Time flies so fast, I still remember how cool it was at the Jazz Festival last year, and this weekend the festival returns. Only 2.5 hours drive from Bangkok leads you to Hua Hin where the festival is held; I think it is a trip worthwhile if you are a jazz lover.
Hua Hin has been associated with the country’s jazz community since the 1950s and the jazz festival is organized annually in honor of the musical talents of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
There will be a lot of Thai people and visitors from neighboring countries sitting along the beach, holding drinks and reclining on blankets listening to the bands from Thailand and other regions play jazz music. Entrance to all performances is free. If you are a jazz music lover you should definitely head to Hua Hin this weekend and feel the vibes!
Click HERE to see the official website and see pictures of performers and the schedule!
I am up for jazz and I promise I will update the photos to show you!
UPDATED: Photos from the Jazz Festival in Hua Hin
Arriving at the festivalThe main stagePeople set up picnics at the beach to watch the showThe beach during the day - no more people!
Haad Bandsaen or Bangsaen Beach, is located in Chonburi Province just about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car from Bangkok which is not too far and easily accessible. You will not find western tourists in this charming village; instead, during the weekends and holidays, you will find this sleepy village transforming into a social hotspot for Thai nationals. Farmers from the north-east sharing the same beach with Bangkok high-rollers, drinking whiskey, making music, dancing and, even, swimming in the Gulf of Thailand. There is Bang saen walking street which open only on Friday and Saturday 17.30-23.00 hrs. There are lots of hand-made and some indie products from local people. The beach is not that sandy and they still need to focus on disposing of the trash on the beach more. However, I am proud to recommend this beach for tourists who have a short visit toBangkok and would like to get away for a day trip and see this local lifestyle.
Jeab with her family at the beachShowing the younger family members how to find shells in the sand
Ready to get on the road again, but sadly this time is without my little helpers!
Journeys Within guide training starts in just two weeks! Every year Brandon and/or I go and meet the guides in each of the countries we run tours to. We’ve done this since we opened the company and we feel it’s a key reason we’ve been so successful and our guests have such a good time when they’re traveling with us. Usually we do guide training when and how we can…a quick trip here, a visit there, but this year I decided to do a big Guide Training Tour. Starting September 2nd I’ll fly to Bangkok and commence Guide Training 2011!
The tour will start in Bangkok where I will meet our Thailand director Jeab and of course our amazing Bangkok guides. After training in Bangkok we’ll head North to Chiang Mai and meet with our guides there as well as doing the Gibbon Adventure and visiting a lot of the hotels we use up there. From Chiang Mai I’ll head to Luang Prabang where I’ll meet Nicole, our Laos director and together we’ll run guide training in Luang Prabang and then Vientiane. Next stop is Vietnam. In Hanoi I’ll meet Michelle and we will hold a couple days of guide training in Hanoi, head to the Central coast for the Hue, Danang and Hoi An guides and then head to the South for a fun guide training outing in Saigon. I am going to then head by river back to Cambodia as I’ve never done this trip before and have always wanted to, and will meet Narla in Phnom Penh for guide training there before flying home and doing one last guide training here in Siem Reap. The only country I couldn’t fit in was Myanmar, but I’ll be there in February to meet our guides there again! It’s going to be a whirlwind three weeks and I’m a little exhausted just thinking about it, but also really excited. I’ll be bike riding with our guides in Bangkok, elephant riding in Chiang Mai, having an adventure day in Luang Prabang, going to an amazing lake in Vientiane, cooking class in Hanoi, bike riding in Hoi An and a Mekong Delta homestay followed by a river cruise in Phnom Penh and a fun JWOC activity here in Siem Reap.
This takes a lot of organizing and I appreciate that all my team has been putting this all together and that my US office will be covering me as I travel. I’m excited to see our guides, listen to their experiences over the last year and talk about how to make Journeys Within even better. We’ll also be debuting our Guide Training 2011 video…watch this space:)
Do you have tips for me, for our guides? What really makes a great guide? Share your advice with me and I’ll pass it on to our guides.
Here are some of Jaeb’s favorite hotels and restaurants around Thailand.
-Ariyasom Boutique Hotel. A beautiful hotel in the heart of the city, but still quiet and relaxing. http://www.ariyasom.com
Relaxation in the heart of Bangkok
-Siam Kempinski is located just behind the Paragon shopping mall but they have surrounded the property with lush gardens and swimming pools. http://www.kempinski.com
The lush gardens and pools make this hotel calm, even in the busy city
-Praya Palazzo is a 17-room mansion that dates back to the ancient kingdom of Siam. http://www.prayapalazzo.com
The historic mansion is situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River
-Banyan Tree, Phuket. Banyan Tree Phuket has been included in the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2011 for the Best Hotels for Leisure Facilities in Asia category. The gorgeous resort is perfect for honeymoons or a relaxing vacation. http://www.banyantree.com/en/phuket/overview/
Banyan Tree in Phuket
-Anantara Bophut Resort & Spa is located on a quite beach in Samui. The infinity pool is the perfect place to spend a vacation. http://samui.anantara.com/
