piranha27's Guestbook

Probably not, as I'm making just a quick overnight stop. I'm staying in the Old Town near a seemingly Indian community though, with a bunch of Indian restaurants and shops nearby!

Hi Laura, Absolutely. If I remember correctly, the bus was about 12000 kyat (about USD14) including pick-up from the guest-house (I stayed at ET Hotel). It was an 8h ride starting from 6 p.m. and arriving in Kalaw in the dead of the night at 2 a.m.! But don't worry, if you knock on the guest-houses at Kalaw someone will most probably let you in. There might be buses departing earlier from Mandalay, though I'm not sure. I believe most of them are headed towards Taunggyi, hence the schedule is catered towards a decent arrival time there, and not the intermediate drop-off points like Kalaw. Hope that helps. Happy and safe travels!

Hi Nanci, thanks for the compliments! I really like Bangkok, so I'm being totally serious when I say one could probably stay there forever! But even for the average visitor, there really is a lot to see, and a lot to do, so even say a week would seem like a pretty short time! The apartment I stayed at was called SK Tower at Thong Lor, right next to the Thong Lor BTS Skytrain station. Thong Lor is a trendy area popular with Japanese and Korean expatriates, just two skytrain stations away from Asok (which is a busy interchange with the subway), and six stations away from Siam, which is the main tourist shopping belt. I paid about THB10,000 in total per month for a basic room with double bed, air-con and attached bath, wifi and utilities included. I believe there are even cheaper apartments available slightly further away in the On Nut area. I've been told there are also reasonably priced apartments in Ratchathewi, closer to Siam. As for what I would avoid doing, hmmm I guess there are the usual "magic gem" and "laughing buddha" scams that you read about in the guidebooks, which I've personally encountered (but didn't fall for!) at the famous Wat Phra Kaew. Also, be careful when crossing the road, traffic can sometimes be crazy!

Sanctuary of Truth
Hi Liew, it's on the northwestern corner of Pattaya, at the end of soi 12 of Pattaya Naklua Rd. You can take the sawng theaw (pick up) to Naklua, then motorcycle taxi to the end. A bit of an effort but worth it!