Asia - 8 days in Vietnam, advice?

I'm going to Vietnam for 8 days over Tet. I'm flying into and out of SGN.

Any advice for a fun itinerary with some culture and some beach and a lot of eating?

Money's not really an issue. Both of us have lived in Asia.

Thanks

personally i'd head north as fast as you can. you dont really have a lot of time, but you can fly to danang, go to the champa museum, go to hoi an and have a pleasant day or two there (getting some clothes made), go by train or bus to Hue and see the statues and then fly to hanoi. It would be nice to see ha long harbor, but you really are going to have trouble doing all that unless you immediately leave saigon, and there are a few things to see there. While you can do ha long in a day, it's much better in 2.

You have many options. Here's a few suggestions.

South
HCMC 3 days (you'll need a day to recover from jet lag)
Mekong Delta 2 days
Phu Quoc Island 3 days or Hoi An 3 days (nice beach here too)

North
2 days Hanoi
Ha Long Bay 2 days/1 night on boat
Sapa 3 days

Remember that traveling during TET is very difficult as many of the Vietnamese are traveling home to see their relatives. Book flights/Train in advance or you won't be going anywhere.

Since I'm flying into and out of SGN, the south option might be best. What do you guys think?

Since I'm flying into and out of SGN, the south option might be best. What do you guys think?


Combine the south with a run towards central.
Check out anntours.com
I recommend them as I used them on my last trip to 'Nam

Contact tony@anntours.com

He will be glad to furnish itn. and take care of all details(Visa, car/driver, english speaking guide, accommodations and whatever else you might need).

Look at the sight, get an idea as to what you want to see and do. Then contact Tony to let him work out the details. The staff very friendly and knowledgeable.

You can try Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, and Nha Trang. These are doable trips with luxury hotels, beaches and great eating. All are easily accessible with a car and driver. The roads are excellent.

There are special crabs in these areas, the shells are very thin and the meat is very sweet. Seafood is wonderful.

Tet is their season, so advanced reservations are required

Any advice for a fun itinerary with some culture and some beach and a lot of eating?

Vietnam is near the top of our list and your itinerary is right in line with likes of my own. :)

Looking forward to hearing what you decide.

I'm leaving tomorrow for a similar amount of time in Vietnam. Our itinerary is:

1 night Saigon (get in late)
fly to Hanoi, stay two nights
two-day, one-night cruise on the Emeraude on Halong Bay
back to Saigon
4 nights Saigon

I've spent a fair amount of time on the Mekong so wanted to go north. I originally contacted Tony at Ann Tours and he only wanted to book me on the Mekong side trip and resisted my request for travel north, saying it would be wet and cold. Every site I've seen says it should not be wet and it looks like it should be in the 70s with some clouds and seven miles of visibility. I'll find out soon enough if he was right or not. I booked with vietnamstay.com, which was recommended on another FT thread.

resisted my request for travel north, saying it would be wet and cold. Every site I've seen says it should not be wet and it looks like it should be in the 70s with some clouds and seven miles of visibility.

Hanoi can settle into a gloomy overcast spell which doesn't change for days, and it can rain. But sunshine is just as likely. His reaction is typically Vietnamese... they love to tell you how "cold" Hanoi is in the winter! In my opinion its the best time to visit, because (depending what you're used to) its the only time of year where you can wander around without overheating. Its a nice contrast if you're combining with the south.

A good northern based travel agent is http://www.threeland.com/. A friend recently used them to organise a northern tour.

The centre is in the rainy season (just). Last time I was in Hue/Da Nang in December there was a constant warm drizzle. The "rainy season" typically consists of sunshine in the morning followed by snap thunderstorms and drenching rain which has cleared by evening. Better than watching the TV! Rainy season is pretty much done in Saigon now.

As for the OP's question, I can't add much. Because its Tet, internal flights are very busy (people travelling back to their home villages). City centre hotels are usually no problem - VN people stay with their families, and tourists avoid Vietnam. The beach resorts - Phu Quoc, Mui Ne, Nha Trang are very busy as local expats escape with girlfriends. You really will have to be flexible with your plans and book stuff in advance.

For 8 days, I'd spend 3 days in Saigon - perhaps including a day trip to the Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh (often includes the Cu Chi tunnels tour), 2 nights in Mui Ne and the rest in Hanoi with a trip out to Ha Long bay. I probably wouldn't do Sapa or the centre. (If you do, Hoi An would be my first choice and it can double as the "beach" trip, making Mui Ne unncecessary.)

Make sure you get a mobile contact for your tour organiser (not just of any guide they send). Offices are often closed during this time and you need a backup contact if stuff goes wrong.

The North can be cold at New Year time. The real problem is the humidity, it can chill your bones like you never thought it could be and you can forget the beach in the North at that time of the year.

If you want beach seclusion, Phu Quoc is your best bet. Mui Ne is getting hammered by bad planning. Nha Trang is good for nightlife and they finally learning their lessons of tourism from the 90's.

As for the food, there are no better place than Saigon really. You can get all types and region food there.

Phu Quoc is your best bet. Mui Ne is getting hammered by bad planning.

I agree with this - just getting a flight to Phu Quoc could be difficult at this time of year whereas Mui Ne is accessible by hire car. Of course both are out if the hotels are full.

Some of the Mui Ne places are favoured by Vietnamese and some by foreigners/expats. Generally the VN are noisier - liking karaoke, loud music, motorbikes etc. I think during Tet this shouldn't be a problem. My favourite resort at Mui Ne is "bamboo village" (Lang Tre). Always peaceful and adjacent hotels seem quiet too. Last time I went there (about a year ago) the other guests seem to be middle aged/elderly European couples. Its not the most modern of places but has a nice pool if that's what you want and is very clean. The restaurant was excellent.

I'd love to get to Phu Quoc. ANy recs on hotels?

Another thought is to head up to Dalat. SGN, Nha Trang, and Dalat make a nice triangle.

We fly to Vietnam for Xmas/NY.

I've been there 3 times before on vacation.

Do NOT miss the Hue/Hoi An central area is my advice.

Saigon is not Vietnam really. :cool:

A week or 10 days trip north to south runs about $US800 a person inc all internal flights and hotels, with a Viet guide accompanying you the whole trip - which is near essential IMHO.

Book it in the USA and you can double that.

Wow, all these FTers going! I'll be in Saigon for the holidays. We're using SGN as our base, with a quick 2-day trip to HAN/Halong Bay, and another side trip to the Mekong (probably Can Tho). Should there be a DO???

Wow, all these FTers going! I'll be in Saigon for the holidays. We're using SGN as our base, with a quick 2-day trip to HAN/Halong Bay, and another side trip to the Mekong (probably Can Tho). Should there be a DO???

Let's do a date check and see where we get re a Doo. ;)

We arrive December 26 into Hanoi, and work our way down the country and fly out to BKK from Saigon Jan 6.

Let's do a date check and see where we get re a Doo. ;)

We arrive December 26 into Hanoi, and work our way down the country and fly out to BKK from Saigon Jan 6.

Arriving into SGN on Dec 26.
Departing late night Jan 5th ^

OK ... IceTrojan has posted this Xmas/NY info on Community Board: ^

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=635383

Vietnam is not a FT trunk route destination, but hopefully some of those above might chime in with a short note to that thread, and we might try and get a few of us together for a drink or meal. :cool:

Arriving late Dec 22nd
Departing Jan 1st, 12:05AM

Departing 12/23
Arriving 1/1

Arriving late Dec 22nd
Departing Jan 1st, 12:05AM

Departing 12/23
Arriving 1/1

Are you two interested in meeting other FTers.

I am not so sure how it would look for me. My family is still planning to take me on a trip. What is the tentative date for the DO?

I'm back in HCMC on 1/1 so I should be around.

I am not so sure how it would look for me. My family is still planning to take me on a trip. What is the tentative date for the DO?

So far, the dates that have been thrown out are Jan 3rd or 4th. Probably a nice dinner somewhere?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=635383

Saigon is not Vietnam really.

That is either bizarre or patronizing, but either way, blatantly false.

This is a resource for Saigon street food: http://www.noodlepie.com/

And a place to sample a bit of everything in Saigon under one roof (literally) is Ngon (means "delicious"; you may also see it called "Quan An Ngon," where "Quan An" just means "restaurant that is"). It's a setup similar to Marche or other "food courts," with various stalls and types of cooking coming together in a courtyard. 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Q1. http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hochiminhcity/D52823.html

Street vendors are friendly and do their best to communicate. Remember that, as you're staying in your $200/night hotel, slipping one of the street vendors an extra dollar can help them a lot. Also, I think the best hotel values are the privately owned (as opposed to Communist Party joint venture) "minihotels" around town -- I prefer to give $30/night to local businesspeople, rather than $200/night to Starwood and the Party, but that's just me.

That is either bizarre or patronizing, but either way, blatantly false.



And out of interest you've visited Hanoi, Sapa, Hoi An and Hue exactly how many times on vacation that you might care to share with us?

This is my fourth visit there.

Saigon is not Vietnam and Shanghai is not China. I stick to my comment.

Street vendors are friendly and do their best to communicate. Remember that, as you're staying in your $200/night hotel, slipping one of the street vendors an extra dollar can help them a lot.

Oh no... please don't export the US tipping culture to Vietnam...

Actually I find that to be a patronising attitude (however well meaning) - especially if done in US currency.

(Agree with the rest of your post.)

Saigon is not Vietnam and Shanghai is not China. I stick to my comment.

Well I disagree with this statement too. Saigon is the commericial centre of gravity and is really where Vietnam is at in this century. Sure, many people there will return to their villages for the lunar new year, or will happily tell you that their families came from Hanoi in 1954.

Saigon doesn't have the picture-postcard look of Hoi An, the water buffalo of the countryside, the scenary of Sapa, the history of Hue. But that is for tourists and Vietnamese in their sentimental moments. Vietnam is full of young people that want to have a more modern and internationalised future. They see Vietnam having an industrial/post-industrial future and want to move away from its agriculturally dominated past.

Of course all cities within the territory of Vietnam are by definition part of Vietnam. But like it or not, Ho Chi Minh City (wider city limits than the old Saigon) has a population of 6 million and is where things are going - with Hanoi the political counter-balance.

And out of interest you've visited Hanoi, Sapa, Hoi An and Hue exactly how many times on vacation that you might care to share with us?

I'm sure not as many vacations as you've taken there. I've certainly never posed with a grin and an AK-47. I defer to your superior understanding, and wish you much luck in real Vietnam.

Actually I find that a patronising attitude (however well meaning) - especially if done in US currency.

US currency is widely used in Saigon, though less so in "real" Vietnam.

As for patronizing: there are hungry people living on at most a few dollars a day, many or most of them from desperately poor "real" Vietnam. If their families will eat better for a week for the price of a latte to me, then fine, let me be patronizing. Practically speaking, there are ways to make such gifts politely and discreetly, without making a big deal of the gift, or of yourself; that might be a tall order in this crowd, given FTers' obsession with "having my status recognized."

Saigon doesn't have the picture-postcard look of Hoi An, the water buffalo of the countryside, the scenary of Sapa, the history of Hue. But that is for tourists and Vietnamese in their sentimental moments.

Bingo.

I'm sure not as many vacations as you've taken there.


Thanks. I thought as much.

Would a number less than 2 perhaps be accurate? ;)

US currency is widely used in Saigon, though less so in "real" Vietnam.

As for patronizing: there are hungry people living on at most a few dollars a day, many or most of them from desperately poor "real" Vietnam. If their families will eat better for a week for the price of a latte to me, then fine, let me be patronizing. Practically speaking, there are ways to make such gifts politely and discreetly, without making a big deal of the gift, or of yourself; that might be a tall order in this crowd, given FTers' obsession with "having my status recognized."

I lived in Saigon for a while - its true USD is often used as a storage of wealth or for large transactions, hotel rates etc. But generally street level transactions are in VN dong. Of course, anyone will take USD - just I think anything offered shouldn't be offered in that way - something to do with the signals it sends.

But my worry about gifts of cash at the point of service receipt is that it just drives an expectation and reinforces stereotypes - and in the end I don't think it really helps. Where its to procure services it can have the effect of causing resentment among local people who cannot keep up. Also there is a mentality in Vietnam that "foreigners should pay more" - just because they have more. This was backed up by law until quite recently - with Vietnam Airlines happily displaying "foreigner" rates and "local" rates for flights.

As for the street vendors, it depends. Most of the "tourist facing" vendors/shoe shiners in central Saigon are just "mafia" controlled. They keep little of what they receive. Your latte money is just as likely to support some chap's night in a karaoke bar as feeding a family. I think its better to give any surplus cash to charities that operate in VN - especially the ones that try and get street kids skilled up or help with rural development.

But certainly its not cut and dried, and my "policy" on this would change from time to time whilst I lived there. Your logic is compelling - a cash injection of something small to you could mean alot to someone else. My VN friends generally never tip except to round up perhaps - but will often buy the lottery tickets from the folk that bring them around or sometimes give to very elderly beggers. At the new year, the "lucky money" can be a great redistributor of wealth and that was the annual occasion when I'd give some cash to the people who I knew well, had helped me during the year and I knew to be quite poor. I feel this is the way to go.

Anyway, VN is getting richer and unlike China there doesn't seem to be such a crushing gap between rich and poor. Very few people actually go hungry in Vietnam these days. The Business climate has driven VN to the point where some of my old VN friends are now international travellers and were wondering whether they should "tip" in the UK during a recent trip.

Saigon is not Vietnam.... I stick to my comment.

I would also have to respectfully disagree with this comment. I would agree that Vietnam in its natural state would obviously be better represented by Hoi An or Ha Long. But cultural richness-wise, I find the people to be very typical of the national conscious (at least for the South), so long as you leave District 1. Of course, you get a different feel for the rural areas, and that may be what you prefer, but in terms of whether Saigon is "Vietnam," I don't think it's by any means fake or misrepresentative.

BTW, I've been to VN 6 times in my life (5 times in the last 3 years), and my family is from the South, so I would hope I know what I'm talking about ;)

Jimbo,

Good points all around. I agree with the spirit of your post. Viscerally, I see a poor person in front of me, and that dollar isn't worth so much to me any more. [edited to add: Yes about New Year lucky money. I've tried to do the same, except I wasn't there for New Year. :) ]

You're exactly right about the mafia-controlled central area vendors. I was referring more to vendors a bit outside the central areas. Related tip: Q1 beggars, especially children, are usually (or, almost always) owned by the mafia.

If I were charged a tourist price somewhere, then I would see that price inflation as their tip/gift. However, when people do me the courtesy of not ripping me off (a big bowl of food for less than a dollar; I don't think this is a tourist price), I am more inclined to do a little bit for them in return.

"Saigon is not Vietnam really".

Have to agree with the others about this one. HCMC is very much about what's happening in Vietnam.

"And out of interest you've visited Hanoi, Sapa, Hoi An and Hue exactly how many times on vacation that you might care to share with us"?

So because you've been on vacation to VN, you have the full feel for the country? Give me a break.

Saigon is not Vietnam really

You are right.

But neither is Hoi An, Ha Long, Sapa, Can Tho, etc...

Individually, they are just different places with their own charms and ugliness. But collectively, they make up the Vietnam that you are experiencing today.

And if anyone doubts my "expertise", I have been in VN 4 times for this year with a 5th coming this week ;).

You almost made it to my number, aaac. In 2003-2004, I had to come to VN 6 times in 9 months. That was a crazy time!

I had a British mate who lived in Saigon and always insisted district one was not "real Saigon".