Hi,

Everyone gave me so much helpful info in the planning stage for our '04 trip to SE Asia and our '05 trip to Japan. All the ideas and suggestion made for two great trips. The last two years we have returned to Northern and Eastern Europe and ventured to Peru and Machu Picchu for our vacations. In Jan, we will head to Argentina and an ice breaker cruise to Antarctica. This up coming trip has taught me a lesson - if you really want a time and place book it early!!

Ok, so looking ahead to Jan 2009!! We will be officially retired! My husband is a “typeA” and we love to travel so we will leave for an extended trip to places we haven’t been and ones we want to return to. I have an outline and have been reading the boards about various places of interest on my outline.

That brings me to my questions. We want to go back to Thailand, of course! I was thinking we would also go to Chiang Rai and stay at Anantara for a few days. The location sounds different and interesting plus the idea of cooking classes appeals to my husband. We are not into trekking, but the boat trip, a visit across the border, seeing the elephants and shopping all sound good. However several recent posts have touched on areas of concern for us.

One, the smoke from burning the fields, we plan to be in Thailand around the end of March. I have asthma and that could be a problem for me. Is it really bad at that time.

The other, is the fact that the dinning/common areas have no A/C. Isn’t it too warm and humid to really enjoy food etc? What about evening and mosquito bits? Is this set up the same in all the northern resorts?

Can anyone give me a better feel on the amount of smoke to expect and the actual weather?
Thanks

Smoke can be a problem at that time of the year because of field burning. How much you would get would depend on the winds. Thus past year, by all acounts, was a particularly bad year.

Many/most resorts have common areas that are breeze-cooled rather than a/c. Often restaurants are open-air. You are shaded by a roof, which makes it cooler. Some times of the year it might feel too hot, but when I was there, I barely noticed that teh common areas were not a/c. They had zapers and coils set up for the mosquitos. I don't remembr getting bitten at dinner, though we did get bitten (despite the deet) while out on our balcony in the evening.

I was there in November, and while the weather was hot during the day, it cooled considerably at night due to the altitude. I actually enjoyed the heat during the day there.

the italian restaurant does have a/c as i remember.....i hate the heat...it is the only negetive for me in thailand...i did not notice it as a problem at dinner or breakfast however at anantara...

you are really a captive there for meals...we went one nite down the road to thai kitchen....now that is an experience!! they had a/c but that is about all....oh and it was dirt cheap....accent on dirt...

i would try anantara....if you are uncomfortable move on....

there is the new four seasons tented camp up there as well, but most of it is outside i believe...

we did notice mosquitos at the pool at sunset so we vacated the area...

Thanks for the fast response! The heat and mosquitos are a constant on the Texas Gulf coast, so I can live with that for a couple of days. We might try a short stay.

Will have to really think on the smoke issue- my asthma is well cotrolled, but I did have some problems in China. I definitely don't want that problem half way into the trip. If the smoke is enough to make a person's eyes burn, then I need to stay away.

I had thought about the over night boat trip, some have talked about, to the old capital, but apparently the Marriott is no longer doing that trip. That really did appeal to us.

Thanks for your help.

i think marriott still has manora song which makes the trip up river....they had it when i was there in december 06....

send them an e mail....it is very expensive!!!

btw the same group owns the anantara as well as the marriott resort and spa

I checked for the Manora Song on the web several weeks ago. According to a Marriott site, the Manora Song has been replaced with another boat, Manora something, that is being treated as a party boat. But I will contact them directly later if we give up on Chiang Rai.

I knew the trip was costly, but it is the neat type of thing that we look for. With in reason, we don't mind a big ticket every now and then on a trip. At this point in our life, either we enjoy while we are healthy enough to travel or our kids will!

I will keep fine tuning the itinerary and post it to see if we can improve on the use of time and places that are of interst to us.

i think our overnite on the manora song was $700 for the two of us...and that was 5 years ago...