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Travelling to Asia, looking for help

  • 08-12-2011 10:24PM
    #1
    peterbt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭


    Hi guys,

    Wondering if anyone could lend a hand with me on a few things.
    I'm heading to Thailand, Vietnnam, Cambodia and then back to Thailand for a month, leaving on New Years day.

    just wondering if anyone has done some travelling there before?

    In particular I am looking for information on nightbuses between Saigon (HCM) and Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Bangkok. I am only in Asia for a month a month and would like to see as much of it as possible and don't want to spend long days on buses when i could sleep on the buses.

    Has anyone got any experience on this at all? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    peterbt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭peterbt


    Oh also:
    If anyone knows a spot in any of those countries to do shark diving too that would be awesome!
    Cheers


  • #3
    nerraw1111
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭nerraw1111


    There's definitely buses between Siam reap and Bangkok. Its a bit of a pain in the arse due to scams and dodgey border police but keep your wits about you. Google Scam Bus Bangkok and you'll find some ways to avoid a nightmare journey.

    I recommend getting a bus to the border and then get another bus from Poipet on the Thai side to Bangkok. That's what I did. Organised a car share to border via hotel. And from there went to bus station and got a bus to Thailand. It'll take best part of the day.

    Much quicker and hassle free than the so-called direct buses which invariably involves someone trying to rip you off.

    It'd be worth checking flights as they are pretty cheap and way less hassle.


  • #4
    peterbt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭peterbt


    Thanks for the help, any airlines you reckon are best?


  • #5
    Stinicker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,102 ✭✭✭Stinicker


    peterbt wrote: »
    Thanks for the help, any airlines you reckon are best?

    Emirates from Dublin will give good fares and a very high level of service, Eithad also but with higher fares and declining levels of service. Either that or route via the UK and you will then have several options available including the previous two.

    Air Asia X from Gatwick to Kuala Lumpur is worth a check also and if your concern is prices then they may well be the cheapest albeit in a round about routing!


  • #6
    giles lynchwood
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 935 ✭✭✭giles lynchwood


    Eva air fly from heathrow,new planes and excellent service i am using them for over 10 years.Try and avoid bus travel in thailand.
    1)Scams and luggage theft normally carried out by driver and accomplace,police will be of no help as they will be in on it as well.
    2) Ya ba which is thai for crazy drug (methamphetamine and caffine) which bus and mini bus drivers take to stay awake for days at a time,This has been the cause of many road deaths in thailand.
    Google mini bus accidents thailand to get the true picture.


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  • #7
    6ix
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 765 ✭✭✭6ix


    Did Siem Reap to Bangkok a few weeks ago. Like the other poster, I took a taxi from SR to the border at Poipet and then a bus - directly to Bangkok Airport in my case.

    The reason for the taxi is that the buses in Cambodia are a bit unreliable. As it happens, a couple that I'd met a few times throughout SE Asia did the same trip a few days later and had a nightmare journey. Their Cambodian bus to the border was 3/4 hours late in total, so they missed a connecting bus etc and only made their flight with minutes to spare. Taxi will have you at the border in 2 hours flat.

    So, taxi to the border, then cross on foot (you'll only get a visa for 15 days in Thailand if you cross overland, 30 if you arrive by air). Once you're on the Thai side, avoid all the lads trying to sell you the minibuses to Khao San Road, take a tuk tuk to the nearest town which is Aranyaprathet (5-10 mins away) and from there you can either get a legitimate train or bus to Bangkok for a few quid.

    Don't know anything about HCMC to Siem Reap directly, I did HCMC to Phenom Penh, it was about 6 hours I think and about another 6 to SR. I'm sure there are night buses though.

    Also - re diving. I did a bit on Ko Phi Phi, there were blacktip reef sharks there but I didn't see any

    In my experience, if you avoid any of the 'too good to be true' cheap bus services throughout SE Asia you'll be fine. The only people I met who'd been scammed had taken super cheap 'VIP' buses from Khao San Road to the islands etc instead of taking a government bus which was marginally more expensive. In any case, keep valuables with you, and just keep clothes etc in any stowed baggage.

    There's also another SE Asia post running on this forum at the moment that might help you. Enjoy!

    Edit - re diving -- I did a bit on Koh Phi Phi. There are blacktip reefsharks there, but I didn't see any. :mad: Some other folk did though.

    The best diving in Thailand is supposed to be the Similan Islands, and if you want to see whale sharks, head to Hin Daeng. Just google those places and you'll get plenty of info.


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