lenlu

I would welcome thoughts on how ambitious this plan is and anything you'd suggest to remove or add.

July 3 BKK
July 4 Siam Reap
July 6 Fly to Samui via BKK
July 12 Fly to Chiang Rai
July 15 Fly to BKK
July 16 day trip?
July 17 BKK
July 18 Home

This is obviously very rough. A few thoughts circling around: Skip Chiang Rai and spend more time in Siamreap or add Sukhotai (is this worth it?) or skip Cambodia entirely. OR skip samui in favor of cambodia beaches. We want to see those giant rock cliff formations though, in the water. We are trying to shove in too much but I don't think we'll get down to SE Asia again for a long time...so...trying to combine culture, beach and must see sights. Things not to be skipped if you're going that distance. My head hurts...any advice? Departure flight from the West coast July 2-19 July.

If you had to leave something out, what would it be?

Thanks for your thoughts in advance!

Kathie

So you are leaving the west coast on July 2 - you will get to Bangkok just before midnight on July 3 on most airlines. So you can't count July 3 as a day to visit Bangkok. You leave on July 4 for Siem Reap. , and plan to fly out of Siem Reap on July 6 - so one full day and one half day in Siem Reap, as I assume you are flying out the morning of July 6. Since you are going to Siem Reap, do some research first. I always recommend dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples. It takes three full days (that means four nights) just to see the major temples. If you are really interested in the temples you will want more time (we spent a week).

In general, I'd say you are doing too much moving around (you lose a half a day or more each time you change locations) and haven't considered the impact of travel time on your plans.
You also have almost no time in Bangkok, which is a fascinating city.

Sukhothai is not nearly as large or as impressive as Angkor. I'd keep in Angkor, skip the idea of Sukhothai, skip the idea of a day trip from Bangkok. If you cut out Chiang Rai, you'll be able to spend adequate time in both Siem Reap and Bangkok.

The best value for your money and time is fewer destinations, more time in each place.

filmwill

I think with 6 nights planned at the beach and only 2 in Siem Reap, you really are short-changing yourself.

The beaches in Thailand are beautiful, for sure. But the best parts of Thailand (and Cambodia) are not at the beach. Not sure why you're picking Chiang Rai over Chiang Mai for what I can only assume is your first trip to Thailand. If your goal is to only see elephants then, yes, spend it at Anantara in Chiang Rai, but if you want culture, mountain scenery AND elephants then go to Chiang Mai (since there's a hell of a lot more to do than in Chiang Rai). My personal feeling is CR is better suited for a return visit.

You're not going to see any limestone karts jutting out of the waters around Ko Samui that I know of. You're looking for the scenery of the Andaman coast and in July the weather is not great there. People have done it before but seas can be rough and weather unpredictable during that time. But parts of Ko Samui and particularly Ko Phangnan can be equally pretty.

If it were me -- and it's not -- I would do 1 night BKK, 3-4 nights Siem Reap, 3 nights Chiang Mai, then 4 nights max at the beach (do the beach towards the end so you go out on a relaxed note--anything more than 4 nights at any beach is boring beyond belief), then back to BKK for the final few nights.

You have a lot of time to play with so you could theoretically do both Chiang Mai AND Chiang Rai on this trip, since you'll be up north already. Or you could consider an extra stop in Cambodia (off of Siem Reap) and go to Phnom Penh if you'd like a little more history and culture added to your trip.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

rhkkmk

Kathie makes good sense, but for me I would divide 10 days between bkk and samui

crellston

I am in Chiang Rai at the moment and really like it but I am not sure it is a great use of tet ime you have available. As a city, I probably prefer it to Chiang Mai. There is arguabll more to see in the areas around CR, mountain villages etc. Than CM but Cm does have a lot going on in the city in terms of temples. CR is also a lot quieter. It is only a 3 hour drive between CR and C, so you could do both

That said, if it were me, I would probably spend a few days in BKK, followed by Siem Reap and maybe one of the islands off the Cambodian coAst which are getting some very nice resorts. We spent a week or so in Kampot recently and really loved it. Kep is the nearest beach resort to there but the beach is not hat great. Phonm Penh is also definitely worth considering. A couple of days there will provide a great insight into Cambodian culture and history.

lenlu

Okay, thank you for all your feedback, it is important! So we booked our flights and am now working on the itinerary.

Many of you said more time in Angkor, so here's a new rough plan:

July 3 BKK sleep overnight at airport hotel.
July 4-7 Angkor
July 8-10 Fly to Samui via BKK
July 11-13 Fly to Krabi
July 14-16 Fly to Chiang Mai
July 17, 18 BKK
July 19 home

Okay, I realize this is really ambitious with all the flying. My husband really thinks we need to see both Krabi (despite weather, he says it's el nino and he's a meteorologist--thinks it might be okay) and Samui. He thinks it's worth the weather risk. Gah!

Neither of us really want to give up something--He wants all that time at the beach and I don't want to drop Angkor or Chiang Mai in favor of the other. The kids really want to at least see the elephants either in Cambodia or Chiang Mai. I've looked at a few sanctuaries, so we'll see.

If you had to knock a day off somewhere, where do you suggest? Keeping in mind my kids are still young so too many temples and sight seeing will become tiresome to them. Also, is it at all advisable to decide and book regional flights when we get there? I'm wondering if the weather really isn't cooperating, we can skip Krabi once we get there and look at the weather pattern. Or is that just crazy?

We did decide on Chiang Mai and have considered taking the night train or day train from BKK-- if we needed to change the itinerary to make that happen we could. Is the train a bad idea?

Once again, thanks for the input, I'll get this squared away soon.

Kathie

I think it's nuts to try to see both Samui and Krabi... well, I guess see is all you will have time to do... it's almost a drive-by. As I read your itinerary, you have a series of two-night stays - Samui, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Bangkok. This means you will have one day in each place - every second day you will be in transit. You will see a lot of airports... is that your idea of what you want this trip to be?

If your husband really wants to see Krabi, then skip Koh Samui. You are likely to get rain, storms and rough seas. The beaches will be red-flagged in all likelihood, but if it's a must-see, just put up with the weather. You are still cramming way too much in, but it will be slightly better.

As for taking the train to CM - will you and your kids enjoy a 12 hour train ride? That seems like a terrible waste of time in such a short trip.

The only elephant sanctuary I can recommend is the Elephant Nature Park. Unfortunately, the elephant camps are known for their abusive treatment of the elephants - probably not what any of you had in mind.

It's no problem to book your flights once you get there. But some of these flights are expensive. The flights in and out of Siem Reap and in and out of Samui have little/no competition so will be pricey. Check on Bangkok Air's Discovery Pass - it would save you a lot of money, but you'd have to reserve your flights ahead of time. (You have to buy the pass from your home country, you cannot buy it in SE Asia.

If it was just you and your husband, this would be a punishing itinerary. But with kids along, you are really asking for everyone to be unhappy.

rhkkmk

I would drop samui in favor of krabi, but only if you do NOT stay at ao nang-- horrible place... look at the sheraton

LancasterLad

As your time is precious I wouldn't consider the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai during the day, but I'd definitely give it a go on the overnight sleeper. Travelling overnight by sleeper train is an excellent way of making the best use of your time.

Everything you need to know about rail travel in Thailand is in the following link...

http://seat61.com/Thailand.htm#.VPf643ysVsU

Book 1st Class for the extra comfort.

Smeagol

I do understand your need to pack a lot in, but honestly this is like a "fly by" you will see a lot of airports.....
I too would drop one of the beach places. And add a day to SR and CM .

lenlu

Thanks for the responses everyone! And thank you for the train link. We thought about the night train and that it would be a neat experience so we'll still look at it. And I did see that there was a flying pass, so I'll look at BKK Air for that. We know the added flights will be an expense. Krabi had a few resorts like zeavola on Phi Phi (weather pending) and rayavadee that looked nice. Haven't done much research there yet on where to stay for the beaches. I did find Elephant Nature Park and the day experience looks good.

So, I'll try to convince my husband to dump Samui or Krabi. Maybe this time we'll skip Angkor, it seems like it isn't fitting in well. Thanks again!

Smeagol

I stayed at the Rayavadee a few years ago, the location is stunning......

Kathie

As much as I hate to see you drop Angkor, you do need to drop something in order to make this an enjoyable trip.

Note that Krabi and PhiPhi are different places. I'd be hesitant to go to Phi Phi at that time of the year, as the ferry or speedboat ride would be very rough. Also, it adds significantly to your travel time. A well-recommended place in Krabi is the Amari Vogue. Take a look at it and see if it meets your needs.

Be aware that while some people love taking night trains, most people get very little sleep on the Thai night trains. That may be fine with you, but be forewarned.

lenlu

Okay, thank you Kathie re: train. Probably easier to fly to CM anyway. I do know phi phi is probably not going to happen given the weather but we might leave that open if the weather is okay. One thing will go, either Krabi or Samui and possibly SR. thanks so much

Mutti

Lenlu, How old are the kids? Their ages may help you decide your itinerary. My family is leaving for Thailand and Cambodia in two weeks! However, our children are grown and very experienced travelers.

When we looked at the long train ride, my son, who has worked in Europe, advised not to take the train. He knows how his family sleeps and has been on an overnight sleeping car. Remember traveling with grumpy kids and overworked parents is no fun.

Be careful when booking a beach retreat. We chose a very quiet eco-resort, but someone with small kids may not find their rest and relaxation.

One of my best travel tips: When you are in BKK on the return leg, choose the best place you can afford. Ending the trip on a high note right before the long plane ride helps restore some good feelings and rest that may have ebbed during the trip.

I intend on posting a trip report when I come back. I'd say that these forums are a helpful for good solid advice.

lenlu

Mutti, I look forward to your trip report! How exciting!
I'm going for five star resorts all the way but in some places may need adjoining rooms. I agree about BKK and having a nice place before you head home. : )

The kids are 11 and 12 and have been to the Caribbean, England, Ireland, France, Germany with planes, trains and car rides. My husband and I have been all over including Africa so I'm not horribly worried but am noting that the number of nights per place may need to bump up. We like to be on the move a bit. Staying at the beach for six nights is too long for me but my husband seems to want to sit in the rain so what can I do! I think with the itinerary, the night train won't work anyway. I thought it would be an interesting experience for the kids but you're right, they may not sleep well. I rather enjoyed it in Europe but younger kids may not. The only wild card on this trip is the beach for the unpredictable weather. Everything else we can handle well enough.

If you have any tips, please share and have a great time!

LancasterLad

@Kathie<<<Be aware that while some people love taking night trains, most people get very little sleep on the Thai night trains. That may be fine with you, but be forewarned.>>>

Kathie. Where did you pick up that bit of spurious information from? Facts please!

Kathie

From personal accounts of other travelers, both in-person and from many years of reading trip reports here. If you can sleep well on the Thai trains, good for you, but others finding them uncomfortable is not "spurious information."

LancasterLad

Kathie. With respect, dozens of Westerners travel on overnight sleeper trains in Thailand every week. That's hundreds every year. Sleeping berths are so popular they get booked up well in advance.

Yes, you get the odd complaint, but that's about it.

It's annoying and frusrating to have perfectly good advice shot down by someone who's never even used Thai trains. And I challenge you again to provide proof that "...most people get very little sleep on Thai overnight trains".

LancasterLad

Correction to line two above.

"...hundreds every year" should read "...several thousand every year".