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Jet Age posted:Thanks. Pretty sure every time I post here I have slightly different plans so appreciate everyones patience I am going to take one of the bus lines from Singapore to KL and back in June. I will let you know how that goes if I remember.
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May 5, 2010 07:09
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Only two months now.
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Jet Age posted:Thanks. Pretty sure every time I post here I have slightly different plans so appreciate everyones patience No worries. I hope you've included Sabah and Sarawak on your itinerary! Arzakon posted:I am going to take one of the bus lines from Singapore to KL and back in June. I will let you know how that goes if I remember. I used Transtar - on one of their stupidly well equipped "Solitaire" buses. It's a long journey but comfortable enough. Take your own food - the on board food is nasty. I'm not sure if there's a toilet on board, and from memory there's only one toilet break. They even have wifi Internet access if you've got a wifi equipped device... Another option for getting between Singapore and KL that I hadn't thought of before is to fly to or from Kuala Lumpur's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport rather than KLIA. It's far, far, far closer to the city and the traffic isn't anywhere near as bad. Firefly fly the route five times each day, for 80 ringgit each way.
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May 5, 2010 08:14
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Steve. posted:No worries. I hope you've included Sabah and Sarawak on your itinerary! Sarawak yes, not sure about Sabah yet.
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May 5, 2010 09:38
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Jet Age posted:Sarawak yes, not sure about Sabah yet. Sweet. Kuching is awesome. I wanted to do the trip up the Batang Rajang but didn't get a chance to do much more than hang around in Kuching feeling sorry for myself for a week. Sabah's nice, Mt. Kinabalu is well worth visiting (if not climbing) and there is a lot of cool stuff, natural and historical, to see. Kota Kinabalu is a bit boring but the seafood is drat good. I didn't make it to Sandakan or anywhere further east than Mt. Kinabalu. I'm definitely planning a return to Borneo...!
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May 5, 2010 09:42
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Yeah I want four or five days in Kuching, four or five days in Penang, a couple of days each in KL and Singapore, a day in Melacca. Just a matter of making it all come together.
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May 5, 2010 09:48
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Jet Age posted:Yeah I want four or five days in Kuching, four or five days in Penang, a couple of days each in KL and Singapore, a day in Melacca. Just a matter of making it all come together. That should be fairly doable - if possible, I'd start in Singapore and work my way north to Penang on trains and buses, via Melacca and Kuala Lumpur. Air Asia fly from Penang to Kuching. This would avoid any back tracking... although, realistically, getting around is so cheap that only time is likely to be a great concern.
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May 5, 2010 09:58
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Okay, tickets are booked! Flying into Krabi next week for about 7 days. A ticket to Koh Samui was about 100 bucks extra, so maybe next time. Any suggestions as to things to hit up in that area? Also any suggestions as to where to stay? Don't need anything fancy, but a place where they at least wash the sheets would be nice. Don't really have a definite plan, just playing it by ear. So maybe a couple days in Krabi, then a couple days in Phuket, then who knows. However, my traveling companion insists that we must go snorkeling, ride elephants, and shoot guns somewhere along the way. I thought the sea kayaking looked somewhat interesting too.
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May 5, 2010 11:22
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So I went ahead and rented a bike and it was the best decision I've made so far. Riding around the island is absolutely great and the views and vistas (especially in the early afternoon) are simply stunning. Unfortunately, I had to pay the "police tax" -- fined 200 bhat for not having a helmet on. Of course, nevermind the fact that 98% of bike riders (and seemingly 100% of local bike riders) have no helmets on. I'm pretty sure it's a way for the police to get a little something extra off the top from the tourists. Oh well, no big deal. 200 bhat = $7 fine. Something like this in the U.S. is a $150 fine. Oh and I rented the bike before seeing the warning about the curvy roads leading out of Hat Rin. They are downright frightening in some spots; I can honestly say that riding around those roads is the most dangerous thing I've ever done in my life. Especially this one particular stretch where the road feels like it's almost literally at a 45-degree angle. Obviously, I was very careful and deliberate as I was going through them. Overall, definitely worth it. Between the views around the island and being able to go all the way up and around and see all the different resorts and tiny villages in different spots in the island, it was a fantastic day. UK guy (and another UK friend he met on Ko Samui) are coming by tomorrow. I found a place 50 feet off Sunrise beach with AC for 400 bhat per night. Pretty stellar if you ask me. Only drawback at the beach is the water is very salty.
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May 5, 2010 12:13
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Broohaha posted:Only drawback at the beach is the water is very salty. Well, it is the ocean... 
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May 5, 2010 12:32
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Broohaha posted:Only drawback at the beach is the water is very salty. Some UK airspace above me is getting hosed again by those ash clouds so it's uncertain I'll be able to board my flight on friday, which has completely prevented me from booking anywhere to stay in BKK, as I don't want to pay in advance only to be told "sorry, our plane will get a little dirty up there so we ain't flyin'". What a huge pain in the rear end. I do have places in mind for when I arrive (Lub D) so I doubt I'll have trouble finding an empty bed, but man, would have been nice to book somewhere to ease me in since I don't know poo poo. Ringo R posted:For evening entertainment, tell taxi driver "Nana plaza" or "Soi Cowboy".
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May 5, 2010 14:18
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Ringo R posted: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. ZeroDays posted:Serious suggestion or an attempt to send someone wet behind the ear into the thick of it? In any case, it's certainly an experience (so sayeth the innumerable youtube videos). Seriously, everyone gets dragged down there eventually, so while it's basically a giant sex district you don't have to do anything. A friend of mine takes us down there every once in a while because he likes it and we just drink beer and listen to bad Australian bands. The chicks will mob you, but once you refuse (politely) to buy them a drink they leave you alone or maybe just sit and joke around for a minute. It's all surprisingly blase I suppose and they're really casual. Special things to watch for: groups of chicks huddled behind the bar eating bags full of bugs just out of site. If you ever considered banging one of these chicks, watching her eat fried roaches should put you off of that pretty quick (if the thought of her blowing a big fat sweaty German guy doesn't). Do not, as a tourist friend of mine who wanted to go down there did, say, "What's this!?" and then ring the bell hanging over the bar. He absolutely would not believe us about the bell and then he rang it and then he learned that we weren't lying. Most tourist bars have a bell, don't ring it, heh. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 14:37 on May 5, 2010 |
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May 5, 2010 14:27
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Best Thai food IMO is nam dtok muu (น้ำตกหมู if any of you want to copy this down, I don't think I've ever seen it on an English menu). It translates literally to "pig waterfall", I was reading a menu at a restaurant aloud and laughed at that one, my Thai friend thought that meant I wanted to order it. Best accidental discovery ever, goes well with sticky rice. Jet Age posted:Sarawak yes, not sure about Sabah yet. When I was there it seemed like most people did the opposite (most just doing Sabah and skipping Sarawak or doing it really quickly). They're both good, lots of excellent national parks. Mulu is definitely worth the visit/flight, I used it to get around Brunei. In Sabah, I did some diving in Sipidan and Mabul that was great. Semporna (the jumping off town on Borneo proper) is a bit of a hole, but I did a homestay on Palau Mabul and it was awesome. Broohaha posted:So I went ahead and rented a bike and it was the best decision I've made so far. Riding around the island is absolutely great and the views and vistas (especially in the early afternoon) are simply stunning. Unfortunately, I had to pay the "police tax" -- fined 200 bhat for not having a helmet on. Of course, nevermind the fact that 98% of bike riders (and seemingly 100% of local bike riders) have no helmets on. I'm pretty sure it's a way for the police to get a little something extra off the top from the tourists. Oh well, no big deal. 200 bhat = $7 fine. Something like this in the U.S. is a $150 fine. Seriously what's so hard about picking up a helmet and putting it on your head? Most rental places have them for no extra charge.
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May 5, 2010 16:52
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Arzakon posted:I am going to take one of the bus lines from Singapore to KL and back in June. I will let you know how that goes if I remember. I paid a shitload to get on one of the NiCE Express Buses between KL and Singapore, because I didn't feel like flying again. poo poo had TVs and watresses like on a plane, and seated only 22 people because of the huge seats. Fiskenbob fucked around with this message at 20:11 on May 5, 2010 |
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May 5, 2010 17:26
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Well my 5th trip to Bangkok is scheduled and I arrive on the 13th. Quick question I'm hoping I can get some help on. I have an interview at the US Embassy on the morning of the 17th for my daughter. Im trying to track down a hotel/apartment/guest house some where close to the US Embassy where I can rent up to 3 rooms for a couple of nights. From my looking, most of the hotels around the embassy are outrageous. If anyone has any suggestions of places to check on, or places to avoid, Id appreciate it. Nothing fancy. Just AC and a bed or two per room is all Im looking for. Im trying to stay below 1000 baht if possible seeing as Ill be needing up to 3 rooms for a couple of nights. Embassy's address is 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok, 10330.
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May 5, 2010 19:23
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Franco Caution posted:Well my 5th trip to Bangkok is scheduled and I arrive on the 13th. Yeah, Lumphini is an expensive district, but there are still some cheap options. I've stayed at A-One Inn a couple of times when I needed to be central, it's closer to National Stadium BTS/Siam Square, but you should be able to get to the US Embassy in 15 minutes or less on a motorcycle taxi unless there's a major red shirt protest or something. They have a website you can make reservations on but it's down. A quick google also turned up some stuff about cheapish accomodation in Lumphini; given the political climate and season it's unlikely you'll have a hard time if you just show up without a reservation. Fiskenbob posted:I paid a shitload to get on one of the NiCE Express Buses between KL and Singapore, because I didn't feel like flying again. poo poo had TV's and watresses like on a plane, and seated only 22 people because of the huge seats. Yeah, I took one (don't know how nice a bus it was supposed to be, but was quite comfortable) and it was fine and didn't take too long. OTOH, both KL and Singapore's airports are linked to the cities by light rail, and the route is well-served by budget carriers, so flying isn't a bad idea if you don't mind it.
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May 5, 2010 19:54
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Franco Caution posted:Well my 5th trip to Bangkok is scheduled and I arrive on the 13th. I used to live over on Suan Plu, and thanks to my habit of saving every business card I've ever gotten in Asia I still have the contact info (who knows if it works). From America you'd need to call 011-66-2286-8681. Call between about 10AM and 6PM Bangkok time. The phone staff speak slow, but intelligible English. It's relatively new and clean. Not super-nice, but newer and clean. Bed, AC, TV - the street's got lively food and stuff at night. Maybe like 700 Baht a night? I forget. From there it's a 50 Baht cab ride or a 15 minute walk to the embassy. Depending on traffic the cab will take 5 minutes or 20, heh. This area: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=h&z=17&iwloc=A
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May 5, 2010 20:12
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Thank you Rhombus and ReindeerF for the quick feedback! Ill do some mapping out tonight and Ill also call on that place ReindeerF mentions via skype and see what I can find out on availability.
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May 5, 2010 20:16
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Yeah, I took one (don't know how nice a bus it was supposed to be, but was quite comfortable) and it was fine and didn't take too long. With the one I got on in KL, the company was actually called NiCE (Nationwide interstate Coach Executive, a backronym I suspect) and the seats had telephones and individual tv screens with movie channels. Lunch was included as well. It was pretty rad, and didn't take more than five hours IIRC.
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May 5, 2010 20:20
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Fiskenbob posted:With the one I got on in KL, the company was actually called NiCE (Nationwide interstate Coach Executive, a backronym I suspect) and the seats had telephones and individual tv screens with movie channels. Lunch was included as well. It was pretty rad, and didn't take more than five hours IIRC. Mine had acres of legroom, but no individual TV's. I was gonna say it took 5 hours too but I didn't want to sound crazy, it looks like it would take longer on a map but Malaysia has some pretty nice highways. I also came across this gem on the trip: 
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May 5, 2010 20:27
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How closed is Malaysia during Ramadan?
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May 6, 2010 12:45
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So I've been in Thailand for about a week and pretty loving disappointed. We came in by train from Malaysia and went to Ko Lipe, Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi and now we're in Phuket (which is a wretched hive of scum and villainy). It's beautiful and gorgeous... until you get close, and see the rubbish and filth all over the beaches, and the degradation of the coral reefs. All the marine life is dead and all the coral is bleached. Ko Phi Phi has some amazing landscapes, but there's rubbish on even the most secluded beaches and a layer of scum and filth on the water for the first 20 metres or so off-shore. This is somehow worse than a crummy beach elsewhere in the world; you can tell that it USED to be beautiful, but it was ruined long since. 90% of the Western tourists here are Europeans and North Americans who a) don't know what a good beach looks like b) are wasted half the time so don't care anyway. I seriously don't get the appeal of flying halfway around the world just to get trashed and buy cheap poo poo. Also Phuket is a loving appalling place full of sports bars with old Western men and Thai girls, or hawkers trying to sell you poo poo. We're imagining Bangkok to basically be a larger version and will be heading to Cambodia as soon as we can. I could put up with the heat, the hawkers and the squalor if only there were some kind of redeeming features; something awesome or beautiful.
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May 6, 2010 15:16
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similan_Islands This is where my Thai divemaster friends go diving when they go alone as a group. EDIT: Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have much more natural marine beauty (and forest beauty) really. Thailand's got some amazing stuff, but if you want the top .001% of beaches and rain forests and what not I'd think further down into the archipelago is the way to go. Thailand's just (in my opinion, others will disagree) a much nicer, more accessible society to spend time in for a variety of reasons. Not that Malays and Pinoys aren't nice outside the urban areas, just a different and more aggressive way of life - and the food frankly sucks compared to Thailand, heh. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 15:39 on May 6, 2010 |
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May 6, 2010 15:35
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freebooter posted:So I've been in Thailand for about a week and pretty loving disappointed. We came in by train from Malaysia and went to Ko Lipe, Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi and now we're in Phuket (which is a wretched hive of scum and villainy). Perhaps you should try going somewhere in Thailand that isn't basically a tourist-driven hellhole? Somewhere where you can interact with some real Thai people rather than Joe Bumfuck from America or Britain or Germany or Australia? To put it simply, you're going to the wrong places. Stay away from Patong in Phuket, stay away from Khao San, Nana or Patpong in Bangkok, and go to some beautiful locations like Koh Tao, Railay, Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai, wander around the streets of Bangkok away from the white people, and interact with the Thai culture, and you'll have a vastly different time. But don't spend a week wandering along Patong Beach or visiting Phi Phi like the hundred million people before you, then assume that you've seen everything there is to see. Edit: Oh, and I'm Australian, I know what a good beach looks like, and Thailand's got them, just not at Phuket or Phi Phi. brendanwor fucked around with this message at 15:46 on May 6, 2010 |
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May 6, 2010 15:39
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freebooter posted:Dude I know exactly what you mean. I went on a few dates with this one girl -- she used to be a model, great cook, just a really fun girl who was always great to be around -- but she had freckles. Also I think she may have kissed another guy before. raton fucked around with this message at 17:14 on May 6, 2010 |
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May 6, 2010 16:39
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freebooter posted:heading to Cambodia as soon as we can.
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May 6, 2010 17:55
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Let me repeat myself:freebooter posted:I could put up with the heat, the hawkers and the squalor if only there were some kind of redeeming features; something awesome or beautiful. I'm aware that I'm firmly on the beaten tourist track, but getting to the more remote islands is difficult and pricey in low season (and since this had to be synchronised with a much longer RTW trip, no, I couldn't time it for high season).
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May 6, 2010 19:05
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Phang Na and all that's pretty drat neat. I mean it's not the most amazing thing in the world, but it's pretty breathtaking. Thailand itself is sort of the attraction, but you shouldn't be putting up with hordes of tourists at all if you hate tourists - you can go to plenty of small and interesting towns. If you want Grand Canyon of Asia type attractions, I'd recommend Siem Reap. That's hard to knock, though get ready for tourists. It's not like Thailand's magical, but if you're coming here with the "1,001 things to see before you die" book and checking the list for level of impressiveness, Thailand's probably not going to get it. Here it's more the daily life that's really the thing in my opinion. Sure, Koh Phangan's really fun and beautiful, Phi Phi is beautiful, Mae Hong Son is beautiful, etc, etc, but are they the most beautiful places on Earth? There are 7,000 islands in The Philippines - a number that are largely off the grid that you can rent for the entire week for not much, eat fresh food with the locals and generally see something amazing. That's really an experience. You're not there, you're on the tourist trail. Why? Because A) you didn't invest the time to get off of it and B) it's accessible to tourists, like you. Tourists, in large groups, ruin any hope of a "real" experience. I'm not bagging on you like some others have, but you can't just pop into the country for a few days, hop from mass transit point to mass transit point, and expect to be Indiana Jones. It's not Thailand's fault that you followed herds of foreigners to the same spot they were going, heh. This is why when I backpack I don't bounce around, I pick a place and spend a week there - or more when possible. Get off the tourist trail if I can. You pick up things and can find out about stuff that you don't find out about in short order. The most amazing places in the world are diminished by hordes of drunken Englishmen and Koreans climbing all over the place taking pictures. Would Phi Phi be beautiful without the tourists? Angkor Wat? Macchu Picchu? Paris? I dunno. Depends on what you want.
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May 6, 2010 19:42
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freebooter posted:It's beautiful and gorgeous... until you get close, and see the rubbish and filth all over the beaches Yeah unfortunately trash is a problem in the region because 99% of the locals just don't know better. It's a bit painful to see a beautiful secluded beach ruined by crap everywhere. I was recently in Hua Hin and the northern part of the beach is just a disaster. Thais just seemed to ignore it and kept snapping pictures. There was a father taking pictures of his lovely family and the mother was smiling while kicking away trash that was around her feet  Don't expect Cambodia to be cleaner. I took a bus from Koh Kong to Phnom Penh once and there was trash along the road pretty much all the way. Hopefully in 20 years or so people will learn to stop treating their country like a gigantic trashcan.If you go to 7-11 in Thailand and buy a pack of chewing gum they'll put it in a plastic bag for you because, you know, it's IMPOSSIBLE to carry it otherwise or put it in your pocket. At the bottom of my ghetto apartment building there's a small convenience store where I usually buy beer. The guy who runs it knows me, knows I live in the building yet EVERY single time I have to say "no bag thanks"  When I become the PM of Thailand (will happen fairly soon) I'll ban plastic bags and Thai soap operas.
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May 6, 2010 23:30
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freebooter posted:Let me repeat myself: It's not *that* hard - $84 buys a plane ticket tomorrow from Phuket to Koh Samui, and a further 250 baht will get you to Koh Phangan or another 550 baht will get you to Koh Tao.
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May 7, 2010 00:54
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Ringo R posted:When I become the PM of Thailand (will happen fairly soon) I'll ban plastic bags and Thai soap operas. And straws, please.
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May 7, 2010 00:54
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tzz posted:And straws, please.
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May 7, 2010 01:27
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Ringo R posted:When I become the PM of Thailand (will happen fairly soon) I'll ban plastic bags and Thai soap operas. In Taiwan the government enacted a law that says that the store has to charge you one dollar (Taiwanese dollar -- about 25 cents I think?) for every plastic bag you need. Works like a charm, even on Asians. 7-11 is the only store that tries to get around it, they have this flat plastic disc kind of thing that has lacerations spun through it and when you pull up on the two outside parts it descends into a kind of mesh bag/net thing so it's not technically a bag so you can put your single bowl of ramen in there and go walking down the street  My favorite use of bags in Thailand is when you get a coke and they put it in a bag with ice and then they put that bag into another bag because obviously you can't carry the first bag even though it's a bag and has handles, you need a bag to carry your bag in. And then you drink it and hang it on the fence.
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May 7, 2010 06:49
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Steve. posted:It's not *that* hard - $84 buys a plane ticket tomorrow from Phuket to Koh Samui, and a further 250 baht will get you to Koh Phangan or another 550 baht will get you to Koh Tao. I meant places like Ko Libong, Ko Bulon etc. we wanted to go to those but the boat services closed literally the day bfore we got to Ko Lipe. Anyway I've figured that Thailand may have what we want, but Cambodia will have the same for cheaper, so we may as well head there. Also, with regards to squalor: I get that in some or these places there's no regular trash service, but seriously, how can you live in your own filth like that? Couldn't you get everyone together, gather the rubbish in one place and burn it or bury it? It would be a temporary fix, sure, but it's better than living with trash strewn about your front yard. Virtually anything would be.
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May 7, 2010 06:49
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Sheep-Goats posted:My favorite use of bags in Thailand is when you get a coke and they put it in a bag with ice and then they put that bag into another bag because obviously you can't carry the first bag even though it's a bag and has handles, you need a bag to carry your bag in. And then you drink it and hang it on the fence.
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May 7, 2010 06:51
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freebooter posted:I'm aware that I'm firmly on the beaten tourist track, but getting to the more remote islands is difficult and pricey in low season (and since this had to be synchronised with a much longer RTW trip, no, I couldn't time it for high season). It's not pricey or difficult in Thailand, no matter what season it is, though I do understand that if you're on a RTW trip you may not be able to schedule off the track places and still get everywhere. My point is that of all the loving fantastic things there are in Thailand you're focused entirely on a few pieces of trash that are spoiling your beach. Thailand isn't just a beach. Even if it were just a beach, there are some really truly nice beaches there. quote:I've figured that Thailand may have what we want IMO the problem isn't with Thailand, the problem is with traveling with that mindset. You're going to miss an awful lot if you go from country to country around the Earth only picking up what you decided you wanted when you left your porch back in Ohio. But whatever. I've already played the role of the jerk in response to what you posted before so you're surely not going to listen to me now, but just in case you are, I'd very heavily suggest that you ask "What is there here that I get / do / get away with?" rather than "What is there here that can play the part of the square peg for this square hole I'm carrying around with me?" ReindeerF posted:That never ceases to crack me up. Or when you get the plastic cup full of chaa yen with a lid and then they put it in a plastic bag. Really, it's that hard to carry the cup? The rivers, canals and even fountains here are littered with plastic bags. Then you give your coke-in-a-bag, in a bag, to your Thai buddy and she takes the first bag off of the outside and tosses it onto the sidewalk. Among the hardest working Thais (of which there are many -- despite what the world hears from the sullen puckered lips of fat old English expats) have to be the Thai garbagemen. Say what you will about lazy littering locals, those garbagemen come by and loving pick up every single little piece of separate poo poo on the street and cart it away (in a series of stacked baskets if you're near Chinatown) like it's the most important job in the city. Love them garbagemen. I read an interview with one of them in a magazine somewhere and the garbagman said "I'm just a normal guy. I like eggs." Reminds me of the electrical system in Bangkok, which is apparently just a nest of old wire clotheshangers more or less randomly woven together and strung along the streets in big clumps and yet has your power ever gone off? Even for an instant? raton fucked around with this message at 07:08 on May 7, 2010 |
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May 7, 2010 06:51
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Ah yes, forgot about the straws. I'll ban those as well. Shopping 10 items at a supermarket will usually end up with you going home with these 10 items in 20 bags. First they put the smaller items, such as fruit (that is already wrapped in its own plastic bag), into a small plastic bag. Then they put all those small plastic bags together in a big plastic bag. And for any sliiightly heavier items, such as milk (that has its own handle), they'll give you two bags because one bag might not be strong enough.  Sheep-Goats: Yeah garbage guys are quite amazing because everybody is making life so hard for the poor bastards. There are one or two actual public trash cans that are divided into different sections (plastic, paper etc) yet people throw whatever they want in any of those sections I apologize to everybody that this is turning into what all Thai expat forums on the internet are like, miserable old farts whining about Thailand and their missus + family-me screwing them. We just need to whine a little bit. drat you Nan, I trusted you! No, I've never touched sister-me!
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May 7, 2010 07:36
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Sheep-Goats posted:My point is that of all the loving fantastic things there are in Thailand you're focused entirely on a few pieces of trash that are spoiling your beach. It's not just that, it's the fact that the reefs are all dead and bleached, the marine life is gone and (on phi phi) there's a gross chemical slick within twenty metres of shore. It's not absolutely terrible, but it's certainly not worth my time and money. I'm from Western Australia, I have pretty high standards for beaches. quote:I've already played the role of the jerk in response to what you posted before so you're surely not going to listen to me now, but just in case you are, I'd very heavily suggest that you ask "What is there here that I get / do / get away with?" rather than "What is there here that can play the part of the square peg for this square hole I'm carrying around with me?" Fair enough, because I honestly don't know exactly what I do want. I just know that it's not the Phuket get-drunk-go-shopping-bang-hookers lifestyle. I'm not here for some kind of cultural experience either; I used to live and work in Korea and I have no interest in immersing myself in Asian society. I suppose I'm here for landscapes. Or... not just that, I don't know, I already said I don't know. part of the fun is figuring out. Anyway I'm not going to say I hate Thailand, because I know I've only seen a miniscule part of it, but I am moving on and trying Cambodia.
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May 7, 2010 09:36
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Sheep-Goats posted:My favorite use of bags in Thailand is when you get a coke and they put it in a bag with ice and then they put that bag into another bag because obviously you can't carry the first bag even though it's a bag and has handles, you need a bag to carry your bag in. And then you drink it and hang it on the fence.  Ringo R posted:Sheep-Goats: Yeah garbage guys are quite amazing because everybody is making life so hard for the poor bastards. There are one or two actual public trash cans that are divided into different sections (plastic, paper etc) yet people throw whatever they want in any of those sections I met some garbagemen when I was walking around Kanchanaburi at 5am (thanx literal cat-fight outside my window all night long). They were cool guys. In retrospect I wish I'd asked them if I could ride along on the truck, ever since I was a little kid I thought garbage trucks were the poo poo. freebooter posted:Fair enough, because I honestly don't know exactly what I do want. I just know that it's not the Phuket get-drunk-go-shopping-bang-hookers lifestyle. I'm not here for some kind of cultural experience either; I used to live and work in Korea and I have no interest in immersing myself in Asian society. I suppose I'm here for landscapes. Or... not just that, I don't know, I already said I don't know. part of the fun is figuring out. Try the national parks (in any country).
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May 7, 2010 13:00
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While we're on the subject of bags, I've been putting a lot of thought into what bag/s I'm going to bring with me. I'm currently investing into camera gear for the trip and the bag I bring will dictate what gear I can bring. Therefore I'll want to get my bag pretty soon before buying gear to fill it. What are you guys thoughts on bringing two bags? I could bring my Kata DR-467 backpack for all my camera gear, laptop, and other expensive things then fit all my clothes and toiletries in a normal sized duffle bag. I think this set up would be fine for me if I don't find myself in a situation where I need to carry both bags with me at all times all day. I'm assuming I'll always have a guesthouse/hotel/whatever to ditch the gym bag in. The Kata backpack has enough room to carry my camera gear and a few personal items for jaunting around all day. The other option, if I really needed just one bag, would be to pick up something like the Naneu K5. It's a hiking backpack with a large camera compartment that turns into a backpack itself. It wouldn't be a bad solution but the camera compartment wouldn't be as nice to carry around as the Kata bag nor have as much room.
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May 7, 2010 21:36
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Haggins posted:While we're on the subject of bags, I've been putting a lot of thought into what bag/s I'm going to bring with me. I'm currently investing into camera gear for the trip and the bag I bring will dictate what gear I can bring. Therefore I'll want to get my bag pretty soon before buying gear to fill it. That setup is pretty popular, even among non-photogs (most regular backpackers just use a cheap Jansport or whatever as a daybag, holds guidebook, novel, map, sunglasses, whatever). It's handy to be able to stuff your day bag down inside your big one in a pinch, but not strictly necessary. An army surplus dufflebag is cheap, tough, has a ton of space, and doesn't scream "expensive poo poo herein!". Straps are not as comfy as a hiking backpack, but I found I seldom spend much time walking around with it on my back, so it was a moot point.
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May 7, 2010 22:27
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