Day 1: Phuket, Thailand

• Arrive late to hostel, relax

• minibus 200 Baht airport to hostel
• Fin Hostel, Kata Beach, Phuket, Thailand
• Air Asia domestic flight BangkokàPhuket

The highlight of today was figuring out what transportation to use once we landed at Bangkok International Airport. When traveling straight to Phuket through Air Asia, it was required to fly from the other international airport of Bangkok. Because it is popular to go from one airport to the other, you simply show your proof of departure from the other airport and board the complimentary shuttle to get there.

Once you land in Phuket, the easiest and cheapest means of transportation is to share a minibus with others to get to your hotel or hostel.

Day 2: Phuket, Thailand

• James Bond Island tour

• $60 (includes lunch, transportation to and from hostel, boat tripàkayaking through caves and caverns, visit to JBI, swimming near islands)

The James Bond Island tour was absolutely amazing! When we landed at the airport, we grabbed a few brochures for tours of the island and easily picked one that way. The tour we picked happened to include lunch, round trip transportation from your hotel, and the tour itself, which included four stops to different islands. Other tour packages seemed to offer similar benefits.

The tour itself included a trip to the James Bond Island, where we got to explore the iconic island with amazing scenery; kayak rides through the James Bond Cavern (where they filmed more of the James Bond movies); kayak rides through the bat caves, where we used flash lights to explore the dark caves; and a swim around one of the islands in the warm water. This trip was absolutely an amazing tour for us since we only had a short stay in Phuket…I highly recommend a tour to the island!

Day 3: Phuket, Thailand

• Big Buddha, beaches

• Air Asia flight PhuketàBangkok
• Cazz Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand

Because of our transportation back to Bangkok, we had a half day in Phuket. We were able to explore Kata beach as well as visit the Big Buddha, which is an iconic religious monument for the local people of Phuket.

We chose Cazz Hostel from the hostel approved online platform, Hostelworld. We had a late arrival that was after hours but they informed their security of our arrival, where he helped get us to our room to finish checking in the next day when the staff returned. They were very helpful with the next day check-in and even showed us great places to eat the next day!  

Day 4: Bangkok, Thailand

• Wat Pho, Grand Palace, street market

• air train transportation around Bangkok

This day we used to explore Bangkok’s famous religious monuments! It was very easy to tour all of the main monuments (and more than expected) in one day, including Wat Pho, Grand Palace, and Wat Phra Kaew; as well as the channels of “real Bangkok” and the street market. The modes of transportation we used included the air train (from the hostel to the ferry station), the ferry ride (from the ferry station to the stop for the monuments) and an occasional tuk-tuk to each monument.

Day 5: Bangkok, Thailand

• Relax day, laundry day, jet lag recovery day…

Today we used as a relaxation day to recover from our jet lag and catch up on our laundry. We lounged at our hostel comfortably.

Day 6: Kanchanaburi, Thailand

• Maeklong Railway Market, Floating Market, Elephant Sanctuary, Tiger Temple

• private guide, private car, lunch included

This was the day we spent more money on to be able to explore all of these things throughout Kanchanaburi. We went through a tour company that included a private tour guide, private car for transportation, the Maekong Railway Market (where we got to purchase a meal or produce), the Floating Market (where we purchased some souvenirs, mango sticky rice, and coconut ice cream), the Elephant Sanctuary (where we rode elephants to the river where we bathed them), and the Tiger Temple (where we fed baby leopards and hung out with tigers. The lunch on our tour happened to be provided, which included a traditional Thai meal.

Day 7: Bangkok, Thailand

• Relax, meet with group

• Astoria Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

Today, we explored the area around our hostel by trying the cuisine and preparing to meet up with our group later on. We spent the rest of the day meeting with our group, the Geckos Adventure group, to leave for Cambodia the following day.

Day 8: Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Border Crossing Procedures

• àCambodia
• Visa Upon Arrival at consulate near border, around $40 or 400 Baht
• So the border crossing procedure from Thailand into Cambodia was a tricky one! We got our Thailand stamps and exited Thailand through immigration into an area of land that was not owned by either Thailand or Cambodia, otherwise known as “No Man’s Land.” You walk through it to get to Cambodia immigration to present your visa and obtain stamps before continuing. I then took a bus into Cambodia with my group to Siem Reap.
• Victory Guesthouse, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Today, we crossed over from Thailand to Cambodia. We took a private bus from Bangkok to the consulate to obtain our visas and then again to the border. After going through the border, we had a private bus pick us up again with our luggage to take us to our first stop, Siem Reap.

Day 9: Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, and other temples
• Pub Street Nightlife

Today was one of the most amazing days of my trip! We spent the day exploring Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, and smaller surrounding temples! So awesome! Many people purchase the three day temple tour to have more time to explore the temples, but I was satisfied with the one day pass. It is cheaper and totally doable to explore most of the major temples in one day! Once the day was over, we enjoyed a night on the town at the infamous “Pub Street,” where there is dancing, cheap drinks, and a ton of fun!

Day 10: Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Pub Street Night Market
• Cabaret “Lady Boy” Show

Today we enjoyed the day market at Pub Street, where there is cheap street food and tons of jewelry, artwork, and clothing to purchase. In the evening, we enjoyed the “Lady Boy” show, where we viewed a Cabaret show of the locals.

Day 11: Kampong Cham, Cambodia

• Tuk-tuk City Tour, Tour of Phom Pros and Phnom Srei

• Home dinner with locals
• Public bus from Siem ReapàKampong Cham
• Mekong Hotel, Kampong Cham, Cambodia

In Kampong Cham, we enjoyed a city tour by tuk-tuk, where we furthered explored Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, the woman and man hills during the Cambodian genocides. We later enjoyed a home cooked dinner by a local family.

Day 12: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Tuk-tuk City Tour

• Nawin Guest House

Similar to Kampong Cham, we enjoyed a tuk-tuk city tour of Phnom Phenh, the capital of Cambodia. The tuk-tuk tours in Cambodia are relatively inexpensive and give you a chance to see most of the city.

Day 13: Phnom Penh/Cham Bok

• Cambodia Killing Fields, Genocide Center (in Phnom Penh)
• Homestay

• Traditional Cambodian meals prepared by villagers, stay in local homes, Cambodian dance show by local kids

Today we experienced an upsetting setting by going to the killing fields and the genocide center, both of which were the main sites during the great Cambodian Genocides. After the morning of learning about the rich history, we experienced a “homestay,” where we stay in a locals’ home and we live like they do for a night. We ate local Cambodian meals, slept in mosquito nets on mats, and watched traditional Cambodian dancing performed by the local children. This is an eye-opening experience!

Day 14: Sihanoukville, Cambodia

• Beach day, Otres Beach

• Beach BBQ dinner
• Sunday Villa/Guest House
• Private bus to Sihanoukville

Our first day in Sihanoukville was amazing! The beach city has a relaxing vibe and produces the best seafood BBQ I have ever had! We spent the day on Otres beach and enjoyed the luau style BBQ on the beach for dinner.

Day 15: Sihanoukville, Cambodia

• Boat trip to Bamboo Island and snorkeling

• Local BBQ lunch included on Bamboo Island

Today, we were able to take a boat trip to Bamboo Island for our seafood BBQ lunch! Along the way we snorkeled throughout the coral reefs around the islands of the Gulf of Thailand. Many tours are available around the beaches of Sihanoukville so there are many options to choose from last minute.

Day 16: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Sunset Booze Cruise on the Mekong River

• Public bus SihanoukvilleàPhnom Penh
• Nawin Guesthouse

This day we visited some of the city’s most popular tourist locations, the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda (inside the Royal Palace). Beautiful architecture and history surrounding its walls! Afterwards, we hopped aboard a small cruise boat that took us around the Mekong River and served us booze!

Day 17: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

• Border Crossing Procedures

• àVietnam
• Visa: only pre-obtained, USA around $80
• So for this border crossing, we were able to take a public bus to the border, where the bus guide took care of getting us as close to immigration as possible. We got our stamps from Cambodia and walked straight into Vietnam with our pre-obtained visa to get our stamps for Vietnam. Our bus was waiting for us after we passed through immigration.
• Royal Saigon Hotel, HCMC, Vietnam

After recovering from our night on the river, we spent the day crossing from Cambodia into Vietnam by public bus. After arrival in Vietnam, we checked out the surrounding area for dinner.

Day 18: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

• Cu Chi Tunnel Day Trip

This day was an amazing day of the history between Vietnam and the US. We visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were the tunnels in which the Vietnamese used to hide from the Americans during the Vietnam War. Our tour included round-trip transportation from our hotel and we were also able to buy it at our hotel.

Day 19: Mekong Delta, Vietnam

• Boat trip to the Islands of Mekong Delta, Homestay

• Visited the coconut candy island, honey tea island, and rafted to the small locals island for our lunch (boat trip)
• Bike ride around village, cooking class to learn to make spring rolls (homestay)

This day we experienced another homestay, but this time in Vietnam. We first took a ferry around the islands of the Mekong Delta, where we explored where the locals make honey, coconut candy, and various meals. We later had a home cooked meal from the locals we stayed with and learned how to make spring rolls!

Day 20: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Overnight Train to Nha Trang, Vietnam

• Reunification Palace
• Overnight train: four bunk (bunk bed) rooms

This day was spent mostly on an overnight train ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang in Vietnam. We spent the morning exploring the Reunification Palace before we boarded the train.

Day 21: Nha Trang, Vietnam

• Long Son Pagoda, Po Nagar Cham Towers, mud bath

• Cuong Long Hotel

The first day in Nha Trang was spent exploring monuments such as the Long Son Pagoda and the Po Nagar Cham Towers in the heart of the city. We followed the tour with the infamous mud baths.

Day 22: Nha Trang, Vietnam; Overnight Train to Hoi An, Vietnam

• Boat trip and snorkeling in Vietnam Sea

• Lunch, gear, and transportation included

This day was spent on a boat exploring the Vietnam Sea where we snorkeled in various coral reefs throughout the sea along Nha Trang. Lunch was included on most of the offered tours.

Day 23: Hoi An, Vietnam

• Old Town Walking Tour: Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky House, Quan Cong Temple, Chinese All-Community Assembly Hall

• Golden River Hoi An Hotel

The first day in Hoi An was spent touring the city by walking tour. The city is known for its large amount of lanterns throughout the city, so we walked through them for each of the stops on the tour.

Day 24: Hoi An, Vietnam

• Bicycle tour of rice fields, Cooking Class

This day was spent exploring more of the surrounding areas of Hoi An. We took a bike ride around the city of Hoi An and saw all of the rice and various vegetable fields. We finished the day by pursuing a cooking class where we learned how to make four traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Day 25: Hoi An, Vietnam

• My Son ruins (at sunrise), Night Market

On this day, we took a tour from Hoi An to the My Son ruins at sunrise. These temples were located about an hour outside the city and the transportation round trip from the hotel was included. The tour was an all-day event, where we followed it by attending the night market. The Hoi An night market is gorgeous and definitely a must see! The entire city lights up with lanterns and creates a warming glow.

Day 26: Hue, Vietnam

• Citadel, Imperial Enclosure and Forbidden Purple City
• Stops in Danang, Vietnam for China Beach

• Thanh Noi Hotel

The first day in Hue was spent exploring the beautiful historic monuments inside the Citadel, which was used for shelter for the Vietnamese during the war. Inside the Citadel was the Imperial Enclosure and the Forbidden Purple City, where there was further historical reference in the war.

Day 27: Hue, Vietnam

• Motorbike tour of: Tomb of Tu Duc, Tomb of Minh Mang, Tomb Khai Dinh; and Thien Mu Pagoda, Bao Quoc Pagoda, and Tu Dac Pagoda

• Tour included views of Mekong River and American bunkers during Vietnam War

For the second day in Hue, I hired a motorbike to take me to all of the surrounding pagodas and tombs in the country side. We also say the American bunkers that the American soldiers used for shelter during the Vietnam War.

Day 28: Hue, Vietnam; Overnight Train to Hanoi, Vietnam

• Relax day, prepare for 13 hour train to Hanoi

This day was spent mostly on the overnight train from Hue to Hanoi. The train ride left mid day and arrived early morning the following day.

Day 29: Hanoi, Vietnam

• Ngoc Son Temple, Hoa Lo Prison Museum, Opera House (with nighttime acrobatic performance)

• Hanoi Legacy Hotel

Once we arrived to Hanoi, we toured around to different monuments that exemplified the city from the war era, including the Hoa Lo Prison, the Opera House, and the Ngoc Son Temple. In the evening, we enjoyed a Vietnamese acrobatic show at the opera house.

Day 30: Halong Bay/Halong City, Vietnam

• Boat trip around islands of Halong Bay, Caves

• Lunch and transportation included
• Entity Hotel

Today we went on an overnight trip to Halong Bay. We enjoyed an all day boat trip around the islands of Halong Bay and explored some of the caves inside one of the islands. The lunch and transportation were included on this tour, to include a seafood lunch aboard the boat.

Day 31: Hanoi, Vietnam

• Bach Ma Temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda

We returned to Hanoi for this day, where we continued to tour the city by visiting the Bach Ma Temple Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the One Pillar Pagoda. We enjoyed our last day in Vietnam by exploring the nightlife of Hanoi.

Day 32: Vientiane, Laos

• Border Crossing Procedures

• àLaos
• Visa upon arrival at airport, around $35
• So for this border crossing, we were no longer with our group and decided to fly into Laos. It was very easy to obtain the visa at the border upon landing and easy to pass through immigration.

• Pha That Luang, Wat Si Saket, Xieng Khuan, Patuxai, COPE Center

• Dream Home Hostel 2

The first day of Vientiane was a busy one! We flew from Hanoi to Vientiane where we were able to obtain visas upon arrival. We hired a driver to drive us around the city to be able to see a bunch of pagodas, temples, and museums.

Day 33: Vientiane, Laos; Overnight Bus to Luang Prabang, Laos

• Buddha Park, Street Market

This day was spent mostly at Buddha Park, where we visited a park of a ton of Buddha statues outside the city of Vientiane. We then took an overnight bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang to arrive the following day,

Day 34: Luang Prabang, Laos

• Tat Kuang Si Waterfall

• Villa Merry No. 1

Upon arriving in Luang Prabang, we took a tour of the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls. It is one of the most iconic locations of Laos in general, and it was definitely a sight for sore eyes! We then finished the night by enjoying a traditional Lao BBQ dinner, where we cooked the food on a grill ourselves.

Day 35: Luang Prabang, Laos

• Pak Ou Caves

• Flight to Bangkok; stay at Eat-Ting Hostel (near airport) in Bangkok

This day was spent exploring the Pal Ou Caves, where we saw the caves of Buddhas. To get there, we took a boat across the river and through the village…and it was quite the scenic route!

Throughout the trip, we explored each city as much as possible and tried as much food as we could. We used trip advisor for some of our meals, but we were also adventurous for some by trying the street food options. Some of the tours we found from our hotels, but some were found before. I hope this itinerary provides a general idea for anyone wanting to explore the Indochina region of Southeast Asia; Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.