Southeast Asia -- What MUST i visit ?

Gaz

Right , im finally going off and doing the Oz thing and on my way im going through Southeast Asia and im looking for some recomendations on what to do/see/eat while there.

Im leaving on the 3rd of October, flying from London to Bangkok, i will be in asia untill the 19th of December , so thats 10 weeks, then i fly from Bangkok to Sydney.

My plan is 3 days or so in Bangkok to get the head together and then head south, spend maybe 3 weeks going around thailand and then flying to Vietnam for a month , then going to Singapore for a week before i have to get back to bangkok for flight to Sydney.

Staying in Oz for 8 months , hoping to get both the east and west coast in, leaving Oz mid August and flying to San Francisco fror 3 weeks , with a week on Lake Tahoe then onto New York for the final week.

So what do you think ? What would you change/add to that ?

dsab

Just as a not...I think it would make more sense, and be cheaper to go to the south first, then fly to Singapore, then to Vietnam, and then Back to BKK.

Must see.... in Thailand I would say Chiang Mai (in the North), Phuket, Wat Pho and Grand Place in BKK, PhiPhi Island, Krabi and probably Samui. Vietnam is very nice as well. Singapore is nice, but don't expect any asian feeling. Otherwise I problaby would include Cambodia into the Plans, and if it is only for Ankor Wat (worth to see).

Any questions, ask...lived in Thailand...and will move back soon.

Frank Grimes

Go to Malaysia too if you have the time, any part of it, it's a great country. I've been there twice and I'll be going back once I get the cash together

Wook

whatever your spice is , visit Thailand.. dirt cheap and loads of enterainment
but huh .. one word 'SARS' ?!

Evil Phil

If you're going to go diving I would recommend Tioman Island in Malaysia or the Gili Islands in Indonesia (if you want to risk that - its off Bali). Diving in Thailand is very crowded and all the fish get scared away.

Go to Krabi, stay on Ton Sai beach if you want to learn how to rock-climb. If you already climb then your going there anyway. That being said the bouldering on Koh Tao is world class.

I've been to Indonesia twice and will probably go again.

Singapore you could do well in 4 days and its only a ferry journey from Tioman Island

I'll also mention Kick Boxing in Thailand so I can use a ninja smiley :ninja:

embraer170

Now is the right time to go to Bali. The prices are lower than ever!

Koh Samui is quite nice but don't expect any nice beaches. I was terribly dissapointed. Phuket is nice but there are so so many tourists (BTW, avoid the monsoon season in Phuket)

If you're going to go diving I would recommend Tioman Island in Malaysia or the Gili Islands in Indonesia (if you want to risk that - its off Bali). Diving in Thailand is very crowded and all the fish get scared away.

Have you been on Pulau Tioman recently? Was there in 1995 and absolutely loved it. Never seen such nice diving anywhere. The place was still unspoilt back then but I am wondering how it is now? I presume it has been destroyed by mass tourism.

Jer