CrazyInteg

I assume you're talking about the new mall at Ratchadaphisek. Have you been there, is it open?

The original Suan Lum closed years ago.

SocialAdept

This itinerary seems stressed out, so much time lost in transit. I would drop at least 2 places.

CrazyInteg

Totally disagree. He is spending 4 nights at each place. The places are located pretty close to each other. Domestic flights don't require you to get to the airport super early.

SocialAdept

BKK-HKT 1h 30min flight, 1h 30min total transfer, 1h (airport) margin = 4h

HKT-KUL 1h 20min flight, 1h total transfer, 1h margin = 3h 20min

KUL-KBR 1h flight, 3h total transfer to the islands, 2h margin = 6h

KBR-KUL-KCH 3h flight, 5h total transfer from islands and connection, 2h margin = 10h

KCH-BKI 1h 30min flight, 1h 30min transfer, 45 min margin = 3h 45min margin

BKI-SIN 2h 30 min flight, 1h 30 min transfer, 1h margin = 5h

Now you can argue some of the transfers back and forth but I'm being generous here especially with the transfer to the perhentian islands which can be very unpredictable. Either way you slice it this is going to be ~30h of travel on a 4 week trip, ie 2 full days of daylight spent going back and forth. That's stressed out to me.

Drop the perhentian islands and it gets significantly better.

CrazyInteg

You would hate traveling with me then!

dtsm

Angkor Wat would be on my bucket list, 2 days is enough first time around.

889

I'd go with Penang instead of Kuala Lumpur, or at least make KL a brief stop.

As cities go, Kuching and KK aren't nearly as exotic as their names suggest. Spending your time travelling overland between them would be far more interesting. And a trip upriver is the best chance to really experience Borneo.

I agree Angkor Wat should not be missed.

txflyer77

I agree with this.

mcbg1

I've already been to Penang and Angkor Wat. What about Langkawi or Phnom Penh?

I know the places I've visited already that I would like to visit again so more looking for new destinations to explore.

YuropFlyer

Langkawi is very "laid back". No "sex industry" like nearby Thailand, cheap alcohol (tax free), food is cheap and I found some nice restaurants. There are only a few malls on the island, and none of them is really big. Only one cinema on the island..

Plenty of "nature" things to do, but weather is a big factor. I'd say without a rental car you're lost. Rental cars outside of high season are super cheap (40-50 MYR per day) and traffic is very, very relaxed compared to everywhere else in Asia.

There are a few high-priced, top resorts on the island, some decent 4* properties which are reasonably cheap, and plenty of cheaper basic accomodation. Getting around the island is really easy by rental (only one semi-highway across the island from the airport to Kuah town) but everywhere else, you need some driving skills.

During good weather, Langkawi is awesome. If you happen to hit some rainy days, it can quickly become less interesting.

Daawgon

Kuching was wonderful - add a day or 2. KL was for the birds - I'd skip it in favor of Singapore+ or Malacca. (just my personal preferences)

RustyC

Re: OP. Have been to all the places on the list. Do note that May is the hottest time of the year for most of them, though that does keep the crowds and prices down.

Phnom Penh has the grand palace and the Pol Pot-era sites, and I'm sure there are a lot more food choices now and it's a lot tamer than the place I remember that resembled what was described in the book "Off the Rails in Phnom Penh" (a good one to pick up if you can find). A drink at the FCCC while watching boats on the river is a must-try experience.

IMHO Phuket is past the point of no return on crowds and getting ruined. It's so bad that the roads often have traffic jams and back-ups, and they've run out of room to build in Patong. I was lucky to get to see it, Ko Phi Phi and Ko Samui all in 1995, and by comparison today they're all overbuilt. The chase for the unspoiled beach has moved on, and arguably even Ko Samet, Ko Lanta and Ko Chang are too built up for that now, though there are other places in both the east and Trang province that are only more recently touristed. It'll be hard to beat the Perhentians, though. For the southern Thailand experience I'm partial toward Krabi, though again it's gotten much more crowded in the past decade.

It's pretty easy to fill 4 days in Bangkok. KL is not as rich in possibilities but there's also enough for that timeframe if you research it, and KL is also rich on the shopping.

I liked Kuching and it has a nice atmosphere, and Bako National Park makes a good sidetrip. Didn't get upriver to the longhouses but did make it out to the heritage center.

KK, OTOH, was flattened in WWII and seemed pretty drab and boring. You could use it as a base for TAR National park (islands and all that) or maybe head to Mt. Kinabalu. I decamped to Sandakan instead (MAS fares were $25 each way and I made sure to sit in a window seat on the mountain view side of the plane). With Sandakan you have that orang-utan rehabilitation center and tours to the lower Kinabatangan. I took a 2-day, 1-night one from Uncle Tan's for $56 that was unforgettable, with a beautiful trip in and trip out and a night boat ride that spotted wildlife like snakes hanging from trees, and even a couple of orang-utans in the wild (which are supposed to be rare but had gotten more common). The real ecological villains are the palm oil plantations in the higher elevations.

I don't often hear Singapore described as a favorite city in the world, even though it undeniably runs well. I'll usually go see the thieves market near Jln. Besar, and I did go to that FT DO that one year where everyone ate black pepper crab and chili crab.

druk123

How about putting "Bhutan" on your list. It's simply amazing to visit and explore the unique culture and tradition.
You can contact me for information.
Druk.

downinit

Suan Lum used to be really nice before they closed it in 2011. They did relaunch it this year, but it is a sad shadow of its former self and not worth a trip. One thing I did not realize when I booked my trip to Phuket is that Patong is where most of the tourists and hotels are, but that does not mean that is where one would want to go. If you want sleazy bars, Thai massage with happy endings, and endless tourist scams, please stay in Patong. But if thats is the case, you may as well just go to Pattaya. Otherwise, I would recommend avoiding that area and staying either in Phuket town or one of the many more isolated resorts on the island. If you want a beach, look into one of the many smaller islands that are just as easy to get to from BKK (just not Koh Tao...google for more on that). It is nice to explore the Phang nga area, despite all the damage caused by the speedboat racket.

utie1313

In casw you havent booked flight within asia, Air Asia now have promo FREE SEAT, so you pay only the airport tax.

I checked from Kuala Lumpur to Ho Chi Minh one way , then Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur , total $60 (including tax, excluding baggage)