Burma? Laos? Cambodia? Vietnam? - I need some help!
 

Travel time - January and February 2013. Do we have enough time to arrange a trip to SE Asia? We started by looking at Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam [gottravel 9 wks report was wonderful and very informative] however after reading Kathie's excellent trip reports on Burma we feel we need to head there first. We are a healthly, older couple who love to wander - walks in the city, drives in the country, food markets, villages,workshops, a train ride, museums, temples but not too many.

Please recommend a travel agency and agent. I know that Santa Maria is mentioned for arrangements in Burma but do they work in Laos or Vietnam. Tonkin Travel - just for Vietnam? Sunbird Tours or Diethelm Travel? Min Thu sounds like a guide we would like; his email please.

I agree - go to Burma as soon as you can! Do contact Santa Maria for flights and accommodations as soon as possible. Many hotels will already be sold out with the huge influx of visitors. Santa Maria will only make arrangements within Burma. MinThu can be reached at [email protected]

Decide which other countries you want to visit. I'd encourage you to spend as much time as you can in Burma. It is changing so fast, you want to explore as much as you can now. The maximum visa time in Burma is 28 days.

Then I would choose not more than two other countries. VN can easily take up three weeks of your time.

You don't really need a travel agent for the other countries, though a number of Fodorites have used Tonkin to make arrangements in VN. It is easy to book hotels and flights on your own for all of the other countries.

Do be explicit about what you want an agent to arrange. Without directions, most agents will offer you not only flights and accommodations, but also airport transfers (some of which make sense, but most do not), guides for all of the time you are there, and often a car and driver. You don't need most of this. If I want a guide somewhere, I tend to hire them on the spot, as I did MinThu.

Kathie, I appreciate such a quick reply. We had thought about flying into Singapore, traveling up to Bangkok and over to Yangon. Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake are on our list. Undecided about including Mrauk U. Wanting to visit these areas, do we have to fly to each? Any possibility of a road trip or a train? From the northern part of Burma can you fly to Laos or VN? I read that the Strand Hotel is your favorite but do you know anything about the Alamanda Inn in Yangon?
Thanks from Portland, Oregon

it depends on how you like to spend your time on a trip. The most efficient and comfortable travel within Burma is flying. There are trains, but they are generally considered to be less comfortable than the buses - which are highly variable. This is a country with little infrastructure. Most of the infrastructure was built by the Brits - so pre-WWII. Certainly you can ask for a car and driver to take you from one place to another, but the drives are long and the roads in bad to terrible condition (except for the Yangon to Mandalay road which was recently re-paved. Also, driving means you have to stop to overnight at a small town along the way, and the guesthouse facilities will be on the primitive side.

Mrauk U was a highlight - but with the ethic violence there it is unclear whether it will be open for visitors (it has been off limits for a month or two now).

There are no international flights from Mandalay except for a new flight a couple of days a week from Mandalay to Bangkok (oh, and a couple of flights to China). There are always rumors of new routes. I understand there is a flight from Hanoi or HCMC to Yangon and return. Plan that your itinerary will be a loop starting and ending in Yangon.

Sorry, I've never heard of the Alamanda Inn, but there are lots of places I haven't heard of. Use the expertise of your travel agent in Burma to recommend alternate accommodations.

Save your train trips for VN or Malaysia..

We're in the final stages of arranging travel to Burma in January and are using Santa Maria Travel primarily because of the recommendations of Fodorites, particularly Kathie. Her advice on this forum has been invaluable. We're normally independent travellers but Din at Santa Maria has been excellent in responding to emails and booking flights and accommodations. It's best if you can have a basic itinerary planned, a budget range to suggest and if you want specific hotels list them in your initial contact with the agency.

Our 10 day itinerary includes: 1 day Yangon arrival and departure, 4 days in Bagan and 4 days at Inle Lake. The Alamanda Inn in Yangon appears to get good reviews and is only a short taxi ride away from the centre. It became our choice for an overnight stay. We really wanted to stay at the Inle Lake View hotel but it's booked for our dates. Apparently travel agents have been inundated with requests for assistance recently so based on our experience I'd recommend you act ASAP for January/February 2013. We've asked to be put on a wait list at the Inle Lake View and we're really hoping something will open up before we put a deposit on a room at another hotel.

I'd also highly recommend Vietnam. We've visited twice and on our second trip stayed with our guide and his family for a week during Tet. What an amazing cultural experience! We experienced things from a very different perspective .... a holiday we'll never forget. It's also quite easy to arrange travel in VN and 3 weeks will only scratch the surface. VN is a beautiful country and its people are wonderful.

NL, I'm glad my posts have been helpful. It sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned! I do hope you can get a room at the Inle Lake View.

Kathie, Just a few more questions. You suggest 4 days at Inle Lake. I read that one day you head south and visit Saga, another day you head north. Our lake visit in southern India was fine for a day but 4 days on a lake. Please explain what we are not considering. I read about Paukan cruises on the river between Mandalay and Bagan. Can you tell me anything about this cruise or any other I sure consider. We do like road travel and are thinking about the Yangon - Mandalay drive, is there a town that you know of that might have an OK guesthouse. Thanks so much for your continued help.

NLspirit, It sounds like you have a great trip planned and I am planning to contact Santa Maria travel just as soon as I finish the basic outline of our trip. Did you send them the hotels you wanted, days you needed a car etc. I am not sure how much detail is needed. Working with an agent is new for me as we usually plan and arrange everything. You do feel that we can put together the VN portion of the trip without an agent? Thanks for your help.

Hi Kathie. I'm really crossing my fingers and hoping we'll get a room at Inle Lake View. Din has reserved a room at another well recommended resort but my heart has been elsewhere for awhile. :-) I've often read your comments and advice on Fodors and have always found them to be insightful as well as practical. My appreciation is long overdue ... years in fact! So finally .... many, many thanks!

Hi re. I understand your comment about usually planning everything yourself. I've only worked with an agent once (in Tanzania) where it's recommended primarily because of inconsistent communication patterns and infrastructure problems. There are dozens of agencies all over the world which offer package tours, but unless you're comfortable with group travel, working with a local agent is really the only option in some countries.

I contacted Santa Maria Travel on July 30 and gave them our basic itinerary. I had actually researched a trip to Burma a few years ago and still had it on file. Having read Kathie's reports we recognized that her travel style and interests were similar to ours and she had recommended a basic itinerary for spending 10 days in Burma. We had already decided that the Inle Lake View Resort was our first choice in that area and then chose the Alamanda Inn in Yangon and the Amazing Bagan Hotel in Bagan. We didn't want to spend a lot on a hotel in Yangon because we would only be there one night arriving and departing. There also didn't seem to be much to choose from in Bagan with many hotels getting mixed reviews regardless of category or price. I should also say that we'll be spending a week in Bangkok prior to going to Burma and a week in Chiang Mai afterwards. It often takes us two to three travel days to arrive in SE Asia (each way) which is another factor we have to consider.

So when I contacted Santa Maria I gave them the itinerary outline, specific hotels and asked that they provide transport services to and from the airports as well as domestic flights. Their initial quote also included tours but we declined. We have contact details for guides in both Bagan and Inle Lake and want some degree of flexibility while in each place. Din from Santa Maria is super to work with and efficient with detail and response time.

We've been to Vietnam twice and it's really quite easy to plan. On our first trip we were only there one week and used Hanoi as our base. Love Hanoi! It's a fascinating city with lots of amazing things to see and do. From there we organized a trip to Sapa by train for 2 days (an excellent Victoria Hotel and train package) and went to Halong Bay overnighting on a Chinese junk ... also great! They were both fabulous experiences and I'd highly recommend them. It was enough for us to realize we wanted to go back and the second trip for three weeks was even better .... lots of unexpected adventure the second time! Go ... you'll love VN too!

re, I recommend four nights, three full days at Inle. One full day is for the trip to Sankar. We were out on the lake at 6:30 each morning, so we did two long half days in addition to the full day at Sankar. This gave us some afternoon time to relax one day. The other half day, you can go to Kakku (a road trip). Inle is really unique. We are very interested in Buddhism, so very much enjoyed the visits to various pagodas, monasteries and stupa forests. There are a lot of workshops on the lake. Mostly, we weren't interested except for the silk and lotus weaving workshops, but others may interest you as well. And you'll want to go to the 5-day market one day. Just don't go to the "floating market" whether or not it is the 5 day market. It's a zoo.

We opted not to do a cruise. The only ones that interest me are the ones that get you really off the beaten path, like the Chidwin cruise or the one to Bhamo. The cruise between Mandalay and Bagan is well on the tourist route, and the scenery isn't very interesting. I know there are several companies that do the two day cruise. Ask Santa Maria, I'll bet they are all fully booked for this year.

I'd say talk to Santa Maria about the road trip idea as well.

I'm not one who uses travel agents, the exceptions being Burma and Sri Lanka. I plan and book everything myself. In using a travel agent, I did it pretty much the same way, planned it all, then turned it over to the agent. I did ask Santa Maria's advice on where to stay in Mandalay, and they recommended Rupar Mandalar, which was excellent.

NLspirit and Kathie, Thanks for your continued help. Is there and email address for Din at Santa Maria Travels & Tours? I have looked on their web site and only find a form contact. Also NLspirit can I please have the name and email address of the guide you are using at Inle Lake.In reading about Domestic airlines I find there are 3 - Air Mandalay, Air Bagan and Myanmar Airways. Is one recommended over another?

re, the website lists email addresses at the bottom of the page. Send an email to both addresses. You may deal with Din or Zaw or someone else at Santa Maria.

You don't need a guide at Inle, IMO. You will get a mandatory Pa-O guide when you enter Pa-O territory (going to Sankar or to Kakku).

Other than Myanmar Airways, (don't worry, no one will book a foreigner on that airline) the domestic airlines are same-same. There ia also Yangon Air and there are now two more, Asian wings and one other that uses initials. Let your agent book you on the airline that gives you the best time for you.

re: Din happened to be the one who responded to my enquiry but I'm sure anyone at SM will be great. And you may not need a guide at Inle Lake. It's a matter of personal preference, your interests and the kind of experiences you enjoy. We normally don't hire guides prior to our arrival (and frequently don't hire at all) but in places where we want to gain a more complete understanding of the living culture, we have, and for the most part it's worked well.

We've only had one guide (in Cambodia) who gave us lots of information but we didn't really learn very much. The woman at our B&B on the other hand was fabulous. Having lived through the PolPot regime and its horrors, she spent hours sharing stories of things we would never had known had we not stayed with her.

The guide who has been recommended at Inle Lake sounds like the kind of person we would like. Her name is Nan Thien May. She's also PaO which we'll need to go to Sankar. I don't have her email but her telephone number is +95(0)95216045. So far she hasn't answered but with such a large time difference my timing may be off. There's also a chance she may not be available while we're there. I'm going to check with Din to see if he can help.

Din also booked our domestic flights once I had given him our dates. Hope this helps.

NL, ask your guide whether she can be your mandatory Pa-O guide to Sankar. Someone else (maybe Craig) found that even though they had a Pa-O guide hired for part of their Inle Lake visit, she could not be the mandatory guide for the Pa-O areas.

Kathie, thanks for this. This kind of thing does happen I'm sure, especially if Sankar has guides with specialized training. BTW... I really like how you organized your days at Inle Lake allowing time for both guiding experiences as well as leisure time at the resort. I'm hoping we'll be able to do the same kind of thing ... and at Inle Lake View!

NLspirit, I certainly appreicate both you and Kathie taking the time to answer my many questions. The more I get into planning a trip to Burma the more concerned I get that prehaps waiting a few years might not be the better option. Everything I read talks about price hikes, more tourists etc. So many changes have occurred in Burma. Jan-Feb in another country - what do you think??

I say go as soon as you can. The country is changing rapidly. See it while it retains much of it's isolated charm. It will be a differnt place in a few years.

re: I've already been waiting for years to visit Burma and very sorry I didn't go sooner. However my husband and I had differences of opinion. He thought if we went we'd be supporting the military junta and I thought by going we'd find ways of ensuring that our money was placed in the hands of local people. A small gesture perhaps but for me it would be important in the lives of so many. January can't come soon enough for me!

Burma has now opened up and with that comes change at an incredible pace. It will never ever be the same. By going now you will experience a very unique culture and help a people that live in hope that others will somehow support them. I think that prices have increased but are still very reasonable in comparison to other areas where we've traveled.

I live in a part of the world where change happened rapidly and even though I was an infant and had no say in the decision, I, along with many others, still mourn the loss of our culture, although it's still considered unique. There's no doubt that we've benefited and tourists now come in droves to visit but they no longer see the culture that once was. It's still fabulous but more contrived. However that's the price of change and in many ways our lives are richer. I realize change is inevitable and progress marches on.

Please don't give up the idea of visiting Burma. There are lots of people on this and other forums who can and will help. Santa Maria or other agencies will help you develop your itinerary very quickly. Even though many higher end properties may be booked there will still be lots of smaller properties and guesthouses that will be available. Please give it some more thought.

Kathie and NLspirit, One more bit of advice please. Mandalay - I have been told, skip Mandalay its just a big city and if you are not too interested in temples you would be better to head in another direction. We have set up Bagan and Inle Lake allowing the number of days you suggested as well as 3 nights in Yangon. Is there another other area we should add? Thinking of heading to Vietnam or Singapore after Burma.

re: I'm so happy to hear you've decided to include Burma in your plans. In my research I've read the same thing you have about Mandalay and because temples are not high on our list we decided to spend the extra time in Bagan and Inle Lake. I think Kathie will have a better response to this question as well as about other countries in SE Asia. Did you get a response from Santa Maria? If you have any questions you think I may be able to answer regarding Vietnam I'd be happy to do so. I haven't visited Sinatapore yet so can't help you there.

Mandalay itself is not a charming place. The "historic" sites in town, like the palace are really total fabrications. I am glad we had the opportunity to see the Mahamuni Buddha and that we saw the gold-leaf making process. The ancient cities outside of the city are more interesting. We loved Sagaing, and I could have spent a whole day there. We also enjoyed seeing the U Bien Bridge at sunset. Ava/Inwa was not a good experience for us, and the rest of Amanapura was mostly to be avoided. On our first trip to Burma we opted to skip Mandalay, and I think that was a good choice. I am glad we visited on our second trip, but I wouldn't put it high on my list of places to return to.

I don't think of Mandalay as a city of temples. It isn't at all like visiting Bagan.

You may find three nights in Yangon more than you need. We enjoyed our time there, but it wasn't a highlight - other than Shwedagon Pagoda.

The one other area well worth adding is Mrauk U. Unfortunately, due to ethnic violence, it is closed to visitors now.

I've been to Singapore many times, and I always enjoy it. It has gorgeous botanical gardens, including the world's largest display orchid garden. Singapore is quite a contrast to Yangon. It is the cleanest, safest, most modern city you've ever seen. Some people react to that negatively. It still has interesting ethnic enclaves and shopping, as well as malls full of western designer goods. The food is Singapore is fabulous... lots of variety to sample. It has become an expensive city since I first visited a couple of decades ago. It has wonderful hotels, great service, and price tags to match. I haven't visited in a number of years and am looking forward to our return visit this year in conjunction with our trip to Java.

Since NL has been to VN recently, I'll let you get more info from her. My one caution: don't try to cover too much ground in VN. Depending on how much time you have choose one or two areas.

NLspirit, I have heard from Santa Maria and arrangements to Burma are slowly coming together. After Burma we are looking at visiting Vietnam. In 2013 Tet is from Feb 5-14. I posted questions on Fodor's Vietnam site but I have read that you visited Vietnam during Tet. Is Tet a difficult time to travel in the country? Are sites more crowded and hotels hard to come by? Are there special celebrations that we might be able to see? Do you have a guide or travel agent to recommend? Any places or sites that we shouldn't miss? Thanks

Hi re. I'm happy you've chosen to visit Burma, Santa Maria is helping you plan your itinerary and it's coming together. I'm sending our deposit tomorrow. Our experiences in Vietnam were amazing on both visits and Tet is a great time to be there. I'm so very tempted to return during Tet! Great memories! We leave for home on February 8.

re. I'll tell you a little about our home stay experience in case it may be something you'd like to consider. We flew into Hanoi, stayed there for a few days and then flew to Dalat on Tet Eve where our guide met us at the airport. Our guide had been recommended by a friend of ours who had used his guiding services. We were really interested in visiting during Tet and while corresponding with him I asked if he could recommend a home stay. He invited us to stay with his wife and three children in Dalat. He had a lovely home and his family was so very kind, hospitable and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We got to experience Vietnamese culture first hand, meeting their extended family and spending time in their homes. We were treated like special guests everywhere we went. A foreigner visiting during Tet is often a sign of good fortune for the year ahead.

After several days in Dalat we left and toured the Central Highlands, Hoi An, Hue as well as coastal areas where we stayed with other family members. This part took 9 days and we saw things that few tourists ever see. We also heard stories of an amazing people and their culture. At the time our guide was a partner in a well known local tour company called Easy Riders which offers motorcycle (most popular) and car tours in Vietnam. We chose the car (actually it was a great SUV) because of knee issues I was having at the time. The tour was very reasonably priced. Our guide has since left to manage his family business but the company still operates out of Dalat. Dalat is a beautiful small city in the mountains developed by the French when they controlled Vietnam. They clear cut the area, planted pine trees and built buildings to resemble French architecture. It's now a popular destination for Vietnamese honeymooners.

If you prefer to stay in hotels or guesthouses there'll be plenty of choices. In Hanoi we stayed at the De Syloia, a small hotel which we quite liked and is well located. The only day that I remember small stores and markets closed was on Tet itself. In Hanoi on Tet Eve we were thrilled to see so many motorcyclists driving around with orange trees tied to the back of the cycles! (They carry everything on their motorcycles. We even saw refrigerators!) The orange tree is kind of like the Christmas tree and our guide had one in our room when we arrived. Motorcycle travel is the main means of transportation in Vietnam because they're inexpensive to buy and operate and easier to use in highly populated areas. There was so much excitement in the air and the markets were full of shoppers. I'm not sure about government sites being open. It's a time when the Vietnamese people go home to visit much like Westerners do at Christmas time.

I could go on and on .... we love Vietnam. However ...how much time do you have? If you only have a week then I'd recommend you base yourself in one area. If you have two weeks or more then you can see more than one area of the country. Vietnam is big and each area is diverse offering different experiences. If you're interested in an Easy Rider guide from Dalat I can contact ours and ask if he can recommend someone in his former company. I could also enquire about a home stay if you're interested. Even though the company is based in Dalat they also meet clients and tour anywhere they may want to go. It would be a very difficult choice but if I only had one week I'd probably choose Hanoi as a base and take side trips to Sapa and Halong Bay. You can very easily arrange these when you arrive in Hanoi or before you leave home. I don't think you'll need a guide. Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to answer them if I can.

NLspirit Thank you so much for all the great information both on Burma and now on Vietnam. I think that we will fly from BKK to Hanoi and work our way south flying back to US from Ho Chi Minh. I thought about 2 1/2 weeks and I certainly would like a contact in the Dalat Easy Rider agency. I have heard about Easy Rider but thought they only offered motorcycles, happy to hear car and driver is also available. Please do enquire about home stays, that might be a nice balance with the small hotels were we usually stay. I am not sure about Halong Bay, I have read about it and wonder if it similar to a boat trip we took on the Lee River in China from Giulin to Yaugshuo. Saw many karast formations. Western China minority areas along with villages we hope to see in Burma-do you think that Sapa would be a repeat?
I have found a new hotel site for Inle Lake-Villa Inle Resort & Spa. It can be booked on Bookings.com and reviews can be read on Tripadvisor. I thought I remembered that you were waiting for space to open up at Inle Lake.

Hi re. I just checked my guide's Facebook page and there was a message saying he had recently returned to work with Easy Riders. Meantime I had sent him an email asking about a car tour and home stay. If he's on tour he may not be able to check his email frequently but as soon as I hear from him I'll let you know. Keep checking this thread for a reply. You could also check the Easy Rider website for details of what they offer.

I can't comment on how the boat trip you took in China will be like Halong Bay because I haven't been to that area of China. Have you tried googling images of both?

I'm not sure which ethnic minorities you'll see while in Burma. We visited several villages while we were in Thailand such as the Lisu, Karen, Lahu, H'mong and the Akha. However, with the exception of the H'mong, they were different from those we visited in Sapa. In Sapa we met Black H'mong and Flower H'mong but also the Red Zoa and Zai. All very different culturally. In addition to the tribes people what differentiated Sapa from the Cultural Triangle in Thailand was the setting. Sapa is set in among beautiful mountains and many hotels have balconies which overlook the Sapa Valley ... Gorgeous.

Thanks for the link to the Inle Lake Hotel. It looks really nice. Apparently it's also new and gets great reviews on TA. However it isn't the hotel we're hoping to get if there's a cancellation which is the Inle Lake View. We do have a reservation at the Inle Princess which also gets good reviews but for some reason it doesn't appeal to us.

Hi re, I've heard from our guide and he tells me he has just returned to guiding. He said he'd be interested in hearing from you and that a car can be arranged if you prefer that to motorcycles. When we were there we also had a driver which worked very well as Long was able to focus entirely on guiding. I also got the impression he and his family might consider another home stay. His wife and children are wonderful and I think you'd like them very much. His home is a new house with beautiful views over the countryside from his living room balcony. Our bedroom was on the second floor along with our own lounge area and bathroom. He tells me he's recently completed more renovations. He speaks fluent English and having studied and worked in Germany for several years he is also fluent in German.

If you're flying into Hanoi it's possible he may meet you there and move south. Or you could fly from Hanoi to Dalat, stay there for a few days during Tet and then move on towards Ho Chi Minh city. (That would be my recommendation if your budget allows.) You can discuss your interests with him and work out an itinerary. If you decide to fly to Dalat from Hanoi I'd book as soon as you know your dates as the Vietnamese go home for Tet and flights will be full.

After we left Dalat we toured, staying in small, clean and comfortable hotels along the way which were very reasonably priced. On a couple of occasions (when in larger towns or cities such as Hue and Hoi An (both great places especially Hoi An) we felt we'd like more upscale accommodations and Long and his driver stayed elsewhere. They were always very flexible. Long's email is [email protected]. re. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions please let me know. I'd be happy to help.

Kathie: Re: "you'll want to go to the 5-day market one day. Just don't go to the "floating market" whether or not it is the 5 day market." Can you please explain the difference?

I am in the same boat as re at this stage: waiting to hear from Din if I can squeeze into Burma this February!!

There is a five day market, a local market that rotates through five different locations. There is a market every day, and your boatman (and every hotel employee) will know where the market is each day. One location the market has every five days is the floating market. It's a zoo and retains none of the character of the 5 day markets which are filled with locals and various hilltribe peoples. Our boatman took us by there on a non-5-day market day (so perhaps 5% of the market day crowd) and I can only describe it as awful. There were tourists (all seemed to be German men) standing in boats with huge cameras and telephoto lenses taking pictures of the locals grabbing people's boats and trying to sell them geegaws.

The other locations of the 5 day market are all on the lake shore.

Good luck on getting reservations!

Kathie: Thanks, very helpful!!

NLSpirit I am following up on the Vietnam information and tomorrow plan to email Long. We like independence when we travel, to discover on our own. In reading your reply you say you had a car and driver and guide as you travelled the coast route. Is all of that that really necessary? What about in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, can we do it without a guide as we did in Beijing and Shanghai? Hue and Hoi An-guide needed? I would like your hotel recommendations for Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi if possible.
You certainly have be so very helpful. Thanks so much

Hi re. I can really appreciate your interest in traveling independently. We too are independent travelers and like to discover things on our own. We also had another reason for using a guide: we were looking for a foster child that a school in our community was sponsoring. I won't go into details but can say that the experience was probably one of the most interesting and challenging experiences we have ever had in our lives. It would never had happened without Long's help.

You really don't need a guide in the cities or towns but I think you would in the central highlands if you are interested in the cultural and historical differences of that area. We didn't meet anyone who spoke English and Long took us to places where they had never ever seen a Caucasian. Lots of interesting experiences there! The scenery was lovely and some of the indigenous peoples lived life the way they had for decades with little outside influence. It was very different from what we had seen in Thailand or even in Sapa though. We also learned a lot about more recent historical events.

Another factor to consider is travel during Tet. It will be very crowded on the roads and certainly on the trains. Personally I wouldn't recommend it. But that's just my preference and everyone is different. A lot will depend on how much time you have and how much you want to spend in each area. We didn't go to Ho Chi Minh City so I can't comment. (Friends of ours visited a year later and really enjoyed it.) I can say that we loved Hanoi and really enjoyed Sapa, Halong Bay, Dalat, Hoi An and certainly the Central Highlands. The home stay with Long's family during Tet made a significant difference to our total experience that trip. If you feel that some areas will be similar to those you have already visited in other countries then you may want to omit them. (Sapa and Halong Bay?) Discuss your interests and time frame with Long (including a home stay during Tet if you're interested), where you would like to visit and the kinds of things you enjoy doing. He will suggest the possibilities. You can then develop an itinerary which will suit your needs. We had 3 weeks and saw and experienced quite a bit. All this talk about Vietnam makes me want to return. Sigh ....

Meantime I'll take a look at my journal and check on the hotels to see if I can recommend any in particular. Again ... if you have any questions please let me know. Good luck with your planning and enjoy!

Hi re: just checked my journal for hotels I'd recommend. In Hanoi we stayed at the DeSyloia on 3 occasions and were very comfortable there. It's small, was reasonably priced and located near the old quarter. While touring the Central Highlands Long chose the accommodations which were basic but clean and comfortable. Because we were traveling through a largely rural area I didn't note locations or names.

The first night of our tour we stayed at the Lak Resort. It was very rural and had a lovely location on a lake near an indigenous village. We stayed in a simple but clean bungalow complete with t.v., bathroom, toiletries and breakfast .... excellent value for $12. In Pleiku we stayed in a new high rise hotel, Hotel AN H (I think that's the name). It was a Holiday Inn type hotel, clean and comfortable for $36 inclusive of breakfast. We stayed overnight here while looking for our foster child. I didn't take note of the name of the hotel in Hue but do recall we had difficulty finding heated accommodations. The weather was unusually chilly that evening. We eventually found one which was attached to a casino. There were lots of hotels there but we arrived late and the city was bustling with tourists.

We ended our tour with Long in Hoi An where we stayed 3 days and opted for something more upscale and consequently more expensive. It was the Palm Garden Resort and was located on the beach. We had a beautiful room with a lovely verandah and an indoor and outdoor shower. Unfortunately I didn't note the price here either. It was very nice and the service was excellent. I should also mention that when I reread my journal I noted that our trip was 4 weeks in total and not 3. Our last trip was in February, 2008 and so I can't really comment on today's prices.

re: I hope this helps a little and your trip planning is going well. If you have more questions I'll do my best to answer them for you.

NLspirit, All your information has been most helpful. Burma's plans are pretty well put together and I am waiting to see about hotel reservations. Now working on Vietnam. Thanks for the Hanoi hotel recommendation and the Palm Garden Resort, I will check on both.

Let me just add that we stayed at the DeSyloia many years ago and liked it. It's not in the Old Quarter, which I felt was an advantage, but many people do like to stay in a hotel in the Old Quarter.

I agree Kathie. We really liked the DeSyloia and found it was close enough to walk to the old Quarter and enjoy the sights and little shops along the way. re: if you like a teensy bit of excitement and lots of fun do try a cyclo ride while you're in Hanoi. We engaged them several times going from the Old Quarter to historical sites and art galleries in the city. :-)

On another occasion we walked to the Lake (lovely) and then took a taxi to the Temple of Literature (too far for a cyclo ride) which we quite enjoyed. It traced the history of literature in Vietnam. If you decide to visit the Temple there's a great restaurant close by called Koto which has as its motto "Know One, Teach One." A popular place, it's purpose is to train street kids to work in the tourism industry. It was wonderful to see their smiling faces as they went about serving their mostly western clientele. They obviously took great pride in their work and the food was good and reasonably priced. We really enjoyed our lunch there. Very close to Koto (almost next door I think) there's a store called Craft Link which has beautiful products made by indigenous peoples and they sell on a Fair Trade basis for their crafters.

I just received fabulous news from Din at Santa Maria this morning. We now have a junior suite at the Inle Lake View! :-)

NL, I'd also recommend all of those places in Hanoi.

Congrats on getting a Jr suite at the Inle Lake View. That's what we had as well. We loved that hotel, wonderful staff, excellent food. And they will help you plan your excursions on the lake. That have little maps they will mark for you and will talk with the boatman about exactly what you want.

Thanks Kathie. I'm really looking forward to Burma and Inle Lake in particular. Staying at the Inle Lake View for 4 nights will be a real bonus! Your recommendations are very much appreciated.

re: If you happen to be in Hoi An during the first new moon of the lunar year (not sure what date it will fall on), make sure you take an evening boat ride on the river. The river will be busy with boats floating up and down, each lit with brightly coloured lanterns. It's magical! There are also good restaurants along the river bank where you can enjoy the spectacle over dinner. Afterwards we bought a lantern in a shop nearby and had it refitted electrically when we arrived home. It's a lovely reminder of the event and our visit to Hoi An.

I can also recommend an excellent tailor if you're in the market for high quality clothing at excellent prices. (recommended by Long) My husband had some gorgeous silk and raw silk shirts tailored there.

<<<took a taxi to the Temple of Literature (too far for a cyclo ride)

Too far for a cyclo ride?? We walked! (but then, we also walked from teh Museum of Ethnology back to the Old Quarter --great way to see the city)

NLspirit, Waiting to hear both from Santa Maria and Long. So glad you know have the hotel on Inle Lake that you wanted. Please do send me the tailor's name and address. Thanks

Hi re. Thank you. We're happy that we were able to get reservations at Inle Lake View too. Thanks to Din at Santa Maria! I'm glad to hear things are progressing well for both Burma and Vietnam. When do you plan to visit Burma?

The link to the tailor's web site is http://www.thuthuysilk.com/welcome.html. I'm not sure which of their locations in HoiAn we visited but Long will know as he brought us to the shop when we asked if he could recommend a good tailor. I think it may have been their original location but I'm not sure. There wasn't a commission involved as there are in so many cases.