Transform Your Life Through Travel with Sahara Rose Travels: What to Know Before Backpacking Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia

Cities to Visit in Thailand and Why

· Chaing Mai

o Great for shopping and food

o Tiger Kingdom

· Elephant sanctuary

· Ubon

o A great quiet city to stay in transit.

o Has train and bus stations and small airport

o My favorite hostel is there: Fun Dee Mansion

o Shopping area

· Ao Nong, Krabi

o Cheap massages beachside

o Monkeys on the beach

· Bangkok

o Koh San Road- crazy partying and shopping area

· Patong, Phuket

o James Bond Island

o Cave kayaking into beautiful lagoons

o Monkey Island

o Koh Phi Phi Island

o Great Shopping, entertainment, dining, nightlife
I I don't recommend staying here just because it's extremely touristy and crazy

Phuket Town
Old Town Phuket is my favorite place in Thailand because it's cheaper than the other parts of Phuket, it's not as touristy, it has lovely street and night markets, has a colorful and charming feel to it, it's quiet, and best of all, you can take the really cheap tuk tuk shuttles that are located near the round-a-bout to various parts of Phuket. There are so many beautiful beaches to choose from (they are labeled on the tuk tuks). These destinations are much better than the overly-populated beaches in the touristy areas of Phuket.

There is a cheap local bus that goes from the Phuket airport to Old Town Phuket

Other Islands in Thailand
The islands of Koh Phi Phi, Koh Pangan, Koh Samui, Koh Samet are really popular

Hua Hin
This smaller fisherman town is a nice escape from the crazy busy cities

Chang Rai
Located in the far north, Chang Rai is quite popular for travelers

Laos

· Don Det Island on the Mekong River

· Kayaking from Laos to Cambodia

· Stunning view

· Bungalows

Cambodia

· Angkor Wat, Siem Riep

Tips and Other Useful Advice

*pack less than you want. You will most likely not use it or want to carry it around. You will also buy stuff throughout your travels

*check cheapoair.com, cheaptickets.com, skyscanner.com and momondo.com for all types of great airfare.

*check hostelworld.com, hostelbookers.com, booking.com, asiarooms.com, agoda.com, and directrooms.com for great hotel prices.

*budget flights are great. Be aware of baggage limits. Asia air is super cheap but is strict with baggage weight and most people get charged more when they check in.

*get a bank card and credit card that doesn't have foreign transaction fees and one that refunds foreign ATM fees. ATM fees are usually 150 baht ($4-$5)

*exchange money at thailand airports, they have no fees. If you have $50 and $100 bills to exchange, you get a better rate than lower bills like 20s and 10s.

*most hotels, tour companies, bus stations will take credit card but they will charge a 3% fee. They will let you know that.

*try to book more so as you go! don't worry much about booking flights far in advance.

*try not to plan too much for anything. Plans and desired routes will change constantly.

*make like 6 copies of a passport like photo that are 2 X 2s to bring for border crossings. You'll be asked if you have one, if not it'll cost a few dollars or baht which is fine

too.

*airport shuttles outside of phuket airport to patong cost 180 baht.

*there is free shuttle between Bangkok a international and domestic airports.

*many people like going to koh phanang for the full moon parties

*prices anywhere on phuket island are higher so I recommend saving your shopping for chiang mai, bangkok (not as pricey but not as cheap), ubon is very cheap too.

*you can hire a car and driver for any amount of hours to drive you around phuket island to wherever you'd like. Many people go to tiger kingdom, the big Buddha, the southern point to see the sunset, beach viewpoints, and more. The car hire costs around $30 for the whole day. No fees for anything but Tiger kingdom, which varies depending on tiger sizes that you want to take photos with.

*the only elephant trekking place I recommend to go to is the elephant sanctuary in chiang mai. It's the only non-cruelty one. It's pricier but there's a lot more to do and it's worth it. Many people get put off

by the other companies who use hooks on the elephants for discipline.

*ao nang in krabi is a great beach town. Super cheap massages beachside from 10am-2pm everyday. I heard that railway beach in krabi is nice too.

*you don't have to book buses ahead of time. You can book a day before from a travel company anywhere in town or buy at the bus station itself.

* it says VIP buses so you okay more but mostly all of the buses are the same type.

*always pay attention to your change given back at stores or anywhere and the price of items being rung up. They tend to try to add to your bills or change prices without you realizing.

*i felt safe in all of the countries in se Asia but always have your

valuables, money, and passport with you at all times, be aware of your

surrounding, put little locks on your suitcases when traveling on the buses just in case, be aware of stray dogs, and don't touch the animals due to

diseases.

*you don't have to take malaria pills, just use bug spray often. The

mosquitoes arent that bad here.

*i loved the city of ubon. There's not much to see or do there buts a great place to relax at a cheap but really nice hotel, shop, get much cheaper prices for everything, not be hassled by tuk tuks or taxis yelling at you, everyone is extremely nice and helpful there.

*always settle on a price for a taxi before going anywhere or ask to use the

meter.

*the riots/protests in bangkok are not as bad as they are said to be.

youll be fine, just try to avoid the area if you see one.

*the nights in the

inner areas of thailand like chiang mai and bangkok get pretty cold at night to bring or buy a sweater.

*the water is fine to shower and brush your teeth with. Just drink bottled or boiled water. The ice is fine to use.

*Budget much more than you expect for thailand because it's pricier than you expect.

*you can get nice hotel/hostel rooms for around $12 a person a night. A nice way to enjoy your sleep and relaxation while saving on money for other things like tours.

*carry tissues or toilet paper with you. Many places don't have

it.

*carry hand soap and sanitizer with you. They don't really wash their

hands.

*always add at least 2hrs on to any quoted or estimated times of

arrivals in places. Usually takes 3or 4 hrs more than they say for

anywhere.

*thai/Cambodia border takes about 2hrs to cross due to the lines. They're safe though.

*street food is fine to eat

*toilets in public areas are either free or most cost 5 baht

*try not to take many taxis or tuk tuks so that you can get a map if you can (sometimes they're free at hotels) and walk

around. Locals like to lie about distances or info on places so that you pay for taxis or go to the hotels that pay them commission. You will see a lot more of places by walking.

Cambodia

*you get visa at the border.

*be careful of visa scams. They will try to scam you. Never pay an agency for one, especially 1200 baht. Just keep saying you'll get it at the border. They will get mad at you but it's ok.

*google what the thai/Cambodia official border office looks

like. There is just one. There are a lot of signs and people who will try to

tell you otherwise.

*visa only costs $20 at the border plus 100baht (officers like money for themselves too)

*there isn't an exit or entrance or re-entrance fee for thailand.

*siem reap in Cambodia has the Angkor wat temples park. You can get a one day pass for $20, 3 day pass for $40, or a week pass. The 3 day is best to get.

*you should hire a tuk tuk driver for the day for around $15 total who will pick you up, drive you around the park (it's huge), always wait for you, drop you off for lunch, be with you for whatever timeframe that you want,and drop you back off at your hotel.

*they use u.s dollars everywhere in Cambodia. Most stores price items in dollars. ATMs give you u.s dollars. They don't take u.s coins though. Your change is given in local Cambodian riel though which is fine because things may cost less than $1.

*cambodia exit fee is $3

*water is fine to shower and brush teeth with. Drink bottled and boiled water though. Their ice is fine.

Laos

*you get visa at the border

*visa scams at Cambodia/laos aren't as bad as thai/Cambodia border

*visa costs $40 for u.s citizens.

*lao entrance fee is $2, exit fee is $1

*laos/thai border headed towards ubon, thailand is much easier and faster than any others in Asia

*4000 island town is great. You can stay on don Det island in a bungalow villa which is a relaxing, quiet, and scenic place. Cost of boat is $5. They

will take u.s dollars for that ticket. *exchange some money before any island

because rates on the island aren't great and there aren't ATMs

*laos is cheap