Thailand - recommendations please

[ilovechops]

Hi,

DH and I plus 2.5yr old DD and bump (all being well) are hoping to travel Thailand later this year in November. I have been before and travelled around a fair bit but it was 7 years ago and was a different type of trip!! Really I am looking for ideas of who to book with (can go for 10 days, 14 days max) and basically want to relax on the beach but would also like to do a few day trips if possible to waterfalls/sites/markets etc. We obviously want low key with our daughter. She is very good and we plan to eat with hr most evenings but a hotel we could perhaps get a babysitter in would also be a bonus so we can have the odd evening off.

Any tips? Another thing to add is I don't fancy a long transfer time and would prefer just one destination (not hopping about too much). I went to Krabi before and then it was nice but what's it like now? Any other islands / places people would recommend?

Also so far I've ad a quick glance at Kuoni and Virgin Holidays but anywhere else I should look?

Thanks

Phuket - the north of the island is quiet and easy to arrange day trips. Indigo pearl and dewa are both located in this area and only 5-10 mins from the airport.

We've been twice to Cha-am. It's a few hours drive south of Bangkok so you can have a few days in Bangkok and then 10 days on the beach. We liked it as it means you don't need to get an internal flight. (Which also keeps the cost down a bit).

There are a few national parks with waterfalls and caves to visit. There is also a town nearby with lots of temples including a few in caves. The King's summer house is also nearby.

We've booked through Hayes and Jarvis and then through dial a flight. We stayed at the holiday inn regents beach (I think it's renamed as not a holiday inn any more).

DD was 4 the first time we went, then 6 and she loved it!

We've booked with these people before who were fantastic. They tailor the trip to your needs/budget
www.andamanadventures.com
Even if you don't use them the website has loads of info.

Watching with interest,
I would love to take my kids who are early teens. Trailfinders recommended Koh Samui to me.

We took dc to Khao Lak last year. We flew to Phuket and drove for about an hour. Very quiet area mainly families and divers but near a national park plus markets WTD. Highly recommend it

Thanks Khao Lak is on my list of possibilities. Did you fly direct to Phuket? I am struggling to find any direct flights but maybe the don't exist, was it via Bangkok?

We went via Singapore as we have family there. So was a bit of a faff on way back as had to go in the wrong direction (and didn't stop over), but checked straight through and wasn't too bad.

We tend to hire a car and drive around independently. Lots of lovely villa type places to stay quite reasonably. That way you get a separate room for the child/ren and a kitchen if you need it for a toddler unhappy about Thai food. You also get space once the child/ren are in bed and its all more personal. We also prefer to travel around a bit and see two or three different places - that might not be your thing and you might prefer a straight hotel but can suggest some places we stayed with 2/3/4/5 yr old if would be interesting.

Curfew was lifted a few weeks ago. Lifted first in beach resort areas, then bangkok.

We have been going to khoa lak for the last 5 years. It's a bit of a slog from the airport but worth it. We stay at le meridian as it has a gorgeous beach and great kids club. The area is starting to be developed now and becoming less tranquil. I have only been to koh samui without kids and found it a bit overwhelming. Krabbi was lovely, we stayed in a boutique hotel when dd was younger.

No direct flights to. Phuket but we usually get a connecting flight 40 mins after we land in Bangkok

Just noticed you may be going for 10 days, it took 22 hours door to door to get to Khao lak so maybe somewhere nearer.

Hifi
, sorry to hijack but where do you suggest for a family of 4 including 2 young teens.
Don't fancy 22 hours of travel. We are thinking maybe next Easter.
Must have good wildlife and beaches, think that's everywhere anyway.
Just resort ideas first
Thanks

ihatethecold Maybe travel from Bangkok down to Hua Hin? we had a crazy cab driver who did it in 2 hours. A few days in Bangkok then do some boat trips and see some islands? loads of wildlife. The 5* hotels in Bangkok are really reasonable, loads to see too. We went years ago and it is more developed now so not sure on specific resorts.

What's Hua Hin like? i take the point about a 22hr journey. May be a bit much in one go. We can go for 2 weeks DH says so that may give us a bit more flexibility! So maybe a stopover in Bangkok and then on to a beach resort might work well...

We are going back to hua hin with our kids next week (dd1- 8 and dts 3.5 yrs) also brother-in -law and family with their two dad's 8 and 2. Have been to Thailand several times- last two trips when dd1 was 2.5 and 3.5 years. In hua hin we have stayed in the Hilton (back there this time- high rise but very central), the anantara, lovely hotel on outskirts and the Marriott (also nice but pref other two). Have also stayed in cha-am at the regent. We have also been to Bangkok numerous times, chiang mai and koh Sami so can advise on those areas as well.

Hua hin is nice and low key, quite traditional (Thai royal family have summer palace there) and plenty to do. Beaches are ok but it is not as 'tropical paradise' styled as compared to the Islands such as koh Samui. Advantages are that it is just a 3 hour car journey from Bangkok (find get the train once but would not recommend with young children unless you are particularly intrepid). Depends what you like tbh but we like it as it low key and not too in your face like some Thai resorts.

Hi Elizabethmum,
Would you recommend Koh Samui for a family's first trip to Thailand?
I have 2 young teens. We would like nice beaches. Wildlife but not sleeze!
Any particular resorts?

Hi ihatethecold absolutely koh Sami is beautiful- I would avoid central chaweng (not in the same league as some areas of Thailand but pretty commercial still), hotels to the north end of the chaweng beach are in a less busy area and a beautiful stretch- just thinking you may not want to be too much 'out in the sticks' with teens. How about 'imperial boat house hotel' which is a couple of miles out (but cheap enough into town by tuk-tuk style wagon). We stayed in the Amari palm reef and chaba cabana which were to the north end of chaweng. For somewhere a bit quieter fishermans village area in bo put.

Thanks liz.

I found Chaweng in Koh Samui very sleazy. Lots of bar girls hanging with fat old western men but it was quite a few years ago when I went.

Beach itself was quite nice but the sea in the part of Chaweng I was staying was some murky pea soup colour and I don't swim in water when I can't see what's swimming past me

Ooh that's put me well off!
Don't want sleaze, my DS will be 15!!!!