Thailand/Cambodia Honeymoon Adventure
Jan 14th, 2013, 01:27 PM
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Thailand/Cambodia Honeymoon Adventure
Greetings,
Apologies in advance for the length of this message. My wife and I plan on traveling to Thailand/Cambodia during the late Feb to mid-March timeframe for our honeymoon. We are very excited to be going and have truly enjoyed readng about the travels of everyone here on the site.
At this point we have a rough outline of our itinerary/places to stay (all places are reserved but not locked in through pre-pay, etc.) I am not sure if I am just looking for validation of our choices, given that there are SO many options when planning this trip, but I do have a few questions that I was hoping to get your feedback on.
We are late 30s/early 40s. We tend to walk around a lot when we travel and we enjoy the cultural sites, shopping, R&R and the beach - basically, a litle of everything. We LOVE to eat and look forward to partaking in as much street/market food as we can handle. Packing the Immodium just in case.
Our general path/accommodations are as follows:
BKK - Ibis Bangkok Riverside
Siem Reap - FCC Angkor
PP - TBD
Krabi - Amari Vogue
BKK - TBD - maybe Penninsula or Oriental for final night or two in Asia
We've got about 18 days on the ground total, which includes inter/intra-country travel. We plan on spending 3 full days in BKK, 3 full days in SR, 2 days in PP, 6 days in Krabi and a day or two on the back end in BKK.
Plan on purchasing BKK Air Discovery pass for the 3 legs.
QUESTIONS:
1. We're getting in around midnight into BKK airport. Does anyone know if the airport express train runs that late? Or should we just play it safe and take a taxi given that Ibis is on the other side of the river?
Any street food/market paradises recommended for BKK? We'd like to experience as much local Thai flavor as we can, as we are coming from a city where we can get our fill of basically any cuisine.
2. We're thinking of doing an Extraordinary Elephants Day Trip out of BKK - The price seems a bit on the high end, but I know my wife would LOVE bathing (i..e, splashing around with) the elephants and it seems like this company takes decent care of the animals. Anyone have any experience with them by any chance?
3. In SR, in terms of scenery, is it worthwhile to take a boat ride to Battambang or PP? BB would just be a sidetrip, since we do plan on going to PP either way. We've got 3 full days in SR, plus 1/2 day on arrival and whatever extra time on departure day.
4. I have Dawn Rooney's book on the temples (though still have to read it!) Is it still worthwhile to get a guide? We plan on getting a driver/tuk tuk. Is it worth going to one of the temples at sunrise or is it likely going to be a madhouse (yes, I know we are traveling during high season)?
5. In Krabi, I am thinking of renting a car from the Krabi Airport given the location of Amari Vogue. I would get an Int'l Driver's Permit. I've never driven on the opposite side of the road, but am more or less a decent driver. Is this a suicide mission? Should we just get a driver/tuk tuk when we need one? Given the Amari Vogue property, we'll probably hang around there a bit, do a day trip or two on a boat, so not sure how much we'll need a car.
We do like to explore, though, particularly the food options of any place we stay. On the subject, any street food recommendations for the area, including Ao Nang, Railay, etc.?
Thanks for reading. Any input/guidance is most appreciated.
Apologies in advance for the length of this message. My wife and I plan on traveling to Thailand/Cambodia during the late Feb to mid-March timeframe for our honeymoon. We are very excited to be going and have truly enjoyed readng about the travels of everyone here on the site.
At this point we have a rough outline of our itinerary/places to stay (all places are reserved but not locked in through pre-pay, etc.) I am not sure if I am just looking for validation of our choices, given that there are SO many options when planning this trip, but I do have a few questions that I was hoping to get your feedback on.
We are late 30s/early 40s. We tend to walk around a lot when we travel and we enjoy the cultural sites, shopping, R&R and the beach - basically, a litle of everything. We LOVE to eat and look forward to partaking in as much street/market food as we can handle. Packing the Immodium just in case.
Our general path/accommodations are as follows:
BKK - Ibis Bangkok Riverside
Siem Reap - FCC Angkor
PP - TBD
Krabi - Amari Vogue
BKK - TBD - maybe Penninsula or Oriental for final night or two in Asia
We've got about 18 days on the ground total, which includes inter/intra-country travel. We plan on spending 3 full days in BKK, 3 full days in SR, 2 days in PP, 6 days in Krabi and a day or two on the back end in BKK.
Plan on purchasing BKK Air Discovery pass for the 3 legs.
QUESTIONS:
1. We're getting in around midnight into BKK airport. Does anyone know if the airport express train runs that late? Or should we just play it safe and take a taxi given that Ibis is on the other side of the river?
Any street food/market paradises recommended for BKK? We'd like to experience as much local Thai flavor as we can, as we are coming from a city where we can get our fill of basically any cuisine.
2. We're thinking of doing an Extraordinary Elephants Day Trip out of BKK - The price seems a bit on the high end, but I know my wife would LOVE bathing (i..e, splashing around with) the elephants and it seems like this company takes decent care of the animals. Anyone have any experience with them by any chance?
3. In SR, in terms of scenery, is it worthwhile to take a boat ride to Battambang or PP? BB would just be a sidetrip, since we do plan on going to PP either way. We've got 3 full days in SR, plus 1/2 day on arrival and whatever extra time on departure day.
4. I have Dawn Rooney's book on the temples (though still have to read it!) Is it still worthwhile to get a guide? We plan on getting a driver/tuk tuk. Is it worth going to one of the temples at sunrise or is it likely going to be a madhouse (yes, I know we are traveling during high season)?
5. In Krabi, I am thinking of renting a car from the Krabi Airport given the location of Amari Vogue. I would get an Int'l Driver's Permit. I've never driven on the opposite side of the road, but am more or less a decent driver. Is this a suicide mission? Should we just get a driver/tuk tuk when we need one? Given the Amari Vogue property, we'll probably hang around there a bit, do a day trip or two on a boat, so not sure how much we'll need a car.
We do like to explore, though, particularly the food options of any place we stay. On the subject, any street food recommendations for the area, including Ao Nang, Railay, etc.?
Thanks for reading. Any input/guidance is most appreciated.
Jan 14th, 2013, 02:08 PM
#2
1) I believe the train stops around midnight. It is very simple to get a cab from the taxi line at the airport. Just be sure to pick up some baht at the airport
My favorite place to get "street food" is actually on the lower lever of the Siam Paragon Mall. Buy a pre-loaded card near the escalator to purchase your food from the numerous stalls. When you're done, go back and get a refund for any balance on the card. I love the papaya salad & fried chicken at the first stall away from the card booth. The guy pounds it from scratch in a huge mortar while you wait.
3) The boat trip to Battambang is fun, but you'll need to see if the water levels are high enough in March. if not take the bus, as BB is a great town. Even if the water is high enough, you'll only want to do the boat trip once way. Hire a tuk tuk in BB or rent motor bikes to explore the surrounding area.
4) I have Dawn Rooney's book, but I'm so glad I took a guide the first time. I find it hard to get my bearings inside temples, and honestly, a lot of the walls and courtyards look a lot alike! I guess if you'd really studied the book, and created some maps it would work, but even a mediocre guide can at least point out and tell you what you're looking at! A good guide will bring it to life, tieing the various sites together.
My favorite place to get "street food" is actually on the lower lever of the Siam Paragon Mall. Buy a pre-loaded card near the escalator to purchase your food from the numerous stalls. When you're done, go back and get a refund for any balance on the card. I love the papaya salad & fried chicken at the first stall away from the card booth. The guy pounds it from scratch in a huge mortar while you wait.
3) The boat trip to Battambang is fun, but you'll need to see if the water levels are high enough in March. if not take the bus, as BB is a great town. Even if the water is high enough, you'll only want to do the boat trip once way. Hire a tuk tuk in BB or rent motor bikes to explore the surrounding area.
4) I have Dawn Rooney's book, but I'm so glad I took a guide the first time. I find it hard to get my bearings inside temples, and honestly, a lot of the walls and courtyards look a lot alike! I guess if you'd really studied the book, and created some maps it would work, but even a mediocre guide can at least point out and tell you what you're looking at! A good guide will bring it to life, tieing the various sites together.
Jan 14th, 2013, 02:08 PM
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1. Take a taxi - it's your honeymoon.
Regarding the food I'm not an expert, but for instance around Khaosan road the food is not bad.
3. I haven't done it, but the area between SR and PP is just plains, not that interesting. And I've read reports of people who got sunburnt while doing this boat trip.
4. In any case you'll need transportation. The best would be to rent a car. A guide is not really necessary and sometimes the driver can act as a guide.
5. I wouldn't rent a car there. It's also more fun to rely on tuk tuks and taxis.
In Krabi town near the jetty in the evening there used to be food stalls (street hawker) making delicious food. Then there was this tourist restaurant preparing these delicious dishes:
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Thailand/Thaifood/
(pics 1-11, I used to eat in this restaurant)
Who knows if the restaurant still exists, it was in Thanon Chao Fa road (near the jetty).
Regarding the food I'm not an expert, but for instance around Khaosan road the food is not bad.
3. I haven't done it, but the area between SR and PP is just plains, not that interesting. And I've read reports of people who got sunburnt while doing this boat trip.
4. In any case you'll need transportation. The best would be to rent a car. A guide is not really necessary and sometimes the driver can act as a guide.
5. I wouldn't rent a car there. It's also more fun to rely on tuk tuks and taxis.
In Krabi town near the jetty in the evening there used to be food stalls (street hawker) making delicious food. Then there was this tourist restaurant preparing these delicious dishes:
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Thailand/Thaifood/
(pics 1-11, I used to eat in this restaurant)
Who knows if the restaurant still exists, it was in Thanon Chao Fa road (near the jetty).
Jan 14th, 2013, 02:53 PM
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1. I agree - take a taxi from the airport. Easy and pretty cheap - maybe 350 baht - a bit over $10 US.
2. I have no knowledge or experience with Extraordinary Elephants Day Trip out of BKK. But I do know about how elephants are usually treated at tourist attractions. The only elephant camps I would recommend are outside of Chiang Mai - either the Thai Elephant Conservation Center or the Elephant Nature Park. If elephants are really important to you, take a side trip to Chiang Mai (perhaps by cutting PP). What I can find about it on the web are all TripAdvisor reviews which give us no info on how the elephants are treated. The day trip involves some other very touristy activities like the floating market, which I consider to be eminently missable.
3. I haven't done this trip, but the reviews of other travelers don't inspire me to do it. Indeed, they inspire me to avoid it.
4. I'm one of those people who chose not to have a guide at Angkor. I'd been studying Angkor for many years and we took along Dawn Rooney's book. We loved having many of the minor temples to ourselves and appreciated the quiet of being there without a guide. It's not for everyone, but if you think you might prefer to go it alone, try it one day. You can always hire a guide the next day.
5. Certainly you can rent a car in Krabi if you want (I wouldn't say the same thing about Bangkok, for instance), but decide just how much driving you plan to do. If not much, the car will be more money and more hassle than hailing cabs and tuk tuks. I expect there may be a car rental desk at the hotel, so if you decide you want a car for a day or two you can get one.
Have a wonderful trip.
2. I have no knowledge or experience with Extraordinary Elephants Day Trip out of BKK. But I do know about how elephants are usually treated at tourist attractions. The only elephant camps I would recommend are outside of Chiang Mai - either the Thai Elephant Conservation Center or the Elephant Nature Park. If elephants are really important to you, take a side trip to Chiang Mai (perhaps by cutting PP). What I can find about it on the web are all TripAdvisor reviews which give us no info on how the elephants are treated. The day trip involves some other very touristy activities like the floating market, which I consider to be eminently missable.
3. I haven't done this trip, but the reviews of other travelers don't inspire me to do it. Indeed, they inspire me to avoid it.
4. I'm one of those people who chose not to have a guide at Angkor. I'd been studying Angkor for many years and we took along Dawn Rooney's book. We loved having many of the minor temples to ourselves and appreciated the quiet of being there without a guide. It's not for everyone, but if you think you might prefer to go it alone, try it one day. You can always hire a guide the next day.
5. Certainly you can rent a car in Krabi if you want (I wouldn't say the same thing about Bangkok, for instance), but decide just how much driving you plan to do. If not much, the car will be more money and more hassle than hailing cabs and tuk tuks. I expect there may be a car rental desk at the hotel, so if you decide you want a car for a day or two you can get one.
Have a wonderful trip.
Jan 14th, 2013, 06:41 PM
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Thank you all for the responses. These are very helpful, particularly with the details that you won't find in any guidebook.
@lcuy - Siam Paragon is on our list, so we hope to find that papaya salad and fried chicken.
@amin - Point taken on the taxi ride to the hotel upon our arrival.
@Kathie - We have enjoyed reading your posts on the site! Re: Chiang Mai, that was part of our original plans, but then we started to read about the burning season and it didn't seem like such a great idea to head up there. Would the effects of it be over/largely gone by late February? Still, would like to see PP at least for a bit to visit/learn more about the effects of the war, though understand from what I've read that it can be pretty somber.
Thank you again.
@lcuy - Siam Paragon is on our list, so we hope to find that papaya salad and fried chicken.
@amin - Point taken on the taxi ride to the hotel upon our arrival.
@Kathie - We have enjoyed reading your posts on the site! Re: Chiang Mai, that was part of our original plans, but then we started to read about the burning season and it didn't seem like such a great idea to head up there. Would the effects of it be over/largely gone by late February? Still, would like to see PP at least for a bit to visit/learn more about the effects of the war, though understand from what I've read that it can be pretty somber.
Thank you again.
Jan 15th, 2013, 11:09 AM
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A guide for sue in sr...an ac car too==survival...
Car rental at karabiner...you might try pure car rentals...I think they service Krabi...
Easy to drive there with no hassles...
Gave knocking at amari...amazing
Bag your bkk hotel and choose anantara or chatrium riverside instead... Penn for sure for final splurge bites...
I have a restaurant listing, ask me at [email protected] for it...also ask me tHERE FOR BRABI BOATMAN CONTACT...
you might like tour guide tong to take you to elephants and or monkeys outside bkk....www.tourwithtong.com
I can guarantee the experience with her will be the highlight of your trip
Bob
Car rental at karabiner...you might try pure car rentals...I think they service Krabi...
Easy to drive there with no hassles...
Gave knocking at amari...amazing
Bag your bkk hotel and choose anantara or chatrium riverside instead... Penn for sure for final splurge bites...
I have a restaurant listing, ask me at [email protected] for it...also ask me tHERE FOR BRABI BOATMAN CONTACT...
you might like tour guide tong to take you to elephants and or monkeys outside bkk....www.tourwithtong.com
I can guarantee the experience with her will be the highlight of your trip
Bob
Jan 16th, 2013, 06:28 PM
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Hi Bob,
I tried to reach you at [email protected], but the e-mails don't seem to be going through. I also tried reaching you at [email protected] (rhk instead on rhr, given that you were using an iPad). That seemed to go through.
If either of these are incorrect, could you please let me know where I could reach you.
Thank you for your time.
I tried to reach you at [email protected], but the e-mails don't seem to be going through. I also tried reaching you at [email protected] (rhk instead on rhr, given that you were using an iPad). That seemed to go through.
If either of these are incorrect, could you please let me know where I could reach you.
Thank you for your time.
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