My husband and I are planning a 5 week trip,the last 12 days of which we are staying with a friend who lives in Tanzania.Re the Asia leg of our holiday we are planning to fly from Australia to Ho Chi Minh city(3 nights),then Hue(3 nights),Halong Bay (2 nights)and Hanoi(3 nights).From Hanoi we are hoping to get to Luang Prabang for probably 5 nights.After Laos we want to go to Siem Reap(2 nights),Tonle Sap(1 night) and Phnom Penh(2 nights) before departing for Africa.We think we'll probably have to fly back to Bangkok to get connecting flights to Tanzania. This itinery gives us 2 extra days which we anticipate will be in transit.Do you think our allocation of nights per place is reasonable or would you spend longer or shorter times in some places rather than some?

Is there a connecting flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang and does anyone know which airline if there is such a thing?
We will probably fly Vietnam Airlines between Ho Chi Minh and Hue,then Hue to Hanoi.

We were originally planning our trip for May but have been told that we will run into the Monsoon season. Are we better waiting until June to travel?

My husband is seriously allergic to nuts.While we will carry an epipen and will endeavour to have "no nuts" translated from the embassies before we go....one of the problems with asian cuisine is the use of nut oil in cooking(Thailand in particular)We have travelled Malaysia and Thailand without major problems but am concerned particularly about Laos and Cambodia that we may have language difficulties.I know english is widely used but I would love to know if you think we will have troubles getting our message across?

Also,does anyone have any info about the school visits in Cambodia and what you recommend we take.

Thanks in anticipation of your help

just a quick comment on your trip....i would not find 2 nites in siem reap to be sufficient...3 is a minimum really, imo....take one from LP

Wholeheartedly agree with Bob. Four nights will be enough in LP. Siem Reap deserves at least three. And I'm not sure what you mean by a night in Tonle Sap - it's a lake near Siem Reap. (It may also be a town - pardon my ignorance if so.) But if you mean the lake, you can see it in an easy day trip from Siem Reap. We were back to town in time for lunch. If I may shamelessly plug my own trip report (Karen and Julie...), you'll find lots of details about those spots.

I agree with rhkkmk that you need an extra day in Siem Reap. What exactly is the 1 night on the Tonle Sap. Maybe you can skip this and add the night to SR. And don't forget unless you are flying from SR to Phnom Penh it is going to take most of 5 hours by either boat, bus or taxi.

i agree with the at least 3 or even 4 nights for siem reap, but don't think i'd take away from the 5 nights you have in luang prabang. we loved it there. the overall atmosphere is wonderful.

Hi, if you do visit a school or orphanage in Cambodia, the best gift to take is money.(preferable us dollars) You can buy vitually anything in Cambodia, and they really need the cash. We visited a centre run by the Catholic church just outside of PP - maybe you could contact the Catholic Church for more details. Have a fabulous time. Cambodia and Vietnam are FABULOUS places to visit!

Regarding the school donations, I agree it's best to take cash and buy supplies once there. It solves the problem of baggage restrictions and helps the local economy.

The most effective way to do this is to contact someone inside the country to arrange donations for you so that you can not only maximize your time but get the right supplies to the right kids.

I suggest contacting either the SCC www.sccambodia.org or Ponheary Ly [email protected]

You can see some pictures at www.pbase.loricarlson.plf

Hi from Vietnam.

I am very happy to know that your husband and you are coming to Vietnam in May.
About your time for each place in Vietnam, I think it is OK, However I would respectfully suggest you to spend 2 nights in Hue and coming to Hanoi before traveling to Halong Bay.
In Hochiminh city, you will have chance to go shopping and visit some famous parks, especially you should visit cuchi tunnel for a day. From Hochiminh city, take an internal flight to Hue city and spend 2 nights there. Hue is the former capital of Vietnam so there you can visit many churches and pagodas which were built during the time of the Vietnamese feudal dynasties. Then take a flight to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. You should spend 3 nights here for sightseeing. Truly speaking, there are so many beauty spots for you to visit here such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, The old quarter of Hanoi... Then overnight in Halong Bay with 3 days 2 nights. Your husband and you will enjoy the beauty spots here, especially many beautiful caves. Finally travel from Halong to Hanoi for the flight to Luong Prabang.

There is a flight from Hanoi to Luong Prabang.

In Vietnam, it is the summer from May to August, so the temperature often ranges from 23 to 37 degree celsius. Therefore, you don't need to wait until June.

If you need more information, feel free to contact with me at anytime. I am pleased and willing to help you and husband.

Cheers
Neil Nguyen

Didn't think that direct flights from HAN to LPQ existed as poster noted above. This past Feb, we flew from Hanoi to Luang Prabang on Vietnam Airlines, Layover in Vientiane, then took Lao Aviation to Luang Prabang.