Advice for two weeks in Thailand - November 2014
Hello all. I've been reading these boards for a while now trying to plan a two week trip (honeymoon) to Thailand in November. I have a general idea of what I want to do but would now like some advice from the community.
I am planning a trip in three parts:
- North - Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai
- Bangkok
- Andaman Cost
I'd love to go to Koh Samui as I've heard great things but it seems that November is not the best time to fly there. With the above parts in mind, I'm having a hard time planning where to stay for each part.
For the north:
Given that we'll probably do a total of 4 days in the north, I feel like we need to pick either Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai to stay in and maybe day trip to the other spot. I'd love to stay at the Four Seasons Golden Triangle as the reviews are generally very positive. However, the price is prohibitive. I recall one person saying they emailed with the hotel for a discount, but I'm not sure I can rely on that. Another option is the Anantara, which seems similar although obviously won't compare to the FS. The other option would be to skip Chiang Rai and just stay in Chiang Mai - either at the FS, Anantara, or Mandarin.
Bangkok:
Planning 2-3 nights here; not too concerned with picking a hotel as there are many good options.
Andaman/Beach:
This is where I'm really struggling. There are so many great options! I think we want to go to Krabi given the very positive reviews. Having a hard time picking between the Ritz Phulay Bay and Rayavadee. It seems that the location at Rayavadee is better but the beach gets packed with tourists and the hotel is showing it's age. I suppose we could do 3 nights and one and 2 at the other. As for a second beach spot, from my research I think the following are options:
Phuket - Trisara, Aleenta, Naka Island - reviews of Phuket in general seem as though its very touristy and crowded which doesn't appeal to us
Ko Phi Phi - Zeovola - great location, understanding this is not a top resort
Khao Lak - Sarojin, Le Meridian
Yao Noi - Six Senses - the hotel and location look amazing but it seems the reviews are tepid
Any guidance that you can provide would be much appreciated. Also, it seems as thought we'd be stupid to not book with a Vitusos agent so at some point I'd like some information/recommendations on finding one!
Thank you again!
J