12 days in Thailand and Vietnam
Sep 18th, 2006, 01:14 PM
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12 days in Thailand and Vietnam
Hello-
My hubby and I will be going to Thailand and Vietnam for the first time the last week in November/first week of December. Should we just stay in one country or should we try to do them both? If you only had 12 days, what would your itinerary be? Also, this is our first trip to Asia. Please help!!! Everywhere looks so great!!!
Thanks! Jennifer
My hubby and I will be going to Thailand and Vietnam for the first time the last week in November/first week of December. Should we just stay in one country or should we try to do them both? If you only had 12 days, what would your itinerary be? Also, this is our first trip to Asia. Please help!!! Everywhere looks so great!!!
Thanks! Jennifer
Sep 18th, 2006, 02:26 PM
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Choose one country. 12 days isn't enough to see one country, let alone two.
Thailand is the easier of the two as it has very well-developed tourist infrastructure and almost everyone you have contact with will speak at least some English. VN is very interesting, but it doesn't yet have the infraastructure or the service orientation of Thailand.
Do you have 12 full days on the ground in Asia? If so, you could choose as many as three locations to visit. You lose most of a day each time you change locations, so even choosing just two places would be fine.
Bangkok - Northern Thailand (Chaing Mai or Chaing Rai) and a beach location (likely in the Phuket area) is the usual recommendation, but it depends on your interests. Give us some more info - what do you want to do, see, experience - and we can be more helpful.
Thailand is the easier of the two as it has very well-developed tourist infrastructure and almost everyone you have contact with will speak at least some English. VN is very interesting, but it doesn't yet have the infraastructure or the service orientation of Thailand.
Do you have 12 full days on the ground in Asia? If so, you could choose as many as three locations to visit. You lose most of a day each time you change locations, so even choosing just two places would be fine.
Bangkok - Northern Thailand (Chaing Mai or Chaing Rai) and a beach location (likely in the Phuket area) is the usual recommendation, but it depends on your interests. Give us some more info - what do you want to do, see, experience - and we can be more helpful.
Sep 18th, 2006, 07:03 PM
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i agree with kathie 100%, but i will add a few things for your consideration...
perhaps incorrectly i am assuming that you are coming to thailand from north america?? if so you need to know that upon arrival you will be shocked by the heat and humidity, even in nov/dec....it takes some getting used to .....
i suggest that for the first two full days you plan to spend them in bangkok at a cosy hotel that has a nice pool...day one plan to do very little, day two start to venture out but don't plan too much....
do you prefer beach or country settings....the reason i ask is for what your next stop should be???
myself i would visit only bangkok and one other place, either beach or up north... and then i would return to bkk for my last few days...
i also suggest that you hire a guide/driver while in bkk....this will facilitate your getting around and adjusting to the weather and in fact dealing with the heat/humidity...its a killer!! cherry/ratt/tong all get great marks...ask for details if you are interested..
it is not necessary to have a guide/driver but it helps on your first stay and to get you aquainted with the city...
i also would purchase a good guide book...i personally like the treasurers and pleasurers of thailand and myanmar by ron krannich....it is primarily a shopping guide but it has a good restaurant section and hotel section...you also would need a general sightseeing guide like fodors, frommers, impact, access, etc...all available from amazon...you might try your local library as well to see which one you like best...or just borrow from them for the 12 days...
i have a bkk restaurant listing if you are interested, just ask:
[email protected]
i will be there at that time as well...maybe we will run into each other...
choosing your bkk hotel is very important...many of us love the river locations...i, myself, prefer the marriott resort and spa...we all have our favorites...if you are in bkk twice you might even want to try out 2 different hotels...
a good hotel site is:
www.huahin.20m.com
ask all the questions you want!!
perhaps incorrectly i am assuming that you are coming to thailand from north america?? if so you need to know that upon arrival you will be shocked by the heat and humidity, even in nov/dec....it takes some getting used to .....
i suggest that for the first two full days you plan to spend them in bangkok at a cosy hotel that has a nice pool...day one plan to do very little, day two start to venture out but don't plan too much....
do you prefer beach or country settings....the reason i ask is for what your next stop should be???
myself i would visit only bangkok and one other place, either beach or up north... and then i would return to bkk for my last few days...
i also suggest that you hire a guide/driver while in bkk....this will facilitate your getting around and adjusting to the weather and in fact dealing with the heat/humidity...its a killer!! cherry/ratt/tong all get great marks...ask for details if you are interested..
it is not necessary to have a guide/driver but it helps on your first stay and to get you aquainted with the city...
i also would purchase a good guide book...i personally like the treasurers and pleasurers of thailand and myanmar by ron krannich....it is primarily a shopping guide but it has a good restaurant section and hotel section...you also would need a general sightseeing guide like fodors, frommers, impact, access, etc...all available from amazon...you might try your local library as well to see which one you like best...or just borrow from them for the 12 days...
i have a bkk restaurant listing if you are interested, just ask:
[email protected]
i will be there at that time as well...maybe we will run into each other...
choosing your bkk hotel is very important...many of us love the river locations...i, myself, prefer the marriott resort and spa...we all have our favorites...if you are in bkk twice you might even want to try out 2 different hotels...
a good hotel site is:
www.huahin.20m.com
ask all the questions you want!!
Sep 18th, 2006, 09:33 PM
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You both will have a plenty of time to go both countries. Why won't you spend one week in Thailand and the rest in VN? Since you've already on vacation once a year. I think this trip will save your time and money. You will get more experince from both countries.
Sep 19th, 2006, 03:21 AM
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nena, tell us your interests, how you want to spend the time, I agree 12 days isn't much especialy after a lonf haul flight, however if it is the only chance you might have for years to come you may be wanting to pack in as much as you can.
Are you after scenary, beaches, culture, shopping, restful time or are you into soft adventure, river kayak or lazing around a pool, cities or off the beaten track, there are a lot of options so be as detailed as you want.
Are you after scenary, beaches, culture, shopping, restful time or are you into soft adventure, river kayak or lazing around a pool, cities or off the beaten track, there are a lot of options so be as detailed as you want.
Sep 19th, 2006, 04:37 AM
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Keep it to Thailand. If you're like the rest of us, you'll be back. A very typical whirlwind tour of Thailand is 4 days-BKK, 4 days Northern Thailand and 4 days at a beach. The airlines in Thailand are very good and travel is easy.
I agree with RhKKmK that a guide in BKK will facilitate getting around efficiently.
I agree with RhKKmK that a guide in BKK will facilitate getting around efficiently.
