yosmartpants

so i did it. i booked my life long dream to southeast asia! i have been perusing the posts here and thought i would stop being a stalker and start my own topic! it is my husband and I traveling and we have 21 days not including travel days. we have a bit of money to spend, so not everything needs to be budget, but we are not frivolous spenders and like researching to find the best value for our money. that being said- we are just as comfortable in a sketchy, dirty joint as in a fancy smancy place- so we are looking for a bit of both!

here is my itinerary so far...

fly into bangkok- we have a refundable res at chatrium but am open to suggestions on other hotels- this is a bit more than i want to spend...
-spend 4 nights geting acclimated (we arrive at midnight the first night so it doesn't really count), hit up night markets, relax by the pool, catch a glimpse of the red light district etc

bus trip to cambodia. we were planning on only doing siem reap and skipping phnon penh. thinking 2-3 nights total in cambodia. does anyone think we are crazy for skipping PP? any thoughts on where to stay? i just bought the dr roony book- can't wait to get it! (side note- i grew up in a cambodian housing project in massachusetts- but i am white!)

reverse trip back to BK, then flight up to chiang mai. spend 3 nights total up there, be it all in chiang mai, or travel up to pai for a night (any thoughts on this?). what to do? would love to trek but they maybe seem a bit tacky... but open to the idea. woud love to do an elephant sanctuary but they are pricey so not sure if it is worth it. my husband is an animal lover but pretty sensitive to animal cruelty. any ideas on what would be best? should we spend the whole time in chiang mai or head up to pai? or do an overnight trek? maybe a cooking class?

then fly down south, maybe to trang, and do the andoman sea side. looking to spend about 10 days hitting up the islands. i dream of this part every night. we are not nightlife party people but do enjoy adult beverages with a view (or without a view!)- so we are looking for a mix of deserted and amazing and a bit more populated with really good food choices. would love any recommendations... i imagine a small bungalow right on the water with some privacy and mind blowing sunsets... also- we are into snorkeling (not scuba) and kayaking, caves and monkeys, waterfalls and hammocks...

so this is my super long first post on foders! sorry if this is overkill- i am just so excited and while i don't want to have my trip completely planned out, i want to research and make the most of my time there.

thanks for any thoughts or suggestions! rock on!!!

Kathie

When are you going?

If you want to go overland from Bangkok to Siem Reap, you need to do your research as there are many scams for the unwary. Read www.tales of asia.com for the info on overland. Also note that no busses cross the border, so you could take a bus to the border, cross the border on foot and take a shared txi from there. Remember also that going overland will cost you a full day each way, so 2 nights is just one full day. I wouldn't go for less than three nights, and Dawn Rooney will tell you it takes three full days just to see the so-called major temples (that is four nights).

There are only two places near Chiang Mai that I would recommend for elephants: The Thai Elephant Conservation Center near Lampang or the Elephants Nature Park.

Where to go in Northern Thailand depends on what you want to do. Do you have a Thai guidebook yet? If not, invest in a Fodors or Lonely Planet.

You will need to adjust your ideas of a beach. You want a bungalow on a deserted beach but also bars and places to eat. Read about some of the beach areas. Also consider that with 10 beach days choose just two beaches (or even just one) so you have time to relax and get to know the place. Hopping from one beach to another may sound romantic, but it means lots of travel time and not as much time to relax and enjoy. Look for instance, at PhiPhi Island as a possibility.

Also note that you generally get better prices by reserving ahead. People who walk in looking for a bargain often end up paying rack rates.

Take a look at www.sawasdee.com for booking Thai hotels.

rhkkmk

take a look at khao lak for your beach destination... great places at all levels there... splurge on the jw marriott.

chatrium riverside is good value for your money.. ibis is another choice on the river..

majestic grande might do too or a serviced apartment like marriott or centre point

lcuy

As Kathie said, the land trip into Cambodian has some pretty wild scams (fake guardhouses, aggressive touts, etc). Read up on them and you'll save your sanity and money! It isn't as bad going back to Thailand, so one way to avoid it is to take the much cheaper BKK-Pnom Penh flight, then a $15 bus to Siem Reap.

Many, if not most, visitors to Cambodia skip PP so I don't think anyone will think you're crazy if you do.

For a very nice $20/night Budget place in Siem Reap, look into
www.sevencandlesguesthouse.com

A hotel at about $50 with a pool is the Frangipani Villa
http://www.frangipanivillahotel-siemreap.com/

You might look into the forums at Lonely Planet's Thorn tree for info on beaches in Thailand, especially if you don't mind the low-end type places.

www.hostelworld.com is an excellent booking site for cheap accommodations

I find www.Agoda.com to have the best prices for bookings in Asia.

yosmartpants

thanks for the replies! we are going mid jan to mid feb.

i have researched the border crossing routine and looked at a ton a pictures... but i will rethink the flight to save time. i remember reading about a new flight that had cheap intro rates. anyone know what I'm talking about?

i looked into both The Thai Elephant Conservation Center near Lampang and the Elephants Nature Park. they both look pretty good- but i am disabled and don't think i could climb up on an elephant. we have several guidebooks and i guess just need to chose a trek.

i have done so much reading about thai beaches that my head could spin! they all sound amazing so it is hard to pick. i know that the same island will not have seclusion and great dining options- but i would like to stay at places that offer one or the other. i have looked into some islands that only have national park status and a limited number of bungalows to stay at- i'm thinking that might be our best option for seclusion. i also kind of agree on not hopping around. so instead of 3 places, maybe stick with 2 places for 5 days each. we plan to reserve as much as possible ahead of time...

khoa lak looks great. thanks. i've been using agoda to search prices and trip advisor for reviews

thanks all for your help!

filmwill

Sounds like Ko Lipe and the rest of the Tarutao islands are what you're looking for. And I do agree...don't tackle more than 2 in 10 days or you defeat the purpose of trying to chill out

RiniRabbit

Elephants Nature Park is good to go. I would recommend this.
About island, if you want limited number of bungalows to stay, There will be national park only (Similan,Tarutao,Surin)
and must do reservation before go.
http://www.dnp.go.th/parkreserve/reservation.asp?lg=2

rhkkmk

khao lak offers the both you are looking for

rhkkmk

if you go, the street that the candle rest. is on offers tons of good, cheap dining options

yosmartpants

thanks for all the tips.

does anyone know anything about the new airlines from bangkok to siem reap? we really want to have more play time and less travel time, so i'm thinking it might be worth it to fly straight to siem reap rather than PP and taking a bus...

filmwill

Right now it's only Bangkok Air and Cambodia Angkor Air that fly from Bangkok to Siem Reap. The former having many more flights per day than the latter.

Given that there's only these 2 carriers, there's still a bit of a monopoly on the route so you'll find the price is a bit more than, say, a ticket from Bangkok to Phnom Penh--where you'd have far more carriers to pick from.

May be worth it to take the bus from PP if you're really trying to save a buck.

silverwool

Definitely fly from Bangkok to Cambodia. There are enough hassles with the border crossing to make it a non event. My daughter has done it several times but she speaks Cambodian and she still has to be rude at times. You can get very nice accommodation in Siem Reap in the $20 per night bracket. (And that would be for the two of you.) I stay at the Arboretum Guesthouse which I can thoroughly recommend. Wherever you stay I'd suggest somewhere within walking distance of Pub street for easy access to restaurants, the old and the night markets and cheap massage places. However tuk tuks around town are only a couple of dollars so not a big issue.