Pattaya Trip 2017: Part 1 (Pattaya Floating Market, Wat Phra Yai, Drift Bar Hilton Pattaya)
Around April 2017 I headed to Bangkok for a few days and also included Pattaya in my trip. From Bangkok it was pretty straight forward to get to Pattaya. If you are on a budget like me, the best way would be to take a bus straight to Pattaya.
The bus to Pattaya operates at the Eastern Bus Terminal which is nearby the Ekkamai BTS station. My hostel was also nearby so it was quite convenient for me. Alternatively there is another bus station nearby Mochit (Chatuchak) station which also goes to Pattaya.
I bought the bus tickets on the spot as I did not do any pre-booking. Look for the cubicle which sells the express bus to Pattaya, or the one which has the most tourist queuing up so that you won't go wrong. The ticket that I bought at that time cost 108 baht per person. You should be wary if the ticket is way more expensive or cheaper than this price. Buses leave regularly to Pattaya so tickets should be quite available.
The bus departs at platform 1, which is located behind the station. Try not to get lost here.😉 As there are also mini vans going to Pattaya, be very careful not to buy the wrong ticket.
The journey to Pattaya takes roughly 2 hours or more, depending on the traffic. The bus stops at Pattaya Bus Station. From here, there are a few options to get to the main tourist strip: taxi, Grab, or Songtaew (essentially a converted pick up truck).
I would advise walking further to the main street to hail a cab or use a Grab if you have mobile connectivity because I had to pay 50 baht for a short ride to my hostel. I was with another friend, so essentially 100 baht could have gotten us a nice air-conditioned cab. But nevertheless if you've never tried one of these rip off rides you've never been to Thailand I guess.
After leaving my stuff in my hostel (will blog about it in the next post), my very kind Thai friend brought me to Pattaya Floating Market! The market is about 10-12 km away from Beach Road, so its best to visit via a cab/Grab.
If you are looking for a traditional floating market then you would be disappointed. This place was purposely built to replicate one instead. For the locals the entrance fee is pretty cheap, but for tourists like me you have to pay 800 baht which seems pretty steep. However it is definitely worth it in my opinion. For the money you can have a sampan all to yourself, a flying fox experience and a photoshoot with traditional Thai clothes.
The market is pretty huge and it is very easy to get lost, so be sure to keep the map with you. The place is divided into a few sections and each section showcases different things.
Since it was already lunch time, getting food was our main priority. There are two places for food here: a proper food court located near the entrance, or head to the middle of the market where this is a area for you to sit down and you can order food directly from the boats manning the kitchen. Pretty close to the real stuff (not like I've been to an actual floating market).
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| Boat noodles + chrysanthemum tea |
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| Roast pork |
The food sold here is actually pretty decent and the price is also very reasonable despite being a tourist trap. I ordered the usual must try Thai dishes and absolutely loved the sticky mango rice (not pictured here hahaha).
After feeding ourselves we then headed to try out the flying fox. The flying distance was quite short but it was okay.
Last highlight of this floating market was to try out the boats. Fortunately for us there wasn't much of a queue when we were there so managed to hop on the boat without waiting for too long.
Each group of tourists will be entitled to their own boat and need not share with others (not sure during peak periods). From the jetty the boat takes you around the market via the water route and you can buy food and stuff from other boats along the way.
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| Mandatory coconut ice cream |
From the market, my friend brought us to Wat Phraya Yai to visit the gigantic Buddha statue sitting on a hilltop. Entrance is free here.
Apart from the giant Buddha, you can also get a nice view of Pattaya city from the top.
Our last stop for the day was at CentralFestival Pattaya mall which also as direct access to Hilton Pattaya.
My friend recommended us to chill at this really nice place called the Drift Bar which was located on the 16th floor of Hilton Pattaya. The view here is amazing, and with tonnes of comfy chairs all over the bar area, it is no wonder that this is one of the best places to lay back, have a cocktail, and enjoy the sun setting over the horizon. (though the experience comes at a price, Hilton is 5* hotel after all) 😅
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| This guy picked the best spot |
Fun fact, I spotted Secret Recipe in this mall! Looks like they are expanding well.
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