Pawel

Hi, my wife and I are planning a trip to SE Asia for a duration of about 5-6 weeks from the first days of December to the middle of January. Please don't write: it's better to go in indifferent months, because we can't change the dates.

So made a ton of research and by now we are do tired of it that we can't decide.

What we are interested in:

- wildlife
- diving (I want to do a PADI Open Water Diver)
- volcanos
- good food
- the whole trip should be quite cheap because it's a long time and we can't bleed tourist money for 5-6 weeks
- hiking
- seeing a whale would be a plus

What we were wondering about:

Indonesia - seems to tick all our boxes, but it's a raining season

Philippines - diving + volcanos + wildlife seem great, but we read that food there is terrible?

Sri Lanka - wildlife! diving! food! whales! but seems to be more expensive and more touristy? my wife worries that it will be families with children and tourists groups everywhere, is it the case?

Myanmar (Burma) - but it seems diving there is not good, food is greasy and the biggest draw are temples, that we are not so interested in; but we are still interested because people just recommend it so much - why?

Vietnam - my wife loves the colors of the country, I'm worried that december seems to be not a good month to dive there?

China - the south seems very interesting but we are a little worried that it will be cold

Thailand - it's great but we have been there but maybe we can combine it with Birma or Philipines or Sri Lanka or something like this and spend 2 weeks here and 3 weeks in another country

PLEASE HELP! I know this post seems like we are a bunch of picky kids, but we are not we promise! We just want to have the best vacation ever and after two weeks of research we are just a bit confused.

Kathie

Dec/Jan is a fine time of the year for most of mainland SE Asia. It isn't good for most of Indonesia, though I have traveled there in December a number of times and the rain didn't bother me. China isn't really SE Asia. The far south won't be terribly cold, but do consider the cost of a visa. You haven't told us what passport your travel on, but for someone from the US, a China visa is about US$150.

Speaking of visa costs, VN now charges US passport holders nearly $200 for a one-year multi-entry visa.

Sri Lanka would be a fine destination for you, but you are correct that it isn't inexpensive. Also consider Malaysian Borneo for both wildlife and diving. Again, not cheap, but wonderful. It will be wet.

I've not been to the Philippines, so can't comment there.

Burma/Myanmar is now my favorite country in SE Asia. There are places that have good/great diving, but they are expensive to get to. Basically, you would need to join a charter.

Thailand is probably the easiest and least expensive place that ticks most of your boxes.

You will need to realize that no place will give you all of the things you are looking for, but in 5-6 weeks, you can visit several places. Be aware that the period around Xmas/New Year is the most crowded and most expensive time in all of SE Asia, so plan that time carefully to you will eat up your whole budget in two weeks.

Hopefully, the info I have offered will help direct your research.

Happy Planning!

marmot

Are you traveling this year, i.e., next month? Rain patterns in Bali and Java have been wacky this year, so it's hard to predict what to expect. Under normal conditions you will get some rain in December, intensifying into storms in January. Only you can decide how much this might impact your enjoyment of the area.

You might encounter stormy days at the beach and get rained out of cultural performances. The volcanoes will be smoking and boiling, but trekking in wet season can be hazardous.

I've dived and snorkled in North Sulawesi, Lombok and Bali in December and found conditions very good, maybe not optimal, but still good enough to make it worthwhile.

I think the bigger challenge would be to avoid high tourist season the last two weeks of December and continuing into early January. In popular areas, rates skyrocket and everything's overcrowded. In Bali and Lombok, New Year's Eve means non-stop party which is either a lot of fun or a nightmare depending on your outlook.

Otherwise, I agree Indonesia fulfills everything on your wishlist. If you get off the tourism grid to less developed parts you will find daily expenses quite low. The exception is alcohol, which, other than local beer, is exorbitant.

Domestic airlines that operate between islands are budget friendly.

You can arrange scuba instruction all over Indonesia, but I'm especially fond of Kungkungan Bay Resort in North Sulawesi. The area around Manado has a lot to offer, including Tangkoko National Park for wildlife. Also, look at Tanah Toraja in Central Sulawesi for spectacular scenery and culture.

Another option is to arrange certification on a live-aboard while sailing on the islands east of Lombok. You could tie in a visit to the Komodo dragons. If you do this, be VERY careful to get personal references attesting to the safety of the craft and crew. Don't pick the cheapest option.

Raja Ampat is also highly recommended.

crellston

For diving, particularly for a beginner, I would suggest the Andaman coast of Thailand. Great weather, reasonably inexpensive PADI OPenwater courses and some very good diving. The Anadaman coast, maybe Khao Lak or Phuket (the latter being more expensive). A week would provide enough time to do your basic training in Khao Lak itself and then maybe complete your openwater dives on a liveaboard in the Similian Islands and get in a few fun dives.

Indonesia diving I found to be relatively expensive and it is not the best time weatherwise. Vietnam does have diving and good weather in the south at that time of year. Con Dao island and Phu Quoc are worth considering. I haven't dived their but have dived Nha Trang with Jeremy Steins Rainbow Divers - their website would be a good place to start looking. Nha Trang is not good at that time of year (unless you like partying with drunken backpackers!)

Given your interests/ criteria (and yes, you do sound picky, but so are many of us here I would consider Vietnam for the remainder of your time. The south will have great weather Saigon is a wonderful city and a couple of weeks there would enable you to get to know the city itself and explore the Mekong Delta at a nice slow pace. Ben Tre, Can Tho and Chau Doc are particularly worth seeing. NB you could also reach the delta from Phu Quoc if you decided to do your diving there.

If going to Chau Doc, you could continue by boat to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Not on your list but definitely worth throwing into the mix. PP is worth a few days as are Kampot and Kep in the South. Angkor is worth considering even if temples are not high on your list.

Alternatively, you could return to Saigon and then fly north to Hanoi. Cooler weather but still blue skies. Loads to explore. Depending upon how adventurous you are, you could look at Sapa, Ninh Binh, Ha Giang, Mai Chau, Ba be. All have fantastic scenery, colourful minority villages trekking etc.

Cambodia and Vietnam are very cheap countries in which to travel. Cheap than just about anywhere else mentioned. If you are US citizen, it is true that visas are expensive (get used to it post Trump!) but in the context of a 5 week visit, it is not too bad. If you provide info on your budget in terms of accomodation etc. that may help people to make better suggestions for places to stay etc.

Even though it is high season, you shouldn't have too many issues getting decent places to stay apart maybe from Thailand and Phu Quoc, but I would be inclined to book sooner rather than later if you want to choose specific places. Any air tickets should definitely be booked asap.

susiesan

A one month Vietnam visa for Americans is available now direct from and embassy or consulate for $80. You would need to obtain this before you leave the US. The other option is the one year multiple entry VOA for a cost of $135 stamping fee plus the visa approval letter. Some people can get the letter for free from their Vietnam travel agent or hotel.

Mohammed

Sri Lanka can be a very good choice to cover all your interests except no volcano. Prices too can be very reasonable if you avoid the big hotels and stay in the numerous airbnb's that have become very popular.

PFSHero

Hello, Pawel! Filipino cuisine is one of the best in Asia. If you haven't tried one before, I'd suggest you should when you visit the Philippines. They are really good!

You can find all your interests in the Philippines. Head to Oslob, Cebu in the Philippines for some whale shark watching and feeding (Not sure if they already prohibited feeding).

Your period of stay will fall on holiday vacation for some SE countries, so expect a bunch of people with you on these places, but I think that will be fun.

beautifulmoon

Hello,
If you come to viet nam i think you can go to Hoi an. Very nice countryside and have many think to do. Good luck. The weather is perfect.

prinstela

Hi.

For the Philippine part of your itinerary, here are my suggestions:

Diving: If you're a pro, the Tubbataha reef in Palawan is an acclaimed site. Friends say it's a beauty.

Volcano: The most perfect coned volcano is Mt. Mayon in Albay. They have a few activities there, too.

In a few hours drive from, Sorsogon has some interesting sea wildlife encounter but I heard Oslob, Cebu has better ones. If you decide to go to Cebu, there is a direct flight from Legaspi, Albay to Cebu. Check out cebupacificair.com. Sometimes, they have promo fares, although very limited for the season.

As for food, a lot of foreigners get shocked by it but if you have adventurous taste, you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, McD is all over the country and in the bigger cities such as Manila and Cebu, there are a lot of American franchise restaurants but then getting to try a country's cuisine is one of perks of traveling.

Oh, by the way, of you like island hopping, El Nido in Palawan is my favorite.

All the best. enjoy