Low Season Trip

[biteme0123]

alright...first off i'd like to say this forum has made planning for my trip 100% easier than it would have been. Lots of knowledgable people. I have read many threads on the Low Season (rainy season) etc... and it sounds like it is the time to go. It just so happens that the month of August is the only month i have to vacation so it struck me as excellent news. I want one last hunk of advice on how to spend the 4 weeks i have in Southeastern Asia. I planned on flying into Cambodia initially (Phnom Penh) and spending some time there. I am young and will be travelling with one friend (ages 18 and 19) respectively. Very interested in Scuba Diving, getting to fire some guns (as we do hunt back here at home) and seeing Angor Watt and some of the rivers. So I'm sure we could spend the whole four weeks in Cambdodia, but as it's expensive as hell to travel and making money while going to uni. is rough, it would be ashame not to see any parts of Thailand or Vietnam for that matter. So based on our interests/age/budget (5000 dollars for 4 weeks) what would your suggestions be? Any would be very appreciated, as of right now, sticking to Cambodia seems to be the plan--but thats very very very open to alteration. As well, drinking and all that goes along with it always seem to play a decent sized role to our other trips (Bonaire and Japan)

[wylos]

biteme123...i think you'll be able to do what u have stated and much more from your budget,given yourself 4 weeks is a nice time to do so.
2 weeks cambo and 2 weeks thailand is enough time to see a liitle bit of each country,ok its not a really long time but ample to experience it.
one thing i found in S>E asia was that it was fairly easy to get about,loads of agents offering their services and lots of good people advice.
Angkor wat is a must see,from PP u can get a boat up the river to seam reap,very nice ride going past water houses ,villages etc,lovely views of rice fields ,great scenery,i did this on my way up there,and took the bus on the way back for a change,once in seam reap,a good idea is to get a driver for angkor wat,depending on how many days and temples u wanna see,1 day pass was enough for me,spent the whole day there and seen 3 temples.
PP has some great nightlife,me and my pal had a driver, he took us around all the joints,and would be there at the end of the night when we were done.
he also took me to see the sights in PP kyhmer rouge prisons,killing fields and then took me to shoot an ak-47,much more on offer if u want.
From PP im sure bangkok is only a hour or so flight,in my eyes another city u must see,couple of days here seeing the sights then id move on,maybe for a bit of beach life down phuket,as u said u intrested in scuba,heard of some good spots here,im not a diver(scuba anyway )always been intrested,ill get my padi one day,some other guys on here im sure will lead u in the right direction.
just some ideas for u.
check out my 'round the world' thread,i spent a year travelling and 6 months of that was in SE asia,had the time of my life,some of what ive said alraedy have been covered a wee bit more.
so good luck and happy travels,feel free to question,and there is lots usual info here.

[Kristian K]

Have a nice vacation mate!

[Matt Knickerbox]

I average around $2500 for 2 weeks each time I visit Thailand. Nice hotels, activities, and of course the nightlife... $5000 should cover you for about anything you want to do for 30 days. That's roughly $166.66/DAY.

Enjoy

[PosK]

Id do the following:

Phnon Phen
Siem Reap - make sure you catch the wats at sunrise and sunset
Sihanoukville - scratch this if the weather is iffy.
Bangkok
Ko Samui
Phuket - Phi Phi

Id limit Samui to diving since August is their supposed high season and you have better chances of catching good weather. I belive Ko Tao is the 'diver's island' There is also a city at the cambodia/Thailand border where you can gamble, dont recall the name though.

$5,000 for 4 weeks is more than enough.

[Andymon]

I just finished an 8 day trip to Cambodia (3 days Siem Reap and 5 in Phnom Penh) and for me it was 2 days too long.
I agree with Wylos....Angkor Wat is a must see trip if in Cambo. If you go from PP it's a 5 to 6 hour bus ride and about the same by boat (US$20 round trip). Definately try to sit in the front seat of the bus...it's a wild ride! I spent a day and a half temple touring and by then had temple overload....but it was an amazing place. Theres a lot of new big hotels going up in Siem Reap and pretty soon it's going to be overcrowded with tourists....so see it now before it turns into Disneyland.

The things to see in PP can be seen in 2 days....including the S-21 prison, killing fields, central market, Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and National Museum. The nightlife is a lot cheaper, but I personally prefer the LOS bar scene to Cambodia. In PP the bars are located in small goups of 2 or 3 bars spread through out the city so you need a tuk-tuk or mototaxi to stay with you and take you around (about $5 a night). The girls are definately good looking with quite a few small petite Vietnamese girls in the bars....but make sure you ask them up front if you want to take them home as some are only pushing drinks or will only go short time upstairs.

I mainly disliked Phnom Penh due to the dirt and piles of trash in the streets, air pollution (about a third of the population wear surgical masks when outside), and insane traffic. I found the people to be extremely nice and friendly....even after all they endured under the Khmer Rouge only 25 some odd years ago.

Nicke has just added a Cambodia section to the forum and I'll try to write a complete trip report in the next week or so.

[pablo]

Thanks Andymon.

I look forward to hearing more, about your Cambodian trip.


Pablo

[Captain]

One thing I found about PP. The traffic may be insane, but as pedestrian I had no problems crossing a street, which I can't say from Bangkok or even Patong. Drivers slow down and even stop.

[434]

I can not say much about Cambodia, I do not like to much people hanging on to me, and do not people who treath me in the taxi half way, and want more money!

BKK to much people, traffic, smell, but good shopping and restaurants, the ancient city was nice, and a local watermarked where I could walk with no hesitation. A big city is like another!

Koh Samui! I would like to go diving on Koh tao since the season is the best there at the moment in the gulf! I have been diving at Koh Chang to, but Koh tao is best! By the way Koh Samui do not have any own diving, so you have to pay extra to go by speed boat to Koh tao! Go for the dive companies with big boats, since the sea can be rough at the time http://www.asiadivesite.com/thailand-dive-sites/ Good people, but not to much party since the people are tired after diving.

I would wait to go to patong to the last of my trip, and have a blast, if you go first, you will stay there for sure. Party your brains out with all the girls and come home as nerwous wrecks, or find love at first day, and come home broken wallet, and broken heart

Have a good trip! At that time it was very nice to go Koh Payam for kayak and surfing, really enjoyed that We where almost the only customers on the island at the moment, but very nice and relaxed to bring a gf on a trip!

Have a good trip

[Tommychrk]

Originally Posted by Andymon

I just finished an 8 day trip to Cambodia (3 days Siem Reap and 5 in Phnom Penh) and for me it was 2 days too long.
I agree with Wylos....Angkor Wat is a must see trip if in Cambo. If you go from PP it's a 5 to 6 hour bus ride and about the same by boat (US$20 round trip). Definately try to sit in the front seat of the bus...it's a wild ride! I spent a day and a half temple touring and by then had temple overload....but it was an amazing place. Theres a lot of new big hotels going up in Siem Reap and pretty soon it's going to be overcrowded with tourists....so see it now before it turns into Disneyland.

The things to see in PP can be seen in 2 days....including the S-21 prison, killing fields, central market, Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and National Museum. The nightlife is a lot cheaper, but I personally prefer the LOS bar scene to Cambodia. In PP the bars are located in small goups of 2 or 3 bars spread through out the city so you need a tuk-tuk or mototaxi to stay with you and take you around (about $5 a night). The girls are definately good looking with quite a few small petite Vietnamese girls in the bars....but make sure you ask them up front if you want to take them home as some are only pushing drinks or will only go short time upstairs.

I mainly disliked Phnom Penh due to the dirt and piles of trash in the streets, air pollution (about a third of the population wear surgical masks when outside), and insane traffic. I found the people to be extremely nice and friendly....even after all they endured under the Khmer Rouge only 25 some odd years ago.

Nicke has just added a Cambodia section to the forum and I'll try to write a complete trip report in the next week or so.

Thanks alot!! Great info and I am looking forward to more info about your trip since I am planning around 5 days myself in July to PP and Siem Reap!!

[Pad Mc]

Originally Posted by Tommychrk

Thanks alot!! Great info and I am looking forward to more info about your trip since I am planning around 5 days myself in July to PP and Siem Reap!!

Me too.

Cheers for the info fellas.