2 weeks in Thailand: just the facts
Mar 11th, 2006 | 02:54 PM
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2 weeks in Thailand: just the facts
We’re just back from 2+ weeks in Hong Kong and Thailand and in addition to a detailed trip report, I wanted to give other first-time visitors (or anyone else who doesn't want to have to plow through all the details of the other trip report) a quick summary of ‘just the facts’ -- weather/what to wear, itinerary, hotels, and getting around/using a private guide. (I can recommend two wonderful guides if you want to go that route; see below.)
Weather/What To Wear
We were in Thailand in February, so it was about 90 degrees, hot and sunny, and of course humid. But we weren’t dripping wet, for a couple of reasons: First, you learn to stay out of the sun, and to head to the pool or something indoors at the hottest time of the day (mid-afternoon.) Second, to my great surprise, people hardly walk anywhere! Especially in Bangkok. This is because it’s so hot, and the sidewalks are both narrow and bumpy. Third, using an umbrella to shade you from the sun helps a LOT. And fourth, maybe we just got lucky.
Mosquitos weren’t a problem anywhere, not even in the rural areas we visited. (We did get vaccinations for typhoid and Hepatitis A before we left, just in case. And we brought DEET with us – the travel health professional recommended that you get it at a camping store with 30% DEET which is way more than your typical insect repellant from the drugstore.)
What to pack was hard for me to determine from home (Chicago) but once in Thailand, what I should have brought seemed so obvious! For touring days, the perfect clothing is the lightweight hiking clothing that is sold at stores like REI. I had a pair of long pants made from that special wicking material, and was very comfortable on the hottest days. I wore them with plain, nice t-shirts or a lightweight cotton blouse. Capris were fine, though they marked me as a foreigner and are not acceptable at the Grand Palace (I had thought I’d get away with them there, but the guide we had did not think so.) I did not want to stick out as a tourist so I did not wear shorts other than at the beach. (Shorts and t-shirts just feel out of place there, can’t explain why.
For days when you will not be outside as much, then regular cotton pants are comfortable and appropriate. Many Thais are wearing lightweight fashion jeans (just like everywhere else in the world) but I think that would be pretty hot.
For women, long skirts or silk pants are perfect for the evening. My husband wore lightweight khakis everywhere. He took one pair of silk dress pants which he found to be perfect for dinners – still cool but dressier.
Despite what the travel books (and many people on this site) say, sleeveless tops and blouses are perfectly fine. I even saw them sold in stores. They are not as commonly worn in Thailand as here in the US in the summertime, but they are acceptable. (Except at the Grand Palace and a couple of the other most sacred wats.)
Take your most comfortable shoes, whatever the style. Sandals are fine – something like Mephistos or Tivos are worn by most tourists. Gym shoes are hot but I wore them once in a while because I am most comfortable in them.
Our 18-day Itinerary
I worked really hard on our itinerary and ended up being perfectly satisfied with it, with one exception: you’ll see that we had limited time in Bangkok. But I made that sacrifice knowingly, and upon reflection I would not have taken any days away from the rest of the trip, so I was happy overall. We wanted to move around a bit, but not TOO much. We wanted to see Bangkok, plus go north, so we skipped Laos and Cambodia (Angkor Wat.) Plus I HAD to a few days for relaxation at the beach, that was a must.
Here’s how the itinerary worked out:
Day 1 and 2: depart Chicago and arrive late afternoon (the next day) in Hong Kong. We stopped over in HK to break up the trip, to recover from jet lag, and to ease ourselves into Asia (this was a very good move especially for my husband, who had not been to Asia before.)
Day 3 and 4: Hong Kong
Day 5 and 6: early morning flight to Bangkok, leaving a day and a half for sightseeing, plus one more day at the end of the trip. (I stressed out over our limited time in Bangkok because I know it offers wonderful sights and meals, and if there was anything I was disappointed about it was this, because as you’ll see my husband ended up feeling punky enough that we holed up in the hotel a bit. Had he been feeling good, this would have been just barely enough time for us, given our other priorities.)
Day 7 – 8 – 9- Flight to Chiang Rai, going directly to the Anantara Resort (Golden Triangle) which is near Chiang Saen. Stayed in that immediate area for three days, enjoying the resort’s activities, the nearby town, and the Hall of Opium Museum.
Day 10 – 11 – 12: Hired a driver and guide to take us north and west to visit the border with Burma, Mae Salong, Hilltribe villages, and ending up in Chiang Mai. We spent one night along the way at Lisu Lodge, and 2 nights in Chiang Mai at Rachamankha.
Day 13: Travel to Beach resort via Bangkok
Day 14 – 15 – 16: Koh Lanta, staying at the Pimalai
Day 17: early flight to Bangkok, with time to do more sightseeing there
Day 18: fly home
Hotels
For us, the hotel is a big part of our enjoyment and pleasure of a trip, so we splurged. I generally prefer not to stay at US chain hotels, if there are other good options. And there definitely are, in Thailand. We like quiet hotels without big groups, and don’t need nightlife, I loved every place we stayed.
Hong Kong: The Intercontinental Hong Kong (formerly the Regent, on Kowloon side) was perfect for us. We had floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the harbour. We were practically on top of the Promenade which looks over to the Hong Kong skyline. It was easy to take the ferry across to HK Island and visit the Central business district, Stanley, etc. Staying on Kowloon was a tad quieter but that is probably because we were right on the water (and I mean RIGHT on the water in this hotel). We enjoyed the lobby bar, watching the fireworks (shot off barges three nights a week) through the huge windows. Easy walk to the Star Ferry.
Bangkok: We stayed at the Oriental, after much debate. While I felt that the Oriental was a bit “fussy” as a Brit we met along the way put it, my husband adored it. And I did like it a LOT – loved the history, the décor, the energy. We visited the Peninsula for a drink and it was nice but seemed rather deserted ( we were the only people in the bar overlooking the river; the inside bar was full but dark and smoky.) I’m sure the service in both hotels in indisputably good, so I was looking for atmosphere, and the Oriental was the atmosphere for me. The Oriental had wonderful facilities (as mentioned above, my husband was feeling punky so I spent far more time using them than I had expected.) The pool is wonderful and yes, you do need a pool in Bangkok to escape the heat. The Bamboo Bar is terrific. The restaurants have excellent food and there is a nice variety. We had a lovely room in the River Wing. Nicely appointed, great view, very very comfortable.
The service is undeniably good but also seemed to me to be almost robotic.
Next visit, I think I would be tempted to try the Sukhothai, which sounds like an oasis of Thai culture. Not a great location, however, according to Bob, and that is a good point. We did love the location of the Oriental along the river.
Anantara Golden Triangle This is a great property in the hills above the Mekong River, right near the town of Sop Ruak, which means Golden Triangle. The nearest large town is Chiang Saen; to get here you fly into Chiang Rai and drive about 45 minutes. It is notable for the beautiful architecture, beautiful gardens and grounds, cooking school, and tiny elephant camp which is part of the Thai Elephant Foundation. The rooms are really lovely, large, comfortable, all with nice views to the tropical forest outside. Lots of birdsong in the morning and at night. Lovely pool, nice bar/lounge area to read, have a cocktail, relax. Nice spa. Friendly, friendly people especially as compared to the Bangkok service (who were respectful but more distant and citi-fied.) They are trying to deliver really great service; for example, you have a choice of seven or eight types of pillows
We were quite disappointed with the food at Anantara, and it’s the only game in town. Very expensive and just OK quality.
Lisu Lodge. This was our rustic night! The Lisu are one of the hill-tribes; they immigrated to Thailand in the late 19th or early 20th century from S. China. They have done more than other tribes to find a viable, sustainable way to support themselves (after opium farming was ruled out….) They teamed up with a large tour operator, Asian Oasis, to create a small lodge that simulates their village life. The lodge is managed by the Lisu villagers. They make and serve the meals, clean the lodge, etc. It is eco-friendly, with hot water powered by solar energy. There is one main room with six double rooms and small bath in each building (there are three buildings) Mosquito nets, no air conditioning. Traditional seating on the floor for meals though they served us at built-in picnic tables under the same roof. They treat you to traditional dancing after your meal. The kids are darling, the twenty-something boys who served the meals and seemed to be in charge were really sweet. Very clean despite the spare furnishings. And you’re helping out a village! http://www.asian-oasis.com/about.html
Rachamankha, Chiang Mai. This is a wonderful alternative within the walls of the old city of Chiang Mai. Many others stay at The Four Seasons, which I understand is incredible, but it is about 30 minutes outside the city. There is also the new Mandarin Oriental, which we visited for lunch, and felt it was over the top. The architecture mimics a wat in Lampong which I personally find distasteful, though it is certainly stunning. There seemed to be lots of groups there, and the hotel is vast.
Rachamankha has lovely grounds, indoor and outdoor seating in the restaurant (we sat outside for every meal, it’s set in a nice courtyard), a very nice pool. Peaceful and nice, and a good value. It’s fun to walk across the street to the nearby wat.
Pimalia Resort, Koh Lanta. Pimalai is hard to get to, and that is definitely a benefit in my book. After a 45 minute drive from the Krabi airport, they take you on a 45-minute boat ride to Koh Lanta. It’s a very unspoiled area, with just a few fishing villages and the sea gypsies along the way. The resort is built on the hillside and though it is reasonably big, you never feel crowded. The beach is almost always deserted or has just a handful of people on it. You can walk the beach from end to end in about 15 minutes, a decent walk. We had a fantastic room, we splurged on a Pavilion Suite (with a bedroom and a living room.) Very secluded, lots of privacy even with an outside shower! The smaller Superior rooms are higher up on the hillside. There are only four Bayfront deluxe rooms, which is what I had originally wanted; these are in a nice location and are surely a better value than our suite, but we sure did enjoy our rooms. Great access to the beach.
The people were great, really great. If you are looking for a quiet resort you can’t go wrong. We didn’t venture off the grounds for three days and we were happy as clams.
Getting Around and Guides
There is plenty on this site about getting around in Bangkok, I won’t repeat all that here, other than to say don’t get into a taxi without a meter (I KNEW not to do that but we had a bad experience anyway), avoid the tuk tuks because you’ll be sitting in exhaust fumes, and try to use the water taxi and sky train.
I would not drive in Thailand on my first trip. It’s true that the roads are good and not too crowded but THE SIGNS ARE ALL IN THAI! And seriously, as a first-time visitor, I would have been very hesitant about the practical stuff: where to stop to go to the bathroom, how to find a clean restaurant, what I would do if I got lost (English is spoken, but it’s rudimentary in the rural areas.)
We flew Thai Airways up to Chiang Rai, then after our 3 nights at Anantara we used a guide and driver for three days to sightsee in the northern country.
I would highly recommend the guide we used: Meo, pronounced Mayow. It means Cat! She is at [email protected] or mobile # 01-882-9799. She speaks excellent English and gave us many insights into the culture and country. She has been doing this for years, with tours large and small, or private parties like us, and she knows her stuff. She’ll arrange for a driver for you, and could plan your whole trip if you wanted her to – though I found that three days with a guide is enough for me.
I also highly recommend the guide we used for one day in Bangkok. Her name is Natalie or Nat and can be reached at [email protected]. Her mobile # is 09-926-5196. She is about 30 years old, very sweet, excellent English, wonderful service. She gets most of her work from travel agents/tour companies but could also be hired directly.
Weather/What To Wear
We were in Thailand in February, so it was about 90 degrees, hot and sunny, and of course humid. But we weren’t dripping wet, for a couple of reasons: First, you learn to stay out of the sun, and to head to the pool or something indoors at the hottest time of the day (mid-afternoon.) Second, to my great surprise, people hardly walk anywhere! Especially in Bangkok. This is because it’s so hot, and the sidewalks are both narrow and bumpy. Third, using an umbrella to shade you from the sun helps a LOT. And fourth, maybe we just got lucky.
Mosquitos weren’t a problem anywhere, not even in the rural areas we visited. (We did get vaccinations for typhoid and Hepatitis A before we left, just in case. And we brought DEET with us – the travel health professional recommended that you get it at a camping store with 30% DEET which is way more than your typical insect repellant from the drugstore.)
What to pack was hard for me to determine from home (Chicago) but once in Thailand, what I should have brought seemed so obvious! For touring days, the perfect clothing is the lightweight hiking clothing that is sold at stores like REI. I had a pair of long pants made from that special wicking material, and was very comfortable on the hottest days. I wore them with plain, nice t-shirts or a lightweight cotton blouse. Capris were fine, though they marked me as a foreigner and are not acceptable at the Grand Palace (I had thought I’d get away with them there, but the guide we had did not think so.) I did not want to stick out as a tourist so I did not wear shorts other than at the beach. (Shorts and t-shirts just feel out of place there, can’t explain why.
For days when you will not be outside as much, then regular cotton pants are comfortable and appropriate. Many Thais are wearing lightweight fashion jeans (just like everywhere else in the world) but I think that would be pretty hot.
For women, long skirts or silk pants are perfect for the evening. My husband wore lightweight khakis everywhere. He took one pair of silk dress pants which he found to be perfect for dinners – still cool but dressier.
Despite what the travel books (and many people on this site) say, sleeveless tops and blouses are perfectly fine. I even saw them sold in stores. They are not as commonly worn in Thailand as here in the US in the summertime, but they are acceptable. (Except at the Grand Palace and a couple of the other most sacred wats.)
Take your most comfortable shoes, whatever the style. Sandals are fine – something like Mephistos or Tivos are worn by most tourists. Gym shoes are hot but I wore them once in a while because I am most comfortable in them.
Our 18-day Itinerary
I worked really hard on our itinerary and ended up being perfectly satisfied with it, with one exception: you’ll see that we had limited time in Bangkok. But I made that sacrifice knowingly, and upon reflection I would not have taken any days away from the rest of the trip, so I was happy overall. We wanted to move around a bit, but not TOO much. We wanted to see Bangkok, plus go north, so we skipped Laos and Cambodia (Angkor Wat.) Plus I HAD to a few days for relaxation at the beach, that was a must.
Here’s how the itinerary worked out:
Day 1 and 2: depart Chicago and arrive late afternoon (the next day) in Hong Kong. We stopped over in HK to break up the trip, to recover from jet lag, and to ease ourselves into Asia (this was a very good move especially for my husband, who had not been to Asia before.)
Day 3 and 4: Hong Kong
Day 5 and 6: early morning flight to Bangkok, leaving a day and a half for sightseeing, plus one more day at the end of the trip. (I stressed out over our limited time in Bangkok because I know it offers wonderful sights and meals, and if there was anything I was disappointed about it was this, because as you’ll see my husband ended up feeling punky enough that we holed up in the hotel a bit. Had he been feeling good, this would have been just barely enough time for us, given our other priorities.)
Day 7 – 8 – 9- Flight to Chiang Rai, going directly to the Anantara Resort (Golden Triangle) which is near Chiang Saen. Stayed in that immediate area for three days, enjoying the resort’s activities, the nearby town, and the Hall of Opium Museum.
Day 10 – 11 – 12: Hired a driver and guide to take us north and west to visit the border with Burma, Mae Salong, Hilltribe villages, and ending up in Chiang Mai. We spent one night along the way at Lisu Lodge, and 2 nights in Chiang Mai at Rachamankha.
Day 13: Travel to Beach resort via Bangkok
Day 14 – 15 – 16: Koh Lanta, staying at the Pimalai
Day 17: early flight to Bangkok, with time to do more sightseeing there
Day 18: fly home
Hotels
For us, the hotel is a big part of our enjoyment and pleasure of a trip, so we splurged. I generally prefer not to stay at US chain hotels, if there are other good options. And there definitely are, in Thailand. We like quiet hotels without big groups, and don’t need nightlife, I loved every place we stayed.
Hong Kong: The Intercontinental Hong Kong (formerly the Regent, on Kowloon side) was perfect for us. We had floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the harbour. We were practically on top of the Promenade which looks over to the Hong Kong skyline. It was easy to take the ferry across to HK Island and visit the Central business district, Stanley, etc. Staying on Kowloon was a tad quieter but that is probably because we were right on the water (and I mean RIGHT on the water in this hotel). We enjoyed the lobby bar, watching the fireworks (shot off barges three nights a week) through the huge windows. Easy walk to the Star Ferry.
Bangkok: We stayed at the Oriental, after much debate. While I felt that the Oriental was a bit “fussy” as a Brit we met along the way put it, my husband adored it. And I did like it a LOT – loved the history, the décor, the energy. We visited the Peninsula for a drink and it was nice but seemed rather deserted ( we were the only people in the bar overlooking the river; the inside bar was full but dark and smoky.) I’m sure the service in both hotels in indisputably good, so I was looking for atmosphere, and the Oriental was the atmosphere for me. The Oriental had wonderful facilities (as mentioned above, my husband was feeling punky so I spent far more time using them than I had expected.) The pool is wonderful and yes, you do need a pool in Bangkok to escape the heat. The Bamboo Bar is terrific. The restaurants have excellent food and there is a nice variety. We had a lovely room in the River Wing. Nicely appointed, great view, very very comfortable.
The service is undeniably good but also seemed to me to be almost robotic.
Next visit, I think I would be tempted to try the Sukhothai, which sounds like an oasis of Thai culture. Not a great location, however, according to Bob, and that is a good point. We did love the location of the Oriental along the river.
Anantara Golden Triangle This is a great property in the hills above the Mekong River, right near the town of Sop Ruak, which means Golden Triangle. The nearest large town is Chiang Saen; to get here you fly into Chiang Rai and drive about 45 minutes. It is notable for the beautiful architecture, beautiful gardens and grounds, cooking school, and tiny elephant camp which is part of the Thai Elephant Foundation. The rooms are really lovely, large, comfortable, all with nice views to the tropical forest outside. Lots of birdsong in the morning and at night. Lovely pool, nice bar/lounge area to read, have a cocktail, relax. Nice spa. Friendly, friendly people especially as compared to the Bangkok service (who were respectful but more distant and citi-fied.) They are trying to deliver really great service; for example, you have a choice of seven or eight types of pillows
We were quite disappointed with the food at Anantara, and it’s the only game in town. Very expensive and just OK quality.
Lisu Lodge. This was our rustic night! The Lisu are one of the hill-tribes; they immigrated to Thailand in the late 19th or early 20th century from S. China. They have done more than other tribes to find a viable, sustainable way to support themselves (after opium farming was ruled out….) They teamed up with a large tour operator, Asian Oasis, to create a small lodge that simulates their village life. The lodge is managed by the Lisu villagers. They make and serve the meals, clean the lodge, etc. It is eco-friendly, with hot water powered by solar energy. There is one main room with six double rooms and small bath in each building (there are three buildings) Mosquito nets, no air conditioning. Traditional seating on the floor for meals though they served us at built-in picnic tables under the same roof. They treat you to traditional dancing after your meal. The kids are darling, the twenty-something boys who served the meals and seemed to be in charge were really sweet. Very clean despite the spare furnishings. And you’re helping out a village! http://www.asian-oasis.com/about.html
Rachamankha, Chiang Mai. This is a wonderful alternative within the walls of the old city of Chiang Mai. Many others stay at The Four Seasons, which I understand is incredible, but it is about 30 minutes outside the city. There is also the new Mandarin Oriental, which we visited for lunch, and felt it was over the top. The architecture mimics a wat in Lampong which I personally find distasteful, though it is certainly stunning. There seemed to be lots of groups there, and the hotel is vast.
Rachamankha has lovely grounds, indoor and outdoor seating in the restaurant (we sat outside for every meal, it’s set in a nice courtyard), a very nice pool. Peaceful and nice, and a good value. It’s fun to walk across the street to the nearby wat.
Pimalia Resort, Koh Lanta. Pimalai is hard to get to, and that is definitely a benefit in my book. After a 45 minute drive from the Krabi airport, they take you on a 45-minute boat ride to Koh Lanta. It’s a very unspoiled area, with just a few fishing villages and the sea gypsies along the way. The resort is built on the hillside and though it is reasonably big, you never feel crowded. The beach is almost always deserted or has just a handful of people on it. You can walk the beach from end to end in about 15 minutes, a decent walk. We had a fantastic room, we splurged on a Pavilion Suite (with a bedroom and a living room.) Very secluded, lots of privacy even with an outside shower! The smaller Superior rooms are higher up on the hillside. There are only four Bayfront deluxe rooms, which is what I had originally wanted; these are in a nice location and are surely a better value than our suite, but we sure did enjoy our rooms. Great access to the beach.
The people were great, really great. If you are looking for a quiet resort you can’t go wrong. We didn’t venture off the grounds for three days and we were happy as clams.
Getting Around and Guides
There is plenty on this site about getting around in Bangkok, I won’t repeat all that here, other than to say don’t get into a taxi without a meter (I KNEW not to do that but we had a bad experience anyway), avoid the tuk tuks because you’ll be sitting in exhaust fumes, and try to use the water taxi and sky train.
I would not drive in Thailand on my first trip. It’s true that the roads are good and not too crowded but THE SIGNS ARE ALL IN THAI! And seriously, as a first-time visitor, I would have been very hesitant about the practical stuff: where to stop to go to the bathroom, how to find a clean restaurant, what I would do if I got lost (English is spoken, but it’s rudimentary in the rural areas.)
We flew Thai Airways up to Chiang Rai, then after our 3 nights at Anantara we used a guide and driver for three days to sightsee in the northern country.
I would highly recommend the guide we used: Meo, pronounced Mayow. It means Cat! She is at [email protected] or mobile # 01-882-9799. She speaks excellent English and gave us many insights into the culture and country. She has been doing this for years, with tours large and small, or private parties like us, and she knows her stuff. She’ll arrange for a driver for you, and could plan your whole trip if you wanted her to – though I found that three days with a guide is enough for me.
I also highly recommend the guide we used for one day in Bangkok. Her name is Natalie or Nat and can be reached at [email protected]. Her mobile # is 09-926-5196. She is about 30 years old, very sweet, excellent English, wonderful service. She gets most of her work from travel agents/tour companies but could also be hired directly.
Apr 9th, 2006 | 08:16 PM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
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Thanks for your report! You are the second person I've read who didn't like the food at the Anantara. That's too bad. I was there right after they opened, and their Thai food was very good (and we took the cooking class). It would be a real disadvantage to have poor food there, as it truly is the only game in town.
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