Features
One night in Bangkok
Now that Bangkok is back to business as normal, as if the Red Shirt protests had never happened, You might want to enjoy a stopover in Bangkok on your way to the beach paradise in Khao Lak. JW Marriott Bangkok, conveniently located in the central business and shopping district, close to shopping centers and BST Skytrain commuter line stations, offers an unbeatable package .
Similan Islands
By John Bonar
From a jetty crowded with speed boats we piled into two fibre glass monsters and in a stomach-churning, wild, bouncing ride we bucked the waves for 70 minutes to the fabled Similan Islands, a protected national park and one of the world’s top ten diving spots. While dolphins jumped in the background we donned snorkeling masks and rubber fins, rolling off the boat into a boat and found sea turtles close enough to touch while myriad schools of brightly coloured tropical fish swam around us.
Quan Spa
By John Bonar
Close to the beach at JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort, you enter the luxurious Quan Spa through an archway into a cool garden with pools interspersed with massage treatment tables under canopies. Around the garden are 15 elegant treatment suites as well as a steam room, sauna, outdoor Jacuzzi and rain shower.
Elephant trekking
By John Bonar
Our trek started from the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort and Spa aboard hotel mini-busses, and took us a short drive into the foothills beyond Ban Niang town to the Elephant camp. Tourists are bussed from as far away as Phuket just for the adventure of an elephant trek.
Ban Niang market
This bustling market just off the main highway through Ban Niang, just a short walk from the stranded police boat that is the Tsunami Memorial. It operates on Wednesday and Saturday from around 4 p.m. and although there are some shops near the highway, most of the market consists of stalls and is an eclectic mix of clothes, fruit, vegetables and fish and cooked food stalls. There are some souvenir handicraft stalls and a liquor stall or two selling bottles of Thai spirits. It is a great place for browsing.
The food stalls offer inexpensive tasty satay sticks and other local specialties, ideal for snacking while walking around.
On the edge of the market there are a local bar or two in enclosures with palm frond roofs and a number of resident expats frequent both the market and the bars.
LE MERIDIEN KOTA KINABALU
Located at the heart of the capital city of Sabah, Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu is a 5-star business hotel just 15 minutes away from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. The hotel is designed to appeal to both high-end leisure travellers as well as corporate and meetings markets.
Reflecting Le Méridien’s commitment to an extraordinary guest experience, Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu offers the highest standards of personal service whilst still embracing the unique local culture of Sabah.
The hotel has 306 spacious, well-appointed guestrooms with superior, deluxe, le royal club, le royal club suites and presidential suite which offer travellers a variety of accommodation options. State-of-the-art amenities and facilities make each stay truly enjoyable and memorable.
