AirAsia: whitehot_surfer, Pattaya needs someone who is not white, not hot, not a surfer, and we think you'd be the perfect fit.That wasn't exactly how it went down, but that doesn't matter cos I went, I'm back, and here are five things you can check out in Pattaya, because everyone has been to Bangkok and Phuket more times than I have fingers:
Le me: Sure, but only if I get food on the plane.
AirAsia: Here are your flight details.
5. Pattaya Floating Market - meh
The interesting thing about Pattaya Floating Market, from what I heard, is that it's totally man-made. They've decided to come up with a floating market and BAM, they made it happen. There you go. A floating market.
One of the highlights is that the market sells goods from the four major regions of Thailand. I wasn't discerning enough to tell the difference, but they've got a lot going on. I would say that it isn't as exciting as Bangkok's Damneon Saduak Floating Market, but go there on an empty stomach and it could be worth your time.
4. A La Campagne - hey
A La Campagne is a newly-opened area, kind of like an Alice-in-Wonderland place, with western-styled architecture, a pretty neat garden, and when I snuck around, I even found a small farm.
The gorgeous place boasts restaurant Somtum Villa and cafe Tea Factory, good places to hide away from the searing heat especially if you want to spend the afternoon chilling.
There's this pork dish in Somtum Villa that gets my mouth watering each time I think of it, and the tea at Tea Factory is really special. They've got great variety and aren't afraid to up the zestiness with citrus fruit. Amazing.
3. Walking Street - Ooh
This is where the party's at! Flanked by seemingly endless bars and pubs, Walking Street is totally up my alley. For SGD$2 I got a bottle of Heineken from 7-11, and we walked down the bustling street that really came alive with its touts, and very strangely, Russian establishments. I was told that there used to be way more Russian businesses here, but they packed up and left after a drop in currency. Their influence is still strong. You don't need to look hard to find bars with Caucasian pole dancers.
It's busy during the week days but I think it hits level cray cray during the weekends. If anything, plan for a Friday night there and challenge yourself to take a shot at every bar/club you enter.
I'm betting you won't make it out alive.
2. Tiffany Show - OMG
You have to see it to believe it.
Granted, I've never been to a ladyboy show, ever, but the Tiffany Show is known as the premium show out of the three in Pattaya, and probably the most famous in Asia. (Lots of PRC tourists there.) It's been entertaining crowds for 40 years, and we were entertained as hell from beginning to end.
The lip-sync performances spanned eras and cultures, borrowing everything from ancient Chinese and Korean tunes and props, to popular Indian music, then craftily sneaking in a scene from Moulin Rouge. I cheered like crazy especially at the Jolin Tsai mashup!
Just, really, be prepared to be blown away. The magnitude of the production was incredible - they must have had an entire stadium backstage to accommodate everything they were throwing on stage.
One of the acts that blew me away was this two-faced actor, singing a duet about how the man was cheating. Yes. One person. Two personalities. Left face, a poised lady, blonde hair, dress. Right face, man, macho, egoistical. Etched in my memory.
There are men, there are women and then they are ladyboys. The beauty, the confidence, the style, the dance, the grace. I cannot.
1. Cartoon Network Amazone - OMFG
If I had only one day, I would just spend it here.
Go in a group. A group of four would be perfect. If the group of four looks this good, even better.
I didn't expect much from Cartoon Network Amazone, but it has (almost) everything. It was thrilling without being too scary, it was fun, it was relaxing. There was almost no queue when we were there (on a weekday).
It's different from Adventure Cove. There were hell a lot more steps to climb for the slides. It was quite insane.
One of the highlights was this capsule that you had to enter, and then the trapdoor opens from under you and you slide all the way out... Epic.
BONUS
Suphattra Land Fruit Garden - Rayong
I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It's a bit of a drive from Pattaya, but Rayong is beautiful and Suphattra Land Fruit Garden is less like a garden and more like an enormous farm. For city-folk, the experience of looking at various fruit trees and better still, plucking and eating them is one of life's great pleasures that we've been deprived of.
The best part was gobbling everything in sight. There's more than one area that you can get to taste the produce. Some of the fruits and vegetables even get made into salad so you can shove a variety of fresh goodness into your mouth all at once.
For more pics of this place, click here.
There's definitely a lot more in Pattaya to discover, such as The Sanctuary of Truth and Silverlake Winery. The province is shaping up to become a great destination that's slightly off-the-beaten-path, and showcasing a different side of Thailand that might surprise you.
It was an awesome trip and here's a shoutout to my three companions. THANKS FOR BEING SO GORGEOUS AND MAKING ME FEEL BAD ABOUT MYSELF
All this would not have been possible without the awesome, incredible AirAsia. I mean, just look at the in-flight entertainment:
I'm not being sarcastic. It. Was. So. Good.
I don't need a movies or wifi. I can just read or watch shows on my tablet. BUT I cannot live without food on the plane. Time passes faster when I'm eating. I feel less nauseous, airsick, and I don't even need to remind myself to stay hydrated. This, is everything.
Also a huge thank you to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Singapore.
The last time I counted, this is my tenth trip to Thailand.
1 time in Junior College for OCIP to BKK and Chiang Mai;
4 times to BKK with my army friends, my family, and two Songkrans;
1 time to BKK and Rayong for company cohesion;
3 times to Phuket - JC friend, secondary school friend, ex-date...
Which makes this trip to Pattaya MY TENTH TIME TO THAILAND.
As you can tell. I'm a huge fan.
Can't wait to be back.
