Help Fang Plan Our SE Asia Holiday

Doshwaster

FANG wrote: »

How long do you think I need in Bangkok then mate

No more than 2-3 nights at any one time. Bangkok is a fantastic city but it's best done in small doses. Arrive, have a good night's sleep, do a city tour, go partying for a couple of days-into-nights and then leave town.

I've been to Bangkok about 5 times. I love the place and always find something new to see and do but by the third day I'm always ready to move on, to get some fresh air and escape the traffic, noise and pollution.

It's always better to leave somewhere with unfinished business and wanting to go back than to stay too long and get bored of the place.

Bob_the_Saver

Maybe a 4th night if it's your first time in that part of the world and also depending on flight/arrival times.

Doshwaster

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Maybe a 4th night if it's your first time in that part of the world and also depending on flight/arrival times.

Good point. You can usually write off your first night. Most flights land in the evening and if you aren't used to such long flights then you will be knackered when you arrive. Don't plan on anything other than a bite to eat at the hotel and a couple of beers before collapsing. Bangkok is a much easier place to cope with after a good night's sleep and it's always worth spending a little extra for a good hotel rather than a cheap backpacker dive.

Bob_the_Saver

Doshwaster wrote: »

Good point. You can usually write off your first night. Most flights land in the evening and if you aren't used to such long flights then you will be knackered when you arrive. Don't plan on anything other than a bite to eat at the hotel and a couple of beers before collapsing. Bangkok is a much easier place to cope with after a good night's sleep and it's always worth spending a little extra for a good hotel rather than a cheap backpacker dive.

Especially if you're an Asia virgin (if I can use the word in a post about Bangkok!)

Doshwaster

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Especially if you're an Asia virgin (if I can use the word in a post about Bangkok!)

We were all Bangkok virgins once...

Now I can land and head straight out into the night but the first time I arrived in the city, I checked in to the hotel about 10pm, dumped my bags and immediately went exploring. I only got about 100m from the hotel before a combination of tiredness, disorientation and the humidity made me return to the hotel bar.

bylromarha

Will let you know mid August.

Me, hubby and 6 and 7 year old kids off to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Phnom Penh for 3 weeks in 9 sleeps. WOOP!!!!!!!!

Doshwaster

bylromarha wrote: »

Will let you know mid August.

Me, hubby and 6 and 7 year old kids off to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Phnom Penh for 3 weeks in 9 sleeps. WOOP!!!!!!!!

Looks like a brilliant trip. It will be interesting to hear how you get on - especially with two small children with you. SE Asia isn't always the easiest place is travel with children, especially if they are fussy eaters, but it will be a fantastic experience for them.

claire16c

totallybored wrote: »

I've just been to Nha trang for the beach which is about 7 hours by train from Saigon. Absolutely hated it though.

Id agree with that. Hoi An is the nicest place we went to in Vietnam and theres a beach there, much nicer.

totallybored

claire16c wrote: »

Id agree with that. Hoi An is the nicest place we went to in Vietnam and theres a beach there, much nicer.

I liked Hoi An but didn't make it to the beach. There were some very nice looking resorts on the way back to Danang and I wish I'd done a couple of days there instead of Nha Trang. I wasn't expecting Nha Trang to be such a dump. It was like a communist Benidorm full of Russia package holiday makers.

I also wish I'd missed Saigon out and gone straight to Phnom Penh as I like Cambodia much more than Vietnam.

Doshwaster

totallybored wrote: »

I also wish I'd missed Saigon out and gone straight to Phnom Penh as I like Cambodia much more than Vietnam.

Sounds like you are having a very interesting trip. I'm looking forward to your full trip report when you finally get back to Blightly.

Yes, I found Cambodia, and especially Phnom Penh, to be a fascinating place. Now is probably a good time to visit before foreign investment and tourism turns the country into another Thailand. I'm sure if I was to go back to PP in a few years I'd hardly recognise it.