Just asking for general advice really.
Planning on a 6 week trip to Laos/Cambodia. Leaving from Sydney, theres only 2 of us (myself - 23m and my friend a 20f). we plan on roughing it mostly; backpacking and tents etc, forest treks.. ie. keeping away from touristy hotels. were planning on going from about 12th jan - 19th feb. any advice on how to go about this trip? where to go, good things to see/visit, etc. here are some of my main concerns...
1) safety; only 2 of us, 1 female. how safe is this trip?
2) costs; plan on temples/forest treks etc.. how much cash would someone normally take for 6 weeks?
3) travelling; specifically crossing the border and how we go about doing that
4) which country is better to start/finish in?
any othe advice or general information would be awesome!
cheers guys
I don't have a clue what you enjoy - so I will answer to your other inquries.
Traveling as a woman should be very safe, assuming you use usual precautions. These are two of the safest countries in the world.
Cost? I'd think $15-$20/day per person is as cheap as is comfortable. Gets you privacy and a mattress, three local meals a day (like noodle soup? 60 cents a bowl fro breakfast, lunch and dinner), bus fare, and your laundry done every 4 days. Add a bit more for some purchases and other opportunities, such as an arranged homestay. If you want to get off the tourist routes and into the hills (and with the hilltribes), a trekking guide with English skills might cost 2 people $50/day or a bit more. 6 weeks? I'd say, if you stay cheap and local but take advantage of where you are, $800 - 1000.
Leave your tent at home. Camping opportunities are not available (unless with a guide/tour, and then stuff will be supplied). Just walking off to camp "in the woods" is romantic, but you will find yourself up to your knees in muck, eaten by bugs the size of cats, and potentially stomping on a stray cluster bomblet. Not to mention you'll be trespassing.
Unless you're in a town that is on a bus route, a small village is not set up to receive unannounced guests. People will smile broadly, but do not make assumptions about food and housing if you walk into a small hamlet. A guide is necessary once off the main roads.
A guidebook can direct you to travel and entertainment options, as well as visa requirements (as can every third post on this site). Some like to party with western beer and TV. Some like to hang with the hilltribes, ready to snooze an hour after sunset. Some look for tubing; others look for butterflies; some search for great textiles; some get stoned and wander around waiting for purpose to make itself evident (or not). Some want to talk and eat with the locals, some want to be served by them. Who are you?
I'd probably go to Laos first, the reason being that you can get a visa on arrival when entering Cambodia and maybe a enjoying bit of beach time at the end of your trip.
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Some like to party with western beer and TV. Some like to hang with the hilltribes, ready to snooze an hour after sunset. Some look for tubing; others look for butterflies; some search for great textiles; some get stoned and wander around waiting for purpose to make itself evident (or not). Some want to talk and eat with the locals, some want to be served by them. Who are you? <hr></blockquote>
thanks for all the advice StillWithUs, appreciated. As for entertainment, im thinking beers with local tribes! haha, a blend of the two. were both also into the scenery, temples, art, animals and plants etc. couldnt care less for tv. so yeh, pretty much trying to get as much into/from the cultural experience as possible.. only western necessity is beer ;-)
also thanks for the tip henninWessel, i was gonna go that route because Laos looks like it may take more energy and treking about, as well as the airport being marginally closer to sydney for the return trip. though i heard you can pick up Laos visas on arrival in the airport as well?
Re: Cambodia Visas. You can get an eVisa (online) for Cambodia, but it is only valid for entry at limited places (the airports and the Thai border).
I read that you cannot get a Cambodia Visa on arrival at the Laos/Cambodia border. Has this changed?
Hi. I made 6 week trip through those countries Feb, March this year. I don,t like rushing around so decided to travel through South Laos and Cambodia. Got to Paksi from Ubon then my ,itinerary included Bolevean Plateau, Champasak, 4000 islands, Ratanakiri(loved all those places), Krabi, the coast that is Rabbit island,Kep, Kampot , Ozore beach and finished in Siem Reap from which is very easy to get to Bangkok. I wouldn change anything about my itinerary. Actuaally maybe I would stay bit longer in Bolevean Plateau and Ratanakiri province and rented a motobike in Pakse and rode to the Bolevean Plateau . Wouldn,t advise camping though. 20 USD a day is enough, verzysafe, laid back, personally I loved every bit of it. Good luck on yoor travels.
Agree with #1, two of the safer countries in the region. There may be issues with UXOs in some ares, don't stray from well marked paths. It would be a bummer to come home minus a leg. I get by pretty well on $30/day in SEA. Laos is a bit cheaper, maybe $20/day.
Angkor Wat tickets cost a bit
1 day $20
3 day $40
7 day $60
I got the week pass, money well spent in my opinion but you have to ask yourself if this kind of thing really rocks your boat. Many say they are "templed out" after 3 days.
WeiLong - Travels in Asia
trusted partner
