Trip planning

[Dannyxxx]

Hey guys.  I’m currently planning a trip that will take place in late March to early April.  It will be for two weeks and will start in Bangkok and end in Hochiminh City.  I’m trying to figure out which other cities in Thailand and Vietnam are worth visiting on this trip. If i was solely picking based on sexy guy gogo bars i would likely choose Pattaya.  I’m not sure if Pattaya has any tourist/cultural value besides partying and sex.  I think Hanoi is the only other city i’m definitely sold on visiting so far.  
 

 A close friend of mine will be joining me for the trip.  He’s straight and will likely be enjoying the happy endings and offings(but with the ladies).  This is my friend’s first time in Southeast Asia but not his first time paying for company.  Anyways, any helpful tips would be appreciated.  I’ve only been to Bangkok and love it. So many bars and parlors to choose from.  We primarily would like to see cool cultural tourist type stuff and enjoy the local foods. Then secondarily we would like to party and get sexy massages and offings at bars.  Thanks for any input.  

 

[Olddaddy]

I guess if your willing to take the plane to North of Thailand to Chiang Mai it's worth visiting for cultural stuff 

 

 

[BjornAgain]

1 hour ago, Olddaddy said:

I guess if your willing to take the plane to North of Thailand to Chiang Mai it's worth visiting for cultural stuff 

Check the Smog report first, otherwise you might not see anything.

[Olddaddy]

13 minutes ago, BjornAgain said:

Check the Smog report first, otherwise you might not see anything.

Very true 

I haven't been to Chiang mai in years 

I must do another trip , we never have any reports on CM

[12is12]

Danny,

1 - u might consider checking again the weather in ur 2 destinations, march april.

2 - I humbly submit u r misguided about paytaya "not having any tourist value". Look at a couple of threads (including a detailed 1 by me).

[Department_Of_Agriculture]

Since you don't say how much time you intend to spend in each country, it's probably a bit pointless to give overly detailed suggestions. All the more since it isn't clear what your specific cultural interests are. 

Generally, if it is traditional culture and history that you are interested in, northern Thailand has more to offer than central Thailand does. 

As some have already mentioned, if you are looking for culture, Chiang Mai is the right place to start. It also has enough to offer in-terms of "entertainment", both straight and gay. The food is excellent - many Thais will tell you that it has the best food in the Kingdom; the people are nice and there is plenty of old architecture, as well as natural attractions in the surrounding region. It has also some interesting museums and is the best place in Thailand to watch Muay Thai casually, with nightly fights and five stadiums in central Chiang Mai. It has interesting night markets, especially if you are there on the weekend and good hotels. It is not quite the "Rose of the North" that it was, even not too long ago, but it is still a nice place to visit. 

If you are already up north, be sure to visit the 13th/14th century ruins of Sukhothai, the capital of the original Thai kingdom. Spend a night in Sukhothai so you can see it at your leisure, rather than burning yourself out with a day trip.

Sukhothai and Chiang Mai are the two big cultural attractions in the north, but there are also several other smaller cities that are worth visiting when you are up there. Close to Chiang Mai is the ancient city of Lamphun, which you can do as a day trip. Also easily accessible is the charming old riverside city of Chiang Saen. Dividing your time between these will spare you the "temple fatigue" that can easily set-in when visiting so-called cultural attractions in Thailand. 

If you decide to stay in the Bangkok area/central Thailand, you should at least do an overnight visit to Ayutthaya, the capital of the second Thai kingdom. It is only about an hour north of Bangkok, and while the ruins are less impressive than Sukhothai, they are definitely worth visiting. Additionally, the adjacent modern part of Ayutthaya city has its own nightlife area, although your friend will be better catered to than you will. If you are going to Ayutthaya, be sure to spend at least one night there, rather than rushing back to Bangkok.

In Vietnam, beyond Hanoi, be sure to visit the old Imperial capital of Huế in central Vietnam. I suspect it will turn-out to be one of the highlights of your holiday. From there, it is only a short trip to the beach city of Da Nang. Nearby also is the old city of Hoi An. It's a bit touristy, but there is still quite a bit to see. If it is an either or choice, go to Huế instead.

There are trip reports that mention most of these places, and I assume people will chime-in if you have questions about any specific place. Obviously, there is plenty more online. Chiang Mai is a good place to start, though.

[vinapu]

Since Sukhotai was mentioned above, Bangkok Airways has 2 direct flights a day there. Round trip is about 120$, definitely worth  going there.  I posted about it I my January 2024 trip report and spent 3 nights there