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I call Vietnam writeup! (or at least the start of it, I know a lot of you have seen more of it)
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Jan 29, 2010 23:50
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 11:35 |
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Ringo, what is that font you are using for the images?
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Feb 1, 2010 02:33
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I like cheese! (Writeup moved to OP) Cheesemaster200 fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Feb 1, 2010 |
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Feb 1, 2010 02:33
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We, (The T&T forum) should make our own Wiki....
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Feb 3, 2010 16:50
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brendanwor posted:Anyone got some recommendations for things to do in Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh other than the war museums/reunification palace/Notre Dame cathedral and Killing Fields/Genocide museum/Sisowath Quay respectively? Just go to an ATM and take out 2 million or so. Much easier than dealing with dollars. People will accept USD, but prices are in VND. As far as Saigon is concerned, are you looking for cheap things to do or do you have a good amount of money? The Zoo is pretty nice from what I hear, and I spend a night on the rooftop of the Rex Hotel. Overprices, yes. But it had a lot of good atmosphere and they set the mood as if it was 1965. Make sure to head out of Cu Chi if you have the time.
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Feb 5, 2010 03:23
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RangerScum posted:I just got back from a relatively short trip in Thailand - 9 days. from Chicago???  That is a long trip for that amount of time.
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Feb 8, 2010 15:47
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RangerScum posted:Agreed, but I only get so much vacation per year. Going to go somewhere a little closer next time, or save up every possible vacation day and take a 15 day trip or something. I can't be one to talk though, I am in the same situation where I don't have much vacation time and I want to go to all these far off places...
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Feb 8, 2010 18:11
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Bulging Nipples posted:The vacation has to be on the terms you can set. It would be fantastic if we could all have 4 months off to travel through southeast asia (and props to the people who can/are adventurous enough to) but sometimes we have jobs. Sometimes they are jobs that we like that we couldn't possibly get more than a week or two off, or aren't willing to quit to take a few months off. I went to thailand for 8 days a couple weeks ago. Was it long enough? No, but I had to be back at work on monday. I still had a blast, though and I'm off to Malaysia for a week on friday. Unfortunately I couldnt get the vacation in a giant block, but that's life. When I was in Thailand I had a ton of people scoff at my one week trip, telling me I wasn't seeing the true Thailand cause I wasn't backpacking for a month. Maybe in a way they are right, but you know what? gently caress them. It's YOUR vacation. Take the opportunities you are given and enjoy the hell out of it, no matter how long or short they may be. The way I look at it is: would you rather go somewhere and say "it just wasn't long enough" or not go at all? It also helped that, because I am employed, I had a bigger budget to work with. This let me take flights everywhere and essentially remove myself from the budget traveling which so often takes up time.
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Feb 9, 2010 17:19
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ReindeerF posted:I tried to temper my review of Vietnam when I posted the original thread about 4 years ago, but it was the most dishonest and aggressive place I encountered in SE Asia outside The Philippines. Plenty of wonderful people and great experiences, but way more than its fair share of hucksters and ripoffs. The Philippines is probably just as bad, frankly, mostly due to English. Still, the further you get from the water in Vietnam the better everything is from what I gather. I've got friends that lived there for a decade now and they pretty much concur that it's way more aggressive, but they also enjoyed their time there and don't have any substantive complaints. When/where did you go there? I had no problems outside the touts in Hanoi, and even then they were nowhere near as bad as the ones at the major sites in Bangkok.
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Feb 16, 2010 22:39
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Anyone notice any cheap transpacific flights from the US this summer? Airfare to anywhere has appeared to skyrocket.
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Mar 7, 2010 18:51
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I think we need a Visa FAQ in the OP...
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Apr 19, 2010 22:11
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I am kind of uneasy what is going to happen once the king inevitably dies. He seems to be the proverbial backstop to political unrest in Thailand, and everyone knows it. When he is gone there will be a gap in power where a lot of public opinion will be up for grabs...
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Apr 27, 2010 00:38
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Do not bring Cambodian Reals out of the country, you will NOT be able to change them anywhere.
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May 23, 2010 18:36
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dwoloz posted:I changed some in Bangkok but you'll want to bring your lube... Best to use them up in the country as stated. Not likely you'll end up with much anyway since in Siem Reap and PP and elsewhere it's used only in lieu of US coins (<$1) My friend who I was traveling with thought it would be a fantastic idea to change $200 into Riels at the Siem Reap airport. We kept telling him it was a bad idea and dollars would probably be fine (especially since the ATM next to the visa counter dispensed dollars to buy your visa in dollars), but he went through with it anyway. Lets just say he was not happy when we were leaving Bangkok... I think I do have a few 1000r notes though hanging around, makes a good souvenir.
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May 28, 2010 15:12
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I have decided to either cash in my FF miles to get a flight to "somewhere in Asia" for 11 days by myself before I start grad school. Been to Vietnam extensively, Cambodia in Siem Reap, and Bangkok/Pattaya for a few days (ie. not much of Thailand). Would really like to see a new country. Thinking flying into Singapore and checking out the city and Malaysia a bit. Also considering flying into Hong Kong and then out of Beijing or Shanghai. I know its a short time, but I want to use my vacation. I can't take another big trip until next august because of school. Any suggestions?
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May 31, 2010 21:24
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ReindeerF posted:Most people I know who live here a long time like Laos the best for hanging out. Dunno what that's worth. I'm not a huge Singapore detractor, but to me it's not worth flying around the world for. Feels like a giant business district. Malaysia, what little I've seen of it (KL), is something I enjoy more - but really KL is the least interesting thing in Malaysia from what everyone tells me. If I were in your shoes, but also in my shoes, I'd hit Laos or Indonesia just because I haven't spent enough time in Laos and I haven't seen Indonesia at all - and everyone raves about the islands in Indonesia and pretty much everything except Vieng Viang in Laos. That and I only got to see the armpits of Thailand (Pattaya @ Khao San, though I did spend a day at CentralWorld, RIP), so I wouldn't mind heading up to Chiang mai (or however its spelled) on my way to Laos. What would be a good itinerary for like 10 days our of Bangkok? EDIT Can you rent a motorbike in Chiang Mai and take it into Laos? Would you want to? Rhombus unfortunately got himself banned... Cheesemaster200 fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Jun 1, 2010 |
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Jun 1, 2010 19:07
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Ringo R posted:Although I've never tried I'm sure the answer is NO CAN on bringing your rented motorbike across the border. Otherwise people in the armpits of Thailand would be constantly renting and selling it across the border. I've heard stories that even Thais do this and some places refuse to rent to Thais Another fun fact: It is apparently only $5 to fly from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia...
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Jun 2, 2010 04:26
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They usually keep your passport as deposit or a hilarious amount of money (more than what the bike is worth).
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Goddamn, airfare is so loving expensive now... Last year I got an open jaw flight into Hanoi and out of Bangkok for $1050 in the middle of the summer. Now I can't get anything for less than $1650 round trip BKK...
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Jun 3, 2010 01:41
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Pompous Rhombus posted:I missed Dorkroom and this thread too much to stay away for long AA doesn't seem too bad. To use their partners (Cathay Pacific) I need to call their reservation line, but they direct flights into Narita have an abundance of their super-saver reward ticket for the end of July/August. How is motorbiking by yourself? My biggest fear is breaking down and/or dropping the bike in the middle of the jungle. How about accomodation, is it abundant and accommodating to motorbikes?
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Jun 3, 2010 02:35
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When I mentioned "dropping it", I was more referring to low siding into a jungle ditch or something and breaking my leg. I am assuming most of the roads are unpaved/somewhat muddy and you aren't moving that quickly anyway, so I don't know much of an issue this is. Obviously though there is risk no matter what the road condition and/or speed. And I am assuming you were by yourself most of the time? As far as schedule is concerned, here's my rough idea: - Fly into Bangkok - Stay 1-2 days in Bangkok - Fly to Udon Thani in morning, take bus to Vientiane border, see what few sights are downtown there. - Rent motorbike in morning, see some sights on outside of Vientiane, head to Vang Vieng. - *maybe* gently caress around in Vang Vieng with the whole tubing scam, depending on who I meet there and how tired I am. - Head to Luang Prabang - Put around north country for 2-3 days - Drop of bike in Luang Prabang (many rental companies apparently do this) - Flight back to Bangkok (if I can get one) - Depart Cheesemaster200 fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Jun 3, 2010 |
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Jun 3, 2010 04:02
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Sheep-Goats posted:Same price, less convenient, in my limited experience. The DC area is more expensive than going out of NYC or west coast.
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Jun 7, 2010 22:00
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God damnit Cathay Pacific....:
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Jun 23, 2010 21:33
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http://www.rei.com/product/762163 Best pants I have ever owned. Worn them in SE Asia motorcycling, all the way to the top of Kilimanjaro. They are cool in tropical climates, and warm when it gets colder out. They can go over layers, have very well placed pockets, and don't really get dirty from a "smells like poo poo" standpoint.
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Jul 29, 2010 01:10
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I flew into Siem Reap from HCMC, it took about half a day and we got to spend some time at Angkor for sunset. For the ride over to Bangkok, we hired a car for like $20 to Poipet (2-3h or so), crossed the border, took a tuk tuk to the bus station, sat at the bus station for like an hour. Then we took the bus to bangkok, broke down in the middle of a downpour, had to transfer bus, left some poo poo in the old bus, arrive in bangkok at like 11PM and the city was flooded. Looked for a hotel, ended up staying in some $5/night shithole which smelled so bad that I could not sleep because it was the only one we could access in Khao San without wading through 2 feet of sewage. Moral of this story? If we flew we would have gotten to Khao San at like 2PM, chosen a nice hotel/guesthouse, and had a much more enjoyable time overall. We were only there for a little under three weeks, and time was a major factor in our travel plans. We essentially wasted a day with that adventure and although it was experience, it was a pain in the rear end. Don't go overland to/from Cambodia unless you have time to spare.
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Nov 15, 2010 19:52
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Ringo R posted:Any of you Bangkok vets (sheep, spog, pompous etc) know someone I can talk to regarding a Thai person threatening to sue me after a traffic accident? Can PM more details.
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Nov 19, 2010 20:48
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Is Vang Vieng really that bad? I know you guys don't like things which are touristy and "non-authentic", but the whole concept of tubing seems kind of intriguing to me. Assuming you are just looking to have a good time, is it still worth it?
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Dec 20, 2010 18:02
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Rhombus, what is the chance of me killing myself if I rented a motorbike in Vientiane and went over to Luang Prabang? I have my motorcycle license in the US and have ridden in Vietnam before. Is it a lot more laid back? How is the traffic? (in and out of the city) Also, what/where is that temple somewhere in Laos that I have seen a few times from your pictures. Looks really run down, had nobody around it (tourist wise), low to the ground and had this long approach.
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Dec 27, 2010 06:45
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My plan is to spend around week in Laos and rent a motorbike out of Vientiane and ride up to LP with a pit stop at Vang Vieng as well as exploring the countryside. That temple is the one I was talking about. How hard would it be to get there given my above itinerary/time frame? Also, my biggest concern is what to do with the bike when I go exploring and find a cave I want to look at. Are there people who you can pay to look over the bike? Are they always reliable? Do guest houses have provisions to watch the bike when you stay there? For example, when you went exploring that temple complex, what did you do with the bike? It also seems that most rental companies take your passport as collateral, is this normal?
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Dec 27, 2010 18:46
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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?
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Jan 14, 2011 22:54
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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?
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Jan 19, 2011 20:14
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How is traveling solo through Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore? I have almost a month of vacation I have been saving up and I can't seem to convince anyone to go with me during my sweet spot between graduate course semesters in August. Thinking of just doing it myself.
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Feb 4, 2011 23:20
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mrfart posted:I'm on a trip in thailand/ Laos at the moment. Did you do that ride by yourself? How was it?
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Feb 14, 2011 15:51
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What has been everyone's experience with booking intra-region flights as a game time decision? I am more or less sure that I will be flying into Thailand beginning in late July and staying for another 3-4 weeks (don't ask me how I pulled that off while working full time). I want to motorbike from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, go to Chiang Mai, go to some sort of beach (Ko Samui probably), and if I have time fly down to Singapore/Malaysia. The problem is I have no idea how long I want to do all this stuff. I might want to extend my motorbike trip all the way to Pakse, go to a full moon part, or stop by Siem Reap if a few friends decide to actually go with me on this. Therefore, it would be hard for me to really pinpoint when and where I would want to take flights from. Personally I would like to do the entire trip sort of ad lib, but I understand that might not be possible.
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Feb 28, 2011 03:27
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When you go overland though, you get to have the experience of crossing the Cambodia frontier! No trip to SE Asia is complete without a visit to the quaint border town of Poipet.
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Mar 8, 2011 16:02
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So I am 90% sure I am going to SE Asia from the end of July to the end of August for 3-1/2 weeks. I am also pretty sure I will be by myself while doing it. I have never really traveled by myself before, much less for 3-1/2 weeks. Anyone have any tips, tricks or suggestions for traveling solo? Rhombus, I know you went solo for your motorcycling thing, anything I should do for that. I want to go to Laos for about a week and do some motorbiking. My biggest concern is safety by myself though, what would be your opinion on that? Also, my passport expires mid-2012. It has three pages left and I am a visa whore in that I like to get as many stamps as possible. Should I renew now, especially since I already have half of SE Asia on my passport?
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Apr 19, 2011 16:39
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Pompous Rhombus posted:So jealous! I wanted to take a trip back around that time for a friend's birthday, but starting a job at the end of July (itself a very good thing). From a safety standpoint, I am more worried about "getting run over by a drunken farmhand in Laos" rather than getting mugged or something. Did you find in your travels that you felt unsafe riding along on the motorcycle? In Vietnam everything was chaotic, yes, but I never really felt that unsafe since speeds were so low most of the time.
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Apr 20, 2011 22:12
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caberham posted:Have fun! I find it very liberating when I did travel on my own for such a long period of time. Basically, as long as you have your passport and money, you can go anywhere you want! Just have cash and use the credit card for large purchases like airfare or pricey hotels. Another question though for anyone who has done this. Considering going to Rangoon and potentially Bagan, however I don't want to make any hard plans on this. Therefore, I was planning on getting a Myanmar visa from the embassy in DC (only $20 and I live an hour away). They require proof of travel. Since I wont book a flight until a few days before, could I put my international airfare to Bangkok instead? Anyone have experience with this? My plan is to be as free in my travel plans as possible. Fly into Bangkok on one day, fly out of Bangkok/Singapore on another, and whatever happens in between is not decided until I do it.
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Apr 21, 2011 03:01
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Awesome, good luck if you decide to go through with the move! There are some Sing-goons that could probably answer your questions a lot better than I can, although I don't think any of them post in this thread. poo poo, I loved the Minsk for the full 12 hours that I rode it. Aside from the fact that the shifter would sometimes "downshift" into 4th (from any gear) and the saddle bags came off of course...
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Apr 21, 2011 03:34
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Whats everyone's opinion on what guidebook to use? should I get the SE Asia encompassed one, or ones for Laos, Burma, Thailand etc. I kind of want to pack light, but the big SE Asia one has a lot of crap that I don't care about and less stuff that I do care about. Also, Rhombus, when you bought your bike how exactly (and where) did you do it? If its only a $300-500 purchase, I might consider it. How hard was it to procure? Was there any paperwork?
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Apr 22, 2011 20:44
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 11:35 |
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Ok, so here are my options for airfare: Departing: Afternoon train up to JFK to evening before to hit the 1:20AM flight. This flight is both cheaper and has the following options: (1) 12h layover in Honk Kong (kind of want to get lunch, see Victoria Peak, etc) and then arrive in BKK at like late afternoon (7ish). (2) ~2h layover in Hong Kong, arrive in Bangkok at like 10:30AM. Both flights will entail a 16 hour JFK->HKG leg. Return: Fly out of Bangkok to DC because I need to be at work the next day  These flights are limited to like 12 hours, but there are more legs. The big question is; I have enough FF points to book first one way on Cathay Pacific departing, or AA returning. Which way do I fly first? The departing leg would make sense because it is like a super-red-eye leaving at 1:20AM, and if I did Hong Kong for 12 hours it would help a lot. For returning, I just remember hating life a lot more than going there from my last trip. For some reason the return always sucks a lot more then the departure. I also don't know which has better 1st, AA or Cathay Pacific.
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Apr 23, 2011 18:11
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