Vietnam and Cambodia Trip: Carmen's 14 Days

A Vietnam and Cambodia trip is one of my favourite routes to plan, and Carmen’s fourteen days in July show why it works so well. Carmen and her travel companion flew in from Australia, began in Ho Chi Minh City, worked their way north through Hoi An, Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay, and then crossed into Cambodia to finish among the temples of Angkor.

Carmen’s trip at a glance

Travellers: two adults from Australia
Route: Ho Chi Minh City & the Mekong Delta → Hoi An → Ha Noi → Ha Long Bay → Siem Reap
Trip length: 14 days, in July
Trip style: private guided sightseeing, with free time built in
Highlights: Cu Chi Tunnels, My Son Sanctuary, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise, Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat

How I shaped a 14-day Vietnam and Cambodia trip

When two countries share one fortnight, I think about the line first and the sights second. For Carmen, I ran the route from south to north through Vietnam, so each flight moved them forward and nothing doubled back. Ha Noi then became the natural jumping-off point for the flight to Siem Reap.

Most stops got three nights. That is my usual rhythm for travellers coming all the way from Australia — enough time to unpack, see the essentials with a guide, and still have an afternoon that belongs to nobody but you.

Ideal pacing: Days 1–3 Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi and the Mekong · Days 4–6 Hoi An and My Son · Days 7–10 Ha Noi and one night on Ha Long Bay · Days 11–14 Siem Reap and Angkor.

Saigon, Cu Chi and the Mekong

Carmen didn’t send photos from the first few days, so I’ll simply share what we planned. Day two paired a city tour with an afternoon drive of about 60 kilometres out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, finishing with tea and cassava — the simple food the guerrillas lived on during the war.

Day three was all about the river. A boat passed the four islands of the Mekong, with a stop on Unicorn Island for tropical fruit and a folk music performance, then a honey bee farm, a coconut candy workshop and lunch at a riverside restaurant.

Hoi An, My Son and a detour to the Golden Bridge

From Saigon they flew to central Vietnam for three nights in Hoi An. The My Son day is one I build into almost every central route: two hours walking the Cham ruins with an English-speaking guide, then a local house to make rice paper by hand, lunch at another family home, and a boat back to Hoi An along the Thu Bon River.

The next day was left completely free for the Old Town. And here is my favourite surprise from Carmen’s photos — the Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills wasn’t in the plan I wrote, yet there she is, standing in front of those giant stone hands under a clear blue sky. That is exactly what a free day is for.

Carmen at the Golden Bridge with its giant stone hands, Ba Na Hills near Da Nang — Carmen at the Golden Bridge, Ba Na Hills — her own side trip, not part of the booked itinerary.

Ha Noi and a night on Ha Long Bay

In Ha Noi, a full guided day covered Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake, the Ho Chi Minh complex and One Pillar Pagoda, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison, with an eight-dish Vietnamese lunch in the middle.

The next morning they headed to Tuan Chau to board the Amanda Premier Cruise. The programme covered Luon Cave by kayak or bamboo boat, Titop Island for a climb or a swim, a sunset cooking class making pho cuon on the sundeck, and a gala dinner. The following morning brought tai chi on deck and a walk through Sung Sot Cave before returning to Ha Noi.

Two travellers raising a glass at a dinner table in a cruise dining room during the Ha Long Bay overnight — Dinner on board during the overnight Ha Long Bay cruise.

Siem Reap: Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat and Pub Street

Siem Reap is where most of Carmen’s photos come from, and it is easy to see why. The first full day began at Angkor Thom, the old Khmer capital, then moved on to Ta Prohm, where the trees grow straight through the stonework. In her photo, the two of them stand on the boardwalk with a vast silk-cotton tree towering over the temple wall behind them.

Carmen and her travel companion under the giant silk-cotton tree roots at Ta Prohm, Siem Reap — Under the silk-cotton tree roots at Ta Prohm.

The afternoon was saved for Angkor Wat itself. Their photos show them wearing the checked krama scarves and temple passes on lanyards, first by the reflecting pond with the five towers behind, then resting on the stone edge of the west moat under a big grey sky.

Vietnam and Cambodia trip — A pause on the edge of Angkor Wat’s west moat.

Day thirteen took them to the National Museum, a boat on Tonle Sap Lake past its floating communities, the Artisans d’Angkor carving school and Wat Thmei, then an afternoon at leisure. Evenings were their own, and one of them clearly ended on Pub Street under all that neon. If Siem Reap is on your list, our Siem Reap travel guide covers Angkor, Tonle Sap and timing in more depth.

Carmen and her travel companion under the neon Pub Street sign in Siem Reap at night — An evening on Pub Street, Siem Reap.

Two travellers at a restaurant table with a yellow ceiling and round mirror during a lunch stop — A lunch stop along the way — lunch was included on most sightseeing days.

Tips from Carmen’s Vietnam and Cambodia trip

Travel south to north, then fly out. Ending Vietnam in Ha Noi let Carmen fly straight on to Siem Reap without backtracking.
Check the Mausoleum dates. Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum closes on Mondays and Fridays, and for annual maintenance from mid-June to mid-August — in July you see it from outside.
Dress for temples. Cover shoulders to knees for the Mausoleum, pagodas and temples in both countries.
Sort Cambodia separately. Your Vietnam e-visa doesn’t cover Cambodia — it needs its own visa.
Keep one day unplanned. Carmen’s free day in central Vietnam is where the Golden Bridge happened.

Want a trip like Carmen’s?

Like the look of Carmen’s fortnight? Her Vietnam days follow much the same line as our Best of Vietnam 10-day tour — Saigon, Cu Chi, the Mekong, Hoi An, My Son, Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay — and the Cambodia leg sits close to our Explore Angkor Complex 4-day tour. Message me, Lan, and I’ll join the two into one route to suit you.

Over to you: have you walked around Angkor Wat or stood under the roots at Ta Prohm? I’d love to hear how you found it — tell me in the comments below. Thank you!

Quick FAQ from Carmen’s trip

How many days do you need for Vietnam and Cambodia?

Around two weeks works well. Carmen’s fourteen days gave Vietnam ten days from Saigon to Ha Long Bay, and Siem Reap three nights for Angkor.

Is three nights in Siem Reap enough?

For a first visit, yes. One full day covers Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat, and a second covers the National Museum, Tonle Sap Lake and the town — see more trips like this on our Siem Reap stories page.

If a Vietnam and Cambodia trip like Carmen’s is on your list, get in touch with My Viva Tour — I’d love to plan it with you, from the first night in Saigon to the last evening in Siem Reap.