Thailand in the Off Season: Great Weather and Fantastic Value

Flying to Thailand

Happy to leave smoky Singapore behind, I had my first experience with a bare bones cost airline. In the U.S., there are a number of low overhead, low cost airlines (Southwest and Jet Blue come to mind); however, I had never flown on a nickel and dime carrier before (I hear Ryan Air in Europe is very similar) until our first flight on Tiger Airways. Don't get me wrong, there's no better value in airfare, but that's before the extras are piled on. Have extra luggage? Pull out your wallet. This is understandable, and pretty standard in the US. It gets worse. Want a seat assignment to ensure your party sits together? Pay up. Need extra legroom in an exit row? Pay up. Want to board first to ensure you get overhead space for your carry-ons? Yep, pay up. However, even with all the extras, the total all-in cost was very reasonable compared to similarly distanced domestic American routes.

After boarding, and cramming ourselves in seats with horrible legroom (my knees slamming against the seat ahead of me, naturally) we ended up waiting an hour at the gate, waiting for Air Traffic Control clearance; this was likely due to the continuing hazy conditions at Changi. Once airborne, I was surprised that there were five flight attendants for our small A319 aircraft. I shortly discovered that the job of these flight attendants isn't so much to serve, and though they are surely trained in safety, their main purpose is to sell, sell, sell. Want a coke? Pay up. A snack. Yep, more money. We ended up spending about $40 US on snacks and drinks.

Fortunately, the flight was a short 90 minutes, and after a bumpy approach with some killer, fish tailing crosswinds, we landed at Krabi airport.

Our flight to Thailand - delayed due to hazy conditions at Singapore airport

First impressions of Krabi

To be perfectly honest, I was always a little snobby about Thailand. We've all heard the stories of the pervasive sex trade, the full moon parties, the beaches and towns overrun with backpackers. My wife even reminded me (though I don't recall saying this) that I called Thailand a poor man's Bali. Yep, very snobby.

We had a couple of things going for us that reset my expectations. First was our location. We chose not to travel to and stay on Phuket - it just struck us as too touristy, too cliché. The more I researched Krabi, the more it seemed a laid back version of Phuket. Both places border Phra Nang bay, with its archipelago of beautiful limestone cliffs rising out of the sea.

Secondly, we arrived in low season. This translated to great values across the board. Hotel rooms are cheaper, discounts on food at restaurants in the tourist town of Ao Nang were plentiful, and the crowds were non-existent. The only risk we faced was the weather. It's low season for a reason; in the case of this part of Thailand, the southwest monsoons bring in heavy rain during the summer months. It's hit and miss though. Some days/weeks face non-stop rain, while others experience sunny, albeit humid weather.

We were lucky. Extremely lucky. The week prior to our arrival, we were told it rained all week long. For the entire eight days we stayed in Krabi, the weather was phenomenal. Lots of sun, with only a few rainy periods...and they were late at night. It was definitely steamy out - both day and night; lots of humidity. However, it paled in comparison with the sauna that was Dubai.

The scenery looking out to the sea is simply awe inspiring. Stretching across the horizon are dozens of islands, a few inhabited, but most are simply limestone monoliths reaching out of the sea towards the sky, with lush vegetation clinging to the sides. In the mornings, with the sun's rays striking the islands, they appear as emeralds shining in the distance. At sunset, with the sun setting behind them, the islands are silhouetted against the sky as it shifts from blue to red to scarlet and then to indigo and finally black.

Islands of Phra Nang Bay near sunset

Though we got off the resort several times, including two days spent visiting the many islands, a few trips to the nearest town of Ao Nang, and an excursion to ride elephants, much of our eight days were spent at the Amari Vogue resort. Throughout, we experienced such radiant, sincere and friendly service from staff at both the resort and the various restaurants and destinations we visited. I must admit, it rivaled the friendliness of the Balinese people. Definitely a far cry from our Mexico trips where most with which we came into contact in the tourism trade were hustling for tips. Granted, the proprietors at the shops lining the main drag of Ao Nang were constantly trying to attract us into their stores, but that was understandable - especially with the dearth of tourists during the low season.

Another thing Thailand lacked were the aromas and scents that permeate Bali throughout. I assume this is due the large differences in religion (Thailand is nominally Buddhist, but seemingly more secular than the Hindi Balinese), where in Bali, incense based offerings are ubiquitous, where the air itself seems more infused with the smell of exotic spices and incense.

Then there's the food. I've enjoyed many a meal at home at various Thai restaurants, but it was such a joy to experience the food in the homeland. Of course, I had a few servings of Pad Thai, but was more enamored with the various curries (red, yellow and green). The food was definitely spicy. My shirt soaked by the steamy air typically went into overdrive in the consumption of these delicious curries. I was surprised at the prevalence of eggplant and mushrooms in so much of the food. Of course, lemongrass is also a big flavor component.

The other surprise was the temperature of the sea water as well as the drastic change in the tides. At low tide, the water fell back hundreds of feet, exposing an ocean of sand, broken up by the receding channels of tidewater. At low tide, the beach was overrun by sand crabs. Thousands of them dug holes, from the size of a dime to larger than a fist (the holes reflecting the size of the suckers). They were extremely fast, and scurried into their hides whenever we approached.  As for the water, though not crystal clear like other places I've visited, was the warmest I've ever experienced - and I've been a lot of places. My son Liam spent countless hours walking the beach, looking for seashells. He collected over 40 of them, and hopes to bring them home and sell them to his friends. :)

Liam collecting sea shells on his many excursions to the beach

Our Hotel: The Amari Vogue Hotel

After a pleasant 35 minute ride from the airport (in a van - we have eight pieces of luggage, and we have to plan ahead to make sure we have a car big enough to hold us and our luggage), we arrived at the Amari Vogue, a boutique resort that was a stark comparison to the mega resorts we stayed at in Singapore and Dubai. Much more to our liking. We had originally booked a villa for the four of us, but when we walked down the many steps of the resort to our accommodations, we discovered that they had two roll away beds stuffed into the sitting room. There was no way this was going to work, since it left no room to even open our suitcases. After trekking back up the steps to reception, the staff was kind enough to offer us a second room - a honeymoon deluxe room with Jacuzzi on the deck - at the price of a basic deluxe room. Leslie was initially worried that the kids were separated, but I talked her into the advantages of more space for every one. This turned out to be a great arrangement. The kids had a modicum of freedom, while we had lots of room to spread out in our villa.

Villa Bathroom - Sinks and Vanity

Villa Bathroom - Shower and tub

Villa Sitting Room - An ungodly mess with our suitcases spread everywhere

Entrance to Villa

Beachside Restaurant

Morning Buffet Spread

Lobby Area

Moreover, the location of our villa was adjacent to the main pool, and its lounge chairs, and the beach was just steps away.  We spent lots of time at the pool, smallish, but beautifully decorated with stone elephants shooting water from their snouts - a great way to cool off our heads in the pool.

The Amari clearly attracted the honeymoon set. Lots of couples hanging out, many young and fresh off what would have clearly been their first marriages. There was one European couple, with a PDA habit that bordered on the disgusting. Out in the pool and on their lounge chairs, he was constantly nibbling on her neck and back. If they had been attractive, that's one thing; but they were hideous. Fortunately, that was the only example of such behavior. Perhaps I'm a bit prudish, but that was over the top.

As far as we could tell, we were the only American guests. Russians, Australians, and British seemed to make the majority of guests. A veritable melting pot.

View from the upper pool

Water Spouting Elephants

Beach bar outdoor seating area

View of the resort from the beach

In summary, we loved the Amari, and wouldn't hesitate to return. The staff was friendly, the service excellent, and the location - though remote (Ao Nang, the nearest town, was a 20 minute drive away), was ideal for relaxation.

In upcoming posts, I'll dive into the details of our two excursions across the sea and into the magic archipelago of limestone islands - backdrop to such movies as The Beach and The Man with the Golden Gun of James Bond fame. Also, we did experience a ride through the jungle on Asian elephants. A very sketchy operation with the minimum of safety standards, but a wonderful experience nonetheless.

Singapore: Up in Smoke

Flying to Singapore

After five nights in the scorching humidity of Dubai, we awoke at around 3am (more easily done given our continuing jet lag) to get ready for our flight to Singapore. We'd packed up (all eight pieces of luggage) the night before, using each other's weight to sit on the cases to make sure they zipped up tight. Fortunately, two Volvo station wagons from Emirates (the version used for business class passengers - first class folks get Mercedes) were awaiting us in the hotel's drive.

Check in was a breeze. Emirates has a dedicated terminal area solely for business and first class departures. Immigration and security was a breeze (the security agent wasn't even looking at the monitor as our bags went through the screening machine). We boarded an elevator, and like Dorothy leaving Kansas, we stepped out on the departure level to a whole new world filled with throngs of passengers in transit, all scurrying to get to whichever gate they were headed. It seemed like we were salmon spawning upstream - a river of people marching against us as we headed towards the business class lounge.

As in Seattle, there was a hiccup in our record in that the agents were confused as to whether or not we were entitled to lounge access. She even asked if I was an employee traveler, but I corrected her, telling her we used Alaska Airlines miles to book these award tickets. After getting an override from her supervisor, we were given passage.

The lounge stretches 150 yards down the terminal. Comprised of the entire second floor over this length, both sides of the lounge look down on the main terminal floor through the long space that runs down the middle. There are several dining areas, lots of sitting areas, chaise lounges (that were filled) for sleeping passengers, shower facilities, a business center, kids facilities and even a smoking lounge.

After a quick breakfast (all Halal - there is no pork bacon, they offered a veal alternative), we made our way to gate B25, a five minute walk from the lounge. After presenting our boarding passes, we waiting near the boarding doors, knowing we'd be among the first to board since we were in business class (no first class this leg - there are three flights that offer it to Singapore, but none had space).

When boarding was called, even though it was only for business class, the entire waiting lounge surged towards the doorway. It reminded me of that helicopter atop of the US embassy in Saigon, getting the last Americans and others out of Vietnam. The doorway was swarmed, but like a good marine, the agent blocked the economy passengers as we pushed our way through the crowd and onto the jetway. Leslie was so annoyed. She was hot and tired, and now all these people cutting in front of her without even an 'excuse me.' She was definitely close to snapping. Luckily, we got settled in quickly, with Lily and I in one row, and Leslie and Liam just ahead of us (the cabin had a 2-3-2 configuration).

The flights were uneventful. Four hours to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and hour on the ground (were we stayed on board during the layover), then another four hour flight to Singapore. We left Dubai at 7am and arrived in Singapore at 8pm - a full day's travel (including a four hour time change).

As our 777-300ER dipped below the clouds, I noticed we were descending through a thick fog. Upon disembarking, the jetway was smoky and filled with a smell that immediately reminded me of Mumbai - the smell of burning jungle. I thought we'd escape once we hit the air conditioned terminal, but the smell was persistent. We had two Emirates provided cars waiting for us, and on the drive in, we finally learned the source of the smoke. A few hundred miles to the west, on the island of Sumatra, thousands of acres of slash and burn fires were dumping smoke onto the winds that pushed into Singapore. Visibility was only a few hundred yards, and we didn't see our Marina Bay Sands hotel (a massive structure) until we were arriving.

Singapore Slung

I had so many high expectations for our visit to Singapore. A nice 10-15 degree decrease in temperature would make being outside more bearable than in Dubai. Our jet lag was mostly over, giving us more energy to sojourn outside to different parts of the city. However, the haze (a.k.a. smoke) was overwhelming. While we were there, the Pollution Standards Index (PSI) ranged from 167 (stay indoors) to over 400 (life threatening to the elderly and the ill). The haze filled the hotel's massive lobby, and the smell permeated even into the hotel hallways and our rooms themselves. We had a beautiful view of the downtown business district - well, we would have had a nice view if we could have seen anything.



The massive lobby of the Marina Bay Sands

What did we end up doing? Not a whole lot. One afternoon, the wind picked up and the haze cleared enough to where we felt it was safe to spend some time at the iconic rooftop infinity pool. Stretching across 100+ yards, the pool curves towards the city ever so subtly, with palm trees lining the deck.

The Marina Bay Sands pool in less hazy times

Liam about to cannonball

Lily and Liam showing off their moves

Lily and Liam

Lily

Liam and Daddy

Yours Truly

Leslie by the pool

Liam

The view from the pool in clearer times

How did we spend the rest of our time? Liam and I visited the Arts & Science museum, which was showcasing a cool mummy exhibit. It was fascinating to learn just how mummies were embalmed, and all the care was taken to ensure the souls of the dead's passage into the after world. While we were at the museum, Leslie and Lily were enjoying a pedicure at the hotel's Banyan Tree spa.

Given that the hotel's breakfast buffet for four cost $135 in US dollars, we ate most of our meals at the food court in the adjacent mall. Not just your run of the mill gathering of different fast food brands, but dozens of different ethnic foods - from Vietnamese to Thai to Malaysian to Pilipino - were represented. It was so delicious, and compared to a sit down meal, very inexpensive (about $10US a plate).

Lily and Leslie in the Hotel Lobby

Liam in the lobby

See the haze throughout the lobby?

Three nights in Singapore, and we didn't end up doing a whole lot. If we had known it was going to be so smoky, we would have skipped this stop entirely. With the smoke at such high levels, we even skipped going to a barbecue dinner being hosted by my friend who lives in Singapore. As we packed for our departure, we were hoping that this smoke wasn't going to impact the part of Thailand to which were heading. We hoped.

 

Dubai: Observations and Activities

After spending yesterday flying from Dubai to Singapore (with a stopover in Colombo, Sri Lanka), we've arrived to an all but invisible Singapore. Smoky haze fills the sky, the result of slash and burn fires to the west on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The air quality is so bad, and so unhealthy, we've decided to avoid going outside as much as possible.

Before closing the book on Dubai (which I'm more happy to do), I'd like to share some observations on the experience, and share some of the fun activities we enjoyed.

Arabian Dress

Stealing a meme from the movie Tropic Thunder, I've observed three family types of family units: basic Arabian Muslim, half-Muslim and full Muslim. The basic Arabian Muslim family is very secular in appearance and dress like any other western, or even American family. Dads wear baseball caps, the mothers wear mom jeans (how they do it in this heat, I don't understand).

Arabian Half-Muslim families feature wives with head scarf called a hijab - sometimes black, sometimes other colors. However, most of the time, the husbands dress like their 'basic' Muslim counterparts.

Now, Arabian full-Muslim is a sight to see. Again, the men may or may not dress the part, but the women are covered head to toe - an abaya (long black robe) hijab and niqab, which covers the mouth and nose, revealing only the eyes. Now, these women take care of themselves. The eye makeup is beautiful, and I've seen red soles on more than one of these women at the mall. In fact, the Middle East (with UAE leading the way) consumes 30-35% of worldwide fashion couture, so these women are styling under their abayas, and probably showing off their fashion to each other when not in public.

The full Abaya, Hijab, Naqib combo

The Arabian Muslim power couple? A family where mom is in fully abaya, and dad is wearing his Dishdasha (long white robe) and Keffiyeh (head scarf). This is the very traditional dress seen among the most influent members of the UAE (think the Royal family) and other traditionalists.

Dishdasha

Guest Workers

Demographically, Dubai would seem ripe for revolution. Only 20% of the population are Emirati citizenry, among which are the most wealthy individuals and families in the UAE. The other 80% is comprised of 'guest workers' - a population pouring in from countries such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Iran (which is the home country to the majority of guest workers).

Living in Dubai, for many, has become a solution for many to escape from their home country’s suffocating labor market. At the higher end, European and North American expatriates move to Dubai under the same immigration laws, but hold high end service jobs (financial, real estate, etc.).

This policy is clearly visible throughout the city. Construction workers more than often have the dark skin of the Indian subcontinent, while hotel service personnel are mostly Asian, with a few westerners and Emirati (as evidenced by a man's Dishdasha) taking executive roles.

Guest Worker

Boom & Bust

With humble beginnings as a fishing outpost where pearl harvesting was a common trade, Dubai linked the Persian Gulf to the Bedouin peoples of the desert, who roamed seasonally, chasing the limited water and other natural resources.

With oil having been discovered in the 1950s, and full independence from Great Britain in 1966, the government was set up so that the UAE became a federation of absolute hereditary monarchies. There are seven emirates that comprise the UAE, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi (about 90 minutes south of Dubai) being the most wealthy. Today, the UAE has the 7th largest oil reserves in the world, making it still a very wealthy country.

Gas is cheap and plentiful, at around the equivalent of $1.77/gallon (in boarding Saudi Arabia, it's even cheaper at $0.61/gallon!). Gas stations here are full service. Though a self service model was tried, the public simply didn't want to get out of their cars to pump their own fuel; moreover, against all that we've been taught in the US, drivers keep their cars (and AC) running while fueling up.

Until the global economic meltdown of 2008 (it's already been five years!), Dubai was a booming town of non-stop construction (accounting for almost 30% of the worlds largest construction cranes), reach-for-the-sky projects, and massive government spending on infrastructure.

Driving out of the city, heading for a desert excursion, I saw many abandoned construction projects. The dry bones of a boom past baking under the desert sun; parking lots created for thousands of cars, empty. However, the market has recovered in Dubai, and there are a plethora of high rises being built in the city proper.

Atlantis Dolphin Experience

 

Dolphins are such magical creatures. They are graceful, vivacious and intelligent. Atlantis offers interactive experiences with the dolphins it trains.  I signed up Leslie and the kids for the basic shallow water experience. This allowed them to pet and touch the dolphins, and observe close up what they look like and the amazing talent they are able to develop.

 

The family hugging Manny the (female) dolphin

Lily kissing Manny

Liam rubbing noses with Manny

The Dolphin Bay Facilities

Leslie and the Kids

Dancing Dolphin

A fun time



 

Leslie and the kids had a great time. Having swam with dolphins in Mexico before, Leslie thought this experience was far superior in that it was a much more intimate experience.

 

Desert Safari

 

The most exciting and memorable experience of the trip came with an hour's drive outside of Dubai into the drier, yet hotter desert. It didn't start all that great. The afternoon jet lag was kicking in to high gear when we met our driver, who wasn't all that loquacious, and whose Hummer (ideal for this trip, as I'll explain) stank of the smoking he obviously did with no passengers aboard. The kids were complaining of the long ride, though I found the shift from an urban to an exurban environment interesting. Skyscrapers changed to lower profile structures, and more evidence of the economic downturn was visible as we passed many projects abandoned at some point.

 

Our driver stopped at a small set of storefronts - gift shop, convenience store - which served a dual purpose. Give the tourists a chance to use the bathrooms (and buy something, if so inclined), while allowing our driver (and dozens of others, all on the same itinerary) to drastically reduce the air pressure in their tires. Why, you may ask?

 

Five minutes after proceeding, we pulled off the road, and joined 2-3 dozen vehicles from a handful of various tour companies in the shadow of an unending stretch of undulating, red sand dunes. The first part of this desert safari? Flying up and down the dunes, roller coaster style. Right around this point, my daughter started to completely freak out (with my wife not far behind). Watching the line of vehicles take the steep dunes ahead of us, my wife and daughter started to regret this excursion. For the next 20 minutes, we experiences a roller coaster ride across the sea of dunes. Up and down, down and up. It was exhilarating, and pulled me immediately out of my jet lag stupor. The poor driver was trying to calm us down, informing us that he's been doing this for 15 years, and that he needed a special license (renewed annually) to make the trip.

 

Riding the dunes

 

The caravan of 4x4s



 Lily started crying, threatening to puke everywhere, but when pushed, she admitted she wasn't at that point - just nauseous.  At the end of the ride, we stopped for a photo op, and discovered the extent of the desert heat when we stepped out. The thermometer in the car showed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees). With the reflection of the heat shimmering off the hot sand, and with the humidity, it felt like in excess of 120 degrees.

 

Taking a break

Liam

Leslie and Liam

 

 



 

 

Once we survived the thrilling ride through the dunes, we headed to the desert camp located about 15 minutes away. Moreover, I had come to appreciate our driver immensely; he deftly handled those dunes, fishtailing several times and otherwise compensating with aggressive steering and throttle control in order to avoid tipping over.

 

Our driver, Ahmed

 

 

We arrived at the camp about an hour ahead of sunset. There was no shortage of attractions. A short ATV course, camel rides, a henna tattoo station, a place for tourists to try on dishdashas and abayas, a man with a falcon for photo ops, free water and soft drinks, and a cash bar. Moreover, a sumptuous buffet was offered (I took no part of it - the heat killed my appetite).

 

The girls started with henna tattoos, and I went to try on the largest dishdasha I could find. I yelled at Leslie, across the walled camp, and she didn't even recognize me as I motioned her over to take a photo of me wearing the traditional garb.

 

How do I look?

 

 

Desert Falcon

We were all so hot from the desert heat, that I had a real concern that one or more of us would get heatstroke. I drank a ton of water, but even when the sun went down, I couldn't stop sweating. Liam went to play with a friend he made, and came back extremely flushed in the face - and more worrisome - had stopped sweating; not a good sign. Water, water and more water.

So very hot!

Leslie's Henna Tattoo

 

As the sun was setting, Leslie wanted a camel ride. Heading over there, we had to jostle and hold firm our position in the line as time and time again, people tried to cut in line or otherwise get ahead of us. Mounting the camel (named Champagne) while she (er, the camel) was in the kneeling position, Leslie took a leisurely, but short, ride on her.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Liam made a friend, a boy named Vincent whose family was from Mississippi, and whose dad was almost 7 feet tall. He was probably a pro basketball player, but I had no idea since I don't follow hoops. They were whooping it up playing in the sand and getting dirty.

 

Liam and Vincent

 

Dirty Liam

 

With a waxing moon high overhead, food was served and the entertainment began. Beautiful and, I assume, indigenous, the dance spun round and round while manipulating various objects. Fantastic.

 

Dancer

 

 

However, soon after, when it became clear that none of us were cooling down, and continuing to sweat without end, I signaled our driver Ahmed to return us to the hotel. In total darkness, at 8:30pm, the temperature was still 101 degrees.

 

A very tired and hot Lily

Lily and Leslie

 

 

On the drive home, we passed several palaces that, as Ahmed explained, were owned by various members of the royal families of Dubai. Located out in the desert, he explained that they liked to stay close to their Bedouin desert roots.

 

Feeling an air-conditioned powered surge in energy, I spent the trip carrying on an interesting conversation with Ahmed on a variety of subjects: his ethnicity (Pakistani), local politics, the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and its impact on regional geo-politics, his living situation, the Saudi playground of Bahrain among other things. A fascinating character, I enjoyed his stories and his perspective on living as a guest worker in Dubai.