Take These With You

My friend texted me and my roommate in the fall of 2023 pitching this trip. She basically said she had a sabbatical from work and was going to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam with or without us… but she’d love to have us.

Good enough for me!

It took us 4-5 planning sessions over the course of a few months to build this itinerary and book the two-week trip. We sourced hundreds of recommendations from friends, family, and family friends (for realz) to drill down exactly where we should go and what to do there.

While we naturally experienced a few hiccups, the trip was overall FABULOUS. I never want to go on a trip longer than 10 days and not be in Asia again. It’s cheap and beautiful; the people are kind and helpful. I always felt safe, sans the thousands of Vespas nearly running me over in Ho Chi Minh City. If you’re looking for an affordable (excluding the flights lol), adventurous, A+ trip, read the below to learn more.

Bangkok – Day 1

We landed in Bangkok and dropped our bags at Siam@Siam Design Boutique Hotel, which I would 10/10 recommend. Gorgeous tiling and cute lil’ coffee bar in the lobby. Our first stop was brunch at On Lok Yun before heading to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Phra temples, all of which were absolutely gorgeous.

Afterward, we decided to take the ferry to Chinatown, but honestly, I could’ve skipped this part—the ferry was confusing, and Chinatown felt pretty gross. That night, we had dinner at Le Du, which is considered the best restaurant in Asia and definitely lived up to the hype. We ended the night with drinks at the Sky Bar, made famous in The Hangover II.

Bangkok – Day 2

The next morning, we took the subway to Chatuchak Weekend Market. The market is enormous and so much fun to wander through for hours, and the subway itself was surprisingly great—clean, air-conditioned, and such a good way to avoid Bangkok traffic. We ate duck noodle soup (with garlic naan) and had coconut ice cream at Coco JJ, then snacked on more street food as we explored.

Later, we stopped at the Jim Thompson Museum, which is close to the hotel and very cool. Jim Thompson, the “Silk King of Thailand” (slay) disappeared in 1967. Theories range from accidental death by falling into an animal trap or getting lost in the jungle, to foul play like being kidnapped by communists, a botched robbery, or a tiger attack. However, the disappearance of the American “Thai Silk King” remains one of Southeast Asia’s most enduring unsolved mysteries, with no definitive evidence to support any particular theory. 

For dinner, we tuk-tuked to Thipsamai, the oldest Pad Thai restaurant in Bangkok. The line for sitting inside was long, so we ate our takeout on the street. Afterward, we walked to Khao San Road, which I would describe as the Bourbon Street of Bangkok. I’d recommend grabbing a ride instead of walking there—it was a strange walk.

Chiang Mai – Day 3

We flew to Chiang Mai and checked into Thai Akara – Lanna Boutique Hotel, which I can’t recommend enough. The free breakfast was amazing, the pool and bar were gorgeous, and the location was walking distance to everything.

After checking in, we grabbed a casual bite at Come On Cafe and Restaurant, then walked to Wat Chiang Man temple and wandered around the Old Quarter, stopping at shops and more temples along the way. K, S and I ended up buying three dresses each at Chang Mai ByDesign. An older woman owned this shop and designed the clothes herself. She’ll tailor any item (mostly dresses) for you and have them ready in a couple of days. The designer sources her fabrics from India and Thailand and creates everything herself, which made it even more special. We fell in LOVE with this kind woman and her fabrics.

That evening, we had dinner at a Michelin star restaurant called The House by Ginger. We didn’t have a reservation but walked in anyway, and it turned out to be the best meal of the trip so far. The bird-shaped dumplings, Khao Soi Gai, and beef curry were all incredible. We finished the night with Muay Thai boxing at 9 p.m.

Chiang Mai – Day 4

The next morning, we were picked up by the Elephant Freedom Project for a full-day experience. This day felt like summer camp, and we reveled in every second. In the morning, we fed elephants sugar cane and bananas and took a short walk with them. After lunch, we did a longer walk to the river where we bathed them, which was hilarious, and then rode in pickup trucks to a waterfall. The guides were amazing and made the day so fun. Everything was well-organized, with transportation to and from the hotel included. Definitely bring snacks, a bathing suit, and a change of clothes. That evening, we had dinner at the night market bazaars.

Chiang Mai – Day 5

We started with yoga at Wild Rose Yoga Studio, followed by breakfast at the hotel. Afterward, we walked to the Women’s Massage Center by Ex-Prisoners, where former female convicts give massages—it was incredible. We did a 1.5-hour signature massage and loved it. A 200+ pound Thai woman was fully mounting my back getting her knees into my shoulder blades by the end. Let me tell you – haven’t had a knot since.

We stopped at Elliebum Café afterward for smoothies and iced Thai teas before heading back to ByDesign to pick up our tailored dresses (and yes, I bought another one). We spent the afternoon at the hotel pool before heading to dinner at Kiti Panit General Store Restaurant. Another Michelin-starred meal, and everything was amazing—especially the crying tiger beef, beef curry, and coriander chicken salad. That night, we went to Siam Dragon Cabaret, a Thai drag/ladyboy show that tells the story of Thailand. It was a little cheesy and more for kids (confusing lol) but still a fun experience.

Siem Reap – Day 6

We flew to Siem Reap via Bangkok and checked into Saem Siem Reap Hotel, which was really nice and had a great pool. That evening, we took a tuk-tuk into town (what other transportation would we use at this point?), walked through the Raffles Hotel lobby (super fancy), and explored the Old Market and Pub Street for dinner before heading back to the hotel.

Siem Reap – Day 7

The next morning was an early one—our driver and guide, Kim Chhor, picked us up at 4:45 a.m. for the Angkor Wat sunrise tour. The hotel provided breakfast boxes, which we ate on the way. We started with sunrise at Angkor Wat and toured the temple for a couple of hours before continuing to Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple), Ta Keo (steep af stairs), Victory Gate and the Gate of Death, Ba Phoun, and Bayon. Kim was incredible—knowledgeable, kind, and so thoughtful. He brought us cold towels, water, sugar cane juice, and coconut ice cream throughout the day. The tour ended around 1:30 p.m., though we could’ve wrapped earlier if we wanted. After a swim and shower back at the hotel, we headed to the airport for our flight to Hanoi.

Hanoi & Ha Long Bay – Day 8

We started the morning with coffee at The Note Café, where you have to try the egg coffee—it was the best coffee I’ve ever had. We also tried the coconut coffee, but the egg coffee was unbeatable. At 8:30 a.m., we were picked up for our Ha Long Bay cruise with Peony Cruises. The ride took about 2.5 hours, and while the weather was unfortunately cold and rainy, the scenery was still gorgeous. The cruise staff was excellent, and the food was surprisingly good. We had cocktails on the deck, dinner on board, and enjoyed the views.

Hanoi & Ha Long Bay – Day 9

The next morning included a day trip to nearby caves before we returned for brunch on the boat. We cut our cruise short by a day because of the weather and headed back to Hanoi. It was gorgeous, and the service was lovely, but we just got unlucky with the weather.

We ended up pivoting back to Hanoi, since we felt we had more exploring to do there anyway. We checked into Hanoi Little Town Hotel, which was perfectly fine for $40 a night and ideally located in the Old Quarter. After dropping our bags, we went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum before it closed. It was interesting, though the displays were pretty limited. From there, we grabbed beef noodle pho at a street stall, then walked to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace.

Later, we went to Train Street, where we sat at a second-floor café and watched the train pass just inches away. This was one of my favorite experiences in Hanoi—so unique and exciting. That night, we explored the Night Market, ate roti with cheese and grilled pork, and stopped by Beer Corner, which was crowded but fun to see.

Hanoi – Day 10

We decided to do a self-guided egg coffee tour, starting with Giang Café and Café Dinh. Both were amazing, but The Note Café was still our favorite, so we went back for another egg and iced coconut coffee. We walked along Hoan Kiem Lake to Bún Chả Hương Liên, famous for being where Obama ate. The bun cha here was incredible—absolutely worth the hype. In the afternoon, we toured Hoa Lo Prison. Definitely get the audio guide—it gives so much context about French colonization, the revolution, and the Vietnam War. Before heading to the airport, we stopped for 30-minute foot massages at Mộc Spa, which was perfect. That night, we flew to Da Nang and checked into Zest Villas and Spa in Hoi An, which truly felt like paradise. See pics below!

Hoi An – Day 11

We had an early breakfast at the hotel and headed straight into the Old Quarter for our appointment at Bebe Tailor, which everyone recommended. This was such a fun experience—bring screenshots or ideas of what you want, and they’ll help with fabrics and custom measurements.

Note: There are several tailors in Hoi An. Some, like Bebe, offer a “start from scratch” model, where you bring screenshots and they build what you’re looking for. Others have clothes on the rack, like a normal boutique, that serve as a starting point, and you can tailor and customize fabrics from there.

Afterward, we wandered through shops, checked out other tailors, and stopped at 92 Station for smoothies and coffee on the rooftop. We spent the afternoon shopping (everything is so cheap—definitely negotiate) and even got custom leather sandals made. We grabbed banh mi at Banh Mi Phuong, made famous by Anthony Bourdain, then relaxed back at the hotel with a pool dip and massages before dinner at Morning Glory. The fish in banana leaf and morning glory side dish were the standouts. We finished the evening at the Night Market, which was smaller than others we’d seen but still fun to stroll along the river.

Hoi An – Day 12

We borrowed complimentary bikes from the hotel and rode about 20–30 minutes to the beach, where we negotiated free chairs with a café in exchange for buying smoothies and coffee. It was a beautiful morning, but we got scorched—wear more sunscreen than you think!! After biking back and cooling off at the pool, we returned to the tailor for fittings, picked up our custom sandals, and did one final round of shopping. The tailors worked quickly, and we went back later in the day for our final fitting. Back at the hotel, we used our free foot massage vouchers before an early night. We were exhausted and sunburned, so dinner at the hotel and a 9 p.m. bedtime felt perfect.

Ho Chi Minh City – Days 13–14

In Ho Chi Minh City, we stayed at Au Lac Charner Hotel in District 1, which had a gorgeous sauna and rooftop pool. In the morning, we booked a half-day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, which are about 90 minutes outside the city, and it was the perfect way to learn about the history without committing to a full day.

Back in town, we explored Ben Thanh Market and the Independence Palace before having lunch at Propaganda Vietnamese Bistro.

SEAPERLATIVES: The Best (and Worst) of Southeast Asia

Best Meals

• Morning Glory
• House by Ginger
• Kiti Panit General Store
• On Lok Yon
• Street food after HCM Museum
• Bangkok airport McDonald’s
• Street BBQ in Hanoi (judged on experience)
• Obama bun cha
• Propaganda

Best Bites of Food

• Banh Mi Phuong, Hoi An
• House by Ginger khao soi
• Le Du broth (Bangkok)
• Le Du ice cream dessert (Bangkok)
• Vespa tour crab (HCMC)
• Kiti Panit beef curry (Hanoi)
• DIT spring rolls on Ha Long Bay cruise
• Bangkok market garlic naan dipped in duck noodle soup
• Mystery fruit (monkusan) from Hoi An
• Mango + mango sticky rice at Come On Café
• Coconut ice cream pop at Angkor Wat
• Frog on Vespa tour

Best Sips

• On Lok Yon coffee
• Ellie Bum Thai tea + strawberry smoothie combo
• Krud / Ha Long beer
• Note Café egg coffee + coconut coffee combo
• Honeycomb coffee at Siam@Siam
• “Smoothie” pina colada at Chiang Mai hotel
• Whipped matcha drink from Phe La
• Tangerine sugarcane juice at Angkor Wat
• Bael tea

Worst Eating Experiences

• Circle K dinner in hostel common room
• Street banh mi

Best Beer / Drink

• Vespa beer
• Egg coffee (Note Café)
• Krud / matcha drink

Favorite Experiences

• Elephants
• Vespas
• Train Street
• Markets
• Thai massage (from prisoners)
• Muay Thai fight
• Tailors

Lodging Rankings

1. Zest – Hoi An
2. Thai Akara – Chiang Mai
3. Au Lac Carner – Ho Chi Minh City / Siam@Siam – Bangkok
4. Saem – Siem Reap
5. Hanoi Little Town Hotel – Hanoi
6. Peony Cruise – Ha Long Bay
7. Nexy – Hanoi

Tourist Sites

• Bangkok temples (dazzling)
• Cu Chi Tunnels (gate-kept)

Biggest Surprises

• No jet lag
• How kind and welcoming everyone was
• How good everywhere smelled

P.S. I’m fake as hell because we took this trip in February 2024, but I’m posting it on my blog because it is worthwhile content I want to remember forever.