Yes, I went back to Thailand. I chanced upon promo fares on Cebu Pacific last July 2017 for Bangkok in January 2018 and I immediately asked my sister if she wanted to go on this trip. After finalizing the dates, she booked our round trip tickets for January 28 to February 1, 2018. Our group consisted of me, Divimom, Divibaby, my sister Bella, her husband Paul, and my 13-year old nephew Ton. Airfare per person was 4,691.04 PHP and 15 kg. check-in luggage was 690.00 PHP per way.
THE RESEARCH
This year’s trip was different from the one Divimom and I had in 2012. Instead of just shopping, my sister and I agreed to visit must-see tourist spots and do touristy activities. Definitely, the Grand Palace was on our list. So was a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. I told her I want to visit an elephant sanctuary/refuge center and she was up for it. I asked her if she wanted to see Siam Niramit, a production about Thailand’s history, but she told me that it was not Paul and Ton’s cup of tea. I didn’t mind. Ayutthaya was on the list but not a priority. With these in mind, I started my research.
Since Day 1 was a Sunday, we would spend the day in Chatuchak. Day 2 would be for the Grand Palace and temple tour and Day 3 for the elephant sanctuary. Day 4 was a toss-up between Ayutthaya or shopping district. Day 5 was departure day. For the Chatuchak, Grand Palace, temple tour, and Ayutthaya, I read several blogs mostly for directions to these places. For the elephant sanctuary, I discovered that Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), an elephant refuge center, offered the cheapest rate for a whole day tour with paid pick-up/drop-off in Bangkok. I sent an email to WFFT in July 2017 and reserved our tour date. To finalize our reservation, we had to pay 3,500.00 BHT for the transportation, which I did in November 2017. The fee per person was to be paid on the day itself.
THE ITINERARY
After months of preparation, here’s what my ideal itinerary looked like:
THE MONEY
My sister and I made a deal. I would pay for Divimom’s expenses IF I wouldn’t spend anything on Divibaby. Otherwise, we would split the expenses. Since Divibaby was only 4 years old, she’s free on most attractions with entrance fees so I mostly paid for Divimom. The only thing we split was airfare. Our accommodation, the Chao Phraya River Cruise, and the transportation for the elephant refuge center were already paid online and we won’t avail of any tour, thus, we didn’t bring a lot of cash. I had with me 22,000.00 PHP for me, Divimom, and Divibaby.
THE JOURNEY
Day 1: Bangkok ‒ Chatuchak Market
Day 2: Bangkok ‒ Grand Palace, Chao Phraya River Cruise
Day 3: Phetchaburi ‒ Elephant Refuge
Day 4: Bangkok ‒ Pororo Aquapark, Khao San Road
Day 5: Bangkok ‒ Bangkok to Manila
ACCOMMODATION REVIEW
MeStyle Condominium (AirBnb) ‒ Accommodation in Bangkok, Thailand
TOUR REVIEW
Dinner Cruise ‒ Chao Phraya Princess II Cruise
Elephant Refuge ‒ Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT)
AMUSEMENT PARK REVIEW
Water park ‒ Pororo Aquapark Bangkok
THE DISCLAIMER
Again, I am not an expert in DIY travel. Just want to share my experience and remind myself of the trips I had.
Ang bitin! Ano ba!
And excited na ako sa UK blog mo 🙂
Haha. UK entries next year pa. After Thailand, I still have to post my Taiwan trip.