johanad

Hi,

Daughter #1 is traveling in Southeast Asia for 5+ months and daughter #2 hopes to meet up with her for the Christmas break. Daughter #2 is a teacher so her time is limited. She can only travel from about December 23rd til about January 5th.

We had initially thought about having them meet up in Hanoi, but #1 has already spent quite a lot of time in Northern Vietnam. She suggests Southern Vietnam, Cambodia, or Malaysia as a meeting point.

As the cost of the flight is huge to daughter #2, and as daughter #1 is on a strict budget, price has to be a big part of their plans. Other than that- they both like to hike, love the water, love history, and hope to become as much a part of local culture as possible. Big cities will be just "stopping-off" places for them.

I'd choose Laos, but it seems that daughter #2 would spend most of her time just getting there.

Any thoughts and advice will be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Jo

rhkkmk

xmas is the most expensive time really in much of SEA... for hotels that is... not to be said that bargains are not available, however...

Cicerone

Some random thoughts:

1. I wonder if 14 days in Cambodia is a bit too much. I suppose if they make an effort to travel to areas other than Ankor Wat, then this could be interesting, but not sure if a somewhat similar Buddhist culture and geography to Vietnam may be a bit too similar for a bit too long. If they don’t like cities, Phnom Penh may not appeal at all, so they would want to stay in countryside areas. Also bear in mind that Ankor Wat is probably at just about it’s highest season then, so hotels could be on the expensive side. Perhaps they could combine it with Laos, although again they may find it similar to Vietnam. Or perhaps they could combine this with a trip to he northern part of Thailand like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai which would be good for hiking.

2. Malaysia is one of my favourite places, and offers a good contrast to Vietnam in terms of religion/food/culture. The one drawback to me is that the wonderful beaches of the east coast are in rain at that time. Places on Borneo are also going to be on the rainy side, but certainly hiking Mt Kinabalu may be of interest to them. But generally I think they could find enough other things to do in other parts of Malaysia if rain is an issue for them. It may be easiest/cheapest for them to fly to Singapore to meet up, perhaps spend a few days there (Christmas in Singapore is quite festive), and then head out by bus, train or air to Malaysia. For history, its hard to beat Malacca or Penang/Georgetown. Malacca is an easy bus, taxi or drive from Singapore and then they could head up the west coast and/or go inland to areas like the Genting Highlands or Taman Negara park by bus or possibly train. Flying to some of these areas is possible, but would be more expensive I think. Given their budget, they probably don’t want to rent a car, but that is certainly possible for some or all of a Malaysian trip. Malaysia is one of the few SE Asian countries where a self-drive works well, albeit it is UK driving on the left. (I would rent in Johor Bahru Malaysia, just over the border form Singapore. This should be cheaper than renting in Singapore and may also save some drop off charges.) Your daughter in Vietnam could also fly rather cheaply on Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur, where daughter #2 could meet up with her and they could start from there. (Daughter #2 could connect via an Air Asia flight from Singapore or Hong Kong, if flights to KL from the US are expensive.) See http://www.airasia.com/vn/en/home.html for info on where they fly in SE Asia.

3. Southern Vietnam would also work, as would central Vietnam. I love Hue, and also Hoi An is quite interesting. For history and hiking I think Hue is a good choice. Bear in mind that some parts of southern and central Vietnam can be quite rainy in December (like Hue), but toward the end of the month are heading toward the drier season. They could also go inland to higher elevations like the rice terrace areas of Sapa (can be cool, but Hanoi is cool in December in any event). Ho Chi Minh is my least favourite city in Vietnam, so I would actually say to skip it. They can also go further south to the Delta. It is also possible to go via a boat/bus combination from the Mekong Delta area to Ankor Wat, this might be a nice mix of countries and the trip over would be quite memorable.

4. Bali might be a very good choice. They could rent a house quite cheaply and then use it as a base to explore or rent two houses in different areas, say inland and beach. See vrbo.com for a start; budget hotels are also available. (But again this is high season so bear that in mind.) Good walking/hiking, water sports like white water rafting or surfing, fantastic culture/art/music/food. Very different from Vietnam. It is part of the rainy season then, but really it does not interfere with enjoyment of the island, other than perhaps diving and snorkeling which can be affected by clouds. 14 days in Bali is my idea of paradise. Again, Air Asia via KL from other cities in SE Asia may be a cheap, although not exactly fast, way to go.

5. Although they say they don’t like cities, I have to put in a good word for Hong Kong, where I live. I think we have the best hiking in Asia, for many reasons, not the least of which is that the trails are well-maintained and well-marked in English, so you don’t need a guide. You can reach all hikes via public transport, which again is not going to be the case elsewhere. It’s very safe (which is true for most of SE Asia). You can have a great hike in the countryside and get back in time to go out for dinner and drinks in a fun area like Soho. If they think Hong Kong is all skyscrapers and shopping malls, they are reading the wrong guidebooks. The weather in December is also fantastic: sunny, mid 70s and no rain. It would be an easy place to meet up as there are non-stop flights from Hanoi and also from the US. Christmas is very festive here. While 14 days may be a bit much, they could consider combining this with a trip to other places, assuming that works with a budget. Hong Kong and then Bali would be a nice combination. It’s also possible to get to Thailand or Malaysia or vice versa. Hotels can be on the expensive side here, but there are budget options available which could work, I don’t know their exact budget. They could also consider going into the mainland PRC from Hong Kong via train or bus, they would need a visa for this, and of course the PRC is basically a trip in itself (and some northern parts like Beijing will be in winter in December.)

Gpanda

Cambodia and Laos would fit perfectly. In Siem Riep (the city outside of Ankor Wat), there is a wonderful foundation started by a Fodorite "the PLF.org" Ponheary has a cheap guest House. In Laos, there are lots of cheap guest houses. Both countries are amazing.

Kathie

Let me give you the web address for the foundation www.theplf.org

A combination of Laos and Cambodia would be great!

johanad

Hi all,

Thanks very much for your replies. They have decided to meet up in Kuala Lumpur and then plan to go to Malaysian Borneo with hopes of finding an authentic longhouse stay. Thoughts??

The reason for their choice is that daughter #1 is now traveling in Laos which she's very much loving. She also has dedided to volunteer at a farm in Cambodia after her time in Laos- So, to give her a chance to spend time in Malaysia, they decided to make that their "sister journey".

We don't really know the best way to find a traditional longhouse stay, and realize that Sarawak will be rainy in December. It doesn't seem as though the west coast will give them the longhouse experience, but I really don't know. I wonder if insisting on a longhouse stay will cause them to miss out on other adventures that they shouldn't miss. They will be in KL fron December 18-20 and then will go to Borneo. Daughter #1 flies out of KL on January 1. If anybody can offer us more advice we'll be thankful.

Jo

Kathie

Sabah and Sarawak, the two Malaysian provinces in Borneo are very different from each other. If they are interested in wildlife, Sabah is the destination of choice. You can visit orangutan "rehab" centers where you can see orangutans which are habituated to human contact or you can see orangutans in the wild (best place: Danum Valley). A stay in the Danum Valley, while a fabulous experience and unforgettable is expensive. Google "Borneo Rainforest Lodge."

Sarawak is the place for long house visits and exposure to tribal cultures. They would fly into Kuching, a charming city, and make arrangements for a longhouse visit from there. There are many local family owned companies that can set them up with a longhouse stay. If they are comfortable "winging it" they will get the best experience. Personally, that's what I wold do rather than try to book a longhouse stay ahead. There in Kuching, you'll have a chance to talk with the guide and decide if it is what you want. There is also a orangutan rehab center in Sarawak, so they can visit there if they would like.

The Hilton has a hotel that they advertise as an opportunity to see the local cultures. Avoid it like the plague.

crellston

The best place to experience a traditional longhouse stay is in the Kelabit highlands in Sarawak. A stunningly beautiful area in Sarawak. We spent a week there for a friends "naming ceremony" where, on the birth of their first child the parents are renamed. The area is VERY remote an can only really be reached by light plane from Miri but it is one the most amazing flights I have ever taken flying over the unspoilt rainforest and mountains was unforgetable (as was landing on a grass airstrip for the first time!). The people are so welcoming and there is usually someone in the village who speaks English. We were in a place called Bario and stayed there the whole time but it is perfectly possible to hike to other villages. There may well be a guesthouse there now but when we were there it was the norm just to stay in one of the longhouses. No payment is expected but it is the custom to bring a gift.

The downside of this beautiful place is that it is so remote. If the whether turns you can get stuck there for a day or two.
If you google "Kelabit Highlands" or "Bario" I am sure you will come up with an agent who can fix up a trip for you.