Recommendations for a 2 week tour in ASIA (DEC. 2014)
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Recommendations for a 2 week tour in ASIA (DEC. 2014)
Our family voted for a 2 week tour to Asia. We are traveling from LAX. We have been to Japan. Korea, India and really had our hearts set on Hong Kong to Hanoi/Ha Long Bay to Ho chi Minh back to LAX. I know 2 weeks is not a long time and do not want to spend more time traveling than enjoying the culture and sites. We are in our late 40's and our kids are 17 and 15. We would even do a beach resort but given that it is December..not sure about the weather. We love to be in Hong Kong for new years. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks, Syd
Thanks, Syd
#2
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Weather patterns in Vietnam are complex as it is affected by two monsoon systems added to which it is sandwiched between the sea and the mountains. On balance, December is a pretty good time to visit the whole country. We leave for a long trip around Asia in November and have decided to spend the whole of December in Vietnam. We have visited at this tim eo year before and had pretty good weather.
You are correct that two weeks is not a lot of time to explore the country, especially of you are going to spend 2-3 days in HK. You will need to be very organised and/or limit yourselves the to either the north or the South.
Where you go largely depends on the interests of you and your family. Having visited the country numerous times, I would stick to the north or, at least spend most of my time there. I am not a fan of Hlaong Bay but appreciate that others seem to love it. You do need to overnight there and travel time will mean that it will take up a large chunk of you available time.
Hanoi itself has a lot to see and need 2 night min but more would be better. For a taste of the countryside and overnight trip yo teh Mai Chau valley would be a terrific experience. Or maybe Ninh Binh.
Further afield an overnight train riide wil take you to Sapa which has some spectacular scenery, hiking, markets and ethnic minority peoples villages. It really needs at least two nights plus travel time.
Central Vietnam usually means Hue and Hoi An which are fascinating ( but there are other, less visited places. Personally, I would miss out the central region partly because the weather there will probably not be that great.
HCMC is a vibrant, dynamic city with great, food, markets and some important historical sites from the American war which are worth visiting. There is also the option of a side trip to Phu Quoc for some beach time or maybe a trip out in teh Mekong Delta.
You are correct that two weeks is not a lot of time to explore the country, especially of you are going to spend 2-3 days in HK. You will need to be very organised and/or limit yourselves the to either the north or the South.
Where you go largely depends on the interests of you and your family. Having visited the country numerous times, I would stick to the north or, at least spend most of my time there. I am not a fan of Hlaong Bay but appreciate that others seem to love it. You do need to overnight there and travel time will mean that it will take up a large chunk of you available time.
Hanoi itself has a lot to see and need 2 night min but more would be better. For a taste of the countryside and overnight trip yo teh Mai Chau valley would be a terrific experience. Or maybe Ninh Binh.
Further afield an overnight train riide wil take you to Sapa which has some spectacular scenery, hiking, markets and ethnic minority peoples villages. It really needs at least two nights plus travel time.
Central Vietnam usually means Hue and Hoi An which are fascinating ( but there are other, less visited places. Personally, I would miss out the central region partly because the weather there will probably not be that great.
HCMC is a vibrant, dynamic city with great, food, markets and some important historical sites from the American war which are worth visiting. There is also the option of a side trip to Phu Quoc for some beach time or maybe a trip out in teh Mekong Delta.
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Are you planning on taking the train from Hong Kong to Hanoi? I understand that is an interesting trip, but it will take a significant amount of time.
I concur with crellston in the idea of choosing one area of VN, and I recommend spending your time in the north. Choosing one part of the country means you have more time to experience and less time getting from place to place. We spent a week in Hanoi (with one day trip) and found plenty to keep us busy. Halong Bay will take up three full days with transport and an overnight on the bay. Be aware that the bay may be foggy, rainy and cold in December. Also consider whether you want to spend time in Sapa or Mai Chau, more rural areas in the north.
I concur with crellston in the idea of choosing one area of VN, and I recommend spending your time in the north. Choosing one part of the country means you have more time to experience and less time getting from place to place. We spent a week in Hanoi (with one day trip) and found plenty to keep us busy. Halong Bay will take up three full days with transport and an overnight on the bay. Be aware that the bay may be foggy, rainy and cold in December. Also consider whether you want to spend time in Sapa or Mai Chau, more rural areas in the north.
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Thank you for all the great information.
So combining north or south Vietnam with Hong Kong will be our best use of time.
The weather seems so different from NV to SV. So I am concerned with the ability of travel.
Do you recommend Bali?
Thanks, Syd
So combining north or south Vietnam with Hong Kong will be our best use of time.
The weather seems so different from NV to SV. So I am concerned with the ability of travel.
Do you recommend Bali?
Thanks, Syd
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Bali is lovely, but December is rainy season. I've traveled in that area number of times in Nov/Dec and while we did get a thunderstorm each day, it didn't impair our enjoyment of Bali.
VN isn't a bad idea - but Halong Bay would likely be a disappointment. If Halong is really important to you, go at another time. If you haven't been to Thailand, the weather should be lovely there, especially the beaches on the Andaman Sea side.
But in terms of travel - the weather would likely have little if any impact on travel. You would likely want to fly from Hanoi to HCMC, as the train would take too much time.
Take a look at this website for weather info: www.weatherbase.com
VN isn't a bad idea - but Halong Bay would likely be a disappointment. If Halong is really important to you, go at another time. If you haven't been to Thailand, the weather should be lovely there, especially the beaches on the Andaman Sea side.
But in terms of travel - the weather would likely have little if any impact on travel. You would likely want to fly from Hanoi to HCMC, as the train would take too much time.
Take a look at this website for weather info: www.weatherbase.com
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December's not the best for weather in Bali; however, it's quite popular at that time as many people can only travel during the extended holidays.
Inland in the Ubud area, your experience wouldn't be too much affected by the rain. Serious trekking (like mountain climbing) and some out of doors performances may be curtailed, but otherwise you can dodge the showers. Bali is set up to deal with rain.
At the beach in December you may get 60/40 cloudy/clear days. Generally, downpours come and go, followed by sunshine and intensely blue skies, but sometimes stormy days linger. Whether some unpredictable weather is tolerable or a deal breaker depends on your expectation for sun and sand.
The significant advantage of Bali during a limited time vacation is that once you're there, you're there. You can divide your time between the beach, the Ubud area, and possibly another location like the northcoast or Lombok, without spending time at airports.
Inland in the Ubud area, your experience wouldn't be too much affected by the rain. Serious trekking (like mountain climbing) and some out of doors performances may be curtailed, but otherwise you can dodge the showers. Bali is set up to deal with rain.
At the beach in December you may get 60/40 cloudy/clear days. Generally, downpours come and go, followed by sunshine and intensely blue skies, but sometimes stormy days linger. Whether some unpredictable weather is tolerable or a deal breaker depends on your expectation for sun and sand.
The significant advantage of Bali during a limited time vacation is that once you're there, you're there. You can divide your time between the beach, the Ubud area, and possibly another location like the northcoast or Lombok, without spending time at airports.
#9
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Thailand, especially the south is great that time of year! If you're keen on coming to Asia, the Andaman is a must see. Went on a family trip a few months ago to Phuket, but actually we stayed near Phang Nga on very lovely beach called Natai I believe. It was great for a family getaway, very beautiful, clean and not crowded. We stayed at a beach villa which had a few rooms right on the beachfront perfect for families. Had a really memorable time.
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We were in Vietnam for Christmas in 2011 with our kids who were 19 and 16 at the time, along with a family friend. We were there for a full 2 weeks and did both south and north Vietnam (though we did not incl Hong Kong). We chose to not do Sapa due to the weather, but did include Halong Bay which was definitely a highlight of the trip - too cold to do much in the way of water sports, but still loved our Halong Bay trip with the misty clouds. We did HCMC, Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay. It was an amazing trip! Here is a link to my trip report along with pictures:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...hristmas-2011/
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...hristmas-2011/
#11
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Thanks for all the great information...
Looks like the family is pretty strong on Vietnam. So my thoughts are possibly flying to
HCMC then going to Mekong Delta and Nha Trang ( beach area) then Flying To HK for New Years. So that gives us 10 days/nights in Vietnam and 3 days/nights in HK.
jgg- your blog is amazing...Mine is old school ( pen and paper).
What is the best way to get around? Should I hire private transport? I am open to any beach area ....
As far a the delta ..what areas and tours are recommended.
Thanks, Syd
Looks like the family is pretty strong on Vietnam. So my thoughts are possibly flying to
HCMC then going to Mekong Delta and Nha Trang ( beach area) then Flying To HK for New Years. So that gives us 10 days/nights in Vietnam and 3 days/nights in HK.
jgg- your blog is amazing...Mine is old school ( pen and paper).
What is the best way to get around? Should I hire private transport? I am open to any beach area ....
As far a the delta ..what areas and tours are recommended.
Thanks, Syd
#12
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I only know about Vietnam. If you want to visit culture cities, you should only visit either Ho Chi Minh city or Hanoi, and spend your time to visit another place, i suggest Hoi An or Hue. That's amazing more than visiting all 2 biggest cities in Vietnam.