Nidhi

Hi,<BR><BR>A friend and I are planning our trip to Southeast Asia from mid-December to mid-January. All we have purchased are flights from LAX to BKK. We are looking to travel to the following places in our 20 or so days:<BR><BR>Bankgok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bali(Depasar), Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Angkor Wat, and back to Bankok for our flight out.<BR><BR>We're poor college students, so we are looking for the cheapest mode of transportation and really arnet finding it. The only thing we plan on right now is a bus from KL to Singapore or vice versa. We dont care where to where we fly within these destinations really.<BR><BR>Can anyone give suggestions on how/when/where to book? Specifically:<BR><BR>1) Is there any travel service that specializes in SouthEast Asia Tours?<BR><BR>2) Should we purchase tickets in advance from the US or wait until we get to BKK?<BR><BR>3) Will there be discount flights if we book at the airports themselves?<BR><BR>4) About how much can we expect these tickets to cost? Right now we're finding about $150-$200 apiece, which is WAY beyond our budget<BR><BR>5) Is there a more economical mode of transportation than flying?<BR><BR>6) If we have to cut out destinations to cut cost, here's what we refuse to cut: Thailand (of course, since we're flying there), Singapore, Bali, Angkor Wat. Which would you recommend for cutting out of the remaining destinations?<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>Nidhi

Taylor

Nidhi<BR><BR>You are looking to cram too much into too short a time. Manila and Bali would involve flights and lots of $$$, so leave them for your next holiday. December/January find SEA full to the gunnels of Aussies on their summer holidays, so you won't find cheap deals no matter how hard you look. BKK is in the middle of the others, meaning if you want to go to all (still a little too much in so short a time) you'll have to back track some very big distances. If possible, change your flight to an open Jaw, arrive Singapore depart Vietnam, and use trains. My suggestion if you can't change your flight is go from BKK to Angkor Watt via train/lorry and from there to Vietnam (I really wouldn't try to make my way there by land as tourists have been kidnapped/killed in Cambodia). What you plan isn't viable for 20 days. Without taking significant security risks and doing it very tough (I've never done but have heard all about the land trip to Angkor Wat) you won't do much of it at all.<BR><BR>Good luck

Nidhi

Thanks Taylor,<BR><BR>We are thinking we're going to have to cut something out, if only for the sake of our budget. You mention the train from Bangkok to Angkor Wat but say the land trip is unsafe. By "land" do you mean via bus/car? And how about train? Is that safe? I have looked in a few places and havent noticed any trains going into Siem Reap.<BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>Nidhi

QIU

There's a travel outfit called "Intrepid" which is the Asian version of "Trek America".A small group of abt 12 is guided by an experienced guide on a budget to see the real sights of Asia. No touristy stuff. You eat what the locals eat and stay in tents or hostels. I don't know their web site add but you could look it up.

pat

Nidhi<BR>You can travel overland from bangkok to Singapore, and break at KL on the way by train service, however, train from bkk to sin would cost you nearly 2 days instead of 2 hours in the air. Normally, the 2N package for bkk-sin would cost approx. 7000 Bahts (1USD= 44.xx)<BR>You can also travel overland from bkk to Siem Reap the city for the Ankor, get the bus or train to the border town of Aranyaprathet, and cross the border, and spend another 6 hours on the bus or van to reach there. If you choose flying, it should not take more than an hour, but far more expensive, however, if you can change the destination to the capital Phanom Penh, the airfare would be about half you will have to pay for bkk-siem reap airlink.<BR>I think you can on board boat service to arrive Ho chi minh from Siem reap.<BR>As Taylor mentioned, an open-jaw ticket would be nice, such as bkk to sin, when you arrive, and you travel northwards back to bkk by bus/train, and overland to Ankor/ Hochiminh, and get the inbound flight from Hochiminh back to bkk. <BR>So, it would mean that you have to delete Manila from the list, and sin- denpasar flight, you should get a normal return ticket.<BR>Hope all that is helpful, and welcome to asia.