Mimosa - A Colourful Attraction
Mimosa brings a taste of Europe to Pattaya, as you see in the photos below, Mimosa has a very distinct European theme, since opening in February 2013 the adventurous project has been attracting hordes of visitors. Mimosa is more than just a tourist attraction, it is a boutique shopping mall, entertainment center and multicultural dining center.
The best time to visit Mimosa is late afternoon as the bold colours are enhanced by the setting sun, if you want to take some striking photos this is the best time for you as well. The 50 baht admission fee (25 baht for children under a certain height) includes 2 shows, the first of which starts 6.30PM. I have heard it mentioned that the current admission price of 50 baht is a temporary promotion, and the price will eventually be raised to at least 200 baht, I even read one article which claimed this might be as much as 1200 baht, at that price I don't believe they will get a great deal of custom. I will say at 50 baht it's worth the entry fee, you can find Mimosa by using the Pattaya Mimosa google map.
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| Mimosa, Pattaya's City of Love. |
There have been ventures similar to Mimosa, most notably The Village which have failed, or at least never reached it's full potential, only time will truly tell if Mimosa has all the ingredients to be a success.
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| Mimosa Pattaya. |
Besides having a certain charm about it, Mimosa is a fully operational boutique style shopping mall.
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| European style architecture at Mimosa Pattaya. |
The style and the bright, bold colours really make Mimosa stand out from the crowd.
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| Attention to detail at Mimosa Pattaya. |
The devil is in the detail "as they say", cast iron work, wooden trim and Olde World European style signage add the finishing touches to Mimosa.
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| Colorful Mimosa. |
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| Mimosa, it's bold and colorful. |
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| Welcome to Mimosa. |
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| Lady-boys ready to perform at the Mimosa cabaret show. |
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| Cabaret. |
I will sum up by saying that I didn't check out any of the restaurants or drinking establishments, I never stayed to watch the shows, but there does appear to be some cool places to eat and drink. I was there solely to see the place and take a few photos, in regard to which I could have and should have stayed a lot longer, like the stars of the show (see photo above), Mimosa is a highly photogenic place. One day, if the price remains reasonable I will return, I will take some more photos, try the food and drink, and watch the Lady-boy show.
Thailand Top Bucket List
There are some uniquely Thai things to do in Thailand, places to see, unique experiences to be savoured and cherished, things you can only do in Thailand, or just things which are best to do in Thailand. Of course, I'm talking about places and experiences which should be added to your Thailand bucket list, you dare not go home without trying or doing something typically Thai, can you imagine your embarrassment when your friends ask you if you rode in a Tuk Tuk, had a ride on an elephant, ate some Thai street food or visited a floating market, and your answer to all these questions is, no !!.
You might have compiled your Thailand bucket list already, or might simply be looking for more things to do in Thailand, some of the bucket list items below I have done already, others I have not but one day I will.
Elephant Trekking.
There are many arguments for and against elephant trekking in Thailand, for many visitors to Thailand it's a priority so I'm not going to try and talk you out of it. I myself have been elephant trekking, and I also wrote an article on this blog suggesting people should find an alternative to elephant trekking, the alternatives are few and far between but you should consider organizations such as the Elephant Nature Park.
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| Is Elephant Trekking on you Thailand Bucket List. |
Visit a waterfall.
Thailand can boast many beautiful waterfalls, I know that's not unique but the crystal clear water and cool but not cold temperature makes having a swim in the waterfall pools an exhilarating experience.
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| Thailand's waterfall are cool, clean and refreshing, well worth adding to you Thailand Bucket List. |
Thai Island Hopping.
Most of Thailand's best beaches are on the islands so it makes sense to visit at least one island.
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| Island hopping is a number priority on many peoples list of things to do in Thailand. |
Flight of The Gibbon.
Again, this is not something you would call a unique Thai experience, but what a wonderful place to do it, besides being an adrenaline rush, Flight of The Gibbon is also an ideal opportunity to take in the breathtaking scenery of Thailand's tropical rain forests.
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| Flight of The Gibbon is not typically Thai, but you should add it to your Thailand Wish List. |
Visit Thailand's Hill Tribes.
Most people have heard of the hill tribes in Northern Thailand, especially the Long Necks, treatment of the tribes has often been harshly criticized, some say that the tribes people are made to feel like animals in a zoo. Many of the tribes do rely on tourism though, and many tourists find the hill tribes fascinating, haven't done it myself but its on my Thailand Bucket List.
.jpg "Hill Tribes are almost uniquely Thai, and should be high on your itinery of things to see in Thailand.") |
| By Steve Evans from Citizen of the World (Thailand Hill TribesUploaded by russavia) [CC-B |
Snake Show.
Thailand is famous for it's snake shows, I would guess that snake charming is something that nobody wants to do, but everybody wants to watch, maybe we all have a morbid desire for the snake charmer to get bittern.
Eat Thai Street Food.
When you get back home your friends are going to ask you, did you eat the street food ?, then they'll ask you if you ate bugs ?, if you answer yes to both of those questions they will then ask you which bugs you ate. For most people a cricket or grass hopper is no problem, but if you want to impress the folks back home, tell the them you ate a Giant Water Bug.
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| Eating street food, especially bugs, is one thing you have to try in Thailand. |
Loy Krathong Festival.
You can't not do Loy Krathong if you're in Thailand, the once a year cleansing of bad karma might be just what you need.
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| Loy Krathong is absolute 100 percent Thai, an occasion you should not miss when in Thailand. |
Thailand's Songkran Festival.
Songkran, you either love it or you hate it, but you'll never see a festival like this anywhere in the world, Songkran is the worlds biggest water fight. It should also be added that Songkran is the Thai New Year, which fortunately or unfortunately makes it a once a year event. You won't know if you love it or hate it until you try it, but if you are in Thailand during Songkran there will be most likely no way to avoid it, so it's going on your Thailand Bucket List, like it or not.
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| It's the biggest event on Thailand's annual calendar, must the number one bucket list item !!. |
Go and see a Ladyboy Show.
You might think it's strange that a man instinctively knows that he should have been born a woman, you might think it's even stranger that he is so open about it, and that he has decided to make the physical transformation from man to woman, so it's goodbye Fred, and hello Frederica. You know what, it's not really considered to be strange in Thailand, Ladyboys (Kathoeys) are accepted as the Third Gender in Thailand. You might also find it hard to believe that Ladyboys can be stunningly beautiful, so much so you would never guess that they born a man. It's not unusual for Ladyboys to have flamboyant personalities, and there is no better place to see for yourself than at a Ladyboy Cabaret Show or at the Tiffany's Beauty Pageant in Pattaya.
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| Photo by Andyindia under a creative commons license. |
More things you must do in Thailand.
- Take a ride in a Tuk Tuk.
- Take a ride in a Long-tail Boat.
- Visit a Temple.
- Go shopping at a night market.
- Go and watch a Go Go Show.
- Have a Thai Massage.
- Have a
soapyfoot massage - Eat Somtam.
- Watch a Muay Thai Fight.
- Go to a Full Moon Party.
- Have a Tattoo.
- Buy original Thai Silk.
- Wear a sarong.
- Barter for something at least once.
- Have a 3 piece suit made for a hundred dollars.
Koh Chang - Island of Activity
Koh Chang is the largest island on Thailand's eastern seaboard, and Thailand's second largest island, only Phuket is bigger. Of the three main islands on Thailand's eastern seaboard, Koh Chang has the most to offer, there are more activities and things to do on Koh Chang than there are on Koh Samet and Koh Lahn, if you are looking only for a beach holiday Koh Samet and Koh Lahn are a good choice, but if you want a little variety, adventure and more things to do rather than just sit on the beach all day, then you must choose Koh Chang.
Accommodation on Koh Chang is diverse, there are cheap backpacker huts, luxury spas and resorts, and excellent value for money family resorts like Klong Prao Resort. The beaches are also diverse, White Sands Beach is the most popular beach on Koh Chang, hence it can get quite congested, but you can still find relatively secluded beaches around the island, I would say the beast beach on Koh Chang is Klong Prao Beach, it's big, safe, and surprisingly it never gets overcrowded.
Be you a party animal, a backpacker, a beach potato, an adrenaline junkie or a solitude hunter you will be perfectly happy on Koh Chang. I selected a few of the best things to do on Koh Chang, and accompanied them with photos (below), read on and discover why Koh Chang is the obvious choice.
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| Hire a kayak at Salkkok Koh Chang. |
The Kayak Station at Salakkok Bay offers kayaks or you can simply enjoy the ride as you are rowed around on a gondola style boat, the mangrove swamp is a beautiful place to explore, as you paddle down river from the kayak station you enter a large bay which flows out to sea, there are small channels and little detours you can take through the mangroves. Be careful not to get lost, and be careful of the current as the water funnels out to sea. You can also take a tour of the mangroves on foot, concrete walkways have been built over the mangrove swamp, at the right time of year you might even see fireflies. There is also an excellent restaurant on the jetty.
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| Thai fishing boats at Salakkok Bay. |
Salakkok Bay is a working fishing village, here you can see a traditional way of life and traditional Thai architecture in unspoilt natural surroundings.
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| Shop for souvenirs at Bangbao. |
Bangbao Pier is a great place to shop for souvenirs, to dine or just take a walk, along the pier there are restaurants, accommodation, scuba diving shops and tour operators.
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| Taking a walk on one of the many spacious beaches on Koh Chang. |
Take a night time stroll on the beach, as the sun starts to set, many of the beaches become desolate, White Sands Beach is transformed as a myriad of resorts set tables on the beach, complete with candles and fairy lights, most offer barbecued seafood or food off the standard menu.
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| View of White Sands, Koh Chang, Thailand. |
Koh Chang has some breathtaking scenery, the photo above is an overview of White Sands.
.jpg "Small island close to Koh Chang") |
| Spectacular view from one of Koh Chang's scenic viewing points. |
The photo above was taken from one of the many scenic viewing areas on the island. One of the best ways to admire the beautiful scenery of Koh Chang is to hire a motorcycle, but be warned, you need nerves of steel and a high level of competence to negotiate the steep twisting roads.
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| Trek through the jungle on an elephant. |
I can't say that elephant trekking is one of my favourite pastimes but many people have it on their bucket list.
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| Get you hair braided on the beach. |
You can get almost anything on the beach, including massage, beer and food, I don't know why so many women like to get their hair braided on the beach, my own theory is that it's a souvenir to take home.
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| Take the plunge and cool Klong Plu waterfall, Koh Chang's largest waterfall. |
Due to Koh Chang's geographical nature there are lots of waterfalls on the island, most of them are national parks so there is an entrance fee. The most popular waterfall on Koh Chang is Klong Plu, a great place to go for a refreshing swim or impress the masses with your daring acrobatic dives into the pool.
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| Having fun on the beach. |
Without doubt, if you visit Koh Chang you will spend most of your time on the beach, with or without your bucket and spade.
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| Chill Out with a beer. |
You don't need a bucket and spade to have fun on the beach, you don't even need a chair, all you need is a green bottle and a little bit of solitude.
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| Have the ride of a lifetime. |
If the "Treetops Adventure", is half as good as The Flight of The Gibbon in Chonburi, I will highly recommend it, I can safely say that was one of the best thrills I had in my life.
Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave - Thailand
Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave takes some getting to but it's well worth the hike. Reports say that this is the most photographed cave in Thailand, I have seen some great photos of Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave on the internet, and it's easy to understand why it is so popular with photographers.
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| A lady hiring out walking sticks at Phraya Nakhon Cave, a sign of things to come. |
After taking the Longtail Boat or walking the hillside trek from Bang Pu Village to Laem Sala Beach, follow the signs to Phraya Nakhon Cave. A short walk will take you to the bottom of a steep rocky hill, climb the hill for about 30 minutes to reach the entrance to Phraya Nakhon Cave, you can hire a walking stick from the old lady at the bottom, costs about 20 Baht.
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| It's a steep climb but the Boys made it, just take your time. |
The trek up the hill to Phraya Nakhon Cave is steep and rocky, be careful if you have young children with you, and wear sensible footwear, sandals with a back strap or preferably training shoes. Be sure to wear some mosquito repellent or you will more than like suffer a few mosquito bites, the trek is dense with vegetation and the mosquitoes are aggressive.
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| A beautiful view from the halfway point to Phraya Nakhon Cave. |
Half way up the climb to Phraya Nakhon Cave there is a resting point, you can usually buy water and cold towel wipes here, but it's a good idea to take plenty of water with you just in case. Beautiful view of the sea from here as well.
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| Once inside Phraya Nakhon Cave your efforts are rewarded by the beauty of the place. |
On arrival at Phraya Nakhon Cave, follow the track down in to the entrance chamber, here you will see an information map pointing you to the main features of the cave, the main chamber is to the left when you arrive at the bottom. The main chamber is best described as a "huge cavern" with 2 holes in the ceiling.
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| The main chamber of Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave. |
To give you some idea of the size of this chamber, take a look at the above photo, to the right of the Sala you can see a group of Human figures.
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| Holes in the ceiling of Phraya Nakhon Cave. |
The photo above shows the holes in the ceiling of Phraya Nakhon Cave, beneath these holes there are trees and vegetation growing due to sunlight and rain entering the cave. If you visit the cave at the right time you will see the sunlight steaming through the holes and bathing the Sala with light.
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| The "Sala" at Phraya Nakhon Cave. |
The cave was named after a former provincial ruler "Phraya Nakhon" who discovered the cave in the early 1800's after his boat was forced ashore during a storm at sea. The main attraction of Phraya Nakhon Cave is the pavillion, or "Sala" which you see in the photo above. The Sala was built for the first visit of king Rama 5 in the year 1890.
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| The signatures of two former Kings of Thailand. |
The cave has been visited by 3 Kings of Thailand, the first was the much revered former King of Thailand, King Rama 5 in 1890, the second was Rama 7. King Bhumibol (Rama IV) has made 2 visits to Phraya Nakhon Cave. The signatures of Rama 5 and Rama 7 can be seen inscribed in the wall of the main chamber, (see photo above).
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| Seeing this Owl was an added bonus. |
Two pleasant surprises on our visit Phraya Nakhon Cave was first, seeing a Monitor lizard on our way to the cave, and the Owl (pictured above) on our way back out.
Where is Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave
Phraya Nakhon Cave is situated inside Sam Roi Yot National Park, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand.
The best time to view and take photos of Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave is said to be in the month of January at 10.30AM.
See high quality photos of Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave at photosofthailand.com
Pattaya Water Park
Many people say that Pattaya Water Park, commonly referred to as "Pattaya Park" is showing it's age, that might be true, it would certainly be nice to see a few re-vamps, especially in the seating department. There is no denying that Pattaya Park still has appeal, until Ramayana Water Park and Cartoon Network Amazone get their acts together Pattaya Park will continue to prosper. Pattaya Park is still one of the best value days out you can have in Pattaya, at around 100 baht per person it represents good value for money.
Pattaya Water Park opening times and entrance fee.
Opening times and entrance fees, even according to their own website, are subject to change so don't expect my quote of 100 baht to be correct, the best advice I can give you is to call them on 038-251201. I'm not sure if there is a double pricing policy as is used by so many other tourist attractions in Pattaya.
Getting to Pattaya Park.
Pattaya Park is located at the bottom of Thappraya Soi 12, off Thappraya Road, Jomtien, the park is an integral feature of the Pattaya Park Beach Resort and also includes hotel accommodation, Funny Land and Pattaya Park Tower, use this map of Pattaya Park to find directions.
What is there to do at Pattaya Park.
As the name suggests, it's about having fun in the water, the main feature of Pattaya Park is the water concourse (see first photo below) which actually flows around the park, there is a large, separate pool for toddlers featuring a fountain, and another pool has water slides of various heights, suitable for young children and adults alike. There are children's fun rides at Funny Land, a roller coaster, a monorail, viking swing and Tower Shot.
.jpg "Pattaya Water Park, Pattaya Thailand") |
| Pattaya Water Park viewed from the top Pattaya Park Tower. |
In the photo (above) you can see the layout of Pattaya Park, featuring the water concourse, the overhead monorail and the roller coaster, and as you can see, Pattaya Park is situated conveniently close to Pattaya Park and Dongtan Beaches.
.jpg "Pattaya Water Park") |
| Water Slide at Pattaya Water Park. |
All this talk of Pattaya Park being old and tired matters not a hoot to the kids, a good old water slide (pictured above) will keep them entertained all day long.
.jpg "Pattaya Water Park, Pattaya Thailand") |
| Sheltered seating areas at Pattaya Water Park. |
Nothing wrong with the layout of Pattaya Park, shelters are positioned around the edge of the water concourse (get their early if you want a good seat) but the seats leave a lot to be desired, you have a choice of cumbersome deck chair or rigid plastic.
.jpg "Pattaya Water Park") |
| Fun on the fountain at Pattaya Water Park. |
The toddlers pool is large and shallow, the raised water fountain doubles up as a slide.
.jpg "Pattaya Water Park") |
| Looking towards the sea at Pattaya Water Park. |
.JPG "Pattaya Water Park, Pattaya Thailand") |
| Water concourse around Pattaya Water Park. |
.jpg "Roller coaster at Pattaya Water Park") |
| Roller coaster at Pattaya Water Park. |
Roller Coaster rides (photo above) and rides in Funny Land are not inclusive of the price.
.JPG "Pattaya Park Fun Ride") |
| Children's ride. |
.jpg "Pattaya Park, Jomtien, Pattaya, Thailand") |
| Scary ride for this boy !!. |
.jpg "Cable ride from top of Pattaya Park Tower") |
| The cable ride from the top of Pattaya Park Tower. |
There is a fantastic view from the top Pattaya Park Tower, and a revolving restaurant, it's a long way up, and a long way down, the tower is about 170 meters high, supposedly the highest seaside tower on the east coast of Thailand. If you're not overcome by vertigo you can take a cable car ride down to the bottom, if you're mad as a hatter brave you can get strapped into a harness and ride down solo, like the brave soul in the photo above.