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What're your interests? How long will you be here?
And when are you coming? Could potentially be the 2nd Inforooster I've got to meet up with in Thailand.
See elephants—not captive elephants—eat good food, see some cool beaches, go out to a show or deep electronic/club event. Otherwise, we're pretty wide open.
Hoping to be there for a week to a week and a half in either July or August.
See elephants—not captive elephants—eat good food, see some cool beaches, go out to a show or deep electronic/club event. Otherwise, we're pretty wide open.
Hoping to be there for a week to a week and a half in either July or August.
Week and a half isn't much time, so I'd pick 1 island and 1 city. But that's my personal preference, I always find more joy in really getting to explore a handful of places as opposed to running around trying to see as many as possible. Flights are cheap in Thailand and will save you a ton of travel time. Don't take the buses. If you really want to do something "adventurous" (i.e. not flying) then take a train.
If it were me I'd visit Chiang Mai first. (BKK -> CM via flight or the train). The train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is beautiful and you can take the night train - leave BKK in the evening and arrive in CM early morning. CM is in the mountains so it's really spectacular to cruise the train tracks as the sun rises through the mountains.
CM is cool because it's fairly small, but still also maybe the biggest backpacker destination in SEA, so there is a very easy to navigate infrastructure and plenty of things to do. Temples (of course). You can go up to the mountains, I recommend Doi Suthep or Doi Inthanon. There are hikes and other outdoor activities too. Cooking classes can be cool. But honestly you can spend days just wondering different areas of the town and have a great time. If you have experience on a scooter I would rent one and drive around town and drive to some temples and hit the mountains. I have a blog post about this I can dig out if you're interested. The food in CM is amazing too, so do enjoy that.
Generally the nightclub scene is SHIT, but it would be cool to experience the local nightlife. If you want a taste of the local nightlife in CM you can visit the Nimmanhaemin Road area. That's where most the clubs are. It's also where all the local college kids and the "hi so" tend to party. You can visit Zoe in Yellow and the bars around there (forget the actual name of the road but it's inside the Old City) but those are almost exclusively backpackers and scam artists. Clubs in TH work as such - you and your group get a table, and then you buy your drinks (either a tower of beer or a bottle of liquor plus mixer). You have your bottle of whiskey, ice, and mixers at your table where you dance and the staff will constantly be around to refill your drinks. It's not like a Western club with a dancefloor, and where people are really intermingling. But it's still good fun. I'd suggest just going to a good restaurant and bar. Find one with a local band. Just sit back and people watch and take in the atmosphere.
Glad you aren't going to ride elephants, there are a few places that are well regarded and ethical so be sure to do your research if you wanna go that route. Seeing truly wild elephants is rare though, I've only seen them once in my 4 years and that was while motorcycle riding through some very secluded forest. Again, tons of places to do this around Chiang Mai so just make sure you research which are good.
After a few days in CM I'd fly down to one of the islands. Koh Lanta, Koh Muk / Koh Rok, Koh Lipe are some of my favorites. But they are very far off the tourist path, and as such there isn't much to do. Perfect for enjoying amazing Thai food (and fresh seafood) and lounging on the beach. If you're looking for something more lively there are better islands for that. I would recommend not visiting Phuket or Koh Tao. Koh Samui and Koh Chang are nice tourist islands, probably my favorite of the bigger islands.
Bangkok is a great city as well if you have any extra days to spend there.
There is a great documentary about Andy Ricker that highlights a few great restaurants in CM. Also Anthony Bourdain has done a few episodes as well.
See elephants—not captive elephants—eat good food, see some cool beaches, go out to a show or deep electronic/club event. Otherwise, we're pretty wide open.
Hoping to be there for a week to a week and a half in either July or August.
Week and a half isn't much time, so I'd pick 1 island and 1 city. But that's my personal preference, I always find more joy in really getting to explore a handful of places as opposed to running around trying to see as many as possible. Flights are cheap in Thailand and will save you a ton of travel time. Don't take the buses. If you really want to do something "adventurous" (i.e. not flying) then take a train.
If it were me I'd visit Chiang Mai first. (BKK -> CM via flight or the train). The train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is beautiful and you can take the night train - leave BKK in the evening and arrive in CM early morning. CM is in the mountains so it's really spectacular to cruise the train tracks as the sun rises through the mountains.
CM is cool because it's fairly small, but still also maybe the biggest backpacker destination in SEA, so there is a very easy to navigate infrastructure and plenty of things to do. Temples (of course). You can go up to the mountains, I recommend Doi Suthep or Doi Inthanon. There are hikes and other outdoor activities too. Cooking classes can be cool. But honestly you can spend days just wondering different areas of the town and have a great time. If you have experience on a scooter I would rent one and drive around town and drive to some temples and hit the mountains. I have a blog post about this I can dig out if you're interested. The food in CM is amazing too, so do enjoy that.
Generally the nightclub scene is SHIT, but it would be cool to experience the local nightlife. If you want a taste of the local nightlife in CM you can visit the Nimmanhaemin Road area. That's where most the clubs are. It's also where all the local college kids and the "hi so" tend to party. You can visit Zoe in Yellow and the bars around there (forget the actual name of the road but it's inside the Old City) but those are almost exclusively backpackers and scam artists. Clubs in TH work as such - you and your group get a table, and then you buy your drinks (either a tower of beer or a bottle of liquor plus mixer). You have your bottle of whiskey, ice, and mixers at your table where you dance and the staff will constantly be around to refill your drinks. It's not like a Western club with a dancefloor, and where people are really intermingling. But it's still good fun. I'd suggest just going to a good restaurant and bar. Find one with a local band. Just sit back and people watch and take in the atmosphere.
Glad you aren't going to ride elephants, there are a few places that are well regarded and ethical so be sure to do your research if you wanna go that route. Seeing truly wild elephants is rare though, I've only seen them once in my 4 years and that was while motorcycle riding through some very secluded forest. Again, tons of places to do this around Chiang Mai so just make sure you research which are good.
After a few days in CM I'd fly down to one of the islands. Koh Lanta, Koh Muk / Koh Rok, Koh Lipe are some of my favorites. But they are very far off the tourist path, and as such there isn't much to do. Perfect for enjoying amazing Thai food (and fresh seafood) and lounging on the beach. If you're looking for something more lively there are better islands for that. I would recommend not visiting Phuket or Koh Tao. Koh Samui and Koh Chang are nice tourist islands, probably my favorite of the bigger islands.
Bangkok is a great city as well if you have any extra days to spend there.
There is a great documentary about Andy Ricker that highlights a few great restaurants in CM. Also Anthony Bourdain has done a few episodes as well.
Awesome, this is really informative, thank you! Chiang Mai is a must for us due to the Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park. Why aren't you a fan of Phuket or Koh Tao, out of curiosity? Also, best way to get to those islands?
Awesome, this is really informative, thank you! Chiang Mai is a must for us due to the Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park. Why aren't you a fan of Phuket or Koh Tao, out of curiosity? Also, best way to get to those islands?
Phuket - I've only been once so take this for what you will. BUT it's run by the mafia. Dangerous. And very, very expensive. Never personally had an issue, but all 3 friends I know that lived there all ended up being mugged at one point. One was even drug off her motorbike. Stuff like that doesn't happen much, so the fact that it happened to 3 people I know on 1 island always kept me away from it.
Koh Tao - It's a backpacker's butthole that's also rife with mafia and violence. A few highly publicized murders in the past few years that all went unsolved or ended up with convictions that are very suspicious (scapegoats!!!). The diving was once nice there, but the now the sea-life is thinning out and they have a problem with coral bleaching. Now it's just the dregs of Western society chasing that dream of the lifestyle they saw on 'The Beach'. Wouldn't touch this place with a 10 foot pole.
That said - hundreds of thousands of people visit both those places every year and love it. So ymmv
edit - best way to get to those islands would be a flight and a ferry. Most Thai airlines do a package deal where you pay the airline for your flight + transport to the island (via shuttle, van, boat, whatever) Not a bad deal + save a lot of hassle
Awesome, this is really informative, thank you! Chiang Mai is a must for us due to the Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park. Why aren't you a fan of Phuket or Koh Tao, out of curiosity? Also, best way to get to those islands?
Kind of funny thing about Chang Mai there are tons of Chinese tourist here. More so than any other place I went. Apparently one of the biggest movies ever in China "Lost in Thailand" was filmed there and lots of tourists go because of it. Looks kind of like the Hangover but would be fun to watch before you go.
spending a weekend in dc next month. we're planning to hit the museums and some other things, but i could use recommendations for drinks and veggie friendly food options. edit: i'm not familiar with the city, but our airbnb is in the edgewood neighborhood. we'll have my car, so driving isn't an issue.
spending a weekend in dc next month. we're planning to hit the museums and some other things, but i could use recommendations for drinks and veggie friendly food options. edit: i'm not familiar with the city, but our airbnb is in the edgewood neighborhood. we'll have my car, so driving isn't an issue.
I’d say Jaleo is a good option near the museums, and the food court in the Native American museum is a little pricey but killer. Union Market is sorta near Edgewood and has a ton a good food options, and there’s an all vegan spot called Fare Well. Busboys and Poets is famous for veggie friendly food but is pretty overrated IMO.
What kinda drinking you looking for? Archipelago is an outrageous tiki bar with pretty great nachos. American Ice is a good spot, Same with Little Miss Whiskeys
I’d say Jaleo is a good option near the museums, and the food court in the Native American museum is a little pricey but killer. Union Market is sorta near Edgewood and has a ton a good food options, and there’s an all vegan spot called Fare Well. Busboys and Poets is famous for veggie friendly food but is pretty overrated IMO.
What kinda drinking you looking for? Archipelago is an outrageous tiki bar with pretty great nachos. American Ice is a good spot, Same with Little Miss Whiskeys
looking at the menus, those all seem like good options! my fiance drinks lots of beers and cocktails, so those bars seem right up his alley. thank you!
I’d say Jaleo is a good option near the museums, and the food court in the Native American museum is a little pricey but killer. Union Market is sorta near Edgewood and has a ton a good food options, and there’s an all vegan spot called Fare Well. Busboys and Poets is famous for veggie friendly food but is pretty overrated IMO.
What kinda drinking you looking for? Archipelago is an outrageous tiki bar with pretty great nachos. American Ice is a good spot, Same with Little Miss Whiskeys
looking at the menus, those all seem like good options! my fiance drinks lots of beers and cocktails, so those bars seem right up his alley. thank you!
If he likes cocktails, I’d also recommend The Royal or Copycat.
Also check out the Michelin Bib Gourmond for good but relatively “affordable” eats.
Oh shit, also take a look at All Purpose, Tiger Fork and Toki Underground, although I don’t think the last two take reservations.
If he likes cocktails, I’d also recommend The Royal or Copycat.
Also check out the Michelin Bib Gourmond for good but relatively “affordable” eats.
Oh shit, also take a look at All Purpose, Tiger Fork and Toki Underground, although I don’t think the last two take reservations.
any opinion of lapis? the menu seems like it has a lot of interesting things for him and options for me as well. also, anything we must do while we're in town? specific museums or other places to check out?
If he likes cocktails, I’d also recommend The Royal or Copycat.
Also check out the Michelin Bib Gourmond for good but relatively “affordable” eats.
Oh shit, also take a look at All Purpose, Tiger Fork and Toki Underground, although I don’t think the last two take reservations.
any opinion of lapis? the menu seems like it has a lot of interesting things for him and options for me as well. also, anything we must do while we're in town? specific museums or other places to check out?
I’ve only been for brunch but it’s tasty. That part of DC is a pain to drive/park in though so be warned.
If you can get tickets to the African American History Museum definitely do that. The East Building of the National Gallery is great as is the American History. The Potrait Museum is pretty underrated, and there’s a big Christmas market right there starting 11/24.
I’ve only been for brunch but it’s tasty. That part of DC is a pain to drive/park in though so be warned.
If you can get tickets to the African American History Museum definitely do that. The East Building of the National Gallery is great as is the American History. The Potrait Museum is pretty underrated, and there’s a big Christmas market right there starting 11/24.
thanks so much for your help! i have so many things on my list now that i feel like we should add an extra day to the trip.
Post by Fozzie Bear on Nov 1, 2017 12:35:20 GMT -5
If the African American Museum tickets are unavailable for the dates you're traveling, head here at 6:30 a.m. ET the day you'd like to go and see if you can snag same-day tickets. We did this when we went and easily snagged a pair. Note: build in a couple hours to check out everything.
For food recs, right near Jaleo is a Peruvian/Asian fusion restaurant called China Chilcano, it's fantastic.
There was also a very good Mexican food truck outside the African American Museum when we went, can't remember the name or tell you if it's there all the time.
If you're going to be in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany or New Paltz, I've got you covered. If you're going to be further downstate I cannot help.
If you're going to be in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany or New Paltz, I've got you covered. If you're going to be further downstate I cannot help.
I think the City. IIRC, she's doing one of the Brooklyn LCD shows.
Any food recommendations for Philadelphia? Going up there in a few weeks for the first time.
For a nice dinner out or like pizza and cheesesteaks?
For dinner out you could try to get into Zahav and they have a good happy hour if you are here during the week. Pennsylvania has some weird liquor laws so there are lots of BYOB places there are really affordable and have really good food. A lot of the best BYO's are on E Passyunk between Tasker and Morris or A Mano near the art museum. WM Mulherein's in Fishtown. Parc. R2L for drinks with a view, Any Stephen Star restaurant that I'm probably sick of but people from out of town would really like.
Pretty much anything in the Reading Terminal Market. It can be overwhelming so If you go there try to have a little bit of a plan of what you want. My favorites are Beck's Cajun, Beiler's Donuts and Meltkraft.
Post by Vinnie the Eel on Nov 17, 2017 9:35:52 GMT -5
Anybody have any recommendations for Budapest? I'll be leaving for their the day after Thanksgiving for a job interview and I'll be there for a week. I'm staying in the Jewish quarter, and I love food and I love beer.
Anybody have any recommendations for Budapest? I'll be leaving for their the day after Thanksgiving for a job interview and I'll be there for a week. I'm staying in the Jewish quarter, and I love food and I love beer.
Help?
Seriously one of my favorite cities in the whole world and the Jewish Quarter is awesome. We were only there two nights and I can't find the name of one of the restaurants we went to. Ate at Stone Soup came highly recommended in the travel books and was very good. There's not a big beer scene in Hungary, their specialty is sweeter wine. Everything is very affordable there. Like dinner for two and a bottle of wine for $30-$35
I am going to China next October. Flying into Beijing and will make my way to Chengdu to hold some pandas and feed and clean up after them. It's looking like a two week trip. Give me any and all advice you might have. Must see places, little know sites and all that good stuff. Thank goodness I will be traveling with my Chinese co-worker and his parents, so even though I am going to attempt to learn some Mandarin, those of you who have heard me speak will understand how badly I will fail at doing that.
Last Edit: Nov 23, 2017 15:01:30 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
I am going to China next October. Flying into Beijing and will make my way to Chengdu to hold some pandas and feed and clean up after them. It's looking like a two week trip. Give me any and all advice you might have. Must see places, little know sites and all that good stuff. Thank goodness I will be traveling with my Chinese co-worker and his parents, so even though I am going to attempt to learn some Mandarin, those of you have have heard me speak will understand how badly I will fail at doing that.
