'All-in' package holidays (flight,accom,tour) to Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand?

hanb

I agree with having a go at planning it yourself.


Last year I went travelling round Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and apart from picking up a brochure from STA to get an idea of routes and options, I planned and booked everything myself. STA Wanted £6k for the trip I did (I did the same route just in reverse) and it cost me £2800. So a huuuuge difference and planning it yourself gives you a lot more freedom do what you want, and change your itinerary if you find you're not that keen on a place and want to move on a bit quicker.


I should say that until this trip I'd only every been away in Europe. This trip was done with a friend but I managed to plan the whole thing myself and was actually pretty pleased with myself by the end of it


I'm now trying to think of where to go this year...


I'd highly recommend the night trains in Vietnam if you're on a budget and want to travel a good distance, we did a couple and I much preferred them to an internal flight and it's one night less of accommodation hunting

DUKE

I managed to knock £300 off the Travelbird one, which made it £799, but I used their itinerary. That's where my problems begin as I have a terrible sense of direction

Aaaw thanks Pete, I was only Kidding. I'm hoping to go from Wellington to Auckland, & I want to do it on the scenic train & hop on & off. I've got family in Welly, Auckland, & Picton, they're all getting on so I should visit soon. Sadly I didn't book the £750 tickets with Emirates, wish I had now as prices are really creeping up.

Leanne1812

hanb wrote: »

I agree with having a go at planning it yourself.


Last year I went travelling round Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and apart from picking up a brochure from STA to get an idea of routes and options, I planned and booked everything myself. STA Wanted £6k for the trip I did (I did the same route just in reverse) and it cost me £2800. So a huuuuge difference and planning it yourself gives you a lot more freedom do what you want, and change your itinerary if you find you're not that keen on a place and want to move on a bit quicker.


I should say that until this trip I'd only every been away in Europe. This trip was done with a friend but I managed to plan the whole thing myself and was actually pretty pleased with myself by the end of it


I'm now trying to think of where to go this year...


I'd highly recommend the night trains in Vietnam if you're on a budget and want to travel a good distance, we did a couple and I much preferred them to an internal flight and it's one night less of accommodation hunting

I travelled the night train from Hanoi to Danang and absolutely hated it. It was Livitrans, supposedly more 'modern' and adapted to western tastes. It was filthy with no dining cart as advertised and our journey was supposed to end at 10.30 am, instead we arrived in Danang at 8.30pm. We had crackers for dinner as there was no alternative.

To think I moaned at my husband for picking up some snacks for the journey saying we wouldn't need anything,the restaurant on board would be fine!

I had romanticised the train, a wonderful trip watching the Vietnamese countryside go by.......It's one journey I will never repeat. It was also the same cost to fly but we thought the train would be nice. Urgh......couldn't have been more wrong.

VestanPance

Two mistakes there. The train along the old unification line is notoriously poor. The updated trains are updated by Vietnamese standards, not western no matter how they try to sell it. Secondly never expect public transport to run on time in SEA.

Night trains in Vietnam are fine if you're a happy backpacker type. If you want nice then no. Internal flights are dirt cheap anyway. Hanoi to Da Nang is a fair distance. I'd always recommend a flight for that one. A short daytime train from Hue to Da Nang can be nice and scenic, but beyond that I'd fly when possible.

PompeyPete

VestanPance wrote: »

Secondly never expect public transport to run on time in SEA.

+1. Though I'd rather be delayed on a train than on a cramped bus. Long distance in Thailand I've done overnight sleeper from BKK to Nong Khai [Laos border], BKK to Prachuap Khiri Khan [Gulf Coast], and Aranyapraphet [Cambodian Border]to BKK, plus shorter distances BKK to Kanchanaburi [Bridge over the River Kwai], Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok [Death Railway, Hellfire Pass], and BKK to Ayutthaya [old capital of Siam]. Loved every minute, trains in Thailand are a great Thai experience, and a wonderful opportunity to get close to the people. Yep, trains usually tend to run late [sometimes very late!], but are v.v.cheap.

VestanPance wrote: »

Night trains in Vietnam are fine if you're a happy backpacker type. If you want nice then no. Internal flights are dirt cheap anyway. Hanoi to Da Nang is a fair distance. I'd always recommend a flight for that one.

I weighed up the pros and cons, and decided that internal flights in Vietnam were the best best for us.

Per person I paid...

- Saigon to Da Lat with Vietjet £22.64 (inc 15kg)
- Da Lat to Da Nang with Vietnam Air £44.82 (inc 20Kg)
- Da Nanang to Saigon with Vietjet £27 (inc 20 Kg and prepaid meal)

No complaints about the flights, except that between booking online and the day, the ETD of the Da Nang to Saigon flight was put back twice [I received e-mails] and on the day it was further delayed [but the weather was bad]. All the aircraft looked in excellent condition, were very clean, and the staff efficient with a smile on their faces.

This thread off TA is quite comprehensive about the pros and cons of long distance train travel in Vietnam...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293924-i8595-k7546771-o20-Hanoi_to_Da_Nang_Livitrans_standard_soft_sleeper_or-Hanoi.html

VestanPance wrote: »

A short daytime train from Hue to Da Nang can be nice and scenic, but beyond that I'd fly when possible.

Did that one 6 weeks ago, but Da Nang to Hue (4 hours). Travelled 3rd Class on the wooden seats. Only cost 42K dong (£1.20). Great scenery almost all the way.

Have you done the Bamboo train in Cambodia [Battambang]...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zTnIOLaXKI

...hold on to your hat!:)

overcharged

Thanks so much for your feedback everyone you've really given me food for thought here!!!!

Your itineries sounds incredible. A different world! Very brave to organises yourselves without going on a package holiday. Huge savings I see also!

Everynamestaken

Another DIY poster here.

Only tour I have ever done is 14 day tour in Peru and that is because it seemed relative sense at the time after just the Inca trail alone was quite expensive so I paid for a full tour to travel some extra places in Peru which included going to the Amazon.

A fair few years on though I do sometimes look at all different tours around the world and think "I've been there for so much less", so with that way of thinking, I think I would be very reluctant now to spend money on a tour unless independent travel really does seem somewhat inaccessible.

I also don't mind if you want a rough guide written up for you. I went on a bus around NZ. Don't know if you can class it as a tour as such. I'm going to to Malaysia in February and Thailand and Cambodia so I am drafting my own up itinerary up now.

I have just got back from Thailand and travel was so simple. Certainly no need whatsoever to do a tour. Save that extra money for hotels/flight up grades/next holiday etc etc.

DUKE

I had this email this morning http://travelbird.co.uk/66609/vietnam-round-trip-multi-stop-flights/ But again you can probably do it loads cheaper yourself.

Oh & this one http://travelbird.co.uk/55514/round-trip-vietnam-14-nights/

Sblogz

I live in Vietnam. Completely agree with others regarding DIY.

When it comes to accommodation if choosing your own place in person, you get to negotiate better deals and actually see your room. The opposite would likely mean they would give you their worst room.

Feel free to ask any questions you like, I've travelled all over the country, most of it on a bike

Doshwaster

overcharged wrote: »

Thanks so much for your feedback everyone you've really given me food for thought here!!!!

Your itineries sounds incredible. A different world! Very brave to organises yourselves without going on a package holiday. Huge savings I see also!

I wouldn't call it "brave" - it's much more fun to do all of the planning and research yourself. You get to do exactly what you want, when you want and how you want. There are some parts of the world where it may may sense to go on a guided tour but SE Asia is very easy to do as an independent traveller.