Tour from Bangkok to Laos, Oct11th-20th.

Hi again,

Since our Malaysian East Coast trip was postponed to next year, we have found another trip up north.

Briefly, we will fly to Bkk on Oct 11 or earlier and start the tour on Oct 12th. There is a cruise upriver, followed by a van ride to Wangnam Keao, the ‘Switzerland of Thailand’. Next day we will go up to Korat and Khonkaen and really ‘makan angin’, at the ‘7th level of pure Ozone’. Day 4 will bring us up to Nongkhai, near the border between Laos and Thailand. We will cross over to Laos the next day and stay in Vientiane, Laos.

After that we will return to Thailand but will take a different route down south, but slightly to the west, again visiting towns away from the usual tourist joints, arriving in Bkk on Oct 19th. We fly back to Sgp on the next day

We aim to travel no more than 160kms per day so that we will have ample time to ‘absorb’ the ambience. As usual we intend to visit ‘non-touristy’ places, on a casual drive and eat whatever food the journey brings. The distance fom Bkk to Vientiane is say, less than 1000+kms, so you can estimate how leisurely it can be. FYI that’s about the distance from Sgp to Penang, but without the N-S highway convenience.

We are looking for another 4 to 6 persons, easy-going, with a spirit of adventure and cautious curiosity, preferably those who can sleep in the same room, ie couples or same-sex types. The cost will be the return airfare Sgp-Bkk-Sgp, plus tour at THB25000 to THB28000 plus meals and spending money plus tips for the tour guides. The tour fare is  inclusive of ABF (breakfast) in Thailand, lunch and dinner in Laos only, plus van, fuel and toll charges, accident insurance, an English speaking guide, and entrance fees in Laos. BTW THB 25k-28k approximates S$1000-1120. So perhaps S$1500 plus return fare is the ball-park figure.

Since there is not much time, we will appreciate a firm, commited response so we can tidy up the details with the tour coy. Payment will be required soon for the airtickets and a deposit. Both these items are non-refundable. I am also looking for a person who can help with the booking of the airtickets

All Singaporeans do not need a visa for either Thailand or Laos, but a Singapore passport with more than 6 mos expiry is standard.

I am sorry if this is a rush job but it is the dry season in Oct plus we are trying for that week as there will be a festival in Nong Khai then (Bang Fai Phaya Nark festival). I don’t know what the festival is but any festival is always a joyous and happy occasion.

Please register your interests or questions here first and sms or email me later.

Thanks and Cheers to all.

32 thoughts on “Tour from Bangkok to Laos, Oct11th-20th.”

  1. Hi Charles

    You are very adventurous.

    If I am not wrong the “Bang Fai Phaya Nark” festival in Nong Kha in October is the mystical “Dragon Fire Balls” festival.Last October I was in Nong Kha and to my suprise
    this festival attracted curious tourists from all over the
    world to come and witness this annual rare phenomenon of “fire balls floating on the Mekong River”. I did not get
    the chance to witness it because (1) all hotel rooms in Nong Kha are booked;I learnt from the locals that the Westerners even went and stayed in Nong Kha hospital(2)the
    site is some 200km from Nong Kha town.
    I managed to visit Ventiane,Laos by taking a bus from Nong Kha and crossed the Friendship Bridge.
    At the next SHC meeting on 9 Sep I will let you know how
    to move around in Nong Kha and Khon Kaen if you decide to
    proceed with your plan.

  2. Hi Lum Fook,
    At least this post is not wasted. At least got 1 response. Thanks Lum Fook. But really this is not very adventurous, we are on a tour lah. Everything taken care off by English speaking guide and bus driver. No need to worry about where to stay, what to eat etc, just sit back and enjoy the ride, drink in the atmosphere, and feast on the scenery.
    Frankly I don’t know what the festival is about, but if you say dragon fire balls, that sounds pretty good to me too.
    Cheers

  4. Hi Charles,

    I borrow your thread OK. I don’t know why my new post didn’t appear. This is the second time that I posted a new post and it didn’t appear. Maybe I did it wrongly. Anyway, I wanted to know if anybody knows of any travel agencies that organises trip to Tibet and Nepal. I would really love to go to these places. I also wonder if there are any SHC members who are interested to go too.

    Warmest Regards

    Norhayati

  6. Hi Norhayati

    There is a tour company in Bencoolen Street which specializes in organising trekking in Tibet and Nepal.

    In fact I have plan to do a 3-weeks trekking in Nepal
    during the “window” period next year which will be from
    May to July when the weather is suitable for trekking.
    When I have firm-up my plan I will let you know.

  9. Lang Chai Fook, have you heard of the latest other than to siem the turmoil in Siam? Well, the bluebird perching on the arch has just told me that the 2 countries will be unionsed, federated to become one entity so wait till that happens and you get to visit TipalNebet for the same price….

  10. Hi CharlesC and Tian Soo,

    Wow, you will experience Bang Fai Phaya Nark. These Naga fireballs are mysterious and surface at night, for a few metres above from the Mekong river. This occurence has still not been explained by scientists. Try catching a few of these fireballs, put them in a bottle and bring them home to Singapore.

    Terence Seah

  11. Hi Terence/others,

    ….These Naga fireballs are mysterious and surface at night, for a few metres above from the Mekong river. This occurence has still not been explained by scientists.

    Read from one book of Scientific Mysteries that the Naga fireballs appear because the swampy rivers produces a lot of “marsh gases” during the hot dry season .

    The heat generated during the hot summer months was enough to ignite these huge balls of fire in the air above the river.

  12. Hi Charles
    I’ve always liked to go off the beaten track, so this trip to Laos sounds quite interesting. However wld like to find out more. Perhaps we cld meet up on 9 Sept at Hans. Will try and come earlier.

  15. Hi Marg,

    OK. Is your friend regd with SHC? If so she can come on Tue to talk about the tour.

    Lum Fook/Terence/Kenneth,
    Can you advise how do we get from Chiang Mai to Nong Khai or Vientiane? I need 3 alternatives, air, road or rail. Is it easy to go from C Mai to Nong Khai or Vientiane? Any other info on this route will be greatly appreciated. Also need this info, like yesterday, ie urgent. Can you please help. Mucho gracias, Sie Sie Nee, Khop kun kap, etc, etc

  16. Hi Charles

    It seems that you’re going to travel all over Thailand!

    Sorry, I’m not an expert on Nong Khai; but if you can get there then you can cross over the “Friendship Bridge” over to Laos and Vientiane.

    And you can see the Naga fireballs… or you can see 40,000 Thais and others as they jam up the riverbanks trying to see the little specks of lights rise from the river.

    Haha! Just a joke but you might find the place crowded and difficult to get around without transport… and the fireballs may not appear.

    Tiger Air was planning a flight to Udon Thani but never got round to it with the popularity of China routes. I believe you can and should take the local flights (Nok Air, Thai and Lao Airlines) from CM to Udon or Vientiane or Luang Prabang if you wish to fly.

    If you’ve all the time in the world, then you can bus overland, combine some kind of speedboat, river ferry… all too adventuresome for my old self!

    Not much help, lah!

  17. Hi Kenneth,
    Thanks for your reply.
    It’s not that I want to travel all over Thailand. But we need to make some modifications if we want to make this trip. As it stands there is not much interest, so we are trying to combine it to a working/recce trip covering Bkk/ C Mai and Nong Khai.
    I know Air Asia flies to Udon Thani and also 12Go and Nok Air. Aside from AA, am not too comfortable with the latter 2. Only recently 12Go had a crash in Phuket and may be censured by the Thai air authorities.
    We may have to bus down to Khon Kaen and across to Phisanulok and then C Mai. Do you or Terence or Lum Fook know about this route?
    Thanks and best regards. Btw, please add any suggestions or ideas that may spring up later. Any info is welcomed. Also btw, is it very crowded in Nong Khai during the festival? My gut feel says so, so what else have you heard?

  18. Hi Charles

    It’s me again… and no one else has responded to your pleas!

    There is a direct bus from Khon Kaen or Udon Thani to Chiang Mai; I suggest you take the best VIP bus available… it’s a 12-hour ride and costs around B700.

    One2Go has been suspended from flying by the Thai government so I don’t think you should consider them at all.

    The Naga fireballs?? I read somewhere that thousands of Thais from all over the country converge down to the river banks to sight these elusive balls. So be prepared for the size of the crowd and disappointment on the size of the fireballs!

    Having said that, the Thais are usually very disciplined and orderly. I went to the Royal Barge Procession in 2006 in Bangkok; and although there were thousands of Thais lining the riverbanks, there was never any pushing, jostling or fracas. After the event, the Thais dutifully lined up for buses home, even the MRT (SkyTrain) had them lining up right to the entrances… you don’t need fines or education, just culture and a sense of respect.

  19. Hi Kenneth,

    Thanks again for your reply. I assume the bus from Udon Thani to C Mai passes through Khon Kaen and takes 12 hours.
    Is there another that takes the west route from Udon Thani to Loei to Dan Sai to C Mai, bypasing Khon Kaen?

    I agree entirely with your sentiments on 12Go and to take the best VIP coach wherever in Thailand, and thanks for the reminder. Also for the tip to be on our best behaviour in Thailand. Don’t worry, we do not litter, spit, talk loudly, boast, bully, jostle for a better view and are environmentally conscious. We will carry the SHC flag honourably.

    Hope you don’t mind my queries. But FYI the trip is coming up quite nicely with some modifications.

    Cheers till then. Are you coming for the SHC monthly meet tomorrow?

  20. Hi Charles

    It’s great that your trip is coming along… with some mods. Are you intending to be in Chiang Mai during Terence’s camp?

    I would think it’s possible to get a bus to Loei and on to Chiang Mai. Not too sure about Dan Sai as it may be off the highway route.

    Yes, see you at the SHC monthly meet. And carry your SHC flag!

  23. Hi all,
    Just to let you know, we wanted to cancel the trip but at yesterday’s meeting some people have shown their interest. As such please state your interest on this post. The dates for the tour are Oct 11th to the 20th.
    Also you must commit to a answer by Sept 22nd, no later. We will then do a rush job of calling the Thai agent if we have enough people, (6-8). The deposit MUST be paid very close to the affirmation as we have to also book the air tickets. So please be very clear and commited in your answers.
    I would like to remind those interested also of the risks involved before you commit on the leave process, ie the current state of Thai politics, closure of airports,uncontrolled mass demos etc.
    I do know it is now difficult to commit for some, especially with leave concerns but time is short and the consequences of Thai politics are difficult to predict, but that is the current situation now.
    Cheers to all.

  24. Hi Charles and Tian Soo

    Tiger Air is offering four-cent tickets to Bangkok and other destinations… This makes the return airfare almost just the surcharges and airport tax… S$160.00!!

    Too late for those who’ve already booked their tickets for Chiang Mai in November, but not too late for the others.

  26. Hi Marge T,

    Can I assume therefore that you are also not going for this trip? Many thanks for your clarification.

    Many thanks for your early reply.
    Cheers

  29. Hi Mike and Alicia,
    No worries. Let’s see what the future brings.
    This tour is now officially cancelled due to insufficient interests.
    All others please, please do not book your vacation for this trip, otherwise I might be reprimanded again.
    FYI Lim Tian Soo and I are determined to go ahead with the trip, albeit without a tour, nor a tour guide.
    Wish us luck!! And vaya con Dios.

  30. CharlesC, Tian Soo,

    I am glad you have decided to go ahead. You might want to consider Thailand’s’bus system. It’s’efficient, cheap, safe and a greart way to experience Thai culture, food and way of life.

    As a guide, from bkk to Nakon Ratchsima (Korat), the bus costs SGD10 one way. It’s’4 star, comfortable. You reach your city, find a place for overnight, and enjoy the day.

    Go ahead and let me know your schedule. I shall see if i can slot myself in.

    Terence Seah

  31. Hi Charles & Tian Soo

    If I recall correctly, your adventure trip will start on Friday this week. Here’s wishing you a great time, good fun and take good care. Shall look forward to hearing about your trip when you return.

    Best wishes
    Daisy

  32. Thanks Daisy Yeo for you best wishes.

    We are trying go up Mekong River from Luang Prabang in Laos to North Thailand near Chiangrai. That needs some luck.

Leave a Reply