Thailand and ? 4 weeks summer 2016

Old Sep 17th, 2015, 09:13 PM
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Thailand and ? 4 weeks summer 2016

Our family of four ( kids ages 9 and 11) are headed to Asia for the first time! We are budget travelers who love adventure, culture, and food over museums and lengthy tours. We would love some itinerary suggestions. We have about 4 weeks in late June and July 2016. We are bound by school schedules and realize it's the rainy season. We are from Oregon so we'll be ok! Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and a beach (Ko Samui?) are musts. I'm also intrigued by Luang Prabang and Siem Reap. Some of the smaller Thai cities sound intriguing as well - Sukhothai and Ayutthaya to name two. I wonder if Vietnam or Penang, Malaysia are too far out of reach for this trip? We are ok booking a couple flights between cities but those costs add up. Train and bus travel are fine for us and add some adventure. Flying open-jaw might be a good option for us. Suggestions? I'm eager to start nailing down airfare, accommodations, and an itinerary. Thanks!
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 05:27 AM
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If you have never been to Thailand before, there will be more than enough to fill your 4 weeks. 1 week BKK, Ayuthaya can be done as a day trip from BKK. If you feel inclined, train from BKK to Phitsanulok (5 hours) and take the bus from there to Sukhothai (1 hour) and spend a day or two there before going back to Pitsanulok and train to Chiang Mai and spend a week there.

Then you can fly direct CM to Phuket or Samui and do a week there before heading back to BKK for last minute shopping and take your flight home. That's about 4 weeks.

If you want to get to Lao you have to spend a shorter time in BKK initially. Luang Prabang is not easy to get to if you want to cross from northern Thailand (e.g. Chiang Mai), via Nong Khai. Have to bus or fly CM to NK then cross to Vientiane and head to Luang Prabang. Alternatively go from BKK to NK and cross there to LPrabang.

Personally, I would not spend more than a day or two in Laos..it's like watching grass grow- but that's just me - it's too slow a pace for me but some like it.

If you want to go to BKK/CM/Samui AND Laos then you really don't have time for Malaysia. Best to leave Penang for another time otherwise you will find it too rushed and wont really enjoy it as much. Not saying it can not be done but for me, less is more.

Good luck with whatever you chose to do.
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 06:09 AM
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flying often ends up as the best overall for internal travel...air asia, bangkok air, nok air or thai air--full service.

we like khao lak--1 hour north of phuket airport. easy rental car or taxi ride. jw marriott would be great for the kids.

less than a week in chiang mai would be my choice.

notes: all hotels MUST have a/c and a pool (for kids).
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 06:19 AM
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Lots of options to fill your time! But you have to decide what you re interested in seeing/doing/experiencing. Do you want to see the temples of Angkor? (Get a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous temples and see if you and the kids are interested). Luang Prabang is a really lovely small town with monasteries and temples. Georgetown, Penang is a delightful historic multicultural town with some of the best street food on the planet. But you can't do all those plus Thailand in 4 weeks. Choose what you want to do on this trip - if you are like many of us here, this will be just the first of many trips. If you want just one set of Buddhist ruins, Angkor is the most spectacular.

Do some research and decide which one destination you want to add to Thailand. There are very inexpensive budget fights in SE Asia, so you don't have to spend all day to get from one place to another.

We have been to all the places you mention, and you might find photos to be helpful in your decision-making process: www.marlandc.com

The kids are of a good age to be involved in the planning. Have them get some guidebooks from the library and have them read about places they might want to go.

One caution: There are only a very few places to interact with elephants where the elephants are treated humanely. The one I recommend is the Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai. Most of the elephant camps are abusive of the animals (look at the places recommended on Trip Advisor and avoid them all!)
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 03:41 PM
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Thank you for the helpful comments! I think this trip is finally starting to take shape.

PhiMeow - I appreciate your opinion about Laos. I think we'll save that for another trip without the kids. I like the idea of stop between BKK and CM at Sukhothai. I think we will find a way to add Siem Reap.

rhkkmk -agreed on the AC and pool! My husband actually bought a large fan in Berlin last summer because our meager pension didn't have any air. I'll check out that Marriott in Khao Lak. I think I read that the gulf side of Thailand might have better weather in June/July.

Kathie - I already had my eye on the Elephant Nature Park by CM. We like to travel responsibly and it sounds like a great educational opportunity for the kids. I put Dawn Rooney's book on hold at our local library today! I do want to see the temples at Angkor. Looks like Thailand and Angkor/Siem Reap are the focus for our month away.

Thanks again! I'm eager to get planning.
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 04:10 PM
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I'm not sure I'd recommend a stop at Sukhothai if you are also going to Angkor. Sukhothai is an old Thai Capital (older than Ayutthaya) which is in ruins. Very interesting, but I think it pales in comparison to Angkor. How many ruined Buddhist temples will your kid want to see?

You are right about the beach weather - in June/July the Gulf of Thailand side will have better weather. But if you don't mind the beaches being red-flagged and an occasional downpour, you can get great hotel deals on the Andaman Sea side.

I always recommend that first-times stay along the river in Bangkok - I think it makes all the difference in your enjoyment - you can take the public water taxis to the Grand Palace and many of the major wats, and your hotel will also have a shuttle boat to the skytrain station. Bob (rhkkmk) will recommend the Anantara Riverside, which is a good choice.

Let us know if we can help more with your planning.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2015, 07:15 PM
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Thanks to your suggestions and some input from family and an old friend living in Bangkok, I think I've got an itinerary! Please let me know if you think we should shift any days around or if we should add a destination. We decided to stick with just Thailand for this first trip to Asia. We are leaving around June 22 and will return about a month later.

Bangkok - 7 nights (Atlanta Hotel booked. Couldn't resist its quirkiness and rate.) Bus or train to...

Sukhothai - 3 nights (Stop at Lopburi to see crazy monkeys on the way. Worth a night in Lopburi?) Bus or train to...

Chiang Mai - 7 nights. Many excursions planned here. Elephant Nature Park, Flight of the Gibbons, cooking class, a trek, boat ride, etc... Bus to...

Chiang Dao Nest Resort - 3 nights. My friend recommended this resort. It looks great! Fly to Bangkok ($35 rates right now from Chiang Mai!) and bus to...

Hua Hin or Koh Chang - 6 nights. Beach time! I'm leaning toward Hua Hin because it looks closer and doesn't seem to get the rainy, choppy seas that are reported in Koh Chang in July. We are keeping it simple and cheap and wanted a beach we could get to without flying. Bus back to Bangkok...

Bangkok by airport - 1 night, fly home.

Do-able? Fun? Thanks.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2015, 07:56 AM
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The Atlanta is quirky, no question. I hope it works out for you. The closest skytrain station is 1 km, which isn't that far, but it will feel farther in the heat and humidity. You want to have convenient public transport in Bangkok. There may be a tuk-tuk on the soi that will take you to the skytrain station. I don't recommend that people take tuk-tuks in Bangkok, as the are the vehicles most likely to scam you with trips to tailors and jewelry shops, and are more expensive than taxis, and you have to negotiate every trip price. But a soi tuk tuk would be ok, just to the skytrain. Ask the hotel what the price should be.

I couldn't tell from the photos on the website, but the one pool I saw had no shade - something important in Bangkok.

Hua Hin is a good choice for beach time for you.

Have a great time!
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Old Oct 3rd, 2015, 02:33 PM
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Your plan sounds good! I agree that being close to the sky train in Bangkok is very important and can make a huge difference when dealing with the heat/humidity if you are having to walk very far to catch it.

There are many reasonable hotel choices in the Sukhumvit area, and the sky train runs right above this street for many miles. There are also many serviced apartments in the area that are larger than hotel rooms, plus you can sometimes get 2 bedrooms, and with a kitchen and large fridge, you can buy at the market and do some cooking/eating in the apartment. Just a thought..... Sukhumvit/Siam is also the big shopping area in Bangkok.

Also the subway line runs through Sukhumvit (at soi 21) and is convenient should you want to visit the weekend market at some point.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2015, 07:28 PM
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Kathie - thank you for explaining the soi tuk tuk. I remember being ripped off by a taxi in Rome and have been pretty diligent about avoiding scams ever since. I'll be sure to negotiate fares. Also, thanks for the reminder about how hot it is going to be! I might keep looking for lodging but the $50 two bedroom suite with AC, pool, and nifty 50's art-deco vibe appeals to me at the Atlanta.

Simpsonc510 - we do enjoy renting apartments when we travel so I will start looking. This trip is a long way off so I have a lot of time to research and rethink. We are going to buy airfare very soon as the rates seem pretty good. We will also look into using subway and sky train often! Gotta save our feet and stay out of the heat.
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