Destination unknown
On the second leg of our excursion to the East we were met at Bangkok Airport by our smiling guide, Mui, before making the transfer to the Sofitel Central Hotel, Hua Hin. This beautiful colonial-style hotel is set in landscaped tropical gardens which are breathtaking. To see the 20ft high topiary elephant was a jumbo work of art!
I was surprised at the number of Scandinavian, French and German families with young children staying at the hotel; the absence of a British contingent proves how far behind our European neighbours we are in selling Thailand as a family destination.
This was confirmed for me when I asked a Scottish lady in town how she’d arrived at Hua Hin. She told me that she’d tried to book through an agent when she read an article about the resort, but her agent had no knowledge of the place and left her to book direct.
It certainly appears that Hua Hin is Thailand’s best kept secret – at least it was until I blew the whistle on it on Cable TV’s live Travel Show during a telephone link-up interview with the show’s Frank Bough. It was 1am at this end of the line and I was enthusiastic, if not quite coherent!
Having a nip at breakfast
While enjoying breakfast al fresco next morning, I felt a sharp nip on my little toe. Under the table I discovered I had been bitten by a stray ginger tom kitten that had obviously mistaken my toe for a succulent chipolata.
My husband told me that I’d been bitten by a feral cat but that wasn’t the word I’d used as my toe throbbed.
For the rest of the day my husband looked for signs that I might be foaming at the mouth with the onset of rabies, while I was more concerned that the kitten may have contracted alcohol poisoning.
With temperatures over 30C, we left the hotel for a trip to Sam Roi Yod National Park. En route we stopped at a coconut grove where I witnessed, with some disquiet, a trained and chained monkey throw coconuts to the ground for the benefit of its owners. Apparently monkeys are cheaper and more efficient than humans in this business.
Dogged determination
The fishing boat excursion illustrated further examples of Thailand’s flawless beaches with white sands and few or no people (hurrah! No anxieties for women of a certain age about exposing flesh!).
The focus of the trip was the climb up (and then down) to Pharja Nakhon cave. Halfway up the climb I felt that I’d had enough and could go no further when a Danish woman appeared carrying a child in a sling on her back.
She put me to shame, so, with a true British grit, I continued to the top and found that it was well worth the effort to witness the natural marvels of the cave.
The next day I was assisted in my recovery from the exhausting climb. The delicate hands coupled with the fragrant aromatherapy oils of the hotel’s Thai masseuse soon pummelled me back into shape.
It was with great reluctance that we left the peace of Hua Hin and made our way to Bangkok. The heat and bustle of the city and the multitude of smells made an instant impact on all of our senses.
We were relieved to reach the oasis of calm provided by The Oriental, Bangkok, on arrival here we were greeted with garlands of jasmine.
Our split-level room overlooked the Chao Phya river and was the ultimate in luxury, with a peerless service from the hotels many staff.
Our time in Bangkok was limited but we managed tours of the Grand Palace and temples, and saw the fabulous solid-gold Buddha.
My shopaholic nature was catered for with Bangkok bargains galore; my husband had no reason to complain either, having two pairs of trousers made-to-measure within 4hrs.
A wild and not for the nervous tuk-tuk ride completed our whirlwind night-shopping spree. In contrast to this, our stately departure from the Mandarin the next day was in one of the hotel’s Mercedes limousines. This luxurious car ferried us towards the railway station to catch the Eastern and Oriental Express to Singapore.
A journey back in time
Boarding the train was like stepping back to a time when travel was a leisurely and elegant pursuit. Our en suite compartment was beautifully appointed and the staff were attentive to every detail.
The diverse passing countryside provided a feast for our eyes while every meal was an haute cuisine feast.
Our evening meals were followed by hours of entertainment courtesy of the gifted and versatile pianist, Peter Consigliere. His great skill meant that if you could hum it (however tunelessly), he could play it, and he soon had everybody in the party mood, regardless of nationality.
One unexpected attraction for me on the train was the presence of a Chinese astrologer and fortune teller who made all the right assurances in telling me that I was in good health and would live to a ripe old age, but that I worked too hard.
She smiled inscrutably when I asked if I would ever be rich, so I took that as a no.
The Eastern and Oriental Express trip is fascinating in every regard but offers a sobering experience in a stop-off at Katchanaburi, site of the bridge over the River Kwai.
The reality behind the film of the building of the Thailand Burma railway by prisoners of war was movingly reinforced by a visit to nearby cemeteries for the war dead, beautifully kept by Thai labour funded by the British War Graves Commission.
A later stop at Butterworth gave us time for a ferry and coach excursion to Georgetown, capital of Penang.
A tri-shaw tour of the city provided some entertainment for the locals before we were all back on board and heading for Singapore.
n Maureen Hill works at Wessex World Travel, Gillingham, Dorset