In the 80’s, with no smart phones, or world wide web, there really wasn’t much choice about booking ahead. I travelled with my handy Lonely Planet Guidebook, fronted up at a hotel, asked if there were rooms and the price, and just stayed as long or as little as I liked. When I set off on this long trip, I thought that I would be able to easily wing it, stay if I like a place and move on if I didn’t. It hasn’t quite turned out that way. Because it is so easy to book online, and there are now so many more tourists than ‘back in the day’, very busy tourist sights or routes, get booked out way in advance.
A good example is the train in Sri Lanka from Kandy to Ella. Supposedly one of the most scenic train routes in the world, tickets are at a premium. They only come on sale a month in advance online, but are snapped up within minutes of going on sale. It is believed that it is local travel agents and local operators buying it up and then on selling. For a normal tourist, trying to navigate the website alone, it is impossible to buy them. There is actually an enquiry into who is booking all the tickets. You could try winging it by buying a seat first thing in the morning, which I believe is available, but it is chancy. You would have to find a bus or a private driver if you don’t make it on.
Other train journeys can be hard to book. The best overnight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai gets booked out a month in advance. I tried to book an overnight sleeper train from Vientiane to Bangkok, no luck at all. Finally, you can get the public boat from Thailand through to Luang Prabang in Laos on the day, but risk it being very crowded. If you want one of the private, more comfortable boats, booking in advance may be necessary.
Finally, on my last minute decision to overnight in Pai, in Northern Thailand, I found out I had to book my return van before I left or risk not being able to get back to Chiang Mai when I wanted to. As it was, my friend and I booked the last seat each at 2 different times to return.
It seems therefore, that the popular transits from one place to another might have to be decided in advance. That really cuts into the ability to wing it. My solution was to have set dates to work around, so the flight to Chaing Mai – booked in advance and the Mekong slow boat – booked in advance – and then give myself freedom to change dates within those parameters. Which I did.
With the availability of accommodation on line that you can cancel, up to a certain date, I have booked hotels on booking.com or Agoda with several different dates and options, allowing me to choose whether I wanted to stay 2 or 3 nights after I arrived. That worked some of the time, until I forgot the cancellation date for Vang Vieng and so realised I had to stay 3 nights or lose money. Luckily that worked out ok because I hurt my knee and needed to rest on the third day!
At 63, I am not comfortable turning up somewhere without a room booked at all. I did that in my 20’s and could sleep in the railway station (Rome) or on the streets (Pamplona) or on an overnight train going one way and returning back the following morning! I could also walk around with my backpack for as long as it took. Now, I have a small backpack and carryon size wheely suitcase. I am not prepared to walk around all morning pulling it over uneven steps in the dust, to find an available room, that I like, at the price I am prepared to pay. So far on this trip, I have not turned up anywhere without at least one night’s booking.
I have been able to amend my dates somewhat though. I arrived in Muang Ngoi in Laos with 2 nights booked, fell in love with it and booked a third in the same hotel at the same price. I was lucky that it was available, otherwise I would have been able to move. I had arrived in Nong Khiaw, the town up river that you get to Muang Ngoi from, and had only one night booked because I knew I was leaving the next day. I did not like that accommodation, so had tentatively booked a place in person, but had not paid. I wasn’t that keen on it and knew there was a better place to stay, that was booked up online. I turned up after getting off the boat back from Muang Ngoi, and luckily again, they had a room for 2 nights.
So in answer to the age old question, that I see posed in a number of Facebook groups I am on, I think it works as a mixture of the 2, book some, wing it for others, and only you can know for the places you are going, and with experience and research, where you can do what!
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