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Post by Fantomette on Jul 31, 2006 12:49:11 GMT 7
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Post by con's fly is open on Jul 31, 2006 19:56:09 GMT 7
Golly.
That's not a real beach, though. Where are all the plastic bags?
Is it cheap to live in the beach areas? Lotta beaches in Thailand? That might sound like a dumb question, but it isn't: China has polluted or harbor-ized most of their natural beach sites, and the remainder are either overcrowded or unbeknownst to me. I want to vacation in Southeast Asia eventually, and I'm stuck between Thailand and Vietnam.
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Post by Fantomette on Jul 31, 2006 21:38:25 GMT 7
Yes, you can live cheaply in the beach areas... Well, you can get a basic bungalow for as cheap as 200 Baht (40 kuai) a night. Probably cheaper, for longer stays, in the low season... Yes, lotsa beaches in Thailand... tourism is a huge industry! I only visited Vietnam once, and only in the south, but the biggest difference I'd say is that there are WAY less foreigners/tourists in Vietnam. It gives the country a completely different flavor. People in and around Saigon were very friendly, whereas in Thailand you're a rich tourist and people hope to sell you stuff (but they don't work too hard at it). People can still be friendly, depending on where you go... but you'll feel more like a regular tourist, whereas in Vietnam you might feel more like an explorer. Also, I didn't see a single McDonald's in Vietnam, although there were KFC's and Lotteria's, and I found only one or two western-style convenience stores in the middle of Saigon. It was a refreshing change from Thailand, the land of 7-Eleven's! Food-wise, I love Thai food, but also fell in love with Vietnamese food! And food is really cheap and delicious in both countries. Ah, the bread in Vietnam... you can tell the French were there! And their coffee is unique and SOOOO good... Hotels are more expensive in Vietnam, though. Seems to still be a little government-controlled. But that's probably the only thing that's more expensive. In both countries, beware of tourist buses! Scams (and discomfort) galore. Overall, Thailand is a lot easier though, that's why I keep going there... visa on arrival, ATM's everywhere, a little English spoken everywhere... Vietnam is more travel than vacation. Sorry, this is all over the place, I don't know what you're looking for in a vacation, exactly... tell me and I'll focus a little more!  |
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Post by con's fly is open on Jul 31, 2006 22:56:59 GMT 7
No, great reply! Thanks. How about the major cities? Brings up an interesting idea: info on and links to other Asian countries. 'Scuse me.  |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Jul 31, 2006 23:17:15 GMT 7
I'm a little afraid of Thailand. I've had many friends say "Raoul, I know you well...if you ever go to Thailand, you will never leave!" So I'm a bit nervous about it. And I'm sure Thailand is very cultural and stuff. I like to think it has nothing to do with the sex and drugs. BTW, waaaay cool pictures, Fantomette!  |
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Post by Lotus Eater on Aug 1, 2006 0:59:11 GMT 7
Loved the moon photo!
Hanoi is great - didn't like HCM so much - too western. Visiting the hilltribes in North Vietnam is great - really relaxed and easy. Good for hiking, exploring etc. Water stuff - head for Cat Ba island - diving swimming sailing etc etc.
Getting shoes and clothes made - Hoi An.
I went with 3 other friends and we hired a car (mini-bus) and driver and drove from Hanoi to HCM. While in Hanoi we headed north west to the hill tribes, once we finally got to HCM we went to the Mekong Delta area. It took 3 weeks and we had a great time - could stop when we wanted to, go where we wanted.
There were way fewer tourists in North Vietnam than either South Vietnam or Thailand.
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Post by Fantomette on Aug 1, 2006 7:06:17 GMT 7
Thanks, LE! Yeah, I know the north of Vietnam is really, really beautiful... the weather was just not good up there when we went at Christmas time. Raoul, you remind me of a friend here who recently went to Thailand for the first time and expected to find people having sex everywhere, starting at the airport!!!  Really, it's not like that... You can totally NOT see that aspect of tourism... it's gonna be like Shanghai, older white guys with their cute (or not so cute) local girl (whether she's their wife or their girlfriend for a day)... and that's it. Just avoid the red-light districts. Thai people are very gentle... so different from the Shanghainese. And they get angry when I compare the two countries: "But how come I can't bargain? In China..." "This is not China." Oops, ok... A nice break also is that street hawkers and taxi drivers will leave you alone (with a smile!) if you say, "No, thank you"!!!  I'm a little sad to say that, as much as living here is a constant adventure and that it was our choice to come here and experience all that, every time I come back from another country, it's a shock. I find it hard, at first, to deal with the rudeness/lack of consideration, starting at Bangkok airport in the China Eastern "queue" (yeah right!)... Then I get used to it again, but somehow I feel that's not natural. That's part of the reason we're going home for a while. I think I need a break. I feel like the 20 pounds I'd put on (and thankfully lost in Thailand!) were a kind of padding to protect me from these constant Shanghai aggressions. Sorry if I paint Shanghai in a kinda negative light... it will pass in a few days!  |
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