Honeymoon- late Sept/early October 2008

Old Jan 28th, 2008, 01:55 PM
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Honeymoon- late Sept/early October 2008

Hello! I've been lurking for the past few weeks and thought it was about time I posted. I'm full of ideas, but would love suggestions on a two week honeymoon to Thailand. Lots of knowledgeable folks on the board so here goes: My wife-to-be and I are flying out on Monday, Sept 22nd and coming back Sunday, October 5th (or at least that's the plan). We'll land in Bangkok on Tuesday (coming from Atlanta) and spend Tuesday and Wednesday there. On Thursday, should I take the train (first class) to Chiang Mai or a flight to Angkor Wat for three days? After that we're flying to the beach for the remainder of the trip. I realize late Sept and early Oct are the rainy season but Ko Samui seems to get less rain that the Andaman this time of year. Is that true? Should we head to Ko Samui for a week or Phuket-Krabi-Ko Phi Phi for a week? Or will there be so much rain that we should just go to Bali? Other questions I had:

-Has anyone ever used Priceline for flights from the states to BKK? Does it ever work? I'm trying to get a reasonable flight in order to splurge on hotel accomodations. Any other ideas on how to get a good flight price from the States.

-As far as must see's go, we'd love to visit Angkor Wat, the night markets (if we go to Chiang Mai), see and ride elephants, snorkel, swim, get massages and take cooking classes. No interest in the night life...low key is the way to go for us.

-Are jellyfish really bad in the Gulf of Thailand or is that an old wives tale? My fiancee gets jumpy in the water w/ jellyfish. -As far as hotels, I've looked at Baan Orapin and Field Village in CM and the Waterfront and Tongsai (my big splurge) in Ko Samui. What do you think?

My budget is around $4k with flights; I plan to spend around $100/night for hotels w/ Tongsai for two nights being the only splurge. The hotels in BKK will be free b/c of Marriott and SPG points. Is this feasible

Any suggestions would be awesome! Thanks so much. I can't wait. DJ
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Old Jan 28th, 2008, 02:33 PM
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I have a couple of thoughts. If you can afford it, opt for three days in Cambodia to see the temples at Angkor. They are really spectacular!

Chiang Mai is pleasant (or not, depending on how you feel about the sprawl etc) but is not a stunning destination as Angkor is. And the Sunday walking market and night markets are really not that great - you can find the same stuff in Bangkok, often at lower prices. And don't bother with the train unless you are train fanatics... you can get a flight on a budget airline for the same price as the train.

As far as beach is concerned, you are choosing the rainest time of the year for the Thai beaches. That said, you can get some real deals at wonderful hotels. Are you the sort of people who would feel your trip was ruined if it rained much of the time or are you the sort who would enjoy a walk in the rain and quiet time in a beautiful resort? The rain stats indicate that Koh Samui gets less rain at that time of the year, but both sides are rainy. That said, you might luck out and get some really nice weather.

If you would be really bummed by rain, Bali is a good choice. It's really a wonderul destination and well worth more than a week. But - it's a substantial flight and an entirely different culture, so consider if you want just a taste of this and a taste of that for your trip. You'll feel like you have more of a sense of the culture if you stay in one area.
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Old Jan 28th, 2008, 03:09 PM
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I suggest you go to Siem Riep to see the temples at Angkor Wat andf Ko Samui. The best way to do this is to get a Discovery Pass from Bangkok Air, the only BKK-SR and BKK-KS carrier. Call the 800 number and reserve tickets.

For cheap fares, check Orbitz.com and try Cathay Pacific. CP has cheap flights from JFK and you can get to JFK separately.
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Old Jan 29th, 2008, 06:15 PM
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Awesome suggestions! Thanks so much.
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Old Jan 29th, 2008, 06:21 PM
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flying to cambodia can be quite expensive and thus the trip to CM would be cheaper....as would hotels in CM be cheaper...

use marriott points on renaissance on samui?? flying to samui is dear as well....thai air will start flying there soon and may have some bargains...

look at the bkk air deal as well as air asia and nok air...
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