Hong Kong to Singapore

Hi,
Myself and a few friends intend to travel from Hong Kong to Sinapore.
We will leave Hong Kong on the 18 or 19th May(Fri/Sat).
I believe most of this journey can be done by train and Bus.
We have just under 3 weeks to do this as we are getting a connecting flight to Cairns from Singapore(leaving 6th June).
We are unsure if this is possible.
Can anybody shed some light if they know this is possible?

We will probably be taking this route:
> Hong Kong to Hanoi
> Hanoi to Saigon
> Saigon to Bangkok
> Bangkok to Singapore

I appreciate any information that would be helpful, if it is not possible, we may have to change our flights into Bangkok rather than Hong Kong!
thanks..

I'm sure it's do-able, if possibly a bit rushed in 3 weeks.

To get from Hong Kong to Hanoi (unless you plan on swimming) you'll have to pass through China .. not necessarily that big a deal but you'll need to arrange a Visa for China (you can do this on the spot in HK if you've a few days there or in advance via the Chinese embassy in Dublin). Once your visa is in order it's certainly possible to travel by train all the way from Hong Kong to Hanoi (via Kunming in SW China)

You'll also need a visa for Vietnam as I'm sure you're aware - again this has to be arranged before you get there (might be possible to do in HK I don't know). I believe there is a train service from Hanoi to Saigon so you'll have no problem traveling through Vietnam.

To get from Saigon to Bangkok you'll need to pass through Cambodia which is a fabulous place to visit but not the easiest for traveling through ... I think the transport options from Vietnam into Cambodia are pretty easy, but it's a bit more difficult going west out of Cambodia into Thailand ... Again not impossible, but there's no trains and no nice air conditioned buses on good roads! You need a visa for Cambodia, but you can just buy it at the border I believe.

South from Bangkok to Singapore through Malaysia is dead easy - good trains and buses and very easy traveling, arguably less interesting than Cambodia / Vietnam - but certainly plenty nice places to stop etc.

Hi, Thanks, thats very helpful!
Can there be much delay at the borders do you know? i.e China/Vietnam,,,Vietnam/Cambodia, Cambodia/Thailand.

I don't think so no ... bit of bureaucracy etc. but nothing that would detain you inordinately.

I think you should probably try to get your hands on a copy of the Lonely Planet South East Asia guide (or equivalent) - this should cover the itinerary you want to do in detail (apart from maybe the HK and through China bit)

Will Do..thanks again!

You can get your visa for china in hk or macau, cost about 600 hk$ and will take a day or two.
When crossing from china into vietnam there is no need to go as far as kunming, you can cross into vietnam at the friendship pass at pingxiang in guangxi. you can get your visa for vietnam from travel agencies in nanning, cost about 500 rmb take 2-3 days. ask around to get the best price.

If you went that route then you could go hk-guangzhou train, guangzhou-nanning train, nanning-hanoi coach, or else get the bus to pingxiang and cross the border yourself. Crossing the friendship pass is very quick and straightforward, very little bureaucracy.

when in vietnam too avoid being charged way too much for train and bus tickets (in some cases read double) by your hotel, go to the station and buy the ticket yourself.

Thanks for the info!!

The best place for info is www.seat61.com

hi Tuesday,

have gone the Hanoi to HK route a couple of times. No problems anytime, easy and straightforward.

You can get the visa for China in HK, no prob, 1/2 days max. Just be sure to have passport photos with you for all visas.

When travelling on the bus or train in China and Vietnam watch your bags CLOSELY, as we almost got nabbed. Be sure to have a Lonely PLanet with you and Berlitz phrase books are handy and small.

No problem in getting from Phonh Penh to Bangkok, by bus all the way and not that far in time. Friends of ours have just done it a week mor so ago. You can also hire a mini van (merceedes) if you want more comfort, and not to expensive if a group of you sharing.

Go for it, enjoy it, the people, the food. Wonderful. We also have done the Bangkok to KL route, but not as far as Singapore.

Optimistic

Thanks for the info...Just out of interest, can you tell me what vaccines are required for travelling through these South East Asia countries?