Traveling to Phillipines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos

[drewboy12]

Originally Posted by normtwofinger

Agreed. North Vietnam is not worth it. Stick to the south. It still feels like 2 different countries.

How do you possibly come to this conclusion...

Halong Bay is one of the most incredible places to see on earth, and did you by chance happen to go to Sapa? ... Your statement is is immature and stupid.

Did you by any chance only go to Hanoi and consider Hanoi to be northern Vietnam and forget the rest of the vast northern mountains that cover the country...

[drewboy12]

Ps... He did mention Sapa... Rent motor bikes and head towards the chinese boarder where the tourist do not go... Don't ever follow tourists... Drive a few hours and people will be pretty damn shocked to see foreigners.

[IGGYFORMVP]

Never come between a lady boy and there chosen prey for the night. If you do things could get stabby. Haha.

Been to SEA twice in the last 6 years and boy are you going to have a blast. Some great advice on this thread. A few places that I will throw out there...

I really enjoyed Chang Mai in northern Thailand for the unbelievable hill hikes, great Thai cooking courses, and great markets.

Langkawi in Malaysia is a real favorite of mine. 99 magical islands under the sun just south of the Thai border on the Adaman sea. A change from the typical crazy party of the Thai Beaches. Also heard great things about the Perehitian (sp?) island on the gulf side of Malaysia. I highly advise bringing your own snorkel set on a trip like this you will get a ton of use out of it. There are also some great orangutang conservatories in Borneo that are pretty cool.

Well I could go on for hours... if there is one thing not to miss it is Angkor Wat. Its a photographers wet dream and the most awe inspiring place I have seen. Truly a epic shame its not a world wonder.

The best part of SEA is that you are going to have an incredible time no matter where you go. I wouldnt get too invested in making a definite iterinary with a trip like this its best to stay flexible and not be forced to leave paradise when you find it. Because your going to.

[normtwofinger]

Originally Posted by drewboy12

How do you possibly come to this conclusion...

Halong Bay is one of the most incredible places to see on earth, and did you by chance happen to go to Sapa? ... Your statement is is immature and stupid.

Did you by any chance only go to Hanoi and consider Hanoi to be northern Vietnam and forget the rest of the vast northern mountains that cover the country...

I actually did go to Halong Bay and Hanoi. Halong Bay was beautiful, but it is a tourist trap. Hanoi to me was just a dirty old city. We had taxi drivers try to screw us over left and right, by not resetting the meters and had our hotel cancel our reservation on us without any notice. I found the people less friendly in the north.

So based on my experience, with the amount of time the OP has, I would only stick to the south and spend more time in Thailand. People all have different experiences and opinions, and if they don't agree with yours, that doesn't make them stupid and immature. You must be that annoying traveler in the hostel who is never wrong.

[Where ru Chris O'Sullivan]

Regarding Vietnam, it is a beautiful country and even a highlights tour including North, Central and South will take about 3 weeks if you truly want to see and enjoy it.

To appreciate it, we will as stated previously have our preference of 1 area to another, but it is seeing them all that allows us this right.

Sapa is the majestic beauty of the mountains and its interesting ethnic minorities and their interesting culture. The overnight trains to and from make it fun.

Halong Bay is the beauty of the Limestone rock protruding out of the water and its caves. A cruise here with a reputable company is a good idea.

Hanoi is worth it for a City tour, Ninh Binh is also a worthwhile tour.

in the Central, Hue is worth seeing, the citadel and numerous emperor tombs are quite interesting, love that Japan has donated a lot of time and money to help with restoration.

Hoi An although becoming very touristy still has its good points,Nha Trang has beautiful beach.

From Saigon, you can take the 4 hour car/bus transfer to Mui Ne, but should go the other way into the Mekong Delta, you can do Homestay, cruise on a private Sampan etc., this is where you will witness the true culture of Vietnam, its hard working, genuine and friendly locals. It also has the largest floating market in S.E asia - Cai Rang.

From there you can easily jump to Phu Quoc island for a few days on the beach and consider connecting to Phnom Penh Cambodia via the speedboat in Chau Doc.

As a Canadian I love Thailand too, but for the wrong reasons (its too much like home) Katchanaburi (2 hour drive with car rental from Bangkok) is pristine and beautiful, and Krabi is nice as well, but in general Thailand is very westernized, that may be an attraction to you. Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are very much different and worthwhile, they will change you.

Good Luck!

[drewboy12]

Originally Posted by normtwofinger

I actually did go to Halong Bay and Hanoi. Halong Bay was beautiful, but it is a tourist trap. Hanoi to me was just a dirty old city. We had taxi drivers try to screw us over left and right, by not resetting the meters and had our hotel cancel our reservation on us without any notice. I found the people less friendly in the north.

So based on my experience, with the amount of time the OP has, I would only stick to the south and spend more time in Thailand. People all have different experiences and opinions, and if they don't agree with yours, that doesn't make them stupid and immature. You must be that annoying traveler in the hostel who is never wrong.

You could say everything in Asia is a tourist trap... Traveling as a white man automatically symbolizes "I have money"... It is pretty easy to get around... I quickly picked up Vietnamese and could speak a few basic sentences. I got local prices in stores, and was shown great effection. If you are one of the people who won't learn to say "hello/goodbye/thank you/please/ how are you?" Then you will have a much rougher time, anywhere in the world.

My first experience in Vietnam, was being ripped off by a cab in Saigon... Oh well, S**t happens.

Different experiences and opinions when it comes to travel is all part of the fun.

It just bugs me when people say don't do this etc. It sucks there because "I had a bad experience"...

I am defiantly not the annoying traveler. I am always wrong. Being wrong, getting lost, putting your self into very awkward situations is what makes traveling exciting, no?

Not here to argue though, Vietnam is a beautiful country, beautiful friendly people, and such amazing cuisine. Just as stated about the cabs, give a quick read about which cabs to avoid, its not like Thailand, 50% of the cabbies in Vietnam will try to meter rape you or take you for drives.

[normtwofinger]

Originally Posted by drewboy12

You could say everything in Asia is a tourist trap... Traveling as a white man automatically symbolizes "I have money"... It is pretty easy to get around... I quickly picked up Vietnamese and could speak a few basic sentences. I got local prices in stores, and was shown great effection. If you are one of the people who won't learn to say "hello/goodbye/thank you/please/ how are you?" Then you will have a much rougher time, anywhere in the world.

My first experience in Vietnam, was being ripped off by a cab in Saigon... Oh well, S**t happens.

Different experiences and opinions when it comes to travel is all part of the fun.

It just bugs me when people say don't do this etc. It sucks there because "I had a bad experience"...

I am defiantly not the annoying traveler. I am always wrong. Being wrong, getting lost, putting your self into very awkward situations is what makes traveling exciting, no?

Not here to argue though, Vietnam is a beautiful country, beautiful friendly people, and such amazing cuisine. Just as stated about the cabs, give a quick read about which cabs to avoid, its not like Thailand, 50% of the cabbies in Vietnam will try to meter rape you or take you for drives.

I had the exact opposite experience than you did in Vietnam. We were in Vietnam for 1 month. I learned the basics of Vietnamese, yet, from Hue north, I got the blank stare of "How dare the white man speak my language." I was ripped off at every moment possible. Someone attempted to rob us on the beach in Nha Trang. I found the people in the south noticeably more friendly and helpful than the north.

On two different occasions out of the blue, in Hue and Hanoi, my wife and I had people finger us and yell what I could assume were expletives at us for no apparent reason. Maybe they were drunk, maybe they thought we were Americans, who knows, but that gave me a sour taste. But I found Ho Chi Min really enjoyable. More diverse and open-minded to foreigners.

But as to my statement that the OP should spend more time in south Vietnam; he should because imo, the north really has nothing to offer besides Halong Bay. While beautiful, it's a touristy thing, which he wants to avoid. Hanoi is just a big ugly city.

Don't get me wrong, Vietnam is a beautiful scenic country, and I really enjoyed the scenery. But just be prepared that it's a bit rough around the edges when dealing with the locals.

[GirlySports]

There are only two suitable taxis in Vietnam

Mai Linh (38383838)





VinaSun (38272727)



Make sure it's those colours with those phone numbers on it. Anything else is a fraud.

[normtwofinger]

But GirlySports even those you need to proceed with caution. I had a MaiLinh taxi refuse to clear his meter, which was at about $20 from the last fare. After pleading with him for 5 minutes to clear the meter, he still wouldn't do it, and we had to ditch at a red light.

[moncton golden flames]

we just booked our trip today!

vancouver-tokyo-manila return on japan airlines, february 22 - april 22.

on the return, we intentionally took a 22 hour layover in tokyo. any suggestions for tokyo in hurry tour?

[GirlySports]

Akibahara!

http://wikitravel.org/en/Tokyo/Akihabara

[coaster]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

we just booked our trip today!

vancouver-tokyo-manila return on japan airlines, february 22 - april 22.

on the return, we intentionally took a 22 hour layover in tokyo. any suggestions for tokyo in hurry tour?

I might be on the same return flight as you. JL18 out of Narita on 4/23.

[moncton golden flames]

i need some help with bags/luggage requirements. i know i need a day bag, but is a backpack the only other options? is a piece of luggage going to be too cumbersome to mive around? an advice is welcomed.

[GomerPile]

I remember posting on this forum a while ago. I see you had your trip booked from feb - april.
So....
How was it?

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by GomerPile

I remember posting on this forum a while ago. I see you had your trip booked from feb - april.
So....
How was it?

Absolutely Amazing!

We spent our first 2 weeks in Manila with family, week 3 touring thru Northern Luzon (Banaue, Sagada & Baguio) and week 4 on the island of Palawan (El Nido)

After the Philippines, we flew to Bangkok for a connection to Trat, which led us to Koh Chang for 4 nights. We then travelled by land to Siem Reap, Cambodia for 5 days, then flew to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We spent 11 nights in Vietnam, staying in HCMC, Danang and Hanoi. After Hanoi, we flew to Luang Prabang for 6 nights, then travelled by bus to Chiang Mai, Thailand for Songkran Festival. We also did a 3 day jungle trek to remote Karen Hilltribe villages. After Chiang Mai, we flew back to Bangkok to make our connection back to Manila for a few last days with family, then off to Tokyo for 22 hours on our way back to Calgary, via Vancouver.

Out of all that over 2 months, I think I am most intrigued with Japan, even after only 22 hours there.

Geographically, the Philippines were the most amazing place we travelled to. We absolutely want to go back to Thailand and Vietnam, amazing people and amazing foods! We want to see more of Cambodia, outside of the typical Angkor Wat visit. We were disappointed with Luang Prabang, mainly because of the Monks Precession and how commercialized it is.

All in all, amazing trip with my beautiful wife and I could not have dreamt of a more incredible trip.

Thanks to all those who helped me out in this thread, especially the suggestions to go to Koh Chang. We love that island!