EmJayZee

Hello:

We have rejiggered our plans after snagging overnight spaces at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai at the end of January (absolutely thrilled!), so we will not be going CNX-REP via DMK , and then back to DMK for our Bangkok time as discussed in an earlier post but rather:

CNX - DMK (1 Feb -- or perhaps by overnight train on 31 Jan)
4 nights in Bangkok
DMK-REP (5 Feb)
5 nights Sien Reap
Cambodia Post Bus to PP (or perhaps Giant Ibis)
3 nights in PP
PNH - DMK (13 Feb)
6 nights in Bangkok

This now affords the possibility of leaving much of our kit in Bangkok while we are in Cambodia, and traveling with our smaller daypacks (this avoiding baggage limitations, etc as well as baggage in a bus hold in Cambodia). We assume this means that our accommodation on both sides of the Cambodia sojourn should be at the same hotel.

I am holding free-cancellation reservations for a double room at Feung Nakorn Balcony for ~$62/night. The location is good; it is a combination of hostel and hotel. We would prefer to be nearer the river -- perhaps one night at Feung Nakorn upon return to get our kit and them move to a new hotel?

Suggestions appreciated. Our budget is sub $100 (US), and preferably sub $80, though for a gem we would go with the upper limit.

Also, any comments on Feung Nakorn Balcony, and in general the safety of leaving luggage at a hotel, would be appreciated.

Kind regards,

dgunbug

We stayed at the centerpoint silom serviced apt many years ago. The price was under $100, the location couldn't be better as it was walking distance to both sky train and water taxis. The room was spacious and the food excellent. The room had a kitchen which we didn't use as breakfast was included in our price and it had a washer and dryer which was greatly appreciated. I would not hesitate staying there again. Maid service was provided.

crellston

The safety of leaving bags in a hotel is very much dependent on the hotel. in a five star place or chain hotel I wouldn't worry at all as they are usually locked up in dedicated rooms. At cheaper places, I would always want to have a look at where the bags would be stored and how secure they would be. Too many times I have seen bags lying around unsupervised and unlocked and hotels and guesthouse not even offering a receipt. i would only consider leaving my bags if i were staying at the same place before and after Cambodia other wise it just gets too complicated

I can understand wanting to stay by the river and have done so many times myself, but appreciate that by doing so you are limiting your choice and increasing the price. as long as you are reasonably close to a BTS station and local restaurants, i don’t really think it matter too much as it is pretty easy to get to the river by public transport.

In that sort of price range, I would have a look at http://www.aloftbangkoksukhumvit11.c...TPRP&SWAQ=8CPE

We stayed there a few years ago and loved it. VERY well thought out, really funky rooms, great facilities. maybe a little too modern for some tastes. Should be within your price range. Good location 10 mins from the BTS

Kathie

I encourage you to try to find a place near the river - a very different atmosphere than elsewhere.

I doubt that you can get Centrepoint Silom for your price in January, but it is worth checking. Check on booking.com and also at sawasdee.com (a local Thai booking site - all of the prices will be in Baht). There is also an Ibis on the river, which is well-priced.

Kathie

In addition to the Ibis, check out the Royal River. Both are well within your price range on Booking.com

julies

WE were in Bangkok last February and did't find the city to our liking. However, the one thing that made it a fun visit was our lodging. I can't remember exactly what we paid, but it might be close to the figure you are looking at. We loved the place, but it definitely is not for everyone.

Ibrik Resort on the River

http://www.ibrikresort.com/

EmJayZee

Thank you for the prompt and very helpful suggestions.

CenterPoint Silom was indeed out of budget (or O.O.B. as we say). Ibrikresort looks lovely, but booked for Feb. 14 as well as the weekend. Aloft was also O.O.B. but looked very nice.

We depend on a good WiFi connection so the Royal River did not punch that item on our list.

So... I've booked a room at the Ibis, at a very favorable price. The Ibis is lacking in charm, but seems to be well located (although it is not clear how far it is from a riverboat station) and would be a safe place to leave kit while we are in Cambodia.

The trip is pulling finally pulling together eight days before we depart (yes, this reflects the madness of impulsively securing well priced plane tickets, and only then starting to make a plan!)

Next task: for our last few days in Thailand we want to explore beaches, etc on the Andaman coast -- not partying or "extreme sports" for our middle-aged selves, but interesting active things to do (kayaking, island hopping, boat tours, etc).

More fun research this weekend about tropical beaches as it snows and snows and snows here....

Thanks as always!

julies

Don't feel bad! I am in the exact same situation trying to pull together a very long, very last minute trip. It is a lot of work!

crellston

We stayed in the ibis on our last visit. They have a complementary entary took to transfer to the local BTS Station leaving every hour. Alternatively it's a 15 minute walk to the station. There is also a public ferry to cross the river about 10 minutes away from the hotel - services were not that frequent though. You Alamo have the option of walking over the bridge.The hotel itself was bland but fine, a typical Ibis with good bed spacious but minamalist rooms. The breakfasts were particularly good and served buffet style -
worth paying the extra. Alternatively there are lots of local to start food stalls around the hotel. it's only a short walk to the Peninsula Hotel where I suppose you could blag your way onto their ferry.
The small pool was a welcome addition.

In essence, it is a decent place but expect to spend maybe an extra hour a day travelling to and from sap in taksin

julies

I just glanced at your itinerary and saw that you are planning 10 nights in Bangkok. Maybe you have already visited and are a big Bangkok fan as some here are.

We are not Bangkok fans at all and would die being stuck there for 10 nights. If you haven't already, you might want to read my trip report from last year. I know we are all different, and that is why I am pointing this side out to you too.


http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-returning.cfm

If I were planning (I'm not), I'd add a lot more time to Cambodia and subtract time from Bangkok. You might want to take a look at my unfinished trip report from our trip to Cambodia last year.

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-itinerary.cfm

Kathie

In contrast, I've spent 10 nights in Bangkok a number of times and I keep coming back for more. We are all different.

rhkkmk

I can never have enough days in Bangkok. certainly we have spend way over 100 days there over 20 years

EmJayZee

Yes, Julies, we are in something of a quandry about Bangkok. Rejiggering to accommodate our overnight at Elephant Nature Park meant adding to Bangkok nights, though because of flight timing, not necessarily of "days." Thus ten nights is more like eight days.

We are not shoppers, not pool-side loungers. And we are more inclined to street food than fine dining (and our denim travel attire is a bit too...scruffy....for fine dining.)

That said, I was in Bangkok on a business 30 years ago(my first Asian city) and found it fascinating and have been thinking of it ever since. Of course, my company paid for the Sheraton Royal Orchid, and I was there for four nights. In retirement, many countries and 30 years later it is a different proposition.

And so we are torn: we don't, in general, like, in general (London excepted, of course!) but between Bangkok and day trips, there is a lot to see. But will this trip be enough? will we ever return, except for transit?

We have nearly two weeks based in Chiang Mai for Northern Thailand at the beginning of our trip, prior to Cambodia, which may be more to our relatively quiet and outdoorsy tastes -- or not.

Always wanting a backup plan. we are starting to look at potential escapes from Bangkok for a few nights if we find it not to our tastes. We are thinking of the Andaman coast and may want to have options reserved by booking.com in case we want to bail out of Bangkok before returning there for a couple of nights prior to our onward flights.

Andaman suggestions for active mid-budget 60-somethings would be very welcome ....

And, in the spirit of "some people connect with a given city and some do not:" we love London and Rome. Florence is OK. And we see no reason ever to return to Paris or Barcelona. Go figure

Kathie

"We have nearly two weeks based in Chiang Mai for Northern Thailand at the beginning of our trip, prior to Cambodia, which may be more to our relatively quiet and outdoorsy tastes -- or not." I hope you don't find Chiang Mai too disappointing. It is a big city with lots of sprawl. But if you find it not to your liking, you can easily explore elsewhere in Northern Thailand, perhaps do the Mae Hong Son loop.

EmJayZee

Yes, Kathie -- knowing how much time to allocate in a destination prior to arriving is most challenging!

We fly into CNX on Jan 18 and depart Feb 1. We have booked four places in CM with booking.com in series for 3-4 nights so we can cancel as our plans develop. We would like to do the MHS loop but have no interest in renting a car or motorbike so it may not be feasible. 24 or 48 hours in Chaing Rai might work if we want reprieve from Chaing Mai.

julies

We just spent the evening with friends (retired as we and you are too). They spent 8 weeks in Thailand, Cambodia & Myanmar last year. Thailand was their least favorite. As did we, they spent 10-11 days in Siem Reap last year and enjoyed it. So, that is a suggestion for a different way to allocate your time.

EmJayZee

Julies, that is an interesting thought: extend our time in SR. We have ended up with a spare few days in our itinerary after striking Laos from our plans (a long and dull story). We had thought that 5N/4D would be suffices for SR as we can only tolerate temples for two days but perhaps we should add more days there.

We have our DMK-REP.tickets but not return flights to Bangkok yet so we can rethink this.

This is most definitely a not-well-planned -in-advanced trip.

LancasterLad

<<<We have our DMK-REP.tickets but not return flights to Bangkok yet so we can rethink this.>>>

Instead of spending too long in SR, why not spend 3 days in Battambang? It's only 3 hours by tourist bus from SR. Fabulous countryside for day trips, and the famous Bamboo train.

Then return to Bangkok overland, as follows...

- Taxi to the Border at Poipet. 75 minutes, aim to arrive by about 1000.

- Walk across the Border into Thailand. Formalities are minimal crossing into Thailand.

- Tuk tuk [10 minutes] to Aranyapraphet train station.

- Catch lunchtime train to Bangkok. 3rd Class only, ticket costs 48 baht, takes 5 hours.....great fun, an authentic Thai experience.

julies

We really liked Laos--visited Vientiene, Luang Prabang & Nong Khiaw because that was all we had time for.

In Cambodia we preferred Kampot to Battambang. The best part of Battambang is the trip you can do in the surrounding countryside; the city itself was so-so. You can get a driver or bus to go to Kampot.

We had no idea that we'd be so intrigued by the Siem Reap area and temples. We extended from our initial plan of 6 nights (we arrived here first and needed some time to recuperate from our long journey from the US). While Angkor Wat was gorgeous, it was one of our least favorite experiences because of the absolute hordes of people. Visiting the lesser known temples was fun. We also did an overnight with driver to Preah Vihear and highly recommend it. I have a lovely mid-range hotel recommendation for Siem Reap if you don't have a place selected already.

Another thought would be to fly to Luang Prabang from Phnom Penh. From Luang Pragang take the 2 day boat trip to the Thai border where you have easy access to Chiang Rai. This was very enjoyable.

I don't know what type of person you are and how fully planned out you need to be. We did nearly all of our trip on the fly during high season. The only problem we had at all with lodging, flights, drivers etc. was that lodging was tight over Chinese New Year. But, that is the end of Jan. this year so you won't encounter that problem.

We booked our flights only a couple days ahead. Once we wanted to change a flight, and there was only a $20 change fee. For those of us who are used to the idea that we will be charged a killer fee if we want to change a flight, this was marvelous and allowed us so much flexibility.

LancasterLad

<<<In Cambodia we preferred Kampot to Battambang. The best part of Battambang is the trip you can do in the surrounding countryside; the city itself was so-so. You can get a driver or bus to go to Kampot.>>>

Kampot city itself is also so-so. The beauty of many of these towns is the surrounding countryside.
You can also get to Kampot from PP by train, but it is a long way from SR.