Vietnam.........Talk to me.
Discussion
Really fancy two weeks in Vietnam, not really sure why, just looks like an amazing place that i'd love to see now as in 20 years I'm sure it will be like anywhere else. Just wondered if anybody that's been could give me some tips / hints on where to go, what to see, how to travel both getting there and once in the contry and anything to be careful of.
Hanoi is very different, almost worth arriving there for the huge culture shock it offers!
Ha Long Bay is stunning, although sadly some tourists died recently when a boat sank/capsized, so don't spare the pennies here, but also don't miss it on the basis of one unfortunate incident.
Sapa up in the North comes highly recommended, I never made it there, but your classic rice terrace landscapes.
Hue is the old imperial capital and worth a visit, and Hoi An is nearish and good for getting suits made or dresses for the missus.
Nice chilled out wee place near the beaches of Da Nang too.
Saigon and Mekong Delta for some war history can't be missed either.
I'd highly recommend trying to squeeze in Cambodia too if you've got the time. I managed Vietnam and Cambodia in 3 weeks last Jan.
Amazing trip, and you will want to go back to SE Asia.
Ha Long Bay is stunning, although sadly some tourists died recently when a boat sank/capsized, so don't spare the pennies here, but also don't miss it on the basis of one unfortunate incident.
Sapa up in the North comes highly recommended, I never made it there, but your classic rice terrace landscapes.
Hue is the old imperial capital and worth a visit, and Hoi An is nearish and good for getting suits made or dresses for the missus.
Nice chilled out wee place near the beaches of Da Nang too.
Saigon and Mekong Delta for some war history can't be missed either.
I'd highly recommend trying to squeeze in Cambodia too if you've got the time. I managed Vietnam and Cambodia in 3 weeks last Jan.
Amazing trip, and you will want to go back to SE Asia.
I went in 2003. Tourist numbers were tiny. I flew in and out of Hanoi and took a bus trip to Halong Bay. Cost for the coach there and back, the boats, catering and 2-star hotel for two nights??? 30 USD 
Like most of SE Asia, you'll be able to get to the interesting places on tourist buses. It is a very long country (1500km, I think). I'd be inclined to travel by train between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). Depending on time available, you could visit the former DMZ and go down the tunnels at Cu Chi
http://wikitravel.org/en/Vietnam
I flew in with Air France; Heathrow to Paris to Bangkok to Hanoi. The SARS 'epedemic' of the time meant I almost had the 747 to myself.
Like most of SE Asia, you'll be able to get to the interesting places on tourist buses. It is a very long country (1500km, I think). I'd be inclined to travel by train between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). Depending on time available, you could visit the former DMZ and go down the tunnels at Cu Chi
http://wikitravel.org/en/Vietnam
I flew in with Air France; Heathrow to Paris to Bangkok to Hanoi. The SARS 'epedemic' of the time meant I almost had the 747 to myself.
Edited by rsv gone! on Tuesday 7th June 21:55
Hoi An is really great. A lot of people say it's a tourist trap, and to some extent it is, but it is a UNESCO world heritage site and you will see why.
Hanoi is also amazing, total culture shock but so much to see and do. It's far better than Saigon/Ho Chi Min which is a bit dull.
Don't forget to haggle for everything and enjoy!!
(Also, if you can try and get on some overnight trains they are a real experience!)
Hanoi is also amazing, total culture shock but so much to see and do. It's far better than Saigon/Ho Chi Min which is a bit dull.
Don't forget to haggle for everything and enjoy!!
(Also, if you can try and get on some overnight trains they are a real experience!)
Go to Sapa. It's un-f
king-believable. Great train ride too - proper adventure stuff. Make sure you spend a few days hiking through the local villages. Epically good fun, and a real experience. Be sure to eat at the local vietnamese place up by the church - horse penis alcohol for the win!!
king-believable. Great train ride too - proper adventure stuff. Make sure you spend a few days hiking through the local villages. Epically good fun, and a real experience. Be sure to eat at the local vietnamese place up by the church - horse penis alcohol for the win!!As all have said previously, do it - amazing country.
Went in 2005 with the wife for our honeymoon and can honestly say it's the best holiday I've ever had. Food is excellent, beer is cheap as chips, people are friendly for the most part, hotels are very good as well.
We started in Hanoi and travelled down to Saigon via Hue and Hoi An. The Cargo Club in Hoi An was excellent.
We had our own guide for each part of the journey which was good as we got to learn so much more about the country and we weren't as rushed as there was only the two of us.
Can't wait to take my kids there some day.
Went in 2005 with the wife for our honeymoon and can honestly say it's the best holiday I've ever had. Food is excellent, beer is cheap as chips, people are friendly for the most part, hotels are very good as well.
We started in Hanoi and travelled down to Saigon via Hue and Hoi An. The Cargo Club in Hoi An was excellent.
We had our own guide for each part of the journey which was good as we got to learn so much more about the country and we weren't as rushed as there was only the two of us.
Can't wait to take my kids there some day.
Have just come back from 2 weeks or so in Vietnam, we did the following:
Flew to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, 3 nights there
Flew to Hanoi, 2 nights there
Halong Bay cruise, 1 night
Overnight train from Hanoi to Hoi An
Hoi An, 2 nights
Flew to Nha Trang from Da Nang
Nha Trang, 4 nights there R&R on the beach
Flew to Ho Chi Minh City, 2 nights there
Flew home via Hong Kong
Amazing holiday, my wife is pregnant and it was no problem at all, although the itinerary was a little on the heavy side, we just took our time and had a blast! Stayed in a range of hotels from budget to 5*, I reckon the whole trip including flights didn't cost that much more than £3k and we like to spend when we're on holiday!
If you want any more details, please just ask...
Cheers
Flew to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, 3 nights there
Flew to Hanoi, 2 nights there
Halong Bay cruise, 1 night
Overnight train from Hanoi to Hoi An
Hoi An, 2 nights
Flew to Nha Trang from Da Nang
Nha Trang, 4 nights there R&R on the beach
Flew to Ho Chi Minh City, 2 nights there
Flew home via Hong Kong
Amazing holiday, my wife is pregnant and it was no problem at all, although the itinerary was a little on the heavy side, we just took our time and had a blast! Stayed in a range of hotels from budget to 5*, I reckon the whole trip including flights didn't cost that much more than £3k and we like to spend when we're on holiday!
If you want any more details, please just ask...
Cheers
Ciaran said:
As all have said previously, do it - amazing country.
Went in 2005 with the wife for our honeymoon and can honestly say it's the best holiday I've ever had. Food is excellent, beer is cheap as chips, people are friendly for the most part, hotels are very good as well.
We started in Hanoi and travelled down to Saigon via Hue and Hoi An. The Cargo Club in Hoi An was excellent.
We had our own guide for each part of the journey which was good as we got to learn so much more about the country and we weren't as rushed as there was only the two of us.
Can't wait to take my kids there some day.
Cargo club is still great, although our guide warned us about it being "very expensive".Went in 2005 with the wife for our honeymoon and can honestly say it's the best holiday I've ever had. Food is excellent, beer is cheap as chips, people are friendly for the most part, hotels are very good as well.
We started in Hanoi and travelled down to Saigon via Hue and Hoi An. The Cargo Club in Hoi An was excellent.
We had our own guide for each part of the journey which was good as we got to learn so much more about the country and we weren't as rushed as there was only the two of us.
Can't wait to take my kids there some day.
And to be fair, he was right. The most expensive single course I had anywhere in Vietnam. 100,000 Dong!
To put that into context, there's almost 34,000 Dong to the pound just now...
And you're sitting in the nicest restaurant, looking out over the water in a UNESCO heritage site...
We arranged to be collected at the airport by the owners of the hotel in Hanoi, their son was waiting for us when we arrived and took us out to our transport - the local bus and we had to pay for his ticket, but at £3 per night for B&B for two you can't really grumble 
Great place, as already said cheap as chips but don't try to cram too much in, two weeks will fly by
Hanoi 3-4 days
Sapa 2-3 days
Halong Bay 2-3 days
Hue 1 day
Ho Chi Minh 3-4 days
Relax and enjoy
Great place, as already said cheap as chips but don't try to cram too much in, two weeks will fly by
Hanoi 3-4 days
Sapa 2-3 days
Halong Bay 2-3 days
Hue 1 day
Ho Chi Minh 3-4 days
Relax and enjoy
Maybe because I have lived there for the last 3.5 years it has become 'normal' for me.
Of all the places I have been I would say Sapa is the best (although I am sure there are many places I havent been that are better). I was really impressed with Sapa and would recommend it in a heart beat
Ha Long bay is over crowded and dirty but is one of the 'must do' things, if you can get to Cat Ba Island and go in the bay from the 'other' side (the not so touristy side) then it is stunning but going out from Ha Long city with the procession of other boats doesnt do it for me. I loved Cat ba and going in from that side and would highly recommend it
Hanoi has 1 or 2 days things to do at most, and for most people it is a jumping off point for other travels.
HCMC (formerly Saigon) is a nice city but nothing to do there (except 1 war museum) but feels like a small version of Bangkok. Many people go to the Chu Chi tunnels just outside, I didnt make it there yet but it sounds pretty good if you are not claustrohobic
hue is nice for 1 or 2 days.
if you want beaches then you need to go to Danang or further south. In the north the beaches are pretty ugly in general
Dalat is also a favourite spot
The north and south really are very different. It is my opinion that if you go to the south you dont see the 'real' vietnam. It is very nice and civilised there and easy to get along. The north is what I call 'raw' asia, with crazy driving, horns blaring and motorbikes with more on the back than I can fit in a transit van. I never feel culture shock in the south but in the north many people do. for that reason alone it is worth seeing now as it is changing so fast it will soon be gone (or heavily diluted).
If you are over this part of the world I would also recommend Cambodia, different from Vietnam but much more cultural (there is very little culture left in Vietnam) and Angor wat is simply stunning
Laos is nice but sleepy
Thailand is great as a starting and ending point, but is completely different from the others (well Laos is like a Thai province in its look and feel)
Everyone who has visited that I have spoken to have loved Vietnam. As I say maybe because I am there all the time I become blinkered to its charms (although I love living there, just dont see it as a good tourist destination for some strange reason and prefer to go somewhere else)
5* hotels are much more expensive than the equivalent in other asian countries, but you will get good clean hotels in Hanoi or HCMC for $30-50 per night
HTH
Of all the places I have been I would say Sapa is the best (although I am sure there are many places I havent been that are better). I was really impressed with Sapa and would recommend it in a heart beat
Ha Long bay is over crowded and dirty but is one of the 'must do' things, if you can get to Cat Ba Island and go in the bay from the 'other' side (the not so touristy side) then it is stunning but going out from Ha Long city with the procession of other boats doesnt do it for me. I loved Cat ba and going in from that side and would highly recommend it
Hanoi has 1 or 2 days things to do at most, and for most people it is a jumping off point for other travels.
HCMC (formerly Saigon) is a nice city but nothing to do there (except 1 war museum) but feels like a small version of Bangkok. Many people go to the Chu Chi tunnels just outside, I didnt make it there yet but it sounds pretty good if you are not claustrohobic
hue is nice for 1 or 2 days.
if you want beaches then you need to go to Danang or further south. In the north the beaches are pretty ugly in general
Dalat is also a favourite spot
The north and south really are very different. It is my opinion that if you go to the south you dont see the 'real' vietnam. It is very nice and civilised there and easy to get along. The north is what I call 'raw' asia, with crazy driving, horns blaring and motorbikes with more on the back than I can fit in a transit van. I never feel culture shock in the south but in the north many people do. for that reason alone it is worth seeing now as it is changing so fast it will soon be gone (or heavily diluted).
If you are over this part of the world I would also recommend Cambodia, different from Vietnam but much more cultural (there is very little culture left in Vietnam) and Angor wat is simply stunning
Laos is nice but sleepy
Thailand is great as a starting and ending point, but is completely different from the others (well Laos is like a Thai province in its look and feel)
Everyone who has visited that I have spoken to have loved Vietnam. As I say maybe because I am there all the time I become blinkered to its charms (although I love living there, just dont see it as a good tourist destination for some strange reason and prefer to go somewhere else)
5* hotels are much more expensive than the equivalent in other asian countries, but you will get good clean hotels in Hanoi or HCMC for $30-50 per night
HTH
Been to the 'st' twice in the last two years, was most recently there in March this year.
Awesome place.
This year I overland bussed it from Da Nang to Siem Reap in Cambodia in the space of two weeks, it fking nearly killed me! In between I stopped in Hoi An which is my favourite spot in 'Nam. I had a couple of days on Nah Trang which was nice, weirdly found a great Italian eatery which was very well priced. Wish I stopped on Mui Ne as it looked great for some windsurfing action.
HCMC is good for a couple of days I reckon, allow two days to do the touristy stuff in the city. There is a little more to see than just the war museum as one person suggested above.... several markets, war remnants museum, the financial tower, GnT's on top of the Rex Hotel, Reunification Palace and then all the street stuff. HCMC is also a good launch pad for Cui Chi tunnels which is a day trip in its own right, the same applies for the Mekong Delta.
I have done the north also, I liked it but not as much as the south, the Chinese influence was less obvious.
If you can, get in to Cambodia or Laos both are amazing countries!
t' twice in the last two years, was most recently there in March this year. Awesome place.
This year I overland bussed it from Da Nang to Siem Reap in Cambodia in the space of two weeks, it f
king nearly killed me! In between I stopped in Hoi An which is my favourite spot in 'Nam. I had a couple of days on Nah Trang which was nice, weirdly found a great Italian eatery which was very well priced. Wish I stopped on Mui Ne as it looked great for some windsurfing action. HCMC is good for a couple of days I reckon, allow two days to do the touristy stuff in the city. There is a little more to see than just the war museum as one person suggested above.... several markets, war remnants museum, the financial tower, GnT's on top of the Rex Hotel, Reunification Palace and then all the street stuff. HCMC is also a good launch pad for Cui Chi tunnels which is a day trip in its own right, the same applies for the Mekong Delta.
I have done the north also, I liked it but not as much as the south, the Chinese influence was less obvious.
If you can, get in to Cambodia or Laos both are amazing countries!
Visa you either need to apply at the Vietnamese embassy in London, or you can apply online for a visa approval letter and then get your visa on entry.
If you can get the visa before departure then do it, I found the chaotic process at Hanoi airport a bit of a test on the patience after an 18-odd hour journey.
Made even better by my bag not being on the belt afterwards!
(It did appear 3 days later fortunately).
I didn't bother with anti-malarials, but stayed in urban areas. If you're heading off the beaten track a bit then worth investigating.
If you can get the visa before departure then do it, I found the chaotic process at Hanoi airport a bit of a test on the patience after an 18-odd hour journey.
Made even better by my bag not being on the belt afterwards!
(It did appear 3 days later fortunately).
I didn't bother with anti-malarials, but stayed in urban areas. If you're heading off the beaten track a bit then worth investigating.
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