P D F Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand PDF ebook Edition 5th Edition Release Date Aug 2017 Pages 576 Useful Links Want more guides? Head to our shop Trouble with your PDF? Trouble shoot here Need more help? Head to our FAQs Stay in touch Contact us here © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this PDF ebook is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above – ‘Do the right thing with our content’. 4 easy-to-use How to use this book sections Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings: 1 4 Sights Sleeping r 5 Beaches Eating 2 6 PLAN YOUR TRIP Activities Drinking C 3 Courses Entertainment Your planning tool kit T 7 Photos & suggestions to help Tours Shopping you create the perfect trip. z Festivals 8 Information & Events & Transport All reviews are ordered in our writers’ preference, starting with their most preferred option. Additionally: Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these ranges, by writer preference. ON THE ROAD Your complete guide Expert reviews, easy-to-use maps & insider tips. These symbols and abbreviations give vital information for each listing: Must-visit recommendation Sustainable or green recommendation No payment required % Telephone number f Ferry UNDERSTAND h Opening hours j Tram p Parking d Train Get more from your trip n Nonsmoking a pt apartments Learn about the big picture, to a Air-conditioning d double rooms make sense of what you see. i Internet access d m dorm beds W Wi-fi access q quad rooms s Swimming pool r rooms v Vegetarian selection s single rooms E English-language menu ste suites c Family-friendly tr triple rooms # Pet-friendly tw twin rooms g Bus SURVIVAL GUIDE Your at-a-glance reference For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend. Vital practical information for a smooth trip. ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand Vietnam p48 Laos p288 Northern Thailand p401 Cambodia p178 Phillip Tang Tim Bewer, Greg Bloom, Austin Bush, Nick Ray, Richard Waters, China Williams P LAN ON THE ROAD YOUR TRIP Welcome to the VIETNAM . . . . . . . . . . 48 Vinh Long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Mekong Region . . . . . . . . . 4 Hanoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Can Tho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Vietnam, Cambodia, Ninh Binh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Chau Doc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Laos & Northern Thailand Map . . . . . . . . . .6 Tam Coc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Ha Tien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Vietnam , Cambodia, Cuc Phuong Rach Gia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Laos & Northern National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Phu Quoc Island . . . . . . . . 157 Thailand Top 20 . . . . . . . .8 Halong Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Understand Vietnam . . . 162 Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 18 Halong City . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Survival Guide . . . . . . . . 168 If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Cat Ba Island . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Month by Month . . . . . . . 23 Haiphong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 CAMBODIA . . . . . . . . 178 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Ba Be National Park . . . . . 78 Phnom Penh . . . . . . . . . 179 Outdoor Adventures . . . . 34 Mai Chau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Kirirom National Park . . . 201 Travel with Children . . . . 43 Lao Cai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Phnom Chisor . . . . . . . . . . 203 Countries at a Glance . . . 45 Bac Ha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Phnom Tamao Sapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Wildlife Rescue Centre . . .203 Dien Bien Phu . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Tonlé Bati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Phong Nha-Ke Udong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Bang National Park . . . . . . 87 Siem Reap . . . . . . . . . . . 204 NAIHEI / GETTY IMAGES © HADHArrauooonie uuA .a nn .nndd . .g . . . HH . . .ou . . . . . .ie . . . .A . . . .n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11110008104692 ATFoPlfhrno emCgak htT oiTornroan gRapg lVee BKsinlelingarre dgva ee s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221166 Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Cham Islands . . . . . . . . . . 114 Temples of Angkor . . . . 218 Quy Nhon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Angkor Wat . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Nha Trang . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Angkor Thom . . . . . . . . . . 219 Mui Ne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Further Afield . . . . . . . . . . 226 RICE FIELDS, Con Dao Islands . . . . . . . . 126 Banteay Chhmar . . . . . . . 227 NORTHERN VIETNAM P71 Dalat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Battambang . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Cat Tien National Park . . . 133 Around Battambang . . . . 235 Ho Chi Minh TRAVELSTOCK44 - JUERGEN HELD / GETTY IMAGES © CDBCMBMBaeeuaiyetacni yk CT cN oLThhh(arinSio .eeem g . . . uas . . . . . i DTg . . . . .ho . . . . .ee . . . . .lnt . . . . .m)a . . . . . .e . . . . . . . . . . . .P . . . . . . .a . . . . . . .r . . . . . . .k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111111113555555542322221 PVKK&KSMRritooar ohAauatmmnesatnrioadappngerutuaoo . TnlPPknn .krdie .rggrirroe . . n iiT Cav . . gPPhih . . .h nrro . . . aoco . . .mmvev . . .iin . . . . . n c . . . . .ce . . . . .e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222222243344346935771 BANTEAY SREI (P226), ANGKOR, CAMBODIA Contents UNDERSTAND Koh Kong City . . . . . . . . . . 251 NORTHERN The Mekong Koh Kong Conservation THAILAND . . . . . . . . 401 Region Today . . . . . . . . . 510 Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Bangkok . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512 Sihanoukville . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Ko Samet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 People & Culture . . . . .527 The Southern Islands . . . 263 Trat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 Kampot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Ko Chang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 Around Kampot . . . . . . . . 270 Nakhon Ratchasima Kep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 (Khorat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 Understand Cambodia .275 Around Nakhon Survival Guide . . . . . . . .280 Ratchasima . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 SURVIVAL Khao Yai National Park . . . 450 GUIDE LAOS . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Phanom Rung & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 Vientiane . . . . . . . . . . . .289 Ubon Ratchathani . . . . . . .452 Border Crossings . . . . .536 Phu Khao Khuay National Protected Area (NPA) . . . 304 Mukdahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 Directory A–Z . . . . . . . .539 Ang Nam Ngum . . . . . . . . 308 Nakhon Phanom . . . . . . . . 456 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 548 Vang Vieng . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 Nong Khai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552 Luang Prabang . . . . . . .315 Nong Khai to Loei . . . . . . . 461 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 557 Pak Ou Caves . . . . . . . . . . 327 Loei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567 Tat Kuang Si . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Chiang Khan . . . . . . . . . . . 463 Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 575 Tat Sae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Chiang Mai . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 Xieng Khuang Chiang Dao . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 & Hua Phan Provinces . . .328 Tha Ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478 Muang Ngoi District . . . . . 336 Pai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479 Northwestern Laos . . . . . 340 Sukhothai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482 Phongsali Province . . . . . 347 Chiang Rai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486 Middle Mekong . . . . . . . . . 350 Golden Triangle . . . . . . . . . 490 Bolikhamsai & Chiang Khong . . . . . . . . . . 493 Khammuan Provinces . . . 355 Nan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494 SPECIAL FEATURES Savannakhet Province . . . 363 Understand Thailand . . . 497 Champasak Province . . . . 368 Survival Guide . . . . . . . .502 Hue’s Imperial Enclosure Pakse Region . . . . . . . . . . 378 3D Illustration . . . . . . . .92 Si Phan Don (Four Temples of Angkor Thousand Islands) . . . . . . 379 3D Illustration . . . . . . .220 Bolaven Plateau Region . . 385 Wat Phra Kaew & Understand Laos . . . . . 388 Grand Palace Survival Guide . . . . . . . . 393 3D Illustration . . . . . . . 406 Wat Pho 3D Illustration . . . . . . . 408 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 4 Welcome to the Mekong Region The Mekong – it’s an exotic name guaranteed to fire up the imagination, with such iconic sights as Angkor Wat, Halong Bay and Luang Prabang. A River Runs Through It Old Asia, New Asia One of the world’s great rivers, the Experience old Asia and new Asia jos- Mekong winds its way down from the tling for space. One minute it’s Bangkok, foothills of Tibet to the South China Sea, where you’re riding the Skytrain to a encompassing some of the most diverse state-of-the-art shopping mall, the next backdrops in Asia. Its dramatic journey it’s walking with an elephant in the jungle southward takes in remote national parks of Cambodia. In the cities, the pace of life and immense waterfalls in Laos, tradition- runs at a dizzying speed, matched only by al towns and 21st-century cities in Thai- the endless rush of motorbikes and call of land, freshwater dolphins and forgotten commerce. In the countryside, life seems temples in Cambodia and a patchwork of timeless – the rural rhythms the same as emerald greens in Vietnam’s Mekong Del- they have been for centuries – with tradi- ta. Take it all in by boat, or delve in with a tionally clothed farmers tending the fields community homestay on one of thousands and monks wandering the streets in search of islands formed by the mighty river. of alms. Adrenalin Buzz The Spirit of the Mekong You’re never far from adventure in these Travelling in the Mekong region is as parts. Go motorbike touring in Vietnam’s much about the journey as the destina- highlands, then descend to the coast to tion. Whether you’re venturing into a kitesurf on the South China Sea. Trek distant minority village or plunging into deep into the rainforest to spot gibbons the backstreets of a seething megalopolis, and other rare wildlife in Cambodia or your senses will be bombarded as never northern Thailand. For something mel- before. Delve deeper to discern the mosaic lower, take a cycle around Angkor or walk of ethnicities and learn about their with elephants at one of several elephant cultures and lifestyles. The people are sanctuaries in the region. Rock climbing irrepressible, the experiences unforgetta- in central Laos, diving off the southern ble and the stories impossible to re-create, rim of Cambodia and Vietnam, ziplining but sometime during your journey, the through virgin jungle around Chang Mai Mekong and its people will enter your or the Bolaven Plateau – you can pick your soul. Go with the flow and let the Me- own adventure. kong’s spirit course through your veins. 5 ART65395 / SHUTTERSTOCK © Why I Love Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand By Greg Bloom, Writer My affair with the Mekong region began in 1997. An overnight bus from Bangkok and the next morning I’m in Vientiane. It’s traffic- and tourist-free, and it’s surely the most relaxed place on earth. The next month is a somnolent, seemingly interminable journey north along misty mountain roads and rivers coloured caramel by the monsoon. A decade later I returned, this time to live in Cambodia, where the icons of Mekong life – exuberant temples, radiant green rice fields, glistening water buffalo – became part of daily life. For more about our writers, see p576 Above: Novice monk at Wat Xieng Thong (p317), Luang Prabang, Laos ietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand200 km0100 miles0 C H I N AELEVATIONHanoi (Vietnam)Vieng Xai Caves (Laos)The historic heartbeatIf these cave walls3300mof Vietnam (p49)Luang Prabang (Laos)could talk (p336)2700mTemple-studded heritage2100mgem (p315)1500mHa GiangHekouCao Bang900mBac HaLao Cai600mBao Yen300mSapaLai Chau0Lang SonFansipanThai(3143m)SYen BaioNguyennhiang Rai (Thailand)g SoHnNHill tribes and natureogDien BiennMohanaDgaPhumbeckon (p486)HANOISonHalongBotenMuangOLauHoaCitySingUdomxaiBinhHalong Bay (Vietnam)MuangSamHaiphongVieng Xai(Muang Xai)See nature at itsVieng KhamNeuaCavesNam HaMae Saioutrageous best (p71)SHalongoNPAnBa ThuocHuay XaigPak XengBayL A O STha TonNinh BinhY A N M A RSam TaiMPakbengarPak ThaeFangB U R M A)vLuang PrabangiRThanh HoaMekongChiangNongPhonsavanRaiHainanHaetPaiVang Vieng (Laos)Tha WangMuangIslandOutdoorsy adventurePhaMae HongNanPhu Bia(China)centre (p309)SSono(2819m)nVang ViengDien Chaug CaAng NamChiang MaiNanVinhLamphunPakNgumPhong Nha-Ke BangPhon HongPaksanKhamGulf of CauKadingThulakhomLampangNational Park (Vietnam)Pak LaiKeutHa TinhTonkinTreoStunning cave systems (p87)PhraeVIENTIANEPhong Nha-Ke BangMVieng KhamSop MoeieNational Park18ºNKaen Thaok(Thang Beng)XanakhamUtaraditThoenonPhangnaNmUdongaYommalatKhonNLoeiSakonDong HoiThanieNakhonNongTha KhaekHoi An (Vietnam)aSukhothaiSognnouMrTBualamphuCulture and cuisine on tapDong Ha(p106)SeponVSeno (Xeno)PhitsanulokMae Sot KamphaengIKhon ChumphaeHueMEHuongMukdahanPhet aSavannakhetKaenMuang PhineT PhichitPhuKalasinPhetchabun(Muang Khanthabuli)NN aA mAmnatMahasarakhamNongT H A I L A N DSongkhonPMiDanangCharoennBuagnChaiyaphumRoi Eto16ºND MHoi AneSYasothonaeNakhon SawanPrathaiRNiavemr V C M ( N 16º a) 14ºN 12ºN 10ºN 8ºN bodiged os)Lao noD MHoi AneSYasothonaeNakhon SawanPrathaiRKhong SedonNUboniaChaivMeChaturatmSanasombunRatchathaninrRatanakiri (CamBadanuaCMMhaeNaiBolavenmeNakhonSangkhlaburiCambodia's rugSingBuriramPlateauNRatchasimaKhaoSi Saketaeast (p247)BuriLopburimChampasak(Khorat)LaemDak ToSurinCCA n d a m a nSaraburiLakeh Khao YaieSukhumaaSuphanburiSanamxaiS e a oHoai NhonnNational ParkAyuthaya Kon TumSi PhantPMuang TbengrPrachinburihKanchanaburiDonNakhon KhongarMeancheyPleikuaAranya PathhomlSi Kaewy14ºNTemples ofraBANGKOKPratheteQui NhonThkovAngkorvHiRBan LungChachoengsaoBangkok (Thailand) Stung TrengiSisophon SamutTogOne night is neverChonburinlSiem ReapéSakhonSrhegenough (p404)pBattambang onklC A M B O D I A Pailin oBuon MaakRayongnThuoteKompongChanthaburi MTemples of AngkordThomTonléSen Monorom Kraties(Cambodia)PursatNinh HoaCSapaKoTratrThe region’s best (p218)dKompongaSametNha TrangmKompong ChamoChhnangDalatmKo Chang12ºNCam RanhKhlong YaiPrachuapPhnomPHNOMKhiri KhanUdongPENHKo KutPhan RangKrong KohTay NinhSre& Thap ChamKrongPrey VengKoh KongBattambang (Cambodia)AmbelCu ChiSvayColonial charmer withTakeoORiengHo Chi Minh CitySihanoukvilleexcursions galore (p228)GChau Doc(Saigon)(Kompong Som)ASi Phan Don (LaG u l f o fLVinhELap up the sleepy MythoKampotChumphon T h a i l a n d LongPlifestyle (p380)IHa TienKo TaoHVung TauCan ThoBen TreCZadetkyi Khun10ºNRPhu QuocTra VinhAKo Pha-NganIsthmusMekongIslandSoc TrangDeltaofIKo SamuiUKraGBac LieuSurin IsSurat ThaniRHo Chi Minh CityE10Vietnam at its buzzing bestM0Ko Kut (Thailand)Takua PaºE(p134)T H A I L A N DThrowback Thai island(p444)Similan IsThung Song 8ºN Phnom Penh (Cambodia)The ‘pearl of Asia’ is back(p179)S O U T HC H I N A111119000108862S E A04ººººººEEEEEE ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 8 Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand’s Top 20