I loved both Vietnam and Cambodia, my suggestion would be fly to Siem Reap in cambodia for the awesome sightseeing, maybe 4 nights, then travel by bus to phnom Penh for a few nights, a fascinating city, then a week on the beach at sihanoukville which can be reached by 4 hour bus from PP. Of course you would have to go back to PP for the flight home , I love Cambodia, my favourite country

Another option is 4 nights in Ho chi minh city Vietnam, then go down to mui ne for the beach - it looks beautiful there.

I did a Vietnam and Cambodia trip a few years ago that started in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) then I went to the Mekong Delta and then by boat to Phnom Penh staying at Can Tho and Chau Doc on the way. We flew to Siem Reap from PP but if you don't want to fly you can as Shirley says take a bus. You could do it in the opposite direction finnishing up at a beach reort in Vietnam. I think you can go all the way to Siem Reap by boat but this would take a long time.

Hi les127,

wherever it is to be thats where i intend to stay for the two weeks,i dont want to be getting internal flights to other places,thanks for any advice offered

Both countries have their merits. Cambodia is beautiful and the people great - problem is that you can only realistically fly in to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. They are both a good way from the sea (Sihanoukville) and I can't see you wanting to spend two weeks in either place, beautiful though they are.

Next option Vietnam. November is not the best time of the year for Hanoi or for Saigon - the weather tends to be cloudy, marginally brighter in the South, but with the possibility of a little more rain. You would need to take an internal flight (or longish car journey) to find a beach area. We loved Phu Quoc on our recent trip (see http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=131798 )
but a couple of weeks there may be too long.

Take some advice and do your research regarding beach areas and weather. We decided that the best time for both countries (S of Vietnam) was January / February.

We do fancy doing the trip (mentioned by Judith) from the Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh sometime ( and you can also get to Siem Reap then by boat!)

Good luck - and enjoy

Peter

In theory you can do a bus/coach journey from Bangkok via the border at Poipet and into Cambodia for Siem Reap. People will say again and again that going by air is the quickest way, which is a given, but for the most enjoyable ride of your life and to catch what "real" Cambodia is like, the minibus option is a must do in my opinion. We boarded in Bangkok and ten (yes ten) hours later we arrived in Siem Reap. Madness you may say, but for me it was one of the major highlights of our 9 month trip around the world. The contrast between the major tarmac roads in Thailand to the dirt tracks just a few metres away in Cambodia was fascinating, as was the walk across the border into no mans land (casinos, of all things) before entering Cambodia.

Siem Reap is a decent city, with the obvious delights of Angkor the main draw and the reason why 5 star hotels (yes, in Cambodia) are cropping up now to accommodate those travellers who prefer the finer things in life. For me, a basic 2* hotel (Freedom Hotel) was plenty good enough. Along with Angkor definitely take a trip to the small but worthwhile Landmine Museum and help out by buying a t-shirt or making a donation. Also, I would seriously recommend an evening meal at a real Cambodian familly house, which is probably only going to be doable if you go on a tour (Intrepid Adventures, highly recommended for tours through SE Asia and beyond).
For me Phomn Penh was less great. Busy, bustly and just a bit seedy. It's definitely worth visiting (some the architecture is amazing) but the highlights are hardly "holiday" type places, being the Toul Sleng torture prison and the Killing Fields. A number of our group couldn't face either of these "attractions". Fairly recent history seriously in your face.

As for Vietnam, well Ho Chi Minh is a must see and easily got to by boat from Phomn Penh to Chau Doc and then minibus to the city. A great way of getting there. Ho Chi Minh is vast, but there is so much to see and do. Aside from a number of more "Vietnam" like attractions I really enjoyed the views from the Sheraton hotel. Free to go up if you buy a drink from the bar.
I didn't rate Hoi An at all, but a lot of people do. If you want clothes/shoes made, then great but it's seriously touristy and I didn't gain anything from visiting. There are some temples similar to Angkor close by called My Son. Our guide said if you've seen Angkor, don't bother, he was right. If you haven't seen Angkor they will probably amaze you.
Hue was nicer, lovely river setting with boat cruises and some nice temples nearby. There was also a seriously lively market here sellling all manor of goods for ridiculous prices, and a great bar and restaurant scene.
Hanoi was the polar opposite of Ho Chi Minh, and more of what I expected Vietnam to be like. Lots of nice little cobbled streets and a massive lake in the middle of the city made for a quite stunning setting. If you add in a day trip (or longer) to Halong Bay from here you will see why Hanoi is a must see in Vietnam.

No beach information I'm afraid. Both Cambodia and Vietnam have beach resorts (as such) but we didn't venture there having spent time on Phuket in Thailand.

It is so difficult to choose between both countries. Vietnam is a more manageable country for an itinerary based holiday, but then you miss out on the Angkor temples and the friendly Cambodians. I would try and fit both in somehow.

We did Bangkok...Siem Reap (Bopha Angkor ..thank you ShirleyV )...after 4 days flew to PP and straight on the Mekong Express..4 hours to Sihanoukville - beach resort(emailed Bopha Angkor to arrange tickets before we left UK). Stayed at Reef Hotel there (excellent!!!) for 7 nights. Return Mekong Express to PP and two nights at Billabong (again xxx to Shirley V!).

I DO have the email address and mobile number of someone would can pick you up from Siem Reap airport in his motorbike tuk tuk PLUS take you around whilst you're in Siem Reap. Pm me for number.

Get the bus from Eskami bus station in Bangkok to Trat bus station. Then a minibus to the Thai/Cambo border at Hat Lek,clear through the customs then head for Koh Kong the first small town nearby,there you can book in a decent hotel for $15 night as the bus does not leave for Sihanoukville untill 8 am the next day. You will be in Sihanoukville by 12.30 lunchtime.