Planning Phase
Want to learn about how we are preparing for our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia? Keep reading…
This is a different type of post. We haven’t traveled yet! A trip like this takes a ton of preparation, and I wanted to break it down into smaller, bite sized portions for you. I wanted to share the nitty gritty details with you, because preparing for a trip like this can be stressful. But, I also think it is a lot of fun! The learning, the anticipation, the planning! Love it!
We visited Vietnam back in 2017 and knew we had to return! Read about that trip here in my post “Discovering Southeast Asia Part 1.” The country where my husband Vuong was born is full of natural beauty, delicious cuisine, and friendly people. Back then, we limited our exploration to the northern parts of Vietnam because of a chemical spill affecting seafood in the central and southern parts of the country. While the country is united, the different regions are very unique from one another in terms of food, culture, climate, and environment. Last time, we saw Hanoi, SaPa, and Ha Long Bay. This trip will take us to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the Mekong Delta, and Phong Nha National Park. We will also visit Cambodia.
But we aren’t just visiting these places… we are seeking adventure! We are doing a 9-day bike trip that will take us from Saigon through the Mekong Delta and rural Cambodia, to Angkor Wat. Then, we fly to Dong Hoi, Vietnam, where Oxalis Adventures will pick us up and take us to Phong Nha National Park. We will spend 3 nights in the largest cave (that has been discovered so far) in the world, Hang Son Doong.
We have been trying to take this trip since 2020, and actually booked the first iteration over four years ago. The February-March timeframe was best, because it is dry season, but not yet really hot. This is important for overall comfort and because we will be spending a lot of time on our bikes. Also, the Hang Son Doong Cave expedition is only available from January through August.
Packing
We will be traveling with carry-ons only, since our trip has many layovers and we don’t want to spend half of it waiting on bags. We are taking our Gregory backpacks. I have the 38 Liter Jade and Vuong has the 40 Liter Zulu. These packing cubes are great for organization, particularly on a multi-part trip like this! Our 10 and 12 Liter Gregory packs will be our “personal items” and daypacks. It is not that difficult to travel with carry-ons only, it just takes planning. We will do laundry 2-3 times on the trip. Many places we have visited offer laundry services for cheap. You can drop off a bag of laundry and pick it up clean the next day. In many towns, this service only cost about $2 per bag. And, we travel with febreeze (thanks Sara)!
You can buy most toiletries in solid form these days! Toothpaste tablets, solid shampoo and conditioner, solid lotion, solid perfume!
We will be living in activewear for this trip. For the bike, we need shorts with chamois to protect our naughty bits. For the cave, its long sleeves and long pants to protect us from nefarious plants, sucking leeches, and biting critters. I found solid sunscreen and bug wipes to minimize liquids, as we are still limited to a quart ziplock full of 3 oz bottles. If you want me to post a full packing list, let me know!
I always travel in long pants, my biggest shoes, and layered tops- tank, long sleeved shirt, and a light jacket. It can get downright cold on airplanes, and I have occasional hot flashes! Gotta take my eye mask, ear plugs, kindle, and Chilly Jilly (scarf that doubles as a mini-blanket).
Trip Insurance
For a trip of this size, price, and complexity, trip insurance is absolutely essential. Some credit cards offer good choices for travel insurance. As of January of 2023, Forbes ranks the following as the best credit cards for travel insurance: Chase Sapphire Reserve, United Club Infinite Card, and Capital One Venture X. The Amex Platinum Card has a decent trip cancellation/interruption policy, but the medical side leaves something to be desired. Capital One Venture X has a great travel insurance policy. If you choose to rely on your credit card insurance, be sure to put the entire trip on that card!
We typically purchase a policy through insuremytrip.com for a trip of this magnitude. Particularly in the time of COVID, we pay for the “cancel for any reason” clause. A lot of policies won’t cover you for COVID, so if you don’t do the COFR, be sure to check and see if you will be covered for COVID- related reasons. Using that site’s comparison tool, we usually end up with a policy through John Hancock. We always look for medical evacuation insurance as well.
Visas
It is always a good idea to check visa requirements and procedures before leaving, as these things change frequently. Check the US Department of State website for safety precautions and entry requirements. It is a good idea to register with the STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) just in case something happens. We always leave detailed itineraries and contact information with at least 2 family members.
Vietnam
As of January 2023, the only type of visas for American citizens visiting Vietnam is the 30-day, single entry e-visa. The process is simple and I do not recommend using a third party to obtain the visa for Vietnam. You don’t even have to mail in your passport anymore! This is the website I used: https://immigration.gov.vn/web/guest/home. You will need a scanned copy of your passport, passport photos, and info about dates and ports of entry.
Since we are leaving the country, then coming back, we each had to apply for two 30-day single entry e-visas. Our answer was back in 3 days- no problems, no issues.
Cambodia
At this time, you can get an e-visa for Cambodia ahead of time, or obtain one at your port of entry. Be sure to bring 2 passport photos, $40, and copies of your passport. The latter is our plan.
London and Dubai
US citizens do not need visas at this time for stays of 24 hours or less in the United Kingdom or the United Arab Emirates. If you are visiting, check the Department of State website to figure out if you need a visa.
Immunizations and Medical Concerns
The only immunizations strongly suggested for our trip were hepatitis A and typhoid. Of course we got these. We also chose to get our rabies and Japanese encephalitis vaccines. These two come at a hefty price tag- so shop around! We are getting ours at Kroger- the pharmacist ordered them for us. Rabies costs around $450 per dose and is a 2-dose series. JE was around $360 per dose, and is also a 2-dose series. I also suggest (as a traveler and a doctor) to be sure you are up to date on all your routine vaccines, including tetanus (DTAP), hep B, MMR, influenza, COVID-19, polio, meningitis, and chickenpox & shingles if needed.
We will absolutely encounter the most dangerous animal in the world...the mosquito! Killers of over 1 million humans per year, these pests carry numerous infectious diseases. We will be taking doxycycline to prevent malaria, but many other diseases are not so easy to prevent. So, we do our best to avoid getting bitten. DEET wipes, mosquito netting, and in some cases, long sleeves and long pants are a few preventative measures we will take.
Airline Tickets
We like to travel in luxury but don’t like to pay for it. We love a good deal. Check out my blog post on how to book premium travel with points here.
It was unintentional, but we are actually circumnavigating the globe on this trip!
We accumulated tons of points through Amex, Chase, Citibank, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy. 99,000 points each to Virgin Atlantic for seats on Delta First Class from Little Rock to Atlanta, then on to London in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin.
We transferred points from Amex, Chase, Citi, and Bonvoy to my Emirates account and booked two business class tickets from London to Saigon via Dubai for 120,000 miles each. We were able to arrange for a day in London and an overnight in Dubai.
For the return flight, we went with our old favorite, Singapore Airlines. 128,500 miles each bought us business class seats from Da Nang, Vietnam to San Francisco via Singapore. The long leg of this flight comes with an amazing perk, their “Book the Cook” program. We chose our meals ahead of time from an extensive menu of international dishes, many created by Michelin-starred chefs.
Each of these premium cabin tickets brings with it lounge access in each of the above airports. I’ll report back about those!
London
We will be back in London in May with the parents and will see the major tourist sites then. For this 12 hour layover, we decided to do a tour of the Warner Brothers Studio and see where they made the Harry Potter movies! There are several options for this tour, at several different price points. Check them out here. Our tour starts at the Euston War Memorial, so we will take the tube (the London Underground) to Euston Station.
Dubai
We arrive in Dubai early in the morning and arranged for a day trip, to hit all the major highlights. Our tour is “Dubai in a Day” booked through www.withlocals.com. For $126, they will pick us up at the airport and take us to all the major sites in the city, including a creek crossing on a traditional boat, the Abra. Our guides will then drop us at our hotel in the old town, the Al Seef Heritage Hotel, booked on the Hilton app.
Saigon
We will finally arrive in Saigon on February 25 and stay in an airBnB in district one. We have booked two tours to orient us to the city. The morning after our arrival, we will do a walking tour to hit the major highlights and orient ourselves to the city. We chose the “Highlights and Hidden Gems of Ho Chi Minh City” on www.withlocals.com
That night, inspired by Mikey Chen of “Strictly Dumpling,” we will have dinner at the Hotel Nikko. Their seafood buffet is just ridiculous, and I will never eat my $70 worth! But I will try! Click on the Strictly Dumpling link for a preview.
The next day, we booked a food tour on a scooter with a woman wearing a traditional Vietnamese dress, the Ao Dai.
We are leaving the rest of our time in Saigon open, so we can explore on our own and have flexibility in case interesting opportunities present themselves… and they will!
Bicycle Trip
We are meeting up with a friend of mine from fellowship and her family for a nine day bicycle trip from Saigon, Vietnam to Angkor Wat, Cambodia. It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Well, e-bikes are available, the terrain is flat, and we aren’t biking all day every day for nine days. We actually only bike for 6 of the nine days, distances ranging from 18-36 miles a day. The trip is rated “Easy Rider,” and is suitable for even the weekend warrior bike riders!
The trip we chose is Saigon to Angkor Wat Premiere Bike Tour through Art of Bicycle Trips. The ride will take us through the Mekong Delta, stopping at various floating markets and staying at charming inns. We will cross a land border into Cambodia, then visit Phnom Penh, cycle through the countryside past rice paddies, and end up in Siem Reap to marvel at Angkor Wat. We paid around $3000 a person for this all-inclusive trip.
After an extra night in Siem Reap, we will fly to Dong Hoi via Saigon for our cave exploration.
Hang Son Doong
Go big or go home, right?
We had heard about this massive cave discovered in 1990 by a local man. We heard it was one of the ultimate adventures one could undertake. WIth our growing wanderlust and ever-increasing sense of adventure, we went for it. We figured we needed to do these strenuous trips while we are still young!
Hang Son Doong is the largest cave in the world. Large enough to comfortably house a New York City block (including a 40-story skyscraper), it has been featured on numerous TV shows and boasts one of the best campsites in the world. Oxalis Adventures is the only outfitter authorized to take tour groups here, and they are a top notch organization. Expect to pay for it. At around $3000 per person, it ain’t cheap! Check out the itinerary here.
Reading
I love to learn about the history and culture of a place before I go through historical fiction. Below are a few of the books I read or listened to in preparation for this trip. I also used Lonely Planet guides for Vietnam and Cambodia. And, we watched YouTube videos- our favorites include “Best Ever Food Review Show” and “Strictly Dumpling.”
Later!
That about does it! Any questions? Suggestions or ideas? I hope you come back for my trip reports about this insane adventure we are about to undertake!
