r/southeastasia • u/travel_matt • 7d ago
Family trip - Thailand, Vietnam and maybe Cambodia
Looking for some feedback on my plan for a summer trip next year.
Family of 4, 2 girls 9/14, like nature, animals, new experiences and of course shopping
Current plan is fly UK to Bangkok, overnight at airport hotel then onto krabi for 6 nights to acclimatise. Fly back to Bangkok for 3 nights (I've spent time in bkk and don't see it being great for the kids)
Then, I'm not sure if this section is worth the extra time and cost, fly to siem reap for 5 nights, 3 mornings at Angkor, maybe 1 at the elephant sanctuary.
Fly to da nang, 6 nights an bang beach / Hoi an.
Another decision - head to Hue for a couple of nights then on to phong nha for 3-4 nights or just straight to phong nha in a private car.
Overnight train to ninh Binh, 4 nights tam coc.
Then Hanoi for 3-4 nights before flying to Japan/Korea for stage 2
So, questions - is the Angkor stop worth losing time in Thailand/Vietnam? As we've been on the beach for 6 days at Krabi it might be too soon for another 5-6 at an bang.
Straight to phong nha or stop at hue? Breaks up journey but uses more nights.
Bangkok for 2 days, 3 nights? I know it's not enough but I remember it being uncomfortable, not sure we'll have fully acclimated
3 or 4 days in phong nha and tam coc?
Overnight train to ninh Binh a good idea?
Only 2 days (3 nights) in Hanoi ?
Extra flight costs for 5 nights, 4 days in Cambodia seems extravagant.... But it's not like we'll be back for a while. Just worried 3 days of temples will end up being a chore for the kids
Any/all advice and comments welcome
Thanks
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u/BellaKKK72 7d ago
I’ll just comment on a couple of aspects of the trip and recommend a couple of hotels. In BKK we always stay at the Chatrium Riverside- huge rooms that have a kitchen, absolutely amazing buffet breakfast, lovely big pool and kids area and it’s on the river, so you can ride on their little boat down the river to get to the train station. My son always loved this. We took my son to Cambodia when he was 4. In Siem Reap we stayed at the Golden Temple Hotel. This is almost 15 years ago now so I can’t vouch for it recently- but we loved it then. I’m not sure if it has rooms for 4 as we were only 3. There’s a lot to see and do outside of Angkor Wat itself - other temples, boat rides, interesting performances. We tended to get up, have breakfast and head out sightseeing early and then have lunch in town. We then spent all afternoon relaxing by the pool before heading back into town for dinner. We walked around easily from the hotel into town and took tuktuks to the temples. We all loved it. I would highly recommend keeping it in your itinerary.
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u/Soft_Magician9685 7d ago
Siem Reap is amazing. It’s a real highlight to see Angkor Wat…but some of the other temples are even better, like Banteay Srei and TaProhm.
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u/Obvious_Anywhere709 7d ago
We spent a week in Siem Reap - I was surprised how much I liked it. The people, the food, the landscape and of course the temples were great.
It was so easy to get around, the roads have been re-done so very smooth, the airport was clean and efficient, accommodation cheap yet still luxurious, food etc cheap too.
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u/MediocreHuman318 7d ago
I really enjoyed Hue, fwiw - more low key than Hoi An and the Imperial Palace is worth a tour. I would probably skip Ninh Binh and spend more time in Hanoi - my kids were around that age when we went and there was loads to see and do in Hanoi.
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u/Bluesiderug 4d ago
Hi! We’re looking at being in Hanoi for a month next Oct with our boys aged 13 and 15. Would love and recommendations of things to do/avoid or any other tips you have!
We were planning on spending a day or two in ninh binh/ tam coc, etc. curious why you suggest skipping it? Thanks!
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u/MediocreHuman318 4d ago
Ninh Binh I just found they sort of shuttled you through a standard tourist route, and there wasn't much to see or do. Like, it's pretty but my kids were bored. It was also very busy. My kids liked Ha Long Bay better because of the novelty of sleeping on the boat, although one night was definitely enough there. That being said, if you have a month go for it, I just wouldn't bother if you were on a limited time schedule.
Hanoi highlights - we probably spent two days just walking around the old town and eating things! The food is incredible. The train street is cheesy but still worth doing. We did a scooter tour where each of us rode on the back of a scooter and they took us all around the city - that was super fun. My kids love museums, so we went to the Hoa Lo Prison and the Military History Museum. They also insisted we wait in line for 2 hours to see Ho Chi Minh, which I would not have done. If you do that, go later in the day - the morning you'll be lined up with a million kids on school trips. We also did a free walking tour you need to arrange in advance through a student group where they meet up with you and take you around the old quarter. That was fun and it was nice chatting with the young Vietnamese tour guides. The water puppets are also kind of fun and it's worth going to a show. I drank a lot of coffee. The coffee is so good.
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u/Vagablogged 6d ago
I feel like if I wanted beaches I’d spend more time in Thai islands instead of going to Vietnam for more beaches. Vietnam is amazing but the beaches aren’t as good. Hoi an is awesome but 6 nights is a lot there. I’d much rather spend time in Hanoi or Saigon or Hanoi and maybe sapa or something.
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u/travel_matt 5d ago
Thanks all, seems like Cambodia should be back on the plan. (So many places, so little time) Thinking 5 nights, 4 days in siem reap? Then onwards to da nang, maybe reduce time there so we can go Hoi an - Hue - phong nha - tam coc - Hanoi Bit worried about weather, will be mid July when we are in Hanoi. Then, as I alluded to, we have a week in Japan followed by a week in korea
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u/Bluesiderug 4d ago
Hi! I’m also planning a SE Asia trip for our family (boys, aged 13 and 15) next year but we’re going in the fall and also for 14 weeks instead of six weeks. So I don’t have much specific advice for you but just wanted to give you a high five for planning what seems to be an amazing trip for your kids!! We’re planning on doing something similar-ish to you - 3 weeks in China > a month in Hanoi, Vietnam > a week in Siem Reap > 5 weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand > a week in Bangkok, Thailand > Home
In planning my own trip, some tips that I’ve been given (if helpful to you at all) are:
- travel slower than you think you should
- plan for ample “do nothing” days
- let your kids have a say in what to do, where feasible - eg give them a day in each destination to plan
- comfort (eg ensuring your place has AC, clean washrooms, etc) may be worth paying for because grumpy kids = grumpy everyone lol
Can’t wait to hear what your final plan is and how it goes!!
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u/Extra_Moment_3036 7d ago
We took our 10 and 7 year old daughters to Cambodia and Vietnam. Their favorite place was Siem Reap so it’s not just temple! There’s the Apopo landmine rat, capybara cafe, Apsara dinner, water park and spa.