Southeast Asia forum

Itinerary help - Thai, Viet, Laos, Camb, 7 weeks.

HexagonalBo-
lts

backpacker
Posts: 12

Hello everyone.

I made a post about my itinerary before but I've a better idea of what I am doing now and I have some specific questions.

I am travelling from the 1st of June to the 20th of August. I want to go in a rough loop, something like this, it's all very flexible though:

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Southern Laos
Down through Vietnam
Back to Bangkok through Cambodia (definitely seeing Angkor Wat)

Is this circular route ok? Or would this route have bad transport / would there be a faster way to see these four countries?

However I want to add a leg to this circle for the south of Thailand. I really want to spend a few days diving in Ko Tao , an island off the south of Thailand, and I've been told by a friend that the trekking in Khao Sok is better than that of Chiang Mai. Would I be better off doing this southern leg at the start of my travels, the beginning of July, or at the end, mid August? I've heard that the diving conditions in Ko Tao are better in July.

Thanks a load! - Tom

#1 Posted: 22/6/2011 - 14:25
caseyprich

som tam seller
Posts: 672
Located in:
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I think you mean Chaing Mai to Northern Laos, right? Most sections of Laos you're going to find some fairly poor transportation - but you can always get where you're going. If you're not in a hurry I recommend hopping from location to location between your major destinations using local buses instead of the long-haul overnight VIP buses, hover from Vientiane or Luang Prabang you can catch a 24 hour ride to Hanoi. Not sure what you mean by fast, but you could take a boat from the Thai border to Luang Prabang in two days, then you've got a lot of options from that central hub before you depart Northern Laos via either local or VIP.

#2 Posted: 22/6/2011 - 20:35
HexagonalBo-
lts

backpacker
Posts: 12

Thank you very much, sorry for the slow reply, I'm in Nepal!

Does anyone have any idea whether it would be better for me to do the southern leg of Thailand in my journey at the beginning or end of my travels?

#3 Posted: 26/6/2011 - 20:40