Robyn

My husband and I are planning to visit Cambodia and Thailand early this Fall, and would appreciate any help you can give in terms of recommendations of what to see, where to stay, etc. What else should we see in Thailand, besides Bangkok? We only have 10 days, so it will have to be quick! Is there any other place we should visit in Cambodia besides Angkor Wat? Thanks for the help!

Joan

Robyn: <BR>I went to Thailand and Angkor Wat last November. If you are interested just email me and I'll send you a copy of my report. If you are only going for 10 days it is really going to be difficult to see much of either country. What are you interested in - beaches? culture? scenery? night life. You will need to plan your trip depending on your interests. Thailand is fabulous and so was Angkor Wat. <BR>Joan

Daniel

Joan <BR>Planning a trip to Cambodia next year. Would like to get in touch for infos but I think your E-mail address in incorrect? Here were my questions. <BR>"Bonjour Joan <BR>I saw your message on Fodors mentionning that you went in Cambodia last november. We are planning a 2 or 3 weeks trip in that country next <BR>january . We want to visit Phnom penh, Siem reap-Angkor, Battambang, spend a few days in Sihanoukville. Any recommendations about the means of transportation ? Is travelling by boat safe ? Are Kampot and Kep places worth the detour ? We will be travelling in mid-range hotels or guesthouses, do you have recommendations for lodging, and sites in or around, the cities mentionned above. <BR>Thanks in advance" <BR>Daniel <BR> <BR> <BR>Daniel

Penelope

I would spend about three days in Bangkok, staying at a hotel near the river so you can use the ferry to get up and down the river to major sights. Then, I would fly to Chiang Mai and stay at the River View Lodge, using that as a base for day trips outside of town. Afterwards, I would fly back to Bangkok and on to Siem Reap on a morning flight. There are many comfortable hotels (the fancy, new one is an affront to Cambodian culture, so I would not stay there)and you can engage a guide on the spot. Even a half day and the next full day, before you return to Bangkok, will give you a good idea of Angkor Wat. So, in ten days, you can see a lot and, undoubtedly, have a sensory overload. P P

Scotters

Daniel.Cambodia is a wonderful country to visit and you will enjoy every minute except for the road travel. The way I went was by land, as I could not see paying the high cost of airfare. Since you have 2-3 weeks this may your best option. From Bangkok took the 6.30am air-conditioned bus to Aranyaprathet (41/2hrs), then taxi to Poipet, arriving before noon. After clearing customs, a car taxi (a/c Toyota is best) for the 3-4 hour ride to Battambang. The road between Poipet and Sisiphon is in poor condition but from then on it is not too bad. Battambang is a nice little city to spend a couple of days in, not much to see within the city but some good places to visit outside of town. I stayed at the Chaya Hotel, not bad with air-con rooms from $8. The speedboat leaves for Siem Reap at 7am and takes 3-4 hour along a beautiful lake and river with wonderful scenery. Total land cost 29US. From Siem Reap I took the speedboat to Phnom Penh-25US. Two days here is sufficient. Bus to Sihanoukville, along the best highway in Cambodia, 2.50US. Beaches here are good, not great but a nice place to relax. Did not have time to visit seaside resort of Kep and nearby, sleepy Kampot but from all reports, well worth a visit. From Sihanoukville by ferry to Koh Kong. Spent the night at Koh Kong International Resort (casino), crossed boarder into Thailand and bus back to Bangkok. Cost this part of land route 54US.

Robyn

Penelope: Which hotel do you mean in Siam Reap? Are you speaking of the Raffles? That is the only fancy hotel I have heard about. Which hotels would you recommend? The Raffles was highly recommended, and I have found little information about other possibilities. Thanks

Penelope

Robyn: This is a temporary answer until I go home and check material there. I don't remember off hand the name of the big,fancy hotel, but it was written up within the last several months in the New York Times Sunday Travel section. I don't remember the name of the hotel I stayed in, either, but I will also check that.It was fairly modest(in keeping with the country, I thought),and located centrally near the river that goes through Siem Reap. I will supply more information later. I really liked that area of Cambodia (reminded me of Burma), so encourage folks to go. It is as hot as Hades, however. P

Penelope

I stayed at the Bayon Hotel in Siem Reap and found it entirely satisfactory, as well as relatively inexpensive. I see that the Lonely Planet mentions it. Although I still don't remember the name of the fancy hotel, I know that it was written up by Mark Landler in "Ruins by Day, Luxury by Night," in the Nov. 26, 2000, NY Times Travel section. In the Jan. 7, 2001, in the NY Times Travel section, there is a dissenting letter by someone who says that there are plenty of other fine places to stay than these ultra-luxurious ones. You can purchase the NY Times articles on the Web and, of course, there is always the library. P

xxx

We did the same trip last year in 8 nights/9 days. We stayed in Bangkok for three nights, Chiang Mai for two nights, Siem Riep (Angkor Wat) for two nights, and back to BKK for the last night. The time for each stop seemed sufficient and not too rushed, although it would have been nice to have had a longer stay in Chiang Mai to see the surrounding areas. Since you will have a couple more days than we did, perhaps you could stay longer in Chiang Mai and take day-trips from there or take a short trip to a beach in the south. Some people say Phuket is overdeveloped and too touristy, but others rave about it. Ko Samui is supposed to be less developed, although I recently heard someone complaining that it was too developed. Depends what you want. In Bangkok, we stayed at The Oriental and the Peninsula. The Oriental was a disappointment -- the service was great, but our room was ordinary and noisy (from neighbors). The Peninsula was wonderful! We got a great deal there at the airport -- $99 for a deluxe room (we also had an option to pay $75 for a regular room). In the US, a comparable room would have cost us at least $400. The room and bath were amazing -- state-of-the-art everything and luxury galore. Our deluxe room had a balcony overlooking the river. Great food and service, too. When I came down with a cold and asked the hotel if they had cold medicine for me, they sent up a nurse to check on me and gave me little packets of different types of medicine. The Peninsula is less popular with business people because it's on the "wrong" side of the river -- hence special deals at the airport -- but it wasn't a problem for us. The Peninsula runs a riverboat shuttle back and forth the river all day, which I found to be a fun way to get around. If you reserve the Peninsula in advance, I think you end up paying more, but I think it's still cheaper than The Oriental. Or you can chance it and see if you can get a great deal at the airport. At Siem Riep in Cambodia, we stayed at a hotel called the Angkor Village. The architecture and garden/grounds were charming, but the rooms themselves were simple and basic. The shower was just a showerhead in the corner, so the water splashed all over the bathroom. I guess that's the French influence. The towels were of dubious cleanliness. Our room cost $120/night -- way more than it was worth. I guess some people like it for the "authentic" experience. You'll find that all of the tourist needs (accomodations, meals, cars, guides, performances, etc.) tend to be overpriced in Cambodia, much more so than in Thailand. Being in Cambodia was not easy (it's still a very, very poor country with poor infrastructure), so I would recommend just going to Angkor Wat/Siem Riep. I'd spend most of the 10 days in Thailand --it's a wonderful and easy place to travel.

xxx

Also, I think the fancy hotel you all are talking about is the Grand Hotel run by Raffles. I've heard it's totally overpriced. If you want to stay somewhere nice and are willing to spend some money, I saw a Sofitel hotel going up when I was there. I think it's open now and probably is cheaper than the Raffles place.

Robyn

Thanks to all for the advice! I will look into the hotels recommended, and appreciate the advice about the Oriental in Bangkok- I would like to stay by the river and was getting the impression it was the best. <BR> <BR>I would like to know more about your journey to Chang Mai and what you were able to see, both there and in Bangkok, given the few number of days. Did you fly between destinations? How were the domestic airlines? Did you hire guides there, or in advance? I have heard mixed reviews on Chang Mai, and would be grateful for your thoughts. <BR> <BR>I would also be curious if anyone has visited any sites or the beaches closer to Bangkok. Thanks!

xxx

Robyn - My boyfriend lived in Thailand for 3 years. I'll ask him what he thinks about Chiang Mai and the beaches and sites near Bangkok, and get back to you. <BR> <BR>In the meantime, about The Oriental, our room was the lowest category. Perhaps the higher categories live up to The Oriental's reputation. Based upon my stay, though, I am perplexed as to why The Oriental so often is ranked the best hotel in the world. The Peninsula is directly across the river from The Oriental and is generally thought of by the local Thais to be better. I would stay at the Peninsula and eat a meal or two at The Oriental to experience the ambiance of the hotel. The Peninsula riverboat will take you right to The Oriental's dock. <BR> <BR>We flew between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. You should fly if you're only there for 10 days. Thai Airways flies direct between BKK and CM and is a very good airline. It's fairly inexpensive. <BR> <BR>We did not use guides in Thailand since my boyfriend is fluent in Thai. However, we had a guide in Cambodia whom a journalist friend recommended. The guide was very good, but expensive (can't remember the exact amount). I'll give you his name and number/email if you want. However, I've heard of tourists getting decent guides for cheaper. You can probably wait until you get to Cambodia to get a guide. <BR> <BR>I'll pass on more advice after I talk to my boyfriend.

xxx

BTW, I just remembered that my dentist also stayed at The Oriental and was not impressed. He loved the Regent in Chiang Mai, though. We didn't stay at the Regent, but I wish we had. Instead, we stayed at a hotel near the Night Market for the convenience factor. Our hotel was pleasant and clean, but nothing special. I can't remember the name, but I'll look it up if you want. <BR> <BR>I just noticed that your email address says sothebys.com. If you work at Sotheby's and are into art and culture, perhaps you would be interested in hiring the Cambodian guide we had. He is quite intelligent, knowledgeable and articulate. He is very educated, but any hopes he had for a professional career were ruined by the war and subsequent ruin of his country.

Robyn

Thanks very much for the help, and for asking your boyfriend his thoughts. We are definitely planning to spend some time in Chiang Mai now, so any recommendations as to what we should not miss would be helpful. And thanks for the Regent information- great to know about it! <BR> <BR>We wil be going the first or second week of October. Will it be dificult to book knowledgeable guides through the hotel at that time? I am not sure when the "high" season is, if there is one. Also, what can we expcetin terms of weather? I know it will be between rainy and cool seasons, but what does that mean in terms of temperature and rainfall? <BR> <BR>Thanks again for all of your help! <BR> <BR>

Penelope

Please don't shoot the messenger! In the "Sophisticated Traveler" section of yesterday's NY Times (Sunday, March 4), there is a disquieting article about Angkor Wat that is worth reading, however painful. P

xxx

Robyn - <BR> <BR>I checked with my boyfriend -- he didn't have much more advice than you probably already have. The weather will be very rainy in early October, with temperatures in the 80s during the day (which is cool for Bangkok). Are you sure you want to go at that time? I was there is early September which was the beginning of the rainy season. When it rained, it really poured. <BR> <BR>As for Chiang Mai, you of course could visit the Night Market and temples in the city and nearby mountains. You could also take day trips to the elephant training camp, butterfly farm and craft villages outside Chiang Mai. <BR> <BR>In Bangkok, you should definitely visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Palace. Nearby Bangkok is Ayuthaya, the old royal city, which would be a day trip. You would get there via a river boat. The beaches near Bangkok are not really worth a visit. And, of course, there's lots of shopping in Bangkok. The wood products are incredibly inexpensive. I bought a large mango wood vase in Bangkok for a mere $4. When I saw a similar one in Soho selling for $80, I kicked myself for not buying more. <BR> <BR>You shouldn't have any problems getting guides through your hotel. We didn't hire any guides in Thailand, but there didn't seem to be that many tourists around when we were there.