phuket-regent chaing mai-Angkor
 

We are traveling to Thailand over Thanksgiving. Plan on staying a weeek in Bangkok...then take an r and r either in Phuket or maybe Regent Chaing Mai. We can do a couple of "blow out" days..Is the Regent worth the expense? Anys suggestions in Phuket? We have been to Thailand before (went to Ko Samui...Ban Taling Nam resort...so would like to try something else)
Also, we are considering going to Angkor Wat? Is that excursion worth the cost and time....any suggestions for accomodations. Thanks in advance to all who respond to this e mail.
JoDo

I would R&R in Phuket. That said, since the Regent-Chiang Mai is a way out of the city on beautiful property, you can R&R here, but it's very expensive.

As to Angkor Wat - it's a must if you're already in BKK. Only 1-hr flite and definitely worth a visit. Our 2-day trip at the 5* Sofitel Angkor hotel cost about $500/person, which included air (r/t about $250) transfers (in a/c Mercedes), guide/driver throughout, entrance fees to temples, breakfasts and dinners.

I wouldn't consider Angkor R&R as it is very hot & humid and a hectic schedule and lots of walking, but if you're that close - go for it!

Otherwise, I'd R&R down in Phuket.

We did a 2 wk trip last winter. The Oriental,Regent Chiang Mai, Hotel Grand D'Angkor and Rayavadee. The Regent hands down had the nicest rooms and architecture. Very relaxing just hanging out at the resort but a bit far from town. Highly reccommended!

Angkor if you can afford it. Regent if you really want a blow out, or you could get a suite at one of the best Chiang Mai hotels for less. For Phuket you have an immense range.

Somewhere truly great is the 'Boathouse', great accommodation, excellent food and wine. if you want to budget down you can easily find good a/com 3-star accommodation for $50-60. Or save a lot by going say to a small place like Kamala Beach and enjoy a $40 studio! The choice is wide open. If you want a tropical style place on perhaps a busier beach in Phuket the Duangjitt or Coconut Village offer great 3-star value around the $50-60 price range.

We've heard a lot of good things about the Boathouse. We'll give it a closer look. Thanks for all the input.

Sandi: Who did you book your trip to Angkor Wat through? Sounds like it was a pretty good deal. Was that 2 nights or one night at the Sofitel?

The Raffles hotel in Angkor is very special. Well worth the extra price. Historic, lovely pool, great service, very nice rooms. Sofitel is nice, but not special.

jodo - we booked out entire trip thru a tour operator in New York - name is InnovAsian Travel - check their site:

www.InnovAsian.com

or email: [email protected]

ask for Gregg

They can book at any budget, tough usually moderate to expensive.

Our stay at Angkor was 2-nites/2-days. The Sofitel (practically around the corner from the Hotel Grande d'Angkor, "grande dame of Siem Reap")
is a beautiful new property with lovely large size rooms.

Realize the Angkor price was bundled into our entire trip, so I broke it out based on info I obtained on my own & figured it was about $500/person incl. the air.

We arrived BKK late, and next morning 11am flite to REP; our return from REP to BKK was an 8am flite.

Check with InnovAsian, see what they can offer.

Sandi...
Thanks so much for the information. We're on it. Any other suggestions for our Thailand journey?
JODO

i feel regent is excellent but far out of town so i would go there to stay there the whole time....

angkor is fabulous...go now don't wait it is changing so much daily in town...i would choose the sofitel myself as it is slightly less formal...the pool area at both is beautiful...i have a hard time justifing the price of the grand hotel...go there to eat however...

we stayed at angkor village which was nice but beds were undcomfortable...

as said above angkor is not relaxing, but it is wonderful and interesting and an asian must do...

for an alternative how about hua hin---easier to get to....the hyatt or chiva spa are very nice....

This will reach you too later for your trip last Thanksgiving, however, if you ever decide to go back to Puhket, the Panwaburi Hotel is outstanding, beautiful rooms, exquisite dining pavilion and food and wonderful staff. Angkor Wat is definitely worth the expense. Words cannot describe what you will see. We stayed at the Pansea, a small boutique hotel. Again our room was beautiful as were the grounds.

Angkor is a one in a lifetime experience -- everything that has been said is true -- hot, humid, tiring -- but not to be missed. It is important to have a good guide, so going through a reputable agent is worth the $$$. You might "luck out" on the spot -- but for a once in a lifetime event it's not worth the risk. On the other hand I imagine the Sofitel could get you a good guide, particularly if you contacted them ahead of time.

Angkor is an incredible experience. Do your research first so you know how long you want to stay and what you want to see (you can't see it all!). I recommend Dawn Rooney's book, "Angkor" as both good preparation and as a guidebook.

I did all of my arrangements for Angkor on my own. I booked the Angkor Village Resort, which I loved, though rhkkmk is right, the beds are traditional and therefore, hard!. Angkor Village Resrort has gotten mixed reviews here. I had one of the more expensive rooms, upsatirs, which had lovely soaring ceilings.

I also did NOT want a guide, I wanted to explore the temples on my own and to be able to sit and soak up the atmosphere. So I hired a car and driver, and used Dawn Rooney's book as my guide. Any place you stay can hook you up with a good car and driver. I stayed a week, so got to see not only the "major" temples (3 days is considered the time it takes to see all of these) but also many of the so-called minor temples. We were often the only visitors at the minor temples, and the experience was magical!

If you choose to book yourself, you can buy your air tickets online at www.bangkokair.com (note that this is the only airline that flies non-stop from Bangkok to Siem Reap)

oops! I just noticed that you are long back from your trip! Perhaps my info will be helpful to someone else.