Deborah's Southeast Asian Adventure

Deborah's Hong Kong/southeast Asian Trip Itinerary

Airlines

Cathay Pacific: I flew non-stop from Amsterdam to Hong Kong/Hong Kong to Amsterdam in economy class. The airline was flawless. Comfortable seats and superior service. The food was amazing and the drinks flowed freely. I chose the Cathay Pacific multiple ticket deal through World Ticket Travel, a Dutch travel agency. For EURO 1100 (taxes included), I flew:
Amsterdam - Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific)
Hong Kong - Bangkok (on airline partner Thai Airlines)
Hanoi - Hong Kong (on airline partner Vietnam Airways)
Hong Kong - Amsterdam (Cathay Pacific)

Air Asia: This is a relatively-new Asian budget airline founded by a former Virgin Air executive. The service was quite okay, similar to EasyJet. The first flight I took, from Bangkok to Krabi, was on time but the flight from Krabi back to Bangkok was delayed 7 hours! They offered passengers a small lunch and a pop but nothing else. So be aware that Air Asia often experiences flight delays on less popular routes. Air Asia fraudulently charged my credit card EUR 146 almost a year after my southeast Asia trip (September 2007) so be careful!

Thai Airlines: Nice airline with great food. No problems there.

Vietnam Airlines: Nice airline with great service.

Hotels

Hong Kong, China
Hotel: L'Hotel Causeway Bay - http://www.lhotelcausewaybayhv.com/
Rating: 4/5
Comments: Located on Hong Kong Island, this small boutique hotel is clean and a room on the upper floors gives you a sense of Hong Kong life for the average person. The room was very sunny and bright and the service was great. The hotel was located right across from a subway station which made it very convenient to get around.
Travel Advice: When I return to Hong Kong, I will stay on Kowloon Island which has a great view of the famous Hong Kong skyline which is even more impressive than New York's! Recommended hotels are the Salisbury YMCA and if money is no object, the famous Penninsula Hotel.

Bangkok, Thailand
Hotel: Best Western Elegance Suites - http://www.sawadee.com/hotel/bangkok/elegance/
Rating: 3.5/5
Comments: Located in the heart of Silom, a bustling area of the city which gives a fantastic taste of Thai city life. The hotel was very difficult to find as it's on a non-descript side street and a bit old and worn. The hotel suite was huge and clean, with a large bedroom and combo kitchenette, living room. In a city which can be very loud, the suite was surprisingly quiet.
Travel Advice: If possible, arrange for a limo or van service when you arrive in Bangkok as it is a huge, congested and overwhelming city. Four days was more than enough and I was glad to get out of Bangkok after that. Too crazy for me.

Krabi, Thailand (on Andaman Sea)
Hotel: Maritime Park and Spa Resort - http://www.krabi-hotels.com/maritime/
Rating: 2.5/5
Comments: This hotel was set in stunning surroundings but was way out in the middle of nowhere unfortunately. Getting to the beach was a bit of a trek. The hotel was dead at night, filled mostly with group tours. The staff was really friendly, especially the resident DJ who gave me a CD of South African blues guitarist, Jimmy Dludlu.
Travel Advice: I would definitely not recommend spending more than two days in Krabi, which is a small fishing port with not much to see. A better alternative would be to go to a quieter, more exclusive part of Thailand's beach frontier, Ko Samui or Phuket. If you want to stay in the Andaman Sea area, go to Koh Phi Phi (beautiful place but being re-built after the tsunami where the film "The Beach" was shot) or to Ao Nang beach where I ended up hanging out every day. You get there by taking a songthaew, or small motor boat.

Kanchanaburi, Thailand (near the River Kwai)
Hotel: Duenshine Resort - www.duenshine.com
Rating: 2/5
Comments: This was the biggest mistake I made in terms of accommodation. The hotel was largely deserted, run-down and in the middle of nowhere. I arrived in Kanchanaburi at midnight, got ripped off in terms of a ride to the hotel in the back of an open pick up truck by myself on pitch-black roads. Thankfully, some Israelis hopped on so I had company for a while.
Travel Advice: Kanchanaburi is beautiful and its WWII history is fascinating so definitely worth a visit. Next time, I will stay on one of the river raft hotels.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hotel: Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel - http://www.cnxplaza.com/
Rating: 4/5
Comments: I loved this hotel which was very luxurious while being very reasonably priced. I booked into it the day I arrived in Chiang Mai and the staff went out of their way to find me a nice room despite being in the height of the busy season. The breakfast buffet was stellar, the hotel facilities were 5-star and the location was superb. Again, Thailand's cities can be very noisy but the hotel was quiet.
Travel Advice: Definitely try to stay at the Plaza if you can. Just down the road is this amazing Italian restaurant run by a guy who ran a place in Amsterdam for 12 years before getting fed up with Dutch taxes and labour laws and fleeing to Thailand. The Plaza is also just a short walk from the most amazing hotel I encountered in southeast Asia, the Chedi. I couldn't afford to stay there but I did eat and drink there. You have to see this place to believe it. The Chedi - http://www.ghmhotels.com/hotels/hotel_home.asp?hotelid=15&section=home

Hotel: Chiang Mai Gate Hotel - http://www.chiangmai-online.com/cmgate/
Rating: 3/5
Comments: This hotel was cheap and cheerful. I had to stay there one night as the Plaza was fully booked. Lots of budget travellers, including a slew of Dutch people.
Travel Advice: Good place to stay with clean rooms closer to downtown and the night bazaar. Nothing special, though.

Overnight Stay in Tribal Hut (north of Chiang Mai)
I did a two-day trek with a group of about 15 other people. While marketed as a basic-level trek, it was quite demanding (hours of trekking over mountains, cliffs, steep uphill climbs, etc.) We stayed in a village belonging to the Karen people. Our accommodation was a grass hut where all of us were housed. The night got down to about 0 degrees and we were only given a thin sleeping bag (no pillow) so unless you are a seasoned camper and enjoy basic camping, I would advise you not to go on this trek. I'm glad I did it but it was also one of the longest nights I've ever had, up all night worrying that a snake would crawl through one of the many holes in the rattan floor.

Siem Reap, Cambodia
Hotel: Angkor Hotel - http://www.angkor-hotel-cambodia.com/Angkorhotel/index.html
Rating: 3/5
Comments: This hotel was cheap and cheerful, a bit down market compared to other hotels. Siem Reap is a total trip - strips of newly-built hotels, all catering to tourists visiting the famous Angkor Wat and other temples closeby.
Travel Advice: The staff is very friendly and is helpful in arranging private drivers and English-speaking tour guides to treks to the temples. Next time I'm in Siem Reap, I will definitely stay at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC Angkor) which is this cool boutique hotel and great restaurant which is THE place to be for foreigners and tourists. Beautifully designed and a great layout. - http://www.fcccambodia.com/angkor/ Book early as this place has a small amount of rooms and the waiting lists are huge! Or stay at Hotel de la Paix, an uber-trendy and beautiful hotel in the middle of the city. http://www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com/ The hotel features exhibitions and when I was there, the exhibition featured the photography of Taizo Ichinose, a Japanese war photographer, who
documented the wars in Cambodia and Vietnam in the early 1970s before he was killed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hotel: Colonial Mansion - http://www.colonial-mansion.com/
Rating: 4.5/5
Comments: This hotel was by far one of the most amazing and unique ones in which I stayed. Apparently I was very lucky to get in as the hotel is frequented by loyal businesspeople and the waiting lists are long. The hotel also boasts one of the best French restaurants in Cambodia with an amazing wine list.

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam
Hotel: Grand Hotel - http://www.visit-mekong.com/grand-hotel-ho-chi-minh/
Rating: .5/5
Comments: Stay far away from this hotel!! It markets itself as a grand colonial hotel but it is noisy and the rooms are a bit shabby. Worse, there is a new discotheque at the back of the hotel and its music kept me awake all night, even after I moved to the other side of the hotel at 2 a.m. I left after one night.

Huong Sen Hotel - http://directrooms.com/vietnam/hotels/huong-sen-hotel-hochiminh-1411.htm
Rating: 3/5
Comments: Cheap and cheerful hotel with staff who are courteous and helpful. The hotel is located in themiddle of the diplomatic area near great shops and art galleries. It's wonderful to walk around at night and take in street life. The hotel took me on very short notice. The rooms were very quiet.

Mekong Delta
Hotel: some fleabag hotel which was part of two-day, all-inclusive tour
Rating: 1/5
Comments: This was just one step up from a youth hostel. The mattress was as hard as a rock and the pillow was little more than an empty pillow case. Luckily, I only stayed there for one night and I had my own room with airco.

Phan Tiet, Vietnam (near Mui Ne beach)
Hotel - Novotel Ocean Dunes and Golf Resort - http://www.accorhotels-asia.com/2067/detail/default.aspx
Rating: 3.5/5
Comments: This hotel was very beautiful but had your standard North American look and feel of studied sterility. The staff was very friendly, especially the beautiful Vietnam hostess who lived in Germany for years. It was quite quiet so I only spent evenings there. Phan Thiet is a fishing village which is great for one day but there's not much to see.
Travel Advice: It's better to stay on the beach in Mui Ne which is a 20-minute taxi or motorcycle ride away. The beach is lined with gorgeous hotels and the place is lively. The beach was very rough when I stayed there so you couldn't swim. Mui Ne is known for windsurfing. I hung out at the pool at the Terracotta Resort which was gorgeous and reasonably-priced. http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com/Vietnamhotels/Terracotta_Resort_MuiNe_PhanThiet/index.htm
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Hotel - Nha Trang Lodge Hotel - http://www.asiarooms.com/vietnam/nha_trang/nha_trang_lodge.html
Rating: 2.5/5
Comments: Nothing special about this hotel except that it faces the long beach in Nha Trang. I just stayed one night as the travel books advised that Nha Trang can be a rough city.
Travel Advice: I wish I had stayed in Nha Trang for at least one or two days. The city looked very interesting and there were day-long boat trips out to nice islands.

Hoi An, Vietnam
Hotel: Vinh Hung 2 Hotel - http://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com/hotels/Hoian/vinhhung2hotel.html
Rating: 1/5
Comments: This hotel was the second nightmare hotel I encountered. It was a budget hotel with paper thin walls and an open concept, courtyard in middle around which all rooms were assembled. I had a large party of Israeli teenagers down the hall who kept me up all night. I left the next morning.

Hotel: Hoi An Hotel - http://www.hoiantourist.com/hoianhotel/english/promotions.html
Rating: 4/5
Comments: This hotel was amazing. It is a bit out of the centre of Hoi An, going towards the beach. It's relatively new and the staff gave me this amazing bungalow suite with a living room, large bedroom, sunken jacuzzi bathtub and glass shower. Unfortunately, the room was too humid for me so I moved into the hotel proper where I had a lovely, large room.
Travel Advice: At the hotel, I met this amazing manager named Tommy Xuan who invited me to help him plan the Christmas Eve party. I ended up singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" in front of 25 guests. Tommy took me home for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner so I experienced an authentic Vietnamese family meal twice. Very lovely. Look up Tommy and give him my best. He can also take you to an orphanage which cares for children who are deformed due to Agent Orange. Next time I visit Hoi An, I will opt to stay in one of the nice resorts further away on the beach.

Hue, Vietnam
Hotel: Saigon Morin Hotel - http://www.morinhotel.com.vn/
Rating: 5/5
Comments: This hotel was the most beautiful and stunning in which I stayed during my entire southeast Asia trip. A historical landmark, the hotel was perfectly-run. The staff were friendly and helpful, my room was amazing and I totally enjoyed the luxury and the city of Hue. The hotel is situated across from the famous Perfume River.
Travel Advice: In hindsight, I wish I had spent less time in Hoi An and more time in Hue as Hue struck me as more authentically Vietnamese (quiet, tree-lined streets, baguette sellers on every corner, rikshaw pullers everywhere to take you around). I would definitely return to the Saigon Morin Hotel as the experience was amazing. For those who like a bit more modern, chi chi touch, I recommend La Residence Hotel & Spa, which is this amazing, art deco boutique hotel located down the street. It is way more expensive and exclusive. It was once the French governor's residence in Indochine. http://www.la-residence-hue.com/

Reunification Express train from Hue to Hanoi
Overnight train (first-class berth)
Rating: 2.5/5
Comments: I bought a first-class ticket and ended up sharing a four bunkbed compartment with two Vietnamese men who didn't speak a lick of English. I slept on the top bunk (with my Swiss Army knife conveniently closeby) with no incident. I sleep like a log on trains but these guys woke up at 2:30 a.m. to prepare noodle soup, talking very loudly and waking everyone else up. First-class train travel in Vietnam is third-class train travel in the West.

Hanoi, Vietnam
Hotel: De Syloia Hotel - http://www.desyloia.com/
Rating: 3.5/5
Comments: This was a very pleasant boutique hotel which was a little outside of central Hanoi. The hotel itself was fine, nothing special. I found the staff a bit stand-offish but helpful. The restaurant inside the hotel was lovely and provided room service.
Travel Advice: For some reason, I didn't like Hanoi very much. I found the city very distant, unfriendly and lonely. If you go, I advise you to only stay 2 days maximum. I ended my southeast Asia trip in Hanoi but many people begin their trips in Hanoi and work their way down to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Either way is fine. Don't miss the fantastic Bobby Chin's Restaurant (recommended by David whom I met in Hong Kong) where I had dinner on New Year's Eve.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Inexpensive boat cruise from Ha Long City throughout the Bay
Rating: 4.5/5
Comments: I took a very cheap package boat cruise on a lovely old woooden boat. The boat was a bit worn but had it's own charm. For about US$20, I had four meals and a private room as I chose to spend the night on the boat. (You had the choice of sleeping on the boat or in a nearby hotel.) I hung out with a couple of Australian women on the top deck and took some amazing photos and video. Ha Long Bay is a magical place, these weird shaped, almost ghoulish limestone formations rising out of the water. It was one of the highpoints of the trip. I wish I had taken a longer cruise.
Travel Advice: If you want to experience the bay in real style, take an Emeraude luxury cruise. You are hosted on a Mississipi type riverboat with all of the amenities. It will set you back several hundred dollars but I would definitely do this if I go back to Ha Long Bay.

Sapa, Vietnam
Standard 3-Star Hotel
Rating: 3/5
Comments: I stayed in a non-descript hotel in Sapa which had a weird design. Basically, you walked in outdoor hallways which connected to the front door of your hotel room. It was winter in Sapa so freezing cold (0 degrees at night) but each room had a pretty powerful space heater. I ended up getting sick (severe cold) and leaving Sapa early as the weather was foggy and you couldn't see any of the beautiful landscape. I also got pickpocketed on the train back to Hanoi (lost US $25 which is a small fortune, three - four days worth of travel money in Vietnam).
Travel Advice: A trip to Sapa is definitely a must when in Vietnam but avoid going in the winter when it's freezing cold and often raining or snowing. Also, the fog prevents you from trekking through amazing countryside and taking National Geographic-style photos of the famous rice paddy terraces.