Aphrodite

Hi,

Please help. I'm heading to Bangkok and Koh Samui 4 days each. Bangkok people tell me no need for tours. I can get a map and get around. Which location/hotel is more convenient for shopping, food, train in Bangkok. Koh Samui is a good place to visit? Is it like Phuket? i've not been to either of these places.

BillT

For convience to shopping, skytrain etc I would say the Intercontinental- its right in the middle of the shopping and the sky train is right in front of the hotel.

KimJapan

I wouldn't prebook tours for BKK, but if you get there and decide you'd like a tour you can book easily through your hotel. We find BKK quite easy to navigate, but not everyone does.

In BKK, in the past we've always stayed on the river and loved the location. This year for the first time we are staying away from the river....river would be my first choice, but this time we are staying at the Conrad for free with points.

We enjoyed Samui when we went. There are quiet beaches as well as busy places. You need to choose the beach that suits you.

SJLBK

The best thing you can do to get an idea of what it is like traveling and visiting Thailand is to read all the trip reports on this board. Someone also recently did a Pre-trip report that explained how she started not knowing anything and utilized this board and the internet to plan her trip.

Once you get a general idea of the things you want to do, post some specific questions. As far as accomodations go, make sure to say what you are interested in and what your budget is.

rhkkmk

of course most of us have been to thailand at least once and many of us have been many times....we forget what the first trip was like....understanding bkk can be quite difficult and you don't often think at your peak in the heat and humidity....so getting from one place to another can often present some problems...is it this way or that...trying to follow a map or walk can sometimes be difficult....so the short of it is that i find it easy to get around but you might not on your first trip and thus some tours seem necessary....i would book once i got there and after you see how you adjust to the temps....

i find that phuket and samui have sand and ocean alike but that is about all...oh yes they have thai people too...phuket is quite commercial....samui, with the exception of chanwaeng bch area is much less commercial....samui is laid back, phuket is much less laid back....phuket is highly organized and abounds in touts, where samui is not...

samui is quite small, phuket is much larger....samui has basically one major road that circles the island and phuket has many....

i found samui cheaper....there is more to do on phuket....phuket has more upscale places but samui has an adequate number...