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SE Asia combined thread Sticky

  • 12-12-2006 10:28pm
    #1
    semifinalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭


    Just wondering where it's gone?


Comments

  • #2
    Dave!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,857 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054926431

    It wasn't a sticky I don't think... It probably should be though :)


  • #3
    semifinalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭semifinalist


    That's the one Dave. thanks for that.

    just trying to figure out whether i should fly into Laos from thailand or cross on land and get a boat down the mekong to Luang Prabang.

    i heard it's rough but i like the idea of going down one of the most famous rivers in the world and doing it the old-fashioned way....

    Anyone who has been to Laos i would really appreciate comments.

    Laos - yay or nay?

    thanks,

    S.


  • #4
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    semifinalist wrote:
    That's the one Dave. thanks for that.

    just trying to figure out whether i should fly into Laos from thailand or cross on land and get a boat down the mekong to Luang Prabang.

    i heard it's rough but i like the idea of going down one of the most famous rivers in the world and doing it the old-fashioned way....

    Anyone who has been to Laos i would really appreciate comments.

    Laos - yay or nay?

    thanks,

    S.
    Tbh, I thought the boat was crap. It takes forever and is quite boring. I too quite like the idea of travelling down the Mekong but the novelty wears off after 10 hours or so!

    However, the benefit of crossing by land (I presume you mean Chian Khong/Huay Xai border???) is that you can get the boat to somehwere like Luang Nam Tha and then journey through Laos in one continuos loop rather than starting in the very centre (i.e. Luang Prabang) and having to double back. As you may have noticed in the other thread, I always say that this is important because otherwise you will be spending most of your time in Laos on buses!

    And by the way, I don't know if the Lonely Planet has been updated yet (probably not until 2007 edition) but you now get a 30 day visa on arrival rather than 15 days.

    So bring lots of books for the journey and lots of $$$ to change at the border! Wait until you see the gigantic pile of money you'll have!!


  • #5
    semifinalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭semifinalist


    From what i've heard about them, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng are my priorities in Laos.

    i'm sure there are other attractions in Laos, i've just not read about them yet.


    So, my crossing or flight would depend on whether there is enough that's worth seeing that's north of L.P. or should i just fly into L.P and work down to Vang Vieng?

    I'd welcome other info about what's worthe seeing in the whole country.

    thanks.

    S.


  • #6
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    Isn't Vang Vieng north of LP?


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  • #7
    semifinalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭semifinalist


    sorry. you're right.

    i guess i'm just wondering if i it's worth seeing the mekong on a slow/fast boat on the way down to luang prabang or just fly in from bangkok?

    Also, was in Thailand a couple of years ago and visited Chiang Mai and Pai.

    Liked Pai, but couldn't see the attraction with Chiang Mai.

    Did i miss something major?!


  • #8
    semifinalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭semifinalist


    breadmonkey wrote:
    and then journey through Laos in one continuos loop rather than starting in the very centre (i.e. Luang Prabang) and having to double back.

    this is what i was wondering. double back to go where?

    would most people just drift down through LP then Vang Vieng and Vientiane and if so, where would you go then? is the Mekong Delta nice?

    thanks monkey.


  • #9
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    I went way way to north to a place called Muang Sing but tbh that's probably a waste of time since it's such a pain in the hole to get there. I would say fly in from Thailand, go to Vang Vieng (sp?), back to Luang Prabang and head to that Four Thousand Island place (Pakse?). Spoke to a lot of people who said it was great though I didn't go there myself because I had to go from Laos to Hanoi so Southern Laos wasn't really on the cards. From there you can enter Cambodia or Vietnam if you wish.

    The jury seems to be out on Vientiane. I thought it was a dive myself but PunyHuman and some others liked it. Having said that, you'd probably have to go there for at least a night in order to get to the south.

    Enjoy!

    P.S. As regards the boat, I really don't think it's worth it purely to see the Mekong. Where are you at the moment? If you're already in Northern Thailand then mabe it's not such a bad idea. I went Pai - Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong (or Huay Xai, I can't remember which is on which side).


  • #10
    semifinalist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭semifinalist


    I actually amn't going over for a few months yet. i'm just planning at the mo.

    was in thailand a couple of years ago and didn't get a chance to go to Laos so i was drawn back.

    i'm basically going over to SE Asia for 2 months soon and want to spend about a month in Thailand and 1 month in another country (Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos) and i think that'll be Laos unless people can convince me otherwise.

    I've heard nothing but great things about Laos but have heard mixed things about the others...

    Did you like it alot?

    Thanks for the info!


  • #11
    PunyHuman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 297 ✭✭PunyHuman


    breadmonkey wrote:
    Isn't Vang Vieng north of LP?

    Not quite... I assume that's a typo!
    breadmonkey wrote:
    The jury seems to be out on Vientiane. I thought it was a dive myself but PunyHuman and some others liked it.

    Not the most exciting place I'll admit, but I found it pleasant and sleepy and kind of refreshing compared to other more frenetic SE Asian cities. It had that whole slow-paced French Colonial thing going on.

    And semifinalist, I thought Laos was great, but I preferred Cambodia. If I were in your position I'd go to Luang Prabang and head south to Vang Vieng and Vientiane. Then I'd fly to Siem Reap and carry on to Phnom Penh and maybe Sihanoukville. Or do it the other way around. That's only six desinations in a month; pretty manageable, and Angkor is unmissable.


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  • #12
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭breadmonkey


    I really really think Vang Vieng is north of LP!

    EDIT: Oops! Forgot it's actually north of Vientiane.


  • #13
    gary the great
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,665 ✭✭✭gary the great


    Id be agianst going to cambodia and id go somewhere else. It is an experience to see how poor the place is, but the people and the place didnt do it for me. Ye Angkor is cool, but it wouldnt be the most amazing place ive ever seen. Phenom Phen was without doubt the biggest dive ive ever been in and never really felt that safe in it. And the killing fields are the biggest let down ever and the roads to it are unreal (just dont go if your hungover!!)

    But it did have its charms as well. But watch your money if you leave it in the hut safes, i had about 40dollers robbed, which might not seem much, but is a lot over there. And if your having some happy pizza, dont have the extra large extremley happy pizza unless you have a really high tolerance, otherwise you will be unable to walk for about 15 hours. I was stoned for about 24 hours straight!

    Chang Mai - Was proably my favourite place in thailand, Probably cos we made the most friends there and the had the best nights out. The Jungle trk was an "experience", but we also went quad biking through the thickest of jungles for 4 hours for a mere 30euro. We went so far into the hills we went to a genuine hill tribe that rarely seen "farang", all the kids and old people came out of their huts and stared at us! It was amazing, we then had a football match against them. Was class.


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