Trip reports forum
First time in Asia
Have questions? Jump to our menu of forum quicklinks
Add your reply
You need to be logged in to add a reply.
Not a member? you can join here.
Welcome to Travelfish, original Asia travel intelligence you can trust
Menu
yayorc
Joined Travelfish
23rd October, 2009
Posts 10
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
Hi all,
Other than a week working in Tokyo and going from hotel, to office buildings, to nice restaurants, I'm planning my first trip to Asia at the end of November. I am flying solo in and out of Bangkok on November 28 and December 13 respectively, and am having trouble deciding where I should go. I have two ideas:
1) travel the coast of Vietnam, north to south, for the length of the trip
or
2) head to Chiang Mai, and head down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap/Angkor Wat, and finish in Bangkok.
Is the second route at all possible in 15 days? Would you advise someone on their first solo trip in SE Asia one way or the other?
Any guidance would be appreciated.
#1 Posted: 23/10/2009 - 06:03
exacto
Joined Travelfish
12th February, 2006
Location United States
Posts 2046
Member profile
Profile page
Private message
hello,
i think you are packing too much into option number 2. with two weeks to spend you could do the quick trip to chiang mai and then through laos or cambodia but not both. logistically, cutting out cambodia would work best, since that would leave a big loop through northern thailand, over/down to luang prabang and vientiane, then back to bangkok. even that would be a bit rushed but still possible in two weeks.
how did you plan to get to/from vietnam in option 1? regards.
#2 Posted: 23/10/2009 - 11:38
Advertisement
somtam2000
admin
Joined Travelfish
21st January, 2004
Location Indonesia
Posts 6404
Member profile
Profile page
Private message
I agree with exacto -- drop Cambodia and spread out north Thailand and Laos over the two weeks, otherwise you're going to be travelling too much of the time.
#3 Posted: 23/10/2009 - 13:13
somtam2000's social networks[Twitter] [Facebook] [Flickr] [Google+] [Instagram] [Pinterest]
------------------------------
Travel films for Southeast Asia
yayorc
Joined Travelfish
23rd October, 2009
Posts 10
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
What if I dropped northern Thailand and just did Laos & Cambodia? Or do you think I'd be missing out?
#4 Posted: 23/10/2009 - 17:31
yayorc
Joined Travelfish
23rd October, 2009
Posts 10
Member profile
Profile private
Messaging not enabled.
I'd fly from BKK to Hanoi and from Ho Chi Minh back to BKK if I went to Vietnam.
#5 Posted: 23/10/2009 - 17:32
exacto
Joined Travelfish
12th February, 2006
Location United States
Posts 2046
Member profile
Profile page
Private message
i don't think you'd be missing out if you skipped northern thailand in favor of cambodia, but i think the logistics of visiting both laos and cambodia in just two weeks would be difficult, unless you were willing to fly most of the time.
what you could do is instead of going to luang prabang, make your way up to vientiane from bangkok or any point in the southern part of laos, then make your way overland down to siem reap and then back to bangkok. i think that would fit in your two weeks.
#6 Posted: 23/10/2009 - 23:15