Back from 3 weeks S.E. Asia
Dec 27th, 2005, 01:47 PM
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Back from 3 weeks S.E. Asia
First, I want to thank all of you who post on this board and those who spend so much time anwering questions and helping us newbies to plan our trip. Even after reading all the guidebooks, I found the information on this site made a real difference.
Our first destination was Bangkok.
We flew from JFK - New York on Cathay Pacific. After a stop in Hong Kong that allowed us to stretch our legs we arrived at 12 p.m. in Bangkok. We had never flow Cathay Pacific and were very pleased.
It was very easy to locate the ATM machines, easy to use them and took no time at all. And, of course, the exchange rate is better than at the booths that exchange currency. Incidentally, we took no travelers checks. Only cash, an ATM card and a Visa card, which I think we only used at the Jim Thompson warehouse sale.
We took the advice of several to book AAC limo to take us to our hotel. Their counter was right there and in minutes we were on our way. If we went again I wouldn't book a limo because the taxis were lined up, it would have been less expensive and no hassle. (There was a line of people and a line of taxis and both seemed to move very efficiently.)
We stayed on the river at the Marriott Spa & Resort and it was a beautiful hotel, with lovely rooms, very courteous service and the breakfast was lovely. Lots of choices of food and you can either eat inside or outside overlooking the river. I would highly recommend this hotel.
Since we were getting in so late and wanted to get on local time as quickly as possible, and because we wanted a local to explain some of the sights we were going to see, we arranged with Tan - you'll see her name and email very often on this site - to meet us both mornings at 8 a.m. at our hotel for a half day of sightseeing. We know we could have done this on our own but having her meet us motivated us to be up and out early and while we were jet lagging big time it was nice to have Tan do all the thinking about how to get from here to there as well as to answer our questions about life in Thailand.
The grand palace is just amazing. A thousand pictures just don't do it justice. A heads up! There are unscrupulous people who are telling tourists that the palace or other sights are closed. DO NOT believe them. Tan, our guide, even suggested we post this on Fodor's since it was happening regularly. In fact, we met several people who were taken in by this scam.
We stayed 3 nights(2 full days) in Bangkok and saw the Grand Palace, the Vinmanek Teak House, which is included in your Grand Palace admission ticket, just save it, the Chatachuk Market - ate lunch at a small restaurant at the market - Susan Pakaad's home and Jim Thompson's house - where we also ate lunch - very good and inexpensive. Also took a ride on a long tail boat. However, the water was exceptionally high, actually flooding many of the houses on the river and canals and they weren't allowing boats into the smaller canals. We did this in 2 days without rushing around.
The skytrain was easy to use with great air conditioning. We took it back to the pier to get the boat to the Marriott. When you get on their boat they give you a cold towel and a bottle of cold water, you relax and cool off on the way back to the hotel. Even though mid November was "cool" comparatively, we found it very hot and humid. Incidentally, we always had a bottle of water each with us!
We were leaving the next morning for a very early flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We knew we would be coming back to Bangkok at the end of our trip and knew we would get to see more of the must see sights then.
The next morning within about 5 minutes of the hotel's calling for a cab one was there. The doorman told him we were going to the international terminal and arranged a fare of 400 Bhat, including the tolls.
More later.
Our first destination was Bangkok.
We flew from JFK - New York on Cathay Pacific. After a stop in Hong Kong that allowed us to stretch our legs we arrived at 12 p.m. in Bangkok. We had never flow Cathay Pacific and were very pleased.
It was very easy to locate the ATM machines, easy to use them and took no time at all. And, of course, the exchange rate is better than at the booths that exchange currency. Incidentally, we took no travelers checks. Only cash, an ATM card and a Visa card, which I think we only used at the Jim Thompson warehouse sale.
We took the advice of several to book AAC limo to take us to our hotel. Their counter was right there and in minutes we were on our way. If we went again I wouldn't book a limo because the taxis were lined up, it would have been less expensive and no hassle. (There was a line of people and a line of taxis and both seemed to move very efficiently.)
We stayed on the river at the Marriott Spa & Resort and it was a beautiful hotel, with lovely rooms, very courteous service and the breakfast was lovely. Lots of choices of food and you can either eat inside or outside overlooking the river. I would highly recommend this hotel.
Since we were getting in so late and wanted to get on local time as quickly as possible, and because we wanted a local to explain some of the sights we were going to see, we arranged with Tan - you'll see her name and email very often on this site - to meet us both mornings at 8 a.m. at our hotel for a half day of sightseeing. We know we could have done this on our own but having her meet us motivated us to be up and out early and while we were jet lagging big time it was nice to have Tan do all the thinking about how to get from here to there as well as to answer our questions about life in Thailand.
The grand palace is just amazing. A thousand pictures just don't do it justice. A heads up! There are unscrupulous people who are telling tourists that the palace or other sights are closed. DO NOT believe them. Tan, our guide, even suggested we post this on Fodor's since it was happening regularly. In fact, we met several people who were taken in by this scam.
We stayed 3 nights(2 full days) in Bangkok and saw the Grand Palace, the Vinmanek Teak House, which is included in your Grand Palace admission ticket, just save it, the Chatachuk Market - ate lunch at a small restaurant at the market - Susan Pakaad's home and Jim Thompson's house - where we also ate lunch - very good and inexpensive. Also took a ride on a long tail boat. However, the water was exceptionally high, actually flooding many of the houses on the river and canals and they weren't allowing boats into the smaller canals. We did this in 2 days without rushing around.
The skytrain was easy to use with great air conditioning. We took it back to the pier to get the boat to the Marriott. When you get on their boat they give you a cold towel and a bottle of cold water, you relax and cool off on the way back to the hotel. Even though mid November was "cool" comparatively, we found it very hot and humid. Incidentally, we always had a bottle of water each with us!
We were leaving the next morning for a very early flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. We knew we would be coming back to Bangkok at the end of our trip and knew we would get to see more of the must see sights then.
The next morning within about 5 minutes of the hotel's calling for a cab one was there. The doorman told him we were going to the international terminal and arranged a fare of 400 Bhat, including the tolls.
More later.
Dec 27th, 2005, 05:05 PM
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So glad you liked Tan. For a first time visit it was great to have her for a day in BKK to give us some insight into Thai life, Buddhism, and the history & meaning of the murals at the Grand Palace, as well as to help with logistics of getting around to some of the sights easily. We found that we didn't really need her for more than a day, although we did use her for a trip to the River Kwai.
Dec 27th, 2005, 05:11 PM
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That report is making me excited for our trip to BKK in a few months. We are also staying at the Marriott Resort and Spa..Is it necessary to arrange for a driver/guide before we arrive in BKK? How did you contact Tan? I was just thinking about using a taxi/tuk tuk in BKK...Or using the hotel concierge?? What do you think??
Dec 27th, 2005, 06:49 PM
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i think that your description of why you used a guide in bkk is the best i have ever seen....they take the total responsibility for getting you from one place to another and when time is limited and you are tired, it makes so much sense and costs not much at all...once one has tried to decide do we go this way or that way and walk the wrong way for 10 minutes in that heat and then have to start again, you soon find out you need help...
great report...i'm anxious the read more...
bob
great report...i'm anxious the read more...
bob
Dec 28th, 2005, 03:33 PM
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Great trip report, so far.Thanks a lot.
I am about to book a trip to Thailand, and am thinking of going to Siem Reap, to see Angkor Wat.Is it worth it for just a 3 night stay? I need to make up my mind fast, so I would be greatful for any imput.
I am about to book a trip to Thailand, and am thinking of going to Siem Reap, to see Angkor Wat.Is it worth it for just a 3 night stay? I need to make up my mind fast, so I would be greatful for any imput.
Dec 28th, 2005, 06:15 PM
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Dottie, only you can decide if seeing the temples at Angkor is worthwhile for you. If you are interested in Buddhism, Hinduism, archetecture, archaeology, etc, it will be a stunning experience. There are dozens of temples easily accessible in the area. In three days, you can visit most of the so-called major temples, but you won't see all of the temples by any means.
You can get a preview that may help you decide at www.marlandc.com
You can get a preview that may help you decide at www.marlandc.com
Dec 28th, 2005, 06:26 PM
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Dottie-- am I correct that you are taking an OAT trip with Angkor as the add on? if so, I think they add it on at the beginning of the trip which means you will be arriving very jet lagged. Not a good way to see the temples in my opinion.
Dec 29th, 2005, 06:44 AM
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Thank You so much, for your input. It is very helpful.
Yes, it is a pre-trip add on, with one night in Bangkok before flying to Cambodia. So far I am leaning toward taking it. I think, I might regret missing the chance, if I don't.
Yes, it is a pre-trip add on, with one night in Bangkok before flying to Cambodia. So far I am leaning toward taking it. I think, I might regret missing the chance, if I don't.
Dec 29th, 2005, 07:09 AM
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Thanks to all for these posts, as it helps my wife and I plan our upcoming trip! We are going in late January into late February.
I have a few extra questions I hope you all can help us with. First, Tan sounds like a great guide in BKK -- how can we get in touch with her?
We are going on to Luang Prabang (thanks for all the great tips!) then Siem reap and the South Andaman. Any guide tips for these areas?
We are bringing our son (12) and daughter (9) -- anything special or cautionary we should keep an eye out for? The love nature, beaches and water -- how are the currents in the river kayaking, for example (they have paddled lakes; mild waters).
What is the mosquito situation at this time of year? Do we need to take malaria pills or just lots of DEET?
We are planning about 10 days on the coast -- the safety warnings have caused us to back off flying into Hat Yai and going to Ko Bulon Leh... We want to mix nice quiet beaches/islands with coastal explorations. But kids - and thus their parents - have limits on how long a bus, taxi, boat ride they can tolerate to and from. Any suggestions?
For example, we like towns and infrastructure (restaurants and transportation) but we don't want sprawling development and late night partying impairing our sleep... Fodors and Lonely Planet give vastly different views of Ko Lanta - the Fodors loves it but LP says its vastly over-developed - and they say the opposite about Ko Change, so we can't tell what to think.. We don't want Phuket, Cancun or could be anywhere all-inclusives (they're fine, but not this trip) but we don't Survivor. Thoughts???
And we want some great - but accessible - snorkeling!!!
Finally, my son has a saltwater aquarium, and Bangkok has great shops -- he wants to buy ROUTINE (not endangered) creatures to bring home. Anybody have any knowledge about the custons folks on either end of our trip? The US gov't websites only prohibit rare or endangered -- and surprisingly have no established restrictions. But that does not mean the at-the-gate folks understand..
Thanks immensely for any help!
I have a few extra questions I hope you all can help us with. First, Tan sounds like a great guide in BKK -- how can we get in touch with her?
We are going on to Luang Prabang (thanks for all the great tips!) then Siem reap and the South Andaman. Any guide tips for these areas?
We are bringing our son (12) and daughter (9) -- anything special or cautionary we should keep an eye out for? The love nature, beaches and water -- how are the currents in the river kayaking, for example (they have paddled lakes; mild waters).
What is the mosquito situation at this time of year? Do we need to take malaria pills or just lots of DEET?
We are planning about 10 days on the coast -- the safety warnings have caused us to back off flying into Hat Yai and going to Ko Bulon Leh... We want to mix nice quiet beaches/islands with coastal explorations. But kids - and thus their parents - have limits on how long a bus, taxi, boat ride they can tolerate to and from. Any suggestions?
For example, we like towns and infrastructure (restaurants and transportation) but we don't want sprawling development and late night partying impairing our sleep... Fodors and Lonely Planet give vastly different views of Ko Lanta - the Fodors loves it but LP says its vastly over-developed - and they say the opposite about Ko Change, so we can't tell what to think.. We don't want Phuket, Cancun or could be anywhere all-inclusives (they're fine, but not this trip) but we don't Survivor. Thoughts???
And we want some great - but accessible - snorkeling!!!
Finally, my son has a saltwater aquarium, and Bangkok has great shops -- he wants to buy ROUTINE (not endangered) creatures to bring home. Anybody have any knowledge about the custons folks on either end of our trip? The US gov't websites only prohibit rare or endangered -- and surprisingly have no established restrictions. But that does not mean the at-the-gate folks understand..
Thanks immensely for any help!
