It's been a while since I last posted, but we finally booked our tickets for our honeymoon in November 2008. We arrive to BKK around midnight on Tues 11/18 and leave before 7am on Fri 11/28, so we essentially have 9 days on the ground.

We are thinking of staying at the Novotel near the airport on the first night and heading to Phuket/Krabi/Phi Phi (still deciding) the next morning, to relax and get over jet lag on the beach for a few days.

We'll likely split our trip in half (4-5 days beaches, 4-5 days Bangkok and surrounding areas). Do you have any recommendations for how we should split the time? If we decide on 5 days at the beach, should we visit two different islands?

We'd like to see as much as possible without feeling like we're constantly on the go, which is why we decided not to go north to Chiang Mai on this trip. I think three different areas might be too much for 9 days. Of course, if you can convince me otherwise, please do!

Thanks!

I think you are wise to choose two ares in 9 days. More than that and you'll spend way too much time in transit.

If it were me (and it isn't) I'd choose one beach area. Part of the reason to go to the beach is to relax! Switching locations will take much of a day (or even all of the day, depending on the beaches).

There is lots to do and see in Bangkok. If you like to be on the go, you may want to make the split 4 days at the beach and 5 in Bangkok. If you think you'll need more rest, 5 days beach and 4 days Bangkok.

I would say that Kathie has it absolutely right. 4 and 5 or 5 and 4 days is a good mix. For your beach time, and as it's your honeymoon I would consider the following two options.

http://tiny.cc/389Gk

http://tiny.cc/bXMKt

The first option will give you more things to do with your time.
The second is all about location, real chill out time, but for some, it may be too quiet.

good plan....i would stay at only one beach location and do day trips to other locales....

choose your hotel carefully in bkk itself....stay by the river....peninsula if you can swing it or marriott or others if you need something less expensive...

if you think you want tong or one of the other guides, book now!!

Ditto on Zeavola. That would've been my suggestion as well.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we're going to go with 5 nights at the beach and 4 in Bangkok. Now we're trying to narrow down which beach location. The places suggested look gorgeous, however, they are a bit out of our budget. We're looking to stay around $200-300 usd/night.

As far as atmosphere, we're looking to be somewhere relatively quiet and not right in the middle of tourist town. Nightlife isn't too much of a concern, as we'll be spending time in Bangkok once we're well rested. With 5 days in one place, we would like to be relatively accessible to activities like snorkeling and day trips. After two days on the beach and at the pool we'll probably be ready to do some exploring. Finally, we've both experienced some pretty nice beaches around the world so we are looking for a nice beach that is unique to the area (the limestone formations sound beautiful).

Also, we don't generally enjoy eating at the same resort restaurants every day. Both because of price and variety, we would like to be somewhere that there are other dining options away from the hotel. Unless, of course, the hotel has food that is delicious, varied, and affordable!

Finally, my fiance has had some bad experiences with seasickness (while deep sea fishing), so I'm not sure if that will rule out some of the options that require a boat ride to get there. I'm hoping the water is calm and it won't be a problem!

Taking all of that into account, I'd love to hear your recommendations on the following places to stay, and any additional suggestions that come to mind:

Phi Phi Island Village
Holiday Inn Phi Phi
Le Meridien Khao Lak
Amari Vogue Krabi
Tubkaak Krabi

Thanks!