Vietnam for Xmas / new year?

[alfaman]

Hi all. Am based in Singapore : thinking of Xmas options in Asia ( rather than an expensive flight to freeze in the UK)

Anyone know what either Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh / or other parts of Vietnam are like in December / January?

Worth visiting? Idea would be some cultural sites plus maybe halong bay and some parts further south towards Ho Chi Minh.

Is 9-10'days enough to see 2 or 3 areas?

Thoughts and ideas ( and for other options in Asia for Xmas )?

( have already been to Phuket / Krabi / phi phi etc ... )

Thanks for any advice..

[Philplop]

Hanoi gets cold at Christmas. Ha Long Bay was very misty when we went around then.

There are Christmas decorations up, but they 'celebrate' Christmas Eve. There was a concert on in the centre on the night, but nothing at all happening on Christmas Day.

Further south will still be really warm.

I was in HCMC at the beginning of December, but suspect that it'll be a lot more Christmassy than Hanoi, if that's what you're after.

[alfaman]

I'm not that bothered about Xmas decorations : plenty outside my front door along orchard road

More interested in some different culture / somewhere not toooo cold for an Xmas break.

Have done NZ 3 times and Taiwan is probably too chilly ..

So my short list could be : Vietnam / HK / Laos - Vietnam appeals the most

[Philplop]

Haha, yeah, plenty in Orchard Road.

Well Hanoi was very cold, apparently 10 degrees but felt much colder because it's still humid, so very damp cold air. And nowhere is heated so it's still cold in the bars and restaurants. Didn't help only having shorts and a thin jumper with me though. Haha.

We got the train from up from Hue, and it was really warm there. Was quite a shock arriving in Hanoi.

I'd always recommend HCMC and Hoi An.

[Issi]

I don't want to sound funny, but wouldn't somebody more local to you have a better idea than a bunch of brits?

[alfaman]

Issi said:

I don't want to sound funny, but wouldn't somebody more local to you have a better idea than a bunch of brits?

Also posted in Asia forum.

Can be useful posting here ( I answered some Qs on some NZ queries )

[creampuff]

I used to live in HCMC. Can't comment about Hanoi.

Christmas is nice. There are a lot of Christmas decorations and there are are a lot of people out enjoying it. Recommended.

New Year is a total non-event. Nothing happens.

[Silver993tt]

Issi said:

I don't want to sound funny, but wouldn't somebody more local to you have a better idea than a bunch of brits?

Exactly. The last place I would come to regarding info on Asia travel is a Brit forum where most only travel to English speaking countries.

[Philplop]

There are plenty of people who have holidayed, spent time, or lived/live in Asia on here. Look through the holiday section and you'll see lots of threads showing this.

There are a couple of replies about Christmas in Vietnam, so I don't see the problem.

[alfaman]

Philplop said:

There are plenty of people who have holidayed, spent time, or lived/live in Asia on here. Look through the holiday section and you'll see lots of threads showing this.

There are a couple of replies about Christmas in Vietnam, so I don't see the problem.

Exactly : loads of other posts on this forum about places including Thailand , Laos , Vietnam , Madagascar , Iceland , Africa , morooco ....

Is this a Brit forum? No

Do Brits just travel to Brit speaking countries ? No

Have PH members either lived in or traveled to far flung non Brit places ? Yes quite a few