You might be thinking Pattaya, where is that? And why would you want to go to the sex capital of Thailand. The guide book mentioned Pattaya but only to say it was where ex-pats and Russians came to live/vacation and not worth spending time here. So why did Jon and I go here? For the same reason, all the ex-pats do, it was cheap, convenient and on the ocean.
Bird’s eye view of North Pattaya.
Jon and I had 2 days to get out of Vietnam before our visas ran out and we still had no idea where to go next. Bangkok was a quick flight from Hanoi and, also, a major airport for our onward destination, wherever that might be. From the airport, there was a $3 bus directly to Pattaya which was only 2 hours away.
Frankly, I was tired of traveling and moving hotels every few nights so the idea of spending two weeks in one spot was heaven to me. There were many tourist things to do such as day trips to gorgeous beaches on offshore islands, temples, diving, etc. and thankfully we did none of it. We hung out at the pool, went to the beach, and discovered favorite lunch spots. For dinner, we would head to the night market across the street where we had our selection of Thai food, freshly caught seafood, or anything else you can imagine. For dessert, we would have fresh fruit or a delicious smoothie.
View of the pool from the balcony.
Fresh fruit at the night market.
Of course, one night Jon and I ventured out to the infamous “Walking Street” to see what all this sex capital hype was about. The small street was lined with neon signs on either side advertising restaurants and entertainment houses with names such as “Crazy Russian Women” and “G-Spot”. As we wandered down the street in awe we were approached several times by men asking if we wanted any services. Just in case there was a language barrier we were provided with a laminated listing of services along with a picture guide. We grabbed stools at a street-side bar, sipped our beers and watched in amazement the parade of people that passed by. There were several men looking for services but equally thrown in the mix were couples, families with small children and large groups of Chinese tourists. I guess it truly is a street for all.
Infamous “Walking Street”
Mix of those seeking the exotic, families and groups of Chinese tourists.
People are always saying travel is expensive, and yes it can be, but it does not have to be. This is a perfect example. For two weeks in Pattaya we spent less than $500 per person. That includes a gorgeous modern apartment with a pool that was a 10-minute walk to the beach, scooter rental and eating 80% of our meals out.
Where we stayed, we rented a gorgeous apartment through TripAdvisor in the Jomtien of Pattaya for about $20 a night. We also rented a scooter to get around while we were there which was an additional $5 a day. The apartment was completely modern with a separate bedroom and wall to wall windows that let in a lot of light. It was outfitted with everything we could possibly need, including a washing machine. There was even a balcony overlooking the pool. The owner was extremely helpful and quick to respond to any questions we had.
Our modern apartment.
Journey with Christina 