Vietnam/Cambodia - what to do with extra day
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 6
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Vietnam/Cambodia - what to do with extra day
Looks like our 12 day Vietnam / Cambodia vacation will be extended by 1 day to 13 days total.
Here is my current 12 day itinerary:
Day 1 - arrive Hanoi 9:30 am (last day of Tet Holiday)
Day 2 - Hanoi city tour
Day 3 - Hanoi to Halong Bay. Overnight on a junk.
Day 4 - Halong - Hanoi to Hue - (early evening flight to Hue)
Day 5 - Hue - tour area
Day 6 - Hue to Hoi An - stopping on way in Danang and Marble Mountain.
Day 7 - Tour and shopping in Hoi An for the day
Day 8 - Hoi An - Danang for morning flight to Saigon (city tour)
Day 9 - Mekong Delta Excursion
Day 10 - afternoon flight to Siem Reap
Day 11 - Angkor Wat
Day 12 - Siem Reap - morning boat trip - fly out in the afternoon.
My travel agent has suggested a stop for one night in Phenom Penh before going to Siem Reap.
Question - Is that enough time to see Phenom Penh or would our extra day be better spent somewhere else? Is there something else, or somewhere else that we should consider?
We are experienced (young 50's) travelers and want to see as much as possible since we will likely not be able to see these beautiful countries again for a while.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Here is my current 12 day itinerary:
Day 1 - arrive Hanoi 9:30 am (last day of Tet Holiday)
Day 2 - Hanoi city tour
Day 3 - Hanoi to Halong Bay. Overnight on a junk.
Day 4 - Halong - Hanoi to Hue - (early evening flight to Hue)
Day 5 - Hue - tour area
Day 6 - Hue to Hoi An - stopping on way in Danang and Marble Mountain.
Day 7 - Tour and shopping in Hoi An for the day
Day 8 - Hoi An - Danang for morning flight to Saigon (city tour)
Day 9 - Mekong Delta Excursion
Day 10 - afternoon flight to Siem Reap
Day 11 - Angkor Wat
Day 12 - Siem Reap - morning boat trip - fly out in the afternoon.
My travel agent has suggested a stop for one night in Phenom Penh before going to Siem Reap.
Question - Is that enough time to see Phenom Penh or would our extra day be better spent somewhere else? Is there something else, or somewhere else that we should consider?
We are experienced (young 50's) travelers and want to see as much as possible since we will likely not be able to see these beautiful countries again for a while.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
#5
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
That seems like a lot of moving around for 12/13 days... I would definetly add a day to Angkor, 2 is still too few in my opinion, but better than zero. Is it possible to just make this a Vietnam trip? You could add time to Saigon.
I agree with adding PP, I very much liked it and think it is important to the recent history of the country, but I don't see where you would have time.
If you want to keep all of the cities, I'd add the day to Angkor.
I agree with adding PP, I very much liked it and think it is important to the recent history of the country, but I don't see where you would have time.
If you want to keep all of the cities, I'd add the day to Angkor.
#6

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,943
Likes: 0
Too much moving around...
I'd skip about half these destinations, and would definitely not add in another!
Why did the TA suggest PP? And how will you get from there to Siem Reap? 5 hours in a bus or taxi? Or 3 hours hours going by air (including airport time)?
I'd fly directly to Siem Reap from Saigon and have time to actually soak in some of the many interesting things to see there.
I'd skip about half these destinations, and would definitely not add in another!
Why did the TA suggest PP? And how will you get from there to Siem Reap? 5 hours in a bus or taxi? Or 3 hours hours going by air (including airport time)?
I'd fly directly to Siem Reap from Saigon and have time to actually soak in some of the many interesting things to see there.
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#8
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Agree you are moving so fast you won't be able to see anything. I'd skip Halong bay entirely and spend the time in Hanoi, one of my favorite cities. The extra day in siem reap is advisable. I'd also skip the Mekong delta and spend the day in Saigon instead. Less is more IMO.
#9
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
If you really are eager to see things, I think that visiting Phenom Penh for a day would be nice just to see the Killing Fields. However, I agree with some of the other comments that you should spend the extra day somewhere like Siem Reap. It is a nice place to relax! Also, seeing the temples of Angkor can take up to three days if you really want to see some of the more off the beaten track temples. My boyfriend and I spent one day taking a tuk-tuk to all of the famous ones and went back a second day on bicycle to see the lesser known ones. It was amazing because at some points, we were the only ones touring these beautiful temples.




