We spent almost 2 weeks in Vietnam, Cambodia ...
Vietnam
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Sep 12 - Sep 26, 2026
We spent almost 2 weeks in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. First I want to say thank you to Hien at Realistic Asia for a great planning experience. Kim Kim works with local travel agents all over the world. As a traveler, we get first class planning support and experience - all with local input.
Vietnam - At Hien's suggestion, we got the expedited immigration experience at the airport. It was so fast! Highly recommend!
We started in the north, explored Hanoi. We then went to Pu Luong Nature Reserve for some adventure beyond the big city. It took a long time to get there due to the roads and rain. It rained for a few days straight. It was an incredible amount of rain. Even with that, our fearless guide took us on hikes, bike rides and around the area. The landscapes are beautiful, the waterwheels were an example of art meets science & engineering. At one point, we were exploring local villages in the valley and we had to cross a river that had overflown. Our guide took care of us (and our shoes!) by negotiating with a local to bring us across the river on his motorcycle. We were very appreciative! We stayed at the Pu Luong Eco Lodge. A wonderful place to relax.
After that, we went to Ninh Binh. It was another long drive for a great experience to be in a boat heading to grotto/caves. We rode bikes around the side of the water and through the town (still raining!). It was only about 5km. It was beautiful. Overall, we wonder if we should have substituted this experience with something else.
From Ninh Binh, we drove for a few hours to Ha Long Bay for a 1 night cruise. The room was nice and had a balcony. The Nostalgia Cruises ship's staff were helpful and kind. We enjoyed the short cruise. Before leaving the ship, we took a tender to walk through caves on Cat Ba Island. A great experience! Additionally, the rain finally let up and we could see the colour of the water shift from grey-blue (rain) to green (sun)!
During planning, we decided to reduce travel time and fly from Hanoi to Siem Reap instead of travelling to Ho Chi Minh City and then flying to Siem Reap. We thoroughly enjoyed our brief time there. We stayed at Lynnaya Urban River Resort. It's a fantastic place to stay (although some rooms can get noise from live music). We went to Angkor Wat to see sunrise, back to the hotel for breakfast and then started a 30 km bike ride to see the temples. Our guide (Pheng) was knowledgeable and showed us around. He was also incredibly friendly and willing to share his own experiences. We left the temples in amazement. As we were getting tired of cycling, he also arranged for the driver to meet us and transport the bikes and people back to the hotel at the end of the day. The following morning, we explored Chong Kneas floating river villages by boat and flew back to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City).
Back in Vietnam, we saw the Cu Chi tunnels. They take awhile to drive there, but it was informative to be there. At night, we took a Vespa Food Tour with a our food tour guide, Lam. It was a fantastic experience! We each had our own drivers as we weaved in and out of traffic like locals. It started pouring. Thankfully, they had ponchos for us! We explored the city on scooter, experienced street food, seafood dishes at a nicer restaurant and finished the night with a drink at a cozy bar. This might have been our favourite experience in Vietnam!
After all the adventure, we flew to Bali. Instead of staying at the beach, we drove (3 hours) to Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort. While they have hikes and other experiences at the resort, we spent our time there relaxing. It is an amazing place. It offered privacy, relaxation, fantastic service in a beautiful setting overlooking a valley. We didn't want to leave.
Hotel Reviews
A great place to relax in Pu Luong. They had everything we needed!
Beautiful and well-located. The staff were really nice. Ultra-clean. If you're staying when they have live music, ask for a quieter room. Food (breakfast and dinner) had great options in the restaurant, pool or bar.
Just WOW! This is the first place that my spouse and I agreed we didn't want to leave. We had a villa and private butler (Gargita). It was so relaxing!
Activity Reviews
Very enjoyable - even in the rain!
Totally worthwhile!
This was the best experience that we had while in Vietnam! We explored the city like locals. The guide was personable and the tour on Vespas amazing!