azdr0710

no expert at all, but have been to all those place except Ha Long Bay......

quick comments....

flying "domestically" between these places was remarkably inexpensive.....booked the local flights ahead of time using Google Flights, etc., and didn't have any snafus......you might decide to pre-book meals and all that when booking the flights......airport operations and flights/crews were very efficient and a bit no-nonsense........

I'm not a big foodie, but did get some street food in Bangkok......it's often served in a plastic bag (my experience) and we took it back to our airbnb to put on plates......you'll probably enjoy it more than I did!.......late one night while returning from the "Hangover" movie rooftop bar location, huge rats ruled the sidewalks where street food vendors were during the day and we had to carefully watch where we stepped in the dark.......we took a river boat ride (not a guided tour) for about 30 cents (go to a "cheap" non-tourist dock), went to the Jim Thompson House (excellent!!), and the usual wats and buddhas (travel partner, usually wearing a tank top, had to rent a modesty shawl for the wats and buddha places)......generally an inexpensive city, very noisy and crowded, big, skyscrapers in all directions with no concentrated 'downtown' area of them.....and get a foot massage - holy cow!

I found Phuket to be overrated....the vegetation/landscape was somewhat desolate and almost-arid.......transport is not inexpensive if you're on your own as sites on the island are just distant enough from each other to require the captive audience to hail taxis for every little move......Bangla Rd., the very popular party district, though, was very fun and much less depressing than Pattaya's popular party area.....beach sunset views were great (if you're on a beach facing west!!!)......we didn't do any of the James Bond Island/Phi Phi stuff, but would've if we had time - very touristy, I'm sure, though.....

HCM City (Saigon) is much more modern now than years ago (skyscrapers in areas).....but the old central area still has significant remains of intact war and pre-war history, American hangouts, etc.....we even bribed a building guard 100,000 dong ($4) to go up on the roof of the building famously pictured with the last helicopter evacuation of Americans (careful!, no fence up there!!!).....nice to walk the streets, people-watch, etc.....decide what you want to see in areas away from the central part.......the Presidential Palace, the propaganda museum (War Remnants Museum) all very worth it......

and even staid Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) had a hopping party area....some California dudes offered us drugs and a young woman with a baby in tow tried to drum up business from us.......if you're on your own, just walk out from the airport and ask a taxi stand attendant if a driver is available to take you to Angkor Wat for the day (we arrived in the morning from PP).....the guidebook suggested that and we had great luck that way....embarrassingly cheap and he helped us with admissions, told us which way to walk in areas where he'd meet us later at the other end of the walk, had lunch with us, then drove us to our hotel after a fairly long day........no, we didn't fight the crowds for famous sunset/sunrise views over the ruins......

PP was ok......nice river views from a developed riverside walk downtown, but not a remarkably attractive city.....many people go there for the Khmer Rouge torture museum and the killing fields (a little ways out of town)......we only had time (one night there) for the torture museum which is right in the central area......it was worth it.....if you have more time, pick out what interests you from the guidebook!....... 

if you can wangle the time, Chiang Mai, Thailand, is very nice....mercifully cooler and less humid......whew!......flew there from Bangkok for a night or two and full day, leaving most of our stuff in the airbnb in Bangkok......took a riverboat ride, went to a Muay Thai fight thing, had a fantastic foot massage, walked inside the moat area (the historic area).....we didn't have time for the elephant attraction or the big temple up on the hill......a forum member recommended a nice little guesthouse-like place to stay and it was a great local 'old Thai'-vibe spot much nicer than staying in some chain hotel...... 

since this isn't a sex tour, skip Pattaya........depressing, but the beach is ok......

if you can squeeze in Hanoi, the central area around a small lake is very nice, especially at night.....plus the usual stuff in the guidebook.......Hanoi Hilton, HCM burial site area, B-52 Lake, etc....watch out for the constantly-honking (beeping) scooters!.......travel partner came within about six inches of getting nearly killed by one in Hanoi.......I later realized they constantly honk/beep to let others know they're there, not because they want everybody out of their way.......

even in the "dry" season, the humidity was overwhelming for a desert rat like me.......have a change of shirt at the ready!.......

wow, thanks for the chance to remember some great trips.....   

for the freshest chicken......

https://rentmen.eu/MarcusMcNeillxxx

the four text comments from the RM reviewers....two positive and two negative.......the two positives are from the same legit-appearing very longtime RM member......the "previously discussed boundaries" comment by the provider about the negative reviews seems strange since one appears to be a video complaint and the other seems to be a no-show.......still, this "liability" could, in fact, prove to be an asset at a meeting.......three sides to every story, of course......

Sent money via cash app to meet then he ghosted me. Not professional at all.

A lot of fun very reliable

Very poor quality video

Very relaxing 5 stars will meet again

there's not one soul in the UK you can find??!!.......

24 minutes ago, Charlie said:

Today is John Kander's 97th birthday. (Are you wondering why I mention that in this thread?😉)

don't tell me, one rainy evening in Philadelphia back in the early 1970s.............😈

that prior now-closed thread:  https://www.companyofmen.org/topic/107735-411-ante-in-las-vegas/

and gone!.....

Rentmen is apparently very glad to take listing fees from anybody without any vetting .... and then very glad to delete profiles when presented with proof of fraud...... 

and gone already!......but thanks for the notice @dutchal

this hotlink will work:  https://rentmen.eu/SantiSF

as usual, I'll be offering various very casual morning outings this year......look over my thoughts below and, if even vaguely interested, contact me here in the forum via the message system......I plan to be in the Coachella valley area from late Wednesday the 10th to early Wednesday the 17th and will think of something for most of those mornings, scheduling, of course, around standing forum weekend events.......I can pick up and drop off anybody in the central Palm Springs area until my vehicle is full!......

Sunnylands Center And Gardens - this is a free, non-reservation area of the sprawling Walter Annenberg estate......longer for-fee tours of the estate and house are also available, but I won't be doing that.....  https://sunnylands.org/visit-the-gardens/

Whitewater Preserve -  last year, heavy runoff from the Mt. San Gorgonio area (southern California's highest mountain) prevented us from hiking much here....this year, we'll try again for a very bright and sunny out-and-back stroll on the world-famous Pacific Crest Trail (very gradual incline) and spend some time in the preserve area itself, remarkably cooler than down in the Palm Springs area.... https://wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/whitewater    

Indian Canyons - on the lands of the Agua Caliente band of the Cahuilla Indians, this very popular close-in area includes easy-moderate hikes to rare stands of native palms and waterfalls along running creeks in rugged desert canyons....may try for an easy ranger-led hike if our scheduling allows....$12 or $7 for seniors (62).....  https://www.indian-canyons.com/indian_canyons 

other suggestions welcome!.....

haiku and all!

very interesting that this profile has survived for nearly four years with only, apparently, the same two censored photos of two different people posted the day the ad was created in 2020......the advertiser is frequently logged in to his RM profile and, yet, no reviews at all (I still wonder if advertisers can choose to not have any reviews (pro or con) published).......I've notified Rentmen, the two models, and the advertiser.......

the RM text review from the relatively new client member:  Really great experience and I highly recommend.

the provider's profile write-up seems sincere......

almost looks like he could be Ryan Gosling's younger brother......

Travel schedule shows him in Palm Spgs during the forum weekend. 

https://rent.men/FarmerStud

ok....I guess I've gotten my Naperville answer.....thanks.......we'll now drift off-topic and continue the geography lesson our local Aussie has suggested.......but please don't move this to the theater (or is it 'theatre'?) thread.......one of the great songs from one of the greatest musicals.............

good to see you here, @GoldenGrill

and he's still 38....

here's a non-app link for those with that trouble, like me......

https://rentmen.eu/MikeMasters

certainly a conundrum.....this shot is from BS's IG

high endorsements from trusted forum members......thanks for reporting your experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Mw8Svkyzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Rz-bDpS7g

this guy does a lot of funny Chicago youtubes.......he often will mention Naperville in a way that Chicago insiders will roar with laughter about and non-locals won't understand at all........I know nothing about Naperville except that it's a suburb........what is its rep and what about it makes this guy make fun of it??......thanks

that rentmasseur ad......

https://rentmasseur.com/MannyBoyy

by the way, welcome to the forum @Jay_lucas  

it's not always this way!.......sometimes we talk about air fryers, thread count on bed sheets, and mutual funds........

I hope you'll stick around....... 

18 minutes ago, BenjaminNYC said:

I also saw him once as well.  Agree he's a nice guy but can't say things went well.  FWIW

two guys are being discussed in this thread.......which one are you referring to?.......thanks

20 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

 

he's based in DC, just short train ride away from NYC.

 

 

thanks for this........I'll bet there's some westerner in your blood!.......just don't ask a Manhattanite to travel to Brooklyn for God's sake!