urgent help with planning a suitable itinerary for the Far East - 20 days

You are going at the busiest time of the year. Hotel prices will be the highest of the year and many places are likely to be full.

The cheapest airline is Air Asia, and they do fly several of the routes you mention.

Now you've listed 7 places you want to visit and you have a mere 20 days. That doesn't even give you 3 nights per place. I think three nights is the absolute minimum to stay, as it's really only two full days. Sometimes getting from one place to another is quick and efficient and you'll only lose half a day, but it can take a full day from one hotel check out to the next hotel check in.

So consider what you may want to cut. Is there a particular reason you want to go to Pattaya? It's pretty sleazy - not somewhere I'd want to take my daughters.

Phuket will have the most expensive hotels during your time period. I'd start looking at hotels now and see if you can find something that works for you. If not, you may want to change your beach destination.

www.sawasdee.com is a Thai booking site many of us use. Their prices include tax and service (17.7%), and often breakfast (often $16-20 pp).

I think you are trying to include too many destinations. Try to narrow it down to four places at most, IMO. Which ones can you eliminate? Start with Pattaya. I agree, don't take your daughters there!

cut one of the beach places...why would you go to pattaya with two daughters....its a sex den..

get your dec 24 to jan 2 hotel res now or be disappointed... expect high prices...

look at serviced apartments: ascott international, centre point, marriott, oakwood, conrad among others... with 4 of you a two bedroom place would work best....few hotels in thailand have double doubles... ascott has places in malaysia..

personally with 20 days i think i would visit: bangkok, phuket, penang and K/L (2-3 days max)

air asia is the best way to get around at the lowest price.. their hqtrs is in K/L...

thanks for your speedy replies. I certainly appreciate the advice.
i will delete Pattaya from tthe list.
I shall start enquiring flights, hotels a.s.a.p.
By the way, is Singapore an option for a few days as well?
Will follow up.

Book the holiday hotels now. I would only have five destinations. This gives time to enjoy each one and cuts down on travel time. each change in location will take up 1/2-3/4 of a day. Try to keep the shifts to a minimum.

Would like to add Koh Samui to the list? any opinions Please?

Would a reliable travel agent be useful in planning this holiday and will it be cost effective? Names please?

You can certainly go to Singapore for a few days if you'd like to. But we're all telling you to cut the number of stops so you get a chance to experience all of these wonderful places rather than spending all of your time in airport and cars. I agree with Gpanda, choose a MAXIMUM of 5 stops; 4 stops would be better.

You can go to Koh Samui, but trade it for Phuket. There is no reason to go to two different beach resorts.

You'll need to decide exactly which places you want to go, then book hotels. So start by deciding where to go, then look at www.sawasdee.com for Thai hotels and asisarooms.com or agoda.com for the other places. Then you can book your flights. Come back when you've decided on your destinations and we can help you figure out how to arrange them for most efficient travel.

You really don't need a travel agent (and yes, it would cost you more), and the travel agent can't help with the hardest part which is to choose fewer destinations.

Hi

I have decided on 5 stops and currently looking at Asia Air and Thai air for flights and asiarooms.com for hotels.

Definitely not using a travel agent.

Our flights for arrival in Bangkok and departure from Kuala Lumpur have been bought and paid for already.

A roundabout is involved for the Chang Mai Phuket leg - we fly Asia Air back to Bangkok, then a Thai Air flight to Phuket.
Tentative flight plan is Bangkok - Chaing Mai - Phuket -Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - home.
any thoughts please. I would appreciated the advice

Hi Anom,

Just curious, was the flight with Thai Airways direct from Chiang Mai to Phuket not available? or full?

Anyways, good of you to drop Pattaya. But I do hope you have time for Malacca.

Have an excellent trip.

Seagypsy is right, it's worth taking the Chiang Mai- Phuket non-stop on Thai Air as you have so many air connections.

It's a packed schedule. Resist any temptation to add more destinations or side trips.

THANKS INDEED FOR ALL THE ADVICE. I WILL POST AN UPDATE SOON

Wow, I am amazed at people taking day trips from KL to places like the Cameron Highlands and Malacca which are destinations in themselves and really deserve an overnight at least.

I have to say right off that I would not spend 4 days in KL, there simply is not enough to do or see. I think KL has lovely people and great food, but of all the places on your itin, it is the least interesting for tourists by quite a long shot. You are going a long way and paying a lot of money and I just feel I have to give you my honest opinion. Malaysia is, IMO, all about the countryside or much smaller cities like Penang or Malacca, the rain forest areas, the island of Borneo, and the marvelous east coast beaches and islands (the latter are in rain in December/Jan unfortunately). Going only to KL is like going to Arizona and seeing Phoenix rather than going to the Grand Canyon. I also would not spend one or more days on long day trips by car going someplace like the Cameron Highlands from KL. I can’t imagine your 6 year-old will enjoy the car trip, and the day will be rather rushed. If you want to see the Cameron Highlands, then I would spend more time there, and either spend one day in KL, or skip KL entirely and go back only to fly out of it. From your other posts, you seem to have ruled out Penang, and it may be expensive/time-consuming for you to get to other areas of Malaysia like Borneo which would offer more interesting sights and activities, IMO. (You could however, take a train from Singapore to KL, which would give you the chance to see some countryside and is a different experience. It takes about 6.5 hours, the first class fare for a family of 4 would be US$60 all together. 2nd class is even cheaper. I would not do this as a night train, although there is a night train option. I would take the day commuter train.)

Frankly, I would spread out your time in the other places by one day each, and try to simply connect to your international flight from KL, or at the very least spend 1 day and night in KL which is plenty. (I believe that flight is already paid for and can’t be changed).

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Singapore would be quite enjoyable and offer TONS of stuff to see and do. Plenty of shopping in Singapore of the same basic nature as KL, plus it offers many other options in terms of ethnic neighborhoods on a larger scale, their excellent zoo, bird park, botanic gardens, beaches, and several great museums which are IMO the best in SE Asia. Food as good as KL, as cheap, and lots of options. Bangkok of course you could write volumes about and you could spend your entire vacation in, IMO, and not be bored. Chiang Mai will give you a good countryside fix and also good shopping. Phuket for a nice beach holiday – you may pay pretty high prices unless you go before Christmas/NY week or go after Jan 6 or so.

My husband and myself are going just about the same dates as Anom,only we go from Karachi on the 16th of Dec and return on the 29th of Dec,which gives us 14 days.We would like to do Bangkok,Chian mai,Singapore, Kuala lumpur and langkawi. Am I wishing for too much? should I plan any less? Which place should I drop?Our stay in K/l is going to be with some friends.Please let me know soon. Thank you.

qamar, you are trying to do too much. In 4 days you should aim for 3 or an absolute maximum of 4 places. Which place to drop depends on your interests.

qamar59_bhatti, you really only have 12 days “on the ground” because it is hard to count the days you fly in and out as true sightseeing days, as most of those days are involved with the flights. In your case, if you leave on the 16th, you won’t arrive until the morning of the 17th. (If you depart on the 29th, you won’t arrive until back to Karachi until the 30th, I assume you have factored that in, otherwise you will have to depart on the eve of the 28th to arrive on the 29th. It actually seems that most flights depart between midnight and 3 am and arrive the following morning). Most of the flights from Karachi to Bangkok, KL and S’pore appear to be short overnight flights, and speaking for myself, I do a lot similar short overnight flights from India to Hong Kong which depart late in the evening and arrive early in the morning, and I find that I am just wiped out the next day, as you get about 3 hours sleep on the flight (if you are lucky, these are called “red eye” flights in the US for a reason). So you may loose another day as you may not feel much like sightseeing on your first day. So all things considered, with 11/12 days and 5 places which all require flying between, IMO you are spreading yourself thin in each place. At most you would have about 2.5 days in each place, all of which will take somewhere from 3-5 hours travel time to get between, giving you even less time once you arrive. And 2 days in a place like Bangkok will be a blur (the airport may be what you remember best), and that's a long way to go to get to Langkawi for only 2 days on the beach. Look at flight schedules and flight times and see whether it all works in any logical manner. I agree you may have to cut something or try to extend the dates of the trip.

From my search, it does not appear that there are any non-stop flights between Karachi and KL. Most non-stops to SE Asia seem to be to Bangkok or Singapore. Therefore, I would not go to KL first or last if you can avoid it, or otherwise you will be backtracking.

Thank you so much for the input Kathie and cicerone,I spoke with my husband and we are thinking of dropping Chiang mai and Langkawi.You are right we were spreading ourselves quite thin. Our flight from the US to Karachi alone is so long that we should not plan to fly here and there.While my husband laps up the geography and history of the place I am supposed to do the flights and hotels. Any Ideas?

Hi everyone and thanks for all the helpful info.
Meeting friends in Kuala Lumpur so part of the reason for the extended stay there.
Schedule:
Arrive Bangkok early morning - 5 nights(Radisson hotel)- situated slightly out of mainstream Bangkok but a free shuttle to major city points should help, I hope....
Chiang Mai - 2 nights (Holiday Inn Chiang Mai)- on the river
Phuket - 4 nights (Naithonburi Hotel)Naithon beach is approx 15/20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the famous Patong Beach. We prefer a quieter beach.
Singapore - 4 nights (Grand Mercure Roxy)
Kuala Lumpur-(Renaissance Hotel)- centrally located and close to most city sights
Booked all the hotels with agoda.com except singapore(used asia rooms)
Agoda prices were reasonable compared to most and included all taxes,fees and breakfasts. adjoing/family suites were a priority for us as well.

any thoughts on the above - I would love to hear.
Trips and tours are next so all ideas would be appreciated.
good reliable tour operators?
thanks.....

If it were me, I would redirect one night from Bangkok for one extra night for Chiang Mai. If those 2 nights you've got scheduled for CM includes your flights in and out, then I think you'll be rushing CM a bit.

Hi seagypsy
I think you are right but because of our very early morning flight on Bangkok airways - hoping we will have the advantage of 2 full days. May still consider redirection and 3 days in chiang Mai.
What are your views on the rest and tour/trip ideas please.
thanks.......

Hi anom,
Do you really want to know? ;~))
While I haven't visited Melaka yet, I've heard very good things about this UNESCO World Heritage town for its culture and history and it's only 2 hours away by longhaul bus from KL.
Your itinerary is very 'big city' oriented, with the exception of your destination on Phuket Island, and while I have enjoyed my visit to Singapore (it is a nice clean island/country) it's not a big priority for me to return.
But I'm not sure about the logistics and whether Malacca it is worth the detour or a substition for you (whether you visit en route between Singapore and KL), especially since you're travelling as a family and the added cost and time it would entail.
But maybe, if you can shave a day off each from Singapore and KL, you might be able to squeeze Melaka in for a brief overnight visit.
Have a great trip!

I agree with seagypsy that, given its proximity to KL, you should consider Melaka maybe for an overnight trip. It is a very compact place with loads to see and do (inc. stuff for the children). The food (particularly the Nonya cuisine is excellent.
Here is a link to our blog with some photos and further detail.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/candcthai/1/1206414900/tpod.html