Lisa

We only have time to see one place. Does anyone have any suggestions on which to pick?

xxx

Where else are you going?

Howard

I had to make the same decision and I chose Angkor Wat. My wife works for an environmental conservation group and her co-workers who work in Cambodia urged her to see Angkor Wat now before it gets completely overrun by the tourism industry. According to our guide(we were there just a few weeks ago), there are more than 20 big hotels being built right now. It's not going to be the same experience if you try to go later. Words can express the experience you'll have walking through the main temple. It's really amazing and something I'll never forget. Also, the Cambodians were so friendly. <BR><BR>

Kathie

Chaing Mai and Angkor are VERY different kinds of places. So you are comparing apples and mangos. That said, I would definitely recommend Angkor. The temples are really remarkable. A photographic preview: www.marlandc.com<BR><BR>As Howard said, this is a place that is changing rapidly. Go now while you can still visit &quot;minor&quot; temples where you are the only visitor.

Marilyn

A third vote along with Howard &amp; Kathie, and for exactly the same reasons. Go to Angkor NOW -- you will not regret it and it is changing so quickly. Truly, this is an easy decision!!

Lisa

Thanks, based on what all of you have said we've decided to stay 2 nights at Angor Wat. We are also going to spend 3 nights in Bangkok at the Oriental, 4 nights at Rayavadee in Krabi, and 4 nights in Phuket at Banyan Tree. Does this sound like a good itinerary? Any suggestions?

Kathie

Lisa, you've chosen two beach resorts (Krabi and Phuket). If I were you, I'd choose one beach and add the additional days either to that beach stay or distribute them among your other destinations. Personally, I think you need at least three full days at Angkor, so I'd add a day there. As mentioned above, there is a warning about Phuket as a possible terrorist target. It's hard to know what to make of that, but it's information to consider.

Craig

I concur with the above poster--two beach resorts is too much. I also recommend spending a third night at Angkor. Use the other three for Chiang Mai--it's worth a visit.

david

I have about the same amount of time as you and have booked this itinerary:<BR><BR>1. Arrive at midnight, 3 nights at the Oriental<BR><BR>2. Fly to Siem Reap for 2 nights at the Grand D'Angkor<BR><BR>3. On to Chiang Mai for 2 nights at the Regent<BR><BR>4. 5 nights at Rayavadee<BR><BR>5. 2 nights at the Oriental. Our flight leaves at 6am so we considered just one night at the Amari Airport but I figured one more full day in Bangkok would be a good chance to do some shopping and relax at the Oriental before flying out.

Craig

David,<BR><BR>If you have a 6 AM departure on the last day of your trip, I highly recommend that you stay at the Amari Airport. You need at least 1-1/2 hours to check in, pay your airport tax etc and there will be long lines even before 6 AM. If you stay at the Oriental you will have to add 45 minutes to your very early morning schedule to get to the airport.<BR><BR>I would also recommend that you stay an extra night at the Oriental at the beginning of your trip. This will give you three full days in Bangkok and a better chance to acclimate to the time change, etc. You could use one of those days to take a day tour to Ayuttaya and Bang Pa In Palace. If you check into the Amari Airport on your last day at a reasonable hour, it is easy to take a taxi to central Bangkok for some last minute shopping.<BR><BR>Also, keep in mind that the Chiang Mai Regent, nice as it is, is on the outskirts of town. If you are only there for two nights, you may find it difficult to enjoy both your hotel and the great shopping, sites and dining in and around Chiang Mai. I would seriously consider spending one less night at Krabi and an additional night at the Regent.

david

Craig, thanks for your input. I thought it would be worth the extra 45 minutes to end the trip at the Oriental instead of spending the last night at the airport at a mediocre hotel after 2 weeks staying at some top notch places. The total length of my trip was set by the availability of upgrade seats on Northwest. We shouldn't have much of a line checking in with business class tickets.<BR><BR>One of my main reasons for going to Chiang Mai is the Regent Hotel, everyone I know who stayed there thought it was awesome.<BR><BR>Thanks for your suggestions, I appreciate it.<BR><BR>

Craig

We stayed at the Amari on the Executive Floor. Although not on the level of the Oriental, it's certainly not &quot;mediocre&quot;. The convenience can't be beat and, if you stay on the Executive Floor, there is separate check-in and room service breakfast any time you want it.<BR><BR>When we went, we flew Business Class on United and still had to face the long lines. I don't know what Northwest is like but everyone has to get their bags inspected and everyone has to pay the airport tax.

david

Sorry, the rest of this got cut off. We really want to spend some time relaxing at the beach. I know 2 days is a short time to spend in Chiang Mai but I thought it was better than nothing.

johanna

to David and Craig: Did you make arrangements independently? If you travel on United business class will United make the intrcountry flight reservations or must one go thru a Thai airline? Safe for a woman alone, independently? Jan or Feb good months? Many thanks for help. Johanna <BR><BR>

Craig

We made our reservations directly with United because we were using frequent flier miles. We did not use a travel agent for hotels or anything else as you can do it all on the 'net. You can book intracountry flights directly with Thai Airways. Upgrading to business class is relatively inexpensive compared to United. If you use Bangkok Airways, they do not have business class on most flights. It depends on where you are going that determines which airline you can use. Bangkok Airways is considerably more expensive than Thai. Both airlines have good websites.<BR><BR>Other posters on this site have indicated that single travel for women is &quot;safe&quot;. Jan-Feb are a couple of the cooler months. Not sure which beaches would be best at that time of year.

Harry

Hi, <BR><BR>We just came back from Thailand and we had similar questions and dilemas, we ended up deciding for Angkor Wat over Chiang Mai. Rain and floods were all over north Thailand territory which discourage our interest in that area. Cambodia was certainly a highlight on our trip and as much as we enjoyed visiting the diferent temples we had a great time discovering the floating villages. And the food we had in our hotel was among the best we had in our entire trip. We agree completely on the development of Siam Reap, you can see traces of the tourism here and there, and it's repercusions in their legacy. Three days would be a good amount of time to explore the area, if your main interest is just to see the main temples 2 days would be enough. I understand how you feel about the beach time, we had 4 days in Phuket, and it was time well spent if your aim is to relax and enjoy the greatnest of the Andaman sea. We didn't spent much time in Patong or Phuket town, visited them a couple of times but we had the fortune that our hotel had their own bay, beach; that, made a big difference when it came to safety and peace of mind. I hope you have a wonderful time.

joe

Go to Angkor Wat before it is ruined by tourism. Chiang Mai will still be there if you want to go there next trip.<BR><BR>If you are on the Northwest 6AM flight, one other option would be to forget the last night in a hotel entirely. What I did last time was to live up the nightlife until 2AM when everything closed, went back to the hotel, grabed a quick bite to eat, took a shower, checked out and went to the airport. Got there by about 4 AM. Being dead tired just makes it easier to sleep, since there is not much else to do on the plane.

david

I booked our trip myself as well. The only thing I used a travel agent for was the Thai air flights within Thailand. I was told that the tickets needed to be picked up at a Thai air office with 24hours if you booked it yourself. I found the rates going directly through the hotel's websites were as good or better than any internet &quot;travel agent&quot; I looked at and had much more flexible cancellation policies.

Craig

Very recently, Thai Airways instituted a new policy where they will issue e-tickets for any domestic flight and certain international flights booked directly. You no longer have to pick up your tickets at a Thai Airways office within 24 hours.