DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

18 days from GBP2,159 to GBP2,599 including flights
Tripcode: AOC

Countries Visited: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 24 reviews.

Andrzej Potocki

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written December 2011
I chose the holiday for the variety (City tours, temples, ancient history, modern history, culture, nature) mixed with ample leisure time. It was exactly what I got.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Khmer Rouge museum and Killing fields. The Angkor temples (not just Angkor Wat)
What did you think of your group leader?
I think all 3 were absolutely delightful, entertaining, and knowledgeable. The Laos leader (Pan) had slightly poorer English, but made up for this with his enthusiasm and charm. I believe it would be a great investment for you to fund him some quality English lessons.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
On return to Bangkok, with the free time, go to see the Thai boxing. 4 out of 16 went, and all 4 really enjoyed it.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I gave it 4 stars, and not 5. This is not because of Exodus's organisation of the holiday. It is simply because I reserved 5 stars for my person special "holidays-of-a-lifetime" (Galapagos Island, Egyptian ancient history).
Tina Carter

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written December 2011
This was a great trip with a really good, mixed group of like-minded people. It was a long trip but actually never felt that way, as we covered so many varied places.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I loved Laos and in particular the two days that we spent cruising down the Mekong river. It is a beautiful country and the people are so friendly and chilled out. I would visit it soon, before the pace of 'progress' changes it forever.
I also really loved the Ta Prohm temple at Angkor - it was so atmospheric with the moat and huge tree roots weaving their way through the buildings.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our leader in Laos was superb, an ex-monk, and capable of taking just about anything in his stride (including a broken down bus and the need to adapt the itinerary). We had 2 different guides in Thailand at each end of the tour and they were both great fun to be with. The guide in Cambodia was not as good, however all of these guides had been told that their contracts had been terminated as a result of structural change within the organisation and it is a testament to most of them that their professionalism did not lapse. They had all been with Exodus for years, so I consider it a great shame if this experience is lost.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
All 3 countries offer great bargains in terms of shopping, so try to travel as light as possible on the way out, otherwise you will not have enough space in your bag. I never expected quite so many temptations!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
There is a lot of travelling involved, virtually every other day, however the means of transport is very varied - plane, boat, bus and the scenery in most cases makes the long journeys worth it.
Conditions in Laos can be a bit basic in the smaller towns, however overall the standard of accommodation was very high. We had one dodgy hotel in Pak Beng, but this is not going to be used for future tours.
The complex at Angkor was incredible, however just to manage expectations, I found Angkor Wat itself to be a bit of a disappointment. This was probably partly because we entered from the rear (and the views are best from the front), partly because some of it was being 'renovated' and lastly because the buildings do need a lot of work to be done as they are all very black and grubby looking. That being said, it is still a fantastic site to visit.
Garry Martin

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written December 2011
We wanted to visit Angkor Wat and chose this particular holiday based on the varied itinerary, countries visited and previous reviews.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The feeling of regeneration of the infrastructure in Cambodia and seeing the great leaps forward in hospital care. The work carried out by the Kantha Bopha Foundation and Dr Beat Richner for childcare is an inspiration to everyone.
What did you think of your group leader?
All of the group leaders worked hard to make a very enjoyable holiday and were very knowledgeable and willing to share information both about their respective countries and personal family life. In addition we were particularly impressed by the local guide who shared his knowledge of Phnom Penh and the Killing Fields to give insight into a very difficult subject.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
As always just go with the flow and try to savour every moment, there is a wealth of information to assimilate. The recommended book First They Killed My Father is worth reading to learn about Cambodia. We visited Jim Thompson House in our free time in Bangkok, a gentle oasis in a busy city.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The trip is well paced and relaxing; the only change that I would suggest is one night in Vang Vieng and two nights in Vientiane.
Jacqueline Faccenda

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written November 2011
This was a well planned trip giving a taste of Thailand more of Laos and Cambodia.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
It is hard to choose one thing, meandering along the Mekong was pretty stunning and visitng the villages a reall insight.
Cambodia and its recent history was upsetting but I am glad I have visit this area, the people are so friendly and willing to talk, it was really noticible the no family came through that time untouched... the killing fields took my breath away. The delights of Ankor Wat was stunning.
What did you think of your group leader?
One of the down sides of visitng 3 countries we changed guides frequently. Pan in Laos deservise a special mention as he had excellent knowlwdge and great sense of fun and was very attentive to his guests needs.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take small denomination bills!
Be prepared to buy from the villages.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Very enjoyable trip
Hannah Bryant

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written November 2011
Having never been on a large group tour or travelled with exodus I did not know what to expect.I was very happy with the group we had fantastic dynamics all very individual characters mostly couples and the age range was from 30 -70+ but we all got on very well and with most of the group being very well travelled they gave me lots of inspiration for future trips.I was a solo traveller and so was a smidge nervous about this but the dynamics of the group meant I was very well looked after and having the usual holiday crisis including misplaced luggage meant that the group all leant me kit until my luggage was promptly reunited with me.Because the group jelled so well we spent most of our free time together and also chose to eat as a group on the evenings but there was no issue with anyone doing their own thing if they wanted a little private time away from the group I met up with friends on different trips on a few of the evenings.The itinerary covered a lot of things and gave a good introduction to the countries I would call it a Cambodia Laos Trip though not much of Thailand is actually seen. It was a reasonable pace not leisurely but not exhausting either. It would have been nice to have a few extra free time days as it felt like we were always on the go but none of the time was wasted even the days where long drives occurred there was always something good about the day like fantastic views or interesting tourist points to see.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
My favourite parts of the trip were:-
Sailing down the Mekong a beautiful escape
The Ankor Thom Temples
Seeing how many ladies we could cram into a single tuk tuk (following a good evening out)
Full body massages for less than $10
Riding a bike on possibly the bumpiest track I have ever encountered then stopping for a beer whilst a local gentleman imparted some Buddhist wisdom on us.
The food couldn’t try enough always so much to choose from.
The beautiful people who despite having very little in comparison to what we have back in England appeared much happier with much more solid values on family and community support for each other.
My fantastic travel buddies who I met on the trip made me laugh till my sides hurt sometimes and always checked if I was ok.
I can’t really say the killing fields in Cambodia are a favourite because it made me feel incredible deep sadness but they are an absolute must it is too significant to not see.
What did you think of your group leader?
We had a group leader for each section of the trip each very different in their personalities and each offering a different experience. The benefit of different guides was that their local knowledge was evident.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
When it comes to packing take only the essentials you can get everything else out there including spare clothes and if you don’t leave at least half of your case/sack empty you will end up leaving things behind or buying another case/sack to put trinkets in.
If you get a lot of trinkets it may be worth posting them home in a parcel.
Having lost my luggage temporarily it made me realises there is a difference between what you want and what you need; keep what you need in your hand luggage.
Make sure cash you take is small denominations or it gets tricky buying little things.
Interestingly I couldn’t use American dollars in Bangkok and had to change to local currency I was very surprised by that there were loads of ATM’s though and my hotel changed money for me although the rate wasn’t as good as it could have been elsewhere.
Always take a calling card from your hotel so if you do get lost you know where to get back to.
Make sure you take medication for coughs colds upset tummies ect and check well in advance what vacines you need.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Every trip will be different go with an open mind and enjoy yourself.
David Richards

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written November 2011
One of the best holidays I've been on due to a near perfect combination of content, excellant tour leaders and an outstanding group of fellow travellers who bonded over the 16 days of the tour to become a true second family. In truth this was three holidays in one with a separate tour leader for each country and three memorable farewell parties!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We shared so many memorable experiances together. I knew we had really gelled as a group on Day Three at our so called Standard Hotel at Chiang Khong which more than compensated for it's simplicity through its superb riverside location and the open air dining terrace where the night ended with us all doing the Hokey Cokey and singing Christmas Carols with a group of local diners - absolutely priceless! Drifting down the Mekong on our private slow boat with its' resident Laos family crew was heavenly.Then there was the cycle ride a group of us took at Vang Vieng through glorious countryside visiting tiny hamlets connected only by dirt tracks - we stopped at a wayside cafe for a refreshing drink and chatted with the owner: a former Buddist Monk with a remarkable tale to tell of his life through the terrors of his country's recent history and a purity of mind that left us both humbled and awestruck. The temples of Angkor exceeded my expectations and the fact that it poured with rain when we visited Angkor Wat only added to the other wordly atmosphere which was like a gothic horror film set: but the sun soon returned and The Bayon is surely the wierdest ediface (no pun intended!) ever built.
What did you think of your group leader?
We had one for each country: Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Each had different qualities: all were superb. It was obvious that without exception they had a genuine passion for their role and wanted to share the wonders of their countries with us. When we returned to Bangkok at the end of the holiday we were delighted to find our original group leader waiting for us at the airport. It was like meeting an old friend - we hugged and hugged - and what a fabulous farewell night dinner we all had with her.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Try and read up as much as possible on the recent 20th century history of these countries before you visit -especialy that of Laos as it will add greatly to your understanding and enjoyment of the tour. As the tour leaders are well versed as tourist guides they are great at giving you lots of information on the historic Wats and Palaces but if you dig a little deeper there is a lot more to discover about the lives, hopes and fears of the local people, and to their credit all three leaders were very happy to chat about all aspects of living in their countries.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The hotels used on this trip were all of a very acceptable standard with one exception - that at Pak Beng, the Villa Sarika, which I regard as unsafe and unhygenic. Stopping at Pak Beng is a great experiance not to be missed but this particular hotel should be dropped from the tour immediately. While appreciating that it was probably the only decent option at Pak Beng in the past, it appears that there are now several new hotels either built or under construction in the village which should be checked out as an alternative.
Personaly I found the time spent in Pnom Pehn a low point on the tour. Visiting the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields was too harrowing an experiance for me and several others on the tour and I would happily have given it a miss - perhaps those who want to could do this as an option in the free time period. It's not that I want to shut my eyes to this terrible aspect of the country's history, it just seems the wrong thing to include in the tourist trail. Are their better destinations for the tourist pound, ( I believe the killing fields are now run as a private enterprise tourist attraction owned by a Japanese company) such as looking at the work of organisations dedicated to the relief of land mine victims for example?
Tracey Reynolds

DISCOVER THAILAND, LAOS & CAMBODIA

Written September 2011
A truly wonderful experience - breathtaking scenery in Laos, stunning temples, beautiful food, moving history of Cambodia, the buzz of Bangkok, elephant rides, kayaking, the buddhist spirit, a relaxing boat ride to name but a few!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
For me it was probably our visit to Angkor - the skill of the craftsman and the power of the religion. The trip has inspired me to learn more about photography so that I can capture for eternity the details of the visit.
What did you think of your group leader?
We had three group leaders, all bringing a different personality to the trip. One guide was more reflective, another more outgoing and the other more smiley! All knowledgeable and bringing to the trip a chance for us to get to know more about the way of life of the people.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Lots of tissues and antibacterial handwash! Remember that the accommodation either night of the journey on the Mekong is likely to be shared with lots of other local creatures! A spare towel may be in order too.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A good all round experience.