Our preference is to combine morning hikes and tours of local highlights with afternoons on the beach. Travel time is anywhere between mid-February through mid-March 2013. Have a combination of Hilton and Starwood points but am not limited to them. We went to Hong Kong and Thailand last May and would love to revisit Thailand in February. Will also consider southern Vietnam, Cambodia, and other areas recommended by well-traveled Fodorites. We will have five-6 days in each of two locations, or 11 days in one. Spa a plus, mountains or hills nearby and beaches that are clear and clean are imperative. Had read alot about Vietnam then found some reports on beaches that were not clear as advertised.
Will we need a hiking guide? Prefer marked trails and the ability to self-navigate but this too is not set-in-stone.
I can't wait to hear. I've always decided general itinerary before posting for comments. This time I'm leaving it up to your comments and suggestions.
Thank you.
Jaw here shall we go for hiking and beach vacation in Asia Feb-Mar 2013
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No way to fix typo-Where shall we go?
If you came to Hong Kong and did not hike, you need to return. I can send you reams of hiking suggestions. It has all of the above (hike to beach, then spa in the afternoon and then a Michlen restaurant in the evening. Weather you want to swim on some beaches is the issue), but in March and April weather is a bit iffy, summer or winter is better than spring. February is a crap shoot: can be sunny and sublime or foggy and cold.
I don't think you will find marked trails (in English or any other language) in Thailand, Vietnam or Camobodia, nor will you be able to reach trails by public transport. It can be worked out in those countries, but will take some pre-planning. IMO you will need a guide in any of those countries if doing any hiking.
Bear in mind that Lunar New Year/Tet is the week of Feburuary 9 2013. This will make travel more difficult in Vietnamn as thing will be closed, air and train traffic more congested and guides less amenable to working. Less so in other places, although there will be limited closures in places like Thailand. For Hong Kong it means public transport (including the fab ferries) are runnning MORE often than on weekdays.
If you really are looking at March and April I would say to go to the tea country in Sri Lanka. Great weather for hiking (most of which you can do yourself) and then go to the beach later. 11 days there would be a fantastic vacation, IMO. (I am going there myself for a short break next week.)
Cicerone: thank you for your comments. We did hike daily in Hong Kong and loved an almost daily walk up to the Peak. We hiked on one island after a short ferry ride. Between our jet lag from the US east coast and several ill-timed thunderstorms, we missed a few opportunities to hike more. We are planning on leaving for Asia after 2/14 to avoid Tet and want to avoid the rainy cloudy May HK weather we hit this year. I will look now into Sri Lanka. Thank you We both yearn for an active vacation and as much as we loved Thailand, it's not meant for hiking. Dot