Hi everyone, I’m starting to plan my next trip to Southeast Asia this winter (2.5 months, leaving in early December), and here’s a rough outline of my route—I’d love to share it with you and hear your thoughts and tips.

- I’ll start in Bangkok and already have three spots I’ve marked: Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, and Uthai Thani (I haven’t been to any of these places yet). - Next, I’d like to cross the country from west to east to reach the Laos border. I’d love suggestions for any interesting stops along this route—I don’t know this part of Thailand at all... - Then I’ll head into Laos, probably at Savannakhet (you can usually get a visa at the border). - > I’m tempted to spend a week in Hoi An, Vietnam, since I loved that city and the area when I visited two years ago. No visa needed for Vietnam now, so it could be a nice little detour. On the map, it doesn’t look too far, but I know you’ve got to be careful with these things, and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Any opinions on this? - Back to Laos (maybe via Dakta), and I’ll head south along the Mekong, probably doing the Bolaven Plateau loop that I missed last time. Then Paksé, the 4,000 Islands... I’ve been before, but I’d happily go back. - Crossing into Cambodia, I’ll follow the Mekong down to Phnom Penh (I know this area and love how untouristy it is). From there, I’ll probably spend a few days in Kep (quieter than Kampot). Still undecided, though. - Then back to Thailand (BKK), likely by plane from Phnom Penh since the borders between the two countries are currently closed (plus, let’s be honest, Cambodian roads... ;-). We’ll see how things look when the time comes. - After that, I’d like to explore southern Thailand, taking it slow with short hops. I’ve got my eye on Khao Sok National Park, and I’ve heard good things about Krabi... Again, I don’t know this region well, so any info or tips would be great.

So, I think this should be doable in 2.5 months, especially since I prefer short hops of 300 km max to avoid getting too tired, and I like staying 2-3 days in each place to explore. Plus, I’ll take a week off to relax if I find a spot I love—maybe by the sea for some real downtime.

Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your favorite spots! Pascal

Hello, My wife and I are planning a 15-day trip to Cambodia. Could you share some itinerary ideas with us? Thanks

Hi everyone,

I booked my round-trip ticket from Paris to Phnom Penh (way too quickly, of course) because I’d like to start in Laos. I’m traveling from November 5th to December 3rd. So, I’m wondering: when I arrive in Phnom Penh on the 6th and take a flight directly to Laos without leaving the airport, do I still need a visa for Cambodia? Also, which airport in Laos would you recommend—Luang Prabang or Vientiane?

Thanks so much for your advice!

Alright, I’m scaling back the kilometers thanks to the relevance and patience of our Cambodia experts! Here’s yet another hesitation /\ When I arrive early on 01/12 in PP, I have the choice between spending a day in PP (booking a convenience room for half a day and leaving by night bus), sleeping in PP and taking the bus to SR the next morning, or hiring a driver to head back up to PP with a nice little stop and maybe sleeping in Kampong Thom or Kampong Chhnang, then heading to SP on the 13th. Then from the 13th to the 17th or 18th, exploring Angkor. I continue to Kampong Thom and stay for 2 nights (if I didn’t do it on the way there), but I might be templed-out by then. I head to Kampong Cham, where I’ll spend 2 nights—one on the island and one on the mainland. Next, I go to Kampot and Kep: probably 2 nights in Kampot, 2 in Kep, and 1 night on Tonsay Island. On 01/28, I return to PP until 01/29. One detail: how long does it take to get from downtown PP to the new airport? Because I leave on 01/29 around 7:50 PM... Anyway, I’m ready to read your unfiltered reactions 🤓 and thank you in advance for your help!

Hi, I’m torn between a few airlines for late March departing from Paris: Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways. Which one is reliable with a comfortable flight? Air France’s schedule doesn’t work for me. Thanks for your feedback!

Hello everyone,

At the start of November, a bit of rest before winter will be perfect to kick off this travel journal. There aren’t many recent journals about this part of the world, so I’ll take the plunge—my way of celebrating the (unexpected) return of this forum, which has been such a big part of my life for over 15 years.

So, back to Asia at the end of 2023. After Myanmar in 2015 and Vietnam in 2018, we’ve chosen Laos this time. And when talking with friends (you know how it is—everyone asks, "So, where are you going this year?"), a couple of friends asked to join us ("You see, my wife dreams of a trip to Asia, and I dream of traveling like you, independently"). We’ve spent a week with them (and other friends) in Portugal, so we know they’re easygoing and flexible. They’ll only be with us after Christmas (due to lots of grandkids), so deal—we’re bringing them along! A new experience for us.

A new experience that’ll start with tweaking the itinerary. Originally, I planned to stay a month in Laos, but what could be more magical for my friend’s wife than discovering Asia by way of Angkor! Plus, our two daughters asked for some beach time at the end of the trip! So, it’ll be Laos and Cambodia—neither of which we’ve visited before, so no complaints there.

The route will be pretty classic, though a bit scattered to fit our dates and wishes. For us, we’ll arrive in Luang Prabang (LP) to take some time to acclimate, then a few days in the northern Laos mountains, Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi. Back to LP for a direct flight to Pakse. Yes, I know—so many amazing places we’ll miss along the way, but as you know, choosing means letting go... From Pakse, I’m leaving a few days open (no bookings), but I’m eyeing Champassak and the 4,000 Islands. That’s where Mariel and Naty (our friends!) will join us on December 30th. I’ve tentatively added the Bolaven Plateau loop to the plan (still no bookings). Their Laos adventure will be short—by January 3rd, we’ll cross the border into Cambodia, heading straight to Siem Reap for 5 days. Then, I’ll fulfill my promise with a magical detour to Koh Rong Sanloem via a night bus (a must-do in Asia!). On to Phnom Penh for 2 days—where our trip ends, while Mariel and Naty will stop in Bangkok for 3 days before flying home.

So, fasten your seatbelts, flight attendants at the doors, and sorry for the long intro—here we go on this Asian adventure!

Hi there, I’m planning an itinerary and would love some feedback on whether it’s doable and if the number of days per destination is enough—or too much. I was also debating whether to add an extra night on an island or spend an extra night in Kampot to visit Kep or Battambang.

March 23: Arrival in Phnom Penh in the morning March 24: Phnom Penh March 25: Phnom Penh March 26: Depart for Kampot March 27: Kampot March 28: Depart for Battambang March 29: Battambang March 30: Tonlé SAP to Siem Reap March 31: Siem Reap April 1: Siem Reap April 2: Siem Reap April 3: Siem Reap April 4: Siem Reap April 5: Departure

Thanks for any suggestions or help!

Hi dear community, I'm planning to visit Cambodia this winter, right after Christmas, for my first solo trip and my first trip to Asia. For two weeks (yes, I know it's short, but I really can't do more...). I have two main desires: Siem Reap and the countryside, the villages, the Mekong... What do you think of this itinerary? Arrival in Siem Reap, departure from Phnom Penh. SR: 5 days (1 day for arrival, 3 for the temples, 1 for the lake and its villages) Kratie (stop on the way to Mondolkiri): 3 days (1 day of travel, 2 days there) Mondolkiri/Sen Monorom: 4 days (1 day of travel, 1 day there, 2 days of treks) PP: 3 days (1 day of travel, 2 days of sightseeing) I think I need to cut one day somewhere if I travel from Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. In Kratie, maybe? Or in PP? And I'll miss the boat trip that everyone recommends (SR-Battambang), but I don't see where to fit it in. Unless I do a PP-PP loop starting in the east, skip Kratie or just stay one night, then SR, then PP. In my timing, Mondolkiri seems closer than Ratanakiri, which also tempted me a lot! Will it be too complicated alone? I'm thinking of using local guides or a small local agency for a nature and village getaway. I've read that Siem Reap is very crowded between Christmas and New Year's. I could also do the circuit in the opposite direction. But I thought it would be easier to get familiar with the country by arriving in a touristy area—I might be wrong... Thanks for your advice and opinions!

Here are some tips from our 6-week trip (summer 2026) to China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We traveled as a family of four with two kids aged 15 and 12. I hope these notes help other travelers!

CHINA General You’ll need to download and set up a few apps: - Alipay and WeChat for payments (I didn’t withdraw a single bill the entire trip) - Didi for taxis - Amap = Chinese Maps (works great, especially for subways) - A translation app (we used Papago, but it sometimes gave weird results) - Google Lens for translating menus or signs—super handy. - HelloRide for bikes - Gemini and ChatGPT for everything: understanding daily life, enhancing visits, checking the weather, finding things. - HomeExchange if you want to lower travel costs (few listings in Asia except in big cities, often expats) - Trip.com is very useful, even essential, for trains, domestic flights, and hotels. Like Booking.com, the more you book with them, the more perks you get. So I’d even suggest checking flight tickets on this site, even if it’s a bit pricier. However, buying train tickets is complicated because (1) they only open 15 days in advance, and (2) they sell out fast. Trip.com just promises to buy them as soon as they’re available but doesn’t always succeed. It’s stressful and might force you to change your plans, especially if you’re aiming for a sleeper car and there are no seats left. Watch out for station names—many cities have multiple stations, including a high-speed rail one outside the city. For internet, we got the Asia plan from Holafly. It worked but seemed much slower than Chinese internet. I regretted not buying a Chinese SIM card because without internet in China, everything is VERY complicated (money, transport, etc.).

For the firewall, we used ExpressVPN, but it wasn’t always reliable. A bit disappointing. Ask ChatGPT for tips with screenshots to improve the settings.

Since we only had one SIM card with internet, we couldn’t rent shared bikes. If I were to do it again, I’d get a SIM for each person, even the kids, because distances in cities are huge. We walked *a lot*. Same goes for buses—it’s tricky with just one internet connection. Better to have a phone per person with internet. Book your visits as far in advance as possible—they often sell out. Watch out for power banks: if they don’t explicitly say "3C," they’ll confiscate it. Even if there’s a little airplane logo.

Shanghai In the evening, the streets leading to the Bund from the metro were so crowded that police were out in force blocking roads. Arrive early. We went around the north side.

Suzhou Be careful—there are two stations (common in China), and the high-speed rail one is 45–50 minutes from the old town. The Humble Administrator’s Garden was *packed*—we don’t recommend it. It turned into a marathon day from Shanghai (almost 4 hours from our hotel to the garden).

Beijing Forbidden City: Don’t go—I know it’s a shame, but it’s too crowded. I couldn’t buy tickets on the official site because of the kids’ passports. We ended up with a guided tour, the only way to get in (tickets sell out fast). The visit was disappointing—bad guide *and* massive crowds. You’ll queue a lot to enter and see certain areas. You’ll be checked often, so pack your bags carefully. Great Wall at Mutianyu: Crowded. Two hours by bus, and even though we arrived early, people were already leaving! I really think the best option is to leave your big bags in Beijing and stay overnight near the Wall. That way, you’ll have it to yourself a bit more. For transport: get off at Tiananmen Square metro and look for buses with official guides in bright yellow-green vests. No need to buy tickets online—they made me cancel mine to rebook on the spot. Buses leave when full. Note: the cable car and chairlift are separate—if you want to go up one side and down the other, you’ll need different tickets. The endless queue for the toboggan ride put us off. Quick tip: Incredible swimming spot in Beijing—on the north shore of Houhai Lake, you can swim by crossing the barrier. We did it twice with about ten other people. Bring a swimsuit!

Shapotou Desert Amazing, but it gets *very* hot in the afternoon. We had a tent (not an air-conditioned bungalow), which was unbearable during the day. We hung out in the restaurant. The paid activities are fun, except the camels—they look sad. The real highlight is the evening and sunset. The only downside: you can’t explore the desert alone or far—they don’t rent 4x4s, for example. We stayed at "The Desert Camping Hotel of the Proprietress of Shapotou." They were lovely.

Zhongwei Gaomiao Temple and its underground: Fun and short—you’ll see quirky Buddhist hell paintings.

Xi’an Terracotta Army: We took a Didi because for four people, a car was almost the same price as four shuttle tickets. It was packed—chaotic to see properly. We visited the halls in order: 3, 2, then 1—a good choice. Hua Shan Mountains: Left before sunrise to arrive when the ticket office opened (7 AM, I think). We were shocked to see so many people already coming down. 45 minutes by bus to the west cable car, then 15 minutes up. We did the west, south, east, central, then north peaks (in that order) before taking the other cable car down (you can buy the ticket at the top). A beautiful day. In the city, check out...

Chengdu Panda Research Center: Like Hua Shan, plan to arrive when the ticket office opens. Already *tons* of people, and it moves fast to see the big pandas before their nap. Have them drop you at the west entrance (not south), or you’ll have to walk uphill. Leshan Giant Buddha: Interesting. The trip is a bit long (metro, then train, then city bus, then shuttle on-site). We didn’t take the boat option but walked. In the end, you only spend a few minutes at the Buddha’s feet, but it’s a nice day out. Hotel tip: Panda Enjoy Home Hotel Apartments (Chengdu East Railway Station Dongda Road Branch). The view is insane, and the neighborhood is super convenient and nice. 646 CNY for 2 nights. Swimming: The municipal pool is an interesting experience, but don’t expect to swim—no one does. Everyone just splashes around where they can stand. The hours are a bit odd, with a break in the late afternoon.

Kunming The bike path along Dian Lake is pretty and often well-protected from cars. But like everywhere in China, it’s *packed*. Not much to say about visits—the flower market is a wholesale market, not very interesting. The ethnic minorities museum closed right in front of us. All the big malls are good for shopping.

Dali We thought we could bike around the lake in two days. Wrong on two counts: First, the lake’s edge is blocked to traffic and reserved for bikes (or tourist mini-buses). So you’re stuck on the main road, which never gives you a view of the lake, with all the trucks and cars. Doing 120 km like that wouldn’t make sense, in our opinion. The rice fields around are nice but not as impressive as elsewhere, so Dali isn’t worth it for that. The old town, all restored, is pretty but *packed*—thousands of people, especially in the evening.

Hekou (Vietnam border) Comfortable train from Kunming. In the parking lot, a bus (not well-marked, but Didi is an option) takes you to the border in 15–20 minutes. Short wait at both border posts. Fun to see the two lampposts near the border line: the Chinese one is new, modern, with a surveillance camera (of course), while the Vietnamese one is old and a bit rusty.

VIETNAM General: - You’ll need the Grab app for taxis - Very disappointed with 12Go—it doesn’t show all buses, never connects you with the company, and refuses refunds. Try booking directly with companies like FUTA Bus instead. - Credit cards are often accepted (supermarkets and modern stores), otherwise, you’ll need cash

Lao Cai 2 km between the border and the train station. The sleeper bus to Hanoi with Sao Viet is well-organized—it works.

Hanoi Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes early (10:30 AM, I think). Women’s Museum: Very good, not too long Temple of Literature: Beautiful, fairly quick This is where you should buy souvenirs, clothes, and knockoffs—the prices are reasonable, and the sellers are nicer than elsewhere. We recommend Cho Dong Xuan.

Tu Long Bay We did 2 days, 1 night (so really 24 hours on the boat) with Parfum d’Automne (French-speaking agency), which put us on a Cycad Cruise boat. Cost: 300 € per person—expensive, but it was amazing, super luxurious, and the buffet meals were delicious. We don’t regret the splurge. The only downside: no swimming in the bay (but there’s a pool on the boat). To swim, you’d need a 3-day, 2-night trip to an area not protected by the maritime park.

Phong Nha If you didn’t do the northern mountains due to time or weather (like us), Phong Nha is a great stop for a motorbike ride. It’s beautiful, especially the mountains west of the city toward the caves. There are two (small) swimming spots at the Botanic Garden—a pleasant 45-minute walk without stops. Hotel tip: Sunbeam Village (very friendly, pool, breakfast by the river, motorbike rentals)

Da Nang Hotel tip: Meridians by Hsuite—you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. You’ll still need to walk 15–20 minutes to the hyper-touristy area if you want to rent surfboards (150–200k VND per hour). The beach is beautiful, and the water is 30°C—great for a break on a long trip, especially since all transport goes through Da Nang.

Hoi An 45 minutes from Da Nang, so it’s easy to visit in a day, especially since the city isn’t that big and it’s *very* hot. Cooking class: MS Hanh cooking class—great (the market tour is a bit useless). We don’t recommend the "basket boat" tour—it’s a bit sad on a big brown pond with elderly guides.

Ho Chi Minh City Ben Thanh Market is a nightmare: starting prices are exorbitant, and the vendors are aggressive. Don’t go. The War Remnants Museum can be really tough for kids.

Can Tho Avoid this city. We made the mistake of going to see the floating market—don’t.

Chau Doc No Grab in the city, but regular taxis. One day is enough if you go early to the forest and the mountain in the late afternoon. 250k VND per person for the forest and its canals (45 minutes by motorbike) The sunset at Victoria Nui Sam can be magnificent if the clouds cooperate. Cheap and good restaurant: Quan Nem Nuong Sau Hiep Hotel tip: Homestay Khoa (2,250,000 VND for 3 nights)—adorable hostess, full of tips, clean rooms.

The speedboat to Cambodia is more comfortable than a bus. Book with Hangchau a few days in advance—payment in cash on the day (1,640,000 đ).

CAMBODIA General: - Issues with the "Bakong Tourists" app—we had to go to a big bank to load money onto it. We barely used it afterward.

Phnom Penh For us, a day and a half is enough if you want to spend more time elsewhere. Markets close early (around 6 PM) and are less interesting than in Hanoi, for example. The Royal Palace has a break from 11 AM to 2 PM, but there aren’t many people in the afternoon.

Siem Reap Trip with Capitol company—the bus is basic but cheap. Departs at 10:15 AM, 7-hour ride. Angkor entrance fee: 62 USD per person for a 3-day pass. Tickets are picked up at Angkor Enterprise. Renting two 125cc motorbikes: 10 USD each, plus 7 USD for gas. By bike, it took me 25 minutes to reach Angkor Wat’s pools. A basic city bike rental was 1 USD per hour. Short circuit by motorbike (in reverse): 7 hours with stops everywhere. Grand tour by tuk-tuk: Only 5 temples, 4.5 hours. If you want to see lots of monkeys, they’re grouped west of Bayon. For the temples, we asked Gemini (AI) at each stop to point out details that might interest kids (who can get bored with the repetition). It gave fun facts and things to look for—great for the little ones. Hotel tip: The Five Senses, run by a Frenchman, Bruno, who knows Cambodia inside out and organizes tours. Restaurant tip: Wild (only spring rolls, but *so* many varieties—delicious and cheap) Watch out: 1 hour to the airport, 50 km from the city. Show tip: The Phare Circus

This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam. The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.

Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.

Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.

A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.

12/07/2013

The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people. So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom. That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.

We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.

Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver. Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!

We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.

After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.



At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.

We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.



That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.

Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.

Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.

We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.

Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!

Hi everyone,

I’m heading back to Cambodia in a few weeks and had a couple of questions:

1/ the new airport Does anyone have info on the average tuk-tuk fare? From the old one, we’d usually pay between $7 and $10. Are we looking at the same range? It seems a bit farther, so maybe a little pricier. If you’ve got a rough idea of the time (always better to budget extra), I’m guessing around an hour?

2/ access to Preah Vihear temple I haven’t been back in a few years, but I was thinking of revisiting it this year. Given the border troubles, is access still allowed at the moment?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Mathieu

Hello everyone, My wife Fanny and I, along with our three kids (ages 10, 12, and 14), are planning a two-week trip to Asia during the February break. This would be our first big family trip, and we’re looking to mix discovery, a change of scenery, some relaxation, and cultural immersion. We want to avoid overly organized tours or over-touristed destinations. Over 20 years ago, Fanny and I used to travel as a couple with backpacks, especially in India and Mongolia, but things have surely changed a lot since then. Now, we’re torn between: • Thailand: for its diversity (beaches, temples, nature) and accessibility for a first family trip. • Laos-Cambodia combo: for a potentially more authentic immersion, but we’re wondering if it’s well-suited for kids. - Sri Lanka: it seems amazing and family-friendly? Is the political situation stable enough? We have a few questions:

Which destination would you recommend for this kind of family setup? What itineraries might work for two weeks without feeling too rushed?

Logistics-wise: can we travel with a round-trip flight ticket, book a few basic hotels, and improvise the rest once we’re there? Or do we need to plan everything in advance (transport, accommodations, activities) for this time of year?

Thanks in advance for your valuable tips! Mathieu

Hi,

I applied for an e-visa on January 8th and still haven’t received a response as of January 17th, even though the advertised processing time is three days. Anyone else experiencing these unusual delays? Can we file a complaint? Thanks in advance for your replies. Best regards.

Hi everyone, I’m heading to Cambodia at the end of the year. I’ll be coming back via Thailand. I’d love to know if there’s a boat from Cambodia to Koh Kut Island. If you’ve done this trip, thanks in advance for shedding some light on it!

Hello, I’ve been to Thailand three times a long time ago, and I’d love to visit neighboring countries too: Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia (while returning to Thailand 😛). The catch is that I’d like to go at the beginning of the year, but I’ve heard that’s peak tourist season for these countries. Ideally, I’d prefer to avoid peak season to save money (I’m not exactly rolling in it) and to be able to travel without reservations—without being forced to take a room in the local "palace" that still has availability because of its exorbitant prices.

From my distant memories of Thailand, I usually paid around the equivalent of 20 € per night (with a hearty breakfast) for a hotel room with a mini-bar.

What are the average prices for this type of accommodation in Thailand and its neighbors during "peak" season these days? Do prices fluctuate a lot depending on the season, or is tourist demand not that different from one season to another, keeping prices relatively stable? Are the chances of finding a "budget" room without a reservation still high, no matter the season, in this part of the world? 😇