cotontravels

Hello!

Planning a month long honeymoon (December - January) to Southeast Asia. Initial thoughts include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia but we really don't know where to start!

Little bit about us to give you a starting point for recommendations: scuba divers, hikers, adventure-seekers, history appreciators, not big beach people but we're happy to take a few days on a beach to recharge

I think for the most part we prefer to stay out of major cities unless there's something really exciting to see

We don't mind packing up and moving every few days - we're happy to be on the go and exploring!

Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can offer!

mrwunrfl

Bali!!

Kathie

Wherever you choose, restrict the number of stops you make as getting from one place to another can eat up a lot of your time. And if you are choosing several destinations, choose ones that are relatively close together. So you might choose a cluster of destinations in Indonesia: Bali, Central Java and Lombok, for instance.

If you opt got Thailand, I'd suggest Bangkok (if you are interested in history and culture of Thailand, you have to make a stop in Bangkok), somewhere in the north, A few days at a beach and a side trip to Angkor.

In Malaysia, look at Georgetown, Penang and Langkawi.

Also, the time between Xmas and New Year's is the highest of high seasons at the Thai beaches and at the beaches in Bali. Prices are often double or triple the usual high season prices. So if you can arrange your schedule to be at the beach after the holidays, that will be better for your budget.

If you opt for VN, look carefully at the weather patterns, as central coastal VN has torrential rains and flooding in November and December, so you really don't want to be in Hoi An then!

shelemm

Have you considered the Philippines? An almost unlimited array of adventure travel is there. I would be tempted toward Coron Island as a starting off point.

If not the Philippines, then an ascent of Mt Kinabalu might be in order.....

crellston

I would start by taking a look at the weather in each of those countries. Weather is not the be all end all, but patterns in Asia are complex and could impact your time there considerably.

Big cities are unavoidable in Asia but I suppose you could pend as little time in them as you want. Although that is where you will find most of the history you seek. Given your interests, I would look at the north and south of Vietnam.
You could fly into Hanoi, which has history in abundance, some of the best adventure hiking in the region the areas around Ninh Binh to Mai Chau, Ha Giang, Ba Be lakes are all worth considering. Stunning scenery, intriguing minority villages, markets etc. Also, possibly the Dien Bien Phu loop from Sapa ( although the latter has become very over touristed in recent years.

Avoid the bad weather of central Vietnam by flying to Saigon ( more history and tenets food in Asia! ) spend a few days exploring the Mekong Delta, through to Chau Doc for a boat to Cambodia for Phnom Penh and possibly Siem Reap for Angkor.

If you want to include diving, then you could route through the delta and get a ferry or flight to Phu Quoc. The only other place I would consider diving at that time would be the Similan Islands from Khao Lak by liveaboard. BTW congratulations on your forthcoming wedding!

kacollier

Although others mention not picking too many destinations, my husband and I travel quickly and stay just a few days in various locations. We have combined Siem Reap, Cambodia with Luang Prubang, Laos and Hanoi but did wish we had traveled to the coast of Vietnam as well (Hue). When we did Thailand, stayed in the country to visit Chaing Mai, 3 days in the tropical islands (we did Phuket but that is very touristy--better options available), Bangkok and finished our trip with a layover in Hong Kong. That is one of my favorite cities for a 2 night stop. I would also mention that if you need to stop in Seoul for your flight options, it is also a great city to visit for just a few days. We actually did Bali, Indonesia as a stopover after New Zealand for 4 days. And we visited Singapore before heading to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Our trips are normally of two week duration so a month gives you quite a few options to explore. Right now we are looking at Malaysia to see the orangatangs, some beach time, and maybe climb Mt. Kinabalu. Good luck!