By aussiematesvietnam 
Planning a Multi-Country Southeast Asia Trip with Vietnam as a Hub
G’day, fellow travellers! Aussie Mates here with my better half, Tracy. After nearly two decades of calling Vietnam home, we’ve become dab hands at exploring Southeast Asia using our adopted country as a convenient launching pad. If you’re an Aussie looking to make the most of your long-service leave or retirement freedom with an extended jaunt through this fascinating region, you’ve stumbled upon the right blog. Let me share how Vietnam can serve as your perfect hub for a multi-country adventure that’ll give you bragging rights at the next barbie.
[IMAGE:vietnam-skyline]
Why Vietnam Makes the Perfect Hub
When Tracy and I first settled in Vietnam back in the early 2000s, we quickly realized its strategic advantage for regional travel. Nestled right in the heart of Southeast Asia, Vietnam offers ripper connections to neighboring countries. From the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, you can hop on affordable flights to virtually any capital city in the region within 2-3 hours.
Vietnam’s central location means you can plan multiple shorter trips rather than one exhausting marathon. This gives you the flexibility to return to your “home base” between adventures, recharge your batteries, do your laundry, and head out refreshed for the next leg. Trust me, at our age, having that familiar place to return to makes all the difference!
Setting Up Your Vietnam Base
Before you start country-hopping, you’ll need to decide where in Vietnam to plant your flag. Tracy and I recommend either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City as your primary base, depending on your preference:
- Hanoi: Perfect if you prefer cooler weather (at least in winter), a more traditional feel, and easier access to northern destinations like Laos, Northern Thailand, and Southern China.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Ideal for those who don’t mind the heat, prefer a more cosmopolitan vibe, and want quick access to Cambodia, Southern Thailand, and Malaysia.
For long-term stays, serviced apartments offer the best value. We’ve found monthly rentals in decent areas starting from about $500 USD—a fraction of what you’d pay back in Sydney or Melbourne!
[IMAGE:serviced-apartment]
Creating Your Southeast Asia Circuit
When Tracy and I plan trips for visiting mates, we typically recommend this approach: break the region into geographical clusters and tackle them one at a time. Here’s how you might structure it:
The Indochina Loop (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos)
This is the easiest circuit to manage from Vietnam. You could start with:
- Siem Reap, Cambodia (2-3 days for Angkor Wat)
- Phnom Penh (1-2 days)
- Return to Vietnam, then hop over to
- Luang Prabang, Laos (3-4 days)
- Vientiane (1-2 days)
Pro tip: Vietnam Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer multi-destination packages that can save you a few dollarydoos. Last time we did this loop, Tracy scored us a ripper deal that worked out about 30% cheaper than booking separate flights.
The Island Paradise Circuit (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore)
From Vietnam, you can easily access:
- Bangkok (3-4 days)
- Phuket or Krabi (3-4 days to relax on the beach)
- Kuala Lumpur (2-3 days)
- Singapore (2-3 days)
I still remember when Tracy and I did this loop back in 2018—we returned to our Vietnam apartment with suntans, several bottles of Singapore gin, and enough Malaysian laksa paste to last a year!
[IMAGE:thai-beach]
The Cultural Deep Dive (Myanmar, Northern Thailand, Southern China)
This is for your second or third trip when you’re ready to venture beyond the usual tourist trail:
- Yangon, Myanmar (2-3 days)
- Bagan (2-3 days)
- Chiang Mai, Thailand (3-4 days)
- Kunming, China (if visa allows, 2-3 days)
Fair warning: Myanmar requires more planning than other destinations, but the temples of Bagan at sunrise will knock your socks off. Worth every bit of effort, I promise ya.
Money Matters and Budgeting
One of the beauties of using Vietnam as your hub is the cost savings. After watching the Aussie dollar perform its ups and downs over two decades, I’ve become a bit of a currency strategist by necessity!
For budgeting, we typically allocate:
- $30-50 USD per day for accommodations (mid-range)
- $15-30 USD per day for food (eating both local and Western)
- $100-200 USD for flights between countries
- $20-30 USD per day for activities and transport
Tracy’s hot tip: always keep a stash of USD as emergency money. While cards are widely accepted in major cities, cash is still king in many parts of Southeast Asia, especially when haggling at markets or paying for tuk-tuks.
[IMAGE:currency-exchange]
Timing Your Adventures
Southeast Asia’s weather patterns can make or break your trip. Here’s our rule of thumb after years of trial and error:
- November-February: Ideal for most of mainland Southeast Asia
- March-May: Great for northern countries but scorching in Thailand and Vietnam
- June-August: Best avoided unless you’re heading to Indonesia or Malaysia’s east coast
- September-October: Risky (typhoon season) but fewer tourists
I learned this lesson the hard way when I took Tracy to Bangkok for our anniversary in April. The mercury hit 40°C, and we spent more time in shopping malls than temples simply to escape the heat!
Visa Considerations
As Aussies, we’re pretty lucky with visa situations in Southeast Asia. Most countries offer visa-on-arrival or e-visa options, but Vietnam has recently extended its visa-free period to 45 days for Australians. This makes it even more convenient as your travel hub.
Keep a folder (both digital and physical) with photocopies of your passport, visa documents, and passport photos. I can’t tell you how many times this has saved us when border officials wanted extra documentation or when Tracy once had to get an emergency visa extension in Laos.
Staying Connected
Maintaining contact with family back home and navigating unfamiliar cities requires reliable internet. We recommend:
- Getting a Vietnamese SIM card with roaming capabilities
- Investing in a portable WiFi device
- Downloading offline maps for each destination
Tracy swears by the Viettel SIM cards that offer Southeast Asia packages—they’ve gotten us out of many sticky situations when Google Maps became our best mate in the maze-like streets of Bangkok’s old quarter!
[IMAGE:smartphone-map]
Final Thoughts
After almost two decades calling Vietnam home, Tracy and I have come to appreciate how this incredible country serves as the perfect launching pad for exploring the entire region. The combination of strategic location, affordable living costs, and extende