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Final feast Mantra Pattaya

February 18, 2019 by David Herd

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Final feast Mantra Pattaya Sunday brunch with friends, I have so many memories of great moments in the last 12 years at this wonderful restaurant. This photo blog features many of the long lunches dating back to 2007.

We are going to miss the fabulous food.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  Alaskan crab & oysters from France have always been my favourite at the Mantra Sunday brunch. Having said that I must admit the quality has been going down slightly in the last 2 or 3 years. I apologize for this criticism just their standards were always so high I guess they were hard to maintain.

The seafood section.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  I would always ask to be seated near the seafood & sushi. 🙂

Final feast Mantra Pattaya, lets not forget the cold Sake. 🙂

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  Included in the price of the buffet, so I would always take full advantage of this special. 

My friend from Sydney Roland Bonnici.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  Roland loves dining out & the Mantra was his favourite Pattaya restaurant. This visit was a week before it closed on February 10 2019.

From the Chinese kitchen.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya Pork Belly, roast pork & duck, delicious.

A favourite dish

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

From the Chinese wok the beef & onion creation just melts in your mouth.

Wonderful decor

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

The Mantra featured 7 different kitchens. 

Lets look at previous years, 2007 Trevor & Nui.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Trevor hails from Western Australia & spends lots of time in Pattaya.

This was 2008.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Nick Partridge from the Gold Coast & his lovely lady Sharron have been Mantra fans since the beginning.

 Big group in 2010

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

At the back is Trevor & his son Cameron + xxx, then myself, my brother Warren, Nok & Phil Avalon, & at the front we have Greg Johnston & Herbie Pastor.

Big birthday with lots of friends.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

No better place to celebrate than the Mantra.

Beautiful Benjamas Sitthi

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Ben now works at the Avani Hotel adjacent to Royal Gardens.

Before Ben there was Amy

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

Amy really knew how to make you feel welcome. 

Another birthday in 2009.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya

I remember this one very well, my great Phil Thomson from Australia bought his 21 yo son Michael to Pattaya as part of his introduction to life in the fast lane. 🙂

March 2012.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  Another super Sunday.

February 2010

Final feast Mantra Pattaya On the left is my brother Warren & Bill Austin & Joan Baptiste from Wiltshire in England.

Xmas with Yaowaluck Bumrungthum aka Kartoon

Final feast Mantra Pattaya  For Xmas day lunch the Mantra was always our choice.

How could we forget Pothole aka John Martin.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya We call him Pothole Bin Ladin the mouse of Markland. A flashback to Potholes birthday, aka John David Martin, at the Mantra in 2013 when love was sweet.

Allan & Vicki Chiswick from Sydney.

Final feast Mantra Pattaya 

Laem Chabang Their cruise ship spent 24 hours at Laem Chabang so they hightailed to the Mantra. 🙂

Putting on the Ritz

Final feast Mantra Pattaya Finally here are some of the glamorous Mantra girls putting on the Ritz. 

Check out three previous Mantra photo blogs here. Number one,  

& link number 2, 

Many thanks for visiting my Final feast Mantra Pattaya photo blog.

 Here are some more posts to check out

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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

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LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

January 20, 2019 by David Herd

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok seem to be increasing in numbers each year. In Thailand a Kathoey or katoey is a transgender woman or an effeminate gay male. Many Thai people perceive that a kathoey actually belongs to a third gender.

Sit near the entrance at 6 pm.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

They usually start to arrive from 6 pm on, it’s rather entertaining seeing them arrive with an exaggerated walk & almost always stroking their hair.

Would you know the difference?

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

 LadyBoys often look and act more ladylike than the ladies! Everything is exaggerated, particularly walking, where they look like they are on a constant catwalk. There is a more pronounced swaying of the hips, more elegant posture (particularly when seated), excessively flicking and fidgeting with their hair and over-applied make-up.

This was actually in Phuket.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

However he is a well known face around Nana Plaza, let’s just call him “Secrets”. 🙂

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok
Most LadyBoys are much taller than the girls & after living in Thailand for many years they are easy to spot. Ladyboys do not just exaggerate their femininity; they exaggerate everything! Every word and action is excessively flamboyant. This makes them stand out from the crowd because Thai culture is such that women (even those working in beer bars and go-gos) are usually quite reserved.

Definitely NOT LadyBoys.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

Gary & Brad are from Townsville & I’m in the middle & have lived in Pattaya for 10 years. However my first visit to Nana Plaza was 24 years ago in 1996.

 What a knockout..

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok By far the best looking LadyBoy I have ever seen was in Pattaya. My two Aussie friends Dennis & Nick were absolutely stunned. 🙂

All the action is here in Nana Plaza.

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok Without a doubt this is the best adult entertainment precinct in Bangkok.

Hello boys…..

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok Wow! what nice group of lads. 🙂

The boys from Bangkok

LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok

A couple of fine feathered friends. 🙂

Call me old fashioned….

Restaurants bars Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok However I prefer the real thing, someone like this gorgeous lady who is looking for a late night snack.

Thanks for visiting my LadyBoys Nana Plaza Bangkok photo blog.

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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
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1g Duck

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Italian food Beach Rd

January 19, 2019 by David Herd

Italian food Beach Rd 

Italian food Beach Rd
Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya at Trattoria Pizzeria Toscana is a delightful experience. TripAdvisor obviously agree with a rating of 45 out of 1,111 Restaurants in Pattaya. Owner & chef Luca Marchetti is originally from Pracchiola, a tiny village in the mountains to the north of Tuscany.

Flashback to 2006

Italian food Beach Rd

The original restaurant was on the block where the Holiday Inn is now situated.

Here’s to old times in 2006

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya

The restaurant was much smaller & more intimate, in fact I preferred the atmosphere to the current location which seats over 700 people.

Pizza with parma ham.

Italian food Beach Rd  Definitely one of my favourites.

Fettuccine is absolutely delicious.

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya  Of course they serve every kind of pasta & pizza imaginable.

Memories of 2012

Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya Dinner & red wine with Irina from Ukraine.

Take your pick

Italian food Beach Rd It all looks so good, Toscana’s menu is huge.

There are several sections of the restaurant

Italian food Beach RdThis is my preferred area to dine.

What a fearsome sight this is.

Italian food Beach Rd The big fellow Luca with a knife in his hand should be avoided at all cost. 🙂

Lots of stock in the cold room.

Italian food Beach Rd Luca operates his own organic and sustainable farm not far from Pattaya where he grows his own vegetables,  rears free-range chickens, rabbits, ducks, pigeons, guinea fowl, wild boar, goats, sheep, pigs and cows. No processed food, no growth hormones, no chemicals, no problem. 🙂

Another pizza

Italian food Beach Rd Notice the anchovies on the side, delicious.

The boys from Oz in 2014

Italian food Beach RdLenny, yours truly & my brother Warren. Sadly we lost Lenny early 2016 after losing a battle with cancer, RIP.

Seafood anyone?

Italian food Beach RdToscana has recently opened a new seafood section in the front garden.

Lots of wine, mainly ITALIAN.

Italian food Beach RdQuite a few wines available y the glass.

A very friendly waitress in 2014.

Italian food Beach Rd PattayaAs you can see I’m not a person who misses a photo opportunity. 🙂

Dinner with friends January 2019

Italian food Beach Rd PattayaFrom the left we have May, Alex, Hamish & Gary.

Hamish’s favourite

Italian food Beach Rd Beef carpaccio tasted as good as it looked.

May chose the Baby Clams aka Pippies.

Italian food Beach RdThis is the same dish she had on New Years Eve.

Quail for dinner December 2021

Italian food Beach Rd

Quite tasty but very fiddly to eat.

Thanks for visiting my Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya photo blog.

Coffee with Luca

Italian food Beach RdFebruary 6th I met Luca for coffee during my morning walk.

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

         Istanbul                                 Budapest               

Check out these great food photo blogs.

 

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Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

January 14, 2019 by David Herd

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok is Thailand’s tallest building featuring a glass floor 314 metres above the busy streets of Bangkok. A two-tiered observation tower is part of the complex that also hosts Bangkok’s highest rooftop bar and a 63-square metre glass tray floor. I visited with Brad Robbins, my friend from Townsville Australia, his girlfriend Por & her daughter Pang.

WOW! What an amazing building.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok Quite breathtaking as you can clearly see.

Let’s buy our tickets.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok The price is rather high, B850 or $26 USD for adults & B250 or $7.80 USD for children & seniors, & guess what? I’m a senior, YIPPEE!

How about this view?

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok The golden dome is the State tower with the famous Sirocco sky bar.

Across the Chao Phraya river is Iconsiam

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok Which is a large shopping mall, which opened to the public on 10 November 2018, as well as hotels and residences. 

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok The terrible haze covering Bangkok really effects the photo quality. I’ll visit again when the sky is blue.

The view is still spectactular

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok Imagine what it will be like on a beautiful fine day.

Elevator or the final 3 floors.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok Going up was very fast, 74 floors in 50 seconds. Going down King Power set a trap for you, they force you to walk through 4 or 5 floors of shops, to make matters worse the exit on each floor is not clearly marked, so it is very difficult to get out of the building. 

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok famous glass floor.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok You must take off your shoes & wear soft covers.

Not for the faint hearted.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk BangkokIf you suffer from vertigo the glass floor is not for you. 🙂

The highest point.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk BangkokRefreshments are available from the shop.

Finally we escape the King Power maze.

Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok You feel like quoting Martin Luther King “Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

That’s all folks

Mahanakhon Sky Walk BangkokThanks for visiting my Mahanakhon Sky Walk Bangkok photo blog.

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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Check out these great photo blogs.

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Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya

October 20, 2018 by David Herd

A shop with the lot.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya is open 24 hours a day, & this branch is head & shoulders above all the others I have visited both here & Bangkok.

Smoked salmon, bring it on.

Foodland Terminal 21 PattayaSlap it on a bagel with cream cheese and sprinkle over some chopped chives.

You gotta love the deli. 🙂

Fabulous Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya I will definitely be buying lots of leg ham here.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya A huge selection of goods as you can clearly see.

A very good selection at a reasonable price.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya Best supermarket across the road is going to feel the effect of Foodland.

The bakery

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya Cakes, donuts, bread, croissants you name it.

Lets not forget our friendly butcher.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya As I said previously this branch is head & shoulders above all the others I have visited both here & Bangkok.

Not too sure what his job is.

Fabulous Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya Just entertaining the kids I guess. 🙂

Here is some bad news

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya Very bad news, the cost of wine in Thailand is shocking, these 2 litre offerings are $30 AUD. Now in Australia you can buy an equivalent 4 litre cask for $12. That’s $3 a litre as opposed to $15 in Thailand. 

Perhaps I should buy some grapes & make my own wine.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya Wait a minute I don’t have a bath tub where I can crush them.

This is a fair question. 🙂

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya

I guess I’ll have to grin & bear it at $15 a litre.

Here is the Foodland restaurant.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya I’m a regular customer for breakfast at the branch at Royal Gardens, it’s a steel at 65 Baht or $2.80 AUD.

Open 24 hours a day

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya A huge advantage for me is the adjacent Starbucks, I have tea with my breakfast then move to Starbucks for my coffee. 🙂

Excellent quality & value.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya B65 is so cheap & the eggs are perfect. 🙂

OK, I have got to ly, my plane is waiting.

Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya Thanks for visiting my Fabulous Foodland Terminal 21 Pattaya  photo blog, follow THIS LINK for an overview of the whole magnificent center. To see how this fabulous mall was created from the start just follow THIS LINK.

 Istanbul                                 Budapest                        London

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Holiday Inn

bbc35e6d-80db-4e1c-8f51-83dd84f16520

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

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The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

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Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

July 18, 2018 by David Herd

Renovated May 2018

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya is certainly one of my favourite restaurants. TripAdvisor rating is #22 of 1,025 Restaurants in Pattaya, however in my opinion it is in the top 10.

Perhaps a salad to start with.

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Lots of choices at Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya.

The photo does not do it justice.

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

The Oxtail soup is fantastic, I often drop in and have it for lunch, followed by a waffle of course. 🙂

Of course I sometime have the pancake instead of the waffle. 🙂

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

They are both delicious.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Dining with my friend Hamish & my brother Warren in May 2018 just after the renovation was completed.

The Tuesday night special.

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Without a doubt they serve the best lamb shank in Pattaya, perhaps even the northern hemisphere.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

The new decor is attractive & modern. This was at 6.30 pm & I was the only customer. 🙂

In case you were wondering, here’s Patrick.

Patrick's-Belgian-Steakhouse-Pattaya

 

 

 

He used to be a parachuter, now he is a biker. 🙂

Early May 2018 they gutted the restaurant.

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

The finished product is excellent.

Here we are at the old restaurant.

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

I’m with Greg Clee & Hamish Elton celebrating Hamish’s birthday in 2015. Notice the old fashioned decor?

Can you believe the size of this Tomahawk? 🙂

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

A whopping 1.5 kilo, I think Hamish could handle it. 🙂

A terrific dinner with friends.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

August 31st 2018, 3 Aussies, a Belgium & a Yankee.

Good food & nice people.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

 From the left we have Dan Escamilla, Hamish Elton, David Herd, Sally Schmidt & Wayne Schmidt.

Another Tuesday night dinner

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Half the table ordered the lamb shank. 🙂 From the right we have David Rose, Brendan Tate, Jessica, Hamish Elton, David Herd, Dan Escamilla & last but not least Possum. 🙂

That is a great looking slab of beef.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

You would need a huge appetite to get through that. 🙂

Irish stew was exceptional on October 21 2020

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Great value at B250 or $8 USD.

Location

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Opposite Mike shopping mall in an arcade opposite the Beefeater.

One final look at the Tuesday special.

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Lamb shank (French style) & potato au gratin. I only have one criticism of this fine restaurant, the house wine is far too expensive. Everything else is excellent, many thanks for visiting my Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya photo blog.

July 31 st 2020

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Belgian waffles & red wine.

For more Pattaya steak restaurants just CLICK HERE.

Patrick discovers El Mercado

Patrick discovers El Mercado

Here is what Patrick had to say about El Mercado; “Didn’t know where to eat tonight in Bangkok so I asked my good friend David Herd who is an expert in Bangkok restaurants. He suggested El Mercado. Wow, what a surprise. Never saw anything like that in Thailand. All those choices of cheeses, cold cuts, seafood and fish. Many wines as well, but a bit on the expensive side. I enjoyed a mixed platter with cheeses and cold cuts, my wife went for the oysters and seafood dish. All in all a success and very enjoyable. Book in advance, packed all the time. Worth a visit when in Bangkok.”😉😎

   Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

2835141a-02cf-4cda-a909-2a8408a99f47        6a173a01-9744-404a-a45f-87a975ec90fa          d5436828-abbc-4da1-a638-7f90436c6417

  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

417091_10150704751043594_62315468_n          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        April24FreewayHotel-33 (1)

Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                         d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037              Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya
 
 That’s all folks
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
 
 
Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya 
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Patrick's Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

Check out these great food photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Sendai Japan Founded 1600

June 13, 2018 by David Herd

Very nice city just north ease of Tokyo.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600

Sendai Japan Founded 1600

Sendai Japan Founded 1600, located northeast of Tokyo. My first impression was the city seemed a little bland & boring, it turned out I was totally wrong, the city has an exciting nightlife area called Kokubuncho. As you can see above elevated walkways spread out from the station to surrounding buildings.

Tokyo to Sendai on the Shinkansen.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600

Only one hour twenty minutes & very few passengers if you don’t travel in peak hour.

Lunch at the ANA Holiday Inn.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Very good food & only a short walk from the station. 

ANA Holiday Inn

Sendai Japan Founded 1600

For an excellent room rate with free cancellation just book through THIS LINK.

Lots of modern glass skyscrapers.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Quite a typical modern Japanese city.

Long covered shopping arcade

Sendai Japan Founded 1600These arcades are found in many Japanese cities. 

At night the action is in Kokubuncho

Sendai Japan Founded 1600 Nearly 3,000 restaurants and bars crowd within a fairly small area. People flood this area until very late each night, especially at weekends. 

Lots of restaurants large & small.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600The only problem is deciding where to eat. 🙂

Seafood is very popular all over Japan.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Good sushi eaten in Japan is hard to beat.

Ostra de Ole is at the beginning Kokubuncho.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Huge delicious oysters, follow THIS LINK for more photos.

Highly ranked Thai restaurant near my hotel.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Called in on my way to the hotel for a couple of glasses of red wine.

The owner & his wife were very nice friendly people.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Of course most people in Japan are. TripAdvisor have Ranked them # 319 of 5996 restaurants in Sendai.

The Hotel Hokke Club was my hotel in a very good location, 10 minutes walk from the station & 10 minutes to Kokubuncho. For an excellent room rate & free cancellation just book through THIS LINK.

Lucy & Glutton, a very good Italian restaurant

Sendai Japan Founded 1600It’s Ranked 690 out of 5996 restaurants in Sendai

A very good pasta dish at Lucy & Glutton.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600 Sendai Japan Founded 1600 has so many restaurant choices it will make your head spin. 🙂

The Koyo Grand Hotel.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Very upmarket hotel, however book through THIS LINK for a heavily discounted room rate.

Farewell to Sendai, next stop Sapporo.

Sendai Japan Founded 1600Thanks for visiting my Sendai Japan Founded 1600 photo blog, what a surprise packet this city turned out to be.

  Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
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          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
 book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
                                               Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

That’s all folks

1g Duck

Here are some of my most popular posts.

Pattaya live webcam

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Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Atlantic Bar North Pattaya

Sexy Soi Cowboy Bangkok 

Beautiful Budapest

Australian seafood

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

May 8, 2018 by David Herd

So much seafood & such little time.

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018 Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018 was a noisy affair as usual. There is a bandstand on the beach which blasts very ordinary music until the early hours of the morning. My condo is on the 20th floor 400 meters away & the sound hits me full blast even with the door closed. 🙂

Beach Road Pattaya

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

 One of the bigger kitchens along Beach Road.

Prawns, crab & shell fish

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

A good variety & freshly cooked.

 Big variety of meat including crocodile. 🙂

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

I’m surprised there is no snake or buffalo. 🙂

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

One of the many stalls lined along Beach Road.

Here is my favourite shot

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

A typical spontaneous Thai smile, no wonder we love living here.

Time for a mango shake

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

Another huge benefit of living in Thailand, the mangoes are wonderful.

OK, I’m confused…..

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

I have no idea what these bamboo tubes are for.

Busy ladies here on Beach Road

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

The festival runs for 5 nights and really draws the crowds.

I dined at the same place last year.

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

In 2017 the food here was great so I decided to give it another whirl.

 Small but tasty

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

 I chose 2 dishes from their signature menu, the one above was fine at B159 or $5 USD.

 This one not so good.

Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018

The calamari was as tough as an old boot & the filling was very average indeed. I would have been better off at one of the smaller stalls.

Thanks for visiting my Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018 photo blog.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
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Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

This gallery contains 5 photos

Happy Trails Volume Two

April 29, 2018 by David Herd

As Satchmo would say, what a wonderful world.

 

Happy Trails Volume Two

Happy Trails Volume Two

Happy Trails Volume Two is a photo records of some wonderful locations I have been fortunate enough to visit. Producing these photos blogs allows me to re-live many great experiences that I have enjoyed during my long happy life.

The first photo in Volume one was taken in New York so as it’s my favourite city I start again with the Big Apple.

North Coast of Brazil

Happy Trails Volume Two

You have probably never heard of Canoa Quebrada, it’s 164 kilometers from Fortaleza. We travelled along the beautiful long beaches and wandered through the amazing coloured sands.

Balneário Camboriú 

Been There Done That

  Balneário Camboriú is a major beach resort in the Brazilian southern state of Santa Catarina.

Where are those places?

Happy Trails Volume Two

Here is a map to show you where they are. 🙂

Tiananmen Square Beijing

Been There Done That

Beijing is a fascinating city full of history and wonderful breathtaking palaces, parks and buildings, and the food, well the food, Peking or should I say Beijing duck is to die for. Not to mention all of the other wonderful cuisines available, even though half the time you don’t know what you are eating. Having said that I must admit the best Peking duck I have ever eaten was the previous week in Shanghai, but that’s another story.

Happy Trails Volume Two include Sofitel Hotel Bangkok

Loved Every Minute

  L’Appart restaurant at the recently opened Sofitel is a delightful multi-faceted venue occupying the entire 32nd top floor of the hotel tower.

 Nha Trang in Vietnam

Loved Every Minute

All the fishing boats are painted blue, they really look terrific, then again I really like boats. I even found some boat yards where they were repairing and refurbishing some older boats. Constructed from solid timber and designed to handle the rough seas in the monsoon season. 

Café A Brasileira in Lisbon

Been There Done That

 The A Brasileira was opened by Adriano Telles on 19 November 1905 at No.122 (an old shirt shop), to sell “genuine Brazilian coffee” from the State of Minas Gerais, a product generally unappreciated in homes of Lisboetas of that period.

Now I wonder where this is? 🙂

Been There Done That

The Tower Bridge is certainly one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

Happy Trails Volume Two includes the girl from Ipanema

Been There Done That

I’m at the Garrota de Ipanema restaurant where the song was written. It was inspired by Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto (now known as Helô Pinheiro), a seventeen-year-old girl living on Montenegro Street in Ipanema. Daily, she would stroll past the Veloso bar-café, not just to the beach (“each day when she walks to the sea”), but in the everyday course of her life. She would sometimes enter the bar to buy cigarettes for her mother and leave to the sound of wolf-whistles. In the winter of 1962, the composers saw the girl pass by the bar. 

Here she is.

Happy Trails Volume Two

The song became so popular, she  became a celebrity.

Iguazu Falls Brazil

Been There Done That

I’m on the Brazilian side, a walkway along the canyon has an extension to the lower base of Devil’s Throat. 

Big crowd at Harajuku Tokyo

Happy Trails Volume Two

It’s Sunday morning & the crowds are huge, Harajuku is renowned for its colorful street art and fashion scene, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along Takeshita Street,

Many come to see the Harajuku girls.

Happy Trails Volume Two

Harajuku girls the term used to describe Japanese youth culture who cos-play or ‘costume play’ on Sundays in the district of Harajuku. Seen as rebels to conformity, Harajuku is a popular place for them to show off their own creations and usually pose for others. Styles include Gothic, Lolita, anime/manga based or futuristic. 

 Small creek leading to the Mekong River in Vietnam.

Loved Every Minute

You are probably wondering why I don’t wear the rather stylish hat more often, I tend to save it till I’m on Safari. 🙂

Somewhere in the Simpson desert in Australia.

Loved Every Minute

It can get lonely out here, luckily I was with 3 delightful Japanese girls who I took on an epic road trip.

Istanbul Turkey

Loved Every Minute

Great fish meal beside the mighty Bosphorus river.

Thanks for visiting my Happy Trails Volume Two photo blog. Check out volume one on THIS LINK.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
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Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Been There Loved Every Minute

April 18, 2018 by David Herd

What a Wonderful World

Loved Every Minute, starting with “The Big Apple”.

Loved Every Minute

Loved Every Minute photo blog simply shows some of the many wonderful places I have been fortunate enough to visit. Most travellers have their own bucket list & I’m pleased to say I have ticked 98% of my long list.

Last time I was there it was freezing.

Loved Every Minute

It was mid February & I had arrived from Rio de Janeiro where the temperature was in the high 30s.

Talking about Rio…..

Loved Every Minute

Here I am on Sugarloaf mountain with Copacabana in the background.

 In case you were wondering about the featured Photo

Loved Every Minute

Well, it’s Madonna di Campiglio 8,500 feet high in The Dolomites in Northern Italy.

 This needs no explanation. 🙂

Loved Every Minute

The Great Wall of China is an ancient series of walls and fortifications, totaling more than 13000 miles in length, located in northern China. Construction began in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing nomadic barbarians from invading the Chinese Empire. 

Majestic Table Mountain

Loved Every Minute

Cape Town is certainly one of the most stunning location on Earth.

Loved Every Minute of the Italian Riviera

Loved Every Minute

Camogli is a fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino.

Loved Every Minute of Budapest on the River Danube

Loved Every Minute

The Hungarian Parliament Building, also known as the Parliament of Budapest a notable landmark of Hungary.

Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Loved Every Minute

What a surprise packet, Mostar is a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, straddling the Neretva River. It’s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge.

Ankor Wat Cambodia

Loved Every Minute

An amazing experience.

You gotta love the Ginza.

Loved Every Minute

Tokyo, what an incredible city in an amazing country.

Dubrovnik

Loved Every Minute

The best advice I can give you when you visit this amazing city is to go in the quiet season otherwise it will be like an ant’s nest.

On the ferry to Koh Chang.

Loved Every Minute

Thailand’s 2nd largest island after Phuket.

Rice paddies near Ubud

Loved Every Minute

Bali is a wonderful tropical island, just a pity so many out of control Aussie pests travel there.

The Great Ocean Road on the south coast of Australia

Loved Every Minute

Behind me is “London Bridge”, The span closer to the shoreline collapsed unexpectedly on 15 January 1990 leaving two tourists (Kelli Harrison and David Darrington) stranded on the outer span before being rescued by police helicopter.

Trafalgar Square London

Been There Done That

I have lost count of the number of times I have visited this great city.

Ha Long Bay Vietnam

Loved Every Minute

Northeast Vietnam, it’s famous for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rain-forests. 

Behind me is the most expensive building in the world.

Been There Done That

US$ 5.7 billion, including the cost of the prime land. Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore is in a class of it’s own, click on THIS LINK for a closer look.

Thanks for visiting my Loved Every Minute photo blog. Here is Volume 2. 🙂

A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
  Please check out these fabulous posts
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Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Check out these great photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos