Everyone, thank you so much.

So, if you had to make a choice, would you:

1) Spend <u>two</u> full days in Hanoi (3 nights - arriving very late first night), 2 full days in Hue (3 nights - arriving late first night), and 2-1/2 days in HoiAn (3 days including a morning drive from Hue), or....

2) Spend <u>three</u> full days in Hanoi (4 nights), 1-1/2 days days in Hue (2 nights) driving to HoiAn later on the second day), and 2 full days in HoiAn (3 nights), or.....

3) Leave HCMC out of this trip altogether, and spend an extra day in Hanoi, HoiAn and/or Siem Reap?

Sub-question:

Do all the overnight boat trips to Halong Bay do a similar itinerary? We are particularly interested in spending time kayaking. If you know of a particular boat that emphasizes this aspect, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Thanks.

Personally, I did not love Saigon, but I don't think you should take it out because I think you will feel like you missed something. Hanoi definitely warrants 4 nights and Hue can be done in 1 1/2 days. You will have time to see the Citadel which takes several hours and then you will need a day to see the Pagoda and several tombs.

I believe that most of the boats have the same itinerary, but I am not certain.

Since you are going in March, the weather should be a lot more comfortable than it was in May and I think you will have more time to wander around without the necessity of having to nap as much as we did. Siem Reap though, will be very hot and you will likely rest during the mid day going out both early mornings and late afternoons.

I agree that you should not leave Saigon out. Also it is a transport hub so you will probably end up having to pass through at sdome stage. You can get enough of the feel of the place by just spending one day there though.

Also agree that you can do Hue in 1.5 days and your option 2 will probably work out fine for you.

I would double check about the boats itineraries. I think there are two different launching places and even though they all do basically the same things there are some differences. Pretty sure they will all offer a kayaking option but still I would check by asking the company directly if it is important to you.

I agree about seeing everything in Saigon in one day, unless you want to do the tunnel tour. It wouldn't be a bad idea to add an additional day to Siem Reap. That would give you the flexibility of either seeing more temples, or taking a boat ride on Tonle Lake where you can see Vietnamese families that have settled in floating villages in Cambodia. You can visit their school and see the boats and homes where they live. We thought it was as interesting as the Mekong Delta and easier to get to.

Here's the problem with using FF miles -- you have to make your plans so far in advance!! Here it is 7 months before our trip, and we already have all of our air, and all of our hotels booked. I don't know what to do with myself for the next 7 months!!!

Final itinerary:

Hanoi - 3 full days (4 nights at the Hanoi Elegance 5)
Halong Bay - this is "open", but we'll likely do a 2 day/1 nighter
Hue - 2 days/2 nights at La Residence Hue
HoiAn - 2 days/3 nights at Victorian HoiAn
HCMC - 3 days/3 nights at Liberty Central
Siem Reap - 3 days/3 nights at La Residence Angkor
Hong Kong - 3 days/4 nights at Salisbury YMCA

Now what :-) (just kidding!)

Now you plan the NEXT trip. Lol....

Well, the Canadian Rockies have been beckoning....:-)

I was just thinking how different we all are, we're planning the same trip this year leaving on the 8th of October, which is 8 weeks away and we haven't booked anything yet; no flights no hotels nothing, not even an itinerary. I think I better get me skates on. LOL

Clark, that's the way we usually do it!! It's just that we wanted to use miles for the international air portion, and wanted to go business class if possible, so it had to be done way in advance. We went to Egypt in mid-August '08, and planned the whole thing (for 6 people) starting in early July.

For your hotel in Siem Reap - if your budget will allow - stay at Hotel de la Paix. My husband and I stayed there in April 2010 and we LOVED it! The architecture was unique, the service was impeccable, the breakfast was amazing, and the pool is the most gorgeous thing we had ever seen!

rsn, we tried! Unfortunately, the entire hotel was rented out by a group for one of our nights and we didn't want to have to move hotels, so we're staying at La Residence Angkor instead.

We spent almost a month in SE Asia Jan/Feb 2008. Look at my trip report which has all the details of our trip. Included are guides in Hanoi, BBK and Siem Reap, plus hotels, air travel arrangements, several restaurants with prices plus our daily schedule. This, I think, might be a good statring point for you.

Thanks - MSheinberg, I looked for your report, but the only reports under your name are Hong Kong and Four Corners. Help please!

Your plan looks great. And the Canadian rocky trip is wonderful.

Too bad re the hotel! Next time!! You can take a walk through the hotel and maybe have lunch there?

In any event, great idea to visit Angkor. We had a fantastic time!

sf3707-msheinberg here. Look under my name for topic titled SE Asia Part 2, dated 3-18-08. Also see topic titled SE Asia dated 3-11-08.

Hope this helps

Found them -- thank you!!