From luxe beach resorts to bustling street markets, diving into the blue sea to dancing the night away in a club, Pattaya has all the ingredients for a perfect vacation. Abutting the Gulf of Thailand, the seaside-city resort is Thailand’s premier adventure playground serving up a phantasmagorical entertainment cocktail. Is it any wonder it is nicknamed “Sin City”?
After a seamless 90-minute drive from Capital city Bangkok, I check into my well-appointed hotel ~ Avani Pattaya Resort and Spa ~ that is set in a tropical oasis that offers a mindboggling array of activities.
I can sunbathe on its beach, cool off under leafy palms, dine and shop till I drop or visit all the big city attractions in its vicinity. Oh yes, I can also splash about in the pool, on the green or tennis court or treat myself to a rejuvenating spa day! My ocean-facing room overlooks the glutinous Gulf of Thailand and is thoughtfully equipped with all luxuries for a comfortable stay.
Post a delicious dinner at the hotel, I step out to take a stroll through Pattaya’s most famous street ~ Walking Street. This atmospheric strip of tarmac is where Pattaya’s heart beats. It is peppered with night clubs, shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels.
As the evening dissolved into night, lights came on, illuminating entire swathes of the area like a neon web. South of Pattaya, beckons Jomtien Beach, stretching on for miles. Next time, I think to myself, as I tuck into my super soft bed, after a tiring albeit exciting day.
Next morning, I’m raring to explore more of the city. First stop ~ Buddha Hill. One of Pattaya’s biggest attractions, the towering Buddha Hill has a gigantic, gold-leaf image of Buddha carved into it with laser. It also hosts a temple (“wat” in Thai) and if you nip up to its vertiginous top, a breathtaking panorama of the city as well as the ocean opens out before you.
Shop till you drop
The Pattaya Floating Market is another one of the city’s premier attractions. And for good reason. The bazaar radiates enough kinetic energy to power a ship combining shopping, dining and sightseeing.
What’s not to love? As my gandola sails through the market’s packed water canals flanked by towering sal trees, I spot shops as well as boat hawkers selling a whole smorgasbord of products ~ food, apparel, handicrafts, drinks, toys and souvenirs from all over Thailand.
Next, I head for some more recreation to the Ramayana Water Park, Thailand’s biggest water park. A vast aquatic playground, it is located in beautiful natural surroundings. With 50 slides and attractions in a 1.84 lakh sqm area, there is something for all age groups here.
I was also very impressed to learn that all the pools at the park use fresh water drawn from on-site wells, which are thoroughly cleaned with a state-of-the-art filtration system, meaning that the water is actually drinkable!
More fun is in store for me at Underworld Pattaya Indoor Aquarium, which showcases Thailand’s rich marine life in a 100-metre underwater tunnel. Here, I undertake a voyage to the bottom of the sea, which begins at a sandy beach and shallow rock pools at the water’s edge.
From here, I start my descent, passing brightly coloured corals and all kinds of exotic ocean-dwellers along the way. Finally, I enter the spectacular tunnel with acrylic windows, through the home to great shoals of fish, prowling predators and a host of other creatures that inhabit the ocean depths. Besides opening my eyes to the brilliance and diversity of undersea life, the Underwater World also educated me about marine conservation.
Pattaya is high on world class entertainment too. One evening, I catch the KAAN Show at the Singha D’Luck Cinematic Theatre. A visual feast, the state-of-the-art audio-visual stunner re-imagines six famous Thai legends and is brilliantly choreographed with a cast of over 90 talented actors, aerial acrobats, six baby elephants and a horse! The twists and turns of this epic production with projection mapping, superb lighting, moving sets, eight-metre animatronics and aerial silk had me on my seat’s edge for full 90 minutes.
Post the show, as the sky turned a shade of lavender, I headed for dinner to Greyhound Cafe at D’Luck Cinematic Theatre. The standalone eatery offers an inventive Eurothai menu and local specialties with a twist.
Our tables were soon creaking under the weight of an array of dishes ~ spicy squid ink tom yum soup, grilled Thai fish cake, fried crispy baby blue crab, turmeric whiting fish and chips, crispy ravioli with salsa, salmon sashimi in a spicy hot sauce, Waterfall Mushrooms and more.
My fresh Lasagna Basil and Soft-Shell Crab Salad offered a lingering taste of the ocean. The Italian Style Clam and Mussel Soup (anointed with a dollop of cream and a garlic-infused baguette on the side) was so delicious, the flavours still dance on my palate!