Travel Planning Tidbits 2: Itinerary Takes Shape
Lonely Planet Thailand guide, ThailandGuidebook.com and Rough Guides have been godsend in planning this trip. Tony is right about how tedious and subtle planning can be. I have decided to begin the trip in Chiang Mai and gradually navigate down south all the way to the beach paradise Krabi and return to Bangkok for a few days before catching the flight to Singapore and Hong Kong.
It looks like all the work on internet surfing, airfare hunting, hotel comparisons and forum inquiry have paid off: the details of itinerary slowly takes shape. For 900 Thai bahts (approx. $21) a night, I'll be staying at the slick Soho Bar in a quiet suite with a sitting room and private bathroom. As I have mentioned in the previous post, the bar is the smartest venue in Chiang Mai, which has a relatively low-profile gay scene. The suite that I'll stay is the only accommodation the bar offers and is thus a hidden jewel. Far as I know it is not listed formally as a guesthouse or inn. Lucky me!
Cheap Tickets offers the best deal in terms of airfare and shortest flight time from San Francisco to Chiang Mai via Hong Kong and Bangkok, for $1020 including taxes and surcharges. The estimated arrival in Chiang Mai at 2:50 pm makes it perfect for me settle down in my room and still have time to walk around and get my footing in the city before the sun goes down. A temple freak that I am, I will be visiting wats (Thai for temples) galore and make a pilgrimage to Mountain Doi Suithep, mounting 300 steps to one of Thailand's holiest temples.
This is where the uncertainty of the itinerary comes into play. With exciting activities like taking an elephant ride up the mountain, paying visit to the hill tribes, heading further north to the golden triangle (the opium growing region bound by Thailand, Laos, and Burma) and taking a Thai cooking class (which has recently become a staple to Chiang Mai visit like enjoying a spa), I might end up staying longer in Chiang Mai than I anticipate. Train travel allows such flexibility. As tickets are usually not available until a week prior to travel, I don't have to worry about missing connections and take my time in the northern provinces. Trains from Chiang Mai to Bangkok are usually not booked up as quickly as the opposite direction.
From Chiang Mai, I will hop on the south-bound train for Bangkok and get off at Phitsanulok, the vibrant city that makes an excellent base from which to explore the lower north. Besides the temple of Wat Phra Si Ratana, which houses one of Thailand's most revered and copied images of Buddha (second in importance only to Emerald Buddha in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew), Phitsanulok is the gateway to the ancient capital, now a World Heritage site, Sukhothai. For details of Sukhothai and train travel in Thailand, I'll continue in my next travel planning tidbits post.
Happy Friday!
It looks like all the work on internet surfing, airfare hunting, hotel comparisons and forum inquiry have paid off: the details of itinerary slowly takes shape. For 900 Thai bahts (approx. $21) a night, I'll be staying at the slick Soho Bar in a quiet suite with a sitting room and private bathroom. As I have mentioned in the previous post, the bar is the smartest venue in Chiang Mai, which has a relatively low-profile gay scene. The suite that I'll stay is the only accommodation the bar offers and is thus a hidden jewel. Far as I know it is not listed formally as a guesthouse or inn. Lucky me!
Cheap Tickets offers the best deal in terms of airfare and shortest flight time from San Francisco to Chiang Mai via Hong Kong and Bangkok, for $1020 including taxes and surcharges. The estimated arrival in Chiang Mai at 2:50 pm makes it perfect for me settle down in my room and still have time to walk around and get my footing in the city before the sun goes down. A temple freak that I am, I will be visiting wats (Thai for temples) galore and make a pilgrimage to Mountain Doi Suithep, mounting 300 steps to one of Thailand's holiest temples.
This is where the uncertainty of the itinerary comes into play. With exciting activities like taking an elephant ride up the mountain, paying visit to the hill tribes, heading further north to the golden triangle (the opium growing region bound by Thailand, Laos, and Burma) and taking a Thai cooking class (which has recently become a staple to Chiang Mai visit like enjoying a spa), I might end up staying longer in Chiang Mai than I anticipate. Train travel allows such flexibility. As tickets are usually not available until a week prior to travel, I don't have to worry about missing connections and take my time in the northern provinces. Trains from Chiang Mai to Bangkok are usually not booked up as quickly as the opposite direction.
From Chiang Mai, I will hop on the south-bound train for Bangkok and get off at Phitsanulok, the vibrant city that makes an excellent base from which to explore the lower north. Besides the temple of Wat Phra Si Ratana, which houses one of Thailand's most revered and copied images of Buddha (second in importance only to Emerald Buddha in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew), Phitsanulok is the gateway to the ancient capital, now a World Heritage site, Sukhothai. For details of Sukhothai and train travel in Thailand, I'll continue in my next travel planning tidbits post.
Happy Friday!
1 Comments:
Whether you are visiting Thailand along with friends or family or are on a honeymoon or business trip, this will absolutely win your hearts and admiration.
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