Phuket,Chiang Mai,Phnom Phen and Siem Reap

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We are one month away from leaving and we have lots of decisions to make however we have agreed on 3 focal points.

Our first stop after Bangkok will be the (in)famous Phuket .

I always said I did not want to go to Phuket because of the "package" tourist market that is predominantly catered to there. Not that we are backpacking snobs, and feel our trips more "real" as we support locals by spending local or anything like that. Its about not needing all the excess to relax. A lot can be said for simplicity.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me and there will be those that love to be pampered and led around like cattle and maybe its good that they have that. My holidays will never be ones where you sit on a lounge chair and drink then go over to the local Italian or German eatery for supper only to do the same thing the next day. I always hope to be capable of getting out and learning more about the area I'm at. Being closer by doing and not just watching.

Having said that, we are using Phuket as a starting point as I want to get a couple of days in to dive and we want to take some to relax in Khao Sok . We will fill in the rest of the time with some exploring of Phuket and its beaches.

Our second stop will take us to one Thailand's northern cities, Chiang Mai .

On our last trip to Thailand, we never had time to go north and we wanted to make sure we did this time.
We plan on taking an cooking class (how much better can my Pad Thai get?), going out into the mountains and countryside, and taking some time visiting Wats that friends have recommended. We also want to stop in at Baan Nuu Rain , a house opened by Ray and Bonita Emery that helps women with aids. We met Ray when he drove through our town on his rebuilt Tuk Tuk. The 2008 Tuk Tuk Tour was started to raise money for Nuu Rain and we want to see how they're doing.

Our third and final stop will take us to Cambodia .
After seeing the wee version of Angkor Wat while at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, we decided we wanted to see the full size version up close and personal.
We'll also spend some time in Phnom Penh.

One month and so many little things to prepare. I can only imagine what we'll miss.

YMMV

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