Southeast Asia forum

60 days in Indochina. Suggestions/advice on my itinerary welcome!

Lornie

longtail driver
Posts: 8
Located in:

Hello all! I am leaving the UK in March 2009 and stopping in Indochina for 2 months before heading on to Australia for a year of work and travel. This website has been invaluable for my planning and I would love it if all you helpful Travelfishers would cast your eyes over my itinerary to see if what I am trying to do can be comfortably done in 60 days.

1. Arrive Bangkok
2. Bangkok
3. Train to Ayutthaya
4. Ayutthaya
5. Train to Phitsanulok
6. Phitsanulok
7. Train to Chiang Mai
8 - 10. Chiang Mai
11. Bus to Huay Xai (changing at Chiang Khong)
12 - 13. Slow boat to Luang Prabang
14 - 16. Luang Prabang
17. Bus to Phonsavan
18. Visit Plain of Jars, then get overnight bus to Vang Vieng
19. Vang Vieng
20. Bus to Vientiane
21 - 22. Vientiane (get Vietnam visa here)
23. Fly to Hanoi
24 - 31. Hanoi (including trip to Halong Bay and 3 days in Sapa)
32. Overnight train to Hue
33. Hue
34. Train to Danang, then bus to Hoi An
35-36.Hoi An
37. Bus to Danang then train to Nha Trang
38. Bus to Mui Ne
39 - 40. Mui Ne
41. Bus to Nha Trang and overnight train to Saigon
42 - 43. Saigon
44 - 47. Mekong Delta trip (will book one when I arrive in Saigon)
48. Saigon
49. Bus to Phnom Penh
50-51. PP
52. Bus to Siem Reap
53 - 55. Siem Reap (and Angkor Wat of course)
56. Bus to Bangkok

And a couple of questions:
a) Is it best to book my flight to Hanoi before I leave the UK or can I wait until I get to Vientiane to book?
b) I´m not sure about the Phonsavan part of the trip? Anyone been on the overnight bus? I don´t want the expense of flying there, so is it worth the very long journey there for such a short period of time?

Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

#1 Posted: 21/11/2008 - 01:52

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Lornie

longtail driver
Posts: 8
Located in:

And any suggestions for the four days I haven´t accounted for?

#2 Posted: 21/11/2008 - 01:54

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somtam2000

admin
mahout
Posts: 5884
Located in:

Private message

Hi Lornie -- a couple of suggestions:

14 - 16. Luang Prabang
17. Bus to Phonsavan
18. Visit Plain of Jars, then get overnight bus to Vang Vieng
19. Vang Vieng
20. Bus to Vientiane

Above strikes me as a crammed, I'd liberate a couple of days from somewhere else and add a second night in Vang Vieng or Vientiane, else I'd drop either VV or Phonsavan.

37. Bus to Danang then train to Nha Trang
38. Bus to Mui Ne
39 - 40. Mui Ne
41. Bus to Nha Trang and overnight train to Saigon

You can get a minibus direct from Hoi An to Mui Ne (if you're planning on only transitting through NT). Also I wouldn't advice backtracking to NT for the train to Saigon -- either go to Phan Thiet and get the express train from there, else get the bus.

Given you're not travelling in peak season, I'd leave your flight tickets till you are in the region.

For Phonsavan, depends on your interests - some like it a lot, others find it boring. See this story for some ideas on it.

Hope that helps - glad to hear you've found the site useful!

#3 Posted: 21/11/2008 - 06:16

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