Kathie

Do note that you have opted to spend the majority of your time at the beach. Your Thai cultural experiences will be necessarily brief stays in Chaing Mai and Bangkok. If you have more interest in Thai culture, you'll need to rebalance your itinerary.

Reeta

I dont think it is unbalanced at all. you have khao sok in the middle of phuket and krabi.. i think it looks ideal. if i were you i would stay at ko lanta (narima) instead of krabi. that way if you want to day trip you have lots of options, being in the middle of phi phi, krabi, ko ngai, ko jum... i have been told that lanta is spectacular and a much better option than krabi. have a look at the lonely planet thorn tree forum and also tripadvisor for some info - a good person to contact re ko lanta is susannah bachman of lanta longtail - she has been really helpful with helping me decide my itinerary in that part of thailand. www.lantalongtail.com - we are staying at the narima at the end of december and cant wait.

fatboykings

Feel exhausted, all this planning... need a holiday!!! Ok, Baan Orapin, Suk 11 and Our Jungle House have been booked in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Khao Sok respectively - so nearly done! (Phew!!). Please can you help me solve the Phi Phi vs Koh Lanta debate? We were siding with the latter and ready to book up at the Lanta Long Beach Resort (???) but then tonight we read a few reviews that said Koh Lanta is perhaps too sedate for us i.e. What what is there to do in the evenings? Can we combine both Koh and Phi Phi over 4 nights (2 nights at each) as we are flying from Krabi to Bangkok? Thanks in advance!

Reeta

We are staying at Ko Lanta (3 nights Narima & 3 nights Lanta Long Beach Resort) over New Years. From what I hear Long Beach isnt sedate. We were thinking of going to Phi Phi but I have heard it is more backpackerish than Lanta. We are early 30's and love a few drinks, but not likely to stay out til dawn. If you post a message on tripadvisor.com, there is a forum memeber called mosegrisen who spends a lot of time on Lanta, they may be able to help you out. Thorn Tree forum at Lonely Planet has a few recent posts on Phi Phi and Lanta as well... My impression is Phi Phi gets a younger crowd and lanta is more mixed... could be wrong though.

Reeta

PS from Khao Sok it is realistic to go through phuket to phi phi for 2 nights then onto Lanta but then you only really have the one full day at each place... i would base yourself in one place (lanta is more central to everything) and day trip to the other...

fatboykings

Thanks Reeta! We tried to book Narima but they are fully booked - Already! I think we'll stick with Koh Lanta for 4 nights and use it as a base to see other islands if we can drag ourselves off of the beach. Thanks

Reeta

wow! ok well a couple of places i would suggest is lanta long beach (book through sawadee - cheapest).. or there is a new one called mango house.. website should be up and running soon and the guy is going to send me the info once he has it up.. if you like I can pass it on... I found a small write up on it and it sounds gorgeous. the write up says:

Mango House on Fisherman's Pier in Lanta Old Town - a quaint and charming 100 hundred year old fishing village on Lanta's south-west coast - is a new-concept mini-hotel cum haute B & B. Emerging from a row of renovated timber Chinese shop-houses on a pier directly facing the fantastical island views of southern Phang Nga Bay, the new community will eventually host a series of upmarket, private access villas and suites, and a waterfront seafood restaurant and wine bar in keeping with the historic cultural landscape of the area.

"The Mango House concept follows a trend based on discreet, 'home away from home' mini-hotels now to be found in some of Europe's most fashionable neighbourhoods," says developer Duane Lennie.

"Many people now, when they travel, do not like to stay in large impersonal hotels so the mini-hotel idea is a great alternative".

http://www.kolantamagazine.com/artma...icle_105.shtml

Let me know if you want the details he sends... or his direct email address.
What dates are you in Lanta?

Reeta

Oh and I found this write up also from the same website:

Two new, "alternative" accommodations will be added to the Best of Ko Lanta booking system on this website after March 15th: Mango House in Lanta Old Town and Sang Kha Ou Resort close to the Sea Gypsy village, both located on the cultural west coast of Ko Lanta.

Mango House is a unique home stay situated in Lanta Old Town – an historical port village that once served as a merchant harbor for the ancient silk trade between China and India.

Built over the sea in a renovated 100-year old Chinese shop house, Mango House features the original charm of the teak wood structure that once served as a government run opium den.

Spacious, boutique-style suites with dark wood work and rich silks provide simple, elegant comfort and views of seven tropical islands or village street life.

Sang Kha Ou is a truely unique resort located at the on secluded west side of the island a paradise for those wanting to escape the tourists.

Choose from Boat Houses, Tree Houses and Rock Cave suites. Close to the beach and the island's best launching point for daily cruises to the numerous local islands.

I couldnt find any contact details for Sang Kha Ou, and never heard back from this website when I enquired. I have heard from someone who was just on Lanta who said they had a look at it and it was great. That might be another option

xx