Just Back from S.E.Asia
 

hi - just got back from 3 weeks in S.E.Asia and wanted to post some hotel/restaurant information that might help future travellers. I will also be happy to answer specific questions. Can't wait to go back!

we went to the following places in order:

Bangkok: stayed at Peninsula, amazing hotel. Worth every ounce of its reputation. Great city (sixth visit).

Yangon: stayed at the Savoy Hotel near Shwedagon Pagoda. Great hotel. Atmospheric, excellent service. Fascinating city with genuinely friendly people and, of course, sad politics. Fun things: Authentic Burmese food at Aung Thuka (near Savoy). Friday happy hour at The Strand Hotel, circle train around the city, Central Market and just walking around downtown.

Siem Reap: Great town. Stayed at the relatively new Victoria hotel. Great design but needs to work out service wrinkles. But did go beyond call of duty to address service problems. Angkor temples amazing (of course, you knew that :-)) Don't really need guide - maybe just for one day. Ate every meal at Khmer Kitchen in the market area - amazing food.

Phnom Penh: Definitely worth a visit. Stayed at new Hotel Bougainvillier. Simple but clean and nice. Very good location on river. Mith Samlan (sp?) great, special restaurant (in most guide books). Also, great new Vietnamese place (small hole in the wall) near the FCC (which is also a nice place to have a drink).

Luang Prabang: Stayed at Hotel 3Nagas. Really nice, perhaps a teeny bit pricey. Stay upstairs - great balconies. Really laid back, charming town. Tum Tum Cheng restaurant on main drag is open again, and has AMAZING food. Ride on Mekong and trip to waterfall recommended.

Ko Samui: Was a little disappointed with both the beaches and the town (Chaweng). Maybe shouldn't have expected tropical paradise. But still relaxing. Stayed at Muang Kulaypan Hotel. High design and
nice atmosphere. Good food. Currently undergoing renovations but should be done soon.

Thanks for the update. Happy future Travels!

Hi sen28. Thanks for the update & trip report. I also love ATK's food in Yangon. One of the best meals we've had for US4 for two of us. My mouth is watering now! Those funny little stools & busy, busy waitresses. I'm booking a ticket to Myanmar again, soon!!!

We've done hours of research on Koh Samui and finally decided to stay away from Chaweng! We're off the Choeng Mon beach and Mae Nam (4 days each- both a bit remote) but my Thai mates have confirmed far nicer then the main tourist areas. Happy planning for your next sojourn!

hi lyndie - yes, yangon is fantastic. we want to go back to go to bagan and inle lake...thanks for the koh samui tip. i would be curious to hear about your experiences (when do you go?). chaweng is definitely not where it's at. i actually wanted to go to krabi but it was the wrong time of the year...

To sen28: Did you go on this trip on your own or with a tour? I would love to do a similar trip on my own, which would most likely be cheaper.

hi - i travelled mostly with my friend, with bkk and ko samui alone. luckily, my friend works in the travel industry so we stayed at nicer hotels that i normally would since we got good deals. but, even without that, i think it is very doable alone. though you do end up paying for a double-room even when you are by yourself.

Hi sen28-fly into BKK late Nov and then next day to Koh Samui for 8 nts, Koh Pha Ngan for 3 nts and Krabi (Railay West) for 3 nts then back to Marriott BKK for 3 nts, then Delhi, Varanasi & Rajasthan for 2 weeks. We're planning a 2 month Indian adventure (and a return to Myanmar) in early 2005. Asia, for us, has it all. I hate the 20 hrs in an aircraft to get to places that cost the earth for travellers with Aussie dollars. South America on Sept 2 so we are excited about the places we'll visit but not the flight and at 4500 AUD each for business class it's not even worth considering. I think Myanmar is on the verge of becoming a very popular destination & I want to see more of it, before that happens. See the world before you leave it!!! Have fun and happy travels.

hi,
I'll be in SR, LP, and BKK-only very briefly, in Nov/Dec.

I keep hearing about 3-4 days in SR, and about the same for LP. I think that sounds about right....just wondering, what's your take on amount of time for Luang Prabang and Siem Reap?

Thanks. Happy trails, Ellen

hi ellen - 3-4 days in each place is perfect. unless you are really into temples, in which case a day or two more in SR might be in order.

lyndie - i am totally envious of your travel plans :-)