Cambodia or Vietnam? Or both ??

[BlueMedic]

Did the Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia typical trip a few years back.

Was all great, but actually Laos was our favourite place of the bunch. Laos/Thailand still felt the most authentic, the places we went to in Vietnam/Cambodia were more of the natural touristy places to go and it showed.

We did Phu Quoc too, hired scooters to get around, and that felt pretty off the beaten track - nice place to go. Be sure to visit the prison museum/display; was completely empty and free when we went, but pretty interesting stuff in there.

 

[Tom H Conwy exile]

We’re off to Phu Quoc a week on Tuesday for two weeks. Any advice about things to see and do there?

 

[I'm With Stupid]

We’re off to Phu Quoc a week on Tuesday for two weeks. Any advice about things to see and do there?

2 weeks? Fucking hell. It's nice, but I can't think of 2 weeks worth of stuff there unless you like lounging on the beach. But there's been a shitload of development since I was there, so there might be more to do. I know they had a zoo where they killed a bunch of the animals and loads more escaped because they didn't know what they were doing.

Long Beach is your main beach with all of the bars on it. At the top end is a good seafood market with loads of little restaurants. You can go squid fishing at night (I didn't do that). Rent a boat and go snorkelling, fishing, etc (we had 20 people so it was reasonable, but you can presumably join an existing tour). Rent a motorbike and drive around. The beach in the North West used to be pristine and deserted, but it's now a massive resort run by an evil corporation. But that does mean there's a golf course. Sao Beach in the South East is nice. Good diving apparently. My friend did it there (Rainbow Divers are reputable). There's a pearl farm where you can buy loads of jewellery and see how it's made. There are some waterfalls that aren't too spectacular but are worth a visit as part of a bike tour. There's an old prison from the war (I haven't been there, so can't say if it's worth it). Fish sauce is a big thing, but they have rules about bringing it on a plane so it's best to check first.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

Vietnam is a lot better than Cambodia. Cambodia is a shit hole and Cambodian food isn’t the best. Vietnam and Thailand have so much more to offer, food especially.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

We’re off to Phu Quoc a week on Tuesday for two weeks. Any advice about things to see and do there?

In all honesty, if you still have some flexibility in your plans I wouldn’t stay there for 2 weeks. Not that it’s not nice, just that it’s a long time to stay there. As part of a trip through Vietnam, great. Or heading into Cambodia, great. Just my opinion, but everyone is different.

 

[kbb]

Agree went to both on a cruise last year. Vietnam was fantastic - war museum is a must but prepare to be shocked. Cambodia (Sihanoukville) was a total dirty shithole

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Vietnam is a lot better than Cambodia. Cambodia is a shit hole and Cambodian food isn’t the best. Vietnam and Thailand have so much more to offer, food especially.

Yeah, Vietnamese food is so good. Not at Thailand’s level, but miles better than Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, I also prefer it to Malaysia. Perhaps only Thai and Japanese I rate higher from from travelling round there.

 

[Bilboblue]

Vietnam is a lot better than Cambodia. Cambodia is a shit hole and Cambodian food isn’t the best. Vietnam and Thailand have so much more to offer, food especially.

True enough, but one of the national dishes in Cambodia is called 'amok' and cooked right, it is fantastic. I had it with pork at my hotel in Siem Reap and with prawns somewhere in Phnom Penh, marvellous stuff.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Agree went to both on a cruise last year. Vietnam was fantastic - war museum is a must but prepare to be shocked. Cambodia (Sihanoukville) was a total dirty shithole

Well yeah, you went to the sexpat capital of Cambodia. Of course it was a shithole. There are loads of nice places in Cambodia.

 

[aka blue jambo]

No problems, the usual beggars.
On the Cambodia/Vietnam border, you get guys trying to pick up your luggage to carry to the bus area, then try and demand $10 for doing it, it was about 150 yards! Gave him a dollar and told him where to go, I told him 5 or 6 times to put my stuff down before we even started.

The Thailand/Cambodia border was plain sailing.

I forgot, we stayed a night at a place called Koh Kong just inside Cambodia, on our way through. God that was grim, don't do it.

We found some digs for the night, dumped our stuff and headed out for food and a few beers. Had some grub at a roadside stall, whereupon rats the size of small cats were running around. After we finished eating, the lady running the stall offered her two adult daughters to us as dessert for $5 each! As anyone would do, we made our excuses and left (think the brides-to-be on East is East!).

Then we headed off to find a bar for a few beers, eventually coming across a likely looking establishment with a couple of tables and chairs, so sat down and waited to be served, nobody was in sight. About 5 minutes later a guy walked in and jumped back, looking shocked he had customers, despite the language barrier, ordered two large beers and sat chatting, enjoying the rest. Then a bat flew in and spent the next 10 minutes flying round and round the room, getting lower until it tired so much, it flopped on the floor and was promptly seized by another fkn great rat and carted off! We sat and had another couple of beers before heading off back to our room.

On the way back past where we had previously eaten, the lady asked us if we knew the guy that had served us the beers. We both thought it was a weird question and replied in the negative to which she said: "Oh ok, so why you go his house and sit for so long?" Turns out we had wandered into some poor unsuspecting Khmer guy's actual home, no wonder he looked at us strange when we asked for some beers! Still, we left him a decent tip and the beers were only a dollar each!

Ha ha brilliant