Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur

barry55555

Traveling to Bangkok for 9 nights and then Kuala Lumpar for 5 night next September.
Can anyone advise on travel between the two?
Thinking of getting a train and maybe stopping in Phukett, Krabi or Penang for a few nights.
Would I be better to get a flight straight to KL or would stops be worth the long train trip or extra flight?
Also any info on bk or Kl would be appreciated.

Cody montana

Max 2 day in Bangkok, get the hell out of there, tis a wonderful city but there is much better to see in the Country.

toadfly

What are you going to do in Bangkok for nine days? Madness in my opinion. Go north to Chiang Mai or south to the islands.

barry55555

Is it really madness to spend so much time in Bangkok? Its a huge city and from my online searches it seems so much to do there. My favourite city in the world is Singapore where I spent 12 days and that wasn't enough yet most people say there is nothing there and 1 or two days is enough. We are the type that will move away from tourist areas and explore.

We have two weeks from landing in BK and leaving Kl. We want to travel south only and may stop on the way. We are not into clubbing or back packing. We like city life more than a tourist beach. We want to experience local culture, foods, etc.

We want 3-5 days in kl and min 3 days in BK and the rest somewhere between the two.
I would also like to do a PADI course if I have the time so could have an extended stay at one island. What's the best islands for snorkelling?

I haven't booked any hotels yet so can make changes as I go.

barry55555

Is it really madness to spend so much time in Bangkok? Its a huge city and from my online searches it seems so much to do there. My favourite city in the world is Singapore where I spent 12 days and that wasn't enough yet most people say there is nothing there and 1 or two days is enough. We are the type that will move away from tourist areas and explore.

We have two weeks from landing in BK and leaving Kl. We want to travel south only and may stop on the way. We are not into clubbing or back packing. We like city life more than a tourist beach. We want to experience local culture, foods, etc.

We want 3-5 days in kl and min 3 days in BK and the rest somewhere between the two.
I would also like to do a PADI course if I have the time so could have an extended stay at one island. Also what's the best islands for snorkelling just in case I cant get a PADI course?

I haven't booked any hotels yet so can make changes as I go.

athtrasna

5 days max bk, make sure to include aquarium cos it's amazing. 2/3 days max kl, most boring city I've ever visited

killbillvol2

barry55555 wrote: »

Is it really madness to spend so much time in Bangkok? Its a huge city and from my online searches it seems so much to do there. My favourite city in the world is Singapore where I spent 12 days and that wasn't enough yet most people say there is nothing there and 1 or two days is enough. We are the type that will move away from tourist areas and explore.

We have two weeks from landing in BK and leaving Kl. We want to travel south only and may stop on the way. We are not into clubbing or back packing. We like city life more than a tourist beach. We want to experience local culture, foods, etc.

We want 3-5 days in kl and min 3 days in BK and the rest somewhere between the two.
I would also like to do a PADI course if I have the time so could have an extended stay at one island. What's the best islands for snorkelling?

I haven't booked any hotels yet so can make changes as I go.

You can never spend enough time in Bangkok, especially if you like cities. If you found Singapore intersting Bangkok will blow your mind. I find something new every time I go there. KL isn't so interesting but if you're into trying street food it's great.

The train from one to the other takes a long time and isn't very interesting. You'll get a cheap flight this far in advance.

retalivity

Bangkok is a grand place to spend more than 2-3 days if you are interested in activities outside the whole backpacker scene around khaosan.

I've been there 3 times and always regret not having enough time to explore the many other areas apart from khaosan, silom, sukhumvit etc

nosietoes

Ko Tao is a good spot for doing Padi courses - I didn't do any snorkelling but I'm sure its pretty good as the diving is wonderful.

toadfly

I done diving in Koh Tao and spent a day snorkeling at Tanote Bay in KT, it was amazing.

Ed_Stephens

Totally agree that Bangkok is well worth spending a lot of time in especially if you're not the beach/watersport type. I've been there lots and just keep finding more and more to do. I'd have no problem staying there for 7 nights, take your time and do it properly instead of doing a two night helter skelter tour, it's also easy to do a few day trips or overnights to Hua Hin or Ayutthaya. I wouldn't recommend Chaing Mai over Bangkok especially if it's your first trip.

Haven't been to KL so can't say but if you're looking for another city close by to explore Singapore is a great option.

barry55555

Thanks for all the replies.

Koh Tao is very tempting. I have also been looking at Koh Samui and Hua Hin.

The advantage of Hua Hin is that its not far from Bangkok so I can get a direct flight to KL.
The advantage of Koh Samui is that it has an airport.
Koh Tao will mean more time traveling on train and ferry which I don't mind if it makes for a better holiday. Would it be worth the extra travel?

Can anyone recommend Hua Hin?

Ed_Stephens

Hua Hin is quiet but cheap and easy to get to. Samui does have an airport but it operates an essential monopoly which means flights are more expensive. Koh Tao attracts more then its fair share of backpackers and full moon party goers. Samui has a nice vibe to it though and would be my preferred option, incidentally you can also get the ferry to Samui from the mainland.

barry55555

Ed_Stephens wrote: »

Hua Hin is quiet but cheap and easy to get to. Samui does have an airport but it operates an essential monopoly which means flights are more expensive. Koh Tao attracts more then its fair share of backpackers and full moon party goers. Samui has a nice vibe to it though and would be my preferred option, incidentally you can also get the ferry to Samui from the mainland.

Its a lot of travel to Samui and Kl using trains and ferry so it would be worth paying a bit extra to fly.
I am looking for a few quite days at the beach between cites. Are the beaches nice in Hua Hin, good restaurants etc?

athtrasna

Hua Hin is very civilised most of the year. The royal family have a summer palace there and we met the Queen when she visited our hotel when we were there.

It's good for a few days antidote to the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. We got a car service to drive us to and from Bangkok and it was very reasonable. Not needing an internal flight was a bonus, oh and it doesn't feel as sleazy as a lot of other parts of Thailand.

sarkozy

BKK is an amazing city. I was there for four days, but would gladly have stayed for many more to get a real feel for the city and see more. There are also day trips out of the city that can be interesting.

I've never been to Chiang Mai, so I can't compare, but have, of course, heard great things. It's very far north and, personally, I'm more of the mind when travelling to to quality over quantity.

Stay longer in one place to get a real feel. That's the real magic of travel. Otherwise, you might as well sit at home and watch faraway places on the TV.

I mean, otherwise, why not get a flight to Siem Reap to visit the ruins of Angkor?

barry55555

Can anyone recommend the best district to stay in BK?
Needs to have good public transport, shopping, bars and restaurants near.
I am not looking for cheapest areas but rather best place to be based and explore from but with some entertainment nearby.

athtrasna

barry55555 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend the best district to stay in BK?
Needs to have good public transport, shopping, bars and restaurants near.
I am not looking for cheapest areas but rather best place to be based and explore from but with some entertainment nearby.

On or near the Silom Road. We always stayed in the Dusit Thani. Gorgeous hotel, unbeatable location. 5 star Thai style.

First Up

barry55555 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend the best district to stay in BK?
Needs to have good public transport, shopping, bars and restaurants near.
I am not looking for cheapest areas but rather best place to be based and explore from but with some entertainment nearby.

Somewhere convenient for the Skytrain is a must. It is the only way to get around. Silom or Sukhumvit offer a good mix of what the city offers. Stay away from Khao San road.

barry55555

Thanks for the advice

toadfly

barry55555 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend the best district to stay in BK?
Needs to have good public transport, shopping, bars and restaurants near.
I am not looking for cheapest areas but rather best place to be based and explore from but with some entertainment nearby.

We stayed in Sukhumvit. Park Plaza Hotel, was lovely and reasonable.

Ed_Stephens

barry55555 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend the best district to stay in BK?
Needs to have good public transport, shopping, bars and restaurants near.
I am not looking for cheapest areas but rather best place to be based and explore from but with some entertainment nearby.

Sukhumvit road better for nightlife, Silom riverside area better for touristy stuff. If you're staying in Sukhumvit then the area near the Asok BTS station is less hectic than the Nana area. Siam square is quite nice too, handy for the MBK and other major shops. As has been said so long as you're near a BTS or MRT station then you can't go too far wrong.