Thailand or Vietnam for the Summer?

robwhit

Hi
We were planning on going to France for a month this Summer but most S/C accommodation was around a grand per week. So we figured it could be more cost effective going to SE Asia! We're looking for somewhere beautiful and chilled-out-ish near the beach. We'll also have our year and a half old son too. So where would you reccommend for our requirements?

Cheers

appleb

If you are planning to go for a month you could easily do Thailand AND Vietnam. Thailand- Head to one of the Islands eg Koh Sumui /Koh Pagnan. Vietnam- Halong Bay is beautiful and a def must. However I would imagine a few days would be enough. Keep away from the cities

Lollymcd

Thailand x 100

I spent 3 weeks in Thailand and 2 weeks in Vietnam, it felt very rushed. We flew everywhere to save time, not sure if this would be an option for you.

You could spend a month easily in Thailand, some time in Bangkok, go to Chaing Mai and explore northern Thailand. Ko Samui would be great and it's their dry season in July/August so no monsoon rains like in Phuket at the same time.

People are a lot friendlier in Thailand and a lot more laid back. I felt safer.

Halong Bay is beautiful but July/August is tropical storm season, our trip was cut short as a result.

Best of luck

londonbus

I'm off to Thailand and Vietnam for the first time in April.

Vietnam seems less developed - compared to Thailand.


However, I understand Vietnam is more laid back...

jackthelad321

londonbus wrote: »

I'm off to Thailand and Vietnam for the first time in April.

Vietnam seems less developed - compared to Thailand.


However, I understand Vietnam is more laid back...

I am going at end of march to Vietnam, Loas, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia.

the only sticky country for a visa, as i can ascertain, is Vietnam.

have you gotten the Vietnamese visa yet? i am either going to get mine:

1. in London by faxing info to Vietnamese consulate (two days, 69 pounds, pay fee and collect in person in London) or:

2. get one in Thailand or Cambodia or Laos, wherever makes sense.

option two is better for me, for freedom as i hate too much planning.

one thing i haven't been able to understand is with 1. You are limited to the dates you pick from london, which really will affect my sense of freedom.

with 2. I have heard (i can't recall where) that the Visa starts to expire as soon as you are issued it in Thailand, so if it takes you 6 days to get from thailand to vietnam, you'll have 6 less days of a holiday. not ideal if true. Also can you only get a two week one over there, or is it for 30 days like in London's consulate? I can't get a definite answer on this!

Me and my Girlfriend are going to go over and spend a month in each country, and vietnam is top of my list, definitely, i can't miss any time there.

any heros out there to shed light on this visa issue for me? ( i have tried to find out by myself)

confusedly yours

JAK

totallytrees

it really depends what kind of a trip you're after as they are 2 very different countries. vietnam is a bit more off the beaten track, whereas thailand is way more westernised and very easy to get around due to the high volume of tourists doing the same tours and trails.

for authenticity, id say vietnam. but for less hassle, id say thailand. Keep in mind though, I saw a couple travelling in vietnam with 2 children under 7yrs of age, and they seemed very uncomfortable with the amount of attention their young kids were getting from the vietnamese in the north. the vietnamese were amazed at fair, blonde haired blue eyed children and had no problem staring and poking which was probably a bit too much for the kids and made the parents very protective. this was only in a rural area, so im sure in the bigger towns and cities where they'd be more accustomed to tourists, it wouldnt be a problem-but might be something to keep in mind. thailand is so westernised and used to tourists that you would have no problems travelling with a 1 year old.

totallytrees

jackthelad321 wrote: »

I

in London by faxing info to Vietnamese consulate (two days, 69 pounds, pay fee and collect in person in London) or:


JAK

I have got visas for Vietnam in advance before. Getting it from London is the easiest option. You say you are going to spend a month in each country, so you should be able to figure out what dates (however rough) you expect to arrive and be gone by? You will have no time frame for thailand/cambodia/laos, so your vietnam visa is the only country where you HAVE to pick your dates in advance. you dont need to arrive on the specific date, it just means your visa is valid from that date-so you still have freedom in that. PM me if you want further info on it as I have done this twice before

jimmay

Lollymcd wrote: »

You could spend a month easily in Thailand, some time in Bangkok, go to Chaing Mai and explore northern Thailand. Ko Samui would be great and it's their dry season in July/August so no monsoon rains like in Phuket at the same time.
Best of luck

Is there really that much of a difference in weather between Ko Samui and Phuket? I'm considering spending the summer in Phuket (training and travelling) but am worried about the monsoon. From the map Ko Samui and Phuket don't look too far away from each other, 300km. Could there be that much of a difference in the seasons?

totallytrees

jimmay wrote: »

Is there really that much of a difference in weather between Ko Samui and Phuket? I'm considering spending the summer in Phuket (training and travelling) but am worried about the monsoon. From the map Ko Samui and Phuket don't look too far away from each other, 300km. Could there be that much of a difference in the seasons?

From Wikipedia: Ko Samui, being in Surat Thani Province, has essentially two seasons; warm and tropical most of the year, with a short rainy season. Unlike Phuket and most of the rest of Southern Thailand which has a 6-month rainy season between May and November, Samui's weather is relatively dry for the vast majority of the year, with the rainy season being primarily confined to November. [4] For the rest of the year, since the weather is tropical, when it does rain, it usually doesn’t last long; rain showers of 20–60 minutes are typical.

RATM

Vietnam can be a lot of hassle, especially if its your first time in Asia

With a month I'd just stick to Thailand- spend 3-4 days in Bangkok- maybe go out to the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi. Also the Elephant Nature Park north of Chaing Mai is super- they rescue elephants there and there's more than 40 in the herd that you can get up close to.

The islands are well worth a trip too for a couple of weeks- there's loads on these boards about them.

You'll typically feel more welcomed in Thailand than Vietnam IMO- I reckon that some Vietnamese see all Westerners as Yanks and have a general dislike as a result- it is somewhat justified but I didn't always feel safe travelling in Vietnam- the touts are among the worst anywhere and it can turn into a stressful time rather than a holiday.

londonbus

Getting the Vietnam visa was straightforward. Fill out the form and send a cheque off for the right amount. However, I live in London and have a UK bank account so producing a sterling cheque is not a problem.


The Vietnamese embassy turn the passport around in about 10 days - they're pretty quick....