Outside of Thailand where else in Asia

Ngozi

Cambodia is still struggling to decide if to scrap its "corona deposit" and its main tourist attractions are quite steep in price but it is great for culture and so is Vietnam.
Pretty much any country you're visiting for the first time is great for culture so I think be a bit more specific about what you're looking for, culture as in mixing with locals etc... or arts and history? Vietnam would be best for Arts & History.

Easy to do South India & Sri-Lanka.

Doshwaster

Ngozi said:

Cambodia is still struggling to decide if to scrap its "corona deposit" and its main tourist attractions are quite steep in price but it is great for culture and so is Vietnam.
Pretty much any country you're visiting for the first time is great for culture so I think be a bit more specific about what you're looking for, culture as in mixing with locals etc... or arts and history? Vietnam would be best for Arts & History.

Easy to do South India & Sri-Lanka.

Ankor Wat is a little on the expensive side (about $40, I think) but it's priced for tourists not locals. Plus you do get a lot for the money and it's something you'll only do once.. Now is probably a good time to go as it won't be so busy. Otherwise Cambodia is exceptionally cheap for everything else (50 cents for a beer!) though I'd probably go elsewhere for beaches. Sihanoukville has reportedly been ruined in recent years by Chinese overdevelopment.

prenton01

Hi all, 
Thanks for all the comments, still hopefully of visiting Khao Lak this year but if it does get cancelled i have the following in mind due to the comments on here 
Nha Trang and HCM 
Sri Lanka 
Goa 

PompeyPete

prenton01 said:

Hi all, 
Thanks for all the comments, still hopefully of visiting Khao Lak this year but if it does get cancelled i have the following in mind due to the comments on here 
Nha Trang and HCM 
Sri Lanka 
Goa 

I wouldn't go all that way just to end up in Nha Trang.  And Hanoi would be a better experience than Saigon.

Fingers crossed that Khao Lak comes off though.  Khao Lak takes up quite a long length of coastline an hour or so by road north of Phuket.  In my experience the area was alright.  It's pretty much hemmed in with a very busy, very fast main road running parallel to the coastline.  There's much better places to consider, though it's a damn sight better than Phuket.  Have a look at Boss taxis for your transfers from Phuket Airport.  And if you get chance spend a couple of nights in Nai Yang, very close to Phuket Airport, a village feel, and a very nice long and clean beach.

PompeyPete

Further to my last post, if you're feeling a little adventurous try a place in Thailand called Pratchup Khiri Khan [PKK], which is about 4 hours by road [or train] south of Bangkok on the Gulf Coast, not too much further south than very popular Hua Hin.  PKK is a very laid back provincial town, with some lovely small guest houses.  The jewel in the crown is Ao Maneo Beach, which is a mile or so outside of town.  It's inside the Wing 5 Royal Thai Air Force Base, where you just need to sign in at the Main Gate with your passport to visit.  The beach in a bay is sheltered and offers fabulous swimming.  There's plenty of sun beds, shelter from the sun, and small restaurants yards from the beach.  Monday to Thursday is ideal, but Friday brings the Bangkok party crowd for the weekend.  

Fabulous.

prenton01

PompeyPete said:

prenton01 said:

Hi all, 
Thanks for all the comments, still hopefully of visiting Khao Lak this year but if it does get cancelled i have the following in mind due to the comments on here 
Nha Trang and HCM 
Sri Lanka 
Goa 

I wouldn't go all that way just to end up in Nha Trang.  And Hanoi would be a better experience than Saigon.

Fingers crossed that Khao Lak comes off though.  Khao Lak takes up quite a long length of coastline an hour or so by road north of Phuket.  In my experience the area was alright.  It's pretty much hemmed in with a very busy, very fast main road running parallel to the coastline.  There's much better places to consider, though it's a damn sight better than Phuket.  Have a look at Boss taxis for your transfers from Phuket Airport.  And if you get chance spend a couple of nights in Nai Yang, very close to Phuket Airport, a village feel, and a very nice long and clean beach.

Hi Pete, 
Where would you recommend other than Nha Trang for sitting on the beach and having a few days exploring ?
Will have a look at Boss taxi's cheers, we have 3 days in Bangkok (have been there before) then 2 days in Khao Sok national park in a tree house resort then onto Khao Lak for 6 nights  

PompeyPete

Difficult to suggest any beach spot in Vietnam really as I've never been at the time of year you are going.   I had a week at what's supposed to be the next up and coming beach town 3 years ago, called Quy Nhon.  It's between Nha Trang and Hoi An.  The beach was gorgeous, but as is often the case with the South China Sea there is usually a strong swell, even right inshore, so swimming in the sea wasn't a good idea.  Though the beach was pristine golden sand there was very little in the way of shelter, and the sun was unrelenting.  Like almost everywhere in Vietnam 2-wheeled scooters rule the roost, and even the promenades were crawling with the damn things.

We flew to and from Quy Nhon from Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines [I think}, or it may have been Vietjet.  Used them both several times for domestic flights and they're very good.  Flight delays in Vietnam are usually weather related, but schedule changes are regular.  Make sure you make any reservations on the official website, there are lookalike sites, so be careful.  And the earlier you book the more the chance of schedule changes, a few minutes is alright, but moving an ETD from say 0900 to 1600 is a pain in the bum.

If you have any general questions about money, getting around, and the like just fire away with your questions.  

Doshwaster

I haven't been (yet) but the beach resort I hear the best reports about in Vietnam is Phu Quoc (http://www.vietnam-guide.com/phu-quoc-island/) which is just a short flight or bus + ferry from HCMC. Other beach areas are either too quiet with nothing to do or like Nha Trang are overdeveloped and designed for the Russian and Chinese package tour markets (think of a SE Asian version of Benidorm) rather than independent travellers

prenton01

Doshwaster said:

I haven't been (yet) but the beach resort I hear the best reports about in Vietnam is Phu Quoc (http://www.vietnam-guide.com/phu-quoc-island/) which is just a short flight or bus + ferry from HCMC. Other beach areas are either too quiet with nothing to do or like Nha Trang are overdeveloped and designed for the Russian and Chinese package tour markets (think of a SE Asian version of Benidorm) rather than independent travellers

Doshwater 
We went Phu Quoc 2 years ago and had an amazing time, its definitely like Thailand was before all the 5 star hotels. had an amazing time.  

Doshwaster

prenton01 said:

Doshwaster said:

I haven't been (yet) but the beach resort I hear the best reports about in Vietnam is Phu Quoc (http://www.vietnam-guide.com/phu-quoc-island/) which is just a short flight or bus + ferry from HCMC. Other beach areas are either too quiet with nothing to do or like Nha Trang are overdeveloped and designed for the Russian and Chinese package tour markets (think of a SE Asian version of Benidorm) rather than independent travellers

Doshwater 
We went Phu Quoc 2 years ago and had an amazing time, its definitely like Thailand was before all the 5 star hotels. had an amazing time.  

I had been planning my third trip to Vietnam for later this year and Phu Quoc had been on my "long list" of places to go as somewhere which wasn't too dead but not too busy either. Maybe next year...