My boyfriend wants to go to Thailand. We have never been to Asia. Would we be okay going to Bangkok/Phuket by ourselves or should we go with a group? We were also interested in going to Phi Phi. How much would 12-14 days run us? Thanks!

Hi Alex, <BR> <BR>I went to Bangkok and Phuket with my husband and 2 children last October for 3 weeks. There is no need to go with a group as touring is very easy. If you're interested I can recommend a few good tours. I don't know where you're from so I can't comment on how much it would cost to get there. There are some beautiful places in Thailand and we had a great time. <BR> <BR>Feel free to email me If I can help with more specific questions. <BR> <BR>Teresa

Hi Alex: <BR> <BR>Just returned from Thailand, Malaysia and Singaporel. My husband and I planned our itinerary on our own and had a fabulous time. <BR> <BR>If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me. <BR> <BR>Good luck!

Phuket or Ko Samui? Which would you recommend for a nicer beach destination that has a few mid sized luxury hotels that are somewhat secluded.

We just returned from Bangkok and stayed at the Royal River Hotel. Inexpensive but not cheap. Across the street there was this family which ran a taxi/guide type of operation. It was a brother and two sisters. While we never did go with the brother,who did speak the best english, my wife and I went with both sisters and were glad we did. They seemed to take a genuine concern in our welfare and watched out for us. I would not hesitate to call them to pick me up at the airport, to guide, escort, taxi etc.. They do have a rather neat website, it is http://come.to/geminiboy and the e-mail address is "[email protected]" <BR>The ladies were such a pleasure to be with that it made everything that much more enjoyable and we always felt at ease. <BR>Enjoy yourself, nice people over there.

Hi, <BR>I have been to Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya Beach. I am 26 year old American woman and was traveling alone and didn't have any problems. In Phuket I stayed at the "Novotel" on the Northern side of Pattong beach (Phuket). It was a great hotel with super prices although you had a small walk to the beach. I wasn't impressed with the beach in Patong and it was generally a tourist overridden area with tons of bars and restaurants and vendors. After a couple days in Patong I went to Kata Beach on the southern side of Phuket Island and stayed at the KATA DELIGHTS HOTEL. These were tiny bungalows with beautiful views of Kata Beach and Bay. The rooms were alright but nothing fancy and smelled a bit like mildew (probably due to the intense humidy). The people were very friendly though. This trip was planned on the fly so I didn't do much research. Had I looked into Phuket more I would have stayed at THE BOATHOUSE on Kata Beach. I ate there and had drinks there while staying at KATA DELIGHTS and thought it was great. Phuket is a neat island but stay away from Patong unless you would just like to do a one day shopping type trip. Good Luck.