Honeymoon itinerary, comments please?
 

We're planning our honeymoon in Thailand (with a side trip to Siem Reap). We're both experienced travelers, but have never been to this part of the world. I would love some feedback on our draft itinerary:
1/4 - 1/21 in Bangkok
1/22 - 1/25 in Chiang Mail
1/26 - 1/28 in Siem Reap
1/29 - 2/1 some beach/island in south Thailand, haven't decided yet
2/2 head back home

We are very interested in architecture, museums, culture and FOOD! I've been known to plan vacations around restaurants, so if there are any that we must try, please comment. :)
Is a week in Bangkok too much?
Also, would love to try diving while we're on the beach, any recommendations would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

17 days in Bangkok? Why? 5 nights is enough then visit some river or beach towns. Try Kanchananuri, Prachuap and Krabi.

Unless that is a typo cause u said 1 week.

For a balanced trip I would try to see other places.

Bangkok is interesting but is a city that grows on you and rather chaotic.

Chiang Mai for 3 nights is hardly worth it. Attractions in the north are spread out. CM itself is just a smaller version of Bangkok.

For diving and beaches fly to Krabi.

Obviously a typo on your Bangkok dates... I assume 1/14 to 1/21 since you said you have a week.

I love Bangkok - my favorite city in the world! My first visit to Thailand was 9 days in Bangkok and I got hooked - I've been back more than two dozen times sine on my annual trips to SE Asia. Given that your interests are "architecture, museums, culture and FOOD" Bangkok is the best place in Thailand for all of those.

We are all different - Prachup (poster above) doesn't much like Bangkok, but would spend more time in CM. I find three days in CM more than plenty. While there are other attractions in northern Thailand, they are farther afield. I think your time split is just fine.

As fr as beaches ar concerned, I recommend something on the Andaman Sea, Phuket, Krabi, Ko Lak, etc, as the weather will be lovely. Your idea to dive sounds unrealistic, as no one will take you diving without getting your PADI, which takes some time. Just enjoy the beautiful beaches.

Lots of fabulous restaurants in Bangkok - a few I love: Gaggan (not Thai, but amazing), Lana Thai at FACE, Nahm is supposed to be wonderful. You will get lots of recommendations here.

Congrats - I'm sure you will have a wonderful time.

I agree that a week in Bangkok is not too much time. There is so much to see and do there. It is also MY favorite city.

Kathie is right, the Andaman coast should have very nice weather at that time. Take a look at either the Renaissance or the J W Marriott at Mai Khao Beach. This is a lovely beach (although a bit remote from shopping/restaurants).

I was just in Chiang Mai a couple of weeks ago, for 3 days and enjoyed every minute. The next time I am in the north I want to go to Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son/Pai.

If you are like so many of us on this forum, you will be returning to Thailand again (and again and again)....

Enjoy! You've made an excellent choice.

Carol

I have a bkk restaurant list I have compiled.. Send me your address at: rhkonthailand@ msn.com, and I will send it to you.

Gaggan is a current favorite
Liu at the Conrad for dim sum lunch
Lord jeff at oriental for lux lunch

Harmonique not far from river

Biscotti in 4 seasons is my wife's fav.

I would add one day to Siem reap.

2 days at beach is not worth the effort or expense, IMO..

We love anantara riverside hotel, chatrium riverside, peninsula, plaza anthanee, JW marriott, marriott sukhumvit park, and many other hotels--- Penn for a honeymoon for sure.

Incorrect I like Bangkok much more than CM. But 5 nights is enough for a short holiday.

CM is a boring city and you need 5 nights to explore the countryside hence 3 nights is not worth it.

Ive also been to Bangkok many times but its good to visit 2 or 3 places on holidays in a fresh country.

You may love or hate Bangkok and you wont know until you go. Can always be flexible in Thailand as can plan book cheap flights to another city if you want to move.

Ps: why do Americans put dates wrong order? Day/month/year is logical. Month first isnt. Always found that strange.

Best restaurant in Bangkok? No such thing. Usually the more expensive ones are worse, serving watered down pretend Thai food. Look for restaurants full of Thais if you want the proper good Thai food. Bangkok has street food galore and lots of it is tasty. More likely to get food poisoning from restaurants. Ive eaten street food hundreds of times and never been sick. Got real sick from an expensive seafood restaurant once though and again at a restaurant full of foreigners. Lesson learnt.

Bangkok 5 nights
Kanchanaburi 2 nights
Krabi 6 nights
Siem Reap 4 nights
Bangkok 1 night at end

Something like that works.

BE leery of street food.. One test.. Watch how they clean the dishes.

I eat street food ONLY if I'm with a Thai friend and they know which stands are going to be OK for me, and also which food items I may not like. And yes, you can also get sick from a high end restaurant's food. Cost of the food doesn't necessarily indicate how "authentic" it is.

Although Krabi is nice, I would choose a 4 or 5* hotel somewhere on a quieter beach on Phuket instead. A few nights should be fine.

I would add more time to Siem Reap but only if you intend to visit the Angkor site. A 3 day pass should be ok. But there's other things to do. We enjoyed quad/4 wheel/off road biking and a cooking class. There's the PHARE circus. Tonle Sap Lake.

Bangkok-we had almost 10 full days and for us, it was too much. But then again, the chaos of this big city did not appeal to our interests. I did love Wat Arun, Wat Po, and the Grand Palace. We did a day tour to Ayutthaya which we enjoyed-Tour with Tong.

We had 5 nights in CM which was more than enough for us. We spent 1 day with elephants at the Thai Elephant Home. We loved that experience. Aso went to a cooking class here.

Loved Khao Lak. My husband is a PADI cert. diver so he was very happy and I was happy because we stayed at the Le Meridien, a very nice property. We also stayed in Phuket, Kata beach but much preferred the quiet/slower pace of KL.

Happy honeymoon-congrats!

Try this restaurant - Morradoke Thai 11 Rachadamnoen Road Near Thapae Gate, Chiang Mai. Traditional Northern Thai in a pleasant room. It was recommended by contributors to this forum, and was one of our best meals in a nearly six week trip.

I think your plan looks fine, although I'd take a day from Bangkok to add to Siem Reap.

You might be able to get an "introductory dive" where you don't need to be certified. Tripadvisor should help with dive operators when you decide where to beach !

Enjoy, and congrats.

Dont need a Thai friend to pick street food. You should see what happens in restaurant kitchens.

Try Issan style sausages from the street stands. Very tasty. Also you can buy whole salted fish which is good.

Prachuap, there are risks no matter where you eat. You can minimize risks by eating only hot, freshly cooked foods. While people can/do get sick from restaurant food, the advantage of a restaurant vs. street food is that restaurant workers have access to bathroom facilities and hand-washing facilities. Street vendors do not. There is plenty of data on the risks of street food. The study I found most useful was done by the Malaysian government when they made the transition to hawker centers with bathrooms and running water. It decreased the incident of food-bourne illnesses by over 80%.

I speak from 15 years of experience from eating street food while you are quoting some irrevalant study from Malaysia.

Having eaten Thai food more than a 2000 times and street food hundreds of times you are far more likely to get sick from restaurants. Street food has a high turnover rate while restaurant food often sits around for days. Food sitting around accumulates bacteria which causes most problems with food poisoning.

In Phuket along the beaches and some Bangkok seafood places have produce sitting on ice out front on display and this produce gets recycled to and from each day. Eating prawns from these places is far more risky than eating street food. Whilst bacteria can be transferred from hand to food the worst poisoning comes from improper treatment of seafood.

Prachuap, the average "western" digestive system is not used to street food. Obviously you've eaten a lot of it, thus you have trained your stomach to accept it and not react adversely to it.

First time visitors (and even those of us, like me, who have been there nearly 3 dozen times in the last 13 years) still have second thoughts about eating street food. Not all street food has issues, by the way.

Whether a week in BKK is too much depends on how much you like big, buzzy cities. A week gives you enough time to relax and enjoy the sites at a much more leisurely pace.
I love CM and the surrounding area and three days should be fine. Since you are into food, you might enjoy a cooking class in CM.
Happy Honeymoon!

Not true. Street food is mostly like BBQ food that westerners eat a lot.

Like I said restaurant food is more risky.

If you are scared of eating street food after 13 years then you are in the minority.

I ate street food on my 1st trip and will continue to eat it. Its cheap, tasty and convenient.

Unless people are scared of BBQs there is no reason not to eat it.

You can do cooking classes in any tourist city. In a 1 day course you wont learn much though. I wouldnt make a special trip to CM to do a 1 day cooking course which will be very basic.