I have recently decided that I want to go to Thailand in March of 2008, for about 2 weeks (leaving March 3rd -- do we do overnight?). That being said, I know NOTHING about the country, other than what I have been researching. (I am planning the trip and we don't yet have a travel agent -- if anyone knows one that specializes, please recommend).

I know that we generally want luxury and gorgeous, as it is our honeymoon -- but will mix in other places for the experience.

We are flying from Philadelphia, I am thinking of flying to Bangkok and staying for a few days -- I have heard amazing things about the Peninsula.

We want to relax, so we will go on to a beach town -- but this is where we need major advice -- where to go? Phuket, etc? Any AMAZING Honeymoon type resorts? We would probably want to stay here for the longest part of the trip (6 or so days).

Then mix it up and go to the mountain/elephant areas -- is this Chaing Mai? I have read about the Four Seasons and the Manderin Oriental. These are obviously pricey - anyone know great comparable places over there? Are there other locations that would have that same effect?

We would end the trip back in Bangkok and fly back -- about 2 weeks in total.

PLEASE ADVISE

Start by geting yourself a good guidebook. All that reading about Thai history and Buddhism will help you prepare for your time there. Three locations (Bangkok, a beach, and a northern Thai location) is just fine. You may want a few days in Bangkok at both the beginning and the end of your trip.

Instead of The Four Seasons at Chaing Mai (I don't recommend the Mandarin there), I'd recommend the Anantara at the Golden Triangle. It's a fabulous resort, and the area is really beautiful. Also, they have elephants on-site for you to get acquainted with.

There are plenty of honeymoon-type beach resorts. We may be able to help you more if you give us an idea of what you want - lots of activities? quiet, peaceful beach?

And, by the way, no travel agent is needed. If you feel comfortable making your own arrangements, it's very easy to do for Thailand, and you'll save money as well.

thanks for your reply. I am surprised about not needing a travel agent -- even with inter-country flights? I usually book my own, but didn't know if I needed on for piece of mind.

Thanks for the recommendations. Why don't you recommend the Manderin?

I actually just bought the DK Eyewitness Guide Book and it got me even more excited

As for the beach, we are looking for romantic, seclusion. I would think it would be nice to have private pool, private beach (hence, the luxury), but also like some sort of resort-life (inter-resort themed dinners, etc). We will save the "events" or trips to Chaing Mai, as we want to go Elephant Rides and cooking school. Other than that, just want gorgeous accomodations, total relaxation.

You can book your own intra-country flights on the internet once you choose where you are going and which airline you want.

The Mandarin Oriental in CM is really over the top. One well-respected poster here referred to it is "Disneyland." CM itself is really a large city with all the problems that implies - especially air pollution and traffic. The Four Seasons is 30-40 minuted out of town, and very peaceful. I prefer the Golden Triangle area (you fly in to Chiang Rai rather than Chaing Mai). Do a search on the board for the Anantara Golden Triangle and you'll find lots of rave reviews. It would be wonderful for a honeymoon.

I'm not as much of a beach person as many others here, so I'll leave it to others to suggest specific resorts (there are plenty that meet your criteria).

For a honeymoon I would consider the Four Seasons tented camp as well. http://www.fourseasons.com/goldentriangle/

I'm a fan of the Mandarin in CM but for the cooler months only. I've stayed there a few time since it was first open but only during the winter time. The ground of the hotel is wonderful but more enjoyable when the temperature is right.

For the beach, I've just taken a look at the new Barai in Hua Hin and think it will be great for a honeymoon.

For your beach section, I would recomend Phi Phi. Others may tell you it's too busy and commercialised...not so if you go to the right part. Our favorite is the Holiday Inn but the bungalows are not luxurious, though certainly very nice. The Zeavola on the same beach is 5 star and has every luxury you could want, so you may want to look at that. But the location (Laem Tong Bay) really is fabulous!!! Photos and links on our site at
http://www.leightravelclub.com/phiphiphotos.htm
and
http://leightravel.smugmug.com/

Ditto on the vote for Phi Phi as perfect honeymoon beach loaction. Look ONLY at the east side of the island for accomodations (Laem Tong, etc.) Another suggestion would be Ko Lipe (much more untouched and therefore not as luxe--but drop-dead beautiful.)

I'm a huge fan of beaches in Thailand (others say they could be anywhere in the world--I strongly disagree)...just make sure you choose somewhere memorable, romantic and stunning--it is your honeymoon, after all

Hua Hin, in my opinion (and it's just my opinion) lacks the 'wow' factor of some more southern parts the Andaman Coast, but certainly is more close to Bangkok (if that's even a consideration)

I don't know, but assume, the weather in March is still very pleasant (and non-rainy) along the Andaman Coast, so you should be fine.

Best of luck choosing a place!

From the US two weeks is 12 days on the ground, from Europe, 13 days. A suggested breakdown is:

BKk-2 days
CM-3 days
Phuket 5 days
BKK-2 days

Thai Air has a direct CM-Phuket flight. This saves a BKK transfer and several hours. BTW, Thai Air is better than any US domestic carrier.

In Phuket, there are several deluxe hotels, but they are quite pricey. If you provide a proposed budget, we can make suggestions. If budget is not a concern, take a look at the Amanpuri and the Trisara.

If elephants are a main reason for going to northern thailand I would definitely pick the Anantara as they have a small elephant camp on the grounds and you can do half or full day activities without hassle. I am staying there for this first time in March 2008 and have heard nothing but raves about it -- have been to the area 6 or 7 times. I will pass along the information I got from this board which is to spring for a suite which will give you lots of extra amenities and is supposedly worth the price -- especially for a honeymoon.

I would go to Phi Phi rather than Phuket and I would divide the time in the following manner:
Bangkok - 3 days
Northern Thailand -- 5 days
Phi Phi - 3 days
Bangkok - 3 days

Hi

My wife and I have been to Thailand a couple of times and it is a wonderful vacation destination. When we went there in 2002 we went to Bangkok, Krabi and Hua Hin and I have posted a trip report with pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/thailand2002.htm . In May this year we went to Bangkok and Samui (see http://gardkarlsen.com/thailand2007.htm ) and we had a lovely time. Bangkok has a lot of lovely hotels to offer and they are also affordable. I hope you will have a great trip and honeymoon...I also have the DK Eyewitness Guides and it is good for getting an overview

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

wow - thank you all for the recommendations.

As for budget --- let's say absolute max would be $10k, but would like to keep it around $5k (I know that's a huge range, but for the right place, we would budget).

I understand the trip would be shrunken because of the time flying, so maybe we would be willing to do 14 days..hmm...

I will definetely check out the Anantara. As for North Thailand - it's more for the experience of that area, so any recommendations for doing fun stuff AND luxury would be great -- is Anatara the place to go??

Does the fact I'm going in March rule anywhere out?

For what you want in Northern Thailand, the Anantara has the right combination for you. The resort itself is lovely, the rooms are modern Thai. As we've noted, they have a small elephant camp on the premises, as well as a lovely pool, a fabulous spa and a great cooking school.

March the weather will be very good on the Andaman coast. I suspected that both Leigh and Filmwill would weigh in for PhiPhi.

An excellent booking site for hotels in Thailand is www.sawadee.com Take a look there, as that will give you an idea of prices. Note that the prices on that site all include tax and service (which totals 17%) and sometimes breakfast. Take a look at the Anantara's own website to see if they have any specials then, or you may want to book them through the small luxury hotels of the world (join for free, if you book through their site you'll get a free upgrade to a suite based on availability). For the Pen, most people report finding the best prices on the Pen's own website. It's early enough that none of teh sites may yet have prices for your dates, but that will give you an idea.

Does your budget include airfare?

well, I have frequent flier miles, that should cover one of us. So I would say it does include airfare.

Shayna,

The high end of your budget covers more than enough if you're looking for a VERY nice honeymoon, staying in only exclusive places.

The low end of your budget is pushing it a bit for what you're looking for. Maybe 6 is a more realistic number, but you'd have to stay in a mix of reasonable and luxe properties. And let's keep in mind that "reasonable" in Thailand means VERY nice to most.

UPDATE: I just saw your last post. So $5k and one ticket taken care of already via miles?? Oh, you're DEFINITELY more than okay with that budget, unless you're planning on flying biz or first class.

March is also not high season so you don't have to pay top price. You should easily be able to stay at the Anantara, a great beach hotel and either the Oriental or Peninsula (I'm someone who much prefers the Oriental but many will disagree). Or you could opt for a lower price hotel in Bangkok for part of your stay -- maybe the Royal Orchid, Shangrila or marriott since I think being on the river is crucial for a honeymoon.

ok - so I think I would have Bangkok taken care of -- and I took a look at Anantara in Golden Triangle and Four Seasons in Chaing Mai (am I missing any other gorgeous resorts for a honeymoon in the North?).

I'm still at a loss for the beach areas. I see that Amanpuri and Trisari and Four Seasons Kho Samui (sp) and really expensive -- are they worth it? Are there other ones that I should check into that have the same quality? Would rather have a 5 star on the beach, as that is where we are spending much of the time....

Is March the time of the year when they are burning the fields in Chaing Mai and North Thailand?

I thought I had read that in some trip reports and how it affects flights etc.

Shayna, scratch Ko Samui from your list--it's rainy season there then. You want to stick to the Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi...) for beach resorts at that time of year.

Check out Zeavola and Phi Phi Island Village on Koh Phi Phi--if you're looking for luxury accomodations.

Also check out the Banyan Tree in Phuket and the Sarojin in Khao Lak.

Don't forget in the north: there are two Four Seasons--one just outside Chiang Mai...and one WAY outside Chiang Mai (Four Seasons Tented Camp). Both are equally gorgeous and worth a look at.

You will find that beach resorts are higher priced (for the same level of luxury) than fabulous hotels in Bangkok or gorgeous places in Northern Thailand.