Tourist Visa CAMBODIA makes it easy....

I think you have it all. I had a similar situation, but not exactly the same. My friend + wife and me + wife + kid went to Thailand. My friends wife was still in the Philippines, so we met them in BKK. My wife + kid when to Cebu and I went with friend + wife to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. The $40 e-visa worked great and saved time dealing with it at the airport. My friends wife just showed her PI passport. Not sure exactly what she had to pay PI side, but the Cambodian side was a piece of cake.

 

Vietnam is also doing a similar thing - an online application deal.

Vietnam has recently changed their VISA stuff - and to the better/easier way, too

My US friends who live in Hanoi really like it there. They've been in Vietnam for over 10 years now - Hanoi for 6 years.

They live a very nice, solid, middle class lifestyle - to include house cleaner & gardener (1X/p/week), (western style 3 bdrm/2 bth furnished house). All-in monthly living costs for everything they consume/use is under 1,300 USD p/mth - and that includes taking 90% of their meals out. They both own/drive motor scooters, and everything they need is within their walking neighborhood (banks, ATMs, markets, etc). Easy walk, easy public transport system. Oh. And there is an JCI accreditated hospital in Hanoi, too. They live in the Embassy row district/area - not too shabby, huh? Int'l flights are easy and often to get in Hanoi - and cheap!

She is a published writer, he is a photographer, so strong cable/internet is an absolute must for them.

I'll be visiting with them within a year and get eyes on. If it's as good as the pics they've sent me, I may stay awhile.... More of a 4 seasons in Hanoi - a bit better climate variation than in other parts of SE Asia - if one can be had in SE Asia.
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Hope you get a chance to visit Siem Reap, Cambodia. Plan on a 3-day entrance ticket - you'll need it!

V/R,
nwlivewire

 

Traditionally, people get to Ankor Wat early to watch the sunrise over AW, so it's as cool as it gets (not very cool). There will be a lot of people there, but the site is big enough that people spread out once they enter the ruins. You can get beer at 5 am if that's your thing. It's the other ruins later in the day where it really starts to heat up. We did 3 ruins in one day in 90+ temps. Definitely bring the suntan lotion. There is also a tethered balloon ride that you can take to see things looking down.

 

In Vietnam it depends a lot where you want to live or stay. Ex in Vung Tau at year 2001 was with the exception of the bus route Ho-Chi-Minh - Vung Tau nearly no public transport available. Most time there was necessary to ask people if you could ride with them to a specific location.

In Phom Penh there are only 3 bus routes for the city available.

 

I took the wife to Siem Reap a few years ago. I paid $20 when I entered, took maybe 10 minutes. I think it was good for a couple weeks. The wife did not have to pay, they just stamped her passport. The wife has always traveled overseas with me (Thailand and Cambodia so far) and when she hit immigration in Manila they asked her who she was traveling with and she just pointed back to me and it was no problem.

Everything was in USD, even the food markets had price tags in USD. You will get local currency instead of US coins in change. I never changed money, just brought enough $$ for the trip. The shopping was great for the wife and I knew from past travels to bring a large empty suitcase as she more than filled it up with clothes, especially kids clothes for the nieces and nephews. Some huge markets that she drug me to each evening. Hotels were very inexpensive for 4 star accommodation. We were able to get a trike for a day (around 8 hours) to take us around to all the temples with a cooler of bottled water for $20. To me 1 day was enough of temples, cut it short the next day. Very hot and trudging up all those stairs got old.

Definitely worth the visit and will try some different areas in Cambodia next time. This info is a number of years old so some things may have changed.

Shawn

 

When I took the wife to Ireland, may be 5 years ago for the 1st time she had to do some day course in Cebu ran by some nuns (but I was advised if she didnt do it, no way she is getting to Ireland), dont know if thats still the case, for 1st timers leaving the phils, I think it had more to do with making them aware of being trafficked or something like that, or just another scam for cash, but either way she had to do it and have the stamp to prove it

note: she was travelling on her own to Ireland, I was not with her, but you know they can make it awful difficult if they want to, they can come up with a million excuses if they want to

 

when she was renewing her passport in cebu (long before the passport office in robinsons), she was told in no uncertain terms to do it or else (wife just tells me now it was the DFA) DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, but again that was 2010

I have seen plenty of locals being held in manila and stopped from leaving after the little interview before they go to immigration counter

so its just my tuppence worth man ( my wife says its best that your companion try to find out if she can whats actually needed)

you can never be to sure...