Southeast Asia Itinerary - Summer 2019
- Brooke
- Jun 20, 2022
- 11 min read
Updated: Aug 26, 2023
(This post is an itinerary post to help those looking for advice on how to spend their time in certain locations. For more detailed information about the destinations, look for postings about the individual places listed below).
A lot of people ask me, "Brooke, how do you decide where to go and how long to stay there?"
The "where" is the easy-ish part - I read lots of travel magazines, books, and watch TV shows that give me ideas, and I just throw them out to Ben and see which ones he's keen on. Then, after we've narrowed down our options, changed our minds about 5 times, we finally pick the place(s) that will be our next vacation.
Our Southeast Asia Summer 2019 trip went through a variety of revisions, up until almost the last minute. Should we go to Europe instead and meet up with my family for the family reunion in Germany, or go with our original plan, which was to get back to Southeast Asia 10 years after we first went there? Once we decided that yes, we would just do Asia together, and I then I would jaunt off to the family reunion afterwards, we set to work on narrowing down the precise details.
Laos was a place I wanted to visit last time, so that was 100% on the trip. Vietnam got added later because I needed to go to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to catch the Air France direct flight to Paris. Hanoi got added because our Vietnamese friend said we should not spend too much time in HCMC but Hanoi instead (and she was 100% right). Penang got added because we wanted to enjoy the food scene. And Tokyo was added because, well, it was the easiest city for us to fly to from Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines.
Hong Kong was added and then removed since adding it would have turned the trip into too few days in too many places. Other cities that had been on our original itinerary include Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Vientiane. All of these cities except for Vientiane had been ones we visited last time and wanted to explore a bit more, but we opted for new cities since it had been so long since we had explored the region, and wanted new experiences to be at the forefront of this trip.
As for the "how long in each place," well, that's the tough part - I'm not very good at editing myself, and need Ben's help to offer helpful tips like, "Um, are you sure you only wanna be there for 3 hours before you fly another 13 hours to your next place?" Obviously, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but only a little. I've gotten better in my old age at spending a little bit longer in each destination, but it's still a work in progress.
So, without further ado, here was our itinerary, including our lodging, general flight/transportation information, and activities accomplished (or, at least planned) for each day. If you find yourself in this corner of the world, share with me how it went and what your favorite parts were!
Southeast Asia Itinerary - Summer 2019
Day 1
June 14, 2019
Depart Kona for Tokyo, Japan
Flight:
Depart Kailua-Kona for Tokyo
Hawaiian Airlines Flight #851 : KOA - HND (Haneda)
6:10PM departure - 10:00PM arrival (but on June 15th)
8 hours and 35 minute duration
Day 2
June 15, 2019
Arrive Tokyo, Japan
*Lose much of this day to crossing international dateline
Arrive in Haneda/Tokyo at 10:00PM
2-7-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0023
Loved it's location, and loved the public spaces. Rooms were smallish, but that's to be expected in a place like Tokyo. It was, however, comfortable and did its job of getting us a good night's sleep quite well. Would definitely recommend, and would 100% stay here again, even though it's not in my husband's hotel chain.
Day 3
June 16, 2019
First "real" day in Tokyo
Breakfast: Denny's
You may think it's strange that for our first foray into an international trip, we started off at Denny's, a pretty common American diner chain. And you may be right. But I have a soft spot for American chains doing business in foreign countries, as they are always so weirdly (to me as an American) translated into their local contexts. I had heard Denny's in Japan were quite different and interesting, and I heard correctly. I highly recommend this experience for American's going abroad who want to see something familiar done in a completely unfamiliar way.
Sightseeing:
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu)
Lunch: Afuri Ramen
Blog Posting: A Delicious Bowl of (Gluten Friendly) Ramen
Love ramen but can't eat gluten? Love ramen and CAN eat gluten? You will love Afuri ramen, with outposts all around Tokyo, and even one or two here in the US. Using a starch based-noodle, this not 100% gluten free restaurant (so maybe not safe for celiac travelers) had a great texture that allowed me to have a really wonderful "ramen-in-Japan-squeeeee!" experience. Plus, ordering from vending machine was an added bonus. For those who can eat wheat (lucky you!) they have regular noodles that, according to Ben, have a great texture and chew, the perfect accompaniment to the spicy, citrusy (they use yuzu) broth.
A quick wander around Harajuku
Exploration of Ebisu neighborhood
Dinner: Ebisu Yokocho
Recommended by a good friend, this yokocho, essentially a back alley for food and drinks, was the perfect blend of culture shock and delicious food. I highly recommend the teppanyaki stall way in the back left corner.
Day 4
June 17, 2019
Food Tour and More Sightseeing Around Tokyo
Activities:
Tsukiji Food Market Tour with Japan Wonder Travel
Booked via Viator.com
Blog Posting: Tokyo's Tsukiji Outer Market Food Tour
This 3 hour food tour of the stalls surrounding the former home of Tokyo's famous fish market auction house, we sampled tons of different Japanese specialities from Japanese omelettes, dried fish, to a sit-down sushi lunch. Amazing, and highly recommend, especially our incredibly knowledgeable and friendly guide, Yoshika!
Activity: Visit Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa
Blog Posting: Admiring Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan
Dinner: Imahan Sukiyaki & Shabushabu at Shinjuku Takashimaya location
Walk around Shinjuku
"Piss Alley" Omoide Yokocho
Day 5
June 18, 2019
Depart Tokyo and Arrive in Hanoi, Viet Nam
Flight:
Depart Tokyo (Narita) for Hanoi, Viet Nam
Vietnam Airlines Flight #0311: NRT - HAN
10:00AM Departure - 1:35PM Arrival
5 hours and 35 minute duration
Lodging: Airbnb Apartment located in Old French Quarter
LOVED it and highly recommend. Comfortable, great A/C, wonderful location.
Dinner: El Gaucho Argentinian Steakhouse
When in Hanoi, eat Argentinian food, right? Okay, maybe not the obvious
choice for our first night in such an acclaimed food destination, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Don't worry, we ate Vietnamese food the rest of our time there...More on that later.
Dessert: Cua Hàng Thu Nga
A-ma-zing. Sit on the little red plastic stools and prepare yourself for a simple but oh-so-memorable dessert experience. Order the Kem xôi, a bowl of pandan sticky rice, coconut ice cream, and toasted coconut on top. Such a delightful experience in every bite - not too sweet, just the right blend of taste, texture, and perfection.
Day 6
June 19th, 2019
First full day in Hanoi
Breakfast: Phô Thinh
Located across the street from our apartment, this humble little phô shop served up delicious steaming bowls of aromatic noodle soup. I've never had a better bowl of phô (pronounced "pha" or with a short "a" sound for the uninitiated) in all my life. Ben ate breakfast here everyday, but I took it a little easier. Absolutely 100% recommend.
Sightseeing:
Activity: Morning Wander around Hô Huàn Kiêm
This was the perfect way to explore Hanoi's food scene, while also getting a tour of the Old Quarter, one of the more interesting neighborhoods in the whole city. Mr. Ha was a great tour guide, very friendly and willing to accommodate any requests. He didn't stop the tour until we had eaten everything we wanted to eat, which was certainly more than we needed. Everything was super tasty - it was a great way to explore the different culinary traditions of this beautiful city.
Dinner: La Terrasse Bar at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
How we had room for dinner after our food tour, I'll never know. How we had the patience to sit outside in the sweltering heat all dressed up also seems a mystery in hindsight. I had it in my mind that I wanted to eat here at some point, and so we did. The restaurant's menu pays homage to the French colonialist period, while also blending in traditional Vietnamese dishes as well. Tasty food, great service, fantastic atmosphere - the only downside was the uncomfortable outside temperature that the ceiling fans just could not overcome. Not a deal breaker, though.
Day 7 - June 20, 2019
Overnight trip from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay
Depart Hanoi at 7AM.
Arrive at the harbor for our boat at 11AM.
Stop at Star Gems to look at embroidery
Boat: Emeraude Classic Cruises
Room: Paul Roque Suite
The best part about this suite is the fact that it has the only private lanai on the entire ship, and what a view! We spent a good chunk of our time out on that lanai, and it was heavenly. The room itself is nice and spacious, and everything was very comfortable.
Day 8
June 21, 2019
Return to Hanoi
Morning sail through the bay, with a stop at Titop island for a quick swim.
After the boat tour of the bay in the morning, we returned to Hanoi in the late afternoon.
Dinner: Ûu Dàm Chay
This vegetarian restaurant is located in a beautifully designed space, coupled with lots of tasty dishes. Ben tried a Durian pizza (I skipped it because of the gluten of the pizza crust), which he enjoyed a lot. It's a great place to order lots of dishes to share - yum!
Day 9
June 22, 2019
Happy anniversary to us!
And what better to celebrate than a crippling case of food poisoning.
I can't be certain where I picked up the bug that knocked me out, so I won't even begin to guess (there are a number of culprits that aren't necessarily included in the list from the day above). The weird thing is that Ben and I ate just about every single exact thing, so it's strange that I caught something and he didn't. There were maybe one or two items I had on my own that Ben did not also consume that perhaps could be the culprit but it's hard to say, and I'll just chalk it up to my living a little more dangerously than perhaps my digestive system could allow.
Instead of a fun day exploring all the facets of Hanoi that had so far escaped me, I spent the day in bed. Ben, on the other hand, did a tiny bit of exploration, ate his favorite phô, hit up a book store, and at least got to get out of the (very comfortable) apartment. I didn't eat anything, see anything, do anything on this day, but I wallowed comfortably in my discomfort.
Because of this, I will have to come back to Hanoi and do more exploration than I was physically able to do this time.
Sadly, too, we had to cancel our dinner reservation at La Badiane, one of my most anticipated meals of the entire trip. Alas. Until next time.
Day 10
June 23, 2019
Depart Hanoi for Luang Prabang, Laos
We departed Hanoi for Luang Prabang via a long layover in Vientiane making what should be a relatively short flight between the two cities a somewhat whole day undertaking.
Coupled with my food poisoning and subsequent dehydration, it did not make for a great day.
Regardless, getting to Luang Prabang was something I had been significantly looking forward to, so I was very excited by what all this hard work would ultimately achieve.
Flight #1:
Lao Airlines, operated by Vietnam Airlines
Flight #4921
Depart Hanoi 9:55am
Arrive Vientiane, Laos 11:05am
Flight #2: (as originally scheduled)
Lao Airlines
Flight #105
Depart Vientiane, Laos 2:10pm
Arrive Luang Prabang 3:00pm
However, we experienced a delay in Vientiane where our flight departed at 5:00 pm, having us arrive in Luang Prabang at 6:00pm.
Hotel: The Grand Luang Prabang
Blog Posting: Living the Life at The Grand Luang Prabang
Transportation from Airport to Hotel: Prearranged transportation from the hotel
Day 11
June 24, 2019
Luang Prabang, Laos
Spend day at hotel (Cancelled a cooking class due to me not quite feeling 100%)
Breakfast: Xiengkao Restaurant (The Grand Luang Prabang)
Doctor visit to Phakan's Clinic
Dinner: The Great House at Rosewood Luang Prabang
Pre dinner cocktails at the Elephant Bar at Rosewood
Day 12
June 25, 2019
Luang Prabang, Laos
Activity: Mekong River Boat Trip (Full Day)
What an incredible day out on the Mekong, exploring a number of different facets of the river community. Typically a trip to the caves and waterfall are not included in one day trip, but we managed to find a company who did it all. It makes for a very long, and tiring day, but an incredible experience. We highly recommend.
Stop in the village of Ban Xang Hai
Pak Ou Caves
Lunch at Manivahn Restaurant
Kuang Si Waterfall
Dinner: Room service at the hotel
Day 13
June 26, 2019
Luang Prabang, Laos
Activity: Rice experience at The Living Land Farm (Ben solo)
I opted out of this activity at the last minute as I was still trying to get back to feeling 100%, but Ben was able to experience growing and harvesting rice from planting seedlings all the way to enjoying a lunch with rice afterwards. The organization seems really interesting and thoughtful, and we would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in this area of Laos.
Dinner: Amigo's Mexican Food
Activity: Night Market near Indigo Cafe
Day 14
June 27, 2019
Luang Prabang, Laos
Activity: The Living Crafts Centre (Ock Pop Tok) - Brooke solo
I would by no means consider myself an artist, but someone who enjoys making art for arts sake. Therefore, the Living Crafts Centre, offering a bunch of workshops, was appealing to me. I opted to do a Hmong Batik workshop, and learned a lot in the process. Getting the hand movements just right to use the writing/drawing instrument is a challenge in itself, especially if you're as uncoordinated as me. :)
Activity: Quick walk around Luang Prabang
Dinner: Manda de Laos
Day 15
June 28, 2019
Depart Luang Prabang, Laos and Fly to Penang, Malaysia
Essentially, this entire day was spent in transit. Though the distances between cities is not super far, it did not seem to be a well traveled route - our long layover in Bangkok cost us the majority of the day. We knew this in advance, but if your time is extremely limited, you may not want to do these two cities back to back.
Flight:
Thai Smile Airlines
Flight #577
Depart Luang Prabang 11:20
Arrive Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) 12:55
Layover in Bangkok, Thailand
Thai Smile Airlines
Flight #427
Depart Bangkok 4:10pm
Arrive Penang, Malaysia 6:55pm
Lunch: Thai food at Asian Corner in the airport
Hotel: Eastern & Oriental Hotel
Transportation from Airport to Hotel: We used the taxi stand at the airport.
Day 16, June 29, 2019
Penang, Malaysia
Activity: Food and Cultural Tour with Mark at Simply Enak Food Experiences - Penang Street Food
An incredible morning of learning about the local cultures that make up this diverse community, getting a chance to visit a number of local landmarks, while also tasting some amazingly delicious food. Highly recommend!
Activity: Pool
Dinner: Via Pre
Sometimes you need to change things up a bit, and I was in the mood for Italian food. Super excited to find gluten free pasta too!
Day 17
June 30, 2019
Penang, Malaysia
Activity: Walk around Georgetown
Lunch: Sunday Roast Lunch at Eastern & Oriental
Dinner: Hameediyah Restaurant for their Nasi kandar
Dessert: Teochew Chendul
Day 18
July 1, 2019
Penang, Malaysia
Activity: Cooking class with Pearly Lee
What an amazing day of learning about the Nyonya culture of Penang and their delicious recipes. Pearly Lee guides you through the market, introducing you to the sights, smells and tastes of her home. Afterwards, you join her at her house for a hands-on cooking demonstration where we made 4 different dishes. A truly wonderful experience!
Pulau Tikus Morning Market Visit
Cooking Class
Dinner: Indigo at Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion
Day 19, July 2, 2019
Penang, Malaysia to Ho Chi Minh City (Brooke) and Tokyo (Ben)
Well, this day was the day that Ben and I would part ways for a month - I'd fly to Ho Chi Minh City, where I'd catch my flight from there to Paris the following morning (see itinerary for that leg of the trip), and Ben would fly to Tokyo (both of us would need connections via Kuala Lumpur), then on to Hawaii. However, due to a long delay in Kuala Lumpur, Ben would miss his connection back to Hawaii, and get a whole night in Tokyo by himself. While he had fun hitting up the town, I got scammed by my taxi driver from the airport, and decided to lay low for my one night and finish up any work I had lingering. Ben and I would reunite in Austin, Texas of all places, of which I will be sharing some information at a later point.
Flight:
Malaysia Airlines
Flight #1137
Depart Penang at 6:35am
Arrive Kuala Lumpur at 7:40am
Flight #750
Depart Kuala Lumpur 9:00am
Arrive Ho Chi Minh City 10:00 (2 hour flight duration)
Hotel: Le Méridien Ho Chi Minh City
Transportation from Airport to Hotel:
Used taxis in both locations (Penang and Ho Chi Minh City). We had the hotel call us a cab in Penang, which worked out well, especially since our flight was so early.
For Ho Chi Minh City, well, let's just say it was not my finest travel hour, and would really recommend hiring a car from your hotel. However, if that doesn't sound appealing, do what I did not do and read this page and save yourself some heartache and embarrassment.
The End
Well, that about wraps up this portion of the trip. As I mentioned above, for me, it continued on to a family reunion in Germany via Paris. Once that posting is up and ready, I'll include the link here. I hope you get a chance to check out this beautiful corner of the world someday, and if you do, I hope you find this information useful!
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