Worked out nicely. Great drive with stops at elephant springs, Lang Co beach and multiple at Hai Van pass.

Unfortunately we had to skip Hoi An because we arrived later than expected in Hue and then decided we didn’t want to drive in the dark. So ended at the beach in Da Nang.

Experience with MotorVina wasn’t that great but fortunately no real issues.

Thanks. And what about cost? To go from Myanmar overland to Chiang Mai?
We are on a would journey for a couple of months, so we have a little time.

What do you think?

Hongkong -> Bangkok -> Yangon -> traveling overland Myanmar to Chiang Mair -> traveling Thailand -> Malaysia
or
Hongkong -> Bangkok -> Yangon -> flying Myanmar to Bangkok -> traveling Thailand -> Malaysia

I have decided to skip Nong Khiaw and just go south from Luang Prabang! The Kong Lor caves seems interesting so might have a stop there before going further south.

What kind of horror stories are you talking about? Just crazy bus rides or have creepy stuff happened on the bus ride from south Laos to Siem Reap?

The classic SEA loop goes up via Chiang Mai then Chiang Khong (bus from Arcade station or minivan from town) then slow boat to Luang Prabang, bus to Vang Vieng and Vientiane. If you have more time for Laos, consider a bus from Huay Xai to Luang Namtha, then to Nong Khiaw and LP, etc. Then to Hanoi by 1-hour flight or the 24-hour "bus from hell" maybe via Sapa. Halong Bay cruise, Hanoi down to Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Saigon, Mekong delta, and through Cambodia - Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap, etc. and back into Thailand, maybe with a some beach time at the end. Any guidebook can tell you that, but it really depends on your personal preference, timeframe, budget, etc.

Thanks so much for your response! :)

Yes, by 'all' of Thailand I meant 5 days in Bangkok and then Attuyuttha, Sukhhotai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Doa, Pai, Chiang Rai and also Phuket and southern Islands... Thanks again :)!

Mp63, so you are saying to check flights to Chiang Mai and Cambodia and see which has best prices in terms of which direction to go?

A Laos week split between Luang Prabang and the Champasak/ 4000 islands region in Laos is a good idea. No, of course Wat Phu isn't all that great compared to Angkor Wat. But Angkor Wat doesn't offer anything like the view you get climbing the hill at the Champasak located temple. And the 4000 islands is also interesting and great for tourists. It's a region where the Mekong river has an identity crisis, and splits into a dozen different streams. Don Det/Don Khon is the closest thing to a beach town in Laos.

The only important thing you miss not visiting Vientienne is the Pha That Luang temple, which is the Lao national symbol. With only a week, I'd skip that myself.

As above Hoi An is overrated, because the tourist trade has totally overwhelmed the town. Hue is a better choice, the old imperial capital of Vietnam.

-we would like to do a nature reserve / park / area at some point - is it best to do that around Chiang Mai? Is there anywhere we could possibly stay for a night or two in a nature reserve?

You can certainly trek the national parks near Chiang Mai. Every travel agency sells a tour to take you to Doi Inthanon with a trek in a nearby park. It often involves elephant rides, which some tourists object to, being against elephant abuse. There is also Bac Ma national park in Vietnam, between Hue and the Danang airport. The trekking there gets good reviews.