At the TravellersPoint, in amongst the Asia forum Matt, who is looking to spend a month in Thailand has asked when the best time to go is. Presumably an thorough fellow he has also tagged on the end a note wondering how much money he’ll need to see him through a four week tour.

Im looking at my next trip for next year and I was thinking about Thailand for a month. Could someone please tell me when is best to go there, Im planning on going to the islands, phuket probably land in Bankok so spend a few days there. I was wondering when most travellers tend to go over.
Also how much money would you recommend I need, im not planning on living the high life in 5* hotels, more hostels etc try and possible experience how they live out there.

Cheers, Matt

There have been a couple of responses offering Matt details about the best time to go, and now we’ve got Jen of STA do divulge some travel gems of information regarding where and how much.

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Over in Lonely Planet forums, Nick is ‘planning on going to India from Bangkok and traveling up into Nepal’ and has asked other wanderers on the web for their advice so he can make the most of his time oop north in India:

what would be the best city to fly into (cheapest) in order to then travel my way up into Nepal. The train system would be the best way of doing this right? and what places would be a must to see in India. I have been there 3 times before as a kid (i am now 18) and i would like to spend most time up north as i enjoy the cooler climate and the whole “hill station” vibe. so any advice on towns to see, places to visit and just general advice for a trip across india. i hear its a tuff gig.

Go and read the advice of the other members on the board and lend your own. For our part, STA Travel kindly lent the services of one of their Sheffield staff and an old hand at Indian travel, Simon Rocchi, to give some insider insights into the best way to make the most of such a trip… (more…)

We recently spotted pinkgirlie in need of some guidance on a what there was to do in Sri Lanka’s Bentota.

Posting her query on the travellerspoint forum, pinkgirlie was aware of the water sports available, but was keen to discover whether there were any places of historical interest nearby.

Stepping into the breach is STA’s own Roger, with what I think most will find a fairly comprehensive answer - over to him.

Bentota is one of the best beach areas of Sri Lanka, with plenty of nightlife and some of the islands best hotels. There are a couple of temples nearby which are worth a look, but the main historical sights are in the centre of the island. The ancient cities and fortresses of Sigiriya and Anuradhapura are fabulous places to explore, but not particularly easy to get to from Bentota. You can get to Colombo easily enough by train or bus, and from there you can head north. If you have the time it’s worth spending a few days combining Kandy with the “cultural triangle” of ancient sites to the north. An easier trip would be to Galle in the south with its historic fort from dating from when the Dutch arrived in Sri Lanka in the 17th century. You could do this in a day trip from Bentota.

Roger

Stirling work!

One of the reasons travelling can seem so expensive is because of many people’s (understandable) reluctance to use public transport in a foreign country. If you’ve only got the barest phrase-book language basics, you’re not comfortable with the currency and you can’t even work out whether that piece of paper’s a timetable or a menu, navigating an unfamiliar bus or train system can be a nightmare.

But if you do your research you can book in advance and save both money and hassle. In this Travellerspoint thread, ayin_0120 asks for advice on: ‘the cheapest , easiest and [most] convienient way’ to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur’, and Suzie from STA Travel Dundee assures us that there’s a bus you can pre-book that perfectly fits the bill. So read her full advice here and head over to the forum to give your opinion if you’ve used the service yourself… (more…)

Hong Kong: glistening modern mecca of consumerist splendour, right? But what happens if you’ve got a bad case of the credit crunches and still want to make the most of your stay on this unique island? Well, you read this damned helpful post, is what you do. Because we’ve plucked a common query from the Travellers Point forum about how to stay in HK on a budget and asked our STA Travel contact Dylan to pitch in with his own educated opinion.

Take it away Dugong:

Does anyone know of a decent place to stay in Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island? Safe, clean, with ensuite bath and all the creature comforts…I need accommodation for 1 month…so something reasonably priced…budget of less than US $60 a day?

Visit the forum to offer him your own tips, or read here for Dylan’s suggestions… (more…)

I love campervans! I used to have a 1972 VW Beetle in a two-tone of slightly off-white and baby blue, it was low and cute and… enough of my personal reminiscing, this is neither the time nor place.

To the subject at hand, renting a campervan in the beautiful land of New Zealand. It is Jamie Smith who is inquiring over at the Travellers Point forum. He and two pals are wanting to opt for the it-goes-the-way-we-point-it and we-can-sleep-in-it option rather than relying on buses and hostels. Sounds good, but he would like to hear some recommendations and, as yet, the Travellers Point community is yet to respond.

Thankfully though STA’s very own Trish knows the score, and it seems to be a winning result in favour of campervan action! Read her eloquent thoughts here… (more…)

When you’re deciding on an itinerary for a trip, the simple, logical strategies can often get overlooked. I’m the worst for this. I get carried away thinking about making an impact with my first stop - dropping straight into a sunny cultural hot-spot to make sure I start on a high - rather than considering more sensible choices.

So I pricked up my silly little ears when I saw this Travellerspoint thread. Notting wants to visit South America but doesn’t care where he starts, so:

I just wondered which country has the cheapest flights. I’m easy going on which country I start in really.

There are a few suggestions over in the forum already, so check them out - but not before you’ve read Andrew’s take on it. He’s the latest expert loaned to us from STA Travel Birmingham; read his wise words here… (more…)