Conscious Tourism Girls Trip: Combining Halong Bay, Vietnam & Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

What stood out for us was the ease in which we could travel on local airlines between Vietnam and Cambodia. Direct flights on Vietnam Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air and VietJet were exceptional. We were easily able to fly into Ho Chi Minh City from Australia and my school mate was easily able to meet up with us there from South Africa with one stop over in Dubai.

What was not as simple was the visa process (this is not an issue for many, but for those traveling on a South African passport, as an example, you're required to obtain a visa before arrival into Vietnam and it's extremely confronting how many extremely legit-looking fraudulent operators offer visas and travelers can be caught out too late at check-in or immigration with a visa that's not authentic. Please engage the help of someone like me, a travel advisor who can assist you so you are all set with what you need when it comes to visas etc.

We absolutely loved staying at the luxury Mai House Saigon in Ho Chi Minh. The rooms are exceptional and include an incredibly lavish spread for breakfast. There's an in-house sauna, steam room, well-equipped gym and heated swimming pool. We traveled from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap and stayed at Jaya House River Park. This property cannot be recommended more highly. Nightly rates include so many add-ons that are truly mind-blowing. Upon arrival, the GM greets guests personally with a sit-down chat and welcome drink, discussing what guests would like to achieve with their time. Breakfasts are anything but simple. Many options of fresh fruits, teas, artisanal cappuccino, freshly baked pastries and a full selection of cooked breakfasts with the most creative veggie and vegan options I've seen in a long time. But breakfast is not all you get. There's a daily 60-minute specialty massage every day of your booking. This is not an average massage. It was one of the best I and my friend have ever experienced. And there were multiple options on offer, and every time upon arrival at the spa, guests are treated with a delicious locally created and brewed health tea, and then you change into what I can only describe as massage "pj's" - I wish I could have taken home with me — my only regret was not finding myself a pair to take home. Jaya House is incredible forward-thinking and has been single-use plastic-free since 2017. Upon arrival at the airport, we were greeted at the airport (complimentary transfers included), with very warm welcomes from friendly staff as well as fresh fruit and a water bottle canister to take around and take home. I could go on and on. There were free tuk-tuk trips around town, and to the early-morning temple tours, complete with hot, freshly out of the oven pain au chocolats and cappuccinos (all before 5 am!). I guess the most impressive of all was the price point of both these properties being below $350 per night. On that note, the game changer for us was being willing to travel in shoulder season and risk the occasional monsoon-type down pour. We did, we benefited hugely with cost savings and we were also extremely happy with the weather. (We traveled end September/ beginning October)

Day Trips

Once we transferred out of Hanoi to Halong Bay and boarded our exclusive luxe cruise operated by Heritage Line, called Ylang. We had a plethora of onboard and off-ship activities to enjoy on Cat Ba Island and around the bay.

Cycling, drinking Snake-Infused Rice wine, kayaking to private beaches for picnics or simply watching the world go by from the incredibly spacious cruise rooms. This was the best way to experience Lan Ha Bay and Halong. Our particular ship only had 12 guests on board, making the experience extremely luxurious and intimate.

Siem Reap:

• Jaya House River Park: Best breakfast as well as the most incredible hotel in Siem Reap.

• Phum Baitang: We visited the bar here for a very impressive-looking G&T that changed color as it was being poured. We loved the change of pace and scenery with this out-of-town property.

• Pub Street and River Road restaurants are vibrant and full of delicious food and drink.

Hanoi:

• We loved the street food as well as visiting the many different options of restaurants, cafes, jazz bars and bistros at the extremely exclusive Sofitel Metropole Legend Hanoi. It's definitely worth a visit.