Travel Tips: South East Asia -

[The Spoons]

Hey guys!

I'm moving my ass to Canada at the end of the year and on the way over I'm spending a 2 months in S/E Asia.

Does anyone have any travel advice, must see atractions, awesome activities or stuff to steer clear of?

I land in Phuket on the 27th of October so I was thinking of doing the full moon party. Then North and across to Laos, Down to Cambodia and back up the east coast of Vietnam. I fly out of Hong Kong to Vancouver to conclude my holiday.

What do you reckon, I have two months.. nothing is set in stone except my two flights.

What would you do?

Edited July 17, 2009 by The Spoons

[ThunderIdeal]

there's a place near phuket with heaps of tigers, and you can pat them and stuff, if you pay extra you can take them for a stroll, feed a cub, and stuff.

tigers are big. i'd do that. you can also ride elephants in thailand.

there are these little taxis call "tuk-tuks" which don't cost much but apparently they always try to detour past certain stores and make you have a look because they get petrol vouchers when they drop off tourists.

that's about all i know.

[alkatrope]

Angkor

Phi Phi Islands

Hoi An

Ku Chi Tunnels

Sapa

Watch out your hotel in Phnom Penh isn't a brothel.

[nabraxas]

Angkor ( & if you're feeling game Sihanoukville [book a room in advance]---& sadly there isn't much else to see in Cambodia---)

Hoi An ( agree, but i'd visit Bac Ha rather than tourist trap Sapa.)

the Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) in Laos are a great place to chill out too, & while in

Laos head to Vang Vieng for some outright headonism [book a riverside bungalow in advance], Luang Prabang for some culture & keep going North for some great trekking.

[Chiral]

Only been to Thailand twice but each time was for 2 weeks and then 10 days the latest time was accompanied by local Thai family on my arrival and throughout my trip....staying with them in their house out in the rural areas, seeing how it is to live way out of any major city was nice...obviously the food is outstanding and you can simply spend so much time enjoying the Thai way of life by sitting at many eatery's enjoying cheap fresh tasty food as you enjoy the scenery.

Phuket..seriously great game fishing off around the islands and reefs for very little money. Cheap tattoo shops if that's your thing..hire a bike and ride it right round the whole island in a very short time. The beaches out of the main part of town are spectacular too.

Pataya... lots of Buddhist temples to walk through and forest trails to take...outrageous bars, girls and shows to be had.

Bangkok... A hot humid stinking city that is as crazy and dangerous as it is magical and traditional..be very careful of your belongings and watch your drinks in bars...scopolamine has been known to be used more frequently on tourists of late.

Have spent a great deal of time in Indo but as I see your S E Asian leg of trip doesn't cover there I'll shut up. Good luck in Canada...I nearly migrated over there in 2006.

H.

[sethomopod]

I can give some tips for Vietnam, Been there often, The Cu Chi tunnels is well worth seeing, 250kms of underground tunnels that they hid in during the war. Up to 5 levels downs, Amazing resourcefulness! You get to walk thru a fair few, All set up with mannequins dressed in Viet Cong garb. Not for the claustrophobic! you have to squat walk thru them (and they've widened them for westerners) very hot too. Some of the home made booby traps make yours eyes water just looking at them! ALSO! If it's your thing, (It sure as hell is mine!) you have the opportunity to fire some big fuckin guns! I got to unload a mounted 30 cal belt fed (Browning?) An AK-47, an M60 (started a small fire with that!) and other rifles and pistols! You can get there from Ho Chi Minh, about 2 and half hrs. Travels guys cost alot, We hired a taxi for the whole day, it worked out cheaper and we took our own time. Ho Chi Minh is a wild place! Not enough space to go into all the fun you could have! Check out the 'westerners' district to wet your feet, The bar 'Alles vous' on the corner rocks, also check out the beef noodle soup at the cappuccino cafe (yeah, real Vietnamese name but great food!) Also the man in the pic, you WILL see if you go to this place, his name is Chinh Beer! buy him a Large Tiger beer and he can make your stay all the more fun! He's a good man. Took 5 years for me to be invited into his home! (thats a story in of its self!) Seriously, you WILL see him, take my advice and shout him a beer! Check out the war crimes museum..a very interesting place, Be prepared to see real babies with real birth defects from agent orange in jars!

Another place up a little further north is Nha Trang, I love this place! laid back beachtown, (like surfers 20 yrs ago!) This a heaven on earth! You gotta do the 4 island tour! non stop party on and in the water! I'm a little biased though, I have spent most of my time in Nha Trang, My family grow aussie mangoes in Cam Duc, about 45 mins away, so I wasnt so much the tourist. Alot of backpackers end up there so nightlife is always pumping! Gotta check out a very popular bar there called Crazy Kims, Fuckin great atmosphere, and the Lady who owns it puts alot of money into the eradication of the underage sex trade there, which unfortunately, Nha Trang has become known for. as well as education for the kids who have to sell postcards rather than go to school, (there a makeshift classroom out the back of the bar! the little boy in the pic is John Hoa, buy some postcard off him, he has respect!) Also not far from Nha Trang is the mud baths, YOU MUST GET ONE! shell out a few more bucks for the private baths, The mud is choc fulla mineral goodness! dont be shy, wash your hair with it, It'll never feel better afterwards! theres hot mineral springwater baths too! Theres so much to see and do over there, You'll have a ball!!!

My hand hurts, so I'm gonna stop typing..........

Have fun and let us know how you went!!

[B. Loco]

I was in Laos three months ago, and if you want to get high, stop at Vang Vieng - check out "The Island" and a place called the SUnset Bar. An outdoor joint near the river. Two of us shared a dope herb & garlic bread and had a mushroom shake each, and were totally munted for about 12 hours. Very nice . "The Island" is generally where all the heads meet, with the exception of occasional confused straight travellers who get there and dont quite understand the atmosphere.

Further to that, Laos is a tough journey by road if you dont go for a small minivan. My advice is to spend the extra 10 dollars or so. We started in Bokeo Province, did the "Gibbon Experience" (expensive but awesome - Youtube it! Fucking once-in-a-lifetime stuff) then a 12 fucking hour slow bus ride to Luang Prabang (a truly beautiful 'city' of 200,000 people or so), then a shorter one to Vang Vieng.

The capital of Vientienne is, well, pretty fucking crap. ALthough when night falls, getting drunk on the banks of the Mekong is pretty cool. Sunset is particularly spectacular.

Went to Cambodia in 2008 - if you want to chill out and have access to lots of anything, weed, H, guns, women, whatever tickles your fancy, the the riverside area of Phom Penh is great. Actually it's great even if you dont want that stuff. Really good vibe, if you dont mind Tuk Tuk drivers trying to hustle you (personally I loved that part of it too). Try and make you way out to the "Killing Fields" as well as the "S-21" school, if you want to feel a bit of how fucked up modern humanity can be. Personally it changed me.

And if you (and you MUST) go to Siem Reap to visit the temples, go the old ferry that is a 8 or so hour trip down the guts of the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Asia (its fucking HUGE). To me, that is the BEST way to get from PP to SR.

Siem Ream is Ok, some of the temples are mind-blowing, not just the big one (which is so fucking touristy but an essential visit anyway). Get to know a local bike rider or Tuk Tuk guy, negotiate a price for a day trip (and forget about the ones who pull the laminated tour card on you - they are a rip off). Try and find a young student, you'll be doing them a favour and also might get to know a bit more of the Cambodian lifestyle.

When you get back to town, look for a place called the "laundry Bar', the clientelle and the music there is seriously chilled ina way that could only exist in Cambodia. Lots of weed freely available too.

Vietnam - went there in 2007. It's great - but don't listen to everyone who says Saigon is the place to go. It's just another fucking Sydney. For me, Hanoi (in the North) was the most vibrant city. Not really anything specific, and drugs aren't really all over the place in Vietnam, but it's nice. In fact we went down the coast (eventually ended up in Saigon) and I have to say that between Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam, the latter seems to have the most open people if you find a way to get into the local's way of doing things. If you stay in that safe hub of being a wanker tourist, it'll all just be asian-travelling eye candy, and you may as well stay at home with some library books.

[B. Loco]

Ah and what the last guy said, the Chu Chi tunnels is great. Goes to show the resilience of the locals against those american cunts at the time. Brutal trap systems, but fuck it, it was their backyard. I particularly enjoyed an impaling trap that was made entirely from recycled american bomb housings. Sometimes you really do reap what you sow.

[MindExpansion]

Get to phi phi island if you can, that place is lovely, id move there tomorrow if i could.

And try to get some SCUBA diving in too, i did when i was in phi phi and it was amazing, and you dont need your license to go for a single dive either (over there? Don't know I've got my license here and didnt think you could dive at all here without the license)!

Peace

[The Spoons]

Thanks so much everyone!

I'll definitely be checking out Vang Vieng!

Has anyone spent time in the south of Laos?

Is it worth going down there or should i head straight to Cambodia?

Thanks again.. I'll update later with my plan.

[faustus]

i'm planning a SE asia trek too. keep em coming

[Μορφέας]

im booked for 3 weeks in thailand and where ever i end up going leaving Nov 30, Thanks for all the tips, As Faustus said keep the recommendation flowing!

Edited July 21, 2009 by Μορφέας

[nabraxas]

Has anyone spent time in the south of Laos?

As i said the the Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) in Laos are a great place to chill out, the Reggae Bar on Don Det is a cool spot

Southern Laos in general seem a very relaxed part ov the world.

The ancient Khmer religious complex at Wat Phu Champasak is also worth a look.

It's pretty cheap to fly.

[Zen Peddler]

Two places I went to that ive told SOO many people to go to are Ko Muuk and Ko Sukhon. Secluded, quiet and relatively off the beaten track enough for the locals to come up and stare at you rather than be jaded like in all the touristy spots

[faustus]

traveller's guide to getting high

http://www.webehigh.com

[Korky]

great link, helping with a trip to indonesia.

another vote for laos, beautiful country beautiful people and all the extremes of experience in culture, isolation, and of course vang vieng.

(not sure if its been mentioned but you can hire a tube and float down the river (in groups with people form all over the world), stopping at make shift bars that sell beers and bifta's, with bamboo diving platforms and huge rope swings, and have the same bob marley cd on constant replay, its nothing to do with seeing laos as a country but man does it put a smile on the dial. ) oh and do the cave tour, floating with a life jacket on through a cave. well worthy.

enjoy

kork

Edited July 26, 2009 by Korky

[The Spoons]

It's pretty cheap to fly.

Isn't Air Laos more than just a wee bit dodgy?

[nabraxas]

Isn't Air Laos more than just a wee bit dodgy?

we flew a couple ov times w/Air Laos, it seemed pretty cool/safe to me & i don't remember reading any warnings in guidebooks about it; safer than the speedboat that took us up the Mekong from Huay Xai to Xieng Kok, that's a trip where the warnings in the guidebooks make sense, especially when it's been raining for the previous 24 hours...

[The Spoons]

Just thought i'd revive this thread as i have just extended my trip by an extra 4 weeks! (woo hoo for me)

I've included an extra 21 days in the Philippines. I'm going through my Lonley Planet books and searching the internet but i thought i'd throw it out there and see if anyone on here had any sage words on traveling in that part of the world.

I've heard it can be very dangerous in the bigger cities and the culinary experience can be somewhat of an adventure. Is there anywhere in the Philippines i should be aware of? Any little tricks or other tips?

Your advice will be graciously received.

[B. Loco]

Isn't Air Laos more than just a wee bit dodgy?

Allegedly Air Laos had a very bad track record until recent years, back when they were flying shitty old hand-me-downs from Russia or China (can't remember). But these days their fleet is quite reliable by comparison. The growing tourist industry ensures that the government will make sure there's no bad experiences in the world media about visitors dying in planes. In fact of the 10-15 flights I have taken in my life, the Air Laos journey was the best. Comfy seats, small capacity (maybe 50 people?), good feeling about the craft and the way the motors ran.

Here's the plane, and the laid back airstrip that we touched down on on our short trip from Vientiane to Huay Xai (took to the air because we were on a time line to get north in a hurry, but ended up doing the trip back from HX to VT by road - with stopovers - but that's another story. Why am I even justifying it you you, gentle reader?!)

Propellers to fly, witches hats to land. That's all the airline industry really needs. VIP lounge my arse

Spoons, so when are you leaving ? And what have you loosely decided upon in the last month since you started this topic ? Apart from the Philipines......

OFF TOPIC: For other potential travellers to SE Asia, I saw a return airfare deal, Sydney > Hanoi > Sydney the other day for $811.00, inclusive of all taxes. Damn my employment status, and the absence of more paid holiday leave !

[The Spoons]

Spoons, so when are you leaving ? And what have you loosely decided upon in the last month since you started this topic ? Apart from the Philipines......

Right now the plan is as follows: Sydney - THAILAND: Phuket (27/10) - Ko Tao (Scuba) - Ko Phangan (Full Moon party 02/11) - Krabi - Ko Similan - Bangkok - Chang Mai - Pai - Chang Rai - LAOS: Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng - Vientiane - VIETNAM: Han Oi - Sapa - Halong Bay - Hue - Hoi An/Da Nang - Nha Trang - Mu Nei - Ho Chi Minh - CAMBODIA: Phnum Penh - Siemriab - (Transit: Bangkok - Singapore) PHILIPPINES: Manila - El Nido - Sipalay - Cebu (Transit: Singapore) - Hong Kong - Vancouver (19/01)

If you have google earth you can check out my trip by loading the attached file (if it worked).

[mu!]

any advice on what NOT to do or places to go in some of these countries? cant help but think there's a fair bit of sketchiness in it for whitey foreigners trekking their way through the less beaten paths

[The Spoons]

Hello fellows,

Just thought i'd drop a line and give my 2 cents after traveling SE asia for the last 5 months.

The top 5 places to visit:

1. Vang Vieng (Laos)- get there before it gets fucked by the government, apparently the new govenor is some old school army type who is cracking down on the somewhat festive nature of the town.

2. Port Barton (Philippines) Fantastic place. The Philippine way of life takes a few days to get used to but once you do you fall back into a beautiful land of waterfalls, isolated islands and jungle trails. Its a time vacuum.

3. Ko Tao (Thailand) As close to paradise as you can get. Seriously, white sandy beaches, crystal blue water, pristine marine life, loads of beautiful women (Thai and western).

4. Da Lat (Vietnam) Wicked mountains, GO CANYONING HERE!!

5. Phi Phi island (Thailand) You may have heard that it's been ruined by tourism but in all honesty it still has the best snorkeling you can find right off the beach. Make sure you stay OUTSIDE of Phi Phi town though, try long beach, its cheaper and you can see white tip reef sharks right off your back porch.

Ohh and if you're going to the full moon party, do yourself a MASSIVE favor; STAY OFF KO PHANGAN!! cannot stress this enough. Sooooooo many peoples bungalows get robbed during the full moon (mine included). The ferry starts really early in the morning so you dont have to be sleeping at the dock for hours, you can just go back to Samui or Tao, to your nice comfy (cheap and safe) bed in the morning.

Good luck everyone, "seasons greetings" wink wink

Spoony

[bℓσωηG]

hey cool thanks been looking at this ol thread today wondering where the fuk to ya go

[nabraxas]

glad to hear you had a good time, apart from being robbed.

While i really liked Vang Vieng it really wasn't like being in Laos.

The number ov folks going tubing who ignore the signs imploring them to respect the Lao sensibility & not walk through the middle ov town in their swim suits...i mean guys walking down the street in their budgie smugglers hardly ever looks good...