|
Thanks kalicki and Popelmon. I might spend an extra day in PP then. How easy is it to find hotels and get train/bus tickets the day of, or shortly before I travel? I'm a pretty experienced traveler, but not in SE Asia. And flying HCMC to Hanoi isn't that much, especially compared to the roundtrip ticket from & back to Korea.
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2011 11:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 07:32 |
|
|
Would it be reasonable to fly Chiang Mai -> Vientiane, rent motorbike, ride to Vieng Viang, spend a day there, continue motorbike to LP, spend a day there and then fly out the next day in 6-7 days?
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2011 22:54
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:Would it be reasonable to fly Chiang Mai -> Vientiane, rent motorbike, ride to Vieng Viang, spend a day there, continue motorbike to LP, spend a day there and then fly out the next day in 6-7 days? I'd say 2 days for Luang Prabang if you can. Bigass waterfall is worth a visit (~30kms from town or so) and a nice place to chill, Pak Ou caves are pretty cool too. LP itself is a fairly sizable town with a pretty good assortment of temples to see. Would like to take this opportunity to link the official website of the embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos in Washington DC: http://www.laoembassy.com/ 
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2011 23:09
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:Would it be reasonable to fly Chiang Mai -> Vientiane, rent motorbike, ride to Vieng Viang, spend a day there, continue motorbike to LP, spend a day there and then fly out the next day in 6-7 days?
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2011 01:16
|
|
|
Hi goons I'm in Ho chi Minh and I came from hue. The weather is very hot and sunny compared to hue and Hanoi. If anyone wants to meet up, pm me! Will post some pictures soon!
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2011 06:38
|
|
|
HisMajestyBOB posted:Thanks kalicki and Popelmon. As for finding places to stay, there's a ton of places available, shouldn't be a problem finding someplace to stay. Check hostelworld, or call a couple hotels, should be just fine on short notice. I can only speak for Cambodia, but it's pretty easy for buses (there are no trains). At least in guesthouses and hostels, and presumably in hotels as well, you can easily talk to the front desk person and they'll arrange a spot for you for a bus whenever you want. I never actually took a bus there because long distance taxis were so cheap and easy to arrange. Much more comfortable to sit in a car than in a bus full of other people.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2011 06:52
|
|
|
For the bigger cities or tourist destinations you can also walk alOng the back packer alley streets and price check on the spot. In my experience, the cheaper rooms tend to be slightly older and run by local guest houses. I have gotten 8-12 dollars a night for a double, hot water and ac. hostel world tend to and lonely planet tend to be slightly more expensive but the higher rated places in hostel world are a lot nicer. If you have company and want to be on a budget and spend more time sight seeing then pick a local cheap guest house where as the dormitories aimed for the western back packer have a much nicer vibe and you can linger in the common room to meet new people.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 07:43
|
|
|
Hey dude my phone number is 0124 520 0836. Send me a text or call me, I work Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th from 2-4:30 pm, Wednesday from 7-12 in the morning. If you don't have a phone just borrow one from a motorbike guy or something. I live pretty close to Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien if you wanted to grab a beer or something.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 17:53
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:I think the big problem might be that no one flies Chiang Mai to Vientiane. Maybe THAI does, but their web site doesn't indicate it. I know BA and air Asia don't. Best I could ever do was to fly to Udon and take the van, which is pretty quick. Adding border taxi and visa the total time after the flight was about an hour. I know Air Asia and Nok Air both fly that route pretty cheaply and you get the added bonus of snickering at all the 70 year old British men traveling home with their "missus" to see the family's dead water buffalo. That's what I'll be doing. Flying to laos itself was extremely expensive, and to udon thani is like 30 bucks with air asia. Anyway: I'll take the opportunity to post our plans, feel free to give some advice. I'm leaving to bangkok The 3th of february. Flying to Udon the 7th; and from there to vientiane. The next day or so we'll rent baja's and leave to luang prabang, via vang vieng. And then eighter head back or to nong kiaow or plain of jars. But I don't think there will be enough time. It's only 8 days. Second part of the holiday I'll be back at tonsai beach and the likes. (My brother who is coming with me insisted on some beach and rockcliming time). Anyway, still not sure what part of bangkok I should be staying. last time I stayed at 'the heritage' in the Bangrak area near a skytrain, which was nice but there wasn't much to do in the area, I had to take the train. I also stayed close to khao san road at Sam Sen Sam Boutique House, which i loved. But the problem there is the lack of a skytrain, and if i would like to go to 'bed superclub' (because I don't know any other half-decent club), I'll have to go by taxi. Also, love the website pompous. The one they have here in belgium isn't exactly a masterpiece eighter http://home.scarlet.be/rambalaobx/ . I think they got some party head's kid to make them.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 23:21
|
|
|
mrfart posted:I also stayed close to khao san road at Sam Sen Sam Boutique House, which i loved. If you're having a decent night out, it should be too late for the Skytrain anyways  Bed, Q-bar, et al are for tourists, 30+ year old expats who don't know any better, and hiso-ish Thais. RCA attracts a younger, generally middle and upper-middle class crowd, while Ratchada Soi 4 is more proletarian and less-frequented by foreigners. Khao San actually has some decent venues: check out Brick Bar for live music, and Hippy Bar if you want to sit and chill. Despite being right on KSR they seem to attract a mostly Thai crowd, it's not unusual to be one of 2-3 foreigners in a packed house. RIP Gas Station Bar  Also, Ringo and I were talking about a rooftop place that we're not sure if is still open (last website update was 2009). Hopefully he will check it out soon and let us know! They have beds:  Nest by ethics_gradient, on Flickr Unrelated, but you might also be interested in checking out the jazz bar by Victory Monument, if you're into jazz. Last time I went I got mauled by a cougar. As far as places to stay, I stayed at A-One Inn near Siam Square when I first came to Thailand, and the week before I left for USA. I think it was about 700-750/night, close to the Skytrain and... Siam Square, so there's plenty of places to eat and stuff. It's nothing special as far as charm or anything, but the location is very central and the price is pretty reasonable all things considered.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 23:43
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:If you're having a decent night out, it should be too late for the Skytrain anyways The skytrain is to do stuff during the day. At night we'll take a taxi. I heard about that nest thing too  And I know that bed is fake and full of tourists. It's just that I didn't find much else. But I'm a bit difficult when it comes to music. usually hanging out at parties with quality music ranging from techno, house to funk and jazz. So yes, I definitely like jazz. Although it might be a bit hard to convince my brother. Come to think of it, he fits in rather nicely at bed maybe I can chekc out some places at RCA (808 or something like that?). It's rather close to bed and the likes if I'm not mistaken? Well anyway, if any of you guy are there during these days and want to grab a beer; Let me know. And thanks or the advice once again Pompous.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 00:14
|
|
|
So I FINALLY convinced my wife to do a Vietnam trip. She's still a bit uncomfortable with the idea, so she REALLY wants me to look at a guided multi-day tour. Since I have no idea where to start, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. Definitely don't mind spending a little more money to have a local guide showing us around. Anyone have any experiences/recommendations for Vietnam tours? We're both in our late 20s. My wife wants to experience the awesome beaches and I want to see the craziness of the cities. I found this on Lonely Planet and looks decent: http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/AVRV?aff=18424 Thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 00:31
|
|
|
Professor Frink posted:So I FINALLY convinced my wife to do a Vietnam trip. She's still a bit uncomfortable with the idea, so she REALLY wants me to look at a guided multi-day tour. Since I have no idea where to start, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. Definitely don't mind spending a little more money to have a local guide showing us around. Flamingo Travel in Hanoi is pretty boss. They specialize in motorcycle tours/rentals, but do other tours as well I'm pretty sure. mrfart posted:The skytrain is to do stuff during the day. At night we'll take a taxi. Eh, with taxis costing as much as they do, the Skytrain isn't *that* worth it, as it doesn't really intersect everything worth seeing itself. You can definitely do better than Bed at any rate. Spicy is great for people-watching, although it's fairly terrible if you aren't equipped with the proper sense of irony. It's where taxi/tuktuk guys drag tourists looking for an afterhours place, as the mob comps the fare. 300 baht cover gets you one drink (get the Long Island Iced Tea for maximum alcohol content) and all the freelance hookers and clueless foreigners you can smirk at. Anytime! Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Jan 17, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 00:44
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Bed, Q-bar, et al are for tourists, 30+ year old expats who don't know any better, and hiso-ish Thais. If by hiso-ish Thais you mean golddigging Thai women then sure  mrfart posted:And I know that bed is fake and full of tourists. It's just that I didn't find much else. RCA's pretty good, yeah. If you like electronica then try checking out some clubs like Flix (RCA), Narcissus (Sukhumvit 23), Demo (Thong Lo), Funky Villa (Thong Lo), Culture (Ratchadamnoen). At all of these you'll be avoiding the tourist club circuit too. brendanwor fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Jan 17, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 01:15
|
|
|
I've narrowed my plans down to just Vietnam at this point - while I'm still dying to see Angkor Wat, I think it'll be easier on me to save it for another time, either in Feb., or in the summer or next winter. Has anyone had any experience getting the "visa on arrival" for Vietnam, where you arrange the visa online then get it stamped at the airport? See here.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 01:16
|
|
|
HisMajestyBOB posted:I've narrowed my plans down to just Vietnam at this point - while I'm still dying to see Angkor Wat, I think it'll be easier on me to save it for another time, either in Feb., or in the summer or next winter. Looks to be legit: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/940600-myvietnamvisa-com-legit.html Here's another option: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/15639794-post23.html Professor Frink fucked around with this message at 01:53 on Jan 17, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 01:41
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Flamingo Travel in Hanoi is pretty boss. They specialize in motorcycle tours/rentals, but do other tours as well I'm pretty sure. They seem to specialize in North Vietnam tours. Any recommendations for a 12-14 day tour from HCMC to Hanoi (or Hanoi to HCMC)? EDIT: This looks interesting http://www.buffalotours.com/Vietnam-tours/classic-and-culture-vietnam-tours/Vietnam-Beach-break-3318.html Professor Frink fucked around with this message at 02:11 on Jan 17, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 01:48
|
|
|
check out the tours by gecko's adventures
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 08:24
|
|
|
HisMajestyBOB posted:I've narrowed my plans down to just Vietnam at this point - while I'm still dying to see Angkor Wat, I think it'll be easier on me to save it for another time, either in Feb., or in the summer or next winter. I got my via from there last summer and it worked great. No problems. Just make sure you have the extra photos or you will have to wait a pretty long time.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 10:09
|
|
|
How hard is it to bring a bike from Vietnam -> Laos over the border and from Laos -> Thailand over the border? I figure if I buy a Mink in Hanoi for like $200-300, I can ride it all the way to Chiang Mai and then sell/abandon/give away the thing there. $300 for a week or two of awesome motorbike adventure without any border/rental/theft worries is acceptable to me. How are the roads in Thailand? Can you find out of the way jungle dirt roads to tear up without much traffic?
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 20:14
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:How hard is it to bring a bike from Vietnam -> Laos over the border and from Laos -> Thailand over the border? I figure if I buy a Mink in Hanoi for like $200-300, I can ride it all the way to Chiang Mai and then sell/abandon/give away the thing there. Vietnam - Laos was pretty straightforward, but if they haven't gotten their act together about temporary import docs in the last 2.5 years you may still have to get it extended at provincial finance offices every week or so that you're there. Try to wheedle a permit for the full length of your intended stay at the border if you possibly can, it was a big pain in the rear end to have to keep track of it on vacation. Laos to Thailand (with a Viet-plated bike) I'm not sure of, check on GT-Rider. Also, you want to make sure Thailand doesn't make any note of you bringing the bike in in your passport, or what the situation is for abandoning a bike there if they do. They're kind of concerned about people bringing in a bike and then leaving it in Thailand without paying import duty on it (which is pretty steep, I think like 86% on a motorcycle). Leaving it in a theft-friendly area and filing a police report, or donating it to a wat or something could be an alternative. A $200-300 Minsk might not last as long as you like, but it might hold together okay for a shorter trip like that. I found mine on Craigslist, you may try New Hanoian or some other expat venue. I sing the praises of Flamingo but I wasn't too crazy about their mechanic (just seemed like kind of a shady dude), either them or Cuong would be good for a pre-departure tune-up though. You can definitely find some fun roads in Thailand, although by and large they're better than Laos. Look for turn-offs, check out ride repots on GT-Rider, or chat up a local.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 20:56
|
|
|
Hey, I'm just finalizing my plans and I was wondering what the scene is like for the lunar new year, more specifically Tet in Vietnam. I was told by a source I trust that it's probably best to wait to fly out there until after the holiday because, much like during our holiday season, everything is going to be much more expensive, flying/hotels are going to be a cluster gently caress, and a lot of stuff is going to be closed. Is that the general consensus? It seems like it might be cool to check out if it's a big celebration but I can also see how it might suck unless you have family or friends who live there that you can hang out with for the holiday, again much like Christmas here. I'm trying to do this on a budget so I'll probably wait until after the holiday to arrive there but if people think it's worth checking out for a few days then I could be talked into it because honestly the difference in plane fare isn't that much since I've already waited so long to buy my ticket. On the other hand I could see how hotels and intra-Asian travel could really add up if it is 'peak season'. I know this is an subjective question but I would appreciate input from people who have been there during the lunar new year as to whether it would be "worth it" to be there for that week if I don't already have a friend who I could stay with and celebrate with their family. Also, I know technically Thailand celebrates new year a little later on but I would assume since there's a decent Chinese population and so many of their neighbors celebrate LNY that there's probably a bit of celebration there as well, meaning all the same downsides would apply. Yes/no? Am I correct in thinking that it's more about being with family and friends (like our Christmas) and less about being a big party in the streets (like our New Year's Eve) and would therefore be expensive and lonely as an outsider unless you had a bunch of money to throw around? Anyway, all input and memories/anecdotes from people who have spent time there would be appreciated, as I really need to buy my ticket soon and the biggest factor in determining dates is if I'm going to try to spend Tet in Vietnam or if I'm going to wait it out stateside and head there closer to the middle of February. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 23:19
|
|
|
BigSuave posted:Hey, I'm just finalizing my plans and I was wondering what the scene is like for the lunar new year, more specifically Tet in Vietnam. I was told by a source I trust that it's probably best to wait to fly out there until after the holiday because, much like during our holiday season, everything is going to be much more expensive, flying/hotels are going to be a cluster gently caress, and a lot of stuff is going to be closed. Is that the general consensus? I've heard Tet is more of a friends/family thing, but I've never been in Vietnam for it so I can't really comment. Also, Feb is the tail end of what is actually the high season (cool, dry weather) for most of SEA, so if you don't mind waiting it might get a bit cheaper. April/May gets hot as balls, obviously you can survive though. Chinese New Year isn't really a big deal in Thailand. If you're, there check out Chinatown (esp around Yaowarat), but it shouldn't mess up transportation or anything. Thai New Years (it's also celebrated in Laos and Cambodia around the same time) is an "in the streets" type of thing and a lot of fun. Country-wide water fight and a lot of drinking, more or less. Best not to be on a motorbike that week or two though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 23:34
|
|
|
I used the my vietnam visa for visa on arrival in Hanoi. It's fine and remember to bring passpot photos and the approval letter, and list of travellers with your name on it. For the tet festival, the whole country feels like china and after talking to some locals, it's more of a family friends event. On the actual day there should be some fireworks and a parade. Hanoi rooms can be 8 usd a night at the backpacker alley. Hcmc is more expensive. If you want budget them try going to the smaller tourist cities like hue. But I got ripped off all over the place  will rant about it some other time.
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2011 01:25
|
|
|
Thanks for the fast response guys; it seems like my suspicions are correct and I should just avoid the hassle and wait it out until mid-to-late February then. I look forward to hanging out with some of you people while I'm there. Yeah, I'm definitely not going to miss the Thai New Year water fight.
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2011 03:47
|
|
|
BigSuave posted:Thanks for the fast response guys; it seems like my suspicions are correct and I should just avoid the hassle and wait it out until mid-to-late February then. I look forward to hanging out with some of you people while I'm there. Songrkan: owns.          
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2011 21:52
|
|
|
I visited Bed 2 years ago and I don't get the hate. Sure it's full of tourists, but the music was good and the sound was great. I even liked how it looked. Anyways, I don't understand what is so "fake" about it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2011 04:15
|
|
|
brendanwor posted:Narcissus (Sukhumvit 23) Been wanting to go to this place. Is it really hiso though? Can one get in without wearing brand name clothes? Which one of the other clubs you mentioned would you recommend for harder trance? Are there places that play psy or goa?
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2011 20:00
|
|
|
Ringo R posted:Been wanting to go to this place. Is it really hiso though? Can one get in without wearing brand name clothes? Which one of the other clubs you mentioned would you recommend for harder trance? Are there places that play psy or goa? I'm surprised Narcissus is getting so much attention as that place has been around forever. I went to Bed back when it was still fairly new and cool and literally three months later no one would go there. Toilet paper rolls hold up longer in Bangkok than high end nightclubs do.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2011 20:35
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus those photos are great, thanks for sharing them.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2011 01:54
|
|
|
How we roll
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2011 17:47
|
|
|
Ringo R posted:Been wanting to go to this place. Is it really hiso though? Can one get in without wearing brand name clothes? Which one of the other clubs you mentioned would you recommend for harder trance? Are there places that play psy or goa? Nah man Narz isn't particularly hiso, it's just a dance club, you'd get the same sort of crowd as you'd see at RCA for example. Jeans/sneakers/tshirt will do the job. Couldn't tell you re. psy or goa since they're not my kind of genre, but Narcissus definitely plays a good mix of hard and prog trance, better than anywhere else I've been in BKK for trance in fact. Sheep-Goats posted:I'm surprised Narcissus is getting so much attention as that place has been around forever. I went to Bed back when it was still fairly new and cool and literally three months later no one would go there. Toilet paper rolls hold up longer in Bangkok than high end nightclubs do. I dunno, I went to bed a couple of weeks ago on a Tuesday night and it was packed. Though for sure mostly expat-dominated, but I wouldn't say entirely.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2011 01:01
|
|
|
hey guys, great thread. I've been in thailand for a week now, and today I split from my initial group - so with much more free time on my hands I thought about buying a decent camera + lens. Thought you gurus could help a newbie decide on a decent camera + lens, and where to buy it in thailand. I'm currently in Phangan, heading towards Phuket in the next few days and from there either back here and to Koh Tao or to Phi Phi.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2011 11:41
|
|
|
Swole O This posted:hey guys, great thread. I've been in thailand for a week now, and today I split from my initial group - so with much more free time on my hands I thought about buying a decent camera + lens. In Bangkok, probably at Fotofile in MBK. Cameras and stuff are kind of expensive in Thailand (relative to the US, at least) because of taxes though. If you're from the UK or something then the prices seem okay. Hong Kong is probably the cheapest place to buy in Asia, although Singapore has some OK prices. edit: Ringo R might have a Canon 400D you can buy.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2011 14:03
|
|
|
I'll be heading out to Thailand in a week. I'm going to be spending a few days in Koh Tao and then will be finishing off the weekend in Bangkok. What are you recommendations on converting currency? I don't want to convert everything in case I don't spend it because I don't want to lose money in the process. If I'm on Koh Tao, how easy will it be to change non-US currency (Taiwan dollars) into baht? What are you recommendations on keeping my cash safe?
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2011 14:31
|
|
|
Is anyone from the US going to be visiting Thailand/coming back to USA in the near future? I want to get a hold of some textbooks without paying jacked up international shipping rates. Haraksha posted:I'll be heading out to Thailand in a week. I'm going to be spending a few days in Koh Tao and then will be finishing off the weekend in Bangkok. I've always just used ATM's, with $100-200 in traveler's checks squirreled away from my main cash supply as emergency money.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2011 23:49
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:I've always just used ATM's, with $100-200 in traveler's checks squirreled away from my main cash supply as emergency money. I also have some currency questions. Last time I was in thailand I used ATM machines to get baths. But the Belgian banks decided last week that, because there is so much copying of cards going on in the rest of the world (where the magnet strip on a card is appearantly still used, as opposed to the chip), to just block them from working outside of the EU altogether. However, besides my regular bankcards, I also have a mastercard, and I was wondering if this works in the ATM machines in thailand? Also, what would be the easiest way to get Lao kip and should I also take some US dollars to Laos? Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2011 00:41
|
|
|
mrfart posted:I also have some currency questions. My US bank does something similar, but if you call them ahead of time you can get them to make a note on your account not to flag activity from the countries you're visiting as suspicious. It should work at ATM's that have a Mastercard logo, but you may want to check somewhere else on that to be sure. People in Laos are surprisingly not as willing to take USD notes directly as they once were; I think this is due to both the depreciating dollar and government campaigns to promote Lao currency (which include rolling out a 50,000 kip note, a whole US$5). In northern Laos, I had an easier time spending Vietnamese dong (which are technically not even legal to export) than I did getting anyone to take any of my greenbacks. At moneychangers you shouldn't have a problem changing USD to kip, however. ATM's are becoming slowly more prevalent in Laos, another option is doing a cash advance from your credit card at a bank.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2011 00:53
|
|
|
brendanwor posted:I dunno, I went to bed a couple of weeks ago on a Tuesday night and it was packed. Though for sure mostly expat-dominated, but I wouldn't say entirely. Probably because Bed kinda looks like you're inside a toilet paper roll... 
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2011 01:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 07:32 |
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:I've always just used ATM's, with $100-200 in traveler's checks squirreled away from my main cash supply as emergency money. This isn't really an option for me. I'd have to send all my money to America, which would cost me a wire transfer fee and conversion fee, because my Taiwanese ATM card won't work in Thailand. Then when I took money out of the ATM in Thailand, I'd have to pay additional charges to convert my dollars to baht and use a foreign ATM. I know it's riskier to travel with cash, but assuming I don't lose it I'll save more money in the long run.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2011 04:42
|
|