Good idea for an extension after Vietnam/Cambodia river cruise
 

We would like to add on about 4 days at the end of our river cruise to Vietnam and Cambodia. The cruise ends in Ho Chi Minh. Please help with ideas.

Where are you going in Vietnam and Cambodia? There are lots of places in both countries where the cruise would not go. What about North Vietnam? Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa spring to mind.

I agree that without knowing where you will already have been, it's hard to make reccos as to where else you might go. Also what are your interests. Also, are you committed to flying out of HCM or can you fly out of somewhere else, like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, etc any of which might make a nice add-on to a trip. Finally, what time of year is the trip.

If I were you, I would choose Phu Quoc Island in the south of Vietnam. Spending the rest of your trip in a beautiful island like Phu Quoc will give you more relaxing time.

4 days are not a long time for you to take a tour in the north. Take some places around Ho Chi Minh such as tours to Cu Chi tunnels, Cao Dai Temple and shopping if a beach vacation included in your trip.

It is a Mekong River cruise. WE start with time in Hanoi. We go to Ha Long Bay and Siem Reap. We embark on the cruise in Tonle Sap Lake. We visit Kampong Chhnang,Kampong Cham,Phnom Penh,Tan Chau,Sa Dec,Cai Be,Ho Chi Minh City. The cruise ends in Ho Chi Minh City with a very short hotel stay.(basically a day) Would Hong Kong be a good choice for an add on. Other ideas...I will look at the island that has been suggested. We come from the US, so as long as we've come so far, we thought that a nice place to extend would be good.We are going at the end of September;will end cruise on October 11th. Thanks for suggestions.

Based on that itin, it’s hard to say what you might want to do from that point. You may want to spend another day or so in HCM, although of the cities in Vietnam I have been to, it’s my least favourite. You may want to go inland to a place like Sapa, as suggested above, to experience a different geography and climate from that which you will have had on the cruise. You may want to go to Hue, the imperial city, to see something of the architecture/history of Vietnam.

Hong Kong is certainly easy to get to from HCM, and weather in mid-October is very pleasant. It’s easy to connect to flights to the US from there (probably easier for non-stops than from HCM, many of which go via a stop in Hong Kong anyway). Singapore is also quite easy to get to from HCM and offers no-stops to the US. Bangkok does as well, although fights from HCM may not be as convenient. But you may want to spend more time in Vietnam itself. I also agree that you may want to spend time on a beach, but without knowing your particular interests, and how many days you would have for the add-on, it is hard to say.

luang prabang laos would be one option to consider

Thank you! We have thought of Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. If we could only choose one,do you have any thoughts?

If you've not been to Bangkok, that would be my first choice.

Another vote for Bangkok but if you don't want a big city Luang Prabang.

I’ve lived in Singapore, and currently live in Hong Kong, and between the two I would choose Hong Kong. (No slight to Singapore, but that’s my vote. October weather is also excellent here.) But Bangkok is very, very interesting as well. It’s a hard choice, and my real recommendation is that you simply extend your trip and do both!

One thing to consider is that Cambodia and Thailand both practice the Theravada/Hinayana form of Buddhism, while Hong Kong is Mahayana with Daoism and Confucianism mixed in, so you would see quite different temple art and architecture and a different form of Buddhism practiced in Hong Kong than you will in Cambodia and Thailand. (Vietnam is similar to Hong Kong, but you may not be seeing many temples with your itin, and I don’t think you would see as many active temples as you would elsewhere like in Hong Kong or S’pore or of course Thailand/Cambodia. Singapore is also primarily Mahayana.)

I agree that Luang Prabang is interesting; however you will already have seen several smaller Vietnamese and Cambodian river towns on the cruise and so you may not find LP to be that much different. I would venture a guess that many people on this board who have been to LP have not been to Sa Dec (like myself). But my guess from my general knowledge of both areas is that you may want more of a contrast.