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I recently dished out some Travel Tips for Thailand, and so I thought about extending that into a more city specific post.  I had been down to Pattaya during the Songkran Festival (and no one had told me just HOW much fun that could be !)  

Here are some of my general travel tips for Pattaya:

Why Are You Going To Pattaya?  That’s the first question you must answer – and if the reason is the beach or to party – then you’re in a for a BIG surprise.  Pattaya does have 3 main beaches but they are quite ‘nasty’ and very commercialized.  The beaches aren’t very clean and neither is the water – for a good beach you have to head out to the islands for a day trip or just head over to Phuket / Krabi / Koh Samui instead.  The city is full of curb-side bars which is great if you are beer drinking or fancy drinking vodka in the middle of the afternoon – however there are very few clubs that play English music at night !  Also be warned – Pattaya is notorious for its Lady-Boys and prostitutes.  I don’t recommend single girls going to Pattaya at all.  The general view is lots of older men with very young Thai women all over the place !

Getting There.  Once you arrive into Bangkok airport, its quite easy to get to Pattaya which is 2 hours away by road.  There are metered taxis from the airport to Pattaya which ‘officially’ cost 1,050 THB, plus 60 THB for expressway charges.  There are AC buses as well which are about THB 106 and can be taken from the Transport Center at the airport.

Traveling Around Pattaya.  The most common form of transport in Pattaya is a  ‘Songthaew’ which is a dark blue pick-up truck with two benches in the back and a cover on top.  Tourists pay 10 THB per ride within the city (regardless of the distance).  They are all over the city and one can easily jump on and off the trucks.

Things To Do In Pattaya:

Alcazar Cabaret.  Definitely worth watching.  Get ready to be dazzled by the famous Thai Lady-Boys ! The show is approximately 2 hours long and is a fully choreographed musical performance.  The light effects and backdrops for each sequence is truly mind blowing; and done all so quickly !! The Alcazar Cabaret is situated on Pattaya 2nd Road, with 3 daily shows at 6:30 p.m, 8 p.m and 9:30 p.m (and complimentary soft drinks through out the show)  At the end of the show if you decide to take a picture with one of the performers – they will ask for a tip – so consider yourself warned.

Foam Party at Hard Rock Cafe.  This event happens every Saturday and it is super fun !!  There’s a 300 THB entrance which includes one drink.  The party starts at 8 p.m till 1:30 a.m.  There’s a separate section for the foam party and the HRC pool is adjacent to it.  Don’t forget to take your bikinis / swimming trunks !

There are lockers and towels available for a rate of about THB 200 which is refundable on return of the keys and towels. 

Sanctuary of Truth.  Is considered to be a work of art in progress.  It’s a typical Thai structure but made out of wood, and about 105 meters in height ! It is located at 206/2 Moo5 Naklua 12 Naklua Rd. Banglamung Chonburi 20150 Thailand

Fish Spa.  If you haven’t done this – then you MUST do it ! The price ranges from 80 THB  to 200 THB and is broken into sessions of 15 mins, 30 mins and more.  Nat and I got very lucky as we got a deal for THB 150 for an unlimited time period.  Check out my experience at a fish spa. 

Sriracha Tiger Zoo.  One of the highlights of my trip with Nat was heading over to the Tiger Zoo – which is approximately 30 minutes outside of Pattaya.  Here’s your chance to get a picture taken feeding a tiger cub; being carried by an elephant and if you are daring enough – you can even sit on a crocodile ! (yup I did that!) Make sure you carry enough cash as each photograph costs between 100 THB to 300 THB.  Also make sure you that you watch all the animal shows that go on.  The best way to get there would be to take a car or hire a taxi.

There you have it … that’s the general travel advice and tips I can give you for Pattaya. I hope this comes in handy for when you plan your next holiday.  Don’t forget to check out my travel tips for Thailand.

If you have any other travel advice for Pattaya – please leave a comment and share it with all the neighbours on Blogosphere.

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It appears that my auto-publish feature in Live Writer decided not to work on Wednesday so I missed out on the Wordless Wednesday series – and since I had the post done up – might as well publish it – right ?

What would it take to get you to stick your feet in a tank of fish that feed on human flesh ? I’m talking about fish that feed on your feet ?? Except in this case – it’s not a piranha but more like a cross between a goldfish and a really skinny fish … and you’ll still be left alive !

The first ever known fish spa started back in the early 1900’s in Turkey with the Garra Rufa or Doctor fish.  The Kangal spa in Turkey has been a healing destination for more than 100 years and since 1988 has been a treatment centre for psoriasis sufferers from all over the world.

I never ever thought that I’d voluntarily put my feet into a space where little fishes would come and nibble on them to give me a fish spa treatment !!!  So whilst I was on holiday in Thailand – my mate Nat and I decided to give this fish spa a whirl !

The two of us (as you can hear and see) were petrified and were shrieking like 5 year olds !! It’s such an unusual feeling … almost like your feet are being molested by a mob of hungry fish !! As much as I am a water baby and love the ocean – I am also sh*t scared of fishes !!! I’d much rather swim with a whale or a shark than be left to the mercy of beady eyed fishes !

Here’s a slightly closer look at how the fish come after the dead skin on the feet .. sounds gross I know – but it’s not so bad … (and I apologize if the video is not clear – its very clear when I watch it but seems to be a bit fuzzy now that I have it up on YouTube)

The entire experience was hilarious as the two of us kept getting freaked out about the way the fish were nibbling (actually more like sucking on our feet) – but we managed to sit there for about 30 minutes or so.  We found a deal for THB 150 for 2 people and unlimited time – so made the most of it.  Our feet definitely felt ‘smoother’ but not as smooth as when you have an actual pedicure.

Now that you’ve hopefully watched both videos - here are some questions for you ….

1. Have you ever heard of a fish spa ?  
2. Have you ever tried one ?
3. Do you think fish spas could be a part of the new pedicure process ?

Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about this – and let’s refrain from making fun of me for screaming out like a little girl LOL