3 Day Mini-Tour - Southern Isaan.

[michaleo]

Beautiful pictures, thank you so much.
I like to see nice hills in isaan, as mostly it is flat.

going to go up along the Mekhong by Mukdahan etc.

Hope to see some pictures again!

[Bob63]

Chairman Mao
How would you compare Phimai and Phanom Rung ? Which site is best if one has to make a choice ? I am thinking of best preserved /largest site /most impressive.

I was also contemplating going further east, into Cambodia and visit Angkor Wat.
Did anybody drive over there ? Might there be a problem taking a thai rental car into Cambodia ?
Thx !

[Chairman Mao]

Chairman Mao
How would you compare Phimai and Phanom Rung ? Which site is best if one has to make a choice ? I am thinking of best preserved /largest site /most impressive.

Phanom Rung is bigger, and more impressive, as it sits atop a hill looking over a plateau.

There's also more temple sites in that region that could also be checked out.

I was also contemplating going further east, into Cambodia and visit Angkor Wat.
Did anybody drive over there ? Might there be a problem taking a thai rental car into Cambodia ?
Thx !

Forget about the rental car.

Either fly, or get a taxi from a border point.

[watdog]

not bad, mao.

[The Master Cool]

Red plate. Must be new.

[Bob63]

Forget about the rental car. Either fly, or get a taxi from a border point

Thx for reply.
Very much appreciated, and excuse my ignorance and plethora of questions..:-)

How close can you fly to Angkor Wat, and from where ? BKK to Angkor Wat ?
Perhaps I could go fly straight to Angkor Wat (or the closest airport) when flying in from Farangland.

Abt going by taxi: Looks like the drive from border point to Angkor Wat is about 100 miles/150 km, so I guess a Cambodia taxi could be hired for reasonably money (?)

[alwarner]

^You could fly to Siem Reap from Bangkok. Don't know about flying Farangland.

Angkor is about 5km north of the town according to google

[Eire]

Lovely pics and journey, thanks.

[pescator]

[quote=Bob63;2000445]

Abt going by taxi: Looks like the drive from border point to Angkor Wat is about 100 miles/150 km, so I guess a Cambodia taxi could be hired for reasonably money (?)

Or you could get a package from Khao San Road.
I went all the way from KSR to Siam Riep for 100 baht some 5-6 years ago.
(They get a commission for bringing you to a Cambo guest house)

The road from Poipet to SR is paved now, when I went it was not.
And it took approx 5 hours to navigate through the potholes.

[Bob63]

alwarner and pescator.
Thx both.
OK, fly into BKK and rather than going north to Udon immediately, then fly to Siam Riep instead. Or by bus.

I just would like to somehow include Phanom Rung and Phimai together with Angkor Wat in the Khmer temple "roundtrip", before eventually going to Udon for some family time.
At the same time, I am not the richest guy but still looking for at least VIP busses, if not flight. No backpacker stuff for me, I am too old for that LOL.

[alwarner]

You could go to Angkor then travel back to Thailand maybe crossing at Chong Chom, head to Phanom Rung then Phi Mai and a bus back to Udon from Khorat?

[Bob63]

^Thanks for quick reply much appreciated.
. Good idea. So fly to BKK, then local to Siam Riep.
See Angkor.
Then the thing is just how to get from Angkor to Phanom Rung and Phimai.

[alwarner]

No worries. Piece of piss. Angkor to Siem Reap. Siem Reap by bus or Taxi to Chong Chome border crossing. Stick this into Google maps: "Chong Chom Market Kap Choeng Surin to Phanom Rung Historical Park Chaloem Phra Kiat Buri Ram" It's 100KM from your border crossing to Phanom Rung. and then about 130km to Phi Mai.

You'd need to sort out all your local travel but that's the way i'd do it if you want to start at Angkor. The only thing that might be worth considering is that if you do start at Angkor everything else might feel a but underwhelming. It might be worth doing it the other way round and build up to Angkor Wat rather than the most impressive first.

[Bob63]

Alwarner, thanks again.

yes, you are right, would be good to save the best for last.
Thx again.

Just have to make it fit with as little as possible flying about ($$$$), and the touristvisa time I get upon land border entry to Thailand.
In Nong Khai when re-entering Thailand, after visiting Laos, they only give me 14 days even if I got a 30 day visa at BKK airport. So in effect my 30 day visa is cancelled and suddenly I only have 14 days.

I would like to rent a car and drive the trip from BKK to Siam Riep. I just assume I can't drive a thai rented car (eg from Avis in BKK) into Cambodia..
Going by bus is a possibility, but I doubt there is a bus route that goes BKK-Phimai-Phanom Rung-Chong Chome..

[alwarner]

BKK-Khorat-Phimai-Khorat-Buriram-Surin-Chong Chom

that'd be the easiest way to do it. Mainline bus to Khorat, askt at the bus station re getting to Phimai. Back to Khorat from Phimai and then East to Buriram. Ask in Buriram about getting to Phanom Rung then bus to Surin. Chong Chom is about 90K(ish) from Surin.

You'd probably want to spend a night in Khorat and Buriram to split it all up.

I havent done the trip myself so maybe someone else could chip in but that seems the most logical way to do it to me.

Good luck

Al

[Unlucky Ralph]

might be worth considering is that if you do start at Angkor everything else might feel a but underwhelming. It might be worth doing it the other way round and build up to Angkor Wat rather than the most impressive first.

yes, you are right, would be good to save the best for last.

Unless, like my friend, some little Vietnamese fukkers, cut into your combat short pockets with a stanley knife, while you are walking down the street in Siam Weep, and relieve you of your wad of notes

[alwarner]

Are the Viets the Cambodians go to people when anything bad happens? Like the Burmese here?

[Unlucky Ralph]

I think the "Viets" who robbed him were on holiday ( Cough )

[Pol the Pot]

Viets aren't usually involved in street crime in Cambodia.

They're into bigger things like drugs, logging, trafficking.

There are lots of Viet hookers, of course...

[Bob63]

BKK-Khorat-Phimai-Khorat-Buriram-Surin-Chong Chom

that'd be the easiest way to do it. Mainline bus to Khorat, askt at the bus station re getting to Phimai. Back to Khorat from Phimai and then East to Buriram. Ask in Buriram about getting to Phanom Rung then bus to Surin. Chong Chom is about 90K(ish) from Surin.

You'd probably want to spend a night in Khorat and Buriram to split it all up.

I havent done the trip myself so maybe someone else could chip in but that seems the most logical way to do it to me.

Good luck

Al

Thanks a lot !, and for spelling out the bus routing...

I will consider a rental car too, now that I realize all the bus driving.
So eg rent at Avis BKK, drive Phimai-Phanom Rung-Chong Chom. Get a bus from there to Siam Riep and back. Drive the car to Udon, seeing something along the road too. There must be more sights in East Isaan, which might be worth stopping by on the way from Chong Chom to Udon.

Thx again, much appreciated !

[alwarner]

No worries, enjoy.

[Dillinger]

superb thread, fantastic pics. won't let me green you for some reason op
I think I'm warming to this Thai countryside. I see what Somtamslap was on about now

[Chittychangchang]

Decent thread and pics Lulu.
When's the next trip around Lomsak you can stop off for a beer?