Venice, The Venezia for wheelchairs

A few years ago I travelled to Venice, the city of romance in Italy, Europe. I loved it. Although you have to prepare your trip upfront when you are travelling in an powered wheelchair.

I travel to Thailand as well. And last time I have visit Venice in Hua Hin. Yes. Copy, copy and build.



Copy, copy and build The Venezia.
St. Marks Square in Hua Hin, Thailand.
 

St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy.

Here are the pictures. The copy and the original St. Marks Square. And this Venice is as accessible as the original. Streets have level access, access ramps into building and small steps into shops. Gondolas, bridges, etc. are not accessible. But it has a wheelchair accessible toilet.




Do you like to see more? Watch our latest Youtube movie.

 The Venezia is only 11km from the wheelchair accessible apartment of http://www.gehandicapten.com . This apartment is located in the centre of Hua Hin.
Wheelchair accessible transportation is available for airport transfer and trips. Not only to The Venezia but also to all other sights in and around Hua Hin.

The owner of these holiday accommodation is wheelchair user himself due to a muscular disease. Don't hesitate to contact us for more information. Email is infoinfo@gehandicapten.com



 

Airport power Wheelchair check-in

Have you ever considered travelling with you powered wheelchair? And did you decide to leave it at home because you were afraid the handlers would damage it. Then watch this movie about me and my powered wheelchair preparations at the check-in of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for my 20th flight to Bangkok Airport Suvarnabhumi. I made this movie as an example. When you want to travel you have to find a way how to prepare your wheelchair.



What do you see?

• A small toolkit with which you can handle bolds and screws.
• Tie-raps to tie down cables.
• Removal of joy stick to prevent damage to steering mechanism.
• Disconnecting the battery cable underneath.
• Minimize size of wheelchair. Some airplane loading doors are just 84cm high.
• Wheelchair parts in bag to prevent them to get soaked in the rain. And less weight in your suite case.
• Luggage straps to tie down wheelchair parts in bag.
• Instruction of airport staff how to handle manual breaks and wheelchair during transportation.

Do you have question about how to travel as a disabled? Don't hesitate to email us.

Or read more stories about travelling with a powered wheelchair on my Dutch Blog.

Wheelchair accessible airplane coming up

Hi everyone,

Here is a great initiative of a Dutch man with Duchene Muscle Disease. He wants to travel. He is unable to sit in an airplane seat. So his travel plans are limited. He has create a petition to make airplanes wheelchair accessible. We have signed this petition and we hope you do too. Together we can make this a worldwide request. But we need your vote to realize our needs.

Here is the link to the petition.




Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, assistance counter.

I do hope my wheelchair can take the forces in an airplane during take off and landing. Otherwise it would be great.

New Pool Villa, wheelchair accessible

After a hard day's work reconstructing, refurbishing and redecorating an excisting pool villa, we are very proud to present the latest wheelchair accessible holiday home in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Coconut Grove Si Daeng van Gehandicapten.com

Look at the pictures and see for yourself how your temporary home in paradise can be. With our personal knowledge of accessibility, passion and enthousiasme this pool villa was made for you, my wife and me.

Enjoy a heavenly holiday in the Land of Smiles, be welcomed by our friendly Thai staff and let them spoil you with attention and good service. Let the sun warm you and feel your body getting relaxed in the Hua Hin microclimate.

This pool villa can accommodate up to 6 adults and 1 baby. It has a living room with open plan kitchen, three bedrooms, an en-suite wheelchair accessible bathroom, a second wheelchair friendly bathroom, two verandas and an accessible swimming pool / whirlpool in a lush tropical garden.

For more information please visit our website Gehandicapten.com .
For Last minute offers feel free to contact us by email info@gehandicapten.com .

Company clothes for Wheelchair Thailand employees.

August 3, 2011.
Wheelchair Thailand
Wheelchair accessible Pool villa Coconut Grove, Hua Hin.
Adapted apartment Tira Tiraa with wheelchair access Hua Hin Centre.

Company Cap Wheelchair Thailand http://www.gehandicapten.com

Since four years our employees are very proud to work for our company. They enjoy welcoming you as our disabled guests. They are a blessing to our guests in wheelchairs and can almost fulfill every wish. We are very happy they work for our company and together we make your holiday one you never will forget.

Do you like to work for Wheelchair Thailand? Are you looking for a job as driver in our company car or care taker / second housekeeper in pool villa Coconut Grove in Hua Hin? Write your job application letter and resume in English to info@gehandicapten.com .

Accessible restaurants in Hua Hin Thailand

August 1, 2011
Hua Hin, Thailand

After searching and visiting many restaurants we have found another restaurant with wheelchair access. Or better you can sit outside underneath a roof protected from the rain and the sun with tables where your wheelchair and legs fit under. And this restaurant is worthwhile a visit.

The restaurant called S&S Indian Food is a family business where they prepare fresh food every day. And you can taste this. We have eaten Chicken Tikka Missala and Chicken Do Piyaza together with Naan and Yellow rice, a soda water and a Diet Coke. And this for 270 Baht.
You can find this restaurant on Soi 94 at the left side before the railway crossing.

So when the quality of the food is perfect, the price is right and the place is wheelchair accessible we will visit and tell them how good the food is. So have dinner with them. They deserve it.
And give your review here.

Vineyards in Thailand with wheelchair accessible restaurant

July 17, 2011
Hua Hin Hills Vineyards.

Two weeks ago we have visited this vineyard. It has a nice bistro with European food on the menu. And it wouldn't be a vineyard if you couldn't taste wine.

Staff is well trained in handling wine and the wines are fairly good although you might think Thailand is not the country to grow wines. But we like the white Monsoon valley wine very much. It goes well with pasta, fish and Thai food. Perfectly served in a wine cooler on a stand. Staff pouring wine with the label in sight and avoiding to touch the glass. This is how it should be.
This is really a nice place for a lazy Sunday afternoon. No river in sight but the view over the vineyards will make this up. It is gourgeous. On Thai Holidays make reservertions up front. And after your meal or wine taste experience take a walk accross the place. Make some nice pictures or shoot a movie. Have a look at mine and see what you can expect when you visit. You can also take a elephant ride but this is not done in the eyes of Edwin Wiek.
Now the wheelchair access. The restaurant is accessible by wheelchair ramp in 4 parts. In between small platforms to rest. A powered wheelchair can take this. A manual wheelchair needs probably some help. Enough space between tables to sit with your wheelchair. And friendly staff to take out chairs.
The only major thing they have forgotten is to make the restrooms wheelchair accessible. To the toilet you get one step down, one step up, doors are wide enough but you have to stay in the space in front en the door cannot close behind you.
So the only solution you have is to visit Wat Huay Mongkol before you visit Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. Or go before you leave your accessible accommodation.

Gehandicapten.com offers daytrips and this is one of the many possibilities. For more information please email to info@gehandicapten.com

Siam Nissin, wheelchair repair in Bangkok

July 15, 2011
Siam Nissin, Bangkok

My wheelchair got broken and in my last Blogpost I wrote about my trouble to get it fixed. Parts had to come from Germany.

During the repair of my wheelchair my wife took a few shots with her camcorder. Here is the movie which shows how professional these people can fix your wheelchair. This is the first time they have fixed a Meyra electric powered wheelchair. Imaging how well they do after a few times.

So a big "Thank You" to these guys for their speed, their professionality and corporation to get my wheelchair fixed. A big "Thank You" to Meyra Germany who send the parts over in no time. And a big "Thank You" to DHL who delivered these parts in 4 days.

Airlink Bangkok Makkasan Station

Airlink, Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phaya Thai, Bangkok

February 7, 2011
Bangkok Makkasan

A few months ago we have updated you with information about the Airlink. We wrote about our trip from Suvarabhumi Airport to Phaya Thai Station. We took pictures to show the accessibility of the Airlink and published these pictures in our Picasa Webalbum.

This time we took a close look at the Makkasan Airlink Station. Here you can take both lines, the city line and the express line to Suvarnabhumi Airport. This station also has check-in facilities for every flight leavig from Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport. We saw just one person checking in. So no lines and no waiting here. And they also have an Oversized luggage counter where you can check-in your powered wheelchair or your golf clubs.
When you take the express train you will arrive within 15 minutes at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Makkasan Station is two stations before the end of the line. It is close to Petchaburi MRT Station. And when you have read our messages in this Blog about the subway you already know that the MRT subway is wheelchair accessible. This gives lot of possibilities. The MRT can bring you from Petchaburi to Sukhumvit where you can change to the Skytrain station Asok. From Asok you can travel to Siam Square.

Like this many hotels and tourist attractions are within reach of disabled people. Even wheelchair users can travel without a minivan in Bangkok. And we like it.

But in case you need a taxi with a ramp to bring you to Hua Hin look at this Youtube video of a taxi with wheelchair and occupant restraint system according to ADA and European disability standards.

Wheelchair Thailand in Hotel Willow Park

November 11, 2011
Hotel Willow Park, Johannesburg, South Africa

Late at night we arrived at Hotel Willow Park in Johannesburg after a short drive in Alfie's wheelchair accessible safari truck. After the access ramp into the hotel we noticed Jan could drive in his wheelchair through the hotel without any steps to be taken. The ground floor room has a spacious bathroom with hand rails near the toilet and a roll in shower with hand rails. Perfect for a wheelchair user for the first two nights. We went to sleep immediately.

The first morning we started with breakfast in the restaurant. The hotel has a breakfast buffet with a small choice in eggs, bacon, cereal, milk, yochurt, fruit, coffee, etc.
 
After breakfast we walked around in the Park. And here we saw our first wildlife, a few skoorsteenveeer (South African). Looks like a stork. Beautiful to see them walking around on the grass early in the morning looking for food. Took a few pictures. One of these pictures can be seen in my webalbum. Click here to go to this album. We found two swimming pools, the bar and the reception area with wireless internet as well. So we fetched our laptop and checked out our email. And surprise, surprise, we had a online reservation for our apartment in France for mobility reduced people in wheelchairs, a returning guest. A quick answer and a shut down and of we go to enjoy our holiday again. We went for lunch in the restaurant, also a buffet with a variety of dishes for a reasonable price.

In the afternoon we went shopping with Alfie and 4 British able bodied tour members in Johannesburg. We had to buy plugs for the South African outlets to be able to charge Jan's powered wheelchair. After buying plugs, some sandwiches for tonight and some snacks and drinks for tomorrow during the day we went back to the hotel.

Around 5 pm we met the other members of the Krugerpark tour in the bar. The group consisted of 4 British able bodied persons, one disabled British woman with girl friend, one Dutch wheelchair user with two teens (arriving tonight) and the two of us. We order a drink like everyone else and listen to Alfie who tells us about the tour and also that we are leaving around 6.30 am. Is this holiday?

So Krugerpark here we come. We are looking forward to it.

To be continued.