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Any of you guys beginning a trek sometime in mid to late October? I'm in Barcelona now, planning on going to Amsterdam for a week or two starting the 12th of October and then heading out to SEA for a month of two. I want to start in Thailand and I'd really like to start off with a buddy. 
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Sep 17, 2010 16:09
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Shampy posted:Any of you guys beginning a trek sometime in mid to late October? I'm in Barcelona now, planning on going to Amsterdam for a week or two starting the 12th of October and then heading out to SEA for a month of two. I want to start in Thailand and I'd really like to start off with a buddy. I'll be leaving for Thailand Oct. 28th, so that should put us in the country around the same time. I'm not looking for a traveling buddy per se, but it'd be cool to meet up and hang out at some point. Edit: Has anyone used travel medical insurance while going over to Thailand. Is there a company any of you would recommend? Right now I'm looking at MedEx and I'm wondering how widely accepted their coverage is over there. I don't want to get there only to find out no hospitals takes that company. So if anyone has had a good experience with a travel medical insurance company please share. Dangbe fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Sep 18, 2010 |
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Sep 17, 2010 17:58
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Pompous Rhombus posted:It's pretty meh IMO, the beach is mediocre compared to Thailand, and like you said, you can find that stuff pretty much anywhere in Cambodia. Sihanoukville isn't awful by any stretch, but on a limited timetable I'd give it a miss. So you don't think I'll have too many issues getting a Vietnamese visa in Cambodia? I can't even remember where I heard it, but I was told to get one in Thailand before heading into Cambodia. Another question: I am flying into Malaysia and do not have return flights booked as I'm pretty undecided in how long I'd like to be traveling for and may still head over to Napal and India. Will this be a problem when entering any countries within SE Asia?
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Sep 20, 2010 05:34
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What are the must see sights of southern Thailand? I'll have ten days between Khao Lak and Koh Tao, and want to see something cool. I'm interested in food, scenery, and something a little off the main tourist radar... Beach/island resorts aren't a priority but I'd happily visit somewhere like Khao Sok National Park, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and so on if there's any compelling reason to do so.
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Sep 20, 2010 09:43
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rockarocka posted:So you don't think I'll have too many issues getting a Vietnamese visa in Cambodia? I can't even remember where I heard it, but I was told to get one in Thailand before heading into Cambodia. Yeah, pretty much any Vietnamese embassy or consulate should be able to sort you out. Maybe the Bangkok one is nicer or more convenient or something? Certainly not the only place you can get one though. You really are better off getting an RT ticket with minimal penalties for changing dates (STA Travel is good for this), as each one-way ticket is usually at least 75% the cost of a return ticket. That said you can fake up an e-ticket itinerary pretty easily.
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Sep 20, 2010 12:02
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Yeah, pretty much any Vietnamese embassy or consulate should be able to sort you out. Maybe the Bangkok one is nicer or more convenient or something? Certainly not the only place you can get one though. Because of this fear i went prepared with a return flight ticket, but never had to show it to anyone, ever. From what i've gathered though, i had impeccable mileage.
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Sep 20, 2010 17:06
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ZombiesAhead posted:Anyone know if this law is being enforced these days?
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Sep 21, 2010 02:08
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Ribsauce posted:Did anyone ever go into the Casino at the Cambodia/Thailand border? What is it like? I really regret not going into it just to look. What was it like if you did? Basically craps limits and whatnot. Tons of baccarat and slots, no poker. Some craps tables. Was perfectly willing to spend some money there since I had to spend a few days in Poipet for work, and there's absolutely nothing else to do in town, but there weren't any games that I knew how to play really. Only cool things were they had computerized roulette tables, with a few touchscreen betting consoles around an actual wheel that would spin and a ball shoot out after everyone's bets were in; and a computerized blackjack table with a robot flipping cards.
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Sep 21, 2010 16:43
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I'm curently in Hanoi, any good restaurants that I must go to besides Bun Bo Nam Bo 67? Who makes the best bun cha, best sandwiches, best street ca fé?
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Sep 25, 2010 16:47
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PrinceMetal posted:I'm curently in Hanoi, any good restaurants that I must go to besides Bun Bo Nam Bo 67? Who makes the best bun cha, best sandwiches, best street ca fé? Bia hoi on the street in the Old Quarter is a cool thing to do.
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Sep 25, 2010 18:10
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PrinceMetal posted:I'm curently in Hanoi, any good restaurants that I must go to besides Bun Bo Nam Bo 67? Who makes the best bun cha, best sandwiches, best street ca fé? For inside, sit-down restaurants Chim Sao on Ngo Hue (off Pho Hue) is excellent. Any of the Highway 4's is also a good bet. Bun Cha - 1 Hang Manh is good but in reality it's fantastic wherever you go. Banh My Pate - Theres a spot on the road heading to the Dong Xuan market that's the go-to place for Banh My Pate, on the right heading towards the market, it's on the corner of Hang Buom (I think). Ca Phe - Best street spot in the OQ is on Dinh Liet on corner of a smallish alley leading to the market on the right. For a sit down cafe Cafe Pho Co is a really nice, quiet place with views over Hoan Kiem. It's at 11 Hang Gai, you have to walk through the souvenir shop out the front. Bia Hoi - Bia Hoi Xom on Nguyen Dinh Chieu (if you're with a group) or the dirtiest Bia Hoi in Hanoi underneath the railway, on the corner of Phung Hung and Cua Dong is always full of friendly old timers. Other recommendations - Bo Nuong (BBQ beef) on Ma May (only good if you're with a group), Nom Bo Kho (green papaya salad with dried beef) anywhere is good - the place down the lake end of Ma May is as good as any other and I think they have an English menu, Hu Tiu (ummm dampish noodle dish w/ pork) on Hoe Nhai, Pho Cuon (fresh spring roll) on the shore of Truc Bach lake... npn fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Sep 26, 2010 |
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Sep 26, 2010 04:25
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npn posted:For inside, sit-down restaurants Chim Sao on Ngo Hue (off Pho Hue) is excellent. Any of the Highway 4's is also a good bet. Wow thanks for the recommendations! I'll definately try to check out the bun cha, ca fe and bia hoi.
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Sep 26, 2010 05:36
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I'm going to be in Thailand for 6 days. Then a couple weeks later I will be in Thailand for 3 weeks. What I'm wondering is where should I go for the first 6 days that isn't too far from Bangkok, I have to be back in Bangkok at the end of those 6 days so I don't want to travel too far, 5 or 6 hours max. Anyone have some recommendations on how to spend that week?
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Sep 26, 2010 05:38
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I have a very specific question. I'm trying to get from Kunmin, China (昆明) to Chiang Mai, Thailand (เชียงใหม่). I live/work in China, and I'm trying to get to Koh Tao (Thailand). I've figured out how to get from Chongqing (where I am) to Kunmin, (China), and from Chiang Mai (Thailand) to Bangkok, and from Bangkok to Koh Tao. But I can't get any information on the middle leg of the journey. So far I've got this: Train (Chongqing to Kunmin) √ Kunmin to Chiang Mai ??? Train (Chiang Mai to Bangkok) √ Train + Ferry (Bangkok to Koh Tao via Chumphon) √ But I'm not sure that this is the best way to go. I've heard that there's an expressway linking Kunmin to Bangkok, but it goes through Laos and there's some buggery associated with the border crossing, and it involves excess fees and delays etcetera. I've also heard (from the internet) that the best way to get to Koh Tao is to take the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Chumphon, and then a ferry from Chumphon to Koh Tao. But according to this there's an overnight ferry direct from Bangkok to Koh Tao which is less than half the price of the train to Chumphon + ferry. What's the optimal way to do things? Should I take the train to Chumphon, or try the ferry from Bangkok? (Does it even exist?) Also: I cannot fly. I am paid in Chinese. The RMB is lovely and useless. I cannot afford to fly. My paycheque isn't enough to cover the cost of getting there plus scuba diving (which is the purpose of the excursion). TL;DR: I am bad at travel planning. Someone who is more competent than me please tell me how to get across Southeast Asia.
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Sep 26, 2010 18:38
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DreadLlama posted:Also: I cannot fly. I am paid in Chinese. The RMB is lovely and useless. I cannot afford to fly. My paycheque isn't enough to cover the cost of getting there plus scuba diving (which is the purpose of the excursion). You will probably wind up paying as much to do it overland, it will be much less comfortable, more stressful, and take several days longer. Catch an Air Asia flight to Bangkok from Shenzhen or something. Edit: Dangbe posted:I'm going to be in Thailand for 6 days. Then a couple weeks later I will be in Thailand for 3 weeks. What I'm wondering is where should I go for the first 6 days that isn't too far from Bangkok, I have to be back in Bangkok at the end of those 6 days so I don't want to travel too far, 5 or 6 hours max. Anyone have some recommendations on how to spend that week? You can fill 6 days in and around Bangkok no problem. Ayudthaya is an easy daytrip (minibuses leave near Victory Monument), as is the floating night market in Amphawa (although you may want to stay overnight as a matter of logistics). Kanchanaburi and Sangkhlaburi provinces are also nearby and offers some interesting WW2 history, nice scenery, and the opportunity to visit a market on the Burmese border. You can easily spend 3 days exploring around there (hired motorbike is a good way to do this; the trip from Kanchanaburi to Sangkhlaburi has a lot of nice stops along the way). Here's a few from my trip there:  Bridge Over the River Kwai by ethics_gradient, on Flickr  3 Chedis @ Three Pagoda Pass, Thai-Myanmar Border by ethics_gradient, on Flickr  Hellfire Pass by ethics_gradient, on Flickr  Monkey School, Kanchanaburi by ethics_gradient, on Flickr  Thailand's Longest Wooden Bridge, Sangkhlaburi by ethics_gradient, on Flickr Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Sep 26, 2010 |
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Sep 26, 2010 19:01
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DreadLlama posted:TL;DR: I am bad at travel planning. Someone who is more competent than me please tell me how to get across Southeast Asia. Sounds like a challenge! AirAsiaX will take you from Chengdu to Kuala Lumpur and return for around 2500 RMB. From there, take a train north to Chumpon on Thailand and then a ferry to Koh Tao. Reverse to go home. The train to Hanoi from Beijing is around the same price, then you gotta get from Hanoi to Koh Tao, too. WikiTravel has this about bus travel from Kunming: quote:There are international departures to Laos and Vietnam, though these services are not always running. The bus to Laos goes all the way from Kunming to Vientaine, and cost approximately US$50 and last 40 hours if you go all the way(this is not confirmed, but there have been some reports that, due to better roads built in the last few years, the whole journey now only takes 28 hours). You can get off at stops in between like Luang Prabang, and the cost of the ticket is cheaper. Either way, its a long ride and a little expensive, although not more than one would expect. The buses are clean but make stops in unexplained places for short periods. As for necessities, the bus stops along the way at dingy restaurants and even nastier restrooms at gas stations. Still, its a manageable journey if you need to go from Laos to Kunming or visa versa. Skip Chiang Mai and get the train from Vientiane to Bangkok... you'll almost certainly need a Laos visa in advance, though.
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Sep 27, 2010 02:09
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Hellfire Pass by ethics_gradient, on Flickr fantastic!
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Sep 28, 2010 22:57
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So, I'm currently in kuta (bali) and this place is .. a bit touristy. thinking of moving on to either jakarta or yogyakarta. thoughts on those places ? jakarta seems easier to get to, but yogyakarta seems like a more interesting place...
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Sep 29, 2010 09:07
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Jakarta is just a big, dirty, smelly, boring city. Jogja is similar but far less boring. Try something different and visit Sulawesi or Sumatra. Krakatoa and Lake Toba could be interesting.
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Sep 29, 2010 10:01
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Klogdor posted:So, I'm currently in kuta (bali) and this place is .. a bit touristy. thinking of moving on to either jakarta or yogyakarta. thoughts on those places ? jakarta seems easier to get to, but yogyakarta seems like a more interesting place... Ubud is in Bali and pretty cool (although inland, so no beach), lots of temples and stuff around. Otherwise yeah, Yogya is nice and has some nice attractions nearby. Don't forget to do Bromo on the way.
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Sep 29, 2010 11:04
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Klogdor posted:So, I'm currently in kuta (bali) and this place is .. a bit touristy. thinking of moving on to either jakarta or yogyakarta. thoughts on those places ? jakarta seems easier to get to, but yogyakarta seems like a more interesting place... From Bali you can get a boat ride to the Gili islands; there are three and you can choose which one to go to in order to suit your tastes. Trawangan is touristy and loud, Meno is basically deserted and really quiet, and Air is inbetween. I went to Air for four days, it was really great. Also I had no problems flying from Bali to Yogya, it's a common destination so there should be a few flights a day. At least one a day for sure.
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Sep 29, 2010 12:23
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Does anyone have information on Travel medical insurance? I don't have a domestic health insurance plan and I think it would be a good idea to have a medical plan that covers me if I get sick or hurt over seas. Did anyone else do something like this and if so what was your experience like and which company did you go through?
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Sep 30, 2010 00:28
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Travel insurance is essential. http://www.worldnomads.com offer fairly comprehensive travel insurance for people regardless of where they're from. If you're Australian, I like http://www.covermore.com.au
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Sep 30, 2010 01:08
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I'm hoping to book a trip to Bangkok pretty soon as Jetstar have just put on a NZ - Asia sale, hurrah. I'm looking at May or June - will it be terribly rainy then? Is this off-season? I've read through the whole thread as I've been keen on heading to Thailand for a while, I know this has come up before so apologies for re-hashing, I can't find the previous posts.
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Sep 30, 2010 03:21
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Spiderling posted:I'm hoping to book a trip to Bangkok pretty soon as Jetstar have just put on a NZ - Asia sale, hurrah. I'm looking at May or June - will it be terribly rainy then? Is this off-season? It might rain on and off a bit, no big deal though. Tropical showers start and end in very short bursts (talking like ten or fifteen minutes). And anyway, lots of taxies and shopping malls in BKK to hide out in while it rains. I wouldn't let it put you off.
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Sep 30, 2010 13:24
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Hey, I'm living in Ho Chi Minh City right now. I'm teaching English, living with 3 other teachers and living in a pretty spacious place. So if anyone's traveling through and needs a place to stay, let me know.
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Sep 30, 2010 19:45
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Shah Rukh Khan posted:Hey, I'm living in Ho Chi Minh City right now. I'm teaching English, living with 3 other teachers and living in a pretty spacious place. So if anyone's traveling through and needs a place to stay, let me know. We need to chat. Vietnam sounds like a banging place to teach and live. I just got a CELTA certificate so I'm ready to go as far as teaching wise goes. I need to find a nice job and am looking for a referral really. Don't want to land in a lovely job and regret my decision. PM me or message me at my username @ gmail . com.
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Oct 1, 2010 22:42
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Does anything think I might have some trouble arriving in Thailand with a return flight set for 60 days later? I'm trying to find some concrete info on how long Americans can be out there and one place is saying you get 60 days on entry until March of next year.
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Oct 3, 2010 20:24
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For some dumb reason noone except air asia would accept my cards, so I ended up booking a flight from bali to jakarta tomorrow.... I'm so going to get lost there.
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Oct 4, 2010 08:20
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Klogdor posted:For some dumb reason noone except air asia would accept my cards, so I ended up booking a flight from bali to jakarta tomorrow.... I'm so going to get lost there. I don't have the huge boner for gratuitous overland travel that a lot of people backpacking do, but you're missing out on Yogya and Bromo if you fly 
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Oct 4, 2010 15:41
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Shampy posted:I just got a CELTA certificate... did you get that online or at a local university or something?
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Oct 4, 2010 22:53
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chockomonkey posted:did you get that online or at a local university or something? 1 month intensive course in person. You can do it all over the world. I did mine at the International House in Barcelona. https://www.ihes.com is their site. It's kinda pricey but I really do feel like I learned something.
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Oct 4, 2010 23:36
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Steve. posted:What are the must see sights of southern Thailand? I'll have ten days between Khao Lak and Koh Tao, and want to see something cool. I'm interested in food, scenery, and something a little off the main tourist radar... Anyone? I've added Surin Islands to the list, but I still need some assistance...!
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Oct 5, 2010 01:01
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Steve. posted:Anyone? I've added Surin Islands to the list, but I still need some assistance...! Khao Sok National Park is really beautiful. loving awesome to go for a 4km or so walk through pristine national park and then top it off with a swim in a lagoon, like I did last year, and it's also really accessible what with only being a couple of hours drive from the coast - you can leave in the morning and be on Koh Tao by lunch. Recommended.
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Oct 5, 2010 07:15
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Pompous Rhombus posted:I don't have the huge boner for gratuitous overland travel that a lot of people backpacking do, but you're missing out on Yogya and Bromo if you fly I know! but I think I'll go to Yogya by train in a couple of days anyways. not sure about bromo. also, suddently everyone has started talking to me out of the blue, woop! no more boredom.
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Oct 5, 2010 17:31
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Klogdor posted:I know! but I think I'll go to Yogya by train in a couple of days anyways. not sure about bromo. It's worth it... I hopped on some Japanese dude's Jeep tour for less than half price when I did it, but even without that it would have been nice. Gets cold up there though, it's a good thing they have jackets for rent. A campy shirt from your hometown/state is a great icebreaker.
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Oct 5, 2010 17:36
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Shampy posted:Does anything think I might have some trouble arriving in Thailand with a return flight set for 60 days later? I'm trying to find some concrete info on how long Americans can be out there and one place is saying you get 60 days on entry until March of next year. They don't usually look at the return date. If you have a return ticket they can force you back on the airplane on your dime and that's all the state really cares about. Book your ticket for a year's return date (or whatever the max is) so you can change the date around later and possibly make use of it. Most tickets expire after a year anyway, so that's the best you can do. I should say, however, that this is one of those "What are visa whims and whimsy of random Asian officials this week?" issues that anybody's advice is only so good for. Keep in mind that if you had a year long ticket in Thailand you could, ostensibly, visit Thailand, go to Cambodia and Vietnam, through southern China, gently caress around in Burma, crash a motorcycle in India, fly to Korea and visit Japan, then come back to Bangkok for your flight home. If you have a return ticket that's enough, if you have a story too (feel free to borrow the one I just typed out) that's more than enough. GL in Thailand, you're going to have a great time. raton fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 20:37
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Sheep-Goats posted:They don't usually look at the return date. If you have a return ticket they can force you back on the airplane on your dime and that's all the state really cares about. Well, my buddy and I booked our tickets. Your post came unfortunately a tad late so we went ahead and also booked a cheap flight through airasia to Vietnam 3 weeks into our trip. We wanted to go to Vietnam regardless so we'll probably take advantage of the ticket too. Thanks though, I appreciate your help man! We leave this Thursday! 
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Oct 6, 2010 00:32
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brendanwor posted:Khao Sok National Park is really beautiful. loving awesome to go for a 4km or so walk through pristine national park and then top it off with a swim in a lagoon, like I did last year, and it's also really accessible what with only being a couple of hours drive from the coast - you can leave in the morning and be on Koh Tao by lunch. Recommended. Awesome, thanks. That's just the sort of thing I'm after. Any tips re: the connection from Khao Sok to Koh Tao? Google hasn't yielded much, I'm guessing there's a morning bus to Surat Thani or Chumpon or something... Shampy posted:Well, my buddy and I booked our tickets. Your post came unfortunately a tad late so we went ahead and also booked a cheap flight through airasia to Vietnam 3 weeks into our trip. We wanted to go to Vietnam regardless so we'll probably take advantage of the ticket too. Thanks though, I appreciate your help man! Make sure you get a visa in advance for Vietnam... ... or just go to KL instead
Finch! fucked around with this message at 08:20 on Oct 6, 2010 |
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Oct 6, 2010 08:14
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Im heading out to Thailand in 5 days, for around 30 days. First half of the holiday is pretty set, someone at work gave me 9 nights worth of accommodation at four different hotels. Most of these places in the low season were going in are still $100AUD a night, so a lot nicer then what i'll be stay in once i use them all up. Going to be doing 5 nights in Phuket, 1 night in Phi Phi island, 3 nights in Krabi and then 4 nights in Bangkok. So out of those 13 nights I will only be pay for 4 of them. So even if it does rain the whole time, at least ill be in really nice hotels and resorts. Guess my question is how bad is October in south thailand we'll I be stuck inside for most of the time, or will i just have to time my going outside to avoid massive downpours?
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