Hat Yai 3D2N - Eat, Shop, Play

It was my third time in Hat Yai, the city I've always thought there are nothing much but I was proved wrong.
I've seen some new things that I was not aware of, experienced some Thai culture minus
the Thai girl show, the vibrance and most importantly, the food. So here are some recommendations
for those who are planning to visit Hat Yai. The 3D2N trip is sponsored by
CS Euro - Peugeot Northern Region Dealer, PTS Travel & Tour and Kerson Media.

Disclaimer: This post is longggggggggg

10 of us rode in three Peugeot cars and arrived at the Danok checkpoint at approximately 11am.

It was a weekend and public holiday so the queue was crazily long. Go early if you want to avoid the queue.

Visa is not needed to enter the city. Remember to bring your passport,
fill in the departure card and slip in the RM2 so called admission fee.

 How do you know if you have arrived in Hat Yai? When you see scary electric cables like these.

 First thing first, food. We dropped by this kopitiam 食是福 by the street not long after we entered the city.

The chicken [350baht] and roasted pork [200baht] were nothing to shout about but enough to fill our growling stomach.

Pink Milk, Bottled Sugar Cane and Thai Ice Tea priced at 20 baht each.
Do note that drinks in Thailand are extremely sweet.

What made me giddy like a kid was this coconut ice-cream outside the kopitiam!

Next we headed to Hat Yai Municipal Park for prayers and sun tanning.

Walking up to the peak and caught this breathtaking panoramic view of the city, a selfie was mandatory.

Excuse my Asian eyes, I'm totally blaming the scorching sun.

At the peak of the park was this Golden Buddha statue.

I was hiding in a hut next to the statue with rows of tiny bells, the sound of wind chiming was simply therapeutic.

 

The view was worth the climb after all, I was almost literally on cloud nine.

We checked into Buri Sriphu Boutique Hotel later on, freshen up and out for dinner.

We went to Green Way Nightmarket, only less than 10 minutes from the hotel

which we highly recommend, not because of the cute puppies they sell here.

But the wide array of food they have! I lost my mind while strolling rows rows of stalls,

couldn't make up my mind which to order but fret not because there were 10 of us!

Hor Fun [40baht]

Pad Thai [35baht]

Duck Noodles [60baht]

Som Tam [30baht]

Yong Tau Fu [40baht]

Grilled Squid, Octopus, Sausages and Meatball [116baht]

 Mango Sticky Rice [50baht]

Among the dishes we had, the pad thai, som tum and grilled squid were my favorites.

Not only they are authentic, the price was surprisingly cheap too.

And the mango sticky rice was a must-order, love how soft the pulut was!

Green Way Nightmarket

Opens Wednesday to Sunday 5pm to 10pm

1406/3 Kanjanavanich Road, 90110 Hatyai, Thailand

After filling our tummies, we went to Central Festival shopping mall to digest the food we had.

The car park is so atas they even have parking lots dedicated to supercars and superbikes.

It was my first time visiting any shopping malls in Hat Yai. This is the biggest one in
Southern Thailand and they offer more stuff than those in Penang. Hat Yai, I really underestimated you.

Offering more than 250 brands for you to shop till drop and eateries, I shall name Hat Yai a shopping and food heaven already.

If you don't want to spend money at any restaurants for their wifi,
register yourself at the information counter to get 1-hour free wifi.

One of the many dessert kiosks(they have so many!), this would be the most affordable one.

Similar to the one at Ikea, the vanila ice-cream was soft, creamy and velvety.

Their cinema damn canggih using touch-screen ticketing machines where you purchase your own tickets without having to deal with other human for efficiency! You can even pay by credit card.

We need this in Penang.

This cute choo-choo train carrying kids traveling around the shopping mall. 

 I love this very random playground that popped up at one of the floors.

Central Festival

Opens everyday 11am to 10pm

180-181, Niphatutit 3 Road, Hatyai Central, 90110 Hatyai, Thailand

After shopping(I bought two pair of pants!), we had supper at Burapha Bird's Nest near to Lee Garden.
The coconut bird's nest was so tempting...

Bird's Nest [100baht]

With only RM12, one can enjoy a bowl of bird's nest here without having their wallet burnt.

Apart from bird's nest, the restaurant also offers shark's fin soup [500baht].

It has been a while since I last had this.

What's different from what I used to have is that they served beansprout and coriander
alongside with the soup, giving it an extra texture and crunch.

Seafood Platter with Fish Maw, Sea Asparagus and Shiitake [1000baht]

The dish we enjoyed the most would be this one, you don't necessary need to go to hotels for premium stuff like these.

Not to forget, ginseng tea was bottomless and free-of-charge!

Burapha Bird's Nest

Opens everyday 11am to 12am

20-22-24, Sanehanusorn Road 90110 Hatyai, Thailand

Second day after our breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the very popular Kim Yong market.

I like this place very much for the richness of colors and people. You see how the locals 

run their daily errands, shopping for necessities and food to feed the family, how they negotiate.

They literally have everything here from food, groceries, snacks, plastic wares and so much more.

The boys were happily shopping away, this is probably the best place to shop for souvenirs for your friends and family.

We chanced upon this shop selling assorted tidbits and we couldn't be happier.

And yay for all the Laaaaysssss!

Kim Yong Market

Opens from 6am everyday

Supasarn Rungsan Road 90110 Hatyaui, Thailand

Hopped on the car, dozed off for an hour and arrived at this beautiful restaurant located by the Samila Beach in the Songkhla district!

Spicy Horseshoe Crab Salad [330baht]

 Fresh Oysters [50baht/each]

Grilled Squid [450baht]

Deep Fried Fish Mullet with Garlic [650baht/kg]

Tom Yum Kung [380baht]

Cincalok Prawns with Petai [220baht]

Steamed Squid with Garlic and Chilies [450baht]
We were pampered with delicious authentic Thai delicacies which I would like to call
it cholesterol loading for all those seafood we had in one meal!
Of course it was totally fine with us as we don't do this everyday (久久一次，十分开心)
We had some dishes that we are familiar with such as tom yum kung but surprisingly
it was rather disappointing. The horseshoe crab was an eye opener for me
as it was my first time eating it. It has always been an intriguing dish to me,
excited to devour its meat and realized that there wasn't any but only its eggs.
I couldn't accept the taste at first but it was so much better eaten with fried garlic and green chili. Overall a very interesting dish with layering flavors of cashew nuts, crispy ikan bilis, and sourish green mango strips.

Wanida Seafood Restaurant
Opens everyday 9am to 9pm
Mueang Songkhla District, Hatyai, Thailand

A slow walk down the beautiful Samila Beach with kids flying kites, people queuing to take photos with the famous mermaid statue (remember to touch her boobies for good luck!), Merlion, horse-riding, picnic and just chilling.

A few stalls selling snacks were scattered by the street and yay I had coconut ice-cream again!

Passed by this gorgeous field of sunflower plantation while we were on our way to the Klong Hae Floating Market.

Another must-visit destination would totally be this where many boats parked by the shore selling
all sorts of food. It was indeed a fun experience seeing the locals cooking on the boats and the ways
they served the people and this boy just sitting on the boat enjoying his food.
Don't talk about cooking, I'm sure I would just fall into the river trying to balance myself standing up on the boat... Oh well.

Khong Hae Floating Market
Opens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only from 3pm
Khlong Hae Khutao Road, 90110 Hatyai, Thailand

We went back to the hotel for dinner and out again to shop for souvenirs and food!

If you're in Hat Yai, you must visit their 7-11 as they sell loads of stuff that we don't have in Penang.

They even have Meiji yoghurt, and these small packets of beauty products that are hard to resist!

We were hopping from one 7-11 to another, the gang was looking for some yam bun and whitening product.

Who knew shopping at 7-11 would be so fun.

 But what is donkey milk tho?

Next morning, the last day of our trip. We had light breakfast at the hotel and decided to go to
Lee Garden, another popular destination in Hat Yai. It's the same area we had the bird's nest on the first day.

Spotted these very Victorian lamp posts and found out that they're actually horoscopes!

After eating tom yam kung twice a day(not compaining), we were glad to find dim sum in the city.
The dishes are displayed in the chiller and heated up when you order so freshness is guaranteed!

Out-of-Focus Bak Kut Teh [100baht]

Har Kao [18baht]

Chicken Feet [18baht]

Broccoli with Pork [18baht]

Lor Mai Gai [18baht]
The selections were pretty similar to those we have back home
but the main selling point would be freshness which I've mentioned before.

Chok Dee Dim Sum
Opens everyday 6am to 12pm | 5pm to 10pm
58/25, Lamaisongkrew Road, 90110, Hatyai, Thailand

 All smiles while we took tuk-tuk back to our car! If you must know, the ride was 20baht per pax.
And yay my camera decided to not focus on me.

Dropped by KFC to buy their Portuguese tarts. If you think it's ridiculous to eat Portuguese tart in Hat Yai then you are wrong! They are DELICIOUS! I know it is hard to believe but you gotta try it yourself and thank me later.
They thought I was kidding when I said I wanted to buy 15 pieces, but I wasn't.
It has been five years since I first tried this tart and went head over heels over them,
five years later, we still don't have it in Penang. I don't understand.

Checked out the hotel and had our last meal before going home!

It was a delightful lunch at this restaurant near the border, 

especially the appetizing assorted sour and spicy seafood salad. 

Good thing is, you can opt for rice or noodles to go with the flavorful sliced meat!

Tai Fah Restaurant
Dannok, Sadao, Songkhla, South Thailand (opposite Mcdonalds)
074-523690

Annnnddd that's a wrap! Ending this post with a mandatory sawadekaa photo with Ronald Mcdonald.

If you're interested in such short and fun holiday, contact PTS Travel & Tour to book yourself a trip! 

While itinerary is customize-able, a 2D1N trip to Hat Yai would require a minimum of 12 pax

at RM400 per pax. The package is inclusive of a tour guide, transportation and accommodation at a 3-star hotel. 

Friendly and good service, they have established for more than 10 years so you can totally trust them!

Once again, huge thanks to CS Euro - Peugeot Northern Region Dealer,

PTS Travel & Tour and Kerson Media for sponsoring this trip!