Hong Kong,Vietnam & Thailand

Irish Gunner

Finally decided what to do

Fly into Hong Kong Spend a few days there, that enough ?

Then fly to Hanoi and make our own way to Ho chi Minh. Are the internal flights in Vietnam any good or any other recommendations ?

Then fly from ho Chi Minh to Bangkok and spend the last few days there relaxing and fly home from there

Any Tips and advise recommended

Also went into Trailfinders to book this and gave us a price which was ok but then told us we had 10 days to pay it?? They said it was the stipulation of the ticket in this case for Cathay Pacific

We had the same problem with them when we flew to South Africa as we did not want to pay it all at once. When we rang up to complain they said no 3 months before departure the final payment is due???

Is this the case with airlines now full payment within 10 days of deposit or are they just looking for their commission ?

breadmonkey

Wouldn't bother with Bangkok tbh. How long are you going for in total?

kenmc

I LOVED Bangkok! Its one of my favourite cities ......you can do so much there - great shopping, markets are fantastic, a huge variety of restaurants, and the Royal Palace is interesting for a day trip ... I definately wouldn't rule it out.

The trains in Vietnam were comfortable and very reasonable, so you should keep that in mind - we also booked an internal flight at some stage which was also cheap enough, think we got that from a local travel agency.

Irish Gunner

just read the below about thailand and there was a bomb there today

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand

is it safe ? I know the Scarmonger thing but would not go if I though any type of fundamentalists would target tourists luck of the draw ?

Heard to book internal flights in Vietnam is cheaper when you are over there this true?

we hope to go for 2 and a half weeks

breadmonkey

I'm not saying I didn't like Bangkok, I just don't think it's worth the hassle of flying to Vietnam and then Thailand when you're only travelling for 2 and a half weeks.

OP, if I was you I would take in Hong Kong and spend the rest of the time in Thailand rather than Vietnam. Some posters here may be aware that I wasn't very impressed by Vietnam but a good few agreed with me when I was giving out about the place.

EDIT: The trains in Vietnam are very comfortable but more expensive than those in Thailand. Being woken up at 7 in the morning to blaring Vietnamese comedy shows was one of the low points.

Also, that link you posted didn't work for me but Thailand is very safe in general. Unless things have changed since I was there last summer (I know there was a coup), the only really dangerous part is in the very south of the country along the border with Malaysia. I'd say that's where today's bombing occurred. Have a look here but do bear in mind that the advice given is extremely on the conservative side.

La La

i live in HK - PM me if you need any tips

killbillvol2

Bangkok is a great city and if you're not likely to be in that part of the world again you should take it in IMO. I wouldn't worry about safety in Thailand.

Internal flights in Vietnam are reasonable but not cheap: $105 Hanoi - HCMC and $57 Hue to Hanoi last August with Vietnam Airlnes. Price is set so booking early is no advantage. Travel on land in Vietnam is very slow so flying is really your only option if tight for time.

Irish Gunner

Wont be staying in Bangkok to long may go out of it

Still looking at other options like maybe skipping vietnam and trying Cambodia fly from HK to Phnom Penh stay there a while and then to Bangkok and fly home from there. I know its a lot to take in 2 half weeks but it can be done still undecided

Also found this site re flights to HK

http://www.oasishongkong.com/gb/en/home.aspx

They fly from Gatwick anyone heard anything about them

La La

Irish Gunner wrote:

Also found this site re flights to HK

http://www.oasishongkong.com/gb/en/home.aspx

They fly from Gatwick anyone heard anything about them

i flew with them twice over the christmas period. most HK-based people use them now as opposed to cathay because they are so much cheaper. that said, air new zealand and BA do a deal between london and HK that's close in price to oasis.

if i ever move back to ireland ill be flying home on oasis, i didnt feel like they cut any corners with regard to service or quality when i flew with them - plus it's all ex-Cathay pilots in the cockpit so you feel a bit safer.

Irish Gunner

Ok from reading posts no intention of staying in Bangkok very long

Oasis do look cheap but may stick with package flight as working out cheaper

Chang Mai sounds interesting so maybe fly there from Ho Chi Minh and then go from Chang Mai to Bangkok and fly home from there

Is it cheaper to book online with Thai airlines or wait until we get there ?

Also any other city recommendations other then Chang Mai ? Not into the Beach as Mrs Gunner cannot swim and we both get a bit bored so looking for activities and tours not the bujee types but

Any tips appreciated

Irish Gunner

Just talking to someone who went up to Chang Mai and told me other than the trek there is nothing much to do there
and its tough

Not interested in doing this and I know Mrs Gunner would not either

Would it be worthwhile just flying to one of the Thai Islands from Ho Chi Minh other than go straight to Bangkok

Any other recommendations

Limerick91

Chang Mai is very nice, much calmer than Bangkok. There are plenty of day trips that can be organised from Chang Mai, into the Jungle, elephant rides etc.

Regarding internal travel in Vietnam, if you want to experience some rail travel the Reunification Express Train leaves Hanoi at about 23:00 and arrives in Hue next morning. I think it cost about $30 each. You can fly about 3 times a day from Hue to Ho Chi Min at a cost of about $65 per person. Tickets can be booked a day or 2 in advance.

So would recommend to fly from Chamg Mai to Hanoi. Spendtime in and around Hanoi. A few days in Hue, it is near the DMZ and then fly down to Ho Chi Min

lady_j

Irish Gunner wrote:

Also went into Trailfinders to book this and gave us a price which was ok but then told us we had 10 days to pay it?? They said it was the stipulation of the ticket in this case for Cathay Pacific?

I wouldnt say thats true. My friend was offered flights at a certain price which were on 'special offer' and was told they could only get them at that price if they paid within the week. They went in three weeks later and the price was still the same and no mention of it being a special offer. Its the usual sales person garb IMO

Darren

I've been to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

I found the people very difficult in Vietnam. I spent most of my time on Saigon and in the end was just glad to get out of the place. If I were you I would go to Phnom Penh then up to Srim Reap and spend a few days at Angkor Wat and then head down to Bangkok with a nice little airline called bangkok airways. www.bangkokair.com

Hong Kong is a class place too.

Migser

Travelling in vietnam is easy and can all be arranged when you get there.

The treking in Chang Mai is good fun and isn't really that hard at all, i did it and i'm totally unfit and overweight, but it was one of the highlights from my trip.

I much perfered Vietnam to Thailand, i travelled over land from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, took about two weeks and it was good fun.

Irish Gunner

It looks like Chang Mai is more for the trekking type. What about the Islands around Bangkok or anywhere relatively close. Not looking to go far down north to the likes of Phuket. Anyone know what the likes of Rayong or other beach places are like maybe to relax a bit but also with something to do other than sitting on a beach

breadmonkey

hmmmm, what exaclty do you want to do?!

Irish Gunner

Maybe organised trips etc but nothing to energetic

Mrs Gunner cannot swim and she is not the beach kind of person sure we can relax on the beach but it gets boring after a while

Not sure exactly what we want to do jsut looking for suggestions. Checked the usual guides tripadvisor, lonely planet, rough guide but still trying to work out an itinerary

Irish Gunner

Ok Koh Samui Island looks good

Koh Samui

So leave Ho Chi Minh fly into Bangkok and then fly straight down here.Might not stay there as heard its a bit Benidormish but maybe this is only on some parts of the island??

Air Asia, Thai airways and Fly 12go??? fly from Bangkok

Then maybe finish in Bangkok for final days and come home

Any views on this island?

Darren

I was there in Feb with my Dad and my sister. We stayed in the south, a few miles south of Lamai beach. I liked the place a lot. Spent a lot of time by the beach and hit a few golf balls most afternoons. Had a few beers in Lamai most evenings, a pretty relaxing place.

Irish Gunner

just back from lunch with a guy who was there and he said Phuket is better and more to do James Bond island, etc . He said there are more islands around here

May be a toss of a coin or browsing the interweb as to which one to choose or if anyone has any opinions here ?

Darren

Irish Gunner wrote:

just back from lunch with a guy who was there and he said Phuket is better and more to do James Bond island, etc . He said there are more islands around here

May be a toss of a coin or browsing the interweb as to which one to choose or if anyone has any opinions here ?

I can't speak for Phuket as I have not been there. I assume you mate has been to many of these islands and therefore would know??

flossie

You need to be careful about hopping around the whole time, jet lag etc. won't be very kind. Also, 2 and a half weeks isn't a huge amoutn of time. Do you want to definately go to HK? Admittedly, it is an amazing place (i spent over 2 weeks there backpacking, love it!). Why not concenrate on Vietnam or Thailand?

VIETNAM - I loved the place, over 6 weeks there. You could fly into Ho Chi Minh and spend a couple of days there. Great french influence there and can do day trips out to the Cu Chi tunnels, local trade-crafts etc. Maybe spend a night on the Mekong delta.
Hue has lots of culture around it, near the DMZ (de-militarised zone), lots of temples etc.
Hanoi is great. Very quaint, lots of atmosphere but not real busy. Great for getting clothes, shoes etc. made up and some lovely beaches nearby. We hired mopeds and drove out to them, but taxis pretty cheap too.
Dalat is up in the mountains, quite cool (tempetrature wise) but you can hire an 'esy-rider', basically a local guy on a motorbike who will drive you around the countryside. We used one for over a week and drove through the highlands which was great!
NahTrang also great for beaches and diving (we didn't go there as tried to avoid some of the touristy areas) but heard some great things about it.
Head to Hanoi, very atmospheric but can get some hassle from taxi drivers etc. but great lake in the centre, Uncle Hos tomb etc. Great place to stock up on DVDs
From Hanoi you can head out to Sapa, in the mountains, and do some trekking (Vietnamese equivalent of Chiang Mai). Also Halong Bay (a world heritage centre) is worth spending a night or two.

THAILAND - Bangkok definately worth a couple of days visit, but probably at the end for shopping etc. Lots of sights to see, but very busy.
Kanchanaburi is very chilled out and on the river, about 3hours bus journey from Bangkok. Bridge over river Kwai, war memorial etc. We bathed elephants, visited a tiger temple (get to stroke real tigers, eek) and a few other things that are much much more expensive on the islands.
Can't comment on Chiang Mai as i ended up in hospital there with pneumonia-like illness (hospital very clean though ). Heard the trekking is very very touristy and lots of scam though.
Koh Chang (in Trat province) is a very quiet beach island. Tourists haven't really discovered it yet and we got accommodation in a simple wooden hut on stilts over the sea for €1.50 a night! Very relaxing
Koh Samui, yes, it can be a bit Ibiza-like, but also like Ibiza and other party areas it has some stunning places to visit. Beaches are great, lots to see - mummified monk, fishermans village, jungles,waterfalls, penis rock.....we also just hired motorbikes and drove to random places and had lunch with locals, discovered shipyards etc. We stayed in Lamai beach in a quiet guesthouse just across room from beach.
Koh Tao is very cool, nothing really to do. Diving, snorkelling, relaxing on the beach etc. Not too developed as yet so worth a visit.
Phuket/Phi Phi (i visited these two pre-Tsunami so probably changed). Phuket has been named as the new Pattaya, i.e. lots of sex trade, hassle etc. However, was still lovely beach etc when i visited. Phi Phi was heaven, forced to relax on the island and not developed at all.


Really, it depends on what you want from your travels. I seriously would consider sticking to one country and travelling around a little bit in there rather thank bulking flight cost up with lots of international flights. Also means you get to see more of a country and experience it. If you need any more info feel free to get in touch, and sorry for the essay!!!!!!

killbillvol2

flossie wrote:

You need to be careful about hopping around the whole time, jet lag etc. won't be very kind. Also, 2 and a half weeks isn't a huge amoutn of time. Do you want to definately go to HK? Admittedly, it is an amazing place (i spent over 2 weeks there backpacking, love it!). Why not concenrate on Vietnam or Thailand?

VIETNAM - I loved the place, over 6 weeks there. You could fly into Ho Chi Minh and spend a couple of days there. Great french influence there and can do day trips out to the Cu Chi tunnels, local trade-crafts etc. Maybe spend a night on the Mekong delta.
Hue has lots of culture around it, near the DMZ (de-militarised zone), lots of temples etc.
Hanoi is great. Very quaint, lots of atmosphere but not real busy. Great for getting clothes, shoes etc. made up and some lovely beaches nearby. We hired mopeds and drove out to them, but taxis pretty cheap too.
Dalat is up in the mountains, quite cool (tempetrature wise) but you can hire an 'esy-rider', basically a local guy on a motorbike who will drive you around the countryside. We used one for over a week and drove through the highlands which was great!
NahTrang also great for beaches and diving (we didn't go there as tried to avoid some of the touristy areas) but heard some great things about it.
Head to Hanoi, very atmospheric but can get some hassle from taxi drivers etc. but great lake in the centre, Uncle Hos tomb etc. Great place to stock up on DVDs
From Hanoi you can head out to Sapa, in the mountains, and do some trekking (Vietnamese equivalent of Chiang Mai). Also Halong Bay (a world heritage centre) is worth spending a night or two.

THAILAND - Bangkok definately worth a couple of days visit, but probably at the end for shopping etc. Lots of sights to see, but very busy.
Kanchanaburi is very chilled out and on the river, about 3hours bus journey from Bangkok. Bridge over river Kwai, war memorial etc. We bathed elephants, visited a tiger temple (get to stroke real tigers, eek) and a few other things that are much much more expensive on the islands.
Can't comment on Chiang Mai as i ended up in hospital there with pneumonia-like illness (hospital very clean though ). Heard the trekking is very very touristy and lots of scam though.
Koh Chang (in Trat province) is a very quiet beach island. Tourists haven't really discovered it yet and we got accommodation in a simple wooden hut on stilts over the sea for €1.50 a night! Very relaxing
Koh Samui, yes, it can be a bit Ibiza-like, but also like Ibiza and other party areas it has some stunning places to visit. Beaches are great, lots to see - mummified monk, fishermans village, jungles,waterfalls, penis rock.....we also just hired motorbikes and drove to random places and had lunch with locals, discovered shipyards etc. We stayed in Lamai beach in a quiet guesthouse just across room from beach.
Koh Tao is very cool, nothing really to do. Diving, snorkelling, relaxing on the beach etc. Not too developed as yet so worth a visit.
Phuket/Phi Phi (i visited these two pre-Tsunami so probably changed). Phuket has been named as the new Pattaya, i.e. lots of sex trade, hassle etc. However, was still lovely beach etc when i visited. Phi Phi was heaven, forced to relax on the island and not developed at all.


Really, it depends on what you want from your travels. I seriously would consider sticking to one country and travelling around a little bit in there rather thank bulking flight cost up with lots of international flights. Also means you get to see more of a country and experience it. If you need any more info feel free to get in touch, and sorry for the essay!!!!!!

I'd endorse almost all of what flossie said above about Vietnam and Thailand.

From all your posts I get the impression that you have no real concept of the distances involved. You could wind up needing a holiday if you try to cram too much into a short time. In the space of time you're talking about I'd try an absolute maximum of four stops. Personally I'd stick to one country and get a real feel for it but it's really up to you.

If Mrs Gunner is anything like the former Mrs Killbill she won't thank you if she has to unpack and repack every few days and head for a new airport, get a new visa etc.

Glowing

I know I bring this up everytime there is a Thailand thread, but PLEASE don't do an elephant ride! Why on earth would you want to sit on a park bench on an elephants back anyway?

I did some time in the Elephant Nature park refuge(www.elephantnaturepark.org) up near Chang Mai and it was amazing (no rides, no shows, nothing unnatural, just walking with the animals, feeding and bathing them) - the elephants were rescued from cruel conditions from all over Thailand and Burma. Some of these animals were physically disfigured from giving rides for 80 years of their lives, their babies killed or sold to encourage the mothers to keep working, and one was even blinded as it refused to work after giving birth! I'm not exagerrating. Read about it on the website and tell me you still want to do an elephant ride.

Just be a responsible traveller and don't give money to any individual or organisation who doesn't encourage sustainability or animal welfare. If any of these so called 'refuges or sancturies' offer to do rides or shows then they don't put the needs of the elephants first.

flossie

killbillvol2 wrote:

I'd endorse almost all of what flossie said above about Vietnam and Thailand.

From all your posts I get the impression that you have no real concept of the distances involved. You could wind up needing a holiday if you try to cram too much into a short time. In the space of time you're talking about I'd try an absolute maximum of four stops. Personally I'd stick to one country and get a real feel for it but it's really up to you.

If Mrs Gunner is anything like the former Mrs Killbill she won't thank you if she has to unpack and repack every few days and head for a new airport, get a new visa etc.

True about packing, are you planning on taking a suitcase? I went on a hol to Thailand for 3 weeks a few years back, took a backpack - huge at 80litres (stop sniggering people) but i went travelling for a year and took a 50litre one that had lots of space leftover. Don't travel around too much if you are taking a suitcase, and don't be silly and take a huge backpack for such a short period of time :cool:

Irish Gunner

Ok Itinerary

5 days in Hong Kong staying in Metropark hotel

5 days in Hong Kong still not sure where we are staying was looking at staying a the Elios this is down in Backpacker area so not sure looking at district 1

3 days in Bangkok staying maybe in the Buddy Lodge

Then 5 days in Ko Samui

Looking for suggestions for places to stay on this island but nothing to costa del sol like

Then back to HK via Bangkok

Looking for tips suggestions. Went into Trailfinders to get the Bangkok looking for Bangkok Air discovery airpass but they add on €125 fee as we did not book the long haul flight with them?? Any other suggestions as you cannot get this online

Also looking at reserving Vietnam Airlines then paying when we get over there

Looking for tour guide in HCM and tried here and here as they are recognised agents taking in the cu chi tunnels and mekong delta

So any tips welcome

Thanks

killbillvol2

Sinh Cafe are a big operator and their buses are modern and comfortable. They also run tours every day so you can suit yourself. Their guides are excellent.

Ann Tours are lovely people but a much smaller operation. They tailor tours for small groups which will obviously be more expensive. They could look after your Vietnam Airline tickets. If you email them they'll respond quickly and are very helpful.

Your hotel in Saigon is well located. It's an easy city to get around if you're happy to trust motorbike taxis.

Personally I wouldn't stay anywhere near the Khaosan Road in Bangkok. I'd recommend a place anywhere near the Skytrain as it's the easiest way to get around the city. Traffic is horrendous!

H2G2

Irish Gunner wrote:

Then 5 days in Ko Samui. Looking for suggestions for places to stay on this island but nothing to costa del sol like

I stayed at the Weekender in Lami Beach a few times. It a reasonably quiet beach, close enough to the night life, but also far enought away to be restful. Get one of their houses on the beach for best views and quality of accomodation.

Irish Gunner

Checked out the weekender in Ko Samui and it looks pretty good

When landing at the airport whats the best way to get there are the usual rip off taxis there ? Looking for things to do other than lay on the beach

Hotel in Ho chi Minh, Elios, only has a standard room waiting on mail from them to see if they have a upgrade
If not looking at staying at Indochinehotel not as central as the Elios but looks ok and gets good reviews

Anyone ever stayed here ?

Picked up a Bangkok Discovery Airpass that gives us the flights from HCM-BK and BK - Ko Samui. booked them directly with them over the phone as trailfinders were charging and extra €125 as we did not book the long haul flight with them flying Ethopian airlines from BK-HK

looking for advice on Money esp in Vietnam can you get Vietnam dong here or is it better if I get it in HK . Also i see all the hotels are in usd denomination so we may need to bring a few dollars ?

Tips & advice welcome on any of the destinations in relation to eats drinks shopping etc etc

Cheers

killbillvol2

Plenty of ATMs in Vietnam so no need to get Dong in advance. First one is on your left in the arrivals hall in Saigon!

Hotels in Vietnam (and often Thailand) usually quote price in dollars but will charge in Dong so you don't need dollars. If you have some lying around by all means bring them but don't go changing money especially.

Watch out for the taxi drivers in Saigon airport (they're fine in the rest of the city). They've been waiting for hours for a fare so a nice juicy fat foreigner is always a potential target!