Hi Ted,

I have been in Thailand, burma, Laso, Cambodia and Vietnam.

if you're coming into Vietnam from the north, i suggest spending a day or two hiking in Sapa valley (See picture). We spent the night in a local farmers' house and had dinner (and sang karaoke) with the family. It was a wonderful experience. They don't speak English, so it's better to be accompanied by a local guide.

Southern Cambodia is really nice and not touristic. great Alternative to Thailand crowded beaches and also interesting to see the remains of a bombed-out villas and hotels.

Other than that - Halong beach in Vietnam, the Mekong Delta, Phnom phen and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Laos in general is fantastic and Bagan in Burma is not to be missed.

Also - if you are scuba divers - one of the best place's I've dived in is the Similian Island (Thailand -Burma) (See pictures).

Enjoy and safe travels,

Moran

Posted Aug 24, 2010

Hey Ted,

Though I've never been in this part of the world myself (I would love to some day soon), I would suggest you reach out to David Rothschild or Gary Rocchio both who have spend some serious time in Burma, Laos and Viet Nam.  They might be able to help you out.

Posted Aug 24, 2010

Wow, that sounds like an amazing trip, Ted. Since you're going to be in Bali, I'd actually recommend that you take a little detour east to explore more of Indonesia, one of the more amazing countries I've ever traveled. From Bali, you could hop over to Lombok and then head to the Gilis, three little islands with gorgeous beaches and a very laid-back vibe. On Gili Trawangan you can arrange for an inexpensive three- or four-night boat trip to Komodo island to see the dragons. You'll stop off at lesser visited islands along the way, snorkel in with giant purple claims in healthy reefs, and make friends with other international travelers on the boat. You can fly back to Bali from Flores, where the boat trip drops you off, and then head north from there. That excursion is one of my favorites in all of my travels throughout Southeast Asia. I hope you have a wonderful time!

Posted Aug 24, 2010

Hi Ted, and welcome to Afar Connect. If you make it to Ubud in Bali, look up our friend Caroline Miksch. She has a shop, Pelangi Design, on Monkey Forest Road, and a house and guest bungalow a few miles out in the hills. 

Posted Aug 24, 2010

dont miss Muang Ngoi in Northern Laos. lots of great hikes and interesting places since Its a village opened to outsiders only 9 years ago I think.

Posted Sep 17, 2010

Hi Ted,

I don't know if you're an Afar subscriber, but we had a nice little story about Penang, Malaysia, in our Sept/Oct issue. It's the Resident department. Definitely made me want to go.

It looks like you've already gotten some great advice here, so I don't have much to add, but I will recommend the Islamic Art Museum in Kuala Lumpur. Worth a visit.

Posted Sep 18, 2010

Hi Ted. Ubud is teeming with lodging of all kinds, much of it inexpensive, from the sublime to the ridiculous... My friend had a lovely room; great bed, full bath, fridge, breakfast too I believe... it's up one flight of stairs, one of only two rooms a family rents out. Gorgeous view overlooking rice fields and a swimming pool to boot! It is Villa Puri Bukit Sari.It's on Jalan Penstanen, up the hill from "Bridges" dining and it is across the road from "Alchemy", a natural foods cafe & shop that does a lot of ex-pat business.Remember to bargain for your rate (and for most purchases) as that's respected, honored and big fun when you do it with a smile!
ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art ) is fantastic! It's a do-not-miss for the art lover, in my humble opinion. I also got a kick out of the talented, eccentric artist, Antonio Blanco's Renaissance Museum. For an excellent massage, make an app't at Taksu (www.taksuspa.com). Nyoman (female) is Esalen Massage trained and knows her stuff. I could go on & on, I love Ubud. Hope this is helpful.

Posted Apr 25, 2012