| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Travelling Paul
Baggage Handler
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
Location: London
10 ants
|
 Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:31 am Post subject: laos, thailand, vietnam, cambodia |
 |
|
hello everybody
i'm new to this forum and have just started to look around a bit. anyways, i'd like to go to laos, thailand, vietnam and cambodia on one trip - where to start and how much time should i plan?
thanks for any suggestions  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
dwibre
Trainee Steward
Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Posts: 30
Location: UK
31 ants
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 3:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| How much time do you have I did 3 weeks in Thailand and 3 Weeks in Vietnam that was long enough to see the highlights. I guess I would allow another month for Lao & Cambodia min. If you only have a few weeks just pick one destination. A good way I start is my searching for guided tours, checking out their Itinarys and then start making my own based on ones I have seen. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Travelling Paul
Baggage Handler
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
Location: London
10 ants
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 3:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| How much money did you spend approximately? I thought since I'll be there, I might as well try to see as many countries as possible. Thanks for your tip with the guided tours, I'll do that right away. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Frost
Trainee Pilot
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 291
Location: New England, USA
292 ants
|
| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject: Re: laos, thailand, vietnam, cambodia |
|
|
| Travelling Paul wrote: | hello everybody
i'm new to this forum and have just started to look around a bit. anyways, i'd like to go to laos, thailand, vietnam and cambodia on one trip - where to start and how much time should i plan?
thanks for any suggestions |
Maybe I can help with some of your questions.
If you are coming from long distance it might be better to start and finish in the same city to save money. For instance a round trip ticket to Bangkok from the US on a major airline is about the same price as a one way flight. If you flew round trip to Bangkok it might be cheaper than one way to BKK and then fly back home one way from a different country. Local flights between Bangkok (BKK) and Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia are cheap. Or you can even use ground transportation if necessary. So do the arithmetic on your first flight (s) from your country - RT vs OW. Having a round trip ticket gives you an end date and a place to return to.
Visas. Different countries means different visa requirements. Thailand may be the easiest country to enter if you are from a Western country like - US, Oz, NZ, UK or Canada you qualify for a free 30 day Visa Exemption right at the airport. But when you enter overland from a nearby country your free Visa Exemption is only 15 days. So do some research on visas. There is a fee to pay for visas to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2490
How much money you need and how much time sometimes depends on your spending habits. If you are low on funds and plan to use buses and trains for long distances you will need more time. Maybe more money when using a 2 hour flight to get between cities instead of the all day bus/train rides.
How much time do you have? If your time is short maybe limit your holiday to one or two countries. If you fly to Bangkok you an easily reach Cambodia and Laos overland. Malaysia too. (Entering Malaysia is free for many Westerners. There is a train that goes from Bangkok to Malaysia and on to Singapore. Singapore is expensive compared to Bangkok.)
Plan out a budget. See how much you have available after paying for plane tickets. Divide that amount of money up by the amount of days you will be on holiday to get a daily budget. Your hotel expenses will probably be your biggest expense. If you intend to use expensive hotels then your money will run out sooner. Food is cheap in this part of Asia unless you choose expensive, swanky places to eat at. Same for drinking, if you only choose expensive nightclubs your money will run out sooner.
Fit your holiday to the amount of money you have available!
For Thailand you can use travelers checks, debit cards and cash of course for exchange to Thai baht. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos a little harder to cash a travelers check and US dollars are popular.
If you go to these countries during or close to the Christmas and New Years holiday time periods you will pay more for hotels than during the off season. Flights from many countries are also higher priced. But the weather is better too! Cheapest time for hotels is during the May through September time frame. Also during this time you have more rain or heat. But millions of tourists still visit around this time because it is when they have vacations and to take advantage of lower prices for hotels. Often the rain stops in a few hours and when hot you can cool off in an air conditioned restaurant or if Thailand even a modern mall. You adjust to heat and rain when necessary.
This is a start. I would not go with an open ended return. For your first visit to this area have a definite end date. Thailand is the easiest country to navigate with good buses, trains and even city rail service in Bangkok. The other countries are also used to tourists.
Good luck.
_________________
Go cheap - go often! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Travelling Paul
Baggage Handler
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
Location: London
10 ants
|
| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
Right. So i found this itinerary from a tour operator:
1 Bangkok
2 Bangkok - Chiang Khong
3 Chiang Khong - Houexay (Laos) - Pakbeng
4 Pakbeng – Pak Ou - Luang Prabang
5 Luang Prabang
6 Luang Prabang
7 Luang Prabang - Vientiane
8 Vientiane - Savannaketh
9 Savannaketh - Hué
10 Hué
11 Hué - Hoi An
12 Hoi An
13 Hoi An – Danang – Ho Chi Minh City
14 Ho Chi Minh City
15 Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi – Tay Ninh - Phnom Penh
16 Phnom Penh
17 Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (Angkor)
18 Siem Reap (Angkor)
19 Siem Reap (Angkor)
20 Siem Reap - Bangkok
21 Bangkok
They seem to cover a lot and it also doesn't seem to be very expensive.. I could probably even do it for less money than they sell it for?! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
davidcronk
Chief Steward
Joined: 13 Feb 2007
Posts: 179
Location: Adelaide
198 ants
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
In my opinion I think you should take 3 months for this trip not 3 weeks. I have recently come back from 3 weeks in Vietnam and it was only enough time to see a few places and I want to go back asap.
_________________
David Cronk, Editor
Travel Magazine
Vietnam Travel Blog |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Frost
Trainee Pilot
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 291
Location: New England, USA
292 ants
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Travelling Paul wrote: | Right. So i found this itinerary from a tour operator:
1 Bangkok
2 Bangkok - Chiang Khong
3 Chiang Khong - Houexay (Laos) - Pakbeng
4 Pakbeng – Pak Ou - Luang Prabang
5 Luang Prabang
6 Luang Prabang
7 Luang Prabang - Vientiane
8 Vientiane - Savannaketh
9 Savannaketh - Hué
10 Hué
11 Hué - Hoi An
12 Hoi An
13 Hoi An – Danang – Ho Chi Minh City
14 Ho Chi Minh City
15 Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi – Tay Ninh - Phnom Penh
16 Phnom Penh
17 Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (Angkor)
18 Siem Reap (Angkor)
19 Siem Reap (Angkor)
20 Siem Reap - Bangkok
21 Bangkok
They seem to cover a lot and it also doesn't seem to be very expensive.. I could probably even do it for less money than they sell it for?! |
Three weeks in Thailand alone is not enough for many tourists. Pick two places and come back again for the others.
Booking a flight to Bangkok is easy to do. From Bangkok you can buy a flight to another country nearby. Unless you need someone to hold your hand you can do most of this all by yourself. Millions and millions of tourists visit Thailand and nearby countries without any organized tour. In Thailand you can sign on to tours when you need one through local travel agencies on short notice. Being flexible means you can use a tour or not use a tour. You may meet up with friends and not want to go on the tour you already paid for months ago. You may find the love of your life and not want to leave Thailand!
Research the visas you need. If you need a visa or not depend on the passport you enter with. Communist and former Communist countries like VN, Laos and Cambodia most tourists have to pay for visas.
Buying a round trip ticket to Bangkok makes good sense. Two one way flights usually cost more than a round trip on major carriers. Without a round trip flight some airlines may not allow you to even depart your own airport unless you have visas ahead of time and proof of onward travel.
Going to to many places in a short amount of time means you really shortchange yourself in each country. If you only want a stamp in your passport for the "I've been here" show and tell then by all means visit as many places as you can. Thailand alone is bigger than the UK so many cities are spread out.
Up to you. (Frequently heard in Thai beer bars.)
_________________
Go cheap - go often! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
davdfoge
Baggage Handler
Joined: 19 Jul 2012
Posts: 6
Location: Morgan Hill, CA 95037
7 ants
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I have enjoyed two weeks in Thailand, Phuket and koh Tao where the best island in Thailand. As i love sea diving i stood beside the Sairee beach, for staying i would recommend the Koh Tao Accommodation, nearer to the beach and a pleasant place to stay. Overall in Koh tao you can have much fun by spending pretty less.. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hoamai
Baggage Handler
Joined: 08 May 2013
Posts: 12
19 ants
|
| Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 2:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
| i think if you not have enough time (like other comment) you would go for one country (thailand or vietnam). In my opinion, some place you need to stay longer to explore the landscape. Such as Danang, lot of my friends they said 1 or 2 days in Danang is not enough. Same like Pattaya or other place |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
