ade7
longtail driver
Posts: 7

#1 Posted: 14/4/2008 - 21:38


Hi,
A friend and I are travelling to SE Asia this summer from 26 June to 10 Sept (giving us 76 days in total). I am aware that this is during the wet season for most of where I am going, though I dont think the rain will bother me that much. I was just wandering whether someone could have a quick look over my current itinerary and advise or reassure where appropriate.

(Numbers refer to numbers of days spent)

1 fly to Bangkok
2 Bangkok

2 travel (flight to Chiang Rai, then bus into NW Laos)
36 Laos (making our way south thru Laos - no firm plans, hoping to take in trekking + gibbon experience up north, Luang Prabang, Plain of Jars, Vientiane, exploring remote south, 4 thousand islands)

2 travel (or 1 if fly from Pakse)
3 Siem Reap

2 travel (stop over at Phnom Penh)
3 Saigon

1 travel (train)
4 Hoi An

1 travel (train)
2 Hue

1 travel (train)
2 Ha Noi

3 Halong Bay

1 travel (flight from Hanoi)
1 Kuala Lumpur

6 (including travel) Tioman Island

2 Kuala Lumpur

1 travel (flight to bangkok) + flight back home


Any help is much appreciated. Are there any destinations you would recommend instead of places on my itinerary?

Cheers, Andy

Lother
flashpacker
Posts: 35
Located in:
Earth

#2 Posted: 15/4/2008 - 00:36


If you want to be in Laos for over 30 days (not a bad idea at all), you need to leave the country at some point and return for another 30-day visa (on arrival).

I don't know much about Vietnam, but Cambodia at least has many other interesting destinations you could consider, e.g. Battambang, Kampot & Kep and Kampong Chhnang. In any case, Angkor is great in the wet season (perhaps even better than in the dry), so don't worry about that.

ade7
longtail driver
Posts: 7

#3 Posted: 15/4/2008 - 00:56


Lother,
Thanks very much for the reply. Yes visas are something I need to look into further. I seem to remember however reading that you could extend a Laos visa whilst in Vientiane. Can anyone clarify this?

Regarding Cambodia, yeah, I know there is plenty of great stuff Ill be missing out on, but we decided to concentrate on Laos, at the expense of Cambodia unfortunately.

Lother
flashpacker
Posts: 35
Located in:
Earth

#4 Posted: 15/4/2008 - 02:04


Yeah, you're right, you can extend the visa for at least 15 days, so that would be enough in this case. Didn't think about that.

As regards travelling from Southern Laos to Siem Reap, if you don't want to fly (and for sure it is kinda unnecessary for such a short distance), the quickest way might be via Thailand.

The trip from Pakse to Stung Treng via Veun Kham / Dom Kralor is really interesting though, and you can get your Cambodian visa on arrival there. The downside is that there is really no straight road to Siem Reap from there, so you'd have to go as far south as Kompong Cham at least, making for a bit of a detour.