Holiday in Thailand

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Omad

Registered User
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Was wondering if any one had suggestions for a holiday in Thailand. I am going for three weeks next month. However, so far all that I have booked is a couple nights in Bangkok when I arrive. I was thinking of maybe doing a treck for a few days (in the North) and then spending the the last two weeks going around a few of the Islands in the South. Does anyone know of or been on any good trecks that you could recommend, also what are the best islands and ones to avoid???
 
my cuz went on a elephant 2 day trek up the north and reckons it was one of the best things she has ever done - enjoy!
 
Omad said:
so far all that I have booked is a couple nights in Bangkok when I arrive.
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In my experience i always leave the Bangkok stay until the end of the trip. Because there is so much shopping there, you dont want to have to haul the stuff all over thailand when travelling.
 
Bangkok is a great city; quite mental and chaotic but memorable. Ensure that you visit the Grand Palace. Also worth taking a day trip to the River Kwai and the Burmese Railroad north of the city.

If you like your beach holidays, go somewhere like Phuket or Koh Samui but do avoid Pattaya; it is a bit of a hole to be honest (in comparison to other Thai resorts).

Haven't been to the north of Thailand, but I hear it is pretty spectacular. Chiang Mai is supposed to be a must visit.
 
Hi

had my honeymoon in thailand, and would advise the following

instead of an elephant trek I would recommend going to an elephant sanctuary - www.elephantnaturepark.org/

you get to spend the day seeing them free in their natural environment, feeding them and washing them, the elephants are cared for unlike the treks.

Ko phi phi and ko lanta are great island destinations, not as tacky as koh samui, check out tripadvisor.com for reviews of accommodatoin
 
Nige said:
Go to Koh Phi Phi.
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Agree 100%. Avoid Koh Samui. It's an over-commercialised dump. It's the Canaries of Thailand. Hated every minute of it!

Krabi and Ao Nang are quite nice too but not as chilled as Phi Phi.
 
Yoltan said:
Agree 100%. Avoid Koh Samui. It's an over-commercialised dump. It's the Canaries of Thailand. Hated every minute of it!
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Wise words..couldnt agree more. To discover the real thailand, head inland/up north. Travel first class on a sleeper carriage to Udon Thani or Nong Khai. Travelling up there gives you the opportunity to check out Laos too - as Vientiane is just a couple of hours away.

Have heard great things about the North West ie. Chang Mai - and if I ever make it back to that part of the world, I will be heading there for sure.
 
Its a bit harsh calling Koh Samui a dump or anything like that.

Please be sensitive to people who have paid a lot of money to go to this Island on holidays, honeymoon etc.

I have booked a resort in Koh Samui for my honeymoon later this year, and I have done extensive research into the Island. From what I have heard it is as spectacular as any of the other islands. Of course, you are going to get your over commercialised area's, but many people choose to stay in resorts.

Remember everyone is different.
 

The op asked for advice. This is my opinion. Compared to the other islands I thought it was a dump. Serotoninsid agrees. Just for the record it cost me money to go there too.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. Will have to get the finger out and make a few decisions now, going this Saturday!

Cheers.
 
I echo Jason_77's post. Just because one person doesn't like a particular area doesn't mean others won't. By all means give an objective fact based opinion on the reasons why YOU don't like it, but to dismiss it out of hand as a dump is not very helpful.
To answer the OP;
I have travelled extensively throughout S E Asia, and have experienced many different types of destinations, from very basic independant travelling, to the high end resorts on the islands like Koh Samui.
It all depends on what you want to get out of this holiday. If you are looking for an Island holiday in a destination that is easy to get to from Bangkok with spectaculay palm fringed beaches, great restaurants and good all round facilities, then go to Koh Samui by all means. You can fly direct to here from Bangkok, avoiding the long bus or ferry journeys which can be very tiring, and not altogether safe from a vehicle road or seaworthiness perspective, and the driving standards leave alot to be desired. The resorts here are really beautiful, better than most 5 star here at a fraction of the price. You can book them yourself online, and it is usually cheaper this way. It's also low season at the moment so you should get a good deal.
It can be a bit commercialised, some big rave pubs and definitely a party type atmosphere in the main part of town. However, the way the beach is situated, its somewhat secluded from the main part of the town, and most beach hotels and beach houses have very nice chilled out bars and restaurants. Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Oh and Jason_77, have a great honeymoon!
 
I'd echo geri's sentiments.

Yoltan is certainly entitled to his/her opinion, but it does seem to be painting a big area with one stroke of a brush. I suspect they may have been based in Chaweng, which is indeed built-up & tacky, but areas like Choeng Mon are entirely different. I'd liken Yoltan's comment to someone visiting Dingle or Temple Bar & dismissing the whole of Kerry or Dublin as "over-commercialised dumps" - entirely unfair. Or maybe they did find the entire island not to their liking - but I suspect that's a minority view. Tripadvisor.com has a wide selection of travellers views & reports - have a look there before deciding.

Jason - wherever you end up, best wishes for a great honeymoon!
 
The first time i went to koh samui about 8 or 9 years ago, the main strip chaweng wasnt a bad spot at all. But when i went back 2 years ago i was very dissappointed with chaweng. It really had changed for the worse.

HOWEVER, there are many other places on Samui that are worth visiting. We discovered a little place called The Fisherman's Village in Bophut, this is a small strip of really nice restaurants and some nice chilled out bars, no girly bars, no one haggling you on the street, no jeeps driving up & down the street blaring news of the latest black moon party or thai boxing event.
Choeng mon as Jock04 mentioned is also a nice relaxing spot with some nice little restaurants on the beach.

we are heading back in august and staying on koh phangan for a week and then back to samui for a week up in the fishermans village. cant wait!
 
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