🗺️ Trip overview
| Dates | Stop | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| 3–4 Jul | 🇮🇹 Lake Como (Cantù) | 1 |
| 4–5 Jul | 🇶🇦 Doha (layover) | 1 |
| 5–6 Jul | 🇲🇾 Johor Bahru | 1 |
| 6–15 Jul | 🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh | 9 |
| 15–19 Jul | 🇻🇳 Can Tho (Mekong) | 4 |
| 19–25 Jul | 🇻🇳 Mui Ne | 6 |
| 25–26 Jul | 🇻🇳 HCMC (airport) | 1 |
| 26 Jul–2 Aug | 🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur | 7 |
| 2–3 Aug | 🇲🇾 Johor Bahru | 1 |
| 3–4 Aug | ✈️ Back to Milan | — |
✈️ Flights
QATAR Outbound & return · PNR 8X24GD
| 4 Jul | Milan MXP → Doha (QR124) 09:40–16:25 |
| 5 Jul | Doha → Singapore (QR944) 08:05–21:15 |
| 3 Aug | Singapore → Doha (QR947) 19:40–22:00 |
| 4 Aug | Doha → Milan MXP (QR123) 02:00–07:10 |
VIETJET Singapore → Ho Chi Minh
6 Jul · dep 17:55 SIN → 19:00 SGN · 20 kg checked · Economy Deluxe
MALAYSIA AIRLINES Ho Chi Minh → Kuala Lumpur
26 Jul · dep 11:00 SGN → 13:55 KUL · 20 kg checked + meal
🏨 Hotels
| Dates | Hotel |
|---|---|
| 3–4 Jul | Lake Como Golf Apartment · Cantù 🇮🇹 |
| 4–5 Jul | Premier Inn Doha Airport 🇶🇦 |
| 5–6 Jul | TheBess Hotel · Johor Bahru 🇲🇾 |
| 6–15 Jul | La Vela Saigon · HCMC 🇻🇳 — 2× Premier Deluxe King (balcony/view, upgrade ★) |
| 15–19 Jul | Sheraton Can Tho 🇻🇳 |
| 19–25 Jul | Mövenpick Resort Phan Thiet · Mui Ne 🇻🇳 |
| 25–26 Jul | Ciao Saigon Hotel & Spa · HCMC airport 🇻🇳 |
| 26 Jul–2 Aug | The Majestic Hotel · Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 |
| 2–3 Aug | Holiday Inn Express & Suites · Johor Bahru 🇲🇾 |
🗓️ Day by day
✈️ Getting there (4–6 Jul) ▸
Sat 4
Flight Milan→Doha (QR124). Night in Doha. Evening: 🍜 dinner at Souq Waqif.
Sun 5
Flight Doha→Singapore (arr. 21:15) → border → Johor Bahru (TheBess), sleep.
Mon 6
Easy morning in JB (jet lag, City Square). Back to Singapore → VietJet 17:55 → HCMC ~20:30. 🍜 first banh mi/pho.
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh · 6–15 Jul ▸
🚕 In the city: Grab (the local Uber), cheap. 🚗 Private car only for Cu Chi & Can Gio. Food = self-guided, no guide.
Tue 7
🚶 District 1: Notre-Dame, Central Post Office, Book St, Reunification Palace, Café Apartment, pink Tan Dinh church + egg coffee. Evening: Nguyen Hue + rooftop.
Wed 8
🚗 Cu Chi Tunnels (morning) + 😌 pool/spa. Evening: ★ 🌃 Landmark 81 SkyView (sunset) + dinner & arcade/ice rink at Vincom.
Thu 9
🍳 Cooking class (market + lunch) + 🛕 Jade Emperor Pagoda. Evening: 🦐 snails on Vinh Khanh St (D4).
Fri 10
🏮 Cholon/Chinatown (Binh Tay market, Thien Hau temple) + 🏛️ War Remnants Museum. Evening: 🔐 The Escape Hunt (detective, English, family).
Sat 11
😌 RELAX: pool/spa/cafés + Tao Dan Park in the morning. Evening: 🚢 Bonsai dinner cruise.
Sun 12
🐒 Can Gio (mangrove + Monkey Island, private car). Evening: 🍺 craft beer / chill.
Mon 13
😌 FLEX: Zoo & Botanical Gardens (or Suoi Tien if the kids want a theme park) + Ben Thanh souvenirs. Evening: 🍜 street food crawl.
Tue 14
Easy last day: favourite food, Saigon Square, packing. Evening: 🍜 food + Bui Vien.
Wed 15
Check-out → 🚗 private car to Can Tho (~3-4h).
🇻🇳 Can Tho / Mekong · 15–19 Jul ▸
Relaxed: 1 activity each morning, free afternoons (Sheraton pool).
Wed 15
Arrival. Evening: Ninh Kieu riverfront + 🍜 night market.
Thu 16
★ 🍜🌿 Cai Rang floating market at sunrise + Con Son Island in one morning: coffee on the water, "dancing fish", orchards, local cakes + lunch with a family.
Fri 17
🛶 Canals by sampan + 🍜 rice noodle workshop + fruit orchard → afternoon pool.
Sat 18
😌 RELAX: Sheraton pool/spa · cycling in the villages · Binh Thuy ancient house · cafés.
Sun 19
🚗 Drive Can Tho → Mui Ne (~7-8h, early start).
🇻🇳 Mui Ne · 19–25 Jul ▸
Relax week: only 2 outings, the rest = Mövenpick resort (beach/pool/spa).
Sun 19
Evening arrival, resort dinner, rest.
Mon 20
★ 🏜️ Sunrise dune jeep tour: white dunes (Bau Trang) + red dunes + sandboarding + Fairy Stream + fishing village → afternoon pool. Evening: 🦐 Bo Ke (pick & cook).
Tue 21
😌 Resort: beach/pool/spa. Evening: 🦐 Lam Tong / Song Bien.
Wed 22
🎢 Quad/ATV on the dunes + 🐟 morning fish market. Evening: Cay Bang (lau tha). Teen kitesurf = optional.
Thu 23
😌 Resort chill. Evening: Phan Thiet night market.
Fri 24
😌 Beach/resort · souvenirs. Evening: favourite seafood.
Sat 25
🚗 Drive → HCMC (~4-5h). Night at Ciao Saigon (airport).
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur · 26 Jul–2 Aug ▸
🚕 Grab everywhere (10-20 min). 3 mall days + attractions combined.
Sun 26
Flight 11:00 → KL. Check in Majestic. Evening: 🌃 Petronas/KLCC (fountains) + 🍜 Lot 10 Hutong.
Mon 27
🛍️ Mall 1: Suria KLCC + 🗼 Petronas (skybridge) + 🐠 Aquaria + 🔬 Petrosains. Evening: 🍜 Jalan Alor.
Tue 28
🏛️ Batu Caves (morning) + Chinatown/Central Market. Evening: Sek Yuen (Bib).
Wed 29
🛍️ Mall 2: Bukit Bintang (Pavilion/TRX/Lot 10). Evening: ⭐ Lai Ching Yuen (bird's nest + noodles + dim sum).
Thu 30
★ 🏛️ Malacca day trip (UNESCO). Evening: Nancy's Kitchen (nyonya). (or relax at the Majestic)
Fri 31
🏨 🦜 KL Bird Park + Lake Gardens + Merdeka 118 view. Evening: 🥟 Dolly Dim Sum (near hotel).
Sat 1
🛍️🎢 Mall 3: Sunway Pyramid + Sunway Lagoon (water park) or Berjaya indoor. Evening: Kampung Baru (nasi lemak).
Sun 2
Check-out → 🚗 Johor Bahru (~4h).
🇲🇾 Johor Bahru + return · 2–4 Aug ▸
Sat 2
🚗 KL → JB (~4h, lunch en route) → check in Holiday Inn Express → afternoon City Square/rest. Evening: 🍖 Meldrum Walk (hawkers) or bak kut teh (no seafood).
Sun 3
🎢 ★ LEGOLAND Malaysia (morning, opens 10am) → ⚠️ leave by 2pm MAX → border → Changi ~4:30pm → flight QR947 19:40.
Tue 4
Arrive Milan 07:10 → 🅿️ pick up car at P6 parking → home.
🍜 Street food & authentic restaurants
⭐ = top · MG = in the Michelin Guide (selection / Bib Gourmand — authentic, not fine-dining)
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh ▸
Dinner by night (La Vela hotel = District 3, near D1)
- Mon 6 — Pho Hoa Pasteur (D3, 🏨 near hotel): easy arrival
- Tue 7 — Quan An Ngon (138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, 🏨 near hotel) + Nguyen Hue stroll / rooftop
- Wed 8 — Vincom Landmark 81 (food court + SkyView sunset + arcade)
- Thu 9 — snails on Vinh Khanh St (D4): grilled shellfish, the #1 street-food experience
- Fri 10 — Chinese food in Cholon (D5) (you're there) + 🔐 Escape Hunt
- Sat 11 — Bonsai dinner cruise (on the river)
- Sun 12 — Pasteur Street Brewing (D1, craft beer + food) after Can Gio
- Mon 13 — Ben Thanh Night Market (street food, hotpot)
- Tue 14 — Cuc Gach Quan (MG): farewell dinner, traditional home cooking
Extra good spots
- Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (cult lunch) · Com Tam Ba Ghien (Bib) · Banh Xeo 46A
- Secret Garden (rooftop home-style) · Bui Vien (lively street, teens)
⭐ Our own favourites (lunch / breakfast / drink)
- The Lunch Lady (Nguyen Thi Thanh) — cult noodle soup, different every day (lunch)
- Pho Viet Nam (D1) — the pho 🍜 · Banh Mi Me In (banh mi)
- Xoi Ga Number One (chicken sticky rice) · Nha Tu (VN restaurant) · Quan An Co Lieng (local/seafood)
- Oola - Tra O Long (oolong tea, afternoon break) 🧋
🇻🇳 Can Tho ▸
Dinner by night
- Wed 15 — Ninh Kieu Night Market (riverfront): banh cong, nem nuong Cai Rang, snails
- Thu 16 — Lau Mam Da Ly (or Cay Buoi): fermented-fish hotpot, THE Mekong dish
- Fri 17 — Sao Hom (old market hall, river view): grilled snakehead fish, banh xeo
- Sat 18 — Mekong Restaurant / riverfront seafood: river prawns, clay-pot fish, pick & cook
🦐 Ninh Kieu wharf: live tanks. 😅 Teen dare: chuot dong (grilled field rat). ⚠️ Not in the Michelin Guide — local institutions.
🇻🇳 Mui Ne / Phan Thiet ▸
Dinner by night (⚠️ no Michelin here — authentic seafood)
- Sun 19 — Mövenpick (arrival, rest)
- Mon 20 — Bo Ke (Phan Thiet): pick live by the kilo → grilled/steamed
- Tue 21 — Lam Tong / Song Bien (Mui Ne strip): beachfront live tanks
- Wed 22 — Cay Bang: lau tha (Phan Thiet specialty)
- Thu 23 — Phan Thiet Night Market / Hai San 379
- Fri 24 — your favourite (Bo Ke / fishing village)
🐟 Pro combo: morning fish market → buy fresh → cooked at a restaurant.
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur ▸
Dinner by night
- Sun 26 — Lot 10 Hutong (top hawkers, air-conditioned)
- Mon 27 — Jalan Alor (street food: Wong Ah Wah, satay)
- Tue 28 — Sek Yuen (Bib) — Cantonese banquet, since 1948
- Wed 29 — Lai Ching Yuen — bird's nest + noodles + dim sum
- Thu 30 — Nancy's Kitchen (MG, Malacca) — nyonya
- Fri 31 — Dolly Dim Sum (NU Sentral, 🏨 near hotel)
- Sat 1 — Kampung Baru (nasi lemak, Malay vibe)
Dim sum / Chinese special
- Dolly Dim Sum (NU Sentral) — best dim sum near the Majestic
- Li Yen (Michelin, Ritz-Carlton) — top dim sum (yum cha)
- Lai Ching Yuen — bird's nest + Cantonese noodles
🦐 Unique Seafood (Kota Damansara): live tanks → pick & cook (better at lunch).
🇲🇾 Johor Bahru ▸
- Meldrum Walk — hawkers, satay (no seafood)
- Bak kut teh (Ah Chuan / Hong Ngek) — pork rib soup
- Restoran Hua Mui — kopitiam, Hainanese chicken chop
🦐 "Pick & cook" seafood
You pick the fresh (live) seafood → they cook it on the spot. Best of the trip: Bo Ke (Phan Thiet) & Unique Seafood (KL).
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh
- Vinh Khanh St (D4) — pick snails & shellfish, grilled in front of you
- Hai San 5 Ri (D5) — tanks: live crab/lobster/fish
🇻🇳 Mui Ne / Phan Thiet
- Bo Ke seafood street — pick by the kilo → grilled/steamed
- Morning fish market (fishing village) → cooked at a restaurant
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur
- Unique Seafood (Kota Damansara) — huge live tanks, weigh your pick → cooked
- Medan Ikan Bakar Bangsar — grilled fish by the piece
🇲🇾 Johor Bahru
- Restoran Today (Stulang Laut) — live tanks, cook to order
- Tepian Tebrau — seafront ikan bakar street
🛂 Visas & arrival cards
Dad + children (🇧🇪 passport): no visa needed.
Pie (🇵🇭 passport + 🇧🇪 residence card): Qatar OK via residence card (VoA/ETA — confirm with Qatar Airways); Vietnam OK (21 days, leaving on the 26th); Singapore/Malaysia OK.
Arrival cards to complete (free, ≤3 days before each entry):
🇸🇬 SG Arrival Card — eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard
🇲🇾 MDAC — imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac
⚠️ Never pay (scam sites). Passports valid 6 months (≥ Feb 2027).
🇸🇬 SG Arrival Card — eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard
🇲🇾 MDAC — imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac
⚠️ Never pay (scam sites). Passports valid 6 months (≥ Feb 2027).
📅 Reminders: SGAC + MDAC from 2 Jul; MDAC (KL) from 23 Jul; SGAC (return) from 31 Jul.
🅿️ Milan Malpensa parking
P6 Smart Scoperto · Malpensa T2
| Valid | 04/07 07:30 → 04/08 08:00 |
| Price | €149 (paid) |
| Purchase code | 4M0LK9KA91E |
| Help code | GZ7444 + barcode to scan |
⚠️ Parking at T2, flight at T1 → free T1↔T2 shuttle (~7 min).
📋 To book (checklist)
⚠️ Limited slots — book early: Petronas Towers (official site), Legoland (Klook), Sunway Lagoon, Aquaria KLCC (redBus -20%), KL Bird Park.
🎟️ Activities (cheapest)
| Activity | Where | ~€ (5) |
|---|---|---|
| Petronas Towers ⚠️ | official | 79 |
| Legoland Malaysia | Klook (RM 69) | 69 |
| Sunway Lagoon | Traveloka/code | 79–140 |
| Aquaria KLCC | redBus -20% | 45 |
| KL Bird Park | Klook | 76 |
| Malacca (day) | Klook/DIY | 140 |
| Landmark 81 SkyView | Klook/on-site | 80 |
| Bonsai dinner cruise | Klook | 120 |
| Cooking class | Klook/Viator | 70 |
| Can Gio | GetYourGuide | 150 |
| The Escape Hunt | direct | 60–75 |
🚗 Locally (cheaper)
Cu Chi (group ~€90 / private ~€60) · Can Tho boat (via Sheraton) · Mui Ne jeep + quad (via Mövenpick) · Transfers Can Tho→Mui Ne, Mui Ne→HCMC, KL→JB, JB→Changi
🍽️ Tables to reserve
Cuc Gach Quan (HCMC) · Lai Ching Yuen (KL) · Nancy's Kitchen (Malacca)
💰 Budget
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hotels (9 stays) | ~ €5,403 |
| VietJet + Malaysia Airlines flights | ~ €791 |
| Qatar flights (paid) | €3,258 |
| Malpensa parking | €149 |
| Activities (family of 5) | ~ €1,155 |
| TOTAL (approx.) | ~ €10,800 |
💡 La Vela negotiated direct: −€192 + free upgrade 🎉
Have a wonderful trip, all five of you! 🌴✈️
Itinerary · updated 18 June 2026
Itinerary · updated 18 June 2026