Last minute questions
 

More questions!

Leaving Saturday with first stop Bangkok where it appears it will be raining for our 4 days.

Any tips for rainy days. Forecast is for temp in the 90's so thinking our raincoats will be too hot for us temperate climate types. Are umbrellas readily sold on the street?

Planning on taking an unlocked phone we bought in France last year. I am assuming this will work in SEA with appropriate SIm card. We will use this infrequently and maybe not at all.

Still fretting over driver or self drive for Mae Hong Son Loop. We are nervous about driving for the first time in a left sided country. Also wondering if the driver will find his own accomodation or are we responsible?

Thanks for any replies. We are very excited to explore an area other than Europe and expect a lot of surprises!

Yes, it will be too hot for raincoats. You can buy umbrellas on the street. Your hotel may also have umbrellas to loan. I have a small folding umbrella that is always in my purse.

You can wait until you get to Chiang Mai to decide whether to self drive or to hire a driver. When you hire a driver, the cost generally includes their accommodation. But do be explicit in your negotiations. Getting a driver through an agency may be easiest for you.

It has rained non stop for the past 3 days as a result of a typhoon making landfall in Vietnam. A lot of localised flooding which has caused a lot of traffic jams in the city. I believe that the rain will return to a normal pattern by the time you are here, late afternoon type or for an hour a day etc.

For your phone I recommend buying a prepaid SIM card from a company call AIS as they have the best coverage, especially outside of the big cities. You can find their shop or kiosk in any shopping mall throughout the country or even at convenience stores.

Do wait until you get to CM before deciding if you need a driver or not. Once outside of town there will be very little traffic and the directions are quite simple for the loop. Renting a car with GPS will give you added assurance!

An umbrella is a must rain or shine- many people carry umbrellas on sunny days for shade. No raincoats! You'll sweat to death.

driving is quite easy up north..