Thailand, Laos & Cambodia

[Q.]

Been there?

Please post any of your must dos and don'ts. I'm after any opinion, whether it be on being the quintessential Aussie bogan in Phuket or sneaking your way into an illegal Muay Thai fight.

[AFLflyer]

Been there?

Please post any of your must dos and don'ts. I'm after any opinion, whether it be on being the quintessential Aussie bogan in Phuket or sneaking your way into an illegal Muay Thai fight.

I'll start with my opinions on thailand and Laos, haven't been to Cambodia yet..

Must do's Thailand
Koh Phi Phi
Koh Chang (closer to Bangkok)
Ang thong marine park near Koh Samui
Trek in Chang Mia.
Bangkok - interesting city, great Muay Thai fight

don'ts Thailand
Phuket!!!!!!! especially patong - so may better places to go

Must do's Laos (easiest to cross from Thailand near chang ri)
Luang Probang (trip on the Meekong) explore the area - awesome water falls
Van Vieng (this place is GREAT, hippy hangout, beautiful location)

don't Laos
The capital Vientiene.

[devilsadvocate]

I really liked Phuket. But I stayed right out of Patong and only went in for a couple of solid evening sessions to see some footy and muay thai.

If you go walking around the southern part of the island, there are some great sights. Wildlife, awesome locals bars/eateries and spectacular views.

I did the usual phi phi trip, bond rock, beach setting which is good, but the best day trip I did was a snorkelling tour down to coral island and the 2 islands to the south. It was a really small operator (dodgy looking boat ), but the trip was fantastic and the snorkelling right up there with Hawaii/GBReef.

I hated Bangkok (A 5-6 year old boy was handing out ping pong show flyers...so devastatingly sad) and given recent events, there's even less reason to go there.

[Q.]

Phuket I won't avoid. About 20 of the lads are going there for three weeks on a footy trip and I'll fly in to Phuket to catch up with them in their last week there before I head north and they fly home. I probably have no choice but to be a drunken lout in Patong

I'll have to sus out a worthy day trip to do while there.

[AFLflyer]

I really liked Phuket. But I stayed right out of Patong and only went in for a couple of solid evening sessions to see some footy and muay thai.

If you go walking around the southern part of the island, there are some great sights. Wildlife, awesome locals bars/eateries and spectacular views.

I did the usual phi phi trip, bond rock, beach setting which is good, but the best day trip I did was a snorkelling tour down to coral island and the 2 islands to the south. It was a really small operator (dodgy looking boat ), but the trip was fantastic and the snorkelling right up there with Hawaii/GBReef.

I hated Bangkok (A 5-6 year old boy was handing out ping pong show flyers...so devastatingly sad) and given recent events, there's even less reason to go there.

i agree, that is why i hated patong beach. (i didnt see anything like that in Bangkok, not saying its not there)i didnt look around phuket much, so i cant really comment on what the rest of it has to offer.
IMO your way better off going to Krabi and Phi Phi instead of Patong.

[AFLflyer]

Phuket I won't avoid. About 20 of the lads are going there for three weeks on a footy trip and I'll fly in to Phuket to catch up with them in their last week there before I head north and they fly home. I probably have no choice but to be a drunken lout in Patong

I'll have to sus out a worthy day trip to do while there.

yeah thats a different story then

[devilsadvocate]

i didnt look around phuket much, so i cant really comment on what the rest of it has to offer.
IMO your way better off going to Krabi and Phi Phi instead of Patong.

I stayed right at the south of the island on Kata Noi beach. It's an amazing little area, very quiet, with a spectacular beach and surrounds.

It's a 3 hour walk (yep I did it - twice!!) from Patong, so far enough away to not know it's there.

[Dirko]

I'll start with my opinions on thailand and Laos, haven't been to Cambodia yet..

Must do's Thailand
Koh Phi Phi
Koh Chang (closer to Bangkok)
Ang thong marine park near Koh Samui
Trek in Chang Mia.
Bangkok - interesting city, great Muay Thai fight

don'ts Thailand
Phuket!!!!!!! especially patong - so may better places to go

Must do's Laos (easiest to cross from Thailand near chang ri)
Luang Probang (trip on the Meekong) explore the area - awesome water falls
Van Vieng (this place is GREAT, hippy hangout, beautiful location)

don't Laos
The capital Vientiene.

Pretty well spot on, although Phuket was good if you are away from Patong.

Highly recommend Krabi which is on the Thai Peninsula, a lot more laid back, and easy access to Railay for the rock climbing etc.

Luang Prubang is fantastic. Such a cool, cool, place. Very mellow.

[Q.]

i didnt look around phuket much, so i cant really comment on what the rest of it has to offer.
IMO your way better off going to Krabi and Phi Phi instead of Patong.

I stayed right at the south of the island on Kata Noi beach. It's an amazing little area, very quiet, with a spectacular beach and surrounds.

It's a 3 hour walk (yep I did it - twice!!) from Patong, so far enough away to not know it's there.

I have no idea where the lads are staying, but one thing's for sure, I will be sleeping on their hotel room floors for a few days

[OnSong]

DON'TS for Thailand:

Don't let your missus get a DVT on the flight over. You can't do anything fun coz she's on bloodthinners the whole time and thinking she is going to die. Lol.
Actually, don't take your missus (if you have one). (If your reading this, I love you sweety)

Don't eat any chicken or seafood on the flights.
I got food poisoning on the 6 hour flight home from Singapore to Adelaide.

Don't lean on a fart with food poisoning while sleeping at the in-laws house.
After only consuming one glass of orange juice in 24 hours, you can imagine the mess it made.

[Mr Beefy]

DON'TS for Thailand:

Don't let your missus get a DVT on the flight over. You can't do anything fun coz she's on bloodthinners the whole time and thinking she is going to die. Lol.
Actually, don't take your missus (if you have one). (If your reading this, I love you sweety)

Don't eat any chicken or seafood on the flights.
I got food poisoning on the 6 hour flight home from Singapore to Adelaide.

Don't lean on a fart with food poisoning while sleeping at the in-laws house.
After only consuming one glass of orange juice in 24 hours, you can imagine the mess it made.

I couldn't think of a better place to do it

[Q.]

Hahaha. The missus won't be with me on this one, which is a shame really because she always has my back.

Boy, do I have some liquid-poo-through-the-eye-of-a-needle stories from Africa, but that is a whole other thread...

[Q.]

Luang Prubang is fantastic. Such a cool, cool, place. Very mellow.

Sounds like one of those places you get to and end up staying for a week. Nice.

[Q.]

Questions,

Were you okay with drinking the tap water?

Did any of you bother taking anti-malarials? I'm not keen on doing another long stint on Larium.

[AFLflyer]

Questions,

Were you okay with drinking the tap water?

Did any of you bother taking anti-malarials? I'm not keen on doing another long stint on Larium.

no tap water, not worth the risk!!
we started with larium, but that SH###T is rotten. stay away from it, i had the worst dreams and got sun burnt to shit. With malaria, your best to use repellent everywhere and watch out for symptoms. thats what i was told by someone, probly not a doctor.
whaen are you planning this trip Q? how long will you go for?

[AFLflyer]

Luang Prubang is fantastic. Such a cool, cool, place. Very mellow.

Sounds like one of those places you get to and end up staying for a week. Nice.

dont forget vang vieng in Laos, sick place.
good for a special ciggy and chill out.
not far from the average capital Vientienne

[Q.]

Questions,

Were you okay with drinking the tap water?

Did any of you bother taking anti-malarials? I'm not keen on doing another long stint on Larium.

no tap water, not worth the risk!!
we started with larium, but that SH###T is rotten. stay away from it, i had the worst dreams and got sun burnt to ****. With malaria, your best to use repellent everywhere and watch out for symptoms. thats what i was told by someone, probly not a doctor.
whaen are you planning this trip Q? how long will you go for?

Try 5 months on Larium. Wasn't so bad when on it, but post-trip it has chronicly messed with my head. Ugh, never again. I'm led to believe SE Asia isn't as bad as sub-Saharan Africa in regards to malaria, so I might take my chances and only bring treatment doses of anti-malarials with me.

Hopefully I'll fly out at the start of October and make it back for Xmas. Haven't booked anything yet - waiting for the tax return.

[AFLflyer]

Questions,

Were you okay with drinking the tap water?

Did any of you bother taking anti-malarials? I'm not keen on doing another long stint on Larium.

no tap water, not worth the risk!!
we started with larium, but that SH###T is rotten. stay away from it, i had the worst dreams and got sun burnt to ****. With malaria, your best to use repellent everywhere and watch out for symptoms. thats what i was told by someone, probly not a doctor.
whaen are you planning this trip Q? how long will you go for?

Try 5 months on Larium. Wasn't so bad when on it, but post-trip it has chronicly messed with my head. Ugh, never again. I'm led to believe SE Asia isn't as bad as sub-Saharan Africa in regards to malaria, so I might take my chances and only bring treatment doses of anti-malarials with me.

Hopefully I'll fly out at the start of October and make it back for Xmas. Haven't booked anything yet - waiting for the tax return.

5 months on larium, far out. that stuff does stuff with your head, ive heard some horror stories... did you get sun burnt on it?

[AFLflyer]

How do you get so much time off work Q??
im jealous

[Q.]

5 months on larium, far out. that stuff does stuff with your head, ive heard some horror stories... did you get sun burnt on it?

Funnily enough I never got sunburnt. I'm somewhat fair-skinned, but I was surprised at my resistance to the African sun.

Interestingly, while it was stinking hot over there, being in that sun just didn't seem to get as oppressive as the Adelaide heat.