VerseD

Hi guys,

So I am planning a trip for a month in Thailand but as a trip is getting closer I am thinking that it would be nice to visit some other countries during that time. At the moment I am looking at something like this; 2 weeks in Thailand and the rest of the time going to Malaysia and Singapore. (My flights are to and from bangkok but it is not a problem to buy some short distance flights like BKK to Kuala Lumpur). So, the question would be to more experienced travelers in SE Asia, what would you suggest to visit and how? Any tips are welcome. Thanks.

p.s. Sorry for my english, it is late in my country and it is not my first language.

MmePerdu

I'm not a fan of KL. There are places in Malaysia, though, that I love. I love Penang and the Cameron Highlands, not far from Penang. I enjoyed a couple of days in Malacca on my way to Singapore. And I loved Sarawak in Borneo. I could easily spend the whole month in Thailand but if you don't care to linger, then either mainland Malaysia including some or all of the places I mention, or Sarawak.

Air Asia flights from Bangkok to Kuching in Sarawak, a town I especially loved. Also BKK to Penang. Or do a circle on Air Asia - Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore (& return to BKK).

http://www.airasia.com

LancasterLad

To get a true feel for the Region you can't beat overland travel.

From Bangkok, both Laos and Cambodia are easy by v.v.inexpensive train rides.

MmePerdu

It's true, and I much prefer travel on the ground (train, boat, bus, taxi, tuk tuk). But I generally have more time to do it than just 2 weeks and why Air Asia is a good resource in Asia, in a case like this.

Kathie

I'm also not a fan of KL, but loved Penang and Malaysia Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak).

Rather than using 2 weeks to go from Bangkok to Singapore, I'd suggest visiting Cambodia fro Angkor Wat and maybe into Laos (Luang Prabang). Note than you can get to the border of Cambodia or Laos by train from Bangkok, but no trains into either of those countries,

CaliforniaLady

Logistically, it makes the most sense to visit Cambodia along with Thailand. I find Cambodia to be fascinating--there is ancient history alongside twentieth century history (Pol Pot massacre), and the green countryside is stunning. Since you did not purchase an open jaw ticket leaving from the further south countries, this would make the most sense, however.....

Malaysia is a very special country, indeed, mostly because of the wildlife in Eastern Borneo. It is better seen sooner than later because developers are planting palm tree groves where natural forests once were. The wildlife is being displaced. Also, I find KL to be like a cranky aunt--you have to get to know her in order to see her intrigue, so it is worth at least a full day of sightseeing and eating. Well, maybe mostly eating.

In any case, if you decide to go to Malaysia, make sure you get back to Bangkok the night before your international flight.

CaliforniaLady

oops, I meant the wildlife of Western Malaysia, not Eastern Borneo.

CaliforniaLady

Correction to my post: I was speaking of the wildlife in Eastern Malaysia, which is actually Borneo. I apologize for the confusion.

chumbak

Great answers here, but you may also need to check your budgets. Thailand has a lot of places to explore for a month. While Malaysia may be a good option, Singapore could drastically increase your budget since it's not a typical SE Asian country. Plus, more countries mean more visa fee. So while you are at it, keep an eye on this aspect as well.

crellston

I am clearly in a minority in liking KL possibly because I have ever spent a lot of time there over the years. It is a great transit hub mainly because of the efficiency, cost and wide range of routes provide by Air Asia. So easy to get around the rest of the region from there. We used it as a base travelling around Asia last year and visited maybe a dozen times. CaliLady sums it well; a "cranky aunt" if you are a foodie, it is definitely worth a day or two.

You don't mention when you are travelling but I get the impression that it may be soon? If so take great care in planning your route especially around the north of Thailand, Laos where the burning season will start around mid Feb and last possibly for a couple of months. The severity of the pollution does vary from year to year but when we were there last year it was really bad. Worth taking into account in your planning.

It would help you to get more relevant responses if you provided some ideas of what interests you e.g. History, beaches, food, nature, hiking, a combination thereof etc. If I had a month to play with tomorrow I would probably spend a few days at either end in Bangkok and head off to Vietnam. Closely followed would be Cambodia and Malaysian Borneo But my interests may well be very different from yours.

LancasterLad

<<<If I had a month to play with tomorrow I would probably spend a few days at either end in Bangkok and head off to Vietnam.>>>

Me too. We'd spend our first few days in the Kanchanaburi area...

http://www.seat61.com/Bridge-on-the-River-Kwai.htm

Then fly to Hanoi, for the north of Vietnam, and use up our full 15 days Visa exemption. Finally, back to Bangkok for the last few nights, staying by the Chao Phraya on Phra Arthit, with a short side-trip by train for an overnight in Ayutthaya.

Possibly towards the end of this year.