Ok people- I turn to you, my gurus of travel, to help me with my latest bout of indecision. I will have about 4 weeks (I think 32 in total, but I counting that for travel days between US and SEA as well so I'm calling it about 28 days of fun in other countries) this winter (mid Dec to min Jan) and I am thinking Cambodia and Vietnam.

Angkor Wat is one of my all time absolute must do's, and other than Angkor (which is a huge priority) my only other requirements are good food (I'm a massive foodie, my major is in sustainable agriculture so it's a pretty big part of my life), beautiful scenery, and I really enjoy yoga and outdoor activities. I also enjoy study eastern religions so I would love to visit some temples.

I like to travel off the beaten path, but I'm not opposed to the well trod path as well- I mean it's popular for a reason right? The budget isn't a huge concern as it's a small amount of time (compared to how much time I wish I had), I just don't want to be rushed. I like to travel relatively slowly (I spent my two months in New Zealand all on the South Island because I just like to travel at that kind of a pace and there was more there I wanted to see).

I've been reading other posts and have gotten some ideas of some things I may like to see- Sapa, Halong Bay, Hoi An, etc. Any advice as to budgets (approx. is totally fine) and your opinions on both what to see in these countries or if I should look at somewhere else instead based on my interests in really appreciated!

Nothing? Really? Is there something I can do/question I can answer to help you all help me??

Hi,

Angkor Wat is a must and depending on how much you like temples you can either buy a 1 or 3 day pass.

I would then suggest to go down to Phomn Phen and go to the killing fields and S-21. You will not need much time here as there nothing much else to do but these 2 places make it more than worth the visit.

As time and budget aren't major for you I would see about getting a fligh from here to Hanoi. Great city and lots of different food to try out on all the street stalls. From here you can easily get to Sapa and Ha Long bay then when you return to Hanoi its a overnight bus down to Hoi An or a 40 min flight to Danang where you can get a taxi to Hoi An.

If you like to get off the beaten track I did a motor bike tour around the central highlands of Vietnam from Nha trang to Mui Ne via Dalat. Got to stay in home stays in little village and had a great time.

That should take you around 4 weeks if you take your time.

Hope this helps.

In four weeks, I would stick to one country. There is a lot to see in the area and travel is slow. I would consider something like going from bangkok east to ko chang and then keep going east to siemp reap, then phenom phen, down to sinhoukville, back to PP, up to northern cambodia back west to northern thailand and then bangkok.

you'll get really off the beaten path for most of the trip and it will be wonderful!

Here's an alternative thought - you shouldn't miss Angkor, so head to Cambodia, check that out for a few days, then go to Phnom Penh and do the tourist thing there for a couple days. I'd recommend the "killing fields of Cheong ek (sp?)" It was one of the most profoundly striking places I've ever been, but certainly not light-hearted... like that's what you'd expect from a place called "the killing fields"...

Anyway, after a few days in Cambodia you could certainly go to Saigon and get one of those tourist hop-on/off bus passes for Vietnam and work your way up to Hanoi. Halong Bay was dirty, but I was still glad I went. Go for the extra night on Cat Ba island. I rented a motorbike there and I saw EVERY road on that island in a day and traffic wasn't bad at all. I thought both Hanoi and Saigon were cool cities for different reasons.

You could certainly do all that in the time you mentioned, but if you're flying into and out of the same place you might want to consider a connecting flight from Hanoi to wherever you're flying out of. Like a previous poster mentioned - travel times are not exactly set in stone or reliable. Make sure you are getting back to your exit flight on time! Good luck and have a great trip!

Hi,

Budget-wise, I did this July last year: £20 a day in Vietnam, £16 in Cambodia, £12 in Laos and £21 in Thailand (excluding exceptional items like suits in Hoi An and Bangkok )

IMO most beautiful temples in that area that I saw were in N. Thailand (Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai). Best scenery was Far Northern Laos,near to China border.

Overall, Vietnam was my favourite for food, as real variety (best I had was probably at a few places along the river in Hoi An). One issue is the visa for Vietnam is a bit awkward (i.e. not available on arrival or at borders), so try to plan in advance.

Angkor Wat is worth three days, and the surrounding villages are great too. Phnom Penh was worth a visit, as a stark reminder from history of what can go wrong re: Khmer Rouge.

Best of luck with your trip.