Good morning all,

My partner and I have spent the past 2 months scootering through Vietnam, with another month yet to go. When we reach Ho Chi Minh we are hoping to pick up a couple of mountain bikes and carry on through Cambodia, Laos and possibly further down.
Has anyone ever done this before or possibly biked through other regions of Asia and have some advice for us.
We are also planning on camping some nights. We’ve seen different people doing this while they travel through the area but wanted to know what risks there might be, if there are laws about camping and any other advice that would be helpful before starting this adventure.
Anyone that could help out or offer any words of wisdom would be very much appreciated and if anyone if looking for help or advice on scootering through Vietnam, or where to go in Vietnam, feel free to ask!
Cheers!

1. You don't need to book buses or boats or ordinary trains in advance.
   2 If taking tourist buses don't leave valuables in the stowed luggage. Most tourist bus staff are honest but theft happens now and again. You can reduce risk by taking the public bus station services.
   3 If staying at budget accommodation you don't need to book and in many cases you will find it hard to contact these sort of places in advance.
   4 The island of Ko Phangan does not fill up just because of the Full Moon Party. Those who dislike the party do not have to avoid the whole island.
   5 Budget accommodation doesn't just mean 'hostels' there are guesthouses and bungalows too.
   6 Relying on just one ATM card could mean trouble finding a machine that will accept it in some cases. ATM withdrawls attract a charge of about the equivalent of 6 dollars everytime you take money out. If the card is lost or stolen it can be very hard to get a replacment. Change money when you get there not from banks in your own country.
   7 You do not need to rent motorbike/scooter to have transport on the islands. You do not need to rent a motorbike to travel the Mae Hong Song Loop.
   8 Get proper training and licence to ride motorbike before coming. You also need to learn how to check a motorbike. Don't leave passport as security for renting bike . Motorcycle touring is best done by those who have some experience in the country and know how the system works and the pitfalls. Newcomers to Thailand renting a motorbike can be like innocent sheep who can be exploited or have acidents and loss. There are long term Thorn tree members who were experienced riders who have been injured and in one case killed in motorbike accidents in Thailand and SEA.
   9 Meeting other 'backpackers' depends on a number of circumstances. Touristy developed places with lots of random tourists can be insular sometimes to a solo traveller. There are different types of 'backpacker' too which complicates theses questions of 'how can I meet other backpackers'
   10 Phuket Island , Phi Phi Island and Railay Beach West , Krabi can be expensive destinations for those on low budget.

Me and a friend are heading into Vietnam from China by bus and checking out a national park on the border, before going to Hanoi for some beer drinking and sight seeing. Will probably fly to Hue from Hanoi and check out the city, along with a day trip to the DMZ (Khe Sanh, Ho Chi Minh Trail, war cemetery, etc. Then we'll probably head to Hoi An for a day.

Beyond that we're needing some suggestions. We don't want to go to Saigon as we've both been there before, but would like to know of some nice places in the central or Northern parts of the country.

Does anybody have any ideas about a nice beach or island that'd be worth spending a day or two, or any other place that won't be overrun with tourists? We'll be heading back to Hanoi to catch the bus back into China so we're looking for somewhere North of Hue that's be worth seeing.

I've just booked my flight to Thailand for early September and the plan is to visit the islands of Koh Phi Phi and Koh Samui with 4 other friends (male and female). I've visited Koh Chang before and fell in love with the easy-going culture and of course the island beauty! I'm hoping to replicate that and more with this two week trip in South Thailand.

If anyone can provide some expert advice on whether I have a good basic itinerary, I would greatly appreciate it! We have planned activities for each island but will spare the details for now to hear your suggestions.

9/10 - Fly in to Bangkok (1 day/ 1 night)
9/11 - Fly to Krabi (2 days/2 nights in Krabi)
9/13 - Bus/Boat to Koh Phi Phi (3 days/2 nights in Phi Phi)
9/15 - Bus/Boat to Koh Samui (5 days/4 nights in Samui)
9/19 - Boat/Bus to Khao Sok National Park (2 days/2 nights)
9/21 - Fly back to Bangkok

We are not 100% on this itinerary yet and would like to hear any suggestions from people who've been to the islands on things they would either change or do on this trip.

Cheers to adventure!

Hi,

Travelling to Thailand on the 25th December 2016, looking to party and see the sights, going to Bangkok, Phi Phi islands, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan then back to Bangkok, returning to the UK on the 16th January 2017.

Kind regards

Will