Taipei, Bangkok, and North Vietnam. Please review my itinerary.

So, I'm thinking of the following itinerary:

Feb 11: Depart Calgary. Change planes in Vancouver. Flight to Taipei leaves just after midnight on Feb. 12 and arrives in Taipei at about 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 13.

Feb 13-15. Tapei. (2 nights). We'll have most of our arrival day (will probably need a nap, though) and all of the next day in Taipei.

Feb 15-20. Bangkok. (5 nights). We'll have 4 full days in Bangkok, as well as the afternoon/evening of our arrival. We'd like to take a day trip to a temple site, such as Ayutthaya or Lopburi. (Any thoughts on which to choose and why?) We'd also like to take a half-day trip to a nearby, no-ride elephant sanctuary.

Feb 20-22. (2 nights) Fly to Danang. Ground transfer to Hoi An. We'd have our arrival afternoon/evening, plus all of the next day. We might do a 1/2 day trip to My Son.

Feb 22-24. (2 nights). Ground transfer to Hue. (Stop at My Son on the way, instead of taking a half day from Hoi An?) We'd have the arrival afternoon/evening plus all of the next day.

Feb. 24-26. (2 nights). Fly to Hanoi. Ground transfer to Ninh Binh.

Feb. 26-28. (2 nights). Hanoi. 1/2 day trip to Quang Phu Cau.

Feb. 28-Mar. 1. (2 nights) Bai Tu Long Bay or Halong Bay. (Which?) (Reduce this to 1 night in favour of an extra night in Hanoi or Taipei?)

Mar. 1-Mar. 2. Hanoi.

Mar. 2-Mar. 3. Fly to Taipei. (1 night)

Mar 3. Fly home. Flight doesn't leave until almost midnight, so we'd have arrival day and pretty much all of the next day in Taipei. Arrive home in Calgary, after transferring in Vancouver, at 11:18 pm. (Half an hour before we leave Taipei. :D )

When visiting Taipei, I strongly recommend visiting the fantastic museum in that city. Don't remember the name, but it includes all the items brought there from Peking that the Nationalists brought to Taipei in the late 40s.

Thanks for the suggestion, geovagriffith.

If you really don't think you will be back to SE Asia, then I would prioritize Angkor Wat. But it was a bucket list item for me and it didn't disappoint. If you hire a reputable guide, they'll help navigate crowds. My guide got us to the visually stunning Ta Prohm temple in the early morning and there was no one but my group there. But your priorities are your priorities - if it's too much travel hassle, then make the plans that fit with your priorities and time.

I hired a guide in Bangkok for the day - it was good investment to have someone get you around where you want to go - in my case by all forms of mass transit, tuk tuk, cab, ferry, and more. It's a big bustling city. And BTW it's hot and crowded in SE Asia a lot of the time - so you can't avoid it unfortunately.

It's good you are not in Vietnam for Tết (starts Feb. 8 and runs for 9-ish days), so don't adjust your Vietnam time earlier (crowds, closures, etc.). Not sure if there is spillover effect in other countries. I'm a bit confused on the timing for Hanoi - are you stopping there or just flying through? Hanoi deserves more than what looks like a couple of pass throughs on the way other places. Also I'd suggest more time in Hoi An and don't take up a half day there on a day tour elsewhere. I can't comment on the karst viewing choice, I went to Halong Bay, cool to see but it was pouring rain the entire time - not the best views.

Not sure what the requirements are for Canadians, but make sure you get the appropriate Vietnam visa head of time and that it is for the precise dates you need. It took me some time get that process done ahead of time. A tourmate did hers incorrectly (picked wrong date) and had to pay a hefty fee to get an expedited emergency visa.

Yes, it is a mistake to miss Angkor Wat. (My opinion, of course!!) I've been twice, each time for 4 - 5 full days. I didn't repeat much the second time there. I'm probably a bit compulsive about wanting to see "everything" in depth, but 2 - 3 days (4 nights?) might be a good target. In addition to the ancient temples, there are a variety of sites - markets, museum, modern temples, etc depending on your interests. Most of the temples are in a national park, you do get a sense of being "in nature".

I have also been to Bangkok, week long trips. I found it hard to traverse with non-stop traffic (red lights are a suggestion only) and motorcycles on the sidewalk. I ended up in taxis. Public transport to main locations is generally good. We went to Ayutthaya for the day, hiring a driver from one of the many transport companies. In no way does it compare to Angkor Wat. Perhaps if I had seen Ayutthaya first or never saw Angkor Wat I would have been thrilled by the area, but I was quite disappointed in comparing the two. This area is much built up without the sense of nature and scenery as at Angkor Wat. We did a day trip (long) to the River Kwai area with a driver/guide. This was probably my favorite day in or from Bangkok. We were in Bangkok in April and hit 100 (F) degree days. I don't know the average temperature for February.

I have also spent time in Chiang Mai in north Thailand. Much preferred that city to Bangkok. Hired a driver/guide for multiple days and did lots of outings. I would recommend that area over Bangkok.

I can't help with Viet Nam.

I used to connect through Hong Kong or Singapore, but I haven't checked into any routes after Covid. Cathay Pacific does seem to be bringing back routes that they had shut down. I understand the problems with connections in SE Asia currently. I've hit a few snags in the past year. Minimum of PE is what I look for also on the transPacific legs!!

If you do end up with Bangkok and do a drive to Ayutthaya, it can be combined with a visit to the Bang Pa-in Palace easily. I actually found that site more interesting than the ancient sites in Ayutthaya. There are also modern temples that were quite vibrant that I enjoyed seeing, just the limited ancient site was disappointing compared with Angkor Wat..

https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/bang-pa-in-palace

Thanks, CL and Ordtraveler. I will rethink about Angkor Wat and look again. It will be either Siem Reap OR Bangkok. We won't have time for both.

I did know about Tet. We had originally planned on going a week earlier, but realized that we would be hitting that holiday. We'll still be catching the tail end of it, if flight prices are anything to go by. Mind you, we were in Hong Kong, years ago, in the days leading up to Tet, and it was wonderful, but it would definitely be more expensive and more crowded, with the possibility of some closures, too, so we want to avoid it this trip.

My understanding is that we will need to apply for our Vietnam visa no earlier than 90 days prior to our last day in Vietnam, because I think it is good for 90 days from the date of application (approval?). One other hitch with going to Siem Reap is that the best flights to or from Taipei are through either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city, which would then mean getting a multi-visit visa for Vietnam, in order to pass through that country in addition to visiting it. Plus, there are no flights to Danang, which would make getting to Hoi An more difficult, as we'd have to fly to HCM and then on to Danang, instead of directly to Danang. Hmmm.

Yes, we'd have roughly 3 half days and one full day in Hanoi, unless we take a day from our bay cruise and add it to Hanoi. That's why I'm considering a 1 night vs a 2 night cruise. Good feedback.

Back to the drawing board. :)

If you can work Siem Reap in, take a look at Kbal Spean. Ancient site and nature. One of my favorite discoveries. Any driver can take you there.
https://www.siemreap.net/guides/angkor/kbal-spean/

Ooh, thanks. That looks great.

Okay, so there IS a flight from Siem Reap to Danang on the date we want (but in the afternoon), via Cambodia Angkor Air. Economy looks to be sold out, but Economy Flex and Business might be available. However, it says, "This flight is subject to government approval," so I'm a little leery. Does anyone know what this means and if there is much chance it wouldn't be approved?

BB - sorry, I've never seen a "subject to government approval" note on a flight - that's a new one for me! Good luck with your planning, I do appreciate how challenging it is to figure out all the details (that's why I ended up on a tour!)

Don’t miss Saigon, a wonderful city to explore.
Our other favorites in SÉ Asia were Siem Reap, Hanoi, Phenom Penh. We saw a lot in Bangkok when there were no crowds or traffic, a chance happening.

Suki, what is it you like about Saigon? The thing is, if we include Saigon, we have to cut out something else.

We spent 6+ weeks in Thailand and Vietnam late winter/early spring 2023 and as others have mentioned it will be from hot to very hot and humid throughout most of your trip. We spent time in Koh Lanta and Khao Sok before flying to Bangkok. Bangkok was ok, definitely worth seeing but not sure I would spend 5 nights there. It was incredibly hot, about 37 degrees by early morning and it was crowded. Using the metro was very easy and although uber is inexpensive, traffic is crazy and transit is quicker. We spent a half day at Ayutthaya and enjoyed our time visiting the temples. When we arrived at the train station, we checked our bags and hired a tuk tuk driver, she took us to some interesting sites. From there we went to Khai Yai National Park but I believe the train line continues to Chang Mai.

We spent 3+ weeks in Vietnam. We did not go to Ho Chi Minh, if we added it we would have to give something else up. No regrets. We loved Hoi An, we spent 4 nights and could have easily stayed one more. From there we went to Hue with a private transfer and had arranged for some interesting stops along the way. We did Hue on our own but I would recommend a tour/private guide, I feel that we did not get as much out of visit. Phong Nha was our next stop. This meant going near the demarcation line for the war, which is referred to as the American War. We had a very interesting tour at Vin Moc which included going into the tunnels. We also really enjoyed our time in Tam Coc (Ninh Binh) and Hanoi and could have easily added another night to both. Hanoi exceeded expectations, we really enjoyed the city. We did go to Cat Ba, instead of HaLong Bay. It was a disappointment. Although the scenery was nice, we had experienced much nicer views during our trip. It was a bit of a let down and was dirty. We felt the same way about our time in Phu Quoc. One of our favourite places in Vietnam was Phone Nha if you like to be outdoors. The weather in northern Vietnam was the coolest of our trip, low to mid 20's. We had a bit of rain more like a drizzle in Cat Ba and Hanoi but that was all for our entire trip.

Angor Wat was on our original draft but for us it was just too much and we plan to visit Thailand again and Cambodia. We didn't get to Chang Mai either that will be for another trip too. If you need any other information etc please let me know, we had a fabulous trip.

Thank you, daisycan. I'm definitely aware it would be hot in Bangkok, too, but I figure Angkor Wat is a place where I'd probably be walking outside for possibly hours. I would mitigate that by going early and taking a break mid day, for sure.

I'd love to know which stops you made between Hoi An and Hue, if you don't mind sharing.

I've seen a lot during my lifetime (including when I lived in Europe for a couple years) and found the Angkor temple "complex" to be one of the most amazing experiences I've had. I was only in the park for two days (two different guides--one was a bike tour) this summer and saw only 10 temples. There are 290 I didn't get to see, so I want to go back! I've been to Bangkok and it was great, but the Angkor Archaeological Park was absolutely amazing. I'd choose it over Bangkok, but that's a personal preference.

Thanks.

I'm definitely convinced to return to "Plan A", which included Angkor Wat. Just trying to work out the logistics.

Okay, so flights are booked and overall itinerary is set. Thanks for all the feedback.

I had to book some late-day/evening flights, which is not my preference, in order to get direct flights. I did end up booking a flight with Cambodia Angkor Air which says that it's subject to government approval. From what I could find out, it is because Cambodia does not allow you to fly in and out of Siem Reap without staying over at least 1 night, and that is why. It may also have something to do with there being a new airport which is a little farther outside of Siem Reap and is scheduled to open next month.

So, here is the new itinerary. It's not ideal. I would have preferred one more day in each of Ninh Binh and Ha Long (Bai Tu Long) Bay, but, as always, there are compromises to be made. :)

Feb 11: Depart Calgary. Change planes in Vancouver. Flight to Taipei leaves just after midnight on Feb. 12 and arrives in Taipei at about 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 13.

Feb 13-16. Tapei. (3 nights). We'll have most of our arrival day (will probably need a nap, though) and all of the next two days in Taipei.

Feb 16-21. (5 nights) Fly to Da Nang. (Arrive ~11:30 am.) Hoi An and Hue.

Feb 21-26. (5 nights) Siem Reap. Flight to SR departs around 5:30 pm and arrives around 7:30 pm. Flight out of SR departs around 6 pm and gets to Hanoi around 7:45 pm. Not ideal. We're considering booking an extra night at our accommodation in SR, so that we can leave our luggage there while we tour around in the morning and return for a swim and a rest in the afternoon. Not sure yet.

Feb 26-Mar 2. (5 nights). Hanoi. Day trip to Ninh Binh. Overnight cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay. Flight on Mar. 2 doesn't leave until 6:20 pm, and cruises usually end around lunchtime-early afternoon, so I figure it would make sense to book our cruise to end on Mar 2, and then we can head to the airport afterward. That makes for less checking-in/checking-out of hotels in Hanoi.

Mar. 2. (1 night) Fly to Taipei. Flight arrives ~10 p.m. on Mar 2.

Mar 3. Fly home. Flight doesn't leave until almost midnight, so we'd have arrival day and pretty much all of that day in Taipei. Arrive home in Calgary, after transferring in Vancouver, at 11:18 pm. (Half an hour before we leave Taipei. :D )

Whew.

Now to book accommodations.

After all the advice we've felt very free to give - I hope you also enjoy Siem Reap!! It is certainly some place I would return to for a third visit.

Glad to see you decided on Siem Reap. It’s spectacular. We hired a tuk tuk for 4 full days when there. Not so expensive and it allowed us to move around at our own pace. We hired through the hotel we stayed at.

Hope your bay tour is good. We did Cat Ba island just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately there is a lot of rubbish in the bay there as well as Ha Long bay. Both my son & I felt it was a one and done deal.

However, we did 2 nights in Ninh Binh and could have easily added another night.

If you haven’t booked your hotel in Hanoi I will recommend Tirant Hotel.
Great location, clean spacious rooms, rooftop bar, excellent service. Even a small pool.

I went to MF Spa several times. Fabulous. We also used Hanoi Kids for a food tour & city tour which was a good choice for us.

Your trip sounds wonderful! Enjoy!

Thanks again for the advice to go to Siem Reap. Once I decided to have another look. I realized that it's what I really wanted to do.

jennya, I had that site for tours with kids bookmarked. We did something similar in Peru and loved it. Good to know you enjoyed it. We'll be sure to consider it. Thanks also for the other advice/info. The reason we are choosing Bai Tu Long Bay is that it is supposed to be less dirty and less crowded than the part of Ha Long Bay where mosts of the cruises go. Hopefully, that will be the case.

Your updated itinerary looks great! I'm glad you will go to Angkor Wat - I only had a brief time there, with four full days you will be able to go at your own pace. On my tour we also did a trip out on Tonle Sap lake to see the floating villages - it was very interesting and worth the time if you can arrange it.

And I also recommend Hanoi Kids for tours. Our guide was a really lovely young woman we very much enjoyed spending an afternoon with. When I went you could choose your own adventure, but their structured tours look like great options too.

Unfortunately the cooking class I took in Hoi An doesn't look to be a going enterprise, but I do recommend taking something like that. We did market shopping, a bike ride, and then made food. Really lovely experience.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I am not meaning to criticize other people's choices, but I hired a driver with a car rather than a tuk tuk for both my trips. The tuk tuk's are less expensive. I was concerned over safety; there's no protection if hit. We also traveled distances that wouldn't be right for a tuk tuk - Kabal Spean and some of the sites that are outside the main park. Another plus that I hadn't considered was that the car had air-conditioning which I greatly appreciated in the months I traveled - not February.

Many people do travel in tuk tuks. I did have one or two short rides in Siem Reap and in Bangkok. It's not a mode of transport I would seek out again - but that is me. As I said, many enjoy the tuk tuks, personal decision.

Oh, good points ORD Traveller. We have travelled in a TukTuk before (in Ollantayambo, Peru), and it was fun, but there wasn't a lot of traffic. I think we'll play that one by ear. Maybe for some of the Angkor Wat stuff, a tuk tuk, but if we venture a little farther afield, a car.

I don’t know if this will help, but my favorite you tubers, Brian and Carrie spent a month In Vietnam. I like them because they are close to my age and not annoying and their videos are good quality. You might enjoy watching them.

Thanks, Tammy. I'll check that out.

Besides Bai Tu Long bay, Lan Ha bay is also considered (Both are less touristy than Halong bay).
If you want to stay 1 night in Ninh Binh, you can do the cruise first and then head directly to Ninh Binh (Not backtracking).
It is your call!

Thank you. I did look into Lan Ha Bay, as well. Ultimately I decided upon 1 night, 2 days in Bai Tu Long Bay. I've booked it so that our shuttle takes us directly to the airport in the afternoon for our dinnertime flight back to Taipei, to minimize checking in/out of places in Hanoi. (We travel with carryon only, so we should be okay bringing all our luggage on the cruise.)

I am not an Asian travel expert, but I've been to Taipei (just the big city) twice, and I would omit it entirely if I could go to Siem Reap. Note that the Angkor temples need at least two mornings, and are a lot of work. But it is an understatement to say that Siem Reap is "100% ready" for mass tourism, at every possible price level. Increased China tourism has already had homogenizing effects there, so go now.

“…subject to government approval…”

Last year when Delta airlines applied to add nonstop service to Cape Town, South Africa from ATL the flight was listed on their website for booking but with the above conditions. It already had a nonstop flight to Johannesburg.

Thanks, Tim. We have friends in Taipei, as my husband used to travel there on business, and people from there used to be hosted by us annually, so we won't be omitting Taipei, but we've managed to tweak the schedule to include a decent amount of time in Siem Reap. We now have 5 nights, 4 1/2(+) days in Siem Reap. (On our last day, our flight doesn't leave until evening.)

Interesting to know about the Jo'berg flight situation. Thanks, raymonelee.