McGoogles

Currently planning a trip to SEA with my girlfriend to see a few sites (including Angkor Wat). We want a place to relax for about a week and one of the stipulations is that it is not extremely hot/humid. According to my partner in crime, I'm a miserable person to be around in those conditions.

So, my general question would be, given the desire to not be too far (let's say 3 hour plane flight) from Cambodia or Hong Kong, what general areas might have a respite from the hot/humid weather down there? If you have specific recommendations for people who enjoy hiking and being outdoors along with the food and culture (and a nice hotel or two), all the better.

I started looking at Northern Thailand but the temperatures I saw for Chiang Rai were brutal. Would places in the mountains of Northern Vietnam be better?

glennaa11

Generally speaking, SE Asia is the tropics. So the weather is largely tropical, especially by May. If you want any chance at cool you need to go to the mountains in winter (Dec-Feb). Although even BKK can be surprisingly nice in December sometimes.

hiyo

The mountains of northern Vietnam, Sapa area, should be nice in May. Expect very full travel days each way as you will have to fly to Hanoi and take a train to Lao Cai, then further on by road to Sapa.

Shan State in Burma?

It's difficult to find places not too humid and/nor hot in May in Southeast Asia.

Good luck and have fun!

dsquared37

Bangkok is lovely at the moment.

OP, you're not gonna find too many options. The highlands of northern Vietnam might be a respite but otherwise you're dealing with hot, hole-up-during-the-day, conditions.

Siem Reap is going to drain you so I'd suggest hitting a beach somewhere more easily reached than Sapa et al.

On second thought, the highlands of Malaysia could offer what you crave. Any if you have any Avios it's a very easy award REP/PNH-KUL which clocks in at just under 500miles.

jpatokal

The Malaysian highlands are not hot, but they do tend to make up for it in humidity. Also, while they're somewhat interesting diversions if you're traveling in the vicinity, I wouldn't call any of Cameron Highlands, Fraser's Hill or (shudder) Genting an actual travel destination you'd want to spend a week or something in, unless you have a deep interest in (say) entomology or low-budget ripoffs of Las Vegas.

McGoogles

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I know the search for a bit of respite from heat/humidity in SEA is a bit of a needle in a haystack. However, everything is relative so even the bit of help from the highlands would be appreciated.

We may end up splitting the time between a beach in Vietnam and Sapa if the travel isn't too much to swing.

Low budget Las Vegas is not my idea of a good time, although the image it brings to mind is amusing.

Tod E Tosser

If you're willing to split time between a beach and a respite from the heat, you might consider Nha Trang and Da Lat. The latter is in the mountains of southern Viet Nam, and has comfortable temperatures year-round. But I wouldn't want to spend a week there. It's an easy drive between the two (2+ hours?), and both have flights to Saigon to get you in and out of the country.

dsquared37

If the low budget lodgings are anything like the rest of SE Asia's (no I haven't been to the Malaysia highlands) then there's great entomology to be had within the rooms.

jiejie

I'd second this idea. Dalat is upland, cool and comfortable, interesting and different from other places in Vietnam. Nha Trang or somewhere nearby on the beach would be more comfortable than the inland flatlands. The direct drive between the two takes between 2-3 hours. Nha Trang isn't everybody's cup of tea, depends what you're looking for and exact lodging/location you choose. It has livelier nightlife if that's a draw. Or you could go to a less well-known, quieter beach area like Phan Rang, there are some fairly new resorts there. I think the two together (mountain + beach) would make for a nice week and a contrast to Siem Reap/Cambodia.

Unfortunately in May, your options to get away from heat and humidity in SE Asia are very slim.

McGoogles

I am really liking the Dalat/beach idea. Thanks, folks!

jiejie, do you have any experience with the resorts around Phan Rang? I would love to find a place in the Nha Trang/Cam Ranh/Phang Rang corridor (close to Dalat) that is quiet and nice. Really, I guess I would like ~70% of what Amanoi looks like at 25% of the cost (which is still a lot for the area...).

jiejie

@McGoogles, no I really don't since I was only there for the day and it was a few years ago when it was still very sleepy and very local. But there are a number of Vietnam Hands on the forum who will hopefully check in and come up with something in the NT-PR corridor that suits your fancy and your budget. Maybe describe more about what you're looking for and your budget.

For Dalat, there are a number of interesting and decent places to stay. The main thing to first determine is whether you want to be in the center of town (IMO, too noisy) or not too far out/walking distance (the Dalat Palace and the DuParc) or a bit further away where a driver would be a good idea (Ana Mandara, Villa Vista). Or really farther out where a driver is a must (Binh Anh, Edensee). Also what sort of amenities you need.