Itenerary - Comments welcome
 

It's still a tentative itenerary (only till this weekend) so any feedback changes would be much appreciated:

July 4th-17th

Bangkok
2 Nights at either Banyan Tree or Four Seasons

Chiang Mai
4 Nights at Four Seasons Chiang Mai (Garden View)

Phuket
3 Night at Amanpuri (Pavillion - Garden)

Koh Samui
3 Nights at Napasai Pansea (Sea View Cottage)

Bangkok
2 Nights at either Banyan Tree or Four Seasons


That's all folks. Thanks for the help!

that a good trip....you will love the pansea...

how about staying at least one of your stays in bkk on the river...say at the peninsula....i would choose the four seasons over the banyon tree on a location basis alone....the rooms may be more interesting at the banyon tree however

Stayu at the Penn- its fabulous.

I too, was considering staying at the Four Seasons in July. However, I read some bad reviews on tripadvisor.com. Also heard that they are doing remodeling in some areas of the hotel.

Thanks guys. I will definately add the Peninsula to my itenerary. Was even thinking of maybe staying at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok as they just bought a brand new fleet of BMW 7 series!!!

Both the Oriental and the Pen are on the river. They are VERY different hotels, but both are superlative. Since you have two stays in Bangkok, why not do one stay at each?

Personally...the Four Seasons Bangkok is my home away from home. I was there again in Aug 2004 and have booked again for Aug 2005. And yes, they have started renovating. Last August, I was informed that there would be renovations...replacing the carpet was what I was told. I love the rooms there. The majority of the rooms are in an atrium setting, so that when you leave your room you enter sunlight and greenery. And the food there is excellent...an incredible breakfast buffet...and plus they have the best reported Italian restaurant in town...Biscotti. As for the service, I've only had excellent service...I'll have to go on tripadvisor and check out the comments...although nothing will change my mind about the Four Seasons. I've stayed at A LOT of different hotels in Bangkok over the years and so far it's still by far my favorite. Plus the Rajadamri sky train station is right across the street and the hotel is in the heart of the shopping area. Happy Travels!

just curious....what does a fleet of bmw 7's have to do with staying at a hotel???

You get chauffeured around town in them for shopping etc. Your airport transfer will also be in the 7’s!

ok that answers it...but it is all at a price....taxis are very cheap...

Tarak, all of the upscale hotels have lovely hotel cars they use for airport transfers. The transfers come at a high price, as do the car and driver for a day. I use the Limo service from the airport (usually Mercedes) and the hotels car to the airport, typically. If the 7 series BMWs are that important to you, by all means book it, but I think you'll find some more interesting ways to spend your money in Bangkok.

See other postings here about the new Chedi, the new Mandarin Oriental and the Rachamanka, all of which I believe are right in town, which can be a plus or a minus, depending (the Four Seaons is out of town). (You can see photos of Chedi at www.ghmhotels.com. They also have a Phuket hotel. And a South Beach Miami hotel, among others.) Enjoy planning your trip!

I would re-think Phuket in July. You are likely to have rain or lots of cloudy days. Also, even if you don't get rain, the winds associated with the monsoon, even if you don't have rain water clarity will be not as good as other months.

You might consider the Gulf of Thailand side, in particular Koh Samui or the east coast of Malaysia. I would suggest the beautiful Tanjong Jara resort, take a look at http://www.tanjongjararesort.com

I would definitely stay on the River. I MUCH prefer the Oriental to the Penn but as Kathy said they are very different. Trip Advisor reviews give a good indication of the differences. If you want very large rooms and a lot of high tech, stay at the Oriental. If you want history, elegance and enormous warmth, stay at the Oriental. I stayed at the Penn once and will never return. I've stayed at the Oriental many many times and it has always been perfect for me.

I also prefer the river in BKK. It makes getting around so much more pleasant and with the river views, you feel less claustrophobic. BKK is very crowded and congested and is conducive to feeling boxed in. It's great to go back to your hotel and see the river and feel like there is some space around you. I stay at the Peninsula when in BKK. For my money, it can't be beat. It's much cheaper than the Oriental and the rooms and level of service is tops. They also have what I think is the nicest pool. But I don't want to start another Pen vs. Oriental debate, there have been enough of those on this forum!

Also, the BKK Pen has a fleet of Rolls to ferry you around