One of those experiences that stays with you. You take a boat through the floating village itself, an entire community of homes, schools and businesses built on the water, then out onto the big open lake where you stop at a crocodile farm for fried rice and ramen. From there you have the option to take a smaller boat through the mangroves which is worth doing. The water levels were low when we went which made everything feel even more exposed and real. Seeing how people live here puts the world in perspective fast. Go with an open mind.

Do not skip this. Yes it is pricey and yes it is worth every single baht. Olive does an all-you-can-eat Italian spread that is genuinely one of the best dining experiences of the whole trip. The charcuterie room alone is worth the price of entry. I have never seen a cheese selection that size anywhere. From there it opens up into a massive array of appetizers, wood-fired pizzas, a pasta station where you pick your pasta and sauce and the white sauce is made tableside inside a giant wheel of cheese, grilled meats including a steak that was exceptional, and a dessert section that goes on longer than you expect every time you think you have reached the end. Live band playing the whole time, beautiful open-air setting, guests all dressed up and in a great mood. It felt like a special occasion even on a random Tuesday. Budget extra for this one and go hungry.

An incredible temple complex that has to be seen to be understood. We hired a private driver for the full day which made getting between temples seamless and we were so thankful for the air conditioner post heat. At sunrise the grounds fill up fast as everyone is chasing the famous reflection shot on the pond. We hired one of the on-site photographers which was fun and only $1 per photo but negotiate if you are taking multiple shots. Honest tip though: their lighting setup washes out all the sunrise colors so enjoy the colors on your own first and save the photographer for later in the morning. We skipped a guide and were glad we did. The complex is massive and being able to wander and discover at your own pace made it feel more personal.

Pretty but there is a line and the ride is short. Do it for a brief Disney Tangled moment but manage your expectations. The coconut boat earlier in the day will have been the better memory.

Get there before sunset and claim your spot because the views are worth arriving early for. Good food with both western and Thai options so everyone is happy. Live music was great. This is where the best conversations of the trip happened.

Book the sunrise tour, full stop. Our group was the only one there before general opening and we had the entire ancient site to ourselves. The moment other tour groups started arriving we were wrapping up. Our group of 10 was genuinely the perfect group where we had so much fun chatting all morning. If you go at normal hours you will be fighting crowds for every photo.

Great location right on the beach and the pools are beautiful. Booked on Marriott points. Not the most memorable hotel of the trip but the beachfront access and proximity to everything in Da Nang makes it a solid base. Recommend staying in Hoi An instead.

This is the do absolutely nothing day and you will earn it after the Vietnam leg. Sleep in, swim, eat at Olive, repeat. The adults only pool is your home base. Get to the beach bar early enough to claim chairs for sunset. If you are feeling active the nature bike ride around the property is a nice easy morning activity. Otherwise just let the resort do its thing. You will not be bored.

Way more fun than expected. Think Disney World meets French colonial architecture on top of a mountain in Vietnam. The gondola ride up is spectacular, the beer hall in the French village is a vibe, the winery is worth a stop, and the mountain coaster is silly. Go right at opening because even then it is packed. We paid to skip the gondola line which was 100% worth it. Budget a minimum of half a day.

Great stop for a beer and a pancake.

Dinner at the hotel after a full day of activities.

One of the best resorts we have ever stayed at. About 90 minutes from Phuket airport so book a private driver for the transfer. We were greeted with welcome drinks on arrival and checked into a two bedroom suite that was genuinely spacious and beautiful. There are a couple private villas on the property that looked absolutely incredible. The pool situation alone is worth the trip: a kids section with a water slide, an adults only pool, and two swim-up bars. Private beach with an adults only section. Sunset views from the beach bar that stopped us mid-conversation. A nature bike trail around the pond and farm animals, movies on the beach lawn, morning yoga, the list goes on. We booked this on Marriott points and it felt like an absolute steal for what you get. The thing that surprised me most was the people. We made friends with a couple from the UK at the beach bar and ended up spending evenings playing games and drinking with them. The kind of trip moment you cannot plan for. Great for families or couples trying to avoid kids due to all the adult-only sections.

The water color here is genuinely so beautiful. That said, if it is your first time in Thailand and you are choosing between the Similans and the more famous islands like Koh Phi Phi, I would actually choose the others first. The snorkeling was underwhelming compared to what I expected. Next time I am booking a dive trip instead. Pro tip: go to the uncovered front of the boat. Most people stay under the shade but the front is where the views are and you basically have it to yourself.

Hoi An old town is genuinely so beautiful places. The lanterns, the canals, the architecture. Go in the late afternoon when the light is golden. Even though we LOVED our guide, skip the guided tour unless you want to learn about the history. Otherwise, you can go to all the stops easily on your own.

The statue is massive and the views of Da Nang from the peninsula are really beautiful. Quick visit but worth it.

Great spot to wander after dinner. We bought cheap clothes and street food and stayed way longer than planned.

Favorite part of our time in Vietnam. Absolutely do this. The spinning bamboo boats through the coconut forest at sunset are completely chaotic and completely magical. Fair warning: the spinning lasts longer than you expect and you will be dizzy for a while after. There is also random karaoke happening in the clearing which is very silly. So incredibly whimsical.

A really worthwhile day out of Siem Reap and much less visited than the Angkor complex. The day is more driving between spots than hiking which is a good thing given the Cambodian heat. You stop at incredible mountain viewpoints, cool off at a waterfall, and walk along the River of a Thousand Lingas where over 1,000 ancient Hindu carvings are etched into the sandstone riverbed just below the water’s surface. The mountain temple complex at the top has a giant reclining Buddha with a great view. Remove shoes before entering as it is an active place of worship. A really meaningful day that most visitors to Siem Reap skip entirely.

AMAZING sushi and drinks!! Exactly what we needed after a day of traveling.

One of those experiences that stays with you. You take a boat through the floating village itself, an entire community of homes, schools and businesses built on the water, then out onto the big open lake where you stop at a crocodile farm for fried rice and ramen. From there you have the option to take a smaller boat through the mangroves which is worth doing. The water levels were low when we went which made everything feel even more exposed and real. Seeing how people live here puts the world in perspective fast. Go with an open mind.

Do not skip this. Yes it is pricey and yes it is worth every single baht. Olive does an all-you-can-eat Italian spread that is genuinely one of the best dining experiences of the whole trip. The charcuterie room alone is worth the price of entry. I have never seen a cheese selection that size anywhere. From there it opens up into a massive array of appetizers, wood-fired pizzas, a pasta station where you pick your pasta and sauce and the white sauce is made tableside inside a giant wheel of cheese, grilled meats including a steak that was exceptional, and a dessert section that goes on longer than you expect every time you think you have reached the end. Live band playing the whole time, beautiful open-air setting, guests all dressed up and in a great mood. It felt like a special occasion even on a random Tuesday. Budget extra for this one and go hungry.

An incredible temple complex that has to be seen to be understood. We hired a private driver for the full day which made getting between temples seamless and we were so thankful for the air conditioner post heat. At sunrise the grounds fill up fast as everyone is chasing the famous reflection shot on the pond. We hired one of the on-site photographers which was fun and only $1 per photo but negotiate if you are taking multiple shots. Honest tip though: their lighting setup washes out all the sunrise colors so enjoy the colors on your own first and save the photographer for later in the morning. We skipped a guide and were glad we did. The complex is massive and being able to wander and discover at your own pace made it feel more personal.

Pretty but there is a line and the ride is short. Do it for a brief Disney Tangled moment but manage your expectations. The coconut boat earlier in the day will have been the better memory.

Get there before sunset and claim your spot because the views are worth arriving early for. Good food with both western and Thai options so everyone is happy. Live music was great. This is where the best conversations of the trip happened.

Book the sunrise tour, full stop. Our group was the only one there before general opening and we had the entire ancient site to ourselves. The moment other tour groups started arriving we were wrapping up. Our group of 10 was genuinely the perfect group where we had so much fun chatting all morning. If you go at normal hours you will be fighting crowds for every photo.

Great location right on the beach and the pools are beautiful. Booked on Marriott points. Not the most memorable hotel of the trip but the beachfront access and proximity to everything in Da Nang makes it a solid base. Recommend staying in Hoi An instead.

This is the do absolutely nothing day and you will earn it after the Vietnam leg. Sleep in, swim, eat at Olive, repeat. The adults only pool is your home base. Get to the beach bar early enough to claim chairs for sunset. If you are feeling active the nature bike ride around the property is a nice easy morning activity. Otherwise just let the resort do its thing. You will not be bored.

Way more fun than expected. Think Disney World meets French colonial architecture on top of a mountain in Vietnam. The gondola ride up is spectacular, the beer hall in the French village is a vibe, the winery is worth a stop, and the mountain coaster is silly. Go right at opening because even then it is packed. We paid to skip the gondola line which was 100% worth it. Budget a minimum of half a day.

Great stop for a beer and a pancake.

Dinner at the hotel after a full day of activities.

One of the best resorts we have ever stayed at. About 90 minutes from Phuket airport so book a private driver for the transfer. We were greeted with welcome drinks on arrival and checked into a two bedroom suite that was genuinely spacious and beautiful. There are a couple private villas on the property that looked absolutely incredible. The pool situation alone is worth the trip: a kids section with a water slide, an adults only pool, and two swim-up bars. Private beach with an adults only section. Sunset views from the beach bar that stopped us mid-conversation. A nature bike trail around the pond and farm animals, movies on the beach lawn, morning yoga, the list goes on. We booked this on Marriott points and it felt like an absolute steal for what you get. The thing that surprised me most was the people. We made friends with a couple from the UK at the beach bar and ended up spending evenings playing games and drinking with them. The kind of trip moment you cannot plan for. Great for families or couples trying to avoid kids due to all the adult-only sections.

The water color here is genuinely so beautiful. That said, if it is your first time in Thailand and you are choosing between the Similans and the more famous islands like Koh Phi Phi, I would actually choose the others first. The snorkeling was underwhelming compared to what I expected. Next time I am booking a dive trip instead. Pro tip: go to the uncovered front of the boat. Most people stay under the shade but the front is where the views are and you basically have it to yourself.

Hoi An old town is genuinely so beautiful places. The lanterns, the canals, the architecture. Go in the late afternoon when the light is golden. Even though we LOVED our guide, skip the guided tour unless you want to learn about the history. Otherwise, you can go to all the stops easily on your own.

The statue is massive and the views of Da Nang from the peninsula are really beautiful. Quick visit but worth it.

Great spot to wander after dinner. We bought cheap clothes and street food and stayed way longer than planned.

Favorite part of our time in Vietnam. Absolutely do this. The spinning bamboo boats through the coconut forest at sunset are completely chaotic and completely magical. Fair warning: the spinning lasts longer than you expect and you will be dizzy for a while after. There is also random karaoke happening in the clearing which is very silly. So incredibly whimsical.

A really worthwhile day out of Siem Reap and much less visited than the Angkor complex. The day is more driving between spots than hiking which is a good thing given the Cambodian heat. You stop at incredible mountain viewpoints, cool off at a waterfall, and walk along the River of a Thousand Lingas where over 1,000 ancient Hindu carvings are etched into the sandstone riverbed just below the water’s surface. The mountain temple complex at the top has a giant reclining Buddha with a great view. Remove shoes before entering as it is an active place of worship. A really meaningful day that most visitors to Siem Reap skip entirely.

AMAZING sushi and drinks!! Exactly what we needed after a day of traveling.