Hello all,
Planning a two-week honeymoon in August 2013 and hoping to see Phi Phi Don, Chiang Mai and Bangkok. My fiancee (then-wife) and I want to spend at least half our time in the south doing the beach scene, but are also really excited to see the temples and sights in CM and Bangkok and eat ALL THE FOOD. Hoping to get some opinions from those of you that have been to these places as to whether we've budgeted reasonable amounts of time given what we want from the trip:
1) Atlanta --> Bangkok (arriving 08/12/13 at 11pm, 1 night stay at an airport hotel)
2) Bangkok --> Phuket (arriving 08/13/13 at 9:30am, 1pm ferry to Phi Phi Don, 6-night stay at Phi Phi Island Village (08/13 - 08/18))
3) Phuket --> Chiang Mai (arriving 08/19/13 at 9:45pm, 3-night stay at Shangri-La Hotel (08/19 - 08/21))
4) Chiang Mai --> Bangkok (arriving 08/22/13 at 8:20pm, 3-night stay at Royal Orchid Sheraton (08/22 - 08/24))
5) Bangkok --> Atlanta (08/25/13)
Want to do/see in Phi Phi:
Snorkeling/diving/hiking/lounging about/partying
Ko Phi Phi Leh
Want to do/see in Bangkok:
Grand Palace
Wat Arun
Wat Pho
Jim Thompson house
Eat great food
Want to do/see in Chiang Mai:
Doi Suthep
Doi Inthanon
An elephant and/or tiger park
Eat more great food
One major question: I know that August is the rainy season in Thailand. Will our Phi Phi trip be a dud because of it?
Thanks for any and all suggestions!
-J
2-week Thailand itinerary -- is it reasonable?
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I think you've got it about right. I prefer Chiang Mai to Bangkok so I might stay 4 nights in CM and 2 in Bangkok. Bangkok is very urban which I find oppressive in that climate for getting around. Lounging by the river, fine, but Chiang Mai I find more pleasant for strolling and shopping.
Regarding weather, you might consider making your flight decisions as you go. I've never had any problem getting flights at the last minute. I suggest you not pay in advance for hotels also if you'd like to remain flexible which is common when traveling in that part of the world, if you'd be comfortable with it. I find it quite liberating to not have a fixed itinerary but I know it's not for everyone.
select a better hotel than the sheraton (ROS) in bkk. consider splurging on the peninsula. maybe the shangri-la or chatrium riverside, or my favorite the anantara riverside.. in town the plaza anthanee (meridien and sheraton affiliate), the four seasons, the renaissance, the sheraton grande, emporium suites, hyatt, st regis (splurge), kempenski... all of these will provide a far better bkk experience than the ROS...
the rest of your selections look perfect to me...
How do you feel about rain? Are you someone who doesn't let ir bother them or would you feel your vacation was ruined if it rained on you at PhiPhi? Take a look at one of the wetaher sites, like www.weatherbase.com for data on rain in the Phuket area in August. Perhaps more bothersome is that the water will be rough, beaches may even be red-flagged, and snorkeling won't be good. If you are ok with that, you can get great deals in the Phuket area in August.
Unlike MmePerdu, I love Bangkok and am bored in CM after two days. Also, CM doesn't have nearly the great food that Bangkok has, IMO.
Don't forget about the Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha in Bangkok - a must-visit. I like the Royal Orchid Sheraton. Great loaction, walkable to many excellent restaurants and to Chinatown - though in the August heat, you may prefer the water taxi. A water taxi stop is right next door, so you can get to Wat Po, War Arun and the grand Palace/Emerald Buddha quickly and easily.
check the rain patterns... rain often means drenching showers that are over in 30 minutes... many like august for thailand... september is generally the worst month..
The alternative to Koh Phi Phi is Koh Samui and other destinations off southeastern Thailand in August.
Most of us prefer Bangkok to Chiang Mai but CM is worth a couple of days.
Many good hotels in Bangkok but if you are on the river (recommended for a first-timer), the Penn and the Krungthep wing of the Shangri La are the best. Kathie stays on the tower floors at the ROS and based on her enthusiasm over the years, that is probably in the same league.
Thank you all for your terrific and detailed replies!
Rain is no bother unless entire days are wiped out because of it. I've been sort of dead set on Phi Phi simply because of its beautiful craggy cliffs juxtaposed with the amazing beaches, but maybe I should look into Ko Samui some more?
Well, I don't want to put you off going to Phi-Phi, but August plants you right in the middle of the monsoon season and that means rough seas as well as torrential downpours. But Thai speedboat captains don't take much notice of that because to them, it's all about money and the more tourists they can cram into their vessels, the more cash they'll earn. Here's a news report of one such incident where the boat capsized in rough seas: http://phuketwan.com/tourism/almost-drowned-phuket-tourist-tells-nightmare-sinking-speedboat-16575/
You'd be better off in Samui since the weather patterns differ slightly to the rest of Thailand. The monsoon season doesn't descend on the island until October/November and August will be relatively dry. See: http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Samui