Through her job my wife gets all sorts of free vouchers for food and accommodation. She found some she had forgotten about the first week of October and they expired the end of October so we planned a little trip.
I put it here as I think its all Central Thailand as we drove and the distances were never over 200 kilometers from Don Muang. We hit the Kirimaya Hotel for two nights up in Khao Yai, which is not yet north east Thailand. We then had a long drive to Cha am for a night at the Regent, then 2 more nights at the Sheraton Hua Hin.
The weather was perfect and we stopped at the Italian village just before getting to our hotel.
This guy was playing bossa nova on the crystal glasses. Chatting with him he was a retired school teacher from Bangkok who moved to Pakchong and Khao Yai for the weather, he got bored and found a hobby.
There was big competition to get a photo in this archway. Very European dont cha know?
So off to the Kirimaya, a beautiful resort with an 18 hole Jack Nicklaus designed course as part of the layout.
The place is laid out in clusters of hotel building connected by green paths. You may walk or call for a golf cart.
The rooms themselves include a huge deck to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. It was about 27 in the day and 19 or 20 at night.
This was the first hotel I have been in that had an espresso machine in the room. The wife composed a nice early morning picture.
I only got one shot of the mountains as my batteries were dying, from the top of Khao Yai about 3 kilometers from the park center looking north.
We then had a four and a half hour drive to Cha Am, the longest drive of the trip. Since Cha am and Hua Hin are above Chumpon we are going to call this Central Thailand as well.
The main pool of the Regent. After the Kirimaya this place was a let down. Its 25 years old and showing its age. Still a nice place but much more like 3 stars at the most. The pool looks lovely but has many broken tiles and brown scum on the pool floor. There is also NO BEACH.
The hotel is 4 stories and the corridors go on forever, make a wrong turn and you wont find the elevators.
A major problem was the staff. They all look like they were there when it opened 25 years ago, and they acted like that as well bored and not in the least bit friendly.
If you want a hotel for around 2000 baht that was once luxurious take it, but its only okay at best. One thing I did not like was they advertise a mini mart, and mini golf on the property both were closed. If you dont have a car you will be trapped, and the closest mini mart is about 5 kilometers away.
Going through the photos of the Sheraton Hua Hin now and will get them up later today.