I am planning to go for a two month trip and I would love some advice from anyone who knows. I’m planning to go to Beijing, Shanghai, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and then Thailand. Any info would be great - places to go, things to do/not do, where to stay, etc. Of course, the cheaper the better. Thanks
I would have thought that mainland China is very bad idea right now, Even if you don’t get SARS, no-one will come near you for 2 weeks after you come back. Vietnan’s better but still a bit dodgy. Going to China is just stupid right now, sorry.
Well, I’m planning to go in Dec/Jan. I’m hoping things will be better than. If not, I guess no China…
Well, it’ll be really cold in much/most of China. Actually I’ve never been, but if you’re planning a backpacker budget trip, the rest sounds great.
Fly to Bangkok. Go South to some beaches. Head North to (oooh, forgotten the name, second most famous city in Thailand), then over to Laos where you should visit Vientiane, Luam Prabang(sp) and Phonsavan. Then head back to Thailand and into Cambodia to Siam Riep to check out Angkor Wat. Go from there to Phnom Pen and on to Sihanoukville on the coast. Head up Bokor mountain, and if that border’s now open, you can head straight into Sth Vietnam from Kep. Head up thorught the Mekong Delata to Saigon and take the bus up to Hanoi stopping off at Dalat, Nga Trang, Hui An and Hoe. From there if you still want to go to China you can cross into the scenic S-W of China. That’s about 4 days a place over 2 months. You’ll want more in some and less in others. If you want to do a loop you could try Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand (via Sihanoukville/Ko Chang), but I’m not sure of the Laos/Vietnam borders.
Brian
May I suggest New Zealand!
in Asia it would be better to stay home and watch TV at the moment with SARS and all.
there is SARS in asia, but in New Zealand they have ARSES 
I believe the countries that you are thinking of would be Australia and America 
I will excuse you this time.
Class dismissed
You’re right sorry, I was thinking of Hobbits
Palawan in the Phillipines was pretty damn nice - specifically El Nido.
It’s also very affordable and doesn’t take too long to get to from Taipei…1 hour 45 minutes to Manila and then an hour from Manila to El Nido. You’ll have to wait a couple of hours possibly for a connecting flight which sucks.
But it’s worth it when you get there.
Or the North Eastern part of Ko Pha Ngan is really nice and relaxed (Ton Nai Pan beach is nice).
The Backpacking in SE Asia thread in this forum has lots of good advice. Some of the other threads have good advice about travelling in Thailand, too. I agree with Sir Donald that flying to Bangkok is a great starting point. From there it is possible to travel anywhere in SE Asia very easily. You can also go to China from Thailand via Laos or Vietnam or fly to Kunming which is not expensive. Also try asking your question at the Thorn Tree on Lonely planet’s web site. Also go to a bookshop and read (no need to buy them!)some of the guidebooks to countries you’re interested in and you will get lots of ideas and information.
Go to Bangkok, Khosan Road. Although I’ll probably be berated for saying that, it is a good place to start for anyone wanting to backpack in SEA.
Talk to travelers. Most of the advice you will receive will be much like Bri’s. Costs will also be cheaper and tickets will be easier to come by than in Taiwan as the whole place is geared for travelers such as you.
Anyway, just go; don’t plan too much.
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