Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand

Photos

2,016

Hikes

2

Shape

single city · multi-district

Anchor

Hong Kong (single base)

Pace

very fast · 403 / day average

Three consecutive 500-photo days over New Year - the Avenue of Stars, the Victoria Peak hike running into the harbour fireworks, and the Tian Tan Buddha on New Year’s Day - the densest run of the whole trip.

• 28-29 Dec - the Istanbul transit and the arrival into Hong Kong, the trip still gathering itself.
• 30 Dec - the Avenue of Stars and the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, framing the Island skyline from the Kowloon side.
• 31 Dec - the morning Victoria Peak hike up Morning Trail to Lugard and Harlech Roads, then New Year’s Eve on Victoria Harbour and the fireworks over the water.
• 1 Jan - the Ngong Ping Trail on Lantau up to the Tian Tan Buddha, the steepest tracked climb of the trip.
• 2 Jan - a last full Hong Kong day before flying on to Đà Nẵng.

Photos

2,539

Shape

Hội An anchor → central coast → Huế → Hà Nội → Tam Cốc → Hạ Long Bay

Anchor

Hội An (3 nts) · Hà Nội (4 nts)

Pace

fast

Jan 5 is the Vietnam peak - the Marble Mountains in the morning, Bà Nà Hills in the afternoon, then the Hải Vân Pass north towards Huế in one long day along the central-coast spine.

• 3 Jan - flight from Hong Kong into Đà Nẵng, then straight south to Hội An’s old town - the lantern-lit Hoài River and the tailor streets all in one afternoon.
• 4 Jan - a slow Hội An old-town day, the long town-walk threading the Old Quarter and the An Bang beach side.
• 5 Jan - the central-coast peak day: the Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn), Bà Nà Hills above Đà Nẵng, then the Hải Vân Pass north through Chân Mây - Lăng Cô towards Huế.
• 6 Jan - Huế: the Imperial Citadel and the Perfume River pagodas (Thiên Mụ at Kim Long, the Tự Đức tomb up at Thuy Xuan), then the evening flight north to Hà Nội.
• 7-8 Jan - the Old Quarter, the city’s tangle of streets, the lake, the night markets.
• 9 Jan - the day-trip south to Tam Cốc / Hoa Lư - the karsts of Trang An rising out of the rice paddies.
• 10 Jan - Hạ Long Bay: the boat day out of Hải Phòng / Tuần Châu, the limestone karsts on the water.

Photos

734

Shape

single city + Xieng Men across the Mekong + countryside ride

Anchor

Luang Prabang

Pace

fast

Jan 12 is the Luang Prabang peak - the dawn alms ceremony, the UNESCO old town’s temples and Mekong waterfront in one long day. Jan 13 added a morning country-bike ride - 14.3 km out of the old town and back, 114 m of gentle climb, the only ride logged on the whole trip.

• 11 Jan - the transit day out of Hà Nội into Luang Prabang.
• 12 Jan - the big Luang Prabang day, almost all of it across the UNESCO old town and the Mekong side.
• 13 Jan - a morning ride out of the old town: 14.3 km / 114 m ascent through the Mekong countryside, just over an hour rolling. The afternoon dropped back into Xieng Men, the cultural village across the river, then the trip’s quietest stretch back on the peninsula.

Photos

383

Shape

single city · short stay

Anchor

Bangkok

Pace

moderate · the wind-down

Jan 15 is the Bangkok day - the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, then the Khao San streets.

• 14 Jan - the transit day out of Luang Prabang into Bangkok.
• 15 Jan - the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, the one full Bangkok day.
• 16 Jan - a quiet last Bangkok day as the trip winds down.

Photos

6

Shape

transit

Anchor

none

Pace

zero-leg

The way home through Istanbul, mirroring the way out three weeks earlier.