Now, what do you do on the first night of your 2-week vacation?
Do you pace yourself or go hog wild? Does it matter that you arrived at 3 AM or noon or midnight? Do you take a shower or just go out? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
After your long flight to Bangkok and then the 1 ? hour ride to Pattaya what the heck do you do.
I can tell you what I do.
I schedule my flight to arrive at 4 PM. My other choice is to arrive at midnight. This is a no-brainer. Arriving in Bangkok at 4 PM gets me to Pattaya by 7 PM.
I usually just toss my bags in the room, secure my valuables and maybe change my T-shirt. I am then ready to head out.
First stop will be to have a beer or two with the owner of the guest house. We will catch up with each other and what has happened over the past few months.
Then it is time to head out. I prefer the beer bars over the go-go bars, so I will walk down Soi Buakhao, heading north, and either stop for a quick bite with one of the many street vendors, or go straight to the bars. The bars are in a complex called Night Bazaar ? right next to a night time shopping area.
A couple of beers later and I move out further north. I cross Second Road and make my way to Sois 7 & 8. It doesn't matter which bar(s) I go to. I just look for some cute girls, good music, and a friendly atmosphere.
If I am still alone, I will next head out for the bars in the Soi 2 area. There are about 100 bars here and I will do my best to pick out the best ones.
One more beer bar area to check out on Beach Road called Best Friends. There are about 17 bars here and I will walk around and find one to my liking. The good thing here is you can sit in one and look over the other 16.
If nothing suits my fancy here, it is time to go to Walking Street. Not being a fan of the go-go bars, I will hit the hostess bars and some of the beer bars.
I have quite a few friends in this area that own or manage bars. So I make the rounds and say "Hi" to all of my buddies and see what is going on. I am treated well so it pays to make friends in this town.
If it is your first trip, all I can recommend is that you don't fall in love in the first bar you enter. Take your time, relax, and soak in the ambiance. Pace yourself to an extent. You want to have fun, but you don't want to kill yourself. Keep a cool heart and smile a lot and you will have a great holiday.
The nightlife of a city is something that almost all British tourists enjoy, but if you want something a little different than popular French restaurants or drunken Spanish resorts, then Istanbul comes as highly recommended for its night haunts. If you're thinking of heading to Istanbul, or you want to find out more about the nightlife of the world's third largest city, then this article should give you the seeds for a great night out.
Where to Eat
Arriving in Istanbul on a Saturday night with the agenda of meeting plenty of English people and getting drunk will more than likely leave you culture shocked. The summer periods are touristier than other times of year, but it's not particularly easy to find many English speakers in the popular area of Taksin. That said, it's still worth going to one of the plush Turkish nightclubs, but to begin with it's recommended to visit an area of bustling cafes located about halfway down the Istiklal Caddesi, which is the main commercial road linking Karakoy to Taksin Square. Just head to Halkbank (a Turkish bank on the street) and you'll be in the right place.
Once there you'll be spoilt for choice with packed cafes and outdoor seating filling up much of the roads. You'll also be confronted by numerous street food sellers, market stalls and bartering waiters attempting to usher you into their restaurant. Most of the restaurants are very similar, with a fish and kebab menu (around 10 YTL - ?4) as the main feature, but it's worth finding one that sells beer for less than 4 YTL (?1.75), as this is a night out, after all. Once your stomach is filled, and a few tasty Efe's lagers consumed, it's time to get the bill and head across the street.
Where to Drink
For those who want a seriously sophisticated night out, then you may want to sample dinner at the 360 Istanbul, which is located close to the noticeable House Caf? on Istiklal Caddesi. But seeing as you've already eaten for a bargain, the 360 Istanbul is still recommended for at least one drink. They don't come cheap at 20 YTL (?8) per cocktail, but seeing as the plush bar is located at the top of a commercial block, the 360-degree view of the city skyline is spectacular.
Where to Club
Keeping in the local area is the cool night club called Roxy on the nearby Siraselviler Caddesi . It's closed during the week, but on the weekends it's a bustling hotspot for students and rich kids, while not being too offensive for British tastes. For one thing, all of the music is straight from dance floors back home! Drinks don't come cheap ? at about 20 YTL a pop and entry is a whopping 40 YTL ? but it's worth going here just once to get a feel for a true Turkish after hours club. You won't be disappointed by its cool demeanour.
Both Lar & Matthew Newport are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Lar has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Credit Cards and Hotels and Hostels. Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to Bangkok - the City of Angels - and books his Bangkok Hotels at Submitted by:. Lar's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Matthew Newport has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Insurance and Anger Control. About the Author: Go Travel Insurance provide cheap holiday insurance and for residents of the UK and Ireland.. Matthew Newport's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.