Things to Do in Pattaya
Crocodile Farm
Don’t think of it as just a crocodile farm; it’s more of a zoo. You can take pictures with tigers and feed crocodiles. There’s also a chance to watch a show featuring the crocodiles. In my opinion, you wouldn’t miss much if you skip this place, and you might even feel sad, especially about the tigers’ condition if you go.
Nong Nooch Botanical Garden
Since I’ve visited a few botanical gardens in Europe, I had high hopes for this place. I was particularly looking forward to seeing exotic plants. It was a complete disappointment. Aside from the garden design you see in the photos, there was nothing else. It was filled more with artificial animal statues than plants. There’s also a hall where cars are displayed, but unless you’re especially interested in cars, it won’t attract you. When we were told we’d visit an orchid garden, I was excited, thinking we’d finally see something beautiful, but we didn’t see anything there either. I don’t think it’s worth the money you’ll spend. I won’t even bother comparing it to examples in Europe.
Pattaya Coral Island
We couldn’t go due to health reasons, but those who did returned quite satisfied. Pattaya has a coastline, but it’s not very suitable for swimming. This island is ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
Pattaya Elephant Safari
The elephant safari was an interesting experience, but it was quite exhausting. I’m not sure if the 45-minute ride on an uncomfortable seat while constantly doubting the safety was more tiring for us or the elephant. Each elephant has its unique walk and behavior, and the guides are also quite different from one another. For instance, the elephant we were on started heading toward the water on its own at one point:) During the tour, we didn’t see any signs of the guide mistreating the elephant. He was directing it with his feet, but of course, there’s still the ethical question of using these animals for tourism after taking them out of their natural habitat. I thought we’d be doing the tour in a more exotic environment, but at one point, we were even walking on the same road as cars. Honestly, it’s not a huge loss if you skip this.
Alcazar Show
The show was part of the extra tours, but it’s in such a central location that there’s no need to go with a tour. You’ll be walking there anyway, even with the tour. It’s a show centered around entertainment, dance, and music. The stage costumes and lighting are quite colorful, but if I had to choose between Siam Niramit and Alcazar, I’d go for Siam Niramit.
The Walking Street
This is a street full of bars and women. Some might call it a kind of Red Light District, but if Bangkok is the “Venice of the East,” then this place is only that much of a Red Light District. Those coming all the way from Europe are likely here for economic reasons. If you walk here, be mindful of your husband or boyfriend; according to a couple in our tour group, women can approach them. Since we didn’t stay out too late, we didn’t observe much of this. In the mornings, this street is pretty dead.
Big Buddha Temple
Since I’m always looking for parks, we headed towards the park that appeared at the end of Walking Street on the map. It takes a bit of uphill walking to get there. Around the harbor at the end of Walking Street, there’s a spot where you can take photos with the Pattaya sign in the background. While walking through the park, we came across a temple, which turned out to be the Big Buddha. Since we were tired of seeing temples (they all seemed the same to us by then), we walked up to the entrance but didn’t go in. We completed our walk in the park and headed back. Additionally, there are spots in the park where you can take panoramic photos of Pattaya, but whether or not you’d want to is another question:)
Sanctuary of Truth
Two people from our tour visited this place individually, and we learned about it from them. It’s a large temple made of wood, featuring carved statues that reflect Eastern philosophy and ancient ways of life. It’s promoted as “Heaven on Earth.” Since there isn’t much else to do in Pattaya, you might consider going.
Massage in Pattaya
The town is full of shops offering foot massages, and if you’re looking for a reliable place, you can choose the ones frequented by women.
There are also small shopping malls in the center of Pattaya, but don’t think of them as being like those in Bangkok. They are mostly focused on textiles, more like markets than proper stores. So, if you’re considering shopping, it’s better to go to the malls in Bangkok.
Pattaya feels like a beach town, but from what I’ve written, you can probably tell I didn’t quite love it. Bangkok was definitely better, though I still didn’t find the exoticism of the Far East that I was looking for.
