mkf954

Greetings all! Planning my trip for September - this will be my third time in the past couple years and my friend's first time. Leaving ATL on August 31 and Arriving BKK late night September 1. Here is what I am thinking:

BKK - Sept 2 - 5
Beach (probably Samui) Sept 6 - 8
Siem Reap - Sept 9 - 11
Hanoi - Sept 12 - 15
Halong - Sept 16 - 17 (Friend leaves on 17th)
Hanoi - 18 - 19 (I'll be alone for these two days and leave on the 19th)

Any comments/suggestions? I am a huge fan of BKK, but trying to venture out a bit.

mrwunrfl

To short a time for SR. Are you arriving on the 8th? or 9th? and departing on the 11th? or 12th?

rhkkmk

too short for SR....

your friend may need to unwind a bit in bkk if it is her first time...

be prepared for possible heavy rains in sept....

remember travel times always require a whole day from place to place...that really makes your time too short in almost every place...

sallyho

I also would add another night in Siem Reap. Most people fly into Siem Reap, see the main temples and leave. If you get out into the countryside and see the lesser visited temples and take some time in the villages you will leave seeing a very different side of Cambodia. The people are wonderful. We loved the temples further afield, as we were the only people there and it was very peaceful walking around them.
We also got a better scope of how emense the Khymer empire was.

Elainee

That's a lot of time in Hanoi. I would put an extra day in Siem Reap. Or an extra day at the beach. Check the flights to Samui. We did not fly in but landed nearby and took ferry. That may have changed by now, but, if not..it takes a good bit of time. Phuket is easier and very nice.

Kathie

Elainee, you can fly into Samui - Bangkok Air.

It isn't clear how much time you actually have in each location. Changing locations takes at least half a day, so you lose that time. Three full days is minimum for seeing the major temples of Angkor. I loved Hanoi, but I'd trade away a day in Hanoi for more time in Siem Reap.

panecott

Sally,
How does one get out into the countryside near Siem Reap? Is there public transportation or do you need to drive? And can this be done on day trips or do you need to stay overnight? Any particular recommendations?
I've just started planning a trip for November and would appreciate any info you can offer. TIA.

rhkkmk

just hire a driver or a motorcycle driver and you can go out into the country....there is really no public transportation.....this is a very small rural place...

one of the most pleasant things we did was to have the driver drive down some side roads and see how the people lived in these areas...we took in a market too out near to the resevoir which was very interesting...

Kathie

There is no public transport in Siem Reap. You will need a car and driver to visit the temples and/or to go out into the countryside. This can easily be done as a day trip, indeed, you will see countryside if you visit some of the more distant temples like Banteay Srei or even the Roulous group. Tonle Sap is another place you might want to visit while you are there. Your driver for the temples can take you to all of these places.

I highly recommend Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor. as a guide to the temples.

wolfmisc

Bangkok Air has many flights per day from Bangkok to Koh Samui. Flying to Surat Thani and then taking the ferryboat is another option.
Bangkok Air also does Siem Reap. From Koh Samui you have to change plane in Bangkok, but there is no need for an overnight there. Bangkok Air also has several flights per day to Siem Reap.
I agree with the others, make it 1 day more in Siem Reap and shorten your visit to Hanoi.

mkf954

Great feedback. My friend is leaving Hanoi for Atlanta on the evening of Sept 16, so he will only have about 4 full days, including the 16th in Hanoi. If we want to go to Halong bay, I don't think I can cut this portion short. I am thinking I will limit the time spent at the beach; the Bangkok Air flights are super flexible and we would have no problem getting to the beach bright and early. I am going to add a day to Siem Reap, we should have about 3 full days.

sallyho

If you want to go to the temples further afield. Take a look at the peaceofangkor.com website.

Two and a half days of the main temples was fine for us.
If you want to go to some of the other temples and villages definatly hire a guide.

We had Dara for our guide in Siem Reap for 2 and a half days seeing the main temples. We then used a tuk tuk for a day to go to the landmine museum and explore some other sites in siem reap.

Our last 2 days we had Ponheary as our guide and took some food and supplies to a village at Koh Ker for the school kids. This was a great experience. On the way back we stopped at a few villages and went to Beng Mealea and stopped at some smaller temples in the jungle.

Our next day we did a small hike to Kbal Spean-- it was wonderful-- stopped at a village school and then went to Banteary Srey.

It was all great. If you think 2 days of the major temples around Siem Reap may be enough for you. i would highly recommend taking a day to go to some of the lest visited temples, since with recent roads now making all of these accesible they will not be tourist free for long. We loved it all, but for us Kbal Spean, Beng Mealea, koh Ker and the village visits was a special experience and a very different experience than the magnificent temples around Siem Reap.

sallyho

sorry for my late reply, we are in Hawaii for a few more weeks and wireless is a little unreliable in our condo.

panecott

Thank you rhk, Kathie and Sally, for the information.
How do you go about booking a car and driver? Can that be done through the hotel or must it be done in advance? And does the driver serve as a guide, or does he just wait while you visit the temples out in the countryside? And what is the approximate cost of a driver for a day in the countryside?

Also, is a guide at Siem Reap a necessity, or does a guide merely enhance the experience? I'm the type that likes to wander around leisurely by myself with a good guidebook and take thousands of pictures.

And Sally, you mentioned two people by name. Do they work at the site or are they privately booked?

I'm thinking of spending 5 days in the area. Is that about right, too much, too little?

Thanks, again, everyone and TIA for any further info.

Kathie

I think you'll find plenty to do for five days (I spent a week there and would have enjoyed more). Your hotel can get you a driver (a driver and guide are two different people). I just used a driver (no guide) as I had been reading about the temples for years before I went. Do buy yourself a good guidebook - Dawn' Rooney's book, Angkor, is the one I recommend. It's about US$25 a day for a car and driver, and it costs extra to get to Banteay Srei or the temples farther away ($10 - $25 extra depending on how far away you are going)

All guides mentioned on this site a privately hired.

mrwunrfl

Car & driver was $25/day two years ago. The guide was $20/day. Roundtrip airport transfer was $5 total. Arranged thru the Sofitel. The guide was very knowledgeable and spoke English well. He was able (unlike me) to give directions to the driver, e.g. to meet us at a different place from where he dropped us off.

Kathie

Good point, MrW., My driver spoke enough English that I could direct him to drop us off at say, the east entrance and pick us up at the north gate.

panecott

Thanks, Kathie and MrW.