{"id":5289,"date":"2013-09-23T13:01:20","date_gmt":"2013-09-23T17:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/?p=5289"},"modified":"2013-09-23T13:05:10","modified_gmt":"2013-09-23T17:05:10","slug":"honeymoon-in-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/2013\/09\/23\/honeymoon-in-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning A Honeymoon In Thailand (or any Thai Vacation for that matter)? Here Are Some Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I should really start a new business planning honeymoons to Thailand. I&#8217;ve helped 5 couples plan trips in 2013 alone. \u00a0I feel like Thailand is a great place to visit (not only for honeymooners) because it&#8217;s such a welcoming country and because it can fit most budgets. \u00a0Besides the beautiful beaches, amazing architecture and outstanding food, you can really immerse yourself into the Thai culture as much, or as little, as you want to.<\/p>\n<p>The following ides can make anyone&#8217;s honeymoon special, but they&#8217;re also great ideas for any type of vacation you might be planning.<\/p>\n<p>Today I&#8217;m focusing on what to do, tomorrow I will focus on where to stay.<\/p>\n<p>Bangkok Top Three Must Sees:<\/p>\n<p>1. Grand Palace &amp;\u00a0Wat Pho \u2013 both are in the\u00a0\u00a0Phra Nakhon district and directly next to each other. \u00a0The Grand Palace was built in 1782 and is home to the Emerald Buddha. \u00a0Both attractions can seriously heat up (maybe it\u2019s all the gold) so try to go early if you can. Both are open daily until 3:30 pm and close for special observance and holidays. Check with your hotel to ensure they are open (and don\u2019t trust anyone near the gates if they tell you it\u2019s closed. They probably want to scam you.\u00a0The area is a huge spot for tourist scams, so don\u2019t get ripped off by people offering cheap tours, cheap tuk-tuk rides, etc..) \u00a0You have to dress modestly \u2013 or rent clothing there, for a refundable deposit \u2013 long pants\/skirt, no tank tops and flip-flops can be hit or miss. Sometimes you can get in with them, sometimes not. \u00a0Sandals are okay.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5290\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5290\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5290\" title=\"Grand Palace Bangkok\" alt=\"grand-palace-thailand\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/grand-palace-thailand-300x199.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/grand-palace-thailand-300x199.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/grand-palace-thailand-207x136.jpg 207w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/grand-palace-thailand-140x94.jpg 140w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/grand-palace-thailand.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Statues at the Grand Palace in Bangkok<\/p><\/div>\n<p>2. Wat Arun, or Wat Chaeng, is on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. It is believed that after fighting his way out of Ayutthaya, which was besieged by a Burmese army at the time, King Taksin arrived at this temple just as dawn was breaking.\u00a0\u00a0He then named it Wat Chaeng \u2013 Temple of Dawn. \u00a0It\u2019s quite beautiful and also a great place to see the river. \u00a0You can take a river tour, but I think they\u2019re most a rip-off. You\u2019ll stop at floating tourist traps and stop to feed the feed. If you really want a ride down the river, take the public boat from the Grand Palace to the Temple of the Dawn.<\/p>\n<p>3. Jim Thompson House \u2013 I\u2019ve written about it several times. This is one of the more tranquil, quite attractions in the city. \u00a0If you don\u2019t know about Jim Thompson, check out this post. \u00a0Plan to visit around lunchtime and make reservations to eat at the restaurant, you won\u2019t be disappointed. \u00a0Jim Thompson revived the Thai silk trade, then a dying art, changed the the industry forever. After he mysteriously disappeared into the jungles of Malaysia, he left a legacy which is reflected through his collection of Thai art and antiques. The house itself is an amazing complex of six Thai-style teakwood houses which will leave you wanting to redecorate.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4012\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4012\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4012\" title=\"Jim Thompson House\" alt=\"Jim-Thompson-House\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/05\/052713_0219_BangkoksJim4-300x201.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/05\/052713_0219_BangkoksJim4-300x201.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/05\/052713_0219_BangkoksJim4.jpg 348w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Jim Thompson House in Bangkok<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you have more than one day in Bangkok, here are a few other ideas:<\/p>\n<p>1. If you\u2019re in the city on a weekend, you\u2019ll have an opportunity to check out JJ market also called Chatuchak, but in Thai, Jatujak or JJ. \u00a0This is one of the more famous markets in the world and worth a trip. \u00a0There are over 5,000 stalls and more than 200,000 people per day visit the market. \u00a0Going in the morning is your best best as it\u2019s much cooler and fewer tourists will have descended upon it yet. \u00a0You\u2019ll find everything you can imagine at JJ including an underground for\u00a0trafficking illegal and endangered species in the north west corner of the market.<\/p>\n<p>2. Or Tor Gor, the farmer\u2019s market across from JJ is a great place to spend the afternoon and enjoy some amazing Thai cuisine.\u00a0<a title=\"View on map\" href=\"http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/travel\/cityguide\/article\/0,31489,1968280_1968275_1967662,00.html#map\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5291\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5291\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5291\" title=\"Or Tor Gor Market\" alt=\"or-tor-gor-market\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/or-tor-gor-market-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/or-tor-gor-market-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/or-tor-gor-market-454x341.jpg 454w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/or-tor-gor-market.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A stall at the Or Tor Gor Market<\/p><\/div>\n<p>3. Pak Klong Talad is the flower market on the border of Chinatown. The flower market is really an experience and the flowers \u2013 orchids, birds of paradise, lilies and more are amazing and amazingly cheap. After a walk through the flower market, head over to\u00a0Yaowarat Road for some Chili Fried Crab. You won\u2019t be sorry!<\/p>\n<p>4. Sri Mariamman, on Silom Road, is the oldest Hindu Temple in Bangkok. It\u2019s incredibly ornate and worth the trip. The Temple is devoted to the goddess Uma and has become a mecca for transsexuals. You\u2019ve never seen anything quite like this Temple, I guarantee it. It\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5292\" style=\"width: 247px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5292\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5292\" title=\"Sri Mariamman Temple\" alt=\"Sri-mariamman-temple\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/Sri-mariamman-temple-237x300.jpg\" width=\"237\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Sri-mariamman-temple-237x300.jpg 237w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Sri-mariamman-temple-270x341.jpg 270w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Sri-mariamman-temple.jpg 396w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5292\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple is one the most unique Temples you will see<\/p><\/div>\n<p>5. \u00a0If you find yourself looking for something to do at night, you\u2019ll have your pick of activities. \u00a0Bangkok is known for its nightlife and there are some hidden gems as well.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Night Market \u2013 The Patpong night market offers more than a market. It\u2019s surrounded by the red-light district and tons of touristy bars and more authentic restaurants. It\u2019s an amazing contrast in 2-3 blocks. \u00a0One of my all time favorite restaurants is located in this area \u2013 Mango Tree is an authentic and very reasonable restaurant just around the corner from the night market. \u00a0Be prepared to negotiate. The prices are about 2-3 times more than you should pay. \u00a0Vendors are pushy, but don\u2019t be intimidated and just walk away if you\u2019re not happy with the deal \u2013 there\u2019s about 20 other stalls with the exact same goods waiting for you.<\/li>\n<li>Soi Cowboy \u2013 this neon laden area was named after the African-American man who opened the first bar \u2013 a cowboy bar \u2013 on the street. A red-light district sprung up around the clubs and bars and became known as a party district. \u00a0Be careful, prices are set for tourists and you can easily shell out Manhattan prices for cheap drinks.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/bangkoks-rooftop-bars\/\" target=\"_blank\">Roof Top Bars<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 there are dozens of these in Bangkok now. These bars range from the famous Sky Bar featured in Hangover II to flashy, trendy places to be seen. \u00a0The drinks at these rooftop locations won\u2019t be cheap, so keep that in mind.<\/li>\n<li>If you prefer something a little more low key, you could catch a movie. Yes, that\u2019s right, go see a movie in Thailand. \u00a0The theatre at Siam Paragon mall is out of this world. \u00a0There\u2019s 1 theatre sponsored by Bangkok airways which has around 32 seats and they\u2019re lie-flat seats like you\u2019ll find in first class on many airplanes. \u00a0The experience is surreal and you\u2019ll be treated like a star at a private screening. \u00a0It\u2019s a cool way to spend an evening in Bangkok.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5293\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5293\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5293\" title=\"Soi Cowboy\" alt=\"soi-cowboy\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/soi-cowboy-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/soi-cowboy-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/soi-cowboy-511x341.jpg 511w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/soi-cowboy-140x94.jpg 140w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/soi-cowboy.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bright lights of Soi Cowboy<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019ve got 5-7 days in Thailand I\u2019d suggest doing 1 \u2013 2 days in Bangkok incorporating the items above. \u00a0Then, you\u2019ll have to decide if you want to spend the remaining time in the North \u2013 Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai or in the south on one of the many beautiful beaches &amp; islands.<\/p>\n<p>If you go to Chiang Mai\/ Chiang Rai<\/p>\n<p>1.\u00a0Similar to the attraction in Singapore, Chiang Mai Night Safari features three animal zones \u2013 Savanna Safari, Predator Prowl, Jaguar Trail \u2013 which you can tour via an open-sided tram. \u00a0You can see all kinds of animals up close.<\/p>\n<p>2.\u00a0Built sometime between 1385 and 1402, Wat Chedi Luang in<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Chiang Mai City complex is iconic. The pagoda structure can be seen from most places in the region. The structure was damaged in an earthquake around 1500 and is 1\/2 of its original size. \u00a0None the less, the architectural design and magnitude of the structure is worth seeing.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5294\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5294\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5294\" title=\"Wat Chedi Luang\" alt=\"Chedi-Luang\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/Chedi-Luang-300x194.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Chedi-Luang-300x194.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Chedi-Luang-527x341.jpg 527w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Chedi-Luang.jpg 544w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wat Chedi Luang is a must see<\/p><\/div>\n<p>3. Go to an elephant camp \u2013 there are a lot of elephant camps in the area. Some are less animal friendly and more touristy. \u00a0I\u2019d suggest avoiding those if you can by getting recommendations from wildlife groups or friends. \u00a0I would recommend Baan Chang Elephant Park as they are focused on education.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5295\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5295\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5295\" title=\"Baan Chang Elephant Park\" alt=\"baan-chang-elephant-park\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/baan-chang-elephant-park-300x224.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/baan-chang-elephant-park-300x224.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/baan-chang-elephant-park-455x341.jpg 455w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/baan-chang-elephant-park.jpg 550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5295\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baan Chang Elephant Park focuses on the animals and education<\/p><\/div>\n<p>4. Cooking school is the thing to do in Thailand and Chiang Mai is a great place to do it. \u00a0There are tons of options \u2013 ask your hotel for a recommendation (mainly because I can\u2019t remember the name of the one I went to!)<\/p>\n<p>5. The Night Bazaar \u2013 every city has its night markets, but this one is a little different becuase it seems to offer many more local crafts \u2013 as opposed to knock off hand bags (don\u2019t get me wrong, you can get those there too, but you\u2019ll find a lot of local things too.) \u00a0Look for hand-woven fabrics made locally and used for shirts, hats, handbags and scarves.<\/p>\n<p>If you decided to go south, to the islands, you can choose from a few areas. The two most popular are Phuket and Koh Samui are also the most touristy, in my opinion.<\/p>\n<p>Koh Samui is a small island that is very heavily visited by the Aussies and can feel, at times, \u00a0like you\u2019re in Australia rather than Thailand. \u00a0It is beautiful though and is a great starting point for day-trips to the national parks around the area. \u00a0Many people go to the islands just to relax and spend time on the beach. The busiest beach in Koh Samui is Chaweng. If you want peace and quite, you may want to find a smaller, less known beach.<\/p>\n<p>If you go to Koh Samui, here are some things you can&#8217;t miss:<\/p>\n<p>1.\u00a0Ang Thong National Marine Park \u00a0&#8211;\u00a0Koh Mae is a beautiful beach worth visiting and Thale Nai is known as the green lagoon. The water is almost an emerald green color and taking a boat tour is a great way to spend the day. You can snorkel, kayak and participate in other water activities as well. \u00a0If you want to scuba dive, you&#8217;ll have to leave Koh Samui proper &#8211; the water is very murky &#8211; and head to one of the national parks or other islands with clear water. \u00a0Ang Thong is a great place for divers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5296\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5296\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5296\" alt=\"Photo Credit: Sharon Cole Weston\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/Ang-Thong-300x174.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"174\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Ang-Thong-300x174.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Ang-Thong.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The green lagoon. Photo Credit: Sharon Cole Weston<\/p><\/div>\n<p>2. Another great island hoping option is\u00a0\u00a0Koh Pha Ngan. You can take a leisurely sail out to the islands and just soak up the sun, or take a more exhilarating speed boat tour and enjoy snorkeling along the way. \u00a0Just like Ang Thong, Koh Pha Ngan provides great diving.<\/p>\n<p>3. Koh Samui is a great place for adventure lovers. Taking an eco-tour is a great way to see the inner island which is full of jungle and rain forest. \u00a0Some of the tour stops you&#8217;ll want to make sure you catch are the\u00a0Magic Buddha Garden &#8211; a very odd, yet mystical set of Buddah statues built \u00a0into a stream by a local farmer. \u00a0Visit an old fishing village to see what life is really like for many Thai&#8217;s. The one I went to on my tour was\u00a0Tong Krut. You&#8217;ll see beach shacks, long boats and a very slow pace of life.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5297\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5297\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5297\" title=\"Magic Buddah Garden\" alt=\"Koh-Samui-Magic-Garden-Buddah\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/Koh-Samui-Magic-Garden-Buddah-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Koh-Samui-Magic-Garden-Buddah-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Koh-Samui-Magic-Garden-Buddah-454x341.jpg 454w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/Koh-Samui-Magic-Garden-Buddah.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Magic Buddah Garden in Koh Samui<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Phuket has become very touristy and I\u2019d suggest you branch out to some of the smaller beaches just outside of Phuket proper or head north about 40-60 minutes to an area called Khao Lak. \u00a0It\u2019s less populated and less of a tourist attraction. You\u2019ll also be able to find plenty of day trips. \u00a0 The most well known, and busiest beach is Patong Beach. Think Myrtle Beach meets Thailand. \u00a0Unless you&#8217;re looking to relive your spring break days, you might want to stay away from Patong.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5298\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5298\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5298\" title=\"Patong Beach\" alt=\"patong-beach\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/patong-beach-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/patong-beach-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/patong-beach-454x341.jpg 454w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/patong-beach.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5298\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patong Beach is always packed. Photo Credit Tom Huynh<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Some of the more local and quieter beaches you might want to consider are Karon, while it&#8217;s not Paton, Karon has plenty of hotels, bars and restaurants, so you&#8217;re not isolated. \u00a0Surin beach is a local&#8217;s favorite. It&#8217;s a little more quite and laid back than many other beaches. \u00a0If you really can&#8217;t stay away from Phuket, one of my favorite beaches is Mai Khao. It&#8217;s a private stretch of beach in a pretty under-developed area. The JW Marriott is the largest hotel with beach access, the hotel is also an amazing spot itself with several really great restaurants.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5300\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5300\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5300\" title=\"Mai Khao Beach\" alt=\"mai-khao-beach\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/mai-khao-beach-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/mai-khao-beach-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/mai-khao-beach-454x341.jpg 454w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/mai-khao-beach.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5300\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mai Khao Beach is quite &#8211; my friend and I were alone for 3 hours before anyone else showed up.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>No trip to Phuket, or the surrounding area, would be complete without a day trip to Phi Phi Island &#8211; the place where the movie, The Beach, was filmed \u00a0It&#8217;s a beautiful spot, but has become somewhat touristy. \u00a0There are other islands nearby that are much more quite and somewhat deserted.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5302\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5302\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5302\" title=\"Phi Phi Island\" alt=\"phi-phi-island\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/phi-phi-island-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/phi-phi-island-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/phi-phi-island-454x341.jpg 454w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/phi-phi-island.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Phi Phi Islands have become a popular spot, and you can see why.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To the north, you&#8217;ll find Khao Lak. \u00a0Khao Lak was devistated during the Tsunami and has slowly been rebuilt. \u00a0The first time I visited Phuket, I stayed close to Phuket on one of the beaches. It was beautiful and calm. \u00a0When I went back this year, it had turned into a tourist trap with water parks and all. \u00a0Khao Lak, on the other hand, is what Phuket was 5 years ago. A quite, serine stretch of land where you can really get away.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5301\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5301\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5301\" title=\"Khao Lak Beach\" alt=\"khao-lak-beach\" src=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2013\/09\/khao-lak-beach-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/khao-lak-beach-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/khao-lak-beach-454x341.jpg 454w, http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/\/sites\/2\/2013\/09\/khao-lak-beach.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5301\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of my favorite spots was this beach-side restaurant on Khao Lak Beach.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>No matter what you choose to do, or where you choose to visit, you&#8217;ll have a great time in Thailand. \u00a0Come back tomorrow and I&#8217;ll review places you should stay (hotels, bungalows and more.) Later in the week I&#8217;ll review great places to eat in Thailand.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I should really start a new business planning honeymoons to Thailand. I&#8217;ve helped 5 couples plan trips in 2013 alone. \u00a0I feel like Thailand is a great place to visit (not only for honeymooners) because it&#8217;s such a welcoming country&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[212,91],"tags":[30,470,303,468,469,4],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.13 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Planning A Honeymoon In Thailand (or any Thai Vacation for that matter)? 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