Southeast Asia 40 days itinerary

Hello, I'm traveling to Southeast Asia for the first time this June 2016. I'm going on a budget travel with my girlfriend for 40 days. We are planning the trip by ourselves and we have a few questions. So far our route is as following:

-Bangkok, Thailand

-Chiang Mai, Thailand

-Luan Prabang, Laos

-Vang Vieng, Laos (just 1 day to go on a Hot Air Ballon tour) Not fan of partying all day long

-Hanoi/Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

-Hue, Vietnam

-Hoi An, Vietnam

-Phnom Penh, Cambodia

-Siem Reap, Cambodia

-Krabi, Thailand

-Singapore

-Bali, Indonesia

I think our route is too ambitious for 40 days, but we are having trouble deciding which destination we should skip. Of these cities which one you recommend to scratch out?

We plan on taking flights between destination to save time but if it is too expensive we are willing to take buses/trains. We haven't figure out how to get from Hoi An to Cambodia, which is the fastest/easiest way to do it?

We live in Puerto Rico and there isn't an Vietnamese embassy or consulate close by, and the website procedure is a hassle so we are planning to get our Vietnam visas in Luang Prabang, Laos is this possible?

In terms of security, is it easy to get robbed or if we take good care of our stuff they will be safe? Do I need a anti-theft backpack or is this a waste of money? If we need one I think we will be getting a Pacsafe 15L.

amazon.com/Pacsafe-Venturesafe-Navy-Blue-Siz…

How much cash do we need to take to each Country? USA dollars or local currency? Do you recommend getting there already with cash or getting it from Atm's or exchange booths?

Thanks for any help you guys could provide!!!

Yes I agree far too much. I would check the weather. Indonesia is far better in June than Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos. If it was me I would spend it all in Indonesia.

Take care you should but fine, have been to SEA about 30 times never had a problem. I would say no to Pac-safe thats like advertising you have something of value. Don't buy local currency abroad, take some US$, large bills can get slightly better exchange rate, easy to change in many places. An ATM card is also handy in some countries but watch ATM fees, high in Thailand. Hoi An to Cambodia fastest is fly from Danang to Phnom Penh. How much money hmmm, difficult as you may have many flights, visas. I would work on $50 a day plus flights + hot air, depends on how you travel, rooms etc. Some flights are cheap, check Air Asia, Jetstar etc.

I agree, too much.
Both Thailand and VN could easily use up all 40 days.
Cut back, don't rush. SE Asia is so much more rewarding travelled slowly. The ambience is every bit as memorable as the sights, and the chances are you will want to return

I'm thinking of skipping Phnom Penh and Hue. Is this the right choice?

I'm thinking of skipping Phnom Penh and Hue. Is this the right choice?

You don't want to skip Hue if you're going to Hoi An. The 2 places are very close, and Hue is one of the best places in Vietnam for a history lesson. The cruise on the Perfume river visiting all of the royal tombs is great, and so is the royal citadel in the center. I wouldn't skip Phnom Pehn either. The 2 genocide sights there are essential for the Cambodia experience, and anyway Phnom Pehn is one of the most charming cities in the region.

What I'd suggest is skip the whole country of Laos, to speed your trip up. If you want a hot air balloon, you can do that from Siam Reap, or over the Halong bay in Vietnam too.

And also try to do just a day for Singapore. You want to make sure you have at least one week or preferably more for Bali. There is a vast amount to see there, and most of it has nothing to do with the beach. I'd say, go to Ubud, and base yourselves from there on Bali.

Hanoi and Halong Bay are two completely different spots. (minimum 4 hour drive between the two in heavy traffic). So you are trying to do 13 places in 40 days, or an average of 3 days per place. Do you think you can even keep all the different countries straight in your head while you are trying to enjoy or understand what you are seeing and doing?

I would not just cut out one or two places, I would cut out more and limit yourself to 5 or 6 places. You will get more out of it!

Vietnam visas online are incredibly easy...but make sure you use one of the legit nad good ones..lots of threads here about it. If you are budget backpackers skip Singapore for sure.

Agree with Ubud in Bali for a stretch of it...lots of unique Balinese Hindu culture that you don't get in other parts of SEA.

Hope your relationship survives this trip..it sounds nightmarish to me..and I live and travel in SEA full time..I myself would not attempt it.

Our first week of accommodations are already booked between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. (3 days in Bangkok, 4 days in Chiang Mai) Then heading to Luang Prabang for 2-3 days.
We decided we are skipping Vang Vieng and Singapore.

So after Luang Prabang we are heading to Vietnam (Vietnam is my top priority). Any info on how easy or hard is it to get a Vietnam Visa in Laos?

I know this is a long list for a short time but chances are that I never get the opportunity to return to this part of the world and that's why I'm trying to fit all the highlights.

Any recommendations on how a 40 day fast paced itinerary should look like?

Thanks for your help

The website procedure for getting a vietnamese visa is not a hassle at all, it's one of the simplest ever. You just fill out a form, about 3 minutes, and pay by credit card. That's all. They'll send you the approval letter by e-mail. Vietamvisaprovider was recommended by regulars recently. It's much more of a hassle getting it any other way. The online visa, however, if not valid for land travel, so it's only good if you're flying into VN.

Try not to think that you will never have the chance to come back to South East Asia. There are a lot of people on this forum who have been to the region 5, 10, 15, 20+ times. I'm sure you will love it and I'm sure you will want to come back, so just plan a sensible itinerary for this trip and visit some other places next time.

It makes sense to fly between some places, but by flying everywhere, instead of taking buses and trains, you miss out on a lot of contact with local people and local life. Its not just about the places, but also the experience of the journey of getting from A to B. The "highlights" are likely to be the local people you talk to along the way, rather than the "major sights" and things that you go and look at and take photo's of.

OP, only you know how you'd like to travel. You need to strike the happy medium between 5 places and the list you have.. You need to work out how you're getting between places then cut out those with a logistical nightmare.

Personally I think you should visit Mekong Delta of Vietnam to visit and book Mekong Cruise to visit Cambodia as well which will help you save more time and visit and learn more about the culture in two sides of Mekong Delta.

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