My holiday......

[zeitgeist]

I'm about to be made redundant so have decided to use some of the pay off to spend 6 weeks travelling around. I've planned the last 4 weeks in Thailand. 1st week up north (Chiang Mai / Rai)then BKK moving south, Hua Hin (family commitment)and wherever. This leaves the first 2 weeks and I can't seem to make up my mind where to go.

Any ideas?

I'm intrigued by Myanmar but don't know the visa regulations or if there would be enough to do/see?

Where would you go if you had 2 weeks in SEA (not thailand)?

[SpiceMan]

It depends what you like to see and do. If you like visiting temples, see Siem Reap in Cambodia with its ancient temples that influenced the later Thai style. You don't need more than 4 days there though. Then take a river cruise down the Mekong to Phnom Pen and spend a couple of days there seeing/learning the horrors committed by the Khmer Rouge. That leaves a week. You could visit Malaysia and see the colonial buildings of Penang or the better beaches on Langkawi.

 

I haven't been to Myanmar so perhaps someone else could advise on that.

[shygye]

Vietnam (China Beach)

[zeitgeist]

I needed to put more info on my post...

Temples I enjoy so Siem Reap would be a good idea. I like the idea of a river cruise to Phnom Penh, will look into this.

Beaches aren't really my thing, not a sun worshipper.

I really enjoy the hustle and bustle of cities.

 

 

[preahko]

It depends what you like to see and do. If you like visiting temples, see Siem Reap in Cambodia with its ancient temples that influenced the later Thai style. You don't need more than 4 days there though. Then take a river cruise down the Mekong to Phnom Pen and spend a couple of days there seeing/learning the horrors committed by the Khmer Rouge. That leaves a week. You could visit Malaysia and see the colonial buildings of Penang or the better beaches on Langkawi.

 

I haven't been to Myanmar so perhaps someone else could advise on that.

 

Note that the Mekong River goes nowhere near Siem Reap, the "river cruise" referred to is down the Tonle Sap to Phnom Penh, and includes crossing the lake portion of it (before you get to the river portion), which, in those claustrophobic narrow speedboats with not enough life preservers, can be a little scary ("lake" doesn't do the Tonle Sap justice; when you're out in the middle of it, you might as well be out on the ocean...)

[Julian2]

Philippines.

Angeles City, Boracay, Sabang Beach.

[WorldFun]

zeitgeist,

 

good decision to get something positive out of being jobless

 

I did something similar a couple of times...

 

Now first may I recommend you don't break your 6 week trip into LOS+Others as you'd be much better off 'mixing' LOS & neighbor countries together.

 

Example itineraries would be:

 

1) BKK-North Thailand-North Laos(luang prabang)-Vientienne-BKK (include whatever isaan cities on the way as you fancy!)

2) BKK-Aranyaprathet/Poipet-Siam Riep-PhnomPenh-BKK

3) BKK-Jakarta-Surabaya-BKK (Indonesia down south of equator is something very similar to LOS, but at the same time very different & intriging - must fly down there ~3hours or so). Alternatively There's Vietnam which can be combined overland with Lao trip or fly there. Hanoi gets good reports, but HCMC is definitely interesting too!

 

BTW highly recommend the overnight 2nd class lower berth sleeper trains (a/c or non a/c) for the major trips like BKK-Chaing Mai & NongKhai/Ubon Flying Lao air also very nice!

[zeitgeist]

Thanks for the ideas/tips everyone.

 

I've not thought about Indonesia....will look into it.

Again, thanks

[kamui]

As the others said, I would recommend Angkor, which is one of most spiritual places in the world. PP is fine for relaxing while watching the Mekong flow by and P4P and having fun in nice bars and discos.

 

Next on my list would be either Laos (Luan Prabang) and/or Burma. Burma is probably more adventurous.

[gobbledonk]

If you go to Jakarta at any stage, be prepared for one hell of a city - I'd love to go back, but not sure that I'm man enough for that traffic. Even for someone who isnt a girlyboy, its scary to see that many human beings in one place - even worse than BKK.

 

Have to admit that Boracay looks fantastic in the photos but I have also read many reports from long-timers saying the food sucks and there is literally nothing to do in PI other than drink and screw. As someone who recently spent 4 weeks in Pattaya, I can confirm that there is a limit to the number of consecutive days where the above seems like a great lifestyle - its somewhere between 10 and 50 depending on your age

 

Enjoy your break.