Thailand honeymoon Itinerary advice
 

Hi, my fiance and I are considering Thailand for our honeymoon next year as we feel it'll give you the right mix of beach and culture. We're thinking 6 days Koh Samui, 3 days Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai and 3 days Bangkok. I have a few questions and was hoping you could help.
Any thoughts on Chiang Mai v Chiang Rai? I've actually been to Chiang Mai before but didn't do a lot there due to a mix of reasons.
Are there any wildlife sanctuaries that you'd recommend? My fiance really wants to visit an animal sanctuary. I had considered a trek in one of the national parks but I read on here that there isn't much wildlife so I thought a sanctuary would be interesting instead.
We'll be going at end of April? Is that going to be unbearably hot?
Thanks in advance, I've got great advice on here before :)

Last things first, yes, April will be very hot, if not wet as well. Still, it's your honeymoon, so if you take it easy, the heat probably won't be a problem. April is actually a pretty good time to be on Samui.

For the animal bits, some time at the Thai Elephant conservation center in Lampang (near Chiang Mai) might fit the bill. You can stay there a couple nights to help take care of the elephants and learn to be a mahout. You'll find lots of reviews of this place in this forum if you do a search. This would mean going to Chiang Mai rather than Chiang Rai. You could spend two nights at the conservation camp and then a night in Chiang Mai to do a bit of sight-seeing there.

Alternatively, you could stay at the Four Seasons in Chiang RAI and take part in their elephant program as well, but the reviews of that are not quite as favorable at the conservation center (although the elephants and mahouts are from Lampang.) Again, there are reviews of this on this forum. It probably comes down to how much time with elephants you really want.

I think this point might be the deciding factor between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. I personally favor Chiang Mai, but I know others find Chiang Rai the better destination.

Another option for an elephant experience is to go to the Anantara at the Golden Triangle, which has a division of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center on the grounds. The Anantara is a lovely resort and not nearly as expensive as the Four Seasons which is ridiculously priced. I much prefer the Golden Triangle area to Chiang Mai, as Chiang Mai is a huge city whereas at the Golden triangle you get to see countryside. (You fly to Chiang Rai and drive an hour to the Golden Triangle area.)

You may get bored with 6 days in Koh Samui. Think about it. We've had some other honeymooners report back that the wished they'd spent a bit less time at the beach and a bit more elsewhere.

You have chosen the hottest time of the year to visit Thailand.

Staying overnight in a sanctuary is a great idea, thanks Michael. The Elephant Nature Park looks like it's a great one so going to did into that.

Kathie, we'll consider the timings in Koh Samui, I know it seems like a while but we're expecting to be pretty tired initially and looking forward to flopping. I'm a little concerned about the heat...

Thanks to you both.

BTW, the Anantara and Four Seasons share the same elephants. Sorry, I forgot about the Anantara. I would agree on the Samui part. Maybe add another day in Chiang Mai after the elephant camp. The parts of Chiang Mai that are interesting are the old walled city, which is quite walk-able, plus a few other areas that are easy to reach. I find it hard to think of Chiang Mai as a big city, but then I live in Bangkok.

Thanks Michael. I think you're right about Chiang Mai needing 4 days if we're at the Elephant camp for 2 days. Do you think 3 days in Bangkok is enough? I really want to time it so we make the weekend market. I was there 5 years ago and loved it.

Three days in Bangkok is too much for some, but probably not enough for most, especially if you factor in jet lag. It might be best if you think about what your "must sees" are. Chatuchak, Grand Palace, Wat Po, Wat Arun, etc.? If you approach it that way, it will tell you how much tiem you need in Bangkok.

I am doing a similar trip in August, but we are actually getting married while we are there. We are spending 4 days in Bangkok (the Peninsula), then 3 days at the Anantara Golden Triangle, then 5 days in Samui. We are getting married at the Anantara, in an elephant ceremony.
I've been there before and really loved it but it is somewhat remote-about 45 minutes outside of Chiang Rai.

will the elephants be allowed cake?

The OP has a great screen name. Take a look at the many reports on the Elephant Conservation Center on this forum. I would add a day in bangkok and subtract one in Ko Samui. If you stay on the river, Bangkok can actually be very relaxing. It is a magical place. Thailand is a perfect place for a honeymoon.

Of course the elephants can have cake-have you ever tried to stand in the way of a hungry ele and a slice of cake?

What happens if the Elephant catches the bouquet?

The other female elephants secretly resent her.

Seriously though, the Anantara has been fantastic in planning everything. We are really excited about having the wedding there. We may stay at the Anantara is Samui as well, but I haven't fully researched.
This is their page about the elephant wedding-it is a traditional Thai ceremony.
http://weddings.anantara.com/goldent...g/default.aspx

i think it all sounds so wonderful....i well remember the candle lit area as you enter the hotel after dark....the start of romance..

I just came back... spent a week in northern Thailand. I'm very glad we went to both Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Flew to CR for 3 days, then bus to CM for 4 days. It is very far to see the Golden Triangle area from Chiang Mai... so I would recommend splitting your time and staying in both areas. If I had to choose, I'd go with Chiang Rai...
It was our honeymoon too... have fun.

had never read about the wedding ceremony at anantara before -- what a beautiful rededication of vows this would make for those of us who have already tied the knot!! anything blessed by monks in asia has always worked well for me :/0

Personally, I don't see why people actually prefer Koh Samui over Phuket. Phuket seems to be much more developed and more modern than Samui.

Better beaches as well as more things to do. So before you do make a final decision, check out Phuket.

Unless there are other reasons to go to Samui, Phuket beats it hands down.

Suksan

http://guides.suksanvillas.com