Vietnam/Cambodia
Discussion
We found a tour is by far the best, most have free afternoons and find your own evening meals which suited us. The hotels were fine and definitely cheaper than the rack rate. All transportation is guaranteed safe and air conditioned.
We used Insider Journeys and have used they around 8 times now and are superb. Probably not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.
We always go a couple of days before tour starts and stay in the tour hotel, insider will book it for you and also provide airport transfers.
We used Insider Journeys and have used they around 8 times now and are superb. Probably not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.
We always go a couple of days before tour starts and stay in the tour hotel, insider will book it for you and also provide airport transfers.
It depends really.
It's pretty simple to duplicate the intinerary of Trailfinders and similar, and the whole of SE Asia is very easy to travel around. You can throw a stone and hit 3 people that will sell you any amount of excursions, flight tickets, etc.
All comes down to how much effort you want to put n yurself up front.
It's pretty simple to duplicate the intinerary of Trailfinders and similar, and the whole of SE Asia is very easy to travel around. You can throw a stone and hit 3 people that will sell you any amount of excursions, flight tickets, etc.
All comes down to how much effort you want to put n yurself up front.
I did Vietnam on my own and Cambodia on a tour back to back.
That seemed to work well as
- There is more touristy stuff to do in Vietnam so I could organise my own schedule and it is quite tourist friendly
- Cambodia felt a little bit harder to travel independently and we did some of the more common sights so it was just easier to follow the group
I went with Intrepid and they actually start the trip in Ho Chi Minh and finish in Bangkok. So I also went to Bangkok afterwards.
That seemed to work well as
- There is more touristy stuff to do in Vietnam so I could organise my own schedule and it is quite tourist friendly
- Cambodia felt a little bit harder to travel independently and we did some of the more common sights so it was just easier to follow the group
I went with Intrepid and they actually start the trip in Ho Chi Minh and finish in Bangkok. So I also went to Bangkok afterwards.
mart 63 said:
Looking at booking for 2027, is it worth booking an organised trip or booking everything ourselves. It will probably be cheaper booking ourselves, but never been before.
Depends on what kind of traveller you are. Neither Nam or Cambodia need organising for you. In both locations, as long as you sort your hotels out, the staff at the desk will arrange all the sights you want to see, when you decide you want to see them. particularly in Vietnam.Cambodia, your hotel desk (Siem Reap) will help you with Angkor Watt tickets and a tuk tuk and guide, or you can reply to one of the numerous tuk tuks that will hawk for trade, and then agree a price per day for him, and he'll arrange a guide and take you to buy tickets.
With Vietnam, decide where you want to go and the rest will fall into place - little need to prebook anything. (I'm off there, again, tomorrow)
I booked a fully guided holiday in India, but Nam and Cambo, no need at all. They are both set up for tourism.
Last time in Vietnam I was in Hanoi, got talking to the accom reception (hotel would be too generous a word). Half an hour later we had our itineray for the next week arranged.
https://viroth-hotel.com/touring-vintage-cars/
Stay here and arrange for the tour in the Rolls Royce to Angkor Wat great experience!
I think it was around $100
Stay here and arrange for the tour in the Rolls Royce to Angkor Wat great experience!
I think it was around $100
Edited by Froomee on Wednesday 18th February 21:06
mart 63 said:
Thanks for the replies, I will take a look. We went with Distant Journeys when we went to India, their prices are coming in at £5k each for 18 nights inc flights from the UK.
Have a good trip Griffith4ever
Thanks. I'm riding off road bikes from Hanoi to SaPa and back!Have a good trip Griffith4ever
We used Distant Journies for India last year and they were superb. We did the Grand Tour, privately.
Griffith4ever said:
mart 63 said:
Thanks for the replies, I will take a look. We went with Distant Journeys when we went to India, their prices are coming in at £5k each for 18 nights inc flights from the UK.
Have a good trip Griffith4ever
Thanks. I'm riding off road bikes from Hanoi to SaPa and back!Have a good trip Griffith4ever
We used Distant Journies for India last year and they were superb. We did the Grand Tour, privately.
We went with Great Rail as we wanted to experience the Reunification train line. Although having looked at their tour, it appears they no longer offer the whole route.
We had been with Great Rail for a few holidays, but were really disappointed with this tour. Too many in the group. Normally it's 24, but this time it was over 30. Not helpful when you all arrive at a hotel the same time and spend 10 minutes waiting in a queue for the lift.
Plus the tour guide was useless as she had no experience of either country beforehand.
If you do go in a tour and end up in Siem Reap, then add a few nights. The hotels in Siem Reap are ridiculously cheap. We were in a five star and it was £40 a night B&B.
I much preferred Vietnam to Cambodia. We all got the feeling that tourists were very much there to be ripped off in Cambodia.
We had been with Great Rail for a few holidays, but were really disappointed with this tour. Too many in the group. Normally it's 24, but this time it was over 30. Not helpful when you all arrive at a hotel the same time and spend 10 minutes waiting in a queue for the lift.
Plus the tour guide was useless as she had no experience of either country beforehand.
If you do go in a tour and end up in Siem Reap, then add a few nights. The hotels in Siem Reap are ridiculously cheap. We were in a five star and it was £40 a night B&B.
I much preferred Vietnam to Cambodia. We all got the feeling that tourists were very much there to be ripped off in Cambodia.
Did a bit of both when we went, easy enough to talk to your hotel to get them to help you arrange stuff, and it'll be well priced, or you can pick up a moped at any one of the millions of rental places for a few days and do your own thing. Vietnam was easier as others have said to do your own thing, but after a couple of days of travelling by TukTuk in Cambodia we did find a moped to rent (foreigners weren't allowed to rent when we went) and got around on our own just fine, and could get between places easier and quicker.
Slow.Patrol said:
If you do go in a tour and end up in Siem Reap, then add a few nights. The hotels in Siem Reap are ridiculously cheap. We were in a five star and it was £40 a night B&B.
I much preferred Vietnam to Cambodia. We all got the feeling that tourists were very much there to be ripped off in Cambodia.
Look up the Somadevi in Siam Reap. Stayed there 3 times now, over about 20 years! including during the Covid thing.I much preferred Vietnam to Cambodia. We all got the feeling that tourists were very much there to be ripped off in Cambodia.
Below poster is right about scooters in Cambo - it's not allowed, but they will rent them to you - you have to watch out for road blocks or its a $50 fine - ONly county in SE Asia I returned the bike after a day - its just not a nice place to ride!
Griffith4ever said:
Cambodia, your hotel desk (Siem Reap) will help you with Angkor Watt tickets and a tuk tuk and guide, or you can reply to one of the numerous tuk tuks that will hawk for trade, and then agree a price per day for him, and he'll arrange a guide and take you to buy tickets.
With Vietnam, decide where you want to go and the rest will fall into place - little need to prebook anything. (I'm off there, again, tomorrow)
That's always been my experience, Thailand's the same, dead easy either via your hotel or any number of agencies.With Vietnam, decide where you want to go and the rest will fall into place - little need to prebook anything. (I'm off there, again, tomorrow)
In Cambodia, we asked the hotel, and they pointed us to the bloke parked out front with his TukTuk who was usually parked outsde the hotel, collected at stupid o'clock early the next day, and spent the day touring the temples, getting back well after sunset. After we got back, went to get cleaned up, and as we went out for some dinner an hour later he was out front again, parked up, waiting for his next customer. I don't think we would have got a better experience with a tour group, as we spent however long we wanted at each place, and he would just park up and wait.
shtu said:
That's always been my experience, Thailand's the same, dead easy either via your hotel or any number of agencies.
In Cambodia, we asked the hotel, and they pointed us to the bloke parked out front with his TukTuk who was usually parked outsde the hotel, collected at stupid o'clock early the next day, and spent the day touring the temples, getting back well after sunset. After we got back, went to get cleaned up, and as we went out for some dinner an hour later he was out front again, parked up, waiting for his next customer. I don't think we would have got a better experience with a tour group, as we spent however long we wanted at each place, and he would just park up and wait.
I got the no of our tuk tuk lad in SR and then I just messaged him every time we needed to go anywhere. Bars, circus, temples, whatever, and yep, he just waited for us.In Cambodia, we asked the hotel, and they pointed us to the bloke parked out front with his TukTuk who was usually parked outsde the hotel, collected at stupid o'clock early the next day, and spent the day touring the temples, getting back well after sunset. After we got back, went to get cleaned up, and as we went out for some dinner an hour later he was out front again, parked up, waiting for his next customer. I don't think we would have got a better experience with a tour group, as we spent however long we wanted at each place, and he would just park up and wait.
Mojooo said:
I did Vietnam on my own and Cambodia on a tour back to back.
That seemed to work well as
- There is more touristy stuff to do in Vietnam so I could organise my own schedule and it is quite tourist friendly
- Cambodia felt a little bit harder to travel independently and we did some of the more common sights so it was just easier to follow the group
I went with Intrepid and they actually start the trip in Ho Chi Minh and finish in Bangkok. So I also went to Bangkok afterwards.
First time I did Cambodia I did the same trip, I’m not sure if it’s still running with the silly border dispute between the Thais and the Cambodians?That seemed to work well as
- There is more touristy stuff to do in Vietnam so I could organise my own schedule and it is quite tourist friendly
- Cambodia felt a little bit harder to travel independently and we did some of the more common sights so it was just easier to follow the group
I went with Intrepid and they actually start the trip in Ho Chi Minh and finish in Bangkok. So I also went to Bangkok afterwards.
mart 63 said:
We would like to do a couple of nights cruise around Ha Long bay. Is it easy to book while we are there.
You can do, but you might want to look at the various companies that offer cruises, see which itinerary and boats you like. We used Swan, booking with them directly, but there are loads of others.We picked a 3 day/2 night trip which included Bai Tu Long bay, we got lucky and shared the boat with one other couple for the additional day.
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