ASIA: Travel tips and tricks.

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expires said:
You are comparing apples with durians. Nha Trang is not unique. Halong Bay is. It is classifieds one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
13%20Bay%20panorama%20view%20with%20rock%20formations.jpg



Probably depends what mood you are in as to which you get the most out of. But nothing on earth comes to mind as a comparison to Halong Bay
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I'm biased
My wife was born in Nha Trang
 
Steven Tyler said:
I'm biased
My wife was born in Nha Trang
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If she has moved to Australia, that might be a backward step for her.

If you have never been to Halong and spent two nights on a junk there, I can't recommend it highly enough. It is just stunning and one tourist thing where tourist don't have an impact. Just boats on water.

There is actually 7 floating villages there which are being closed down because of their litter. There will be something lost then but hats off to the government for the way they manage the place.

While we are on Vietnam, Hoi An just south of the DMZ is pretty relaxing to. I'll give you Nha Trang though.
 
expires said:
If she has moved to Australia, that might be a backward step for her.

If you have never been to Halong and spent two nights on a junk there, I can't recommend it highly enough. It is just stunning and one tourist thing where tourist don't have an impact. Just boats on water.

There is actually 7 floating villages there which are being closed down because of their litter. There will be something lost then but hats off to the government for the way they manage the place.

While we are on Vietnam, Hoi An just south of the DMZ is pretty relaxing to. I'll give you Nha Trang though.
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Yeah, Vietnam is a special place for sure (hopefully the Russians don't buy everything and convert it to resemble the Gold Coast)!
My wife and I have travelled back to Vietnam to visit my wife's family many times, and have ventured all over the country.
The slight differences between the north and south are interesting and I only noticed it because my wife pointed it out to me (food, architecture, even some of the language)
Halong Bay is beautiful, and I really enjoy the mountainside of Da Lat, plus the weather is around 10 degrees cooler there, so it makes for a nice change!

Glad you loved Vietnam, as everyone I've told to go visit has loved it also
 

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Wife and I are moving back to France at the end of Feburary, but on our way we are taking 3 weeks off to explore Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. We want to stay away from the usual touristy traps. Any suggestions?

We also will need somewhere to leave our large suitcases in Singapore for the three weeks. Does anyone have ideas for the cheapest and most secure option where to leave our luggage?
 
Steven Tyler said:
Yeah, Vietnam is a special place for sure (hopefully the Russians don't buy everything and convert it to resemble the Gold Coast)!
My wife and I have travelled back to Vietnam to visit my wife's family many times, and have ventured all over the country.
The slight differences between the north and south are interesting and I only noticed it because my wife pointed it out to me (food, architecture, even some of the language)
Halong Bay is beautiful, and I really enjoy the mountainside of Da Lat, plus the weather is around 10 degrees cooler there, so it makes for a nice change!

Glad you loved Vietnam, as everyone I've told to go visit has loved it also
Click to expand...

Dog might be a northern thing. Remember being on the Hai Van pass and seeing a truck load of puppies go past. Headed for Hanoi we were told.

The south is where the wealth is. Three crops of rice a year (against one in the north) and some oil.

I am a relative old man (61) and our trip meant a lot to me as I was next draft (keen to go and do my patriotic chore) when the war ended. Have a lot of the emotion of the war inside me. Later I did decide how mad was I was wanting to go there as the post war politics unfolded. The trip swung me back the other way a bit for reasons I won't go into here but the south and the north are not the same.

Have you been to Sapa? We opted against as it was difficult to fit into our schedule. Also it was January and the wrong time to go.
 
The Dice Man said:
Wife and I are moving back to France at the end of Feburary, but on our way we are taking 3 weeks off to explore Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. We want to stay away from the usual touristy traps. Any suggestions?

We also will need somewhere to leave our large suitcases in Singapore for the three weeks. Does anyone have ideas for the cheapest and most secure option where to leave our luggage?
Click to expand...

Not sure that you can do any of those countries justice on there own in three weeks. I find about four days in one place gets you to understand it a bit and then you are looking forward to the next jaunt. If it is three weeks, just do your research of what appeals to you most in each country and then spend about four days in each until your time is up.

For Vietnam I can only reiterate go to Halong bay. I do not know Thailand much outside four days in Bangkok but I could recommend a simple hotel to stay at called the True Siam. Has a magnificent buffet breakfast. I selected it because it was at the end of train line that leaves the airport and wasn't let down at all. Down the end of an alley in a non salubrious location I will add though.

It is touristy but we thoroughly enjoyed siam niramit in Bangkok. It is a theatre production about the history of Thailand. Has a big feed before you go in. Also had a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya which I could take or leave.

If you are in Bangkok on a weekend, get a train out to mo chit and go to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. If you keep your sense of direction there you are going well. It is 27 acres of stalls.

I wish we had longer in Thailand. Have to get back and travel north. Never been to Cambodia and, with respect of Singapore, you can leave a suitcase at the airport for under ten dollars a day.

Hope this is some help but gee the internet is great for planning a trip with. Just click away until you have what you want.
 
expires said:
Dog might be a northern thing. Remember being on the Hai Van pass and seeing a truck load of puppies go past. Headed for Hanoi we were told.

The south is where the wealth is. Three crops of rice a year (against one in the north) and some oil.

I am a relative old man (61) and our trip meant a lot to me as I was next draft (keen to go and do my patriotic chore) when the war ended. Have a lot of the emotion of the war inside me. Later I did decide how mad was I was wanting to go there as the post war politics unfolded. The trip swung me back the other way a bit for reasons I won't go into here but the south and the north are not the same.

Have you been to Sapa? We opted against as it was difficult to fit into our schedule. Also it was January and the wrong time to go.
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Dog is definately a northern Vietnam thing!
There is still a small amount of animosity between people from the north and the south, and if you look closely you can see small personality differences between them
I've been to Sapa, up in the north
If you had've gone to Sapa in January you might have been lucky enough to see snow in Vietnam


image.jpg
 
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I spent 3 weeks in SE Asia in September in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Amazing places.
Special mentions to Hanoi (old town), Halong Bay, Hoi An, Cu Chi Tunnels, War Remnants Museum in Saigon (although disturbing), Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
Also Phnom Penh (Torture prison & killing fields). Horrific but a sad part of history that isn't glossed over. Siem Reap is famous ofcourse for the amazing Angkor Wat which can't be missed although my favourite temple was the tomb raider temple of Ta Prohm.
Bangkok was interesting although I did a day tour to the River Kwai/Kanchanaburi which is worth a visit- again tragic history not glossed over.

The food in the region is sensational, the people are lovely, although of course be prepared for the sad history and the fact that these are 3rd world countries
 
expires said:
Not sure that you can do any of those countries justice on there own in three weeks. I find about four days in one place gets you to understand it a bit and then you are looking forward to the next jaunt. If it is three weeks, just do your research of what appeals to you most in each country and then spend about four days in each until your time is up.

For Vietnam I can only reiterate go to Halong bay. I do not know Thailand much outside four days in Bangkok but I could recommend a simple hotel to stay at called the True Siam. Has a magnificent buffet breakfast. I selected it because it was at the end of train line that leaves the airport and wasn't let down at all. Down the end of an alley in a non salubrious location I will add though.

It is touristy but we thoroughly enjoyed siam niramit in Bangkok. It is a theatre production about the history of Thailand. Has a big feed before you go in. Also had a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya which I could take or leave.

If you are in Bangkok on a weekend, get a train out to mo chit and go to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. If you keep your sense of direction there you are going well. It is 27 acres of stalls.

I wish we had longer in Thailand. Have to get back and travel north. Never been to Cambodia and, with respect of Singapore, you can leave a suitcase at the airport for under ten dollars a day.

Hope this is some help but gee the internet is great for planning a trip with. Just click away until you have what you want.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tips. Buts s**t that's 420 dollar,s for luggage storage... Surely there is a better way.
 
The Dice Man said:
Thanks for the tips. Buts s**t that's 420 dollar,s for luggage storage... Surely there is a better way.
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You can do a bit better than that.

It may be possible if you are booked in for a night at the start and end, the hotel will allow you to leave them free of charge (in Singapore). Have done that for a few days in Vietnam once. I was just guessing with the $10 a day and did say under. Relax.
 
Steven Tyler said:
Yeah, Vietnam is a special place for sure (hopefully the Russians don't buy everything and convert it to resemble the Gold Coast)!
My wife and I have travelled back to Vietnam to visit my wife's family many times, and have ventured all over the country.
The slight differences between the north and south are interesting and I only noticed it because my wife pointed it out to me (food, architecture, even some of the language)
Halong Bay is beautiful, and I really enjoy the mountainside of Da Lat, plus the weather is around 10 degrees cooler there, so it makes for a nice change!

Glad you loved Vietnam, as everyone I've told to go visit has loved it also
Click to expand...


+1 for Da Lat. make sure you take a motorbike tour around the countryside on the outskirts. Won't regret it.
 

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expires said:
Not sure that you can do any of those countries justice on there own in three weeks. I find about four days in one place gets you to understand it a bit and then you are looking forward to the next jaunt. If it is three weeks, just do your research of what appeals to you most in each country and then spend about four days in each until your time is up.

For Vietnam I can only reiterate go to Halong bay. I do not know Thailand much outside four days in Bangkok but I could recommend a simple hotel to stay at called the True Siam. Has a magnificent buffet breakfast. I selected it because it was at the end of train line that leaves the airport and wasn't let down at all. Down the end of an alley in a non salubrious location I will add though.

It is touristy but we thoroughly enjoyed siam niramit in Bangkok. It is a theatre production about the history of Thailand. Has a big feed before you go in. Also had a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya which I could take or leave.

If you are in Bangkok on a weekend, get a train out to mo chit and go to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. If you keep your sense of direction there you are going well. It is 27 acres of stalls.

I wish we had longer in Thailand. Have to get back and travel north. Never been to Cambodia and, with respect of Singapore, you can leave a suitcase at the airport for under ten dollars a day.

Hope this is some help but gee the internet is great for planning a trip with. Just click away until you have what you want.
Click to expand...



We have decided to skip Vietnam for now and focus on Cambodia and Thailand, including a week stay at Koh Rong. A little Cambodian island.
Went to the docs yesterday and was looking at about 400 dollars for shots and vaccinations. Think I'll skip them and try to stick to bottled water, cooked food only(no salad, as it's washed with water) and no ice cubes.

Worth the risk?
 
The Dice Man said:
We have decided to skip Vietnam for now and focus on Cambodia and Thailand, including a week stay at Koh Rong. A little Cambodian island.
Went to the docs yesterday and was looking at about 400 dollars for shots and vaccinations. Think I'll skip them and try to stick to bottled water, cooked food only(no salad, as it's washed with water) and no ice cubes.

Worth the risk?
Click to expand...
First time I went to Vietnam I went to the docs and asked about vaccination shots
He told me to take multivitamins and to make sure my tetinus shot was up to date
I've been back and forth to Nam countless times (wife is Vietnamese) and never had a problem
 
The Dice Man said:
We have decided to skip Vietnam for now and focus on Cambodia and Thailand, including a week stay at Koh Rong. A little Cambodian island.
Went to the docs yesterday and was looking at about 400 dollars for shots and vaccinations. Think I'll skip them and try to stick to bottled water, cooked food only(no salad, as it's washed with water) and no ice cubes.

Worth the risk?
Click to expand...

It's up to you and what you see as important. My wife (gf at the time) & I both ended up in hospital thinking we were dying in Cambodia. We didn't want to sleep at the same time as we wanted to keep and eye on each other while the doctors went home for the night and we had to remove our own IV drips when they had run out. Threw our travel plans into chaos, and travel insurance saved our butts financially. Our shots/vaccines were up to date.

We stayed on the mainland coast and did a couple of day trips out to Koh Rong and its little sister. They're as nice beaches get in Cambodia. On the mainland around Sihanoukville (Snooky), it has a bit of a bohemian vibe about it. Serendipity Beach there is the busiest and is good in its own right, but Otres Beach about 5mins around the corner is the nicest you'll find in that area.
 
About to do a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with On the Go Tours for 15 days plus a private tour for 5 days to Sapa (train up and back).

Will be taking a smaller suitcase (rather than normal large one I have taken to USA and Europe) and getting my vaccinations tomorrow (haven't had any since I was in school 35 years ago).

Having never travelled to Asia before (all travel has been to North America and Europe) any things I should be aware of? Any tips would be appreciated.
 
The Dice Man said:
We have decided to skip Vietnam for now and focus on Cambodia and Thailand, including a week stay at Koh Rong. A little Cambodian island.
Went to the docs yesterday and was looking at about 400 dollars for shots and vaccinations. Think I'll skip them and try to stick to bottled water, cooked food only(no salad, as it's washed with water) and no ice cubes.

Worth the risk?
Click to expand...

I stayed in Saigon (at a nice hotel though) and had no problem.....until an ice cube got me on the last night. Was pretty nasty and needed antibiotics.
 
deathevocation said:
I stayed in Saigon (at a nice hotel though) and had no problem.....until an ice cube got me on the last night. Was pretty nasty and needed antibiotics.
Click to expand...
Done by ice cube! Damn that sucks.

We decided to skip Vietnam and focus on Thailand and Cambodia. I recently had a little court issue where my freedoms were at risk. I'm glad to say that is all resolved(at considerable cost) but we are free and flying, and leaving Australia Friday night.

Might be 5 years or so until I return. It's a strange feeling. I've been back a year after 2 years away. I've just got used to it all again then, SNAP! Here we go again.
 
Have a great trip Dice. You can leave your luggage at our joint if you feel like a diversion to Jakarta (not kidding - Jetstar and other cheapies have flights from singers for as little as 30-50 bucks each way). Would be happy to show you around - send me a note if you're interested (we have a spare room).

Vietnam is pretty awesome (we lived in HCMC for a couple of years and BKK prior to that). But you can't go too far wrong in Thailand and Cambodia. We used to go to a little island called Koh Samet about 2.5 hours drive from BKK..... just a good little spot to chill out. Going back there in April for Songkhran. Koh Rong probably similar but less developed (not been there, just to Angkor).

In BKK take the lady to Sirocco (the joint in Hangover 2) for a sunset cocktail (river end of Silom Road). Chatuchak market on a Sunday is good as mentioned. I used to like hanging out in one of the little bars there and watch the world go by whilst my lady did the market thing. Patpong is a dump but it's one of those things you do once (when in Rome s**t). There's a great restaurant near there (one of the best in BKK IMHO) called Mango Tree. Get one of the long tail boats up the river to Koh Kret.

I wouldn't worry about vaccinations for the places you're going. Likely you'll get the trots, but s**t happens (ha ha.... yep I'm a cunny funt). Avoid getting bitten by mossies though.

PS - go the *^#%&'ing Tigers. Gonna be the year.
 
Leper said:
Have a great trip Dice. You can leave your luggage at our joint if you feel like a diversion to Jakarta (not kidding - Jetstar and other cheapies have flights from singers for as little as 30-50 bucks each way). Would be happy to show you around - send me a note if you're interested (we have a spare room).

Vietnam is pretty awesome (we lived in HCMC for a couple of years and BKK prior to that). But you can't go too far wrong in Thailand and Cambodia. We used to go to a little island called Koh Samet about 2.5 hours drive from BKK..... just a good little spot to chill out. Going back there in April for Songkhran. Koh Rong probably similar but less developed (not been there, just to Angkor).

In BKK take the lady to Sirocco (the joint in Hangover 2) for a sunset cocktail (river end of Silom Road). Chatuchak market on a Sunday is good as mentioned. I used to like hanging out in one of the little bars there and watch the world go by whilst my lady did the market thing. Patpong is a dump but it's one of those things you do once (when in Rome s**t). There's a great restaurant near there (one of the best in BKK IMHO) called Mango Tree. Get one of the long tail boats up the river to Koh Kret.

I wouldn't worry about vaccinations for the places you're going. Likely you'll get the trots, but s**t happens (ha ha.... yep I'm a cunny funt). Avoid getting bitten by mossies though.

PS - go the *^#%&'ing Tigers. Gonna be the year.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer leper, really kind. But we are dropping our bags in some place in Singapore. Only have 9 hours there Saturday, then straight into bangkok. Appreciate the knowledge and recommendations and will likely try them out. Plan is Sunday to go to that massive market and just buy cheap s**t that breaks.

As for vaccinations, nah * that. My wife got her mum to go to the docs in France and sent over some pills at about a 5th of the price they charge here.. We are just taking anti malaria tabs for now, but being French, my wife has a whole suitcase of medicine for any potential sicknesses.

We are going to Koh Rong Samloem. It's the southern island and has no electricity, just a generator for night time fans. Can't wait man. I've lived in some awesome places but I've never lived or stayed somewhere without electricity.

Only thing that bothers me is the day I leave is the day the tigers play their first pre season game... Seems timing in my life is always ironic.
 
No worries. I'd be concerned about the electricity thing too - how do they keep the beers cold? Koh rong sounds a pretty cool place to chill out. The old "thailand 20 years ago" cliche. I'd never heard of it before.
 
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