Thailand - November or January?
Jul 8th, 2014, 11:22 AM
#41
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CM and CR are close, and you will want to travel overland, as the rural areas of northern Thailand are lovely. Take a look at the Mae Hong Son loop. You might want to stay in a place or two between CM and CR. Take a look at the Fern resort- nice hiking there.
Personally, i'd fly to CM from Bangkok as it is an hour flight vs. a 12 hour train ride.
Remember that each time you change locations you lose at least half a day. So three nights somewhere is really just two days. If you aren't a big beach person, you might opt for three nights in Krabi.
I love cities, so I can always enjoy more time in Bangkok. But not everyone likes big cities. You'll want some time there in nay case, but adjust it depending on your preferences.
Personally, i'd fly to CM from Bangkok as it is an hour flight vs. a 12 hour train ride.
Remember that each time you change locations you lose at least half a day. So three nights somewhere is really just two days. If you aren't a big beach person, you might opt for three nights in Krabi.
I love cities, so I can always enjoy more time in Bangkok. But not everyone likes big cities. You'll want some time there in nay case, but adjust it depending on your preferences.
Jul 8th, 2014, 12:09 PM
#42
The Mae Hong Son loop is a lovely drive with some beautiful views. Its very easy to drive because there is only one road so you cant get lost! We enjoyed it so much we did it on both trips. We tried to hike in Mae Hong Son at Fern Resort and it was very wet and muddy. Thee are guides you can hire and do one day treks in the area. We were there in january so maybe its drier in November.
Jul 9th, 2014, 06:24 AM
#43
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flygirl-
Take a look at the Shangri-la Hotel. Great location-minutes walk to BTS Saphan Taskin and Sathorn/Central Pier. We didn't stay there but had dinner there. It's a lovely property. The Mandarin Oriental is also quite nice but IMO the Shangri-la has the better location for BTS and ferry. I think that you want to get a price for whichever hotel you stay at to include breakfast and all taxes. Don't forget to check the hotels' own website for price comparison.
We are lucky in that all our long distance trips overseas we have not suffered from jet lag-knock on wood! I can't sleep on planes, trains, buses and even though I'm in my late 60s I am raring to go when we arrive, be it Africa, China, Europe, SE Asia. I believe that you need to hit the ground running so to speak and that helps me avoid any jet lag. Of course everyone is different but have that mindset and it may work for you.
My advice, even though I am not a big fan of Bangkok, I would add 1 more night there. What are some of the things you want to see/do there? What I do in preparing for any trip-I get a few guidebooks to read and make a list of the things I want to see/do. Then being that I like to go slow and easy I try to determine how much time I'll need to cover my list. In preparing for a 2015 trip to Paris I originally thought 1 week would be enough. I made my list, figured how much I'd do each day and now know I need 2 weeks in Paris. But this is how I roll. Some like to be very spontaneous and not make any plans beyond the first night at a pre arranged hotel. I'm not built that way-maybe it's my advanced age? I like to have things more planned out even before I leave the US. One way isn't better than the other. It just depends on what's right for you.
BTW $1100 sounds pretty good-flying from the US? We paid around $1300 each for our tickets this past January-open jaw-flying into Siem Reap and then Bangkok home.
If you decide to take the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, think about the overnight. Don't wait to book like we had to due to our situation at the time. By the time I was in Bangkok on Jan. 29th all the nice recommended tourist sleeper trains for Feb. 1st were fully booked!
Take the Green VIP bus from CM to Chiang Rai. Not too long, comfy ride.
I think you can do lots of hiking in the north.
My husband and I loved northern Thailand the best. We also enjoyed our time in Kanchanaburi. We were looking forward to the beaches in Thailand but we were only at Khao Lak and Phuket. I've heard Krabi is nice. My daughter loved Koh Samui. We prefered Ngapali in Burma/Myanmar for just a beach experience. If you're not into lounging on a beach don't spend more than 3-4 nights and Krabi is closer to Bangkok I think. If you can add another night, do it for your 16 on the ground total. 1 more for Bangkok and 1 more for Krabi.
Take a look at the Shangri-la Hotel. Great location-minutes walk to BTS Saphan Taskin and Sathorn/Central Pier. We didn't stay there but had dinner there. It's a lovely property. The Mandarin Oriental is also quite nice but IMO the Shangri-la has the better location for BTS and ferry. I think that you want to get a price for whichever hotel you stay at to include breakfast and all taxes. Don't forget to check the hotels' own website for price comparison.
We are lucky in that all our long distance trips overseas we have not suffered from jet lag-knock on wood! I can't sleep on planes, trains, buses and even though I'm in my late 60s I am raring to go when we arrive, be it Africa, China, Europe, SE Asia. I believe that you need to hit the ground running so to speak and that helps me avoid any jet lag. Of course everyone is different but have that mindset and it may work for you.
My advice, even though I am not a big fan of Bangkok, I would add 1 more night there. What are some of the things you want to see/do there? What I do in preparing for any trip-I get a few guidebooks to read and make a list of the things I want to see/do. Then being that I like to go slow and easy I try to determine how much time I'll need to cover my list. In preparing for a 2015 trip to Paris I originally thought 1 week would be enough. I made my list, figured how much I'd do each day and now know I need 2 weeks in Paris. But this is how I roll. Some like to be very spontaneous and not make any plans beyond the first night at a pre arranged hotel. I'm not built that way-maybe it's my advanced age? I like to have things more planned out even before I leave the US. One way isn't better than the other. It just depends on what's right for you.
BTW $1100 sounds pretty good-flying from the US? We paid around $1300 each for our tickets this past January-open jaw-flying into Siem Reap and then Bangkok home.
If you decide to take the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, think about the overnight. Don't wait to book like we had to due to our situation at the time. By the time I was in Bangkok on Jan. 29th all the nice recommended tourist sleeper trains for Feb. 1st were fully booked!
Take the Green VIP bus from CM to Chiang Rai. Not too long, comfy ride.
I think you can do lots of hiking in the north.
My husband and I loved northern Thailand the best. We also enjoyed our time in Kanchanaburi. We were looking forward to the beaches in Thailand but we were only at Khao Lak and Phuket. I've heard Krabi is nice. My daughter loved Koh Samui. We prefered Ngapali in Burma/Myanmar for just a beach experience. If you're not into lounging on a beach don't spend more than 3-4 nights and Krabi is closer to Bangkok I think. If you can add another night, do it for your 16 on the ground total. 1 more for Bangkok and 1 more for Krabi.
Jul 9th, 2014, 07:11 AM
#44
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@Chris<<<By the time I was in Bangkok on Jan. 29th all the nice recommended tourist sleeper trains for Feb. 1st were fully booked!>>>
Tail end of Peak Season. A lot of sleeper berths are block booked by tour groups as soon as they become available. As tickets become available 60 days before departure they can quickly get snapped up.
All the relevant info is on Seat61...
http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm#H...tside_Thailand
Tail end of Peak Season. A lot of sleeper berths are block booked by tour groups as soon as they become available. As tickets become available 60 days before departure they can quickly get snapped up.
All the relevant info is on Seat61...
http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm#H...tside_Thailand
Jul 9th, 2014, 07:33 AM
#45
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LL-
I couldn't pre book the tickets before we left the US as too far ahead. When I tried to book while in Cambodia the website/agent said due to the Bangkok protests their office was closed as it was located where the protests were occurring. This was info in an e-mail I received from Thailand Train Ticket Team by Travex Co. www.thailandtrainticket.com They advised me to contact the train station directly which I couldn't do as we were in Cambodia. Of course it didn't help that my timing was same as Chinese New Year!
If indeed tour groups block book then it's even more important to book the overnight train as soon as you have your dates settled for your travel.
However, I have good stories to tell of our overnight train experience on train #51 so called "express" with around 30 stops-LOL! And no A/C!!
I couldn't pre book the tickets before we left the US as too far ahead. When I tried to book while in Cambodia the website/agent said due to the Bangkok protests their office was closed as it was located where the protests were occurring. This was info in an e-mail I received from Thailand Train Ticket Team by Travex Co. www.thailandtrainticket.com They advised me to contact the train station directly which I couldn't do as we were in Cambodia. Of course it didn't help that my timing was same as Chinese New Year!
If indeed tour groups block book then it's even more important to book the overnight train as soon as you have your dates settled for your travel.
However, I have good stories to tell of our overnight train experience on train #51 so called "express" with around 30 stops-LOL! And no A/C!!
Jul 9th, 2014, 08:02 AM
#46
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Hi Flygirl
Another vote for the Mai Hong Sorn Loop. A link to my Traffic from our last visit
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-thailand.cfm Fern Resort has some nice hikes direct from their property accompanied by their resident guide dogs ( if they feel like it!) . Soppong is also a great place to explore the countryside and has a great market where people from the surround villages come to sell their produce. Soppong River Inn is a really nice place to stay.
Chiang Dao is closer to CM and also has some nice trekking opps from. Chiang Dao Nest. http://nest.chiangdao.com
Given the time you have available, I would only spend a couple of days in CR max. You could even do it as a long day trip from CM. I am also looking at Nan later this year which apparently has some great hiking out towards the Lao border.
Another vote for the Mai Hong Sorn Loop. A link to my Traffic from our last visit
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-thailand.cfm Fern Resort has some nice hikes direct from their property accompanied by their resident guide dogs ( if they feel like it!) . Soppong is also a great place to explore the countryside and has a great market where people from the surround villages come to sell their produce. Soppong River Inn is a really nice place to stay.
Chiang Dao is closer to CM and also has some nice trekking opps from. Chiang Dao Nest. http://nest.chiangdao.com
Given the time you have available, I would only spend a couple of days in CR max. You could even do it as a long day trip from CM. I am also looking at Nan later this year which apparently has some great hiking out towards the Lao border.
Jul 9th, 2014, 08:46 AM
#48
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I am sure you can do the loop with a driver although I think self drive will provide much more flexibility. Both times I used the route provided by Budget Car Rental which has some pretty comprehensive instructions and info. It is a pretty easy drive even if there are 1000 plus bends on the route. The most difficult part was to get out of CM.
A link to the budget routes in PDF form
https://www.budget.co.th/WorldClassDrive.aspx
A link to the budget routes in PDF form
https://www.budget.co.th/WorldClassDrive.aspx
Jul 9th, 2014, 10:40 AM
#49
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We had GPS in our rental car back in April. We did a 6-day drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Great fun!!! There were places where the GPS did not work well, however, and then it was good to have a smart phone which could locate us if we were within cell phone range. This was around Phu Hin Rangkla (sp) state part, which is waaaaay off the beaten path for tourists. 
We met up with Thai friends there for an over-night. Very interesting area.
We met up with Thai friends there for an over-night. Very interesting area.
