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By the way, I found a little bit of information on travelling to the eastern Indonesian Islands which answer some of the questions I had earlier, at this site: http://www.east-indonesia.info/
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Aug 31, 2011 16:49
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Going to Nha Trang tomorrow, for 4 days, thanks to the national holiday in Vietnam. Gonna be cool to finally get out of noisy Ho Chi Minh City after two months and enjoy my first time in the Pacific ocean. I'm going there with Vietnamese colleagues who know the place pretty well, but any cool places to visit in Nha Trang, outside of the touristy spots?
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Aug 31, 2011 16:51
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Take the sleeper train to Chiang Mai. It is really a fun experience in itself and you will meet other travelers on it. I think it was like 750 baht or something when I did it.
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Aug 31, 2011 19:44
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Fungah posted:By the way, I found a little bit of information on travelling to the eastern Indonesian Islands which answer some of the questions I had earlier, at this site: Excellent site, thanks. If you end up going, let us know how you got on. This thread needs more Indonesia!
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Aug 31, 2011 20:04
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Ebethron posted:I won't be headed there in the immediate future but I'd like to hear some insider's recommendations for Yogyakarta, if you know of any good places/things to do which are off the normal guidebook itinerary. I just spent 3 days there. As much as I liked the city, the things in the guidebooks really are the things to do there. There are literally hundreds of temples, but Prambanan and Borobodur really are the ones to see, obviously. The beach I went to Paragntritis is nice, but nothing like Bali. I would absolutely skip the Sultans Palace and the Water Castle. There is currently no lava flowing at Mt Merapi, but that can always change. One thing that might be of interest would be the pigeon races, we stumbled upon that but they apparently happen monthly.
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Aug 31, 2011 20:46
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Sheep-Goats posted:
I went to GM'C Tailors in MBK. I got 5 shirts at $28 a piece (I went with the highest end fabrics). I came in for a fitting, but they hit the nail on the head, no adjustments needed. They also did a free delivery to my hotel so I would not have to come back to pick them up. I was very pleased, given the price. Better work than the "Modern Tailor" I usually order from, based in China.
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Aug 31, 2011 20:52
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I don't know where else to post this, but yesterday on my run I ran past an old Asian guy in what I can only guess are Buddhist monk robes (red with saffron highlights and a saffron sash). Thanks to going to Thailand to visit my girlfriend's family last summer, my first instinct was to throw up a wai at him as I ran past. And then my first thought afterwords wasn't "He probably thinks I'm a weirdo", but rather "poo poo, I didn't do it high enough." My girlfriend made fun of me when I told her about it 
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Aug 31, 2011 23:37
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Tai-Pan posted:I went to GM'C Tailors in MBK. I got 5 shirts at $28 a piece (I went with the highest end fabrics). I came in for a fitting, but they hit the nail on the head, no adjustments needed. They also did a free delivery to my hotel so I would not have to come back to pick them up. I was very pleased, given the price. Better work than the "Modern Tailor" I usually order from, based in China. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Sep 3, 2011 |
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Sep 3, 2011 18:54
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I happened across a whole CD of these Rat Pack era songs being covered in Thai the last trip back in Thailand. I want to make a video with one of them with concurrent lyrics on the Thai/English side followed by the originals also with concurrent lyrics. That will take forever and I start medic school on Tuesday so I'll have no time for it, but I did finally get around to ripping that poo poo (EAC/LAME like you're supposed to do). Here's one of the fourteen songs on there, and, if you're curious, there's absolutely no relation between what he's singing about in Thai and what was sung about in the original. Thai people who listened to the CD along with me in Thailand told me that they grew up with the Thai versions never knowing they were covers.  Original (by Harry Belafonte)  Bizzaro Thai CoverAfter I get around to typing in the Thai words on the back of the CD cover there I'll make a zip file that you guys can get if you want. I think that's okay to do given the nature of this stuff. raton fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Sep 4, 2011 |
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Sep 4, 2011 02:18
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Going to Thailand in three weeks (26th September)! I have a return ticket for the 10th of December and am wondering if it might be a problem with the customs there since I've read (on wikitravel) that they might be reluctant to let you in if you can't prove to them that you won't stay in Thailand for more than 30 days in a row (I won't). So my question is: should I book a plane ticket from Bangkok to Vietnam now and carry the e-ticket with me when I go to Thailand or should I just put my trust in the officials trusting me? Anyone had any problems with anything like this?
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Sep 5, 2011 09:15
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It very much depends on the mood of the day, of the immigration officer that let's you through, I think. Try to look respectable, don't wear your flip flops, board shorts and Beerlao singlet, and more often than not they'll just stamp you through, without even looking twice. If you're nervous, you could always fake an e-ticket.
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Sep 5, 2011 09:31
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I've never had Thai immigration look for a return/onward ticket (let alone the dates of such a ticket) but I have been asked to provide evidence of an onward or return ticket, or a long term visa, by airlines when departing Australia, Malaysia, and Brunei for Thailand. Basically, if Thailand won't let you in the airline that takes you there is responsible for getting you out of there. Technically, you do need to have an onward or return ticket to be let in (but it's rarely checked). The airline will check prior to flying you there, just in case you're not let in for the most avoidable (to them) reason and leaving them with the expense of getting you out of there. I suck at explaining. Fiskenbob posted:If you're nervous, you could always fake an e-ticket. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3260679&userid=131573&perpage=40&pagenumber=3#post389370191 
Finch! fucked around with this message at 09:40 on Sep 5, 2011 |
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Sep 5, 2011 09:35
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OK thanks for the advice. Really, buying a real ticket in advance wouldn't be much of a problem since I probably will want to go to Hanoi in a couple of days anyway, but I kind of want to have the luxury of not planning ahead too much.
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Sep 5, 2011 09:58
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ReindeerF posted:The best approach is to befriend a bargirl and take her with you like most of the leering old men in Pattaya do - professional Thai workers love dealing with hookers! Had a similar issue in Korea. I was able to open a bank account here on a tourist visa, had to go there with a Korean co-worker who gave her ID number/vouched for me though. Dr. Eat fucked around with this message at 12:34 on Sep 5, 2011 |
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Sep 5, 2011 12:31
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Sup SE Asian goons, time for me to tap into your wisdom yet again. I'm chillin' in Singapore right now and I'm plotting my next week or so. My hostel here is booked until the 7th (i.e. I check out on the 7th), and I'll be heading to Kuala Lumpur next. I have to get to Bangkok by the 13th. All my travels up to Bangkok will be by train (and/or bus and/or ferry, I guess - not plane, though, unless it's going to be as cheap as train/bus/ferry). 1) How long should I stay in KL? I'm leaning toward just one night, because it looks like the western coast of Malaysia and southern Thailand are a lot more interesting. 2) Should I stay in KL while I go visit the Batu Caves? If so, I guess maybe I'll stay in KL two nights. Feel free to tell me what to see in KL, too. I'm mostly just winging this trip. THANKS GOONS!
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Sep 5, 2011 17:46
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eviljelly posted:
Up to you how long you stay, I like KL a lot but many people don't rate it all that highly. Central Market (Pasar Seni) has good Malaysian arts and crafts without much typical tourist tat, and from there you can walk Petaling Street through China town. The backstreets have a real 'old china' feel: old ladies smoking a roll-up and hoiking phlegm as they hack at chicken carcasses. Around the corner there is a Hindu temple where you can watch devotees pray as the gods get their daily ritual baths, opposite which is a Chinese temple dedicated to the god of war. Bukit Bintang is the Time Square/Leceister Square of KL, pretty similar to most world cities but worth checking out - especially for the 'Lot 10' food court underneath the big Isetan which serves fantastic non-halal chinese food. The Petronas towers are worth seeing (although you'll have to get up early if you want to go onto the skybridge). I guess it's obvious that I like KL a lot, but it's true there aren't so many amazing must-see sights as such. The main reason to spend extra time there is to soak in the vibe of being in a thriving asian metropolis and eat some of the amazing food that the city is famous for. By West coast of Malaysia do you mean Penang? The island has a lot of interesting things which make it worthwhile to visit - not just the food but some very impressive Chinese temples (moreso than KL). Melaka is nice too for the colonial vibe and the food/general atmosphere down Jonker Street, but it is probably easier to visit it as a stop between Singapore and KL (although having said this you can do it as a day-trip from KL as the journey is only 1 1/2 hours). You can get to Batu Caves easily from KL. One of the rapid transit systems goes to Gombak, where you can get a taxi to the caves for about RM10-15 (haggle, they probably won't agree to put the meter on for you). Alternatively one of the KTM commuter trains goes to Batu Caves a couple of times an hour (at least at weekends) from KL Sentral. I'd look into air asia flights from penang to bangkok if you are heading North, you might be lucky and find a cheap fare.
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Sep 5, 2011 22:42
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I have a question about visas for US citizens; I don't know if this particular question has been covered but this thread is pretty long. Anyway, I'm planning to go to China after about three months in SE Asia (Hanoi -> Nanning) and it sounds like I won't be able to get a Chinese visa before I leave the US because I'll be entering the country too late after the visa is issued. Can I get one from an embassy in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, or Cambodia? If so, how long would it take? Also, I assume a Vietnam tourist visa is multiple entry, so that means I can spend a few days in Vietnam, leave for ~6 weeks, and then come back and spend a week there on the same visa, right? Sorry if these seem like dumb questions; I've only ever had to get a visa once before for India and that was for a much more straightforward trip. I'm pretty confused about all this and the State Department website only says how long a stay in the country the visas permit.
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Sep 5, 2011 23:51
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Yes you can. Just visit the Chinese consulate and they will issue you a visa. If you do same day visa service it will be about $180.
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Sep 6, 2011 01:18
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Ebethron posted:By West coast of Malaysia do you mean Penang? The island has a lot of interesting things which make it worthwhile to visit - not just the food but some very impressive Chinese temples (moreso than KL). I was a little disappointed with the temples I visited in Penang a few weeks ago.It was kind of like Disneyland I found the temples in Taiwan a lot more interesting - not as commercial, not as restored, not as "artificial" - but Penang is still good!
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Sep 6, 2011 01:20
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Pockyless posted:Yes you can. Just visit the Chinese consulate and they will issue you a visa. If you do same day visa service it will be about $180. Awesome, thanks 
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Sep 6, 2011 01:33
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Ebethron posted:awesome info This kind of post is the reason I've got this thread bookmarked. Thanks a lot! I'll stay two nights since it sounds like the Batu Caves are doable from KL. Flights from Penang to Bangkok are a little pricey, unfortunately, so I'll stick with the original plan of hobbling my way over by land.
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Sep 6, 2011 02:00
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My partner and I leave for SE asia in 2 weeks - itinerary is: Sept 21 - 26 - in Singapore for the GP, staying near the Bugis MRT Sept 26 - Oct 07 - Ubud, have rented a private villa This will be her first time overseas, I've previously done a month in Singapore and a month trekking / diving in northern Sumatra before. Any recommendations for while we're in Bali ? I'm thinking lots of relaxing / massages, white water rafting, scuba diving out of Padang Bai, safari park, do some walks etc. If anyone has specific recommendations that'd be great. As it's her first time overseas, looking for interesting stuff that's not too strenuous - my first trip was a bit overwhelming for a first time and I'd like to ease her into Asia a bit.
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Sep 7, 2011 03:22
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Cuahtemoc posted:As it's her first time overseas, looking for interesting stuff that's not too strenuous - my first trip was a bit overwhelming for a first time and I'd like to ease her into Asia a bit. Avoid Kuta Beach; it was my first time in a developing country and all the touts and stuff really wore on my nerves. Luckily the rest of Indonesia was way cooler, enjoy the trip!
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Sep 7, 2011 04:10
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Avoid Kuta Beach; it was my first time in a developing country and all the touts and stuff really wore on my nerves. Luckily the rest of Indonesia was way cooler, enjoy the trip! Yeah, we're staying in Ubud and don't plan to go to Kuta at all, I am 100% certain it isn't my thing. If I wanted to get pissed with obnoxious Australians I'd stay home and save my cash, avoiding all the spruikers too. I loved Sumatra, but landing in Medan after a week in Singapore and getting straight onto a 13 hour bus to Banda Aceh was a bit nerve wracking.
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Sep 7, 2011 04:34
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Ebethron posted:The main reason to spend extra time there is to soak in the vibe of being in a thriving asian metropolis and eat some of the amazing food that the city is famous for. Holy crap, you're totally right about the vibe here. I only just got here and I'm loving it! Chinatown and Little India in Singapore were pretty cool but a little sanitized for my tastes - no such complaints here. I got lost trying to get to my hostel and I wandered the central market / Chinatown area for about an hour. Wow. quote:By West coast of Malaysia do you mean Penang? The island has a lot of interesting things which make it worthwhile to visit - not just the food but some very impressive Chinese temples (moreso than KL). Melaka is nice too for the colonial vibe and the food/general atmosphere down Jonker Street, but it is probably easier to visit it as a stop between Singapore and KL (although having said this you can do it as a day-trip from KL as the journey is only 1 1/2 hours). I'm thinking of Penang, yeah, and also Langkawi. I'm leaving KL on the 9th, and then I am thinking I'll do Penang on the 9th and 10th, and then up to Langkawi on the 11th and 12th, and then head over to Bangkok on the 13th. Do you think that's too tight a schedule? Alternatively, I could just do one (Penang or Langkawi) and stay in KL an extra day so I'm not so rushed. I always have two impulses pulling at me - the first telling me I have to see as much as possible in the time I have, and the other telling me I should take it easy and see more in each place I go rather than trying to go everywhere.
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Sep 7, 2011 13:11
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eviljelly posted:Holy crap, you're totally right about the vibe here. I only just got here and I'm loving it! Chinatown and Little India in Singapore were pretty cool but a little sanitized for my tastes - no such complaints here. I got lost trying to get to my hostel and I wandered the central market / Chinatown area for about an hour. Wow. Bus and ferry from KL takes about half a day. A day and a half-ish will probably give you a good sense of Georgetown, but probably not enough time to see much of the rest of Penang (snake temple, nice beaches). If you like central market/petaling street in KL you will like Georgetown as it is a focal point of Chinese Malaysian culture, incorporating Indian and Malay influences too. It's kind of like a Singapore that never became a metropolis.
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Sep 7, 2011 13:38
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Cuahtemoc posted:Any recommendations for while we're in Bali ? I'm thinking lots of relaxing / massages, white water rafting, scuba diving out of Padang Bai, safari park, do some walks etc. If anyone has specific recommendations that'd be great. As Ubud is a cultural hub in Bali, see a puppet show or a Ramayana performance. There are good art museums and galleries in the town as well. Also, hiring a driver for a day cost us about $50 when we were there and was a really good way of seeing large parts of the island - especially the volcanic upland terraces - and getting to see some of the out of the way temples.
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Sep 7, 2011 13:43
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If you want to get to Penang and don't want to see anything on the way (and if you're getting a bus, all you'll see is a highway) but don't want to spend much money, look in to flying Firefly from the old KL airport (Subang) to Penang. Some fares are as cheap as 20 ringgit + tax. Malaysia is awesome. I think your schedule is too tight - personally I'd skip Langkawi and spend time in the Cameron Highlands instead. Penang is a cool place, but Langkawi is just a big Muslim farming island with some OK beaches and some nice scenery - there's not a hell of a lot in the way of history or accessible culture, and to my mind it's entirely skippable. Good high end resorts and some interesting night markets make up for it, as do the outlying islands - but it's not an easy place to see in a day or two.
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Sep 7, 2011 14:32
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Steve. posted:Malaysia is awesome. I think your schedule is too tight - personally I'd skip Langkawi and spend time in the Cameron Highlands instead. I totally agree that my schedule is far too tight. I had been spending over a month with my family in Korea, and I haven't lived with family for over 10 years so you can imagine how crazy we were driving each other - so I had to get out. I only chose Singapore and Malaysia because Singapore was cheap to fly to, and I had to be in Bangkok by September 13 anyway. I poked around online about the Cameron Highlands and I think you've sold me on it! The problem, as you very correctly identified, is that my schedule is far too tight! Here's my newly revised travel plan, then. I'd go see the Batu Caves in the morning on the 9th, and then get to Puduraya Central Bus Station in KL by around 2pm so I can catch a bus to Tanah Rata before it gets dark (it looks like Father's Guest House or Daniel's Lodge / Kang's Traveler's Lodge is where I'd stay, unless someone has a better suggestion in the <30RM price range). On the 11th, I'd catch a bus to Butterworth, take a ferry to Penang, and sleep overnight there, before coming back to Butterworth to catch a train (on the 12th) so that I can get to Bangkok by the 13th. Phew!
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Sep 7, 2011 16:33
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I stayed at Fathers Guest House a couple of years back and it was pretty good - even did decent (or at least passable) bacon and eggs for breakfast  The bus ride up to the Cameron Highlands is quite something even for Malaysia (and I've spent a hell of a lot of time on buses there) - the roads are narrow, the drivers are crazy and everyone seems to be in a real hurry. Backing off on your schedule is a good idea, sometimes travel simply doesn't go as planned so its better to have at least some time up your sleeve. Case in point it took me about 10 hours to get from KL to Tanah Rata due to two broken down buses.
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Sep 8, 2011 01:20
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There's a really good sale on now, ~$450USD return to vietnam. Problem is sale ends in 4 days and the sale period is between mid Oct till mid Dec this year and Feb till end of March next year. My studies finish in November so I still have time to travel this year but I wanted more time to organise stuff so I was thinking of flying next year. I know the dry season is till April so plenty of time. I'm a bit hesitant to put money down so soon, I thought I'd get more time to think about where I'd like to go, if I wanted to visit other countries, book tours. I was after more of a free Holiday with little concrete destination and more spontaneous. Not sure to if I should book my flights and hope for the best and organise myself between then and now. I was thinking a month in Vietnam, too long?
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Sep 8, 2011 03:03
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For Malaysia I'd highly, highly recommend the perhentian islands, specifically the small island perhntian kecil. I spent a week there last month and loved it. It's tiny but super chill, and it's primarily a dive spot. Small party scene at night but loads of fun. It reminded me of a tiny version of koh Tao October is the end of the season though, so you'd have to go before the end of Oct. And when I say end of season I mean it's pretty much vacated and there's like no drinking water til February.
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Sep 8, 2011 07:31
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Pretty good read: http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/fry_in_thailand.php I find it especially interesting, since people tend to rep the Bangkok Post pretty hard.
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Sep 8, 2011 22:13
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We've been in BKK since late Sunday night. It was hard (for me at least) to enjoy Bangkok at first, but I've come to like it quite a bit. We stopped by Khao San Road the other day and I'm pretty glad we didn't stay there. I think we've aged out of the demographic that populates the area, heh. We are staying near Lumphini Park, planning on hitting the muay thai fights tonight. Sheep-Goats, since we are so close, today we are going to do the Silom tour you suggested. We'll head to your favorite food stall and see if we can work out how to say that we read about her on the internet (if she's the one working the stall, anyway). My husband is Mexican and we've noticed that he gets stared at all day every day by both Thais and foreigners. No one has been rude, but it is sort of amusing. The bartender at our hotel has been especially friendly and helpful to us (helping us speak Thai and recommending things to do). We would like to get him a small gift to show our appreciation, but we're not sure what to get someone who lives here. I know the de facto gift for men is a bottle of whiskey or something, but he doesn't seem like a big drinker. Any suggestions?
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Sep 9, 2011 02:42
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A 500 or 1000 baht note packed with some small material gift won't be out of place -- fold one in half lengthwise and tape it around a bottle of Redbull or whatever. I gave my laundry lady a 500b bonus each Christmas. Enjoy the area! If Tukta's son is there he speaks some English. I'm 6' 3'' so maybe that can help communicate who sent you. Easiest way to say the internet sent you would be to take a picture of the post on your phone and show her that. raton fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Sep 9, 2011 |
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Sep 9, 2011 03:34
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We did your tour almost to a tee. Got off the MRT at Si Lom and walked all the way down, stopping at a few stalls on the way. Two 90 pound asian women made us their bitches at Chang Massage (and we loved it). Almost wish we had done this earlier in the week so we had time to go back and get more massages, heh. Stopped into the temple and... it was amazing. We did the whole Bangkok wat thing earlier in the week, and while we had an amazing time then, the Hindu temple was a nice twist. It was unfortunate that we couldn't take pictures. I know we COULD have taken stealth pictures, but we didn't, out of respect. Lots of amazing colors and detailed imagery, lots of devoted people. We gave offerings to the Brahmin and got blessed. Gave the milk and bananas we received to a man begging on the street. I could not find Tukta. We found her stall but she wasn't there. We had a meal on that street though, and it was amazing. I know I'm just some faceless stranger on the internet, but seriously, thank you, because my husband and I agreed that this has been the best day of our trip so far. Also, our bartender squealed like a little girl when we gave him the gift (he's very gay, but it was so cute!). Thanks again. Also, I used a squat toilet today and didn't make a mess. Proud of myself about that, as gross as it may sound. Still not sure about the butt sprayer though.
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Sep 9, 2011 13:17
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Butt sprayer rules 
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Sep 9, 2011 14:17
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moflika posted:Pretty good read: http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/fry_in_thailand.php So, for purposes of this thread, avoid journalism and insulting Thai people's honor publicly and you will find it a lovely country - I do! Heh.
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Sep 9, 2011 14:57
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I guess I shouldn't take this journalism degree, I'm working on, to Thailand. Cambodia it is then!
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Sep 9, 2011 15:01
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Fiskenbob posted:I guess I shouldn't take this journalism degree, I'm working on, to Thailand. Cambodia it is then!
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Sep 9, 2011 15:04
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