Vientianeboy – Thank you for your information about the plain of jars. Well, we had a quick look at Carole Cassidy’s silk shop which is located directly across the street from the Monarch Books. From what we just experienced, the prices are well beyond the budgets of most travelers to Vientiane :)

Dgunbug - Sure enough we had different impressions of the countries we’d just visited on this trip and to be honest it’s quite hard to compare one to the other since it’s of personal preferences. The hubby and I visited China 2 years ago, saw amazing historical places, the beautiful Li River and met many interesting people. We actually preferred Hong Kong which is technically part of China but if you’ve been there, you’d say that in reality, everything is so different from that in China – the money and economy, the government and politics, the language and daily life, its moderness and cleanliness.

Scomars - Really glad if what we've just share out here so far would be helpful to you. Happy travelling!

I agree that Carole Cassidy's prices are too high - I think she predominantly caters to the US export market.

Trip Report Cont. - Cambodia

Day 1 - We took a flight at 10:30 in the morning from Luang Prabang and arrived in Siem Reap at 12:40 something in the afternoon. We were then picked up by our guide and taken to our hotel for check in. After lunch, we set off for a cruise on the Tonle Sap Lake. The area around it looked like a refugee squatter’s camp. Tattered old bamboo thatch houses sat on stilts above water and mud and a thin, muddy strip of land extended into the lake where fishing boats, floating rafts, house boats and our transport awaited. The reason for the stilted houses was the nature of the Tonle Sap itself. During the rainy season, the volume of the Mekong River is so vast, it actually forces Tonle Sap River to flow back onto itself. At this time, the lake swells in size dramatically. In the dry season, the process reverses and the lake shrinks back to its original size. This constant movement of water and soil makes the lake one of the world’s richest freshwater fishing grounds and many people live year round on its water making their living from fishing.

Heading out onto its open water felt very similar to heading out onto the ocean. The view into the distance offered no far off shoreline, only a shimmering watery horizon. We eventually passed through the biggest open water section of the lake and began to pass through floating villages. Many of these sea gypsies people live their entire year on the water in domiciles ranging in size from floating houses to tiny covered sampans. With their livelihood coming from the lake and any non-perishable needs arriving by merchants in boats, there’s little need to leave the water. As we sailed past on our boat I felt a bit intrusive peering in on the lives of the people who inhabit this amazing place. Women cooked, children played, men swung contentedly in hammocks, and life was busy and animated everywhere. There was so much to see, we could hardly take it all in.

We were back that late afternoon and visited the Old Market which was great fun – lots of people trying to sell you stuff who had all the same souvenirs as in the tourist stores near Angkor Wat but far cheaper. In addition, there was also a section for the locals to sell meat and vegetables and it was interesting to walk around and check out some of the interesting things for sale.

In the evening we went for dinner at the Temple Restaurant which is known for its Khmer food and dancing. Our tables were opposite the stage so we had a good view of the dancers’ performance. The dancers, male and female, wore elaborate and colorful costumes. The movements were small and precise and very slow, but often became animated. Each dance told a tale, tales of everyday life, of history, of Khmer mythology. Beautifully executed, we were treated to a show of live music and singing to accompany the apsara dancers.

Day 2 - Today we got rose early so that we could get ready in time to be out of the hotel to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. It was a truly awesome sight, the sun rising behind the temple so it was silhouetted against the sky; really stunning. After that, we all walked further along the grass by the temple for breakfast which the kids got a kick out of sharing with a whole bunch of monkeys. The monkeys lived up to their reputation of being cheeky, stealing food and anything else they could get their paws on.

We then met up with our guide (Sok Raksmey), who was great: witty, amusing, and incredibly knowledgeable about Angkor. We toured loads of the temples, though by no means all of them, and were walking for 5 hours straight before we stopped for lunch in one of the restaurants outside the temples. Then another couple of hours of temple looking followed.

The structures are architectural masterpieces and I'm still in awe of the architects and people who built these magnificent temples in praise of Hindu gods or Buddha. They told stories in bas relief of battles, kings, and gods. The temples have been taken over in part by nature and have also suffered some damage under the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. However, none of this detracts from their magnificence, and in some cases, may even have enhanced their stunning beauty.

Day 3 - Today we took a short morning flight to Phnom Penh of which we all had different impressions.

We first visited the Killing Fields and the Toul Sleng museum which I don't think I'll ever be able to fully express our feelings. During the 4 years under the Khmer Rouge regime led by Saloth Sar under his code name Pol Pot, between one and two and a half million Cambodians perished, some killed outright; others dying from disease, malnutrition, neglect, and mistreatment. What we saw there was some of the remnants of this horrific regime and most of the tourists we saw there were quiet, in varying degrees of shock.

Later we visited the Royal Palace with the Silver Pagoda. It's hard to understand how Cambodia can be home to such decadence, when many live in relative poverty, but that's the way it is, the palace is extremely posh!

The silver pagoda is basically called that because the floor is silver, but the museum curators have covered it in carpet. The palace grounds twinkle in the sunlight, there's gold everywhere.

Day 4 & 5 – Well, everyone who we spoke to asked if we were visiting Sihanoukville on our trip and we were told it was like an island in Thailand but better, so we decided to spend our last 2 days there and honestly would never regret about it.

It was a 4 hour drive west from Phnom Penh. As soon as we came into town, it seemed like a nice place to stay. The beach was amazing with warm bath water and golden sands, exactly what we were looking for. Heaven! All the restaurants and bars are on the beach and it was so nice to feel sand in between your toes.

So, that’s it for Cambodia – an excellent place with very friendly people, lovely countryside and great food. Will definitely come back in a heartbeat!

So glad you enjoyed your time in Cambodia. We loved it there and the people are delightful. Thanks again for a great report.

Thanks dgunbug for your lovely words. We wished we had more time in Cambodia. BTW, when did you travel and how long did you spend there?

So, now it’s our last chapter. After a really restful flight on Air Asia, we arrived in Bangkok and spent our last 4 days in the city and to be honest we were initially quite shocked. A big city with huge buildings and neon lights: a huge difference from Cambodia: one of the least developed countries to maybe the most developed country in Southeast Asia. But very quickly we found Bangkok an exceptionally wonderful place to visit because of the people who are genuinely humble and friendly. Every gesture and speech was kind and hospitable.

On the second day, after a sound sleep, we took a short twenty minute walk down Surasak Road and then Sathorn Nua Road to the central pier on the Chao Phraya River which plays various roles in the local life and is considered to be the main artery of the nation. As it flows, the river carries with it the history and culture of the country.
From the Central Pier, we boarded the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat. This would take us to nine different piers, providing access to Bangkok's most famous attractions, many of which are in the Rattanakosin Island historic area. Old temples, palaces and communities along the Chao Phraya River banks tell us the river has provided livelihood for the people and led to the birth of a civilization.

We traveled along passing the Oriental Pier, the Si Phraya Piers/River City Shopping, Ratchawongse Pier/China Town and Memorial Bridge Pier before disembarking at the Tien Pier/Wat Pho. From this pier, it was only a short walk to the Wat Pho, Bangkok's oldest temple built in the 16th century and features the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images!

Within walking distance of the Wat Pho and Chang Pier is the Grand Palace. Set over nearly 220,000 square meters, it's the former Royal Residence and is recognized as one of the most stunning architectural feats in Asia. It was all a bit overwhelming as we walked around gaping at the maze of temples, museums and Government buildings. Proper clothing was required to gain entry to the Palace and respectful behavior was expected as a sign of respect for Thai culture.

Wat Phra Kaeo or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha adjoins the Grand Palace on the common ground encompassing over 100 buildings, representing 200 years of royal history. From the Palace, it was a short walk to Pier 9 to catch the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat back to Central Pier passing the Temple of Dawn on the west bank, one of Bangkok's most famous landmarks!

From the boat, we could see the many canals that intersect the Chao Phraya River. These canals represent lifeblood for many districts, providing the only means of transportation in a water world far removed from the heat and traffic congestion of modern Bangkok! The local people live, eat, bathe and wash in the canals.

In the evening, we walked from our hotel down Silom Road to the Patpong Night Market. Here, the market vendors enticed everyone to their booth to buy things that included watches, jewelry, clothing and sunglasses. Being late in the evening, we decided to catch Bangkok's infamous tuk-tuks which were great fun.

On the next day, we were taken to the Damnoen Saduak floating market at 7am. The journey was quite far. We got to the long boat which would take us to the market at about 9am. Then it was 30 minutes in a motorized long boat to the central pier. When we were there, it was mainly souvenir stalls with a few food stalls. There were boats selling fruit which is I believe what the main local market sells. The real market starts at 4am and is finished by 8am when the tourists from Bangkok start arriving. Our next stop was at a Rose Garden on our way back to Bangkok. It’s a park constructed to look like a traditional Thai village where you can wander around and see demonstrations of umbrella painting, pottery making and elephant shows. Our favorite event at the village was the cultural show where we got to see traditional Thai dancing. We all loved watching the performances. The costumes were beautiful and I could really appreciate what they were doing. I was impressed by the way the women could arrange their fingers.

We spent the morning of the last day wandering about the streets, shopping and taking a few shots before our long flight back home.

Well, that was our long journey and I had the impression that we all enjoyed every moment of it. Speaking from experience, it would be easy and more fun traveling on your own but if you’re going with kids or other dependents, a private tour would be a better choice and Vietnamstay just did a brilliant job of organizing a perfect trip for us. From the time we were picked up until we were dropped off, we were well catered for and every need was catered to. Our guides were lovely and helpful and we had no problems explaining what we wanted. All that being said, we would definitely recommend the company everyone.

We were in Thailand/Cambodia last February and spent 3 wonderful weeks there dividing our trip between Bangkok - 7 days (with day trips to the floating market & Ayuthaya), Chiang Mai - 4 days, Chiang Rai - 4 days & Siem Reap - 6 days. Our biggest regret was not having more time to explore other parts of Cambodia. We will have 23 days on land in Vietnam and will be there (unfortunately) in May. Wish it could have been planned for April or a cooler month, but you have to take the time when you can get it!

Just curious - which part of the trip was your favorite? Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand? Have you been to other parts of Asia?

Well, the hubby and I have traveled quite a lot, mostly in European countries. We were in China 2 years ago as mentioned earlier, now Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Of these Asian countries, we much preferred Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as compared to the other two.

Just thinking of Indonesia for our coming trip. Have heard so many good things about Bali. Have you been there?

China & Indonesia are both on my wish list. Can you pin point why you enjoyed Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia more than China & Thailand? We also want to get to Laos. Too many places...not enough time!

Hi again - We really loved the laid back environment in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Less touristy and way cheaper than most of the other two. The local people are somewhat more friendly and welcoming. Perhaps you need to visit Laos before it becomes a tourist trap :)

China is a more hierarchic society and when we were there 2 years ago, it was hard to find out someone who spoke good English. Honestly we much preferred Hong Kong to China.

We just spent 4 days in Bangkok and found it a lovely place to visit. The people were also friendly but everything was more pricey. Have never been to Phuket but just heard here and there that it's a tourist trap. Perhaps someone here will prove that I'm wrong in this regard.

Thanks for your last chapter. Glad to hear you'd a great trip. Looking forward to experiencing Vietnam by ourselves!

Phuket has become really expensive in the last couple of years. The traffic is now so bad, that locals generally don't drive or ride scooters at peak time. The tuk tuk mafia is also getting worse. It is a real shame.

Tuk Tuk mafia? Are you exaggerating the truth? LOL. Is that as bad as the taxi scams that have been reported here and there?

Well, looking at the photos and reports on the internet, I would doubt if you could move without bumping into someone else on the beach and in the water. If you live in a heavily populated place, it may not be so much a problem. But being Aussies where we are used to wide open spaces and much less congestion, it woule be a bit of a shock.

As mentioned in our report, we took a tuk tuk only once in Bangkok which was fine. No hassle.

"Tuk Tuk mafia? Are you exaggerating the truth? LOL"

No. I suggest you read about some of the antics of the tuk tuk drivers. They are so bad it was reported yesterday that the Gov of Phuket is considering metered tuk tuks. Seriously!

Ok, will read more about it. Thanks for the info. Managing local tuk tuks by meter sounds a good idea but I think the drivers will soon know how to run up the fare!

scheps,
Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a wonderfully detailed report. I will save some sections for our upcoming trip to the same countries in April, although we've reversed the itinerary. Maybe that's good to get the shock of big city Bangkok out of the way first. Did you have a tour guide in Bangkok or wing it on your own?

Hi barefootbeach,

Thank you for your lovely words. Honestly we didn't expect the report to engage so much of your attention.

We were traveling like babies in Thailand, not much time for reading but we were lucky to have our own guides (who were excellent in general) in each country. Our guide in Thailand - Chaiya - was brilliant, witty and spoke good English. We got all our questions about the local history, culture and current life answered which was lovely. Not sure if I should post his email address out here, so I will email if you don't mind giving me your email address.

By the way, have a great trip!

Thanks Scheps for the offer, but
I've just heard back from Tong (I apparently had a non-working email address) so we will book our tour in Bangkok through her.

That's fine. Tong is well regarded on Thailand forum as far as I'm aware of. Would love to see how things would go on with your travels, so keep posting once back!