Having recently spent 4 months hopping around SE Asia (used Kuala Lumpur as my base) I would second this opinion. If you have the option look into a Halong Bay "junk" cruise when you are in the Hanoi area.
Originally Posted by
injera
cant speak to the miles but if youre going to be hopping around SE Asia, stay in Hanoi instead of Saigon and Siem Reap instead of Phnom Penh.