Hi all. We are planning a three week trip to Thailand and Vietnam next January, and just bought our airline tickets. The itinerary will be something like Chiang Mai - Bangkok - south islands/beaches - Mekong Delta - Ho Chi Minh City - Hoi An - Hanoi - Halong Bay. This will not be specifically a palm tour, but I'd be interested to hear of any can't-miss places. I know about Nong Nooch, and we might go there but I also might prefer less of the amusement park vibe. Thanks for any suggestions.

Your trip follows a lot of the places we saw on the IPS biennial earlier this year.  You can see the itinerary here https://ips13.wildapricot.org/2026-biennial

If you are going to southern Thailand I would highly recommend visiting Khao Sok National Park. The views are spectacular. If you look closely you can see Maxburretia growing right along the cliff sides and Arenga westerhoutii in a few places.  

 

In Hanoi, the Temple of Literature was really interesting and I would recommend grabbing a coffee along on the train street. 

I’d split a couple days in Chiang Mai to visit some quieter mountain spots. In Hoi An, I loved renting a bike at sunrise

For Halong, pick a smaller boat for fewer crowds

I saved a chunk on long-haul flights by booking through https://travelbusinessclass.com, so if you end up tweaking dates or adding a side trip, it might take some pressure off the budget. For your route, I really liked breaking up the pace with an overnight in Hội An and a slower Mekong day cruise. In Chiang Mai, the small jungle temples around Doi Suthep were a quiet break from the busier spots