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Thread: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia suggestions

  1. #1
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    Default Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia suggestions

    Calling all travel bugs,

    I know there were some posts over the last few years regarding a trip to these countries. I'm hoping to get suggestions on what to do, order of countries to visit, what to avoid, general travel tips for traveling SE Asia.

    the gf and I are planning to go Dec. 26 - Jan. 14. I feel like 3 countries might be a little ambitious for 2.5 weeks but depending on suggestions, she also wants to add Laos for a day or two. Crazy, I know.

    Looking to spend around 4k/person for everything included (flight, hotel/airbnb, daily spend, etc)

    Must do's on the list are:
    - Full moon festival/New Year's eve in Thailand
    - Ankor Wat
    - floating markets
    - check out an elephant sanctuary
    - eat all the street food
    - Ha Long Bay

    Do I still need to get special shots/vaccines done or is it generally pretty safe? Cellphones, probably easier to pick up a SIM card there I'm assuming. The attempt is to pack light and live out of a backpack, I used the Farpoint 40L for Europe and was fine, but the gf might say otherwise haha. Assuming cash is still king (USD), how common is it to be able to use a credit card in these countries?

    Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

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    It's been awhile since I was there but carry usd. Change it to local currency and your money will go further because of the rounding. Lots of pickpockets and scanners especially in nam so be careful. Credit cards can be used but I'd always have cash available.

    I did go to a travel clinic before I first went as a precaution. It's entirely up to you but in general it's very safe especially in the cities.

    I'd avoid airbnbs mainly because people in those countries have different standards of cleanliness. Yes there's lots of expats but hotels are really cheap and a ton more convenient.

    Also don't eat all the street food! Depending on the strength of your stomach I'd pass on most of it. Yes you will be missing out on the awesome food but I'd rather not get sick.

    Taxis in Vietnam will try to scam you. Stick to vinasun if they are operating in the area.

    If you want to buy some souvenirs negotiate on the price and walk away if it's too high, there are countless places selling the same thing. If they offer something for 10, the price is probably 5.

    Hopefully that helps.

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    2.5 weeks, its not impossible. But for a such a short time I would say stick with Thailand with a 3 day pitstop in Cambodia.

    Bangkok/Thailand
    Bangkok will have your Grand palace temples, and tourist stuff to do. Just south of the city is the floating market (I think).
    Bangkok has a few markets, but most are very touristy and sell the same junk you can buy here. Its not cheap either. I only went for the food. But they have caught onto that. I find them to be tourist traps.

    I ate a lot of street food and I was fine. Restaurant food made stomach a bit bumpy. Just see where the locals eat. Look for small plastic chairs on the pavement.
    The Coca-Cola tastes amazing in SE Asia. I will pay you good money to bring me back a can of Coca-Cola. Im not joking.

    Ayutthaya is just outside of Bangkok, it’s the old Capital. , 45min mini bus ride from Mochit Bus Terminal. Lots of temples. It’s a day trip. Go in the morning and come back to Bangkok in the evening.

    You can take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chang Mai (book first or second class). Book ahead as it gets full really quickly (you can take the sky train to the train station).
    Lots of temples, touristy night market. Food there was about $5 and they do not give you very much. Though some local restaurants had waaay better value. Market had overpriced junk.
    There are elephant sanctuaries around. Hostels will have a menu of items to do at fixed price.
    You don’t need to spend more than 3/4 days in Chang mai. From here you can go to Laos if you wish.

    South and Islands

    From Bangkok, you can take a 12 hour/overnight bus to the islands in the south. If you are short on time, take a flight.
    If you go to Koh pangyang Island for full moon. You will need to rent a scooter to get around the island. Beware of the places that rip you . There are a lot and hold your passport as a deposit. Take pictures of you bike from all angles. I used Big Boss Scooters, its right next to the pier. Very good. Don’t use the front brake (I crashed, fell off and lost my neck pillow attached to my bag).
    Book ahead as places to stay get full up. The NW part of the island is very chill and scenic. Lots of hot vegan chicks ‘who are finding themselves’. So watch out, your gf might get jealous and get pissy with you.

    The West side of south Thailand has other islands to can hop around. You can fly to Phuket from Bangkok. Flights are cheap.
    Ko Phi Phi is one big party island. They closed Maya bay, that was something to see. So im not sure what else they have. They did take us around some other islands where we kayaked and snorkeled. But to be fair the snorkeling is shit. Everything is dead due to the sheer amount of tourists.
    People go to Koh Lanta island after. It’s a chillout island (you will need to rent scooters to get around). From here you can go kayaking, snorkling etc. Really fun and I highly recommend.

    You can island hop around Phuket, James Bond Island etc.

    Did I mentioned the Cocacola tastes amazing..?

    Cambodia.
    You can get in/out to Siem Reap (Angor Wat) in Cambodia in 3 days with a flight from Thailand.
    Make sure you see Angor Wat. Its mind blowing. You can see it in two days. You will need to rent a tuk tuk for day. Its fixed price. The hostel can do this all for you. If you do this, do a reverse circuit. Do the sunrise at Angor last. You will go against the tourist runs. Get the 3day pass.

    Vietnam
    If you go to Vietnam, get your visa ahead of time online. Hanoi was pretty chill. I actually really liked it. I skipped Ha Long bay as weather was shit.
    Da nag is good for temples. Hu is great and very touristy(in a good way), lots of temples, food, and the coffeeeeee OMG. Make sure you do the Top Gear bike ride thing. Its fun.

    Bits en bobs.
    I would always recommend getting vaccinations. They take a few months to work. So see your doctor NOW.

    Use your bank card and use the ATMS, waay easier. Credit card I used for flights, hotel/hostel and train bookings.
    Take a Anker battery charger. Very handy to have.

    Buy your shorts, flip flops here. Nick nacks like that are not cheap there and some even cost more. Shop owners will not budge on price. I tried so many places thinking it would be cheap. Its not. Im not joking. Tshirts and prints/paintings are cheap in Cambodia and buy them there.

    Go to the dollar store here and buy a pack of wetwipes. Very handy to have in your day pack. Good for cleaning after eating or sharing with other travelers.

    Don’t take runners/trainers. Wear sandals/ flip flops on the plane. Otherwise your just carrying dead weight around in your bag when you get to SE Asia.

    Your Farpoint pack is great. Any more is too much. If you want to buy souvenirs, just buy a small carry on suitcase in Bangkok on your last day.

    You can get a sim card in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, you will be using data mostly and its cheap. Just make sure your phone is unlocked.
    There is a map App for se Asia, I Cant remember the name. Download the map ahead of time, very handy. Google maps was not that accurate.
    Their version of uber is called something else, I think it was Go. Very handy.
    Flights are cheap in SE Asia. Like really cheap. My flight from Bangkok to Hanoi was under $60.
    Internal flights in the country was only $30 (I had to take a internal flight on one occasion as I ended up in a Vietnamese hospital, but that’s another story)..
    There is also a app for staying at hostels and hotels. Again I cant remember, but google will have all the answers.

    You don’t need to stay in hostels, but they are good for connecting with people, exchanging information, partying and having prebooked tours etc. I rented a hotel every 3rd/4th day.

    If your girlfiend is not on birth control, take condoms from here. Condoms over there are a ..’different size’ and may not fit. Dont ask how I know.

    7-11 has everything… EVERYTHING.

    Check out this Japanese Restaurant in Bangkok if your near it
    https://www.google.com/maps/@13.7341...7i13312!8i6656
    You will die and go to food heaven.


    Check out video blogs on youtube. I found them really handy on figuring out where to go and what to do. Especially travel bloggers Kara and Nate.

    Bring me Cola.

    Ka pun kaaaaa

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    ...
    Last edited by redblack; 08-26-2019 at 07:34 PM.

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    Ooooooo! The Jared Fogle tour! Very nice.

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    Vietnam... you need cash to enter some of the public toilets in the towns you may stop at. That is all. Seriously, I got yelled at by a vietnamese lady and this used to be a war torn country so they're a little rough around the edges lol

    If you've never been, be prepared to be risking your life everywhere you walk in Hanoi. There are no traffic rules and the streets are full of crazy scooters. The key is to remember that they avoid you so don't hesitate or stop or speed up because you will confuse the driver and they may hit you by accident.

    Bring strong diarrhea medicine lol trust me on this.

    Other than that, the sights and sounds and eats are all fascinating.

    One more thing, unless you have lots of cash to be ripped off by taxis, I'd recommend taking the public buses, it literally costs pennies and you won't get ripped off.

    The most interesting thing about Hanoi is seeing the world from eyes of the communists. There's a plane at the war museum and the plaque tells you how many Americans it killed. Honestly it's a little creepy. Also, you might want to travel north to Sapa, the rice fields on the hills in nearby Catcat village are breathtaking. Don't do the walk like we did, rent a scooter!!! It's worth it unless you are a trained marathon runner and you have the energy to do it.

    You definitely need shots for Vietnam. It's still a developing country. I was actually quite taken aback when I got to Hanoi as I thought it was quite modernized. But no, I won't lie to you, some areas are complete shitholes and it was actually quite an eye opener for me to realize how lucky we are to in Canada. All in all though, Vietnamese are wonderful people and it is a beautiful country.
    Last edited by 370Z; 07-20-2019 at 10:34 AM.

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    Whatever you do, take Dukoral before you go. Especially if you're crazy enough to eat street food.

  8. #8
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    Whatever you do, take Dukoral before you go. Especially if you're crazy enough to eat street food.
    + 1.

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