Pattaya in Thailand is almost in everybody's must-travel-to-before-I-die list. And it is on the list of most single men — for 'obvious' reasons, which I will not go into here.
However, here is a list of five must-do activities in Pattaya as suggested by the locals and related here by a solo male traveler from India, who apparently had a "fabulous, extremely exciting and fun holiday". Over to him:
5 things you should do:
1. Forget about visiting all the other islands that occupy pride of place in every brochure and guide book on Pattaya. Just make sure you visit the Coral Island, which is 45 minutes away from Pattaya. The beautiful clear waters is absolutely divine.
2. If you want to go to different places in a boat, always opt for a larger boat and not the smaller two or four-seater ones — yes, especially if you are a solo traveler. The boat owner will say that a "ride would cost you 300 Thai Bhat". Don't worry, smile and confidently bargain to bring the cost down by 150 bhat. He will ultimately agree to take you and you get to travel in a spacious larger boat, in comfort than in those dingy smaller ones.
3. If you are one of those 'adventurous foodies' who eats anything that walks, crawls or even simply because it is 'there', then you should go to Siracha Tiger Zoo. According to the locals this is where you get the best crocodile meat (crocodile penis is supposed to be a specialty). I don't know how well this sits with you, but....they also have 'crocodile shows' in the zoo which is extremely popular, though we were assured that those are not the ones that turn up at the meat factory.
4. For the man who wants to walk on the wild side there are the extreme hardcore sex shows. They are kinda an open-secret in Pattaya; as the locals say - "it is kinda illegal, yet legal". The best way to know about these shows is to ask the taxi drivers or anyone who comes up to you smiling and asks, "Want boom-boom?" For the uninitiated, boom-boom is...oh well, if you don't know what boom-boom is then you shouldn't be going to Pattaya on your own looking for some "fun". The best shows usually cost around 1200 Thai Bhat - this might also include a taxi ride from your hotel. Locals are usually not allowed. So are your mobile phones and various other devices capable of taking photos or recording. You can stay there as long as you want. But be warned — they are extremely hardcore sex fetish shows and you cannot find such shows anywhere else (I was told by the locals). But take it from the one who has been to one of them — you can only sit through it for 30 minutes or so. It is definetly not for ones with a delicate stomach and a weak heart.
 |
| Colosseum, the cabaret in progress |
5.However, the one thing that you must definitely see is the cabaret. They are popular and exquisite shows. Currently, the most popular show is the Colosseum. The one and half hour spectacle includes up to 15 songs and there is bound to be a Indian number. Flavour of the season is Munni Badnam
And here is an additional tip:
Shopping: The locals will tell you to go to Bangkok. But the ones who really like you will tell you to go to the famous Walking Street in Pattaya. Cross it and on the left you will see — paradise; shopping paradise. From electronics to cosmetics to clothes — there's nothing you won't get here. And always bargain for 150-200 bhat lesser than the actual price.
In the next installment you can read about the 5 things you should not do in Pattaya
No comments:
Post a Comment