rpmeyers

Hi,

I'm trying to lock down the itinerary for my honeymoon in late November/early December. We are flying business class on Cathay Pacific in and out of BKK. We have 17 nights, which I currently have broken down as follows:

5 nights -- LM Khao Lak (This was booked as part of a Nights & Flights award through SPG. The hotel is honoring the award even though the property will leave Starwood at the end of October. I'm a little bit nervous about this, but because it is free it's allowing us to splurge in other places.)

3 nights -- Trisara

5 nights -- Chiang Mai (Anantara Kasari Suite)

4 nights -- Bangkok (Peninsula Grand Deluxe Suite)

Recently, a coworker who's traveled extensively to the area suggested that Siem Reap was a must visit if I'm going to be in the area. This got me thinking about whether I should trim Chiang Mai and Bangkok down by a day each (or more) to work it in.

From everything I've read, Siem Reap is amazing, but I'm also mindful of not trying to squeeze too many stops into the time that we have. What do you think? How should we allocate our time?

Thanks for your help.

Braindrain

Welcome to FT and congrats on your upcoming wedding.

Personally, it will depend on what your interests are but I think your itin is pretty tight. If you plan on visiting Ayutthaya while in Bangkok, I'd say that is a pretty good approximation. The Siem Reap complexes are more extensive with more motifs.

If you truly want to fit it in, I'd replace it with one of your existing destinations rather than trying to fit it in. You should allow for at least 1 full day, and ideally at least 2 full days in Siem Reap.

Goldorak

+1

I would spend at least 3 days in Siem Reap. There's so much to see in Angkor.

glennaa11

I guess it also depends somewhat on your budget since flights to REP are notoriously expensive. (Maybe that's changed recently?)

And of course it also depends on things like your interests and whether you plan to return to SE Asia at any point.

Personally I wouldn't do 2 beach destinations, but that's because I find sitting on the beach boring.

5 days CM might be a little much. I like CM but you can easily trim a day (at least) unless you have plans to see things a bit further afield up there.

If the option is just 2 days in REP then I wouldn't do it. I think in order to make it worthwhile you need to spend a bit more time there. So I wouldn't go through the expense of the flights, visa, etc for that little time.

Homer15

FWIW, we did a trip recently where we skipped Chiang Mai and went to Siem Reap instead and we were very happy with that itinerary (we did a few days in Bangkok at the Peninsula, then Siem Reap, then some time at Rayavadee).

I am very glad we got to see Angkor Wat and other temples (and while I think the airfares are somewhat inflated from lack of competition, I did not think they were unreasonable to the point of dictating our itinerary).

Depending on your interests, you might swap out Trisara (and a day of CM?) or perhaps CM.

I would think you'd want at least 2 full days in REP, and maybe 3?

dtsm

Congrats to bride and groom!

Agree with others to either trim or skip CM and definitely do the side-tour at Angkor Wat in SR. Two full days is sufficient but you might like the laid back atmosphere and spend more time there.

It's the start of high season and weather will be good. Flights on LCC is very reasonable, as are hotels.

There are a couple threads dealing with Angkor Wat, plus discussions on hotels and tour guides, etc.

rpmeyers

Thanks to all for the advice.

I think I'm going to see if KL will let me trade 5 nights for 4 in an upgraded room. I don't know if they'll go for that, but, if they do, I could then do the following:

4 nights -- Khao Lak
3 nights -- Trisara
4 nights -- Chiang Mai
3 nights -- Siem Reap
3 nights -- Bangkok

Does that seem like the right balance?

dsquared37

For lazing around, relaxation, great food, not being hounded but a vast population of tuk tuk and moto drivers I'd say CM is heads and tails more enjoyable than REP.

But REP is worthwhile to hit for 3 days to check out temples.

Congrats to OP and enjoy.

whackyjacky

D37 is right on as usual. Angkor can be done in 2 days (but not less) & it's a must for travelers to SEA IMO. Flights from BKK aren't stupid expensive anymore since Air Asia started DMK-REP. BKK Air used to have a monopoly on the route and they f-ed you without a kiss. Last time I looked a couple months ago they were the cheapest.

dsquared37

Don't forget about K6 which apparently a decent but inexpensive airline. And they don't nickel and dime the way FD does.

IAN-UK

Hey, it's your honeymoon! Hopefully you know your soon-to-be wife well enough to work out what sort of stuff you want to do as a couple after the luxury beach part is over. Chiang Mai may well suit you both down to the ground, but I reckon Siem Reap/Angkor could turn out to be the highlight of your post-beach trip.

If you want to have a gear change from the well-trod Thai tourist circuit, you could ditch most (if not all) of Chiang Mai and give Cambodia a longer look. Phnom Penh has its charms, as do the beach resorts reached through Sihanoukville, then of course there's Siem Reap. Return home via your stay in Bangkok.

whackyjacky

I haven't. I use them a lot more than PG, but it's their honeymoon, Cambodia Angkor Air doesn't have enough metal, & they cancel flights at the drop of a hat. The whole experience on one of their turboprops just plane sucks, whereas on the Airbus it's excellent.

dsquared37

^

gailwynand

Siem Reap has an Aman, just thought I'd note that since your hotel selections seem to be more in the luxury direction.

seanthepilot

I hated Siem Riep. But, Angor was definitely well worth the visit.

My advice...
Wake up early, temples all day. If they say to go to a certain temple for sunrise or sunset... avoid the crowds by doing the opposite.

Sleep all night.

Rinse and repeat.

Easy to pack in 3 days that way.