REPORT TRAVEL IN MYANMAR, VIETNAM, LAOS, CAMBODIA, THAILAND AND BAHRAIN.

  

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