cochin321

Im planning a trip to Vietnam,Burma,andCambodia.I will have about 17 days.I have been to Halong Bay aboard a cruise ship which didnt come close to shore or the port town.Also to Saigon ,Hue,and Danang.We also went to Hoi An for about one hour which was at nite.Saw marble Mt. in the dark.I went to Ankor Wat and saw a lot of it in a very long day.Never been to Burma. Im planning on going towards the end of Dec. till about the 7 of Jan.Debating where to start. I think to fly in between these countrys i have to keep going thru Bangkok?Any suggestions on this?Also it will be Christmas and New Years so i would like to be in an exciting place for any festivities.Any thoughts?The places i would like to go include..Hanoi and then Sapa which so many people recommend. Train or Car?How good is the train? How many days here? After returning to Hanoi i would consider going to Halong Bay which i never saw the town and maybe Bai Chay and Cat Bay Island?Or my other choice would be to Danang and go to Hoi An which i saw in the dark.Is Hoi an worth the special flight? I have heard good things about Handspam Tours and was thinking of using them. Book before i go or when i get there and where are their offices.?Also recommended are Djoser Tours and Buffalo tours?...Next is Phnom Penh. How many days here? Thinking for some time in Kampot and Sihanoukville and Occheteal Beach.Thinking again of Handspam tours?Last is Burma. Would rather i think skip Rangoon and fly into Mandalay. Would want to tour Bagan.Any thoughts on Mrauk U or the beaches of Ngapali.I am still in the planning stages. Many people ask these questions but not enough is known about the traveler. I will be traveling by myself . 36 y.o. male.Iwould like very good, clean , safe accomodations but i dont need to stay at anything too nice.Have money but really dont want to spend a fortune.Would rather buy mechandise. Hopefully you know what i mean!I like to wake up pretty early and make the most of the day. I am in excellent shape to walk and whatever is involved.I basically dont like to relax to much. In other words i dont want to slow down because its to hot. I guess i get this from living in NY.But i do enjoy the culture and want to see as much as possible as who knows when ill ever be back. I also dont mind planning ahead although i could wing it if i had to although i dont want to be spending time on a phone. Also many people say to book flights while im there . Any plane, hotel, guide and places of interest comments would be appreciated as i have seen excellent advice from this site.Ill stop here and wait for comments and questions . And thank you for you time and effort in helping.

Kathie

In 17 days you are planning on visiting three countries, all of which are slow travel countries. Frankly, I think this is unrealistic unless you want to do another round like your glimpses of places when you were on the cruise. I'd say begin by deciding what your priorites are. You'll also be traveling at the high season, so you'll likely need to book your air ahead of time. Bangkok is the air hub, though there is a non-stop flight from HCMC to Siem Reap.

I'd say choose two countries (at most). You could easily spend all 17 days in VN or in Burma.

rhkkmk

kathie is correct....i might add that hotels can be a problem so maybe you should concentrate on that first and see what reservations you are able to make...its not too early right now to do that... then you can see where to fill in around your core of bangkok....

i would pick bangkok and one or two other places....or maybe just go to VN for the whole time and go from there to cambodia for a few days...

Sameera_Anand

Go to the Bangkok Air site and take a look at the Mekong Pass. It may meet your requirements. While I agree with kathie and Bob it may be rushed if this is your opportunity to do all 3 countries go for it. In case u are willing to fly diff airlines u do not have to keep flying thru Bkk.

cochin321

Thanks for the advice. Has anyone been to these places and have first hand knowledge of any of these destinations. I will also check out the Bangkok air website in the meanwhile. Please more input....

Kathie

Sure, there are plenty of people on this site who have been to those places. We need more specific questions in order to be helpful to you.

orgy7

Kathie. I can pictue a thia telling you you reo reo (hurry hurry/go go) as you slowly abserve every nuck and crany of a site.

why Phnom Penh. as aposed too angkor ?

anyways lonely planet. BootNsll. and other independed travel sites should be a hell of a lot more infomative for your style of travel.

cochin321

Ok Has anybody been either on a train or in a cab to Sapa? Which do you suggest? Are the trains safe and somewhat comfortable? Is there any places along the way by cab to see or spend the nite?Whats the best way to take the train with a guide from Hanoi or wing it myself and get a guide when i arrive?How much time should be spent here and what were your highlights that you saw?How to get a train ticket from here or get from there?Also im looking to fly into Hanoi and leave from Bangkok. Any suggestions for lowest price?

Kathie

I've never heard of anyone taking a cab to Sapa - even on the train it's something like a 10 hour trip. There are the regular Vietnamese trains and there is the train owned by the Victoria hotel. Obviously, the higher priced option is more comfortable. Most people spend just a few days in Sapa. I'm not sure what you want a guide for - treking? If so, you're best off hiring one in Sapa.

Flying into Hanoi and out of Bangkok is likely to me more expensive than flying in and out of Bangkok and adding a flught to Hanoi. That was my experience in November.

cochin321

Actually i would be going to Sapa because it seems like an interesting destination. But i wonder if the train trip is worth it?

Kathie

I'd suggest that you get a copy of the Lonely Planet guide to VN. There is lots of info about Sapa. People are divided on Sapa. It' supposed to be a nice village in the mountains close to hill tribe treks. It also gets voted as the place in the world with the most aggressive and obscene (shouting at you and following you yelling obscenities) street sellers.