Member Postcards

Hong Kong and Thailand Honeymoon: Member Postcard

Indagare members Chloe and Justin Alpert recently traveled to Hong Kong and Thailand on their honeymoon. Here, Chloe shares their impressions. Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to these destinations. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan guided tours, great meals and activities.

First off, we want to thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for planning the best honeymoon ever. It was truly perfect for us and we had an incredible time. There is absolutely no way we could have done it without you. Below are some highlights:

Overall, the airport transfers were seamless: the representatives sped us through customs and navigated through airports with ease. For someone who doesn’t love the actual travel aspect of trips, it made our lives so much easier. I definitely recommend any Amex Platinum users to visit the Centurion Lounge in the HK airport.

Related: Just Back From… China

By the time we arrived in Hong Kong, we were pretty exhausted. We had breakfast at our hotel, Landmark Mandarin; the staff was super accommodating and friendly, and had gluten-free options available for me. We then visited Victoria Peak and hiked down the mountain (I know, we’re nuts). That night, we had dinner at Duddell's. The gluten-free menu the chefs had prepared was fine; however, the prix-fixe menu ended up being super expensive ($500) and was not very good. The atmosphere and place itself were pretty cute though. The table next to us (a Chinese family) had a different menu and their meals and portions looked much better. I would recommend opting out of the prix-fixe and going for the à la carte menu. Afterwards, we had drinks at Sevva, which we loved. We sat outside and had a great view of the city. The bar is probably equivalent to 230 Fifth here in New York City: classy with great views, albeit slightly touristy (230 5th Ave). We went to the spa at the Landmark as well, which was great!

In Chiang Mai, the Four Seasons was our favorite property of the trip. It was beyond special and uniquely beautiful. When we arrived, the staff had a golf cart waiting for us with flower arrangements and a ‘just married’ sign. At this point, we really felt like it was our honeymoon. We were upgraded to an enormous villa with a pool. They had also decorated the room with flowers, Champagne—the works. It felt like the VIP treatment. The staff and service at the Four Seasons far surpassed what we thought could be possible. There was even an attendant that came to clean guests’ sunglasses at the pool: it doesn’t get better than that. The drinks at the pool were also delicious.

Related: Postcard from Thailand

At the Four Seasons, the staff made a point to make us feel special; they knew our names and always had a table reserved for us at meals. The service was so incredibly fast. If we asked for something, they delivered it right away and timed it perfectly (without hovering). We loved the cooking class and the private breakfast in the rice paddy barn (thanks again for arranging that)! We took bike rides one day, which was really fun. I had the best massage of my life at the spa.

Our experience at Patara Elephant Farm was unreal. The drive there and back ended up being two hours each way, which was more than worth it (in hindsight, I would have arranged a private transfer instead of a taxi and shuttle bus). We had such a great day at Patara; it was the perfect amount of educational, hands-on and fun. The bare-back elephant riding was such a cool experience and was definitely much more intense than we were anticipating. It was about an hour ride through the mountain trail and ended at a waterfall, where we swam with the elephants. It was awesome. (I would give a head’s up to other guests in case they’re not cut out for bare-back riding.)

Related: Indagare Matchmaker: Honeymoons

Next, we visited Trisara in Phuket (trisara.com). Our villa was absolutely gorgeous and having a private pool with an ocean view was a plus. The service was pretty stellar; however, the staff felt a little pushy. Much of our review probably has to do with the fact that we were spoiled by the service and atmosphere at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai. The food at Trisara was delicious, especially at the seafood restaurant and the pool deck. The boat day was another highlight. The staff prepared a delicious lunch for us with drinks, and we ate on a beach and later cruised around several islands. The whole experience was awesome, and the crew and captain were great.

When we returned to Hong Kong, we stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, which had amazing service. When we arrived, the staff knew it was our honeymoon and had decorated our room and gave us a cake. The guest service representative who was assigned to us was so nice and attentive. She knew we had a reservation at Ozone (the bar/restaurant on the top floor) and had a bottle of Champagne and the best table waiting for us. Considering we were only there for one night, the staff made us feel extremely special. I wish we could have stayed longer!

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to these destinations. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan guided tours, great meals and activities.

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