Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand Wrap-Up

We had an incredible two months in Southeast Asia (including our two weeks in Malaysia and Singapore), but it was bittersweet because we felt like we didn't do the region justice. Time constraints and our getting sick held us back from digging too much past the typical tourist trails. We'd love to come back to this region again and spend more time. In fact, I think Magge is already scouring job websites, trying to find me employment in Singapore or Bangkok.

Facts and Figures
Length of Stay: 43 Days
Miles Traveled to Enter: 720 by plane from Kuala Lumpur
Miles Traveled: 1,560 by train + 615 by plane + 285 by bus + 100 by boat  = 2,560 total (30,910 since landing in Quito)
Places Visited: Siem Reap (Angkor), Battambang, Phnom Penh, Chau Doc, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hanoi, Halong Bay, Bangkok, Koh Tao
Intercity Buses Taken: 2
River Ferries Taken: 1
Night Trains Taken: 3
Flights Taken: 1
Rounds Fired from the "Rambo Gun": 10
Mummified Communists Seen: 1

Rankings in the full post.

Jeff's Top 3s
Meals -  Simply the best food we've had this whole trip.  There were very few meals I did not enjoy.
1.  Bún bò @ Bún Bò Nam Bò, Hanoi.  We ate this beef noodle salad three times in our five days in Hanoi.
2.  Chicken amok @ Angkor Famous, Siem Reap.  Steamed curry in banana leaves, amok is Cambodia's national dish.  Everyone seems to make it a little different.  This place, with its slight peanut taste, had my favorite version.
3.  Beef chimichanga @ ¡Viva!, Siem Reap.  Best Mexican food I've had since leaving the US.

Stays - Southeast Asia (at least Cambodia and Vietnam) easily had the best value accommodations of anywhere we have visited.
1.  Mandalay Inn, Siem Reap.  Ridiculously friendly and helpful staff and everything we needed for $16 a night.
2.  Liberty Hotel, Hanoi.  Superb location and the nicest TV of anywhere we've stayed on this trip, which was helpful for my quadrennial interest in soccer.
3.  Coral View Resort, Koh Tao.  Beautiful setting but no air conditioning and the staff didn't live up to the hype of super friendly Thai people.

Experiences
1.  Jumping into Halong Bay.
2.  Wandering around Hanoi's Old Quarter.
3.  It's difficult to single anything from Angkor out, but I'll say exploring Angkor Wat and Beng Melea are at the top.

Magge's Top 3s
Meals

1.  Bun bo at a hole in the wall in Hanoi that we almost passed.
2.  Fish amok at Angkor Palm, Siem Reap. Sooo good.
3.  Chicken pad thai at Coral View. How did it take me so long to try this?

Stays
1.  Coral View Resort, Koh Tao. Great location. I could live on the hammock.
2.  Liberty Hotel, Hanoi. Comfy bed, flat screen TV, really friendly staff, and a cool room that was a relief from the intense Hanoi heat.
3.  Blue Tongue Cafe, Phnom Penh. Didn't want to leave the room it was so comfy!

Experiences
1.  Riding on the edge of the boat around Halong Bay.
2.  Pretending to be Indiana Jones as we explored the less touristed ruins of Angkor.
3.  Lazily walking the streets of Hanoi with my love.