Hi folks

I'm hoping for a bit of advice. My family and I are travelling around Europe for a couple of months in December/January. On the way home we want to chill out (or should that be thaw out?) for a week in Thailand before heading home to Australia.

I'd really welcome thoughts on what a good plan of action would be - we don't want to travel around a lot, but don't want to just spend a week in Bangkok.

Last year my wife and I stayed in Koh Samui (Poppies), which was fantastic, but we don't need that kind of luxury this trip (don't want the kids to think they can have that kind of luxury LOL).

So I was thinking maybe a couple of days in Bangkok and a 4 or 5 days in another quieter location.

Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Guy

I would head north to the Chiang Ma/Chiang Rai area. Lots to do for both adults and kids,

Sounfs like Hua Hin might suit you, just a couple of hours by cab from Bangkok, you could also maybe spend a day or 2 at the Bridge on the River Kwai which is a couple of hours from Bangkok and then head straight south east from there to the coast at Hua hin, Khao Takiab bay is relaxing and laid back and lots of mid and cheap accommodation.

Go on moveandstay.com and check out serviced apartments.There are a lot of them in Bangkok. Chateau de Bangkok by Sofitel...an Accor hotel...has hotel rooms and serviced apartments in the same building and the price is low. I paid 1500 Baht(before taxes-1800 baht after) (Aug 2004) for a junior suite with kitchenette.It was very nice. They also have a laundry room. And the building is 300 meters from the ploenchit sky train station. You would probably be more comfortable in an apartment since you have kids.Happy Travels!

hua hin might be a good idea....or maybe koh chang, south of pattaya....

if samui would suit you again, then look at the peace resort...

Thanks all for your ideas so far. I do like the sound of Hua Hin - thanks James. Can you tell me why you suggest taking a cab rather than a train?

I'll look into it and Koh Chang. Chang Rai sounds good, but maybe a bit far?

If you enjoy the fun of taking a train then fine, takes about 4 to 4 and a half hours, best trains leave around 2 pm onwards. I recommend limo really, about USD 70 as that gives the most comortable journey and of course is hotel-to-hotel as opposed to booking your trains tickets in advance, taxi to station, getting baggage onto train, off train, into tuk-tuk and then hotel, a normal taxi cab ( small ) will cost about USD 45. I really think the extra for the limo makes it worth it, taxis back from Hua hin to bangkok use local Hua Hin ones, nice big sedans about USD 40-45.

Hmmm - $70 does seem like money well spent when you put it that way! Do you need to book them in advance, or just ask at the Bankok hotel?

Just book at your hotel, the rate should be B 2,850 so if you get a deal less you are in luck but if they want to charge them more just smile and tell them you know the price should be max B 2,850. Just tell them the day before, easy.

Oh and don't leave 'early, best time to leave around 11 am after morning traffic has gone down.

Thanks for that James. Based on a post of yours on another thread, I'm looking at staying at Kaban Tamor - does this seem like a good choice?

guykb,

i believe that it was kaban tamor where ate lunch and had a quick dip just after a visit to "monkey mountain". if it wasn't KT, then it was very near to it. anyway, it was a nice, little relaxing place.

As for the location, i'm not sure why so many people are fond of staying so far outside of Hua Hin centre. Most of the resorts outside of Hua Hin or Cha Am seem very isolated and not walkable to local amenities like bars and restaurants. Perhaps if you are staying in an idyllic beach area and just want to totally get away from it all, i could understand staying at an isolated resort. Realistically, the beach at HH is nice but not idyllic and if you are a beach person who is going there only for the beach, you might be disappointed. i really liked my recent visit to HH for the combination of beach and fishing town (yes, the fishing industry is still very active there and i could watch the fish being unloaded on the pier for hours).

We stayed at the marriott and i would have much preferred staying in town (sofitel or even one of the far cheaper guesthouses or boutique hotels in town). In comparasin, KT is way out there. there are a few small, simple restaurants very close to it but i'm not sure if they are open at night as the ones that i saw were on the beach.

i guess it all depends what type of holiday you want. my idea of "chill-out" is to have everything within an easy walk so that i don't have to make a big production if i just want a beer at a local bar.

Thanks walkin - you make a lot of sense. To be honest I didn't realise it was so far out of town. On the map it looks pretty close, and I had assumed it might be a bit of a hike, but no more than a kilometer or so. Maybe I should rethink.

Any ideas of a place closer to the centre that isn't a high-rise hotel? I like the idea of individual huts a la Poppies (Koh Samui) and what Kaban Tamor looks like in the pics.

guy,

i've only been to HH once so i should defer to those who know it better.

it's a bit hard to tell from the map but on the main road (very busy) through HH, the resorts are very large and set back behind walls/fences. therefore, the walk is not very pleasant. I walk a lot and i would say that the marriott is about as far south from town as you would want to walk regularly. If you enjoy walking on the beach, KT is a nice very long walk to town but this is a recreational walk of a few hours for both ways and not how you would normally get to town for a meal or shopping.

the centre of HH is very compact and a great place to stroll around. However, once you leave the immediate area (beyond the sofitel or so), it gets very spread out and not pedestrian friendly at all.

obviously, i have a bias toward favouring walkability in a hotel location. there are many nice resorts along the beach where many love to stay. transport is cheap and rather plentiful in HH. Taking a taxi back from a day exploring HH and the beach, freshening up, and then taking another taxi back into town for dinner/drinks is not for me. Be sure to find out exactly how a cab is acquired from your hotel as i believe some (most??) do not allow cabs to wait at for fares at reception.

If you are happy going to HH once or twice during your stay then this is not an issue. For me, ALL my meals, drinks, massages, shopping, etc was in town rather than at the hotel.

i would choose the sofitel because i feel it is in the best location. it is not a high rise (2-3 stories) but it is a huge (and expensive) hotel and therefore may not meet your needs. it certainly won't have that laid back feel of a very small place like KT. however, it is quiet and has beautiful grounds.