Thailand forum

7 weeks in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia

Cary

longtail driver
Posts: 7

Hey there all you helpful folks, I'm a 25 year old Canadian male taking my first trip to SE asia, Arriving late Jan and staying until mid march.

I'm going with my girlfriend, we don't have any sort of rigid schedule to stick to. We arrive in BKK and plan to stay a couple nights before taking a plane or train south to Surat Thani, at which point we'll head to the islands (not sure which yet) in search of some inexpensive beach bungalows.
After a week or two lazing about the beaches, things get a little hazy, we want to see Laos and Cambodia as well as northern thailand, but haven't really decided on a route.

Any practical advice on places to go/avoid, places to stay (ideally no more than $20-25 per night) must do activities, must eat foods, etc. would be much appreciated.

Both of us are fairly novice travellers. We're not really into the BOOMBOOM electronic music parties, but we are young and do like to let loose a bit, preferably rock/reggae bars.
We're not really into extreme sports, so cliff diving isn't really our idea of a good time.

Must visit locations are Krabi (and surrounding beaches/islands) Angkor and Chiang rai, other than that, we're pretty open to anything.

We don't have a super tight budget to stick to, but any idea of how much we might spend over this time would be welcome. I've been saving up for a year, it would be a shame to see all my money disappear unexpectedly in the first couple weeks.

Also I know that drugs are completely illegal throughout that area, but I understand that certain "happy" restaurants that are tolerated by law enforcement can be found, I was just looking for a little bit more information about that sort of thing. (everybody likes to get a little "happy" sometimes)

Thanks so much in advance for any and all input (even negative), we're very excited and looking forward to seeing three beautiful countries.

-Cary and Jenn

#1 Posted: 1/1/2010 - 03:54
Cary

longtail driver
Posts: 7

Sorry if this is a thread that occurs every day on this site, but any input would really be appreciated.

#2 Posted: 2/1/2010 - 08:06
shadek

flashpacker
Posts: 37

I would give it a try to Lanta and Koh Jum (as I will be doing in Feb/10!), both pretty and easy to get to from Krabi, and good value for money. There are loads of info here on both islands, like accomodation recommendations. If u r not into big parties and electronic music, I would recommend u to skip KPNG.
What about some trek in Northen Thailand, since u will be going to Chiang Rai?

#3 Posted: 2/1/2010 - 15:36

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Lother

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 214
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With 6 weeks or so, you could make a decent loop through Cambodia and Southern/Central Laos (either crossing to Thailand in the south or going all the up to Vientiane) and end up in Northern Thailand.

In Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are the obvious choices. I could also recommend Battambang, Kompong Chhnang for some more rural vibes, and Kratie as a good stop-over on the way to Laos. In Laos I've only been to the south but enjoyed motorbiking around the Bolaven Plateau area enormously. Si Phan Don is also a most relaxing area, and not anywhere as annoying as other sites of similar popularity tend to be. I'd be happy to answer if you have more specific questions, esp. regarding Cambodia.

As regards the happy, it is indeed illegal in all the SEA countries, but quite available. The quality varies greatly. In Thailand, be very careful if you intend to partake. On some islands it might be relatively safe but definitely not in any major towns. In Cambodia, things are somewhat more relaxed but you should still not indulge in public or anything like that. Don Det in Laos is the only place I've seen it openly on the menu...

#4 Posted: 3/1/2010 - 00:15
Lother

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 214
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Oh, and on the costs: Assuming you spend about $10 each on accommodation, a budget of $30 a day ($10 for acc., $10 for food, $10 for misc.) could be a good reference point.

#5 Posted: 3/1/2010 - 00:16
Cary

longtail driver
Posts: 7

Wow, thanks so much for the detailed replies.

I just purchased a little netbook (for $250) so I'll be sure to update this thread with my current adventures and questions as my travels progress.

#6 Posted: 3/1/2010 - 03:28