6 week mid priced backpacking, where and how.

[FloattheBoat]

DH and I, mid 50s have both been given a 6 week sabbatical and are now planning where. We’re hoping to go mid November and be back for Christmas.
Our adult DDs might come out and join us for a week.

We backpacked on a shoestring round India and some of South East Asia 30 years ago before the internet with a Lonely Planet guide.
This time we’ll have a healthier budget but less patience.

We both love tropical beaches,scuba, train travel, wild jungles and street food.

So far I’ve thought about Vietnam and Cambodia, The Phillipines or Central America.

We’re quite well travelled albeit two weeks in a smart hotel.

Any suggestions, or experiences welcome.

Six weeks is a decent amount of time to cover an area. I would start by looking at tour companies like Intrepid or G Adventures, then use their itineraries as a starting point to develop your own itinerary. They'll give a good indication of where the highlights are and how long to spend in each place.

SE Asia fits the bill perfectly. In six weeks you could start in Hanoi, visit Halong Bay then take the train down the length of Vietnam stopping to visit Hue, Hoi An, Nah Trang for scuba diving then on to Ho Chi Minh (2-3 weeks in total). From there you can take a bus into Cambodia to see the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh then on to Siem Reap for Angkor Wat (1 week). Then move on to Thailand. With the last two weeks you could head up to Chiang Mai or down to the beaches for a week and end with a few days in Bangkok. Or if you have enough time left you could carry on all the way down through Malaysia to Singapore.

I've not been to the Philippines personally, but family have been and found 2-3 weeks sufficient. If you wanted to head there, maybe you could combine with some time in Indonesia or Thailand to fill the remaining weeks?

Hopefully others will be along with their suggestions. Have fun planning!

Vietnam and Cambodia fits in 6 week starting North to South of Vietnam and onto Cambodia (A speed boat Vietnam to Cambodia should be considered).

You can’t go wrong with Vietnam for amazing food. You could tack on both Cambodia and Laos if you wanted to.