Please help me plan our trip to Thailand
 

Hi Fodorites,

My husband and I are trying to finalize our trip to Thailand and I'm hoping I can count on you for some help. We leave this Saturday (yikes)! We have a lot of questions as this is a last minute trip booked with FF miles.

Here is our itinerary:
March 5 - Arrive in BKK at 10:30 pm
March 6 - Flight to Phuket, Ferry to Ko Phi Phi (stay at Phi Phi Village Resort)
March 7 - Ko Phi Phi
March 8 - Ko Phi Phi
March 9 - Phuket (sea kayaking tour)
March 10 - Flight to Chang Mai
March 11 - Chang Mai
March 12 - Chang Mai
March 13 - Chang Mai, flight to Bangkok in the evening
March 14 - Angkor Wat or Bangkok
March 15 - Angkor Wat or Bangkok
March 16 - Angkor Wat or Bangkok
March 17 - Bangkok
March 18 - Bangkok
March 19 - Bangkok
March 20 - Flight to USA

Is there a transfer between Ko Phi Phi and Phuket that will arrive in Phuket between 10:00 am and 11:00 am? I have found only one possibility so far (Andaman Wave Master) and I am waiting for them to confirm that the transfer is currently running the dates of our trip. If this is not available do you know of any other companies that offer early morning transfers? We are trying to get checked into our hotel by noon so we can go on John Gray's Hong by Moonlight sea kayaking tour.

Angkor Wat - Do you recommend fitting this in on this itinerary? If we drop the 3 days in Angkor Wat we will likely add a day trip to Ayutthaya and a day trip to one of the national parks and/or add an extra day in Chang Mai.

Thanks very much for any help you can offer.

Tracy

I'm a beach/island lover and to me one of the best aspects of a Thailand holiday is chilling out under a coconut tree with a tom yum and a cold Singha, or riding a longtail out to some exotic isle. So 4 days near the beach and 11 days elsewhere isn't to my liking. Of course I fully realize that's just my personal taste and may not be yours. But if it were me I'd consider dropping Angkor and extending PP.
But I certainly wouldn't drop Angkor just to get 6 days in BKK.

Friends of mine who were in Thailand in January/February enjoyed Phi Phi so much that they changed their itinerary so that they could spend an extra week there!! I like beaches, but I don't think I could chill out quite that long!!! LOL

I'd opt for just 3 locations during your trip. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and I guess you could combine Phi Phi and Phuket as your beach location. You don't want to spend all your time getting to and from places. It is very hot and humid in Thailand so you must take that into consideration. It can be very taxing on your body. You will want to have time to relax and not have to be on the go all the time. Just my thoughts...
Carol

I'd also recommend choosing just three locations, otherwise you'll lose too much of your vacation in going from one place to another. If it were me (and obviously, it's not) I'd cut Chaing Mai and keep Angkor, and re-distribute the extra three days between Bangkok and the beach. But stop and ask yourself what you are really interested in. If architecture, ancient ruins, Buddhism and Hinduism interest you, do go to Angkor. If you yawn when you read that sentence, don't go. If you go to Angkor, do make sure you have a full three days, which is just enough to see the main temples.

We just returned yesterday from a 3 week trip to Thailand with 4 nights in Siem Reap.

We spent 6 nights in Bangkok and that wasn't enough for us. The 4 nights in Siem Reap were perfect, allowing for 3 full days of site seeing with one of those being a trip to Tonle Sap.

We stayed on the east coast of Ko Phi Phi and it was very peaceful and relaxing. We spent about 2 hours in the touristy area and that was enough for us!

We loved Chiang Mai and will definitely return to do the things we didn't find the time to do.

My suggestion would be to save Siem Reap for another trip. It is expensive to fly there and 3 nights is a bit too short.

Add a bit more time to each of the other three locations.

It will be VERY hot so you may move around more slowly than usual.

Enjoy! Thailand is fantastic!

I agree, you should cut out either Chiang Mai or AW. This will make it much more relaxing. While it's easier to cut AW, unless you are going back to SEA soon, I would cut CM. Cm is interesting, but AW is stunning and unique.

i would contact your phi phi hotel about transportation possibilities...

i think i would either save angkor for another time or i would cut CM (which would be my preference) and add the time to other places including one day to angkor....3 full days in angkor is really necessary imo....
there is tons to do in bkk quite honestly....

chiang mai is ok but not great, imo

Thanks so much for all of your comments! We have a friend in Chang Mai that we have promised to visit so we don't want to cut it out completely but we can cut one day out. My husband is really excited to see Angkor Wat. So, given this would the following itinerary make more sense?

March 5 - Arrive in BKK at 10:30 pm
March 6 - Flight to Phuket at 7:00 am, Ferry to Ko Phi Phi (stay at Phi Phi Village Resort)
March 7 - Ko Phi Phi
March 8 - Ko Phi Phi
March 9 - Morning ferry Phuket (sea kayaking tour)
March 10 - Morning flight to Chang Mai
March 11 - Chang Mai
March 12 - Chang Mai
March 13 - Morning flight to Bangkok, day in Bangkok and Evening flight to Siem Reap
March 14 - Angkor Wat
March 15 - Angkor Wat
March 16 - Angkor Wat
March 17 - Bangkok
March 18 - Bangkok
March 19 - Bangkok
March 20 - Flight to USA

This will give us 3 full days in Angkor Wat if we take the 8:30 pm flight to Bangkok on the third day and will give us one extra day in Bangkok. Is it crazy to fly from Chang Mai to Bangkok and have a guide pick us up for a day of sight seeing only to return us to the airport for an evening flight to Siem Reap?

We are also considering a day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. If we visit Angkor Wat is this going to be a let down? Should we spend that day doing something different?

Thanks again for your advice! Please keep it coming!

I have a couple of additional questions:

1. Has anyone stayed at Katanoi Bay Inn in Phuket? How close is it to the ferry pier? We are looking for something for just one night, we will finish our kayaing tour around 9:00 pm and will be flying out in the morning. Also, how far is it from the airport?

2. Siem Reap - Has anyone stayed at Borei Angkor Hotel or Auberge Mont Royal Hotel?

3. Guide in Siem Reap - Ponheary is booked as in Saron Soeun. Can anyone recommend an alternative guide for our 3 days there?

4. Guide in Bangkok - Ratt is also booked. I'm waiting to hear if Tan Suchira is going to be available, she wasn't sure when we emailed yesterday. Can anyone suggest an alternative guide in Bangkok?

Thanks again!

i have made contact with a new group in bkk for use as guides....you can contact them at:

[email protected] or

[email protected]

they cost a bit more than ratt but include much more for your money as well and also standardly use a van...

cherry and gal are the owners....

cherry is a licensed guide ....

why not ask portnoy for a suggestion for a guide or ask your hotel to arrange one....that is what i did...

everything is tough on short notice!!

the 1st address should read

magical underscore routes@

In response to your new questions about the second itinerary:

Since you are going to Angkor, do not spend a day of your precious Bangkok time going to Ayutthaya. It will be a total letdown.

You ask, "Is it crazy to fly from Chang Mai to Bangkok and have a guide pick us up for a day of sight seeing only to return us to the airport for an evening flight to Siem Reap? " my answer is yes. Spend the morning in CM, fly to Bangkok, transit to a flight to SR.

By the way, there are lots of good guides in SR. You don't have to arrange in advance, your hotel can hook you up with a car and driver and a guide.

Re:katanoi bay inn
You don't say what time you are flying out in the morning the next day, but this location is on the southwest corner of the island and the airport is way up north. It is about a 45 minute drive in good traffic... Frankly I'd stay closer to the airport, unless you want to get up very early to make sure you make your flight.

I have not stayed at Katanoi Bay Inn but according to its web site, it is right across the street from the Katathani, which I have frequented. It is quite a drive to the airport.

Carol

offwego used Tong recently who is a guide who works for Ratt and recommended her (see her trip report) - perhaps you could ask Ratt if Tong is available?

Skip Ayutthaya. It's an amusing side trip, but given your other destinations, it's a waste of time. Guides in AW are plentiful.

We just returned from our Thailand/Cambodia trip and we stayed at the Auberge Mont Royal. It was a very nice little hotel in a great location. They just put in a new pool although we didn't use it.

I also looked at a place a block away from Pub Street called Phuket Hostel. The rooms were basic but large and clean with air con and private bath. The cost was about a third of AMR. Great location and good Thai restaurant within. It is owned by the same people that own the Dead Fish Inn.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

we're going to go straight from Chang Mai to Siem Reap. Ponheary was able to set us up with a friend of hers so we should be set for our trip to Angkor Wat.

I still need to book a hotel in Phuket that is reasonably priced and relatively close to the airport ($50-$75). We will be checking in around 9:00 pm and staying just one night to catch a 9:00 am flight to Chang Mai. Does anyone have any recommendations for a clean, comfortable basic room?

I"m thinking about trying priceline to get the JW Marriott or Sheraton Grande. The JW Marriott seems lovely but very isolated. Will there be taxis to take us to the airport in the morning?

JW is not isolated at all. There will be plenty of taxis, yes. Not to worry.

Arahmas and pearl Village both close to Airport at Nai yang are going to be over USD 100.
There 'is' a budget place, Nai Yang resort, this is basic, USD 17-43 ( best room termed 'executive' ). Should suffice if you are not after luxury and just need a room close to airport.

My own personal humble opinion would be to stay a little further down the coast, what costs though USD 50 low season is USD 120 in March! So this limits choice, Best Western premier at Bangtao is about USD 85 in March, that's about the best around Bangtao, one of the best 'bargains' at the moment seems to be Surin Beach Resort at around USD 70 a night including breakfast, USD 15 for car to airport, another in same are is the new Manathai Boutique hotel at Surin, I haven't stayed but it gets great write ups locally, new boutique hotel, not on the beach but at intro price of about USD 72 including breakfast it appears to be a bargain compared with other rates, around 20 minutes from the airport, they do a limo service USD 20 for their car, it also ,means you are not roughing it!

http://www.r24.org/beachsiam.com/phu...each/pictures/

Map shows Surin relative to airport

http://www.r24.org/beachsiam.com/phu...athai/details/

Manathai are introduction as only opened a few months back

Your other option would be to overnight Phuket town but I would not recommend as you can get caught in the rush hour and traffic gets pretty clogged up around Phuket town from 7 to 8, I personaly would 'relax' in Surin beach area and be within reasonable distance of airport.