Cambodia Adventure: Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City (Self-Launched)

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and take the Airport Rail Link (45 THB, ~£1) plus BTS Skytrain, or a metered taxi (~350 THB / £8) to a hostel around Khao San Road or Banglamphu. Spend the afternoon on foot: Grand Palace (500 THB, dress code enforced — cover shoulders and knees) and Wat Phra Kaew next door, then Wat Pho and a cheap river-crossing ferry. In the evening take the Chao Phraya Express boat to Chinatown (Yaowarat) for a street-food crawl — grilled seafood, mango sticky rice and a Thai massage on Khao San if you have energy. Book your Cambodia bus ticket tonight at any Khao San travel agency.

🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS (~£1) or metered taxi (~£8); public riverboats (~£0.40/leg)

🛏Hostel dorm in Banglamphu / Khao San area (e.g. New Siam Palace Ville equivalent, ~£10–14/night)

• →Grand Palace & Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)
• →Wat Pho and Chao Phraya river ferry
• →Khao San Road orientation walk
• →Yaowarat Chinatown street food
• →Thai massage

Take the early bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal to the Aranyaprathet border (or a through minibus from Khao San, ~600–900 THB / £14–21 for the full Bangkok–Siem Reap run, roughly 9–11 hours door to door). Handle the visa yourself at Poipet: the Cambodian e-visa (USD 36 / ~£29) bought online in advance speeds things up, and ignore touts selling 'fast-track' services. On arrival in Siem Reap check into a guesthouse near Wat Bo or the Old Market area, then do your own evening orientation walk: Pub Street for the atmosphere, but eat on the surrounding side streets for half the price. Buy your Angkor pass tonight or arrange a tuk-tuk driver for tomorrow's temple circuit.

🚌Bangkok–Siem Reap through minibus or bus (~£14–21, 9–11 hrs)

🛏Guesthouse in Siem Reap (e.g. Victory Guest House equivalent, ~£12–16/night)

• →Overland border crossing at Poipet
• →Leader-free orientation walk around Old Market and Pub Street
• →Arrange tuk-tuk driver for Angkor circuit

Do what the tour does, but on your own schedule. Skip the one-day pass queue by buying online, or just turn up at Angkor Archaeological Park — the 1-day pass is USD 37 (~£29). Hire a tuk-tuk driver for a full small-circuit day (~USD 20–25 for the vehicle, split if you're with others) hitting Angkor Wat at sunrise, Bayon's face towers, and Ta Prohm's tree roots. A licensed local guide is worth booking for 3–4 hours via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£22–30 pp) if you want the history — otherwise download an audio guide. Carry water, sunscreen and cash for lunch at one of the park stalls.

🚌Private tuk-tuk hire for the day (~£16–20 for the vehicle)

🛏Guesthouse in Siem Reap (~£12–16/night)

• →Sunrise at Angkor Wat
• →Bayon Temple
• →Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider temple)
• →Optional licensed guide via GetYourGuide/Klook
• →Tuk-tuk circuit around Angkor

Tour the Chong Kneas floating village on Tonle Sap Lake — book a shared boat trip through your guesthouse or a GetYourGuide activity (~£15–22 pp, 2–3 hrs); go early to avoid the midday heat and crowds. Back in town, join a half-day Khmer cooking class (~£18–25, includes market visit and lunch you cook yourself). In the late afternoon visit the Landmine Museum (USD 5) or the Angkor Zipline if you want adrenaline. Evening: book Phare Circus tickets directly on pharecircus.org (~USD 18–35 / £14–28) — the acrobatics show is a highlight and supports a local arts school.

🚌Tuk-tuks around town (~£3–6 total)

🛏Guesthouse in Siem Reap (~£12–16/night)

• →Chong Kneas floating village boat tour on Tonle Sap Lake
• →Khmer cooking class with market visit
• →Landmine Museum
• →Phare Circus performance (book direct)

Take the morning Virak Buntham or Mekong Express bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (~USD 12–15 / £10–12, 6–7 hrs on the improved National Route 6; minivans run a bit faster). Arrive mid-afternoon and check into a guesthouse near the riverside or around Street 172 in Daun Penh. Recreate the included 'sunset Mekong walk' yourself: stroll the Sisowath Quay riverfront from Wat Phnom down past the Royal Palace as the sun drops, then pick a riverside restaurant or the night market for dinner and a cold beer.

🚌Siem Reap–Phnom Penh bus or minivan (~£10–12, 6–7 hrs)

🛏Guesthouse/hotel in Phnom Penh riverside area (e.g. Silver Mounts Hotel equivalent, ~£14–18/night)

• →Sisowath Quay sunset walk along the Mekong
• →Wat Phnom evening visit
• →Riverside dinner and night market

A full day absorbing Cambodia's history. Start at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (USD 10, ~£8) and the National Museum (USD 10) next door, then take a short tuk-tuk ride to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, S-21 (USD 5, plus ~USD 3 for the excellent audio guide). In the afternoon head 15 km out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (USD 6, ~£5) — tuk-tuks do the round trip for ~USD 15–20, or share one. Finish with a traditional Khmer massage (~USD 10) and dinner at Psar Thmei (Central Market) or a Khmer BBQ spot. Book tomorrow's Vietnam bus tonight.

🚌Tuk-tuks around the city and out to Choeung Ek (~£8–12 total)

🛏Guesthouse/hotel in Phnom Penh (~£14–18/night)

• →Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
• →National Museum
• →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) with audio guide
• →Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
• →Traditional Khmer massage

Cross into Vietnam by bus — Giant Ibis or Mekong Express run Phnom Penh to HCMC in ~6–7 hrs for USD 18–25 (~£15–20), including the Bavet/Moc Bai border where you handle Vietnamese immigration yourself (check your e-visa status first; Vietnam e-visas are USD 25 / ~£20 for most nationalities). Arrive on Pham Ngu Lao (backpacker district) and check into a guesthouse. Spend the late afternoon on a self-guided orientation walk: Ben Thanh Market, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office facades, and the walking street around Nguyen Hue. Evening on Bui Vien for street food and cheap beer.

🚌Phnom Penh–HCMC bus (~£15–20, 6–7 hrs)

🛏Guesthouse in District 1 / Pham Ngu Lao (e.g. Ruby Saigon Hotel equivalent, ~£14–18/night)

• →Overland bus crossing at Bavet/Moc Bai
• →Self-guided walk: Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office
• →Bui Vien walking street nightlife

Pick your history: the War Remnants Museum (40,000 VND / ~£1.30) and Reunification Palace (65,000 VND / ~£2) are a short walk apart, and the Cu Chi Tunnels can be done as a half-day shared tour booked via Klook or GetYourGuide (~USD 20–30 / £16–24, including transport, 5–6 hrs) — pick the Ben Duoc section for a less crowded experience. Fit in a banh mi and Vietnamese coffee before your flight, or add an extra night and take the afternoon tour instead. Airport is ~30–45 mins by Grab bike (~70,000 VND / £2) or Grab car (~£6).

🚌Grab bike/car to sites and airport (~£2–6); Cu Chi transport included in tour price

🛏Guesthouse in District 1 (~£14–18/night) or departure day

• →War Remnants Museum
• →Reunification Palace
• →Cu Chi Tunnels half-day shared tour (Klook/GetYourGuide)
• →Banh mi and Vietnamese coffee