Vietnam, thailand, cambodia

[szekiat]

I'll be going on a month long train trip around SEA starting with Saigon on Fri and then going up the coast all the way to Hanoi before crossing over to Laos, Thailand and finally Siem Reap. Just wondered if anyone here is from those parts. Would be nice to put a face to a name and find out more of where to eat/drink! I'll trust my lonely planet guide for where to visit! I hear internet is quite good in Saigon so I hope to hear from some folks!

 

[KarlG]

Nice one, I'm doing a similar trip starting next week. Singapore -> Phnom Penh -> Siem Reap -> Chiang Mai -> Bangkok -> home.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[szekiat]

When will u be in Bangkok and Chiangmai? Perhaps we could link up?

 

[hugivza]

I have just returned from a week in North Vietnam (Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay) Both are well recommended. Try and get an overnight on a junk (Like Ha Long Emotion) on Ha Long Bay - well worth the effort. Stop off on the way at villages and rice fields etc. Ha Noi is great with early morning markets, old streets, kamikaze motorcyclists, and great food which is cheap and excellent tasting - photo opportunities abound.

I was in Siem Reap earlier this year going to Angkor Wat and associated temples - all are superb photo opportunities as is going to the villages around the Tong Le Sap. Whereas the people are poor by Western standards they level levels of happiness and dignity which we can only aspire to.

BAngkok is great for about a week and then the traffic and general hustle and bustle intrude. Travel up to the old capital of Ayyudhya - go up by bus and back by boat on the Chao Phrya River - again many photo opportunities.

Enjoy!

 

[AndrewNYC]

I'll be going on a month long train trip around SEA starting with Saigon on Fri and then going up the coast all the way to Hanoi before crossing over to Laos, Thailand and finally Siem Reap. Just wondered if anyone here is from those parts. Would be nice to put a face to a name and find out more of where to eat/drink! I'll trust my lonely planet guide for where to visit! I hear internet is quite good in Saigon so I hope to hear from some folks!

Do try to get up to Sa Pa. Much prefered to Ha Long Bay. Do a trek amongst the villages and stay with locals. Great experience, and great photo subject matter.

 

[Out to Lunch]

My two cents...do and 'see' less. The Saigon/Hanoi trip already covers more than 2,000 km. Travel in the tropics is best done at a slow pace. This said, up to you. One of the highlights of the coastal Vietnam trip...crossing the Hai Van Pass in-between Da Nang and Hue.

 

[FalseDigital]

I live in Bangkok now. As long as you aren't a greasy sextourist farang I'd be happy to grab a drink with ya 😛
Also my two cents, burn that lonely planet guide. (at least for bangkok) All a buncha tourist traps in there.

 

[oftheherd]

My two cents...do and 'see' less. The Saigon/Hanoi trip already covers more than 2,000 km. Travel in the tropics is best done at a slow pace. This said, up to you. One of the highlights of the coastal Vietnam trip...crossing the Hai Van Pass in-between Da Nang and Hue.

I made that crossing a number of times during the 1 1/2 years I was in Quang Tri and Da Nang. My main activity wasn't sight seeing though. A lot of us used to think the place was pretty and would be nice to visit when there wasn't a war going on.

In the Qui Nhon area you may see short round-stone towers along the way. They may be old Champa towers and may be photogenic (or not). Rice paddies in morning or evening light are usually photogenic. Saigon has a fairly large Catholic shrine with the twelve steps. Might be interesting (if still there). Saigon traffic circles at rush hour are worth a shot or two, just stay safe. Hue should still have its Citidel, Quang Tri's disappeared when the NVA took refuge there expecting it would not be harmed. B52's 1, NVA 0.

Food should be good. A breakfast of Hiu Tieu in Saigon and Pho in Da Nang or Quang Tri should be a treat. Any of the Thit Bo Bay Mon should be good. But normal people's fair will almost always be good too. If like it used to be, don't be afraid to eat anywhere. The food usually doesn't stay around long enough to go bad. Soups are good as well as sandwiches along the road ways (if they still bake their own French bread for sandwiches).

If I am wrong about things, sorry. I haven't been there in a while, since I left last in 1972.

Looking forward to seeing your photos.