Discussion
Going for over New Year.
I have the first few days sorted (I think), but open to suggestion/guidance for the rest of the trip!
29 Dec: Land in Singapore
30 Dec: Fly to Saigon
30 Dec - 3 Jan: NYE in Saigon and few days checking the city out (is that too long there?)
3-5 Jan: round trip from Saigon to Siem Reap/Angkor Wat
then I don't know how to spend the rest of the trip. Want to do Hanoi and some islands (Phu Quoc), but open to suggestions.
I just need to be back in Singapore on 12 Jan to catch the flight home.
I have the first few days sorted (I think), but open to suggestion/guidance for the rest of the trip!
29 Dec: Land in Singapore
30 Dec: Fly to Saigon
30 Dec - 3 Jan: NYE in Saigon and few days checking the city out (is that too long there?)
3-5 Jan: round trip from Saigon to Siem Reap/Angkor Wat
then I don't know how to spend the rest of the trip. Want to do Hanoi and some islands (Phu Quoc), but open to suggestions.
I just need to be back in Singapore on 12 Jan to catch the flight home.
HCMC is like any other large city to be honest 2 days there would be plenty.
I would definitely reserve a day to go and explore the Cu Chi tunnels
Hue, Da Nang and Da Lat are all worth visiting for half a day each
Hoi An is worth a day and a night at least
Hanoi is a bit quiet, but is much more rustic than HCMC. It’s worth taking a couple of days there and wandering round the old town.
From Hanoi, it’s only about 90 minutes drive to HaLong and HaLong Bay. There, you could join a boat and cruise the bay, either sleeping in the boat or on an island.
You can easily fly back from Hanoi to Changi on an Air Asia for $30USD or so
I travel to Vietnam on business a lot, so am pretty comfortable over there. Having watched the 8 go rallying program on BBC, my wife and I are tempted to hire a car and drive from top to bottom, stopping at all the off route places as it’s one of the safest places in SEA to still really experience developing Asia
I would definitely reserve a day to go and explore the Cu Chi tunnels
Hue, Da Nang and Da Lat are all worth visiting for half a day each
Hoi An is worth a day and a night at least
Hanoi is a bit quiet, but is much more rustic than HCMC. It’s worth taking a couple of days there and wandering round the old town.
From Hanoi, it’s only about 90 minutes drive to HaLong and HaLong Bay. There, you could join a boat and cruise the bay, either sleeping in the boat or on an island.
You can easily fly back from Hanoi to Changi on an Air Asia for $30USD or so
I travel to Vietnam on business a lot, so am pretty comfortable over there. Having watched the 8 go rallying program on BBC, my wife and I are tempted to hire a car and drive from top to bottom, stopping at all the off route places as it’s one of the safest places in SEA to still really experience developing Asia
Have you seen the temps in Hanoi in Jan...……..let alone Sapa. Storms in Halong in Jan might be a pita. 2/3 days in HCMC is fine, you can walk around a fair bit. We enjoyed Dalat, "fun" bus ride up from Nha Trang and then all the way down to HCMC. Lovely MT beaches around NT as well but was very Russian.
HaLong is pretty much a one-off. There is something similar in Thailand where James Bond island is located but it’s not a patch on HaLong.
For things in the south, definitely Cu Chi tunnels. Also, a trip up the Mekong Delta is pretty cool - there are quite a few islands you can stay on there.
There are some lovely, unspoilt villages on the Vietnam / Laos border. I’m sure, with a bit of ingenuity, it wouldn’t take much to hire a jeep (the roads are mostly dirt) and arrange with the village elder to go and stay in the village Rong House for a night. Do this for a few nights and you could end up with an epic “off the beaten track” trip.
The looks I get from western travellers when I’m in HaNoi as I’m sitting there all suited up, having a beer at the end of day make me chuckle. People don’t seem to be able to reconcile places like Vietnam as somewhere Western people might work!
For things in the south, definitely Cu Chi tunnels. Also, a trip up the Mekong Delta is pretty cool - there are quite a few islands you can stay on there.
There are some lovely, unspoilt villages on the Vietnam / Laos border. I’m sure, with a bit of ingenuity, it wouldn’t take much to hire a jeep (the roads are mostly dirt) and arrange with the village elder to go and stay in the village Rong House for a night. Do this for a few nights and you could end up with an epic “off the beaten track” trip.
The looks I get from western travellers when I’m in HaNoi as I’m sitting there all suited up, having a beer at the end of day make me chuckle. People don’t seem to be able to reconcile places like Vietnam as somewhere Western people might work!
I’d love to do a cycling tour of Vietnam ( organised)
I went on a cruise for my 40th and we stopped at Saigon HCMC and HaLong bay. We did the usual touristy stuff nearby but I did like it and always wanted to go back and see more.
I’m not one for researching my own thing and would prefer a pre arranged tour with a guide.
I went on a cruise for my 40th and we stopped at Saigon HCMC and HaLong bay. We did the usual touristy stuff nearby but I did like it and always wanted to go back and see more.
I’m not one for researching my own thing and would prefer a pre arranged tour with a guide.
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