Backpacking Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam (backpacking brahs gtfih!)

[Pugilistic]

Sherdog's been lacking of late on this important topic

I'll try to post tranny related stories after Thailand.

 

[JabToucher]

I'll try to post tranny related stories after Thailand.

I had one or two pictures taken with them while in thailand. Only showed them to a few close friends for shits & giggles.

There was this one tranny who was about 5'8/5'9 who was roided off his tits yet still worked the corner.
I wanted to have my photo taken with him/her but was too afraid to ask. Was built smaller mike tyson in a wig!

I didn't want this to happen!

 

[Pugilistic]

I had one or two pictures taken with them while in thailand. Only showed them to a few close friends for shits & giggles.

There was this one tranny who was about 5'8/5'9 who was roided off his tits yet still worked the corner.
I wanted to have my photo taken with him/her but was too afraid to ask. Was builta smaller mike tyson in a wig!

I didn't want this to happen!

LOL dude was being a dick too it seemed. Grabbing her forcefully and then getting his ass kicked and then crying like a bitch. Thailand is one country where I could never get in an altercation. They all know freaking muay thai.

 

[JabToucher]

LOL dude was being a dick too it seemed. Grabbing her forcefully and then getting his ass kicked and then crying like a bitch. Thailand is one country where I could never get in an altercation. They all know freaking muay thai.

I saw a lot of violence there. It's not the place to act like a drunken dickhead. You won't be arrested just beaten up instead!

 

[xhaydenx]

Go to a place where your money goes a long way, sleeping, eating and moving around is expensive.

Also, instead of moving around from a place to another one, try staying for a while. If you want to go to Spain, go there, rent for a month, and get a simple job that allows you to meet new people and sustain yourself (coffee shop, hotel hostess, etc). That way you can immerse in a different culture instead of Grand slamming through a couple of places and retuning broke as fuck to your mother's basement.

Cheers,

Fuck. I'm so close to doing just this.

I've got a fair bit of money saved up. My friend worked it out and I could live pretty awesome in somewhere like Vietnam for 5 years without having to work. It would be 7 years, but he was adding in monthly hooker expenses lol.

I art directed Sri Lanka's first major animated film like 9 years ago and for that I went and lived with the director and totally got immersed into Sri Lankan culture for 3 months. I've never traveled and tried to see as many places as I could quickly, so I don't know how it compares, but I imagine that settling down for a month or two is a way better experience.

 

[Pugilistic]

I saw a lot of violence there. It's not the place to act like a drunken dickhead. You won't be arrested just beaten up instead!

Fucking brits lol. Good thing I'm not all that into drinking and when I do, I'm even friendlier than when sober. I'm also a nonthreatening manlet so I have that going for me.

Fuck. I'm so close to doing just this.

I've got a fair bit of money saved up. My friend worked it out and I could live pretty awesome in somewhere like Vietnam for 5 years without having to work. It would be 7 years, but he was adding in monthly hooker expenses lol.

I art directed Sri Lanka's first major animated film like 9 years ago and for that I went and lived with the director and totally got immersed into Sri Lankan culture for 3 months. I've never traveled and tried to see as many places as I could quickly, so I don't know how it compares, but I imagine that settling down for a month or two is a way better experience.

I agree. It's such a shame I only have a month in Thailand. I want to see as much as I can but when I'm in Cambodia and Vietnam, I'm going to take it easy and work with some locals. I'll probably end up taking off some items of the itinerary.

 

[tatakai]

Updated OP. Anyone been to the parties in Koh Phangan? Once again, I'm interested in trying drugs but I'm afraid to risk it. Read too many stories of undercover cops busting people. Apparently shroom shakes are pretty common there as well.



Did you take a filtered water bottle? I'm thinking of buying one but I'm also wondering if simply buying water would be easier.

I carried a Sawyer Squeeze. It can work with a variety of bottles and bladders but i usually used smart water bottles. They thread right into the bottom of the filter; you can drink straight from it or use it to filter into a clean bottle. I often did both.

 

[Pugilistic]

Update in case you guys are interested.
I flew into Bangkok a few days ago where I caught up with an old friend I haven't seen in several years. I also met with some couchsurfers through the hangout feature to eat dinner. An Aussie girl, New Yorker dude, and a local Thai girl. Nice people. I connected especially well with the two other travelers and I might see them again later in my travels.

The aussie chick is a Bangkok veteran so she showed me and the NY guy around khaosan road. Crazy party scene. I'll go wild one night there before I leave.

Thai women aren't attractive to me generally speaking but ones that are hot are ridiculously hot. I just don't know which ones are women.

I flew up to Chiang Rai, which is really a stop over for me to head to Laos, where the Gibbon experience is. Chiang Rai is a sleepy quiet town without much to do, but I ended up meeting up with a local girl via Tinder. Hung out with her and her friends, which was a cool experience. I'm always grateful to meet locals who speak English.

Now I'm in Huay Xai, Laos, which is at the border to Thailand. Just chilling at the hostel before going into the laotian jungle tomorrow. The town itself doesn't have much to do but I did have the best meal of my trip so far. Red beef curry, Lao style.

I can't quite explain it I prefer Laotians over Thais. It's a subtle difference but they seem nicer and less used to tourists. I've been getting some stares but they smile back at me. I find the women prettier in a plain way.

Tomorrow I'll be completely immersed in the jungle without internet or electricity or sherdog.

 

[SteadyEddy]

Im dying to do this

 

[Pugilistic]

Im dying to do this

And you can!

 

[loyalyolayal]

I can't quite explain it I prefer Laotians over Thais. It's a subtle difference but they seem nicer and less used to tourists. I've been getting some stares but they smile back at me. I find the women prettier in a plain way.

I'm not surprised. Even travel vloggers who made comparisons never found the Thais deserving of their "Land of Smiles" title.

 

[Pugilistic]

I came out of the jungle from the Gibbon experience in Laos yesterday and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Being totally immersed in the jungle away from civilization and ziplining above the jungle canopy was something else. I was worried we might get bored because nobody in our group brought games or anything but I found that you could spend hours just looking at the jungle and listening to the animals.

It was well worth the 300 euros and I would have regretted it if I didn't do it. Everybody in my group said the same.

I also got lucky because everyone in my group was really cool and we all had a good chemistry going. Most people came alone except for a couple and a small group of swedish girls. Most of them were women including a super hot Dutch girl and a cute polish girl who kind of looks like Emma Watson.

When we had to form smaller groups since the tree houses can't accommodate everybody at once, the European girls all sort of bunched together as women tend to do. I got stuck with all the guys and the one girl who was part of the couple, but we all got along really well.

The wonderful people I met was a big part of the experience as well. I totally recommend anyone interested to do this before the Chinese "develop" Laos and destroy everything.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Update:
So my plan is coming along. My plans for Thailand are almost set. I have a basic idea about Cambodia but my plans for Vietnam are completely in the air.

Thailand
Stay in Bangkok for a couple days before heading to Chiang Mai stay there for a a day.
From Chiang Rai, go to Huay Xai, Laos for a trekking tour in the jungle called the Gibbon Experience. You basically live in tree houses for three days in the jungle and zipline from treehouse to tree house. This is something I felt like I had to do when I first heard about it.
After Hauy Xai, head to Chiang Mai. Stay there for a few days.
Check out Pai for a few days.
Fly down to Koh Tao for a week. Do a day trip to the Full Moon Festival if I'm up for it.
Take a ferry to Koh Phangan and stay there for a week. Go to the Half Moon Party as it is around my birthday.
Go up to Bangkok again to stay there for a day or two before heading to Cambodia. I'm gonna try to hang out with the Thai girl I met in Laos last year.

I'll be in Thailand for a little less than the 30 days I'm permitted. I'm still not sure if the Full Moon Festival will be worth it. I know it's the big thing to do in that area but it just seems like a giant beach party with drunk young people everywhere, which is cool, but would it be worth it? Not sure. With the half moon party, at least my birthday is a part of it.
I'm not going to be in Bangkok long, so I'm wondering if I should stay a day or two longer before I leave for Cambodia.

Cambodia
Rough plans involve Siem Reap (Ankor Wat), Battambang, Koh Rong, and Kampot.
I was going to skip Phnom Penh but I have to go through it anyway if I want to go to Vietnam so I might as well stay a day.
I might do a workaway in Koh Rong Sanloem (a small island off the coast) and help a local family for free accommodation.
From Phnom Penh take a bus to Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam
Since I loved Vietnam so much when I went to Hanoi, I might extend my stay to a few weeks by working somewhere and getting accommodation in return.
I want to check out the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Mekong River and Can Tho while I'm there.
Vietnam is the cheapest country, and IMO has the best food, so I just mostly want to hang out and eat while I'm there.

Any recommendations regarding Thailand, Cambodia, Southern Vietnam would be welcome. Or general prep advice. I just got myself a pricey 70L bag.

Traveling around poor countries with a knapsack can only lead to this

 

[GSP_37]

I wonder if the soccer kid cave is now a tourist attraction.

 

[Pugilistic]

I'm not surprised. Even travel vloggers who made comparisons never found the Thais deserving of their "Land of Smiles" title.

To be fair I think the people here in Chiang rai are a bit better.

What makes this place worse is all the Chinese and Russian tourists.

 

[Doughbelly]

I did many of these, does it count?

As a kid was into backpacking and camping, I never really understood why my dad (career military, most of it in the infantry) hated backpacking and camping.

Then, somewhere along my first real ruck march, I started getting it.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

As a kid was into backpacking and camping, I never really understood why my dad (career military, most of it in the infantry) hated backpacking and camping.

Then, somewhere along my first real ruck march, I started getting it.

What is so bad about?

 

[Oeshon]

Chiang Rai is pretty chill for a smaller city. It has the most beautiful university and most beautiful temple in the country.

Mae Fah Laung

If you need any info on anything hit me up.

 

[Doughbelly]

Cambodia can be a really good time. I suggest taking at least a week to explore Angkor Wat. The only real problem with Angkor Wat are the Koreans. Place is infested with Korean tourists certain times of the year. Unless you're wanting to fulfill the backpaper cliche of fucking a fellow country(wo)man while you're travelling, as they are ugly tourists. There are a couple of Korean restaurants in town that cater to those big groups and if you need your kimchi jjigae fix, that's where to get it. (For me, it had been over a year, except for a North Korean joint in Rangoon, so I liked it. YMMV)

Cambodia and Phom Penh is the weed capital of Asia. All over, they've got happy food, which is food cooked with herb. You'll never be lacking for a good high in Cambodia. Got some crazy eats, too, like fried spider. Crunchy, tastes like shrimp.

I'd recommend taking a boat from Siem Reap (or the reverse order if you're going the other way) to Phnom Penh down the Ton Le Sap. Beautiful. Especially at night if you happen to be in the river valley.

 

[Phr3121]

What is so bad about?

Backpacking and camping in the Infantry?
The 60+ pound ruck digging into your shoulders in a ruck march. Camping can be fun, but not when it is too hot, too cold, or too wet. At night you can multiply the misery by 2, maybe 3. Thank God we could get our maps laminated to keep them waterproof. But yes, patrolling at night when you are cold and wet had to be at the top of my list in misery. Not to mention the rust on your weapon the next day.