Curious about Southeast Asia to Hong Kong (Apr/Sep)

[zitsky]

I did a search but didn't find much info.  Has anyone done this who can recommend it?  Is there much benefit going Apr or Sep?  It looks like temps are the same either month, around 90F.  (Yikes, a bit warm.)

[Hockeyump]

Is this Bangkok to Hong Kong?  It will be very hot and very humid to the point of some tours being very uncomfortable for some.  Getting on and off buses in the cities is hard going especially for those with mobility issues.  Also the docking can be a distance from the stated destination (up to 3 hours) which can make a very long day. We did Bali to Bangkok and I was surprised at the number of people on the tours who didn't really understand that there was either no free time or no 'shopping' opportunities. Call that said we are looking to do Bangkok to Hong Kong next!

[zitsky]

Yes the weather is a negative for sure.  Not sure if it's a show stopper. 

[dreamercruise]

Hong Kong ‘s Typhoon season is from June till October, worse from July to September, with September being most likely with typhoon above category 3.  I normally schedule my visit there in late Spring to Winter, when weather is most pleasant.  I cannot function well in hot and humid weather.

 

Countries further south have hotter and more (murderous) humid weather.  However, short day excursions are doable, especially if you take breaks in shelters such as air conditioned transportation, restaurants, and shops.

 

Make sure that you stay extra days pre and post cruise to fully explore the cities and get over jet lag.

[MarkTapley]

On Orion last year, we went from Venice (early August) to Hong Kong (early October).  The entire trip was very hot (daily in the low 90s, higher in the Middle East).  By the time we were to Mumbai, we were somewhat used to the heat.  With that being said, it was extremely hot and humid in Siem Reap, Cambodia;  had safari clothes/hats and drank lots of water, which helped us cope.

 

Trip was amazing!

 

As Hockeyump pointed out, some ports are very far from the ship (particularly Bangkok at 2-3 hours).  We booked lots of private excursions to cut down on the bus time.

 

MT

[tubeamps]

Just returned from Bangkok to Hong Kong with the 4 day pre cruise extension to Siem Reap for Angkor Wat.

Be prepared for heat, ie light weight clothing, sun screen. While it was hot we had no difficulties and the tour buses always had an ample supply of iced bottled water for everyone. BTW, we are 68 and 69 and had no issues with heat other than sweating profusely.

 

The overall experience was great, hotel, restaurants and tour guides on pre cruise were excellent.

The people of Southeast Asia are friendly and welcoming.

 

The cruise experience was very good, typical when compared to our prior limited Viking  Ocean experience.

 

We flew from Atlanta, highly recommend Korean Air business class, book flights on their 747s and you will be happy.

 

My brain is still muddled but feel free t ask any questions.

 

 

[zitsky]

Tubeamps did the tour buses have bathrooms, or were there stops every 2 hours or so?  You were probably drinking lots of water and probably need more frequent breaks.

[tubeamps]

At Siem Reap, the major temple areas had restrooms , on the 2 hour ride to a and from Bangkok they have a planned restroom stop at halfway point.

No restrooms on the buses, and sometimes they transferred us to mini buses due to road width.

Restrooms were never a problem, every tour we were on had restroom stops or availability at the site.

 

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, zitsky said:

Tubeamps did the tour buses have bathrooms, or were there stops every 2 hours or so?  You were probably drinking lots of water and probably need more frequent breaks.

Don't recall buses having toilets on any of our SE Asia cruises, but always had lots of stops.

[Jim Avery]

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Don't recall buses having toilets on any of our SE Asia cruises, but always had lots of stops.

None of our buses had toilets either.  Some of the "rest" stops in India were rather unique..

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

None of our buses had toilets either.  Some of the "rest" stops in India were rather unique..

 

Squat toilet maybe or outhouse?

[robinhood1]

We are currently on Orion - travelling from Bangkok to Tokyo - I have posted on the largest Viking customer Facebook site my reflections on each port. Another poster also posted her reflections on the previous occasions Viking visited these ports. I decided to use that site as it is a little more user friendly that Cruise Critic ( it seems to me!) . I hope that is helpful if of course you are a Facebook user. If you start on that site by searching for the pots eg Sihanoukville you can then pick up the names of the posters and follow the blogs.