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My friend who is currently in Burma said a local airline refused to accept the local currency for a plane ticket and insisted he go to a local bank and get US $.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bundalene
I'll be back before Christmas if you have Qs.
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A mate of mine has just returned from a month in Vietnam. He loved it there. He went over and hired a small motorbike (probably not much bigger than your average moped) and traveled mainly via the inland roads from south to north, unaccompanied. He took very little with him - a backpack and minimum clothing, and good footwear as others have already mentioned. He ate at roadside food stalls throughout his travels, and always found accommodation locally without problems. Sounds like an ideal holiday. :D
Glad your mate enjoyed himself Brian. Vietnam is very popular with younger people who like to travel "on a budget". There are millions of motorcycles there and also many cheaper accommodation options if you look for them..especially off the beaten track. Roadside food stalls are everywhere and the meat & veges are purchased early every morning at the local markets, so are very fresh. It is an easy country to travel (as long as you take the usual common sense precautions and care). Bus travel is reasonably cheap as well. Our nephew & his wife spent 5 weeks motor cycling through Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand a few years ago and had a ball.
Cheers mate.
Yes it can be good.
I'm wary of motorcycles on highways though. Three-quarters of the road deaths in Thailand are motorcyclists. I've been on a few moto taxis in my time and I've seen various dead bodies after crashes. Its a bit iffy.
Mind you, some of the mini-van drivers are also self-selected road warriors.
As the song says, instant karma's gonna get you - one day.
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Sounds like heaven ( as i sit here tucking into a big bowl of Vietnamese noodle broth left from last nights dinner ).
Anyone in the Melbourne CBD and looking for a cheap meal -
PHO n ROLL Vietnamese Kitchen , Melbourne
Would love it if there was a decent Vietnamese restaurant here in Kal. Not even a decent Chinese take away any more. There's a reasonable Thai place up the top end of the main street though. :confused:
Thai is great - I could eat it every day.Quote:
Originally Posted by BMKal
The good woman has enrolled to do a couple of cooking classes while over there. One is called "Vietnamese Royal Cuisine" or similarQuote:
Originally Posted by loanrangie
Just got back from 4 weeks in Myanmar, Chiang Mai & North Western Vietnam. Had a fantastic time. Myanmar is a great place, and we had no problems with touring around. We probably did the basic "tourist" route..Landed in Yangon, then headed for Bagan for a few days, Mandalay next for a few days then onto Inle Lake which was fabulous. After a couple of more days looking around in Yangon, we took a local bus to Hpa An (6 hours away), where we stayed for a few days. Then we took a local car to the Thai border crossing at Mae Sot where we spent a few days looking around. It is an incredible place to explore.
There is a good bus going from Mae Sot to Chiang Mai (the Green Bus) it takes about 6-7 hours but has stops for food and bathroom needs etc. along the way, and air con, so was quite comfy.
Spent several days exploring around Chiang Mai, before a flight to Hanoi (via Luang Prabang, Lao). Weather was quite warm until we headed for NW Vietnam and didn't need a jumper at all.
Our visit to Northern Vietnam was amazing. We did a 5 day North Western border tour with Vega Travel, who we have dealt with on 2 previous trips and they are excellent...just the 2 of us with a driver and English speaking guide. The weather was quite cool in the mountain areas..close to the Lao and Chinese border, but the lifestyle and culture of the ethnic minority people (H'Mong, Dzay etc) is amazing.
Don't be afraid of heading over there if you are interested to explore the area. Just respect the locals, accept their culture and spend a few dollars in the small towns. They appreciate the tourist dollars very much...and it isn't expensive.
Erich
Sounds like a great time. It's interesting to get away from the tourist routes and travel in areas which don't get so many tourists.
I've been to some of those places, most recently in Myanmar in December, and previously to Chiang Mai, but haven't done the trip from Myanmar across to the border and Mae Sot yet. Did you have any problems at the border crossing?
BTW there are several large refugee camps in the Mae Sot/Mae Hong Song area, but you wouldn't know it unless you knew where to go.
Chiang Mai is an interesting place. Did you walk around the Old City?
It's amazing how many westerners are now resident in Chiang Mai - it's become very popular. There is a joke that if you go to a rural Thai village and find the largest house it will probably be owned by a Thai woman and a western, often German, man. It's a joke, but has a lot of truth.
Vietnam is also very interesting.
It's good that more Aussies are getting over the idea that Asia is a place you fly over on the way to Europe and realizing that Asia is actually a very interesting destination.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bundalene