Vietnam Holiday Advice wanted

Webby

I am thinking about a holiday to Vietnam next year for 2 to 3 weeks. It appeals as not a place I have been to, like good weather, great beaches, but also some site seeing, so intend to travel around a bit. Just wondered if any members hers have experiences and suggestions to share. Not sure best time of year to travel or best beaches to stay on etc. Looking for an exotic place but with budget restraints, so any other suggestions of destinations appreciated.

Pelling1993

Best place i have ever visited, absolutely beautiful and so much to do - The lonely Planet guidebook is very helpful

I went last July & started in Hanoi for 5 days, plenty to do and visit - humidity is a bitch though!

We then went on a 3 day junk boat cruise around Ha Long Bay, most companies there offer 2 or 3 day but i would strongly urge you to do the 3 day as normally it finishes with the last night on a little private island.

We then traveled down to do Hue the old capital of Vietnam i think? And then got scooters and drove over the hoi van pass to Hoi An - like the Top Gear ep if you've seen it? and stopped off at elephant falls waterfall.

After that we finish off down in Ho Chi Minh for about a week, went down the Mekong river, the chu chi tunnels and explored the city.

Biggest regret was not having time to go to Sapa which is apparently amazing!

Enjoy your trip!

Pedro45

Hue is lovely. Da Nang a bit lower class. Saigon and Hanoi will be very busy.

McBobbin

Pelling1993 said:

Best place i have ever visited, absolutely beautiful and so much to do - The lonely Planet guidebook is very helpful

I went last July & started in Hanoi for 5 days, plenty to do and visit - humidity is a bitch though!

We then went on a 3 day junk boat cruise around Ha Long Bay, most companies there offer 2 or 3 day but i would strongly urge you to do the 3 day as normally it finishes with the last night on a little private island.

We then traveled down to do Hue the old capital of Vietnam i think? And then got scooters and drove over the hoi van pass to Hoi An - like the Top Gear ep if you've seen it? and stopped off at elephant falls waterfall.

After that we finish off down in Ho Chi Minh for about a week, went down the Mekong river, the chu chi tunnels and explored the city.

Biggest regret was not having time to go to Sapa which is apparently amazing!

Enjoy your trip!

Agree with all of this. Also, we stayed in a placed called Dalat in the mountains which was great, much cooler climate.

Also visited the demilitarised zone, which was interesting.

The people are lovely, and hotels all seem to be run by crazy women, though they definitely make you welcome and look after you

cabbles

Pelling1993 said:

Best place i have ever visited, absolutely beautiful and so much to do - The lonely Planet guidebook is very helpful

I went last July & started in Hanoi for 5 days, plenty to do and visit - humidity is a bitch though!

We then went on a 3 day junk boat cruise around Ha Long Bay, most companies there offer 2 or 3 day but i would strongly urge you to do the 3 day as normally it finishes with the last night on a little private island.

We then traveled down to do Hue the old capital of Vietnam i think? And then got scooters and drove over the hoi van pass to Hoi An - like the Top Gear ep if you've seen it? and stopped off at elephant falls waterfall.

After that we finish off down in Ho Chi Minh for about a week, went down the Mekong river, the chu chi tunnels and explored the city.

Biggest regret was not having time to go to Sapa which is apparently amazing!

Enjoy your trip!

I too enjoyed it. Had a few days in Hanoi, I recommend the water puppets theatre show. Easy to find, in the centre of Hanoi which has a big lake in it

Also did Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island like you Pelling

Enjoyable trip and their currency has a great name, the Dong

Pelling1993

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g293926-d2647558-Reviews-Le_Family_Rider-Hue_Thua_Thien_Hue_Province.html this is the company we did the scooter trip with, can highly recommend, very reasonably priced considering you get scooters for the day, a guide, free food & drink, lunch at an incredible seafood restaurant, elephant falls and entry to marble mountain

Friend Or Defoe

2 to 3 weeks in Vietnam seems a bit much to me. Should try and visit Cambodia, Lao and Thailand whilst you're there.

McBobbin

Nah, we were in Nam for a month, and it never once got samey

McBobbin

Admittedly, we had visited those other countries too

Pelling1993

Friend Or Defoe said:

2 to 3 weeks in Vietnam seems a bit much to me. Should try and visit Cambodia, Lao and Thailand whilst you're there.

Each to their own, I’d rather do loads in 1 country rather than trying to cram in a whole country in a week

thai malaysia addick

Hoi An is well worth a visit. It's about an hour in the taxi from Da Nang. An amazing place to stay for 2-3 nights. Just Google Image of Hoi An and you will get an idea of what to expect. It also has a separate beach area a few miles away, but I've not explored that.

Webby

Friend Or Defoe said:

2 to 3 weeks in Vietnam seems a bit much to me. Should try and visit Cambodia, Lao and Thailand whilst you're there.

Ive done most of Thailand but may make it 2 weeks and maybe a stopover for a few days in Singapore / Hong Kong

Melrose

Hoi an worth visiting. Hire scooters, plenty of deserted beaches to be discovered. DONT MISS the most fantastic train journey from Da Nang to Hue. Coastal/amazing scenery. Hanoi is interesting and HaLong Bay an absolute must. Slip into Cambodia and it's a different world entirely.

Friend Or Defoe

Pelling1993 said:

Friend Or Defoe said:

2 to 3 weeks in Vietnam seems a bit much to me. Should try and visit Cambodia, Lao and Thailand whilst you're there.

Each to their own, I’d rather do loads in 1 country rather than trying to cram in a whole country in a week

Out of curiosity, if Vietnam is the best place you've been to, where else have you been? I would rate the 3 I listed as above it.

Pelling1993

Friend Or Defoe said:

Pelling1993 said:

Friend Or Defoe said:

2 to 3 weeks in Vietnam seems a bit much to me. Should try and visit Cambodia, Lao and Thailand whilst you're there.

Each to their own, I’d rather do loads in 1 country rather than trying to cram in a whole country in a week

Out of curiosity, if Vietnam is the best place you've been to, where else have you been? I would rate the 3 I listed as above it.

UK
Ireland
France
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Greece
Czech Republic
Croatia
Belgium
Switzerland
Austria
USA
Poland
Germany
Netherlands
Turkey
Morocco
Maderia
Thailand
Vietnam
Estonia
Finland
Hungary
Slovenia
Slovakia
Cyprus

Quite a fun game remembering them all, i've basically focused on getting Europe done first.

stoneroses19

Webby said:

I am thinking about a holiday to Vietnam next year for 2 to 3 weeks. It appeals as not a place I have been to, like good weather, great beaches, but also some site seeing, so intend to travel around a bit. Just wondered if any members hers have experiences and suggestions to share. Not sure best time of year to travel or best beaches to stay on etc. Looking for an exotic place but with budget restraints, so any other suggestions of destinations appreciated.

Because of its long length, there’s no perfect time to visit for weather, but I’d say the better time to go is between February and April.

If you visit for 15 days or less, you don’t need a visa and can just get a stamp on arrival. Any longer then you’ll need to apply for an e-visa before leaving U.K.

Ideal route is Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hue - Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta - Beach.

Personally think the best beaches are on Phu Quoc Island (either 50 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City or can take a speedboat from the mainland). Mango Bay Resort is a great place to stay in Phu Quoc. Or if budget is a little higher than definitely go for La Veranda Hotel.

Friend Or Defoe

Pelling1993 said:

Friend Or Defoe said:

Pelling1993 said:

Friend Or Defoe said:

2 to 3 weeks in Vietnam seems a bit much to me. Should try and visit Cambodia, Lao and Thailand whilst you're there.

Each to their own, I’d rather do loads in 1 country rather than trying to cram in a whole country in a week

Out of curiosity, if Vietnam is the best place you've been to, where else have you been? I would rate the 3 I listed as above it.

UK
Ireland
France
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Greece
Czech Republic
Croatia
Belgium
Switzerland
Austria
USA
Poland
Germany
Netherlands
Turkey
Morocco
Maderia
Thailand
Vietnam
Estonia
Finland
Hungary
Slovenia
Slovakia
Cyprus

Quite a fun game remembering them all, i've basically focused on getting Europe done first.

Fair, surprised with some of them if you like to spend a week in a country. I reckon you should see more of Asia.

Stu_of_Kunming

It's probably not viable, due to where it is, but Sapa is super beautiful.

HaLong bay is a must.

Hastingsaddick

Pedro45 said:

Hue is lovely. Da Nang a bit lower class. Saigon and Hanoi will be very busy.

Dodgy trying to cross the road in Ho Chi Minh....some really good advice above so can't really add much to that as we only went to HCM for a long weekend, go to the war museum there, (we lived in Singapore at the time).

KBslittlesis

I loved Vietnam.
Sapa is a must.
Hoi An amazing.
HCM vibrant & bonkers.
But Hanoi felt totally different to the rest. I thought mainly it’s proximity to China. Still worth going.
I do regret not doing Cambodia & Loas so try & fit them in.

stoneroses19

A few mentions for Sapa. The main town is a building site now with so many Chinese and Vietnamese developments, make sure you stay somewhere out of town.
Or the up and coming Sapa is Mai Chau. A lovely place 4 hour drive south of Hanoi. A few great ecolodges to stay here from where you can trek etc.

SE7toSG3

Had an amazing visit to Vietnam in March, took back 20 American veterans and met up with VC, NVA vets, very emotional and part of a program I am involved with working with guys effected by PTSD.
Whilst we were focussing almost entirely on the war and Northern I Corps sector our route took us Hanoi, Hue, Dong Ha, DMZ, Quang Tri City, Hoi Van Pass, Khe Sahn, Hill 881, Hamburger Hill, China Beach, Marble Mountain, Hoi An, & Da Nang.

It really is a beautiful country, Hoi An was a stunning place to chill and I am looking forward to returning next spring with another group but studying the Meekong, Saigon, Central Highlands area.

Stu_of_Kunming

stoneroses19 said:

A few mentions for Sapa. The main town is a building site now with so many Chinese and Vietnamese developments, make sure you stay somewhere out of town.
Or the up and coming Sapa is Mai Chau. A lovely place 4 hour drive south of Hanoi. A few great ecolodges to stay here from where you can trek etc.

That's a real shame, it's been a while since I've been to Sapa, as northern Vietnam, is basically the same as southern Yunnan and my wifes family are all from The Yizu minority, so I visit southern yunnan all the time.

Fantastic people, beautiful scenery, amazing food and rocket fuel for booze, what more could you want.

Solidgone

Stu_of_Kunming said:

stoneroses19 said:

A few mentions for Sapa. The main town is a building site now with so many Chinese and Vietnamese developments, make sure you stay somewhere out of town.
Or the up and coming Sapa is Mai Chau. A lovely place 4 hour drive south of Hanoi. A few great ecolodges to stay here from where you can trek etc.

That's a real shame, it's been a while since I've been to Sapa, as northern Vietnam, is basically the same as southern Yunnan and my wifes family are all from The Yizu minority, so I visit southern yunnan all the time.

Fantastic people, beautiful scenery, amazing food and rocket fuel for booze, what more could you want.

Pie mash.

Bangkokaddick

Avoid the summer months if you can; it's the most humid and rainy time of year. I spent five days in Hanoi in August and it just rained, which really made the trip very disappointing.

You'll easily fill 2-3 weeks in Vietnam alone. Keep Laos and Cambodia for another time.

Webby

Bangkokaddick said:

Avoid the summer months if you can; it's the most humid and rainy time of year. I spent five days in Hanoi in August and it just rained, which really made the trip very disappointing.

You'll easily fill 2-3 weeks in Vietnam alone. Keep Laos and Cambodia for another time.

It seems February is a good time to visit then? Obviously want to spend the last week by the beach, so want good weather, but without rain.

stoneroses19

Webby said:

Bangkokaddick said:

Avoid the summer months if you can; it's the most humid and rainy time of year. I spent five days in Hanoi in August and it just rained, which really made the trip very disappointing.

You'll easily fill 2-3 weeks in Vietnam alone. Keep Laos and Cambodia for another time.

It seems February is a good time to visit then? Obviously want to spend the last week by the beach, so want good weather, but without rain.

Avoid the first week of February, it’s Vietnamese New Year, most of the good quality hotels will be fully booked or limited availability. Also a lot of the temples etc have short opening times during this week.

Pelling1993

I went in June for nearly the entire month 2 years ago, i'm not sure if i just got really lucky but i think it rained once whilst i was there, the humidity was ridiculously high but the weather was superb

flyingkiwiDK

Thinking of heading over there with the fam next October. What can I expect weather wise?

Bangkok Dave

Mui Ne is a nice beach place east of Saigon. Really good for kite surfing if you want to try something like that.

Stu_of_Kunming

Solidgone said:

Stu_of_Kunming said:

stoneroses19 said:

A few mentions for Sapa. The main town is a building site now with so many Chinese and Vietnamese developments, make sure you stay somewhere out of town.
Or the up and coming Sapa is Mai Chau. A lovely place 4 hour drive south of Hanoi. A few great ecolodges to stay here from where you can trek etc.

That's a real shame, it's been a while since I've been to Sapa, as northern Vietnam, is basically the same as southern Yunnan and my wifes family are all from The Yizu minority, so I visit southern yunnan all the time.

Fantastic people, beautiful scenery, amazing food and rocket fuel for booze, what more could you want.

Pie mash.

Decent bacon too, if we're making a list.