Author Topic: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR  (Read 51772 times)

Offline mdv

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #80 on: September 23, 2020, 12:26:27 AM »
Speaking of putting trs in news roundups.... is that based on the quality or  on your ddf status level ?
Sorry I don't have any snarky line for this space


Offline JamesIV

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #82 on: September 30, 2020, 11:50:03 PM »
Just read this one, great TR!

Offline israshot

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #83 on: October 30, 2020, 12:00:40 AM »
Wednesday, 2/5/2020, last day in the Maldives.

For our last day, we had an appointment for a couple's massage at the SPA (it became complimentary because of the power outage). I had also another guided Snorkeling that the diving center gave me complimentary because of the previous night incident. My wife didn't want to join me for the 2nd round since she felt nauseous towards the end of the night' snorkeling the previous night.

Truth to be told, it was too short to leave. We made the choice to stay longer in Thailand and shorter in the Maldives because of the constant watch of our daughter in an Overwater Villa, and for the accessibility to Kosher food in Thailand, but I wish we had stayed longer. We packed these 3 days with so many activities but we felt like we can stay for another week. The only thing I didn't do properly is to rest... I prepared this trip for so long and was so excited that I couldn't sleep properly at night, at least I wasn't tired.

Last sunrise.




Broadcasting my IG stories for my daughter, early in the morning.


After the regular morning schedule, I went to the diving center for another guided snorkeling near the reef with the same guide and the free pictures that come with it. Too bad I was only by myself but I was glad I came there during the day too. I could've snorkel by myself but the high-resolution camera with the professional photographer was worth it. You can check her page here. There are some colorful corals, and we saw schools of fish. It wasn't anything special but I never get tired of snorkeling, it's just amazing to watch all this life under.

















After the snorkeling, we had to go to the SPA. We first dropped off our daughter at the Kids' club with a paid Babysitter, we told them to contact us at the SPA if there will be any issue (what I really meant, 'figure it out by yourself and don't dare bother me in our quiet time...'). When we arrive at the SPA they greeted us with our names, provided us seats and brought drinks.
The SPA is right after the bridge coming into the south island on the right. The Spa has first a building where they receive guests.  After the reception there's a big garden with some sculptures and hanging eggs to relax, the garden has access to the water. Depending on the treatment, they assign different rooms (Villa), each villa is different and some have a pool attached to them. The entrance to the SPA is exclusive to guests that receive a treatment, the garden is a shared space for all the guests that receive treatments.













Dressing room.








The hostess came with the questionary in order to offer a personalized message. They also have a choice of oil and they gave us to smell them so we can choose our favorite one. My wife is a personal trainer so she chose an intense muscle massage but I preferred a more relaxed one.
I didn't have many massages treatment prior to this one for the sake of comparison but this was really special. Firstly, the room is over the water with floor to ceiling glass doors with an uninterrupted ocean view. the floor has a square glass under the headrest part of the bed so you can converse with the fish while the massage therapist presses on your back. The service itself was very professional from beginning till the end, with no one misstep for a full 90 minutes. I also liked that they didn't hand us a bill at the end of the exit as they knew it was on the hotel. When we were done, we felt like we were hovering in the air, so much the body was light.
We went to relax a bit in the garden for 15 minutes and then headed back to pick up our daughter.

At that point in the afternoon, we were still unsure if we will buy the picture package from the photographer and we had to see them in order to decide if we will buy them. I had about $100 left from the money I preloaded before our stay and I knew that I have an option to add more (Aspire credits) if needed. I first went to get the pictures from the snorkeling and transferred them to my phone and then we went to check out the pictures from the photoshoot. My wife really loved them and I had to admit that they were beautiful and it will be a shame to not have them. We had to choose 30, he showed us the pictures on the big plasma and we asked him to make some corrections to the pictures. Once we had the 30, I told him to make them ready for 9 PM before we're leaving the island. The price for 30 photos is $500++, a price I wouldn't pay, but my real cost after tax was $240 so I was fine with it :D.
I sent a message to my seller in the US to get more Aspire credits and I was hoping to get an answer at 9 AM EST which will be 8 PM at the resort, an hour before we have to leave.
In the afternoon we enjoyed the pool one last time and packed our stuff and then told my wife to go get a manicure at the SPA as a farewell... We also went for the happy hour at the Peacock Alley, we had a few drinks and a chat with the hotel staffers.



Peacock Alley is next to the arrival pier.










During our stay at the Waldorf, we didn't enjoy good food. We had tons of snacks and meals we brought from Awafi in Singapore but they weren't that good, especially that we came from Koh Samui where we had tons of delicious food every day. So I spoke with the chef if he can arrange us a freshly cooked meal at one of the restaurant. I explained to him that on top of new pots and dishes, I need to be able to watch him while he cooks. Since they don't allow guests in any of the kitchens, the only option was at Tasting Table where they serve breakfast, since they have there a gas stove on the open bar. He said that he had done it in the past for other gusts but I made sure to explain to him what I will need and how it can be done. I told him on Wednesday morning that we are on board for that evening before our departure and gave him our menu.
The chef was really nice and he actually insisted that he wants to cook dinner for us, at least one time during our stay.
We came at 7 to the restaurant and got a table on the beach. I went to the chef inside and gave him the OK to begin. He made us a fresh salad, stirfry vegetables, and cooked salmon. He showed me the new pan before he used it and he cooked on the fire. It was my first time doing at a hotel that the kitchen wasn't Koshered before, and I knew I had to watch him all along because he has no clue what is not OK to do. Everything went well and the food was really delicious, natural but rich in flavors. For the stirfry, he just used olive oil but it tested so fresh and different. The salmon was really fresh and delicious even though he didn't add any ingredients. The meal was $150++, with no extra charge for the crazy guy watching him cooking and giving him strict instructions... ;)











At 8 PM I got an answer from the seller that he will be able to do it but I'll have to wait for about an hour until he can pay with the provided links. We arrived at the lobby with our suitcases a bit before 9, they gave us our photos box and a present for our daughter; a glass tube with sand and shells. I asked them if they got any money for my room and they said they just got $750 and the remaining balance to be paid is $16.95... I got the incidental copy by email from Saddam Hussain (Saddam.Hussain@waldorfastoria.com) ;D.
I paid a total of 11 x $250 Aspire resort credit, and this covered the Yacht transfer, Jetski, Night snorkeling, Babysitting, Dinner and other drinks, and the Photoshoot, (the SPA and the 2nd snorkeling was complimentary).



The baby was already sleeping since we left the Villa (and until the end of the flight to Singapore). We were again by ourselves on the yacht for the way back with no other guests. The staff waved at our departure and we had some sadness in our heart to leave this beautiful and amazing place, but with real satisfaction that we had made it and it was above and beyond expectations. It was hard to leave such a place...







MLE Airport.




Offline KSMH

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #84 on: October 30, 2020, 12:48:35 AM »
Again, really nice TR.
Always praying for delayed baggage.

Offline tavster

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #85 on: October 31, 2020, 01:39:00 PM »
Excellent TR. And what a great trip.

Offline Kobe Bryant

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #86 on: October 31, 2020, 07:35:35 PM »
Amazing TR, Thank You.

Offline Dan

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #87 on: November 02, 2020, 12:53:18 AM »
Awesome TR!!!
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Wizmanison

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #88 on: November 02, 2020, 02:32:22 AM »
Reading this amazing TR while at the WA MLE makes it even better!

Offline tavster

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #89 on: November 02, 2020, 02:34:42 AM »
Reading this amazing TR while at the WA MLE makes it even better!
You still have time to mess with the resort's electricity so that you get free massage  ::) ::) ::)

Offline mdv

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Offline Kobe Bryant

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #91 on: November 06, 2020, 11:57:51 AM »

Offline aisrael

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #92 on: December 27, 2020, 07:42:09 AM »
for the burnner at the wa did the hotel privide a converter or u needed to bring ur own if so what type

Offline israshot

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #93 on: December 27, 2020, 07:49:57 AM »
for the burnner at the wa did the hotel privide a converter or u needed to bring ur own if so what type
The hotel has american plugs too. You just need to make sure it's 110 and not 220 of you have an american one as opposed to European ones.

Offline iluv2travel

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #94 on: December 27, 2020, 02:23:39 PM »
The hotel has american plugs too. You just need to make sure it's 110 and not 220 of you have an american one as opposed to European ones.

So the US plugs at WA accept 110v appliances of any wattage? Was your burner 110 or 220?

The American plugs at STR do not accept 110v appliances above 50 watts.

Offline israshot

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #95 on: December 27, 2020, 02:26:42 PM »
So the US plugs at WA accept 110v appliances of any wattage? Was your burner 110 or 220?

The American plugs at STR do not accept 110v appliances above 50 watts.
I don't remember exactly.
I had a converter.

Offline iluv2travel

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #96 on: December 27, 2020, 02:37:35 PM »
I don't remember exactly.
I had a converter.

Ok. I was just wondering because @Wizmanison specifically brought along a 220v toaster oven and it would be way cheaper to be able to bring a 110v version.

I'm assuming you had a US 110v burner and you used a plug converter, do you by chance know how many watts it was? Sorry for all the questions and thanks for your quick responses!

Offline arye her

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #97 on: January 27, 2022, 04:31:56 PM »
We landed in Bangkok and saw that everyone was wearing a mask because of the virus...not so reassuring but there was no way I would change my trip as I spent so much time and energy to make it perfect (and I went to the Ohel also).
reading this now.... little did we know
who would imagine 2 years later......
BTW amazing TR

Offline myi

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #98 on: August 03, 2022, 12:31:19 AM »
@israshot
 Very impressed. I really enjoyed the read from beginning to the very end. I would love to plan such a trip. Seems like it takes countless hours of planning to make this happen. From the flights, hotels. Working out kosher meals and all the little details.
    It was a smooth enjoyable read the fact you made sure to meantion all the expenses, & how you paid for it.  As well you meantioned most or all of the activities you did while on the island.
Though I see you drank a lot of beverages throughout your stay. Assuming they were all kosher to drink? Curios what you snacked on? where did you get salmon from? And cut veggies? How they cut the veggies and slice the fish? Kosher knife?

 Your pictures were awsome, a tr with pics is not the same without. I can visualize and see first hand what it would feel like without actually being there.
   Curios how long you spent reading FT planning this trip?
  Would love to do something for mid August. But from reading your tr seems like that's not really doable with such a short notice.
    Seems like a no brainor to get a card that will give me diamond statues before going. Otherwise I would be missing out on a handful of perks.
    Curios what you do for a living that you had to make so many phone calls while abroad.  ;)

  How was your back after that hr massage?

  Never thought it would be that easy to go with a child of that age. Really impressed how you managed and made it work.

Overall it was a beautifully written TR. 
Thanks for sharing.
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Offline Mareh Makom

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Re: Bangkok, Koh Samui, Singapore and Maldives TR
« Reply #99 on: May 08, 2023, 04:17:30 PM »
What does waldorf Maldives do with unused credit thats loaded to the room?