SE Asia mega thread! Places to go etc.

breadmonkey

I saw scoot on's thread but I thought one that includes all of SE Asia would be of benefit to a lot of people. (particularly me:D )

So, for those of you who have been around the block:
What are the places to go, things to see and things to do? How much do they cost? .......etc.

Guide us!

P.S. It might be helpful to have a bold heading when talking about a particular country. eg:
Thailand
Blah blah blah..... (perhaps I'm being a bit pedantic:) )

Ag marbh

So much to write about and it's very repetitive once you've written them all on thorntree.lonelyplanet.com. You will find absolutely everything you need to know going through the Thailand/Laos/Vietnam/etc sections on that site.

Nalced_irl

Thailand
Full Moon Party, shopping on Koh San Road. Even if you cant make a full moon party, the islands are great anyway.

Vietnam
Tunnels are excellent. They are cheap to visit and you can fire a few weapons at about $1 a bullet if ya fancy it also
You have to go to Hoi An and get a fancy, yet cheap suit made up. You can also get shirts ect done. Suits are about $35 and shirts about $15 (suit includes the shirt for it of couse, extra shirts are about $15) Best way to travel through Vietnam is to get the bus ticket that brings you in stages from town to town. You can stay as long as you like in each place and works out alot cheaper.

Laos
In vietiene, there is a football stadium you can get into for free usually if you want to see some dog awful football! You have to try tubing in Laos also. Floating down a river in a rubber tube with bars all along the side and a bloke with a bamboo stick to pull u in if you fancy a drink. Good fun!

Cambodia
I wasnt a huge fan of Cambodia. The Killing fields are a bit of a let down. One good place in Phnom Penn is a school that was used as a concentration camp. Dont go on a full stomach tho!!! Very interesting tour anyway.

Know this is kinda vague, but hope it helps!

Dave!

I have some info that I got from the Right Hook on Newstalk106. They do a travel show on Tuesdays with Fionn Davenport from Lonely Planet, where they talk about a country or a city or something for about 20/25 minutes, and they have notes compiled that you register to recieve. Very helpful and interesting!

I don't have much of the notes on SE Asia, except for Bangkok and Vietnam, but here they are anyway.

Bangkok, Thailand

‘The City Where Anything Goes but the Traffic’ is a modern Asian metropolis at its steamiest and most exhilarating. It’s a tough place at first, but you’ll crack it faster than you think and once you do you’ll empathise completely with that famous Thai smile.

Getting There
As Bangkok is the major Southeast Asian hub, every airline that goes to the region goes to Bangkok. Low season fares are about €600 return; high season fares range up to €850-900. It’s an 11-hour flight from London. You get a 1-month visa at the airport.

When to Go
Best time to visit is during the cooler and drier months between November and February, though this time – with March thru August – is the high season and accommodation can be tricky to find. Between April and May the temperatures soar, while Sept-October is the rainy season, when it’s hot and wet. The Songkhran Festival – the Thai New Year (early April) – is a great time to be in Bangkok.

Things to See
Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew The Big Kahunas on the Bangkok tourist trail. They deserve every bit of attention you get, but beware the touts outside. The Wat Phra Kaew, aka the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is the holiest temple in the country, with a 66cm Buddha that is the most worshipped in Thailand.

Wat Pho Another heavyweight palace, with Thailand’s biggest reclining Buddha (45m-long). Also the best place to get a massage. See below.

Lumphini Park Bangkok’s biggest green lung – after a few days in the smog you’ll need it – is best visited around 7am, when all the action starts. Pathways are crammed with people doing tai chi or dancing classes; groups of old people under trees singing folk songs; weight lifters a bit like LA’s Muscle Beach; and the inevitable vendors, selling everything from sneakers to snake blood. You can also hire a paddle boat and go around the ornamental lake. (Sky train to Sala Daeng)

Chatuchak Weekend Market No ordinary flea market. 7000 stalls (could be as many as 12,000) selling pretty much anything you’ll ever need to either train your own brood of fighting cocks or retailing opium pipes. And everything in between. Up to 30,000 people a day visit. But it’s very, very relaxed, very quiet and a lot of fun. Haggle!! (Sky train to Mo Chit)

Chinatown The most fascinating district in Bangkok. Noisy, smelly, exhilarating; an area of dark laneways, bright and cheap markets. (River Express to Ratchawong)

Jim Thompson’s House Bangkok’s most famous expat, who mysteriously disappeared in Malaysian Cameron Highlands in 1967 (run over?) left a magnificent collection of Southeast Asian art spread about a serene assembly of traditional Thai homes. Six houses, some of them centuries old, were brought here in 1959 when Thompson, who had served in Thailand during WWII and fell in love with the place, decided to move here. The whole estate is overgrown with lush tropical gardens punctuated by lotus ponds. During his lifetime, he revived the Thai silk industry, which was in danger of disappearing. (Sky train to National Stadium)

Lettuce Farm Palace Wang Suan Phakkat, as it’s known, is a very beautiful collection of six houses connected by covered wooden walkways; they’re full of art and the gardens are gorgeous.

Nonthaburi by Boat A leisurely boat trip up the Mae Nam Chao Phraya River – all for 12b – which takes in the main sites in the city before leaving it behind and transporting you through lush greenery into the tropics. River life – people fishing, washing, etc – is amazing. (50-90 minutes)

Thai Massage – The Lowdown
The going rate is about 300b for one hour, 400b for two.

Buathip Thai Massage Blind masseurs favoured by Thai regulars and expats

Marble House In the middle of the sleazy Thaniya scene, but unlike all the ones around it, doesn’t use sex to sell its services because it’s so well respected. Air-con teak rooms are terrific

Wat Pho Most visitors head for the authentic massages at Wat Pho, although it feels a little like a production line. A new, flash, air-con centre is better. They also have a massage school where you can do a 10-day course of 3-hrs per day or the quickie 9-hour foot massage course.

Thai Cooking Schools
Mrs Balbir’s Restaurant The Thai equivalent of Dorina Allen runs one-day cooking courses at her restaurant on Thanon Sukhamvit (sky train to Nana)

Where to Stay

DELUXE
Bangkok has more than its fair share of incredible hotels that are easily the match of the world’s best. The Oriental, the Banyan Tree and the new Peninsula – all costing over 8000B per night are the top choices.

TOP END
The Sukhothai, a low-rise temple to Asian minimalism. 5000-8000B.

MID-RANGE
If you must go to Banglamphu and are a wage-slave traveller, head for West Banglamphu. Room prices are a little higher, but the Beer Chang is unaccompanied by the latest Ibiza techno mix.

Viengtai (42 Th Tani, Banglamphu; tel 02 280 5434) Cool, marbled reticence surrounded by the madness that is Khao San Rd. The most comfortable spot in the area.

BUDGET
The Atlanta (78 Soi 2, Sukhumvit, Pratunam; tel 02 252 6069; sky train Nana) Every city needs an Atlanta, where the important things in life haven’t changed since the 1950s. Classical music and jazz stream from the sound system, letter-writing desks come equipped with fans and film classics screen nightly.

Where to Eat
No matter where you are, you’re never more than 50m from a restaurant or a street vendor. The variety of places is so astounding that any attempt to quantify it is meaningless. While Thai food itself is exotic and diverse enough to suit even the most adventurous or hard-to-please diner, Bangkok offers a wide range of international cuisine to rival any city like New York, Paris or LA – and at prices that are much cheaper.

The Sex Industry
You’d never guess that prostitution is actually illegal in Thailand. Nor would you guess that the overwhelming majority of it (80%) services an exclusively Thai clientele, judging by the foreigners that crowd the go-go bars of Patpong, Thaniya, Nana Entertainment Complex and Soi Cowboy.

The mythology of the sex industry, that it’s a western-dominated sleazefest created by visiting Gis during the Vietnam War, is a far cry from the truth.

Soi Cowboy and the Nana Entertainment Complex are the sleazier scenes; Patpong seems almost family-friendly in comparison – the audiences in the sex shows are dominated by couples rather than drunken men. Most sex show visitors, however, are still getting ripped off through various scams, while the women performing, most of them from poorer areas of the city and the North, are at high risk of drug addiction and STDs.
Shopping

Panthip Plaza 5 floors of tech-head paradise, dedicated to all things technical and technological, from mobile phones to pirated software and oodles of DVDs and CDs.

Sukhumvit Market A market for the true fake aficionado, who knows the difference between a good faux Fendi and one with dodgy stitching. Watches, soccer gear, sunglasses, Levis and jewellery.

Dave!

Vietnam €1=19,241 dong

Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.

There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.

Despite its ongoing economic liberalisation and the pressures of rapid development, this dignified country has managed to preserve its rich civilisation and highly cultured society.

It has discarded its post-war fatigues and the boom in budget travelling, coupled with the softening of government control, have enabled more contemporary and relevant portraits of the country to gain currency in the West.

When to Go
There are no good or bad seasons to visit Vietnam. When one region is wet, cold or steamy hot, there is always somewhere else that is sunny and pleasant. Basically, the south has two seasons: the wet (May to November, wettest from June to August) and the dry (December to April). The hottest and most humid time is from the end of February to May. The central coast is dry from May to October and wet from December to February. The highland areas are significantly cooler than the lowlands, and temperatures can get down to freezing in winter. The north has two seasons: cool, damp winters (November to April) and hot summers (May to October). There is the possibility of typhoons between July and November, affecting the north and central areas.

Travellers should take the Tet Festival (late January or early February) into account when planning a trip. Travel (including international travel) becomes very difficult, hotels are full and many services close down for at least a week and possibly a lot longer.

Getting There
Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport is Vietnam's busiest international air hub, followed by Hanoi's Noi Bai Airpot. A few international flights also serve Danang. Bangkok has emerged as the principle embarkation point for Vietnam but it's still possible to get direct flights from a number of major Asian cities and a few Australian cities. Buying tickets in Vietnam is expensive. Departure tax is 14.00, which can be paid in dong or US dollars.

There are currently six border crossings for travellers coming to Vietnam, but more may open soon. All crossing points suffer from heavy policing and often requests for 'immigration fees'.

For getting to/from China, it's become very popular to cross the border at Friendship Pass, or Dong Dang, 20km (12mi) north of Lang Son in northeast Vietnam, to get to/from Nanning. There is a twice-weekly international train between Beijing and Hanoi that stops at Friendship Pass. The other popular border crossing with China is at Lao Cai in northwest Vietnam, which lies on the railway line between Hanoi and Kunming in China's Yunnan Province. There's also a seldom used crossing at Moi Cai.

It's possible to enter Laos from Lao Bao in north-central Vietnam; there's an international bus from Danang to Savannakhet (Laos). The other crossing is at Keo Nua Pass/Cau Treo, west of Vinh. The only crossing to Cambodia is via Moc Dai; an international bus links Phnom Penh with Ho Chi Minh City.

Dublin to Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi

DO NOT BOOK flights to Vietnam from Europe. Book flights to Bangkok

E-Bookers:

Dublin – Copenhagen/Paris/Amsterdam (depends on airline) – Bangkok €800+

Add $200 return flights to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh

Instead of €1850+ being charged for booking flights in Dublin

Working on premise of travellers’ ignorance.

You’ll need visa, which takes three days in Bangkok. Good chance to see sights there.


Getting Around
Vietnam Airlines has a near-monopoly on domestic flights, which are relatively expensive. The departure tax on domestic flights is about 1.50, payable in Vietnamese dong only.

Ultracheap buses and minibuses criss-cross the country in an impressive network of routes but you should think long and hard before taking one. Apart from being ramshackle, extremely slow and hugely overcrowded, the notion of safety on Vietnam's roads is a loose and hazy concept that doesn't bear too much investigating. There are 'express' buses, but even these rarely average more than 50kmh (31mph). The alternative, used by many foreigners, is to charter a minibus. They cost more but are much more comfortable; ask at budget hotels and cafes for details.

While sometimes train travel can be slower than bus travel, it is safer and more relaxed, and you're likely to have decent legroom. There are several types of train, including the famous Reuinification Express; but think twice before you take a crowded, snail-paced local train. Petty theft can be a problem on trains, especially in budget class. Children throwing things at carriages, everything from rocks to cow dung, is another problem, and you're advised to keep the metal shield on the window in place.

Hire cars and drivers are available at reasonable prices. You'll still be stopped by the police to pay all sorts of 'fines', but at least you'll have a local with you to do the negotiating. You can hire a motorcycle to drive yourself if you have an International Driver's Permit endorsed for motorcycles, but you'll need nerves of steel.

Travelling through Vietnam, and around the towns and cities, by bicycle is worth considering, though the traffic is still a hazard on highways without wide shoulders. Trains and buses will carry your bike when you want a break.

Other than a few ancient and infrequent buses, local transport is by taxi (some metered, some not) or cyclo (pedal-powered vehicles that are cheap and plentiful). If you're in a hurry, and fearless, try flagging down any passing motorbike. Many people will be happy to give you a lift for a fee a little higher than the equivalent cyclo fare.

Places To Visit
Hanoi

Hanoi has shaken off its hostile attitude to travellers to become one of the most beguiling cities in Southeast Asia. It's slow-paced and pleasant, with a lovely landscape of lakes, shaded boulevards, verdant public parks and French-colonial architecture.

Hanoi's enchanting Old Quarter is rich with over a thousand years of history. Surface from its thronged labyrinth to explore the city's tranquil lakes and pagodas, its historical houses, and strange preponderance of turtle imagery. The museums will help make sense of it all.

Recommended Hotels
Viet Anh Hotel (tel 926 1302; www.vietanhhotel.com; 11 Pho Ma May; room $8-20) Newish, stylish hotel in the heart of the Old Quarter

Dan Chu Hotel (tel 825 4937; www.danchuhotel.com; 29 Pho Trang Tien; room from $40) An elegant building from the 19th century – it will get done up eventually and the prices will rocket, so enjoy it while you can. Great location between opera house and lake.

Sofitel Metropole Hotel (tel 826 6919; 15 Pho Ngo Quyen; room from $159) French style all the way. Top class hotel, one of the best in Asia.

Recommended Eating
Brothers Café (tel 733 3866; 26 Pho Nguyen Thai Hoc; lunch/dinner buffet $6/11.50) One of my favourite restaurants in the world, this is supremely elegant Vietnamese cuisine at incredibly low prices served in the courtyard of a carefully restored 250-year-old Buddhist temple.


continued...

Dave!

Vietnam continued...

Dalat
The city of Dalat is the jewel of the southern Central Highlands region. The cool climate and park-like environment (dotted with Vietnamese-style kitsch) makes it one of the most delightful cities in Vietnam. Dalat is also a good base for trips into the surrounding highlands, which remain tranquil.

Emperor Bao Dai's Summer Palace is stuffed with interesting art and artefacts, and is well worth a look. Make sure you visit the Hang Nga Guesthouse & Art Gallery, nicknamed the Crazy House by locals. It's a counter-cultural gem created by artist and architect Mrs Dang Viet Nga (known as Hang Nga).

The Dalat Palace Golf Club (tel 821201; www.vietnamgolfresorts.com; Phu Dong Thien Vuong), established in 1922, was once used by Bao Dai, the last Vietnamese emperor. Visitors can play 18-hole rounds here for US$65, but the more affordable 'twilight gold specials' practically make golfing an option for budget travellers. These rates are just US$35 after 2:30pm, or US$25 after 3:30pm, including play until sundown, caddie fees, rental clubs, rental shoes and six used golf balls.

Happy hour at the club house is from 4pm to 7pm and worth checking out just for the guacamole and home-baked tortilla chips!

To lure the customers up to Dalat, very reasonably priced golf-package tours are available if you book from HCMC. Per-golfer deals are as inexpensive as US$59, including a round of golf, a night at the elegant Novotel Dalat and breakfast. Tack on around US$30 to these rates and you can upgrade to the Sofitel Dalat Palace.
Halong Bay

Halong Bay, with its 3000 islands rising from the clear, emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, is one of Vietnam's natural marvels. The islands are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and waves. Hang Dau Go is the most impressive grotto, a huge cave of three chambers.

Ha Long means 'where the dragon descended into the sea', and refers to a legend about a dragon who created the bay and islands with its flailing tail. There's a modern legendary creature, the Tarasque, said to haunt the area. Taking a tour of the bay is the main activity here; book one in Hanoi.
Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It's a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city in the country, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture.

Ho Chi Minh City has several excellent museums that explore its dramatic history and feature everything from harrowing images of the war and revolution to political art. Outside, botanical gardens, temples, pagodas and churches beckon and inspire.



Recommended Hotels
An alternative to Pham Ngu Lao, about 10 minutes' walk south of there, is the Co Giang district.

Miss Loi's Guesthouse (tel 837 9589; missloi@hcm.fpt.vn; 178/20 Co Giang; room US$6-20) This was the first guesthouse to appear in the neighbourhood, and it's probably still the best. Miss Loi and her especially amiable, helpful staff create a warm, low-key familial environment. The free breakfast is served in the pleasant open-air lobby, where fat, happy fish populate the fish pond and a pool table awaits.

Majestic Hotel (tel 829 5514; www.majestichotel.com.vn; 1 Dong Khoi; room and suite US$130-575) Dating back to 1925, the Majestic is located right on the Saigon River. Following major renovations it can truly reclaim its title as one of the city's most majestic hotels. Colonial architecture and details like gorgeous wood floors contribute to its charm and unique atmosphere, setting it apart from more modern behemoths. On hot afternoons, take a dip in the courtyard pool; on warm evenings, take in the river views with a cocktail in hand at the top-floor bar. Breakfast is included in room rates.


Recommended Eating
Banh Xeo 46A (tel 824 1110; 46A Dinh Cong Trang; banh xeo 17,000dong) Banh xeo, the Vietnamese rice-flour crepe stuffed with bean sprouts, prawns and pork (there's also a vegetarian version), has been known to induce swoons of gastronomic delight. Come here to try some of the best banh xeo in HCMC.

Huong Lai (tel 822 6814; 38 Ly Tu Trong; set lunch/dinner 50,000/90,000dong) Upstairs in this airy loft with its open-beamed ceiling, big windows look onto the park and shade trees along Ly Tu Trong. Diners are treated to soothing jazz accompanying lovely multi-course Vietnamese meals. The kitchen and waitstaff here are disadvantaged or former street children, who receive valuable job training, education and a place to live if they're homeless. Jin, the owner, distributes diners' donations among local orphanages (check out his donation book) and creates a peaceful, delicious haven.

Sesame (tel 899 3378; triangleghvn@hcmc.netnam.vn; 153 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh District; set meals 90,000-120,000dong) Another hospitality training school for disadvantaged or orphaned children, Se\'same was set up by the French NGO Triangle Generation Humanitaire. Outside on the flagstone patio, bamboo-strip tables await, lit with candles and gerbera daisies. The butter-yellow walls in the dining room are brightly inviting as well. French-Vietnamese dishes made with fresh local ingredients are delicious and beautifully presented, and the sweet staff are eager to please.
Hué

Traditionally, Hué has been one of Vietnam's main cultural, religious and education centres. Sadly, the intriguing Forbidden Purple City was largely destroyed during the Vietnam War. About 15km (9mi) south of Hué are the splendid Royal Tombs, of the Nguyen emperors.

Thien Mu Pagoda is one of the most famous buildings in Vietnam. The remains of the huge moated citadel, constructed by Emperor Gia Long, contain many interesting sights, such as the Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Holy Cannons, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, Nine Dynastic Urns and the Halls of the Mandarins.
Nha Trang

Although it has the potential to develop into a flashy resort, Nha Trang is still a good place to go for sun and partying, just see it while it lasts. With very clear turquoise waters, snorkelling, diving and fishing are prime activities, and just lazing on the town beach is an experience in itself.

When you tire of the beach, there are some interesting sites nearby, such as the Long Son Pagoda, and 2km (1.2mi) to the north of town are the Cham towers of Po Nagar, built between the 7th and 12th centuries on a site that had been used for Hindu worship as early as the 2nd century.

Off The Beaten Track…
Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu, in the heart-shaped Muong Thanh Valley near the Lao border, is in one of the remotest parts of Vietnam. The valley is surrounded by steep, heavily forested hills and the area is inhabited by hill tribes, notably the Tai and H'mong.

Dien Bien Phu was the site of that rarest of Vietnamese military events, a battle that can be called truly decisive. It was here in 1954 that Viet Minh forces overran the beleaguered French garrison after a 57-day siege, ending any chance of France re-establishing colonial control of Indochina.
Ha Tien

Situated on the Gulf of Thailand, 8km (5mi) from the Cambodian border, the town of Ha Tien and its surrounding area are famous for their warm-water, white-sand beaches and fishing villages. The area is also noted for its seafood, black-pepper tree plantations and towering limestone formations.

The rock formations around the town support a network of caves, many of which have been turned into cave temples. Ha Tien is a 10-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City. Because of uncleared land mines and booby traps, be wary of travelling off the beaten track near the Cambodian border.
Hoi An

An important, picturesque and enchanting river port 30km (19mi) south of Danang, Hoi An is rich in history and has a unique character. It was a contemporary of Macau, attracting Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese trading vessels, and it retains the feel of centuries past.

Its magnificent collection of almost 850 older structures and intact streetscapes just beg to be explored. They include merchants' homes, pagodas, public buildings, a Japanese covered bridge and a whole city block of colonnaded French buildings.
Sapa

Located at an altitude of 1650m (5400ft) in the remote northwest, Sapa entrances most visitors with the spectacular scenery that exists nearby. Built as a hill station for the French in 1922, Sapa went into a long decline from which it has only recently recovered.

More and more travellers are braving the bad (but improving) roads and flocking here for the non-winter climate and to visit the hill tribes who live in the area. The Saturday market is the best place to buy handicrafts. Accommodation can be tight, especially on weekends when tour parties visit.

Dave!

Hopefully that information will be helpful to someone! Ye should listen to the Right Hook travel show, it's great It's at 6.30pm on 106.0, every Tuesday, or you can podcast the show if you like, on the Newstalk website, and if you subscribe to the travel club you get the notes emailed to you after the shows.

Nalced_irl

DaveMcG wrote:

Hopefully that information will be helpful to someone! Ye should listen to the Right Hook travel show, it's great It's at 6.30pm on 106.0, every Tuesday, or you can podcast the show if you like, on the Newstalk website, and if you subscribe to the travel club you get the notes emailed to you after the shows.

You win...your guide beats mine

Dave!

I was gonna say "good post Nalced_irl" before I posted that, but thought you'd think I was being ironic

ahh well..... you suck

20 Times 20 Times

Great thread lads you have given me some great ideas about what i want to do on my travels and what i want to see , also i now know that i want to stay in SE asia longer then what i have planned for 30 days.

Nalced_irl

DaveMcG wrote:

I was gonna say "good post Nalced_irl" before I posted that, but thought you'd think I was being ironic

ahh well..... you suck

Hehe, i know when im beaten. Good Game

gerire

This is a recent mail I sent to a friend leaving next week.

Kanchanaburi, about 2 hours outside(north- book tickets on Koh San Road) bangkok where the famous "Bridge over the river Kwai" is, but the reason to go there is the Tiger Temple which you book in your hostel and is an amazing experience to be petting and touching these huge animals

Chang Mai:
Getting there.
Train. Get over night sleeper http://www.chiangmai1.com/chiang_mai/schedules/train_bus.shtml
Plane: About €50-€60 Return http://www.nokair.com/

Pai. A small village with 1 main street about 3 hours North west of chang Mai, a complete hippy town we went for 2 days and came out 5 days later. I dont know why, we did nothing there, but it was an amazing experience. Id reccomend the Blue Lagoon to stay in, a bit more expensive but luxury.

Do a Trek in Chang Mai, we only did a 1 day trek and went to 2 villages, done bamboo rafting and rode elephants. If you do the 2/3 day trek you do the same except walk for longer, stay in tribal vilages and smoke opium with them at night << so we were told.


Getting to Ko Phangnan: You get off at Surat Thani
We didn't do any of the western islands as we were just there after the tsunami and we listened to family requests not to go. Its all suposed to be re built up now and back to its stunning old self.

Full Moon party :Twas cool. You will really enojy it we stayed in the Blue Lotus (http://www.phangan.info/bluelotus/) in Ban Kai which is 1 beach before Haad Rinn, much quieter if you want it and the "taxi ride" back of a pick up truck, is a great roller coaster trip.

Cambodia was really eye opening, it is so poor its a really amazing experience, Angkor Wat shouldn't be missed, for a 1 day trip dont really understand how people go on the 3-4 days there unless they are either really religious or studying architecture.

Also from Siam Reap, where angkor wat is, I fully reccomend a life changing trip to the Cambodian Landmine Museum. If Aki Ra's life story doesn't inspire you, nothing will!!


Ok I went on a bit, Sorry. Am busy in work, and about 20 minutes behind myself now will post up more later

gerire

This is a post on a here which helped us in planning our trip

Blinky1 wrote:

Hello there
Sorry bout taking ages to reply, havent been on this site in a while.
Anywho...
First things first,Im dead jealous of your trip. i'd give anything to go back to asia right now!
Anyway it seems like your planning properly unlike I did. I dunno how much you'll honestly need per day. I was hopeless at keeping track of how much i was spending daily. We were there for 7 weeks in total and I spent somewhere between 2000 and 2500 euro though. BUT this was quite a bit extra than one of the other girls. You could get away with 1500 for 7 weeks I reckon, but sure its better to have more so you dont miss out on anything. I splashed out loads. (bout 14 handbags! Then I got perfume at the airport in Bangkok on the way home...and got a free handbag! Score!) Also wasted 40 euro on a flight that we missed cos our bus from Cambodia broke down for about 3 hrs in the middle of nowhere. Be prepared, this happens alot
Anyway...
I reckon you will get all 4 places done in a month though seriously, but make sure you plan it well. We spent a whole week on an island at the end, so we did what your planning to do about 5-6 wks.
Not sure what else to tell you really. Have you gone travelling before? Your probably more experienced than I am so I dont wanna tell you obvious stuff that you probably already know.
I would urge you to visit Chang Mai to do the hill tribe treck though. Loadsa guesthouses etc organise them, and you can even book them in Bangkok which is handy. We got visas for Laos,Vietnam and Cambodia, the treck in chang mai, our train to chang mai, accomodation there, some day boat trip to see temples etc in Ayuttya just outside Bangkok, bus to the slow boat etc all organised through one tourist info place (TAT office). Paid there (i'll find out how much it cost in total off one of the other girls if you want,cant remember myself at the mo) and left our passports with them. Got the train to chang mai the following night (it was a dead comfy sleep surprisingly!) , stayed the guesthouse the following night, then went off to do the trek for 3 days 2 nights, and when we got back to the guesthouse in chang mai our passports and visas were waiting for us! It was cool cos it meant we didnt have to waste too much time hanging around for them.
Anyway as for your q on how we got around. Got that train to chang mai. Then a bus from there to Chang Kong. (didnt do much research here, we thought it was a short one hr trip or something, hell no, 6 hrs later we arrived, no air con on the bus either which sucked, but sure its all part of the experience.
Opted for the slow boat from there down to Luang Probang in Laos. Takes 2 days. I think its 5 hrs on the boat each day. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A CUSHION! Seriously. The seats are planks of wood, and the one we had did allow much room to walk around. No food on it or anything either. It was fun though. Everyone chats away and you stop along the edge at foodstalls etc every couple of hrs. It stops in Pakbeng one night then and everyone gets hounded by the ghouse owners, its quite funny really.

(im gonna try to summarise the rest, this is getting really long,sorry!)
From Luang Probang we got a bus to Vientianne (didnt really like this place 2 be honest, only stayed one night) (Luang P is fab though, we loved it, stayed longer than planned. The 12midnight curfew in the country sucks tho. They have so many cake shops though, yum) Anyway from Vientainne we got a really long 25 hr bus to Hanoi (my fave place of all) Stayed there about 5 nights. Its amazing. Theres just motorbikes everywhere. Saw one with 5 people on it one night. (ah, the memories!)
From there we got a train down it down to Hue. It was the best sleep I had ever!! The bed on it was so so comfy. I think the movement of the train just lulled me into a really deep sleep or something, i slept for the whole day on it)
Then bussed it to Hoi An (bought loadsa clothes) (not sure if Hue was b4 Hoi An actually, doesnt matter though, i'll continue )
Then bussed it to Na Trang, and got a bus an hr later to Saigon. We were so dissapointed we didnt stay in Na Trang though, it looked brill, but we had our bus to Saigon paid for already.
Then got a long long bus from there to Phnom Pen or Siem Riep, dunno which was first, cant remember the layout of the country. Cambodia was amazing. Then bussed it back to Bangkok. Then bus and boat to Kho Phi Phi.
If you get planes you'll save alot of time though and they aint too dear.
I hope my ramblings helped even a little!
Gonna havta run cos bro needs computer, but please pm again if you've any more q's!
Oh, and make sure you spend a few nights in Bangkok! Everyone says to just pass through it, but dont. I loved it. I was prepared to find a really sleezy place that was filthy, but i loved it. Such an amazing atmosphere in it. We stayed a night in china town there too which was cool simply cos it was so different.

Nalced_irl

gerire wrote:

Pai. A small village with 1 main street about 3 hours North west of chang Mai, a complete hippy town we went for 2 days and came out 5 days later. I dont know why, we did nothing there, but it was an amazing experience. Id reccomend the Blue Lagoon to stay in, a bit more expensive but luxury.

Pai is a brilliant little town. Get a moped and just have a buzz in it. Its a very quiet place but if there are a few of you it is good fun. The road there is a bit insane tho!

theCzar

on a side note as regards the bit from news talk

Dublin – Copenhagen/Paris/Amsterdam (depends on airline) – Bangkok €800+

Add $200 return flights to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh

Instead of €1850+ being charged for booking flights in Dublin

I book my flight Dublin to Saigon via Paris, worked out 808EUR return. Though I can't recall if that incl. taxes (it was 2 years ago). either way its a lot frickin cheaper than the 1850 suggested here. ebookers can go and sh!te !!

I went with Air Vietnam/Air France.

gary the great

RE: booking of flights, we booked our flights from London to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi with Emirates Airlines with ebookers UK,and were flying to London with Ryanair.

The total cost of flights worked out at 630euro incl. everything and the return Ryanair from London. I dont think you could get cheaper than that.

Got all the injections with Dr. Ekky for 130 euro which also really cheap.

Im just on the hunt now for a decent backpack and then im gone in 3 weeks.
have 2100 to last me 7 weeks, although im really good with money so im sure it will be enough. I then have my cc which will have a further 600 credit if i need it.
HOw did everyone arrange their money, I plan on using my AIB bankcard and maybe bring some travellers cheques (not much though?), i will also have the credit card which I dont plan on using if possible.

And although im going for 7weeks, were just gona get the 30day holiday visa when we land in Bangkok and then head over the Vietnam or Cambodia, should that be OK?

breadmonkey

I got a rucksack in a place near Smith's at the end of Henry St. in town. It was only E45 but has been excellent so far. No problems at all.

And although im going for 7weeks, were just gona get the 30day holiday visa when we land in Bangkok and then head over the Vietnam or Cambodia, should that be OK?

That's fine, you'll have loads of time.

If you decide to go to Vietnam, try to book your flights a bit in advance as I'm pretty sure they're a lot cheaper that way. You also have to get a Visa before you arrive in Vietnam. Go to the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok as soon as you arrive there and get it sorted. That way you can do the 2/3 day service which is cheaper. Do NOT get the visa through a TAT office. No matter what they say, it's cheaper in the Embassy. We went to 5 or 6 places and they all had different prices and different bullsh!t info on Embassy prices.

Edit: Also, if you get a taxi or a tuk tuk to the Embassy, tell the guy you're going to pick up your passport. If he knows you need to get the visa, he'll keep trying to bring you to fvcking TAT offices where he gets commission. We had to actually abandon one tuk tuk eventually. Best thing is probably to get the Skytrain, it drops you off very close to the Embassy.

fruitcake

I was not a fan of Vietnam, found Hanoi to be hostile, frenetic and one of the craziest unfriendliest places I have ever been!! Saigon was far nicer..

breadmonkey

fruitcake wrote:

I was not a fan of Vietnam, found Hanoi to be hostile, frenetic and one of the craziest unfriendliest places I have ever been!! Saigon was far nicer..

Agreed. I much prefer HCMC although maybe that's because I'm spending my days stocking up on cheap everything before I go home!

gary the great

Whats the best way to deal with your money? I plan on bringing my bankcard and just taken out a couple of hundred euros every time I need it. I also have a CC for emergencies but dont want to use that to much.
Mite bring some travellars checks aswell?

And our plan when we get to thailand is to go straight down to Ko San Road by taxi and get a place for a few days, or should we book in advance?

breadmonkey

gary the great wrote:

Whats the best way to deal with your money? I plan on bringing my bankcard and just taken out a couple of hundred euros every time I need it. I also have a CC for emergencies but dont want to use that to much.
Mite bring some travellars checks aswell?

And our plan when we get to thailand is to go straight down to Ko San Road by taxi and get a place for a few days, or should we book in advance?

We have ATM cards and one credit card between us for emergencies. We haven't used the credit card yet. ATM cards are fine but you get hit pretty hard on the transaction charges. In Thailand, I was getting charged about E3.50 per transaction and in Vietnam, about E4.50. Pretty steep to say the least so you always want to be taking out your money in big lumps. This has its own problems however, as you have to carry a lot of cash with you. I'm not sure if you can get around it with travellers cheques since you have to pay for them in the first place and you probably get charged a commission when you cash them in.

Don't bother booking in advance, there will be absolutely no problem getting a room.

I would advise you to get the train to Hualamphong station and a taxi from there. This might sound a bit intimidating now, but it's really very easy. We didn't get the train becasue we were so tired and confused when we got there, but it's definitely the way to go. If you want to get a taxi, you'll have to queue up outside for ages for a "metered taxi". These taxis are not metered and charge 350B to Khao San Rd. (plus tolls of 70B if you want to take the highway). Other scalper taxis pull up beside the queue and will take you for 500-600B. If you get the train, it costs about 15B. A metered taxi (if they won't put the meter on, don't get in) to Khao San from there should be about 50-70B, depending on traffic.

gary the great

Cool thanks for the info Breadmonkey.

Another question, I never even thought about this till I was buying my backpack yesterday and the assistant pointed out to me that I will need a sleeping bag, is this neccessary? i presume it is when staying in hostels etc.

Also should I buy a mosquito net and repellant here or wait till I get over there?
I still havent decided if il take the malaria tablets, the stories im hearing from people that have taken them!

theCzar

gary the great wrote:

Cool thanks for the info Breadmonkey.

Another question, I never even thought about this till I was buying my backpack yesterday and the assistant pointed out to me that I will need a sleeping bag, is this neccessary? i presume it is when staying in hostels etc.

Also should I buy a mosquito net and repellant here or wait till I get over there?
I still havent decided if il take the malaria tablets, the stories im hearing from people that have taken them!

re. Sleeping bag, remember that its going to be really hot and sticky all night as well, so if you're worried about bed standard, a sleeping bag liner is likely all that's needed.

Wouldn't bother with mosquito net either unless you're planning to camp out. I would buy mosquito repellent before you go. Tablets seem to come primarily in two varieties.

Cheap and god awful, or expensive and good:
In vietnam, we used cheap+god awful, cost 30EUR for 2 months worth (you had to keep taking them for a month after return). Side effects were nausea, mood swings and freaky dreams. Take them on an empty stomach and you WILL be sick.

In Amazon, we used expensive, we were only in malaria zone for a few days, 15 tabs (had to take 2 days before arriva;, 7 days after, we were in jungle only couple nights) it cost over 90EUR!! These manifested no side effects whatsoever.

I felt better knowing I was take tabs, I was bitten half to death in Amazon despite 95% DEET repellent. Many people don't bother with them, a doctor would say take them, I don't know what the infection rate is / mosquito bite, but you will get bitten so its up to you.

breadmonkey

Yeah, pretty much agree with Czar. Don't bring a sleeping bag. I didn't have cause to use it once in 9 weeks so I was definitely glad I didn't have one with me. Same goes for mozzie net. I had one (a crap one), but in reality anywhere you might need a net, they will provide one for you.

Cheap and god awful, or expensive and good:
In vietnam, we used cheap+god awful, cost 30EUR for 2 months worth (you had to keep taking them for a month after return). Side effects were nausea, mood swings and freaky dreams. Take them on an empty stomach and you WILL be sick

I think you're talking abou Lariam. We met a few people on our trip who were taking them and all had weird side effects. I also heard (though I'm no where near 100% on this one) that mozzies around SE Asia are resistant to Lariam. I took doxycycline and had no problems even the odd time when I took them on an empty stomach. My girlfriend took Malarone, which has less side effects but is MUCH more expensive. It made her sick for the first while, but I think it's harder on females. You cannot buy Malarone in SE Asia. I would not recommend buying your tablets over there anyway, even though they're cheaper. I read an article from New Scientist a while ago about the roaring trade in counterfeit malaria tablets. They will look the same but contain no active ingredient. It was something like 52% of those sold were fakes. I tried to find the article but no luck so far. I'll try and come back with it later.

I felt better knowing I was take tabs, I was bitten half to death in Amazon despite 95% DEET repellent. Many people don't bother with them, a doctor would say take them, I don't know what the infection rate is / mosquito bite, but you will get bitten so its up to you.

I think DEET is a freakin mozzie attractant (if that's a word!)! I don;t think it worked wonders for us. We had the 55 stuff and even that was really corrosive. All in all, I felt safer taking the tablets. And as Czar says, you will get bitten no matter what so why take the risk?

gary the great

But isnt the cost of the malaria tablets over here really expensive, like a few hundred quid?
I was planning on buying the malaria tablets in Boots in Bangkok (I heard theres 1 in bangkok!?) the more expensive tablets, and taking them as well as using the Deet.

Il have to have a think about it the next few days...

breadmonkey

gary the great wrote:

But isnt the cost of the malaria tablets over here really expensive, like a few hundred quid?
I was planning on buying the malaria tablets in Boots in Bangkok (I heard theres 1 in bangkok!?) the more expensive tablets, and taking them as well as using the Deet.

Il have to have a think about it the next few days...

Malarone are really expensive, Doxycycline are not.

theCzar

breadmonkey wrote:

Malarone are really expensive, Doxycycline are not.

Yeah Malarone were the expensive ones we took, Doxycyline were the cheap ones. The effects are down to the individual I think, neither me nor any of my friends could take the doxycyline on an empty stomach, but so long as I took them after breakfast or lunch, they were ok for me. One my friends got sick more spontaneously than I've ever seen after he took one after dinner in Nha Trang. Not pretty. I had some ****ing weird and very vivid dreams too.

Gary, remember that Malaria tablets have a lead up time, they're supposed to be taken for a while before arrival in malaria zone, lenth dependent on type, I think Malerone was 2 days, but Doxycycline was a week. (but its been a while so )

breadmonkey

Are you sure it was doxycycline you were taking? It never gave me any wierd dreams. It really sounds like Lariam to me.

theCzar

breadmonkey wrote:

Are you sure it was doxycycline you were taking? It never gave me any wierd dreams. It really sounds like Lariam to me.

nope, defo doxycycline, its a rareisjh side effect I think, none of my friends experienced it

killbillvol2

gary the great wrote:

But isnt the cost of the malaria tablets over here really expensive, like a few hundred quid?
I was planning on buying the malaria tablets in Boots in Bangkok (I heard theres 1 in bangkok!?) the more expensive tablets, and taking them as well as using the Deet.

Il have to have a think about it the next few days...

Different tablets are recommended for different countries. Doxycyclene is usually recommended for Thailand and Malarone for Vietnam. You'll get doxycyclene in Boots in Bangkok (there's loads of branches).

Very few areas of Thailand are malarial at this stage. You'd probably only need to take them if you're trekking or well off the beaten track.

As regards Bangkok, I don't see why anyone would stay on the Khao San Rd. It's a kip. If you really feel the need to be near foreigners stay on one of the streets near it.

Cheiftan

evening folks , been lurking here for a while and seen all the chat re malaria medication so i felt the need to throw in my tuppence worth into the mix, here goes,
I've just returned from 11 months travel( been home 6 weeks)Mexico, Belize, Guatemala,Honduras,Nicuragua,Costa Rica,Panama,treid to go to Columbia but they would'nt let me in:mad: hit SE Asia then , Thailand,Burma,Laos,Vietman,Cambodia,Malyasia then back to Thailand.
I never took any malarial medication, ever , its not worth the bu**sh1t, side effects etc. I got bitten pleanty and i'm sure if you look up the WHO malarial website you'll see i've been to places where its rampant, done the whole trekking thing here there and everywhere ,no probs.
Doxcycelene is a particularly nasty piece of work , your skin goes hyper sensitive to sun light , real good idea when going to the tropics, Chloroquine well you may as well take red lemonade as 90% of the malarial carrying mossies are resistant to it.
Me sis is a Doc, and before ye ask , yes she is a tropical doc, her advice to me was by all means get the Doxy, have it with you at all times, if & when you feel the nastiest flu ever coming on , hit the cot , take loads of liquids, double dose doxy, wait 6 hrs , double dose doxy, further 6 hours double dose doxy , you should start feeling marginally better ,fit enough to move , keep taking single dose every 6-8 hrs after that, then get yourself to a quack(S.E asia i would reccommend the American Hosp in BKK)
BTW i've had the blood test since i came home and am malarial free.
The best defense other than 100% deet ( which is not a good idea either is just dont wash, yuccckkky i know but it works!!)
And remember lads enjoy yeer selves!!!!!

Cheiftan

Cheiftan

oh yeah agree fully with prev post re Koh san road, sh1thole of the highest order, hit China town, better buzz, cheaper shopping and less tuk tuks going "where you go" "you want boom boom " etc etc

gary the great

Dr Ekky was tellin us we'd be crazy to go to vietnam and not take malrial drugs, he said thailand would be ok be definetly not Vietnam or Cambodia

Cheiftan

Gary, I'm not telling you what to do or what not to do , I've been to Cambodia and Vietnam and survived to tell the tale ( liver still recovering tho:D ) unless you're gonna go native with the montaguard tribe and drink warm gecko blood etc etc you should be ok imho
When you'r trekking if thats what you're into , the guide,if he's a good one will keep you right. I went from North from Hanoi to Lao Cai to Dien Bien Phu back to Hanoi then down coast Thanh Hoa,Vinh , pi**ed round DMZ (V over rated imho) over to Khe Sanh, Hue,Da Nanng,Quang Ngai,Buon ma Thuot , Nha Trang(kip but mental spot) then down to HCMC, overland stopping twice, in hamlets i don'y care to remember, to Phenom Penh(buzzing city much nicer than Hanoi,HCMC,BKK and Vientiane) on to Shinookville, then overland to Siam Reap.
All that was through major malaria country according to WHO and i'm ok thank Bhudda!!
Look its obvious your concerned about getting malaria, who would'nt be, but the whole travel thing should be scary on some level , otherwise whats the point in doing it?
Before i hit the tar i was bricking it about the same sh1t, now i'm back i'm thinking " you pussy"
Go , enjoy it , no doubt you will, take what ever drugs you want( really do, really really do ) to combat malaria, but don't let it become a burden.
I've spoken to people when travelling that have had major personality changes due to doxy,malarone, not so much chloroquine , everyone of them quit taking the damn things.

Cheiftan

Quick one on the money thing , travellers cheques are hassle, load up your credit card and use it as a bank card, use net to keep an eye on your balance,Most irish bank cards will work , although be aware Laos has 1,poss 2 ATM's in the entire country, in Vientiane, down from main square , near river.
The only way you can get money in Laos is using your credit card in the town banks, small tip on that one , get there early in the morning cos you'll get 20,000 and 50,000 kip notes , if you go a/noon they'll have run out of 20's and 50's and they'll give you 5000 kip notes, remember its 12,000 kip=1 yo yo and a bottle of beer lao is approx 40cent , you wont be able to close your wallet/purse if you don't get there in morning!!

breadmonkey

Taking Malaria tablets isn;t a big deal. All it means is that once a day, you say "****, I forgot to take my ****ing malaria tablets again!".

theCzar

breadmonkey wrote:

Taking Malaria tablets isn;t a big deal. All it means is that once a day, you say "****, I forgot to take my ****ing malaria tablets again!".

been there, done that!

Chieftan is probably right, and certainly I've yet to meet a long term traveller who takes malaria tablets. Likewise, my company is sending me to india for the winter, and have given me a list of vaccinations a mile long, my work colleague (whose Indian) laughed long and hard.

fruitcake

theCzar wrote:

I would buy mosquito repellent before you go. Tablets seem to come primarily in two varieties.

Cheap and god awful, or expensive and good:
In vietnam, we used cheap+god awful, cost 30EUR for 2 months worth (you had to keep taking them for a month after return). Side effects were nausea, mood swings and freaky dreams. Take them on an empty stomach and you WILL be sick.
I felt better knowing I was take tabs, I was bitten half to death in Amazon despite 95% DEET repellent. Many people don't bother with them, a doctor would say take them, I don't know what the infection rate is / mosquito bite, but you will get bitten so its up to you.

I took bymysin, the ones you have to take every day and found no side effects whatsoever, the only painful thing was having to remember to take them every day but other than that they were fine..no depression, no nausea..would definitely recommend you take something..just not worth the risk!

Daithio

Not much that I can add to what's been said here already, apart from you HAVE TO visit this part of the world, but if you aren't on too tight a budget but don't have a huge amount of time I'd really recommend catching the internal flights rather than train/ bussing it everywhere. If I remember correctly we got flights from Bangkok- Koh Samui- Bangkok- Phnom Penh (then boat from here to Siem Reap)-Siem Reap back to Bangkok for €250 per person. We only had about 4 weeks in the area and didn't really want to be spending too much time sitting on buses/ trains etc. Granted we probably missed some of the small little towns that the buses and trains go through, but it was really handy considering we didn't have all that much time. Also if you are booking internal flights around the area wait until you get there, do not under any circumstances book it through USIT or any other travel agent over here, they will absolutely rip you off.

breadmonkey

Daithio wrote:

Not much that I can add to what's been said here already, apart from you HAVE TO visit this part of the world, but if you aren't on too tight a budget but don't have a huge amount of time I'd really recommend catching the internal flights rather than train/ bussing it everywhere. If I remember correctly we got flights from Bangkok- Koh Samui- Bangkok- Phnom Penh (then boat from here to Siem Reap)-Siem Reap back to Bangkok for €250 per person. We only had about 4 weeks in the area and didn't really want to be spending too much time sitting on buses/ trains etc. Granted we probably missed some of the small little towns that the buses and trains go through, but it was really handy considering we didn't have all that much time. Also if you are booking internal flights around the area wait until you get there, do not under any circumstances book it through USIT or any other travel agent over here, they will absolutely rip you off.

I would have to agree. I didn't have enough money to fly anywhere but sometimes it's definitely better if you can afford it. Gruelling bus journeys are part of the experience but flying means to have more actual "holidaying" time.

Cheiftan

Flights are all well and good but two journeys you should not even consider flying is BKK to Chaing Mai, get the overnight train, great way to meet fellow mad people, the bar stays open till the grumpy conductor comes round telling everyone to go to bed , he then closes the bar , everyone cracks open the carryout singhas and the show goes on , I can't remember what i paid but it was cheap , no more than 500 Baht for a sleeping compartment did'nt even see it !!!no A/C, you wont need it , the scenery is sheer class, esp the last 2 hours or so when you coming down from the mountains into Chaing mai
Chaing Kong to Luang prabang on the Mekong by boat is worth doing, its uncomfortable( like the tit i am i got the speed boat:eek: ) would prob do the slow boat if there again but again what an experience.
Check out when the Bhudda holidays fall i think there is one more or less every month cos the internal flights can get busy around this time

allin-king

Whats the best way of going from Pattaya to Ko Samui,
I was thinking of getting train back to Bangkok and flying to Ko Samui.
Is there any other options i.e pattaya to Ko Samui direct??

breadmonkey

Cheiftan wrote:

Chaing Kong to Luang prabang on the Mekong by boat is worth doing

I have to say that that boeat journey may well have been the low point of my 9 weeks.

Evil_Bilbo

seen alot of mentions of things like snakes blood and opium. Going to thailand / laos at the end of a rtw trip (be there around feb) - anyone tried / heard about anyone who tried drinking snakesblood or smokin opium in the hills with the locals? Would be well on for this, (but dont want to die!!!) - so any advice (for or against) would be appreciated.

I dont need a lecture on the dangers of drugs - just would like to hear some personal experiences of the snakesblood/opium variety.

Cheiftan

Bread monkey , did ya get the slow boat or fast boat? either way i can feel your pain:)
Its a bitch of a trip all right , i went on the speed boat and it was the worst 6 hours travel i think i ever had , having said that i'm glad i did it, cos i'm that kinda sick f**k!!!!!!!

breadmonkey

Cheiftan wrote:

Bread monkey , did ya get the slow boat or fast boat? either way i can feel your pain:)
Its a bitch of a trip all right , i went on the speed boat and it was the worst 6 hours travel i think i ever had , having said that i'm glad i did it, cos i'm that kinda sick f**k!!!!!!!

Yeah we took the sloooooooooowwwwwwwwww boat. I thought the speed boat took 10 hours? It was hell. I could go on a rant about his but I'm just oo tired. The "speed boats" are hilarious. A masive engine on a tiny boat. That must have been seriously noisy. Could you even read or anything?

For anyone who doesn't fully appreciate how dangerous the fast boat is, let me tell you that they make you wear motorcycle helmets. If anything in that part of the world is actually deemed dangerous enough to warrant a motorcycle helmet, it would be almost suicidal by western standards!

bilbo wrote:

seen alot of mentions of things like snakes blood and opium. Going to thailand / laos at the end of a rtw trip (be there around feb) - anyone tried / heard about anyone who tried drinking snakesblood or smokin opium in the hills with the locals? Would be well on for this, (but dont want to die!!!) - so any advice (for or against) would be appreciated.

I dont need a lecture on the dangers of drugs - just would like to hear some personal experiences of the snakesblood/opium variety

Never heard anything about snakes blood but I was offered opium a few times. SOmetimes it was on the streets and once when we were with a hilltribe. I really wanted to give it a lash but we were on this "eco-friendly" trek where they ask you not to smoke opium to set a good example to the kids etc. We talked to a few guys who did it and they said it wasn't all it's cracked (waheeeeeeeeey) up to be. I'd go for it.

My one piece of golden advice for Laos: Give yourself plenty of time. You would really need a month. Anything less and you'll spend too much time travelling between places as even the shortest hop can be a gruelling bus journey. I feel an anecdote coming on.... One journey from Luang Nam Tha to Luang Prabang (you can check these places on a map and see how close they are) took 13 and a half hours. At one point we thought we were nearly there. Then we realised we were, in fact, 6 hours away becuase the bus was a total ****heap. Anyway, good luck, and chase that dragon!

Dave!

Jesus breadmonkey, you're making SE Asia seem a bit hostile to me Maybe I'll just fly to one place and stay there for a few months, because travelling to anywhere else sounds like more trouble than it's worth! :eek: (this is tongue in cheek BTW!)

breadmonkey

DaveMcG wrote:

Jesus breadmonkey, you're making SE Asia seem a bit hostile to me Maybe I'll just fly to one place and stay there for a few months, because travelling to anywhere else sounds like more trouble than it's worth! :eek: (this is tongue in cheek BTW!)

Ah no, I didn't mean to give that impression. Tell me what things that I mentioned you mean specifically and maybe I can set the record straight from my own point of view.

EDIT:That sentence really is terrible.

Dave!

Well the main impression I seem to get from your posts is that public transport in SE Asia is sh*t, and it takes hours in a dingey bus or a dangerous taxi or a sh*tty boat, to get anywhere.

It makes me wonder how anyone is able to travel around in these places, if it takes hours and hours to get across a short distance.

Or perhaps this is the backpacker way, and I'm missing this point!

I'm curious about this because I've got a bit of travelling to do this year, and was thinking that travelling around Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia would be good. Probably not plausible, but sure I'm just researching ATM

Cheiftan

speed boat took 6 hours , and your right , when i saw the helmets and ear defenders been handed out i thought oh f**k, you dont have to wear helmets on motorbikes here or seatbelts in cars but this is scaring me !!
Opium all over the gaff in Laos despite what the Govt there say , guesthouses, taxis , bars , resturants, everywhere especially in Viang Viane.
I tried it and its just one massive deadner, real knockout material, not sure where you got this snakes blood idea from tho , never heard of it or was offered it , was offered live pythons in the Russian market in Phenom Pehn tho, DIY perhaps?!!!
Don't be worried about sh**ty trains and buses in SE Asia , its no worse than Hueston - Cork an a Friday evening, really:rolleyes:

breadmonkey

DaveMcG wrote:

Well the main impression I seem to get from your posts is that public transport in SE Asia is sh*t, and it takes hours in a dingey bus or a dangerous taxi or a sh*tty boat, to get anywhere.

It makes me wonder how anyone is able to travel around in these places, if it takes hours and hours to get across a short distance.

That's only in Laos and any mountainous regions of Thailand/Vietnam. Look here and you'll see that northern Laos is just a huge mountain range. That's what makes travel so slow. Roads and trains in Thailand and Vietnam are excellent (relatively speaking), so it's very easy to get around in those countries. I don't know about Cambodia but I think only the northern part is mountainous so I'd say travel is fine apart from that.

Don't get me wrong,I really liked Laos. It's what you would imagine Thailand and Vietnam are like. For instance, if you look out over a big paddy (sp?) field in Thailand/Vietnam, you will generally (not always the case) see loads of little horrible huts made out of concrete and corrugated iron. In Laos, it's all bamboo huts. It's much more authentic, you don't really get ripped off at all, you can use the local transport system without a bother, it's cheaper than Thailand/Vietnam, the people are great and there's fantastic Indian food to be found all over the place! I'm just saying that you need to give yourself time to enjoy it because spending day after day on a bus is no fun.