Angkor Wat, Vietnam, Bangkok

[Philomont]

We're looking for a cruise that allows us to visit Angkor Wat Vietnam, and Bangkok. Any suggestions for cruises, cruise lines etc. Thanks.

[Hoyaheel]

River cruise on the Mekong river - we did HCMC to Siem Reap on Avalon this past August - possibly the best trip we've ever done. I know that Avalon/Globus also offers extensions that visit Hanoi & Halong Bay, possibly Bangkok. There are a few options - you can do a cruise only (7 days?) or with land on each end (like we did) or even longer visits around SEAsia. The ships are so small and fabulous - 18 cabins on ours (but it was a shoulder season so we only had 27 passengers on board). Same cruise director/guide the entire time, with additional specific Vietnam and Cambodia guides.

 

(in 2014 we did SIN-HKG on Azamara - went up the river to Bangkok and HCMC - if you are going to do an ocean cruise, definitely pick a small ship that will sail up the river to be able to spend more time in the cities if they're the reason you're going) But you can't really connect to Siem Reap on an ocean cruise (really easy to do your own tour add-on, though)

[hubofhockey]

2 hours ago, Philomont said:

We're looking for a cruise that allows us to visit Angkor Wat Vietnam, and Bangkok. Any suggestions for cruises, cruise lines etc. Thanks.

 

You can fly to Siem Reap (where Angkor Wat is) from just about anywhere in southeast Asia.  Flights are cheap and quick from anywhere in Vietnam, Bangkok, or Singapore.  Our cruise ended in Singapore and our flight was about two hours.    Celebrity and Oceania have great itineraries.  Azamara is taking a break of at least two years from their great Hong Kong to Singapore (5 days in Vietnam and 4 in Thailand in between).  

[John Bull]

Unless you're considering a river cruise, I suggest you strike Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) from your cruise search.

Way better to find a cruise which starts or ends somewhere like Singapore or Bangkok and go to Angkor Wat pre-cruise or post-cruise.

Much cheaper, you don't lose a couple of days from your cruise, and you can decide for yourselves how long you want to be there rather than as a rushed & expensive mid-cruise fly-in & fly-out.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB 

[aquidneck1]

We Are doing Bangkok to Hanoi including Angkor Wat with Avalon/ Globus. We chose Avalon because they could include Bangkok. We have not traveled yet. 

 

ITS worth checking the website. 

[diesel1973]

I am doing a 15 day Thailand tour in Feb. with Gate 1 travel. They have a variety of tours in Asia. Have done 3 tours with them and the value is great. Have done many European cruises but an escorted land tour is the way to go. Good luck with your trip.

[iancal]

We have spent a number of winters in Thailand.  Also Vietnam and Malaysia.  We keep looking at cruises but never consider buying if majority of cruise days are stops in those countries.

 

Our strong preference would be a land tour.  We travel independently but we have spoken to a few people who were on land tours.  IMHO land tours are the best way to really see those sites without  the loss of so much time traveling to and from where the ship happens to dock.

 

AIr is very inexpensive in SE Asia.  Figure on $30- $60 an hour for short flights.  Much, much less for longer flights.

Edited December 2, 2019 by iancal

[hubofhockey]

On 12/2/2019 at 12:35 PM, iancal said:

We have spent a number of winters in Thailand.  Also Vietnam and Malaysia.  We keep looking at cruises but never consider buying if majority of cruise days are stops in those countries.

 

Our strong preference would be a land tour.  We travel independently but we have spoken to a few people who were on land tours.  IMHO land tours are the best way to really see those sites without  the loss of so much time traveling to and from where the ship happens to dock.

 

AIr is very inexpensive in SE Asia.  Figure on $30- $60 an hour for short flights.  Much, much less for longer flights.

 

If you have spent a number of winters in Thailand, that helps you understand the logistics and the language.  For most, cruises are a great way to see this region, especially if time is a factor.  However, I would recommend only doing cruises on a small ship which can get into ports right in Saigon or Bangkok.  Princess and Celebrity (even their smaller ships) are too big and dock 2 to 3 hours away and both ports are multi-day stops.  I would recommend going on a smaller ship and spending a little more (okay, $3K to $5K more, which is doable.  

[deec]

River Cruise with an extension to Bangkok...you will enjoy ALL of it!!!!

[Expat Cruise]

The only way to do all these ports is with a river cruise. And really it is a you can't get to there from here deal. In order to do Bangkok from these other locations you would have several days on the open ocean, river cruise ships are not designed for open ocean. I live in Thailand for 8 years, have visited all these places many times.  

 

We will be at  Angkor Wat  this year for Christmas. All the places you listed are well worth seeing. You can do Thailand and Vietnam from a Singapore Cruise and then as has been suggested, before or after the cruise to Angkor Wat

[hubofhockey]

I hope OP is still reading this thread because it is important.  Any southeast Asia cruise provides a great opportunity to see Angkor Wat and it is an amazing experience.  

 

There is a third option that the cruise lines push and that is an overnight excursion there.  The issues with that is you are rushed, it's expensive, and you will miss some of your cruise.  Our option on Azamara would have made us miss two days in Bangkok.  That was unacceptable on its face.  

 

You also should take into consideration that your dollar goes a long way in Siem Reap.  Really nice hotels can be had for $150 per night.  Travel, tours and dining are also very cheap.  You may even want to do a spa day there.  I think 90 minute massages were less than $40.  Adding on Siem Reap for a long weekend is very affordable and even the flight are cheap.  I'm thinking it's much less expensive than nightly costs on a river cruise and you staying right in Siem Reap and getting a better local feel.  I don't think river cruises are a bad option, but I think staying in Siem Reap itself added something.  For reference, we stayed at the Grand Venus and used Happy Angkor Tours and loved both experiences.  Again, if you have not been to Bangkok, don't sacrifice it by altering your itinerary for Siem Reap. Bangkok is great in its own right.  If you think this is a once in a lifetime trip, do the cruise that includes Vietnam and Thailand and find a way to fly to Siem Reap before or after your cruise.  I was deciding between staying an extra night in Singapore (where our cruise ended) or taking a long weekend and making the trip to Siem Reap and I feel great about making the decision to get on that 2+ hour flight from Singapore to Siem Reap.  

[iancal]

Agree completely.  Having spent time in Siem Reap we would never, ever consider a quickie cruise line excursion.  

 

Good hotels can be obtained for far less that $150.  There are plenty of good local guides.  We got our guides info from a tripadvisor form.  A/C Lexus SUV moved us around the sites in such as way as to avoid the tour crowds.  Picked us up early in the AM, back to the hotel in the hot afternoon for a cold beer and a swim.   The other benefit...he gave us some history of his families past during the regime.  He also talked to us about the present, his spouse was a college instructor.  She had to tow the line in order to keep her position.

 

  We flew in from Chiang Mai.  It took all of 15 minutes to go through the visa formalities on arrival.  We left by land.  It would take you as much time to fly from Singapore as it would to drive from where most cruise ships dock into Bangkok central.   That is the reality of it.

 

We did three nights.   One night after arriving in the afternoon.  Then two full days touring.  Departed after the third night.  We very much enjoyed our time in town, looking in the stores, trying out the local restaurants, and attending a local show.

Edited December 6, 2019 by iancal

[EAGLESLOVER]

We are cruising with AMAwaterways in 2021 with pre and post cruise land tours and a Bangkok extension.

This itinerary is very extensive.

[Expat Cruise]

Another factor to consider for Siem Reap, was are going to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap over Christmas this year. Start in the capital, then Siem Reap and return to the capital. We have planned to take the water shuttle ferry to Siem Reap, but the operator contracted me and said they may stop running next week due to very low water in the lake You enter the lake from the river to go to Siem Reap.  

 

While not really a big issue for us as we have done the river both ways, it would be a issue for someone coming on a first trip. The positive side is even looking less than two weeks out we can book airfare round trip for about USD $100 per person..... Christmas Week. As others have said travel and hotels are cheap here in Cambodia. A Siem Reap trip is best done as after cruise fly in and out, to really be able to see the city and the history. And consider combining with the Capital Phnom Penh only a 40 minute air flight away.... not old broken down planes but newer Air Bus 319 and 320's. 

[iancal]

We planned to do  the exact same to get to Phnom Penh in Feb a few years ago but could not because of low water.  We did not bother touring the lake.  Our guide said the smell was awful.   We also enjoyed the Cambodian countryside around Kampot.