Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Right you bloody bunch of lovelies. Need some advice and suggestions please! As mentioned in another thread, the gf is dying to go to Thailand, so we're gonna go in the summer. I'm not too fussed about the place, but seeing as she's so into it I'm more than happy to go. Current plan is to go to Hong Kong (I'm aware that's not in Thailand) for 3 nights, Bangkok for 3 nights and then a week on a beach somewhere, probably Phuket. Get a ferry a couple of days to places like Railay etc Probably all terribly clichéd, but **** it. I've never been anywhere like that before really, so I'm more than happy to stick to a well trodden path. We did think about just flying to Bangkok and winging it, still could, we've nothing booked yet. Anyway, anyone got suggestions about stuff to do, places to see, places to avoid etc? Edited February 17, 2014 by Stevo985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeVilla82 Posted February 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 It's been a while since I last went, but in the summer, I seem to remember that the better beach weather is in the eastern islands (Ko Samui, Ko Tao etc) rather than Phuket and those on the western side. We spent 3 days in Bangkok (just about long enough, although I wouldn't spend any less time there) and then flew down to Samui. Had 5 nights on Chaweng beach (too commercial for me, albeit a beautiful beach) and then caught a boat up to Ko Tao, which was amazing. Beautiful island, amazing beaches, much more relaxed atmosphere than Samui. We stayed in a place called Thipwimarn, up in the hills - each room was an individual villa for about £50 per night. Although I drank too much on the last day and then had to get the boat back to Samui Good diving in Ko Tao as well, if you're into that kind of thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Am going next Thursday, so I can't give you any recommendations as it may end up being crap. But here's a couple of ideas for you. Firstly, if you fancy a bit of Island hopping then go to the west coast, and get in contact with these people. They can arrange speed boat transfers all the way down the coast as far as Malaysia. http://www.tarutaolipeisland.com/ Secondly, if you fancy something different, like visiting a rainforest and staying on a boathouse on the edge of a massive lake, then have a look at these people: http://www.limestonelaketours.com/ Thirdly, I suspect there are better places than Phuket. We're starting in up in Khao Lak, moving through Khao Sok, Railay, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Koh Muk and then onto Koh Lipe & Turutao. Koh Phi Phi and Phuket are the most expensive places for accomodation on the west coast, and they come across as being the most touristy too. As an idea of what you could do, (basically what i'm doing), you could fly into Phuket, and cruise down the west coast as far as Langkawi before either flying back to Bangkok or coming home from either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. (Unless you're going in the summer, in which case ignore all of this because it'll be pissing down with rain the whole time). Edited February 17, 2014 by Shillzz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 (Unless you're going in the summer, in which case ignore all of this because it'll be pissing down with rain the whole time). Oh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 We were planning early July. Google tells me it's not too bad. You'll get a heavy shower most days but the real wet season is September/October (for Phuket anyway) Noted that Phuket might not be the best. We were planning just to use it as a base really and do a bit of zipping around day to day. As lazy as I am, I think I'd get bored spending 8 days on the same beach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeVilla82 Posted February 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 We went to the eastern islands in August, and chose east over west for that reason. Weather was pretty good - in 10 days on Ko Samui and Ko Tao, I reckon we had one cloudy day, and rain showers most days but for no more than an hour a time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 We were planning early July. Google tells me it's not too bad. You'll get a heavy shower most days but the real wet season is September/October (for Phuket anyway) Noted that Phuket might not be the best. We were planning just to use it as a base really and do a bit of zipping around day to day. As lazy as I am, I think I'd get bored spending 8 days on the same beach Perhaps just go to Railay instead then, there are boat links from here to Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. This is where i'm staying in Railay if it's any help: https://raileibeachclub.com/ Either way, it'll be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 Yeah Railay was one of the places we were planning on going for a day anyway. You can get a ferry from Phuket apparently. Saw that Railei beach club being brought up somewhere else. Will check it out. Shillz, did you do some sort of package or just plan it all yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Nah i've planned it myself as part of a much longer trip (off to Borneo, Singapore, Australia & NZ too). I've used Air Asia to get around the place (Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Phuket, Langkawi - Kuching), and then the Speedboat option to make our way down the country. I'm new to the game, so there may be better ways, but I saw no real benefit in having someone else organise it. That said, if you do want to do something a little more ambitious and would like someone to organise it, then i'd recommend getting in contact with Bamboo travel. They're doing the Borneo leg of my trip, and have just done my parents' trip to Thailand, they've also just received the Wanderlust travel operator of the year award. They will tailor you a tour to suit whatever it is you'd like to do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 Will give them a look. Been playing around with flights, internal flights over there are so cheap. Might go for something like London - Hongkong - Bangkok - Phuket - Kuala Lumpur - London Flights from Kuala Lumpur to London as opposed to flying from phuket are about £150 cheaper. And flights between the two are less than £50. So might tag that on to the end of it for a couple of days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I'll echo the sentiments of going to the three Eastern islands over Phuket. Samui, Koh Tao and Phangan have a good range of nice beaches, activities, and party time action respectively. They're all short ferry hops apart from each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 Cheers Wainy, will have a look. What's the nearest airport(s) to them? I'm not skint but I am on a bit of a budget. Looked at that Bamboo place and it was saying stuff like "prices from £2,499"... that's a tad more than I was expecting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Ah yeah, it can be fairly expensive, but those prices do include flights. I think I pretty much just pinched one of their itineraries and sorted itself out for myself at a cheaper price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villamark Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Got to Jim thompsons house when your in bangkok, I stayed at a hotel called the lit and it was good value, was about 2 years ago. I went to an island called ko racha yai and stayed at the racha which was really good. Edited February 17, 2014 by villamark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 Ah yeah, it can be fairly expensive, but those prices do include flights. I think I pretty much just pinched one of their itineraries and sorted itself out for myself at a cheaper price. I'm now thinking of directing everything through Kuala Lumpur Fly to kuala lumpur, maybe stay one night, fly straight away to Bangkok for a few days, then out to a beach, then back to kuala lumpur for a few days, then back home. Return flights are way cheaper, and Kuala Lumpur plus a short flight seems cheaper than flying direct to Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 If you do that, then may I suggest the following as an idea: Fly to Kuala Lumpur and get an air asia over to the Langkawi Islands. Stay there for a couple of days. Get the boat up to Koh Lipe and Turutao in Thailand (not too far), perhaps even up to Trang if it takes your fancy. Then from Langkawi you could either fly back to KL, then home, or up to Bangkok / Chiang Mai if you were that way inclined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 Will definitely bear that in mind. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Cheers Wainy, will have a look. What's the nearest airport(s) to them? I'm not skint but I am on a bit of a budget. Looked at that Bamboo place and it was saying stuff like "prices from £2,499"... that's a tad more than I was expecting! I think Surat Thani is the airport you need. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 17, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 17, 2014 Flights from bangkok to Surat Thani may as well be free, haha! £30 return Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Is it NOK air by any chance? they have my favourite planes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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