I am going to S.E. asia with my husband next Nov. To travel and meet up with my son who is teaching in thailand and daughter who is doing her Jr year abroad in vietnam.
This trip looks exhausting, but don't know what to skip.
NOV 18 Sea-Bkk
19 Hui hin Chiva Som health spa 5
24 Hanoi Metrople
25 Hanoi
26 Maichau overnight in guest house
27 Hanoi
28 Halong bay overnight on the emerude
29 Late ft to Hue La residence
30 Hue
Dec 1 Hoi an Life resort
2 Hoi an
3 HCMC Meet our daughter
4 HCMC
5 Meking delta
6 Delta Overnight Chou Doc
7 Speed boat to Phenon Phenu
8 Siem Reap D'Ankor
9 Siem Reap
!0 Siem Reap
11 Siem Reap
12 Luang prabang via Bkk- La Residence
13 Luang Prabang
14 Luang prabang
!5 Luang Prabang
!6 BKK-Home
I would like to take out HCMC, but would like to meet up with and travel with her and her group for a few days.
Does this look like too much? I want time to get out of the cities and see some rural areas.
Any advice would be appreciated
Thank you

I think overall the number of days in each places look good. However, have you looked at the weather charts for Vietnam for November? Places like Hue and the Mekong Delta are very very rainy. It is the middle of the monsoon season then. I am not sure this is the best time to go to those places. Hue gets an average of 25 inches in November alone. Cambodia and Hua Hin will also be a bit rainy, but parts of the south Vietnamese coast can really be deluged, flooding it not at all unusual. I know you are from Seattle, but believe me you ain't seen nothing like that mount of rain in a month, you only get 25 inches a whole year, and you think it rains a lot where you live (I live in Hong Kong and we get 90 inches a year, so I know whereof I speak...)

I absolutely LOVE Chiva Som. My only comment on it, is that I would do it at the END of the trip as a reward for getting through the itinerary and to massage away all the aches and pains (and possible rheumatism from all that rain). I like to do the most restful part of a vacation at the end. You will be full of energy in the beginning and I would do the cities then. Jet lag will take some toll in the beginning, but really overall, I would recco doing the more active parts of the trip early on and save the beach and spa for the end.

hi
I think your plan is so ok, don't think about that too much!
Have a good time with your Family!

I agree with C that the Chiva Som should be at the end of your trip. Also, I would include more time in BKK. This could be done easily, if you decide parts of VN are too wet.

I agree with Cicerone about cutting the very rainy parts of VN. That will give you some time in Bangkok. Hanoi and environs are fine that time of year. I also agree to save your spa until the end.

I'm also from Seattle and have traveled a lot in SE Asia. We have drizzle - they have rain!! (Cicerone, we get 35-40 inches of rain a year, but it is no comparison to SE Asia monsoons.)

That cut will allow you time in Bangkok, I'd recommend at least 5 days.

Have you been to the Chiva Som? They have the most incredible spa, but I didn't like their accommodations. Only the suites looked like somewhere I'd want to stay. I'm very choosy about rooms, as I like to have some relaxing time in my room each day writing or reading. I think Cicerone has stayed there and can comment further on the rooms (I remember she liked them better than I did). Personally, I'd stay at the Hyatt (almost next door) and schedule full and half days of spa at the Chiva Som.

Thank everyone for all your input. I am now concerned about the weather. From the weather reports I looked at it the beginning of Dec. looked like an o.k. time to be in the Delta, but if it is truely monsoon season it would be miserable. I may have to risk it in order to spend time with our daughter and her university group. We can skip Hue and Hoi an,
I went to Chiva Som last Dec. then on to the Rayavadee in Krabi to meet up with reast of family. after 3 weeks in India with my daughter. I loved everything obout Chiva Som. Our room was great but it was more about the whole spa experience. Very different than the US spa experience. We are putting in the beginning, since my son is teaching english close by. Trying to meet up with the kids on this trip has changed the rythem
I have been to BKK 3 times and would like to focus on other areas.
The other alternative is to begin in Laos and end at Chiva Som, we would not be able to travel with the kids in Laos and my husband would skip the spa.
I am trying to accomadate too many family schuldes
It could go like this
Bkk
Fly to Vientine Overnight
4 nights in Luang Prabang
Hanoi and surrounding areas
2 nights Hue in the rain
Fly to HCMC
Risk the Delta
Head to Cambodia with my daughter and Husband. He flys home after Siem Reap (my son has been to Cambodia a few times in Nov. Also Dec. (He sayes great weather)
End with Chiva Som with my dauther
Thanks in advance for all your help
Sally
Also Kathie What carrier do you use out of Seattle?
I use EVA deluxe, but it was very worn last year. But for $1.000.00 it may be hard to beat. Any other suggustions.

EVA deluxe may be your best bet. I fly United as I'm a Premier Exec with them and use my miles to upgrade.

Honestly, I'd skip Hue. In one year out of three they have flooding in that area during November.

I am so happy to have found this forum. Every is so helpful. We will skip Hue and spend more time in Hanoi. Has anyone been to Maichau? It sounds like an interesting place to see rural Vietnam, since Sapa will be very cold that time of year.
Also we are thinking of charting a private junk to be able to explore more of Halong bay. Does anyone know who to go through for an upscale Junk?
Thank you

Thanks for the links. It looks like a good alternative to Sapa, since we would need only one night and a homestay would be interesting. We do seem to be heading into heavy rains everywhere that time of year. We will have to give postponing a serious though. It does look like a beautiful and culturely interesing excursion.
Thank you

I have been away and when returning to this forum the link to Mai Chau has disapeared. Is there a way to retrive it
Thanks
Sally

Hi Sally, having taken the train from Sai Gon to Ha Noi I would say that Ha Noi and Ha Lon Bay are way over rated. Ha Noi is not a nice place and I did not enjoy it at all. Ha Lon Bay and the island that they take you to is very hard to walk around as walkway very very bad. Now Hue, I was very impressed with. Da Nang, Hoi An do that also. Do the rest

Hey, boomer. you must have missed that this thread is over 2 years old!

"Ha Noi is not a nice place and I did not enjoy it at all." Your experience is certainly different from the experiences of most of us this board. I spent a week there several years ago and had a great time.