16 Days in Thailand
 

I have 16 days to spend in Thailand in late April early May, is it possible to see the following Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Phi Phi or any other beautiful island, Angkor Wat and maybe but not necessary Hanoi. Anyone had a similar itinerary and/or any hotel recomendations for these places.

i can't see how you could do all you mention and not be exhausted and also not really see much....<BR><BR>angkor for instance takes a minimum of 2.5 days to just see the main sites<BR><BR>getting to and from the bkk airport is time consumming as well...you would always have to alot 1/2 day for airport runs plus the flights...<BR><BR>i'd drop pattaya...<BR><BR>hanoi is interesting but wait for your next trip for that--you will be back..<BR><BR>do bkk, then phuket and phi phi, then back to bkk for a couple of days then bangkok air to siem reap and then bkk again....this would make a fabulous trip

Thank you RHKKMK for your comments, from what I have been reading here I have a feeling I will be back in a year if not less.

Having been to Southeast Asia for 3 years now I agree with the post above. First year was a trip of 6 weeks with Bangkok, Phuket, Siem Reap Phenom Phen, Saigon, HoAn, Hue, and Hanoi. Last year back with a friend going through Bangkok, Saigon ,Dalat, Vientianne, and Luang Probang total of 3-4 weeks. This year 5 weeks back to Bangkok, Siagon, Hanoi, and my last 16 days on Phuket. This time it was more to visit friends than sightsee, although there were things added this year I did not do previous years like go out of Bangkok on the train to an elephant preserve out of Ayuthaya for the day, visit Halong Bay for 2 days and there were things on the island of Phuket I did not do my first trip.<BR>You would need more time to do what you suggested.<BR>I would see especially The Grand Temple in Bangkok,go down the river in Bangkok. The ferries you can jump on cheaply and stop at many points. You could just stay on Phuket and there are good day trips to Phi Phi and a wonderful sea canoe trip out of there one day. If you are more interested in snorkeling then maybe Phi Phi for a few days. Depends on what you would be mainly interested in on the rest of Phuket. Then back to Bangkok and Siem Reap for at least 4 days. It does take time to travel from one place to the other. Maybe Siem Reap after Bangkok and the islands last. Either way would work.<BR>I will be happy to answer any specific questions.

Thank you Maryanne1, I think I'll will focus on Bangkok, Phuket and a day trip to Phi Phi maybe and ending with with 3 or 4 days in Siem Reap. Do you have any Hotel suggestion for these places?

I always stay at the Royal River in Bangkok which is a package deal with Northwest Air,but you can easily go on the internet and find the website. It is away from some of the bigger luxury hotels,but it is on the river which is easier than a taxi in Bangkok. A great buffet breakfast with the room. I am not sure what price you want to spend for a room,but this should be in the $50.00 range.<BR>On Phuket I always stay at the Phuket Palace which is just out of Patong,but easy to walk in or find a motortaxi or Phuket Palace has a free car that goes into town at times. It has a beautiful swimming pool and breakfast is included with the room. On the internet type in [email protected] In the low season when you are going the rate on the internet is 1,100 baht for a standard single or double room. One of the nice things I enjoyed at Phuket Palace is you can sit downstairs if you don't choose to go into Patong is music by a Phillipine couple.<BR>In Siem Reap I cannot give suggestions as I understand there are new guesthouses that have come since I was there 3 years ago. If you need more help I can find some websites for you there. If you type in the google search and then type in Siem Reap you should be able to find places.<BR>Hope this helps.<BR>I find this area of the world is my favorite place.<BR>Hope your experiences will be as pleasant as mine.

Bouzin it all can be done. if your that type of traveler. if you have done prior travels you'd probably already have figuered if yoy can manage this trip..<BR><BR>if you fly you can easly do al the above...<BR><BR>Angkor is a toss up.. you may be the type of person who lingers around a meusaum for hours reading every description.. or the kind (like me who just power walks threw the whole thing.) so you can fly in the moring and come back too bkk at night or atleast the next morning. <BR><BR>Pattaya.. pattay is a sin seatown.. if you dig that stuff go nuts. .and it's a short bus ride from BKK <BR><BR>then fly too phuket and make your way up east coast.. <BR><BR>

You may need to make a decision about how much you want to see Angkor. I spent a week there, and I'm well aware that I didn't see all of the temples in the area (there are dozens). If orgy spent less than a full day there, then he &quot;power walked&quot; though just Angkor Wat and maybe a couple of nearby temples. Frankly, if that is your level of interest, I'd say don't bother. Generally, three days is considered the minimum to see the major temples. Personally, I found I loved the so-called minor temples where we were often the only visitors. Check out photos of my trip at www.marlandc.com<BR><BR>I don't know what your budget is, but I loved the Angkor Village Resort in Siem Reap (about $110 a night). It is one of the more expensive places and there are many moderately priced hotels and guesthouses.<BR><BR>In Bangkok, my first recommendation is to stay by the river. I always stay at the Royal Orchid Sheraton. If you do a search on this board, you'll find lots of Bangkok hotel recommendations.<BR><BR>Like others, I'd recommend that you slow down and enjoy your trip. Bangkok, Angkor and a beach location is plenty for the amount of time you have.

can i respond about hotels for you...your budget is the key question: i have stayed at the royal river and it is ok...actually we had a very large room on a high floor but it is sparse for my tastes...we did it with northwest as the writer has suggested...the breakfast was great as mentioned...we however prefer a step or two up and have one overall favorite....it is the bangkok marriott resort and spa...down the river from the royal river and also on the opposite side of the river, like the royal river, from most of the tourist hotels...marriotts pool is simply the best in bangkok...their restaurants cater to almost every pocketbook and taste...even a mcdonalds and burger king in their small mall in front of the hotel....look at it on the marriott web site...runs between $85 and $125 with or without breakfast and depending on season...i have paid as little as $65....in november we paid $105 including breakfast....you will not go wrong with this place....<BR>we also stay at the peninsula for a couple of nite...$170 this past fall including breakfast, one way limo to or from the airport, 3 day skytrain pass and tea inm the lobby one day---look at their web site....this is real lux...they were just voted #1 in travel and leisure mag..<BR>we also stay at the jw marriott on sukumvit rd....when we want to be nearer to shopping etc....paid $90 without breakfast in november..<BR><BR>we stayed at angkor village for $105 including breakfast in their middle class room in november...check out their web site too...they are very friendly...they arranged for a great guide and driver for us for $20 each per day.....this is a necessity for quick and thorough touring in siem reap...enjoy

Can any of you experts out there helpl... Is it easy to fly to Angkor Wat from Bangkok? Can I book a flight the same day and is it expensive? thanks!

check out this site. this airline has many flight to sien rep (sp) <BR><BR>www.bangkokair.com<BR><BR>

As you can see from Bangkok Air's website, the RT fare is approx. US$250. Depending on the time of the year, Bangkok Air has 4 or 5 flights a day between Bangkok and Siem Reap. As it is the only airline that flies this route, they are a bit pricey. Bangkok Air is an excellent airline with new, well-maintained planes, well trained pilots and excellent service. You can book your flights online (the website is sometimes a bit balky). The flights do tend to fill up, so you are best off to book in advance, but depending on the time of the year and luck you may find a same-day seat.

Thanks to every one for their inputs, this is what I love about this forum hope I can contribute some information when I get back from this vacation

Hi<BR><BR>I think that you should avoid trying to cover too many places in such a short time. My wife and I have been to Thailand on vacation two times. The first time we went to Bangkok/Phuket/Koh Samui (and we had something like 16 days) and the second time we did Bangkok/Krabi/Hua Hin. I have posted a couple of travelogues with pictures from our trips on my homepage www.gardkarlsen.com. Maybe you can find some useful information there?<BR><BR>I hope you'll have a great trip. Thailand is a very nice destination.<BR><BR>Regards<BR>Gard

Thank you Gard, these are some very nice pictures from Thailand. I was trying to do as much as I can because I don't when I'll be back, the flight is so long coming from New York. I'm cutting down on the itinerary