IVK

Hello,
I was wondering if this looks like a realistic/good plan for a month around Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Any advice on what to add/leave out or tips for getting around is appreciated.

Budget after flights ~£2500

Interests- History, Culture, Nightlife, Meeting people

14th of August- Arrive in Bangkok

4 days in Bangkok

Travel day - Flight, bus or train to Chiang Mai

2 days in Chiang Mai

Travel Day- Flight to Hanoi

3 days in Hanoi

Travel day- Train then taxi to Hoi An

2 days in Hoi An

Travel Day- Taxi then flight to HCMC

2 days in HCMC

Travel Day- Bus to Phnom Penh

2 days in Phnom Penh

I then have around a week until my flight back home from Bangkok- Any advice on what to do in this time/extend time elsewhere appreciated.

(I'm aware it's rainy season but it's then or never)

DinHo

You can skip Phnom Penh and add those days to Hoian and HCMC (3 days in each is better).

crellston

Sorry but no, I dont think it is a very good plan. I suggest sitting down with google maps or Rome2rio or similar and work out the logistics of getting around. There are some, natural overland routes that will allow you to see much more than flying between destinations.

Good that you are aware it is the rainy season, are you aware how rain it could be? If you are then fair enough, at least it will be cheaper and less crowded in many places! The only place you will see good weather is in central Vietnam so, you could consider spending a little more time there and visit , Hue and Phong Nha Khe Be (the caves are magnificent!). Think about getting the overnight trains between central Vietnam, Hanoi and Saigon. It saves usable time and accommodation costs and is a fun way to travel and meet the local people.

I dont know why #2 would suggest skipping Phnom Penh as it sone of SE Asia most interesting cities. I am surprised that you haven't included Siem Reap - Angkor Wat is a must for many visiting Cambodia.

Other things and places I would consider might be Ninh Binh , sort of Hanoi and reachable by train on the way to Central Vietnam. If you do retain Phnom Penh then consider flying form Bangkok to Siem Reap for 3 nights and then bus to Phnom Penh for a couple of nights and the perhaps get the boat down river to Chau Doc on the Vietnam border and then spend a few days travelling by bus and boat through the Mekong delta visiting places like Can Tho and Ben Tre and then on to Saigon. That should use up the additional week.

Larsay

If you have one week, you have more time to spend in Vietnam.
3 days Hanoi
A MUST : 2 days Lan Ha Bay. Open
https://orientalbridgetravel.com/hal...-budget-fr.htm
and book the COZY boat, perfect !
Express bus direct Hanoi-SAPA
2 days Sapa (hôtel Phuong Nam)

sangorientalstep0347

You can add Sikhanouvill and Siem Reap, the must visit-place in Cambodia. From Ho Chi Minh, you can take a bus through Phnom Penh (around 6 hours),you may switch bus on Phnom Penh for other bus to Sikhanouville, spend some time there, then back to Phnom Penh, stay a couple days, then take other bus or flight to Siem Reap, before flying back to Bangkok.
Hope it helps.

crellston

"You can add Sikhanouvill " Have you even been there? Firstly it is Sihanoukville, secondly it is a concrete dump over developed by the Chinese mafia as a gambling centre.If you the Op happens to be Chinese looking for somewhere to lose some money, fair enough, if not, avoid like the plague.

sangorientalstep0347

I have been Sihanoukville several times. There are some islands in Sihanoukville such as Koh Rong, Koh Rong Salem which can be reached by speedboat and are nice. I don't recommend to stay on land, just take speedboat to island and stay there to enjoy the beaches, some nightlife activities. Hope it helps.

shelemm

FYI, telling us 3 days somewhere could mean 2, 3, or 4 nights depending on how you count days. Better to say how many nights you will spend in each place.

mrwunrfl

>> I am surprised that you haven't included Siem Reap - Angkor Wat is a must for many visiting Cambodia.

I agree. Surprised and shocked.

Larsay

yes, Angkor is a MUST, in 4 days minim. Bus PP-SR (excellent petit small hotel NET SOCHEATA in teh middle of thge Old City). days minim in SR NO taxi, you cannot see around. Th hotel arranges for the renting of a scooter or you a tuk-tuk (they wait at the corner of the hotel lane and the rive)r. However, for the marvelous temple of Bantey Srei + the river of a 100 lingas, you will need a taxi because tuk-tuk are not allowed to go up there (be careful of the tuk-tuk drivers who approach you to go there, they have to stop at the bottom of the road and you have a long way to walk up there)

Ez73

OP. I get the impression you just looked at a map of SE Asia, saw the main cities, and decided to hit them without any real knowledge of what the area has to offer. As others pointed out, going to Cambodia and not visiting Siam Reap and Angkor wat? No way!!

All I mean is that you might want to put in some research into what each area has to offer while planning your trip in order to determine how long you'll stay. YouTube and blogs are great resources. It would be a pity to spend thousands of pounds on a trip and miss some really cool sights.

For example, after Bangkok you're heading to Chiang Mai but only giving it a few days. There are temples, national parks, villages, and other interesting sites outside of CM that warrant spending more than just a couple of days. In fact, after CM you might find it interesting to head on up to Chiang Rai, where you could travel around the Golden Triangle area to Pai, or visit Hill Tribes. If you want some real adventure, you can head to Wiang Chiang Khong, Thailand, cross the Mekong to Huay Xai, Laos, and take a boat down the Mekong to Vientiane, stopping overnight at Pak Beng. From Vientiane you could head to Vietnam and then Cambodia. If you have time, you could check out Krabi, Thailand, for example. Please try to do more research before your trip to get more out of it.

Good luck.