Congratulations,
cornwall4000 on your upcoming anniversary! Couple thoughts on my end -
1) Don't discount a good TA - I'm sure there are some great ones on the forum who have good connections in the region, I do think it helps a lot versus FHR and other bookings, plus they can offer real logistics advice (though there are plenty of us on the forum who can too
); I don't want my TA to fire me for saying this (he's a forum member), but I feel like we're in a great groove where his team really manages things like a great PA, plus we have similar taste in travel
2) Also don't discount more than one country; if you're going to fly between cities in say, Thailand, it's not much more of an issue to fly to say Luang Prabang as
SanDiego1K suggested and stay at Amantaka for a few nights. Luang Prabang isn't exactly a big airport, and even then, Aman will bring you through the diplomatic line
3) From my experience, Vietnam and Thailand seem like they would fit your requirements,
exactly - combining Saigon (Park Hyatt)/Hanoi (I'd recommend
not the Capella unless there are good reviews from credible FTers recently - I did not have a good stay) with Amanoi would be a very nice trip
3a) In Thailand, Bangkok - Aman Nai Lert/The Oriental (I second
SanDiego1K on eagerly awaiting the Langham Customs House) would pair well with Phuket - Amanpuri (I have not been to the north)
4) Again from my experience, my
ideal would be to pair Bangkok (Aman Nai Lert) with either Luang Prabang (Amantaka) or Siem Reap (planning my first visit next year to Amansara), and a beach destination; probably Phuket (Amanpuri). I do really enjoy Amanoi, but I don't connect with Vietnam as much as I do Thailand (many others love Vietnam and this is just my personal feelings)
5) Book whenever you're comfortable- rates will open up around 300 days out; many of the hotels we are discussing may require pre-payments. In my experience, it's not too hard to get availability close in, it's not like Safari where you need to book many months in advance (for example, I'm working on March 2026 now, and probably won't book for another three or four weeks minimum)