Hi LP Team, here comes more about Thailand: Sukhothai Nov.99 (Loi Krathong): -------------------------------- Having been to Angkor / Cambodia earlier this year, I consider the Sukhothai Historical Park a pretty unexciting large garden with well-maintained grass, extremely rectangular ponds, and a few cute ruins sprinkled about. It caters to the Thai and local tourist with a number of souvenir shops and food stalls. The park can be very relaxing, unless you happen to be there at night during Loi Krathong festival. Well, I've been there during Loi Krathong festival, at both day and night, and nights are more like the Octoberfest in Munich (only you drink whiskey instead of beer). The park was packed with people. No entrance fee is charged during the festival. A massive light- and sound show was conducted at night, showing the best of fireworks art and drama. All ruins were lit in a spectacular way and the park was packed with mostly Thai people who were taking photos in front of the light objects, enjoying the food, the whiskey, the souvenirs, or were floating Krathongs in the ponds. Krathongs are for sale everywhere within and outside the park and typically sell for B10 to B30. Make sure you buy one with low profile and wide diameter so it won't capsize. It shall float out of sight with the light burning. If it sinks or turns over, it definitely means unluck for the coming year and you better buy another one and try again. Why should you risk a whole year's luck for just a few Baht ;-) The same goes for the ballons (Khom Loi). Imagine these ballons the shape of large condoms, the skin made of very light plastic film, opening facing downwards, a ring of wire holding the opening open. A torch of wood and wax is mounted in the center of the opening. In Kamphaeng Phet (I've also seen them in Sukhothai), were I floated one, they cost B15 and were imported from Mae Sot, Burma. They are available in green, blue and red but no idea if there is any meaning to the color. To get your balloon floating, you should find a place with little wind. You need at least 2 people to get the thing started, while at least one of the two has to be sober. 1) Wave the ballon thru the air to fill it up a bit 2) Hold it by its top, with the opening near the ground 3) Ignite the torch at the bottom (2nd person, the sober one). The wick is facing downwards and the flame will cover the whole torch and burn vigourously, very fast. 4) While the torch is burning, pay all attention that the flame doesn't melt the plastic skin. If it is windy, this can easily happen. 5) After enough hot air has been generated inside the ballon, the skin will automatically have some shape so it will stay away from the flame. 6) Wait until the ballon developed enough force to rise and let it go. 7) It must float out of sight with the light burning, otherwise you will be unlucky. Try until you succeed floating one out of sight with the light burning. During the festival, police controlled traffic and directed all motorvehicles to the prepared parking lots. In the evening, traffic between New Sukhothai and the park was heavy. Bicycles can be rented for B20 at the entrance of the park. A small tourist-train circles inside the park, so you don't have to pedal if you don't want to. In the Thailand guidebook (page 503, right side) you mention that a small road along a canal, 2km from the junction of No.101 / No.12, is a more scenic way to reach the park from New Sukhothai. I believe you mean the turnoff at the tempel (at least 2.4km, waypoint Xcanal of attached file). This is the earliest point to cross over the canal and continue on the small road, which is still bad there. Also the bridge is somewhat hidden behind the tempel, so I don't recommend it. Instead, it is better to go 3.2km until you see a police box and a small road to the right (North). Turn into this small road and after a few meters, you cross a bridge. Right after the bridge turn left and follow the winding road. Around 250m after you pass Wat Chang Lom (to your right), look for a bridge (waypoint Xbridg of attached file), bringing you back to the mainroad. If you try to go straight on the small road, you will either have to swim some distance or you will deviate to the North where it's easy to get lost. Here comes my dog chapter... When you cycle this and other small roads in the afternoon / evening, beware of dogs that try to get a bite of you. If you stop, they will normally also stop the chase. If you end up with 5 of them standing around you and barking, you better have eyes behind. Throwing stones or splashing water can often drive them away. At 35 km/h or above, you may also outrun them. Be alert when you see a Pomeranian. Always watch it. These dogs are aggressive and unpredictable and can lead a pack. They often close in on you quickly after you stop and they are not frightened by the first stone. 3 well-launched stones should give you enough safety. I was bitten twice in the 2 years of my Thailand stay. The owners of the dogs never paid me for the expensive rabies vaccination (B2400 for the 5 shots). ***end of dog chapter Not just a few Thai people seemed to camp in the Sukhothai Hist.Park, and one area was reserved for a monk camp. In New Sukhothai, virtually all accommodation was booked out or flooded. This gave me the "opportunity" to check out most of the guesthouses and hotels, below is a summary. During the time of the festival, I recommend that travellers reach Sukhothai on a morning-bus and reserve accommodation early in the day. Many hotels, particularly those popular amongst local people, increase their rates during the Loi Krathong festival. Guesthouses normally don't do that. All prices I quote are non-Loi-Krathong prices. Data in attached file Sukhothai.wpt shows the location of the below places (plus some other interresting spots around Sukhothai). It is for use with OziExplorer GPS software. If you have a problem reading it, let me know. Sawaddiphong Hotel: Single fan B250, double fan B350, single air B380, double air B450 all with attached bathroom. My single (actually a 2-bed with one single and one double bed, means a capacity of 3 people) with fan was average, spacious, with balcony, half-clean, fan only running full steam or not at all. Parking lots available, staff helpful and friendly. Friend Home: Single fan B100, double fan B120, double air B250, doubles have attached bathroom Bike rental B40/day, Motorcycle Honda Dream 100cc B180/day (they have only two) Was full, didn't stay, just checked. Ruen Thai: Single fan B300, double fan B400, double aircon B500, some rooms with balcony. Was full, didn't stay, just checked. M.M.Mansion (looks like a hotel, but people call it "Mansion"): Double fan B200, double aircon B400. Was full, didn't stay, just checked. Sukhothai Guesthouse: Double fan B300 (they have no aircon), 68 Wichien Chamnong Rd, (66)55-610453 Has a nice-looking restaurant downstairs, I first missed it because I considered it a restaurant, not a GH. Was full, didn't stay, just checked. Somprason Guesthouse: Was full and boss had gone away, staff was very friendly but could not provide room price information. Ban Thai: Double fan 150 (shared bath), Bungalow B250 (inside bath). Was full, didn't stay, just checked. Yupa House: Single B80, double B100, dormitory B50. Was full, didn't stay, just checked. No.4 Guesthouse: Located 230m straight north of the small bus station to Sukhothai Hist.Park. Single B150, Bungalow B180 (double, inside bathroom, balcony). The place was totally flooded, best to be reached by swimming. I checked prices with the owner who came over by boat and told me I should really take a look, it was so nice, but unfortunately, closed at this time. I neither took a look nor stayed. She told me that they offer 2 day Thai Cooking Courses and 5 day Thai Massage Courses. 99 Guesthouse: Dorm B80, double B150 (spacious), shared shower. It was almost flooded and the foyer was packed with people sent from No.4 GH. Didn't stay there. The No.4 GH and 99 GH belong to the same family. J.J.Guesthouse: This is located a few steps East of No.4, on slighlty higher ground, you pass it when you walk from the busstation to No.4. Not flooded but also full. No price information. Sky House (more of a Hotel, I would say): Single fan B80, B160, B280, double fan B100, B200, B300, single air B340, double air B400 all with bathroom. During Loi Krathong, they add B130 on everything, also you can't get a single (as their singles are all doubles). This place was NOT booked out but both parking and access road were something like 1m under water. Staff had built a temporary walkway out of barrels and boards. With a little balancing act you could get over to the foyer, where you eventually ended up in ankle-deep water. I stayed one night at this place, basically OK, you get what you pay for, they have many different room standards. Si Satchanalai Historical Park: ------------------------------ Another very nice garden with beautiful lawn, it would make an ideal golf course. It's bigger than the Sukhothai Hist.Park and has a little hill in the middle. The park wasn't crowded, I almost felt a bit lonely, only the occassional group-tour, the size of a busload, hitting one monument at a time. Also not exciting, more of the relaxing kind. The ruins are again unspectaculiar for someone who has seen Angkor or Bagan. At the major entrance to the park (where all the tour-busses from Bangkok zooom), you can rent bicycles and find food - there are a number of restaurants. Some people prefer to drive their pickups and vans into the park, the large busses however stay outside and people rent bicycles to get around the park. Entrance fees to the Si Satchanalai Hist.Parkt are: Bike: B10 Motorbike: B30 Car: B50 inclusive driver Thai visitor: @0 (where the @ is something like a bass key or the Burmese "1". Can you add these to the guidebook ?) Falang visitor: B40 If you come by public bus (from WinTour in Sukhothai), this will drop you near a footbridge, a long, slighlty unsafe looking suspension bridge. This bridge is what I consider the most-fun-element in the area. Near the mainroad you can borrow bikes for B30 and cross over the bridge (don't you get off the bike !). On the other side of the bridge are a few restaurants and you will have to pay B10 entrance fee for Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat, which is just there. Then follow the small and quiet road North thru some villages to the park. Don't be tricked into believing that this small road is only for cyclists. People anwhere in Sukhothai area were friendly, except a number of drivers who believe they own the road. Twice I had to escape to the hard sholder as not to be hit by an oncoming heavy vehicle that used my lane to pass another heavy vehicle, totally ignoring my small car. In the area of the Si Satchanalai Hist.Park, a tour bus passed me while I was standing there, photographing a procession. This guy was running at least 100km/h over a narrow bridge with just a few cm of distance, in an area that seemed to me more of a park than a motorway. Well, have to understand that those who come from Bangkok and will spend the night in Chiang Mai can't afford to go slow. Kamphaeng Phet (Loi Krathong): ---------------------------------- (For GPS details, refer to the attached file kamphaeng.wpt) There was some activity near the river, a dance show, fireworks, an open-air cinema showing Hong Kong Movies, food, Loi Krathong items and souvenirs being sold. No falang around and none speaks English, of course. People were friendly though mostly drunk. One place to stay is The Guesthouse. Looks like a falang-designed place, but I could not find the falang owner. Single fan B100 (shared bath, inside room, no windows, like a prison cell, but clean) Double fan B150 or B200 shared bath (you get what you pay for) Double fan B300 attached bath (very nice, clean, spacious) The place was almost deserted, only me and another falang stayed there. Area West of Kamphaeng Phet: -------------------------------- (For GPS details, refer to the attached file kamphaeng.wpt) Khom Lai NP: Khom Lai Waterfall (WGS84, N16'11.636 E99'15.674) is good to play in and climb up. It consist of many smaller steps and pools. The track that leads up is no longer maintained but it's not too difficult either. At the bottom of the fall is a parking lot and some small restaurants. Between checkpoint and waterfall is a place marked "Boa Basin" (wooden sign). Here, a fall tumbles into a large, sandy pool. Nice for a bath. The fall is so strong that you can't walk under it, the current pushes you away. Khlong Lan National Park: Khlong Lan Waterfall (WGS84, N16'07.829 E99'16.628) is more photogenic than Khom Lai Waterfall. It tumbles down from very high. Photos should rather be taken in the morning, as in the evening the sun is behind the fall and leaves the fall itself in the shadow. With a lot of spray that makes the whole area around the fall cold, misty and slippery, it's not such a good place for a bath, neither is it easy to climb the fall. Around 300m downstream, along the water that runs from the fall, there is a picnic and camping site. A road leads to a large parking lot near the fall, several restaurants and shops serve the visitors. Mae Wong National Park: The HQ (located at N16'02.268' E99'13.931, reached by road No.1117) has a guesthouse (B1100 for the house or B20 per person) and a camping site (free, but bring your own tent). The GH should be reserved under (055)719010-1 From the HQ, one can continue 28 km West to a place called "Cool Valley". The road is bad asphalt but can be done in a small car. Cool valley also has accommodation: A hut for 7 people is B300, or camping for free. From Cool Valley, a track continues to Nang Nual Waterfall, this is possible by mountainbike. All other destinations from Cool Valley mean that you have to walk and maybe need a guide. Destinations are Mae Kha Sa Waterfall, Mae Gee Waterfall, Mae Ree Waterfall, Mo Ko Chu, Um-Phang. There are said to be many animals in the area. It's what they call evergreen forest. All this information about Mae Wong NP, I got from a helpful lady called "Full Moon" who stays at the Park HQ. Ratchaburi Area: ----------------- I've been in Ratchaburi area (between Ratchaburi and Burma) several times, now. This is is just 150 km from Bangkok. It is a great place for mountainbiking (this is why I go there). Generally, the area is considered "under development" and people call it a "secret". Local tourism is just about picking up with several resorts being under construction / being done and little known. For the biking part: The area has a lot of pretty good and wide dirtroads, with very little traffic. Beyond that there are smaller dirt roads, also passable by bike. The asphalt roads can be cycled too, traffic not bad. It's hilly but not mountainous, so you will make good speed and have fun. In the rainy season, roads can be flooded which makes it somehow more exciting. Accommodation: There are several Resorts in the area. These places are often run by Bangkok people who are fed-up with the city. Visitors are mostly of the wealthy kind, normally from Bangkok. Count on paying around B500 for a hut. If you are on a budget, have a tent handy. Permit for camping is somewhere between zero and B100 per person per night, depends on the place. Here some places I've checked myself: Ratchaburi: D1-Hotel, B240 for a clean fan double with bathroom. Some people speak English. Can be noisy at night because disco not far away. Chom Bung: Laem Long Hotel, B500 (maybe -5%) for an aircon double with Sat TV, bathroom, quite nice. Have nothing simpler. It's the only hotel in Chom Bung and it even doesn't read "Hotel" on the sign. It's next to a school on the mainroad and you may want to ask someone for it. Staff spoke only very little English. Suan Phung: No accommodation. Around Suan Phung: 1) Just a bit east of town, off the mainroad on a dirtroad, is Serene Resort. There is an English sign to indicate the branchoff. 2 Bed huts have bathroom and fan, quite nice and new, B500 but can be bargained. 2) 12 km west of town, all along the mainroad, past the branchoff to the hotspring, turn right at the end of the road, dirtroad continues to checkpoint, straight across and follow the road, you will find Rosegarden Resort (careful, a second Rosegarden is in the area). A 2-room hut with bathroom, 2 beds (one per room), costs B500, but can be done for B300 per night for one person. This place is not too far from the Burmese border. 3) Past the Rosegarden on the right, one reaches a cluster of resorts, the major one is B900 for a 4-bed hut. Camping on a nicely-prepared meadow is currently possible for free, if you have a tent. This place is not too far from the Burmese border. 4) HYT Resort (Huay Yai Thong Garden Resort) is run by Gabby (Thai, speaks excellent English). There's a raft to cross over the river to the huts and camping area. It's very jungleish and quiet. One hut (4 people) goes for B500 per night, talk to Gabby herself for a major discount. Huts are clean though rather simple with outside bathroom, oil lanterns, sleep on a mat on the ground. She has huts up to 15 people plus camping possibility. 3 meals per day can be arranged. Can borrow the canoe for a tour on the reservoir (there is just 1 canoe and it's free to borrow). Gabby knows many people and her place is well-known and popular not only amongst those Bangkok folks who found here, also amongst the local military. They regularly pass by her place (it's 20km from the border) and stop for a meal at her nice and affordable roadside restaurant. HYT is best accessed from Kanchanaburi area, though you may be able to find a way thru from Chom Bung. Go to Dan Ma Kham Tia first and ask for directions. 5) There are several other resorts, but have not checked them. Hotels are hard to find. Places to visit: Driving west from Suan Phung towards Burma, turn left at the English sign that points to the hotspring and waterfall. From the branchoff, it is 8km to the hotspring and 9km to the falls. Don't ask me the names... 1) The hotspring asks for B5 entry fee per person. If you want to use the pool, pay more. A track leads up the hill behind the developed rest area (food avail) and you can reach the actual hot spring, a small stream running from it. 2) 1 km past the hotspring the road ends at a parking lot and some restaurants. A foodpath leads to a multiple-tier waterfall. Very accessible. This one is worth a visit if you want to play in the fall. You can skip it if you go for dramatic photos and hight. 3) Go to Rosegarden Resort (accommodation 3), then continue straight on this road, you will pass an abandoned farm and get into the hills. This road was apparently once asphalt and wide enough for a car, but this was a long time ago. Now there's erosion, it's badly overgrown, cannot pass easily by bike. The road runs along a stream, straight towards Burma, and I'm afraid you may not be aware when you cross the border, unless you carry a GPS with a proper map inside. I turned back what seemed to be 1km from the border. This one is for you if you are looking for trouble, particularly at this time. 4) Chom Bung has a cave with lots of monkeys. Inside no monkeys, but monks and a golden reclining Buddha. Sunlight falls thru a hole in the ceiling and lights the back of the cave. The cave has electric light and stairs have been added where necessary. Done in half hour, need no flashlight but a slingshot comes in handy when dealing with the monkeys. 5) Not far from Chom Bung is Khao Bin Cave. There's a park and some souvenir shops and restaurants in front of the cave. This cave is nicely lit thru electric lighting. It's quite an elaborate one with a pool / small lake inside. Also very convenient with stairs and a marked walkway. Take 40 minutes to 1h for this one, need no flashlight. -------- I'm currently mapping the Ratchaburi area with GPS, trying to build some mountainbike round trips and trying to name all the places. Waypoints, tracks, further details, I send after it's done. ------- Please correct the Lonely Planet Thailand Atlas: West of Ratchaburi is a large body of water, it doesn't exist on the map. ---- I often experience that the road numbers given in the Thailand Atlas don't match the actual road numbers. I believe it needs a major overhaul. Also I wished that some of the smaller roads would be shown in the Atlas. ---- Regards, Martin