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madcow posted:Plan is to come in directly by plane to Phuket, but I could just as easily book the flight elsewhere. I'd say either fly to Samui and take the ferry to Koh Tao (more diving) or Koh Phangan (more hiking, more variety, more nightlife) or just fly into Phuket like you were planning on doing and take a bus/ferry to any of the other nearby beaches or islands (Lanta or Phi Phi) and spend your time there. In my mind it's worth the extra travel time to get out of Phuket -- the others are right, though, there's nothing overtly horrible about Phuket it's just that isn't not quite as nice / cheap / convenient for what most people want when they go to Thailand (unless they want to eat German food and bang a lot of hookers then Phuket is the place to be). madcow posted:The pictures look so nice. Anywhere you go on either coast of Thailand you'll be able to get those white sand beaches and turquoise water pictures, but if you're not in Phuket the beach won't be littered with orangeish 45 year old European men in speedos and the big stupid looking facade of a hotel looming in the background. raton fucked around with this message at 06:15 on May 2, 2010 |
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madcow posted:Plan is to come in directly by plane to Phuket, but I could just as easily book the flight elsewhere.  The next time, depending on how you felt, pick somewhere else. All of the people making recommendations here have fully formed opinions, but you don't, it'll all be new and interesting for you - so just go! Have fun
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Apr 30, 2010 05:40
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Sheep-Goats posted:...but if you're not in Phuket the beach won't be littered with orangeish 45 year old European men in speedos and... ...their girlfriends (carefully selected from a bar the night before) who is half their age and size and can not stop ordering overpriced food on the beach because the silly old men is paying. Dahling, dis very aroi na, order four for you, me and my friend me. I think Phuket is alright if you can rent a motorbike to get around. You can still find a few secluded beaches. It won't be so good though if you need to rely on tuk-tuks to get around. They'll try to charge you 1000 baht to go a few blocks or something.
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Apr 30, 2010 07:09
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Ringo R posted:...their girlfriends (carefully selected from a bar the night before) who is half their age and size and can not stop ordering overpriced food on the beach because the silly old men is paying. Dahling, dis very aroi na, order four for you, me and my friend me. Or worse, their 70 year old obese orange topless wives strolling along Patong Beach 
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Apr 30, 2010 07:16
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brendanwor posted:Or worse, their 70 year old obese orange topless wives strolling along Patong Beach  And Germany, but mostly Russia Thankfully the Russians mostly go to Pattaya. EDIT: take care ebbysing take care me take care sister me him good heart na - him send money me love me too much na ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Apr 30, 2010 |
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Apr 30, 2010 15:00
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So I'm posting from an internet cafe on KSR right now and I'm kicking myself for not preparing more in advance. I thought that when I got here I would have no trouble meeting other kindred spirits and meandering my way around day by day but it's 10:30 AM Sunday and there's barely any activity here and I'm finding it hard to casually chat with any other Westerners/tourists. Hopefully as I get more acclimated I'll start to feel more at home but right now I feel a little bit homesick/isolated. I'm trying to convince myself that it's just a passing aspect of the culture shock I'm going through right now, especially since this is my first time traveling solo and my return flight home is on 6/1. Speaking of culture shock, man is it ever hot/humid here. I knew I'd have to deal with it but you going through it IRL is always more difficult. So the plan right now is the following: -try to find a local drug store/supermarket to buy a lot of the basics that I was unable to pack in my rush to get here. Only thing I've found so far has been a 7/11, with nothing that I need. I need to buy simple stuff like a satchel/cell phone for use in-country, electric adapter, ziploc bags, travel toothpaste/shampoo... but there doesn't seem to be a place to buy these anywhere close to KSR. any ideas on where to go to get this sort of stuff? -book a train/flight to the resorts/islands down south. i read the phuket vs. koh tao, etc. discussion above and am leaning toward travelling to the latter. i too am looking for a more relaxed/less boozie/hippiesh travel experience and want to keep the # of silver-haired, wrinkly-skinned, orange-hued germans and russians i see to a minimum. should i just walk into any of the numerous "travel agency" storefronts i see and book a trip? i'm thinking overnight sleeper train right now. that should be okay, right? -if I find myself getting more comfortable traveling alone, i'll just take things as they come and go from place to place. however, if after a few days in koh tao i still feel isolated, i'll probably go with plan B and book a gap adventures or intrepid travel excursion for the last 2/3 of my trip. okay, right now i need help with: -where to go to buy simple stuff like a satchel and a cell phone that i can use in country?? Broohaha fucked around with this message at 04:34 on May 2, 2010 |
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May 2, 2010 04:31
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Broohaha posted:-where to go to buy simple stuff like a satchel and a cell phone that i can use in country?? Cellphone: MBK, in Siam Square. If you tell a taxi driver "MBK" they'll know what you mean. There's a whole floor of shops selling/unlocking mobile phones. Satchel - you mean like a backpack, or a man-purse like in The Hangover? Either way, if you read this in time, go to Jatujak Weekend Market. Massive, has everything. Otherwise it shouldn't be too hard to find something elsewhere.
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May 2, 2010 04:43
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Cellphone: MBK, in Siam Square. If you tell a taxi driver "MBK" they'll know what you mean. There's a whole floor of shops selling/unlocking mobile phones. Plenty of man purses in MBK also. Try one of the department stores or the top floor back behind the movie theater. Actually if you can't find a murse to buy while in Bangkok this life may simply not be cut out for you ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Broohaha posted:-try to find a local drug store/supermarket to buy a lot of the basics that I was unable to pack in my rush to get here. Only thing I've found so far has been a 7/11, with nothing that I need. I need to buy simple stuff like a satchel/cell phone for use in-country, electric adapter, ziploc bags, travel toothpaste/shampoo... but there doesn't seem to be a place to buy these anywhere close to KSR. any ideas on where to go to get this sort of stuff? -Are you sure you're on Khao San? There are multiple shops dedicated to selling bags there, there are several pharmacies (Boots) and the 7/11s all sell soap and toothpaste and stuff, I don't know why you need an adapter or ziplock bags, what the hell. Just go out to Khao San and walk down that bitch and look left and look right. -Yes just walk into one of those shops and book your train or bus. You can also just get in any taxi and tell them to take you to the train station (Hualampong -- pretty easy to say, make a train noise if the driver looks confused) and buy yourself a ticket once you're there, but the travel shops won't kill you on overhead so w/e -OK. If you go to Tao spring for a SCUBA class. You'll at least meet people doing that. The sense of isolation is normal. Khao San also changes pretty quickly and I haven't been there in years now so things may have changed a bit, but I'm sure not so much as to have the Boots disappear and all the ratty bag shops close up and leave. Let me suggest a couple of bars for you to visit tonight (hopefully they're still there). Go to the end of Khao San with the temple kitty corner from the end of the street (the end closest to the river). Go North on Th. Chakrabong, you're going to be walking for five or so minutes up Chakrabong an in a short while you'll go across a small bridge that goes over the Banglampoo canal. On your left there will be a crappy hotel with a crappier internet cafe, walk past that. In the next 200 yards or so on your left there may be a tiny hookah bar, a small Japanese run bar, and a small blues cafe. Try the hookah bar there first, sit down, if the Australian owner is in he'll chat with you all day long while you puff away, but the other two places should be great, too. They're very small so if there's anyone else in there just say hello and they'll either have to talk to you or leave. Stop worrying about your stuff so much. Just leave all your poo poo in the hostel (apart from your money and passport, leave your camera behind too for your first trip out of the hostel) and go walk around. Don't worry about meeting people so much. You've got a huge list of petty poo poo you can't do that you're trying to resolve right now and not thinking at all about what you can do. Want something fun? Go get a motorcycle taxi to MBK (there's a fleet of them waiting around for you on the end of Khao San with the temple -- they wear safety vests and stand around by motorcycles, you'll have to bargain on the price! -- they all known what "Ehm Bee Kay" is and will go straight there with you on the back of the bike thinking they're loving crazy for driving the way they do) and see a movie in the nice rear end theater up there and enjoy the aircon, and stopoff to the redshirt encampment nearby. Get yourself a cellphone on the fourth floor (or third), a murse if you still want one for whatever reason, and then head back to Khao San and find a bar and have a few drinks. raton fucked around with this message at 06:23 on May 2, 2010 |
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May 2, 2010 05:34
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Oh hay guyz I just travelled to the other side of EARF and first thing I do is get on the internets! Just kidding 7-11 definitely has shampoo and toothbrushes, look harder. Or maybe the ones on KSR are different? You should  and do the usual temple walk. Grab a map and do it yourself, don't hire a tuktuk. Check out the crazy red shirt fortress opposite MBK. You can walk past the barricades and see expensive shopping malls shut down by a bunch of farmers.
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May 2, 2010 05:53
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Broohaha posted:-book a train/flight to the resorts/islands down south. i read the phuket vs. koh tao, etc. discussion above and am leaning toward travelling to the latter. i too am looking for a more relaxed/less boozie/hippiesh travel experience and want to keep the # of silver-haired, wrinkly-skinned, orange-hued germans and russians i see to a minimum. should i just walk into any of the numerous "travel agency" storefronts i see and book a trip? i'm thinking overnight sleeper train right now. that should be okay, right? Book a ticket to Koh Tao with Lomprayah: http://www.lomprayah.com/E/index.htm You can do it online, or their office is just around the corner from Khaosan on Rambutri Road, near the Viengtai hotel. They're legit: a lot of other operators are a bit shifty and your belongings go missing, but Lomprayah are fine. The trip to Koh Tao takes about six hours, by bus and ferry. Once you get to Koh Tao, stay and dive with Big Blue: http://www.bigbluediving.com/ You'll meet plenty of people in your diving course(s). The place attracts a lot of solo travellers. I'm only suggesting those places because I've been there, and they're all good. There are plenty of other places to stay and several other ways to get to Koh Tao or other southern islands.
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May 2, 2010 06:05
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BTW Khao San Road guy I just spent ten hours losing at internet poker and then paid my ignorant rear end landlord her rent money and am going loving nowhere tonight so if you wanna step into this here teleporter and change places with me I can deal with the ennui while you type away at this computer 
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May 2, 2010 06:12
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So we're on Koh Phi Phi Don right now hanging around the Palm Tree Resort for another couple days. After that we have about 6 days before we have to start heading home. We're looking to figure out if we should book more time at Palm Tree, somewhere else on Phi Phi Don, or head off for another island. Ideas? Railey sounds like it could be interesting but not sure if we'd want to stay there or just head there for the day. Anyone with suggestions for a place that's, well, bloody ideal? Quiet rooms at a place with a pool while also being on the beach, near other stuff, and not too expensive? Or something that has some of that poo poo? Anyway, we're having a great time here and getting the hell off the bloody internet for another day.
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May 2, 2010 17:01
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Broohaha posted:A (goon) friend and I are planning a trip to Thailand. He's doing a lot of the planning, while I'm mostly just going along with it and saving my money until August, our tentative adventure timeframe. I picked up (borrowed) both Discover Thailand and Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. I have thumbed through them, but reading Broohaha's post above made me a little anxious. I feared over-planning and not being able to fit all the beach parties and elephant riding into our week-and-a-half to two-week excursion. (We will definitely be hitting up Koh Tao for SCUBA classes, though.) In the meantime, I'm going to try to find that balance between hour-by-hour-itinerary and hay-guyz-im-here-wut-now. Finally, I'm trying to get an idea of my flight and travel time; I live in Louisiana and could easily fly out of New Orleans (MSY), Houston (IAH or HOU), or even Dallas (DFW). Looks like the cheapest/easiest route is through Tokyo (NRT). I'm not opposed to driving out of the way for a cheaper fare -- any suggestions?
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May 2, 2010 17:02
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Broohaha posted:Regarding the purchase of clothing in Bangkok, is it generally cheaper (than in UK), and would it be a good idea to pack little, and grab what I need when I land? What about shoes? I'll bring a pair of course, and grab sandals/whatever when I get there, but am thinking of nicer shoes. Debating over whether to get them here or just wait.
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May 2, 2010 18:01
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Another one that's too good not to post (not mine):
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May 2, 2010 22:00
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ZeroDays posted:Regarding the purchase of clothing in Bangkok, is it generally cheaper (than in UK), and would it be a good idea to pack little, and grab what I need when I land? What about shoes? I'll bring a pair of course, and grab sandals/whatever when I get there, but am thinking of nicer shoes. Debating over whether to get them here or just wait. Depends on what you want I guess. Do you like wearing crappy quality fakes etc? Then you'll find heaps. There's definitely some good western-type midrange stuff around at shopping malls like Paragon, CentralWorld etc and relatively affordable but not as cheap as you might expect from being in Asia (think like, US$30 tshirts, US$80+ jeans etc). If however you like wearing Gucci, Boss, Armani etc then have fun going broke because designer clothing in BKK is loving expensive.
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May 2, 2010 22:25
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at mbk right now. have seen enough older white men holding hands with young thai girls to make me lose all faith in humanity. one of the reasons i was looking forward to this trip was because i thought i would be able to sample lots of good food. but walking around the food court area here i almost felt like vomiting because everything had this weird sheen/smell of being over-fried and sweet smelling. i ended up settling for a 170 bhat meal from subway which perfectly hit the spot and was intensely filling for some reason (a big part of it was the enormous carafe of coke zero i downed with it... i think i was missing a caffeine fix). got a bus/ferry ticket to ko pha ngan at 6 pm tonight. only 550 bhat; seems too good to be true but then again that may be because all the prices have been slashed because the # of tourists in the region has dwindled. to others who have expressed hesitation based on my earlier post: don't let me dissuade you. if you're coming here with a plan and/or with other people, you should be fine.
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May 3, 2010 09:33
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Broohaha posted:at mbk right now. have seen enough older white men holding hands with young thai girls to make me lose all faith in humanity. Broohaha posted:one of the reasons i was looking forward to this trip was because i thought i would be able to sample lots of good food. but walking around the food court area here i almost felt like vomiting because everything had this weird sheen/smell of being over-fried and sweet smelling. i ended up settling for a 170 bhat meal from subway which perfectly hit the spot and was intensely filling for some reason (a big part of it was the enormous carafe of coke zero i downed with it... i think i was missing a caffeine fix). Broohaha posted:got a bus/ferry ticket to ko pha ngan at 6 pm tonight. only 550 bhat; seems too good to be true but then again that may be because all the prices have been slashed because the # of tourists in the region has dwindled.
ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 11:06 on May 3, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 11:01
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Broohaha posted:at mbk right now. have seen enough older white men holding hands with young thai girls to make me lose all faith in humanity. My sister's comment: "Is that a pro'? What do those guys think this is, 'Pretty Woman'?"
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May 3, 2010 14:05
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Broohaha posted:
Great choice! Probably my favorite island in the south. A couple of friends and I went to Had Khuad on the northern shore of the island about a year ago, which is a little more secluded and a little more quiet than the rest of the Koh Phangan, and we had a great time relaxing on the beach/in a hammock, and talking to the friendly owners. There's a little bit of nightlife as well, but with only two or three bars, you can avoid it if you want to. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone, even if it takes a bit of doing to get there, there's no electricity at night and only cold water. It's worth it. You have to take a taxi/whatever to get to Ao Chaloklum (a little fishing village in the north) and then a longtail for maybe 20 minutes to get to the actual bay. My friend took some pictures tha might persuade you:  Click here for the full 404x604 image.  Click here for the full 604x404 image.  Click here for the full 604x404 image.
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May 3, 2010 15:09
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Friend of a friends blog posted this gem: http://www.thrillingheroics.com/tips-for-first-time-travelers-to-thailand
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May 3, 2010 18:37
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I'm so conflicted on all these protests. On the one hand I'm afraid of being in Thailand when some serious poo poo goes down, but on the other hand the price for a plane ticket dropped 100-some bucks in the past week. And I'll be staying with my girlfriend's family about four hours north of Bangkok. Thanks for the blog Tran, I'll check it sometime. I need a foreigner's experience going there, my girlfriend is from Thailand but it's just home to her and not some mystical land.
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May 4, 2010 02:17
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Does anyone have any experience with the tailors that seem to be everywhere? When I was there I had a couple of suits made for around 300ish. It seems perfectly reasonable with me, they came with shirts, ties and waistcoats. I'm really happy with it all, but I'm kind of curious if I got ripped off or not.
Rhandhali fucked around with this message at 03:08 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 4, 2010 02:48
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You probably got ripped off a little but whatever, at least you have suits that fit. Someone already posted a good complete link about what makes a great suit compared to a good suit (which I bookmarked and then lost), but basically what most non-knowing people miss out on is quality material (can't substitute for that in any way) and the right fitting process. I got suits in Bangkok myself, made with decent wool, and didn't worry about the whole bespoke thing and was really happy with them (until I went back to America and got a little fatter and they no longer fit so well). The suit issue is touchy, but IMO the shirts are a really good deal and not something they can gently caress you over on really. Tailor made shirts are a particular blessing for me since I'm 6'3" and 190 some pounds, which means XL is like a circus tent and L is like a kiddie coat, but I think most people, especially from America (the land of ill-fitting dress shirts), should pick up five or so tailor made button down shirts before heading home so long as they have the time to do so (a couple of hours to stop in and get measured, a couple of hours a week or so later to pick them up and pay the balance). raton fucked around with this message at 04:34 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 4, 2010 04:07
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Well the SEA leg of my trip is coming to an end tonight, gently caress. It went by so fast, but was easily the best 6 months of my life. Thanks again helpful goons.
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May 4, 2010 05:32
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ziebarf posted:Well the SEA leg of my trip is coming to an end tonight, gently caress. It went by so fast, but was easily the best 6 months of my life. Thanks again helpful goons. Make it a memorable last night by barfining every girl in a bar, take them back to your hotel room and do a re-enactment of swap.avi. Gomedy goldmine! - - - Regarding Thai food, I think it can be a bit hard if you don't have aforementioned Nan and her sister-me to guide you around the food carts, NOT food courts. Perhaps ask hotel staff for good places where Thais go or something. A lovely dish to get you started (that should not destroy your stomach): Grilled pork neck with Thai papaya salad - Kaw moo yaang & som dtam Thai. The sauce they serve it with is so good I could drink it straight 
Ringo R fucked around with this message at 09:55 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 4, 2010 07:56
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So I'm settled in at Koh Pha Nang (still no idea how that's pronounced) and it's pretty outstanding. While on the ferry coming here met a bloke from the UK traveling solo as well; he's at Ko Samui and he and I are planning on getting together eventually. In the meantime, I'm thinking about renting a bike so I can travel around the island. I've been quoted prices from 150-250 bhat for the whole day: seems way too good to be true. Am I gonna get swindled? Also, it's really annoying that the best price you can get here for internet access is 2 bhat/minute + 10 minute minimum. By comparison, at KSR, one of the internet stalls gave you 5 hours (!!) for 80 bhat.
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May 4, 2010 11:51
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Wooo, passport finally arrived, about to book flight for friday. Time to knock up a basic itinery, though will be first time in the country so I won't exactly be searching for things to do. One thing that irritates me is that I'll get gouged by my bank every time I use my card, and I haven't the time set up one of these cards that go easier on foreign currency charges. I guess it means I should be withdrawing cash in sizable chunks to limit the fees, but not too large that it would be a complete disaster if I were to lose my wallet to a lady boy who drugged my soup or something. And I'm guessing I'll need foreign currency before I go too, just to ease me in, unless I withdraw it at the airport.
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May 4, 2010 12:52
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You can withdraw cash at the airport, although sometimes for me the last thing I wanted to do in a new country was source out cash, it is nice to have some ready to get you to your first hotel asap. As for carrying large amounts around you should be ok generally, I only had one pick pocket attempt in 4 months and it was in Hanoi and the attempt was made on the front pouch of my rucksack, so maybe use padlocks on your bag and carry money in a money belt, this is if you're really worried. But if you stay away from the sketchy situations (like you mentioned) and parts of town, you should have zero problems with theft etc.
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May 4, 2010 14:38
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Broohaha posted:Also, it's really annoying that the best price you can get here for internet access is 2 bhat/minute + 10 minute minimum. By comparison, at KSR, one of the internet stalls gave you 5 hours (!!) for 80 bhat. Get off the loving internet then, jesus christ man. You're in Thailand, live a little.
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May 4, 2010 16:21
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Broohaha posted:I'm thinking about renting a bike so I can travel around the island. I've been quoted prices from 150-250 bhat for the whole day: seems way too good to be true. Am I gonna get swindled? It's pronounced "pom ben ghe" or something. Those prices are standard rates, yes. If you total it or it gets stolen you have to pay for it though. There's no insurance. You're on an island so things are generally more expensive. Stay off the interwebs, you are on holiday. Don't be the guy who updates his facebook status every 5 minutes. ZeroDays posted:Time to knock up a basic itinery, though will be first time in the country so I won't exactly be searching for things to do. For evening entertainment, tell taxi driver "Nana plaza" or "Soi Cowboy".
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May 4, 2010 16:32
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Broohaha posted:So I'm settled in at Koh Pha Nang (still no idea how that's pronounced) and it's pretty outstanding. While on the ferry coming here met a bloke from the UK traveling solo as well; he's at Ko Samui and he and I are planning on getting together eventually. In the meantime, I'm thinking about renting a bike so I can travel around the island. I've been quoted prices from 150-250 bhat for the whole day: seems way too good to be true. Am I gonna get swindled? That's what they cost. Two words of warning: Occasionally the bike owner will "steal" the bike and then make you pay for it. This is a really remote risk but try to park your bike in as safe a location as you can find and obviously take the key inside with you. In any case if the bike gets stolen or damaged you'll have to pay for it, but I think the risk is worth it for the additional freedom. They will probably want your passport as collateral, which is fine, though I've rented bikes with 1000B deposit and a copy of my passport before, so mai pen rai. Be loving careful. The roads have sand on them that won't bother a car but will put you on your side real quick. Start out in third gear when you're still learning and give yourself a ton of cushion space in front -- if traffic builds up behind you move to the side and let everyone go past. Trucks and busses have have the right of way in Thailand when they turn in front of motorcycles, so when they have their turn signal on be prepared to stop. When you stop on a motorcycle you're supposed to use your front and back brake, not just drag the back one like on a bicycle, but you have to do so in the right proportions and those proportions change depending on what you're doing on the bike, so brake early and slowly so you can feel things out. Internet is always more expensive on the islands. There's a forest temple and a waterfall on Koh Phanang ("Phom Bhen Ghaey" is close enough), you can visit them on your motorbike. DO NOT ride your bike down to the southern tip of the island for the full moon parties, the road on that part is totally different, very curvy and bad, and full of daredevil songtaew drivers who give no regard for lane markings or speed limits or common sense. When it's time to go down there for something wait on the side of the road for a songtaew and flag it down -- if they don't stop that means they're full, but it won't take long before someone picks you up and takes you where you want to go. Oh and don't buy drugs from the guys walking around going "drugs drugs drugs" they're cops. raton fucked around with this message at 16:54 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 4, 2010 16:38
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Ringo R posted:The sauce they serve it with is so good I could drink it straight Seriously, good nam chim is one of greatest things ever, though this may be because in my mind it's salsa (and kha niao stands in for the chips). My favorite caw moo yang is not traditionally grilled I'm pretty sure, but deep fried (technically not yang I guess). Across from Sukhumvit Soi 38 next to the stairs leading down from the BTS entrance there's a restaurant, about 30 meters from the corner of Thong Lo. It's next to a foot massage joint - a late night khao tom joint run by two old Chinese-ey looking brothers and either one's predictably sluggish and retarded looking son. That poo poo is the bomb. Also highly recommended, their tom yam with mushrooms and the milky stuff (tom yam hedt nam kohn). One thing they should teach you (but don't) when you take language lessons is to learn everything you can about food. 99.99% of all casual conversation in Thai revolves around what you just ate, what you are eating, what you're ordering, what you're planning to eat, what someone is eating on TV, what someone is selling to eat, what your favorite thing to eat is, what things are best to eat in what places, why haven't you eaten?, are you planning on eating?, why not?, what's wrong with you? - etc, etc. This is a total stereotype of course, but for very casual conversation I think food is probably the best topic to have a breadth of knowledge on in Thailand. Not to mention the bonus effect of being able to order lots of tasty grub. Ringo R posted:It's pronounced "pom ben ghe" or something. Ringo R posted:For evening entertainment, tell taxi driver "Nana plaza" or "Soi Cowboy". ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 18:55 on May 4, 2010 |
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May 4, 2010 18:48
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ReindeerF posted:I am a nam chim connoisseur and every Thai cook is amazed at the depth of my nam chim knowledge. "Now do you use the tamarind or the lime? That's interesting. What brand of fish sauce?" GENG GENG GENG YOU GENG MAHK LUI! Cool, Nan must have tought you well. So do you have a favorite recipe? I want to be able to make my own when not in Thailand.
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May 4, 2010 21:22
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My trip to Malaysia is in a few months and I'm planning on travelling from KL to Johor Bahru. Is the South West coast of Malaysia interesting to travel down overland? I figure I can stop in at Malacca but if the rest is going to be palm plantations it is a bit less exciting. Otherwise I could go across to the East Coast via the Jungle train and go down that coast, which I hear is less developed. Alternatively I could just get a stupidly cheap flight from KL to Singapore or something and hang out there for a few days. Anyone gone overland Malaysia in a few days and can recommend it?
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May 5, 2010 01:20
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The south west coast of Peninsular Malaysia is fairly built up. There are a lot of towns and industrial areas and a few plantations and so on thrown in. It's pretty boring, but Melacca is a good diversion. It's a nice place. Don't bother flying from KL to Singapore. It's not very far, but the entire process takes forever. The bus from KL to Singapore isn't much fun, either. It takes ages. Some of the nicer buses are fairly comfortable but they aren't great. I'd get an overnight sleeper train. They're fairly cheap, and quite good. Saves a night of accommodation. Another option could be to head north from KL to Penang, via Cameron Highlands and Ipoh and so on... then fly from Penang to Singapore. North of KL is quite interesting, Penang is good for a few days, and unlike the flight from KL to Singapore the flight from Penang to Singapore is longer than the time taken to get to the airport, check in and collect bags and do the customs/immigration thing,
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May 5, 2010 02:41
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Yeah Penang is definitely on my list. Does it shut down much on the weekend or does that not really affect tourists?
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May 5, 2010 03:32
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Honestly, I can't remember... I haven't been there for years. I don't expect it would, and even if it did I don't expect that to impact tourists much.
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May 5, 2010 04:01
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I just fell victim to my first Thai scam. I went to a Thai restaurant here in Orlando and ordered a diet coke with my meal. They served me in a glass filled from the fountain machine and I got 3 refills. When I got the bill I was charged $2 for each glass. Son of a bitch.
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May 5, 2010 04:04
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| # ? May 8, 2024 10:22 |
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Thanks. Pretty sure every time I post here I have slightly different plans so appreciate everyones patience Only two months now.
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May 5, 2010 04:53
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