Tips About Songkhla?

[Jorgen]

Hi, my family will travel to Songkhla in january-february 2004, do you have any tips/recommendations? Hotels, places to visit (with children), restaurants? Thanks for any tips!

[NedKelly]

Hi Jorgen,

Songkla is not a bad place for a holiday with your family. There is a big hotel right in town called Central Sukontha I think. There is also another donw near the beach but I forget the name of it. Th ecentral one is like 4 star or more but quite cheap. It is easy to walk to the market, museum and waterfront areas. There are a few restaurants around that cater for the expat oil industry crowd,close to the central Sukontha and there are also a couple of internet shops near the market. The one near the beach would be better for kids as it is right across the raod fromthe beach.....you could dump the kids and walk a few minutes to the golf course for a round of golf......it is just down the road which runs along the beach - so a nice setting.

If yo uare on a tight budget, there is a great little hotel opposite the Museum which is like a small boutique hotel with nice clean air conrooms with tv etc. It is a good lcoation also. From this area which I call town centre....you canwalk to the beach in about 10-15 minutes. Along the area where the beach curves in to form a big estuary, there is another beach area lined with temporary restaurants (they look pretty permanent) .......they all have deck charis downnear the sand or onthe sand and have some great seafood fresh from the sea....obviously....haha........

There are the two hills near the beach which you can explore with the kids....but beware the monkeys......they dont look very friendly. The road up between the hills looks quiet and dodgy too.......the sort of place you might get some dirty old men in overcoats hanging out......or worse stilll .......... Michael jackson !!!

Anyway, Songkla is basically a quiet place with a nice beach and great tented seafood restaurants along the side beach. Another good thing is that you can eaily get into Hat Yai if your women folk need to do some shopping. its great for that. The bus only takes about 30 minutes and is easy to catch ....opposite the school onthe mainroad to Hat Yai.

Something nice to do is to get yourselves out to the big inland waterways jusdt North of Songkla.........yo ucan hire a boat to take you around for an hour or so......it is pretty amazing......at the right time of year it is a stopp off point for migratory birds from the north........eg Siberia to Australia.......birds smaller than sparrows fly all the way........must be on viagra !! there are also huge floating grass islands with birds resting on them. There was a watch tower out in the middle of the lak/waterway, which wopuld be good to climb and spend a little time insilence watching birds. Take your binoculars !!

No wthat I think abou tthe big waterways.....I remember theree is also a resort near there too......right on a lonely stretch of beach....nothing else for miles. I dont know what it is like but maybe worht checking out. Get hold of a map of the area and you should see it marked on the map........yo uhave to cross onthe car ferry to get to it or you can alos go the long way around over the bridge......

Anyway, I know this is pretty vague ...it has been a while and I did not take any notes when I was there. But I am sure if you ask TAT they will give you all the info yo uneed.

......gettin weary.......

[lopburi3]

Songkhla is a rather small town with not much in the way of beach front hotels (the military owns the best beach area). It is better for day trips from Hat Yai IMHO. Hat Yai has major hotels/restaurants/shopping and much more for children to do. I recommend the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel for good value. Have often stayed with two children and they have good buffet on 33rd floor for lunch and dinner. They have a web site and there is a shopping mall below the hotel. There are at least another handful of good hotels in Hat Yai and some may now be better (have not been in a couple of years).

[Jorgen]

Thanks for all your tips, have printed them out, and will have use for them (and more tips).

[maerim]

and spend a little time insilence watching birds. Take your binoculars !!

Watching birds doing what?

[NedKelly]

Well Mae Rim......while you are watching the birds would be cruising around eating, shitting, and doing what birds do. But after YOU leave they pull up a chair, sit cross legged, light a smoke, crack a beer and play cards while they wait again for the next Mae Rim to arrive. What do you think ?

[fox]

Try this website http://nst.sawadee.com/songkhla/

There is an International Airport in Hatyai....... Thailand's third city.

From Hatyai town to Songkhla is about 30km.

Hatyai is full of fun, excitiment, shopping, eating, and exciting night life. and so on.....

Given any day, no less than five thousand Malaysians/Singaporeans cross

over the Danok/Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoints...... some by cars, buses. vans,

motorbikes, taxis, and some just walk in. During this Christmas and New Year

seasons, all hotels there fully booked.

Wishing you all Merry Christmas & A Happy Newy Year.

[maerim]

What do you think ?

About birdwatching?

I still want to know what they are doing is so interesting, defacating birds? Sounds as about as interesting as watching paint dry.

Of course here it does not take so long as in a temperate climate so thats a plus.