some won’t let you cancel and/or change your dates, but if you’ve already got everything organized, that shouldn’t be any trouble.
  2. More flexible. Need to extend your stay a day or two? Can’t. The day before you arrive, or the day after your intended check-out, is already packed. The receptionist will apologize and tell you they’d have loved to let you stay on, but they simply don’t have the space. Time to lug your suitcases around town in a rented car or worse, a tuk-tuk, and nobody to blame but yourself. Traveling in off-peak months and want to extend your stay? They’ll probably give you a room upgrade or a discount for the privilege.
  3. Last-minute decisions. We’ve all been there! Your schedule got tight, your client wanted this job done right now, things piled up and you lost track of time. Before you know it, it’s just a day before you board the plane and head for the tropical warmth of Thailand. Oops. You forgot to book a hotel. Now all there is left is a bunch of run-down bed and breakfast and guesthouses. Cheap, sure, but do you really want to spend your holiday in those? You deserve better. Travel off-peak and you’ll find yourself in luxury three-to-four-stars hotels at almost the same price you’d have paid for dilapidated guesthouses during Flower Festival.
  4. More expensive. Accommodation during peak times is at a premium. Hotel rooms in tourist hubs like Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui will be full up. Ask for the best suite, tell them you’re a millionaire, but if they haven’t got it, they haven’t got it. If you do squeeze in, be assured that on New Year’s Eve you aren’t going to get that last remaining room for nuts. You can threaten to take your business elsewhere or tell them that so-and-so hotel is giving you a much friendlier rate, and the receptionist will shrug and wish you luck. They can sell the room to someone else, after all. It’s supplier’s market.
  5. Crowds, crowds, crowds. Those charming street markets sure looked great on the postcards until you’re there and realize you are another tuna in a tin can. Want to know a secret? They’ve got street markets all the time! Same goes with many year-round events and festivals. Look up your destination and do a little research. You’re bound to find any number of fairs. Plus, the tiger farm or the elephant camp you’ve always wanted to see? Yup, that’s also active round the year, and what’s more you won’t be rubbing shoulders with so many tourists. No reason to put up with long baggage collection waits, either.

The best months to do all these are May to September. Weather in Thailand during this time of the year is on the warm side with a bit of rain, but if you’d wanted wintry, you’d have stayed home, right? Besides, you can always duck into a cafĂ© for some iced drinks and air-conditioning. And with all the travel budget you’ll be saving—along with everything else I’ve listed right here—the climate isn’t going to bother you for long.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Chiang Mai Hotels: Royal Treatment at the Empress

Chiang Mai is the jewel of northern Thailand, a popular destination today for travelers looking for class, elegance and comfort as well as affordable prices. Regardless of your reasons for traveling or the time of the year, choosing the right accommodation is the paramount factor in ensuring that your vacation in Chiang Mai is a wonderful, memorable experience. Find an optimal balance in price, style, and comfort at the Empress Hotels Group, a family of three- to four-stars hotels, each of which is located at a premium spot in the city.

Foremost among the three hotels of the group is the Empress Chiang Mai, a 17-storey glass tower located at the heart of the city's business district, offering specialty fine dining from the best Chinese and Thai chefs. Only five minutes away from the iconic Night Market/Night Bazaar and fifteen minutes from the Walking Markets, this hotel maximizes convenience, pleasure, and comfort: 375 rooms and suites equipped with the finest amenities are built for the needs of the solo traveler, couples, and families as well as business travelers. It is also unique in that it was the first hotel in Chiang Mai to build a dedicated convention facility with state-of-the-art equipment and enough space to host all events from small meetings to reception parties for over a thousand guests.

The hotel is well-known for its unmatched service, responsive and empathic staff, as well as an extraordinary breakfast spread. It boasts three specialty restaurants: the Chao Nang Coffee Shop, which serves Thai and western food; the La Brasserie, a grillhouse, and the Panda Palace, a Chinese dining house that serves authentic Chinese dishes ranging from Dim Sum to characteristic Cantonese cuisine; Peking Duck and shark fin soup are house specialties. The Chinese Consulate in Chiang Mai often dines at the Panda Palace, attesting to the peerless quality and authenticity of the restaurant's cuisine.

Though the hotel is rated at four stars, it operates at a five-star standard. Renovations are done on a yearly basis to keep the premises fresh and the standards of quality consistently high. Accept nothing less: choose the Empress Chiang Mai for royal treatment.