charbergs

Hello all,
My fiancee and I are planning a honeymoon for November, 2007. I would love some advice on our preliminary itinerary. I've spent a lot of time reading other threads, and it has been really helpful in developing this itinerary.

Goals- Bookend trip with time on beach, also visiting Ankgor Wat, Luang Prabang, and Chiang Mai, spend some time living it up resort style, remaining time living more modestly.

Budget- (not including flight to and from BKK) $5000.

Time- Arrive BKK 11/7 in PM, Leave BKK 11/30 in AM. (22 full days)

Working Itinerary:
ARRIVE BKK: 11/7 at 10:30 PM
11/8: Fly BKK to Phuket or Krabi
Phuket area- 3 nights (11/8-11/11)
11/11: Fly Phuket/Krabi to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai- 4 nights (11/11-11/15)
11/15: Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang- 3 nights (11/15-11/18)
11/18: Luang Prabang to Siem Reap
Siem Reap- 3 nights (11/18-11/21)
11/21: Siem Reap to BKK
BKK- 2 nights (11/21-11/23)
11/23: BKK to Ko Samui
Ko Samui- 6 nights (11/23-11/29)
11/29- Ko Samui to BKK
BKK- 1 night (11/29-11/30)
LEAVE BKK: 11/30 at 7:30 AM.

Thank you all so much in advance!

Charlie

Kathie

A couple of thoughts:

You are getting late to plan for November. Once you make your decisions, book immediately.

Each time you change locations you lose most of a day. Cutting one location will give you more time, allow you to slow down. It will also cut your flight costs.

I'd recommend you choose one beach location. Otherwise, you'll hardly feel like you were at a beach. If you wait untyil the end of your trip, you'll likely have better weather in teh Phuket/Krabi area.

Spend some time in Bangkok (not just transit). It's a fabulous city, lots of things to see and do and fabulous, luxurious hotels for good prices. A bit of time on each end of the trip makes sense given your flights in and out.

You'll pay the most for hotels at the beach. A single beach stay will give you a nice, relaxing time, but won't break the budget.

I think you have too much time in CM. Both Luang Prabang and Siem Reap have much more to experience. I'd cut at least one day from CM and add it to Siem Reap, as you really don't even have enough time to see the major temples.

So I'd suggest something like:
3 nights Bangkok
3 nights Chiang Mai
4 nights Luang Prabang
4 nights Siem Reap
6 nights Phuket or Krabi
2 nights Bangkok

cmenoni

I agree with Kathie on most things, with a few additional thoughts. I would not want to spend 5 nights in BKK on my honeymoon or any other time, unless you're really into cities. While it has improved over the last couple of decades,it is still a loud, noisy city.

I would recommend going from Chaing Mai over to Chaing Khong and taking a 2 day, 1 night trip down the Mekong River to LP. It remains one of the great thrills of my many travels. You can arrange the trip through any TA or guesthouse in CK with varying budgets.

Happy homeymoon and marriage!!

BillT

If you ARE city people then 5 nights in BKK is fine there is lots to see and do.

charbergs

Thanks so much, Kathie, for your quick response.

I realize there is urgency to start booking. We fortunately already have our flights booked in and out of BKK. We are currently looking into using AMEX points for our nights in BKK.

Aside from the BKK hotel, what bookings have require the most urgency?

Thanks!
Charlie

rhkkmk

any guide in bkk would require booking yesterday....

i too would cut a day from CM and also from phuket....i would add to bkk....it is truly fabulous.....the hotels are by far the best in the country in many ways....stay on the river if you can....marriott resort and spa often works well for mid-budget minded honeymooners....peninsula for higher price...

Kathie

All of your hotels need to be booked ASAP, in particular any beach hotels. Your intra-asia flights also need to be booked ASAP, especially flights to/from Siem Reap and Luang Prabang, as these often sell out.

If you don't like cities, then spend a couple of days in Bangkok at each end. Actually, I thought the itineray I proposed had the absolute minimum number of days in Bangkok! If you do like cities... well, my first trip to Thailand consisted of 9 days in Bangkok over 20 years ago. Since then I've made about 20 trips that included some time in Bangkok. We'll have a total of 9 or 10 days this year before and after our trip to Sri Lanka, and we have so many things we want to do, we know we won't get them all done. If you enjoy fabulous Thai food, shopping and spas as well as the sheer spectacle of the Grand Palace complex and the amazing wats, Bangkok is for you.

charbergs

Thank you all so much for your input.

We will definitely cut a day from Chiang Mai. My fiancee travels a lot and wants to limit her time in major urban areas (ie Bangkok) for this trip. We also ideally would like to bookend the trip on beaches, despite the time cost associated with adding another travel day, so that we have time to relax after the wedding and before going home!

Given your advice, Kathie, to book beach resorts early, we are now looking for some recommendations.

At the end of November, what are the benefits of Phuket's surrounding islands vs. Koh Samui/Tao/Pha-Ngan?

What places would people recommend to stay?

Thanks again!
Charlie

laartista

Being your honeymoon, would you consider a staffed villa in Samui? I just stayed at a beautiful place and kept thinking while there, I've got to come back but with a boyfriend. Or husband. I've attached some personal photos and a website.It's called the rice house. also you might want to rent a car/ jeep in Samui.

Website: http://www.edenrok.com/

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...5wk01&Ux=1

Kathie

October/November are both very rainy in Phuket and Samui. Toward the end of November, the weather in Phuket gets better, but Samui often isn't better until December. So you are more likely to get good weather if you wait until the end of your trip to visit one of the beaches. I understand you have the idea to bookend your trip with beaches, but consider whether it nwould ruin your time at the beach if it rained heavily every day. It usually doesn't rain all day. If the rain would be a bummer on your beach stay, don't go to the beach at the beginning of your trip.

Phuket area has a wide range of accommodations, both in price and in how busy/isolated they are. Give us some idea of what you are looking for in terms of price and in terms of how quiet or busy you'd like the area to be.

Samui is expensive to get to, only Bangkok Air flies there as they own the airport.

Also, as you look at your itinerary, note that any place you stay for three nights, you'll really only have two full days there.

JamesA

Whilst making your plans it may be of use to note that if heading from North to South there is just 1 non stop per day, that is Thai Airways Chiang Mai to Phuket, takes about 2 hrs, wide-body flight.

That flight can save you a great deal of time compared with having to change planes in Bangkok.
So if heading from CM area south getting that Thai non stop is very worthwhile, using that flight also makes the Thai Airways 'pass' good value as that flight is otherwise quite expensive.

You need to tell us your budget though, no point suggesting luxury places at $500 when you only want to spend $200, or suggesting a $100 3 star when you want a spa place !

Also not a big difference between 'absolute beachfront' places and those not on the beach, many new styled places do not have the best positions or even on the beach as land at the best beach locations has in general been 'taken up' years ago.

But do give us an idea what you want to spend and also if you want large resort, boutique resort, if you want romantic and quiet or yor want to party every night !

JamesA

Typo:

"Also not a big difference between " should be "note" a big difference.

There are places right on the beach and there are expensive places that are actualy in the hills and not near the beach !

charbergs

OK- so here is a new itinerary taking many of these things in mind. Thanks for all the advice. How does this look?

Working Itinerary:
ARRIVE BKK: 11/7 at 10:30 PM
BKK from 11/7 to 11/10
11/10: Fly BKK to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai- 2 nights (11/10-11/12)
11/12: Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong (shuttle?)
11/13: Early am leave CK for LP
11/13-11/14- Mekong River to LP
Luang Prabang- 3 nights (11/14-11/17)
11/18: Luang Prabang to Siem Reap
Siem Reap- 4 nights (11/17-11/21)
11/21: Siem Reap to Phuket
*Phuket Area- 8 nights (11/21-11/29)
11/29- Phuket to BKK
BKK- 1 night (11/29-11/30)
LEAVE BKK: 11/30 at 7:30 AM
*possibility of return to Bangkok earlier or island hopping

Thanks again to everyone,
Charlie

Kathie

That's a reasonable itinerary. But a question about the Mekong cruise to LP: are you planning on taking the one day boat or the two day expensive cruise? There is a good one-day boat (don't take the speedboat) you may want to consider, as it would give you another day in LP.

Sorry, I don't remember the names of the particular boats, but there have been recent threads about them - do a search.

StanKase

Having been to Thailand 3 times in 7 years I think you will get bored in Phuket and I would cut 2 but at least one day off. Chiang Mai really needs 3 full days or maybe don't go there. While BK is urban it is such a wonderous city that 3 full days/4/nts. will not be a mistake. With the extra days you could consider Chiang Rai after CM for 2 full days/3nts. for it is very interesting, in our opinion. Now you are really confused. This is a special trip sio if it cost an xtra $500-$700 try and go for it. Enjoy.

charbergs

To clarify- we are also looking for resort suggestions in the $150-$250/day ideally in the islands surrounding Phuket (ie Phi Phi, Lanta, or others).

Thanks- we are making progress with everyone's help!

Charlie

rhkkmk

for reference on one page take a look at this hotel site:

www.huahin.20m.com

scroll down to phuket/ krabi etc for locations....you will see how the places vary in price....then ask us about specific places....

kata thani is one place on phuket which many like....villa royal is another....the merediens and the sheraton are others...the jw marriott is fabulous....

you may be in trouble for places to stay in LP at this late date....do that first bec. if you can't find something good you may have to adjust your travel plans...this is very possible....