First time 28yo male traveler needs 3 week itinerary.
Nov 30th, 2003, 11:15 PM
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First time 28yo male traveler needs 3 week itinerary.
G?day world,
I?m a 28yo Australian belated traveler at heart that has finally found the time to taste the world?s different cultures, starting with Thailand.
I?m arriving in Bangkok on the 19th Dec and departing on the 10th of Jan, with no real idea of where to go or what to see, any hints or tips on an itinerary of how to best experience Thailand would be very much appreciated.
I would like to experience a combination of culture shock, sight seeing, partying, shopping, cuisine (safe) etc
Keeping in mind Christmas and New Years celebrations! Any tips on the best party places for this time of year.
I also at this stage have no internal flights or accommodation booked and are unsure if this is such a good idea.
Cheers Paul.
I?m a 28yo Australian belated traveler at heart that has finally found the time to taste the world?s different cultures, starting with Thailand.
I?m arriving in Bangkok on the 19th Dec and departing on the 10th of Jan, with no real idea of where to go or what to see, any hints or tips on an itinerary of how to best experience Thailand would be very much appreciated.
I would like to experience a combination of culture shock, sight seeing, partying, shopping, cuisine (safe) etc
Keeping in mind Christmas and New Years celebrations! Any tips on the best party places for this time of year.
I also at this stage have no internal flights or accommodation booked and are unsure if this is such a good idea.
Cheers Paul.
Dec 1st, 2003, 12:40 AM
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Paul.
Well the culture shock will come without you having to plan for it; so don?t worry about that one.
As a general, and this is a very general rule, you go south for the parties and north for the culture, but both areas offer a mix.
First off, get yourself a good Travel Guide, something like Eyewitness or Lonely Planet,
You arrive in Bangkok, so you might as well start there. I would give it, say, four days plus two day trips, one to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa In and the other to Kanchanaburi and the Kwai ? as an Aussie you can?t miss that.
Unless you want to use the beaches to unwind at the end of your trip, I?d go south then, as the best parties over Christmas and the New Year are likely to be on the beaches. You are spoilt for choice and at the time of the year that you are coming, I don?t think it matters too much which side you choose; the weather should be good wherever you are.
If you give yourself a little over a week for beaches and parties, you will still have a week to look at the north and be able to talk about the culture when you get home. I was going to suggest that you consider flying Bangkok Airways as you could fly from Koh Samui to Bangkok to Sukhothai to Chiangmai, however I have just checked their website and it appears that they no longer fly to Sukhothai. Possibly James will have some information on that.
Sukhothai is still worth a couple of days although you may have to use a combination of bus and trains to get there. Chiangmai has about 300 temples and is a good base for trekking and hill tribe visits.
Shopping is universal and locally made goods are cheap, on balance the north seems to be cheaper that Bangkok or the popular tourist destinations. If you want the bottom price, you must be prepared to bargain.
Food is generally safe within tourist areas.
Christmas and the New Year are the peak travel time for international tourists, but tourism is still down on the figures from a few years ago, so there should be accommodation and so forth available. However, I would suggest you have something booked for when you arrive. Thais do not celebrate Christmas, but they do celebrate the New Year and it will be very difficult to travel over the New Year period unless you have booked in advance. Public holidays are on the 1st and the 2nd, which will mean a four-day weekend and many people will be travelling over that time.
Do email me at [email protected] if I can help at all.
Well the culture shock will come without you having to plan for it; so don?t worry about that one.
As a general, and this is a very general rule, you go south for the parties and north for the culture, but both areas offer a mix.
First off, get yourself a good Travel Guide, something like Eyewitness or Lonely Planet,
You arrive in Bangkok, so you might as well start there. I would give it, say, four days plus two day trips, one to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa In and the other to Kanchanaburi and the Kwai ? as an Aussie you can?t miss that.
Unless you want to use the beaches to unwind at the end of your trip, I?d go south then, as the best parties over Christmas and the New Year are likely to be on the beaches. You are spoilt for choice and at the time of the year that you are coming, I don?t think it matters too much which side you choose; the weather should be good wherever you are.
If you give yourself a little over a week for beaches and parties, you will still have a week to look at the north and be able to talk about the culture when you get home. I was going to suggest that you consider flying Bangkok Airways as you could fly from Koh Samui to Bangkok to Sukhothai to Chiangmai, however I have just checked their website and it appears that they no longer fly to Sukhothai. Possibly James will have some information on that.
Sukhothai is still worth a couple of days although you may have to use a combination of bus and trains to get there. Chiangmai has about 300 temples and is a good base for trekking and hill tribe visits.
Shopping is universal and locally made goods are cheap, on balance the north seems to be cheaper that Bangkok or the popular tourist destinations. If you want the bottom price, you must be prepared to bargain.
Food is generally safe within tourist areas.
Christmas and the New Year are the peak travel time for international tourists, but tourism is still down on the figures from a few years ago, so there should be accommodation and so forth available. However, I would suggest you have something booked for when you arrive. Thais do not celebrate Christmas, but they do celebrate the New Year and it will be very difficult to travel over the New Year period unless you have booked in advance. Public holidays are on the 1st and the 2nd, which will mean a four-day weekend and many people will be travelling over that time.
Do email me at [email protected] if I can help at all.
Dec 1st, 2003, 06:12 PM
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Yes you are right Mike, I?m glad to say they are still operating some flights through Sukhothai, they have changed their advert in the local magazine and it is not clear. However, if you do the sums on the arrival and departure times one flight a day takes longer than the others. A phone call confirmed that the difference allowed for a stop in Sukhothai.
So, Paul you may want to consider that.
So, Paul you may want to consider that.
Dec 1st, 2003, 08:29 PM
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your best bet is just too hang out in kaoh san road and from there thing just happen.. the area is jammed with travalers and people our age. if you want too do the crazy side of bkk.. you may have too do it alone.. many of your hard core backpackers are not into the city nightlife or just cant afford too party in clubs..
Dec 1st, 2003, 08:51 PM
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I just remembered that JamesA mentioned a city about 45 minutes away from Sukhothai and that flights there are a lot less expensive than those to Sukhothai. I can't remember the name of the city or the carriers that fly there.
