Hello all,

I am trying to plan my honeymoon to Thailand for 2010. We have about 10-12 days. I want to island hop in Thailand. What islands should i make sure to go to/stay on? ANY advice would be helpful!!!!!

first of all the month you are planning to go is very important for which islands???

most of us see moving from one to another a total waste of time...esp. where your time is so limited...

you need to tell us more about what you want to do and budget??

with 10-12 days IN THAILAND, i personally would visit bkk and one other place, or bkk and phuket and phi phi if that interests you....

i would also start and finish my trip with a few days in bkk

What do you want from your beach time? Quiet, relaxing, isolated setting? Lively bars and restaurants? Snorkeling or diving?

The various islands in Thailand are different from each other, and even the well-developed islands have quieter, more isolated areas. Time of year will be very important in figuring out which islands (or beach areas - not all are on islands) as Thailand is impacted by two different monsoon systems.

Do you have 10-12 days on the ground in Thailand or does the 10-12 days include travel time?

Are you planning only on beaches or do you want some time experienceing more of the Thai culture?

And last, where will you be flying from when you arrive in Thailand?

Thanks so much for trying to help me out.

First, I havent booked the trip yet, so i obviously would want to go during the best time for the beaches.

I have to say, we want culture, relaxation, exploration, snorkeling,& wildlife.

We have 10-12 days IN thialand, 14 days all together.

I had a friend that went to Thailand last yr and she said she wished she went to more beaches, and didnt go up north, because traveling in only two weeks she thought was to much to go up north and then down to the beaches. My main goal is to see the beaches,but i would love to go to an area where i can see thai culture as well. Maybe what we would do is spend a night/ a day in bk too.

as for budget, i think its safe to say we can spend 7-9,ooo dollars for everything. think that is enough?

At the end of your last post, you said that you might spend a night or day in bkk....did you mean that out of the 12 days that you are going to be in Thailand, 11 of them would be on the beach and 1 in bangkok?

Most people here would say that's way too much beach time, but then again we are not you The plan that I see most often offered here would look like this for your 12 days:

Arrive bkk, stay 4 or 5 days, head to the beach for 3 or 4 days, finish up with a few more days in bangkok before you fly home.

Most of the beach areas are Thailand "light" and you will not to expereince the culture you would in Bangkok.

As for your budget, if you are coming from the US, look at $1,200 each for coach tickets, $2,400 total. You can find nice hotels for $100 to $150 a night, so that takes your total up to close to $4,000. The flight to the islands should be around $100 R/T.

Hope that helps

Your proposed budget will allow a very nice trip to Thailand.

From the US, a two week trip is 12 days on the ground. A very nice itinerary is:

BKK-2 days
Northern Thailand-3 days
Beach-5 days
BKK-2 days

If you're going from November to February, the west coast of Thailand is the best weather. If June-September, the east coast.

any ideas on which islands are best to stay at, and see?

There is no "best." What's best for you isn't best for someone else. What's best in July isn't what's best in January.

Start with a good guidebook. Lonely Planet has a good one, for instance. Read about the various places in Thailand and the various islands and see what catches your fancy.

As you've said you don't want to travel to the north like your friend did, I'd suggest you consider splitting your time between Bangkok and a beach location.

If you are really only interested in beaches, I'd suggest you not fly all the way to Thailand. There are many places closer to home with beaches as nice as Thai beaches.

Unlike some of my more learned collegues on this forum, I believe that it is worthwhile going "all the way" to Thailand to go to the beach. Many of my trips to Thailand have predominantly been spent at a sea-side or Island location.

Does that mean that I spend all of my time on a beach towel or in the water? No. I just like the "feel" of a beachside location better than a city and what others seem to forget is that there are many people out there like that.

There is a certain uniqueness to a Thai beach that makes it very worthwhile.

As to which location, it really depends on what your priorities are. Many of the major destinations are very similar but they are at different stages of development. The Krabi region may suit what you want. The main beach area of AoNang is not the most spectacular but there are some amazing Islands and beaches a short boat trip away. The inland area is also really spectacular and there are plenty of small towns around where you will find authentic Thai culture. There are some really good snorkelling spots which are easily accessible and if you want to be active there is some world class rock climbing and diving spots in the region. This will also give you access to Phang Na Bay which should be classified as a natural wonder.

What this area lacks is the big party scene of some of the other areas. That is probably why I prefer it these days but 10 years ago if I was asked the same question it would have been Koh Samui and full moon parties all the way.

You dont sound like a city person, am I right? I love Bangkok but it can be an acquired taste and I know lots of people that would rather by-pass it and go straight to the Islands. If this is what you want to do, dont let anyone here tell you different.

I'm one who does go to Thailand and SE Asia for the beaches but I fly from the UK and am not keen on many of the Caribbean resorts, esp the all inclusive thing. (loved belize and costa rica though if that is cheaper/nearer to you).

Thailand works well for us and I agree with Shane, the beaches do have a diffent atmosphere to beaches we visit elsewhere plus you get to eat thai food. I also like island hopping but you do need at least 3 nights in each place, that is only 2 days. But that is me - I get restless and have lots of energy, pack light and like the journeys. We are having to slow down now we have children though!

I think if you can go late Jan to late March that would work well - you have missed the peak season rates of Dec/early Jan and would pretty much have your pick of east or west coast as you prefer. Rates are still high season though.

I think there is more to see/do off the Andaman (west) coast - you should investigate krabi, phi phi, lanta, lipe, phuket and khao lak for a start and get a feel for what you might like.

I would fly straight down to the beach and spend time in Bangkok at the end. perhaps 8/9 days on the beach and 3/4 in bangkok. Split the time on the beach between 2 locations. Perhaps one on the mainland (khao lak, phuket or krabi) and one on an island - phi phi, ko lanta, ko lipe, ko jum, ko yao. Lots to pick from.

BB

Thank you all so much for your help.

I am a city person, the reason for questioning going up north is I have a 25 hr flight to thailand, and then to go all the way up north and then south to the beaches, may be too much traveling in just 12 days.

After researching in the past few days, it sounds like I should go to the west islands as well, but I would sure love to spend 2 nights at the beach parties.

The main thing I want out of the trip is to see culture, the beaches, find adventure and relax. I def would like suggestions on really fun outdoor exploration or activities to do on some of the west coast islands.

Also I would really like to spend a few nights on a remote island, with amazing sunsets, and great beaches. Any suggestions there?

Based on you latest post and on your available time frame this is what I would do.

I would definately spend a few days in and around AO Nang, exploring both the coastal and inland area's. You could go to the Hot springs/stream and Emerald lake on one day (easy to hire a car and do on your own or there are plenty of trips or you could even hire your own driver/tour guide for the day). You could spend time on Railay exploring/enjoying the simply magnificant Phra Nang beach and try some rock climbing. A full day can be spent hiring a longtail boat and exploring all the smaller Islands or you can join in on a speedboat trip and do it in a group.
Aonang has plenty of great restaraunts and market areas and the surrounding beaches are nice and quiet. You can organise elephant treks, take in a night at the local kick boxing (more locals than tourists), go to snake farms, feed monkeys, hire canoes etc etc.

For the next part of your trip, if you want to take in the beach party scene as well as spend a few days on a beautiful semi-secluded beach, you can do both at PHI-PHI.
The Island gets a bad rap as being overrun with tourists but there is only one beach area that is like that and most of the people that critisize it would have only been there on a day trip when it can get very busy.
If you spent 4-5 days there you could spend 2 nights on Tonsai,partying till you drop on the beach with lots of reggae music and fire twirling shows and then spend 3 nights on one of the other less populated beaches that very few visitors to the Island ever go to. One beach we went to (RUNTEE BAY)would be perfect if you are happy enough with rustic tree house style accomodation or if you want to stay at a more up market resort you could stay at the Holiday Inn. It is like 3 or 4 Islands in one at Phi-Phi if you take the time to explore it and you wont have to travel far. There are plenty of other options of idyllic secluded Islands but the problem generally is that they can be hard to get to and get off and if you do go to one and you dont like it or get bored or the weather turns nasty there is no-where else to go. If that happens to you in Phi-Phi you can just hire a long tail boat and 15 minutes later you will be on a different beach with a different vibe.

After this, if you want to take in the big smoke, spend you last few days in Bangkok. Try and make sure that you are there on the weekend to take in the weekend market, buy a skytrain pass and explore/shop/eat till you drop and take in the local landmarks and temples.

For a first trip to Thailand, particularly a honeymoon, less is best, try and keep it to 3 main locations to limit travelling days and explore the different things that these areas have to offer rather than just scratching the surface of several locations...just my 2 bob,take it for what it is, just my opinion.

I can't see if you had decided time of year or not.

November to March/April if you head to krabi or Phuket area you have busy beach areas and the scenery around krabi, you can go down to places like Koh Ngai Koh Mook where you can relax in a hammock on the beach and do nothing except wander the beach and relax.
There really are so many places.http://www.beachsiam.com/where_to_go.html gives you a 2 minute summary.

May to September you could mix a nice beach resort on Koh Samui with diving ( if interested ) on Koh Tao.
There are also remote mainland beaches nearby with place where you can go elephant watching and visit national parks, depends so much how you want to spend your time.

Hello!

First of all, let me say that Thailand was great. My friends and I spent 3 days in Bangkok then took the Air Asia flight from BKK to Phuket and stayed at the Hilton Arcadia resort for $100/night including taxes. The hotel was okay, although I think there are much nicer resorts around for a bit more per night (I think the Meridien was around $175/night).

You MUST MUST MUST take the boat tours. Its the best way to get an overview of the various islands. On the first day, we did the Island Hopper tour which brought us to Phi Phi Island, Bamboo Island, and 3 other islands. It was fantastic - clean boat, great Thai buffet for lunch, and helpful staff (and reasonable cost...it was approximately $90/person and pickup was from the hotel). The snorkeling was amazing...we went to 3 different sites for snorkeling/kayaking...at Bamboo Island, our first stop, you could stand 2 feet in the water and there were tons of fish swimming all around you...the waters were super clear and the weather was fantastic.

The next day, we did the Phang Nga Bay tour which brought us to James Bond Island (Tabu), the Gypsy Sea Village, and several other spots. We didn't do much snorkeling, but more sight seeing on this tour - Phang Nga Bay was by far the most breathtaking natural thing I've ever seen!!! This was the highlight of my trip. If I spent more time in the Phuket area, I would have gone to Krabi and spent a nite or two there.

I've traveled all over the world and have been to beaches in Brazil, Florida, California, Hawaii, NY's Hamptons, France, Spain, and am currently in Bali. I can honestly say that the Andaman coast/Phuket area was by far the most unique and inspiring (followed closely by Hawaii). Definitely a MUST SEE!!!

Last April we spent several days in Phuket and took a few day trips, the best one we did was a sea kayaking tour into the caves of the islands.

You go at low tide and paddle through these caves and come out in the center of the islands, so you're in these lagoons surrounded by cliffs. It was a really neat experience and I would recommend it if you're looking for some adventure in Phuket.

Check out this site http://www.andaman-island-hopping.co...nds/libong.htm

We stayed on Koh Libong for a few days last April and loved it. VERY quiet, nice beaches and great bungalows virtually on the beach. The downside is that it can take a while to get their from BKK.

As a confirmed Phi Phi addict I say look no further than this beautiful little group of islands.
Whatever you do...do NOT take the organised boat trips. You WILL be disappointed. The north east coast of the main island, Phi Phi Don, is our favourite area. We generally stay at Holiday Inn which is in our view....the best beach resort....maybe in the world.
Since falling for this place many years ago, we have searched world-wide to find somewhere that compares.....We are still looking.

Like Shane, I have to say that we regularly travel to Phi Phi, a trip from London, that takes sixteen or seventeen hours, just to visit the unique beach experience that we find here. We have often spent ten or twelve days at Phi Phi and still........I can't wait for the next time.
Truly, a little piece of paradise !!

We are visiting Cuba next month, but really, I wish we were heading for..........................

Leigh, great minds think alike.

Looks like we're going to Belize or Costa Rica in November...and I keep asking where the beaches that look like Laem Tong are. Oh well, one can dream.

I would travel the distance without hesitation (18 hours from LA to Bangkok for us) to spend even 3 days on that island again.

THE most beautiful island I have ever seen, bar none.

Yo, If your flying into Bangkok get a cheap flight to Krabi. Then I would go to east and west Ralie beach. Awesome is all I can say. No cars or mopeds. Cool resaurants and really nice beaches. Then jump on board the cheap boat over to Ko Pi Pi. For at least 2 nights of more fun. We had a hotel in Ko Pi Pi for about $1600 bat/ for 2 a night with breakfast. Usually we dont spoil our selves that much but its so cheap we could not say no. No question you will love both.