artmarth

Hi--As a visitor to Fodor's,we gained valuable insight prior to our custom tour of SE Asia, and perhaps we can be of assistance to some other "newcomers."
My wife & I (Sr citizens) just returned from our tour arranged thru a Vietnam tour company using private car,driver & guide We were met at each airport during our tour.
We spent 10 nights in Thailand (BKK, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai),7 nights in Myanmar (Mandalay, Inle Lake, Bagan & Yangon), 4 nights in Laos (Luang Prabang & Vientiane) 9 nights in VN (Hanoi, Halong, Hue, Hoian & HCMC), and 4 nights in Cambodia (Phnom Penh & Siem Reap.
Our guides were very good to excellent and our cars were either 4 door sedans or vans, all very comfortable. We flew to/from most destinations.
All told, it was an outstanding tour without any problems.
Highlights were too numerous to name. People were extremely friendly, and children were a special pleasure, especially our visit to the orpanage in Phnom Penh.
Should anyone have any specific questions concerning visas, airlines, accommodations, guides, etc. we would be happy to respond. We would also highly recommend the tour company that we worked with who were very reasonably priced and very responsive in assisting us with our itinerary.
Thanks to the "regulars" who were quite helpful in their postings that we read frequently before we departed.
Art

CFW

Art, If you've been reading fodor's for a while you know we all want details, details, details. we're planning a trip to Vietnam so we'd love to hear which Vietnam tour company you used, plus info about guides, highlights and impressions of each of the cities you visited there, hotels, and transportation info between cities. Others will certainly have questions about the other places you visited.

rhkkmk

you are teasing us....as carole says, give us the details!!....even a short review of each stop....take many days to do it if you wish but pay us back for our help by providing us with what you did and make concrete suggestions to others who are in the planning stages...

we want to hear it all....PLEASE..

bob

althom1122

I'll chime in, too! Would love to hear details.
Karen

artmarth

As requested, details of our just completed 36 day custom tour to SE Asia.I found a tour company in HCMC VN on the internet, and contacted them via email. Their prices were quite good and their response to my questions (email) were answered expediously. After contacting one of their recent travelers who was a reference on their web site, we felt comfortable enough to book our trip with them, combining their standard tours to the above referenced countries (1st msg), and modifying the itinerary as we saw fit.
The company we dealt with is All Asia Travel & their web site is ASIAEXPLORE.COM. While in HCMC (Saigon), we met the young lady we had grown to know via emails, who is the owner of the tour company. Her name is Chi. Every detail was taken care of by Chi. We arrived in BKK at 1:00 AM and were met by our driver with a placard, who drove us to the hotel.
For those interested, we flew Air China (LAX-TPE-BKK)with our own reservations, as it was more economical. They fly 747-400, which was fine, in coach. Hint: They don't assign seats until you get to the airport----unless you are disabled or a Sr. citizen. As we are in the latter category, I called a few days prior and we got our requested seats for the whole round trip.
Taking the advice noted here, we opted to take day 1 off to acclimate to the 10 hour time change----which was a sensible thing to do.
For those who may be new to Fodor's, I might note we opted to get our visas for Myanmar($20 ea +postage), Laos ($50 ea + postage), VN ($65 ea + postage), & Cambodia $20 ea + postage)thru the applicable embassies in Wash DC. (This made sense as we avoided the Visa lines at the port of entry airports.)
Speaking of airports, and planes, one must set an itinerary that coincides with the flights. This is paricularily true for Lao Air which does not fly every day, and certainly not to many cities outside the country.
As noted in my 1st posting, we were met at each airport by a guide, driver, and almost always, cold bottled water.
Oh yea. I should also note,a couple weeks prior to leaving, we got our typhoid vaccinations, Hep A and opted for a prescription of doxycycline for malaria prevention, as it was quite economical compared to alternatives. (We were fine the whole trip.
As for accomodations, they were all fine, but nothing special, unless I note it as appropriate.
As for the tour, everything was great. Not a single complaint about hotels (we chose with the help of Chi), the guides, drivers, vehicles, itinerary,etc.


Country One---Thailland
I guess we did what most people do in Thailand. We spent the first couple days in Bangkok (Royal Palace which was great), Jim Thompson's house, summer palace, Emerald Buddha, etc, We desired to tour The River Kwai, which we thought was a worthwhile experience, as was the ancient capital of Ayuthaya. (This was with our BKK guide & driver.)
We then flew to Chiang Rai (Air Asia --cost appox $22ea.)Rather than take a longer side trip to visit the hill tribes, we opted to visit a small community just outside Chiang Rai, where we met the "longneck' women, the Akha, and others who live in their thatched-roof homes. This was a great experience!
We visited the Golden Triangle,The Opium Museum, Chiang Saen, took a longtail boat to see the Tham Pla Cave (temple built in cave), and Wat Phra Kaew, original home to the Emerald Buddah, were among the 3 day highlights.
We drove to Chiang Mai, where, without doubt, the Mae Sa Elephant Camp visit was outstanding. To watch the elephants bathe, perform various tricks, including a "soccer match" and a painting class was something special.
On our third day in Chiang Mai, we flew Air Mandalay to Mandalay, Myanmar.
I'll continue with Myanmar in the next installment. Hope this is not too much detail.

rhkkmk

this is perfect....thank you for doing it...

littledot78

Im deciding a trip for me and my grandma.. Whic of the 4 countries do you recomend? She has been to Bangkok already so we can rule that one out. I hear Cambodia is great but you have to climb a lot of stairs so im worried that she mightnot be able to enjoy it since she has a bad knee. ( arthrities)

artmarth

Bob--- Thanks for the kind words. I'll proceed accordingly.

Little Dot--- I am happy to respond----keeping in mind a couple factors. One-- unless your grandma is over 70, she is youger than me, although I don't have arthritis. Two--- We would all have our opinions on what might be best, but you have a number of issues to consider, including how much time you have. Under your circumstances, you may want to consider what we did: opt for a custom tour with car & driver. That would certainly make it easier for "grandma." As noted, I can recommend Chi without any qualms.
To answer you specifically----every country we visited was unique. My thought would be to suggest Myanmar. Without going into too much detail (I'll write more later), I think, if you can accept the political situation, (it was not a factor at all), you'll find it something special. As I noted in my initial posting, we visited 4 locations, and Inle Lake is something you may not see anywhere else in the world. Although I agree with many of the "regulars" on Fodor's that nothing is comparable to Angkor Wat, Bagan is a wonder unto itself.
Perhaps, others may be more helpful, and I would suggest you post your query to see what other responses you get. To see the old temples you'd want to see in Siem Reap Cambodia, would probably take more climbing than your grandma would like.
Also in VN, I think it would entail more walking, and after seeing the traffic, I seriously think your grandma would not make it across the street in either Hanoi or Saigon!
Hope this is of some help.
Art

artmarth

Continuing with country # 2--- Myanmar.
As I just noted, one question that may be asked is; "what about the political situation?" I will respond by repeating what one of our outstanding guides there told us, when I saw a billboard sign that noted something to the effect that the country loves you, the country looks out for you, the country protects you, etc. etc. His response: "It's all BS. Nobody pays attention to that c*ap."
As for the country-----at least what we saw, it was amazing. Poor? Certainly. People? Wonderful. Roads? Terrible. Guides? Two of the best guides we had the whole tour were in Mandalay & Yangon.
If anyone wants their names, I'll supply it, but they were great with English, personable, knowledgable and just great. Not to take away from the others, but these two were excellent.
By the way, to our surprise, the driver is on the right in Myanmar, (same as Thailand)---except they drive as they do in the USA---on the right, whereas, in Thailand, they drive on the left.
You're more apt to see motor bikes, bikes, oxen in some of the rural areas, than cars, and it's understandable when you realize, most of the cars are 10-15 years old, and imported from Japan, and cost----believe it or not, the eqivalent of $20,000 US because of the high import taxes----which, is not unique to Myanmar, but, pretty much, all of SE Asia.
Our accomodations in Mandalay is worth noting. The Swan Hotel was wonderful, including the outdoor dinner puppet show and entertainment. Some of the highlights were the famous Mahamuni Pagoda, The Shwenandaw Monestary, the Kuthodaw Pagoda, known as the World's Biggest Book, and the ancient city of Amarapura outside of Mandalay.
From Mandalay, we flew to Heho, as a means to get to Inle Lake. As I noted above, Inle Lake is a place so unique, it is difficult to describe. Just to travel to this place may be worth the trip to Myanmar. In addition to the Pagodas, (they're everywhere), the trip on Inle Lake is so special. The "leg-rowers"---local fisherman, the floating gardens, the stilt houses, the hill tribes coming down to buy and sell produce, fish and other goods make this a most memorable stay. Our hotel was the Golden Isle Cottages, which was not the type of "hotel" you'll find in too many places. It won't float away, but it's right on the lake on stilts.
From Inle, we flew to Bagan.
Other than what everyone comes to see in Bagan----the multitude of Pagodas for miles and miles,(including an outstanding sunset), the trip (by car) to the top of Mt. Popa was awesome.We were extremely pleased with our hotel--- Thande Hotel and the included dinner show.
Last stop in Myanmar was Yangon, the capital until a couple months ago, when the government decided to move it inland to avoid----as we were told, the vunerability of attack from an enemy like the USA or Britain.
Our guide here was also excellent. The biggest attraction in Yangon is The Shwedagon Pagoda, sheathed in 11 tons of pure gold and over 4300 diamonds.
From Yangon, we flew back to Chiang Rai for an overnight, only as a means of getting to Laos, our next stop. More later----for those still interested.

rhkkmk

tell us about the guides....people are always looking for good guides and drivers....we had a fantastic yangon guide/driver named kyaw....

artmarth

Last msg-- correct Columbus email is
[email protected]
Their web site is:
www.travelmyanmar.com.

artmarth

Oh man! It's late and I just deleted my reply to Bob before I posted it.
Let me give you the abridged version of what I wrote.
Our Yangon guide was KWAY----which is a common name in Myanmar. However, it could well be "your" Kway. In any case, his full name is Kway Naing Thwin, although we called him "Joe." His "buddy" who we thought so much of in Mandalay is also Kway (Joe)---Kway Zaya. They both work for Columbus Travels & Tours---a sister company of All Asia Travel we used to book the whole trip.
The salesgirl we met when we visited their office to acknowledge how pleased we were with ALL their guides is Moh Moh.She can be reached at the email noted in my previous msg.
That will do for tonight-----before I make more mistakes. Tomorrow, I'll write about the balance of our tour----Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia.
Art

laurieco

Thanks for posting the details. I'm enjoying your report and looking forward to more. I also thought Inle Lake was about the most beautiful place I've ever been. I would go back to Burma in a heartbeat.

rhkkmk

same kway....he is fantastic we thought....i keep in touch with him too...his wife is a gym teacher right?? and he has two kids....old car as you point out, but serviceable....i did not know him to be associated with any company, but am not surprised....small world...

i have posted his info on here a couple of times in the past....

rhkkmk

i just topped my thread for your info on kway

artmarth

Picking up where we left off---- Laos was our next destination. What needs to be said is this. You can NOT get to Laos from Myanmar by plane. As such, we flew to Chiang Mai and from there Laos Air (prop) to Luang Prabang for a two night, 3 day stay.
We heard nothing but good things about this town, and we would agree. We stayed at the Phousi Hotel, conveniently located 30 seconds from the night market. We climbed up to Phousi Hill for a panoramic view of the town and visited a number of the many Wats. The boat ride on the Mekong River to visit Pak Ou (Tham Ting) cave to see the 3000 + Buddah statues was a worth while trip. We also took a side trip to Kuang Sy Falls, visiting some of the villages along the way. A bathing suit would be a good idea, as swimming in the ponds below the falls is a rewarding experience. Luang Prabang is well worth the time, effort & cost in getting to Laos, especially when we got up at 5:30 AM to feed the Monks their daily ration of sticky rice.
From Luang Prabang, we took the short flight to Vientiane that was the worst experience of the 36 days. They fly the Russian made prop planes, and run back & forth from the two cities. The flights were running late(a common occurance), and we took off at 8PM, one hour late---after the rain started. (The first and only rain we had). To say we had some turbulance would be an understatement, but we did fly & land safely, which is the bottom line.
We only spent one night (one full day) in Vientiane, and saw many Wats, which was fine----but continously were taking our shoes off, and putting them on. I should note, thongs that the Monks wear would be appropriate, as no shoes or socks are permitted in the Wats here and elsewhere.
On our second night, we flew Vietnam Air (Jet) to Hanoi, to start our Vietnam tour.
We desired to stay in the old quarter and chose the Majestic Salute, which was fine. Hanoi traffic was what we anticipated----only more so. Having been to many cities in Europe, and to China, driving in and around Hanoi is something else. Motor bikes with driver and 3 year old on lap and 5 year old holding on to the driver's waist would zoom in and out, and cut off anyone. That is not the exception, but how it is done. Crossing the street as a pedestrian takes practice, and then you must do it like a native----don't look, just cross----and hope for the best.
Our guide was a sweetheart--- Huong Nguyen. She looked to be 20, but in fact, had a 20 year old daughter. Her English was good---not great, but her personality and charm were magnificent. She was a joy---even though she believes Ho Chi Minh is reverred throughout the world.
Bersides the sites,traffic and everything about being in the old quarter, the main thing to see in Hanoi is "Uncle Ho's" Mausoleum. Everyone goes there, and the lines of school kids, tourists, and Vietnamese from other areas were massive, but moved quickly. It's not only the Mausoleum, but the grounds, including his stilt house and office that are worth seeing.
We toured all around HoanKiem Lake(within walking distance)---if you are careful, and took in the water puppet show at the Thang Long Theater (by the lake), which shouldn't be missed. Once
again, many Pagodas, Wats and the very interesting Ethnological Museum were among the highlights of our visit to Hanoi.
From Hanoi, we drove the 170km (2 1/2 hours) to Halong Bay. We took the half day boat cruise on the bay, and the outstanding grottoes and caves make this the World Heritage site.
The next day we drove back to Hanoi for more time in the old quarter before flying in the morning to Hue.
The highlight in Hue is the Perfume River cruise to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda. Our hotel, Asia Hotel was very nice and right above the dock overlooking Halong Bay
I'll continue later as we drive to Danang on our way to Hoian.

Art

rhkkmk

enjoying this very much....thanks

artmarth

Continuing our tour----Hoian has the distinction of being a World Culture Heritage site and the ancient town certainly proves why. Touring included the Cham Museum, Market, Phuoc Kien Temple and the Japanese Bridge. We especially enjoyed the visit to Ky family home and meeting some of the present owners. The following morning we drove to Danang to get our flight to HCMC (Saigon).
Here we were greated by what turned out to be our favorite guide & driver. We spent parts of 4 days with Hoan (pronounced Juan) the guide, and his faithful companion, Thanh, our driver.
For anyone considering using All Asia Travel, I would tell you to tell Chi you want these two guys as you won't do much better---if, at all.
Saigon was a great stop. We visited the reunification palace and the war rements museum (formally named "the war crimes museum<" but, the new name is probably more appropriate).
Before continuing about Saigon, I realize I forgot to mention a stop we were determined to make during our visit to Hanoi. That is Hoa Loa Prison, aka Hanoi Hilton---the prison that housed, among others, our Senator from AZ, John McCain, who spent 5 hellish years there. To walk through what is left of the prison was very moving and quite poignant. Anyone visiting Hanoi should make a point of spending a brief time here. The cost is about $1.00.
Back to Saigon---For us, a highlight was a drive to the countryside to see the Cu Chi Tunnels. To see the tunnels, the bomb craters, the traps the Viet Cong set was something we only read about----inasmuch as I had already served in the army prior to the Vietnam War----which, by the way, in at least the north of the country, is referred to as "The American War."
Another highlight---not to be missed, is the Cao Dai Temple----a place which is a blend of Buddhism,Taoism, Confucianism & Catholicism. Be sure to see their prayer service. I think it's safe to say you'll never see a Temple and service anything like this, anywhere else. What a special treat!
Last, but not least was our trip to the Mekong Delta. The boat ride on the river was great, but the row boat on the small narrow canal thru the jungle was outstanding. On the morning of our 4th day in Saigon, we were driven to the airport by our fiends Hoan & Thanh, and, although we hated to leave them, it was time to move on-----to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Phnom Pehn---We wanted to visit this city ----although we knew it would be heart wrenching----to see the Killing Fields & The Genocide Museum. The period when the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed 1.4M Cambodian men, women & children was one of the lowest points in the history of mankind. To see the atrocities that took place may bring tears to your eyes----but, it should be seen to get a better understanding of how brutal a regime was there during their reign of terror in the mid to late 1970's. Probably, every Cambodian lost at least one family member, and they can tell you the Khmer Rouge were in power 3 years, 4 months and 20 days.
On a more positive note, the National Museum, The Royal Palace and The Silver Pagoda were all very interesting places to see.
One truly special stop we made----as a result of reading some of the Fodor postings, was The Apsara Orphanage in Phnom Penh. We had the foresite to stop prior to our visit, at a wholesale stationary store where we purchased hundreds of notebooks, pencils and pens. to bring for the children. That, plus the bags of "dum,dums'' (Lollypops) we brought from the USA and handed out (We gave them to children all along our trip, especially in the country side----which was a great idea),was so rewarding for us.
The special "thank you" as they do in Cambodia, with the hands in front as to pray, made this visit so memorable.
After our 2 busy days in Phnom Pehn, we were off to Siem Reap for our final 3 days.
Will continue with our last stop---Siem Reap.
Art

althom1122

Art - am loving your report! It brings back memories of my own recent trip to Thailand - but even better, it's giving me lots of ideas for a future trip. Keep it coming!
Karen

artmarth

Hi--- For those still inclined to reading about our tour, I'll tell you about our last stop---Siem Reap. As with every other visitor, we wanted to get to Angkor Wat, and it was even more exciting to see than we imangined. In addition to Angkor Wat, we did the whole area including Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, etc. etc. This was over the three days we were there. On day two, our guide Chumrong & driver "Mm.T" picked us up at 5:15AM to be on time to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It was well worth getting up early, but,even with the 20 minute or so drive from our hotel "Angkor Princess--very nice), we could have gotten there 30 minutes later. In any case, hundreds of tourists showed up for the special photo opportunity. As I noted in a previous posting, it does entail some climbing to get in and up on most of the temples, but, if your physically capable, you certainly should.
As we had time, and were inclined to do so, we took a 32km drive to see the pink sandstone Banteay Srei Temple "the citadel of women," as it was recommended and a 2 star attraction by the "other "F" travel book."
Another, "not to be missed" attraction is Tonle Sap Lake, a relatively short drive out of town. However, you must be prepared for the drive, after getting off the asphalt, you get on a dirt road that is not full of pot holes, but --- craters would be a more appropriate description. The sites of the homes along the road was something to behold. These are the poor people who live in bamboo huts with no utilities, who must move their huts each year during rainy season to the mountain, as the whole area is under water. No wonder the road looks as it does. Even with bulldozers moving the dirt and mud as we drove thru (at, maybe 5 miles an hour), it is still terrible. So, as I noted, even before you reach the lake, the sites are something to see. On the lake, you'll see the poor fisherman & their families living on bamboo houseboats. Don't be put off by my comments. Don't miss the visit and boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake.
I saved what was an amazing site for last. Prior to our evening flight to BKK for our last night in SE Asia, we visited Temple Ta Prohm. This is the only temple that was left in the basic condition it was found when the archaelogists discovered the temples hidden by the jungle for centuries.To see massive fig trees with their trunks growing on both sides of the walls of the temple is something that can not be adequetely described. Without doubt, this temple should not be missed, and it is worthy of saving it as your last stop.
That pretty much ends our story.I hope those who read it found our experience to be of some value. If so, it is our way of saying "thank you" to all the "regular Fodorites," who, were so helpful in their postings that we read prior to our trip.
For those who might consider a trip to SE Asia, by all means, do so. You will be hard pressed to find a more pleasent, courteous,wonderful group of people anywhere in the world. The diversity of the countries and the small amount of places we visited will give you a better understanding as to why the regulars here are so helpful. It seems if you travel to this area you somehow pick up the wonderful attributes and traits of those that make this part of the world there home.
Hopefully, the influx of westerners will not spoil what they have there. Although most don't have the wealth of those of us in the USA, they all have a genuine goodness that makes you want to return. If you get the opportunity to visit, you'll probably agree with our assessment, and as most of the regulars here do----keep going back for more. We understand why.
Thanks again, from me and my wife Martha. It's been our pleasure to visit Fodor's SE Asia site.
Art
[email protected]