Please help refine my Asia itinerary

[Anonymous]

Would be grateful for your advice.

I am going to Asia over winter break 2026/2027 with DS16 and DD11. Our dates are somewhat fixed and so is our entry point - we arrive to Singapore on December 20th and have to leave for the US on January 2nd at the latest. The flight to Singapore is ticketed, the flight back is open so far.

Currently the plan is to spend 4 nights in Singapore and 5 nights in Hong Kong. This leaves four nights in the middle for another destination, and I need help picking it out. We love cities but I think it would be good to have a break and do something else in between two big cities, perhaps a beach or something nature or culture-focused. We love food, walking around, being in cities, some culture and museums, nature and hiking, and water sports. No interest in Disney or theme parks or shopping. No Japan or Korea on this trip. Prefer places with a direct flight between destinations.

Currently I'm thinking about either a) Angkor Wat, b) Koh Samui, or c) do Thailand and Vietnam after Singapore instead of going to Hong Kong. I was enchanted with with the idea of Ha Long bay, but getting there doesn't seem straightforward, while Siem Reap and Koh Samui both have direct flights into Singapore and Hong Kong.

I have only traveled in Asia for work and frankly did not see much apart from the airport lounge and my hotel room as it was very intense.

What destination do you think would make sense for 4 days or so between Singapore and Hong Kong? Grateful for your advice.

[Anonymous]

In English, you arrive "in" a country, not "to" a country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In English, you arrive "in" a country, not "to" a country.

JFC get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In English, you arrive "in" a country, not "to" a country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would be grateful for your advice.

I am going to Asia over winter break 2026/2027 with DS16 and DD11. Our dates are somewhat fixed and so is our entry point - we arrive to Singapore on December 20th and have to leave for the US on January 2nd at the latest. The flight to Singapore is ticketed, the flight back is open so far.

Currently the plan is to spend 4 nights in Singapore and 5 nights in Hong Kong. This leaves four nights in the middle for another destination, and I need help picking it out. We love cities but I think it would be good to have a break and do something else in between two big cities, perhaps a beach or something nature or culture-focused. We love food, walking around, being in cities, some culture and museums, nature and hiking, and water sports. No interest in Disney or theme parks or shopping. No Japan or Korea on this trip. Prefer places with a direct flight between destinations.

Currently I'm thinking about either a) Angkor Wat, b) Koh Samui, or c) do Thailand and Vietnam after Singapore instead of going to Hong Kong. I was enchanted with with the idea of Ha Long bay, but getting there doesn't seem straightforward, while Siem Reap and Koh Samui both have direct flights into Singapore and Hong Kong.

I have only traveled in Asia for work and frankly did not see much apart from the airport lounge and my hotel room as it was very intense.

What destination do you think would make sense for 4 days or so between Singapore and Hong Kong? Grateful for your advice.

Have only been to Singapore, so take it with a grain of salt, but why are you spending most of your time in those two cities. I know they aren't exactly the same, but there are a lot of similarities, and I think it would be maybe more interesting if your other city was more "different", for lack of a better word? I guess thinking Option C is the most interesting to me. Also, Singapore is great just for the food alone, 4 days there is a good amount of time, maybe one more to account for jet lag, etc. Jet lag pretty intense since it's exactly 12 hours different, you are truly flipped upside down, went in my 20s and took me a full 5 days to fully adjust.

[Anonymous]

Ha long bay is magical. You can fly direct from singapore to hanoi. Several boat tours will pick up from hanoi. I did a private one day trip when I went. They picked us up from our hotel, drove to the port, we went on the boat for a few hours, had lunch on the boat, they stop for snorkling or swimming or whatever, then back to the port, and we were driven back to the hotel. I think most people do at least a night on the boat, but we had such little time and still wanted to see it.

I was also going to suggest taiwan, which was one of my favourite places in asia. Amazing food scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha long bay is magical. You can fly direct from singapore to hanoi. Several boat tours will pick up from hanoi. I did a private one day trip when I went. They picked us up from our hotel, drove to the port, we went on the boat for a few hours, had lunch on the boat, they stop for snorkling or swimming or whatever, then back to the port, and we were driven back to the hotel. I think most people do at least a night on the boat, but we had such little time and still wanted to see it.

I was also going to suggest taiwan, which was one of my favourite places in asia. Amazing food scene.

I thought about that! So, from what little research I did online, and please note I have no direct experience, it seems the bay is suffering from over-tourism and getting too dirty to enjoy. There IS an alternative called Bai Tu Long bay that is apparently the "new" Ha Long. It will be, however, too cold to get into the water for swimming or snorkeling in December But I agree it sounds and looks magical and is definitely on the list.

What did you think of Hanoi?

[Anonymous]

I would go to a beach in Malaysia since you will be in Singapore and it is close such as Langkawi; or fly to Bali for a few days, the Seminyak and Ubud areas are lovely.

[Anonymous]

Langkawi is perfect for this.

[Anonymous]

I would do Singapore for 3 nights, Bangkok for 4-5 nights and then add a beach in Thailand to make up the rest of the time.

[Anonymous]

You don’t really have enough time for this trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha long bay is magical. You can fly direct from singapore to hanoi. Several boat tours will pick up from hanoi. I did a private one day trip when I went. They picked us up from our hotel, drove to the port, we went on the boat for a few hours, had lunch on the boat, they stop for snorkling or swimming or whatever, then back to the port, and we were driven back to the hotel. I think most people do at least a night on the boat, but we had such little time and still wanted to see it.

I was also going to suggest taiwan, which was one of my favourite places in asia. Amazing food scene.

I thought about that! So, from what little research I did online, and please note I have no direct experience, it seems the bay is suffering from over-tourism and getting too dirty to enjoy. There IS an alternative called Bai Tu Long bay that is apparently the "new" Ha Long. It will be, however, too cold to get into the water for swimming or snorkeling in December But I agree it sounds and looks magical and is definitely on the list.

What did you think of Hanoi?

Ah it's been a few years, but that's disappointing to hear about the garbage.

Girl, I just looked up the temp for dec and it looks totally fine. That said, I'm Canadian and used to much colder than 70-73f water temp lololol. YMMV of course

I loved hanoi. I stayed in the old quarter and everything was super walkable. Amazing little "restaurants" on every corner. Egg coffee + bun cha were my favourites. Such nice people.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine spending so much time in singapore and hongkong. 5 nights in hongkong? even 4 nights in singapore is alot.

[Anonymous]

Why are you spending 4 days in HK?? I would not do this; if that’s your outbound airport, just come in the day before.
Cambodia, Siam Reap, Vietnam are all wonderful and way more interesting than HK

[Anonymous]

Is Hong Kong not interesting enough?