8 days from Hong Kong to Siem Reap -- where to spend them?
 

My husband and I will arrive in Hong Kong late in the evening on Saturday, 3/14 and are scheduled to embark on the AMALotus in Siem Reap for a cruise down the Tonle Sap and Mekong on Monday, 3/23. This is our first ever time to Southeast Asia!

We're debating what to do In those 8 unscheduled days, given that:
This is likely to be our only trip to this area of the world for a while.
We like culture and history; we enjoy being out and about walking and sightseeing, but don't want to have too crazy and jam-packed of a schedule.
We know we want to get to Siem Reap at least a couple of days before the cruise departs to see Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and possibly some of the other temples.

If we spend 2-3 days in Siem Reap before the cruise, we have about 4-5 days to get from Hong Kong to Siem Reap.

How would you spend those days?
-- stay in Hong Kong the whole time?
-- or split the time between some combination of Hong Kong, Ha Long Bay, and Hanoi?

Thanks!

Hi Annette,

I have traveled to all the places you mention and would consider myself a traveler who doesn't mind staying a few days in one place then moving on at a quick pace. That being said, even I would find the addition of Hanoi and Ha Long Bay too much. Hanoi to Ha Long Bay makes for a very long day trip (spent mostly in the car). If you stayed overnight in Ha Long, then you really aren't doing justice to Hanoi. I would suggest splitting your time between Hong Kong and Siem Reap. You will have time to recover for perhaps a long flight into Hong Kong and both cities, HK and SR, have plenty to do for a few days. Happy travels!

I would agree with ScienceGal - split your time between Hong Kong and Siem Reap. Get a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples to prepare for your trip. The book will also help you decide how much time you want in Siem Reap. As it takes three full days (meaning 4 nights) just to see the major temples, I'd want a fair amount of time in Siem Reap before the cruise.

Hong Kong is a very expensive destination, so your budget may also play a part in how much time you spend there.

I agree that trying to add in Hanoi and Halong Bay is simply too much.

Cutting destinations is always the hardest thing. But you will be happier with fewer stops.

Thanks for all of your replies! We were trying to add Ha Long Bay, as it is a bucket list place for us, but since our dates are firm, we're definitely flying in to Hong Kong, and we need to be in Siem Reap for the start of the cruise, we'll just have to leave Ha Long for another trip...

So: We have 8 full days on the ground after we land in Hong Kong and before the cruise sails. we're thinking 3 full days in Siem Reap, one day to travel between the 2, and 4 days in Hong Kong. Does that sound like a good mix?

I think that is a good mix.