Trip to SE Asia? Worth it?

The political situation in Thailand is not dangerous unless you put on a red shirt and throw things at police. Avoid the protests and you'll be fine.

The red/yellow shirts could care less about tourists/expats.

Evil Man wrote:

The political situation in Thailand is not dangerous unless you put on a red shirt and throw things at police. Avoid the protests and you'll be fine.

The red/yellow shirts could care less about tourists/expats.

it does remain good advice though to look into it.

now that you are actually going, OP, i will repeat myself a bit and at the same time provide some concrete advice.

i think siem reap (angkor wat and other temples) cannot be missed, even though it has become pretty overrun with tourists. just really impressive structures and scenic too.

you could do siem reap as a flight in and out from bangkok. i believe since my visit they have greatly improved the road to siem reap from bangkok as well. you could consider going to siem reap and then continuing on to phnom penh (easy, comfortable bus ride), and from there into southern vietnam. if you do this, it would be natural to spend 10+ days in vietnam, with several choices in front of you in terms of focus.

another option would be to focus on thailand and only do the siem reap trip as a quick to/from trip. this would allow you to do some combination of southern beaches - phuket, ko phi phi, krabi, ko samui are all nice - and northern towns. sukhothai, chiang mai, chiang rai, and "treks" from those towns are possibilities.

a third option would involve travel to laos, probably focusing on luang prabang. i believe there is a way to get there overland via chiang rai (a quick google search suggests there might be a flight too, maybe only from chiang mai). this could probably be combined with a visit to siem reap on the way back to bangkok in some manner. while i do recommend using some local transport (i.e. non-western-tourist-only buses or trains), some flying could possibly allow you to visit places you wouldn't be able to get to in a timely manner by bus or train.

finally, lonely planet has some good forums to ask logistical, and other, questions.

Glad to read you are going to take this trip - you will absolutely enjoy yourself. I was lucky enough to backpack around SE Asia a few years ago, and the people, food and sights are truly wonderful.

If you want warm water and weather, you want the west coast of Thailand (on the Andaman Sea.) Obviously, for temples you want to see the structures of Angkor - my personal favorite was Banteay Srei, but of course Angkor Wat is not to be missed. Laos - especially the far south near the Cambodian border - is VERY chill. You will find lots of partiers in Vang Vien, as it is a haven for rock climbing and river rafting. And by "river rafting" I mean getting in an inner tube and floating downstream visiting all the riverside bars on the way.

My favorite people, and also my favorite food was in Vietnam. I know your preference is warm weather, but I would strongly urge you to consider a trip to Halong Bay, and if you can stretch this part of your trip to a full week, Sapa at the far north of Vietnam. When I was there, there was talk of destroying most of Sapa to build a hydroelectric dam, so it may not even be there anymore.

But really, looking at your list of wants, most of that could be taken care of with a trip to Phuket. It's practically as touristy as BKK (I'm not saying that in a bad way, just that it's easy to acclimate to,) but on the beach.

$2k, even including airfare, is more than enough to get through your checklist in SE Asia for a month.

I did this trip this past Summer (May - July) after finishing a teaching contract in Korea.

I'd highly recommend it. Southeast Asia is awesome. Going shouldn't be the question if you have the opportunity. The question would be what to do.

4 weeks is a little short for 3-4 countries though. Traveling overland by bus, van, & train is still really slow. I had several legs that required 24-30 hour bus rides. It really depends on how much travel you can stomach. I wouldn't rush though.

Don't worry about Thailand's political situation. I flew in and stayed in Bangkok during the protests and riots. It wasn't so bad outside of a few areas. It's back to normal there as for as normal in Thailand goes.

Basically if I had 4 weeks I'd do this loop:

- fly to Bangkok

- 3 days in Bangkok -- check out the temples and just enjoy the chaos of a classic SE Asia capital city

- sleeper train north to Chang Mai at night

- 3-4 days in Chang Mai -- do some trekking + temples + eat the street food

- bus to the Laos border

- take the slow boat down the Mekong River to Laung Prabang (2 days)

- spend 3-4 days in Laung Prabang -- check out the monks early morning (6 am), swim in the waterfalls, great city

- bus to Vang Vieng and try not to die on the rope swings, go kayaking, rock climbing, and caving

- bus to Vientaine but only spend a few days here

- if you can stomach it take the 30 hour sleeper bus to Siem Reap and go to Angkor ... 3 days minimum, probably 4

- check out the capital if you have time

- back to Bangkok

Something like that.

There are some great runs in each place. I think my favorite run on the trip was in Vang Vieng, Laos though. There are a ton of people acting retarded there but if you can ignore that and focus on the outdoor activities it's awesome.

The highlight of my trip was in Cambodia. We made a friends with a Cambodian college aged student in Siem Reap that drove us around Angkor in his tuk-tuk. He'd never left Siem Reap so we bought him a ticket and paid for everything for him to go with us to visit the capital city. Once we got there he met some relatives he'd never seen. I have never seen someone so happy in my entire life.

We went with his cousin to some outdoor market and purchased a live chicken and a bunch of other random stuff. Then we drove out to some village with only straw hut houses. We cooked chicken soup literally from scratch. Then we went to a big field and half the village turned out to hang out with the 2 foreigners. We played a massive game of soccer with everyone from the village (it was world cup time). Nobody there could speak English but it didn't matter.

Have fun.

Thank you everyone again for the replies. Extremely helpful.

Flights to and from BKK are booked. Trip will span 30 days.

I plan on spending at least 3 days in Bangkok to acclimate (jet lag will probably be an issue) and explore. I want to see what the big city has to offer: maybe take a bike tour, walk through the big malls full of counterfeit software, meet fellow travelers.

After that I'm thinking of flying to the southern part of Thailand for the beaches. I haven't decided exactly where, but I am leaning Ko Samui/Ko Pha Ngan area. I want to see the famous Full Moon Party. Maybe try to take a tour of Ang Thong National Park. Flying is more expensive than land travel, but it saves tons of time. (5 days)

Next I'd fly to Phuket from Ko Samui and use Phuket as a springboard to check out one of the less-developed islands nearby. (5 days)

Flt Phuket to Udon Thani (dirt cheap AirAsia flight) and then travel overland to Laos. I want to see Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. (5 days)

From there I want to get to Cambodia, which seems to be tricky. There are flights, but they are expensive. I want to see Siem Reap and probably Phnom Penh. By bus the trip is ~3 days. I'll check into the 30 hour sleeper bus. It might be worth it to spring for the direct flight LP to Siem Reap?

From there I'd travel by bus or boat to Phnom Penh, spending a few days there.

From there, I'd consider flying back to BKK on AirAsia. If I return to BKK a few days before heading back to the U.S., maybe there are some good day trips OUT of the city. Part of me wants to squeeze in Saigon plus a Vietnam beach destination, but it might not be possible given time constraints? Other option would be a quick run down to Sihanoukville.

In sum, what I am thinking is start easy: Thailand, and then move into the less touristy countries, Laos and Cambodia (and maybe Vietnam). I realize that a lot of my destinations in Laos and Cambodia are full or backpackers, but probably not to the extent that Thailand is.

Thanks again for the help. Additional suggestions welcome. I'm really excited for this trip!

If you should find you that you have a few days to spare, Check out Malaysia.

Do the Cameron Highlands (Tea plantations) and Pulau Redang / Pulau Perhentian (beautiful snorkling/accessible by cessna or boat only).

It's a bit out of the way, but easily accessible from Kaula Lumpur within a few hours of bus rides. And AirAsia to KL is dead cheap.

KL is a good night out as well, but reltively westernised.

Don't fall into the tourist trap of going to langkawi or penang.

In terms of Thailand: Avoid Kho PhiPhi. Beatiful place, but overrun by tourists. At least in September/october (when I was there).

Have heard bad things about Phnom Phen i.e. lots of violent and petty crime, dirty, not safe to walk after dark, *tons* of beggars, and not much to see besides the Killing Fields. What is this city really like?

Wonderbuns wrote:

You might want to check into the current political situation in Thailand, especially BKK

I am in the middle of Bangkok right now as I write this. Absolutely no problem here whatsoever.

Air Asia sucks balls. I refuse to fly them. Try Nok Air (www.nokair.com) or take the train to Udon. Air Asia is late about 90% of the time. Nok Air flies out of the old airport at Don Muang.

To get to Cambodia, take the bus to Aranyaprathet (4 hours from the Bangkok bus station at Mor Chit). Aranyaprathet is on the border with Cambodia. Get your Cambodian visa on the border. Another cool place to visit in Cambodia is Battambang.

I was up in Vientiane in October and it's changing rapidly, and not for the better. You are better off staying in Northeast Thailand.

cambodia safety wrote:

Have heard bad things about Phnom Phen i.e. lots of violent and petty crime, dirty, not safe to walk after dark, *tons* of beggars, and not much to see besides the Killing Fields. What is this city really like?

Phnom Penh is absolutely the most interesting and bizarre city in Southeast Asia. I haven't been there for 8 years but I would love to go again.

[quote]transitioning between jobs wrote:

Am in transition between jobs and have a little time off. I am considering a trip to SE Asia. I'd probably have ~3-4 weeks and want to spend no more than $2k. What I have in mind is a backpacking-type trip: warm weather, warm water, see a couple temples, eat some cheap Thai food, party on the beach, etc. Countries I have in mind are Thailand, Laos, Cambodia.

Should I go? If so I'd be cutting into time that would be used to move and get settled for my new job, but I can probably manage.[quote]

Definitely go. Once you settle down, that's it - your personal travel is done and over with until you enter retirement mode at probably age 60+.

Dude, you'll have the time of your life and never regret it - maybe you'll decide to stay!

My one suggestion, having visited all the SE Asian countries, is ... don't try to pack too much in. You could spend several weeks comfortably in any one of those countries - don't feel you have to "do" them all.

Thailand has the best street food in the world. It's not even close. Lao and Cambodia have their own attractions, but food is not among them. Viet Nam is actually great to visit too - in many ways, especially given the historical appeal for an American, the best "all around" deal of scenery, history and food.

I strongly suggest you use kayak.com to buy your ticket in and out of Bangkok, and then talk to other backpackers you meet there and decide what to do next. In other words, don't pick a country and buy all your tickets from the US.

You'll have a blast!

Definitely do Malaysia while you are down south. It's cheaper, the people are more friendly than in Thailand (at the least the people you will interact with as a tourist), and it has a really easy language. If you have the time and are into Scuba, check out the Perhentian Islands in NE Malaysia - they are paradise on Earth.

Sorry Mayeroff, but AirAsia was awesome. It's cheaper than the train and comparable with the buses, and it flies everywhere in Malaysia and SE asia in general. I got a flight from Singapore to KL for 25 US. It was absurd. On the 8 flights I took on them, it was on time 7/8 times. Also do check out Full Moon. It was incredible. Make sure you visit mellow mountain when you are there and ask for the magic shakes.

When you say 30-hour bus trip, are you talking about Vientienne to Siem Reap? I might steer clear of that. I took the 20-hour bus from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, and it was pretty bad. They jammed every available space with people and merchandise, including the center aisle. Because there was so much weight, when coming downhill the brakes caught fire. It's good for storytelling, but I'd just fly next time.

You are right to consider checking out Siem Reap and PP. PP is a great town - I thoroughly enjoyed my brief stay there. I never felt in danger, and I was walking around late at night. The only downside is the absolutely sickening feeling you get when you visit the Killing Fields. When I was there, they had just that day unearthed a pile of tiny bones - the bones of murdered children. I'm no softy, but I was straight "out of it" for the rest of the day.

Sihanoukville is nice, but the beach proper is pretty crowded. You can go one beach down to Ocheteaul, and the crowds clear up substantially, but the whole area is still pretty crowded. Keep in mind that's is a travel destination for nationals as well as tourists.

I LOVE VIETNAM. It is my favorite of the four mainland countries. The food was the best, and the people were great (actually, the people were great all over SE Asia.) I'm not sure you have time for it though with your schedule. Saigon is great IF you realize that it's where everyone in the country goes to "make it." It is crowded and smoggy, but the energy is flowing everywhere. It is a favorite city of mine. The quickest beach destination from Saigon is Phu Quoc island, and the only way you can do that quickly is to fly out of Saigon. The fare is cheap though.

Sorry to ramble on, but my trip to SE Asia was among my favorites, and I genuinely cannot wait to go back.

There is absolutely no need to say this, but enjoy your trip.

this is a good itinerary. if it were me, i'd spend less time in southern thailand at the beaches - but you've said that is a goal of your trip, so go for it.

the overland luxury buses are quite good in thailand, although with advanced booking you can get really low priced airfare too. (my limited experience with airasia was good)

as much as i love vietnam as a destination, i don't think you can add it unless you cut something else out. because you'll enjoy each place you have selected, i say stick with your plans and try to avoid wondering what you are missing.

phnom penh was enjoyable in my experience. decent food options, mildly interesting colonial feel. there are some dangers there - especially in the nightclub and prostitution scene. assuming you avoid that, you should be fine. a visit to the high school turned khmer rouge prison is a powerful experience that i recommend.

i myself couldn't bring myself to also visit the killing fields, though i do think it is worthwhile based on what i've heard.

i was in siem reap and phnom penh 5 years ago and the luxury bus from the latter to the former was rapid and comfortable. i assume it is similar today. i would think that it would be doable to pass through phnom penh on the way to or from siem reap, and then to fly from the last visited one to bangkok.

overall you'll just need to find an appropriate balance, for you, between hanging out, drinking and partying with westerners on the one hand, and experiencing local culture on the other. i personally think it would be silly to act above partying with westerners - that is part of the fun of visiting SE asia - but at the same time, it would be a waste to go all that way and only interact with westerners while eating only banana pancakes and the like.

Nok Air is about 10 bucks more than Scair Asia from BKK to Udon Thani, and a helluva lot more reliable. Nok Air doesn't charge you 10 bucks to check a bag, and they don't yell at you if you bring your own sandwich on board.

As for the Full Moon Party, if you enjoy hanging out with a bunch of spaced out gay Israelis (I don't), then best avoid it.

Again, thanks for all the advice, input, and help. It has been invaluable in planning this trip.

I wiil not be going to Vietnam is I don't have enough time. Maybe someday.

Based on the comments here, made some itinerary changes:

I'm dropping Laos. It is simply too much of a hassle/too much time getting there and getting back. Instead I'll moved from the Southern Thailand to Kuala Lumpur. I will try to do a 1-2 day quick trip to see the Cameron Highlands. After KL, I'll move to Singapore for 2 days. I've heard there is not much to do there, but it has always been a place I wanted to see.

I have decided to fit Phnom Phen into the itinerary. I'll fly into Siem Reap from Kuala Lumpur. Tour around there for 3-4 days, then head to Phnom Phen for 1-2 days (flying out of Phnom Phen on Air Asia back to BKK). It would be nice to squeeze in Battembeng, but I'm not sure it would be possible. Any thoughts?

My itinerary is ambitious, but I'm the type of person who doesn't mind moving on after a couple of days. I will cover all long distances by flights, save for day travel within Cambodia and Malaysia, to save time and hassle. Costs more, but is probably worth it. I've heard bus transport between Cambodia and Bangkok is a huge pain!

MAYEROFF wrote:

Nok Air is about 10 bucks more than Scair Asia from BKK to Udon Thani, and a helluva lot more reliable. Nok Air doesn't charge you 10 bucks to check a bag, and they don't yell at you if you bring your own sandwich on board.

As for the Full Moon Party, if you enjoy hanging out with a bunch of spaced out gay Israelis (I don't), then best avoid it.

Mayeroff, thanks for your tips as well. For better or worse, Air Asia is unavoidable in my case. Hopefully it works well for me.

I do want to check out FMP even though I've heard mixed reviews. Mostly though I'll be using the Koh Samui area to relax and see the scenery. I want to go to Ang Thong National Park.

i'm also personally not huge on the full moon party, but again, it's your trip, if you think you'll like it, then check it out.

as for malaysia/KL/singapore rather than laos - it's also not the choice i would make. that said, malaysia is a majority muslim country, perhaps the first you'll have a chance to visit in your lifetime. and i'm a big fan of singapore. the food is really good and it's a neat cultural mix.

singapore and KL are much more expensive than the other places you have mentioned (on the order of 2x or 3x as much money per day). i don't know how much that matters to you. and obviously they are large, international cities, which is completely different than what you would see in laos.

i would suggest considering the mix of local vs western/international culture that you are likely to encounter with your current itinerary. ko samui, phuket, and siem reap, while not huge cities, are full of western tourists. bangkok, KL and singapore are international cities with businesses (both retail and corporate) that exist in similar cities throughout the world.