Vietnam/Campodia - 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,

This looks like an itinerary put together by a travel agents. Agents often think that getting you to as many places as possible will make you feel like you have gotten your money's worth. But so many destinations means that you spend a large proportion of your time in transit rather than in the places you wanted to see/experience. Remember that you lose at least half a day each time you change locations - sometimes much more.

Here are the problems I see with your itinerary:
1. You have almost no time (just a day and a half) in Hanoi, which is a fascinating city with much to see and do.
2. Day 4 is all travel - 6 hour drive back to Hanoi to catch a flight to Hue
3. You have a day i Hue, a day in Hoi An, half a day in HCMC, a day in the Mekong Delta.
4. You have a day (and parts of two days) for Angkor.

This is a punishing schedule. You will have been to lots of places, but will have seen/done/experienced almost nothing.

Personally, I'd start cutting destinations in the itinerary so you can choose a few places that really interest you and experience those. I don't know what your interests are, but if it were me (and it isn't), I'd start by cutting Halong Bay and the Mekong Delta. (I'd also nix the travel agent's city tours and choose the places I wanted to see instead).

If you have any interest in the temples at Angkor, add a day there. It takes three full days just to see the major temples. Get a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples to prepare for your visit and to help you decide how long to spend there.

I know lots of people think if they aren't going to be back they should hit as many destinations as possible. But then you have no sense of the place. After a trip like this, I expect you would have little motivation to return.

Thank you for your comments !

Your correct ... itinerary was the suggestion of a travel agent.

We are ok with the above itinerary even though I realize that we are not spending too much time in any one area. For the most part, we spend two nights at each destination before moving on and, although not ideal, I am ok with that. Flights are fairly short.

I think that your suggestion on an extra day at Angkor is a good one but would like to hear if there are any other suggestions that I am not aware of.

Thanks again.

I agree with Kathie. You are already moving very quickly. Don't add any more stops! We felt the daytrip from Saigon to the Mekong Delta was not worth the effort. Stay in Saigon and wander the city. I'd also spend more time in Hanoi (skip Halong Bay) and Siem Reap.

Be aware that two nights means you have just one full day in each place. If you are happy with that, it's your trip.

You are cramming a lot in but that is entirely your prerogative. We all have different travel styles. Assuming that you want to see all of the places you have listed, I would forgo the agents idea of Phnom Penh (much as I love the city!) if favour of adding a day to SR or Hanoi. Alternatively, instead of a delta excursion for Saigon, add an overnight either in Cantho or a homestay nearby. http://nguyenshack.com Is very nice. That way you would be able to take an early morning visit to Cai Rang or one of the other floating markets.

Some photos and more info on the Vietnam locations are on our blog @ http://accidentalnomads.com/category/vietnam/ - haven't got around to post about Angkor yet..

Flight delays can and do creep in.
Yesterday, our flight from Danang to Saigon was originally scheduled to depart @ 1250.
Over the past 2 weeks we received 2 e-mails with revised dearture times, pushing it back to 1540.
In the event our flight was further delayed, and we took off at 1800.
We arried in Saigon during the rush hour, and the taxi took over an hour into town.
Half a day lost!

Great advice from everyone ! Thank you !!