Hanoi or Cambodia

[Judith02]

On a 2007 Asian cruise we are taking in 2007, the second day of a two day visit to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) has two full day shore excursions: one to Cambodia and one to Hanoi. Has anyone visited either? I have no idea which to select.

[Tropic]

Both would be interesting. While I have been to Cambodia and Vietnam, I have never been to Hanoi and Halong Bay which is probably more interesting. However, I assume the Cambodia trip is to Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat. This is a UNESCO world treasure site and is a must see. The only difficulty with going to either of these places is that you have a one hour flight there and back to Siem Reap and amost 2 hrs to Hanoi and then back. I would go for the one with fewer travel hours and when you go to Angkor Wat focus on just one or two complexes as it it just too much to take in in just one day, but the main complex plus maybe Angkor Thom would just make you marvel at the complexity of this place and what happened to these people to literally disappear into the jungle for centuries. My vote is Siem Reap, Cambodia.

[greatam]

On a 2007 Asian cruise we are taking in 2007, the second day of a two day visit to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) has two full day shore excursions: one to Cambodia and one to Hanoi. Has anyone visited either? I have no idea which to select.

 

Need to know more about the shore excursions before I can give advice.

 

Either trip from Saigon will probably be a RT flight. I'm just guessing-is the Cambodia trip to Angkor Wat? Or is it to Phnom Phen (which will most likely not be a flight-either bus or boat)? Does the trip to Hanoi include Halong Bay (probably not)? You will need a Cambodian visa to enter Cambodia (easily obtained-$20 + photo on a tour)

 

How much are these shore excursions? Airfare to Hanoi from Saigon is fairly expensive (about $300 RT if you buy in Vietnam, $450.00 if you buy outside the country-no competition-Vietnam Airlines only). As you can see, if you arrange trips with a Vietnam agent, you can save quite a bit of money.

 

One year ago tomorrow marks the date of my first trip to Vietnam/Cambodia. I have made 3 additional trips since then. And I leave in two weeks on the 5th trip to the area. So am pretty well versed on Vietnam/Cambodia (trying to buy a hotel in Phnom Phen and have set up an export business in Vietnam).

 

Please post some more information and I will try to answer your questions.

[greatam]

dup post

[greatam]

The only difficulty with going to either of these places is that you have a one hour flight there and back to Siem Reap and amost 2 hrs to Hanoi and then back.

 

One hour flight is from Bangkok. Siem Reap is minimum 2 hours air time from Saigon (and not very good connections, with long layovers if you go via Phnom Phen). Otherwise, you have to fly a nonstop from Saigon to Bangkok, then on to Siem Reap, which is almost 3 hours each way.

 

Unless the cruisline charters a plane, almost all flights directly into Cambodia from SGN are on small prop planes-50 minutes to PP and then 48 minutes on to Siem Reap. There is ONE per day, small jet (Fokker 70) to Phnom Phen, but it doesn't leave until 2:00PM from SGN.

[Jane110]

Judith,

 

Greatam can really give you a better picture. I have not been to Cambodia (yet) but I did spend 5 days in Hanoi and loved it! I want to go back.

 

Cambodia is also on my list and I have many friends who have been there and loved it. So it sounds like you can't go wrong either way and perhaps the choice should be with the one that's easiest to get to.

[Tropic]

I flew from Siem Reap to Saigon directly on Vietnam Airlines. Flight was one hour on a 321 airbus. Nice flight and nice crew. Still would recommend Angkor Wat over Hanoi based on other's experience who traveled with us and took a two day side trip to Hanoi.... though Halong Bay is spectacular. This trip was taken on about March 1st of this year. Has Vietnam Airlines discontinued direct flights there... in any case your cruise line will have that worked out for you if it is their tour.

[greatam]

I flew from Siem Reap to Saigon directly on Vietnam Airlines. Flight was one hour on a 321 airbus. Nice flight and nice crew. Still would recommend Angkor Wat over Hanoi based on other's experience who traveled with us and took a two day side trip to Hanoi.... though Halong Bay is spectacular. This trip was taken on about March 1st of this year. Has Vietnam Airlines discontinued direct flights there... in any case your cruise line will have that worked out for you if it is their tour.

 

You flew FROM Siem Reap. And I will almost bet the flight either went on to Hanoi or even more likely Hong Kong. No place to go for Vietnam Airlines after they get to Siem Reap, except Bangkok. And with all the low cost carriers out of Bangkok, Vietnam Airlines is at a decided disadvantage.

 

OP needs to get TO Siem Reap (and then return). And other than the one flight at 2:00PM, all flights out of SGN to Cambodia stop in Phnom Phen. And other than the 2PM flight, they are all on prop aircraft (about 18 seats)-code shares Siem Reap Airways/Vietnam Airlines.

 

Of course, being Vietnam/Cambodia, this could all change tomorrow. With high tourist season starting, Vietnam Airlines may start the nonstops OUT of SGN again (they had them until last year, but they weren't very successful for Vietnam Airlines for the reason I posted). But as of today (I emailed my attorney in Phnom Phen), only way by air out of SGN to Siem Reap is via Bangkok or prop plane through PP.

 

To the OP-I personally thought Angkor Wat was just OK. But there again, I had much more fun at the elephant rehabilitation center than visitng temples. I am not a big temple/museum type person. Would much rather spend my time wandering around kind of aimlessly to see what is really going on in a country. Spending two days on a Vietnamese junk going from SGN to Phnom Phen was much more fun to me than spending two days at the temples.

 

If I REALLY had to make a choice, I would go to Angkor. It truly is spectacular and there are not a lot of places/temples like it in the world. But in one day, you sure won't see much.

 

Instead of flying 500-1000 miles (which will definitely eat up a lot of your sightseeing time) why not spend some time in and around Saigon? The touristy stuff (War Museum, Cu Chi tunnels, palace, post office, all the stuff on the tours) can easily be seen in one day. The second day, a trip up the Mekong is truly spectacular (or at least I think it is). And you get to see life as it really is in Vietnam-rice paddies, fisherman, etc. Not a tourist trip in one of those stupid little wooden boats. But a trip with a great driver in a nice boat. If you are interested, let me know and I will post the name of the company and driver.

[Judith02]

Thank you all. Our first day, we will be near DaNang and Cahn May. Then a sea day. Then the next day, we will tour Saigon and possibly the tunnels. That night we are going out to dinner and a show courtesy of the consortium of travel agents we used. It is the last day where we have our choice of Hanoi or Cambodia. No details on either excursion yet. I am also looking forward to the two days we leave the ship and stay in Bangkok. We begin the cruise with a pre-cruise stay in Hong Kong and wind up in Singapore.

[jrkfrk]

Judith, by any chance will you be on one of the Oceania Hong Kong to Singapore cruises? We took "Greatam's" advice and contacted a tour guide he suggested and will be picked up at the ship in both Hanoi and Saigon for two, two day tours. The guide was very helpful in setting up the tours, and I have great hopes for them. . . . Let me know if you would like the information to reach him (JRKFRKatAOL.COM).

Fran

[Tropic]

Don't know if this will help but there is a good Cambodia website with all sorts of information in an informative format including information on flight schedules etc incl Vietnam air flight schedules, etc. It is:

 

http://www.canbypublications.com/cambodia/cambodiahome.htm

[Judith02]

Thank you all. We are going on the Crystal Symphony.

[greatam]

Thank you all. We are going on the Crystal Symphony.

 

 

WHOA!!!! I just looked at those tours. The one to Cambodia is to Angkor Wat.

 

Don't know your age or financial circumstances, but for that kind of money (over $4000 for two days) I sure wouldn't go. Not only is the excursion VERY overpriced, but it appears you are being dragged from temple to temple without a lot of "down time". Those temples will wear you out. Lots of climbing, steps, etc. They are truly HUGE. And take into consideration the heat and humidity. The tour tries to cram everything in in one day. Plus you miss a couple days of your cruise, so it is even more expensive than just the price of the shore excursion.

 

The trip to Hanoi is also overpriced (not quite as bad as Angkor). RT airfare-Saigon to Hanoi to Bangkok is about $450.00pp booked on your own. The Daewoo hotel is good, but certainly not the best (Daewoo easily bookable for $117.00 per night for standard room). The Sofitel Metropole is generally considered the best in Hanoi and the best room in the Metropole (not counting the suites) is easily bookable for $236.00 per night. The Zephyr is a great boutique hotel, premium service, for $85.00 per night including breakfast. The tours listed in the shore excursion section are easily bookable with private guide for less than $100.00pp-water puppet show was $10.00 at the door, private guide to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and grounds and various temples, etc. around Hanoi-$25.00, pedicab tour-$10.00 and tour doesn't include going to the "Hanoi Hilton"-where all our prisoners (including John McCain) were held during the war, which Crystal very carefully left out.

 

Just a suggestion as someone who has been there and done that. If you feel comfortable, I can recommend a great travel company based in SFO, with offices in Hanoi and Saigon. We spent 3 weeks in Vietnam/Cambodia our first trip (last October). We paid $2302pp. We stayed in the highest end hotels including beach front suites at the Furama (Da Nang) and Vin Pearl in Nha Trang, the FCC's in Phnom Phen and Siem Reap (the one is Siem Reap is to die for). Our price included tours, boat rides on the Mekong, sleeper compartment train (private compartment) from Hanoi to Da Nang, overnight on a private junk in Halong Bay, air fare incountry. Everything except food. I planned the trip, right down to specific hotel rooms and they booked it and provided guides After 4 trips to Vietnam/Cambodia in the last year, I could do that same trip now for $1500.00pp.

 

If you would consider either doing it on your own during the cruise (or the best suggestion is take a few days at the end of the cruise to see Angkor and/or Hanoi) I will be more than glad to help you plan.

 

Gina

[Judith02]

Thank you. FIrst I'll see what Crystal will do for us. Getting back to the ship before sailing time could be a hassle. P.S. age? It is a state of mind. We are very, very active seniors.

[three58]

We will be on the Nautica Hong Kong to Singapore Jan.6 need help with excursions and need a Top Hotel Recommendation in Hanoi. All suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Jane110]

We will be on the Nautica Hong Kong to Singapore Jan.6 need help with excursions and need a Top Hotel Recommendation in Hanoi. All suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

See Greatam's post.

 

I stayed at the Dae Woo which was very nice, however, we would have preferred the Metropole, but we couldn't get a room.

 

I spent 5 days in Hanoi and loved it. We hired a guide for the first day who took us to the Temple of Learning, Ho Chi Minh's House (not mausaleum as we had no interest in that), One Pilar Pagoda and Red Sword Lake.

 

The other 4 days we just wandered around the city on our own and took taxi's when we needed them. We went to the water puppet show one night on our own. Lots of art galleries to see too and lots of great stuff to buy there.

 

Food in Hanoi is fabulous.