Organising shore excursions independently

[montelco]

We are travelling on the Superstarship Virgo in early October and I would like to organise independent tours rather than take the ship excursions. We are going to Penang, Phuket, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. Have heard that you can just disembark and book on the dock but am not really sure of that. Can anyone please advise what is the best way to start. In the past we have taken ship tours. Thanks.

[Bufrenee]

For Penang,Malacca and KL you should be able to get around by yourself quite easily with almost everyone speaking English, however in KL I think the ship docks in Port Klang which is quite a distance from KL and unless there is a shuttle its quite a long cab ride. There should be transport at the dock.In Phuket there are loads of taxis at the port and you should be able to negotiate and bargain a deal to go whereever you want a reasonable prices which is far lower than what the cruise line charges. Make sure that you get some maps and do some research on where you want to go and see and also make sure that you bargain and not accept the first price. Have fun.

Steve

[Lobbylin]

Malacca is very pretty and a bit like stepping back in time. You do not need to organise any tour there, simply wander round (do a search in the internet first to make the most of it). The ship will give you a map of the town.

 

I think there were people offering rick-shaw type tours through the back streets. It's so cheap there that I did not haggle at all as I could see this is their living that they survive on, but that was 3yrs ago and I believe it has become a cheap tourist destination for Singaporeans so prices may have gone up since.

 

Linda :)

[montelco]

For Penang,Malacca and KL you should be able to get around by yourself quite easily with almost everyone speaking English, however in KL I think the ship docks in Port Klang which is quite a distance from KL and unless there is a shuttle its quite a long cab ride. There should be transport at the dock.In Phuket there are loads of taxis at the port and you should be able to negotiate and bargain a deal to go whereever you want a reasonable prices which is far lower than what the cruise line charges. Make sure that you get some maps and do some research on where you want to go and see and also make sure that you bargain and not accept the first price. Have fun.

Steve

 

:confused:Hi Steve, what maps do you suggest we obtain? Is there an internet site that we could access for places to see. We have been to James Bond Island previously so we were looking for something a little more interesting. My husband loves markets and meeting the locals. we are becoming more confident in our travels. Thanks for your help.

[montelco]

Malacca is very pretty and a bit like stepping back in time. You do not need to organise any tour there, simply wander round (do a search in the internet first to make the most of it). The ship will give you a map of the town.

 

I think there were people offering rick-shaw type tours through the back streets. It's so cheap there that I did not haggle at all as I could see this is their living that they survive on, but that was 3yrs ago and I believe it has become a cheap tourist destination for Singaporeans so prices may have gone up since.

 

Linda :)

 

Hi Linda,

Thanks for your advice. You mention making some internet searches first. Do you have any favourites? What did you find particularly interesting? We have taken a rickshaw before which was quite an experience and a lot of fun.

 

Cheers, Trish :)

[Lobbylin]

Trish, to be honest when we visited these places, it was in the days before I was an internet addict, so we just played things by ear, and it worked out well, not truthfully knowing what to expect in these places.

 

We actually did a similar itinerary on the Star Gemini (same cruise line as you) but it was some years ago.

 

I recall there was a DIY trip offered to KL, where you have freetime of about 3-4hrs to explore on your own. I did that on my own to do shopping in KL and my DH stayed on board.

 

In Penang, I recall we took a taxi into town and was not overly impressed, but we did pick up some bargains like a pretty Asian style fish shaped dish for not more than a couple of dollars.

 

The ship will give you daily port guides with maps of where you are visiting.

 

 

There may be more you can glean nowadays on what to do from websites like virtualtourist, so try a search there for more info.

 

Linda :)

[Lobbylin]

Sorry I forgot to properly answer your question.

 

In Malacca, just strolling through the streets is quite scenic on it's own. There are pretty coloured temples along some streets, antique type shops, waterfront cafes for a cold drink.

 

This will give you a good idea of what Malacca is like - quite lovely with lovely people;)

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=malacca&w=58944004%40N00

 

 

Linda:)

[Bufrenee]

Hi,

You did not say how long you had in each port, but for Malaysia most of the attractions are close to the city centres. In KL Petaling Street is a must see if you want to see the locals instead of the newer parts like Petronas Tower.

Try these sites which will give you a good idea of what there is.

http://www.melaka.net (Melaka is the Malasian name for Malacca)

http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my

http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/

http://www.phuket.net

http://www.phuket.com

http://www.gotophuket.com

BTW the ships dock in Phuket is quite a distance from most places however there are loads of taxis and tours at the docks or just at the gate that offer all sorts of tours with maps.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[PrincessRobbo]

Sorry I forgot to properly answer your question.

 

In Malacca, just strolling through the streets is quite scenic on it's own. There are pretty coloured temples along some streets, antique type shops, waterfront cafes for a cold drink.

 

This will give you a good idea of what Malacca is like - quite lovely with lovely people;)

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=malacca&w=58944004%40N00

 

 

Linda:)

 

Hi Linda

 

I used to live in Malacca in my youth - one of the best times of my life. I'm glad it hasn't changed much thank you for that link.

 

Lynda

 

PS Leaving tomorrow to fly to Beijing on Tuesday will report back on our return.

[Lobbylin]

Hi Linda

 

I used to live in Malacca in my youth - one of the best times of my life. I'm glad it hasn't changed much thank you for that link.

 

Lynda

 

PS Leaving tomorrow to fly to Beijing on Tuesday will report back on our return.

 

Hi Lynda!

 

Small world - I used to live in Singapore in my childhood, ditto! (forces child!)

We LOVED Malacca...

 

Hope the snow holds off until you are on that plane and away! I drove through Berkshire/Wiltshire this afternoon, and the snow reigned down.... :o

 

Have a fab time! Linda :)

[montelco]

Sorry I forgot to properly answer your question.

 

In Malacca, just strolling through the streets is quite scenic on it's own. There are pretty coloured temples along some streets, antique type shops, waterfront cafes for a cold drink.

 

This will give you a good idea of what Malacca is like - quite lovely with lovely people;)

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=malacca&w=58944004%40N00

 

 

Linda:)

 

Thanks, Linda, for those picture links. It does look intriguing. I think the usual time in each port is a few hours up to 6 in Phuket. We are going to Chiang Mai first before the cruise and wonder what that will be like. Using the internet does make researching places a lot easier. :)

[montelco]

Hi,

You did not say how long you had in each port, but for Malaysia most of the attractions are close to the city centres. In KL Petaling Street is a must see if you want to see the locals instead of the newer parts like Petronas Tower.

Try these sites which will give you a good idea of what there is.

www.melaka.net (Melaka is the Malasian name for Malacca)

www.tourismpenang.gov.my

www.kuala-lumpur.ws/

www.phuket.net

www.phuket.com

www.gotophuket.com

BTW the ships dock in Phuket is quite a distance from most places however there are loads of taxis and tours at the docks or just at the gate that offer all sorts of tours with maps.

Hope this helps.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for those links. Will investigate them. A friend said Phuket town is worth visiting. We are not really beach people though we live near the coast but wondered whether it would be worthwhile to check them out as well as the elephants. We did enjoy the James Bond Island trip a few years ago. When you negotiate on the dock do you get the quote in writing or pay after the trip. Some people have said in Vietnam to be careful because some guides give you one price and then take you far out and demand more money to get you back in time. I really don't want to add that to my list of experiences along with Bangkok tuktuk drivers. Any ideas or suggestions??:confused:

[Bufrenee]

Hi,We went to the town which is about 25 minutes away and went around the shops. The beach is quite a long way from the dock. Suggest you go to the elephant camp when you are in Chang Mai, one of the best ones in Thailand there. Also go to the Temple there which is interesting. There is also a very good night market there. When we were there last we went to the night market and there was a vendor there that supported the arts and had a museum in his house with hundreds of carvings. We got invited there and had a great time looking at some of the pieces, unfortunately dont remember the guy's name but he did have a big stall there at the market full od carvings.

As to the tours at Phuket, you agree the price and pay them when they return you to the dock no argument there.

[Bufrenee]

Hi, With all the temples I forgot to give you the name. It is Wat Doi Suithep which sits atop a hill but it's not to strenous to get up to.They have some sort of a tramway that's get you to the top and there are loads of shops etc around the carpark and you can get there by cab.

Try this web site for more to do in Chaing Mai. http://www.1stopchaingmai.com/what_to_do/guide.

If there is any more info you need get back to me before wednesday as we leave for Beijing on Thursday.

BTW we lived in Thailand for 3 years.

Enjoy!

Steve

[montelco]

Hi, With all the temples I forgot to give you the name. It is Wat Doi Suithep which sits atop a hill but it's not to strenous to get up to.They have some sort of a tramway that's get you to the top and there are loads of shops etc around the carpark and you can get there by cab.

Try this web site for more to do in Chaing Mai. www.1stopchaingmai.com/what_to_do/guide.

If there is any more info you need get back to me before wednesday as we leave for Beijing on Thursday.

BTW we lived in Thailand for 3 years.

Enjoy!

Steve

 

Thanks for all your help, Steve. Hope you are having a fabulous time in Beijing. We stayed at the Harmony Hotel which was very close to the subway as well as the railway station. Be careful of people who come up to you and speak English and offer to show you their art work. They really do exist in Wanfujing Street just like the people who tell you that the shops are closed in Bangkok because of Buddha's birthday. We found the Harmony easily accessible and the tours we organised through Octopus Travel good value. We will get in touch about more places to visit in Bangkok and Chiang Mai when you return.:)

 

Trish