9 replies to this topic

[Emmers]

My fiancee and I are are exploring honeymoon options. We have heard amazing things about each of these countries and so we were hoping to do it all over a two-week period. We know the flight over there will cost a pretty penny, but all we've heard is that it's pretty cheap once you're there.

We know we want to do Bangkok, Angor Wat, the Golden Triangle/Jungle area, and some beaches, but aren't sure of exact locations, good hotels, or other ideas? Does anyone have any first or second hand travel experience to any of these countries?

We'd love your recommendations!

[mlabbe]

Oh my, two weeks for all of that? That's really not enough time. You would be spending either all of your time on a train / bus / plane or getting really stresses out. I've been to all three and they are all so different. I spent a month in Vietnam, 2 weeks in Cambodia and a month in Thailand. I would pick just one, the one that goes the most with your personality.

To try to sum things up quickly (and things will have changed since I was there):

- Thailand has it all. The city, the food, the culture, the rain forest, the mountains, the beaches. It is really easy to get around. You can do quite upscale resort or little villas for still a reasonable price.
- Cambodia is really just for Angkor Wat, unless you are willing to *really* travel (get down and dirty). If you go to Angkor, I would suggest staying at the Raffles (or something similar). I did Angkor in 3 days, it was enough. I would fly in from BKK and back - don't even think about driving unless you have 11 hours to kill each way. (You could do Thailand and Angkor in 2 weeks if you are really willing).
- Vietnam is incredible for the food. There are some lovely beaches as well, but not as pretty as those of Thailand. It is also easy to get around but is a little more rugged thank Thailand. It really has charm.

If it was my honeymoon, I would go with Thailand hands down. I do have to say though that backpacking through all 3 countries, I preferred Vietnam and Cambodia over Thailand, but that was because Thailand seemed too easy for me at the time.

I don't know if it would help, but here are my blog posts for each country + photos:

Vietnam:
vietnam 2005 - a set on Flickr
Magalie Travels: All about Vietnam

Cambodia:
cambodia 2005 - a set on Flickr
Magalie Travels: All about Cambodia

Thailand:
thailand 2005 - a set on Flickr
Magalie Travels: All about Thailand

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

[LadyTrunck]

Luckkeeee! My first choice for the Hmoon was Thailand, but FI wanted to save that for a later trip. We finally agreed on Italy though. Not too shabby! Let us know which you pick!!

[LadyTrunck]

Ack! Double post! How did that happen??

[Emmers]

Mlabbe - Thank you sooo much for the feedback. I think you're right about focusing on one rather than spending all your time in airports, etc. A couple years ago, I went with one of my friends to Turkey. Originally, we were going to go to Turkey, Greece, and Jordan; in the end we realized that we could fill the two weeks with Turkey alone, and that did not even allow us to do all there was to do. Thailand is probably my first choice, too, and I think we'll go that way. Thanks again for the feedback!!

LadyTrunck - Italy will be amazing. When I was there last, it was more of a touristy thing, but the fiance and I were just talking about how romantic Italy could be for a honeymoon as well. We just need to try something different since I've been there and he's been there twice. You'll have an amazing time!

[mexbride83]

I lived in Thailand for a year and traveled extensively in SE Asia. While I agree about doing just Thailand or Vietnam for 2 weeks being a better experience, I also think that Angkor Wat is the type of place that you'll rarely have the opportunity to see, so it might be a good idea to spend a couple of days there. So maybe 10 days in Thailand or Vietnam and 3 days in Cambodia? Trust me, 3 days in Siem Reap will be plenty. There isn't much to see or do there other than the temples, and it's exhausting climbing around the temples all day. And as Magalie said, you can fly direct from Bangkok (and very cheaply on one of the SE Asia budget carriers - I think I used Air Asia).

I am biased to Thailand, so I'd recommend that for your honeymoon:) If it were my trip and I had 10 days there, I'd do 2 days in Bangkok, 3 days in Chiang Mai, and 5 days in Phuket or Koh Samui. I lived in Phuket, so again I'm biased! But also, I know that there are cheap direct flights from Chiang Mai to Phuket, so that would make travel easier.

If you end up going to Phuket, or Thailand at all, feel free to contact me with any questions! I spent a year in Phuket and miss it every day:)

[Emmers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mexbride83 I lived in Thailand for a year and traveled extensively in SE Asia. While I agree about doing just Thailand or Vietnam for 2 weeks being a better experience, I also think that Angkor Wat is the type of place that you'll rarely have the opportunity to see, so it might be a good idea to spend a couple of days there. So maybe 10 days in Thailand or Vietnam and 3 days in Cambodia? Trust me, 3 days in Siem Reap will be plenty. There isn't much to see or do there other than the temples, and it's exhausting climbing around the temples all day. And as Magalie said, you can fly direct from Bangkok (and very cheaply on one of the SE Asia budget carriers - I think I used Air Asia). I am biased to Thailand, so I'd recommend that for your honeymoon:) If it were my trip and I had 10 days there, I'd do 2 days in Bangkok, 3 days in Chiang Mai, and 5 days in Phuket or Koh Samui. I lived in Phuket, so again I'm biased! But also, I know that there are cheap direct flights from Chiang Mai to Phuket, so that would make travel easier. If you end up going to Phuket, or Thailand at all, feel free to contact me with any questions! I spent a year in Phuket and miss it every day:)

Thanks, MexBride. We'll probably take you up on your offer and seek some advice in the future. We plan on having our honeymoon a little after the fact, maybe not until next winter to allow for a break after the Mexico wedding/vacation. Don't be surprised if we come seeking advice months from now. Good luck with your planning!

[mexbride83]

No problem, I'll still be on here as my wedding isn't until May 2011:) We're planning to do our honeymoon the winter after we marry as well, to give a break between the wedding trip and the honeymoon trip!

P.S. Cheers to Washington, DC!!

[Angel-in-Law]

Sounds like a wonderful plan! I visited Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia with Gecko's Adventure Travel over Christmas '08 / New Years '09. I did it in about 2 weeks so it can be done

I was not too keen on Bangkok but I loved the shopping. My fave spot in Indochina was Cambodia. LOVE it! Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and the other temples were spectacular!

The only cautionary note I'd say is that you should be aware of the poverty in Cambodia. Some of my fellow travelers were put off by the amount of poverty and people and children begging for assistance. Personally, I thought it was moving and I tried to be as charitable as possible. It also reaffirmed my desire to adopt someday. But just an fyi as for some intense poverty might be a put off and not their ideal honeymoon spot.

In any event, I have tons of pics and I'd be happy to share.

[hiccups]

My brother and his wife went to Thailand for their honeymoon and they absolutely loved it. They said they have one of the nicest beach they've ever seen. My brother's been to Phuket before the Tsunami and did snorkeling and scuba diving and said the corals and fishes are absolutely beautiful....after the Tsunami, it destroyed a lot of the reefs and corals.