lilladki

Hi,

My husband and I are going to Thailand/Cambodia/Malaysia/Bali from Dec 23 - Jan 14. Below is a breakdown of the trip:

Flight to Bangkok, arrives Dec 23
Chiang Mai - 4 days
Siem Reap/Angkor Wat, Cambodia - 2 days
Phuket - 4 days
Kuala Lumpur - 2 days
Bali - 4 days
Bangkok - 4 days - fly home Jan 14
A few questions:
- Does this itinerary seem reasonable? Are there some places we should stay less or stay longer?
- Is Phuket better or Krabi/Ko Phi Phi?
- I have time for Kuala Lumpur or Singapore- which is better?
- Are there any websites we can check out for reasonable hotel rates?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Mitch04

Can only assist with Siem Reap. I stayed at the Bopha Angkor (www.bopha-angkor.com ) which was excellent. Their website is very honest and accurate. It's about $45US starting price. Very central, good pool and good restaurant. I booked it over the net and had no problems.

Cicerone

You are already moving around quite a bit, so I actually would cut out both Singapore and KL and add the 2 days to one of your other destinations, I personally would add it to Bangkok or Cambodia or Bali. KL is not worth any time at all, IMO. I really like Singapore but for 2 days when you have a lot on your plate otherwise, really I would not include it. Save it for another trip when perhaps you are doing Hong Kong, or can really do Malaysia like the beautiful east coast (rainy in December). Note that Bali is in the rainy season in December, this is not necessarily bad if you are going for culture and other reasons, its not really a beach destination in any event and the rain will make it even greener. It can be overcast and a bit gray, this never inhibits my enjoying this magical place, but it is not the ideal weather you will be encountering in other parts of your itinerary.

I think Phi Phi is very nice for a day trip, but hotels there are quite average and you are then dependent on ferries to get you to hotels or expensive private boats if you air schedule doesn’t match any ferry or free hotel schedule. I think Krabi is quite dramatic with its limestone cliffs which you don’t get much of a sense of in Phuket. Hard to say, however which is “better”, its kind of a matter of degree. No matter where you stay you need to hire a boat and driver and get out for day trips to see the really really beautiful bits in any event.

For hotels, wow if you are talking about THIS December and don’t have a booking for these places, esp Phuket/Krabi, I don’t know what you will find. This is the high, high season. Bali will be not maybe as crowded, but it is Christmas which means more people anyway. I would check the Lonely Planet guidebook and the Frommers and Fodors websites for places to start. The Marriott Riverside in Bangkok is a huge favourite here, and is one of my favourites and I have heard people can get deals there on priceline or asking the hotel to match prices. Might be harder at Christmas. There are like 40,000 expats in each of Hong Kong and Singapore looking for places for Christmas as well....

Kathie

You will be spending much of your time in transit. Is that what you want? I certainly would NOT add Singapore - you really don't have time. By my count you are counting your travel days as days you are in the various destinations. Plan for each change of place to take at LEAST half a day. I'd cut KL at least.

You really need 3 full days just to see the major temples at Angkor.

As Cicerone says, if you do not already have reservations, you will have a hard time at a number of these locations. Also, the flights to Siem Reap are rumored to be sold out.

gard

Hi

I went to KL in March and I have posted a trip report with some pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/malaysia_kuala_lumpur.htm . Maybe you can find some useful information there

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Craig

Its way too much - as Kathi says, do you really want to spend so much time in transit?

You can do Chiang Mai in 2 full days unless you plan to head further north.

You need 3 full days for Siem Reap/Angkor.

We spent 12 days in Bali and we were not bored - you could probably do it justice in 6 or 7 days but not 4 days.

If you have 4 full days in Bangkok, you can get a nice taste - we spent 8 days there on our last trip.

The "full" days do not include transit time.

You have 3 weeks - Bangkok is a good base. Pick 3 other destinations at the most.

Mitch04

I agree you are doing too much.

My advice is:

Unless you are a total temple freak, 2 FULL days for Angkor is fine - provided you leave some time for Siem Reap (perhaps your arrival day, which I don't include in the FULL days). Just make sure on one of those days you do an early start (pick up hotel at 5.30 am for the sunrise over the temples). I was travelling solo when I was there, and all I wanted was some great photos, which I got, so 1 day was sufficient, but that was from sunrise to sunset. I had already seen many temples during my 750km cruise up the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, so I was feeling templed out (sorry to sound like a Philistine *grins*).

Do either Bali OR Phuket - and Phi Phi for a day is probably not realistic. If you are looking at Bali and Phuket as a vegging out-lying-in-the-sun relaxation stopover, why bust a gut to get to Phi Phi?

Do either Singapore OR KL, but not both.

Personally, I'd simply do Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket or Krabi) with a quick 3 day trip to Siem Reap. But even that is going to be rushed.

Of course, if this is a practice run for your entry into "The Amazing Race", go for it all!!! And add Hongkong, Saigon and Manila!!! ))

LeighTravelClub

When you hit Phuket head straight for Phi Phi. Loads of info on our website
www.leightravelclub.com