Stray Bus
Stray Bus
Hi folks,
Has anyone used the stray bus in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia?? Looking to see what peoples thoughts were of it? worth the money? unreliable? well worth it?
Any thoughts much appreciated
Cheers
Rachel
I saw a poster in Laos for it and the trip looks like it would be fun but it seems overpriced
Maybe worth considering if you are wanting to see things North/East of Luang Prabang but it you are just doing the luang prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientaine route (and even the trip to Paske) I’m not sure of it’s value as travel is so easy to arrange
I highly reccomend the 2 day slow boat from thre border (booked in Chaing Mai) to LP had a great time
My friend and I are going with Stray around Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. We went to a RTW evening where one of their reps was present and were really impressed.
We have managed to get a really good deal, too. If you look on their site, there is 20% off ATM.
I
wow just looking at their passes on the website and they are SO expensive. You cant move for travel agents in Asia and its so easy to book buses everywhere now, even north of Luang prabang. You would be kicking your self if you paid those prices.
Thanks kenny ill keep the slow boat in mind. Any more suggestions let me know. Kenny as u might have figured out i am doing trans siberian, through china, them on too vietnam laos cambodia and thailand them on south too bail.
Hi willow yeh i noticed its 20% off at mo its made me tempted hence was looking for some feed back on them. When do you and your friend go? What are your plans? Have you booked any thing else?
So just trying too figure out if travel packs are worth it or not. If easy too travel not worth it an with hostel bookers online ur sorted.
Any one know how easy, often an cost it is too get access to internet in these areas?
Cheers
Rachel
Well at least you’ve an itinerary to follow else you’ll need to book all activities, accomodations and transports yourself once you reached there. Language is the major barriers for this.
On top of the 20%, you can try use Stray Mate code KL3909 during booking for further $25-50 discount. Cheers!
Thanks navilink! Any chance u know how far in advance u can book?
Thanks navilink! Any chance u know how far in advance u can book?
I’m not sure on that, but I think you’ll probably need to consider more on the best time to go to Laos though. An excerpt from Laos wiki:
Laos has three distinct seasons. The hot season is from March to May, when temperatures can soar as high as 40°C. The slightly cooler wet season is from May to October, when temperatures are around 30°C, tropical downpours are frequent (especially July-August), and some years the Mekong floods.
The dry season from November to March, which has low rainfall and temperatures as low as 15°C (or even to zero in the mountains at night), is “high season” (when the most tourists are in the country). However, towards the end of the dry season, the northern parts of Laos — basically everything north of Luang Prabang — can become very hazy due to farmers burning fields and fires in the forests.
Oh I wouldn’t pay those prices.
Bus travel in SE Asia is so cheap - my rule of thumb was that its around $2 per hour travelled, and in Cambodia it was usually less.
All hostels and guesthouses will book for you, and usually organise free transfers, so its really easy. The trail is well travelled and I found it much easier to get from A to B than even parts of Europe.
Also if you’re worried about meeting people, then don’t worry - any westerners on the buses will all be travelling, and I met most of my best travel buddies on these trips. And if you want to meet the locals then they will be there too - I once spent a journey with a Cambodian baby on my lap!
I agree that Stray Asia is more more expensive than the public bus. But on my trip we got to expreince things along the way via our local guide and got to to places that no public buses could get to. Our Local guide was so awesome he showed us more than I could have ever imagined and kept us culturally aware which I thought was very important in a place as vulnerable as Laos.
I find it highly unlikely this bus goes anywhere that local buses dont go. Why would a bus company for foreigners go to places that a bus for people who actually live in Laos wouldnt go?
Sorry, I should have said its harder to get to on public transport, however our guides said that no public transport could get you to Tad Leuk, Xe Champhone and Tad Lo.
These places and a few others there were no tourists (apart from the Stray Bus) even there so it seemed that way which is what I was after when I travelled.
Our local guide Sonexay also pointed out that as a group he could control the impact of tourism on his culture as well which was really nice to hear.
Just trying to provide a balanced argument to the process :)
