debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 3, 2015 18:44:43 GMT -5
The main thing I wanted to do by tomorrow (since I was off last week) was to finish booking the trip. I didn't do that, because of my sister's health issues and the questions about whether she can indeed come with us or not.
Since I've been anxious about both that and my upcoming finals marking, tonight I booking separate reservations for her for the same hotels I booked for us last weekend. Thankfully, all our hotels were still (barely!) available and still offered breakfast and (most importantly) free cancellation.
At this point I won't book anything else until my sister gets her results in a week or so. But it's a HUGE relief to know that I don't have to worry about whether or not there will be a third room available when she gets her medical results, and possibly having to cancel all our reservations and start all over again.
I have reserved her rooms on our CC, but I am absolutely not worried about her reimbursing us. For now I'm leaving it. If Gd willing she gets the OK from her cardiologist, I'll book the rest of the trip. I'll probably ask her to do a bank transfer at that point.
So I still haven't booked anything else, but at least what I've booked is firm now (in my head, we still all have free cancellation).
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 3, 2015 18:53:43 GMT -5
I couldn't get to Luang Namtha so did my excursions/river/countryside stuff in Nong Khiaw which is a 3-4 hour minibus ride from LP (see blog for more on what I did here).
Travelnut, as I mentioned before, DS1 recently came back from his second trip there. He suggested we do exactly the same thing! I've checked out your blog but now that I realize Nong Khiaw is where he suggested we go instead of southern Laos, I need to check it out again!
I hope all is going well with the new Mini Nut!
ETA: For the boat to LP, we opted for your option c, Nagi of Mekong. Their info is available online now and I have spoken to them, both by phone and by email.
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travelnut11
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Post by travelnut11 on May 4, 2015 12:52:31 GMT -5
Mini-nut is doing great, thanks! I've already been telling her about the adventures we're going to go on when she gets a bit older. Nong Khiaw is great. The post labeled "Laos 1" explains the tour I did (mountain biking through local tribal villages with river boat ride) and "Laos 2" gives more general info and pictures for the Nong Khiaw area. I highly, highly recommend the bungalows I stayed in. They're definitely a splurge for the area as most accommodations are cheap backpacker places. I think my room was maybe US$40 per night for a single including breakfast. The breakfast was OK but I never ate dinner there because I found it too pricey/Western food and much preferred the local bowl of noodles and Beer Lao for $3. The bungalows with the river view were amazing though...absolutely loved that place. Since you'll have a few people traveling with you you should have no trouble if you want to book excursions. One bad thing about traveling alone is there is often a minimum number of people needed for a tour to run so you have to wait around to see if anyone else joins. I ended up doing the mountain biking/boat tour with a Canadian girl when I would've preferred a hiking tour but had to take what I could based on availability. There are also some lovely little cafes to just relax in if you're not into the excursions. The mountain biking tour was pretty strenuous though I'm glad I did it because visiting the villages was really, really neat. Similarly, regarding transport to NK from LP you might be able to organize a private transfer for a similar (or slightly more expensive) price than the mini-bus. Let's just say the mini-bus was not the most comfortable transport I've ever taken and particularly if you're traveling with an older woman in questionable health you might check out other options. The packed every tiny seat in the mini-bus if not over-packed it and all of us fit and youngish folks were super uncomfortable. The road is pretty beat up too which doesn't help when packed in like sardines. Still, we survived and it was definitely worth it to get to Nong Khiaw. Please report back on the Mekong boat trip! I really wanted to do that but couldn't get my itinerary organized in such a manner that would make it feasible.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 14, 2015 17:06:33 GMT -5
Great news! My sister got a clean bill of health so she is coming with us!
But she was VERY upset when I told her I had completely forgotten to check if there is AirCon in the hotels I booked. I was dreading checking. I was marking finals, then out of town for work, but I finally checked today. Happily, they ALL have AirCon!!! So I don't have to cancel all the bookings and start over, which is a HUGE relief!!! There is one booking I regret (the ONLY one without free cancellation) but I'll probably eat the $15 and rebook that night if I can.
I have also booked the Mekong Cruise with Nagi of Mekong. Travelnut, I will let you know how that goes. I will also soon book the Elephant Camp out of Luang Prabang.
I still haven't booked anything else after Siem Riep (ie the beach part). To be honest, my sister is obese and she has refused to wear a bathing suit for the past 30+ years, if not more. So I (wrongly) assumed she wouldn't be going with us to the beach, I (wrongly) assumed she'd skip that last week and go back early. She had initially planned to do that, but at the last minute she decided to stay with us for the entire trip, including the beach part. So I still have to book that part.
I'm thinking some combination of Krabi/Koh Phi Phi/Koh Phagnan (2 places, not 3). I've heard it's not the right time of year for Koh Phi Phi because of the winds and possible bad weather but that's not always the case.
Any suggestions on that last beach / island part? (I did not check US spelling before I posted, that might be French spelling.)
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 14, 2015 17:35:54 GMT -5
ETA: My sister knows and understands that we are looking at beach huts on the beach, not a posh resort. She accepts that.
I looked at flights from Siem Riep to Krabi and they are about $600 per person!!! That is WAY out of our budget!!! TravelNut, or anybody else, do you have any suggestions? Like I've said, I still haven't done my "homework" for that part of the trip. I know there must be another (cheaper) way!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on May 14, 2015 17:41:42 GMT -5
I'm thinking some combination of Krabi/Koh Phi Phi/Koh Phagnan (2 places, not 3). I've heard it's not the right time of year for Koh Phi Phi because of the winds and possible bad weather but that's not always the case.
Debt, the rainy season goes from north to south, so the further south the better if you go around the time the rains come. Unlike here in California or in northern Europe, I never found rain refreshing in Thailand -> it was hot and wet and then it was like a sauna afterwards and I hate (from the bottom of my heart) hot, humid weather
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 14, 2015 18:37:47 GMT -5
Thanks Joss! I'll look into that! It's the rainy season there.
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travelnut11
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Post by travelnut11 on May 14, 2015 18:53:57 GMT -5
Debt, I don't have much info on the Thai beaches other than what you noted: where you go depends on the season because of weather patterns.
I can't do an airfare search for you since I don't know your dates but did you also check flying out of Phnom Pehn to see if it's cheaper? Or flying to Bangkok and finding a budget airline to the beach? You could do this overland but it will be a long and likely frustrating experience that will take up more than a full day. I'd do some Google searching to see if you can find some forum posts with information on this route. Surely you're not the first to want to do this particular route on their vacation.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on May 14, 2015 21:17:26 GMT -5
debthaven, I just talked to DS1 and got two little nuggets for you: (a) since you like caves, he recommends Konglor Cave on Hinboun River (he had another recommendation that I nixed since it involved a several hour hike through a region they have not yet cleared of landmines, and (b) look on the Airasia website for flights from Siem Riep to Krabi. They do have a few hours layover in Bangkok and it involves spending a night in Krabi to get on the boat, but the price according to DS1 is more in the $150-$200 pp range. He just came back from vacation and this exact flight was part of his trip.
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