Tauck vietnam cambodia and laos vs vietnam cambodia and thailand

Is there anybody out there who has done both trips and can advise us which one is better. We are first timers to the region and cant decide which itinerary is the right one for us. Thanks

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  • Pbj wrote:
    Is there anybody out there who has done both trips and can advise us which one is better. We are first timers to the region and cant decide which itinerary is the right one for us. Thanks

    Can't comment on both but I did the Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos trip this past March. It was phenomenal!! I recommend it highly. You get to experience so much and it is so fascinating.

    Really liked Hanoi and Ha Long bay. Both still had the essence of old, colonial Vietnam. Nha Trang was very pleasant but just another beach resort. Saigon was interesting but had a more western feel. Fun to visit but preferred Hanoi.
    The excursions to all the floating markets, temples, etc. were wonderful. The trip up the Mekong river was a fun experience.

    Cambodia was wonderful. The palace in Phnom Penh was stunning and visiting the shopping are was fun. Siem Riep was a hoot. Aside from Ankor Wat (which is amazing and a Unesco Heritage site) you have to go downtown and get your feet done by the Dr. Fish. They are some variety of fist that feeds on dead skin. You stick your feet in this large tub of water with the fish. It tickled unmercifully. Worked well and is just such a fun, unusual experience. :)

    Laos still has that old hippie feel. It was the one of the three that still had a real feel of the country. Go now - it won't last long.

    What I brought back from the trip was a desire to return to northern Vietnam and Laos to see more of the hill tribes. Would love to figure out how I can put that trip together with a side visit to southern China. Something for Tauck to look into. :)

    Our tour director (Larry Abbott) was amazing. He worked harder than anyone I have met and worked his butt off making sure that everybody was happy and nicely taken care of.

    Recommend the hotels on this tour. All were exceptional. Well, one gripe - the hotel in Luang Prabang while nice, was not ready for prime time in terms of the food. Hope that with a year's practice they have improved. Also, it was a ways out of town and the shuttle was not very convenient.

    I chose this trip rather than the one with Thailand was because I had heard that Thailand was already over-run with American tourists and very westernized. Would not have missed Laos for anything.

    All said, this was a truly memorable trip and I recommend it highly.

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