Booked my flight ticket on a sale. Now to plan my trip...

[spoon]

Cant resist buying the ticket which is only usd39 and 1k points airasia from KUL, rm169 total for a 10 day trip at the end july and early august. I had a few friends that are still undecided if they want to join me so i figure bangkok would be a good base. I actually toy with the idea of going to Luang Prabang before, taking a train to nong khai and then bus to vientiane and luang prabang before the sale. And then the sale happened. A return ticket direct to Luang Prabang wouldve been just 1k point and usd23 but the only dates availble will leave me 6 days in luang prabang lol.

 

So if my friends join me, itll be krabi for the touristy visit somewhere in the middle. If not, i wonder if its still a good idea to do land travel to luang prabang. Ive read few trips report here but welcome any other suggestion.

[vinapu]

you are not only one who does that, I had quite a few trips , not only to Thailand based on such impulse. Some e-mail with offer , short time to make a decision and deal sealed .

 

Works with hotels sometimes as well - for my Jun 2016 trip I got an offer from Expedia for Raya  I couldn't refuse and then I was forced to worry about ticket but for Jun is easy

[vinapu]

. A return ticket direct to Luang Prabang wouldve been just 1k point and usd23 but the only dates availble will leave me 6 days in luang prabang lol.

 

 

grab it. You can easily spend 3-4 days in Luang Prabang and vicinity and use other 2 days for trip to Plain of Jars in Phonsavan. Can be done in 1 long day but not advisable as it's long drive.

[Alexx]

Not sure if I understand the OP correctly, but travelling from Bangkok to Luang Phrabang overland would take quite a long time if that's the plan. Especially if he wants to go back overland, too.

[spoon]

And right now expedia is having a sale on bangkok too, for hotels as well as hotels/flight. Dusit thani at usd73 per night, raya at usd50, with the suite around usd73 as well. Nantra silom is only usd 19.

[spoon]

Not sure if I understand the OP correctly, but travelling from Bangkok to Luang Phrabang overland would take quite a long time if that's the plan. Especially if he wants to go back overland, too.

Yeah that is what i think i migt do if i travel solo. Sleeper train to nongkhai, cab/bus short trip to vientiane. Stay there 1 night, then travel to luang prabang, maybe a night bus? spend 2 full day in luang prabang. If i go LP, ill go back to bangkok by flight. I dont think ill go by land both direction.

[traveller123]

It is worth checking the price on Air Asia from Don Muang to Luang Prabang

[spoon]

I did check, it is still reasonable. I do like the train travel though. Right now i am also looking to go to siem reap instead of Luang Prabang. Train ride is definitely shorter and the taxi ride from border to siem reap is less than 2 hour.

[pong]

Selamat malam dari disini, and FYI-and others too|:

BKK-SR: there are now 3 DIRECT buslines, which offer more as 1 trip/day, all cost aorund 30 US$ (about 1000/1100 THB), and can do (IF there are not too many diffcult cases among the pax for border-control), much easier and faster as that hopeless train -6 hrs and only 3d cl hard wooden seats-plus taximafia to border). One from Mochit BUSstation, others (incl. Giant Ibis-can book online) from the banglamphu=Khao Sarn road bekpek ghetto.

Read christians latest report from SR and see then again if its worth for you (besides the temples, overcrowded with koreans in marriage-mood) for the nearly disappeared gay sector.

(Oh-is that price so istimewa?Ive flown often BKK-KUL v.v. for that price, also LionAirThai=Malindo has often cheapo flitos).

[Guest]

The overland trip from Vientiane to Luang Prabang is quite scenic & I would say it's worth doing.

 

Personally, I did the 2~3 hours to Viang Vieng on one day & the 6 hours in a minibus the next.   There are lots of twists & turns on the minibus on mountain gravel roads.

 

Whether it's worth travelling overland from Bangkok to Luang Prabang within a 10 day trip is another question.   To make it really worthwhile, you need to see a few places on the way.  So after you have broken the trip up, your holiday could be a series of very short stops. So you may be stopping in Bangkok or Luang Prabang for less time than is ideal.  

 

I wouldn't really see the point in getting an overnight train, since it will be uncomfortable & you don't see anything when it's dark.    I much prefer to stay in hotels at night.  

 

Once you get out of Bangkok, there will not be much of a gay scene on your route.   If that matters.

[spoon]

Turned out i will be travelling solo. So i have complete freedom to where i want to go now haha. Thanks for all the input guys. I am thinking should i just do thailand only now. Maybe chiang mai chiang rai, or issan area, by train. Kanchanaburi looks great too. Ill definitely want to do maeklong now, didnt manage to visit them before.

[Guest]

Well, if you're off to Kanchanaburi, do take a trip out to the Erawan waterfalls.   Well worth it.

 

As for the bigger trip, well I think a lot depends on what you have seen before & how many more times you expect to come to this region. 

If you're likely to be hooked and keep coming back, I don't think it makes sense to be on a long journey almost every day. 

The alternative is to take the time to relax & see some places at a comfortable pace, which also leaves you a long list of other places to see over the next 10 years.

[ChristianPFC]

I wouldn't really see the point in getting an overnight train, since it will be uncomfortable & you don't see anything when it's dark. I much prefer to stay in hotels at night.

 

Disagree. I think overnight train is great. Admitted, I sleep better in hotel rooms, but for trains you don't have to arrive one or two hours before departure like airplanes, and you don't waste any daytime.

 

 

Well, if you're off to Kanchanaburi, do take a trip out to the Erawan waterfalls.   Well worth it.

 

I have been once, and find it overpriced (did they raise the price from 400 to 500 or 600 for Foreigners) and even worse full of tourists! Nothing can destroy the beauty of a place like masses of tourists.

 

Overland travel in Lao: I once took the sleeper bus (my only sleeper bus) from Vientiane to Phonsavan. That trip was fine, but all other bus trips in Lao rather boring and not for people who get motion sickness. From Luang Prabang to Chiang Rai was the worst, even I got unwell and had to stop reading (while others were puking right, left and center from motion sickness).

[spoon]

Thanks for the advice christian and z909 and all.

 

My straight friend decided to follow me after all so bit changed of plan lol. No trip to siem reap nor luang prabang. But instead we will go to hua hin and stay a night there. And spend another day in bangkok for catuchak market.

 

However, i'll have the first 2 night and 1 day free for me before my friend comes, and 4 days 4 night after to do my solo exploration.

 

Like i mentioned before, 1 day will be visiting maeklong train market. I am also trying to find any day trip worth doing from bangkok, so i dont have to switch hotel. A wuick search seems to point to kanchanaburi, ayutthaya, and khao yai. Already done ayutthaya before though. Otherwise ill keep exploring bangkok area instead, maybe do a massage rounds lol.

[vinapu]

 

 friend decided to follow me after all so bit changed of plan lol. No trip to siem reap nor luang prabang. But instead we will go to hua hin and stay a night there. And spend another day in bangkok for catuchak market.

 

 

. A quick search seems to point to kanchanaburi, ayutthaya, and khao yai. Already done ayutthaya before though. Otherwise ill keep exploring bangkok area instead, maybe do a massage rounds lol.

your friend is dragging you down, LOL, From lofty UNESCO sites of Siem Ream and Luang Prabang to Chatuchak.

 

Kanchanaburi trip is worth taking, if only to break all that shopping and see some Thai countryside   

[spoon]

Lol not just chatuchak, hua hin as well. Given that we will be doing food hunting, something i would rather have similar minded friend to do it with. Siem reap and luang prabang will have to wait lol.

 

Kanchanaburi is definitely on the top of my list, just pondering whether a day trip is enough or not. A night spend there would mean a night loss of bangkok night though haha. But if i were going to be too tired night gymnastics, id probably be better off spending a night there.

[vinapu]

I'd not be contemplating loss of night in BKK in favour of Kanchanaburi which is not that far. You can have a nap on the bus going there and back to recover after last night and get strength before next one

[Alexx]

I managed to visit Bangkok three times without visiting even the most popular sights in and around the city. If nothing else, that "failure" provided an excellent reason to return (again and again).

[ChristianPFC]

Like i mentioned before, 1 day will be visiting maeklong train market.

 

You can get there by bus or by train (what a surprise!). Buses best from southern bus terminal, trains from near Wong Wian Yai (a small railway station that serves only that line, including one crossing of river by ferry and then boarding another train). Timetables and details on the internet.

[spoon]

Thanks again. Yeah, i might go one way by bus and another by train. Read online that taking train will have me changing train with a boat ride in between albeit short distance. Sound interesting but taking 2 different mode of transportation means i get to see more. Just 3 more days and ill be in bangkok lol.

[vinapu]

. Just 3 more days and ill be in bangkok lol.

and how many days before we will see you reporting ? absolutely no pressure, no

 

have fun

[ChristianPFC]

From the other pier to the railway station it's about 500 m walk, and the way is not obvious.