south east asia 3 weeks in june
Apr 24th, 2017, 11:13 AM
#1
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south east asia 3 weeks in june
Hi there. My son is planning to go to south east asia from May 26 to June 17. We were thinking Vietnam and a short trip to Cambodia to Ankor Wat. I see the south is not the best weather then but will be less crowded. What would you suggest for a first time solo traveler in terms of itinerary? He is 22 and will stay in youth hostels. Would you not suggest this at this time of year? Should he go to Indonesia instead or Thailand or Laos? We were thinking Ha Long Bay, De Nang, Mekong Delta, Siem Reep and not sure which direction to go. Had hoped he could go to Sapa but i think the weather will not be good, correct?
thanks!
donna
thanks!
donna
Apr 24th, 2017, 11:38 AM
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hi Donna
You seem to have a pretty good grasp of the issues re travel in SE Asia at that time of year.
Vietnam has a very diverse climate so there is no "perfect" time to visit. We have been at most times of the year and this year will be in Vietnam at pretty much the same time.
This site http://www.selectiveasia.com/vietnam...ys/weather/may provides a pretty good synopsis of the weather in the various countries of SEA on a month by month basis.
On balance, whilst the weather won't be perfect in the north and south, it will be quieter, prices will be cheaper and the weather is not usually bad at all. Of course, in these days of changing climates, nothing is certain. In essence, it is a pretty good time of year to cover the whole country.
Sapa should be ok at that time of year but I would suggest an alternative such as the Mai Chau valley, Ninh Binh etc as Sapa has become very overtouristed in recent years.
Being a long thin country, Vietnam lends itself to entering at one end and leaving at the other. As Cambodia is on the wish list, I would suggest flying into Hanoi, covering the north and get the train or fly to the central region ( Hue , Hoi An etc.) then continue south to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. From their either get the bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh and on to Siem Reap or, continue through the delta to Chau Doc and get the boat to PP.
Some detail of our last trip is on our blog at https://accidentalnomads.com just click on the destination tab and then the appropriate country.
One place we have yet to go, which is on our itinerary this time is Phong Nha Ke Be - easily reached fro Hano or Hue.
www.hostelworld.com www.hostelbookers.com and www.booking.com are all good sites for accomodation. I would also suggest your son look at www.travelfish.org which is more geared to backpacking than this site.
You seem to have a pretty good grasp of the issues re travel in SE Asia at that time of year.
Vietnam has a very diverse climate so there is no "perfect" time to visit. We have been at most times of the year and this year will be in Vietnam at pretty much the same time.
This site http://www.selectiveasia.com/vietnam...ys/weather/may provides a pretty good synopsis of the weather in the various countries of SEA on a month by month basis.
On balance, whilst the weather won't be perfect in the north and south, it will be quieter, prices will be cheaper and the weather is not usually bad at all. Of course, in these days of changing climates, nothing is certain. In essence, it is a pretty good time of year to cover the whole country.
Sapa should be ok at that time of year but I would suggest an alternative such as the Mai Chau valley, Ninh Binh etc as Sapa has become very overtouristed in recent years.
Being a long thin country, Vietnam lends itself to entering at one end and leaving at the other. As Cambodia is on the wish list, I would suggest flying into Hanoi, covering the north and get the train or fly to the central region ( Hue , Hoi An etc.) then continue south to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. From their either get the bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh and on to Siem Reap or, continue through the delta to Chau Doc and get the boat to PP.
Some detail of our last trip is on our blog at https://accidentalnomads.com just click on the destination tab and then the appropriate country.
One place we have yet to go, which is on our itinerary this time is Phong Nha Ke Be - easily reached fro Hano or Hue.
www.hostelworld.com www.hostelbookers.com and www.booking.com are all good sites for accomodation. I would also suggest your son look at www.travelfish.org which is more geared to backpacking than this site.
Apr 24th, 2017, 01:22 PM
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Oh thank you so much for your help. So you don't think its a problem to go from north to south even though it is getting hotter and wetter into june. we were thinking south to north for that reason but i see the boat trip goes south, if that is recommended. we are just booking flights and have to decide direction.
thanks!
thanks!
Apr 24th, 2017, 09:35 PM
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You are welcome. We are going south to north but only because we have spent a lot of time in the far north already. The weather will PROBABLY get worse into June in the north than in the south so May should be a better time for trekking in Sapa etc. In the south, it will be getting wet in the delta, how wet is anyone's guess, but it really shouldn't be that bad - you son should still see some blue skies even if there is heavy rain it usually doesn't last too long. If I were going on to Cambodia, I would be going north-south.
He should obviously keep an eye on the weather as he travels and, If by chance the weather does look too bad in the delta he can always change plans and go by bus of fly to Cambodia - fewer tourists at that time should mean lower fares and more availability.
He should obviously keep an eye on the weather as he travels and, If by chance the weather does look too bad in the delta he can always change plans and go by bus of fly to Cambodia - fewer tourists at that time should mean lower fares and more availability.
