Senin, 26 September 2011

Kanchanaburi


Chiang Mai at A Glance


Koh Samui oh Koh Samui

I looked at the calendar hm tomorrow was fasting month... it mean that Lebaran Festive will be next month...Woow until now I didnt know where should I go or spend my holiday? No plan so far... no ticket and also no hotel booking....gosh what happened with you Kevin? It was not your habit that just spend your long holiday without any plans to go somewhere???

Hm suddenly I had an idea...hmm why didn't I go to Koh Samui... a nice and quiet island to spend my holiday...and for this time I just wanted to relax, enjoy the resort or hotel and eating, swimming and also cooking class? why not learning about Thai Food... yes yes.. This new idea makes me excited as a new energy in my body and adrenalin as flowing to all parts of my body.. I immediately looked at the calendar and search the internet if there was still a cheap ticket or promotion ticket...

So poor me all tickets were so expensive.. and I sent email to QVI asking about if any available in Koh Samui... and 2 days after I got answer from Sheha one of the best Customer Service Team in QVI Singapore that still available for 28 August and 29August it mean only 2 days.. and please your confirmation just can be hold for 48 hours... ok.. I only had 2 days to get the ticket from Jakarta to Bangkok round trip or Jakarta to Phuket round trip and also ticket from Bangkok to Samui or Phuket to Samui also round trip.

I explored so many website of airlines and all ticket Jakarta Bangkok are very expensive more than double and even triple that regular price wooow... I checked also from Jakarta to Phuket no more flight... hm if transit from Kuala Lumpur hm to expensive also... I checked with Garuda because I can change my miliage with free ticket and just pay for surcharge and tax around 75 USD..and the answer no tickets were available and put in waiting list...I was so sleepy and already 01:00 AM morning...better I slept and got another idea...

This was second day and I should answer QVI about the resort confirmation and once again I called Garuda and I got the ticket but only Jakarta Bangkok and Okay I took it.. yes..I got ticket Jakarta Bangkok and also resort in Koh Samui.. I checked again for ticket Bangkok to Samui by Bangkok Air and promo price was still available

So now only how to get cheap ticket from Bangkok to Jakarta, if hotel in Bangkok not a big problem because so many offering for accomodation in Bangkok

Now I still had plenty of time before my departure date for exploring internet for getting cheap ticket but I also had a risk that the price would increase and increase

One week before 26 August I opened Airasia hm 12.000 bath for one trip wow... too expensive... but I already booked tickets also resorts and hotel...? Should I cancel it and loose more money comparing if I took this ticket? Hm finally I booked it.

Ya this time was not a cheap trip but as what I wanted that I need time for relax and enjoy nice resorts, foods also really time for retreat.. balancing my body and soul he he

Finally all were solved, ticket Jakarta - Bangkok round trips, ticket for Bangkok - Koh Samui round trips, Confirmation Letter for Prana Samui 2 nights and 1 night in Saboey hmm and now looked for hotel in Bangkok and so easy just search in Google and got it 1 night in Sukhumvit area and 2 nights in Charoen Krung just a step to Si Phraya Pier..and done

26 August 2011, I started from home 06:30 by taxi to Soekarno Hatta Airport and that was too early because my flight was 09:45 and estimate time arrival around 13:10

After checked in I just sitting in the Citibank Lounge had some drinks and snack and finally time for boarding. Actually I wanted to sleep but finally I engaged an exciting conversation with a passenger who sat next to me, she was a Thai lady who lived in Jakarta her husband worked in Jakarta... and 3 hours we had chatted and the plane would land soon...

Passed the immigration gate, I went down to lower ground and bought ticket round trip for express train (Bangkok Rail Link) from Suvarbhum Airport to Phaya Thai (there are two stop one in Makassan and one in Phaya Thai) depend on your destination which one is the nearest. It will be cheaper if you buy round trip and for 7 days validity period be ware about this.

The train schedule about every 15 - 30 minutes and just take 30 minutes from Airport to Phaya Thai so be ware with your flight schedule when you want go back to the airport by train. Using train will be faster and cheaper due to traffic jam in Bangkok and after arrived in Phaya Thai, I headed to BTS Train Station Phaya Thai and directly to Nana Station and hm so many people and crowded becauseit coincided with the home office hours.. lucky I just brought a light back pack with me

It was raining when I arrived in Nana Station and had to find Sukhumvit Soi 3 (Soi Nana) hm that would be in the end of this road because in my right side is Soi 8 wow wet wet wet he he...After asked many times finally I found the hotel, small but clean and should pay in cash and got the key... hm clean room and AC so cold.. I took shower and felt so hungry.. I did not unpacked because tomorrow morning I would fly to Koh Samui...I walked again to Nana Station just around 10 minutes walked from Hotel and headed to National Stadium Station..I visited MBK and other mall so often so nothing interesting for me... I just wanted to eat so hungry... and 5 th floor of MBK hm all food stalls were closed hooo? oh my God already 09:00 PM why time run so fast? Finnaly I had my dinner in Japanese restaurant and also reminded that was last order... Grean Tea, Soba with Egg and gyoza yummy.... I did not care about my body weight he he because this trip only for enjoyed food and relax

I headed back to Hotel because the main trip was go to Koh Samui.. and now time for sleeping not for shopping or enjoyed the night life in Bangkok he he

I wake up around 07:00 AM morning and checked out from hotel 08:00 AM and using the same way I headed back to Suvarnabhum by express train... and checked in at Bangkok Air counter and I got a problem... the lady asked me the credit card that I used for the ticket transaction... I did not bring it because I put some credit cards at home and just brought 2 Citibank Credit Cards ..."Please you headed to that counter!" she said... Finally they said this was our regulation... I didnt see in their website and I travelled many times with Airasia, Garuda, KLM, SQ and others but no regulation like this, I tried to argue but finally I gave up and I had to pay again with my Citibank Credit Card and what I had paid with another card will be credited around 2 weeks from that day and if any problems I have to contact them hmmm so funny and bad experience...


Time for boarding.. small plane with propeler type hiii and it was painted with colourfull paints no wonder they called boutique airline and not too many passengers during that time and jsut 1.5 hours arrived in Koh Samui Airport, small and so cozy airport with an environmentally friendly architecture. so do not need too many electric consumption by minimize air condition with open space and etc.This airport seem only for Bangkok Air.. I asked to the information service about taxi from Airport to the city and they had private taxi or bus taxi or rental car, by bus taxi it was a big van for 12 persons and only 70 baths from airport to my hotel compared with private taxi was 200 baths and after waited for more than 30 minutes we started to go to the city and my hotel just few kilometers from the airport.. Saboey Resort in Bangrak Big Budha Bophut Koh Samui....