Going to Vietnam & Cambodia. Looking for input on to do / don’t do for Con Dao Island and Sen Monorom. Any recommendations for these 2 countries are also welcome. We are adventurous travellers with 2 teens who prefer non touristy places, experiences and food! Thanks in advance!

Jayme-Lee Randall

Dalat in Vietnam was pretty cool. Big open night market and canyoning(repelling down waterfalls). It was less touristy than other places we went.
Also in Nha trang, the mud spa (while touristy) was so much fun. Big outdoor tub of mud to soak in, then dry and you go through the mineral spray water. You then have access to the hot and cool spring pools for the rest of the day. We were a group of 8 and we had a blast.
As for food, eat everything! (Especially the street food in Vietnam)

Jenny funny thing is that Dalat is tourist central for Vietnamese. Higher elevation and cooler so a good getaway. If you do get there be sure to get out into the villages which are very low key.

Just a heads up... the WTO will most likely announce in the upcoming week the cov19 is reaching pandemic proportions. This may lock down towns and cities, all resources will be strained, food, medical, supplies. 3rd world hospital’s are not the place to be. I’d seriously rethink going to Asia.

Bernie we have been paying close attention to this of course and will continue to do so. Our trip is planned for July so there are several months for this situation to “hopefully” improve, otherwise, we will look at other destinations

Bernie there is one case of Corona Virus in Cambodia ....

hello!!! have been to both countries. siem reap is a must do for angkhor was and the small city is a lot of fun. i would skip right through phnom penh unless you want to go see the killing fields for historical reasons. otherwise p.p. was very edgy. (we travelled there with family... our two young adult sons.) we enjoyed otres beach just outside of sihanhoukville... and went to koh rong and had fun there, although we did not stay right in the village as it can be noisy. lots of partying going on there.
but many places to stay along the beach and not too far away from the centre. viet nam? we did go to dalat and mui ne to see the sand dunes. also hoi an, hue, ninh binh and hanoi and halong bay. our favourite was ninh binh but it was more out in the country.. ( it is gorgeous and kind of like halong bay on land). we rode bikes and checked out the local villages. felt very magical. hoi an too... you can stay on the beach on ao nang and rent bikes for cheap and just ride into town... so you get the best of both worlds. my favourite places? hoi an and ninh binh. we did halong bay and i did not love the two night stint on the boat. too regimented and VERY touristy with hundred of boats out in the bay which is often cloudy and kind of gloomy.. haha. still... very beautiful, but not my scene to be a part of a regimented tour... and i mean regimented!! we just returned from a trip to thailand and india and the corona virus was a concern but did not seem threatening to us. (still lots of people walking around with masks). have fun planning!!!

Fifi thanks so much for great info! I am really looking forward to Hoi An, as we have heard all good things! India is next on our list for 2021

Amy sweet! hoi an is lovely and has a great food market right in town for cheap yummy eats. very pretty city especially in the heritage area. we went to the state of kerala in india and loved it. gorgeous beaches, backwater trips, flew into fort cochin from bangkok so as to avoid the masses in the bigger cities. great food and not as spicy hot as we thought it might be. did not have one tummy incident.

I loved Hanoi as well, lots of interesting things to see just walking the streets/around the lake and the food was excellent.
Hoi An was also a favourite but quite touristy. The lanterns are beautiful but it’s a great place to get custom clothes. They have a ridiculous amount of tailors, so I spent time getting clothes made (a lot of stuff they can have made in like a day or two).
As someone who is tall with broad shoulders and a longer torso than most women, I find it hard to get dressed and jackets so I had several made for me. Leave some room in your suitcase for sure! They can make almost anything!

i liked hanoi too but found the air quality to be terrible. very colourful, cheap and interesting though!
and a real challenge crossing the street haha. i had a favourite top made (two of them actually) in hoi an. after messing out prices i went to the local market and had them made for a fraction of the price i was quoted by the tailor shops on the street... i just checked for the quality of the fabric to make sure i was getting what i wanted. the ladies there were great and it was a lot of fun with tittering and fussing and them working to make the pieces fit just right.

Jenny yes, the trick is don't hesitate and keep walking haha!! once my son and i hesitated and then went to turn back and that was a BIG mistake!

Yep, make eye contact, keep moving and a steady pace. They drive based on where you will be when they get to you.

Oh and try the egg coffee (or cocoa) in Hanoi! It’s delicious!

Jenny YES!! I have heard about it and it is on the list!

Loved Angkor Wat even though it is touristy. Quite amazing. Must see.

Christin 100% will go there!

Cambodia : Mekong River , any fresh water dolphins or may be extinct by now? See Phom Don: "Thousand Islands" in the Mekong there are some cool ones for partying/rave. Be prepared to pay $20+ IS to get on and off a boat.

Thailand is close by... Love their islands!!

Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary
You can spend a day with rescued elephants. Please consider checking them out. They are part of the Elephant Nature Park programs in Thailand and are extremely ethical.

Shellie we have info on the sanctuary in Sen Monorom .... are you familiar with it? A responsible elephant sanctuary is def a must for us.

Shellie
mondulkiri project

I enjoyed Battenbang - even tried rat as my guide/tuktuk driver encouraged me. Eat fish Amok at Narys Kitchen. Enjoy the bat caves and make sure you see Mr Battambang and hear the legend surrounding him. Kampot is nice and kep is a wonderful opportunity to have crab Amok or any other sea food.
If it’s beach time you want Koh Rong ( coconut beach is nice) or Koh Rong Soloem (Sarceran beach). Phnom Penh just for site 21 alone. Enjoy. But personally Laos was a joy. Just heading to Hanoi now out of luang probang.

Clues:
Kayak from Cat Ba
Mue Ne dunes.
Crazy House.
Pink Dolphins
SS 21
Tonle Sap
Phong Nha cave

Vang Viang (unsure spelling) lazy river...along the river selling you...alcohol, food & hallucinagenix...I'm sure it's fun without them too. Many mushroom pizzas for sale in restaurants too....this is 19 yrs ago.... Many Brits, Irish, Scots, do their grad vacay here...I loved meeting travelers and locals. I admire countries that travel abroad...

Many caves in Cambodia used to shelter villages from US bombings

I'm so jealous as memories flood back

Hang out on the river front in Phnom Penh with the Tuk Tuk drivers and drink beer, washing down the grilled scorpions. Highly recommended.
But watch your bag in the busy sections. We were ripped off by guys on a motorcycle.