When we did the comparable cruise in 2007, the Regent itinerary was Hong Kong to Bangkok. In Hong Gai (for Hanoi) we "bit the bullet" and took the Flight over Halong Bay to Hanoi. It was expensive, but it's discounted now--we paid more than $400 pp--and it sure saves a lot of time on the bus (one way). In Chan May (for Hue) we did Hue and the Perfume River. Despite a very rainy day, we enjoyed the long excursion, and I took some beautiful pictures along the way. In Ko Samui, we had signed up for the Chaweng Beach at Leisure because we felt we could use a beach day. But, alas, it was rained out. There's not much to see in the "town" itself, but the resorts are supposed to be beautiful.

I also can't say enough about taking a trip to Angkor Wat while you're in the area. We flew to Siem Reap from Bangkok (since that is where our cruise ended). I know others who have flown in from Singapore. Bangkok Airways flys jets into the small city. It is well worth it. We stayed at an excellent hotel (Hotel de la Paix) with one of SE Asia's best spas. I had read an article about the hotel's Angkor Wat package in the NYT. Unless Regent is running a special, I would just book it on your own. It wasn't difficult or expensive.

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Eugene