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My wife and I are excited and overwhelmed with the many options available to us for Asia trip. I am really looking for help and guidance as I am starting to plan for our 30th wedding anniversary in May 2019. We want to go somewhere more exoctic than what we have done in the past. Those have been US based trips, cruises and all inclusive to caribbean, Canada, Hawaii (yes US), Europe from London, to Paris, to Rome, to Venice, to Amsterdam, Antwerp, etc, and have been on African safari.

 

Our initial thinking is somewhere in Asia, more specifically but not limited to China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, etc. We are open to River Cruise, Bus Tour, Flight from city to city, or any combination thereof. We are planning 14 -21 days and would like to end the trip in one of the nice Romantic Thailand, Bali or Maldives, etct islands for a few days. We also would like to experience what the locals do and any tour companies that help with planning activities with locals would be interested in hearing.

 

We would like what you have experienced, what you liked, did not and would change if you were to do it again. Where you went, what you did and what tour company you did it through and when did you go and when should you go.

 

Can't wait to learn from your experience and sharing ideas.

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Singapore if you are foodies and a bit fussy as well. See other thread in this forum. We have been visiting two or three times each year for around three weeks each visit. We are widely travelled Brits/Europeans and this is our favourite place.

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Viking in China!

 

We first visited China by taking the Viking River Cruise from Beijing to Shanghai. There were four days in Beijing, two days in Xian, a couple of days on the Yangtze and ended up in Shanghai.

 

The seaports in China really only encompasses Shanghai and Kwangtung = Beijing is really two plus hours from the coast and you will never get to see China by only taking a cruise - of course the Viking trip would only show you only a bit of China but it does encompass a lot of highlights!

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Following ...we are traveling to Asia for the first time in Jan 2019 for a cruise on RC! Despite assurances that as Americans we won’t need VISAS for Singapore, Thailand and Maylasia: I am a wreck ...will be watching your post for additional recommendations

China seems to be a cruise fav

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Thank you everyone that have commented so far. This trip does require a lot of research and we appreciate your comments and help.

 

Ashland: Thanks for the information regarding Affordable Asia. We have not heard of them before. How are they and how many times have you used them? How do they compare to others if you have researched?

 

1ballerina: we have not considered a cruise from the big boys. Something for this trip we are trying to avoid. We want to get more immersed into the culture and save time from not having to fly too much either that wastes hours of your limited trip. I would check the US Visa office as they would be able to help provide guidance on what countries you are considering requires visas and for what lengths. It may also depend on how you are entering their country and for how long. Not sure, but something I am thinking in regards to your cruise and going to a port.

 

 

tommui987 - we have never cruised on Viking, need to research them some. Have you been to those areas previously and if so how and what did you learn that can you can share?

Philob: Have you used a land tour in China and if so, who and what was your experience?

 

Deval: Cool, another we have not heard of, we will look into them. Have you used them before?

 

 

At this point in time, I think we are leaning towards Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Not sure if we can do all three but that is what we are researching still. But it is still early. Any companies you have used for these you would recommend? Avoid? Any cities you would avoid or recommend?

 

Thanks again!

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In response to your question...Affordable Asia (Affordable World) is based in Alhambra Ca. I did everything basically online and a phone call for additional questions. We used them for a China land trip to Beijing, Xi'an & Shanghai..I was "very" concerned since their pricing was almost too good to be true but my research showed all excellent reviews and many were just as surprised as I ended up being....This trip and "all" it included turned out just AMAZING ! Other's on our tour it turned out had also done the Thailand/Cambodia tour with this company...and after hearing of their great experience we have no questions about the product they provide. Just by coincidence after we traveled with them we saw Affordable Asia at the large travel show in Los Angeles...so glad we ended up going with this company.

 

Look at their online website. Best of luck at whatever turns out for you.

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We used Viking for China and it was an excellent product.

 

We are using Globus for a future land tour of Vietnam, Siem Reap, and Bangkok.

 

https://www.globusjourneys.com/tour/exploring-vietnam-cambodia-with-bangkok/ove3/

 

 

In the River Cruise section, Terry from Ohio recently returned from a trip that included all of the above plus a Mekong River cruise, traveling with Avalon which is a co-company to Globus. Lots of helpful information there.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

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Following ...we are traveling to Asia for the first time in Jan 2019 for a cruise on RC! Despite assurances that as Americans we won’t need VISAS for Singapore, Thailand and Maylasia: I am a wreck ...will be watching your post for additional recommendations

China seems to be a cruise fav

 

no visa required

 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Thailand.html

 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Malaysia.html

 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Singapore.html

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We spent a month travelling through Vietnam.

 

In Hue, I met a gentleman who was part of a Gate1 tour. I asked him about it. He was very pleased with the entire tour and said that they had done several Gate1 tours. I am now looking at a Gate1 tour to India and Nepal as a result of our conversation.

 

We have traveled independently throughout Thailand and Vietnam. We find that these countries are much more conducive to land travel than they are to cruising. Many of the best spots either cannot be reached by cruise ship OR getting to them from a cruise port takes up an inordinate amount of time compared when compared to the time in port. We love cruising by the way, this is definitely not a knock on cruising.

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tommui987 - we have never cruised on Viking, need to research them some. Have you been to those areas previously and if so how and what did you learn that can you can share?

!

 

We were so impressed by Viking in China that we later booked on a Viking River cruise from Budapest to Prague and the Viking cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow. Must admit that the European Vikings was very good but never exceeded the experience in China - but maybe it had to do with youth!

 

Since then, we had revisited Beijing once and Shanghai and Hong Kong at least twice on Azamara and HAL. And even at that, still only never explored all that we wanted!

 

But for China itself, I think that Viking (or any other River cruise) or any other interior (land) tour is the way to go.

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IMO you do not see China from a couple of cruise excursions, it's like doing an African safari from the Serengeti park visitor center.

 

Other can tell you their recent experiences on land tours in China. The last time I took a commercial tour of China the world was using Teletype.

 

We go to China every couple of years to visit the in-laws in Guangzhou (Canton); every visit involves a side trip to some part of China SWMBO had not been to (recently). It also helps that she used to be a tour guide in China.

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All, quick update. First, thanks for all of the feedback and your experiences. This has helped us. We believe we have it narrowed down to Gate1 and 16 Day Gems of Southeast Asia. This is part of their small group discovery tour that visits Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It starts in Phnom Penh, then fly to Siem Reap, then fly to Bangkok, then fly to Luang Prabang and finally a flight into Hanoi. The multiple flights was a concerned at the beginning until I researched further and all are at most 55 to 65 minutes with one from Bangkok to Luan Prabang being the longest, almost 2 hours if memory serves me well.

 

We have narrowed it down to this as we like the engagement within the local culture to get more of a feel. We are going to fly in a day early and currently are thinking about going to WildLife Alliance in Phnom Penh.

We are planning on going in March based on research of weather for these locations. One location, Siem Reap, may be close to 100 degrees which will be the warmest we saw in any of these locations.

The price does not appear to be too bad for what we are getting. Has anyone done this trip? Any experience in Phnom Penh that you have had good or bad? Tours or things you have done or wished you would have?

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All, quick update. First, thanks for all of the feedback and your experiences. This has helped us. We believe we have it narrowed down to Gate1 and 16 Day Gems of Southeast Asia. This is part of their small group discovery tour that visits Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It starts in Phnom Penh, then fly to Siem Reap, then fly to Bangkok, then fly to Luang Prabang and finally a flight into Hanoi. The multiple flights was a concerned at the beginning until I researched further and all are at most 55 to 65 minutes with one from Bangkok to Luan Prabang being the longest, almost 2 hours if memory serves me well.

 

We have narrowed it down to this as we like the engagement within the local culture to get more of a feel. We are going to fly in a day early and currently are thinking about going to WildLife Alliance in Phnom Penh.

We are planning on going in March based on research of weather for these locations. One location, Siem Reap, may be close to 100 degrees which will be the warmest we saw in any of these locations.

The price does not appear to be too bad for what we are getting. Has anyone done this trip? Any experience in Phnom Penh that you have had good or bad? Tours or things you have done or wished you would have?

This sounds wonderful....I think the month of March is a great choice....Enjoy and be sure to come back and tell us all about it. Safe, Happy, Healthy traveling.

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Sounds like a wonderful trip! But don't expect any meaningful interaction with local people on a hop on hop off group tour from one place to the next in different countries. If you have local guides, they will be your window into the local world.

 

Phnom Penh: Some people love it, I don't like its dusty construction sites. The after effects of the fairly recent wars were noticeable. Our guide had a thinly disguised hatred towards Cambodia's minorities. The visit to the former notorious jail and one of the killing fields was very upsetting to me especially since I knew that not everybody who started the Cambodian holocaust was ever convicted.

 

Siam Reap: Extraordinary ruins with - not surprising - huge numbers of visitors. Very hot and humid. Prepare for frequent clothing changes.

 

Bangkok: Large city with wonderful sights and crowds in the palace and temples. The city is traffic choked.

 

Luang Prabang: Lovely small city devoted to the tourist business. Many backpackers. Located on the Mekong River near mountains.

 

Hanoi: Vietnam is my favorite country of the 4 you will be visiting. We had the best guides in Vietnam, informative, positive outlook, excellent English language skills. Hanoi is not devoted to tourism but the very busy capital of the country. I hope they take you to Halong Bay.

 

If you like what you see on your trip, consider returning for a more in depth visit. We visited these places in one trip of 6 weeks with different segments, some of it on our own, some with a tour guide for just the two of us, some in a group tour and a Mekong River cruise.

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Phnom Phen was our least favorite city. We would not go back. We did a river cruise. It was so bad that they refunded our money. Angor was amazing. One place that we did enjoy in Cambodia was Kampot. We stayed here on our land way to Vietnam. Cambodia is a country that is hurting.

 

We love SE Asia and we continue to return to spend much of our winters there. Our first trip was booked on a whim. Independent travel, we saw a great fare one cold January morning, and we booked to Bangkok. Ten days later we exchanged the cold and snow where we leave for the warmth and humidity of Bangkok. Thailand hooked us. Vietnam is amazing.

 

Our advice would be to enjoy your guides. But get out, walk by yourselves, and get lost in some of those cities. Eat at the local food markets and stalls. In four years of travel in the area the only time we felt ill was when we foolishly had a western style meal in a fancy Phuket restaurant. Traveling in SE Asia changed the way we eat at home. We have found that some mall restaurants tone down the food for westerners. Our practice now is to specifically ask that they prepare as they would for the locals.

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Earlier this year, we did our first visit to Southeast Asia. This trip featured Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam and Cambodia, including a seven-day Mekong River cruise, then Angkor Wat, Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hue/Danang. We were gone a little over one month for this wonderful “adventure”. Wonderful, fun and exciting trip with so much great history, culture, food, architecture, design, etc.

 

Below are a few of my sample visuals. On the live/blog connected below, you can look through a full and more complete reports with many more pictures. If you have any questions, just post on that live/blog on the CC River Cruising Board. I will be happy to share more, respond to your info needs, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.! Just completed a Jan. 21-Feb. 20, 2018, first adventure through Southeast Asia with stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before traveling all over Vietnam and Cambodia. This includes seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Lots of fun, interesting pictures!! See more at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

Here are just a few visuals samples from what we saw and did with Avalon while sailing along the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. Many, many more photos and details on the full live/blog.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

CMY_0654%202_zpsu3xzdbr1.jpg

 

CMY_1642%202_zpsylne46ki.jpg

 

CMY_1874_zpskuw4drgj.jpg

 

We saw many temples, palaces, markets and samples of daily life/work, including at this below spectacular Royal structure in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.:

CMY_1271_zpsif0trcea.jpg

CMY_1025%203_zpsn1ha0rtn.jpg

 

CMY_0470%201_zpsdpnhanc1.jpg

Edited by TLCOhio
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