dgunbug

After much debate and after reading endless comments on this travel board, we have decided to include Siem Reap in our 22 day tour of Thailand. The following is our revised itinerary. Any help in tweaking this would be greatly appreciated.

Friday – Jan. 30th reserve hotel in bangkok (actually arrive 2 am on Jan. 31st)
Saturday – 1st tour day
Sunday – 2nd tour day
Monday – 3rd tour day
Tuesday – 4th tour day – ayuthtia
Wednesday – 5th tour day – floating market
Thursday – travel to Siem Reap (SR) - overland
Friday – SR
Satursday – SR
Sunday – SR
Monday – SR lake
Tuesday – SR to BKK – take evening sleeper train to Chiang Mai
Wednesday -- chiang mai
Thursday – chiang mai
Friday – chiang mai
Saturday – chiang rai
Sund – chiang rai
Mond – gold triangle
Tuesday – phitsanulok
Wednesday – sukhothai
Thursday – Lop Buri, return to Bangkok
Friday – Bangkok – fly to Seoul late evening
Saturday – Seoul to USA

Are we missing anything or including too much?

Your comments are always appreciated.

June

rhkkmk

no need to go to ayuttia (sp) if you are going to SR....SR is far superior in every way....schedule something else that day...

overland to SR from bkk??? pretty aggressive it seems to me....are you trying to avoid the high airfare? its not just like an easy drive in the country....

likewise i would fly to CM....can do this very inexpensively...

simpsonc510

I'm not sure you will want to try to do too much touring that first Saturday in Bangkok. You will no doubt be jetlagged and may want to "crash" about 4 in the afternoon! I know I usually do, but I try to stay up until 9. I'm pretty draggy. I would try to take it pretty easy your first couple of days. You will need to get used to the heat (although January weather is usually pretty good).

Regarding Ayuhyah (sp), I think it would be a nice relaxing day trip if you are doing something with the bus/boat combo.

Your itinerary looks great IMO.

Carol

Kathie

Overall, I think it's a good itinerary. Obviously, you are interested in ruins of temples and cities as you are visiting Ayutthaya, Sukothai and Siem Reap. Of these three, Ayutthaya is the least extensive and the most "ruined." If you run short of time in Bangkok,that would be the place to cut.

Overland from Bangkok to Siem Reap is a full day. I highly recommend that you read the detailed info on how to get there with the fewest number of scams: www.talesofasia.com The train from Bangkok to the border, taxi or tuktuk to the border, walk across, then taxi to SIem Reap. It's easier to avoid scams coming back. Also, do have a hotel or guesthouse reserved ahead. The absolute worst way to go is to book one of the minibuses from KSR.

I'm not fond of Chiang Mai, so if it were me (and it isn't), I'd stay only a couple of days in CM, then head north to the Golden Triangle.

Kristina

I think it looks good. I like the fact that you are not rushing too much from place to place.
Some comments/questions:
1. You have 5 days in Bangkok. Your last two days are long travel days followed by an even longer travel day to SR. You might consider going to Ayutthaya or the floating market on day 3 instead. Alternate days in BKK and days out.

2. If you are not already aware, please check out a great organization which works with school kids in SR, www.theplf.org. Search for "Ponheary" on this board and you will read about how wonderful they are.

3. How are you getting back to BKK from SR? I hope not overland if you are planning to then get on a train to CM. If that's the case, you might consider looking into taking a bus direct to CM from the border instead of going back to BKK (though I do not know if this is possible).

4. You have a lot of moving around in the last week. How are you getting from place to place?

My Mom and I went to BKK and SR last December. You can see our trip on my website www.wired2theworld.com. Our visit included going to the floating market with Tong and touring the temples in SR with Ponheary. After I left to go home, my mom continued on to CM and the golden triange area and you can see that on her blog: www.nickelmoon.blogspot.com

Gpanda

Skip Ayutthaya. It is nothing compared to Angkor Wat.

Have you explored the possibility of flying to Pnomh Penh and getting to Siem Riep from there? It's another way to avoid the BKK-SR larcenous prices.

afterall

Why so much flak for dgunbug's proposal to travel overland from BKK to Siem Riep, and by train from BKK to Chiang Mai. Just because you, rhkkmk, never take public transport doesn't mean that other people don't wish to.

The overnight train to CM is an excellent idea, OP.

You don't say how you plan to travel back from SR to Bangkok. Now I wouldn't do both ways overland!! One is good - like you've decided it would be good to get in amongst the local people. Take a bus; take a train (and it has to be said that both forms of transport are excellent in Thailand). I agree.

But both ways is a waste of time. I'd fly in late on Wednesday and return by road on Monday. Gives you an extra day somewhere.

I don't think you are trying to do too much. But you are missing one of my favourite places - Kanchanaburi. Having said that, I haven't covered the territory you plan to, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Lopburi - and you'll have done your research and decided that's what you want to do.

Cheers and have a wonderful time.

thursdaysd

I agree that the day trip to Ayutthaya is worthwhile if you include a boat trip back to Bangkok, but that the ruins in no way compare to Angkor Wat (can't think what does, though, except maybe Bagan!)

I also agree with afterall that overlanding both ways to Siem Reap is overdoing it - the drive in Cambodia can be pretty slow and bumpy. Definitely avoid the KSR scam buses, and don't worry about the train to CM, it's fine.

rhkkmk

if kantchburi is your favorite thai place then i can see why you do not like my suggestions...

i use public transportation all the time in addition to private transport....read more closely next time....there have been stories of many troubles by travellers using ground transportation between the two points, but i guess that does not interest you....enjoy the bumps and guns

thursdaysd

"there have been stories of many troubles by travellers using ground transportation between the two points, but i guess that does not interest you....enjoy the bumps and guns" - talesofasia.com, the best source around for info on travel in Cambodia, says of the road from Poipet to SR: "Paving has begun and the rest is as good as it's been in years." And what's this about guns? Once there was concern about mines, but I never heard anything about guns. The troubles with ground transport mostly involve using the KSR scam buses.