gilawi01

I'm planning my first trip to Thailand on February 2006. Which are the must see's and do's? How many days will I need for Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai? Will 14 days will be enough? (total days will be 18 days including a visit to Siam Reap/Angkor Wat). My main interests are culture, nature and shopping (not beaches, I'm from Puerto Rico). Thanks for any general info that you can give. Many questions will arise later.

rhkkmk

14 days is ok for the first trip to get aquainted...bkk is a fabulous city and you can spend months there...outside of bkk are various other interests like beaches which you have no interest in, and hills up north...

i must start by saying that i do not like chiang mai and would think that 3 full days there or less would be sufficient....chiang rai area is very different....it is much more remote and laid back and sparsely populated...i would spend perhaps 4 days there so that's 1/2 the vacation in thailand...the rest i would spend in bkk with stops upon arrival (day one is a lost day because of jet lague): so 4 days to start and then 3 days at the end...this also allows for clothing fittings in case you have clothes made in bkk...i would combine the two up north cities,so only one flight...

usually the connection to siem reap is through bkk, so that may add a day too..

it would help if we knew a little about what type of budget you are working with in terms of backbacker, tourist, or lux or someplace in between....tell us dollars...

most of us suggest that first time visitors stay on the river...most but not all of the hotels are higher end, but there are some reasonable ones...my favorite is the marriott resort and spa...it is 4* and costs about $125....more expensive hotels like the oriental, peninsula, shangri-la and sheraton orchid are also on the river....the royal river hotel up the river is a budget/tourist entry...
a good discount website that is all inclusive of tax and breakfast is:
www.huahin.20m.com.....

eating is very cheap in bkk....its hard to spend over $30 for two at decent restaurants except for the top tier, and they are not more than $75 except for 2 or 3 places---- that's without wine....wine is very expensive generally...

we are glad to help so give us some more info...

rhkkmk

my list of must sees in bkk:

grand palace
jim thompson house
reclining buddah wat
marble wat
suan packard palace
v-mark palace
wat arun
shopping, shopping, shopping--MBK
jim thompson main store on suriwongse


this is a start

in chiang mai:

shopping street
doi sutup wat
city wall
elephant camp--outside

chiang rai and north

doi tung--princess mother's former estate


a good place to stay in the golden triangle is the anantara---its about $125+---fabulous however...

orgy7

Puerto rico-ohh..... sorry but it's rare too see fellow latinos on this site..(actually im not sure if ya are hispanic)

if you want too see how the small salsa dancing comunity in BKK gets down maybe check out "la rueda" on sukunvit 18...

it's a crazy feeling seeing your culture represented in far off lands..
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gilawi01

Thanks to rhkkmk and orgy for your prompt replies. Now to your questions:

Regarding the budget,no problem with that. I wont's spend money on flights (AA Frequent Flyer miles will be used). For hotels, maybe four or five stars, although I'm considering taking a tour, but not necessarily. But the last 3 or 4 day in Bangkok will be on our own, and definetly want to stay at any good hotel by the river. Does the Marriott resort have a good location - no to far from attractions and shopping areas? Where is the best place to have a ride on elephant? My wife is dying to do that. What to shop aside from clothes?

To Orgy 7: Thanks for your recommendation. And yes, I'm hispanic but does not like "salsa".

Thanks again to both of you.

Kathie

There is REALLY no reason to take a tour in Thailand. Travel is very easy to arrange.

I am one of those who highly recommend staying at the Anantara at the Golden Triangle for a few nights. It's a gorgeous setting. They have an elephant conservation camp on the grounds, so you can ride, bathe and learn how to handle elephants. They also have a fabulous spa. There is a days worth of roaming the area that is worth doing, otherwise enjoy the great setting.

Like Bob, Chaing Mai is not my favorite, There is good shopping there, but don't think of it as a way to see rural areas.

I could spend months in Bangkok. Indeed, when I add up how many times I've been to Bangkok and how much time I've spent there, I have spent months in Bangkok. I recommend that you stay by the river. For me, it's what makes it Bangkok. If you do a search on this board for Bangkok hotels, you'll see the long-running debate about which hotels is "best." Frankly, I don't think you can go wrwong at any of the highly recommended hotels.

orgy7

if ya want the river and money not a prob then the Pen and orientlal hotel are your 2 world famouis choicses..

as for sites RHKNK has the basics down..

in bangkok
maybe the floating market and watching a thai kick boxing match would be nice.

gilawi01

Kathie:

If tour is not really necessary in Thailand, how do you organize your trips? With local guide or just make arrangements at the hotel? What else can you do from Chiang Rai? Do you recommend to stay just in Bangkok and Chang Rai and skip Chiang Mai? What is the Golden Triangle? (excuse for me ignorance). Thanks again to Orgy7 for new recommendations.

rhkkmk

touring around, esp in bkk you can do it all on your own...it is very easy...each hotel also offers tours through their tour desk ($$$$)...some here have used ratt, as have i...she is fantastic...i have only used her outside the city but others have used her in town as [email protected] charges about 225B per hour in town and adds 1B per kilometer outside for gas...she is not a guide but an english speaking driver who knows lots about everything....

the skytrain and cheap taxis make getting around very easy...you have to organize yourself however...

shopping__ knock-offs of all kinds....clothing for small people...handi-crafts...tons of stuff made from silk...household stuff....decorative stuff...jewerly, especially gold and with saphires and rubies...custom made clothing...machine guns...tanks...anything you could want really....

food is very cheap...

the marriott is away from the city center...it is about a 12 minute ride to the taskim skytrain stop...free boats run every 15 minutes all day...i often take taxis as well from the hotel, but there are traffic issues at certain times...i love the boat ride...others find it a nuissance...

there are lots of hotels to choose from...

do you have a guide book...start with a general one from your library: fodors or frommers....

ask us tons of questions....read this board every day....

Gpanda

You do not need a guide in BKK. Any guide book will lead you to the best sights. Staying on the river is great because you can hop on the ferry. We always stay at the Royal Orchid Sheraton and use Starwood points. The Pen and the Oriental are a cut above. I would not bother going to Ayutthaya ( an ancient capital outside BKK) because you'll see much better at Angkor Wat.

In Chiang Mai, I suggest that you use Sergeant Kai as a guide. He can be reached at ChiangMaiTours.com. He can plan several days for you or customize a day or two. We used him for airport transfers, Doi Suthep and a separate day of Elephant ride and river rafting which was tremendously amusing.

gilawi01

I concurr with the posters who recommend doing Bangkok on our own. But what about doing Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and vicinities with a pre=paid package? I don't want to be carrying luggage from place to place and trying to guess wich are the most important things to do in the region. Kathie's recommendation of the Anantara Resort seems like a good place to start. Is three nights OK? Where would you stay at Chiang Mai? Also, I've been reading of the Long-Neck tribe near the Chiang Raig area. Is it worth it?

orgy7

after reading all your posts maybe you shoiuld look for a tour or at least set up drivers in each destination.. thailand is relativaly easy for the travaler but not that easy. It is after all a third world country with a totaly difrent language then what your used too. . I've been living here for over 2 years and I still find myself in some trouble..

Kathie

I'd recommend four nights at the Anantara at the Golden Triangle. (The Golden Triangle is the place where the three countries meet - Burma, Laos and Thailand) You can arrange for the Anantara to provide your transfers. We also used a driver that the Anantara recommended for a one day trip around the area (Chaing Sean, Doi Tung, etc.). Otherwise, the resort itself is paradise.

If you want a few nights (2 or 3) in Chaing Mai, you can get a driver there as well. No need to arrnage in advance unless you want to.

Personally, I wouldn't visit the long-necked tribe near Chaing Rai. Recognize that this is a "tourist" visit, not a view of the life style of these people. Many people liken it to a "human zoo."

I've never found language to much of a problem in Thailand. You can always find English-speaking drivers. There will always be people at your hotel who speak English and can make arrangements for you.

When in Bangkok, always take a hotel card along with you, that way you can show it to your taxi driver to get you back to your hotel.

gilawi01

Ok. After reading a lot of posts and following your recommendations this will be my tentative itinerary:

Four days Bangkok (Oriental, Peninsula or Royal Orchid)

Four days Chiang Rai (Anantara). Who expensive is the food here? I don't like to spend a lot of money in food.

Three days Chiang Mai (Need hotel recommendations.)

Return to Bangkok an fly to Siam Reap for three days (is this too little time?)

Return to Bangkok for three more days at the Marriott resort and start to shop.

Would I be missing any of the must's in Thailand by doing the trip this way?

hawaiiantraveler

Looks like the trip I'm planning. I would stay at the Marriot first and the Penn, Oriental last as they are the nicer properties. Not that the Marriot is a bad property but not in the same class as the Pen or Oriental of course IMHO. It would give better flow to the places in which you will be staying . Looks like a great trip!
Aloha!

rhkkmk

i agree about reversing the hotels in bkk....
the food in any thai hotel is much more expensive (and usually better) than in many stand alone restaurants---not always the case but a general rule..the anantara is issolated so there is not much to get to...we did eat one nite at thai kitchen just down the road a few miles on the river but you need a car to get there...it was cheap...if you choose carefully you can do it reasonably....

CM---no hotel suggestion from me....

i think the way you have laid things out is perfect....3 full days in SR will be adequate...one trick is to leave on the 7PM flight back to bkk on your last day so you get a whole day touring and escape back to bkk to start the next day there...

stay at the pen in bkk at the end....it will be the frosting on the cake....

LucyHo

The Rayavadee Resort in Krabi is very romantic and you can travel by the boat belonging to the resort.

gilawi01

Where is Krabi?

glorialf

Your trip looks fine. I would NOT do a tour but I would get a driver for your time in northern thailand and some of the days you are in Bangkok.

Three days is fine for Siem Reap.

Chiang Mai -- if you want a commercial large hotel that is well located you could try the Chiang Mai Plaza. But I would opt for a smaller boutique hotel like Tamarind, Rachamankha or Baan Orapin. You'll find a lot of information on all of them on this site. There are also a couple of hotels opening soon that sound interesting -- D2 of the Dusit Group looks really nice and will be right near the night market. Don't stay at one of the overly expensive resorts like the 4 Seasons or Mandarin unless you really want a resort/spa experience. Chiang Mai is a lot of fun and a those hotels are not in the middle of the city. You can have your rural/spa experience in the Chiang Rai area.

One thing about shopping. If you are going to have clothes made start the process your first time in Bangkok and finish it when you return. Be aware that you will need to go to the tailor a few times so pick one that you can get to easily. I always use Cotton House which is a 2 minute walk from the Oriental where I stay. The last thing you want is to have to travel for a fitting.

simpsonc510

I stay at the Sheraton in Chiang Mai (used to be the Westin Riverside). We had a suite my last time there. It was really large and ultra comfortable! I'd recommend it in a heartbeat. You need to take taxi or tuk tuk to/from the night bazaar from Sheraton, but it's worth it IMHO.
Carol