Dr Charlotte Russell, Clinical Psychologist & Founder

This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you book through the links provided this blog will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Having three weeks to travel is a rarity for most of us, but if you can, it’s worth taking this amount of time to explore this unique part of the world. Southeast Asia is a must do for anyone who loves travel, and from the UK or US it’s a fair distance. Allowing 3 weeks is a good time and financial investment, especially as long-haul flights can be costly.

On this itinerary you’ll see elephants, temples, beautiful sunrises, natural wonders and even some legendary rodents (yes, you read that correctly). You’ll eat great food, meet kind people and learn about the cultures and customs of three very different countries. You’ll have plenty of downtime just to observe and absorb, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll have space to reflect on how each country’s history relates to the here and now. I took this trip in January 2026 and found it to be fascinating and within the category of ‘a trip of a lifetime’.

This itinerary includes 19 nights in hotels and the other 2 nights reserved for your long-haul flights, which means that this trip can fit comfortably within 3 weeks of annual leave (you can thank me later). I’ve adjusted the schedule slightly from what we actually did based on what we learned along the way. It includes:

  • 6 nights in Chiang Mai, Thailand (or splitting this time with a Thai island if you prefer)
  • 4 nights in Siem Reap, Cambodia
  • 3 nights in Hoi An, Vietnam
  • 3 nights in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh, Vietnam
  • 3 nights in Hanoi, Vietnam

Without further ado, grab a cuppa and let’s get to it.

First stop: 6 nights in Chiang Mai, Thailand

You’ll be starting your trip in Thailand’s second city, which is a haven for anyone who loves temples, yoga, great food, hip coffee shops, and once in a lifetime day trips. At first glance you may wonder why spend so long in one city? Well, for starters this was to try and buffer against the formidable west to east jet lag, and because our three outbound flights totalled 24 hours. Secondly, because so many people )who know me well) had told me that I’d love Chiang Mai. They were right, and I’ve no regrets about spending a good amount of time here.

My favourites things to do in Chiang Mai

Temples

Chiang Mai is a city where temples are literally everywhere. You can’t walk more than a few minutes without passing a golden chedi, a saffron‑robed monk, or a quiet courtyard where incense curls into the morning air. There are over 300 temples here, each with its own rhythm and personality, and exploring them becomes less about a checklist and more about letting yourself drift between moments of stillness, beauty, and gentle cultural immersion.

I enjoyed these two in particular:

  • Wat Chang Taem — A small, quietly atmospheric temple tucked inside the Old City. It’s easy to miss, which is part of its charm. The carved elephants around the base of the chedi feel almost protective, and the whole space has a soft, contemplative energy.
  • Wat Chedi Luang — One of Chiang Mai’s most iconic temples, and a place that genuinely stops you in your tracks. The massive brick chedi, partially ruined yet deeply dignified, rises above the Old City like a reminder of how much history sits beneath your feet. Visit early or late for the most peaceful experience.

Food

Eating in Thailand is wonderfully unpretentious. The idea of “posh restaurants” doesn’t really exist in the same way it does in the UK. The best meals you’ll have come from small, unassuming cafés: plastic chairs, open fronts, a couple of woks going at once, and food that’s fresh, flavourful, and incredibly affordable. One of my favourite finds was It’s good kitchen, a simple spot just inside the Old City. I had the Pad Thai — Thailand’s national dish — and it was excellent: perfectly balanced, not too sweet, and exactly the kind of meal that reminds you why eating locally is such a joy here.

Night Markets

Chiang Mai’s night markets are some of the most atmospheric parts of the city — lively but not overwhelming, full of colour, food, and the kind of gentle bustle that makes evening wandering feel effortless. They’re also wonderfully varied, each with its own personality and pace.

  • Wua Lai Road (Saturday Night Market) — A long, lively stretch filled with handmade crafts, silverwork, textiles, and endless street‑food stalls. It’s busy, but in that warm, communal way where everyone is just ambling along, snacking, browsing, and taking it all in.
  • Tha Phae Road (Sunday Walking Street) — Bigger, brighter, and even more atmospheric. This one spills through the Old City, with stalls lining the road for what feels like miles

Coffee Shops

Chiang Mai is a dream for slow mornings and caffeine‑fuelled wandering, which is why I loved spending so much time here. Two favourites stood out for me. Cool Muang is a calm, minimalist spot in the Old City where you can sit with an iced latte and watch the world drift by at a gentler pace.

 

Brewginning is just outside the Old City walls, has a completely different energy: bright, friendly, and perfectly positioned opposite Chiang Mai’s famous basket shop, where people queue to take photos with the giant woven baskets. It makes for excellent people‑watching while you sip your coffee in the shade.

Massages

I’m a big fan of Thai massage, and here a one-hour massage is around a quarter of the price than back home. It’s fair to say I had a lot of massages on my trip. You’ll find great options everywhere including Sainapa which is just next door to the hotel I’m recommending (more on this later).

Yoga

Chiang Mai also has a great yoga scene, and it’s easy to weave a class into your days here. Studios tend to be small, community‑focused, and surrounded by greenery, offering a gentle counterbalance to the city’s energy. I loved practising at Wild Rose Yoga and felt totally energised after a class here.

Day trips from Chiang Mai

We did these two trips, which I’d totally recommend:

Elephant Nature Park

One of the most memorable day trips from Chiang Mai is a morning visit to Elephant Nature Park, an ethical sanctuary about two hours outside the city. The experience begins with an early pick‑up from your hotel and a quiet drive through rural northern Thailand. Elephant Nature Park rescues elephants that have been mistreated or exploited, offering them a safe, spacious environment to live as naturally as possible. There’s no riding, no touching, and no staged interactions — you simply observe from a respectful distance as the elephants wander, graze, and interact with one another on their own terms. It’s a humbling experience, both to see these animals up close and to learn about the extraordinary work the sanctuary does.

Doi Suthep Sunrise & Wat Pha Lat Hike

Another ‘must do’ was the sunrise trip to Doi Suthep temple . It’s an early start, but completely worth it. The tour begins with a drive up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where you arrive just in time to see the sun coming up.

 

From there, you walk the Monk’s Trail down through the forest to Wat Pha Lat, a peaceful jungle temple that feels hidden and sacred in a way that’s hard to describe.

Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable — not just about the temples themselves, but about Buddhism, and he embodied the principles including bringing food for the stray dogs at the temples.

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

If you’re looking for somewhere calm and beautifully designed, Spice House is an easy recommendation. It’s tucked just inside the Old City, but the garden feels like a little sanctuary. It’s a great place to unwind after lots of sightseeing and trips and the breakafst is great.

 

Possible itinerary tweak: Adding a Thai island

If you’d like to balance Chiang Mai’s temples, cafés, and mountain air with a taste of Thailand’s island life, a simple tweak works beautifully: three nights in Chiang Mai and three nights on a Thai island.

I can personally recommend Koh Lipe, a small, laid‑back island near the Malaysian border that feels worlds away from the busier tourist spots. It’s the kind of place where you wander barefoot, swim before breakfast, and watch the sunset from a beach bar with your feet still in the sand. Perfect if you’re looking for something beautiful, relaxed, and a little bit under the radar.

 

Next stop: Siem Reap, Cambodia — 4 Nights

Siem Reap is best known as the gateway to Angkor Wat, but the city itself has a lot to offer. After the softness of Chiang Mai, arriving here feels like stepping into a different chapter of Southeast Asia’s story. The colonial architecture, tree‑lined streets, and pastel‑coloured shopfronts are a striking contrast to Thailand — a reminder that Cambodia’s history unfolded very differently. Thailand was never colonised, acting instead as a neutral buffer zone, while Cambodia absorbed decades of French influence that still shapes its buildings, cafés, and cultural rhythms today.

This is a place where ancient temples sit alongside French‑era villas, where sunrise starts early and the evenings are slow and warm. For this leg of the trip, I’m taking a slightly more prescriptive approach to help you get the most out of your time here.

Full day 1: Private Sunrise Tour of Angkor Wat

If you’re going to travel all the way to Siem Reap, it’s worth opting for a private sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. It’s an early start, but watching the first light rise behind the temple’s iconic towers is one of those rare travel moments that feels both surreal and grounding. A private tour makes all the difference here — not in a luxury sense, but in the freedom it gives you to move at your own pace, linger where you want, and step away from the crowds when you need to.

After exploring Angkor Wat, our tour continued to Ta Prohm, often called the “Tomb Raider temple.” It’s every bit as atmospheric as you’d imagine: giant tree roots wrapped around ancient stone, shafts of light cutting through the jungle canopy, and a sense of nature slowly reclaiming the site.

 

We were guided by a national guide, which in Cambodia requires a degree‑level education. That depth of training really shows. He didn’t just explain the temples, he wove in stories about Khmer history, Buddhism, the impact of French colonialism, and the cultural shifts shaping Cambodia today. It added so much richness to the day and helped us understand the sites as living, layered places rather than just beautiful ruins.

A long day, yes, but absolutely worth it, and the perfect way to begin your time in Siem Reap.

Dinner: Jomno

For dinner, I’m recommending Jomno, a beautiful modern take on Khmer cuisine that feels both contemporary and deeply rooted in Cambodian tradition. It’s stylish without being showy, and the menu is full of thoughtful interpretations of classic dishes. I had the fish amok, one of Cambodia’s most traditional and beloved meals, and it was exceptional — delicate, fragrant, and perfectly balanced. The service was warm and attentive too, which made the whole evening feel relaxed and special. A lovely way to end your first full day in Siem Reap, and a great introduction to the richness of Khmer cooking.

Day 2: Exploring Siem Reap city

After the intensity and early start of Angkor Wat, day two is all about slowing down and getting to know Siem Reap itself — its gardens, its history, and the quieter stories that sit alongside the temples.

Morning: Botanical Gardens & APOPO centre

Start with a gentle stroll through the Angkor botanical gardens, a peaceful, beautifully maintained space that’s completely free to enter. It’s an easy, grounding way to ease into the day. There’s a small café overlooking the tropical plants — the kind of spot where you can sit with a coffee, listen to the birds, and take in the lush greenery before the heat builds. It’s simple but genuinely lovely.

From here, it’s a short walk to the APOPO visitor centre , one of the most unexpectedly moving experiences of the trip. APOPO trains “HeroRATs” to detect landmines, an extraordinary piece of humanitarian work that’s both innovative and deeply impactful in Cambodia. The tour lasts around an hour and is incredibly engaging: you learn about the history of landmines in the region, meet the rats, and see a live demonstration of how they work. It’s thoughtful, educational, and inspiring.

Lunch: Korko 1979

After the tour, take a short walk or hop in a tuk tuk to Kor Ko  1979 Restaurant, a beautiful colonial‑style restaurant that feels like stepping back into another era. High ceilings, soft colours, and a calm, elegant atmosphere make it a perfect lunch stop. It’s a lovely way to round off a morning that blends nature, history, and culture in a really balanced way.

Afternoon: Pool time

After a morning of exploring Siem Reap’s gardens, history, and colonial charm, the afternoon is the perfect moment to slow down. The heat builds quickly here, and there’s something wonderfully restorative about heading back to your hotel, slipping into the pool, and letting the day soften around you. The hotel I’m recommending has a particularly lovely pool — leafy, calm, and exactly the kind of place where an hour easily becomes two.

And because no long itinerary of mine is complete without a book suggestion, this leg of the trip pairs beautifully with The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. Set in 1930s colonial Malaysia, it’s atmospheric, magical, and full of the cultural layers that make this part of the world so compelling. I loved it. It’s the kind of novel you can sink into on a sun‑lounger, with just enough mystery and historical detail to keep you turning the pages while still feeling immersed in your surroundings.

Dinner: Haven

For your second evening in Siem Reap, I’m recommending HAVEN, a restaurant with a real heart behind it. It’s a social enterprise that trains disadvantaged local young people in hospitality, giving them skills, confidence, and long‑term opportunities in an industry that can genuinely change lives. We had a wonderful meal here, with warm, attentive service and dishes that felt thoughtful and full of flavour.

Day 3: Phnom Kulen National Park

For your third day in Siem Reap, I’m recommending a full day tour to Phnom Kulen National Park, which turned out to be very fun. It’s a complete change of pace from the temples, greener, cooler, more nature‑focused — and gives you a deeper sense of Cambodia beyond Angkor.

The tour takes you up into the holy mountain of Phnom Kulen, a place of huge cultural and spiritual significance for Cambodians. You’ll visit the River of a Thousand Lingas, where ancient carvings sit just beneath the flowing water, and climb up to see the giant reclining Buddha, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country.

Our group consisted of people from many different nationalities. Some people kept to themselves, which is totally fine. We enjoyed talking over lunch with a lovely couple from Australia and a friendly Brazilian guy who was travelling solo.

The day ends at the Kulen Waterfall, where you can swim, cool off, or simply sit and take in the jungle surroundings. It’s refreshing, beautiful, and a lovely contrast to the heat of the city. The whole experience feels well‑paced and thoughtfully run — a great way to spend a day if you want something different from temple‑hopping.

Dinner: Joe’s Burgers

By your final night in Siem Reap, you’re nine days into the trip — full of rice, noodles, curries, and all the beautiful flavours of Southeast Asia. This is exactly the moment when a bit of comfort‑food familiarity can feel like heaven. Joe’s Burger’s is the answer, or it was for us anyway. It’s unfussy, friendly, and absolutely delivers on what you want it to: a proper, satisfying burger that tastes like home. After days of temple exploring, heat, and early starts, this place really hit the spot. A perfect final dinner before you move on to the next chapter of your adventure.

Final morning in Siem Reap

If you have longer to spend here there is plenty to do. We had a lunchtime flight so were fortunate enough to have time to visit The Bean Embassy. This place is lovely and has great coffee. Do check it out if you have time.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

For Siem Reap, I’m recommending Peak Elite Boutique, which ended up being my favourite hotel of the entire trip. It strikes that perfect balance of comfort, style, and genuine warmth — the kind of place where everything just works, and the staff truly seem to care that you’re having a good stay. The rooms are beautifully kept, the atmosphere is calm, and it feels like a little sanctuary to return to after long days exploring temples or wandering the city.

The location is another huge plus. It’s an easy walk to all the dinner spots I’ve recommended. A brilliant base for four nights in Siem Reap.

Next stop: Hoi An — 3 Nights

Arriving in Hoi An can feel like a jolt to the senses. After the slower, more spacious feel of Siem Reap, the intensity of the old town, the constant hum of scooters, and the busy, colourful streets hit you immediately. It’s lively, energetic, and at times a little overwhelming, especially when you first step into the traffic‑weaving rhythm that Vietnam is famous for.

Spending three nights gives you enough time to settle into the pace, find your favourite corners, and appreciate the charm beneath the chaos. It’s a fascinating counterpoint to Siem Reap — two places shaped by history, but with entirely different energies.

Hoi An activities

Hoi an is a great place for wandering and shopping of course. Beyond that, these were my favourite things to do:

Having Something Tailor‑Made

One of the most iconic things to do in Hoi An is to have an item of clothing tailor‑made. The town is famous for its tailoring tradition, with hundreds of ateliers ranging from quick‑turnaround shops to specialist studios — and the quality can be exceptional.

I had a linen dress made at Milan, a tailor that specialises in beautiful, breathable linen pieces. The whole experience was such a joy: choosing the fabric, discussing the cut, and watching the dress take shape over a couple of days. The key thing to know is that you should do this at the very first opportunity. Even simple designs often require two or more fittings to get the shape just right, and the tailors here take real pride in perfecting the fit.

It’s a lovely way to take home something meaningful from your trip, not just a souvenir, but a piece of clothing that carries the memory of Hoi An’s craft, colour, and energy.

Evening street food tour

A brilliant way to ease yourself into Hoi An’s energy is with an evening street food tour, and this one was a real highlight of our time here. We joined a small group, just us and a lovely couple from Germany, which made the whole evening feel friendly and relaxed. Our guide, Tham, was fantastic; warm, funny, and full of local knowledge. She took us to places we’d never have found on our own, from tiny family‑run stalls to tucked‑away spots serving dishes that have been perfected over generations. It wasn’t just about eating (though the food was incredible); it was about understanding the stories behind each dish and the role food plays in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnamese Coffee

One thing you absolutely shouldn’t miss in Hoi An is the Vietnamese coffee culture. You’ll find great little cafés all over the city. The coffee itself is strong, rich, and often sweetened with condensed milk, which gives it that unmistakable flavour you start to crave after a couple of days.

It’s also the perfect place to try egg coffee, a Vietnamese speciality made with whipped egg yolk, sugar, and strong coffee. It’s creamy, velvety, and almost dessert‑like — I found it very sweet, but it’s such a fun and memorable thing to try at least once while you’re here.

My Son Sanctuary — Private Tour

A visit to My Son Sanctuary is a beautiful way to deepen your understanding of Vietnam’s history, and opting for a private tour with a local guide makes the whole experience feel calm and flexible — especially after the intensity of Hoi An’s old town. We booked this tour and found the structure worked perfectly. A taxi driver collects you from your hotel and takes you out to the site, which sits in a lush valley about an hour away. When you arrive, you’re met by a local guide who stays with you for around 45 minutes.

That balance was ideal. The guide gave us just the right amount of context — the story of the Champa Kingdom, the symbolism in the carvings, the impact of the war — without overwhelming us. After that, we were free to wander the ruins at our own pace, take photos, and soak up the atmosphere. The site itself is incredibly atmospheric: partly restored, partly reclaimed by nature, with mountains rising all around.

Aerial Yoga and Nourish Eatery

A lovely way to balance out the busyness of Hoi An is with an aerial yoga class at Mint studio. The class itself is playful and grounding in equal measure, giving you a chance to stretch, float, and reset after days of exploring, eating, and weaving through scooter traffic.

And because it’s located right behind Nourish Eatery, you can have a delicious brunch after your class. I absolutely loved the food here — fresh, colourful, nourishing dishes that feel like exactly what your body wants after long travel days. I ended up going back a few times during my stay, partly for the food and partly because the whole place has such a relaxed, restorative vibe.

Where to Stay in Hoi An

For Hoi An, I’m recommending Zen Boutique, a place that ended up feeling like a real retreat from the intensity of the old town. It sits a little outside the centre, which means you’ll likely rely on Grab for getting around — and honestly, that’s no bad thing. Walking in Hoi An can be… an adventure. The scooters, the traffic, the lack of pavements — it’s not for the faint‑hearted, especially in the heat. Having a calm base to return to makes all the difference.

Zen Boutique itself is quiet, friendly, and beautifully run. The staff were incredibly helpful, the rooms were comfortable, and the whole place had a relaxed, homely feel. The breakfast was also great and inlcuded the option of a daily bahn mi, which I very much enjoyed.

Ninh Binh (Tam Coc) — 3 Nights

After the intensity, colour, and constant movement of Hoi An, arriving in Tam Coc feels like exhaling. The landscape opens up into wide rice fields, towering limestone karsts, and quiet rural roads where life moves at a gentler pace. We originally planned just two nights here and immediately wished we’d booked longer.

Tam Coc is often described as “Ha Long Bay on land,”. The river winds between cliffs, ducks paddle past the boat landings, and the mornings are misty and peaceful in a way that feels worlds away from the scooter‑filled streets of Hoi An. It’s the perfect pit stop in your journey through Vietnam.

Tam Coc Boat Tour

The obvious thing to recommend in Tam Coc is having a boat tour around the beautiful river. We actually chose not to do this as there are some mixed reviews which include some people feeling pressured into buying things and tipping.

We’d experienced milder versions of this a couple of times already in Vietnam and didn’t want to put ourselves in that position, especially as I was feeling unwell at the time. However it’s my duty as a travel blogger to make the suggestion to you so that you can decide for yourself. I’m sure it would be absolutely beautiful.

Mua Cave Hike

The Mua Cave hike is one of those experiences that completely lives up to the photos — and then some. Most travellers head up for sunrise or sunset, which are undeniably beautiful times to be there, but also the busiest. We decided to go around lunchtime, and it turned out to be a brilliant choice. Yes, it was a little warm (though in January it was perfectly manageable), but the trade‑off was a much quieter trail and viewpoints that felt almost peaceful.

The climb itself is steep but short, winding up hundreds of stone steps to two different viewpoints. At the top, you’re rewarded with sweeping views over Tam Coc’s rice fields, limestone karsts, and winding rivers — a landscape that feels ancient and cinematic all at once. It was one of our absolute highlights in Vietnam, the kind of moment where you just stand still and take it all in.

 

Bear Sanctuary Ninh Binh

If we’d had longer in Ninh Binh, we would definitely have added a visit to the bear sanctuary in Ninh Binh. It’s run by an animal welfare organisation that rescues bears from illegal bile farming and gives them a safe, spacious, enriched environment to live out their lives. The sanctuary sits in a beautiful, quiet part of the region, surrounded by greenery and limestone peaks, and offers guided tours where you can learn about the bears’ stories and the wider conservation work happening in Vietnam.

Where to stay in Tam Coc

If you’re looking for somewhere that truly captures the magic of Ninh Binh, Tam Coc Valley Eco resort is the place I’d recommend. It was absolutely stunning — the kind of setting that almost doesn’t feel real. It’s one of those views that makes you stop, breathe, and just take in how beautiful this part of Vietnam really is.

 

The accommodation is made up of individual bungalows, each one tucked into the landscape so it feels private, peaceful, and wonderfully removed from everything.

Hanoi: 3 Nights

Arriving in Hanoi is like stepping into a different kind of intensity altogether — louder, faster, more chaotic, and somehow completely mesmerising. The rules of the road feel more like suggestions than anything fixed. Scooters weave through traffic carrying passengers, pets, crates of fruit, and occasionally something so surreal you have to laugh — we genuinely saw one with a kitchen sink strapped to the back. Crossing the street becomes a full‑body experience: you walk slowly, steadily, and trust that the river of scooters will simply flow around you. I never quite got the hang of it, but maybe next time.

As a pedestrian, the pavements offer no real refuge. They’re alive with activity; scooters parked nose‑to‑nose, people boiling what I sincerely hope were chickens, someone welding a metal frame, another tending a small fire, and families cooking dinner on tiny stools. The hazards come from every direction: the uneven pavements, the scooters that appear from nowhere, the dust, the fumes, the sheer sensory overload of it all.

And yet, once the shock wears off, there’s something exhilarating about it. Hanoi is chaotic, yes, but it’s also vibrant, compelling, and full of life happening right in front of you. It’s a city that doesn’t perform for tourists — it simply is, unapologetically and intensely.

Activities in Hanoi

Train Street

Train Street is one of those places that simply wouldn’t, and probably shouldn’t,  exist anywhere else. It’s a narrow residential street where cafés, homes, laundry lines, and tiny plastic stools sit just inches from the railway tracks. Several times a day, a full‑sized train thunders through, and everything  is whisked out of the way with astonishing speed and coordination. The whole thing feels surreal, chaotic, and strangely charming.

What makes it so compelling is how normal it seems to the people who live and work there. Children play, neighbours chat, tourists sip iced coffee — and then someone casually calls out that the train is coming, and the entire street shifts in a matter of seconds. You are literally told to move your legs to the side before the train roars past, close enough to feel the rush of air on your skin. It’s intense, a little absurd, and absolutely unforgettable.

Hoa Lo Prison

Visiting Hoa Lo Prison is a sobering, humbling experience — one that stays with you long after you’ve stepped back into Hanoi’s noise and colour. The museum lays out Vietnam’s history with a stark honesty, covering both the French colonial era, when Vietnamese political prisoners were held, tortured, and executed, and the later period during the American War, when US pilots were imprisoned here. Walking through the cells, the exhibits, and the stories carved into the walls gives you a visceral sense of the suffering, resistance, and complexity that shaped modern Vietnam.

For me, it also offered a moment of reflection. Understanding the layers of trauma, occupation, and conflict helped me make sense of why I didn’t always find people in Vietnam particularly open or warm. When you see the weight of history laid out so plainly, it becomes easier to understand the guardedness, the resilience, and the ways in which hospitality here can feel different from neighbouring countries.

Day Trip to Ha Long Bay

Even though we didn’t manage to do this, I wouldn’t be doing my job as a travel blogger if I didn’t wholeheartedly recommend a day trip to Ha Long Bay. It’s one of Vietnam’s most iconic landscapes: towering limestone karsts rising out of emerald water, traditional boats drifting between the cliffs, and that soft, hazy light that makes every photo look like a painting.

Most tours from Hanoi include a comfortable transfer, a cruise through the bay, a stop at a cave or island, and a fresh seafood lunch on board. It’s a long day, but everyone I’ve spoken to says it’s absolutely worth it — a chance to step away from Hanoi’s intensity and into something serene, cinematic, and completely different from the rest of the trip.

If you have the time (and the energy), it’s a beautiful addition to your itinerary and one of those experiences people remember long after they’ve left Vietnam behind.

As I was unwell during my stay in Hanoi and unable to make the most of my time, I feel like I haven’t done it justice. So if you want to know more, check out this excellent post by another blogger about Things To Do In Hanoi.

Cloud 9 Restaurant — A Perfect Final Night

To celebrate the end of an epic three‑week trip, I’m recommending the tasting menu at Cloud Nine Restaurant— the exact way we chose to mark our final evening in Vietnam.

It was also the perfect opportunity to wear the linen dress I’d had made in Hoi An, which added this lovely personal touch to the evening — a reminder of the journey woven right into the moment. The food itself was amazing: beautifully plated, balanced, and genuinely special. It felt like an occasion, the kind of meal where you slow down, savour every course, and take in the fact that you’ve just travelled through three extraordinary weeks.

Where to Stay in Hanoi

For Hanoi, I’m recommending the Grande Collection Hotel and Spa, which turned out to be a really comfortable and well‑located base for exploring the city. It sits close to the Old Quarter, so you can walk to many of the main sights — though you’ll still find yourself dodging scooters and stepping around pavement‑based welding projects, naturally.

The hotel itself is calm and welcoming, with spacious rooms and staff who are genuinely helpful. It felt like a little pocket of quiet in a city that never really stops moving. Breakfast wasn’t the best we had in Vietnam, but that hardly mattered because Hanoi is full of brilliant coffee shops and bakeries just steps away. It actually became part of the fun — slipping out each morning to find a new café for iced coffee, pastries, or a bowl of something warm and comforting.

It’s a great choice if you want comfort, convenience, and a soft landing after the sensory overload of the streets outside.

Practical tips for this itinerary

A few things we learned along the way that will make your trip smoother, cheaper, and far less stressful:

  • Cash is king: Most places prefer cash, and many charge around 3% for card payments. ATMs are everywhere, but they often have low withdrawal limits, so plan ahead.
  • Bring larger, newer notes: Vietnam gives noticeably better exchange rates for crisp, high‑denomination bills. We had no idea before arriving, and it genuinely makes a difference.
  • Pack light and use local laundry: Laundry services are cheap — usually just a couple of pounds per kilo — and quick. Just avoid bringing your best or most delicate clothes, as the washing process can be a little rough.
  • Use Grab for getting around: It’s reliable, safe, and inexpensive, and it works brilliantly for airport transfers too. It saves you from haggling and makes navigating busy cities far easier.

Closing Reflections

There’s a saying you hear often in travel circles — that “you’ve never really travelled until you’ve done Southeast Asia”. I now understand what people mean by this. Travelling through these 3 countries is such a profound shift in rhythm, culture, pace, and daily life that it gently (and sometimes not so gently) shakes your own norms loose. It asks you to look at the world differently, and in doing so, you end up looking at yourself differently too.

For me, it showed up in small, almost funny ways, like realising just how much bread I eat at home, and how unnecessary that suddenly felt when surrounded by bowls of broth, herbs, rice noodles, and fresh fruit. But it also showed up in deeper ways: noticing how I adapt, how I cope with intensity, how I find calm, how I stay open in places that feel unfamiliar. It’s the kind of trip that stretches you, not in a dramatic or uncomfortable way, but in a way that expands your sense of who you are as a traveller.

By the end of the three weeks, I genuinely felt like my identity as a traveller had levelled up; more confident, more curious, more grounded in the knowledge that I can navigate places that are wildly different from home. And that, really, is what defines a trip of a lifetime. Not just the landscapes or the food or the bucket‑list moments, but the quiet internal shift that happens when you step so far outside your usual world that you return changed, even just a little.

What you need to book in advance for this epic itinerary