Talk:Istanbul to New Delhi overland/Part 2

Hmm, this is going to have to be restructured to fit our Project:Manual of style. I'm going to move the content to a talk page for mining... (WT-en) Majnoona 14:16, 7 Jul 2004 (EDT)

I gave it another shot... I just cut the links I made and entered a new one. So, I hope this is more the way you had in mind ?? have a ball... W.

Yeah well, so this is a goner... all is represented in the other part... (WT-en) W

first person content
Description of a trip from Turkey to Indonesia, added with my comments and estimated time necessary. Remark: times indicated are rough estimates, subjective and do not take into account time traveled between places. This information and pictures and stuff can be found on my website
 * More to find on my personal website

Part 2
information based on a trip in 2002 and 2003

this part includes the south east asian countries

go to the first part for the remainder (Turkey to Bangladesh)

Yangon
This very nice kind of laid back capital is a good introduction into the country. The city feels completely different from most other Asian cities because of its 'citylesness'. The snacks are great and fairly cheap. The colonial architecture is still present and there are broad boulevards. I enjoyed the Shwedagon Paya although the entrance fee of 5 $ may be a bit too much. And also just walking around or visiting one of the markets is definitely worth spending your time on. In the evening you can go out to see sporting events or maybe a movie in this one theatre they subtitle in English. 3 days

Bagan
Here you go to see the ruined temples. Very beautiful indeed. I really enjoyed just walking around for a few days in the hot sun, through this awesome landscape dotted with very beautiful pagodas and temples. Definitely a highlight in Myanmar. 1 day

Pakkoku
This very friendly somewhat bigger town two hours up river from Bagan offers a very interesting perspective on the less tourist-oriented Myanmar small-city-life. I enjoyed my day there doing nothing but talk to some people and learn about Myanmar kitchen. 1 day

Mandalay
I do not like cities that much, in average. And this city was said to be the same but different and by far less interesting then Yangon. So I skipped it to a large extent. I did not see much of the city apart from the bus-stations. I must say though that the people at the bus-station were exceptionally friendly, also here. Maybe the place is not so bad, definitely a place that may be good for shopping. The surrounding deserted cities I also skipped because in Myanmar on a 28 day visa you have to choose and eliminate destinations. I did this based on not wanting to see many other temples and monasteries. 0 days

Pwin-Oo-Lwin
This town looked very nice with its colonial archtecture, being a british hill station with pleasant cool temperatures. But the city I thought was quite dull, although for all you waterfall lovers, this one is very nice. If you are in the vicinity, this may be a nice stopover. 1 day

Hsipaw
A travelers hang-out, small and rural but yet wel equipped with the necessities of travelers. The walks in the villages and nature around kept me busy for longer than I thought, really a place to recommend to just hang out. People over there were again quite nice. The waterfall is because of the walk up there worth going out there for. The hot(warm)-water spring is not though. 3 days

Nyaung Shwe (Inle Lake)
Beautiful scenery of all the villages and their gardens on the water, and with all the boat travel around. The town itself though is in my opinion, some disagree, just a tourist rip off town. It is a little more expensive than other places visited and tourists are somewhat more considered to be money-belts. On the other hand, accommodation is cheap and you can do several things out here including trekking (do it yourself), boat-trips to nearby villages (organize yourself), ... but here you will definitely see that most of your interaction with the locals is about money. I especially enjoyed the little villages outside the town. I was also briefly in Shwe Nyaung and Taunggi. Taunggi is quite interesting as a day trip from Nyaung Shwe I believe. The market is very big and you can find all other stuff like cheap Myanmar food or a payable draught beer out here. 2 days

Bago
Not much of interest here unless you want to pay up 10 FEC to visit some of the pagodas. The town is friendly though. If it is very short, like for me, a stopover here is not the worst that can happen. 0 days

Thaton
There may be little to actually do around here, the town is very friendly. Here you are for the atmosphere. Just sit around for a day I think is the thing to do here. Because of the colonial mansions and nice environment it can be a worthwhile few days out of Yangon. I visited Hpa-An as a day trip from Thaton. It was ok but to be honest, except for the trip getting there it did not offer me much. I should have done the trip to Mawlamyine instead. But that would have taken up a bit more time, a thing I didn't have any more on the end of my trip. 2 days

Bangkok
This big city, center of South East Asia, will show it all. From big temples to elephants performing in the streets, from the very big weekend-market to Thai-boxing, from Kao San Road to the traffic madness. For me Bangkok was a highly polluted and diverse city and I will end up there, probably, again in the future due to its center position in traveling South East Asia. 2 days

Sukothai
The oldest city in Thailand. Of course, that means a lot of ruins, though in a very pleasant setting these ruins are very lovely. According to other tourists they resemble in a way the ruins of Ayuthaya and consequently are maybe not worth it if you have seen those already. 1 day

Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is a touristy developed cultural and economical center in the north of Thailand. It offers some trekking and cultural trips. For me the market was the main attraction, specially good for Thai silk. 1 day + trek (few days)

Mae Hong Song
This mountain city quite near to the border with Burma has not that much to offer in my opionion besides a trip to the long neck Karen people and some trekking in the very nice jungle you can find over there 0 days

Chiang Rai
In many ways this is an ugly city to me which offers only some possibilities for trekking in a nice jungle to see some of the minority people living there. There is a nice market but it is less interesting than the one in Chiang Mai. 0 days

Chiang Saen and the golden triangle
The city itself has some cultural historical significance as can be witnessed by the ruins. For me the major attraction was the three countries that meet each other. Unfortunately there is a lot of tourism to spoil most of the fascination brought to you by this area. 1 day

Chiang Khong
This border town is definitely preferable over its Laotian counterpart Huay Xai. It is cheaper and offers a lot more possibilities to eat or to go on the Internet. Head out early in the morning around 7 and you'll be in time to catch the first bus or boat out of Huay Xai at around 8 AM. 0 days (pass through)

Huay Xai
This is an ugly border-town, try not to have to spent time there I would say. The 'I will get your money' atmosphere and the lack of anything worth visiting or doing there makes that you head to there early in the morning to be sure you can take the boat or truck out, around 8 AM. 0 days (pass through)

Luang Nam Tha
This place in the north of Laos is good for trekking. The little city itself is pleasant but in my opinion nothing more. The trekking here involve jungle and minority villages. 1 day + trek (few days)

Muang Sing
Probably even better to do trekking into jungle and to see minority villages is to head out to Muang Sing. This is a very little sleepy town with as major downfall that the villagers know how to sell their handmade items and drugs. Be aware of scams with opium, they will sell and tell and you will loose a lot of money. 1 day

Nong Khiaw - Mong Noi
Laying on the river banks these family run guest houses in these small towns offer only a nice relaxing atmosphere. Having been there, I would not suggest to miss out on it though. It gives you the feeling of being really out there. Mong Noi is an hour upriver from Nong Khiaw, after 10 there is no electricity. 1 day

Luang Prabang
As a very pleasant colonial town it offers very great food from all over the world. There should even be some great trekking there, in vast jungle meeting minority people that haven't seen much tourists. The small waterfall is maybe worth the visit too. 2 days

Vang Vieng
The Mecca of laying back. You can just fill your day swimming in the river, going out to visit some cave or just lying in a tube floating on the river while you see the enchanting scenery drift by. In the evening you will be able to eat you international dinners, drinking fruit shakes and cocktails, watching some very nice movies together with all the other relaxing travelers. For most this is the best place in Laos, for me it is good for a day or two. 2 days

Vientiane
The capital of Laos is certainly not the most beautiful of the three 'Indochine'-capitals. Although some people appear to like this city, for me a quick run through sufficed. 1 day

Si Pan Don
Literally translated, 4000 islands is ‘same same but different’ to Mong Noi. This broad part of the Mekong river, just before entering into Cambodia, is dotted with little and very little islands. It is definitely worth walking around in the area because of its relaxing atmosphere. Also, most people enjoy the waterfall and the Mekong river. The evenings are very calm and enjoyable in the family run guest houses. 2 days

Bolaven (Tadlo)
This area is probably very nice, especially because it is different from the rest you will find in Laos. I saw, for example, cotton grow. But the place to stay is everything but interesting. This is definitely the place I would not visit if I were you. 0 days

Cau Treo
Border towns, ugly as they come, this is again one. Unlike promised, I had to stay there for one day, unfortunately. 0 day (pass through)

Hanoi
To see Hanoi waking up was mind blowing. And although it has everything every other big city does, there is this atmosphere to it that gives it this warm feeling, at least it did to me. Maybe because of the lakes and parks, or because of the life on the street starting early in the morning with many people playing badminton there. This was definitely the most beautiful and nice capital I saw in South East Asia. The traffic is still less car-oriented and is bustling with bicycles. Especially this is just great to take part in. 2 days

CatBa
The island near Halong Bay may not offer the nicest town. A sleep on the boat right in the middle of this extraordinary landscape on the water is recomended by many. This is also the case for the 12 km trek on the island. It offers a very beautiful piece of jungle. Try to combine both I would say, the overnight on the boat as well as the trek, preferably with only very few people. 3 day tour

Sapa
Superb views on mountains and surrounding valleys together with the minority villages that live in these mountains makes Sapa the most recommended place of Vietnam. It offers treks to these villages and natural scenery. Consider going there by train during the week (starting Monday or so) as tours operate from Thursday to Sunday. 3 days

Hue + Demilitarized Zone
Hue was a very important city throughout ancient Vietnamese history. A visit to the Tomb of Tu Duc was worth the expensive visit, but I didn't do any other tombs, pagoda's or whatever. The purple city I did not visit because most people considered it not worth a visit and because of the resemblances to the tombs in architecture. So if you are not really into these kind of things you might want to skip it. The city itself I liked but I do not consider it vital to see if you are in Vietnam. The DMZ tour I did find very interesting though, it shows Hamburger Hill, Khe San, the Ho Chi Mihn trail and some other war historical sites going all the way between the tunnels on the coast line to the military bases on the Lao border along the river dividing north and south Vietnam. 2 days

Hoi An
If you talk about a nice little feel-good town... than this is it. Known for its inexpensive tailor made clothes (not very well cut I might add) and its limited influence of modern times, this town offers you a good time just walking the streets. And there is even the possibility to go out and have a swim in the ocean on a fairly ok sandy beach with moderate waves. 2 days

Nha Trang
Now the city of pick-pockets and millions of people on the beach I would have skipped if possible. It is definitely not the worst town you could be in but I prefer to spent my time elsewhere. It is a good place for all you party animals that just love spending money on beer, weed and dig on hanging around the beach. 0 days

Dalat
The town itself is not worth a visit in my opinion. The people who liked Dalat have all one thing in common, they did something particular there, like rock-climbing for example, or hiring a guide and motorbike to go around the central highlands area. Especially the latter has been recommended to me big time. 0 days

Saigon
For me not nearly as nice as Hanoi but nevertheless Saigon has it all. Here you will find the most western influenced character in all of Vietnam. Communism is only visible marginally. The millions of motorbikes in the streets give it that overcrowded feeling. I would not choose to stay too long in this dirty but modern world city. The War Remnants Museum is one of the few 'must have seen' museums in Asia. From out of Saigon you can visit the tunnels of Cu Chi, fighting tunnels during the Vietnam War, for me also worth the visit. 1 day

Mekong Delta
Brilliant were the days spent in the Mekong Delta, cruising down the Delta in little boats watching the daily life on the floating markets, visiting the swamps used by the Vietcong during the War in the Rung Tram forest, climbing Sam mountain for sunset with views over the border with Cambodia, ... and it is possible and recommended by me to cross the border with Cambodia here with a boat on the Mekong. 3 days

Phnom Penh
Richly decorated temples, overwhelmingly beautiful colonial houses mixed with mother and child sleeping on the streets. Phnom Penh is filled with poor people making it dangerous to wonder the streets in dark places at night. Besides visiting temples, war history is a major attraction. Most people visit the killing fields of Choeng Ek together with the torture chambers of prison 21. Although not appreciated by everyone, for me these were interesting. 3 days

Sihanoukville
And in Cambodia there are beaches, not plenty but fairly deserted. In the south, Sihanoukville offers four sand beaches and quite clear water. The surroundings offer friendly people and very beautiful scenery, an open landscape dotted with trees. If you plan to head in or out of Cambodia by sea, this is the only port where you will be able to do so. 1 day

Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)
The town is visited almost primarily for its proximity to Angkor Wat. Therefore, in the evening you will find many tourists here. The evenings you have to spent there are more than enough in my opinion to explore the town fully. The Khmer temples of Angkor Wat, build between one of the 7 wonders of the modern times. This 9th to 13th century building complex consists off over maybe 100 temples. It was a big center during the old days, both cultural as political. Angkor Thom, the square city with the Bayon in the center. If you have only one day to spare, you should leave out all other temples, these are the ‘must must have seen's’. A three day visit on a leisurely pace makes sure you see them all at least ones. 3 days
 * Bayon, a temple, at first site nothing special but that changes as you go in...
 * Angkor Wat, the biggest Buddhist temple in the world and maybe mausoleum
 * Preah Khan, powerfull jungletrees on and in the temple ruins. For most people this is the most unforgettable part of the complex.

Battambang
On the banks of the Sangker River enriched with some nice colonial houses, this city is very pleasant but there is not much to do around there that you won't find in more interesting places. It is the second most large city and walking around there gives you an idea about city life in Cambodia, it is not like Phnom Penh. 1 day

Penang
Penang-Georgetown is again a very nice colonial town with some remarkable colonial buildings and an interesting Indian and Chinese area. Also again, it is a port towards Indonesia and it is the last major town before entering Thailand. If not for this location would not bother going out there. 1 day

Kuala Lumpur
I have heard many good things about the atmosphere in KL, the capital of Malaysia. Due to a mix up with Malaysian Airlines I wasn't able to visit it but some people convinced me that because of the colonial buildings as well as the Chinese and Indian areas it is well worth doing so. KL also offers everything a modern capital has the offer from big chopping malls to skyscrapers. The diversity probably makes this city rather interesting 1 day

Melaka
A nice colonial town with some interesting buildings, and also a port towards Indonesia. It is a very nice town to just walk around for a day because of the mix in colonial influences. But if it were not for the port to Indonesia I would not bother going out there. 1 day

Dumai
Talking of ugly bordertowns with bordertown people lying their boots off. Well, this is it. You don't want to end up here for more than a few hours. 0 days (pass through from Melakka)

Medan
Visited only briefly because of the transit towards Malaysia. I don't know much about the city but it didn't give me any good feelings so I was glad not to have to spent to much time over there. 0 days (pass through form Penang)

Berestagi
A very nice little mountain town. Berestagi is especially worth the visit for the surrounding sites although the town itself also has a good feel to it. You will be able to walk in the jungle or hike up the mountain and descend in some volcano craters. If you are into hot water springs, they are there but unfortunately re-build as a swimming-pool, so don't expect to much. 2 days

Ketambe (Leusser National Park)
For treks into the jungle and to explore the wildlife this is a very nice alternative to Bukit Lawang known for its fauna and flora. Here you will be able to see the orangutan in the wild if your guide finds one. I also saw several other species making it a very interesting experience. Superb was also the warm water spring in the middle of the jungle where you will enjoy the rapid alternation between very hot and very cold water while you are looking up a wall of trees on the nearby mountain. 2 day trek

Bukittinggi (+ Harau & Maninjau)
This is a relaxing town in the hills. Because of some caves used during the war, a fort and some views over the surrounding it is easy to hang out there for at least a day. It is also interesting for its location in the proximity to the Harrau Valley and to Lake Maninjau. Harau Valley has some waterfalls to offer, high ones but very certainly not the most spectacular because of the little water involved. Danau Maninjau is an impressive crater lake and the road towards it are even more so. 2 days

Parapat (Danau Toba in Palua Samosir)
One of the main touristy highlights of Sumatra is this Lake. Only when there is not much of tourism there, then there is not much reason to stay in this ultra relaxed place, unless you are either recovering from sickness or if you are with your girl/boy friend longing to just look at each other for a few days. The town of Parapat near to it is again nothing much. 0 days

Jakarta
I can imagine that this can be an interesting city, but so far I heard only bad things about it. Just riding through it with a bus even strengthens the opinion that it will take quite some time to appreciate this overcrowded busy and dirty city. 0 days

Pangandaran
A touristy beach resort that grew out of a fishing village. It is a national park with some jungle but mainly it is a place to swim a little and relax. I would not have gone there. 0 days

Bogor
Probably this is a very nice city known for its botanical garden. For me it didn't offer me much besides it being a very easy gateway to Jakarta so that I did not need to stay out in Jakarta for the night to catch my flight. Some Dutch colonial buildings are maybe worth a look, and there is some, possibly interesting, forest with wildlife quite near. 0 days

Yogjakarta
The cultural highlight of Java is Yogjakarta, a busy town without high skyline. It can be a nice town to wander around as it has several things to visit and it is interesting as a hub towards sites like Borobudur and Pramanbanan. The latter, Pramanbanan, is the biggest Hindu temple complex in Java (9th century) and I thought it was well worth the visit. This is also true for the Borobudur, built some years earlier, and together with Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor in Cambodia one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in South-East Asia. 2 days

Solo (Candi Sukuh)
Nearby Solo there is a small Hindu temple that is similar to what you'd expect in Inca culture. But especially the surrounding nature was worth the walk, through the forest, passing through villages, crossing over rivers between mountains and valleys. 1 day

Wonosobo (Dieng Plateau)
I don't know about the town of Wonosobo but the Dieng plateau an hour up-mountain is a scenic area that shows some boiling mud pools and a small colored lake. There are some very old temple ruins too, older than Borobudur and Pramanbanan, but far less spectacular. 0 days

Probolingo (Gunung Bromo)
The town itself is off the beaten track and there is a reason for it, there is nothing to see or do there. But the volcano 'Bromo' is exquisite. For me this volcano looks as if it is taken out of the earliest times when dinosaurs ruled the world. Watching sunrise there was something to never forget. 1 day

Madura (Sumenep & Pamekasan)
This island in the north of Java is not often visited by tourists because there is not so much to do or see. The cities of Sumenep and Pamekasan did not leave any sound impressions on me. The one reason besides maybe the bull fights you should get out there for is to see the difference money can make in the lifestyle as they are considerably more rich in Madura 0 days

Alas Purwo National Park
A natural resort completely isolated from the outside world. Here the ocean is so rough you'd better not swim but surfing is possible quit near (Plengkung), and there is wildlife that you're not likely to see unless you head to the feeding grounds (Sadengan). The sea at trianggulasi is very romantic as the white sandy beaches are often completely deserted. 0 days

Banjuwangi (Gunung Kawa Ijen)
This little town again was not that special but it was the gateway to the Ijen crater. People dig in the crater for sulphur and you can hike up the crater and descent in it with them while they are working. The sulphur-gas coming out of the crater-holes and the clear bleu lake in the crater were again unforgettable. But things have changed around here I am told. 0 days

Denpasar
The capital of the Bali district is maybe worth visiting briefly. I didn't, so for me it was just a stop between Gillimanuk on the border with Java, and Ubud. The people ripped us off big time over here and were all but friendly. 0 days

Ubud
Ubud is a town in the hills of Bali. It is a nice place to get into the cultural life of the island. There is a Monkey Forrest Temple and you can do some nice little walks in the area to for example Goa Gajah, some ruins. Some museums show Balinese art and there are traditional performances almost every night. I was lucky enough to witness a Hindu burial. 2 days

Kediri (Tanah Lot)
Just a glimpse of the ocean here, because besides the little temple on the rock at the beach there is not much to see or do. Also the town Kediri is not worth going out there for. 0 days

Klungkung
This town with friendly people has nothing to offer in my opinion. 0 days

Padangbai
If you want to take the ferry to Lombok, then this is the place you will do that. Besides the ferry and the many fish restaurants there is only one thing to do here. The bat-cave some few kilometers out of town is used for the burial-ceremony. More interesting even are the billions of bats flying out at sunset. 0 days

Danau Bratan
It was a nice walk around the lake but in itself the temple didn't overwhelm me. 0 days

Lovina
Black sand beaches and probably everything you can do at black sand beaches like going out for dolphin watching, snorkeling, diving, ... but I didn't do any of that... We went out to see a waterfall and a Buddhist monastery on a hill. The latter was nice, the first really crap. 0 days