We were deciding between Anantara and 137 Pillars and from everything I've come across it seemed like 137 Pillars is the preferred choice. I also heard that recently Anantara was run down. Perhaps I should reconsider.

We don't want to add another stop to our itinerary, and you can't fly directly from Phuket to Chiang Rai. As far as the "honeymoon" element, my fiancee and I have been together for 8 years, and living together for most of that time. Our trip is about 5 weeks after our wedding, and I think we'll get our romantic, resort experience out of the way in Phuket. We are active travelers. Resorts aren't normally our thing, although we love nature and hiking.

We chose Thailand because it had a balance of beach / city, and I think frankly we'll get a bit bored if we spend any more time at resorts. I would've been happy to go to somewhere in the Caribbean, Latin America, or Hawaii if that was our exclusive focus.

Thanks for the reco on Laos. I think we want to avoid traveling to another country, and the direct flight from Phuket to Chiang Mai makes things a lot easier. I'll reconsider the Four Seasons Chiang Mai, but I want to experience some local restaurants, explore temples, etc., and I worry if we aren't in walking distance to the city, we'll feel a bit stuck. Also, I know it's touristy but I think our dates in Chiang Mai overlap with the Yi Ping Full Moon lantern festival.