Southeast Asia travel advice please
May 31, 2013, 9:37 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SAN/TIJ or under water.
Programs: Club interjet; Airbnb
Posts: 1,882
I reckon the key to happiness on a trip like this is in the editing. Don't try for too much. Cambodia will probably offer enough differences to California to enthrall the kids without nuancing the experience with different slices of SE Asia. So I'd say stick to Cambodia, as that appears to be your major interest.
Phnom Penh is usually cheaper to get to than Siem Reap on a direct flight. And while PNH is over-shadowed on the tourist circuit by REP, it's a fascinating place, with quite enough to occupy a couple of days. It even has an elephant
You mention taxi as a cheapskate option, but for PNH REP it is an excellent option, certainly in fiancial terms (around $65), and in offering diversions on the journey.
REP to the southern beaches would be via PNH by bus or taxi. Bus travel on the major Cambodian routes is easy and well-organised.
$120 a night should get you very comfortable accommodation all over` Cambodia. You could get comfort for a lot less and, of course, you could pay an awful lot more. Singapore will be very significantly more expensive.
Phnom Penh is usually cheaper to get to than Siem Reap on a direct flight. And while PNH is over-shadowed on the tourist circuit by REP, it's a fascinating place, with quite enough to occupy a couple of days. It even has an elephant
You mention taxi as a cheapskate option, but for PNH REP it is an excellent option, certainly in fiancial terms (around $65), and in offering diversions on the journey.
REP to the southern beaches would be via PNH by bus or taxi. Bus travel on the major Cambodian routes is easy and well-organised.
$120 a night should get you very comfortable accommodation all over` Cambodia. You could get comfort for a lot less and, of course, you could pay an awful lot more. Singapore will be very significantly more expensive.
You can ride an elephant up Phnom Bakheng to see the sunset over Angkor.
10 days in Cambodia split between Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville will knock off all your must-dos, and you can avoid airplanes and airports.
Fly into Siem Reap and out of Phnom Penh. Take buses, Cambodian buses are comfortable enough, although I have lately taken to buying two seats just for myself as a splurge.
Explore Koh Rong on a daytrip.
Spend time around SR to explore the outlying temples.
Take a sunset cruise from Phnom Penh on the Tonle Sap River to where it meets the Mekong.
Jun 1, 2013, 1:59 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 347
Great ideas for me, and if I can stay in Cambodia the entire time, I'll be happy. Thank you all a tremendous amount. I assume bus trips (PP to Sihanoukville or Siem Reap to PP) can be organized on site without much advance notice, or is that something I need to think about in advance?
Yes, company is paying for hotel in Singapore. Since I'm a Hilton guy, was thinking of doing the Conrad there. Although, I'm already Gold at Hilton, so I wonder if putting my 16 or 17 nights into another property might get me some status with another chain, but that's a post for another forum.
Yes, company is paying for hotel in Singapore. Since I'm a Hilton guy, was thinking of doing the Conrad there. Although, I'm already Gold at Hilton, so I wonder if putting my 16 or 17 nights into another property might get me some status with another chain, but that's a post for another forum.
Jun 1, 2013, 7:43 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SAN/TIJ or under water.
Programs: Club interjet; Airbnb
Posts: 1,882
Great ideas for me, and if I can stay in Cambodia the entire time, I'll be happy. Thank you all a tremendous amount. I assume bus trips (PP to Sihanoukville or Siem Reap to PP) can be organized on site without much advance notice, or is that something I need to think about in advance?
http://www.canbypublications.com/cambodia/buses.htm
Take a look at Canby's extensive resource guides for a wealth of information on Cambodia.
Last edited by hiyo; Jun 1, 2013 at 8:05 am
Jun 1, 2013, 7:53 am
#19
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: United 1K, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 5
To echo LAXative, I would argue that Da Nang Vietnam is a great beach option. Silk Air has SIN > REP > DAD > SIN and SIN > DAD > REP > SIN routes depending on the day. You could have all direct flights if you plan carefully. Da Nang has some great options. The new Hyatt Regency is very reasonable at under $180 USD per night.
Jun 2, 2013, 7:37 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
I agree with posters advocating keeping this simple and editing is the key. I would keep the non-Singapore part of the holiday in Cambodia only. Adding Vietnam into the mix just adds layers of cost and complications. Air tickets for four will add up, so best to absolutely minimize. Summary of recommendations:
1) Open-jaws paid by company USA-Singapore and Phnom Penh to USA. If PNH for the return origin doesn't work for the company, make it BKK-USA.
2) Air tickets on your dime from SIN-REP on Silk Air. Possible ticket(s) from PNH-BKK but hopefully not required.
3) Ground transport around Cambodia. With a family of 4, a decent sized car with driver is cost-effective and you can make stops when you want at interesting places and for comfort breaks. It is not expensive. I am not a proponent of the (in)famous Tonle Sap boat trip between SR and PP due to inefficiency, concerns about safety, and not being able to see all that much. Visiting a Tonle Sap stilt village from Siem Reap is a better prospect.
4) Route Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville - Kampot/Kep - Phnom Penh. Allot at least 3 full days in Siem Reap. Maybe 2-3 in S'ville. Maybe an overnight in Kampot or Kep. PP can be a pass-through or overnighter on the first trip through, then backloaded at the end. A couple of days is enough.
5) Use Canby Publications resource above, link provided by hiyo. One of best resources on Cambodia.
1) Open-jaws paid by company USA-Singapore and Phnom Penh to USA. If PNH for the return origin doesn't work for the company, make it BKK-USA.
2) Air tickets on your dime from SIN-REP on Silk Air. Possible ticket(s) from PNH-BKK but hopefully not required.
3) Ground transport around Cambodia. With a family of 4, a decent sized car with driver is cost-effective and you can make stops when you want at interesting places and for comfort breaks. It is not expensive. I am not a proponent of the (in)famous Tonle Sap boat trip between SR and PP due to inefficiency, concerns about safety, and not being able to see all that much. Visiting a Tonle Sap stilt village from Siem Reap is a better prospect.
4) Route Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville - Kampot/Kep - Phnom Penh. Allot at least 3 full days in Siem Reap. Maybe 2-3 in S'ville. Maybe an overnight in Kampot or Kep. PP can be a pass-through or overnighter on the first trip through, then backloaded at the end. A couple of days is enough.
5) Use Canby Publications resource above, link provided by hiyo. One of best resources on Cambodia.
Last edited by jiejie; Jun 2, 2013 at 7:44 pm
Jun 3, 2013, 9:30 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Great ideas for me, and if I can stay in Cambodia the entire time, I'll be happy. Thank you all a tremendous amount. I assume bus trips (PP to Sihanoukville or Siem Reap to PP) can be organized on site without much advance notice, or is that something I need to think about in advance?
Jun 3, 2013, 11:09 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 347
Have I said "thank you" enough? I don't think so.
Jiejie, you have us convinced that we'll stay in Cambodia for the duration. I've been to Vietnam and Thailand, and will go back with my girlfriend and/or kids one day (none of them have been), but I'm very excited about spending some (relatively) significant time in just Cambodia. (As an aside, how sad is it that 10 days really is a "significant" amount of time for me to experience any place.)
Company will pay for open jaw LAX-SIN and PNH-LAX, and they're paying for the hotel in SIN, so this is totally doable, and I love the idea of a private car as transport, although I have extremely fond memories of riding buses in Morocco and Peru as the only foreigner and the experience is one you just don't get in a private car, so we may do a mix of both and hope for local encounters.
I've just started looking at that Canby site, and it indeed looks incredible. Thank you, Hiyo!
With all of your indulgence, I'll continue to seek out (and accept) advice as I plan, but thank you again so very much for everything thus far. The FlyerTalk community is incredible!
Don
Jiejie, you have us convinced that we'll stay in Cambodia for the duration. I've been to Vietnam and Thailand, and will go back with my girlfriend and/or kids one day (none of them have been), but I'm very excited about spending some (relatively) significant time in just Cambodia. (As an aside, how sad is it that 10 days really is a "significant" amount of time for me to experience any place.)
Company will pay for open jaw LAX-SIN and PNH-LAX, and they're paying for the hotel in SIN, so this is totally doable, and I love the idea of a private car as transport, although I have extremely fond memories of riding buses in Morocco and Peru as the only foreigner and the experience is one you just don't get in a private car, so we may do a mix of both and hope for local encounters.
I've just started looking at that Canby site, and it indeed looks incredible. Thank you, Hiyo!
With all of your indulgence, I'll continue to seek out (and accept) advice as I plan, but thank you again so very much for everything thus far. The FlyerTalk community is incredible!
Don