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Not your usual trip report - INSTEAD, a PRE-TRIP report

Not your usual trip report - INSTEAD, a PRE-TRIP report

Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:19 AM
  #41  
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Ok, we’re coming down to the wire. From MHS we go to Chiang Mai (already covered), then onto Luang Prabang. We ended up cutting a day from here when I switched around the itinerary to stay at Fern Resort. The main problem was the fact that there are no daily flights from CM to LP. So I rejiggered things and we have 3 nights in LP at Sayo Guesthouse.

One piece of advice – decide where you want to stay in LP early and get reservations. It’s a popular and rather expensive place (relatively speaking). If you want to stay at a small guesthouse (there are TONS!), keep in mind that they don’t respond to email right away – it may be several days. Another thing I must mention is how very charmed I’ve been by the emails I’ve received from EVERYONE I’ve communicated with in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. They invariably start with thanking you for being so kind or some such thing. It’s very dear. I remember a comment on a thread recently that one of the best things about Thailand is the people – and I feel sure we’ll find that to be the case.

As for LP plans, I started by looking at Kathie’s web pictures and – OH MY GOSH – LP looks amazing. In fact, Kathie, your pictures were what made me want to go to Luang Prabang in the first place! I’d never even heard of it before. (Now, of course, I’m practically an expert on Southeast Asia – heehee.) We arrive fairly early in the day (before 2) and once we get checked in, we plan to simply stroll around town and climb up to Wat That Chom Sii for the view. Dinner will be at Indochina Lao – I can’t remember where I got that recommendation, but it’s in my spreadsheet so obviously it was recommended somewhere (yes, I have an Excel spreadsheet with a schedule for every day and a cost column, as well).

Our first full day, we’ll get up early (well, *I* will – it’s hard to drag my daughter out of bed – and she can be SO cranky in the morning that sometimes it’s easier to just let her sleep!) to see the monks on their morning rounds. Then we’ll spend the day around town with a guidebook to make sure we hit the top sites – will be sure not to miss the National Museum and Wat Xiengthong. We plan on using tuk-tuks as needed. I want to hit the Luang Prabang bakery early in the day and have dinner at the L’Elephant. We may also get a massage – Lotus was recommended by someone (not here, but on another websited).

The next day, I want to hire a slow boat to Pak Ou caves – more for the boatride and scenery along the way than for the caves themselves. And if time permits in the afternoon, we’ll either go to Baan Phanom (the weaving village) or perhaps hire a car to go to one of the waterfalls south of town (Kouang Si, I think, is the main one, but there’s another one, too, that’s closer – can’t seem to find the name at the moment). Recommendations on a waterfall? Also, one thing I’ve not seen asked – what time does it get dark (in February)?

TIP 11, I think: Plan LP accommodations early. Be aware that the flight you want may not go every day and plan accordingly.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:21 AM
  #42  
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Gloria - I too wish our time overlapped! Yes, I'd love to meet. Maybe another year.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:26 AM
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Karen, I'm glad the photos were helpful to you. I find that photos give more a sense of an area than all the thousands of words we write! As you know, some of us can go on and on...
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:32 AM
  #44  
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Siem Reap is also not well planned out. There’s no direct flight from LP to SR (at least not when we wanted to go), so we have to go through BKK and, unfortunately, don’t arrive until 7:30. The good news is our hotel (La Villa Loti) is picking us up, no charge! But we won’t really have any time to do anything that evening.

The next two days will be devoted to the temples. I STILL haven’t gotten my act together to book a guide/driver. It’s because I'm STILL undecided whether to get just a driver or also a guide. I’m not patient with a lot of detail so I thought a guide might bore me (short attention span!). On the other hand, it seems a guide would help ensure we saw the not-to-be-missed spots and would be able to avoid the worst of the crowds. So I’m still agonizing. Maybe I should get a guide for just one day and do the other day with just a driver. Hm.

Our last day in Siem Reap before our flight (which isn’t until 8:20 – it was the best I could get), I want to go to Tonle Sap. I’m a little worried about whether it will be too dry. It will be Feb. 23 by this time, and I’ve heard that in March the lake is too dry for boat trips. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It’s something I’d definitely like to see. I’ve not made arrangements for this, either. Am assuming we can do so on arrival. YIKES - I am so going out on a limb.


Not sure I have any tips for Siem Reap! Don’t know enough yet. Although I do recommend checking out the website for our hotel. It's not often recommended here, but it looks wonderful - http://www.coconut-hotel-angkor.com/

From SR, it’s back to BKK for two nights before flying home....
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:33 AM
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Please report back on how your trip differs from your planned activities. SEA has a way of keeping to its own schedule. We've often found that we add or subtract activities as our energy level warrants.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:37 AM
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That does it! I already told you about our last two days in BKK (the klong tour and last-minute shopping). I realize the one thing I forgot to mention for Bangkok is our restaurant list. I posted it sometime ago, but for completeness, will mention it here again: Cabbages and Condoms (I think Julie will think it’s awesome), Tongue Thai, Bed Supper Club, Face, and Crepes and Company (yes, I know, it's not Thai, but it really appeals to me). I hate missing some of the other fabulous recommendations - especially the one to eat somewhere on the river... aarrgghhh - next time! My next and last post (in this thread!) will give you a breakdown of costs and some final thoughts.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 08:45 AM
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how about going to crepes and co for breakfast or dinner one day and then you could do either one of the river location restaurants (indoor or outdoor) or maybe try the peking duck at china house. You could combine it with a drink at the sky bar and maybe finish off the evening with jazz at the bamboo bar.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 09:02 AM
  #48  
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Hotel Cost
Centre Point 81
Centre Point 81
Centre Point 81
Centre Point 81
Centre Point 81
Fern Resort 42
Fern Resort 42
Baan Orapin 40
Baan Orapin 40
Baan Orapin 40
Baan Orapin 40
Sayo 60
Sayo 60
Sayo 60
La Villa Loti 45
La Villa Loti 45
La Villa Loti 45
Centre Point 75
Centre Point 75
Total lodging: 1114

Other costs:
Airfare (Pacific) 1675
Airfare (To CA) 300
Internal flights 1200

Miscellaneous (some are estimates):
Taxi from airport 15
Taxi - floating mkt 50
Cabaret Calypso 40
Grand Palace 20
Wat Pho massage 20
Wat Pho 10
Jim Thompson 10
Klong tour 40
CM driver 40
CM trek/tour 80
Cooking class 30
MHS driver? 60
Pak Ou cave 40
Angkor driver 50
Angkor admission 80
Tonle Lake trip 80
Total less meals: 4954

I didn't estimate meals so that obviously would add probably another few hundred dollars. But for a trip of this nature with everything we're doing, I consider it to be pretty reasonably priced. And having made all the arrangements myself has been a lot of work, yes, but so much fun! Hope my planning experiences will be useful to some of you. And don't worry, I'll be back - probably with more questions and comments before I go - and also with a trip report when I return!
Karen
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 09:05 AM
  #49  
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Gloria - great idea on a way to do both Crepes and Company and a river spot (yes, the Peking Duck sounds like a don't-miss activity!).

And Gpanda - will definitely report back on how the trip differs from the plans. I know "the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." (Note, though, there's no mention of WOMEN!)
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 09:16 AM
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Karen-- I obviously meant that you should go to crepes for breakfast or lunch in order to do a river or peking duck dinner.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 09:23 AM
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Right - I understood. Thanks!
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 06:25 PM
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karen---i just looked at the SR hotel site....good news....you are very close to the la noria restaurant---other side of the river (stream)...very good food
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 06:39 PM
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now that you are finished...i have to tell you this is the most unique and refreshing thing i have read in quite a while....

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT TIME, NO MATTER WHAT YOU END UP DOING....

just remember to put the spread sheet away and smell the roses....consult it when you get up and when you go to bed and no other time, unless an emergency arises...

no reason everything should not go according to plan....after all you only put this together, we told you what to do!!!! as always: hahahahaha


i hope you are sharring some of these comments with julie, the 21st C hippie...
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 07:07 PM
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Karen, If you don't want a lot of detail at the Angkor temples, dispense with a guide and just use a driver. A driver will also be able to be helpful about when to go to particular temples, With just two days, personally, I'd skip Tonele Sap.
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Old Dec 4th, 2005, 07:56 PM
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re driver at angkor....the driver we had was unable to communicate with us at all except for some simple hand gestures....

our guide gave us way too much info and i did not feel good and i had karen tell him that he had to cool it....he did...
on the other hand he took us to all the unique spots and vantage points....there is so much there you have no idea where to go to see what and you don't want to have your nose in a book all the time trying to figure it out either....where your time is limited i think the $50 you might spend on a guide would be worth it....pon heavy or however you say her name is wonderful by all reports....

i did not do the lake because i had heard good and bad about it...i wanted to concentrate on the temples and with so much we only saw the main ones in 3 days+....

i loved our drive around the back roads looking at how the locals live and work....that was part of the interesting non-temple things we did and not far from town....the lake takes quite a while i believe...
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Old Dec 5th, 2005, 09:51 AM
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I kind of let this thread get away from me and have just now read it in its entirety.

Just wanted to point out to Gloria that I can buy pomelo at our every day supermarket here in Connecticut.

Also, I am curious about the Tonle Sap lake. We will be going to SR in late Feb - what's this about the lake being dry?

althom - you have inspired me to do a pre-trip report in January for our February Bangkok - SR - LP trip for the sole purpose of laying the blame on the appropriate "regulars" when I return.

I believe the other waterfall is called the Tat Se - I have heard that it is not as spectacular as Kouang Si. The sun rises and sets around 6 in SE Asia (give or take a half hour).
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Old Dec 5th, 2005, 09:56 AM
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Craig-- where do your pomelos come from? Are they grown locally? If so, I wonder why it's impossible to find in Chicago outside of asian markets. I often make pomelo salad in summer and if I can't get to an asian market have to substitute pink grapefruit.
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Old Dec 5th, 2005, 10:45 AM
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Gloria-Whole Foods sells Pomelos on an irregular schedule. Commie Cambridge is overrun with WF markets.
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Old Dec 5th, 2005, 10:57 AM
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Whenever I've tried WF they haven't had it. Next time maybe I'll call because while it ain't convenient it's more convenient than the asian markets -- I don't drive so shopping is more of an issue.
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Old Dec 5th, 2005, 11:55 AM
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While I shop at WF every week, I've noticed that their produce buyer apparently chooses items at random. I can't tell you how many times I've gone there with a specific menu and they don't have something I've seen stocked for the last 6 months. This includes non-seasonal items. Last year, I blew a gasket when they didn't have white onions. It was not pretty. I've been reduced to going there with alternate shopping lists.
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