CVByrne Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Koh Tao is one of my favourite places on earth. I love seafood and Thailand has it in abundance. Great country. Been there twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'v heard Cambodia is nice. A bit like Thailand but unspoilt by the tourism. I spent five weeks there last year, spent most of it in a small village though so can't really comment on the touristy side of things. Preferred Khmer people to Thai people generally. Made it to Siem Reap, Koh Kong and Sihanoukville, all worth a trip for different reasons. I really didn't like Phnom Penh but I know a girl who has lived there for the last year working as a journalist and she loves it so I guess it's circumstantial. If you visit a place like Sihanoukville you might rethink the 'unspoiled by tourism line', but in general yes I guess it is more undiscovered than Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djdabush Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'v heard Cambodia is nice. A bit like Thailand but unspoilt by the tourism. If you go to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap then I'm not sure you'd still say its unspoilt by tourism. Cambodia is still very poor and pretty desolate in parts. Personally I didn't like it all that much. Myanmar is supposedly the place to go in the region if you want an area with very little tourism. I'm a bit wary though as you don't know where your money is going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) I'v heard Cambodia is nice. A bit like Thailand but unspoilt by the tourism. If you go to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap then I'm not sure you'd still say its unspoilt by tourism. Cambodia is still very poor and pretty desolate in parts. Personally I didn't like it all that much. Myanmar is supposedly the place to go in the region if you want an area with very little tourism. I'm a bit wary though as you don't know where your money is going. I went to Burma before Aung San Suu Kyi was released .. definitely wasn't very touristy then ... you could only use Burmese Kyat in the shops and restaurants ( hotels all took yankee $'s ), however it was "illegal" for foreigners to actually get any of it , so you couldn't even walk in a supermarket and buy a bottle of water ... in the end we had to wander down a side street and exchange money from a back street trader , not as dangerous as it sounds but i guess carries a small amount of risk if caught ( did the same in Iran and Venezuela so I'm getting quite good at it ) the Nightlife was fantastic , some of the best i've ever been to and the Burmese girls would make a Thai hooker look like a nun at times ... we had a 7am flight on to Thailand and literally had to leave the club we were in , go to the hotel ,pack our suitcases and scramble for the airport .. happy days I've heard the military Junta stories but I couldn't say if they are true or not , but certainly from the night-life I'd say the residents of Yangon looked happy enough Siem Reap is way to popular , the bar area was like being in a small version of Magaluf , so many bad cover versions coming out of the bars ... but Siem Reap and Ta Prohm are obviously a must Phonm Phen - the killing fields and genocide school weren't overally busy when i went , the silver palace was pretty much deserted ... the bars that everyone knows about ( Sharkeys Bar etc ) were rammed with dirty old men aged 60 getting off with 19 year olds , but my mate and i wandered off the beaten track a little and found a local bar in which we were the only 2 westerners and had a great night (and morning as it turns out ) ... the bar closed at 6 and one of the bar girls gave us both a lift back to our hotel on her moped / scooter thing , our combined weight nearly killed the poor thing Personally I preferred Vietnam to Cambodia ... Edited July 24, 2014 by tonyh29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Great trip report Stevo Thailand, one of my favourite places and the scene of many a great night out. Bangkok is one of those cities that you have to go to at least once in your life. Its a sensory overload.. the smells, the heat, the dirt and grime. Its a visual feast! It is both paradise and hell on earth at the same time... I love being there but I also love leaving the place. 3-4 days max and i'm done with it... always say when I leave "I don't think I'll be back" and then a month later i'm pricing up flights! It is truly a 24 hour city, there is something going on all the time. I stay in the middle of the action (Sukhumvit Soi 11) and its a blast. Great high end bars and top quality restaurants compliment dive bars and strip clubs. There is something for every taste here. It doesn't matter if it's Saturday or Monday, there is always a party going on. Hookers lining the street, market stalls on the pavement selling tasers, stun guns and dildos. Beggers with no limbs sleeping in boxes under the Skytrain tracks, while Ferrari's and other supercars drive past. Its a crazy place, what you would imagine a dystopian future to look like. It's Bladerunner meets Total recall. A great experience. Only been to Koh Samui once, in 2007. Didn't stay in Chaweng but further up the coast in a quiet resort. Beach was lovely and quiet. Chaweng was good for a night out but it was nice not to be based there. Had some absolute crazy nights out there.. rained every night, monsoon style. Not sure what the roads are like now but then there wasn't great drainage then and you were knee deep in muddy water on the man road Good job we were wearing flip flops and shorts! I'd like to see some of the less developed islands in Thailand in the future. However the country seems to have become a victim of it's own success. Is there really that paradise there anymore? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 First 2 days of bangkok I HATED it! Hated the fact every man and his dog was trying to rip me off, hated the heat (mannnn its so god damn hot), hated the tourist attractions especially the grand palace, and hated the annoying 'tuk tuk, tuk tuk' being shouted at me constantly. However, after 2 days of hell. Strangely I came to like the place, in fact LOVE the place. Loved the MBK shopping centre. Loved the cool, futuristic transport facilities. Loved the fact the thai girls orgasimed every time they saw me (any my buldging wallet). Defo a place I could see myself living in the future. I just wish I went before I met my gf. Woukd have been so much more fun with the lads. Chaweng is an overpriced dump to be totally honest with you. Like the thai version of malia or faikraki. The fishermans bastion part of koh samui was much better. Loved the laid backness of chaing mai. So so cheap. Brilliant markets and many activities to do. The nightlife was ruined by the annoyance of thousands americans. My god they are so many yankees in chaing mai for such a small city. By far the WORST, most obnoxious, hideous tourists in the world. Much preferred cambodia to thailand though. The people are definitely more friendly and authentic. The food is better. It is less far less touristy and love the 'dangerous' feeling you get with cambodia as in your only one wrong turn away from being shot or kidnapped. 30p a beer and a dollar for a meal is also a massive pull over the overpriced thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djdabush Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Much preferred cambodia to thailand though. The people are definitely more friendly and authentic. The food is better. It is less far less touristy and love the 'dangerous' feeling you get with cambodia as in your only one wrong turn away from being shot or kidnapped. 30p a beer and a dollar for a meal is also a massive pull over the overpriced thailand. Hang on, the people are more friendly but they are also likely to shoot or kidnap you? To be honest I was always more concerned about stepping on a stray landmine. As for Thailand being overpriced, I know what you are getting at, but it's still ridiculously cheap on the whole, especially for food, just not as cheap as it's neighbours in SE Asia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Much preferred cambodia to thailand though. The people are definitely more friendly and authentic. The food is better. It is less far less touristy and love the 'dangerous' feeling you get with cambodia as in your only one wrong turn away from being shot or kidnapped. 30p a beer and a dollar for a meal is also a massive pull over the overpriced thailand. Hang on, the people are more friendly but they are also likely to shoot or kidnap you? To be honest I was always more concerned about stepping on a stray landmine. As for Thailand being overpriced, I know what you are getting at, but it's still ridiculously cheap on the whole, especially for food, just not as cheap as it's neighbours in SE Asia. The people are ridiculously friendly and warm but there is still a feeling, especially when on a tuk tuk going through the villages in pitch black, that you are one wrong turn from something bad happening. Chaweng was ridiculously expensive. More expensive the some european destinations. Chaing mai was extremely cheap though and bangkok was decent enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I'd take beautiful Spanish women over women who, on the most part, are built like 13 year old boys. Latino > East Asian any day. They actually have bodies! That said, I find South American to be better than Spaniards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) I'd take beautiful Spanish women over women who, on the most part, are built like 13 year old boys. Latino > East Asian any day. They actually have bodies! That said, I find South American to be better than Spaniards. The Venezualan women on our trip to Angel Falls were stunning and that was whilst slumming it in open camps and hammocks Saying that they all go under the knife in order to look that way and hook up with a drug Lord Edited July 28, 2014 by tonyh29 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 tonyh, I may have you asked you this before (I asked someone on the forum, can't remember who). But which country has the best looking women? Top 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Hard to really give a winner , as I said before in another thread , there are pretty girls everywhere The best looking girl I've ever seen was in South Korea but the lady who worked at the Fairmont in Baku ( Azerbaijan ) had just the most amazing smile I've ever seen and I was rather smitten by her ... Lovely personality as well ... When she asked if she could help me with anything I had to use all my will power to not do my Roger Moore impression and say " well im tempted to say yes already " To answer your question ( or not as it happens ) If I gave a top 3 it would probably change the next time you asked me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Cop out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) Much preferred cambodia to thailand though. The people are definitely more friendly and authentic. The food is better. It is less far less touristy and love the 'dangerous' feeling you get with cambodia as in your only one wrong turn away from being shot or kidnapped. 30p a beer and a dollar for a meal is also a massive pull over the overpriced thailand. Hang on, the people are more friendly but they are also likely to shoot or kidnap you? To be honest I was always more concerned about stepping on a stray landmine. As for Thailand being overpriced, I know what you are getting at, but it's still ridiculously cheap on the whole, especially for food, just not as cheap as it's neighbours in SE Asia. The 'friendliness' shown by the locals in Southeast Asia, is just a veneer, especially from the blokes. Very few will genuinely like westerners but as long as you show respect and don't act like a tool, you'll be fine. I liked Cambodia. Phnom Penh was a good night out (plus the Killing Fields and genocide museum was haunting). Siem Reap was a bit like the Khao San Road in Bangkok - full of braided hair and henna tattooed 'travellers' supping on starbucks and checking in to Facebook on their Macbook Air's while 'discovering' themselves. Angkor Wat is amazing though. Edited July 29, 2014 by Xela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 tonyh, I may have you asked you this before (I asked someone on the forum, can't remember who). But which country has the best looking women? Top 3. While not as travelled as Tony, I found the baltics to be full of attractive women. Lithuania slightly edging out Estonia. There were some top bits of skirt in Copenhagen as well. I've not been but Ukraine is always mentioned as being full of high quality quim, I'd take beautiful Spanish women over women who, on the most part, are built like 13 year old boys. Latino > East Asian any day. They actually have bodies! That said, I find South American to be better than Spaniards. As much as I love Asian women, I won't rest until I do a hot Colombian woman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 tonyh, I may have you asked you this before (I asked someone on the forum, can't remember who). But which country has the best looking women? Top 3. While not as travelled as Tony, I found the baltics to be full of attractive women. Lithuania slightly edging out Estonia. There were some top bits of skirt in Copenhagen as well. I've not been but Ukraine is always mentioned as being full of high quality quim, I'd take beautiful Spanish women over women who, on the most part, are built like 13 year old boys. Latino > East Asian any day. They actually have bodies! That said, I find South American to be better than Spaniards. As much as I love Asian women, I won't rest until I do a hot Colombian woman! Lithuania was a strange place by day it seemed to be little old ladies in shawls and by night stunning tottty ... Even allowing for beer googles it was quite a transformation When mrs h gets past it and I need to find a 20 year old replacement for her Lithuania is definitely on the possible candidate list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted August 6, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted August 6, 2014 Koh Tao is one of my favourite places on earth. I love seafood and Thailand has it in abundance. Great country. Been there twice. Funnily enough, I found seafood quite hard to come by on Koh Tao. Probably wasn't looking in the right places. On the other islands though it was superb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My mate wants to do 2 weeks in Thailand in November. Surprisingly i'm not that enthusiastic this time.. I feel as though I have kind of done Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morley_crosses_to_Withe Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My mate wants to do 2 weeks in Thailand in November. Surprisingly i'm not that enthusiastic this time.. I feel as though I have kind of done Thailand I'm hearing you on this one. I had a great time again in April, but I think I've finally 'done' it now. My new heaven is Vegas. If I had a straight choice between two weeks in Thailand or four/five nights in Vegas then LV would win hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My view was it was a predictable and dare i say, fairly lazy choice. His view was that it is a guaranteed good time and we'd have a blast, which is true. I can see his argument. I need a new heaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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