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I just got back from Hanoi last night. My most expensive hotel was $19 for the room, nice aircon, flat screen with HBO and Stars and a really nice breakfast included at Hotel Rendevouz in the Old Quarters. I can put up pictures of the room later if you want. I have a thing of taking pictures of all the Hotel/hostel rooms and bathrooms I stay in. I also want to make the case to visit Nihn Bihn, it was awesome. The countryside was gorgeous and outside of the tourist traps like Tam Coc and Trang An, there are some awesome spots like the Floating village where there were no other tourists and Dai Bing where there were no other western tourist. I can put up pictures too if there is any interest. Andro posted:Thanks for the info, Old Quarter and Ha Long Bay it is. Thanks for the tips.
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Jun 25, 2011 03:03
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Miike posted:I can put up pictures too if there is any interest. Yes please. I get a bitter-sweet pleasure from looking at peoples beautiful SEA pictures from my airconditioned, artifically lit office TheLizard posted:If you live in the DC area, I can tell you where to get it (and amazing Lao food) The UK, unfortunately. I can only find the cans on ebay.
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Jun 25, 2011 09:44
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Crivens posted:Yes please. I get a bitter-sweet pleasure from looking at peoples beautiful SEA pictures from my airconditioned, artifically lit office These were all taken around the Nihn Bihn country side, I got around on bicycle and motorbike. It really is a cool place.  Nihn Bihn Country Side by Nestor's Blurrylife, on Flickr  Mua Caves view by Nestor's Blurrylife, on Flickr  Dai Bihn by Nestor's Blurrylife, on Flickr  Dai Bihn by Nestor's Blurrylife, on Flickr  Keng Ahn Floating Village by Nestor's Blurrylife, on Flickr  Keng Ahn Floating Village by Nestor's Blurrylife, on Flickr
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Jun 25, 2011 11:17
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Wow, beautiful photos.
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Jun 26, 2011 12:58
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Badass pictures Miike, i really enjoyed Ninh Binh also.
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Jun 27, 2011 19:18
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I liked southern Vietnam better than northern. More relaxed and friendlier. Then again, I didn't spend much time anywhere but Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. I'm not a big fan of Hanoi, too much big city for my liking, but I loved Cat Ba island. Packeteer fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Jun 28, 2011 |
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Jun 28, 2011 06:10
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TheLizard posted:Agreed; I loved it. It was beautiful, a nice breeze and I was with a good group. You can watch the lives of people along the river as you go. I will be in dc a few days can you please post the address? I feel like I should be eating Mac and cheese since I'm not an American. Or just eat both I guess
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Jun 28, 2011 16:07
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Packeteer posted:I liked southern Vietnam better than northern. More relaxed and friendlier. Then again, I didn't spend much time anywhere but Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. I'm pretty sure most of my time in Hanoi was around the old quarter, but Hanoi felt relaxed compared to Ho Chi Minh imo
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Jun 28, 2011 17:00
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Went to the Laos embassy in DC today to apply for a visa. They were supposed to open at 1pm, didn't open the door til 1:15pm, didn't start helping people until 1:45pm. Spent a good half hour talking to this guy from Pakse and five monks who were in the waiting room. It was kind of an odd experience. They seemed fascinated with the fact that I was traveling to Laos by myself. They kept giving me this "this guy is crazy look".
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Jun 28, 2011 20:41
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Cheesemaster200 posted:Went to the Laos embassy in DC today to apply for a visa. They were supposed to open at 1pm, didn't open the door til 1:15pm, didn't start helping people until 1:45pm. Spent a good half hour talking to this guy from Pakse and five monks who were in the waiting room. It was kind of an odd experience. FWIW I think you just met some record holding motherfuckers for timeliness as far as Lao citizens go. Less than an hour after lunch and they're already back at work? Hot drat.
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Jun 28, 2011 22:22
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caberham posted:I will be in dc a few days can you please post the address? I feel like I should be eating Mac and cheese since I'm not an American. Or just eat both I guess It's called Bangkok Golden - 6395 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church VA. You used to have to ask for the Lao menu, but I think it's standard now. But just in case - ask for the Lao menu. They have Beerlao lager and dark, as well. http://www.bangkokgolden7corners.com/images/bg_menu.pdf
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Jun 28, 2011 22:44
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Sheep-Goats posted:FWIW I think you just met some record holding motherfuckers for timeliness as far as Lao citizens go. Less than an hour after lunch and they're already back at work? Hot drat. I also think one of the guys in front of me bribed the guy working there as well for doing whatever with his passport/visa, which I found hilarious.
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Jun 29, 2011 03:28
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Bangkok to Manila with Kuwait Airways: 12 hours delayed. They put us in a hotel close to the airport. There is NOTHING to do here  12 hours to go...
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Jun 29, 2011 05:44
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My itinerary reversed. I arrive in Ho Chi Minh at 12:50am on July 29th. That's really late so I think I should book a hotel in advance. I looked Thien Thao Hotel. It seems pretty nice, but it is in District 3. My budget allows for taxis, but will I be kicking myself if I don't stay in District 1? I am taking Miike's suggestion and staying at Hotel Rendevouz in Hanoi. Does anyone have another suggestion for HCMC? Andro fucked around with this message at 11:43 on Jun 29, 2011 |
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Jun 29, 2011 10:24
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Andro posted:My itinerary reversed. I arrive in Ho Chi Minh at 12:50am on July 29th. That's really late so I think I should book a hotel in advance. I looked Thien Thao Hotel. It seems pretty nice, but it is in District 3. My budget allows for taxis, but will I be kicking myself if I don't stay in District 1? I'm currently at the Huy Chuong hotel (184 Tran Quan Khai), in district 1, at the border of district 3 and Phu Nuan. We're paying $50/night but we have the VIP room. So far they're a good hotel and we like it since it's not in the boring white tourists Pham Ngu Lao area. Seriously, you can have a nice stay in HCMC by avoiding that whole part of district 1. The place where the hotel is has a lot of good places to eat, a 24/7 Shop & Good nearby and is next to the Tan Dinh market, which is a must-see (forget the Ben Thanh market). EDIT: Tomorrow we're signing the lease for a very nice apartment right in front of a big park in Tan Binh, we're pretty excited. Senso fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Jun 29, 2011 |
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Jun 29, 2011 14:37
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Cheesemaster200 posted:Went to the Laos embassy in DC today to apply for a visa. They were supposed to open at 1pm, didn't open the door til 1:15pm, didn't start helping people until 1:45pm. Spent a good half hour talking to this guy from Pakse and five monks who were in the waiting room. It was kind of an odd experience. You think that's slow? Wait until you get to Laos itself. A whole nation of "meh, we can do that poo poo next week instead". It's charming if you have the time and patience for it, but it's a bit annoying if you're on a tight schedule.
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Jun 29, 2011 20:14
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Senso posted:I'm currently at the Huy Chuong hotel (184 Tran Quan Khai), in district 1, at the border of district 3 and Phu Nuan. We're paying $50/night but we have the VIP room. So far they're a good hotel and we like it since it's not in the boring white tourists Pham Ngu Lao area. Seriously, you can have a nice stay in HCMC by avoiding that whole part of district 1. The place where the hotel is has a lot of good places to eat, a 24/7 Shop & Good nearby and is next to the Tan Dinh market, which is a must-see (forget the Ben Thanh market). Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. I guess you'll be in HCMC in August?
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Jun 30, 2011 01:26
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How did you get around in Ninh Binh? Is going there for a night and renting a pedal bike to see some of the countryside a good option? I'm in Hanoi for a week, and was thinking of skipping over Sapa for Ninh Binh, then heading to Cat Ba island for a more relaxing trip rather than trying to pack in too much. edit: Just saw your other post, thanks for the info. Beautiful pictures! Any specific recommendations of spots to visit around there accessible by pedal bike? Is there a lot of traffic that would make a motorbike dangerous for someone rather inexperienced? NicelyNice fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Jun 30, 2011 |
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Jun 30, 2011 01:51
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NicelyNice posted:How did you get around in Ninh Binh? Is going there for a night and renting a pedal bike to see some of the countryside a good option? I'm in Hanoi for a week, and was thinking of skipping over Sapa for Ninh Binh, then heading to Cat Ba island for a more relaxing trip rather than trying to pack in too much. I stayed at the Kim Lien guesthouse. She was open for only a month when I got there. So I rented a bycicle the first day and I got a copied map from the guesthouse. With a bike it takes about 1 hour (including time to get lost)to get to Mua caves (which has the nice view over Tam Coc), you can also get to Tam Coc (which is a major tourist trap, but still kinda interesting) and you should be able to get to a nearby Pagoda, which I didnt visit. The next day I met some french dudes who rented motorbikes and with that we were able to go to Hoa Lou, Trang An in about 30 minutes. The Dai Binh Pagoda (in the pictures) is about 1 hour away and another 1/2 hour brings you to the floating village. The roads are quite big and empty once you get passed the small villages so it would not be hard to drive around. There is also the possibility to get around with your own driver. My bike was $3 per day and a manual motorbike was $7 and a automatic was $10. We didn't bargain, so maybe you can get the bikes cheaper. I included a picture of the empty and flat roads 
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Jun 30, 2011 04:18
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Andro posted:I guess you'll be in HCMC in August? I'll be in HCMC for two years, most likely.
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Jun 30, 2011 06:14
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Thank you very much for the great advice! I'll report back in a couple weeks how things went. Managed to turn a two-day business trip to Singapore into a one-week trip to Vietnam, so I'm pretty excited!!
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Jun 30, 2011 11:51
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Well kids I haven't been to LOS in about six years, I'll be heading back in September. Fortunately I can stay in my ex wifes badass condo and see my dog I haven't seen since the divorce =) I plan on flying to nepal for a friends birthday celebration in Nagarat and then just move around by bus/however the gently caress from there for a month or two. I am totally down for some goon meets along the way. I never really got a chance to visit India (was there for 3 days for a wedding) and I never crossed the border to Tibet, so the journey will be half the fun, after living in hostels for a few weeks that high rise condo will be looking mighty nice. She just got a new place in the Ivy Lad plao development.
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Jun 30, 2011 14:13
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My wife and I are supposed to start our trip today, Sydney for a few days then Kuala Lumpur to Penang and Langkawi. However since I am an airline employee we are traveling standby, and every flight from our city to Vancouver (where we get our flight across the ocean) is completely hammered. There are 7 flights and I'm not sure we will get on even one. Sucky way to start.
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Jul 1, 2011 14:35
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Has nightlife been curbed by the recent unrest?
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Jul 1, 2011 20:43
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Rated PG-34 posted:Has nightlife been curbed by the recent unrest? I don't think so, but there's an alcohol ban on election days. The human detritus over at Thai Visa are going apeshit.
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Jul 1, 2011 21:02
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If anyone wants some info about Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali) or Philippines I can give some recommendations/advice if you ask. Seems like they're the least visited countries by Goons but IMO are the best in all of SE Asia. Really friendly locals that are easy to communicate with and also the most beautiful mountains and islands. How do I upload photos here? Does waffleimages not work anymore?
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Jul 2, 2011 12:17
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Mai pen rai, khap.
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Jul 2, 2011 20:22
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Sheep-Goats posted:Mai pen rai, khap. this made me lol more than it should given the story.
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Jul 3, 2011 02:27
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Thaksin's sister is now the first female PM in Thailand. I wonder how Bangkok is going to be over the next few months.
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Jul 3, 2011 19:18
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Pockyless posted:Thaksin's sister is now the first female PM in Thailand. I wonder how Bangkok is going to be over the next few months. Tanky with a chance of lead.
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Jul 3, 2011 21:15
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Sheep-Goats posted:Tanky with a chance of lead. Good thing I'm going next month, I was there for Thai Rak Thai and all that bullshit, nothing like bombs in the morning. My ex wife was a die hard Thaksin supporter, she worked for AIS in college. What a corrupt bozo. This should be interesting.
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Jul 4, 2011 00:23
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I arrive in Bangkok in 8 days. Well, I hope to arrive in Bangkok in 8 days. I guess we'll see what happens. I'm not entirely confident...
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Jul 4, 2011 02:00
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I get to bangkok on Wednesday, yikes. Quick question though: After visiting cambodia I'm taking an Air France from Phnom Penh to BKK that arrives at 9:20pm. My flight back to LAX leaves at 11:55pm. Is that enough time (2hrs 30min) to change planes?
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Jul 4, 2011 20:01
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Tuff Ghost posted:I get to bangkok on Wednesday, yikes. This is beyond enough time. You'll probably get bored unless you happen to have lounge access in Suvarnabhumi.
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Jul 5, 2011 02:29
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So I'm flying to bangkok tomorrow for a 7 week trip. I want to see thailand, cambodia, laos and probably vietnam. I was thinking heading down to an island after a couple of days in bangkok, then returning to make my way to cambodia and siam reap? Sound reasonable? Is staying my first night in khao san a good idea?
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Jul 5, 2011 08:39
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Sounds very reasonable and yes, I think staying your first night in Khao San is a good idea. You'll meet tons of other travelers who can give you some advice on where to go next and how. If you're thinking of going to either Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao the Lomprayah ferry bus also leaves from Khao San neighbourhood.
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Jul 5, 2011 08:56
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superwofl posted:If anyone wants some info about Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali) or Philippines I can give some recommendations/advice if you ask. I'm going to the Philippines for two weeks in November. The plan is to fly to Coron, spend a few days island hopping and then fly to Puerto Princesa to see the underground river. I don't have much time, but it sounds like Palawan is an awesome place to go and that it will be significantly less awesome in 5 years as the tourists discover it more. Does this sound like a good plan? Any specific hints/places to see in these two towns?
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Jul 5, 2011 13:08
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brendanwor posted:Fly to BKK, catch another flight to Koh Samui, then get a ferry to Koh Tao. Diving, beer and beautiful scenery galore. Tickets are booked and we're doing something similar to this. Thanks for your help everyone!
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Jul 5, 2011 18:33
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TheLizard posted:I'm going to the Philippines for two weeks in November. The plan is to fly to Coron, spend a few days island hopping and then fly to Puerto Princesa to see the underground river. I don't have much time, but it sounds like Palawan is an awesome place to go and that it will be significantly less awesome in 5 years as the tourists discover it more. Does this sound like a good plan? Any specific hints/places to see in these two towns? Try to check out Kayangan Lake while in Coron, and Baker's Hill in Puerto Princesa.
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Jul 6, 2011 01:35
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anakha posted:Try to check out Kayangan Lake while in Coron, and Baker's Hill in Puerto Princesa. Kayangan Lake is a definite; what is Baker's Hill? Also I have heard there are cheap pearls to be had - does anyone know what fair prices are like?
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Jul 6, 2011 02:26
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