Someguy000 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I'll be spending a month in Thailand, then a month in Tokyo and will be returning to Thailand for another month after that. However, I would like to spend my second month there also checking out some of the neighboring countries (Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia) or maybe even Malaysia/Singapore. Which of these is most worth visiting and why? How much time would you recommend spending there? Ideally I'd like to make two or three 4-7 day trips or something like that. How much are return flights from Bangkok to the neighboring countries and to Malaysia? Would I be better off purchasing multiple return flights from Bangkok to these places or just visiting them one by one on single flights? This may seem like a silly question, but in my experience single flights are actually more expensive than return flights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE For sure, don't miss Angkor Wat. I would say it's #1 on my list. I also like Vietnam. Lots to see there. And plenty to see here in Thailand. IMHO, I was not too impressed with Malaysia/Singapore. KL and Singapore are good for shopping/take your wife/GF. I would focus on Cambo, Lao, Burma and Vietnam. All but Vietnam can be easily reached via bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardholder Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE Agree 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie888888 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Quite contrary to the other poster, I thought Malaysia (outside KL) was fantastic. Some of the beaches (eg Tioman, Sipadan) were stunning, the rainforests (eg Taman Negara and also parts of Sabah) were breathtaking. I also thought Cameron Highlands were a refreshing break from hot and humid Thailand. It is extremely easy to travel and communicate with locals due to English being widely spoken and understood. So it depends on what you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie888888 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Oh, forgot to add, I think MAS used to advertise the Asean Pass i.e. allows air travel to several Asean countries for a lower price than if you bought the trips individually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Quite contrary to the other poster, I thought Malaysia (outside KL) was fantastic. Some of the beaches (eg Tioman, Sipadan) were stunning, the rainforests (eg Taman Negara and also parts of Sabah) were breathtaking. I also thought Cameron Highlands were a refreshing break from hot and humid Thailand. It is extremely easy to travel and communicate with locals due to English being widely spoken and understood. So it depends on what you are looking for. Sipadan is truly fantastic...though you can't stay on the island any more. And resorts nearby are EXTREMELY expensive. Otherwise, it's a loooooong boat ride from the Seporna. And getting there is not cheap and takes quite a bit of time. Borneo is completely different from mainland Malaysia. For sure, some great stuff there. I spent 5 weeks traveling from Kuching to Tawau, including Brunei. Great trip. Tioman is pretty darn nice. But with the limited amount of time the OP has, not sure I would travel all the way there just for that. Thailand has similar islands. The beaches from KL north were a bit disappointing for me. I guess I was expecting more. Same with Penang. It's OK, but gets mixed reviews from travelers. Some like it, some don't. I also found the muslin influence...interesting. Not as much "sanook" as you get here. We spent a month traveling from Singapore up to Penang. we missed Perhentian and Langkawai. Hopefully, we'll get to visit them at some point in the future. Sounds like the OP has only a few weeks to hit the highlights. Angkor Wat is for sure one of the tops. After that, well...lots of choices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afarang Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE For sure, don't miss Angkor Wat. I would say it's #1 on my list. I also like Vietnam. Lots to see there. And plenty to see here in Thailand. IMHO, I was not too impressed with Malaysia/Singapore. KL and Singapore are good for shopping/take your wife/GF. I would focus on Cambo, Lao, Burma and Vietnam. All but Vietnam can be easily reached via bus. Can go to Vietnam by air-con bus ,from Sawannakhet, in Laos.It leaves from a hotel in Sawannakhet and same day arrive near Hue or Da Nang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Can go to Vietnam by air-con bus ,from Sawannakhet, in Laos.It leaves from a hotel in Sawannakhet and same day arrive near Hue or Da Nang. Wow...interesting. I haven't been to Laos, Cambo or Vietnam for around 6 years. I'm sure a lot has changed in that time...including that new road to Angkor Wat! It was an adventure when I did it. 18 hours from Khao San Road...10+ hours of it in the back of an open air pickup sitting on top of a bunch of fish in coolers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE For sure, don't miss Angkor Wat. I would say it's #1 on my list. I also like Vietnam. Lots to see there. And plenty to see here in Thailand. IMHO, I was not too impressed with Malaysia/Singapore. KL and Singapore are good for shopping/take your wife/GF. I would focus on Cambo, Lao, Burma and Vietnam. All but Vietnam can be easily reached via bus. Lots of busses from Laos and Cambodia to Viet Nam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afarang Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE For sure, don't miss Angkor Wat. I would say it's #1 on my list. I also like Vietnam. Lots to see there. And plenty to see here in Thailand. IMHO, I was not too impressed with Malaysia/Singapore. KL and Singapore are good for shopping/take your wife/GF. I would focus on Cambo, Lao, Burma and Vietnam. All but Vietnam can be easily reached via bus. Lots of busses from Laos and Cambodia to Viet Nam. More details ,please. Where from and where to?Etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Plenty of buses leave daily from PP to Saigon and its only about 3 1/2 hours. Or u can hop local buses from Shianokville- Kampot-Kep-border-Saigon Or take a bus from Vientiane to Cambodia, about 28 hours or so plenty of options. wherever there people now in Asia there are bus's to move them :jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jombom Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 There all worth visiting, For myself as i love photography and people, in this order; 1. Cambodia 2. Laos 3. Burma from Bangkok flying ur looking at under $200 return to all of them, ( including departure tax), but for Cambodia you can travel by Bus and Laos you can travel by /train/bus. Angkor Wat is a MUST SEE For sure, don't miss Angkor Wat. I would say it's #1 on my list. I also like Vietnam. Lots to see there. And plenty to see here in Thailand. IMHO, I was not too impressed with Malaysia/Singapore. KL and Singapore are good for shopping/take your wife/GF. I would focus on Cambo, Lao, Burma and Vietnam. All but Vietnam can be easily reached via bus. Lots of busses from Laos and Cambodia to Viet Nam. More details ,please. Where from and where to?Etc.. Here's a link for international bus routes out of Vietnam, including to BKK. Last page gives time and cost. http://www.sinhcafe.com/english_info/info_opentour.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geriatrickid Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) Quite contrary to the other poster, I thought Malaysia (outside KL) was fantastic. Some of the beaches (eg Tioman, Sipadan) were stunning, the rainforests (eg Taman Negara and also parts of Sabah) were breathtaking. I also thought Cameron Highlands were a refreshing break from hot and humid Thailand. It is extremely easy to travel and communicate with locals due to English being widely spoken and understood. So it depends on what you are looking for. I agree. I rather enjoy Langkawi and Kuantan (sp) I can do without KL. The Malaysian countryside is beautiful. However, at this time I would avoid KL because of the conflict. I find Singapore a refreshing place to visit for a couple days. One place I want to visit is Burma. I keep hoping that maybe they will reform and I can one day retire there.. Cambodia has a nasty stigma. Unless one is traveling with a wife or girlfriend, a Cambodian visa stamp is akin to have the word sex tourist stamped on one's head, even if one is a chaste eunuch. Edited July 11, 2011 by geriatrickid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afarang Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) To P.P. and R.P-You say lots of buses from Laos to Vietnam. Nothing from Laos to Vietnam or Vietnam to Laos in your posts or timetables. Edited July 11, 2011 by afarang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Or take a bus from Vientiane to Cambodia, about 28 hours or so plenty of options. Ugh...28 hours. That must be a tough ride... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Quite contrary to the other poster, I thought Malaysia (outside KL) was fantastic. Some of the beaches (eg Tioman, Sipadan) were stunning, the rainforests (eg Taman Negara and also parts of Sabah) were breathtaking. I also thought Cameron Highlands were a refreshing break from hot and humid Thailand. It is extremely easy to travel and communicate with locals due to English being widely spoken and understood. So it depends on what you are looking for. I agree. I rather enjoy Langkawi and Kuantan (sp) I can do without KL. The Malaysian countryside is beautiful. However, at this time I would avoid KL because of the conflict. I find Singapore a refreshing place to visit for a couple days. One place I want to visit is Burma. I keep hoping that maybe they will reform and I can one day retire there.. Cambodia has a nasty stigma. Unless one is traveling with a wife or girlfriend, a Cambodian visa stamp is akin to have the word sex tourist stamped on one's head, even if one is a chaste eunuch. What utter Crap. How would anyone seeing a Cambodian stamp in ur passport know u traveled there with ur wife or gf?? Tell anyone back in the west u live in Thailand and see what pops first in their heads. SEX. Pattaya is the biggest whorehouse in the world as such and and there is nothing in Cambodia that compares to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 To P.P. and R.P-You say lots of buses from Laos to Vietnam. Nothing from Laos to Vietnam or Vietnam to Laos in your posts or timetables. Try google "bus Laos to Vietnam" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 To P.P. and R.P-You say lots of buses from Laos to Vietnam. Nothing from Laos to Vietnam or Vietnam to Laos in your posts or timetables. Don't know where they go from but the hotels and travel agents in Vientiane all advertise the bus to Viet Nam, something like US$20 one way if I remember right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afarang Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Googled it . One bus a day from VTN to Hanoi( over 20 hours, guess some pretty bad roads). and one bus(used to be 1 bus every 2nd day) a day from SNK toHue, DaNang.7 hour trip, not bad road, apparently,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edthesock Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Do Cambodia and Lao. If you are fast and have the extra dosh do a side trip to Saigon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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