Escape Plan to Cambodia and Vietnam January 2008

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Cambodia and Vietnam January 2008:

Total duration 11D10N
Siem Reap and HCMC is 1hr behind Singapore.
Flight time is 2hrs 5mins on Jetstar from Singapore to Siem Reap. Return flight is 2hrs 20mins on Jetstar from Siem Reap to Singapore.

Morning flight on 24th Jan at 6am and arrival in Phnom Penh in the same morning at 705am. Return flight from Siem Reap on the 2nd Feb at 750pm and arrival in Singapore at 1110pm.

Day 1 Arrival into Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Prasat Kravan, Pre Rup
Day 2 Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei, Srah Srang, Preah Khan, Phnom Bakheng and old town
Day 3 Neak Pean, East Mebon, Bakong, Tonle Sap Lake and Floating Village
Day 4 Bus to Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh Palace and Phnom Penh visit
Day 5 Bus to Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh city tour
Day 6 Mekong Delta River cruise and village tour
Day 7 Cu Chi tunnel tour 
Day 8 Bus back to Phnom Penh, Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide 
Day 9 The Killing Fields and mine museum
Day 10 Bus back to Siem Reap, Beng Mealea, Tonle Sap river and mangrove tour
Day 11 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned as a trip to celebrate our anniversary and a visit to a Angkor Wat, a re-owned monument in Cambodia, and also then taking a chance to visit Phnom Penh and also a first visit to Vietnam.

Budget nature: Cheap

Costs were generally affordable due to the lower standard of living, stronger currency and choices of transportation (mostly by Tuk Tuk around Siem Reap, Buses for interstate travel) and accommodation (hostels)

Complexity: Not too difficult

We got around Siem Reap in a tuk tuk and booked the same driver to take us everywhere, even to far away temples. The interstate buses and border crossing is a little more trickier but not too difficult too as we just followed the instructions on the bus operators. Walked mostly in Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh and took tours or taxis to out of reach attractions.