Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui recommendations?

[wondabar]

We are off to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui in August and have a stop in an elephant camp. Travelling with 16 and 17 yr old. Please let me know if any recommendations for things to see and do as well as places to eat? And also after any tips that you may have.

Ooo snap. We're going Bangkok, Koh Samui too. It was a toss up between Chiang Mai and Phuket, and we are leaning towards Phuket. Elephant camp sounds great.

I did these and Phuket (started in Phuket, on to Bangkok, on to Chiangmai, ended in Phuket - we loved ending it on the beach just rounded up the trip really well!).

Cabbages and Condoms in Bangkok was great!
Theres a lovely hippy style cafe/laid back restaurant in the centre of Chiangmai mai.. never had a carrot and coriander soup so gorgeous in my life!
The kings temples and the midnight markets in Bangkok
We kind of just went with the flow, be wary of ‘guided tours’, they usually end up with you having a mandatory trip to a silk and jewellery shop so the tour guides get paid from them to get the tourists in.