Thailand, Cambodia and Laos
 

Hi,
A few days ago I wrote about a possible trip to Vietnam. After your comments we have decided to go to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.We have 17 days exclusive of travel . We were thinking about this rough itinerary:
5 nights Bangkok
3 nights Chang Mai
3 nights Luang Prabang
3 nights Siem Reap
3 nights Ko Samai or Ko Tao
Flying home, nyc, from Bangkok late at night like 12:30am and flying from Ko Samai or Ko Tao earlier that day.
Do you all think this is doable? We will be flying between all of our destinations. Any suggestions about airlines or hotels or beaches is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

Three nights is just two full days for sightseeing. That isn't enough for Siem Reap or Luang Prabang. Both need a minimum of 3 full days (4 nights). I'd suggest cutting one destination, which would allow you to spend sufficient time in the other places.

What time of year are you traveling? That may help you decide which destination to cut.

If I recall correctly from your previous post you are travelling in August? If so, Angkor will be a lot quieter then and it will be easier to get around the temples. IMO 3 day s will be fine if you are just looking for the highlights and are not heavily into temples. Likewise, two full days in LP will provide enough time to explore the town but not enough to "soak up the laid back ambience of the place".

I prefer KT to KS as the latter is pretty much a party island these days ( although there are quiet areas). KT is great for diving.

If it were me I would leave out Cm in August and add mor eto me hl teh other locations.

Sorry, my spellchecker must have had a seizure! That last sentence should read - I would leave out Chiang Mai in August and add more time to your other locations.

I agree with crellston, it makes sense to cut CM and add a night each to Siem Reap, Luang Prabang and Koh Samui. That would be a very nice trip!

I too agree.. one more day at Angkor and more days at the beach... imo, 3 days id good for LP..

I also like the recommendation that Crellston made. While your current schedule is doable, it is a lot of traveling for relatively short stays. Of all the places, CM would also be the location I would drop.

My husband and I traveled in Jan 2014 to Thailand, Laos & Cambodia, and made a similar type of trip. We did squeeze out 3 nights and would've loved 1 more night (but we were so glad we got there at all!). We liked Chiang Mai, but didn't love it, and I think the idea of some beach time would definitely be a great end to your trip.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. We will be going the last 2 weeks in August and the 1st week in September. Does that affects your advice? I think that I have heard that both Ko Samui or Ko Tao have good weather than. Do you know if this is so? Are there other good beach areas for that time of the year? Are there other things to do on Ko Tau besides dive? We are planning to book our flights online before we go, do you have any suggestions about airlines or other recommendations?
Much Thanks

Here is the weather info: www.weatherbase.com Koh Samui and Ko Tao are right next to each other, so have the same weather patterns. Yes, August is a good time for that area, weather-wise. Not a lot else to do on Ko Tao other than dive. Also note that you will have to take a boat from Ko Samui to Ko Tao, so that adds to your travel time. Another beach option is the Hua Hin area.

You will need to fly Bangkok Air for a number of your flights, so do look into the Discovery Pass (go to their website) as it can save you a lot of money on your itinerary. Note that you must buy the Discovery Pass before you go, it is not available in SE Asia.

Thank you Kathie. i will do that. Will look at that weather site. I assume Phuket and that area is rainy? I guess we could do a day trip to Ko Tau if we wanted. Any hotel suggestions in Bangkok or else where? We like to stay upscale but with character.
Thank you again.

Hi,
I have boked our flights. We are leving Aug. 20 and belowis our Itinerar.
5 nights Bangkok
4 nights Luang Prabang
4 nights Seim Reap
and 4 nights beach

Can you please tell me if it is worth going to Ko Tau or should we just stay in Ko Samui?
Also, Kathie you had suggested maybe Hau Hin?
We are looking for the best weather. Any recommendations on hotels and... would be helpful. We want a pool as I love to swim.
I am trying to book discovery pass-will keep you posted.
Thank you

If you are divers, you'll likely want to go to Ko Tao; if you are not divers, it makes more sense to stay on Ko Samui. Hua Hin is another option. At Hua Hin, I love the Hyatt.

For hotel options on Ko Samui, take a look at www.sawasdee.com which is a local Thai booking site. Read the fine print before booking, as some places require pre-payment, some do not.

Still trying to finalize our trip. Some questions: Do you know if the Laos airline sight is legit.I have read that you cannot book on Laos airlines "on line" that it is a fake. Does that seem right?
Also, we have 4 nights in Siem Reap. We are not big on ruins-3 days seems way to mush for us. What are other things to do? Can we go to Battambang from Siem Reap? or should we cut a day off and add something else?
Also, we are from NYC will 4 days in Bangkok be too much for us? We are planning a day in Ayutthaya. What do think about that? We could cut off a day from the beach, a day from SR and a day from BKK and go to Hanoi as well..
I appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you.

There is a fake Lao Air site - it has a hyphen in the middle of the name. Don't use that website. I do believe you can book online now.

If you aren't big on ruins, why are you going to Ayutthaya? The temples at Angkor are MUCH more impressive. Have you looked at the Dawn Rooney book I recommended? That will help you decide how much time to spend in Siem Reap. There are other things to do in Siem Reap - maybe take a look at www.theplf.org and spend a day volunteering with school kids. There is also the silk-weaving worksop and Artisans d'Angkor, of example.

You already have quite a busy trip. Cutting a day from each of several places to add in Hanoi is a truly bad idea. You'll end up spending way too much time in transit. Fewer stops means more time in each place and more time overall doing/seeing/experiencing what you came for rather than just going from airport to airport.

PS I'm not sure why you think that 4 days in Bangkok will be too much for you because you are from NYC. Bangkok is an amazing city with lots to see and do. Being from NYC will be an advantage as you likely won't feel overwhelmed by the big city.

Thank you. Yes, I am going to look into the volunteering. I think that sounds fantastic. We were going to go to the ruins outside of Bangkok to get a taste being outside of the city. Any other recommendations? Also, should we stay in Siem Reap or Angor Wat? Will go to buy the book tomorrow.
Thank you so much

Angkor Wat is right next to Siem Reap. Stay in town, where you can walk to restaurants and shops. That is better, IMO, than staying on the road that leads to Angkor. There actually are no hotels inside the archaeological zone.

With a mere 4 days in Bangkok, I'd be inclined to spend all of it in the city. A lovely place right outie Bangkok is the Prasart Museum. It's an indoor/outdoor private museum and you must make reservation in advance. (I believe you can do so online now.) It has gorgeous arts and crafts from more than a millennia of Thai history. You will need a driver who knows how to get there - your hotel can help you with that.

You can get to Battambang by road from Siem Reap. But the round trip is too long for a day trip.

Ayutthaya is an easy day trip from Bangkok, but if you're going to Angkor then there isn't much point. Although if went by train to Ayutthaya it's a great Thai experience, and a good way of getting close to local people.

Your trip sounds fantastic.

We did a similar trip from New York two summers ago, except we were in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I added Laos because of this forum and so glad I did! I was also convinced to do 4 nights, and again, so glad I did! I'm not huge into temples, but the temples of Angkor are no ordinary temples and we were blown away, children and all. We also had 4 nights and spent 2 full days at the temples and 1 full day volunteering at Ponleary with a visit to the Landmine museum and one small nearby temple, which was perfect. The Ponleary day was very special. We spent our evenings wondering around Pub Street and eating some really good meals. We had time for the pool after returning from the temples as it was so hot. You will not be disappointed with 4 nights. I left my heart in Cambodia which was unexpected!

I think the forum members gave you really good advice. Enjoy!

Thank you Lolazahra, I have read your posts and that is what got me thinking about Hanoi. Would love your E mail to contact you if possible.
I am going with my 30 year old daughter, who is not keen on the volunteer piece. Without that day would you have been able to fill your time with something other than temples?

This is the url of the fake web site www.laos-airlines.net/‎
It is not fake as such, but they masquerade as the real Lao airlines site. Don't book with them.
http://www.laoairlines.com/ is the real one

Please do not volunteer. We who live in in SEA see so many of these organisations, charities, orphanages. Nearly all of them are fake.

VB is right, there are lots of fake volunteer "opportunities" that make money off of volunteers. I recommended www.theplf.org because it is a genuine charity that supports eduction for Cambodia children. Read about it on the website.

I realize I am in the minority here, but we spent 2 full days at temples and felt that was fine. While AW had always been a place I was dying to see, I actually ended up enjoying many of the smaller temples far more. As I recall the Land Mine museum did not take a long time to visit.
I agree BKK has a lot to see and do and is very "buzzy" but if you don't want a big city experience, you may be fine with 5 nights. Coming from NYC I understand that you may want to escape big city living. I used to feel that way when traveling - enjoyed being in smaller towns and the countryside to most big cities.
We were in Hua Hin last year. It was fine and we enjoyed the nice park a bit outside of town.
If you are using the BKK Air Discovery flights, Laos air flights are included so be sure to check. As I recall, it saved us quite a bit of money.

It's hard for me to answer your question as we went to Siem Reap for the temples. But because I had heard of Ponleary/PLF on CNN Heroes, when I realized that she was so near Siem Reap, I decided that spending the day helping her kids was something my family and I would be honored to do. I added one temple and the Landmine Museum, which was fantastic as I learned so much history as it pertained to the war and the continuing struggles of so many, because they were close to the school PLF chose for us. And as I said, we explored Pub Street and other downtown locations by strolling around when we returned from the temples. Though many guidebooks seem to say that there is nothing to do in Siem Reap, we found the food fantastic and the way of life fascinating and fun to watch. Plus everyone wanted to talk to us and I find these sorts of interactions to be one of the main reasons why I travel. And like someone said, the temples of Angkor are no ordinary temples. I would not call myself a temple person and the visit will remain one of my top favorite trips and I'm just so thankful and honored for it.

In terms of Hanoi, it would be a totally different choice but it is a fabulous city. You could easily fill 4 nights with something unique and exciting to do every single day. I do not think you could go wrong with this choice if you really feel like Cambodia is not the right choice for you and your daughter. I'm not sure what your routing should be but I do think you would love Hanoi as most people do.

Good luck.

I misread you question as when I went back through the whole thread, you are talking about adding Hanoi by taking days off of other places. It's still hard for me to answer, but I stick by my thoughts that Hanoi is a great city.

You can look at my hotel choices under my trip report for hotels. I loved them all except for Hanoi. The ones in Siem Reap and Luang Prabang had great, great pools and were favorites!

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all of your help so far.
Here is our itinerary:
4 nights Bangkok
4 nights Laung Prabang
2 nights Hanoi,1 night Halong Bay
3 nights Siem reap
4 nights Ko Samui or Hua HIn probably Ko Samui
I have a couple of questions:
I am putting this trip together by myself.
Wondering about Hotels?
In Hanoi, many have said that there are better places to stay then at the Metropole.
I would love a suggestion.
In Bangkok, I have booked the Ariyasama. It is #1 on Trip Advisor, but for 27 more dollars we can book The Peninsula -any thoughts? We tend not to like big hotels but this may be different as its reputation is so good.
In Siem Reap, we are staying at the Shinta Mani Resort. Any thoughts?
Laung Prabang-not sure any suggestions? Looking at The Laung Say Residence or The Sen Boutique. We like to have a pool. But, am concerned about location, particularly if it is rainy.
Ko Samui-no idea. Maybe Code?
Would love your thoughts and I know that I will have other questions, I am just trying to settle the "bones" of the rip.
Much Thanks

In Bangkok, I always recommend that first-timers stay along the river. The Pen is well-recommended, but there are less expensive places that will also give you the full view of the river. Personally, I would put little stock in a place being #1 on Trip Advertiser.

The Shinta Mani is excellent in Siem Reap,

In Hanoi, many here love the Elegance chain of hotels in Hanoi. That said, the Metropole is very nice, I certainly wouldn't recommend against it.

I am one who was underwhelmed by the Metropole. It is a beautiful and historic hotel and is nicely located, but I was not impressed with the service as it was hit and miss. Also, our rooms and suites were strangely laid out. And lastly, it was the least impressive breakfast buffets of all of our hotels and Asia really impresses with their breakfast! Unfortunately, I did not research any other options as I had heard such good things about the hotel. I would definitely consider another choice based on this forum and Trip Advisor. And Kathie is right, many people mention the Elegance Hotel Chain and say fantastic things.

In Luang Prabang, we stayed at Hotel de la Paix and loved it! It was not on the main strip but a 10 min walk and 5 minute tuk tuk ride to all of the shops/restaurants/markets. It was such a nice private oasis with large rooms and suites, a great spa, beautiful pool and great restaurant. I cannot say enough about it! With that said, I have also heard wonderful things about the Luang Say Residence as well and I did consider it.

In Siem Reap, we stayed at the La Residence d'Angkhor and enjoyed it very much as well. It also had an oasis and lush feel and a wonderful pool and fantastic staff. The food was a highlight as well. But like Kathie said, you cannot go wrong with the Shinta Mani should you choose it.

You have confirmed a really nice itinerary. Enjoy!

We stayed at the Hotel Elegance Diamond in a jr suite and very much enjoyed it. Very reasonably priced, fabulous staff and very nice room.

Once again, thank you. I will be back in touch as I continue to plan.

Our family just returned from an adventure in Thailand and Cambodia. One thing I may recommend is a tour guide to get your feet wet in Bangkok and a guide to the temples in Angkor Wat. Both of our guides on private tours are former teachers who spoke English very well and they were flexible and interesting. It made our first trip to South East Asia so meaningful and navigable. I'd be glad to recommend our guides if you are interested. No commission or interest here, just a helpful hint.

Hi Mutti,
That would be fantastic. i would so appreciate the recommendations. I was thinking to some guides.

Hi Pat,
Our guide company in BKK was Your Thai Guide and we used guide Swai. Don't be put off by his bio pic. He was delightful, helpful, flexible and diplomatic! He spoke a lot about the lineage and lives of the Kings. It was important to learn about who built what. At times it was a bit much but we were able to move him along. He was wonderful in helping us eat street food, learn about his country and showing us what we wanted. Often he would show us a correction in our course to prevent us from wasting money or time. We used public transit most of the time and enjoyed using the same transit as the citizens. I would highly recommend him.

Our guide in Siem Reap for Angkor Wat and the surrounding area was Angkor Journeys run by a delightful woman, Kanha Reath. We chose her because of it being a woman run business and her excellent reviews. What a great choice! We had a personalized itinerary which was flexible. She showed us all we wanted and more including a temple where we were the only people touring and a night market which where to my observation, we were the only tourists! She was diplomatic, very knowledgeable and a wealth of information. Kanha added so much to our visit to her home country and I would recommend her in a heartbeat!

I hope these names help. Again, no interest here, I just want to promote these fine people who made our trip so interesting.