Three weeks before trip - thailand/vn/angkor - please help with suggestions.
 

Hi, all you helpful people. This posting may be rather long, but I’m very excited about our first trip to SEA, and would like it to be as fun and comfortable as possible in the “balmy” month of March. We leave for Thailand on the 2nd. Here is our itinerary, so far:

We are taking Thai air JFK/BKK and immediately traveling to Chaing Mai, where we have a friend whose partner is a driver/guide. We are staying 3 nights at the Imperial Mae Ping and two nights at Baan Orepin, thanks to your recommendations. Our contact with the b&b has been lovely, and we’ve asked for a room in the back, new section if possible. I feel as if this part of our journey will be carried by the recommendations of our friend and his partner, so I have no questions as to this leg of the trip.

NEXT, we fly to BKK and are there for 3 nights - we have 3 full days to tour, as we arrive in BKK at 9:30 am. We’re staying at the Marriot Resort and Spa, and I’ve e-mailed aac car service to pick us up at the airport - they have already confirmed. I’ve taken the suggestion of booking a guide/car for one day, and e-mailed Ratt on Sunday for help and have not heard back. If I don’t hear back, I will contact the service suggested on this board by Bob.

We then are flying to Hanoi for 5 days, staying at the DeSyloia. During that time, we will be taking the two day/one night trip to Halong Bay with Buffalo Tours (again, a recommendation we would never have found on our own).

From Hanoi, we will fly to Siem Reap, where Ponheary has booked her brother for us and reserved a room at the Prince d’Angkor for 3 days, 4 nights (we arrive in Siem Reap in the evening). I’m looking forward to, not only exploring the ruins, but taking the suggestions of those of you who have spent time with the school children there. I think it will be a wonderful experience.

Last, and before we have to get back to reality, we are taking 5 days/4 nights in Phuket at the Katathani beach resort. We are in our fifties, and after all the touring, I want to plunk myself down and “chill”, as they say.

Now, a request for suggestions - I know you have made many recommendations as to where to go, what to eat, maybe ad nauseum for you, but I would like some suggestions based on our likes and dislikes. David and I live in Manhattan and don’t usually take taxis. We use the subway and walk a lot. Based on that, what could we do on our own, and what should we save for the day we have a car and guide in BKK? We decided that we’d do the first day by ourselves, the second day with a guide, and the third day again solo. We love different experiences, and I’m a recreational folk dancer, here in New York, so if there is a place to see dancing, it would be wonderful - could be touristy, but not tacky! We’re not big shoppers but given the right atmosphere, we love to walk and browse, so we’re looking forward to going to at least one night market to see what’s there - suggestions for the not to be missed market, please?

In Hanoi, is it really as dangerous to cross the street as it’s been indicated? Is this a walking city or do we have to use taxis, etc. to get around? Please suggest some interesting shops and things to do there.

I’m less concerned about Siem Reap and Phuket, because we have Dara in Cambodia, and mostly want to relax, not travel in Phuket. However, my husband is a diver (I’m not), and might want to go out one of the days we’re there. Any suggestions for contacts for diving, or are they basically the same, and we can ask at the hotel?

Thank you all who read this whole, long, missive, and in advance for your continued help. So much of this trip has been planned by your suggestions, that I, in reading the threads, feel as if I know you. Hope one day to meet you in person!

And I’m still not finished! My food and restaurant questions will come later :-)

All the best, Sharon

HI,
Crossing the street in Hanoi IS a bit of a challenge. We waited, watched the traffic and tried to cross with the locals. The main thing is that, once you start across, maintain your course and speed(I'm a sailor!). That is, don't suddenly speed up, slow down, or change direction. The drivers are very good at adjusting to get around you but they need to be able to anticipate your intentions.

I should have mentioned that we (59 and 69 year olds) walked everywhere. Don't miss "silk street"!!

There is lots you can do on your own in Bangkok. Take the Marriott boat to the main pier and you are right at the skytrain station. Also, you can take one of the water taxis from there. On your first day, I'd suggest you take the water taxi to the Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha to be there when the grounds open at 8. (Ignore anyone who says its closed.) You can wander the grounds until the Emerald Buddha opens at 8:30. After your time there, you can walk a block to the Reclining Buddha. You can then either walk a bit in that area (or, more likely) be ready to head back to the hotel to cool off for a while. Personally, I see no reason to use a driver for this, as you are staying on the river.

If you want to go somewhere outside of Bangkok, that's (IMO) the best use for a driver. I never use a driver in town, as I find the combination of the water taxis, skytrain and taxis so easy to use.

Hanoi is a great walking city. You just have to learn how to cross the streets. Since you're from NYC, you already know a bit about this. I spent a week in Hanoi, there is so much to do! There are a number of really fascinating museums (the ethnographic museum is highly recommended). Do visit the Temple of Literature, the Fine Arts Museum, CraftLink (a fair trade crafts store) and KOTO (a restaurant that teaches street kids food service skills) which are all within a couple of blocks.

Of course, you'll walk to walk in the area around the lake and the old quarter. Do visit some places off the tourist track. We visited some temples on another lake and were the only non-locals there.

Ratt gets booked up pretty far in advance and that may be why you haven't heard from her. However, you might try e-mailing her again if you are willing to work with one of her associates rather than her. I just sent her a couple of e-mails and she responded to me the next day. Based on your post, I would use a driver/guide for the places you can't easily get to using public transporation. The Grand Palace is a must which you can do on your own via river taxi combined with Wat Arun and Wat Po - you could also do it with a guide and continue on to Marble Wat, Teak Palace, and Suan Packard Palace. The Teak Palace is included in the price of your Grand Palace ticket. The Jim Thompson house is near a skytrain stop so you can do that on your own.

The Suan Lum night market is accessible by subway - if you have dinner in the Sukhumvit area (Face, Bed Supperclub etc.) you could take the subway there afterward. Otherwise you could take the skytrain and walk a ways.

Very touristy but good for (non-tacky) Thai dancing, is the Oriental Hotel's Sala Rim Nam restaurant. It is opposite the Oriental on the River - you take a boat from the hotel to get there. It is a dinner show - the food is ok but not great.

We will be in Bangkok and Siem Reap (with Ponheary) just before you arrive. We are also taking the flight from JFK.

Hello again,
I'm not very organized about replying to your questions, but I have just gone back and reviewed my journal. When we were in Siem Reap, we spent one day on a trip and a boat tour of Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Asia, and we also were taken to a training school to teach young people how to maintain their country's crafts. One could buy lacquer ware, word carving etc. in their co-op store.
In Hanoi, we saw Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, the Presidential Palace and Ho's museum which was very good. It gave you a different perspective on "The American War of Imperialist Agression" as they say.
We went to the night market in Chaing Mai, practically every night we were there! (I didn't feel as safe at night in Bangkok - see below) While we there we took a trip to some hill tribe villages and to the Golden Triangle. We also went to an elephant reserve.
In BKK we stayed in a hotel along the river and thus, were able to get around on the water easily. The ferries come along like buses and you can get "local" or "express". We also were able to get ourselves out to Jim Thompson House on the Sky Train without difficulty. If you are near the river, you can do the Royal Palace and Temple of the Jade Buddha, etc. on your own. We also enjoyed a boat trip on a long tail boat through the khlongs (canals) and saw the royal barge musuem. We found that anything that requires driving in BKK takes hours as the traffic is terrible.
We did quite an extensive Asian trip and BKK was the only place that we were scammed and where we didn't feel as safe. That certainly wouldn't deter me from going, but you just need your antennae up a bit more. ( If you decide to do the Royal Palace on your own, I'll give you the scam details!)
Have a great trip!

first of all bangkok is not a walking place really as it is so hot....you know the worst day in nyc last summer?/ every day is like that in bkk and nite too...95 and 110% humidity

taxis are very cheap and you will want to use them often in conjunction with the skytrain....an all day skytrain pass is 100B and you can buy it at taskim pier station...we often take the skytrain to near where we want to go and then take a taxi the rest of the way...it makes all the difference in arriving calm and cool or sweaty and hot and uncomfortable...

did i send you my bkk restaurant listing? if not ask for [email protected]

you will love the marriott and its boat ride...i do often use taxis from the hotel as well, as it is so easy if the bridge traffic is not bad...

i too only use the drivers for outside the city except for our purchase collection day on our last day in bkk...

some like them for a blitz however....i don't see using them when you are spending time on tour like in the grand palace, etc....but they can be good to go to short stops...you might want a guide in the GP...they are available inside the entrance for a reasonable price....we have never used one---prefer to just wander in amazement....

quite honestly if ratt says she is busy i would not have one...i would just plan on my own for all 3 days.....its more work but not bad...

you could use the guide for jim thompson house, wat arun, wat pho, marble wat, v mark palace----these are tours but none last more than one hour...so getting from one place to another could be quite speedy with a car...sometimes getting taxis near tourist attractions is a problem...they want to rip you off, take you shopping and not use the meter....a way around that is to walk to a nearby hotel and have the doorman get you one, or walk to a nearby street and get one away from the attraction....this is a plus for having a driver honestly...

if you have to cut something in VN i would cut halong bay...its nice but not fantastic...

hang gai street is the major shopping area....spend at least 1/2 day wandering the old city (hanoi)

outside hanoi i would ask to be taken to the pottery village and to the village of vietnamese painters...

phuket is perfect as you will need a rest at the end....pick a nice hotel and just relax...

if you could sweak out a day or two in bkk at the end i think you would love that...

if you have a day in bkk at the end and no hotel this is a good time for a driver also...

Thank you for all the suggestions. Ratt replied to me last evening and lo, and behold, she wrote back that she was personally available for the day I requested. I was intrigued by those of you who wrote that using Ratt, you saw things that you wouldn't have without her - that's what I'm interested in. So, I guess we'll take all your suggestions and then discuss the possibilites with her. Since the last thing I want to do is sit in traffic (I can do that here), it looks as if boat, skytrain and then taxi is a great way to get around the other days. And Bob, on the hottest day in NYC, I do as little as possible and drink a lot of iced tea. We'll just do the best we can in BKK - wouldn't mind melting a few pounds.

Craig, do we need to make reservations for the show at the Oriental and how mediocre is the food? Do you know if we can just go to the show without eating dinner there?

Sharon, you do need to make reservations. I doubt you can see the show without having dinner as the show is included in the price of the dinner. The food isn't bad...it's just not great.

Just to add to comments on Bangkok. We never took a taxi. We got around on our own using the boats and sky trains and out feet. And yes it's hot but you get used to it and just prepare for it. It probably depends on your overall health and being used to walking a lot - as it appears you would be. We just stopped more often during the day, went back to our hotel more often to rest and wash up etc. I think the taxi thing relates to those not staying on the river or near a sky-train or trying to pack a lot into one day. We stayed at the Peninsula on the river and found it so easy to take train and boat to most destinations. We also did not hire a guide and that was fine too. If you were staying longer or had been there before and wanted to see more things off the beaten path or you were staying in Sukhumvit or one of the further points out you might need to rely more on a taxi. Also some of the best days we had were when we wandered on our own through the side streets and happenned upon locals in their daily routines or found a small restaurant in an alley.

Some of our favorite moments in Hanoi were spent sitting in the park near the lake (in the old quarter.) The people watching, picture taking, and the just plain "take a breath" moments are wonderful. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Temple of Literature. You can hire a guide there to explain the history. I also have to admit that we rode on the front of the pedicycle (yes, that means we were the front bumper.) It was crazy, dangerous, and amazingly fun, and another hightlight. I'll never tell my Granddaughter I did it!!

We loved Hanoi... saw as much as we could. Took those velo/taxi's..can't remember what they are called. Fun way to get around. We also loved Halong Bay...beautiful and peaceful...great pearl jewlery for sale very cheap! Makes lovely gifts.
We did get riped off by taxi in Bkk which we flagged down near Palace. Got taken way far away from where we wanted to go, and couldn't get back since no taxi drivers in that part of the city could understand or read English, French or any other language but Thai. Alphabet is different. So a taxi from a hotel, or a private guide isn't such a bad idea, I think.