Best tog tours in Asia

[MJP]

So I was speaking tonight with another forum member (who works with me in Blighty). Top chap, very well travelled and we got onto the subject of other places in the region to go on a grand tog tour (in and out of discussing the efficacy of large scale white rot fungal mineralisation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, as you do).

Laos going into Yunnan province (that's in China by the way).

Instinctively went to Google Images and . . .

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=yunnan+province&rlz=1C1GGGE_en-GBGB603GB603&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=967&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=nBi3VO23McLT7QbUp4HoAg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

Yes, yes, yes! Gooooood!

There's Mekong cruises available for not too much money all the way up from Laos into Yunnan province and the scenery is simply tops. Very tempted as the tours include a stop over in Luang Prabang.

http://www.yunnanadventure.com/tour-g11-yunnan-mekong-river-cruise.html

Anyone ever done this? Any tips? Any places of particularly grand scenic beauty?

Honestly, I've had enough of just going to HomePro.

Edited January 15, 2015 by MJP

[sunshine51]

Vientiane-Luang Prabang- Plain of Jars-Hanoi...great road trip reasonably priced.

Burma...Rangoon-Mandalay-Bagan-Inle Lake...further North if U desire? Can be

pricy or reasonable...depends on U. Many options availablein Burma now!

Trains are good, roads OK but some drivers iffy...no need to fly really unless time

is a stark constraint. But don't take my word for it...Go See!!!!

[MJP]

Seriously need a break. Last Friday I started work at 6am and finished at 4am on Monday, straight through. Three hours kip and flat out again.

[rhythmworx]

Not sure how the tours of the Mekong in Laos will go as there are a few major dams currently being built which would block your access.

If you like caves and nature Hang Son Doong or Hang En in Vietnam might be worth a look along with their surroundings.

The colourful mountains of Zhangye Danxia in Gansu province China.

Pulau Redang in Malaysia.

Lots of places all over eastern asia. If you pay my travel expenses, I will happily go and shoot the photos for you...how good a deal is that?

Get the pics while sat at home working or watching TV in front of a warm fire in the UK.

[sunshine51]

Ratanakiri & Mondolkiri Provinces in Kampooch.

Away from the crap in Phnom penh & Siem Reip

and a world away from everywhere else. See it before

the suits enter and ruin it.

Note: Some suits have already snopped around &

set up camp...but they're easily avoided.

[Assurancetourix]

Not necessary to go outside Thailand ;

Just did a short journey with my wife and a french friend in north Thailand;

Beginning from our province - Sakon_Nakhon - , going to Nong_Khai; then road 211 to Chiang_Khan;

Loei, Chat_Trakan , Uttaradit ;

Phrae ; Chiang_Rai; road 1149 border Burma ...

Thaton, Chian_Dao and his colorfull ethnic market..

Pai, Soppong , Mae_Hong_Son ; Ban_Nai_Soi, a Karen village ;

Mae_Sariang ; Hot , Chiang_Mai..

8 days and about three thousand photos ;

now need some time for sorting these shots....

About Luang_Prabang Vientiane by boat, I think it's not possible as wrote rhythmworks ;

I did Pak_Lai - Vientiane, about 9 hours on a ordinary boat in 2007 and it was nearly the end of that kind of journey on the Maenam_Khong.

[Robby nz]

Did a trip a while back to the south of Lao, crossed at Chongmek then to Pakse where we hired a motorbike and went round the Bolaven Plateau, back to Pakse, then songtau and boat to the 4000 islands.

On the way back we crossed the river to Champassak where we hired bikes and went to Wat Phu, then songtau on a shiny new road on the same side of the river to Maueng Kao and from there back to TL on another songtau. Ten days from memory.

Great trip.

[MJP]

Not necessary to go outside Thailand ;

Just did a short journey with my wife and a french friend in north Thailand;

Beginning from our province - Sakon_Nakhon - , going to Nong_Khai; then road 211 to Chiang_Khan;

Loei, Chat_Trakan , Uttaradit ;

Phrae ; Chiang_Rai; road 1149 border Burma ...

Thaton, Chian_Dao and his colorfull ethnic market..

Pai, Soppong , Mae_Hong_Son ; Ban_Nai_Soi, a Karen village ;

Mae_Sariang ; Hot , Chiang_Mai..

8 days and about three thousand photos ;

now need some time for sorting these shots....

About Luang_Prabang Vientiane by boat, I think it's not possible as wrote rhythmworks ;

I did Pak_Lai - Vientiane, about 9 hours on a ordinary boat in 2007 and it was nearly the end of that kind of journey on the Maenam_Khong.

No I really want to go to other places thanks.

[rhythmworx]

Just to add on...not really related to the original question but might be of interest.

Watch this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04plfkb

People on the Mekong will have their lives changed forever...for the worse.

I wasn't a Sue Perkins fan ever and even so at the start of the series, but I began to like her.

The suits are that shit up for the unspoiled and happy people.

Just realised it's unavailable but a torrent search might find it.

Edited January 16, 2015 by rhythmworx

[Assurancetourix]

Seriously need a break. Last Friday I started work at 6am and finished at 4am on Monday, straight through. Three hours kip and flat out again.

" Any places of particularly grand scenic beauty? ":

Go to Hue province in Vietnam ;

I went many times in that province from january 1991 to may 2007 ;

I will go again by bicycle with my friends of Pangkhon Cycling Team next july 2015 .

Argentic photos shot a long time ago , sorry for the poor quality

[Rob8891]

Sometimes it pays to think smallscale, rather than grandiose tours of huge areas. I don't like the speed through an area approach, but would rather take a small area and also take my time.

I've just come back from a miserly two days around Doi Ankang, guided by fabianfred: it meant that we weren't tourists so much as would otherwise have been the case, and go a real glimpse of real life in a couple of very isolated villages the hills. I have friends from a different hill village area and will spend a few days there too. Staying in a village homestay was an experience to say the least, but it meant that we were more of a part of the village than if we had just bombed through on the bikes. Worth a thought!

A neighbour has just been cycling from Mae Sot into Burma and then south to Ranong. That seems to be a rather untouched area too.

Just saying!

[Assurancetourix]

I agree with you Rob8891; was there in november last year ;

we are there out of nowhere ;on another planet ...

PB103453_chiang_dao__doi_ang_khang by vanhouten1, on Flickr

IMG_1102_doi_ang_khang by vanhouten1, on Flickr

PB103463_chiang_dao__doi_ang_khang by vanhouten1, on Flickr

And sometimes a road closed by the thai army

PB113484_doi_ang_khang_tathon by vanhouten1, on Flickr

A burmese camp along the road

PB113485_doi_ang_khang_tathon by vanhouten1, on Flickr