I live in Phnom Penh and while the city itself is a nice enough city with lots of bars and restaurants, most people visit it to see Toul Sleng and the Killing Fields. These are the Khmer Rouge genocide memorials and are naturally quite depressing. If you have practical on the ground questions about Cambodia, I can help you out. Been living here two years now. Good luck with your choice!

I have also heard fabulous things about Cabbages and Condoms, both their resort and restaurant. I believe they have multiple locations. For making reservations do not go through websites like travelocity. You are not going in the high season for tourism so I suggest booking your first nights ahead (call/fax/or use Thai website) and then schedule your stays there because you will be able to get a better price. Our Lonely Planet guidebook was actually very helpful in deciding what to do during our visit (it too recommended against Pattaya) so I would pick up a copy.

I haven’t been a long time reader so this is my first post here. I will be taking notes on recommendations by the readers for my next trip.

This stuff smells so bad that it’s illegal to bring it on the subway in Singapore.

Anyway, I have to agree with the person who suggested Cabbages and Condoms. The food is quite good, and the decor is not to be missed.

Now be careful, and make sure that your first Durian is a proper Singaporean durian.

Durian is a stinky fruit that looks like a football covered in spikes. It smells like a dirty diaper. You probably won’t like it… not many westerners do. In fact, I found that eating a durian in public would ALWAYS draw a crowd of fascinated asians who came to see the white boy eating a durian… Any time I buy one, the clerk always says “For you? No! Not for you! You have asian wife?”

So, with that sales pitch — you MUST still try it. If you are one of the few westerners who do like it, you may find yourself addicted. I can’t think of anything else that tastes like it… oh, im craving it right now.

If you spend any time in Vientiane, and like good french food, try L’Cote D’azur (I think that’s the name). Also, an evening walk along the mekong is lovely.

But: even if all you are doing is spending time in Luang Prabang, that in itself is stunning. Definitely rent a bicycle. There is also this incredible guide – hit name is Mr. Thongdy – he can take you on an exploratory boat ride to some very interesting places along the mekong river (Pak Ou caves, and a stunning 7 layer waterwall – can’t remember the name of it). Definitely go to the evening market – I think its only on wednesday evenings, on the main street? That main street also has a fancy lao massage parlor. My partner and I both didn’t think it was that good at first (we hurt like hell), but we both felt limber the following day.

Of course, that is all assuming things haven’t changed.

I wouldn’t spend too much time in Thailand – simply because people always go back to Thailand. Don’t get me wrong though – its absolutely beautiful. But if you get a chance, spend some time at Ayuthyaya. Chiang Mai and Chinag Rai are nice places to explore from.

I would concus with the other commentators who say you’re doing too much. I would really recommend sticking to two countries at most. I would pick Laos and Thailand for a first trip. Thailand has good train service – travelling by trail enables you to see some of the country as well. You can buy train tickets by calling them. http://www.seat66.com has some information on that as well.

Now there isn’t much there if you are a vegetarian, so I’ll just presume that you aren’t.

In Newton Circus, you just grab a seat at an outdoor table and wave down servers. They all work for a variety of food vendors and have everything from Sambal Stingray, to Mutton Bones, to little fried squid in sweet sauce… out of this world.

Speaking of invertebrate life, here is some free advice on how not to die of a hideous tropical disease. Get an insect repellent with a high DEET content. Don’t bother with malaria prophylactics unless you plan on being in endemic areas over night (like the hill country). Wear long sleeves and pants (you’ll have to wear pants and shirt sleeves to visit temples anyway) in the evening. Jungle streams, rice paddies, pools of fresh water, etc. contain things like liver flukes, so it’s best to just stay out of them. Take a small tube of Sting-Eze with you – I found this very helpful after having my foot devoured by a hive of ants in Krabi. I didn’t find the mosquito netting I brought with me very helpful, but you will want it if you are staying over night in an area endemic to mosquito-vectored illnesses. Oh, and don’t drink the water.

As for the trip as a whole, it’s just too big. If you do all of that in a month, you’ll be traveling most of the time and not spending enough time enjoying what you are seeing. I’d recommend cutting that way back and either doing the Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos thing, or flying into Bangkok and heading south through southern Thailand and Malaysia to Singapore. You could also fly into Bali and spend the month in Indonesia alone–Bali, Lombok, Komodo, and Java would be more than a month right there.

I think you should just choose a place a go with it. All the choices are good–they only become bad when you don’t spend the time to enjoy them. And it’s not like they are going anywhere. You can always go back.

Also, eat all the street food you can.