Dberrett

I'm sure this is a highly subjective question, but I'd love to get some opinions and pros/cons of visiting Vietnam vs Thailand - or both. We'll be allotting approx 2 weeks (in March) and have interest in both countries. Looking at VietnamStay (which sounds like a good resource), it seems "possible" to visit both, but I'm curious if anyone leans one way or another.
I know that it isn't enough time to truly appreciate the countries, but it should be enough time to get a feel for the area and plan a return trip.
Thanks!
db

rhkkmk

thailand has a much more mature tourist infastructure than does VN....

i personally love bangkok far more than any other city in the world...

bkk has a wider range of hotels and restaurants

thailand has hills, cities, and beach, all of which are highly developed, but also has low key places...

VN is more low key... hanoi is a smaller big city but still interesting, but has less of everything...

so you can see i have no favorite....yea...

to me there is no comparison

Kathie

I wouldn't try to do both countries in two weeks. Tour companies will always encourage you to cram your itinerary full which is not to your benefit.

If this is your first trip to Asia, I'd recommend Thailand. As Bob says, it has a much more developed infrastructure. In two weeks, you can spend time in Bangkok, in the North and at a southern beach area - an excellent introduction to Thailand.

Whether you start with Thailand or you start with VN, I'd recommend you visit them in two different two weeks trip.

Dberrett

Thanks for the feedback! We've been to China, but that was more limited - 1 week in Shanghai for work/touring and 1 week in Beijing as a pure tourist. We had a personal guide & driver for most of it and loved it. He was able to take us to places and restaurants we never would have tried on our own - and intruduce us to new foods.
We are active - like hiking/exploring a city, but also like food. I tend to like Thai food, but don't love pho, so at least from a food perspective, Thailand may be a better option.
Thanks for the help. This info (as well as all of the other great trip reports) has been extremely helpful!
Thanks.
db

RedKite

I agree with the others that two weeks is insufficient time to see both countries, but my first choice has to be Vietnam. It is less Westernised and has far fewer tourists than Thailand, but it is developing rapidly so you'll have to get there soon to enjoy it's relatively unspoilt characteristics.

Sadly Vietnam cannot compete with Thailand when it comes to food - Vietnamese cuisine is extraordinarily bland in comparison with Thai.

Gate1Travel

Dberrett, my pick would be Vietnam. It’s a beautiful country with a great amount of culture. In two weeks time, you should be able to visit quite a few cities. I would focus on Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, Hue, and Halong Bay. The Old City in Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and extremely fascinating with many museums and artisan shops. However, I would have to say Halong Bay is a personal favorite. Known to the Vietnamese as “Dragon descending to the sea,” the bay features more than 1000 limestone small islands containing beautiful grottoes. This is definitely a MUST see when visiting. Hopefully this information will help with your decision. Enjoy your trip!