skiski6

Please help help asap as we learned on this board that the Bangkok Air Pass is going up September 1 and we would like to take advantage of the lower fares..

My husband and I love to travel and do so on our own, driving and using the trains in Europe very comfortably. Last year was our first foray into Asia, going to China for 19 days on a tour. We are now planning a 3 week trip to Thailand and Angkor Wat, possibly Luang Prabang beginning mid November 2005. Having read this travel board we hope to do it on our own, using the Bangkok Air Pass and picking up guides and drivers where we need them. However, we really need some help from you well-traveled Fodorites.
Nov 16 depart NY
Nov 17 to19 arrive Bangkok probably stay at Marriott Spa & Resort on the River. Relax, take a boat to see the klongs, Royal Palace and all the sights in this area, and to floating market.
Nov 20- Using Bangkok Air Pass fly to Siem Reap, using guide and driver suggested on this site, see Angkor Wat and surrounding area

Nov 24 Using Bangkok Air Pass fly Siem Reap to Bangkok and then to Chiang Mai
Sightsee if there is time this afternoon, night market
Nov 25 Using guide as suggested on this site for day to go to Lampong to see Elephant Camp, Orchid Farm, etc.
Nov 26 Thai Cooking school

Now, assuming the above sounds good, here’s where we begin to have a problem. We would like to go to go to Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle and Mae Hong Son, and since we want to visit several different hill tribes from which of these areas would it be best to do this, assuming day trips?

We are not sure of the best way to plan this part of the trip and really need help. For example, do we go from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai by air conditioned bus? According to Frommer’s a bus leaves from the station in Chiang Mai which costs about $3.00 per person and takes about 3-1/2 hours? Once in Chiang Rai how long should we stay in Chiang Rai and then how should we get to the Golden Triangle? How long would we need in the Golden Triangle and then how would we get from there to Mae Hong Son? Would we need a guide and driver in each of these places and, if so, can you recommend guides you have liked, giving the cost for the day and what you saw?

Finally we would like to have about 3 days in Bangkok at the end of our trip.

Thanks so much.

rhkkmk

first may i warn you that your day one in bkk should be left with nothing planned as you will be so tired...maybe one thing in the mid-afternoon but that is all...its a killer from usa to bkk....

the start looks just fine to me...

i have been in CR and CM and the golden triangle...i have not been to the other places...

CR is a 3-4 hour drive from CM...the golden triangle is another 1 hour drive...may i suggest that you consider renting a car at the end of your CM stay and drive north on your own...this will allow you total flexibility...if you think that is too risky, then take the bus north and rent a car in CR...i did and loved it...there was no traffic at all...i rented from either avis or budget at the CR airport....the anantara hotel in the GT is fabulous...make it your one splurge... there are several things that could take up 2-3 days in the GT....CR may only require 1 day or less...
i believe all the other places are within driving distance but maybe not day trips...there are not a lot of tourist services up north at all...

i think you may have too many things packed in...i think i would fly to CR from bkk and skip CM this time and add a couple more days to bkk which is fabulous...

you will love the marriott...the same group owns the anantara by the way

rhkkmk

btw...no one has said how much the increase in fares will be so i would not think it to be all that much...call them and ask...

don't rush and make a mistake...but you better get hotels nailed down soon...

you only need 3 legs for the air pass...sometimes the domestic flights are only a couple of dollars more than the pass...bkk air does not fly to CR i do not think so you need to use thai air or one of the other discounters...

i see you need the other leg...do a one way only and fly back from CM

Scotters

Here is a suggested intinerary that you might consider

Day 1-3 Bangkok

Day 4-6 Siem Reap (Fly using Bangkok
Air Pass - 1 segment)

Day 7-10 Luang Prabang (Fly using
Bangkok Air Pass - 2 segments SR/BK/LP)

Day 10-12 Chiang Rai (Fly using
Bangkok Air Pass - 1 segments LP/BK) Fly using Thai or discount carrier Air
Asia

Day 13 Take boat from CR to Thaton (around 4 hours) and either stay overnight or get bus/taxi to Chiang Mai
the same day (around 4 hours)

Day 14-16 Chiang Mai

Day 16-18 Mae Hong Son (Fly Thai CM to MHS)

Day 18-21 Bangkok (fly Thai MHS/CM and then either Thai, Air Asia or Bangkok Air on to Bangkok.

The present fuel surcharge for Bangkok air flights are 210 baht for domestic and 620 for international. There is also a insurance charge of 65 baht. Even if the fuel surcharge doubles it only means an extra $15.

Kathie

Scotters, your itinerary gets them to all the places they have on their list, but it just looks like too much moving around to me. skiski, every time you have to fly somewhere else you lose most of a day.

I recommend three full days in Siem Reap and at least three full days in LP. With the other northern Thai areas you are visiting, I'd suggest skipping CM as it's the least interesting of the areas. That would cut down on your transport times. But if you must do all three northern Thai areas on this trip, you'll just have to live with using up most of 6 days while you are in SE Asia on moving from one area to another.

glorialf

I would skip LP and add the time to northern thailand and bangkok. If hilltribes are an interest of your's you might want to hire a guide to take you to some that are not on every tourist map and serve as an interpreter so you can actually communicate with the people.

skiski6

Thank you all for your help. We duly noted the jet lag issue and will play these first 2 days in Bangkok by ear, doing what we can and resting in between.

We looked at flights and using Scotters' itinerary as a new start found we could get from here to there without backtracking and flights are available.

Kathie, we certainly appreciate your comment about the amount of travel days and together with Glorialf's interesting suggestion of a guide to take us to the hill tribe villages that are not visited constantly, we are wondering if you can recommend a guide?Where would we start from? Also would this be day trips or overnighters?

In reading about Chiang Mai the Thai cooking school where one of the classes takes you to the markets to purchase ingredients and then the afternoon is spent cooking and eating sounds like fun since we've never tried cooking Thai food at home. Also the Elephant Conservation Center near Lampang sounds interesting.

Have any of you been to Mae Hong Son? One possibility would be to skip this area so we would have more time and less travel time.

Finally, assuming we'll be staying at the Marriott Resort and Spa at the beginning of our trip, can you recommend a hotel in Bangkok that is well located near transportation, shopping and restaurants for the end of our trip for about 3 nights in Bangkok that is as expensive?

skiski6

Oops, in the last sentence in which we're looking for a hotel in Bangkok for the end of our trip, we meant to type that we're looking for a LESS expensive one.

Scotters

Siam Square area is a great place to stay if shopping is your main agenda (after seeing the main tourist attractions). You have the famous MBK shopping mall, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and by year end the huge Siam Paragon complex that is scheduled to open in December. A little further east (within walking distance or a skytrain station stop is the Central World Plaza, Central Department store, Gaysorn Plaza, Amarin Plaza and Narayana Phand Pavilion. Both the Novotel Siam (superior room $65-75us) and the Pathumwan Princess ( superior around $85us) are good mid range hotels. These rates are net with breakfast. If you want cheaper in the same general area then look at Asia Hotel- sup room 1600 baht ($40us), Evergreen Place Apt-small bedroom 1700 baht (43us)-no breakfast and Holiday Mansion-deluxe room 1600 baht (40us)

rhkkmk

i personally do not like siam sq area to stay in but i am only a party of 1...

i have a few suggestions: first look at www.huahin.20m.com and drop down -- bangkok city...hotels there are arranged by street or area...this is a help..

for shopping, restaurants i much prefer the silom or sukhumvit areas...

in silom there is the holiday inn silom...can be had on priceline for about $45+ usually....otherwise maybe about $75++...sofitel on silom is another choice....

along sukhumvit there are 3 that come up on priceline: westin, sheraton grande and jw marriott---all 5 * shukumvit area---usually about $75-85.+
also in that area is the new holiday inn plenochit...also guenmai's favorite 2ndary hotel is chateau de bangkok....the davis hotel, the rembrandt hotel, any of the serviced apartments like centre point wireless rd.....or bite the bullet and go to marriott again...you are going to like it, i can almost guarantee...use huahin site for best marriott deals, imo...

Eekthecat

Hi Skiski6

We just came back from the Pathumwan Princess and it was fantastic. Situated on top of the MBK shopping centre it was at a great location and very reasonable price. The pool was good and the buffet average. They're going under renovations at the moment [Lobby]so you should be able to pick up a good price in asiarooms.com or one of the other sites.

Check out Healthlands massage where we got a 2 hour Thai massage in a really nice surrondings for about 450 Bhat!

Try the birds nest in Chinatown if you are feeling adventurous!

Eek

gbjoce1

Stayed at the Novetal in |Siam Square this Feb. Very reasonable price, far cheaper than anywhere else we stayed but it was still a nice hotel offering you everything you need. Right beside MBK, skytrain etc .. We found it to be an ideal place for moving around and comes in to the less expensive catagory.