Bangkok/Siem Reap questions
 

Hi - thanks to all for responding to my previous post. I am trying to narrow down our trip for end of this nov/early dec.

Here is what I have:
Arrive in Bangkok at 11:45pm on Nov 17th.
(Is is hard to get to hotels at that time of night for a first-timer - since I am not familiar with the city I am always leary of landing so late at night and trying to get to my hotel) are airport connections easy to and from the airport to the city at that time of day? What is the best way, train, cab etc? What is the cost?

And can you get a good hotel for around $100 US a night? Please suggest desirable locations and hotels - thanks!

I had us leaving Bangkok on Nov 29 to head to Shanghai.

I wanted to plan a side trip to Siem REap in order to see the temples in Angkor Wat. How easy is it to do this? Does it make sense to use Bangkok as our base and do a side trip - is Bangkok airways the only way to fly direct there? The prices seems so expensive. I was quoted a fare of roughly $700 US for two people. Once you get to Siem Reap how do you get to where you need to go to head to the temples? Is is easy? Is language a problem? And is there a cheaper way to fly to Siem Reap? When I try to find a flight from US to BKK to REP to PVG the price is very high. That is why I thought it would be cheaper to do it as a side trip.

Any suggestions of doing the best way to Bangkok - Angkor Wat would be much appreciated. There are just too many choices.

So this is all over the place. I have spent the last couple of hours looking at flights and my brain is mush!!!
Thanks in advance. Happy travels!!!

It is safe and easy to get from the airport to your hotel. Just take a taxi. Follow the signs in the airport.

You'll want to be close to a skytrain station. There are lots of hotels that are connected to a station. Others will have specific suggestions for you.

The only non-stop flights between bangkok and Siem Reap are on Bangkok air. Yes, they are expensive. The other options, though take lots of time and are not so comfortable. You can go overland - it takes a full day each way, with lots of pitfalls for the unwary. Another option is to fly a budget airline from Bangkok to Phonm Phen, then take a bus or taxi the 5 hours to Siem Reap.

Once you are in Siem Reap you'll need a driver (and you can hire a guide if you wish as well) that you hire by the day. Current rates are US$20-25 per day, with a surcharge to go to outlying temples like Banteay Srei.

I can't answer all your questions but- when I went to Siem Reap in January, I stayed at the Novatel at the Bangkok airport that night on my way from Boston to Siem Reap and took a quick flight via Bangkok Air (the only ones who go there I think) the next morning. For about $140 USA I got an incredible room, well worth the splurge. The trip to Siem Reap was quick the next morning. My trip to Siem Reap from Bangkok was part of my overall flight from Boston and I think it was under $200 for me, maybe, don't remember really. Yes, in Siem Reap, every adult who you will meet as a tourist speaks fairly passable English. YOu get off the plane, go through the nice, modern airport, head outside and tons of men with "tuk-tuks" (motorcyles pulling little carts with seats) will be waiting for you. YOu ask if they will take you to Angkor Wat, they will all say yes, and will probably say something like $5.00 or something cheap. BUT, unless you want to do a quick, one day tour of the temples, you might want to think about staying in Siem Reap and stretching it out a bit. YES, you can get off the plane, find a tuk-tuk drive, go to the temples, spend the day, and get back to the airport easily, its close. It depends on your historical interest in the temples which are spread out like a big national park. I went from the center of Siem Reap for the full day with a tuk-tuk driver, NOT a tour guide, and he charged us $5.00 each for the whole day. We agreed about what temples we wanted to see and he waited for us outside the temples each time then took us back to our homes in Siem Reap. Remember that its bloody, stinking hot so pace yourself, bring a ton of bottled water and a good guide book.

The only carrier between BKK and SR is Bangkok Air. The best way to do this is a Discovery Pass, but you need three legs to make it woth it. Check to see if Bangkok Air flies from BKK to Shanghai.

When you get into BKK, you can take a taxi or arrange a car. A car cost about 1000 Baht into the city. A taxi is about 350 Baht.

Many of us love staying on the river. It's a little more expensive than $100 per night. The Marriott and the Royal Orchid Sheraton are the cheapest at about $120-140 per night. Also, check out the Bangkok Inn. It's gotten great reviews on this forum.

In Siem Riep, many of us have used Ponheary or her brother Dara as guides. They can be reached at [email protected]. She can also help with booking a hotel.

There are tons of nice hotels in Bangkok under $100. Location is what you're usually giving up for these places, but two well placed hotels in that price range are the Arnoma and Siam Heritage.

If you want a hotel on the river, the Menam Riverside has deluxe river view doubles for $105 in November - www.menamriverside-hotel.com/website/index.asp. The superior river view rooms will be less, but they don't currently quote a price on them for your dates. As Michael says, there are loads of hotels for lower prices away from the river.

Do plan to spend at least three days in Siem Reap - see talesofasia.com for lots of info on travel to/within Cambodia.

take a look at this website for hotels:

www.huahin.20m.com and also this one:
www.asiarooms.com

the first one lists hotels by streets so it makes it a bit easier if you can figure out where the street is....

try to be near to the skytrain....which usually means not far from sukhumvit, silom or sathorn roads or siam center or plenochit...

take a look at majestic grande....its a favorite here...

most of us prefer the river, but nothing too good there for $100 in nov...

make res before you leave usa!!!

with 12 days in bkk, you might want to consider a four day trip to angkor at siem reap cambodia....bkk air is the only way to go....

so stay in bkk for about 5 days, go to SR and then another 3 days in bkk....

you can make res for bkk air using an 800# here in usa....know exactly what you want before you call and have an alternative ready...you may be talking to india, btw/

The only way to fly is via BA. If you get a Discovery Pass, you can technically book 3 legs and just not use one of them. In that case, a roundtrip per person will cost you $115+115+70(for cheap leg within Thailand)=$300. So I guess you can save $50 each that way. Not a lot of money, but $100 for both of you.

Close to the river and skytrain/river ferry stops are the Bossotel and Centre Point Silom Apts. The Bossotel is nothing fancy but a great hotel for the price - $65 net with breakfast for a del room. The CP is more at around $103 for a riverview 1 bedroom that is larger than a hotel room.

The only cheap way to get to Siem Reap is to fly to Phnom Penh with discount Air Asia and then take a bus to SR. Can be done in a day and cost around $60-72 one way. Rather than a bus you could take a taxi for $50. Come back the same way but you have to spend a night in PP. Or take a taxi to the Thai boarder and then a bus to Bangkok. The taxi will cost about $40 for the whole car and then around $10 each by bus to BK