Itenary suggestions? - 30 days viet/thai/lao/cam

serotonin_sam

I am researching my trip which should happen in February. I will be going for about one month. Let me put down my wish list as it stands - then maybe someone can tell me whats practical;

-Flying into BKK. - a couple of days there at the start.
- Must take in Full Moon Party in koh samui - so i'd imagine i will allow 4 days for this - from what i've read, a couple of days set up there before the full moon would be advisable/enjoyable. Will travel via overnight train.


- At the end of the trip, a few days back in BKK.

- In between, I want to spend a good proportion of my time in Vietnam. In fact, I wouldnt mind doing the run from hanoi -> hcmc - stopping off along the way.
- I would also like to somehow incorporate vientiane - and then cambodia.

- As regards travel, I would like a mixture of roughing it (ie. bus/train/boat rides) and airasia/nok air flights. I dont have a silver spoon stuck up my áss but at the same time, I dont want the travelling to become a liability.
- I find from previous asia trips that I am hyped up at the beginning and insatiable for entertainment - but i think if i get a few days in bkk and organise around the koh samui trip at the beginning, i will settle down to some pure travelling after this. Once the first week is out of the way, I'd like to be off the beaten track - not the typical tourist haunts. I'm assuming i will get this in vietnam for the most part. How about cambodia and laos - how many backpackers do they get?

maccarthy

Wow, 30 days doesn't sound like a lot for everything you want to do.

Cambodia is great in IMHO (I'll will be back there in 2006) and is far far less tourist-y than Thailand. Angkor wat to pretty amazing, and you can spend a few day just doing the temples there. BKK to Siem Reap (angkor) is really awful (check out www.talesofasia.com). but it's a day. Might be an idea to fly from BKK to Siem Reap.

You chould do Full moon
-> fly to Luang Prabang 3 days
-> fly or boat to Vietname
-> fly to siem reap 3days
-> bus to Phnom Penh 2/3 days
-> but to Sihanoukville beaches and ****
-> Boat back to Thailand, chill out on Koh Chang (chilled out island!!)
-> bus to BKK

PunyHuman

It is difficult to escape from the beaten path in any of the SE Asian countries. This will be particularly true if you are dead set on trying to see all of them in such a short time. In Vietnam it's actually illegal to stray too far into the interior. I share maccarthy's feelings about Cambodia; a great country.

But you could try something like the following:

2nts BKK, fly to Siem Reap
4nts Siem Reap & Angkor, bus to Phnom Penh
2nts Phnom Penh, bus to Saigon
3nts Saigon, train to Da Nang, transfer to Hoi An
2nts Hoi An, bus to Hue
2nts Hue, train to Hanoi
4nts Hanoi, fly to Vientiane
2nts Vientiane, bus to Luang Prabang
3nts Luang Prabang, fly to Chiang Mai and on to Koh Samui
4nts Koh Samui, transfer to BKK
3nts BKK

This is a pretty hectic itinerary. You might consider saving Vietnam for another time, as it would take at least a month to do the Saigon-Hanoi trip properly, and travelling

BKK ->Trat -> Battambang -> Siem Reap -> Phnom Penh -> Kompong Cham -> Stung Treng -> Vientiane -> Luang Prabang -> Chiang Mai -> Koh Samui -> BKK.

The Thai-Cambodia border crossing at Pailin is quiet and hassle-free, and travel to Battambang and on to Siem Reap is pretty exciting, as would be the journey from Phnom Penh to Vientiane.

Have fun, wherever you go.

cee_jay

Have to agree with Maccarthy
Try and get to Koh Chang - its just by the Cambodia border (get a boat from Trat)
Amazing island

serotonin_sam

Wow, 30 days doesn't sound like a lot for everything you want to do.

No, its not. The only way I could be totally satisfied is if I packed in the day job for a year and went awol. Any kind benefactor want to pay my mortgage in 2006?:D

Right, my latest plan...

- fly into bkk and check it out over a few days.
- then take an air asia flight from bkk to hanoi (<€40).
- check out hanoi for a few days.
- Jump on a train headed south - stopping off at hoi an & hue.
- Ignore south vietnam (and posibly visit on future trip)
- Head for Siem Reap -> Angkor Wat
- Make my way to Koh Chang - spend a good few days there as its giving me the impression its a well cool spot with good nightlife.
- Then back to BKK - with the last few days there.


I havnt sussed out the logistics of getting from hue to siem reap yet - so anyone who knows, dont hesitate to post.
As you will see from the above, I am cutting out the full moon party completely. I know this would be a big no-no for some but theres a couple of reasons; Its in a part of thailand I don't want to have to travel to as I'm tryin g to head east..not west. Furthermore, i'm more of a fan of smaller events and from what i've read, its past its best. Is Koh Chang the party island i'm envisaging it to be and a good replacement for not bothering with Koh Phangan/Full Moon?

PunyHuman

I've been to Koh Chang as well, and can also thought it was great. While there are parties constantly being advertised, they would be much smaller affairs than the madness you'd find on Koh Samui or Koh Pha Ngan.

If you want to get from Hue to Angkor quickly, you could go back to Hanoi or on to Saigon. Vietnam Airlines fly direct from both cities to Siem Reap.

If you have more time and are feeling adventurous you could travel overland via Lao Bao crossing, bus to Vientiane, down the Mekong to Phnom Penh and then bus up to Siem Reap.

maccarthy

serotonin_sam wrote:

Is Koh Chang the party island i'm envisaging it to be and a good replacement for not bothering with Koh Phangan/Full Moon?

No not a party Island, quiet chilled out Island more like. Unfortunatly the Treehouse (Huts) is changing ownership at the end of this year, otherwise I would stay there. I believe the owners are opening a place on the otherside of the Island...

cee_jay

I was at a Full Moon party in Koh Chang and it was excellent (what I can remember of it anyway!)
We went to White Sands for this - seemed to be a lot livier with more nightlife
And the Full Moon Party in Sabay Bar was excellent!
The fire shows, Thai boxing etc they put on were amazing!