hello! going to thailand in febuary for the first time.going to bankok,chang mai and south to some islands for 3-4 weeks.

alot of people are telling me that i shouldnt pre book accomodation before going and that i should just turn up and look for places when i get there and to bargain for a room is this a good idea??? or should i plan out where im going to stay before i go. which would mean id have to plan a more structured holiday.

also wondering about scuba diving, would it be a bad idea to learn there because ive never done it b4
(and any other info would be great!)

...and being a chef.. can anyone recomend some good cooking schools???
-THANKS-

I'd definitely wing the accommodation. Travelling the way you are shouldn't be planned...it should be an adventure and the people you meet along the way and the places you fall in love with will play a HUGE part and maybe even shape where you go, how long you stay and how much fun you have there. Planning the holiday such as yours, I think, can ultimately, the whole trip if you were to book everything beforehand. That being said, if I were in your situation, I'd just go without any accommodation - maybe book the first nights accommodation in Bangkok and then have a general idea of where you want to go from there and do a bit of research on the places you're going to go to and what sort of accommodation is on offer so you know which places are good to stay at and what the places you are going to are like (i.e. where there are nicer beaches, more atmosphere, quiet spots etf). Doing this basic reserach will save time (not to mention money) and won't leave you wandering around in strange places trying to find somewhere to stay and bargaining a good price. As you travel through the different places you mentioned and meet people, you'll pick up heaps of recommendations from other travellers and these are generally what you go by.

We'll be doing the islands again in late March 2009 and whilst all of the people I'm going with are booking their accommodation before we leave, I'm definitely not. It spoils the excitement, the fun and the whole concept that you never know where you're going to end up the next day... so that's my advice on that one but each to their own!

As for the diving course, you'll find in a lot of places in Thailand where the courses and schools are run by expats. For example, there's a few places I came across in both Koh Phangan and Phi Phi that are run by Swedes and Germans and they are very passionate about their diving and they also seemed very professional about it too so I'd say it's probably safe to do over there and a lot of people we met travelling opted to get their certificates over there as it's cheaper. You do hear some horror stories though but I've the same stories in Perth too! As far as which one you should go to, I think that will be a choice that you will make as opposed to someone on the forum being able to recommend somewhere. Again, it may come down to the people you will meet along the way and the recommendations they give or experiences they tell you about. I'm sure you'll be fine over there though and will end up never looking back once you have done it!!!

And on your last question, I saw a cooking school in Phi Phi that I was going to have a go at. Apparently it's famous and there is one also in France but we never got around to it (no idea why seeing as it rained a fair bit when we were there and it would have been a perfect activity to do under the circumstances!!!). But other than that, no idea so can't help you on the last one! There will be heaps around though and lots of cheap ones too.

Hope this helps!

Ali

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I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for. Because it’s not where you go … its how you feel for a moment in your life. If you find that moment … it lasts forever.

Personally I'd never just wing it in a place I didn't know well. Doing thiat means you get to a place and then have to spend time going from hotel to hotel/gueshouse to guesthouse to find something - assuming you know where to find them as well.
Having to do this every time you get to a new location means you waste a lot of your holiday time lugging your bags around from place to place instead of exploring and enjoying the area itself.
And then you get quoted rack rates - usually much more expensive than you'd get if you'd booked online.

Maybe a good compromise is to book in advance but book close to the time of arrival so you can get last minute deals.

We do a mixture of both and I enjoy the bits that are not booked. You can end up spending some time finding some where though.
The only time you may struggle Ali is around sonkran ( about April 13th) lot's of places will be booked out around these dates and the thais themselves will be away from Bangkok and at the beach resorts. They will also all be on the move so transport at this time is better booked early.
going around this time of year should be no problem. Just be aware that the walk in rate is often higher than the internet rate.
Jackie

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Re.cooking schools - another poster wrote awhile ago about a couple he tried in or near Bangkok. I copied down the info and think I brought it with me........I'll check when I go through my bags properly and will post info here.

There's one on Sathorn Rd. between Surasak and Saphan Taksin BTS stations..... it's called The Blue Elephant - theré's a restaurant and a cooking school (suspect it's expensive though as it looks a pretty flash kind of place).