Itinerary suggestions for 1st visit to Thailand - February
Dec 9th, 2007, 03:46 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Itinerary suggestions for 1st visit to Thailand - February
Considering changing our current plans, to loll about on a Caribbean beach this February, for the more adventurous destination of Thailand.
We have two weeks, including flights and recuperation back in the New York area - - - about 12 or 13 nights in total in Thailand. This will be our first visit to this country, and we would like to see Bangkok (& environs?) and the Chiang Mai area. No Phuket - those images of the tsunami still have me freaked out!
We would like to stay at the Oriental or Peninsula in Bangkok. What do you recommend for hotels in Chiang Mai? We do not require the same level of luxury there.
Recommendations for sights to see, things to do, restaurants? Best way to divide time? Anything would be appreciated, as I would like to book it all by the end of the week. Thanks.
We have two weeks, including flights and recuperation back in the New York area - - - about 12 or 13 nights in total in Thailand. This will be our first visit to this country, and we would like to see Bangkok (& environs?) and the Chiang Mai area. No Phuket - those images of the tsunami still have me freaked out!
We would like to stay at the Oriental or Peninsula in Bangkok. What do you recommend for hotels in Chiang Mai? We do not require the same level of luxury there.
Recommendations for sights to see, things to do, restaurants? Best way to divide time? Anything would be appreciated, as I would like to book it all by the end of the week. Thanks.
Dec 9th, 2007, 04:34 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You'll want time in Bangkok and in the north it sounds like. In the north, I'd recommend the Golden Triangle area (The Anantara) or one of the smaller towns such as Pai or Mae Hong Son or Chiang Dao. Chiang Mai is a huge, sprawling city and it doesn't give you a sense of the north. I'm (obviously) not fond of CHiang Mai, though some others here are.
People on this board are evenly divided between the Oriental and the Pen. Read some of the many dozens of posts about it to see what you might prefer.
Let me suggest you read some of the other posts on the buard - both trip reports and people asking the same questions you are.
I'd divide my time between Bangkok and Northern Thailand. Must-do for a first-timer in Bangkok: Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha, Wat Po (reclining Buddha), a klong tour, the Jim Thompson House, Erawan Shrine, the Teak Palace, riding in the water taxis and on the Skytrain, massage/spa and shopping. Depending on your interests, I'd add in making merit (or at least watching) at Wat Ben or another wat, visiting wats that are more off the tourist track, other house museums like Suan Pakkad Palace, a visit to Ayutthya. Some people like the floating market (you either love it or hate it). If you are interested in the arts of SE Asia, I highly recommend the Prasart Museum. It's private and you have to call for an appointment, but it's well worth several hours of your time.
I have only scratched the surface of things to do/see in Bangkok. There is lots more.
Also, I'd recommend buying a good guidebook.
People on this board are evenly divided between the Oriental and the Pen. Read some of the many dozens of posts about it to see what you might prefer.
Let me suggest you read some of the other posts on the buard - both trip reports and people asking the same questions you are.
I'd divide my time between Bangkok and Northern Thailand. Must-do for a first-timer in Bangkok: Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha, Wat Po (reclining Buddha), a klong tour, the Jim Thompson House, Erawan Shrine, the Teak Palace, riding in the water taxis and on the Skytrain, massage/spa and shopping. Depending on your interests, I'd add in making merit (or at least watching) at Wat Ben or another wat, visiting wats that are more off the tourist track, other house museums like Suan Pakkad Palace, a visit to Ayutthya. Some people like the floating market (you either love it or hate it). If you are interested in the arts of SE Asia, I highly recommend the Prasart Museum. It's private and you have to call for an appointment, but it's well worth several hours of your time.
I have only scratched the surface of things to do/see in Bangkok. There is lots more.
Also, I'd recommend buying a good guidebook.
Dec 9th, 2007, 05:30 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Two weeks in Bangkok is kind of long and you'll regret not seeing the other part of Thailand. Strongly recommend you checking your exact dates as the Chinese New Year is in February and a lot of shops, especially in China town, will be close.
Kathie has made a great suggestion about doing the Chiang Mai, Pai, Mae Hong Son trip but you can always add Hua Hin or other non Tsunami beach area as well. Give us your dates and I'll give you some more suggestion.
Kathie has made a great suggestion about doing the Chiang Mai, Pai, Mae Hong Son trip but you can always add Hua Hin or other non Tsunami beach area as well. Give us your dates and I'll give you some more suggestion.
Dec 9th, 2007, 05:50 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i think kathie's plan is a good one...i also do not like CM....i have been 3 times and fail to see its attraction....
the anantara is quite nice in the golden triangle...
my 2nd trip to thailand we spent the whole time in bkk....2 weeks....we loved it...
the key is a place with a really good pool area.....the best is the marriott resort and spa....2nd is the royal orchid sheraton (but i dislike the hotel) and third is the peninsula which is a fantastic place....way better than the oriental imo, but i have not actually stayed in the hotel only eaten and visited there many times...
you might even want to try two different hotels in bkk....??? you would not go wrong in any way with the penn....they might even give you a special rate for a two week stay...?? send an e mail and ask them...marriott does for a 14 nite stay....and they might include perks also...
marriott would be the most like the carribbean for you.. and its cheaper...sort of an oasis in bkk---and you need it...
i have a restaurant listing if you want it....just ask at [email protected]
fabulous international food in bkk...
you will not regret your visit one bit....!!!
and it will cost you way less than the carribbean...
look at thai air's direct flight from jfk....17 hours 10 minutes....best and fastest way to get there...
when you get things together a bit we will be glad to help you more....
you might also like to try one of the guides we all use while there...they enhance the experience and they are very reasonable...
the anantara is quite nice in the golden triangle...
my 2nd trip to thailand we spent the whole time in bkk....2 weeks....we loved it...
the key is a place with a really good pool area.....the best is the marriott resort and spa....2nd is the royal orchid sheraton (but i dislike the hotel) and third is the peninsula which is a fantastic place....way better than the oriental imo, but i have not actually stayed in the hotel only eaten and visited there many times...
you might even want to try two different hotels in bkk....??? you would not go wrong in any way with the penn....they might even give you a special rate for a two week stay...?? send an e mail and ask them...marriott does for a 14 nite stay....and they might include perks also...
marriott would be the most like the carribbean for you.. and its cheaper...sort of an oasis in bkk---and you need it...
i have a restaurant listing if you want it....just ask at [email protected]
fabulous international food in bkk...
you will not regret your visit one bit....!!!
and it will cost you way less than the carribbean...
look at thai air's direct flight from jfk....17 hours 10 minutes....best and fastest way to get there...
when you get things together a bit we will be glad to help you more....
you might also like to try one of the guides we all use while there...they enhance the experience and they are very reasonable...
Dec 9th, 2007, 06:23 PM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You might well want to spend most of your time in Bangkok, but I would add a few days in the north - the Anantara at the Golden Triangle is my first recommendation. You might spend several days at the beginning and several days at the end in Bangkok with say, a four or five day stay in the north. Fights within Thailand are easy to arrange.
While Bob loves the Marriott, since you are willing to spring for the Pen or the Oriental, I'd recommend one of those (or perhaps the Shangri-La) as they are more convinient in terms of location as well as more luxurious.
Ayutthya is an out-of town day trip. I recommend you go one way via boat as it's a lovely trip.
Given what you've said, I'd recommend you stick to two locations which will give you a leisurely trip with lots of time to explore.
While Bob loves the Marriott, since you are willing to spring for the Pen or the Oriental, I'd recommend one of those (or perhaps the Shangri-La) as they are more convinient in terms of location as well as more luxurious.
Ayutthya is an out-of town day trip. I recommend you go one way via boat as it's a lovely trip.
Given what you've said, I'd recommend you stick to two locations which will give you a leisurely trip with lots of time to explore.
Dec 9th, 2007, 07:23 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There is no reason that you have to go to Phuket or any beach, that is up to you. If you want a beach, the island of Koh Samui would be quite nice in Feb, or the beaches of the Hua Hin area would be nice as well, there are also more remote beach areas along the eastern Gulf of Thailand that could be interesting and islands like Koh Chang or Koh Samet. The Redang area in Malaysia also in the Gulf of Thailand is very lovely and is another idea and just coming into the good weather in February, you may have to take a flight to Kuala Lumpur to connect over there if you can't fly into Kuala Terengganu itself from Bangkok. I think you have lots of options.
A trip to Luang Prabang or Ankor Wat is certainly doable in that time frame as well.
I was going to mention Chinese New Year as it will also affect hotel rates and more importantly flights. Thailand does not celebrate to the same extent as other Asian countries like the PRC, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan (the holiday is not a public holiday for example, i.e. schools, banks and government offices are not closed), but you may find shops in Chinatown closed. The celebration days are Feb 7-9 with possibly some late afternoon closures starting on the 6th, the main shop closure days will be those dates, some smaller shops may stay closed for longer. In my experience in spending 3 Chinese New Year holidays in Bangkok is that Chinese New Year closures do not affect much in terms of what you want to do as a tourist (no major tourist sights are closed). The big thing you may find however, is that it may be harder to get flights to parts of Thailand (i.e. Chiang Mai) and sometimes getting hotel rooms is harder and prices may be higher, as tends of thousands for expats, who don't celebrate the holiday, look to get out of the PRC, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. (Even more so as the holiday extends over a weekend in 2008.) You may find flights to Chiang Mai are already booked up for early Feb dates. If you can schedule your trip for the latter half of Feb this may be all around better to avoid the higher prices and more crowds you may find.
A trip to Luang Prabang or Ankor Wat is certainly doable in that time frame as well.
I was going to mention Chinese New Year as it will also affect hotel rates and more importantly flights. Thailand does not celebrate to the same extent as other Asian countries like the PRC, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan (the holiday is not a public holiday for example, i.e. schools, banks and government offices are not closed), but you may find shops in Chinatown closed. The celebration days are Feb 7-9 with possibly some late afternoon closures starting on the 6th, the main shop closure days will be those dates, some smaller shops may stay closed for longer. In my experience in spending 3 Chinese New Year holidays in Bangkok is that Chinese New Year closures do not affect much in terms of what you want to do as a tourist (no major tourist sights are closed). The big thing you may find however, is that it may be harder to get flights to parts of Thailand (i.e. Chiang Mai) and sometimes getting hotel rooms is harder and prices may be higher, as tends of thousands for expats, who don't celebrate the holiday, look to get out of the PRC, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. (Even more so as the holiday extends over a weekend in 2008.) You may find flights to Chiang Mai are already booked up for early Feb dates. If you can schedule your trip for the latter half of Feb this may be all around better to avoid the higher prices and more crowds you may find.
Dec 10th, 2007, 03:07 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Airport for Anantara is Chiang Rai. With those dates, if you want to travel outside Bangkok by air, I would make a booking ASAP.
Note that for flying to Chaing Rai, you MAY go out of the old airport (Now used for some domestic flights), so if you are planning to go on to an int'l flight (i.e. your flight back to the US) from the Chiang Rai area you may have to switch airports in Bangkok, allow plenty of time for this, they are probably 45 minutes apart with no traffic and you will have to reclaim bags and re-check in for the next flight go through immigration and security, etc. I would plan on a minimum of 3 hours for a transfer between airports.
Note that for flying to Chaing Rai, you MAY go out of the old airport (Now used for some domestic flights), so if you are planning to go on to an int'l flight (i.e. your flight back to the US) from the Chiang Rai area you may have to switch airports in Bangkok, allow plenty of time for this, they are probably 45 minutes apart with no traffic and you will have to reclaim bags and re-check in for the next flight go through immigration and security, etc. I would plan on a minimum of 3 hours for a transfer between airports.
Dec 10th, 2007, 05:59 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd suggest you visit teh Golden Triangle in the middle of your trip, that way you don't have to worry about connections. Thai Air flies non-stop from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. If you want some luxury and increased baggage allowance, fly Biz on the domestic flights - about US$20 more than coach.
The Anantara can arrange airport pick-up for you. It's about an hour to the hotel.
If you would prefer not to take a taxi when you arrive in Bangkok, I'd recommend one of the "limo" services (this means a sedan (typically Mercedes) rather than the litle Toyotas the taxis use. I use www.aaclimousine.com I email them [email protected] in advance and set up both my pick up at the airport and my return from the hotel to the airport. They will be at the airport waiting for you with a sign when you exit customs. You get a 10% discount when you book a roundtrip. You pay the limo driver in baht (get some at the ATM or the echange counter inside baggage claim) and pay the extra charge for the expressway tolls.
You can have the hotel arrange an airport pick up for you, but it will cost you about 4-6x as much.
The Anantara can arrange airport pick-up for you. It's about an hour to the hotel.
If you would prefer not to take a taxi when you arrive in Bangkok, I'd recommend one of the "limo" services (this means a sedan (typically Mercedes) rather than the litle Toyotas the taxis use. I use www.aaclimousine.com I email them [email protected] in advance and set up both my pick up at the airport and my return from the hotel to the airport. They will be at the airport waiting for you with a sign when you exit customs. You get a 10% discount when you book a roundtrip. You pay the limo driver in baht (get some at the ATM or the echange counter inside baggage claim) and pay the extra charge for the expressway tolls.
You can have the hotel arrange an airport pick up for you, but it will cost you about 4-6x as much.
Dec 10th, 2007, 10:07 AM
#12
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,282
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would not spend the full time in Bangkok at all. I love Chiang Mai and consider it a highlight. I would do the following:
Bangkok - 6 or 7 days days divided between beginning and end of trip
Chiang Mai - 3 days
Golden triangle area - 3 days including day you drive there
Bangkok - 6 or 7 days days divided between beginning and end of trip
Chiang Mai - 3 days
Golden triangle area - 3 days including day you drive there
Dec 10th, 2007, 03:16 PM
#17
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I suggest you take a look at Luang Prabang in Laos as a second or third destination. We just did two weeks, BKK-1 day, phuket-4 days, LP-4 days and BKK-3 days. IT was smooth transition and LP is great. I think it's much more interesting than Northern Thailand. The food is great and it's very relaxing as well.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
iawlgb
Asia
14
Sep 8th, 2008 12:02 PM
