Thailand forum

3 weeks in Thailand, Cambodia and/or Laos

awnyc

newbie
Posts: 1

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to the site, but am loving the content and the posters. So very informative.

To get to the point, with my husband I'm hoping to plan a 3 week trip to southeast asia during late Dec/Jan. Would love to have more time, but with out schedules that's the most we could eek out.

That said, where should we spend our time!? Both of us travel a fair bit, but have never been to the region. We're adventurous and love experiencing the local culture. Touristy things just aren't us. I don't want to spend half of my trip plowing through crowds of large tours (you know the ones, where everyone wears matching t-shirts, hats, etc.).

We plan to spend 4 days in Koh Toa (or somewhere similar) getting PADI certified. We're flexible about where we fly into/out of. Budget conscious, although we'll be there during our anniversary so a suggestion on where to splurge for a night or two is very welcome. And maybe a beach for a few days? All that said, we might not have time for all 3 countries if we want to relax somewhat too.

I know very little about the region as a westerner with no trip under my belt. And I realize this is totally subjective since everyone has different tastes.

Send your thoughts my way, please!

#1 Posted: 2/8/2010 - 04:09
exacto

mahout
Posts: 1797
Located in:
Private message

Hey New York,

You definitely won't have time for all three countries. The 4 days on Ko Tao plus travel to/from, etc., will take up most of one week, leaving just two weeks for all the rest.

Given the relatively short amount of time you have, I'd suggest just staying in Thailand for the three weeks. Since you'll already be diving in southern Thailand, it makes sense to continue on that way for the great beaches and/or islands the area has to offer. Then you can slowly make your way back up towards Bangkok with side trips to places like Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya.

If you wanted to cram another country into that itinerary, normally I'd recommend Laos. Great culture. Great beer. etc. But the logistics of your trip suggest that Cambodia and a trip to either Siem Reap for Angkor Wat or Phnom Penh or maybe even both is a better fit time and distance wise.

No matter what you decide, definitely remember that less is more when it comes to travel, and you'll have more fun visiting just a few spots than trying to rush through too much. Hope that helps. Regards.

#2 Posted: 2/8/2010 - 06:08