Angkar Wat, Taj Mahal, and Dubai

[cruisealert]

We are already booked on Voyager cruise April 13, 2015 from Singapore to Dubai. There are options and would like some opinions and insights. We can take a free 3 day excursion from Regent to Angkor Wat. Looks very interesting. Still fly into Singapore. and then spend 2 nights in Cambodia. Or we can get 3 free extra nights in Dubai at end of cruise. More time in Dubai/AbuDhabi etc. Does not sound fantastic, but maybe I am overlooking something.

During the cruise, Regent offers a special 2 night visit to Taj Mahal and surrounding areas. You miss 3 ports in India (Cochin, New Mangalore, and Goa) and cost is $2900 for 2 people. Still get to visit Mumbai. We always wanted to visit Taj Mahal

Any thoughts on these options

[mrlevin]

We are already booked on Voyager cruise April 13, 2015 from Singapore to Dubai. There are options and would like some opinions and insights. We can take a free 3 day excursion from Regent to Angkor Wat. Looks very interesting. Still fly into Singapore. and then spend 2 nights in Cambodia. Or we can get 3 free extra nights in Dubai at end of cruise. More time in Dubai/AbuDhabi etc. Does not sound fantastic, but maybe I am overlooking something.

During the cruise, Regent offers a special 2 night visit to Taj Mahal and surrounding areas. You miss 3 ports in India (Cochin, New Mangalore, and Goa) and cost is $2900 for 2 people. Still get to visit Mumbai. We always wanted to visit Taj Mahal

Any thoughts on these options

 

This is an easy question; take all three.

 

Marc

[alexandra cruiser]

would take the free Cambodia one.We went to Anghor Wat last yr.and it was spectacular.Yes, crowded and hot,but WOW.Liked the hotel and town there too.(not on Regent)

Then splurge for Taj, my DM went and LOVED it.One of the hi lites of her tour in India.

Wow, envy you.Have fun.;)

[JMARINER]

Angkor Wat is very easy to do on your own. There is an international airport in Siem Rap that services most of Asia. Fly into Bangkok a few days early then down to Siem Rap. Only about an hours flight. Then only about 2 hours to Singapore. I recommend Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. English and dollars are predominate. You can do this yourself and save and not be stuck with a bus.

 

India. I would skip the Taj in favor of the other stops.

 

j

[sugar333]

We are already booked on Voyager cruise April 13, 2015 from Singapore to Dubai. There are options and would like some opinions and insights. We can take a free 3 day excursion from Regent to Angkor Wat. Looks very interesting. Still fly into Singapore. and then spend 2 nights in Cambodia. Or we can get 3 free extra nights in Dubai at end of cruise. More time in Dubai/AbuDhabi etc. Does not sound fantastic, but maybe I am overlooking something.

During the cruise, Regent offers a special 2 night visit to Taj Mahal and surrounding areas. You miss 3 ports in India (Cochin, New Mangalore, and Goa) and cost is $2900 for 2 people. Still get to visit Mumbai. We always wanted to visit Taj Mahal

Any thoughts on these options

 

We were on the Voyager Apr/may trip from Mumbai to Cairo that included a 3day pre-cruise trip to Agra(Taj mahal) and 3 day post trip from Luxor to Cairo. In between we also went to Abu Dabi and Dubai. All were fantastic, but of all our travels I have to say that the Taj Majal trip was the crowning jewel. Please do not miss this. Dubai is interesting but not sensational.

[Keith1010]

If this was me it would be either Angkar Wat or the Taj Mahal. I would do more reading about each of these two to decide.

 

As to Dubai it's great to see it but you can see it relatively quickly and it is mostly about glamour from some of the hotels to the unique shopping malls. I happen to prefer Abu Dhabi more than I do Dubai but again a day or so there would be fine too. In Abu Dhabi visit the Grand Mosque.

 

Keith

[1982CruzStart]

We did Angkor Wat with Regent in 2013 on the Beijing to Bangkok cruise and I thought is was well done. We stayed at Raffles and they used big buses but with low numbers on them. I highly recommend this excursion.

 

We are taking the Dubai to Cape Town cruise in November this year and are booked on the Taj Mahal tour as it is on my bucket list. My DH has already been but is coming along with me. This is big as he swore he would never go back but has enjoyed other Regent tours and decided he would do it with them. We have done 3 pre and post cruise tours with Regent and was impressed with the quality of them each time. Were they perfect - no but very well done.

[cruisealert]

We did Angkor Wat with Regent in 2013 on the Beijing to Bangkok cruise and I thought is was well done. We stayed at Raffles and they used big buses but with low numbers on them. I highly recommend this excursion.

 

We are taking the Dubai to Cape Town cruise in November this year and are booked on the Taj Mahal tour as it is on my bucket list. My DH has already been but is coming along with me. This is big as he swore he would never go back but has enjoyed other Regent tours and decided he would do it with them. We have done 3 pre and post cruise tours with Regent and was impressed with the quality of them each time. Were they perfect - no but very well done.

 

Thanks to everyone for your insight and suggestions. We will probably stay with Regent"s Angkor Wat excursion since it is free and then hopefully do Taj Mahal. You only live once!

[JMARINER]

Thanks to everyone for your insight and suggestions. We will probably stay with Regent"s Angkor Wat excursion since it is free and then hopefully do Taj Mahal. You only live once!

 

It is not free. It is included. If you don't want to take the pre or post cruise excursion you can get a very substantial reduction in the cruise fare. Much, much $$ more than you could do the excurion on your own. (Unless the rules have changed recently??)

 

J

31/425

[cruisealert]

It is not free. It is included. If you don't want to take the pre or post cruise excursion you can get a very substantial reduction in the cruise fare. Much, much $$ more than you could do the excurion on your own. (Unless the rules have changed recently??)

 

J

31/425

I will check it out. Did not know that

[Viennagirl]

We had a similar decision to make - but nothing was offered free to us! It was all quite dear actually. We will visit Angkor Wat with Regent. The traffic in that part of the world is quite dense and I was concerned about getting back to the ship in time. My husband worked in India and had no interest in seeing the Taj AGAIN, so he will stay on board. Since the Taj is on my bucket list, I will go alone - with Regent. Problem solved.

[forgap]

Did I miss something? Isn't the pre-cruise to Angkor Wat $499 per person?

[Viennagirl]

I had read that too, just not available anymore. The price we were priveledged to pay is 1999 dollars per person, which we did!

[cruisealert]

Did I miss something? Isn't the pre-cruise to Angkor Wat $499 per person?

We booked a Penthouse C so the pre-cruise 3 day excursion comes with the package -- or you can get 3 days at the end of cruise around Dubai at no additional cost. You cannot get both at no cost.

[JMARINER]

We booked a Penthouse C so the pre-cruise 3 day excursion comes with the package -- or you can get 3 days at the end of cruise around Dubai at no additional cost. You cannot get both at no cost.

 

You can unbundle the package, not take the pre/post option and reduce the cruise fare. Usually the saving is very substantial allowing you to use the saving to do a pre/post on your own and pocket the extra.

 

When we did Akgkor Wat we started off at the Bangkok Shanghai-La for 2 day, limo to the airport. Bangkok Air to Siem Rep. Limo transfer to Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. Private guide and driver for 2 days in Angkor Wat and floating villages. Dinner and show at La Meridian (?). Limo back to airport and flight to Singapore on Singapore Air and Limo to the ship. It costs us about half of what Regent wanted and there were no buses!!! and no line. 100% on our schedule. This is an easy part of the world to travel on your own.

 

Hasn't your Travel agent explained all this to you? (And/or offered to set it up?)

 

J

 

31/425

[cruisealert]

You can unbundle the package, not take the pre/post option and reduce the cruise fare. Usually the saving is very substantial allowing you to use the saving to do a pre/post on your own and pocket the extra.

 

When we did Akgkor Wat we started off at the Bangkok Shanghai-La for 2 day, limo to the airport. Bangkok Air to Siem Rep. Limo transfer to Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. Private guide and driver for 2 days in Angkor Wat and floating villages. Dinner and show at La Meridian (?). Limo back to airport and flight to Singapore on Singapore Air and Limo to the ship. It costs us about half of what Regent wanted and there were no buses!!! and no line. 100% on our schedule. This is an easy part of the world to travel on your own.

 

Hasn't your Travel agent explained all this to you? (And/or offered to set it up?)

 

J

 

31/425

Apparently on this "promotion" for early booking, you get the 3 days on either end, but no rebate if you do not want them. Surprised me. So we will go to Angkor Wat and enjoy it!

[Viennagirl]

Fred and I did Machu Pichu on our own, and Iguazu Falls, but this year he is 90 and I felt more secure going with a group, just in case. He is in great shape, but I am the luggage carrier and problem solver for our little team, so I choose to do the land trips this time with Regent. I did worry a lot when we were doing land trips on our own - late planes, bad weather and the like. This way, if there is a problem, Regent is behind me!

[forgap]

Fred and I did Machu Pichu on our own, and Iguazu Falls, but this year he is 90 and I felt more secure going with a group, just in case. He is in great shape, but I am the luggage carrier and problem solver for our little team, so I choose to do the land trips this time with Regent. I did worry a lot when we were doing land trips on our own - late planes, bad weather and the like. This way, if there is a problem, Regent is behind me!

 

Viennagirl, You have sweet spirit! We have an age gap in our marriage and I want to be seeing the world just like you when my darling husband hits 90!

[findacruise]

We did Angkor Wat last year post cruise with Regent and stayed at Raffles. Tour was well handled with rest break between morning and afternoon tours to have lunch and cool down. I even changed shirts and some showered. Loved the old time bar at Raffles with the ceiling fans, wood bar, comfy chairs, cloth cocktail napkins and silver glass holders. It made me have to have a G&T before dinner!

 

Our guides were very good and answered all of our questions. We were there 3 nights and still could have used more time. We were will taken care of. Enjoy.

[Emdee]

We did Angkor Wat a couple of years ago on our own and stayed at the Residence d'Angkor ( Orient Express Hotel). We used a very good guide Kim San who was there for us all the days we were there. He did the airport pick and drop off. Had cold towels in the back of his van. Took us in the back way to see Angkor Wat at dawn and did the Bayon Temples ( with faces) at sunset so you could see the orange glow on them.

Its very easy to do on your own with someone like him as he takes care of all the details. He was in the Amazing Race a few years ago and handed out the clues.

 

The TAJ is a must do as well. Hope you get to stay in the hotel (Oberoi?) that is on the other side of the river and has a lovely view.