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Very beginning itinerary for 4 week southeast Asia trip

Very beginning itinerary for 4 week southeast Asia trip

Old Aug 27th, 2011, 03:42 PM
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Very beginning itinerary for 4 week southeast Asia trip

Hey all!

I got some great replies from my last post, so I thought I'd try again with a very basic itinerary that my husband and I are thinking about for our southeast Asia trip.

My husband has four weeks of leave that we're planning on using. We've been planning for Feburary or March of 2012, although I don't plan on going to graduate school until Fall of 2013, so we're flexible if the weather would be beter at a different time of year. (This is our first big international trip, so we want it to be a good one! )

Fly from Phoenix, AZ to Hanoi, Vietnam
Few days in Hanoi
Trips to either Sapa or Halong Bay
Fly from Hanoi to HCMC
Few days in HCMC
Day trips to Cu Chi tunnels
Cu Chi tunnels to Phnom Penh, Cambodia (or back to HCMC to take Mekong Delta tour to Phnom Penh???)

Few days in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Few days doing temples in Siem Reap

Siem Reap to Bangkok
Few days in Bangkok

From here I'm kind of at a loss. My husband and I definitely want to hit up some Thai beaches, as well as maybe go into the more mountainous regions (maybe visit a national park???)
Really, we just want a nice balance of beaches, outdoors, and city life for the whole trip, but I'm having trouble figuring out how much is realistic to pack in when considering travel times.

Does all this seem feasible for 4 weeks (including international flights?)
Am I missing anything? Should I avoid some places and start researching others?
Thanks for your help!
Rachel
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 04:31 PM
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Feb would be cooler than march for sure..

you need to tell us about budget, etc.

you don't need much time in HCMC..
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 06:01 PM
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Are you planning on flying from place to place or doing overland travel or some combination? That makes a big difference in terms of your time.

I'm not sure from your outline what are the priorities for you. Can you clarify that?

Most people prefer Hanoi to HCMC, so would spend more time in the north than in the south.

Some places take less time than others. You mention "a few days" in PP and and "a few days doing temples in Siem Reap." PP takes a day or max two, Siem Reap takes anywhere from three days to a week or more depending on your interest in the Angkor temples.

There is plenty to see and do in Thailand. We can make more recommendations when we have a better idea of your priorities.

As Bob says, February would be better than March... January even better.
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Old Aug 28th, 2011, 10:41 AM
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Thanks for the replies!

Our budget is cheap(er) to midrange. When it comes to hotels or things like the Halong Bay tours we like to be a little bit more mid-range. For example-- I've read that some of the budget companies' ships for the Halong Bay tour have rats, etc. We'd like to spend a little bit more money to avoid things like that.

As far as flying, I was definitely planning on flying from Hanoi to HCMC. From there, I don't really know what is the fastest, most convenient method while not feeling like we're boarding a plan every other day. (I was thinking overland from Vietnam to Cambodia, and then fly from Cambodia to Bangkok?)

As far as our priorities, we'd like to get a good sampling of each country.

In Vietnam we're interested in historical landmarks (museums, etc), especially concerning the American/Vietnam War and WWII. We also want to see some temples/religious buildings and see outdoor beauty and get away from the cities (which is why I was thinking either Sapa or Halong Bay).

In Thailand we want to definitely hit up some nice beaches (we're interested in perhaps snorkelling), as well as some outdoor beauty and wildlife (monkeys, elephants, etc.) I was thinking Kanchanaburi, since it's not too far from Bangkok and it has some nice historical significance from WWII around it?
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Old Aug 28th, 2011, 02:43 PM
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If you are interested in the "American War" there is plenty to see in both Hanoi and HCMC. Visit the Museum of the History of the Revolution in Hanoi and the War Remnants Museum in HCMC.

You can fly from HCMC to PP or Siem REap or take a bus. There are good public buses with regular schedules that go from HCMC to PP and Siem Reap. From Siem Reap to Bangkok, you can fly, but it is an expensive flight, about $250 pp. OVerland takes much of a day. Take a look at www.talesofasia.com under FAQs, transportation for all the details.

Kanchanaburi is a day trip from Bangkok, though you can choose to stay over night.

If you go Ja/Feb the Andaman Sea side of Thailand will have lovely weather. Look at Phuket, Krabi, PhiPhi, Ko Lanta, etc.

For hotels in Thailand, I usually use www.sawasdee.com Note that tax and service add 17.7% to hotel prices, but the prices on sawasdee and agoda usually include tax, service, and often, breakfast.

What is your idea of cheap to mid-range? $20 a night? $50? $100? A specific budget will help us recommend places. It is likely that your most expensive hotel will be at the beach.
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