KevandJho

Hi there....

My Wife and I are fairly new here to Fodors and are excited to see that it seems to be a very good travelers forum.

Anyways....

We are planning a 32 day vacation to Vietnam and Cambodia,spending around 16 days each, in both countries.

Very soon, I'll need to commit to plane tickets (within Vietnam only) and a reservation or two, so I want to finalise our itinerary.

Here's whats planned....

VIETNAM

2 full days in Ho Chi Minh and then fly to Dong Hoi for

7 Days in Central Vietnam including.......
2 days in Phong Nha at the highly recommended" Phong Nha Homestay" (or more)
3 days are optional for places like Dong Hoi, Hue etc as we bus or train making our way to.....
2 days in Hoi An and then fly really early back to HCMC and immediatly hop on a bus to...

2 days in Can Tho visiting the floating markets and then fly to......

Phu Quoc for 5 days (could cut this to less adding more time to Cambodia)
_______________________________________________
CAMBODIA

2 Days in Kep
1 day in Kampot (or two days here and only one in Kep)
2 days in Koh Thmei Island ( a small isolated place)
1 day in Sihanoukville
5 days on one or more small isolated island like Koh Rong, Koh Rong saloem ,Koh Ta Kiev etc, around Sihanoukville for some major rest and relaxation.

We may then take the night bus around 8PM from Sihanoukville directly to....
3-4 days in Siam Reap and the lastly....
1-2 days in Phenom Penh

After that we will fly to Seoul korea for a 12 hour stopover and city visit and then on home to Vancouver Canada.

And now for some questions...

Which of the aformentioned places do you recommend the most and what are some cool things to do there?

Where are some great places to stay for an average of $50 or less per night?

Is 3 days enough in Siam Reap?

We are looking for a good combination, in this order of beaches,sightseeing, touring activities,picture taking and shopping.

With that in mind, what do you think of this itinerary, postive or negetive?

I'm looking for info on some of the aformentioned small islands, has anyone been to any?

Many thanks and Happy travels!

Kevin and Jocelyn

KevandJho

Forgot to mention in the above post that our holidays commence on Decemeber the 20th so we had geographical climate in mind while making our choices, which are primarily in the favorable south.

Thanks,
K&J

crellston

Looks like an interesting itinerary. General comments are that it is a shame that you are missing out on north Vietnam as there are so many great places there. Hanoi alone is worth at least 4 days and, as you seem keen to get off the beaten track, the "Dien Bien Phu loop" and teh Mai Chau valley are worth considering. I accept that Dec is not the best time weather wise, but it should be ok.

With 2 days in Saigon you will be able to cover most of the major sights but definitely worth splashing out for a beer or two at sunset at Saigon Saigon a rooftop bar at the Caravelle hotel.

If you can, try and factor in a train ride from Da Nang to Hue - takes you along China beach and through the Marble Mountains - one of Asia's great train rides. Hue I loved and it was great to hire bikes and tour the Imperial Tombs. Lac Thien and Lac Thung are small but famous restaurants run by a deaf/mute family on the North Side of the river and are a great experience with authentic Hue food.
As for the small islands we have only been to Koh Tonsay (south Cambodia) very basic and quite remote but try and avoid most of the islands at weekends when they can get full of partying Cambodians (and can get very loud!).

A great site for checking out the islands and other info on Vietnam and Cambodia is:

http://www.travelfish.org/country/cambodia - click on Southern Cambodia and that will take you to the island info.

Having travelled extensively by bus throughout SEA I would avoid the night buses in Cambodia - just not worth the risk.

3 days is ok for SR but 4 is better if you are into temples. Rent a tuk Tuk for around $15 per day to get around (a car and driver/guide is an alternative at $50 per day). Try and fit in a trip to Tonle Sap.

I would spend a couple of days in PP - lots to see and do and some great restaurants around the city.

As for accommodation, in most places it is easy enough to source budget places on arrrival but the most useful sites we found were www.hostelbookers.com and www.hihostel.com . Easy and reliable booking and the reviews seemed pretty accurate.

KevandJho

Thanks for the great info on the night bus and also the weekend island dilema. I want to go to those small islands for some R and R, not a big party.

Would have loved to check out the north ,but 32 days is simply not enough and the south sounds better weatherwise in December.

thursdaysd

December weather can be iffy in north Vietnam, but you shouldn't shortchange Hanoi.

Sihanoukville is touristy and redundant if you go to Kep and Kampot. Go to Battambang instead and check whether you can take the boat to SR. You need more time for the temples - I had three nights the first time and had to go back.

See talesofasia.comfor travel info.

KevandJho

thurdaysd......

Thanks for your reply.....much appreciated.

When we were in Thailand we visited many temples and although we enjoyed it, we got templed out after three days.

Now I'm not per say trying to compare Thailand with Siam Reap, because when we get there, I'm sure we will find out that its a whole, completely different experience. From the pictures and vids I've seen,the place looks incredibly awesome!

We are only spending one day in Sihanoukville and 5 days on (hopefully) some laid back beautiful small islands at least two hours away from there.I can agree with you 100%, that Sihanoukville looks touristy for sure!

Other than that, I will research Battambang.....thanks for your input.

joan47

I would really recommend Beng Maelea (sp?) - it is a ways out from Siem Reap but it is a fabulous temple that is still covered in overgrowth. It really is an Indiana Jones experience. When I was there the roads were terrible - but it was worth it.

KevandJho

Thanks Joan47.....

I really like those places at the end of terrible roads.

We found a real nice secluded beach in Mexico with almost zero tourists, down this 40 kilometer bumpy road, that they are slowly starting to pave.

When they finally do pave it, the road will be come nice and the place will become terrible.

Beng Maelea,....oh if one only had more time!