PA_Kathy

DH and I are taking a river cruise in Myanmar in December. The tour begins and ends in Bangkok. Since we will be in SE Asia, we would like to visit somewhere else after the cruise ends. But where to go in January?

We were thinking of going to Viet Nam - Hanoi and south (have been to HCMC), but my beginning research implies that is not a good time to go -- any thoughts about that?

What other possibilities would you experienced Asia travelers recommend? We are not beach people. We enjoy history, culture, seeing new things. We are in reasonably good health, but not up to hiking or trekking through the wilderness.

We have been to Thailand, Angkor Wat, Taiwan, Japan, China.

All suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!

Kathie

How much time do you have in Myanmar? A river cruise will give you only a glimpse of this fascinating country. And it doesn't take you to one of our favorite places in Myanmar, Inle Lake. I would suggest that you spend more time in Myanmar rather than adding another country.

December isn't a bad time to go to North VN. It will be a little cooler, which isn't a bad thing, though it might be rainy as well. If I was going to add another destination in SE Asia to Myanmar, I'd suggest Luang Prabang, Laos.

Enjoy your trip!

PA_Kathy

Kathie,

Here is our itinerary:

Memories of Mandalay -16 Days

Day 1 | Bangkok, Thailand - arrival day
Day 2 | Bangkok, Thailand
Day 3 | Mandalay, Myanmar - board ship
Day 4 | Mandalay, Myanmar
Day 5 | Amarapura, Myanmar
Depart Mandalay early this morning and cruise downstream. Today we have stops at two former Burmese capitals: Ava and Amarapura.
Day 6 | Yandabo, Myanmar
Day 7 | Bagan, Myanmar
Day 8 | Salé Monasteries, Myanmar
Day 9 | Magway, Myanmar
Day 10 | Mandalay, Myanmar
Day 11 | Thayetmyo Frontier Post
Day 12 | Pyay, Myanmar
Day 13 | Yangon, Myanmar
Day 14 | Yangon, Myanmar
Day 15 | Bangkok, Thailand
Day 16 | Bangkok, Thailand - end of tour


I had not even thought about staying longer in Myanmar - will do some research. And thanks for the suggestion of Luang Prabang, Laos. A quick google search makes it sound quite interesting.

Kathie

If it were me - and it isn't - I'd want time in Inle Lake (4 nights), more time in Bagan (I'd add three nights there). If you are interested in time at a beach, you might consider one in Myanmar.

I must say that the focus on Mandalay would not be my first (or second or third) choice. Which company are you taking the cruise with?

PA_Kathy

The company is Viking Cruises. I agree the itinerary is not ideal - we are thinking of it as an intro to Myanmar.

LancasterLad

Cambodia. Phnom Penh or Siem Reap are only short flights from Bangkok.

Depending on how much time you've got would dictate your possible itineraries.

marmot

You might consider Bali. January is the rainy season but if you're not interested in the beach it won't matter. You could easily fill up a week in the Ubud area. You can fly nonstop from Bangkok.

Being Hindu, Bali's culture is somewhat different from the Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia, but there's a lot of nature, art and religious ceremony.

LancasterLad

@marmot<<<You might consider Bali.>>>

That's a good idea. I think I'll go there in 81 days time for a month.

PA_Kathy

marmot, LancasterLad, and Kathie,

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to look into Bali - don't know much about it. Phnom Penh is on "the list" for a visit at some point.

Lots to think about...

HappyTrvlr

We plan to add Laos to Myanmar.

travelee

It seems like your tour ends in Thailand...
I wouldn't spend time to get back out to Myanmar.
If you're also going on Viking - I'm assuming you don't want to "rough" it in Myanmar either as their hotel infrastructure isn't up to par yet.

Beware of wet season in Bali in January.
Even if you don't want to be on a beach - you don't want to be stuck inside if it's too gross to explore outside.

What about Vietnam? The south is great during that time with so much history in Ho Chi Minh City. I see that you're from WA (go hawks!) so a trip to Asia is a big deal. And for me... one of the most awesome Asia trips I've done is Chiang Mai followed by Golden Triangle Camp in Thailand? It is wilderness but it is certainly not roughing it or too hard on the body. The weather in Jan is PERFECT for this and it's a short flight from Bangkok.

Let me know if you want more info on this

PA_Kathy

travelee,

Thanks for the suggestions. We've just about decided on Viet Nam - Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An. Details still to be worked out. We've been to Ho Chi Minh City, so will skip it on this trip. Do you think the weather in Jan will be OK? We're used to rain and cool temps.

travelee

Yes, it's still nice and actually not as hot in HCMC.
Are you into adventure traveling?
I've had some friends do a motorbike tour up this coast... me, I'm scared riding those in the US... much less in Asia. But I wanted to bring that up as an option because some people LOVE it.

I'm more into luxury and relaxing... make sure you get a reputable company to do an overnight into Halong Bay. You can't miss this! Google some pictures and you'll see why.

If you go into my profile, you'll see my website. I'd love to talk to you more about this trip if you'd like!

Kathie

It will be cool in Hanoi. Halong Bay may be cold and rainy. You'll have to decide if Halong Bay is worth your time if the weather is going to be bad.

www.weatherbase.com is the weather site I use - take a look at the weather in the various cities you are considering.

PA_Kathy

travelee, motorbikes are not for us, but we don't require luxury, either!

Kathie, thanks for the weather link. Avg high in Jan = 62, low = 59 for Hanoi, so that is OK for us.