Detailed guide to the itinerary from Hanoi to Saigon, Sihanoukville, Koh Rong Samloem, and Koh Rong for 6 days and 5 nights, full of excitement.

Below is an extremely detailed itinerary from Hanoi to Saigon, Sihanoukville, Koh Rong Samloem, and Koh Rong for 6 days and 5 nights shared by Nguyen Thu Ha. Let's check it out!

Detailed guide to the itinerary from Hanoi to Saigon, Sihanoukville, Koh Rong Samloem, and Koh Rong for 6 days and 5 nights, full of excitement.

According to Thu Ha, this is a completely independent trip. We spent a little over 7 million VND for 6 days and 5 nights (including staying in Saigon). Our criteria were to have maximum fun while only saving money on plane tickets, so you can definitely do it with less.

Preparation

- Passport.

- Money: In Cambodia, USD is mainly used (except for 2 USD). When we went, we exchanged about 1,000 USD, 1 USD = 4,000 Riel.

- You don't need to know too much English, just enough to communicate for checking in, asking prices, bargaining. There are many Vietnamese people living in Cambodia, and many Cambodians also speak Vietnamese, so you don't have to worry.

- Food such as bread, sausages, canned food, instant noodles, pho, fruits... because the food on the island is quite bad, not suitable for taste and expensive.

- Mosquito repellent, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, flip-flops, or shoes if you want to play High Point. Preferably bring a backpack, because at Koh Rong Samloem, we stayed at a resort so someone picked us up at the pier and carried our luggage for us, but when we went to Koh Rong, we had to walk and carrying a wheeled suitcase on the sand is very difficult.

- Book accommodation: on various online booking websites.

Day 1: Hanoi - Saigon

We booked tickets three months in advance; the round-trip ticket from Hanoi to Saigon with Vietjet was 1,260,000 VND. We took the 9:30 AM flight and arrived around 11:30 AM. Then, we called Kumho Bus (08.3572.7878) to book tickets to Ha Tien border. The ticket price was about 170,000 VND per person. We chose the 9:00 PM trip back to Ha Tien, arriving around 5:00 AM. Alternatively, you can book onward flights from HCM to Sihanoukville Airport for approximately 2.2 - 2.5 million VND round trip. Due to cost-saving, we opted for a car ride.

Since we traveled in the evening, we had time to explore Saigon in the afternoon. We rented a hotel near Bitexco Tower for 600,000 VND per room for four people for four hours. It's challenging to find cheap hotels or guesthouses in District 1; other areas are cheaper but require taxi rides to tourist spots. So, we suggest renting a hotel in District 1 to save money on taxis and have easy access to attractions.

After checking in, we went out to eat. Just stroll around the streets and you'll find plenty of food options like mixed rice paper, chicken rice, and rice... Afterward, we returned to the hotel to rest. We checked out at 5:00 PM, left our luggage at the hotel lobby, and went out to eat and wander around. We used Google Maps to navigate to Ben Thanh Market, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Nguyen Hue Walking Street. They're all within walking distance or you can take a cheap Grab ride, around 30-40,000 VND per trip. At 7:30 PM, we returned to the hotel to collect our luggage and moved to the Kumho Bus office (326 Le Hong Phong Street), then took a shuttle bus to the Mien Tay Bus Station.

Day 2: Ha Tien - Sihanoukville

Arriving in Ha Tien at 5:00 AM, the four of us took a shuttle bus from Kumho to the Vietcamthai office to buy tickets to Cambodia & tickets to Koh Rong. While waiting for the bus to the border, you can have breakfast as it will be noon by the time you arrive. There's a decent restaurant near the ticket office.

We bought tickets to Sihanoukville for 26 USD per person round trip + 100,000 VND per person for exit fee + health check fee (Ms. Tien: 096.990.5506 at Vietcamthai office).

At Vietcamthai, you can buy island ferry tickets for convenience: $20 per person for a fast ferry taking 45 minutes, or $25 per person for a slow ferry (about 3 hours, with stops for swimming and partying on board). Our group chose the fast ferry for $20 per person round trip (tickets come in pairs, remember to keep one for the return trip). Alternatively, you can buy tickets directly at the ferry terminal in Sihanoukville at the same price.

It takes about 3 hours from here to Sihanoukville. We booked at OC Hotel. The hotel is quite satisfactory, with a beautiful pool and friendly staff, priced at $80 for 2 rooms for 4 people (including breakfast).

If anyone catches the 12 PM ferry to the island, they can go straight away. But our group didn't go because traveling for over 10 hours by car is exhausting, so we planned to stay in Sihanoukville for 1 night to rest and explore.

Because the hotel is centrally located, you can walk along the beach and dine. Restaurants here offer easy-to-eat dishes, and prices are reasonable. You can also buy food at mini marts for $0.25 - $3 or more.

In the evening, we strolled around and then sat by the beach, eating seafood, drinking beer, soft drinks, and watching the sunset (we spent $40 for seafood for 4 people + drinks: $1 per can). In the late evening, the Bar Club area started booming with music and fireworks, very lively.

Day 3: Sihanoukville - Koh Rong Samloem

We woke up at 7 AM for breakfast at the hotel, checked out by 8 AM, walked to the port to catch the 9 AM ferry to Samloem Island. The $20 per person ticket (purchased from Vietcamthai) is for a round-trip high-speed ferry, including 2 copies. One copy is for ticket inspection when boarding the ferry to Samloem Island, and the other is kept for the return trip from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville. Upon arrival at Koh Rong, you need to present both copies at the ticket counter to confirm your return date and time.

The ferry journey takes about 45 minutes, stopping at Samloem Island pier. We disembarked at The One Resort, where we had made reservations. A small tip for those booking at this resort: make sure to confirm via email or contact them to arrange a complimentary canoe pick-up to the hotel.

Koh Rong Sanloem is nearly uninhabited, with resorts lining the beach, providing utmost privacy and tranquility. The fine white sand, clear emerald waters, shallow depth, and gentle waves make it extremely safe.

We checked into our room at 12 PM. We booked a 4-person bungalow at The One Resort, a 4-star accommodation priced at $150 per night per bungalow (excluding breakfast). The cuisine mainly consists of European dishes, priced from $8-12 per dish and drinks from $2-5 per type.

In the afternoon, you can stroll along the beach, and in the evening, enjoy swinging on hammocks by the sea. Apart from the beach we stayed at, there's HubaHuba Beach, rumored to be stunning and surreal. You can hike through the jungle, which takes about 30-40 minutes to reach.

Day 4: Koh Rong Samloem - Koh Rong

We woke up early to catch the sunrise, had breakfast, and checked out by 9:30 AM. A canoe took us back to the dock to wait for the 10 AM high-speed ferry to Koh Rong Island. The fare from Samloem to Koh Rong is $5 per person. It takes about 25 minutes to travel from one island to another. Upon arrival at Koh Rong pier, hold onto your return ticket and confirm your departure date with the ticket counter. They will note the time according to your chosen schedule and stamp the date of your return. When it's time to leave, simply hand your ticket to the onboard inspector.

In Koh Rong, we booked a GuestHouse for $30 for 4 people, about 200m from the pier. The beach here isn't as clean as Samloem, but the water is crystal clear and the sand is fine. It's deeper and the waves are bigger. Accommodations and resorts here are of similar standards but inferior in service compared to Samloem. There are plenty of activities to experience on Koh Rong, such as island tours, snorkeling, fishing, and High Point.

In the evening, we dined at a restaurant by the beach. Most dishes here are Western: pizza, pasta, seafood pasta, BBQ, fried rice, chicken rice, tom yum... priced from $3 - $10 per dish. Restaurants begin to light up with lanterns and candles, creating a romantic atmosphere, though mosquitoes are a bit of a nuisance.

Day 5: Koh Rong - Sihanoukville - Ha Tien - Saigon

We woke up at 8 AM, packed our belongings and checked out of the hotel, then had breakfast. We chose the 10:45 AM ferry back to Sihanoukville. A note for you: if you miss this ferry, you'll have to wait until after 12 PM for the next one, and when you arrive in Ha Tien, it will be past 5 PM, and the border will have closed, so you'll have to wait until the next morning to return to Vietnam.

We arrived on the mainland at exactly 12 PM, left our luggage at the Vietcamthai office near the pier, and a vehicle arrived at 12:30 PM to take us back to Ha Tien.

At 4:00 PM, upon arriving in Ha Tien, Vietcamthai staff were ready to collect passports for immigration procedures for the group. Once completed, they provided transportation back to the office. Afterwards, we went shopping and dining as there's a large market full of food and seafood near the Vietcamthai office. We waited until 7:00 PM for Kumho's shuttle to take us to Ha Tien bus station, where we boarded the 7:30 PM bus back to Saigon.

Day 6: Saigon - Hanoi

Around 3:30 AM, we arrived at Mien Tay bus station, took Kumho's shuttle back to VP 326 Le Hong Phong. We checked into a nearby hotel until 9:00 AM, then took a shuttle to Tan Son Nhat Airport and flew back to Hanoi at 10:30 AM. We arrived at Noi Bai Airport at 12:30 PM, concluding our 6-day fun-filled journey.

According to Thu Ha

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour