Preamble
Thailand. Back after five years. It was my parents' idea to revisit a place we’d been before, but hey, it turned out to be a mix of nostalgia, surprises, and a few "what just happened?" moments. Here’s a recap of this latest trip along with hyperlinks to all the major places of interest, as well as some travel tips! Part 1 starts with Khao Yai, Part 2 focuses on Pattaya and finally Part 3 ends with Bangkok.
Part 1: Khao Yai
Day 1 - Budget Airlines and Treehouse Living
Jetstar, man. The seats were literally falling apart, held together by what looked like transparent scotch tape, looking like a DIY project. Fortunately, it was only a short flight under 2 hours. I got pampered by my family taking mostly Singapore Airlines over the years.
Pro tip: If you want to snack without paying a premium, bring along a small instant cup noodle and fill up your hot flask (budget airlines do not provide hot water) just before the boarding area. Most major airports will have a water vending machine.
After landing, it was a long 3 hour drive to Lala Mukha Resort, where we stayed five years ago. It’s wild how much can change—and how much doesn’t. At check-in, my dad and my sister recreated an old photo with one of the staff, Ms. Bew, who was still working there. The staff were so excited to see the photos juxtaposed together! While waiting for the rooms to be set up, we had lunch at Lala Mukha’s restaurant which was excellent.
When our room was ready, a buggy drove us to tree house #301, our accommodation for next 3 nights. The treehouse upgrade was a win—way better than the tents we stayed in last time.
Pro tip: pick unit #301, as this has the best views among the 4 tree houses available
My sister and I lazed around the tree house while my parents explored the local area outside our campsite. They found some local restaurants and decided that we should try to dine like the locals. We ended up at a place that looked relatively clean, but the food was disappointing. The vegetables were too salty, the grilled fish was cold, and my sister was clearly annoyed but stayed quiet. After dinner, we walked to a nearby night market and grocery stall. Not impressed.
Day 2 - Throwbacks and Tourist Spots
Breakfast with mountains in the background? Someone cooking scrambled eggs for breakfast? Yes, and yes!
Our driver, Mr. Tom, arrived at 10am and ferried us around Khao Yai National Park. This is a huge expansive park that includes multiple waterfalls, fantastic views and occasional elephants crossing. However, public transport in Khao Yai is limited, and Grab is not readily available.
Pro tip: please engage your own driver for the day and plan your itinerary, or simply follow mine (links to major attractions included). Remember to set aside some cash for the entrance fee: 400 Baht per person + 70 Baht for a car.
Next we checked out the Hokkaido Flower Park, where Mom and Dad took about a million photos, and then the Chocolate Factory, which, let’s be honest, is just a fancy dessert spot. Dinner was at the famous “Ban Mai Chay toy museum restaurant” that has vintage toys as its deco but its main draw IMO was their delicious local Thai dishes at reasonable prices. Highly recommended.
We decided to end the day with a Thai movie and decided on Netflix’s “Thunder Monks”. Thai comedy movie? Silly slapstick genre, which gave us some laughs before bed time.
Day 3 - Chillin’ at Lala Mukha
We took it easy today. The campsite was fun to explore. We rode bicycles around the place and fed fishes. For the second half of the day, we went to the Ban Tha Chang Spring. The stream’s water was clean and clear despite many tourists. Canoeing was available but we passed on it. But we could not pass on the specialty coffee “V-Whale” (75 baht). We then went to a Mulberry farm to pick fresh mulberries but dad had more fun playing with the farm's 5 dogs.
A pleasant surprise awaited us when we returned back to Lala Mukha. They offered us a free BBQ platter as returning guests. Solid move, Lala Mukha. No wonder Dad wrote such a glowing review online.
End of Part 1
Chia Howie
18 Dec 2024
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