vietnam and myanmar please review
 

Everything is already booked but would appreciate any suggestions. Leaving for Hanoi on korean air on Dec 22.Hanoi stay at Galaxy hotel 1 nite, dec 24 carving villages etc Same nite take train sleeper car to Sapa.Weather?Hotel in Sapa Chau long.Hotel in Bac Ha Sao Mai.Arrive trian to Hanoi on Dec 28 with city tour. Dec 29 to explore and nite flight on Vietnam air to Danang. Tranfer to Hoi An.Stay at Hoi an Hotel.Go to My Son and sight see. Transfer to airport on Jan 1 on Thai Air toYangon.Stay at Grang Plaza Park Royal overnight. Jan 2 day sight seeing with nite flight on Air Mandalay to Mandalay Stay at Mandalay Hill Resort.Jan 3 Mandalay to Mingun back to Mandalay Jan 4 Mandalay to Mt Popa To BaganOvernight at Thazin Garden Hotel. Jan 6Bagan to Pyay stay at Mingular Garden Hotel. Jan 7 Pyay to Yangon stay at Grand Plaza Park royalJan 8 day at leisure for nite flight home. I am using Handspam tours Hoi an travel and Myanmar travel.The entire trip has a tour guide and taxi for myself. Im looking for comments on the hotels shopping must sees of the beaten track nightlife if any resturants and specific guides that i should request. I am 36 y.o.male and like to keep moving. Ill start here with most likely follow up questions

from this schedule you must like to keep moving...interesting combo of sights...
the old part of hanoi is a great place to shop especially around hang gai street...

the shopping in yangon is limited but there are great deals on laquer ware---buy from shops not in markets---great shop on 13th street not far from strand hotel...very reasonable...the elephant shop is excellent as well

good meal in yangon: L'Opera...on outskirts of town...great italian food

thank you that is what i am looking for. anybody else. Wheres kathy.

kathie leave tomorrow for asia...she may be digging out another suitcase for purchases...

Hi cochin321
In Hoi An Kimijan restaurant at 30 Nguyen Thai Hoc is fab french/viet cuisine. Best in Vietnam imho.
In Yangon (in the same street as the Pansea Hotel but opp end to Pansea) is a fabulous little boutique called J's Irrawaddy Dream and also J's bistro. The handcrafts and food at this place are both lovely. Not cheap but unique. Also ATK (Aung Thu Ka)restaurant (great Burmese food & sooo cheap)is at 17 1st St in Bahan Township. All the taxi drivers in Yangon know it. Take some VERY warm clothes to Sapa. It was freezing early Dec 2003. Request lower level sleeper on train. My Son is nowhere near as magic as Bagan and the ruins are in poor condition. In Hoi An the Victoria Resort is worth a lunch visit. It is right on the beach. Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks for the info.

Not been to Vietnam yet, that is coming up next year. But just returned from a quite extensive trip in Myanmar. I just filed a report on it on this site. Have a look.
For shopping. Buy your laquerware at Bagan, where it is all produced. In Yangon I have found the shop on 13st Street quite nice indeed, with good quality, but it is relatively expensive. Have a look also in the Boyoke Market, also known as Scott Market from English times.
In Mandalay, you are well off for marble and wood carvings