Somerset Pattaya Hotel, Thailand/Photo: Somerset Pattaya Hotel website
Thailand is always a destination that Israelis love. Not only on Passover, but on any holiday, season or holiday. So are you flying to Koh Samui or Ko Phangan again? Or shop again at Tokyo Center in Bangkok?
So we asked Nadav Menachem Tzioni, Thailand expert and sales and marketing manager at the "Thailand Traveler Center", to get all the most important updates regarding destinations, hotels and new attractions that opened this year in the island nation. Here are the places that tourists are less familiar with and provide an equally fun experience. Warning: You might
be alone there...
More about Thailand:
Not just shopping: Five things you must see in Bangkok
Enough with Koh Phangan: The Guide to the Unknown Islands of
Thailand
Destination 1: Hua Hin
Easy and convenient arrival about three hours drive from Bangkok. Hua Hin is a resort town that offers pampering resorts on the sea for couples and families, and at significantly cheaper prices than in the Thai islands. So what do you do there?
Vana Nava Water Jungle
- a leading water park that is considered one of the best and most advanced in Southeast Asia. The Vana Nava water park is designed as a tropical jungle and covers a huge area. An extreme complex that offers a wide variety of crazy slides - including a unique VR slide. You can choose what to watch before surfing and enjoy a unique and fun experience. Also on site, a wave pool complex, a tubing complex for those who want to rest from all the action, a rope park complex, an infinity pool with a bar and many more surprises. In the water park there are food stalls, a restaurant that serves a buffet throughout the day, ice creams and more.
For Art's Sake -
Museum of 3D Illusions. Within a variety of complexes within the museum you can enjoy photos, wall and floor paintings, which can be integrated into them and create unique images in 3D. You can find yourself taking pictures next to forest gnomes, sitting in an upside down house, surfing on a surfboard at the beach and even hanging together next to a spider. Guaranteed fun for young and old.
Hua Hin Old Railway Station -
The railway station was built during the reign of King Rama VI. The station is known as one of the most beautiful train stations in Thailand, and the station building is built of wood in Thailand's unique traditional construction style. Inside the station there is a waiting room set up especially for visiting royalty. For this reason, the building can only be seen from the outside. The train station is still active and several lines a day reach Bangkok. It is recommended to come in order to be impressed by the construction, the architecture and the unique beauty.
Khao Hin Lek Fai -
a complex with several observation posts overlooking the coastline of Hua Hin and the old train station. Getting to the complex is on a hill about 3 km from the center of Hua Hin city. The complex has several observation posts at different heights, next to a small area with food stalls. It is recommended to arrive in the early morning or before sunset in order to enjoy a spectacular view.
Khao Hin Lek Fai
Train Station
More in Hua Hin
Khao Sam Roi Yot Nature Reserve -
a nature reserve located about 45 km from Hua Hin along the sea coast, which is also known as the "mountain with 300 peaks". The nature reserve boasts a spectacular mountainous landscape and limestone mountains rising from the sea, reminiscent of the spectacular beauty of Southern Thailand. In the reserve there is a mangrove forest, a swamp (a unique phenomenon in Thailand) and several spectacular viewpoints. Two main points of interest in the reserve are: Khao Daeng Canal and Phraya Nakhon Cave. In Khao Daeng you can sail along the canal and watch the cliffs, the thick vegetation, the surrounding animals and also enjoy From the peace and tranquility of the place.
The Phraya Nakhon Cave -
is built in a unique way, so that in the center there is a "window" that allows light to enter the interior of the cave. At this point, a spectacular Thai-style pavilion was erected in honor of King Rama 5. The view inside the cave is breathtaking and definitely worth the trip to it.
Sook food and farm 1000 -
a farm located in the Cha-am area about half an hour from Hua Hin. You can combine a visit to the farm before arriving in Hua Hin, or on the way back from Hua Hin to Bangkok. The farm is built in a European style with special buildings like in a Dutch village and a lot of greenery in your eyes. You can enjoy The farm has a variety of food and drink options, and a huge Thai candy shop with the sweets that are most associated with Thailand. At the farm, the children will be able to enjoy watching, feeding and petting sheep and ponies, as part of a great time spent together with food and a relaxed and magical atmosphere.
Phraya Nakhon Cave
Recommended markets and malls in Hua Hin
The Cicada night market
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a unique night market that amazingly combines a clothing market, artists' arts and crafts stalls and performances for children and adults, Thai and international food complexes, from magic shows and clowns for children to performances by jazz and soul singers accompanied by musicians. The food court is huge, including cocktails to lift the mood and stalls of sweet treats. The market is only open on weekends, between Thursday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. It is recommended to come at least one evening in order to enjoy everything the night market has to offer.
Tamarind Night Market
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a night market located a short walk from the market Cicada and where you can find clothing, a wide variety of food stalls and live performances. The market is only open during the weekends between Thursday and Sunday, from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Market Village mall -
the first mall built in Hua Hin and spanning several floors. The Market Village mall contains a local and western food complex, alongside restaurants and international fast food. It is worth visiting the basement floor that simulates a local market with stalls of clothes, shoes, toys and more. Among the clothing stores scattered throughout the mall you can find LACOSTE, ADIDAS, PUMA and more, as well as cell phone stores, a movie theater and even a large supermarket. Every weekend in the evening, a small food market is held on the entrance floor of the mall combined with live music.
Bluport Hua Hin Mall -
The mall was built inspired by kit cities in the world and designed in a unique way. In the mall you can find stores of H&M, UNIQLO and more. Also here you can find branches of fast food chains, including STARBUCKS, a supermarket with a wide variety of import products, a movie theater and more.
Cicada night market
Bluport Mall Hua Hin
Destination 2: Khao Yai - Thailand's Europe
The town of Khao Yai (Khao Yai) is located about three hours' drive from Bangkok and offers a green and mountainous landscape - "Thailand's Europe". All the hotels are designed in a European style, for example, the Toscana Valley hotel was built like an Italian village with the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The
Khao Yai National Park -
The Khao Yai National Park covers 2,000 square kilometers and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nature reserve is known for its diverse wildlife, combined with the amazing natural beauty throughout the reserve. You can enjoy winding hiking trails in the reserve In the forest, scenic views and reaching hidden waterfalls. You can travel by car and go through the many areas throughout the reserve, reach the information center and enjoy all the green and natural beauty it has to offer.
The Palio Khao Yai -
a unique shopping village in Khao Yai. The whole village is built in the style of Tuscan buildings, with Decorated squares and lush green vegetation. When you arrive at the village, you can forget for a moment that you are in the center of Thailand, and you can easily imagine yourself traveling in Tuscany, Italy. In the village, you can enjoy cafes, shops, souvenirs, fine restaurants in the open air, quality wine produced locally alongside selected wines from all over The world.
GranMonte Vineyard -
one of the well-known and appreciated wineries in Khao Yai. In the winery you can enjoy a restaurant with a spectacular panoramic view of the vineyard area, which serves a variety of international dishes accompanied by wines produced in the winery. For wine lovers, it is recommended to take a tour of an hour and a half during which you will get an explanation of the techniques of growing grapes in the area, The unique climate, the soil and the different grape varieties. The tour ends at the winery's wine shop, where you can try wine tasting combined with cheese and crackers.
Khao Yai National Park Nature Reserve
More in Kao Yai
The Mango House Farm -
the perfect place for mango lovers. Inside a family mango farm, a magical cafe was established that serves dishes and desserts based on the purity of the mango. All delicacies are prepared for you on the spot, straight from the mango orchards surrounding the farm. You can choose between delicious mango ice cream and toast with caramelized mango plus mango ice cream - an experience of flavors in one bite. You can buy fresh mangoes and a variety of other products - all of them pure mangoes.
The Chocolate Factory -
a self-made chocolate shop. This is the perfect place for chocolate lovers. In the store you can find a large variety of chocolate bars, chocolate cookies, chocolate cakes, a huge variety of pralines, chocolate in unique shapes and more. It is recommended to combine the trip to the chocolate shop with the restaurant located on the top floor of the shop. In the restaurant you can enjoy Western and local dishes, decadent desserts and a perfect atmosphere for families.
Rapsodia Park Khao Yai -
a ropes park that is especially suitable for anyone who wants to try ropes and ropes for the first time. The omega stations are not located at a high altitude and are suitable for all ages. You can choose between a route of 8 stops and a route of 17 stops. The ropes park can be combined with quad bike riding in the complex which is only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Mango House Farm
Rapsodia Park Khao Yai
Destination 3: Pattaya for families
The city of Pattaya (Pattaya) changed its face and became a great destination for families. The city is located about a two-hour drive from Bangkok and offers families plenty of attractions, from Columbia's water park from Sony to peanut gardens. The luxurious resorts offer water parks, and all at half the price of the Thai islands.
Two water parks: Columbia Pictures Aquaverse + Ramayana Water Park
In Pattaya you can find two leading water parks that are considered among the best and most advanced water parks available in Southeast Asia. In both parks you can find a large variety of extreme slides, a children's area and more. In Sony's Columbia Park, designed in the atmosphere of the Columbia films, you can find slides designed in the style of the Exorcist films and other characters. The parks extend over huge areas and allow a family day out for the whole day. In each of the parks there are food stands, a souvenir shop, shaded seating areas and more.
Art In Paradise Pattaya
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3D Illusion Museum. Within a variety of complexes inside the museum you can enjoy a variety of pictures, wall and floor paintings, which can be integrated into them and create unique images in 3D.
You can find yourself posing next to dinosaurs, sitting in the mouth of a fearsome shark, walking on a bridge and even visiting ancient Egypt. Guaranteed fun for all ages.
Nong Nooch Botanical Garden -
about 40 minutes from Pattaya, one of the most beautiful botanical gardens spreads over a huge area of about 600 dunams. The gardens are divided according to themes: Europe, rocks, the Stone Age, Italy, cacti and more. In each of the gardens you will discover beautiful displays of plants arranged in an astonishing way. In addition to normal vegetation, you can also see beautiful and unique plants, such as: cacti of different sizes and shapes, dwarf bonsai trees and over 600 different types of orchids and more.
In addition to plants, various animal sculptures are scattered throughout the gardens. The highlight of the place is the valley of the dinosaurs, where you can see huge sculptures of the ancient creatures. You can walk around the gardens comfortably with the complex's shuttle and in addition you can find a variety of restaurants and food stalls in the complex. A different and unique experience suitable for spending half a day.
Day trip to Koh Larn -
Koh Larn is a small and beautiful island located a short sailing distance of about 25 minutes from the city of Pattaya, and can be reached by speed boat or ferry. The ferry and speed boat can be booked from Bali Hai Pier located a short drive from Central Mall and Somerset Pattaya Hotel. On the island you can enjoy clean beaches with clear water, massages, restaurants on the beach and everything you need to spend a relaxing day on the beach in the atmosphere of staying on a desert island. Recommended beaches for staying on the island: Samae Beach, Tien Beach. The most popular beach is Tawaen Beach. On the various beaches you can sometimes find water sports including jet skis, bananas, paragliding and more.
Kao Laren
Ramayana Water Park
More in Pattaya
Mini Siam -
one of the original and surprising tourist attractions in Pattaya is the Mini Siam miniature park. This small and fascinating place has an incredible selection of well-known tourist sites from around Thailand and around the world, only everything... in tiny dimensions. Mini Siam covers an area of about 14 dunams, and includes more than 100 accurate models of famous tourist sites in Thailand and the world at a scale of 1:25. Magnificent palaces, ancient temples, city centers and enchanting rural landscapes - everything is presented here in minute and incredibly accurate detail. Although the models are small, the experience of visiting Mini Siam is huge.
Khao Chi Chan Buddha -
at a distance of about 30 minutes from the Central Mall and the Somerset Hotel, you can reach a perfect rural area, which combines green vegetation, Tuscan houses, special cafes, authentic restaurants with a perfect spectacular view and more. The Buddha on the Mountain is located on this magical road, and is considered one of the most special Buddha statues in Thailand. The outline of the Buddha was etched into the rock by a laser as a tribute to King Rama IX on the 50th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. The Buddha image is carved to a height of 130 meters and a width of 70 meters, a spectacle that cannot be missed. Around the Buddha there are beautiful gardens, which every year attract thousands of visitors who come to return with the unforgettable sight of the Buddha on the mountain.
A short drive from the Buddha on the mountain you can reach a unique cafe located inside - a plane! The Coffee War cafe presents two planes, all of whose surface area is different, and today they are used as cafes. The entrance costs 100 baht and for that you can get a hot or cold drink or a cake. In the complex itself, military vehicles, a 2nd hand corner, various aircraft models and more are displayed.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Pattaya -
a world-renowned museum that displays a collection of about 350 strange and amazing objects from around the world and tells the strange stories behind them. The complex is located on the top floor of the Royal Garden Plaza mall in the center of Pattaya. In the complex, which extends over an entire floor, you can find several exciting attractions, and some are even scary and suitable only for the brave. Among the attractions you can of course enjoy the Ripley Museum, the wax museum that presents over 60 celebrities from around the world. In the museum, a maze of mirrors that combines different sounds and lighting in each area, a D9 movie that combines moving and 3D chairs and a haunted warehouse - go and find out where the next wind will jump out at you and more. The complex is especially suitable for hot or rainy days, and can be combined with a shopping experience in the mall.
Sanctuary of Truth Museum -
The Sanctuary of Truth is one of the special attractions in the Pattaya area and is famous all over the world. The temple is built as a unique wooden structure and is considered the largest handmade wooden building in Thailand. The temple, which is entirely carved by hand and without the use of nails, was built by the same craftsman who built the Arwan Elephant Museum and the Old City in Bangkok. The structure rises to a height of over 100 meters and covers an area of approximately 4,000 square meters. The beginning of the construction of the temple began approximately 20 years ago and continues to this day. As of today, there is no estimated completion date, but of course this does not detract from the enjoyment and viewing of the impressive structure.
Sanctuary of Truth Museum
Khao Chi Chan Buddha
Recommended markets and malls in Pattaya
In Pattaya you can find plenty of markets and malls, so you can combine shopping, relaxing and fun attractions. Here are some of the recommended malls and markets in the city:
Thepprasit Night Market -
the largest night market in Pattaya. In the market you can find a wide variety of clothing stands, accessories, shoes, bags and more. The food court in the night market is large and offers a rich variety of local dishes, smoothies, fruits and desserts. The market is open every day from 17:00 until 22:00.
Central Festival Mall -
the largest and most popular mall in Pattaya, which spans several floors and offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants, etc. Among the clothing stores scattered throughout the mall, you can find UNIQLO, H&M, ZARA and more. You can also find cell phone stores, cosmetics, a movie theater and even a large supermarket in the mall. Every weekend in the evening there is a small food market on both sides of the mall. The mall is open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Terminal 21 Pattaya mall -
a mall inspired by major cities in the world and designed in a unique way according to each country. Among the cities you can find Tokyo, London, Paris and more. You can walk around the mall and enjoy the displays that symbolize each country. In the mall you can find stores of H&M, UNIQLO, GUESS and more. Also here you can find branches of fast food chains including STARBUCKS, KFC, DUNKIN, a supermarket with a wide variety of imported products, a movie theater, a fun Gymboree complex and more. The mall is open every day between the hours: 11:00 and 22:00.
Mike Shopping Mall -
an old shopping center located in front of the beach promenade of Pattaya. The shopping center is more reminiscent of an air-conditioned and indoor market with counterfeit brands from all over the world. In the mall you can find dozens of stalls that include clothes, shoes, souvenirs at popular prices (and yes, it is recommended to bargain here). The mall is open every day between the hours: 11:00 and 22:00.
Royal Garden Plaza Mall -
the oldest and most famous mall in the city of Pattaya. You will easily recognize the mall by the plane located in front of the entrance to the mall. In the Royal Garden Mall you can find a variety of restaurants from all over the world alongside fast food chains. On the top floor of the mall there is an entire complex for families with children.
Terminal 21 Pattaya Mall
Thepprasit night market
Three new and unfamiliar hotels
1.
Somerset Pattaya (Somerset Pattaya).
Located in the heart of Pattaya, right in front of Central Mall, offering a pirate ship with slides on the 24th floor and a sea view.
On the 23rd floor, an infinity pool 270 degrees to the sea. The hotel has suites with two bedrooms for families and rooms with a sea view for couples. Each suite has a full kitchen with a washer and dryer.
Prices:
from April until the end of the Tishrei holidays: a room for a couple including breakfast - from NIS 370. The price is not per person, but per couple! A suite with two bedrooms + living room for a family of 5 - from NIS 920 per night.
2.
Angsana Laguna Phuket
Hotel
(Angsana Laguna Phuket). Located on Bang Tao beach next to the lagoon. The resort has a 323-meter long pool, activities for children, slides, a private beach, an adjacent lagoon, boat shuttles inside the lagoon. The hotel is suitable for couples and families and is a 10-minute drive to the two hottest beach clubs in Phuket: Catch beach club + Maya beach club.
Prices:
from April until the end of the Tishrei holidays: a room for a couple including breakfast - from NIS 420. The price is not per person, but per couple! A suite with two bedrooms + a living room for a family of 5 - from NIS 1,100 per night.
3.
Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin is
a 4-star hotel with a magnificent water park. On the 26th floor there is an infinity pool overlooking the entire sea and the surrounding mountains. On the 27th floor there is a sky bar with a transparent floor, which you can stand on and look down from the 27th floor through the floor - only for the brave.
Prices:
from April until the end of the Tishrei holidays: a room for a couple including breakfast - from NIS 430. The price is not per person, but per couple! A suite with two bedrooms + a living room for a family of 5 - from NIS 1,200 per night.
3 new attractions
Beach club Yona beach club Phuket -
a beach club with a pool, which is actually a mobile beach club floating on the surface of the sea. Price from NIS 300 per person per ticket, which includes a credit of NIS 150 for spending and transfer by boat to the floating complex of the Beach Club.
A day trip to Cheo Lan Lake in Khao Sok Nature Reserve -
one of Thailand's natural wonders. Departure from the resort town of Khao Lak, located an hour and a half from Phuket (you can also leave from Phuket). The trip includes arrival at the Khao Sok nature reserve and sailing on a long tail boat to the lake. An easy trek through the jungle, a bamboo boat ride, mangroves, spectacular waterfalls, rainforests, giant trees, flowers, butterflies and rare birds, squirrels and a variety of other wildlife. The full trip plan. Price starting from NIS 400 for an adult and NIS 220 for a child, in a package that includes round-trip transfers, lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river and an English-speaking guide.
3 new beaches that Israelis don't know
Mai Khao Beach Phuket -
a long virgin beach where you can sit and watch the El Al plane landing in Phuket, along with all the planes that come from the sea to land in the field in Phuket. The landing is right above your head and it is an experience not to be missed, it is rare to find such landing complexes around the world. At Mai Khao Beach, located about 10 minutes drive from Phuket, you can enjoy a real tropical village atmosphere, ride a bike, without traffic jams and traffic. There are high-end resorts, one of which was filmed in a Netflix movie with Brooke Shields that will be released soon: "Anantra Mai Kao".
There are other resorts, such as Anantara vacation club, which was built entirely just for families with children and offers activities from morning to night, including a movie in the pool. The departure from there is easy and convenient for sea trips to the Similan Islands, Khao Sok Nature Reserve.
MAENAM Beach in Kosmoy -
the beach has the most beautiful sunsets on the island. The prestigious resort W Koh Samui is located on this beach, which is visited by the top ten from all over the world. Located about 5 minutes drive from the pedestrian complex on the sea Fisherman Village, which offers a great abundance of quality restaurants from all over the world, a night market on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, massages, restaurants and fire shows on the beach.
Prices:
Cost per night for a couple starting at NIS 1500 for a private villa with a pool, a few seconds from the sea, including free 24-hour supply of ice cream, popsicles and popsicles. For five people from NIS 1900 per night.
Mai Khao Beach Phuket
W Koh Samui
The island of
Koh Yao Yai
is located about 45 minutes sailing from Phuket and is divided into two: Koh Yao Yai + Koh Yao Noi
in Thai Yai is big, Noi is small.
On an island that is not yet visited, you can enjoy the true atmosphere of an untourized and commercialized Thai village. The island is less known to tourists, for the reason that most of them visit the nearby Koffee Island or the resort town of Krabi. Anyone looking for an unspoilt tropical island with an old-time Thai vibe can find it at the Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort located on Koh Yao Yai. The resort offers a different kind of stay experience with an infinity pool overlooking the sea and the cliffs rising out of the sea.
Prices:
Cost per couple per night for a sea view suite including breakfast, including round trip transfers by speed boat, starting from NIS 1,100 per couple per night. For five people from NIS 1,600 per night.