Follow our family’s journey across Cambodia and Vietnam with this exciting itinerary. Packing two countries into a 2-and-a-bit week family holiday was certainly ambitious. Sacrifices had to be made and we focused our trip on the parts of Cambodia and Vietnam that were most important to us.
Our Cambodia & Vietnam itinerary:
- Siem Reap – 4 Nights
- Ben Tre / Mekong Delta – 3 Nights
- HoiAn – 3 Nights
- Hanoi – 2 Nights
- Cat Ba / Ha Long Bay – 3 Nights
Siem Reap
We started our itinerary in the city of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siem Reap is probably most famous for the ruins of the old Khmer capital Angkor, including Angkor Wat. The entire complex – or at least the parts we managed to see during our visit – is nothing but spectacular.
I’ve described before that, while infinitely rewarding, travel with kids sometimes comes with sacrifices. For us, Angkor Wat was no exception. Most people spend at least two days exploring the ancient ruins, without really even scratching the surface. Travelling with a 3 year old, we accepted before even coming to Siem Reap that we’d not have more than one day in us. When we got there we realised that in fact half a day was all our kids could cope with in the heat. On fellow hotel guests’ advice we opted for the sunrise tour, not only to experience the unique light spectacle at Angkor Wat, but also to make the absolute most of the cooler part of the day. Despite the relatively short visit, we managed to see most of the highlights and gain a last impression of this incredible site.
But it has so much more to discover, such as the APOPO hero rats, who play a vital role in demining former war-torn regions. Or the retired elephants at Kulen Elephant Park, enjoying life being pampered by visitors. And the people of Siem Reap, who we have experienced to be exceptionally welcoming, friendly and helpful.
Accommodation & Food
We stayed at the Peak Elite Boutique Hotel, which, despite its slightly desperate name, I thoroughly recommend. The hotel was spotless and the family room super spacious. The pool was delightful, and much needed after a few hours exploring in the extreme heat. The hotel was an easy walking distance from the town centre and PubStreet, although due to the heat we mostly travelled by TukTuk. The onsite restaurant served delicious specialities at reasonable prices, although pricier than elsewhere.
The food in Siem Reap was outstanding. I highly recommend you try some of the regional specialties such as Amok Fish, Mango Salad or Mango Sticky Rice Pudding. While restaurants in Pub Street seemed a little middle of the road, we found a couple of great, good value restaurants in Street 26, such as Banlle Vegetarian Restaurant or Tevy’s St 26.
Getting around
Our hotel was very helpful with organising tours and private drivers for us and we followed their recommendation for a guided sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. We’ll be forever grateful to the reception manager who somehow managed to convince the Kulen Elephant Forest team to take us on an already fully booked tour on our last day in Siem Reap.
It was a nice surprise to find out that you can book TukTuks via Uber in Siem Reap. Booking and paying TukTuk rides via the app was super easy and worked a treat. As English is not a widely spoken language in Cambodia fare negotiations could be complicated, so managing this via the app was immensely helpful.
Ben Tre / Mekong Delta
From Siem Reap it is only a short flight to Ho Chi Minh City. After some deliberation we decided against a stop in Vietnam’s capital. We prioritised a stay in the Mekong Delta instead – had we had more time we would have added a couple of nights in HCMC at this point.
We had pre-booked a taxi from the airport to Ben Tre. Ben Tre is one of the closest places in the Mekong Delta from HCMC, which took 2-3 hours. (Allow at least 3 for the return to the airport as the inner city traffic is insane.)
Exploring the Mekong region
Our accommodation, Mango Home Riverside, was located, as the name suggests, directly on the Mekong river. We enjoyed some beautiful, tranquil sunsets from the terrace. Our family stayed in a little chalet in the gardens, with a semi-outdoor bathroom including visiting lizards and frogs in the shower – much to the kids’ delight! There are no restaurants and very few places to eat around, so we mainly ate at the hotel, which serves local specialties such as tilapia fish or pork cooked in a clay pot. Our hotel provided rental bikes for free and pedalling around the surrounding villages and along the river was a wonderful way to explore the area at our own pace.
On one of the days the hotel arranged a boat tour for us, taking us along the river to a coconut farm, an old brick factory, a rice paper manufacturer and a coconut processing plant. In between, we stopped for a bike ride through the villages and finally a long boat tour through the jungle. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging day for the whole family, allowing us to get to know the region and the Mekong people better.
Hoi An
From HCMC we flew half way up the Vietnam coast to Da Nang, where we transferred to Hoi An via taxi. Our hotel was in An Bang, the beach suburb of Hoi An, circa 15 minutes drive from the old town centre.
It’s immediately clear why An Bang is so popular with expats. The sprawling, sandy beach is postcard perfect, and hidden in the dunes and colourful streets are countless laid back cafes, bars and restaurants. We particularly loved the set menu at Mr Hoa’s Kitchen and also the lunch at MOM’s kitchen just off the beach.
Hoi An Old Town and Beyond
The old port town Hoi An itself is wonderful and I understand why it’s a staple on so many Vietnam itineraries. You can easily fill a couple of days strolling around town, exploring countless temples, participating in some hands-on lantern craft or watching the world go by from a boutique café. In the evening, lanterns are lit all around town, creating a beautiful atmosphere along the river.
Having said all that, Hoi An gets very, very crowded, especially in the evenings and especially along the main thoroughfares. There is little opportunity to marvel at the beautiful, lantern-lit views as you just get moved on by the masses. For dinner, we retreated to Hy Restaurant on the side canal where we found a lovely, calm spot outside – and incredible food.
Da Nang
If you’re looking for a nearby excursion, The Marble Mountains near Da Nang are well worth a visit. The five limestone peaks are a treasure trove of pagodas, caves and temples carved directly into the rock. It’s not the easiest of walks but there is a lift to avoid the initial climb to the top.
Mikazuki ‘Mini-Japan’ Waterpark Da Nang
To spend some energy before hitting the overnight train to Hanoi we dived into the Mikazuki Waterpark 365 in Da Nang. Priding itself the largest indoor waterpark with the longest water slide in Vietnam, this waterpark really is not only ‘minature Japan’ but also great fun. With both and indoor and outdoor waterparks, various play areas, a quiet area and games zone it’s easy to entertain the kids for a few hours. Luggage can be stored at reception, so it’s ideal for a travel day.
Da Nang to Hanoi Overnight Train
After two internal flights we decided to travel the next leg via overnight train. We chose the overnight train predominantly for the experience as a family, rather than comfort, efficiency or cost saving. To my surprise flying was not only faster but also cheaper than train travel.
After some research we decided to book a soft sleeper cabin in a Laman Express cabin. Despite disappointing food it was one of the better overnight train experiences I’ve ever had, although I’d say calling it a ‘luxury private train experience’ is still a stretch.
One of the highlights was the ride into Hanoi, when the train whizzes through the narrowest of inner city streets, precariously close to cafes, balconies and shopping streets. The passenger perspective of Hanoi’s famous ‘train street’ is almost as thrilling as witnessing the train rattle past from a street cafe.
Hanoi
As one would expect, Hanoi’s old town is fascinating and exhausting in equal measure. The traffic is relentless and crossing the road is only possible by suicidally throwing yourself into the masses of motor scooters with blind trust. The smells, the noise, the chaos it’s electric and overwhelming at the same time. Thankfully there the next rooftop bar to take refuge in and observe the madness from above is never far.
Cat Ba / Ha Long Bay
The final stop on our Cambodia & Vietnam Tour was Cat Ba island in Ha Long Bay. Our host in Hanoi booked transport for us which involved two busses and a boat, and overall took around half a day.
We stayed in a wonderful Homestay on the South coast of Cat Ba island, only a short ride into Cat Ba town. After a hectic couple of weeks we enjoyed a slower pace those past few days, exploring the island and its beaches. The rock trail from Cat Co 1 to Cat Co 3 is particularly lovely.
On our last day we joined a boat trip around the bay, visiting the floating villages and kayaking through limestone rocks and caves. Our tour guy, a young lad from the island who grew up in one of the floating houses, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and truly passionate about the bay and its future. Not only did the crew serve a delicious meal on board, we also managed to spot several of the extremely rare Cat Ba langurs. The best last day we could have wished for.
From Cat Ba, we headed back to Hanoi for our flight back to London. There you have it – our Cambodia & Vietnam itinerary, covering some of the highlights of both countries in an action-packed 2.5 weeks.
What do you think of this intinerary? If you have you visited either country before, what were your experiences?
