Related Sponsors

A Week Long Itinerary for the Adventurous Traveler

Home » Thailand » Thailand Weeklong Vacation » A Week Long Itinerary for the Adventurous Traveler

Diving in Similan

The Similan Islands are located in a National Marine Park. It is a top-rated diving location. Because there are nine different islands and quite a few key diving spots, it would be easy to plan a week’s vacation just in this one corner of Thailand. The best time to dive is between November and April. The islands are located about a five hour boat ride from Phuket. Find a PADI certified dive tour operator and you will see many diving options in this area, including Christmas Point, Elephant Head and Batfish Bend, which are recommended by Dive the World. This type of trip is for the diving enthusiast. It is recommended for the intermediate to advanced diver.

Northeast

The Northeast is the least visited area by tourists. It is the hottest region, most likely to suffer drought and in some ways, poorer than the others. But for those who love Thailand and the Thai people, a trip through the northeast region is a must. There is much beauty, history and culture to behold. It is Thailand, unplugged.

The following itinerary could be enjoyed by renting a car in Bangkok for a week (get an international drivers license before arriving in Thailand, available at places like AAA in the United States), hiring out a taxi driver for a week or taking air conditioned buses (not only are they more comfortable, they are usually safer as they have often have two drivers), or the train. A rented car or hired driver would be the easiest way. Driving in Bangkok is a nightmare, but outside of Bangkok, it is not so bad.

Day one: Leave Bangkok on Highway 1 and spent the day touring the historic ruins of Ayutthaya. Spend the night there.
Day two: Drive on Highway 2 to Khao Yai National Park and spend the day touring the wonderful wildlife and foliage. Ever wanted to ride an elephant? A short trek is available on the main road entering the park. A few fun “Thai” steakhouses are also on this road, or, you can begin to get a taste for the wonderful food of Isaan (the northeastern region) by stopping at a gai yang restaurant (Thai barbeque) that is served with sticky rice and spicy papaya salad. After visiting the park get back on Highway 2 and head north to Khorat (as the locals call it) or Nakorn Ratchasima. Several nice hotels are located downtown, right on the main drag of Highway 2.
Day Three: From Khorat, take a day trip to see the ruins of Phimai. These are some of the best Khmer ruins in Thailand. On the way back, stop by the Don Kwian, a village that makes pottery that is sold all over the world. If you need a western food fix, visit “The Mall” in the center of town and enjoy seeing this side of Thai culture.
Day Four: Continue driving up Highway 2 towards Khon Kaen. At the city of Ban Phai on Highway two, turn left and go to the small village of Chonabot. This is one of the important areas of traditional silk weaving. You can see first-hand the locals who weave silk in their homes. After visiting Chonabot, head back to Highway 2 and drive to Khon Kaen. In the center of town is the Sofitel Hotel, which is a five star-hotel with very affordable prices. You can enjoy great food, a nice workout facility and spa, an entertainment facility and a pool. A wonderful handicraft center called the Local Goods Store is located about 2 blocks south of the hotel.
Day Five: Spend the morning exploring Khon Kaen. Beung Kaen Nakhorn is lovely to visit early in the morning to see people exercising, practicing Tai Chi or making merit to the monks who pass by each day. If you are there during lunch or dinner, there are several good restaurants around the lake. Khon Kaen University is an interesting place to visit as it is the major university in the Northeast. Lots of agricultural research in conducted on and near the campus. After lunch, continue driving up Highway 2 until you reach Nong Khai. This city is on the Mekong River.
Day Six: If you are able to secure a visa, take a brief trip into Vientiane, Laos. Otherwise, enjoy the river city of Nong Khai. There are night time dinner cruises and a market located on the river front as well. If you are a golf-lover, a beautiful golf course called Victory Park is located about 10 mile south of town. Nice hotel rooms are available with great Thai food served in the restaurant if you are interested in staying outside of the city of Nong Khai.
Day Seven: You are now faced with the question of getting back to Bangkok. Of course driving the rental car back to Bangkok will take you 8 to 10 hours, depending on traffic. There are daily flights out of Udon Thani, about an hour south of Nong Khai. Or you can board the train in Nong Khai and travel back to Bangkok in a day or overnight, if you prefer. Bus service is also available.

Sources:

www.divetheworldthailand.com
www.thailandtourism.org
www.bangkoktourist.com

Next Page: Thailand Activities & Attractions Overview

Related Thailand Weeklong Vacation Articles