MYANMAR
Punctual as
never before from Milan Malpensa at 21.20 my plane of the Qatar Airways Company
towards Bangkok (Thailand),
with a stopover of about 9 hours in Doha in Qatar
(round trip price including taxes Euro 506.96).
The
beautiful and very young Hostesses with the characteristic red headdress,
coming from all over the world.
Very nice
and friendly they fill you with food and drink continuously.
The plane
is full and therefore I cannot lie down.
I therefore
arrive at 5.15 am the following day, with impossible heat in Doha,
the capital of Qatar (2
hours time zone, compared to Italy).
I remain in
the very large and well-maintained transit area for 8 hours. It is a sea port
as from here direct planes pass through for the whole world. However, there is
a rest room on the first floor where you can sleep. At 14.00 I have the plane
to Bangkok in Thailand.
In Doha they are very
precise and therefore begin to board passengers 1 hour and 20 minutes before
the flight.
Hostesses
bring food twice: very pleasant.
After about
6 hours of flight I arrive at Suvarnabhumi
Airport in Bangkok
in Thailand,
located about 35 km
northeast of the center of the capital.
It is 11.50
pm (6 hours ahead of Italian time).
Exchange 50
euros at the airport but the exchange is not at all favorable.
Since a few
hours later I have the flight to Myanmar
from Don Mueang
Airport in Bangkok, located about 40 km west and since the free
shuttle that connects from 5.00 to 24.00 every hour, the 2 Bangkok
International Airports are not there. at night, I am forced to take a taxi with
a meter to the 1st floor.
The taxi
trip takes place almost entirely on the motorway and lasts just over 40 minutes
and costs me 540 Baht (50 Baht of fixed fare, 140 Baht of Autostrada, 310 Baht
of Taxometer and 40 Baht of Mancha).
Therefore I
sleep at Don Mueang
Airport in Bangkok, where there are chairs without
armrests and therefore you sleep like God. Many people do the same.
Punctual as
never before at 7.15 my Air Asia Company plane leaves for Yangon (Myanmar),
(one-way price including taxes, with hand luggage only Euro 36.75).
I therefore
arrive at 7.50 am at the Yangon International Airport,
the former capital of Myanmar
(5 hours time zone, compared to Italy
and 1 compared to Thailand).
To enter Myanmar you
must have a visa that can be obtained by following this procedure:
Send the
following documentation to the Embassy of Myanmar in Viale di Villa Grazioli 29
- 00198 Rome:
- original
passport (valid for no less than 6 months);
-2 color
passport photos taken recently;
- photocopy
of identity card;
- 2 copies
of the completed and signed Visa Application;
- Bank
draft made out to the Embassy of Myanmar for Euro 25.00 or money order of the
same amount.
After 1 or
at most 2 weeks the Embassy calls you to say that the passport is ready and
therefore you have to send the courier to get the passport.
To this
end, I repeat that many couriers do not provide this service. One that does it
is Mailbox at the minimum price of Euro 13.00.
At Yangon International Airport, located about 10 km north of the city
center, exchange money at a good exchange rate (once this was not possible and
you have to exchange on the black market to get a decent exchange rate). It is
useful to remember that the exchange rate at Yangon's
flowers is slightly more unfavorable and also the 100 dollar bills have a more
advantageous rate. Logically, only dollar banknotes issued from 2006 onwards
and which are perfectly intact are accepted. As long as they are slightly bent
and are not taken.
From Yangon International
Airport, located about 10 km north of the city
center, by taxi at a cost of USD 6, I go to Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, located
5 km
northeast as the crow flies, where I buy the bus ticket to Taunggyi at the
price of 13,000 Kyat.
A few
hundred meters from the Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, located 5 km northeast as the crow
flies, I take bus no. 43 which takes me downtown in about an hour. The ticket
is taken on the bus and costs 200 Kyat.
I get off
the main road a few hundred meters from the Shwedagon Paya which I reach on
foot. Before entering you have to remove your shoes and socks. There is a very
long staircase or an elevator to reach it. After that you have to pay the
ticket which costs 8,000 Kyat. There is an exchange counter nearby.
Once you
have visited the Shwedagon Paya, I hire a taxi for three hours paying 13,000
Kyat to visit the attractions of the city and to return to the Aung Mingalar
Bus Terminal, located 5 km
northeast as the crow flies.
The entrance to the Chaukhtatgyi Paya for the
visit to the great reclining Buddha is free while the one to the Kaba Aye Paya
costs 200 Kyat.
At 5.00 pm
I leave from the Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, located 5 km north-east as the crow
flies from Yangon Airport, with the Ask Group Company bus to Taunggyi at a
price of 13,000 Kyat. There are several per day.
At 5.00 A.M. the next day,
several km before Taunggyi, I get off at Shwenyaung, where there are taxis
stationed waiting for tourists heading to Inle Lake.
I then take
the taxi at the price of 10,000 Kyat or 10 USD, sharing it with a Korean boy
and therefore paying 5,000 Kyat a, which in about 20 minutes takes me to the
town of Nyaungshwe, on the banks of the Nan Chaung
Main Canal
where the motor boats leave. 4-seater for Inle Lake.
Keep in
mind that if you arrive by taxi in Nyaungshwe, before arriving in the city the
taxi driver will stop at the dedicated kiosk where you will have to pay the 7
USD Tax to enter the Inle Lake Region. If you enter the bus, however, this does
not happen because the bus does not stop and proceeds to the Bus Station.
The rental
of the 4-seater motor boat with boatman included for a full day costs 25
Dollars or 25,000 Kyat. I shared this expense in 2 but if there are 4 it is
better. The Barcaiolo already follows a pre-established tourist itinerary and
also takes you to see, in addition to the fishermen, the Women with the Long
Neck.
Then I rent
a bike to visit Nyaungshwe
Town for 1 Dollar or
1,000 Kyat for a day.
At 19.00
(there is also one at 7.30
in the morning), I leave from Nyaungshwe Bus Station,
located in Jetty Road,
practically in the center, with the bus at the price of 12,000 Kyat or 12 USD
for Bagan.
The bus
arrives at 4.30 A.M.
the next day, at the Nyaung U bus station, located 5 km from Old Bagan and 8 km from New Bagan. Many taxi
drivers are waiting for you, offering you disproportionate prices. At the end
after a long grueling negotiation we manage to rent a van for the price of 30
USD or 12.000 Kyat which we share in 6. The same takes us to the Shwesandaw
Paya to see the sunrise and waits for us for almost 2 hours and then takes me
to Old Bagan and the other 5 tourists in New Bagan where they have hotels.
Keep in
mind that if you arrive by taxi to Nyaung U, before arriving in the city the
taxi driver will stop at the dedicated kiosk where you will have to pay the 7
USD Tax to enter the Bagan Temples Region. If you enter the bus, however, this
does not happen because the bus does not stop and proceeds to the Bus Station.
In Old
Bagan I rent a bicycle at a cost of 3,000 Kyat or 3 USD per day that I use to
move between one Pagoda and another.
To travel
the 5 km
that divide me between Old Bagan and Nyaung U bus station, I use a Pick up,
with 2 rows of benches behind it at a cost of 500 Kyat.
At 2.30 pm
(there are several a day: 5.00 am, 7.45 am, 2.30 pm, 8.00 pm), I leave for Mandalay, from Nyaung U
Bus Station, by bus for the price of 7,500 Kyat or 7,5 USD.
The bus
arrives at 7.30 pm, at the Pyi Gyi Myat Shin bus station in Mandalay, located several kilometers outside
the center. To reach the City center I take a taxi at a cost of 7,000 Kyat or 7
USD. I share the shopping with three other tourists.
I sleep on
the 5th floor of the Mahar Hotel, without a lift, located at no. 171 of 24th
street, a step away from the Mandalay Fort, at a cost of 18,000 Kyat or 18 USD
per night including free Internet, free breakfast consisting of 2 or 4 eggs, 2
or 4 toast, juice and coffee. Very clean and comfortable hotel.
Rent a
bicycle at the Mahar Hotel for the price of 3,000 Kyat or 3 USD per day. It is
not easy to drive it in traffic but in any case I can visit Mandalay, Amarapura and Sagaing with the
bike, covering about 50 km.
Every day
at 9.00 and 9.15 there are 2 free shuttles of the Air Asia Company that depart
from Road 79 by Mandalay Palace, between Road 26 and 27 and in about an hour
take you to Mandalay
Airport, located 45 km south of center.
Logically, to use it, you must show the Air Asia airline ticket.
Bangkok, the capital
of Thailand
Punctual as
never before at 12.50 P.M. my Air Asia Company plane leaves for Bangkok (Thailand),
(one-way price including taxes, with hand luggage only Euro 42.75).
I therefore
arrive at 3.15 pm at Don Mueang Airport
in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand (6 hours time zone, compared to Italy and 1 compared to Myanmar).
At Don Mueang International Airport
in Bangkok,
located about 25 km
northwest of the city center, exchange money at a good exchange rate.
From
Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, located about 25 km northwest of the city
center, I walk for a few tens of meters to the main road where I take bus no.
29 which takes me in about 40 minutes to the Mo Chit BTS Skytrain Station, for
the price of 15 Baht. I take the ticket on the bus from the Ticket Lady.
The cost of
the Skytrain ticket varies according to the route traveled and can be obtained
either at the special machines or at the Ticket Office.
With a
change of train at Siam Station in about 30 minutes I arrive at Saphan Taksin
Station, located a few tens of meters from Tha Sathorn Port, where I take an
Orange Boat which, traveling north along the beautiful Mae Nam Chao Phraya
River in About 30 minutes takes me to the Port of Tha Tien, a few hundred
meters from the main entrance of the What Pho Temple. The ferry ticket costs 15
Baht and you can also do it on the ferry from the Lady Ticket Agent.
Entrance to
the What Pho Temple costs 100 Baht and it closes at 18.30.
After
visiting the center of Bangkok, I take the reverse
route to Phaya Thai ARL Airport Rail Link Station where I take the ticket to Suvarnabhumi Airport for 45 Baht.
From Suvarnabhumi Airport
I take the free shuttle that leaves every hour (at peak times every half hour)
from 5.00 to 24.00 from gate 3 on the 2nd floor to Don
Mueang Airport
in Bangkok,
located about 40 km
west. The journey takes one hour and to get on you must show that you have the
plane ticket.
Therefore I
sleep at Don Mueang
Airport in Bangkok, where there are chairs without
armrests and therefore you sleep like God. Many people do the same.
Vietnam
Punctual as
never before at 7.00 my Air Asia Company plane leaves for Hanoi,
the capital of Vietnam
(one-way price including taxes, with hand luggage only Euro 50.00).
I therefore
arrive at 8.40 am at the international airport
of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam (6 hours of time zone, compared to Italy and 0 compared to Thailand).
To enter Vietnam you
must have a visa which can be obtained by following this procedure:
Send the
following documentation to the Embassy of Vietnam, Via di Bravetta 156 - 00164 Rome:
original
passport (valid for no less than 6 months);
-1 color
passport photo taken recently;
- 1
completed and signed Visa Application form;
- Proof of
payment by postal current account no. 67977314 payable to the Embassy of
Vietnam in Italy
for 90 euros, of which 80 euros for consular fees and 10 euros for courier
expenses;
After
obtaining the visa (ordinary procedure from 3 days to 2 weeks), the Embassy
will retransmit the Passport by courier at the expense of the applicant of 10
Euros, already paid by postal order, adding them to the 80.00 Euros of consular
fees. .
If you
want, you can send everything to the Consulate of Turin but Obtaining a visa is
more expensive.
Furthermore,
for those who enter the country by air, it is possible to obtain an Airport
Visa by obtaining a kind of VISA online on the appropriate site that you pay
USD 20 by credit card and deliver it to the visa office of the Airport, where
you have to pay USD 45. This way you can get a Tourist Visa to visit Vietnam.
It is
logical then to reiterate that the aforementioned visa can also be obtained in
a couple of days in Ventiane, the capital of Laos and Phnom Penh, the capital
of Cambodia, also relying on hotels and hostels, but not 10 days before, 10
days later. and during the Chinese New Year which usually takes place in the
period between the end of the month of January and the beginning of the month
of February.
At Hanoi International
Airport, located about 35 km north of the city
center, currency exchange at a decent exchange rate.
From the
Arrivals Hall of Hanoi International Airport, located about 35 km north of the city
center, I move to the right on foot for a few tens of meters until I find a
parking lot where Bus no. 17 to Long Bien Bus Station near Hanoi's Old Town.
The journey takes about an hour and costs 8,000 Dong. I get the ticket on the
bus from the Ticket Agent.
I get off
just before the Long Bien Bus Station, and in a few steps I am in the chaotic
Old Quarter where I rent a bicycle for the whole day for the price of 50,000
Dong.
I travel
around Hanoi by bicycle amidst impossible
traffic and visit the most important attractions of Hanoi.
Entrance to
the Ngoc Son
Temple in Hanoi
in Vietnam
costs 20,000 Dong.
Entrance to
the Temple of Literature
in Hanoi in Vietnam costs 20,000 Dong.
Entrance to
the Quan Thanh
Temple in Hanoi
in Vietnam
costs 20,000 Dong.
Parking for
bicycles at Quan Thanh
Temple in Hanoi
in Vietnam
costs 5,000 Dong.
The
entrance to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi
in Vietnam,
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, costs 30,000 Dong.
From the
Old City to the Gia Lam Bus Station, located about 3 km north east of the center,
I take a taxi with a taxometer but probably the same is rigged and I have to
fork out 90,000 Dong.
I take the
ticket for the 17.30 bus to Halong city for the price of 120,000 Dong. I wait
for him for 2 hours but then in the end they tell me that the same is blocked
and therefore as there are no other buses they give me back the money and they
tell me that I have to go to the Luong Yen Bus Station, located 3 km southeast of the center
of Hanoi. And I go there with an urban bus for the price of 5,000 Dong, paying
the appropriate controller inside it.
The 7.00 pm
Bus between Hanoi and Halong
City leaves late from Luong Yen Bus
Station, located 3km southeast of central Hanoi.
The Bus has reclining seats that allow you to lie down almost like a bed.
Payment of 150,000 Dong must be made directly to the driver. The trip takes about
4 and a half hours. Logically you have to get on the bus without shoes.
The bus drops me off at Ben Xe Bus Station,
located about 5km south of Halong
City. I am the only
tourist. There are taxis waiting for you. One for the price of 30,000 Dong
takes me to a partner hotel located in the center of Halong City.
Pao for one night 8 USD for a double room for single use. The drama is that he
sells me the 1 day and one night excursion to Halong Bay departing at noon and
arriving at noon the next day, including 2 lunches, a dinner, a breakfast, the
excursion to the caves and the one in Kyiak, all the necessary transfers and
the bus back to Hanoi for the all-inclusive price of 82USD, after I negotiated
a lot to get a big discount. I think I got a good deal and instead I took a jab
because I later learned that my cruise mates paid for it from 50 USD to 75 USD,
but it fits, it's part of the game.
Laos
After
happily passing the mini boat cruise and returning to Hanoi,
I go to the old quarter and in any agency I book a bus for Vientiane,
the capital of Laos.
The cost is 32 USD or 670 Dong and costs about 8 USD or 170 Dong more than the
cost of the ticket taken at the Bus station, but the free transfer to the
distant Boung Cho Boung Ve Station in Hanoi is included.
In the end,
just before departure, I and the numerous tourists understand that there are
fewer seats than the tickets sold and therefore a kind of fight breaks out for
who has to go up sooner or later and then in the end we all manage to get on:
some manage to grab seats very comfortable reclining seats, some are stuck
together and 3 end up lying in the corridor. Logically I am among the latter 3.
The bus
leaves at 19.00. The journey lasts 22 hours. The bus stops many times to take
breaks and usually arrives at the border between Vietnam and Laos of Nam Can_Nam
Phao at 6.00 but the border opens at 7.00 and therefore you have to wait an
hour. Then you have to pay the 1 USD fee to get the Vietnam exit stamp. Logically, they
also accept Dong. Then you have to walk for over a kilometer, on the paved road
often in the middle of the mud, to reach the Laos border. You have to fill in
the appropriate forms and pay the sum of 36 USD + 2 USD if you don't have
passport photos to get the visa at the border, which is issued quite quickly.
Logically, they also accept Dong and Kip. Then attached there is the exchange
counter with disadvantageous rates.
Arrival at
about 5.00 pm, after a 22 hour drive at the Dong Dok Bus Station, located 9 km south of the center of Vientiane. I share with
the other tourists the tuc tuc for the center paying 20,000 Kips. The same
leaves me in the center at the intersection of Fa Ngoum Street and Norkeokoummarn Street
about 200 meters
away. from the very clean Vientiane Back Packers Hostel, located on Norkeokoummarn Street,
a few meters from the intersection with Setthathirath Street. It is beautiful and
very popular and costs only 40,000 Kips per night for a dorm bed, including
breakfast, internet and luggage storage.
The
following morning I rent a bicycle at the aforementioned hostel at the price of
15,000 Kips per day including the lock.
Getting
around Vientiane
by bicycle is great because there is little traffic.
Admission
to the Wat Sisaket Museum
costs 5,000 Kips. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from
13.00 to 16.00.
Admission
to the Ho Phra Keo Museum costs 5,000 Kips. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday
from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 16.00.
Sending a
postcard from Vientiane to Italy costs
14,000 Kips, including the price of the same.
Entrance to
the Phra That Luang Museum costs 5,000 Kips. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday
from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 16.00.
To go to
the North Bus Station, located 8
km northwest of the center of Vientiane, I take a tuc tuc by myself,
because I can't find anyone to share it and I still pay 40,000 Kips for it.
At the
North Bus Station, located 8km northwest of Vientiane city center, I take the Sleeping
Bus to Luang Prabang which departs at 8pm. If you buy the ticket at the aforementioned
station, you pay 150,000 Kips, if you take it at the hostel, you pay 190,000
Kips, but the expensive transport to the North Bus Station is free and
therefore this second option is definitely worthwhile, as it avoids a lot of
hassle . There are about 8 buses a day that travel the Vientiene - Luang
Prabang route and vice versa. Day buses usually cost 110,000 Kips.
After 10
hours of travel, I arrive at the Southern Bus Station, located 3 km south of the center of
Luang Prabang, at 6.00 in
the morning, after I slept on the very comfortable sleeping bus, with the
reclining seats that become almost like beds.
I share the
tuc tuc for the center with the other tourists paying 10,000 Kips. The same
leaves us in the center of Sisavangvong, near the Tourist Office.
To get
around, I rent a bike with a lock at the price of 20,000 Kips per day. A
security deposit of 100,000 Kips must be left. Many shops and guesthouses rent
bikes on Khem Khong Street.
Admission
to Wat Xieng Thong Monastery costs 20,000 Kips.
To go to
the Southern Bus Station, located 3
km south of the center of Luang Prabang, I take a tuc
tuc by myself, because I can't find anyone to share it and I still pay 15,000
Kips for it.
At the Southern Bus Station, located 3 km south of the center of Luang
Prabang, I take the Express Bus to Vientiene which leaves at 14.00. There are
about 8 buses a day that travel the Luang Prabang - Vientiene route and vice
versa. The Sleeping Bus costs 150,000 Kips.
Arrive at
approximately 24:00 after a 10-hour drive at the North Bus Station, located 8km
northwest of downtown Vientiane.
I share the tuc tuc with the other tourists for the center paying 20,000 Kips.
The same leaves me in the center in front of the very clean Vientiane Back
Packers Hostel, located in Norkeokoummarn
Street, a few meters from the intersection with Setthathirath Street.
It is beautiful and very busy and costs only 40,000 Kips per night for a dorm
bed, including breakfast, internet and luggage storage.
The next
day I walk to the Talat Sao Bus Station, located in the center of Vientiane at the
intersection of Nongbone Road
and Khu Vieng Road.
From there
I take bus n. 14 which runs the 16
km southbound many times a day to Tha Na Leng, where
there is the border and where the Friendship
Bridge that separates Laos from Thailand begins.
There I
take the Tuc - Tuc which travels the dusty 9km stretch east, adjacent to the Mekong River,
which leads to the beautiful Xieng Khuan Buddha
Park located adjacent to Thadeua Village. I pay 10,000 Kips even if on a
sign on display it says that it costs 40,000 Kips and therefore you have to
negotiate a lot to get the right price of 10,000 Kips.
The
entrance to Xieng Khuan Buddha
Park located adjacent to Thadeua Village costs 5,000 Kips over 3,000
Kips, for the possession of the camera. Dozens and dozens of concrete Buddhas
make this place truly incredible.
After
visiting the Buddha Park, I return to Vientiane with the same means of transport
and the same prices described above.
Cambodia
At the
Vientiane Back Packers Hostel, located in Norkeokoummarn Street, I book the direct
bus between Vientiane and Phnom Penh at a cost of 420,000 Kips (of
course, you can also pay in American Dollars or Thai Baht). In ticket it is
sold to you as a direct journey lasting 22 hours but in truth it takes place in
stages and lasts over 28 hours:
1. Travel
by tuc - tuc from the hostel mentioned above to North Bus Station, located 8 km northwest of the center
of Vientiane;
2. Travel
by Sleeping Bus, equipped with comfortable double beds departing at 19.30 from
the North Bus Station in Vientiane and arriving
at 7.00 A.M.
the next day at the Pakse Bus Station, in southern Laos;
3. Here
there is a chaotic sorting of passengers headed to various locations and a
minibus takes you to a Travel Agency located in the center of Pakse which
changes the ticket you have;
4. We wait
for about an hour for other passengers arriving from other locations and then
we leave for the Nong Khiang border in Laos.
5. A few kilometers before the border
you change minibus again to reach the border post of Nong Khiang - Trapaeng
Kriel, located between southern Laos
and northwestern Cambodia;
6. Then you
have to pay the 2 USD fee to get the Laos exit stamp. Logically they
also accept Kips. Then you have to walk for over 500 meters, on the paved
road, to reach the Cambodian border. Here you have to fill out the appropriate
form, pay the amount of 1 USD (Logically they also accept Kips and Baht) and
have a fever tested to get the yellow fever certificate. Then you have to change
the counter, fill in the form, give a photograph and pay 25 Dollars (Logically
they also accept Kips and Baht) to get a visa at the border, which is issued
quite quickly. Then you have to change the counter to fill in another form to
get the entry stamp in Cambodia.
7. Then 100
mt. beyond the Cambodian border a bus awaits you that leaves at around 13.00
and in any case when everyone has completed the customs operations and
continues at very low speeds on ugly roads full of holes towards the capital of
Cambodia Phnom Penh. The same stops several times to take breaks.
8. At about
9.00 pm those going to Siem Reap get off and change buses; they will arrive at
3.30 at night, while I continue to Phnom
Penh. The same breaks a suspension but in less than an
hour it is repaired and at about 11.40 pm, after 28 hours of travel, I am in
the capital, about 2 km
from the center.
In Phnom Penh, the tuc tuc
are waiting for you asking you 5 USD to go to the center. Some tourists accept
others do not and then in the end I sleep in a Guesthouse that I reach in 5
minutes on foot. It is clean and comfortable and each double room costs 12 USD.
Singles don't exist.
Then I
stocked a ride on a moped for a Guesthouse employee who took me to downtown Phnom Penh for the price
of 2 USD.
Rent a
Citybike from Grasshopper Adventures located on road 144 in the center of Phnom
Penh, at a price of 4 USD per day, without helmet, 5 USD (of course they also
accept RIELs) with helmet, 8 USD for MTB without helmet, 10 USD the MTB with
the helmet. The padlock is included in the price. You must leave your passport
as a deposit. They do not accept photocopies.
Admission
to Wat Phnom Temple
costs 1 USD. Logically, they also accept RIELs.
Admission
to the Royal Palace costs 25,000 RIEL. Of course they
also accept USD.
At one of
the many agencies located in the center I book the Minibus to Siem Reap for the
price of 9 USD. Logically, they also accept RIELs. There are also a lot of Big
Bus a day and the cost is the same only that the Minibus takes 5 hours and 30
'but it is slightly more uncomfortable, while the Big Bus takes 6 hours but it
is more comfortable. The pick up is still in front of the agency.
Siem Reap
is another world than the rest of Cambodia. It is full of tourists,
pubs, restaurants and hotels.
I pay 1 USD
for a ride in tuk tuk, 2 km
in the center, sharing the same with another tourist.
The hotels
are all full but I find a place at The Boomerang Guest House, in the center, at
the price of 5 USD, for almost 2 nights (the second I left at 1 am), including
free internet. Logically, they also accept RIELs.
Here I also
rent a bike for 1 USD per day. Logically, they also accept RIELs.
The next
day I cycle on Charles de Gaulle
Blvd the 8 km that separate Siem Reap from the Temples
of Angkor.
About 1 km from the Angkor Wat
Temple, the most
important, is the ticket office. The ticket office is open from 5.30 in the morning to
17.30. The ticket valid for one day costs 20 USD. They take your picture and
give you a pass, which you must show at the frequent checks that are carried
out in the vast Area of the Temples of Angkor.
Moving
around by bicycle I can see the most important Temples as well as Elephants (15 USD for 1
ride on the Elephant) and monkeys.
I return to
Siem Reap in the evening and at 1.30 am I take the bus to Bangkok. I booked it the day before at The
Boomerang Guest House for 10 USD (of course they also accept RIELs). The same
stops in front of all the hotels concerned and therefore also in front of mine.
At 6.00 we are in front of the Popet border between Cambodia
and Thailand
but it opens at 7.00 and then we wait an hour by bus.
Ayuthaya (Thailand)
At the
Cambodian border, they take your fingerprints before giving you the exit stamp.
Then you have to walk about 500
meters. before reaching the Thai one. Once we have
passed the latter, a minibus takes us in front of a club, where after waiting
an hour I take another minibus to Bangkok.
Logically it's all included in the 10 USD I paid at The Boomerang Guest House.
It takes you to the center or if you want you can drop off at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
I choose this last solution. It is 13.00.
From Suvarnabhumi Airport
in Bangkok I
take the Metro ARL Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai Station of 45 Baht.
From Phaya
Thai Station I take the Metro BTS Skytrain Sukhumvit Line and get off at Mo
Chit Station. Price of 35 Baht.
From the Mo
Chit metro station I take a Motortaxi which, at a price of 80 Baht, takes me in
a few minutes to the Chatuchak Bus Terminal in Bangkok where I take a Minibus
to Ayuthaya (departures every 20 ', cost 70 Baht). It also stops at Don Mueang
Airport and takes about 1
hour and 30 minutes to reach the center of Ayuthaya.
In the
center of Ayuthaya, rent a bicycle at a cost of 40 Baht per day, including
padlock.
I visit
Ayuthaya, a Unesco heritage site by bicycle. I also see elephants.
Admission
to Wat Phra Si Sanphet costs 50 Baht.
From the
Ayuthaya Main Bus Terminal, I take a Minibus to Don
Mueang Airport
in Bangkok
(departures every 20 minutes, cost 60 Baht). The same takes about 1 hour to
reach it.
From Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, I
take the free shuttle that leaves every hour (at peak times every half hour)
from 5.00 to 24.00 outside the Arrivals Hall for Suvarnabhumi
Airport in Bangkok, located about 40 km east. The journey takes
one hour and to get on you must show that you have the plane ticket.
Bahrain
Punctual as
never before departs from Suvarnabhumi
Airport in Bangkok
at 1.40 A.M.
my plane of the company Qatar Airways in the direction of Doha.
At the Hamad Airport
in Doha, without leaving the transit area, just
beyond the security check I go to the Transfer desk with my electronic ticket
for Bahrain
(Euro 160.00 round trip) of the Gulf Air company and I have my ticket.
The Gulf
Air plane takes just over half an hour to reach neighboring Bahrain. There
are several flights a day.
I can do
the Bahrain tourist visa at
the airport by paying the price of 5 Bahrain Dinar (BHD) in cash. You
can exchange the money before you get it.
After
obtaining it before leaving the airport, I am subjected to a very accurate
40-minute check of my backpack and passport by the Airport Police. My backpack
is emptied and every single piece is checked including even dirty underwear,
toothbrush, toothpaste, ect. The passport is also carefully viewed page by
page.
Having
passed the control unscathed, I take myself outside the airport, located on Muharraq Island
5 km east
of the capital Manama.
To reach it, however, there is no public transport and I have to take a taxi at
the incredible cost of 7 Bahrain
Dinar (BHD).
The capital
Manama is
around on foot. The Suq is not very nice.
To return
to the airport, located on Muharraq Island 5
km east of the capital Manama, I take a taxi for the price of 10
USD.
The Gulf
Air plane takes just over half an hour to reach nearby Doha,
the capital of Qatar.
There are several flights a day.
At the Hamad Airport
in Doha,
without leaving the transit area, at 1.40 am I take the flight of the Qatar
Airways Company towards Milan Malpensa at night where I arrive at 5.45 am.
My complete travel report
with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:
http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2016/12/viaggio-in-indocina-myanmar-vietnam.html
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