SOUTHEAST ASIA – 3 Countries in 1 Week!

SOUTHEAST ASIA – 3 Countries in 1 Week!

April 14 - 22, 2019

To relax and soak in our environment or to hop around and see as many environments as we can? The latter was definitely how we wanted to explore Southeast Asia. We wanted a jam-packed, adventure-filled itinerary with no dull moments. So, we accepted the challenge of visiting Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand in 1 week!

• EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY
• We didn’t miss ANYTHING in our Must-Do List
• We had plenty of wiggle room for spontaneity
• We found some cheap deals

And now, we want to help you achieve those same things! Here is a glimpse of our itinerary. This also includes some highlights, transportation details, expense details, personal reflections, and much more.

 

Day 1: HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Transportation Expenses:
– $690.00: Round-Trip Airfare
Activities Not-Pictured:
– Attending church at Notre Dame Cathedral
– Eating and shopping at Ben Thanh Market
– Chilling with dogs at Hachiko Dog Cafe

 

Day 2: CAN THO, VIETNAM – Cai Rang Floating Market

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This was the first sunrise we witnessed in Southeast Asia. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? But let’s talk about what’s also going on here… poverty. Parents leave their homes and travel for 5 days just to be here. They are up at the crack of dawn. They stay on the boat, sell food, and don’t leave the boat / go home until all the food is sold. Sometimes, they don’t even see their children for weeks. Locals come here to buy food so they could live and they sell food so they could provide for their families.

Cai Rang Floating Market is one of the biggest, least touristy floating markets in Southeast Asia. And it’s IMPORTANT to keep it the least touristy so families can continue to buy / sell food here, NOT souvenirs.

 

Can Tho River

 

Transportation Expenses:
– $56.75 Per Person / $113.50 Total: Taxi from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
No buses available before sunrise. (https://12go.asia/)
– $5.00: Phuong Trang Bus from Can Tho to Ho Chi Minh City (https://futabus.vn/en-US)
Activity Expenses:
– $69.00: Cai Rang Floating Market and Can Tho River Tour
(https://canthorivertour.com/tours/can-tho-floating-market-wildlife)
Activities Not-Pictured:
– $10.00: Entrance to Bitexco Tower

 

Day 3: CAMBODIA

Transportation Expenses:
– $26.00: Mekong Express Bus from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia (https://www.camboticket.com)
Activities Not-Pictured:
The bus from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap took the whole day (14 hours). This seems to be a dreadful journey, but it was actually relaxing and fun! Being able to look out the window and have random encounters with people was refreshing and exactly what we needed. The bus also made a few pit stops along the way, so we were still sightseeing. When we arrived Siem Reap at midnight, loud music filled the streets and people were shooting water guns / throwing baby powder at each other. There was joy all around! Little did we know that it was Khmer New Year and this was the locals’ exciting way of celebrating it. We joined in by dancing and also throwing baby powder for the rest of the night!

 

Day 4: SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA – Angkor Wat

Another day, another sunrise.

 

Local Cambodian Home

This was the most random, but most memorable encounter EVER! Long story short: we treated our Tuk-Tuk driver to lunch, had a few interesting conversations, and ended up being invited to do karaoke. Fast-forward to a few hours later: we were at his home singing, learning how to drive a motorbike, and having the time of our lives. Moral of the story: Cambodian locals are extremely warm and welcoming. Our hearts were touched by their hospitality!

Transportation Expenses:
– $13.50 Per Person / $27.00 Total: Full-Day Tuk-Tuk.
Includes transportation to all temples and to the airport.
Activity Expenses:
– $37.00: Entrance to Angkor Wat Temples
– Priceless: Quality Time at a Local Cambodian Home
Activities Not-Pictured:
– $15.00: Suspended Balloon Ride

 

Day 5: BANGKOK, THAILAND – The Grand Palace

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Transportation Expenses:
– $56.00: Plane from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Bangkok, Thailand
Activity Expenses:
– $37.00: Entrance to The Grand Palace
Activities Not-Pictured:
– Exploring Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre
– Attending church at Holy Redeemer
– Shopping at Asiatique Night Market

 

Day 6: PATTAYA, THAILAND – Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

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We fed, mud-bathed, and showered with these beautiful creatures!! We also learned much about how they are treated. For tourism purposes, they are separated from their families, trained through fear-based practices, and eventually end up injured or dead. For example, riding them causes them to have sores, broken body parts, and shorter life spans. That is why we should never ride them or participate in elephant tourism. Instead, we should treat them with care because they ultimately treat us with care as well.

More Elephant Fun Facts:
– Their poop is used to make paper
– They fertilize soil and allow better food growth for us
– They are extremely smart and will remember us
– They find us cute like we find dogs cute
– THEY ARE GOOD TO US, SO WE SHOULD BE GOOD TO THEM

Transportation Expenses:
– $31.60 Per Person / $63.10 Total: Taxi from Bangkok to Pattaya (https://12go.asia/)
– $6.00: Bus from Pattaya to Bangkok (https://www.camboticket.com)
Activity Expenses:
– $80.00: Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (http://elephantjunglesanctuary.com)
Activities Not-Pictured:
Our bus back to Bangkok was 2 hours late and the locals were still celebrating New Year. So, we killed time in the best way we could: by buying water guns from 7/11 and joining the New Year Water War!

 

Day 7: HANOI, VIETNAM

Transportation Expenses:
– $150.00: Plane from Bangkok, Thailand to Hanoi, Vietnam
Activities Not-Pictured:
– Attending church at St. Joseph Cathedral
– Wandering around Hanoi
– RESTING / HAVING A CHILL DAY

 

Day 8: HALONG BAY, VIETNAM

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This is one of the places you must see before you die! The scenery was breathtaking and the kayaking was unforgettable. We wished we could kayak for hours longer. However, our flight back to the states was shortly after this tour. Throughout the day, we were unsure if we would make it because the airport was 3 hours away. Although anxiety took over, we laughed it off and didn’t let it stop us from experiencing Halong Bay to the fullest!

Our tour operator set up private transportation for us and we made it to our flight!

Transportation Expenses:
– Free: Bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay. Included in tour.
– $43.50 Per Person / $87.00 Total: Car Service from Halong Bay to Hanoi Airport
(Arranged by tour operator)
– $72.95: Plane from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Activity Expenses:
– $52.00: Tour of Halong Bay (https://www.viator.com)

 

And that concludes our Southeast Asia itinerary for 3 countries in 1 week! We hope you are now confident to take on this trip yourself! Keep on dreaming about your travels and making them a reality! I love you, okay bye!

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