We’re still trying to keep things flexible, but here’s the tentative itinerary:
- Arrive in Hanoi on December 16, explore the city for a couple of days
- Halong Bay cruise, then back to Hanoi
- Fly down to the central coast: visit Hue, Hoi An, My Son (how much time we spend in this area may depend on weather)
- A beach somewhere: either in the central coast area or, weather permitting, down to Nha Trang (fingers crossed on this one – I’ve heard Nha Trang is gorgeous, as are the nearby islands)
- Ho Chi Minh City, maybe for New Year’s Eve (?), then fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia
- A few days in Cambodia at Angkor Wat and other nearby ruins as time allows
- Fly back to Ho Chi Minh City, and get a bus or other transport to one of the towns in the Mekong Delta
- Mekong Delta boat tour, perhaps a homestay
- Back to Ho Chi Minh City for however many days we have left, then fly back to Seattle on January 6
This might be too much to do in 3 weeks; if so, we’ll cut things as necessary. We haven’t booked any of the intermediate flights (including the flight to Cambodia) — according to everything I’ve read, it’s cheaper and easier to book over there.
We leave late Friday night — I’m so excited!