Hello all-

Wondering if we could get your thoughts on our trip to SE Asia. My husband and I will be visiting this August (I know, not ideal, but all we can do) for the first time. We've decided on Bangkok as our main "hub". We'll have 16 days on the ground, and are thinking of spending 6 in Bangkok (probably split in two 3 day segments). We'd like to be at the coast for a short stay, but don't want to eat up a lot of time in transport, so we're thinking 4 nights in Hua Hin. Other than that, we've considered Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai or Hanoi for the remaining days. Any thoughts? We are not interested in trekking this trip, nor is shopping a priority. Prefer walkable cities, cultural events, visiting temples, museums, seeing artist at work, great food. Would appreciate any thoughts.

Also, we will be flying out of Boston. Any ideas for the least painful way to get to BKK, this being our first Asia flight?

Thanks.

From what you say your interests are, I would say Luang Prabang is a good choice, though for me, six nights may be too much there. You may want to consider 3 in LP and 3 in Siem Reap--the temples at Agkor are spectacular. Or, if you don't want to spend time traveling, 4 in LP and add the extra 2 days onto Bangkok. Bangkok has so much to offer and 6 days there would give you a nice opportunity to see much and maybe take a day trip or two.

That's Angkor!

I'd suggest either Luang Prabang or Siem Reap. You can spend the whole six days either place, or can spend say, 4 or 5 days and add the additional days to your Bangkok time. I spent a full six days in Siem Reap, and spent a week in LP, loved them both. But most peple don't spend as long. I would not spend less than three full days (meaning 4 nights) in either place.

Phots can sometimes help you make a decision. Take a look at www.marlandc.com

LA Chica-welcome to a fellow Bostonian. I live in Cambridge, our fair city.

For your itinerary, I suggest that you go to Angkor Wat for 3 days, Chiang mai for 3 days and 4 days in Ko Samui. The flights from BKK are about an hour to each. You can get a Discover pass from Bangkok Air, the only carrier that goes from BKK-AW and BKK-Ko Samui. This will save money. I would stay in BKK 3 days at the beginning and 3 days at the end. This means two connections in BKK in the middle in transit from AW-CM amd KS. This will eat up 1/2-3/4 of a day each time. You may want to skip one of these if relaxing is a priority.

To get to BKK from Boston, you can go west through Tokyo, Hong Kong or Seoul. This is slightly cheaper, but it takes 28-30 hours. The other way is Bos-JFK, JFK-BKK non-stop on Thai Air. This will take 21 or 22 hours, but it costs a little more. Check the various sites for fares. We got a bos-JFK-BKK for $1200 in November. If you check the Thai Air site, you can get a feel for the JFK-BKK fare. Note that the non-stop does not fly every day.

If I were planning the trip, I'd opt for no more than three stops. Don't cut Bangkok short, as it is an amazing city with so much to offer. I would do Bangkok 3 nights, Chiang Mai 3 nights, Phuket or Samui 3 nights, and then go back to Bangkok to finish. If you are like most everyone else on this forum, this will be the first of many trips to S E Asia. I'd just concentrate on Thailand for this first trip.

Have fun planning!! Oh, and you can make choices once you get to Bangkok!! We usually pick our times for Chiang Mai and/or Phuket or Samui the day before, and then go buy tickets. It allows us a lot of flexibility and a "go with the flow" kind of vacation. You might not want to travel quite that relaxed though, this being your first time...

Carol

i also live in boston and for my last 9 trips to bkk i have flown northwest....bos-detroit-tokyo-bkk....30 hours from home to hotel in bkk...a killer

next fall i am trying something different we will fly on air france through paris---long paris layover but i think it is worthwhile...we leave bos at nite and also leave paris at nite, making the rest much easier on the flights...we shall see...

it will be hot and some rain in bkk and asia, so plan on that....also plan on one to two down days immediatly after arriving in bkk....you will be dead quite honestly...some deny this but trust me....if you are normal you will be dead...

choose your hotel carefully....i prefer the marriott resort and spa on the river because of it pool area....good for that rest and relaxation....for this reason i would plan to have more days in bkk...

So helpful! I've been checking this board regularly for a few months now- glad I finally posted. I think our plan for now in BKK, Luang Prabang and a short beach stay in Hua Hin. We're definitely staying at the Marriot - we have points to use. Thanks for the East Coast travel tips, we will look into the options. And thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures. They are most convincing!
Cheers,
Kerri