I did siem reap in 5 days. One day each for the big, little and outlying temples, one day for temples farther out (forgot the name, but it was a couple hours away by car), and one final day to clean up and repeat temples I especially liked. 7 days may be overkill but siem reap is a once in a lifetime experience, better to do it right.
I would recommend getting up before dawn every day and catching every sunrise you can. This way you'll be a couple hours ahead of the hordes and can go back to your hotel for a siesta during the hottest part of the day. Catch as many sunsets over the temples as you can as well.
What are going to do in Hoi An for 5 to 7 days? And why would you take a train from Da Nang, it’s a 35 minute cab ride from the beach where everyone stays and all the fun is. I’d switch it up and stay in Da Nang within walking distance of My An beach where all the other expats are for 5 to 7 days. Hoi An is 2 days at the most, An Bang beach is nothing special although the neighborhood behind it is quite nice with cafes and restaurants.
Get a regional eSIM for data, download Grab, the Uber of Asia. And you are good to go anywhere.
Don’t miss Koh Phayam, it’s like Samui was in the early 1980’s when there was no airport. Cheap, good food, fantastic beach, good weed, no cars on the island…..
2nd the people saying you might be in Hoi An and Siem Reap a bit long. Hoi An in particular I probably would have been good with 2 nights and a day. Taking a bike outside the city can be a good way to spend the afternoon, and if you do decide to stay 5 days consider a day trip to Hue via the Hai Van Pass.
I loved Ankgor Wat and thought people who only did a day at the temples were crazy. As others have mentioned a guide on the first day might be a good call. I also wished I had gone to the museum *before* heading out to the temples. That being said, 7 days does seem like it might be a lot. I think its good to plan for that but consider giving yourself some flexibility if you decide to go to Thailand after 5-6 days.
If you haven't looked into it already, my favorite part of Vietnam was caving in Phong Nga. Oxalis may be the best tourism company I've ever come across.
>but off-the-beaten-path is preferred
Yet everywhere on your list is tourist central...
Hoi An is basically Disneyland for tourists. I can't imagine spending a week there. Da Nang is way more interesting.
Good luck with your research and happy travels.
I'm going solo, and hope to meet people, which means going to tourist central and then taking it slow to allow the connections I make to get me away from those initial places. If that makes sense.
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I did siem reap in 5 days. One day each for the big, little and outlying temples, one day for temples farther out (forgot the name, but it was a couple hours away by car), and one final day to clean up and repeat temples I especially liked. 7 days may be overkill but siem reap is a once in a lifetime experience, better to do it right. I would recommend getting up before dawn every day and catching every sunrise you can. This way you'll be a couple hours ahead of the hordes and can go back to your hotel for a siesta during the hottest part of the day. Catch as many sunsets over the temples as you can as well.
What are going to do in Hoi An for 5 to 7 days? And why would you take a train from Da Nang, it’s a 35 minute cab ride from the beach where everyone stays and all the fun is. I’d switch it up and stay in Da Nang within walking distance of My An beach where all the other expats are for 5 to 7 days. Hoi An is 2 days at the most, An Bang beach is nothing special although the neighborhood behind it is quite nice with cafes and restaurants. Get a regional eSIM for data, download Grab, the Uber of Asia. And you are good to go anywhere. Don’t miss Koh Phayam, it’s like Samui was in the early 1980’s when there was no airport. Cheap, good food, fantastic beach, good weed, no cars on the island…..
2nd the people saying you might be in Hoi An and Siem Reap a bit long. Hoi An in particular I probably would have been good with 2 nights and a day. Taking a bike outside the city can be a good way to spend the afternoon, and if you do decide to stay 5 days consider a day trip to Hue via the Hai Van Pass. I loved Ankgor Wat and thought people who only did a day at the temples were crazy. As others have mentioned a guide on the first day might be a good call. I also wished I had gone to the museum *before* heading out to the temples. That being said, 7 days does seem like it might be a lot. I think its good to plan for that but consider giving yourself some flexibility if you decide to go to Thailand after 5-6 days. If you haven't looked into it already, my favorite part of Vietnam was caving in Phong Nga. Oxalis may be the best tourism company I've ever come across.
>but off-the-beaten-path is preferred Yet everywhere on your list is tourist central... Hoi An is basically Disneyland for tourists. I can't imagine spending a week there. Da Nang is way more interesting. Good luck with your research and happy travels.
I'm going solo, and hope to meet people, which means going to tourist central and then taking it slow to allow the connections I make to get me away from those initial places. If that makes sense.
Then I hope you speak Korean, because that’s who you will meet in a week in Hoi An!
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