Bangkok Travel Forum

We are just starting to plan for Asia for apx. 26 days and can travel any month. This will be our only trip to Asia and I can't fit everything in. Please suggest what to eliminate. Also, what month is best? We want to go to:Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Ching Mai, Luang Prabang, Hanoi, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Sien Reap. We will use the Asia pass to travel in Asia. What order is best and how many days in each place would you suggest. I know travel days are usually down days. Any help will be appreciated. We also want a few days just to unwing---where is the question. We really don't like organized tours the whole time, but would love to have a driver and guide where possible. Any suggestions?

You are correct, you have way too many stops in the amount of days that you are in Asia, as well as planning on travel days as down time, at best you could squeeze in a quarter day of sight seeing. Also Luang Prabang (VT'ers please correct me if I am wrong on this but you are looking at two days minimum to get there)
From the countries and cities that you list, my suggestion would be to do Thailand, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, then Vietnam and all the cities that you have listed. You could also do Hong Kong or Singapore on the way into Asia,(don't know where you are from!) or on the way out of Asia. I pick Thailand and Voetnam because you have the most cities in-country that you want to see and travel time should be easier. This would leave you travel time, day between cities/countries, 2-3 days in each to explore and sightsee and not be too rushed. If you plan on trying to pack too much into the trip you normally end up being too rushed, worrying about your next destination and the trip to and from and not enjoying the trip, not to mention usually missing the "must see" sights that you should be seeing that make up the city or country. All you see is another city, not what it is made up of and the culture. With your scaled down schedule, you will be busy enough trying to see everything as it is.
This is a schedule where you'll need a couple days off to rest "before" you head back to work just to rest/recover form the trip!
Another thing, if you've never been to Asia before, it's a place that you either hate or love, most love it and in which case you'll be back. Slow down and enjoy it, that's the rhythm of Asia anyway! It's great!
Have fun!

I am in complete agreement with the good advice on the above post. If you are using Cathay Pacific air pass remember, you have to pass through HK each time: bangkok to Phnom Penh would be bkk to hkg to pnh. on the other hand you are using the air pass with each sector paid for, still count on the day of travel to be taken up for travel. Except for HK, SIN, HCMC where there are efficient transportation system to the airport, you are looking at a lot of time to get to the airports.
you may be able to fly into HCMC and fly out of Hanoi. from HCMC, siem reap is short 40 minute flight if you are allowed that in your air pass (vietnam airlines).
My favourite places( very personal preferances since i travel to asia four times a year from western hemisphere): Hanoi Siem Reap Hoi An chiang Mai . Hoi An/Danang/Hue can all be done together since they are close to each other but will take three days. at least. Hongkong to me is more pleasant than Singapore. I use Bangkok only to transit so cant give you advice about that.
Hope you get lots of answers with many itineraries and advice so that you can decide on the best way to plan and enjoy this once in asia trip.
Good Luck
Lao airlines fly from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang and also from LP to Siem Reap

Thanks for the info. We will be traveling from Florida, U.S.A.and will use the Discovery Air Pass which uses Lao Air, Bangkok Air or Siem Reap Air. We must start in Bangkok and buy a book of passes.
I have heard a lot about Uuang Prabang---should we try to make 1 more stop?
It seems that Vietnam would be the best place for a little R&R. Any particular place?
Again, many, many thanks!

bangkok to siem reap on bangkok air. you can fly to hanoi on lao air. Hanoi is my favourite place even though the weather can be expected to be cold in the late autumn.
If you need any help in Siem Reap, my burmese friend Mr Maung Maung at the Mandalay Inn would be glad to help you. you can email him if you wish at the mandalyinn web site..

enjoy your stay. from florida to bangkok it is a very long way to travel, do you plan to break your journey somewhere along the line? los angeles to hongkong is not that bad.

i have flown havana to miami to houston to tokyo to singapore in one go, and it took a long time.. but the excitement was enough to drive away the tiredness..

For down time/R & R in Vietnam, I would suggest Nha Trang. Check out some of the VT'ers travel pages (mine are not yet started). There are some great tips for this part of the world there. I could have stayed for 2 weeks & not got bored.