Thailand - 4 weeks - please help!

Dear travelers,

I really need your help!!!!

I´ve have just learned that I have the whole March off work and that´s why I´d like to use the time and go to Thailand. I´ve never been there before, so I don´t know much about this beautiful country. I only have one week to prepare myself a little bit, which is not a lot.

Could you please help me with an itinerary for four weeks? I´m interested in culture - temples, nature - jungle, beaches etc. What are the must-see?

Is it easy to travel around Thailand by public transportation? Is it easy to find accomodation when arrived?

Thank you very much for your help. I really appreciate any info, suggestions, advices, warnings...

suryas wrote:Is it easy to find accomodation when arrived?

Book a room for your first night in Bangkok. I enjoyed my stay at Suk 11 (http://www.suk11.com). If you arrive in the afternoon/evening, it can be near impossible to find an inexpensive room.

Public transportation between cities is great. The bus system is easy and safe. City buses in Bangkok are easy and very very cheap, but it's not always possible to have a driver/assistant tell you when to get off. Some drivers are great, some won't bother telling you when it's your stop.

Thailand is pretty easy to just show up and wander around. I really enjoyed Khao Yai National Park. I did a full day tour with http://www.greenleaftour.com and thought it was pretty good value. Birdman Nine is a fun guide.

Suryas,
How exciting to have that time off! I am in Thailand right now and I completely agree with everything Markus said- book your first night in Bangkok and go from there. We stayed at NapPark Hostel near Khao San Road and it was fantastic. It's a great place to meet other travelers and figure out your plans.

From Bangkok, we went to Khao Yai National Park as well and did a day and a half tour with Greenleaf guesthouse- they were wonderful, the guides were great. We stayed 2 nights. You can catch a bus from Bangkok to Pak Chong and then Greenleaf can pick you up from the bus station and take you to the park. From Pak Chong we took the train to Ayuthaya. From there, we went to Chiang Mai (where we are now)- but as you have more time, I would recommend Lopburi and Sukothai, as many of my travel friends have gone there and enjoyed. Those are both in the vicinity of Bangkok. You should be able to find accommodation easily in any of these places when you show up.

Everyone that we meet is headed to Pai from Chiang Mai. I do not have time for that but wish I did....everyone who has been said it is great. I have also heard good things about Chiang Rai.

I cannot speak to the south because I have not been there at all.
Enjoy your trip and let me know if you have more questions!!!

What a great opportunity. For a four week trip you have many choices open to you. I recommend taking the bus north to Chiang Mei. It is a fun city to hang out in and you can book a 3-4 day hill tribe trek from there that will give you a chance to see the countryside and meet isolated villagers. I would also recommend taking the bus south along the east coast and then taking the night boat over to Ko Samui. It's a great island to just kick back and enjoy the beaches. It is especially nice after the hectic pace of Bangkok......people, traffic, palaces, temples, markets. We also went to Phuket. Had a good time but it is very touristy and we were glad to move on.

Good luck and have a wonderful trip!

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. I really appreciate it.
Is it better / faster to travel by train or by bus? As I can see, there are lots of National Parks in Thailand and I can not see all of them. Which ones are the best? Where can I see a lot of animals and do some trekking?