In early November 2008 we plan to leave Vietnam and head for Thailand for about three months. When we had started our research on Thailand we initially thought we would stay in Chiang Mai. We thought that it was still a relatively large city but not as intimidating as Bangkok. But... after some more reading and talking with some Thai aquantences we decided that it might be better to stay somewhere more central. So we are now looking at the Bangkok area. Ayuthaya (85 km north of Bangkok) was recommended to us, but we think it might be a bit far from the city and from public transit to other areas that we would like to see. The other area we are considering is Nonthaburi (about 20 km northwest of Bangkok). We are told Nonthaburi has a strong Baha'i community which would be helpful for us. We've got an e-mail out to some people in Nonthaburi for their advice, and we'll probably ask a travel agent for advice as well.
We would still like to visit the north of Thailand and will likely take a one week trip to the Chiang Mai area at some point during our stay. We will also take a trip to the south of Thailand and see the Krabi and Phuket areas which are known for their amazing beaches. The rest of the time we will stay in the central area.
While in Thailand we plan to see palaces, and temples (there are a ton of those) and a reclining Buddha that is 15 m high by 46 m long! I'm sure we will also take in some boat rides along rivers and canals. There will also be some interesting markets to visit, monkeys to see, and elephant rides. We also want to see a famous 7 tiered waterfall and the Death Railway (bridge over the river Kwai). I'm sure their will be lots more to see, and of course we'll have to make time for home-schooling work too!
Hopefully we will have some friends come visit us while we are there. If they can make it we would try to do the trip to the south with them and have them stay with us in the Bangkok area for a little while as well.
CM
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Vietnam: details
After China, we plan to go to Vietnam for a couple of weeks. So how much could we fit into a two week trip?
The country can be divided into three areas, the north, central and south regions. We are very interested in the north because of the natural beauty, particularly along the coast where there are thousands of limestone islands and caves. We plan to spend about a week in the north. We will stay at the city of Hanoi (known for it's history and architecture) for a few days and go for a few days to Halong Bay as well.
Then we will go to the central area for a week. Our trusty Lonely Planet guide tells us that Hue and Danang are the two main cities in the central region, but they are not highly recommended. Instead we plan to go to Hoi-An which is a little quieter, but has beaches nearby and natural attractions, mountain tours, etc.
We've decided to skip Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south. It would have been an interesting city for Nadim and I to see, but we felt that it would not be a great choice for the whole family. Instead we will travel to Thailand after visiting the north and central regions of Vietnam.
CM
The country can be divided into three areas, the north, central and south regions. We are very interested in the north because of the natural beauty, particularly along the coast where there are thousands of limestone islands and caves. We plan to spend about a week in the north. We will stay at the city of Hanoi (known for it's history and architecture) for a few days and go for a few days to Halong Bay as well.
Then we will go to the central area for a week. Our trusty Lonely Planet guide tells us that Hue and Danang are the two main cities in the central region, but they are not highly recommended. Instead we plan to go to Hoi-An which is a little quieter, but has beaches nearby and natural attractions, mountain tours, etc.
We've decided to skip Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south. It would have been an interesting city for Nadim and I to see, but we felt that it would not be a great choice for the whole family. Instead we will travel to Thailand after visiting the north and central regions of Vietnam.
CM
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Beijing: What to see
So we had already decided to start our trip in Beijing and we had given ourselves a month. So I started to think about how much is there to see in one city. I got out lonely planet guide out and started to leaf through the Beijing area. I knew we would want to do some everyday type things like visit the library (for homeschooling purposes), find out where the health clinic, grocery stores and things were, but I was astounded at the number of site seeing opportunities that were available in just one city!
At the top of the list of course is the Great Wall of China, Tianamen Square, and the Forbidden City, but there are also all kinds of gardens, an aquarium, a zoo, science museums, temples and places, bike tours, Chinese puppet theatre, Ming Tombs, and "Le Cool Ice Rink". I've listed about 20 different things that we need to see or do while in Beijing. I hope we can fit them all in. We are also thinking about day trips to Tianjin, a coastal town about 1.5 hours away, and to Chengde which is about 250 km away and boasts the largest regal gardens.
We are still debating about how to get from Beijing to Vietnam. We could take a lengthy train ride, and get off for quick stops in one or more of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Macau, or we could take the much quicker method of flying, but then we do miss out on the other places.
CM
At the top of the list of course is the Great Wall of China, Tianamen Square, and the Forbidden City, but there are also all kinds of gardens, an aquarium, a zoo, science museums, temples and places, bike tours, Chinese puppet theatre, Ming Tombs, and "Le Cool Ice Rink". I've listed about 20 different things that we need to see or do while in Beijing. I hope we can fit them all in. We are also thinking about day trips to Tianjin, a coastal town about 1.5 hours away, and to Chengde which is about 250 km away and boasts the largest regal gardens.
We are still debating about how to get from Beijing to Vietnam. We could take a lengthy train ride, and get off for quick stops in one or more of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Macau, or we could take the much quicker method of flying, but then we do miss out on the other places.
CM
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