Southeast Asia Itinerary – Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam

Southeast Asia has been HIGH on my bucket list for yearsssss! After 5 years in the making, between life changes, a pandemic, and lots of planning, Wendy and I packed our suitcases (extremely heavy suitcases) and made our way across the world over to Southeast Asia!

We visited 3 countries – Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

We visited during the beginning of the rainy season (early June) and it is considered low season. However it was SO HOT! Talk about mid to upper 90’s all day and night even, and the humidity was so thick you could cut it with a knife! We only had rain 2 days, and they were quick storms. If you can handle the heat and humidity, traveling during this time had a lot less crowds and things were definitely cheaper.

I wanted to layout exactly how we laid out our trip, the activities we did and recommendations of where to stay and tours to take. I will have posts for both Thailand and Vietnam with more details about these countries and exactly what we did in more detail. For this post I just wanted to keep it more broad so if you are planning your own trip to use this as a guide!

So let’s get into our trip itinerary!

Day 1: Bangkok, Thailand

We landed in Bangkok around 11am. We took a flight from Chicago to Taipei, Taiwan (14 hours) and then Taipei to Bangkok. We used EVA airlines and the flight was not horrible. I had a steak dinner and passed out for 7 hours! But once we landed in Bangkok it was straight to our hotel, Siam @ Siam Design. This hotel was SO COOL! It was super artsy and modern, and the rooftop pool was amazing! The rooftop bar was right up my alley, it was pink everything. Definitely recommend grabbing a drink!

Bangkok is known for their malls so we headed to one of the most popular ones – MBK Center. The malls in Bangkok are crazy! They are massive, had street food vendors, whole markets, big designers, and everything in between. If in Bangkok checking out a mall is a must do.

For a night cap we went to a rooftop that has been on my Pinterest boards for years – Tichuca. On top of an office building 46 floors above the city, the star of this bar is the massive tree on top that changes colors. It is stunning and the views were a 10/10.

Day 2: Bangkok, Thailand

We had our first tour of the trip and we started off strong with the Bangkok Instagram tour. This is a perfect pick for travelers interested in finding Bangkok’s most Instagrammable locations in a day, without spending hours doing research. Join a private guide on an adventure around Thailand’s capital, with stops at lots of photogenic landmarks—such as Wat Benchamabophit Temple, Loha Prasat, and Pak Khlong Talat flower market. As an added bonus, the guide is happy to capture Instagram-worthy shots and take your photographs throughout the tour. It was SO FUN and such a great way to see the city!

That evening we took a Bangkok Midnight Food Tour by Tuk Tuk and we had a blast! They took us to 6 different restaurants to try local Thai cuisine. It was a blast to ride around in a tuk tuk and spend the night eating. So many good dishes, but so spicy!

Day 3: Chang Mai, Thailand

We hopped on a early morning flight up to the northern part of Thailand to Chang Mai. We found that it was quicker and pretty cheap to fly from city to city so we didn’t have to spend 12 hours on a train. Plane tickets were around $40 for 2 of us. Once we landed, we checked into our hotel _______, which was stunning!! The grounds were gorgeous!

We headed on a walking tour of the old town, and we were able to see lots of temples and other sites in Chang Mai. We used a company called With Locals that sets you up with a local tour guide. We had a good time, and were able to customize where we wanted to go throughout the day.

This evening we took a Thai cooking class, and it was one of the highlights of the trip! Thai Akha Kitchen was amazing! We spent the evening (5 hours) cooking 11 delicious Thai dishes. From pad thai, to curry, to papaya salad, and mango sticky rice. We learned so much about Thai culture and food, I 10/10 recommend!

Day 4: Chang Mai, Thailand

The main reason we went up to Chang Mai was to visit an elephant sanctuary. It has been on my bucket list for YEARS!!! I wanted to find an ethical one, so after lots of research we settled on Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. This is as one of the best elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai. Their elephant reserve has many options for visitors to experience the wonderful elephants of Thailand. We opted for a morning tour. After a 2 hour bumpy ride in the back of a pick up truck essentially we were greeted by the elephants. We were able to feed them, play with them, bathe them in the river, and give them a mud bath. It was overall such an amazing experience!

After our time with the elephants we booked traditional Thai massages at Zira Spa. It was one of the most beautiful spas I’ve been too. However, I’ve never had a Thai massage, and it was interesting to say the least. The tiny lady was crawling all over me and my body was pulled and stretched and put into different positions, and at times it was more painful than relaxing. It was definitely an experience to have, but it was my last Thai massage of the trip.

That evening we took a street food tour and unfortunately it was a bust. Our guide was not good, we barely got to try any street food, and the whole thing was not a good experience for us. We don’t have many misses on our trips, but this was definitely one of them.

Day 5: Phi Phi Island, Thailand

Today was a day of planes, trains, and automobiles. We caught a flight down to Phuket in southern Thailand, which then we took a car to the ferry, and a ferry 2 hours to Phi Phi island, one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand and probably the most beautiful place I have EVER been. The long journey was worth it 100% once we arrived to our hotel, Phi Phi The Beach Resort. Little villas that lined a big hill had the most perfect views!

We took a long boat over to the pier to check out what the island was all about. It was full of backpackers, but not crowded at all. We had a dinner on the beach at Tonsai restaurant, and then enjoyed a huge fire dancing show. We went to the fire show at Slinky Bar because it is every night starting at 8:30. It was a lot of fun, and you just had to purchase one drink (beer was $3) to enjoy the show.

Day 6: Phi Phi Island, Thailand

Today was maybe my favorite day of the whole trip! We took a private long boat around a bunch of islands. Booking a private long boat is super easy, they are all over the pier and the night before you just make a deal with one and they came and picked us up at our hotel.

We started off at the famous Maya Bay. Made famous as the location of the 2000 film, ‘The Beach’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio, it was quickly damaged by tourists and boats. So today you are not allowed to swim at the beach, but walk around and take in all the glory. It truly is a stunning beach. We went first thing in the morning around 7:30 and we practically had it to ourselves. But the big tour boats started to come in around 8:30!

We then did a little island hopping, snorkeling, and cruising around the rest of our tour. The water was this crazy emerald green due to the limestone of all the rocks, but it was just breathtaking.

We spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach, swimming in the gorgeous water, and soaking up all the sun!

Day 7: Phuket, Thailand

We took the ferry back over to mainland Thailand and explored old town Phuket. A lot of people skip old town Phuket and just head straight to the beaches, but I think spending a day or half a day is a good idea. We stayed at Casa Blanca Boutique Hotel and it was a great location! We spent the day shopping on Thalang Road which is full of little shops! After a much needed frozen beer we opted for a traditional Thai foot massage. It was $10 for an hour. This was more up my alley than the first massage experience!

After dinner at The Crab House, which was delicious, we went to see the Siam Niramit show! Upon arrival we thought it was going to be SO touristy as it was big and kind of over the top. However, once we finally got into the theater and it began, we were blown away! With a cast of probably over 100 dancers, the staging, presentation, all of it was done so well! It was beautiful and we thought it was worth it.

Day 8: Siem Reap, Cambodia

On to our next country- Cambodia. I want to preface that Cambodia completely blew me away and I will recommend this country to anyone and everyone! It is such an underrated country, that often gets overlooked. After their such horrible past, their economy is still recovering, they are just so proud of their country and want to share it with everyone. The people were some of the kindest and happiest I have ever met. We only spend 2 days here, but it was well worth it!

We checked into our hotel, The Golden Temple, and were greeted by the most amazing staff who were so happy to have tourists in their country. The hotel was gorgeous! We started our evening (we had a long day of travel), with a tuk tuk tour. He took us around the city and pointed things out. There was a language barrier and it wasn’t anything super “official” but it was an easy way to see the city.

That evening we headed to Pub Street, where the beer is $1. We enjoyed a fish pedicure (see pics above) and had an early night in preparation for our big day and the main reason we went to Cambodia.

Day 9: Siem Reap, Cambodia

The reason we stopped in Cambodia was to see Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is an enormous Buddhist temple complex located in northern Cambodia. It was originally built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu temple. Spread across more than 400 acres, Angkor Wat is said to be the largest religious monument in the world. It was on my mom’s bucket list to see it at sunrise. So up we were at 4:15 to get too the temple around 5 for sunset. It was 100000% worth it. It was absolutely breathtaking and a very surreal moment!

After sunrise we spent some time walking the grounds of the massive temple, and then visited 5 other temples nearby, including the famous tree temple where Angelina Jolene ran through in the movie, The Tomb Raider”. Everything was so cool and it was a day well spent!

After we recharged at the pool we were off to the circus that evening. Phare Circus is more than just a circus, Phare performers use theater, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. Phare The Cambodian Circus offers these students and graduates somewhere to hone their skills and a place to earn a decent wage. Money that will take them out of poverty and give them self-respect and freedom. It was extremely well done and entertaining! This is a must when visiting!

Day 10: Hoi An, Vietnam

Before catching our flight to Vietnam, we made a stop at the floating villages right outside of Siem Reap. It was a very humbling experience, and made you think of how grateful you are to have everything you do. Since it was the dry season, there was no water, but all of the houses and buildings were on stilts. It was amazing to see how this community lives. Even that they were so poor, many houses with no electricity, the people were so happy and smiling.

Off to Vietnam!

Our first stop in Vietnam was Hoi An. It is in central Vietnam right off of the coast. We checked into our hotel, Lasenta Boutique Hotel, that overlooked the rice fields.

We headed to Old Town, where all the action was! We had dinner on the rooftop terrance of Morning Glory and enjoyed traditional Vietnamese food. Hoi An is the city of lanterns, as they are everywhere and it is super pretty at night. Hoi An was SO crowded, even though it was low season. We ended up taking a small boat ride down the river looking at all the lanterns, and we were even able to put our own in the river for well wishes.

Day 11: Hoi An, Vietnam

We spent the first half of the day on a Hoian Bicycle Tour. We enjoyed getting away from the city to explore old Vietnam, a sleepy world of quiet villages by bike. We crossed rice paddies, stopped at a carpentry village, saw rice noodles being made and made our own, took a ride in a coconut boat, and tasted a traditional Vietnamese lunch with the noodles we made. It was so fun! I will admit riding a bike in the craziness of Hoi An before getting to the countryside was quite stressful and overwhelming, but once we made it to the rice fields it was calm and easygoing.

Hoi An is known for their tailors. It is said that you can show up in the morning, design your garment (dress, suit, anything!) and take measurements, come back for a fitting, and then pick it up completed later that night. I had to try it for myself. We went to Ba Ri Tailor. I picked a simple halter pink dress. Hanh took great care of me, even though the first fitting was a disaster. I was skeptical, but Hanh hand delivered the finished dress to our hotel that evening, and it was PERFECT!! It fits me like a glove!

We stopped at Reaching Out Tea House, which is a teahouse that employees hearing impaired employees so they have a chance for fair wages. So the whole place is silent and you order with little tiles and it was such an unique experience! For dinner we ate at Mango Rooms, which was a fusion Vietnamese restaurant, and it was SO GOOD! It was further down on the river so it was much quieter and quaint! I highly recommend this restaurant to get away from the tourists and noise of right in Old Town.

Day 12: Hanoi, Vietnam

We hoped on a quick flight to northern Vietnam, to the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi. Let me tell you about a crazy big city! The traffic is INSANE here, there are no rules to the road, the majority of people have motorbikes and they just zip and fly around cars, people, bikes, anything!

We started right away with our tours – first up a Jeep Tour. We experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of Hanoi in a unique way. We rode around in style in a Soviet-era GAZ-69 jeep. We saw a mix of city highlights and hidden gems and learned about the country’s history. From learning about weddings to the war from their perspective, and enjoying a beer on train street, where you literally have to move your legs out of the way when the train drives by, we had a blast with our guide Susie! She was so cute and fun!

That evening we took a Motorbike food tour that was led by women! This was A HIGHLIGHT of the trip! Once we got over the fact that we would be zipping around Hanoi on motorbikes, we had a blast! I felt like Lizzie McGuire in Vietnam! We stopped at 6 different restaurants to try and learn about Vietnamese cuisine. My girl was Nun and we had so much fun! All of the girls (early 20’s) were so cute and looked like they loved their jobs.

Day 13: Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam

Hạ Long Bay, in northeast Vietnam, is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from Hanoi, but transportation is provided.

The best way to explore the islands is to do it by cruise. We are not cruise people so only wanted a 1 night one. We were very picky when selecting one, and ended up going with Orchid Cruise Premium, and spoiler alert – we LOVED it! It was a 25 person yacht, and it ended up being us and the just a family of 4. So we practically had the whole boat to ourselves.

The main reason we picked this boat over others was that there was not a buffet, and everything was served plated. The food was delicious and some of our favorite in Vietnam!

The whole crew including Mr. Dong, and Benny were amazing. Mr. Dong took us through the caves, and planned all the activities on board from kayaking, spring roll making, squid fishing and massages. We had a lovely time! We had happy hour on the sun desk in the pool and soaking up the scenery. I felt like I was having my Below Deck moment!

Day 14: Hanoi, Vietnam

After our journey back to Hanoi, we spent the afternoon doing some last minute exploring and shopping! We ran into a ton of local school groups who were doing a project where they needed to practice their English with tourists. We probably talked to the kids for probably over an hour, as they said we were so friendly, and funny to talk too!

That evening we went to the water puppet show. This is a must do in Hanoi. The show is at the Thang Long Theater. It is basically a puppet show (not just for children) that is done in a pool. Traditional legends and historical tales are among the enchanting puppets. The musicians were fabulous, the set was pretty, and it was less than a hour so it was a nice little show!

This was a trip of a lifetime, and I will be back to Southeast Asia at some point! The people, food, scenery, and everything was amazing!! If you are planning your adventure hopefully this itinerary helps lay out how it is possible!

Happy travels!

14