I need help deciding! Vietnam, Malaysia or India?

Wade on 11/10/2013 - 09:39

I'm planning a trip Asia with my brother next month, arriving in Malaysia on the 16th, and departing on the 30th.

We've travelled Asia quite a bit in the past, usually for 3 or so months at a time throughout Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. My brother will be staying on after me, but unfortunately my current role requires me to not have too much more than 2 weeks off at a time these days :(

I've been doing Japan and US trips for the last couple of years, but funds are tight, so I need to save money!
It's been quite a stressful year, so I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks off, and I'm looking at relaxing, and I'm simply not sure where to go. I'm torn between simply staying in Malaysia, a place I've been to many times, and travelling by train to places I haven't been to like Ipoh, and maybe some time in Pangkor Island, or travelling to a new country like India or Vietnam.

We're considering Kolkata as flights are relatively cheap, and we haven't been to India, however I'm not sure how relaxing it would be. We're also considering Hanoi. We even considered Hong Kong/Macau due to super cheap flights, but I think costs will add up quicker.

I'm basically looking at a place where we can relax, have a bit of adventure, drink plenty, and eat great vegan food.

The three choices we're tossing up are:

  1. Stay in Malaysia 2 weeks, and go somewhere we haven't been
  2. Stay the first few nights in Malaysia, then go to Hanoi about the 20th - 28th of November
  3. Stay the first few nights in Malaysia, then go to Kolkata about the 20th - 28th of November

The other option I guess is to push more time into a new country, and maybe leave Malaysia on the 17th or 18th.

I guess if we do Hanoi, we would also go to Ha Long Bay (worth it?). If we do Kolkata, I wouldn't mind catching the train to Darjeeling (would this be possible in the time period?).

Would there be any other suggestions?

Thanks for any advice!

Cheers,
Wade

Travel

Comments

  • mskeggs on 11/10/2013 - 10:10
    +1

    You could do a lot worse than Vietnam. Note flights to Saigon are cheaper than Hanoi, and if you want beach style relaxing you will do better in the south.
    Ha Long Bay was awesome, but probably doesn't align with cut-price.
    The rest of Vietnam, however, is dramatically inexpensive, even if your frame of reference is Malay prices.
    In your spot, I think I would fly to Saigon, explore that area for a few days, then maybe a train (sleeper trains are cheap and awesome, see seat61.com) to Na Trang for beach, or Hoi An for pretty tourist-bauble town.
    I really liked Hanoi, but it isn't as tourist friendly for relaxing as Saigon (which is a hectic city itself) or the smaller coastal towns.
    If you stretched it to your whole two weeks you could do the length of Vietnam by sleeper train, but it is such a great destination I fear you would still be rushed.

    • vietbargain on 11/10/2013 - 13:34

      mskeggs is right, saigon is much more tourist friendly.

      If you're looking to do tours in VN, http://sinhcafe.com/index.htm is a GREAT place to start. i've done the two night Mekhong Delta tour three times, and every time i loved it. the prices on the website seem higher than i remember - but they could have just jacked it up in recent times.

    • Wade on 11/10/2013 - 14:52

      Thank you so much for your advice!

      I love seat61! One of my favourite sites for thinking where to go :)

      It's a difficult balance - Not rushing, but seeing enough while trying to relax and not needing a holiday after! The beaches of both Na Trang and Da Nang look great! Which is better?

      Cheers,
      Wade

  • Austin 316 on 11/10/2013 - 11:15

    If you end up deciding Kolkata, I would advise its best you just spend 1 or 2 days there as it is not a place where you can RELAX.

    However, you can easily go to Darjeeling from there and spend a comfortable 4/5 days there. I think that would be really ideal for you as November (autumn season) is one of the best times to visit Darjeeling and the temperatures would vary between 6 and 18 degree C, which is great for drinks. Also there would be lots of adventure activities like rafting, para gliding, etc. Check out this website to know what more you can do there http://www.traveltodarjeeling.com/darjeeling-guide

    The train journey (the toy train) you are talking about, is a great option but is very slow so I think you need to add 2 more days to your trip for it. Otherwise, you can easily get flights from Kolkata to Bagdodra (about 90 kms from Darjeeling) and get a prepaid taxi from Bagdodra airport to Darjeeling. You can compare/book flights at www.makemytrip.com or www.yatra.com or other similar sites.

    I can't comment about the other countries as I haven't been there but I can assure you will have a fantastic time in Darjeeling and India in general (if you go with a positive attitude).

    Enjoy your holidays regardless :)

  • theworks on 11/10/2013 - 12:02
    +1

    Holy hell man talk about a similar situation. Were flying in on the 16th and leaving on the 1st and still debating on which onward flights to book from KUL and which country to visit.

    Im leaning against the western part of Malaysia becuase it doesnt interest me as much as the jungles of Borneo if we were to take that route. The only problem with Borneo is that its slightly more expensive than peninsular malaysia and jungle/dive tours come at a premium. A conselation prize is that flights from KUL are dirt cheap at the moment through air asia.

    Vietnam has me interested but on the flipside the flights are a little more expensive. The current plan is fly into Ho Chi Minh City, then fly to either Hue or Da Nang and onwards to Hanoi. The problem is that flights out of Hanoi are expensive at the moment so im considering dropping into Bangkok on the way back to visit a friend who lives there.

    Im so torn! The oldest jungles in the world or cheap Vietnamese beer?

    • vietbargain on 11/10/2013 - 13:38

      cheap viet beer pho shizzle.

      also try this resturant called Quan An Ngon - http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g293925-d809… they have a great variety of viet food and its clean. the crocodile spring rolls are awesome.

    • Wade on 11/10/2013 - 14:46

      Haha, it's a small world.
      Wouldn't be catching the AirAsia MEL-KUL 10:35 flight on the 16th would you? I'm from Adelaide as well, but when I booked there wasn't any direct ADL-KUL flights :)

      That's actually a good point, I do remember that the jungles are a bit more expensive.

      It was only a couple of weeks ago that flights were $35 a way from KUL to Vietnam! How frustrating. They're now around the $250 return mark with AA to Hanoi, or $160 to HCM.

      I hadn't really considered Da Nang or Na Trang - Both look great! Which is better if I had to choose one? Is it a good time for beached in Vietnam?

      I was actually thinking Hanoi would have been calmer compared to HCM! I'm surprised that it's worse.

      What is general costs like in Vietnam? Is it $10 dorms, $2/3 meals, $1 beers etc? Good vibe?

      I love trains, and I've been from SIN to the Aranyaprathet border several times. In fact, I'm semi-preparing a Singapore to London train trip, so I'm definately interested in either the Toy Train or a train from HCM to a beach area. I'm sort of edging towards Vietnam as I think I might need more time in India (not to say I don't in Vietnam). Is Vietnam on the whole more relaxing would you say?

      Thanks for everyone's help!

      Cheers,
      Wade

      • theworks on 12/10/2013 - 23:38

        Nah booked mine when the Adelaide sales started ( $300 return with some meals and baggage ).

        From what Ive read trains in Vietnam are time consuming and the scenery (although lovely) is a bit repetitive after a while. I did europe on the trains and loved every second of it but im going to take the internets advice on this one and fly.

        Think ill go for Vietnam, Borneo will be there for next time!

      • altomic on 15/10/2013 - 23:35

        seat61 recomended getting the train from KL to singapore.

        big mistake. so slow -took 2 hours longer then scheduled. air con in "first class" was set to 15degrees -extremely cold.

        just fly. airasia has $1 + taxes flight deals occassionally. for the time you save….

  • denuto on 11/10/2013 - 14:00

    Vietnam is awesome, as as mskeggs says it's really inexpensive. I just got back from 18 days there. Try: http://www.tonkintravel.com - very good at organising part or all of your trip the way you want to do it. If you're flying from Malaysia flights are cheap to anywhere in Asia. Personally I like Hanoi better than HCMC, but if you have two weeks you could have a really good trip flying into one and out of the other. If you just want a week I'd suggest Hanoi, with a side trip (2 days)to HaLong Bay which is sensational and plenty of other options for good one or two day trips out of Hanoi. Hope you have a great time wherever you go.

  • HAL on 11/10/2013 - 15:50
    +1

    I spent 6 months backpacking around the region, my thoughts and views:

    1/ All 3 are cheap, so I wouldn't worry about costs… Don't pre-book anything, it's cheaper to book and plan as you go…

    Malaysia:
    Try something different! Loved the food there but got bored after 1 week

    India (spent most of my time in Rajasthan):
    India is another beast… I wouldn't call it relaxing, it's a place you hate initially but fall in love with after
    You can catch the trains and buses through India, but set ALOT of time aside for them… I would actually recommend getting a driver depending on your budget
    Accommodation-wise I found India more expensive… yes you can find dirt cheap accommodation there… but please DON'T! You really get what you pay for…

    Vietnam:
    Most relaxation and most fun I've had in my whole trip… You can easily fly into Hanoi or HCM and catch buses up the length of the country (highly recommend!)
    https://www.thesinhtourist.vn/ <— I found this agency had the best prices and weren't dodgy… just pop into the offices in each city…
    Ha Long Bay… despite being full of tourists… is AMAZING!

  • wayacos on 12/10/2013 - 08:45
    -1

    Or you could stay at home and help Australia out!

  • kimmylala on 12/10/2013 - 09:22

    Flying to Saigon and from there visiting Nha Trang and Da Nang is the more relaxing/fun area in Vietnam =) Just remember to organize a Visa which takes a few days, before you travel to Vietnam

  • Peck on 12/10/2013 - 09:46

    Vietnam starting in Saigon. Cheap, tourist friendly, the nicest people in the world.

  • Cluster on 13/10/2013 - 00:16
    +1

    In Asia I have been to Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and India. Out of all of those, India was the most challenging simply because you're hassled everywhere by touts and taxi drivers who always have broken meters. It's Thailand times 10. Mumbai was the least hassle while Delhi was a chore. Be prepared for touts to flat out lie to you and lead you astray, especially around train stations. Print your plane ticket itinerary on paper when flying at an Indian airport as they won't let you in the front door without showing it to the soldier with a gun.

    I visited around the time of the Commonwealth Games so security was on my mind. I stayed away from Western hotels and instead slept at mid to upmarket Indian hotels. Overall was pleased with the accomodation. No food problems at all as I had Travelan, kept the insect repellent on and ate vegetarian (India has some very yummy vegetarian food!) As others have suggested, for large cities consider hiring a government approved driver to take you where you want to go and wait for you.

    India has two types of power plugs: large and small. I only had one type of adapter so at night it was a choice between having my mobile charging/insect repellent warmed up or the air conditioner as I had to unplug the hotel room air conditioner.

    I haven't been to Kolkata but did visit Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Agra. Fascinating place and well worth visiting but it's not a relaxing trip.

  • kobrien456 on 13/10/2013 - 08:57

    Agree with others: considering your stressful job, save India for another, maybe long term trip. I'm dying to go to Vietnam. A friend has just returned and she preferred it over Thailand, for friendliness of people, overall experience.

  • Wade on 13/10/2013 - 13:23
    +1

    Thank you for your help everyone!

    It's decided. Vietnam it is. I'll be spending less time in Malaysia, maybe going to Vietnam from the 17th - 29th now.

    Now the trouble is, where in Vietnam to go! I was thinking from Saigon, spend a few days, then head up to Da Nang and Hue by train, but I'm reading that November is possibly the worst time to do this :( Apparently it's typhoon season, and all it does is rain, floods and washes everything away. Any got any experience in central Vietnam during this season?

    If this is the case, then apparently it's either South or North Vietnam. I really would like to spend at least a couple of days on a beachy place. Does anyone know where would be good in November?

    Cheers,
    Wade

    • theworks on 15/10/2013 - 10:44

      Decided on Vietnam also! Kicking myself I didnt book a month ago and would have saved $200 or so on flights. Thats the price of indecision I guess.

      What are your plans for the visa? Think ill do a VOA and pay in USD. Looks a bit sketchy though.

      • Wade on 15/10/2013 - 11:13

        Nice! Let's catch up for a beer!

        I've had people saying Hanoi is better, and I've had people saying Saigon is better.. I've decided to fly into Saigon because it's still relatively cheap with AA - About $85 a way pp.

        I'll apply for a visa through the embassy. It's $85. It seems to be all a bit touch a go, for a saving of $20. You could be waiting 10 minutes, you could be waiting 2 hours. For $20 I'd rather be drinking a beer relaxing in a decent bar!

        http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1594409&p…
        http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2158980

        Cheers,
        Wade

      • Wade on 15/10/2013 - 11:15

        My thought now, is whether I should stay for 1 night in KL.. Arriving at 4pm, so we could staying the Saturday night in KL and fly to Saigon the next night, OR just go straight to Saigon from LCCT a few hours after we arrive.

        There's a few restaurants I love in KL, which is tempting me to do it, even though there's nothing really I want to see per se, as I've seen it all before… Hmmm…

        • theworks on 15/10/2013 - 16:56

          Ive got a late flight to Saigon so im flying straight on. Always like to get all my travel done in one leg no matter how tired I am ( once I caught an 8 hour train from scotland to london, then an hour on the tube, and then caught my 24 hour flight home!).

          Cheap vietnamese beer? its on me man!

  • Wade on 15/10/2013 - 22:17

    Here's a question!

    My flight from MEL - KUL arrives 1550 (3:50pm). The last flight from KUL-SGN (Saigon) leaves at 1850 (6:50pm) leaving 3 hours spare if all goes well.

    Intl check-in closes 1 hour prior at 5:50pm with Air Asia, leaving 2 hours.
    Does this seem sufficient? Just thought I'd ask :)

    Cheers,
    Wade

    • donga100 on 15/10/2013 - 22:40

      Probably fine. Would it ruin your holiday if the first flight was late and you had to stay in KUL for a night and buy a new ticket to SGN? It's not too likely to happen but there is a chance. Might cost a few hundred.

  • ujwols on 15/10/2013 - 23:05

    Have you you considered Nepal? If you are planning for a relaxing trip look nowhere else..Lot more cost effective than India with better mountains, rivers and scenary..

    http://mobile.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/lonely-planets…

  • kobrien456 on 16/10/2013 - 08:13
    +1

    Have fun boys! How about a trip report when you are done?

  • lisss on 21/10/2013 - 13:27
    +1

    I would definitely rule out Kolkata. It's not relaxing at all, and there isn't much to see there either - it was my least favourite Indian city and I traveled pretty much all over the country for 2 months.

    My vote is for the South of Vietnam, I had a great time there and there are plenty of relaxing options. Cheap food, friendly people, nice sights… :)

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