Thailand Itinerary- suggestions?
 

Spending two weeks in Thailand in June for my honeymoon. I have a very tentative itinerary and would love feedback and suggestions from those of you who know the area well.

6-15 Arrive Bangkok
6-18 Fly to Chang Mai (AirAsia??) thinking Sgt. Kai tour, hiking, see a few temples, etc.
6-22 Fly to Ao Nang near Krabi City. Rent a bungalow, do some snorkeling, canoe/kayak, mangrove forests.
6-26 Fly back to Bangkok
6-28 Home again

Any ideas on where to stay, how to travel, or other activities very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Liz

For Ao Nang, I would maybe opt for staying somewhere on Railay Beach. The Ao Nang beach is only so-so. The islands off shore, where you can spend an afternoon (by longtain) are fabulous.

That should be longtaiL (a boat).

Sounds like a nice trip.

If you can fit into your itinerary you could consider doing an overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Its such a beautiful thing waking up in the morning amongst the mountains in Chiang Mai!

I know most people always suggest to avoid Bangkok but I find there is so much to do. You could visit the floating market, the bridge on the river kwai, hellfire pass, the temples and thats just to name a few. These trips are quite long days so depending on your interests then you might want to change your itinerary as to what your really hoping to achieve on your honeymoon.

Hope this helps. I am heading back in September for the third time. I cant get enough of the country!

I don't know who says to avoid Bangkok - that must be some other forum. Many of us here count Bangkok as our favorite city in the world. I wouldn't bother will any day trips out of Bangkok, as you really don't have the time. I always recommend that honeymooners stay on the river in Bangkok. Give us a price range and we can help with which hotel.

Again, we need a budget to help you with hotels. Activities? Relax and enjoy. Don't fill all of your time with activities. There is plenty to do and see, especially in Bangkok - fabulous temples, interesting places to visit, incredible food and great shopping.

Ive read many people suggesting that Bangkok is just like every other asian capital city and I completely disagree. I too consider Bangkok one of the best cities in the world hence heading back there. I was just advising ebishop1982 to not miss out on such a great place to visit.

Thanks so much for the input guys!
Overnight train sounds interesting- any more details come to mind so I can research/book this?

We are doing this trip on a budget- hard to say what we're willing to spend on a hotel w/o a frame of reference, but certainly not over $90/night. We are much more interested in experiencing local culture and adventure than luxury, anyway.

Glad to hear the rave reviews on Bangkok- since we're going in the rainy season, I'm not counting on the beach being all we want it to be. Im open to keeping travel plans flexible- is it realistic to book flights once we are there?

The train was a great way to visit. We went from Bangkok to Ayyutha (excuse the spelling) on the train, stayed a night there and spent the day on hired bikes riding through the temples..we stayed at a YHA and were the only ones there and were welcomed to eat dinner with the family who spoke no english, was the most amazing experience I will never forget. From there the next night we hopped on the train to Chiang Mai. I cant remember exact details as it was a few years ago but I am pretty sure if you search for the general bangkok train table you will be able to find it. We booked our tickets online and picked them up at the station when we arrived. I have heard people suggest it was pointless to get the overnight train as your asleep most of the night and dont get to see but you wake up early to the sounds around you as you come through the foggy hills into Chiang Mai. Amazing!

Whether to take the overnight train depends a lot on just how much time you have. The flight to Chiang Mai is an hour, the train is more like 12 hours. If you are a train buff, do it, if not, consider whether that's how you want to spend your time.

Let me note that you have a fair amount of time in CM, 4 nights. That is great if you are planning an overnight trek or something like that. But if you just want to visit Doi Suthep and a few other temples, do a bit of shopping, etc, that's more time than you need.

For hotels, take a look at www.sawasdee.com which is a Thai booking service and at www.agoda.com for hotel options and prices. June is low season, so you should be able to get good prices. Note that hotels in Thailand charge 10% service and &.7% tax. When you look at prices on booking sites, make sure you compare prices with tax and service included. Also, try to get rates that include breakfast.