Please help us plan our time in Thailand

Hi,

Please can you offer us some advice. We are travelling Thailand backpacking and intend to take the following itinery but as its peak season we want to know what we should think about booking ahead and whether we can just turn up at some places and get cheap/basic accommodation, we plan to take the following route (this year);

Chang Mai - 5-10 Dec

(Fly back to Bangkok)

Bangkok - 11-15 Dec

(Fly to Krabi)

Tonsai - 16-20 Dec

Phuket - 21-22 Dec

Phi Phi - 23-27 Dec

Lanta - 28-29 Dec

Lipe - 30 Dec - 3 Jan

Would really appreciate the advise as I am going crazy trying to plan this.

Please help us plan our time in Thailand

I would definitely be booking ahead at that time of the year... people always say not to bother, but Thailand has got so busy that even the budget accommodation is hard to get... I planned my first trip down to the last minute, and this time decided to try be more flexible so only booked some of our accommodation.

The places we turned up with no booking was a nightmare... we ended up walking around in the heat for over an hour with heavy backpacks, getting knock back after knock back from %26#39;recommended%26#39; places and the others I would not have let a dog sleep in.. its just not worth wasting the time when you can book it all online from home prior!

A great website to check out is www.travelfish.org which has heaps of fantastic information for backpackers in SE Asia.

As to your itinerary.. I would not island hop so much... Lanta is worth more than 2 days for sure.. an amazing place... and Phi Phi is not only expensive but will book out really quick.

My recommendations for accommodation would be :

Chiang Mai - CM Blue House www.cmbluehouse.com

Phuket - Casa Brazil www.phukethomestay.com

Lanta - look at the Sanctuary or Red Snapper for budget accommodation. We stayed at Lanta Long Beach Resort which was shocking and then at Relax Bay (if you can afford one of their fan bungalows go for it .. great place)

Phi Phi - havent stayed here but it is meant to be awesome - Relax Beach Resort krabidir.com/phiphirelaxbeachresort/index.htm

Bangkok - New Siam Guesthouse No 2 - www.newsiam.net

You can also look at my blogs for more ideas www.travelblog.org/bloggers/reet

Reet xx

Please help us plan our time in Thailand

Thanks for the reply.

I think we might go to Lipe from Bangkok and then on to Lanta and stay on Lanta for longer, over Xmas. Then Tonsai over New Year, finally flying to Kuala Lumpur from Phuket.

Is it wise to not bother with Phi Phi and just do a day trip? We do not have much money for the trip as we are moving on to Australia on a WHV after this and if its really expensive its going to dent our finances! Only thing is that I dont want to miss out on something so how much better than Lanta or Lipe is Phi Phi? If its drastically better then perhaps we will have to go.

Thanks again for the advice!