Thailand - where to start the planning?
 

Hello,
I am planning a travel to Thailand and the start is always overwhelming...where to go, what to read, when to go.
Can you please help me with some pointers: We like to travel independently, love to hike and trek, snorkel and kayak... simply anything to do with nature, do not care for the crowded cities. Can you please advise what areas to focus on, is March a good time to go? What guidebook, web sites would you recommend for me to start with? Thank you Helena

Hi Helena,

Here are some recommendations for resources to begin your research:

Here are a few guide book recommendations:

Fodors
Frommer's
Lonely Planet
Rough Guide
FootPrints
DK Publishing - Eyewitness Travel

Here are a few travel related websites, some directly related to Asia:

www.lonelyplanet.com
www.travelfish.org (my favorite for SE Asia!)
www.virtualtourist.com
www.tripadvisor.com
www.talesofasia.com
www.bootsnall.com
www.nancychandler.com (great maps of Bangkok and Chiang Mai)

Hotel Booking Sites:

www.asiarooms.com
www.sawadee.com
precisionreservation.com

Please keep in mind that it often takes longer to get a confirmation email from some places in SE Asia.

Many on this forum love Bangkok, including myself. However, since you stated you do not like crowded cities you may want to minimize your time in Bangkok. That being said, I would still spend at least 2 nights there to visit some of the major attractions.

We did some kayaking around the Krabi region last year and loved it! There is also good day trips and snorkeling around this region.

If you are wanting to immerse yourself in nature you may want to consider Chiang Dao, which is north of Chiang Mai. There are some good hikes around this area and it is very beautiful.

On my second trip to Thailand last year I also spent time in Kanchanaburi area. I absolutely loved it there! I rented a motorbike and explored the area including a few waterfalls and many caves. There isn't oodles of night life but there are some fun places to hang out and have a cold one.


Chiang Mai is a common stop for people with a couple of weeks in Thailand. it is the second largest city in Bankgok but considerably smaller. There is a lot of nightlife and some nice day trips from there.

Nov-Feb are the ideal months to travel in Thailand. I haven't been in March but it will definitely be hot!

After you do some research please post any additional questions. Keep in mind that we can assist you more effectively if you tell us where you are travelling from, your age range and your budget.

Good luck!

First of all, you are going to have a blast. Other than Bangkok, which is a bit overwhelming on first visit - Chang Mai is a good place to book guided treks and other adventures, especially good are those with overnight stops at hill tribe villages. Make sure to get your massage!
If you can afford it and have an extra 2-3 days - don't miss Ang Kor Wat in Cambodia. It's a short flight and really worth the extra effort.

I'd also recommend that you spend a few hours reading people's trip reports.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I invite you to take a look at photos from all over SE Asia at our website: www.marlandc.com

to get started which i believe is your question i would do the following:

figure out the max # of days you can be away---stretch it..

look for the best airfare you can find...

march is the start of the warmest part of the year in thailand...

decide what level of hotel you want and need...be aware that traditionally expensive hotels are much cheaper in thailand than in many other places in the world....hotels at the beach areas are more expensive than elsewhere in thailand....you can have a small room or an elaborate suite....all are affordable...a/c is mandatory for most westerners, even at the beach, and especially in march...

be aware that you may be very tired for the first day or two in thailand and your adjustment to the heat and humidity will affect you greatly...i usually consider the first two days a write-off....good time to be centered around a beach or a good pool...

the sites provided above are very helpful....

a good hotel site is www.huahin.20m.com
and another is www.asiarooms.com

these are both pre pay places so do not book anything until your trip is all set...

internal flights are quite reasonable in thailand and it is the best way to get from one place to another...thai air is the best carrier....bangkok air is also a well liked carrier...there are a series of new low cost airlines some which have good records and some not....all are safe i believe...

thailand is made up of 3 main areas:

bangkok, the north (chaing mai and chiang rai) and the beach/island areas (hua hin, koh samui, phuket, krabi, phi phi, koh chang, pattaya/jontiem, to name a few)...many of us like to combine all of these on our vacations...

so from my perspective this is a start for you....we will be glad to help at each junction....just ask and ask frequently...

To answer your actual questions:

Where to go-For two weeks on the ground, a typical split is Bangkok, Northern Thailand and a beach. Reading your likes, I suggest BKK-4 days, N.Thailand 5 days and beach-5 days. I would do 2 days on the front and back in BKK.

What to read-read a couple of guide books. They are written for different types of travellers. I suggest Fodors, Frommers and Lonely Planet. Buy the books. You can mark page and reread whenever. After reading the books, you can structure your own split of your time by picking the activities that sound most fun. However, do not overlook BKK. It's an amazing place.

When to go-mid-November through February has the best weather. It's only really hot and not stifling.

RhkKmk has given you good advice. First, grab as much time as you can. Search around for flights, try Kayak and Sidestep as well as the normal websites. Book your flight to and from BKK. Don't agonize over saving $50-$100 on the flight, just book when you think you have a good price. Once you've got this filght booked, you can play around with the internal arrangements endlessly or not.

Note:if you can get 3 weeks, I would include at least 3 days at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This is unique.

Thank you all for such a prompt response!
I did read some trip reports to get the names of places into the memory and now I'll be looking n=more into the details.
We'd like to do one or more treks, are there any that you would recommend? We like to spend the time in the nature, are not afraind of backpacking.

In Northern Thailand, there is a great deal of trekking. It's done on many levels. some are pleasant jaunts for a day and others last much longer. My son and his wife went on a 3 day trk through the hill country. They stayed in two villages with no other torits at all. They had a great time. this was arranged through Sergeasnt Kai at ChiangMaitours.com. There were two guides and just my son and his wife. the guides had never heard of sergeant Kai, so he probably booked them through a local agency. Booking locally is done often when in Chiang Mai. Of course, you lose at least one day of trekking.

Note: many of these treks involve at some point an elephant ride and/or river rafting. These are fun, but pretty tame. If making arrangements ahead of time, you can specify whether you want these included.

Hi,
Just read your message, you like the same type of things that we do.We have been to Thailand 2 times,and are going again in 9 weeks.
Apart from when we went to queensland in australia this past october, we normally always go on our hols in march-april.
Our fav hol place,where we have been to twice is borneo,sabah.
We have hiked through rain forest there, climbed the highest mountain in se asia[mount kinabalu], been white water rafting, spent a whole day on an island entirly to ourselves, snorkled , seen oranutans in the wild, and had a brilliant time, it really is a fantastic place, and although i love Thailand, borneo just has everything.
have a great time,where ever you go ,
suzi

Eurotraveller...Nancy chandler's website is...nancychandler.net NOT nancychandler.com Happy Travels!

Thanks for the correction, Guenmai.