angkor wat from singapore or hong kong

Thinking about different cruises, and especially 1 cruise starting from Singapore and ending in Hong kong. Interested in side trip to angkor wat for 2 nights either pre or post cruise. Flying from Connecticut, USA-what would be the best way to do this?

Thanks,

Kathy

We are on a cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong this Dec/Jan and after looking at flights, etc., we elected to do our Siem Reap/Angkor Wat as a pre-cruise tour. We are flying to Singapore from U.S. first using FFM and staying over at the Crowne Plaza hotel that's right at the airport to recoup.

We'll leave our big suitcases with the luggage storage facilities either at the airport or hotel and then we are flying on Silk Air (a regional offshoot of Singapore Airlines) non-stop to Siem Reap. Online prices for 2 people were quite good and the airline has nice reviews. As far as I could tell there were no direct flights from Hong Kong; you had to go through Bangkok or another city first.

We made our Siem Reap arrangements (lodging, tours and transport) through Journeys Within. They were highly rated on Trip Advisor and I found them very easy to work with via email in making all our arrangements. Diethelm Travel, based in Bangkok, is another recommended company. You could also make your own arrangements for lodging and most hotels can then arrange for a car and guide for you.

We did a cruise Singapore to Hong Kong in April. We flew direct from Toronto to Hong Kong, stayed one night in a hotel near the airport, then flew to Siem Reap via Ho Chi Minh City on Vietnam Airlines, stayed three nights, then flew to Singapore on Silk Air (division of Singapore Airlines), stayed one night in a hotel, then boarded the ship.

One piece of advice: definitely fly in to each city one day in advance, do not plan to sail/fly the same day that you arrive. Everything worked out okay for us, but I have heard several stories of delays with Asian flights. Save yourself some stress and book an extra day here and there. Worst case scenario is you will have time to spare (and explore).

Angkor Wat was a dream come true for me, but I was surprised to learn how many other temples are in the area. It was all definitely worth the money and effort. I also much prefer doing excursions like this pre cruise rather than after. I feel like once the cruise is done, it's done, and I just want to get home afterwards.

We are going in the middle, from Cambodia and meeting our ship in Bangkok.

Thinking about different cruises, and especially 1 cruise starting from Singapore and ending in Hong kong. Interested in side trip to angkor wat for 2 nights either pre or post cruise. Flying from Connecticut, USA-what would be the best way to do this?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

Due to luggage restrictions on the Asian LCC's, you will almost have to fly to/from the USA to SIN or HKG to Siem Reap, although it is CONSIDERABLY cheaper to fly to REP from SIN.

You MAY be able to get a ticket from the USA to Bangkok with a 2 or 3 day stopover in Bangkok, purchase a separate ticket to Siem Reap from Bangkok on Bangkok Airways, then continue on to SIN under the same US ticket with the same US luggage allowance.

Otherwise, fly into SIN a few days early, try JetStar, Silk Air, Air Asia, Tiger Air or one of the many other Asian LCC's from SIN to REP. The luggage allowance is generally small on these regional LCC's, so you will need to leave your larger luggage at the SIN airport or at a SIN hotel.

If you want a first class ticket at a bargain price, Kuwait Airlines and Etihad often run $2000pp first class specials from JFK to Kuwait City or Abu Dhabi. AT that point, you can take Eithad, Qatar, Gulf, etc. etc for the shorter flights in coach (about 5-6 hours) to/from BKK, SIN, HKG. I recently flew Kuwait City/Abu Dhabi/Bkk on Etihad for $287.00 one way and $239.00 return on Gulf from BKK to Dubai in coach. Both great airlines-much better than anything the USA has to offer. First class on Etihad was only $584 from the Middle East to Vietnam. I recently spent three months in the Middle East on business. There are MUCH better/cheaper ways to get from the USA to Asia/Middle East than booking a USA airline. Singapore/Cathay Pacific, two of the best in the world, are generally pricey, but the service is oh, so good. Enjoy!!!