Tag: budget travel

Songkhla Night Market: $10 Feeds a Family of Four

Posted on by Ms. Elle

If you’re on a budget travel to Thailand , one important thing to plan is where to eat. This touristy country certainly has so many restaurants to choose from but one sure place to get super affordable food is the Night Market.

Please watch this short video to find out where you could get the best value for your money.

Night Market is the place to go. Night markets or night bazaars are street markets, which apparently opens at night. It is certainly cheaper than regular restaurants, or fastfood chains. Aside from this, the night market is the best place to experience Thai food and delicacies at an affordable price. Also, most night markets promote local traditions like the Thai puppet show, folk songs and dances, so this is the place to go to feel authentic Thai vibes.

a boy holding strawberry smoothie at the night market
Derick and Summer Thailand @the night market

As seen in the video, 10USD has bought a family of four enough food for dinner. And below are the food they bought in the night market.

  1. Fried rice with vegetables and salted fish.
  2. Bamboo shoot spring rolls
  3. Roasted pork
  4. Deep fried chicken
  5. Crispy fried seafood with vegetables
  6. Local french fries
  7. Strawberry shake
  8. Crispy pancakes
  9. Bottled water

It is a tradition and certainly a great one. Going to a night market, especially in big cities is like one-stop shopping as it also has shops for Thai souvenirs and memorabilia. Definitely the best place to go if you are on a budget travel to Thailand or to any Asian country.

One downside though, which by the way is being looked at for solution, is the amount of plastics used.

Have you ever been to a night market?

If you are looking for an affordable place and at the same time loaded with so much fun to visit with your family, you might want to consider going to the most affordable aquarium in Thailand.

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nadivana serviced apartments

Hotel Review: Nadivana Serviced Apartments

Posted on by Ryan

Location. 159 Moo 4, Ao Nang Muang
Krabi, Muang Krabi 81180 Thailand
☎ 011 66 75 661 358

big pool in nadivana serviced apartment
Hotel Review: Nadivana Serviced Apartments

Room. The room we stayed in was pretty spacious and clean with a huge wall mirror, and a bunk bed which our kids loved so much. In reality though, Summer and Derick used the lower bunk only, as the upper bunk was way too near the air-conditioning. The bed was soft, but shaky. It’s a bed with wheels, wheels that couldn’t be locked, so it’s super unstationary. Pillows were tiny and uncomfortable, the kind that gives you a stiff neck but they’re clean though, which is super important for an asthmatic family like us. There were two dainty lampshades and a huge photo frame of Nopparat beach on the wall. The huge flatscreen TV had several cable channels which we enjoyed as well. The bathroom waa big and clean except for those icky smudges on the black-tiled walls. Other things we appreciate about the bathroom was the big mirror in front of the big sink and having a number of towel rails/holders. We love the vibrant looking, marble bathroom floor of The Lakehouse better though.

Other amenities in the room include several hangers, fridge with beverages (for sale), complementary bottled water, electric pot, safe box, two comfortable, sturdy, plastic chairs, toiletries but without shampoo, weird!

two kids in the swimming pool at nadivana serviced apartment
Hotel Review: Nadivana Serviced Apartments

Amenities

The Pool- adults and kids, both are huge! The pool for adults has a bar that allows swimmers to enjoy their drinks while in the water. Next to it is the kids pool, a proper kids pool, not a jacuzzi/kids pool type. It has a teeny weeny slide that adds to the fun. The pool is awesome! Water is a bit murky but not as murky as the Lakehouse Ko Yo Guesthouse during our stay there. Our kids enjoyed chilling out by the pool and had the time of their life!

WiFi is excellent! No glitch at all. The connection is even faster than Hatzanda Lanta Resort and Lanta Riviera Villa Resortwhich we ranked number 1 in our list prior. We were able to open and stream pretty much everything we thought of watching, in the room and even at the pool side.

Restaurant is located at the main building. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, eating outside is better. There’s a nice restaurant which serves great food at a local price just a few meters away, Sakeereen Halal Food.

Food. We opted for breakfast and paid extra $16 for it. Thinking that Nadivana is a big company, we were expecting a good breakfast on our first morning. However we were disappointed big time! The complimentary buffet includes toasted bread, steamed ham and tiny hotdogs which were re-cooked the following morning, cereals, khaw phat (fried rice) which has nonexistent meat and thinly sliced veggies. Eggs are available upon request but you to pay extra.
We had an excellent breakfast experience at Rimlay Park Resort, a relatively small accomodation. Breakfast there was truly a treat.
Anyway, the complimentary buffet breakfast is Nadivana’s weakest link.

Resort ground is wide with the pool occupying the main central portion of the main ground. Behind is where the deluxe quad rooms are situated facing a vast grassland (not a garden) where one could be visited by cows and/or snakes. Yaas snakes! I saw one (on our first morning) slithered into a bushy part of the main building. But don’t worry they have got this silicon cover attached at the foot of the door to keep snakes, frogs, and bugs from coming in through the gap.

Parking. There were no proper onsite parking for those staying in the deluxe quad rooms. They have got a few spaces right in front of the reception/restaurant area but this however is a long way from where our room was, anyway, it’s full the whole time. So we had to park on the grassy vacant lot near our room. We didn’t mind it really, the hiccup was, our car tire got punctured by a nail or metal screw.

Services
The room is serviced everyday and complimentary items are replenished too. The ladies at the reception were friendly, accommodating, and they could communicate in English pretty well.

Clientele

A great choice for those who come in groups of 4 or more.

Price

We stayed at the deluxe quad room for three nights with breakfast, for $178 (5,543.00 baht). Booked at bookingdotcom (https://www.booking.com/s/27_8/b84f891f)

Over-all

If you’re tolerant enough of small nuisances like having the water sprayer on the left side of the toilet, off road parking, possible snake sighting especially if you’re staying in one of the deluxe quad rooms then posh-looking Nadivana Serviced Apartments is a good choice. I strongly suggest however to opt-out breakfast!

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History of Bor Sang Umbrella: Chiang Mai Thailand

Posted on by Ryan

Bor Sang Umbrella Village Location: Chiang Mai-San Kampaeng Highway (Route 1006), 9 km from Chiang Mai Old City

It is a famous place in Chiang Mai Province in Thailand and a go-to for most tourists.  It is a small village in the district of Sankamphaeng popular for what is now called the Bor Sang umbrella. Umbrellas are part of Thai ceremonies and the people’s daily life and protection from rain and the sun.

designing umbrellas at Bor Sang Umbrella Village

History of Chiang Mai’s Umbrellas

According to history, a Buddhist monk by the name of Pra Khru In-Tha went to a pilgrimage to a village near the Burmese border. In this village, he observed the people’s lifestyle, who were Thai-Lue descendants from China.  It was in this village where he learned about umbrella making. This was Pra Khru In-Tha’s personal interest. And so he observed and studied the whole process intently, and shared it with the villagers in Borsang.  He provided them with the needed materials for them to practice.  Initially, Borsang umbrellas were made to be offered to monks and used of their domestic convenience.

Bor Sang umbrellas, due to its beauty and uniqueness have gained so much popularity that Borsang villagers developed methods to improve its quality for mass production.  Since then Borsang umbrellas have been sold and are still one of Chiang Mai’s trademark souvenir.

As a result, Bor Sang umbrella making has become a livelihood by some villagers especially during post-harvest season.

Fast-forward to the present

Currently, Bor Sang umbrellas are at a salable condition designed not only to protect one from rain or from the scorching heat of the sun, but also for decorations in homes and other establishments as well as religious, royal, and political ceremonies.

These beautiful hand-made umbrellas are patiently made with care that takes several processes.  If you want to learn how to make these please head to hand-made umbrellas of Chiang Mai.

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Three Budget Places for Budget Travellers in Prathum Wan Bangkok

Posted on by Ryan

Prathum Wan is one of Bangkok’s seven districts. It is the center of commerce. It is compact with plush hotels and shopping centers. For budget travellers, this could spell trouble in the pocket. However there are still things and great places even budget travellers would enjoy in Prathum Wan. One is exploring the entire place on foot. Totally cheap, right? Thanks to skywalk system in the city, one could actually hop from one block to the other without having to pay a ride. Everything is just a walk away. I have done it so can you. Another, having places where one could buy gifts and souvenirs for people back home.  Although Prathum Wan is popular for its luxurious shopping centers, it also has places that sell products at very affordable prices. So let’s take a tour.

Here are four awesome places where you could avail for great deals and definitely get your moneys worth.

I bought these 4 novelty shirts for my family for only 600 baht ($18)

1. The famous Platinum Fashion Mall. This is popular among Thai business owners and youngsters. The mall has got everything from children apparel and toys to fashionable clothes and accessories retail and wholesale, all organized in their six storey building which is only a five minute walk from Central World.

2. Mahboonkrong (MBK) Shopping Center is an eight storey building packed with anything and everything that you have in mind. It is not as glitzy as the chain of Siam Centers opposite it, but it sure has its own charm especially for those looking for 30% to 50% discounted products. Trendy  clothings, shoes, handbags, jewelries are found at the lower floors. Toys and electronics are found at the third and fourth floors, and home furnishings, gifts, and souvenirs at the fifth and sixth floors. 3D trick museum on the top floors which I have to explore the next time I go with my family.

Bought this Mr. Sexy shirt for my hubby ($6)

3. Miniso @Mercury Ville. Miniso is a famous Japanese brand at the third floor of Mercury Ville. They have got colorful choices of wallet, coin purse, handbags, towels, stuff toys, slippers, perfume, electronic headset, and many more. Prices range from 69 to 169 baht (a little over 2 to 5 dollars).

Bought several cute coin purses for friends and collegues (only $2)

4. Pratunam Market is located  across Platinum Fashion Mall.  It has wide variety of fashionable clothings,  jewelry,  handbags, and other accessories for retail and wholesale.  It is a single tier building and non-air-conditioned, despite though, many still frequent the place due to galores of bargains and discounted products.

 

You get to experience the best of both worlds, right.

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