We will be travelling in Cambodia and Vietnam for three months beginning at the end of January. I’ve done a lot of research but looking for any ideas or places to visit that might be a little unique. Looking for suggestions and information. Thank you. 

Are you staying south of Da Nang? Or will you be going into northern Vietnam?
Have you heard of the Plain of Jars in Laos ?

Jill To You isn’t the plain of Jars in Laos?

Audrey yes.. corrected.

Audrey we are going from the south all the way to Sapa. I have not heard of plain of jars.

Tracey Hoi An is not to be missed. Eat the local noodle dish Cau Lau. Hanoi is great. The Women's Museum is a must. Sapa is very scenic, as is VN. If you like to ride motorcycles, I can give you one hell of a tour company (I've been across 5000km of rural VN on a motorcycle)

Jill To You -hey I am interested in renting motorcycles in Vietnam ! Glad for any info -planning a trip in the spring. Have ridden around North America on a motorcycle

Velta I’ll send you a DM. I took tours no car or tourist bus could get you to. Who knew the country has sidewalk wide paths crisscrossing the rice fields and stunning limestone mountains.

I'd recommend Angkor Wat....Hanoi and Phu Quoc an island just a short flight from Saigon ! Stay on the west coast of Phu Quoc ....and Phuom Binh House is a great spot right on the beach !

Barrie we just left staying at Phuong Binh house we were there for 28 nights! Wonderful hotel and staff

Chrystal So glad to hear that ! I still miss their Panang curry !! We were there for 3 winters for a month each visit before we travelled onward....loved the family !

Barrie Yes, recommend the place - great staff, and more affordable. Better situated, great low key vibe. Good memories

Jim And I see Tip our wonderful waiter here with the staff ! He made a handmade goodbye card for us ...and wouldn't let us open it until we were at the airport. He said he would cry.....and my wife and I both cried when we read it at the airport !

Barrie (that was 2017).....

and don't forget

Right on the beach

Loved their restaurant on the beach....

Visit Dien Bien Phu when the French lost Indo China.

Dalat & Hue in Vietnam were 2 of our favourite places

I have a contact in Vietnam who is a guide in Vietnam and Cambodia. Do you want me to hook you up? PM me if you are interested.

Hoi an is a must....in hanoi go with genesis tours to halong bay...lovely day trip and not a huge boat...6 only in our group..if you are staying in hanoi stay at the paradise boutique hotel...very cool....we have spent many weeks in the past in vietnam...Jan 18 we leave for Bangkok, cambodia and Vietnam...

Cindy wow, we also leave for Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia January 17!

BonnieHall I am from bb but currently in Australia

Bonnie we are currently researching where to stay in ho chi minh city and Bangkok..any ideas?

Bonnie backpacked Thailand many years ago..primarily Bangkok this time

Cindy depends on budget in hcmc but district 1 best for tourists.. Sheraton / Hyatt / Reverie / Meridien / New World / Renaissance at higher end… literally tons a notch below but still excellent value

Bonnie I just got back from Vietnam last week, stayed at Gia Vien Hotel, district 1 in HCMC. Very reasonable and good quality stay, it is down a narrow street, great little restaurants near by.

Cindy in Bangkok I like the Khao San Road area, but a little further from the noise. It's close to the Golden Palace, Wat Po, etc. I've stayed at Ratchadamnoen Residence a number of times (been to Bangkok at least a dozen times). It's not expensive and a 5-10 minute walk to Khao San Road. The manager, Bo, is delightful and helpful. One time I left a wad of money in the safe and she held it for me as I was going back 2 werks later. I've been to Thailand on holiday 10 times and love it there. My favourite place is ChiangMai.
I decided on a tour of Vietnam. It was only $1100 Can for 12 days including hotels, train, buses, flight and boat overnight in Halong Bay and many meals. We even go to a village and overnight with a family. I'm not normally a tour person, but this works. Vietnam Real Tours through TourRadar.

Andrea the hotel in HCMC our tour company has booked is Elios Hotel. It's rated high for location. It's not expensive. I think $35-40 Can ish. I haven't been there yet, obviously, but the Tour Rep said other guests liked it.

Look up Kampot in Cambodia. It’s about 2 hours by taxi from Phnom Penh. Highly recommend staying at the Rikitikitavi if you can get it. It was our favourite town by far. Famous for their Kampot pepper. Town next to it is Kep which is famous for their crabs. Take a Tuk Tuk one day to Kep for the best Kampot pepper crab meal of your life. Also, take a day trip by boat to Rabbit Island for the day. Magical

Noella we just saw that a few hours ago
. We are heading to Koh Rong Sanloem tomorrow from Phu Quoc but might need a stopover to break up the trip

Bryan I think you would really enjoy Kampot

Bryan I also loved Koh Rong Sanloem.

Bryan could you please let me know how you’re getting there from Phu Quoc we are attempting the same trip with kids in a few weeks
thanks!

Jacqueli from PQ to Koh Rong Sanloem?
We took Superdong to PQ but going back we took the Phu Quoc Express Ferry. Preferred it to the superdong.
Once back to mainland there’s a ton of taxis. Took a taxi to the border (maybe 15 mins). 200K Dong.
Bit of a show getting through the border. Leave your passports out cuz you will show them to about 8 different people haha. We didn’t end up needing the passport photos we brought
. Visa was $35 USD. Plus $1 for a medical exam (which is literally nothing).
Took a taxi from there to Kep ($30USD). Kep to Sihanoukville was wild. The road is shit, pardon my French. Bumpy as all hell. Some is highway but lots of rough road they seem to be re-doing. The taxi driver hooked us up with his friend who manages one of the ferries to KRS.
Make sure to go to lazy beach on KRS. It’s a hot walk for the first 500m but then you go through the jungle. It’s way cleaner and very few people. I’ve heard sunset beach is amazing too.

Bryan thanks so much that’s really helpful! How long was your journey overall?

Jacqueli took the 730 ferry perhaps and got to our hotel around 4. We booked a hotel 2km from the pier
. There are no roads. You will be walking down the beach lol. If you need recs on hotels let me know

Bryan yes I’d love any and all recommendations about any aspects of the islands and the trip! Thank you

Jacqueli we stayed at Paradise. Very nice and very quiet. But almost 2km from Eden Pier. Seems far but it’s just shy of 20 mins walking down the beach
. Not the worst. However with kids maybe it’s best to stay closer to the pier. I’d avoid Onederz and The Big Easy because they’re a bit louder at night. But for breakfast Onederz was good. I think Sara resort was the nicest one we kept walking by. Not sure of your budget. It’s not really a party island so it’s pretty quiet on the whole.
I imagine staying at lazy beach would be nice. But then you have to walk ~1.5 KM to all the main shops and restaurants on the east side.
As I said before, you absolutely have to go to lazy beach or sunset beach. Way cleaner and nicer. The garbage is so sad on the east side.

We never went north of Eden pier really so can’t speak to it but it seemed quieter that way.

The road we walked heading to lazy beach started out exposed and in the blazing sun. But after maybe 700m it cuts into the jungle for the last ~800m. Signs are posted as well so it’s relatively easy to find. Try and bring some reef safe sunscreen. To help my dive buddies out

Bryan thank you SO much !! Very last question: were there a lot of mosquitos? I’ve read there’s malaria

Jacqueli the odd time they’d bug me at dinner. They never seemed to bite my girlfriend… only me
. Paradise had mosquito nets on the beds but I still got a bite or two. The mosquitoes aren’t that prevalent. Yes, a few out at night. But I haven’t heard much about malaria this whole trip. I bought a tiny little tube of itch cream.

You can also tour a pepper farm near Kampot.

Sylvia exactly. Do it all in one day trip from Kampot to Kep on a Tuk Tuk. Such a memorable day

Noella yea both Kep and Kampot are amazing!! The pepper is out of this world. Don't be stupid like me and bring some home! Both are cute little towns very quaint and lovely. Not to be missed. The crab too was

Sihanoukville Cambodia
Great beach town

We have few blog post from Vietnam and Cambodia if you are interested
https://www.5050travelog.com/blog/category/Vietnam
5050TRAVELOG.COM
Vietnam — Travel the World After Turning 50. Find out how we traveled to 50 countries in 50 months! | 5050 Travelog

https://www.5050travelog.com/blog/category/Cambodia
5050TRAVELOG.COM
Cambodia — Travel the World After Turning 50. Find out how we traveled to 50 countries in 50 months! | 5050 Travelog

Morten thank you.

Hoi An seconded! Beautiful spot!

Since you're going to Cambodia, I can assume you will do (WONDERFUL) Angkor Wat.....if you do, you might think of taking more than one day, as it the complex of temples are quite spread out. ps. Siem Reap, the City where Angkor Wat is located, is quite delightful.

YES, just back from Angkor Wat .....3 day pass I'd recommend

Agree! I just did 3 days in Siem Reap/Angkor Wat and they were still 3 busy long days. There's not a huge price difference between a 1 day pass or 3 day pass (around $10usd) so the 3 days is worth it

Phong Nha and the caves near it made for a neat, rural stop between Hanoi and Hue. That was nearly 10 years ago, so it's likely more developed now.

Erin I second this! We were there in 2019 and it was fantastic. We did a bike tour on our own, and we hired a guide to do the caves and it was spectacular. My daughter was very scared of heights and dark places, but she loved it, and we were all able to swim in the warm waters in the cave together.

2nd Phong Nha. The largest cave (Hang Sơn Đoòng) in the world will take 3 days and must be booked in advance.

Following

In addition to my comment, above, you need to visit Tonle Sap lake near Siem Reap - gorgeous and the birdwatching is incredible. It certainly helps the local people and keep them from illegally poaching.
As well, Phare Circus in Siem Reap was a lot of fun.

Jennifer go to battangbang and see the circus school where phare circus originated. Can take a river boat through tonle sap. But its a long day

Of course Angkor Wat. Plan to spend at least 3 days, and preferably a week if you can, seeing this incredible, and very vast site. Would recommend hiring a tuktuk driver to take you around the site so you spend less time walking and more time in the ruins themselves. Stay in nearby Siem Reap. I recommend the
Samsoguesthouse Cambodia there. It's on FB. The bamboo train in nearby Battambang is fun. In Vietnam try to spend some time in Hue, the Royal City. Walking around town, and in the outskirts is a treat. There are also tours of nearby pagodas that are good, and a great dance performance at the Royal Palace (or museum?). Further south Hoi-An is a charming little town with a Portuguese flavour. In Hanoi, don't miss the water puppets, and try all the market stalls for 'the best pho'. An overnight trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay is well worthwhile. Going further north to Sa Pa and Bac Ha is well worth the trip. If you want beach time Pho Quoc is great. For more info on these and other places in Vietnam you can check out my blog (from a trip in 2009!) at https://atkinsinvietnam2009.blogspot.com/.../vietnam... You should be able to access my Cambodia blog from there as well.
ATKINSINVIETNAM2009.BLOGSPOT.COM
Vietnam, again: Hue, Hanoi and Sa Pa

Julia we were there last year and also highly recommend Angkor Wat and environs. One sight we missed but wished we’d seen is the Rat museum - see how rats are trained to find land mines
https://g.co/kgs/5YSRWn
APOPO - Humanitarian Demining
GOOGLE.COM
APOPO - Humanitarian Demining · Koumai Road Siem Reap, 17253, Cambodia

Vietnamese Airline flights from Hanoi to Siem Reap usually include a stopover in Luang Prabang, Laos. I highly recommend this. If you are heading to Hanoi, considering visiting La Han Bay instead of Halong Bay. La Han Bay is situated within Ha Long Bay, but it’s less crowded with tourists, offering a serene experience. I had a fantastic time on the Jade Sails Cruise there. In Hanoi, don’t miss Thanh Chuong’s Vietnam Place. It’s not usually mentioned guidebooks, but it’s incredibly beautiful. Also while in Vietnam, use Grab, it’s similar to Uber.

Most elephants in Southeast Asia are for tourists and mistreated/abused. If you want an elephant experience, please don't "ride" them!! I went to this sanctuary in Cambodia and it was incredible
https://elephantvalleyproject.org/elephant-valley-project/
ELEPHANTVALLEYPROJECT.ORG
Elephant Valley Project (EVP) - Elephant Sanctuary, Mondulkiri Cambodia

Kara that was the highlight of our trip! It was a bit of a trek to get there but well worth it.

Michele exactly! Bit of a trek but so worth it.

In Cambodia go to battambang. Ask a tuktuk driver to take you to the mouth of the bat cave for sunset. It's really special. Wear comfy shoes as you'll be heading down the cliff in the dark.

Loraleig Agreed...loved Battanbang

Loraleig

Battambang was great. I'm not too sure about heading down a cliff though. We sat at a rooftop bar on the road under the opening. The bats stream out right overhead. Amazing.

Anthony it's like ten feet and not steep. I liked it because there was no crowd and we were maybe fifteen feet from the mouth. Watching them fly over the jungle at sunset was something else

The Floating Market in Can Tho is amazing!

Stu agreed! The mekong delta area is so neat. OP, a few early episodes of the current season of The Amazing Race (American version) were in Can Tho if you want to check it out.

Stu couldn’t have been more disappointed in that. Total tourist trap. Hoards of people. Nothing like what the photos showed.

Bryan me again about Cambodia! Currently in Phu Quoc and super disappointed to see how much garbage there is in many places. I’ve read similar things about Ko Ron saloem. Did you find it was worth the trek? I’ll pass if it doesn’t have pristine water with no garbage…I keep reading such different reviews, but know you went recently! Thanks so much

Jacqueli apparently my girlfriend says the main island might be a bit better (Koh Rong) and that Koh Rong Sanloem might have more garbage. The west side of KRS was absolutely unreal. If you can book something over there it is very nice around lazy beach. Someone told me sunset beach is also incredible.

What did you end up doing

If you need the names of some great Tuktuk drivers in Siem Reap msg me.

Ross I’ve DMed you regarding this, thanks!

Loved Cambodia! The red curry with yams was a particular treat! Ankor Wat full day 5 temple experience was the #1 highlight of my 3 month, 4 country visit!

Yes Halong Bay is very touristy but stunning all the same especially on a clear day. Around the bay is rather eerie as there are dozens of abandoned condo buildings. Stay on a boat overnight. It's a wonderful experience. And the boat has smaller craft that can take you to the most amazing caves!! We are just finishing a 17 trip with GAdventures that covered VN and Cambodia and are now heading home from Bangkok. Learned sooo much from our guide. Recommend it. Southern VN and especially Cambodia are extremely humid.

If you are going that long, for sure visit Luang Prabang in Laos. It was described to us as “the jewel of Indochina” We agreed with that description after visiting for only 3 nights

Must do Tam Coc in Ninh Binh. It is spectacular. Check out videos on YouTube

Ninh Binh Trang An UNESCO world heritage site

In Vietnam we did a tour as far north as possible to where we could see the chinese border. Some beautiful scenery & hikes. Cao Bang falls is a must

We’ll be visiting October 2024. Any suggestions for airlines flying from Vancouver to Hanoi?

Alanna I’m not aware of any that do? I’ll watch this post to see if others have information that I don’t…

Asiana, operated by air canada. Ours was fine. Transfer in Tokyo or Seoul.

Alanna There are many choices on Flighthub.com. We picked Eva for our January trip.
Flighthub.com
Cheap Flights, Airfare, and Hotels - Flighthub.com

Alanna many airlines to choose from depending on your budget and your preferred layover time. I just flew into Hanoi this past November and went with japan airlines. The 10 hour to Tokyo, 2 hour layover and 5.5 hour flight to Hanoi was perfect for me versus flying with Eva Airlines doing 13 hours, 5 hour layover, and another 5 hours to Hanoi.
If you can get a flight into Hanoi where you arrive late afternoon/early evening local time, that'll help if you experience any jet lag. The japan airlines flight flew into Hanoi, from Tokyo, early evening so it worked perfectly for me to get up and go early next morning to get my adventures started

Cecilia thank you so much for the info.

Take a cooking class here: https://smokin-pot.com
SMOKIN-POT.COM
Smokin' Pot | Cooking Classes & Restaurant

*following

Following

Da Nang is good close to Hoi An.

XO foodie tours in Vietnam highly recommend. the bug market is a must on your drive to Siem Reip is highly recommended, I heard the tarantula was tasty.

Hi Tracy I know that you said you were going to Vietnam and Cambodia but I would highly recommend going to Luang Prebang, Laos. I have visited Vietnam south to north and Cambodia and enjoyed it but so glad a friend advised to include Laos and it didn’t disappoint.

Rika we are hoping to have time for that. Thank you!

Tracey I am jealous of your trip, I hope to go back to that part of Asia again. Enjoy!

I second the recommendation for Luang Prabang !

Barrie I am so glad that I listened to a friend and added that to itinerary. Loved Luang Prabang

Rika It had such a relaxed vibe...loved it ! Did you go to the waterfalls ?

Barrie yes we did go go to the waterfalls. I did that trip in 2016 but lots if good memories with a great guide. Did you get up at five in the morning to give food to the monks? We spent lots of time on the Mekong going to small villages. So much to take in.

Rika having visited all three countries, I place Laos over Vietname.

If you're in Siem Reap and up for a cooking class, try Sophos, who also offers a homestay https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390...
TRIPADVISOR.COM
Sophos Cooking Class - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

The abandoned water park in Hue, it was my highlight!

I would recommend reaching out to
Jane Hanoi for Vietnam recommendations. She’s a fabulous tour guide!

Book a free city tour with local student on their motorbikes.. its a blast

I just got back from Hoi An. It is a great place to visit. With kids, a few days are enough. If you love food and drinks and have no kids, you could spend many days.

Phu Quoc island
Dalat crazy house and Angkow Wat

I’m not sure if someone has already mentioned it but the old quarter in Hanoi is very cool. If they still have the. Cha Ca restaurant in the old quarter, I highly recommend it. It has made the list of top places to eat.

We toured half on our own and took a 20 day tour with intrepid. It was amazing. They took us places we don’t know about. Hanoi, phu quac, boat cruise up the Mekong visiting villages. One trip I’ll never forget

La Plantation in Kampot grows their own peppers and other spices. They just opened a shop + spice museum next to the Russian market ( fun shopping) in Phnom Penh if you don’t have time to visit the actual plantation in Kampot.

Also, would like to know if it is really advisable to get vaccinations before travelling through Southeast Asia. I know they’re recommended but not sure how absolutely necessary they are. I guess I am mostly looking at Hep A and B and possibly typhoid? For any of you who have travelled there was everybody up-to-date on those vaccinations? 

We did it out of an over caution the first year we travelled to Southeast Asia.....but not for the following two years. My feeling is that if you are planning to travel "off the beaten track" then it's more important.

Tracey make sure you have visa

Vietnam is really set up for outriders to follow the tourist route but don’t mistake them as not being unique. These cities and tourist locations are amazing and you will live absolutely anywhere you go in Vietnam. My favourite mode of transportation is going by motorbike, I highly recommend any tour done by motorbike. Also Angkor wat is defitnely a must see. I spent 3 days and it was perfect. Again, went by motorbike
(I was also in my 20’s when I went everywhere by motorbike but it was truly the best, I hired Drivers).

Stu Hey stu. Brian from basketball here in kamloops. We are off to Vietnam Feb 8 Hanoi to 23 Da Nang. Would love to have a coffee with you and chat Vietnam!

Sapa is a town in Northern Vietnam. We took an overnight train from Hanoi and spent 3 nights there. Accommodations vary from hotels to home stays. A guide will take you on village walks past rice fields and valleys. Beautiful up there!

Following

Following

We spent a month in each in 2011, so not sure if the info is still current…
Vietnam: check out Mui Ne in the south coast—visit the Fairy stream, and the red dunes.
Dalat—go up the Lang Biang Mountain, check out the Dali-esque’crazy house’ (Hang Nga), and Datania Falls
Tam Coc/Ninh Binh—like a haloing bay scenery amongst rice paddies
Cambodia—check out the south, Kampot, and battambang in the interior

That’s a long time to spend you might also want to visit Thailand and/or Laos!

You need to visit an elephant sanctuary in Chiangmai. It was amazing. You got to feed, wash and walk the elephants with a kahout. Hai hin is also amazing. The king travels there.

We hired a tuk tuk for 2 days then cycled through on the 3rd day…..without visiting temples. One can get ‘templed out’ so cycling through was a nice way to enjoy the views.

Geri yes great way to see Angkor Wat.

I really liked the vibe of Kampot in Cambodia

Shannon me too

Pnomh Pehn for a week, amanjaya Pancam (especially if you get the breakfast package Sombok restaurant is a new fine dining Khmer gastronomy in Phnom Penh headed by the famed “Kimsan Twins” executive chefs. It is the sister restaurant of the renowned Embassy based in Siem Reap. Also Pearl Hotel in Hanoi for a touch of indochine with the most wonderful staff. Tet is a wonderful time to be in Ha Noi

Do a river run tubing excursion. So much fun.

In Laos.