Finalizing Thailand Itinerary
 

Hi All. Thanks to all of your great feedback and advice, I have finally decided on visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket for our 12 day honeymoon this July. I know it's the rainy season and Phuket may not be on top of some of your lists, but we DO have that time share gift (we want to take advantage of since we're on a budget) and from what I hear from others of you... it shouldn't be missed and is actually quite nice! We also do want part of our honeymoon to be relaxing, so the possible isolation of the Marriot Phuket may work out in our favor?

Question for all of you: now that I have figured out the cities we are going to, how many days would you allot to each? What are the top things you would do in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket? Where is the best place to go Elephant Trekking? If I were to choose one day trip to an island from Phuket, which would it be? Krabi? Phi Phi? Should I be reserving our activities before we arrive or will it be relatively easy to do from there?

This is what I am thinking of as my itinerary. I am arriving in Bangkok 4:10PM July 3...

(3.5 days in Bangkok)
Bangkok-ChiangMai 5:15PM July 7

(3.0 days in ChiangMai)
ChiangMai-Phuket 12:50PM July 10

(4.5 days in Phuket)
Depart Phuket evening July 14

As always, I appreciate your SAGE traveller advice!!!

Trish

I would add a day to Bangkok and reduce a day in Phuket. Also it looks as though you are in CM for only 2 days. This is the besr place to do elephants -- either at Elepahant Consevtion Center or Elephant Nature Park.

To be honest I really think 3 places is one too many for the days you have.

Your time is actually less than you think.

In Bangkok, you have July 4, 5, 6 and 1/2 a day July 7. That's a fine amount of time I think, though you may be dealing with jetlag and be very tired by late afternoon. Keep that in mind when scheduling yourselves...plan to do sightseeing/activities in the morning and spa/pool in the afternoon.

Chiang Mai, you are arriving at night on the 7th. You will have July 8 and July 9 there, and will have a couple of hours after breakfast on the 10th. That's only 2 days.

Phuket...you'll be at the Marriott by mid-afternoon, so you can settle in and enjoy the pool and a walk on the beach. Then you'll have July 11, 12, 13 and most of 14...about 4 days...don't count the first day as you arrive mid-afternoon.

To be honest, I don't know if I'd go to Chiang Mai for 2 days. You basically lose the day you fly from Chiang Mai to Phuket as your fllight is mid-day...not enough time before the flight to do much of anything in Chiang Mai, and not enough time after arrival in Phuket to do much either.

If you want your honeymoon to be as relaxing as possible, and to take advantage of the timeshare in Phuket, then I would spend 7 days at the Marriott (you got a week as a gift, right?), and the remaining time in Bangkok.

With 7 days, you could do a couple of really nice day trips. John Gray Sea Canoe Hongs by Starlight was a really great day...it's special. I would not go with one of the other companies that go out in the morning, as you will be out with 20 other boats seeing the same places...not fun or quiet. The Hongs by Starlight trip goes out after lunch, and begins to go into the hongs as teh other groups are packing up to go back to shore. You have the hongs to yourselves, and it's magic. The boat is nice enough, the guides are great, food nice...all around nice day.

You could also try a trip with Limestone Adventures. They are a good company and have some nice trips as well.

A trip up to Khao Lak might be a nice day. There is a nice national park.

You can do lots right at the Marriott, too. Cooking school, spa, yoga, fitness classes, culture classes...they have lots of activities so you wouldn't be bored.

There is at least 4 days right there filled...and you haven't relaxed yet.

With the money you save by not flying up to Chiang Mai then to Phuket, and by using the timeshare rather than paying for a hotel, you can splurge on the Oriental or Peninsula in Bangkok. The Oriental has a great package for 2 nights or more called the Getaway Package...comes round trip airport transfers, breakfast, one time lunch at China House and late checkout...starting price at $295/night in summer.

At the Peninsula, if you book through a Virtuoso agent, you get the following:
A Complimentary Room Upgrade to the next room category on arrival, subject to availability
Deluxe to Grand Deluxe,
Grand Deluxe to Balcony
Deluxe Suite to Grand Deluxe Suite

Welcome fruits and flowers
Complimentary Daily buffet breakfast For Two in River Cafe & Terrace or The Lobby

Traditional Peninsula afternoon Tea at The Lobby for up to two people per room, once during stay

Complimentary high speed internet access

12 Noon early check-in, subject to availability
4 PM late check-out, subject to availability

Prices through Viruoso for summer -
Deluxe $240.00
Grand Deluxe $256.00
Balcony $272.00
Deluxe Suite $400.00
Grand Deluxe Suite $440.00
Plus 17.7% tax/service
The rate gets better in terms of savings as you go up...the Deluxe room isn't a bad deal, but isn't special. The Deluxe suite is a great deal.

Thanks KimJapan! If I skip Chiang Mai, would I be missing anything major? Glorialf says it's the best place for Elephant Trekking -will I be able to do that in Phuket?

I had gone back and forth from squeezing in two cities or three, so I am open to going back to two -I just heard great things about Chiang Mai and definitely want to do the Elephant Trekking (for the experience).

As for flight cost, Thai Air has a great deal where it is actually cheaper to travel on 3 legs for $169, then it was when I worked out a roundtrip ticket from Bangkok to Phuket. Again, not a big deal if I can get what I want out of Phuket and skip Chiang Mai all together. (Leaving mid-day from ChiangMai was a must under this arrangement because that is the ONE flight per day that flies direct from ChiangMai to Phuket ---only one leg versus having to stop over in Bankok equalling two legs!)

Let me know what you think... and of course, the elephants. AND if you think I should be making arrangements for stuff to do from here or can I wait until we get there?

Thanks again!!!

i am not sure that any of the places really offer trecking with elephants...many offer a ride around or a ride out into the "jungle" for an hour or two, but i would not really call that trecking...

personally i find CM almost a waste of time...

OK...you got me! I am the typical tourist and will most definitely be contented with the hour =) Can that be done in Phuket? And what are your thoughts on making this type of arrangement before arriving in Thailand? Can they made fairly easily when we get there?

Make arrangements for day trips after you arrive in Thailand. It will be easier and cheaper. If you want an elephant ride, you can do so easily in Phuket. I agree with Kim, cut out CM, and enjoy the time you have in Bangkok and Phuket.

Most places that offer elephant rides offer the typical one hour ride around the place in the typical basket type thing. I've never heard of an elephant trekking outfit anywhere in northern Thailand that is great to their elephants and mahouts...I would actually say to skip an elephant trek (if that is in fact what you really mean...trekking to somewhere using elephants as transportation rather than a ride).

In Lampang, the Thai Elephant Conservation Center offer rides to casual day visitors of the same sort you'd get elsewhere, but the elephants at the TECC really are well cared for, and the mahouts and their families all live in the mahout village and have a decent life. This is not true of many other places, unfortunately. You can generally tell right off, though, if the elephants and mahouts are poorly treated...both will look lackluster and unhappy, maybe too thin, elephant ears floppy rather than perky and flapping energetically, eyes sad....you will know.

In Phuket, there is an outfit called Siam Safari that does elephant rides, and they are supposed to be pretty good.

If you were to go to Chiang Mai for elephants, then I would take it one step further and do the mahout program at the TECC www.changthai.com...since you do express interest in riding them. If you didn't want to ride, the Elephant Nature Park is an option...it is a refuge for abused elephants, and you can bathe and feed them there, but not ride. The thing about the ENP that I don't like is that virtually every person I've even known to go there has come away with the "knowledge" that elephants should never be forced to carry tourists as passengers or do shows or perform, but should live in the wild or a refuge...However, that bel

Posted too soon.

Anyway,

However, the ENP is a lovely place for the elephants who do live there. Their strategy, however, of refuge and no work, can not possibly be implemented for all of the elephants of Thailand, so other places, like the TECC and the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation www.helpingelephants.org have been working on good programs to keep the elephants and mahouts employed in reasonable ways rather than walking the streets of Pattaya or Bangkok begging....the website is really informative.

That brings me to another option I thought of during the day today.

You could go to the Anantara Golden Triangle for their mahout program...it's elephant camp with real beds, a pool and spa, and the bonus of being in a unique area. www.anantara.com They offer a Mahout Discovery plan, which includes 4 nights in a deluxe room, breakfast daily, and 3 days of mahout training for $980.00++. The program is such that you can do the elephants in the morning and afternoon, and have time midday for an excursion to Burma...cool setup.

So you could go right to Phuket on arrival, spend 5 nights there. Then fly to Chiang Rai and spend 4 nights there (or 5), then fly to Bangkok and spend the last 2 nights there. The Discover Thailand pass on Thai Air is useful for this itinerary, as the Phuket - Chiang Rai trip is spendy...and counts as 2 flights but comes out lots cheaper using the pass. You could use the pass for 3 flights...BKK - HKT first, then HKT - CEI (Chiang Rai)...that's 3. Then use Air Asia or 12 Go for your Chiang Rai - BKK flight...cheap.

If you want to do the elephant camp in Lampang or at the Anantara, you should reserve that ahead of time for sure. Other things like the things I mentioned in Phuket can wait until you are there, with the exception of John Gray, since it is almost always sold out. You can reserve directly with them...they don't discount, and if an agent or seller tells you they do they are selling you some other company's day trip according to John Gray.

Frankly, a short elephant "ride" was enough for me!! I "trekked" on Phuket. They offered rides from 30 to 45 minutes to two hours. We asked the difference between 30 and 45 minute rides and they said the longer one went to a "scenic" overlook point. We said OK and headed up the hill on the back of the elephant. By the way, the "bench" you sit on is not very comfortable at all!!! After a short bit of time, we wished we had opted for only the 30 minute ride... lol! We got our photos (our own camera) taken on the elephant's back... a good souvenir... My first-grade students thought it was sooooo cool that their teacher rode an elephant!

Would I ride an elephant again? No. Am I glad I did a short ride once? Yes...

Just thought I'd share that bit FYI.

I'm sure the conservation park near CM is much more interesting and offers a far more rewarding experience... but if all you want is a ride, you can do it on Phuket.

Carol