S/E Asia best route 2 months

GAMAN

Hi All,

Any advice on the best route to take around south east asia im flying into bangkok and out of singapore i will be der for 2 months altoghter.

Anyone done this route for 2 months and advice would be class.

Cheers

RATM

With 2 months start in Bangkok, get a minibus over the border to Phnom Penh in Cambodia for a couple of days then travel up to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat ( dont miss this-its probably the best thing to see in all of SE Asia). To save time get a cheap flight back to Bangkok or onto Chang Mai with someone like www.airasia.com
Spend a few days treking out of Chang Mai then maybe go and cuddle up with some tigers here http://www.tigertemplethailand.com/ Afterwards head back to Bangkok and get a bus south. Take your pick of islands- Ko Pha Ngan for Full Moon Parties, ko Tao for scuba diving, Ko Phi Phi for awesome scenery.Krabi on the mainland near Phi Phi is also well worth a stop.
After go south to Malaysia, some go to Langkawi but Id recommend the Perentian Islands- good snorkelling and lazy days. Then hit Kuala Lumper for a couple of nights before going to Singapore for some shopping on the way home. Bear in mind Singapore is more expensive than any of the other countries and is very westernised. Still go for a relaxing time in a nice hotel for 2 nights before you head home.
Hope this helps.

jank

You should get Laos and Vietnam in there too!

RATM

I was going to suggest Laos and Vietnam but didnt because

1) Travel in Laos takes forever, buses break down frequently and OP is there during the monsoon so chances are some roads will be closed and as s/he only has 2 months to play with before getting to Singapore going to Laos could be risky.
2) Vietnamese visa- could take up to 5 days sitting around in Bangkok to sort this out ( unless you sort it through the London embassy before you go). Also I never did like Vietnam all that much, the place was nice, esp the north but it was the worst hassle I faced anywhere, period. The touts just wouldnt take no for an answer, you're treated like a human ATM machine, I just wouldn't recommend it and I know of several ppl who feel the same.
3) OP needs to get to Singapore so going to Laos and Nam are heading in the total wrong direction. It would involve getting a flight from Hanoi all the way down to Singapore, could be done but I reckon Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore is the right way to go on that timescale.

balkieb2002

RATM wrote: »

With 2 months start in Bangkok, get a minibus over the border to Phnom Penh in Cambodia for a couple of days then travel up to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat ( dont miss this-its probably the best thing to see in all of SE Asia). To save time get a cheap flight back to Bangkok or onto Chang Mai with someone like www.airasia.com
Spend a few days treking out of Chang Mai then maybe go and cuddle up with some tigers here http://www.tigertemplethailand.com/ Afterwards head back to Bangkok and get a bus south. Take your pick of islands- Ko Pha Ngan for Full Moon Parties, ko Tao for scuba diving, Ko Phi Phi for awesome scenery.Krabi on the mainland near Phi Phi is also well worth a stop.
After go south to Malaysia, some go to Langkawi but Id recommend the Perentian Islands- good snorkelling and lazy days. Then hit Kuala Lumper for a couple of nights before going to Singapore for some shopping on the way home. Bear in mind Singapore is more expensive than any of the other countries and is very westernised. Still go for a relaxing time in a nice hotel for 2 nights before you head home.
Hope this helps.

I'm flying out to Bangkok as part RTW trip next week and will be travelling down through SE Asia for 3 weeks before departing from Singapore like OP. Would it possible to get the above done in the 3 weeks I'm there or would I have have to leave out a few things.

Just looked online at Angkor Wat and it looks amazing so something I wont leave out. Also wanted to travel the death railway and continue over bridge on river kwai. Is that far from your original plans?

KERPAL

RATM wrote: »

I was going to suggest Laos and Vietnam but didnt because

1) Travel in Laos takes forever, buses break down frequently and OP is there during the monsoon so chances are some roads will be closed and as s/he only has 2 months to play with before getting to Singapore going to Laos could be risky.
.

do not listen to this clown.

Laos is incredible and is much better than thailand. buses dont break down, i know, ive been there, he hasnt.
go to the capital Vientiane for a day
then get the bus to Vang vieng and spend a few days there(its amazing) the bus takes 8 hours but is well worth it.
then head up to luang prabang which is a class spot aswell.

then fly back to an island in thailand or werever

youcancallmeal

RATM wrote: »

I was going to suggest Laos and Vietnam but didnt because

1) Travel in Laos takes forever, buses break down frequently and OP is there during the monsoon so chances are some roads will be closed and as s/he only has 2 months to play with before getting to Singapore going to Laos could be risky.

I'm confused where did the OP say he/she was going in monsoon season?

RATM

KERPAL wrote: »

do not listen to this clown.

I know, ive been there, he hasnt.

then fly back to an island in thailand or werever

You sound like a 6 year old child with that kind of remark.
I have been to Laos, twice in fact, if you want a 20 quid bet on it, I'll email you my visa and passport stamps.
And buses do break down in Laos, quite frequently in fact.If you didnt know that I'd tend to think you havent been there yourself. Ive been on journeys in Laos where its broken down several times.
I went from Luang Prabang and our buses' handbrake didnt work so everytime the bus stopped the conductor got out and put a large rock behind the back wheel. Laos is certainly a beautiful country but on a 2 month trip going there isn't very feasible- things take forever in Laos- it took me 18 hours to get to from Vientiene to Savannnakhet and then another 15 hours to get to Hue in Vietnam because the roads where flooded out and the bus broke down quite a lot.

RATM

youcancallme>al wrote: »

I'm confused where did the OP say he/she was going in monsoon season?

My mistake, I just assumed as s/he was posting now that the intention was to go there this summer
If s/he is going in the summer Laos gets alot of rain, especially in August which means secondary roads can be closed, often for days at a time

Stevo11

Definately get to Laos.. jeez.. don't miss it!!!!
The north sounds like a nightmare to get around from some of the reports I've heard, I found it very easy to get around in the south, so enter close to Pakse (cool little town), rent a motorbike or head down the Mekong by boat/bus (the boat was fun), absolutely stunning country! You can then enter Cambodia from there.

Steve

RATM

youcancallme>al wrote: »

I'm confused where did the OP say he/she was going in monsoon season?

My mistake, I just assumed as s/he was posting now that the intention was to go there this summer
If s/he is going in the summer Laos gets alot of rain, especially in August which means secondary roads can be closed, often for days at a time

KERPAL

here RATM, maybe youve been unfortunate but seriously, break downs or not, you cannot miss out on Laos. The Buzz of driving from town to town in Laos on a rickety bus twisting and turning through tiny mountain roads is unfogettable.

Neway, i really wasnt impressed with Vietnam, got pickpocketed in Saigon, and in general its a fairly sleezy place at night and quite dirty. The scenery doesnt compare to laos,cambodia, but i would reccomend goin to mui ne or hoi-an,two savage towns.


7 days wud be sufficient, imo its the most untouched country in S.E asia thats open to tourism( ive been to Burma which was incredible but i dont think thats possible anymore).

Tubing down the Nam Song in vang vieng is one thing You MUST do, its just incredible.

RATM

For sure, Laos is probably my fav country in SE Asia after Indonesia. Its definitely hard core travel thats for sure. The roads are in an absolute mess. Its statistically the most bombed country in the world, the Yanks just pulverised it back in the 60/70s.Things never leave on time and power cuts happen from time to time. But thats half the fun of it, being in a country where stuff doesn't quite go to plan, why travel just to get the same stuff youre used to at home?

Anyway the OP could indeed go to Laos but personally to do it justice Id recommend at least 3 wks, a month if possible. Though if you only wanted to see Luang Prabang, Vientiene and Vang Vien and not bother with the Plain of Jars and the south then it could be done in 10 days.
Youve also got to bear in mind the OP has to fly home from Singapore so heading up to Laos is going in the wrong direction. In saying that though theres most likely a lot more plane services than there was when I was last there (2004) so to avoid backtracking you could splash out on a flight which would also save time.

KERPAL

ye I suppose singapore would pose a problem, i havent been to Laos since 03 but i imagine there are more plane services and stuff

RATM

Yeah the jury seems to be out on Vietnam, some ppl I know loved the place, and others, including myself, couldn't get out of it quick enough. The north is nice, around Sapa and Halong Bay but I just found the local touts in the south to be a bunch of greedy money grabbing twats.

And getting pickpocketed certainly wont leave you with any desire to go back or recommend it. Personally I tell ppl just to go north and not to bother with the south. Na Trang is possibly the most over-rated beach Ive even been to, I nearly stood on a dirty needle there.
That said Mui Ne is a lovely little beach town and worth a few days. However SE Asia is full of beaches so theres plenty of other places to get some sand time.

Spider_Baby

RATM wrote: »

Yeah the jury seems to be out on Vietnam, some ppl I know loved the place, and others, including myself, couldn't get out of it quick enough. The north is nice, around Sapa and Halong Bay but I just found the local touts in the south to be a bunch of greedy money grabbing twats.

And getting pickpocketed certainly wont leave you with any desire to go back or recommend it. Personally I tell ppl just to go north and not to bother with the south. Na Trang is possibly the most over-rated beach Ive even been to, I nearly stood on a dirty needle there.
That said Mui Ne is a lovely little beach town and worth a few days. However SE Asia is full of beaches so theres plenty of other places to get some sand time.

I'd have to disagree, I'm one of the pro-Vietnam people!
Been there twice. Loved it the first time so spent 5 weeks there on my world trip. Celebrated Christmas there then last year.
Such a beautiful country.

OP, you're never going to fit everywhere in SE in, now matter how long you're travelling for. Also, you are always going to come across people saying "I can't believe you left out x, y and z, they are the best places ever".
You're going to have a ball in SE Asia in general. Pick out some sights you really want to see and work it into a loose itineray.

p.s. ...I'm jealous!

RATM

Spider_Baby wrote: »

I'd have to disagree, I'm one of the pro-Vietnam people!
Been there twice. Loved it the first time so spent 5 weeks there on my world trip. Celebrated Christmas there then last year.
Such a beautiful country.

Ahhhh, you're in the pro-Nam camp, along with one of my sisters. The other sister hated it and left after a week:)

It is strange though, most ppl havent a bad thing to say about Thailand, Laos, Cambodia but you do hear of a few from time to time who didn't enjoy Vietnam. Must be something in the water:D

Spider_Baby

RATM wrote: »

Ahhhh, you're in the pro-Nam camp, along with one of my sisters. The other sister hated it and left after a week:)

It is strange though, most ppl havent a bad thing to say about Thailand, Laos, Cambodia but you do hear of a few from time to time who didn't enjoy Vietnam. Must be something in the water:D

...or something in their godforesaken Beer Hoi! Beer that leaves a metal taste in your mouth can't be good

Yeah you're right though, you never hear anything bad about Laos and Cambodia.
...not so sure about Thailand though...

p.s. OP, Sinoukville in Cambodia is a super-pretty place. Laid back beach vibe during the day...good beach-side drinking at night. The town centre is meant to be pretty sleazy, but the beach area I was at was lovely. Watch out for the cows strolling along the beach though!

KERPAL

Im sick and bored so i thought id spend some time and give a nice example of a possible route:

1. Bangkok-2 nights i suppose if its your first time
2. Chang Mai-again 2 nights
3. Slow Boat to Luang Prabang(probably my number1 travel experience of all time) down river Mekong- takes 2 days, and u stop off in a tiny remote village for a night.
4. Luang Prabang-3 nights,amazing food,amazing people, great craic
5. Vang Vieng- 2/3 nights, tubing,drinking,kayaking,trekking
6. Vientiane-1 night
7. Fly to Hanoi- 3 nights
8. Halong Bay- do an overnight boattrip- breathtaking
9. back to Hanoi-Train to Hue 3 nights
10. Mui ne 3/4/5 nights- beautiful beach resort for pure chillout buzz!!
11. Dalat- 2 nights (mountain town in nam- very nice)
12. Saigon- 2 nights(DO NOT GO TO MEKONG DELTA=AWFUL)
13. Phnomh Penh- 2 nights
14. Siem Reap- 2 nights
15. Back to Bangkok and get a flight to one of the islands and spend few weeks partying before spoiling yourself in a nice hotel for a night or two in singapore

I know theres a **** load of bus travel there, but if anything its a good guide of the main spots to go to around south east asia. I dont know a whole lot about the islands so didnt give much info

DriftR

Hi,

Didnt want to post as i have practically the exact same question. I am going for 3 months in june, flying in & out of Bangkok Definitely want to go to Laos & Cambodia(for Angkor Wat) not too sure about Vietnam as i would also like to go to southern thailand to the islands and not sure if i would have time if went to all of the other countries mentioned... any sample routes or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for hijacking the thread but any feedback on this will should be beneficial to the OP anyway,

Cheers.

Spider_Baby

KERPAL wrote: »

Im sick and bored so i thought id spend some time and give a nice example of a possible route:

1. Bangkok-2 nights i suppose if its your first time
2. Chang Mai-again 2 nights
3. Slow Boat to Luang Prabang(probably my number1 travel experience of all time) down river Mekong- takes 2 days, and u stop off in a tiny remote village for a night.
4. Luang Prabang-3 nights,amazing food,amazing people, great craic
5. Vang Vieng- 2/3 nights, tubing,drinking,kayaking,trekking
6. Vientiane-1 night
7. Fly to Hanoi- 3 nights
8. Halong Bay- do an overnight boattrip- breathtaking
9. back to Hanoi-Train to Hue 3 nights
10. Mui ne 3/4/5 nights- beautiful beach resort for pure chillout buzz!!
11. Dalat- 2 nights (mountain town in nam- very nice)
12. Saigon- 2 nights(DO NOT GO TO MEKONG DELTA=AWFUL)
13. Phnomh Penh- 2 nights
14. Siem Reap- 2 nights
15. Back to Bangkok and get a flight to one of the islands and spend few weeks partying before spoiling yourself in a nice hotel for a night or two in singapore

I know theres a **** load of bus travel there, but if anything its a good guide of the main spots to go to around south east asia. I dont know a whole lot about the islands so didnt give much info

Wow...that's the exact route I did first time round.
Freaky!
Oh, didnt fly to Hanoi though....took a ridiculously loooong bus journey instead.

Spider_Baby

DriftR wrote: »

Hi,

Didnt want to post as i have practically the exact same question. I am going for 3 months in june, flying in & out of Bangkok Definitely want to go to Laos & Cambodia(for Angkor Wat) not too sure about Vietnam as i would also like to go to southern thailand to the islands and not sure if i would have time if went to all of the other countries mentioned... any sample routes or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for hijacking the thread but any feedback on this will should be beneficial to the OP anyway,

Cheers.

I managed a very similar itinerary to the one Kerpal posted above, all in under 2 months. Think it was 7 weeks in total.
You could lengthen it here and there to bring it up to 9 weeks, then use your first or last 3 weeks exploring South Thailand and the islands perhaps...

KERPAL

Spider_Baby wrote: »

Wow...that's the exact route I did first time round.
Freaky!
Oh, didnt fly to Hanoi though....took a ridiculously loooong bus journey instead.

Great Travellers travel alike:D!

To be honest i didnt complete that route, i did it in sections if you like, but wud love to do it over 2 months.

And OP the 2/3 weeks in the islands is ultimate way to wind down your holiday with lots of sun and lots of parties!

KERPAL

Spider_Baby wrote: »

Wow...that's the exact route I did first time round.
Freaky!
Oh, didnt fly to Hanoi though....took a ridiculously loooong bus journey instead.

Great Travellers travel alike:D!
Did u do the slowboat aswell? wasnt it class!!!

To be honest i didnt complete that route, i did it in sections if you like, but wud love to do it over 2 months.

And OP the 2/3 weeks in the islands is ultimate way to wind down your holiday with lots of sun and lots of parties!

Spider_Baby

KERPAL wrote: »

Great Travellers travel alike:D!
Did u do the slowboat aswell? wasnt it class!!!

To be honest i didnt complete that route, i did it in sections if you like, but wud love to do it over 2 months.

And OP the 2/3 weeks in the islands is ultimate way to wind down your holiday with lots of sun and lots of parties!

Yeah I took the slow boat too.
...wish I'd brought a cushion though!!! Ouch!
It was about 4 years ago. Not sure if the boats have changed or not since then, but 2 days on a wooden bench = sore bums all round Good fun on the boat though, met a few interesting characters!


OP, check out Sinukville (I can never remember how to spell it) in Cambodia too if you're looking for a beach/party place. Some good beach bars in the area we were in.

Jugs82

First of all

p.s. ...I'm jealous!

Me too

Saigon- 2 nights(DO NOT GO TO MEKONG DELTA=AWFUL)

Have to disagree, i loved the delta, stayed close to Can Tho with a Family on a homestay.

It is strange though, most ppl havent a bad thing to say about Thailand, Laos, Cambodia but you do hear of a few from time to time who didn't enjoy Vietnam. Must be something in the water

Ive heard plenty of ppl giving out about Thailand & Cambodia - Thailand because of touts and Cambodia because of the petty crime in and around Phnom Phem and to a lesser extent Siem Reap

IMO, touts are irrelevant, just ignore them - i know easier said than done but certainly possible

I took a slightly different route round SE Asia:

Bangkok - Ko Samui - Bangkok - Phnom Phem (Air Asia) - Siem Reap - Phnom Penh (Bus) - Saigon (Bus) - Mekong Delta - Saigon - Muine - Dalat - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hanoi - Sapa - Hanoi - Bangkok (Air Asia) - Vientianne - Paske - Champasak - Don Det (4000 Islands) - Vietianne - Vang Vien - Luang Prabang - Chiang Mai (Air Asia) - Bangkok - Yangon (Air Asia) - Inle Lake - Mandalay - Bagan - Yangon - Bangkok (Air Asia) - Kuala Lumpar (Air Asia) - Cameron Highlands - Singapore

Took 12 weeks in total and IMO if there was one place not to miss, its the 4000 islands in the south of Laos, absolutely amazing.

Anyways, thats my tuppence

Enjoy the trip...

TheNibbler

RATM wrote: »

Anyway the OP could indeed go to Laos but personally to do it justice Id recommend at least 3 wks, a month if possible. Though if you only wanted to see Luang Prabang, Vientiene and Vang Vien and not bother with the Plain of Jars and the south then it could be done in 10 days.

Totally agree. I traveled around Laos two years ago in about 3 weeks and even that felt rushed. It's an amazing place but it takes a LONG time to get anywhere. I'm sure it's possible to do it in a few weeks but you'll be spending the majority of your time on a bus or even worse......a slow boat.

GAMAN

Hi All,

Thanks so much for all the replies,

I will need to get my Vietnam visa in Bangkok i think that takes a couple of days. I want to see Loos,Vietnam,Cambodia and the islands, then make my way down to singapore. Im looking at a map here and can you get a longer visa for Vietnam then a month because i will be going in and out from Laos and Cambodia and that may take longer then a month, is it possible to do all this by trains and buses or would you have to fly some places when im only their 2 months want to keep it as cheap as possible as i have 10 more months traveling ahead of me after singapore.

Thanks Lads

Jugs82

will need to get my Vietnam visa in Bangkok i think that takes a couple of days

This can be done in Phnom Penh either and Phnom Penh may be easier as you would probably head from there to Saigon. Takes 3/4 days if i remember correctly.

Im looking at a map here and can you get a longer visa for Vietnam then a month because i will be going in and out from Laos and Cambodia and that may take longer then a month

I take it that you are heading into Laos from Vietnam, from Hue to Savannakhet?? but where will you be coming back into Vietnam from??

s it possible to do all this by trains and buses or would you have to fly some places

You can bus it through Vietnam, theres a hop on, hop off ticket available from all agents and costs approx. €20 to get from Saigon to Hanoi stopping in Dalat, Muine, Nha Trang, Hoi An & Hue

I used a flight to leave Vietnam from Hanoi - Air Asia from Hanoi to Bangkok and then i entered Laos going from Bangkok to Vietianne by Bus. The flight is cheap and quick - around €50 or so one way and worth it IMO

i will be going in and out from Laos and Cambodia and that may take longer then a month

I wouldnt be a fan of this - it can get a bit messy and may not be the best option available taking the time constraints into consideration.

My recommendation would be go Thailand - Cambodia - Vietnam - Thailand - Laos - Thailand - Singapore - this way you can use Bangkok as a base/stopover and only stay 1/2 nights while on the way from Vietnam - Laos & Laos - Singapore to get your flight

RATM

And if you need cheap flights to save time then www.airasia.com is yer only man:D