BabsB

I am going on a SmarTours trip to Thailand in April. As an introduction, I am a die hard independent traveler and have been all over Europe and Central America. I typically plan my trips to the smallest detail and my travel partners "leave the driving to me". I decided to go on the SmarTours "Amazing Thailand" tour because it was a deal too good to pass up. Unfortunately, none of my normal travel partners wanted to go so I am solo for a change.

I want to cover as much ground as possible so I am starting my planning in Bangkok. Please check out what I am thinking and give me some feed back as to whether it is doable or if I am out of my mind.

April 16th arrive in evening. Check into Holiday Inn Silom Hotel. Have dinner, maybe at hotel, and walk over to Patpong Night Market. Does anyone have suggestions for dinner close to the hotel that would be easy to get to for a jetlagged traveler?

April 17th. SmarTours will take us on a tour to Wat Trimitr, Wat Po and Wat Benchamabaophit. After that I am on my own and would then like to take the Skytrain to Taksin Pier and arrange a Klong tour. Would like to see Klong Bangkok Noi, Klong Bangkok Yai, the Royal Barge Museum, Pak Khlong vegetable and flower market and Wat Arun. Is there anything I missed?

Dinner that evening will be with the tour group and I will attend in order to meet my co-travelers and see if I can interest anyone in a little independent siteseeing with me.

April 18th. Take Skytrain to river and catch the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Tha Chang Pier an walk over to the Grand Palace. Try to get a guide at entrance. Then walk over to Emerald Budha. At this point I would like to walk through Chinatown. Can anyone provide me with directions please. After this I would like to take a taxi to Jim Thompson's House. Is it difficult to catch a taxi in Chinatown? Any estimate of what the ride will cost? If I haven't already eaten, I will have lunch at Jim Thompson's House. Next I will walk over to the MBK shopping center for some window shopping. Then I'll catch the Skytrain then make a quick stop to see the Erawan Shrine. I'll continue on to my hotel to freshen up or collapse! I would like to go to the Calypso Cagaret at the Asia Hotel and I know I can get there by Skytrain. Should I eat dinner there or is there someplace else that is solo friendly that I should not miss. I would really like to try "authentic" Thai food and not much scares me off as long as it is not alive.

April 19th, I plan on going on SmarTours day trip to the Damneon Saduak floating market and the Rose Garden. In the evening I would like to go to Suan Lum Night Market and take in a show at the Joe Louis Theatre. Is there anyplace good to eat in the area?

I would like to see the Vimanmek Mansion Museum but don't know where or how to fit it in Any suggestions or am I overdoing it already?

Since I am solo, I am mixing independent days with tour days simply to take the pressure off myself and let someone else do the planning.

Thanks for any suggestions? Barb

shelleyk

Your itinerary sounds great and doable IMO. You could fit in Vinimek Palace if you took a cab there from the Grand Palace area, before going to the Jim Thompson House. You would need to do Vinimek first because the last tour is at 3:30 (and you have to go on a tour) while the last tour at JTH is at 4:40. It would be very rushed, depending on traffic. Also, if there were some way that you could get a group together to hire a driver and go just to the floating market in the morning and skip the afternoon at the Rose Garden which is very touristy, you would have that afternoon free to go to Vinimek. I know it is really hard deciding what to see and how to fit it together. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time.

rhkkmk

it looks good to me too....ambitious but that is ok based on your outline..

taskim is not far from the hotel...i would walk---interesting along that stretch or take a taxi...skytrain is not that near to HI....HI silom is not a fantastic but is serviceable....are there any other choices??

plan to eat dinner after the show.. or have an early dinner near HI....there are plenty of place along silom road..if you come out of the hotel and turn right on silom, go down a block as i remember and turn right on soi pramvan....walk down there to #10 on your right....a very good thai restaurant in an old house...

also tongue thai and harmonique are not all that far from you hotel...

stitchintime

There is a great restaurant right around the corner from you. It's Maria and after coming out of the hotel, turn right (toward Patpong) and it's next to the Galleria. They have a variety of Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, American and Italian. Their pizzas are wonderful.

It's been my experience that catching a taxi in Chinatown is very difficult. You might try going to a hotel and letting them try to get one for you.

Also walking from Holiday Inn to Patpong is quite a distance.

tweety817

I went on that Smartour last year. Your itinerary is good, but skip the floating market/Rose Garden. Go to floating market on your own(1/2 day) Book through an agent in BKK. I agree with the restaurant recommendation. The included dinner at the hotel is a buffet and a Thai dance show. It was nice and since I was traveling alone, I met people .Suan Lum night market and Puppet Show were great. I could not get anyone to go with me as they were afraid to go out at night without a guide. I went alone and had no problems at all. There are many choices for food at Suan Lum. I did not go on the dinner cruise, it included a trip to the night flower market. I regretted not going as everyone enjoyed it. The Kantoke dinner and show in Chiang Mai were over rated and I wouldn't do that again. The optional Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai is well worth the drive along a steep, windy road. There is plenty of space for you to go places on your own or with small groups. I never felt herded or rushed and the guide was sensitive to peoples' personal preferences. She took small groups on special tours in Chiang Mai at no charge, on her own time. If you would like further details, e-mail me.

BabsB

shellyk, thanks for the idea of fitting in Vinimek. I may give that a try. I am hoping to make some friends and maybe we could hire our own driver to go to the floating market. I'll just have wait and see. If I can get a group together, how would I go about locating a driver? Ask at the hotel?

rhkkmk, unfortunately we have no choice of hotel, but I'm really not to concerned with it, after all this is a budget tour and I am realistic in my expectations. Thank you for the restaurant suggestions and directions.

stitchintime, I am wondering about the Chinatown excursion. I don't have a great map and the word Chinatown is just printed over a section of it so I'm unsure where I should really go. I do appreciate the suggestion of asking a hotel to get a taxi for me, thanks. How long do you think it will take to walk from the hotel to Patpong? Should I take a taxi instead?

tweety817, if you don't mind I'll email you with additional questions when I get home tonight.

Regards Barb

Kathie

Buy yourself a copy of the nancy Chandler Map - there is one for Bangkok and one for Chiang Mai. It will be invaluable.

BabsB

Kathie, I just ordered them. This is great, now hopefully my compass and I will be able to navigate. Thanks! Barb

rhkkmk

walk might be 10-15 min, but in the heat....i would take a taxi...

i forgot to suggest the french restaurant in patpong II to you:

Le Bouchon....quite good and unique for bkk....set back from the road...on the right about 1/2 way down the soi when entering from sathorn, or on the left from silom...ask someone...

BabsB

rhkmmk, thank you for the suggestions. Barb