Asia - Traveling to Vietnam - suggestions requested

I will be traveling to Vietnam on AA partner Japan Airlines through Narita. Any advice??

make sure that you get your ears cleaned while you are there - the only place in the world i have seen this.

make sure that you get your ears cleaned while you are there - the only place in the world i have seen this.

You can get it done in Little Saigon. SNA is the nearest airport :D

Which city in VN? Hanoi and Sigon are very different cities.

I will be traveling to Vietnam on AA partner Japan Airlines through Narita. Any advice??

I would probably be helpful if you described what kind of advice you're looking for.

Honestly, any advice re: travel with japan airlines from JFK-NRT-HAN and then out of SGN on the way home.

And if you've been to the country any advice on hotels, and places to visit. I will be spending two weeks traveling just Vietnam and have done a lot of research so I know the main tourist attractions, I guess I am really looking for the little unknown treasures that not many people know about...

I've only been to Hanoi, not Saigon (rather HCMC).

LOVE Hanoi. Very charming. We stayed 5 days and hired a private guide for the first day to give us a tour and city orientation then wandered on our own for next 4 days.

Do have a private car waiting at airport to take you to hotel. This was the only place where I felt like we were going to get scammed. Taxi's in city are cheap and easy to use.

Visit: One Pilar Pagoda, Temple of Learning, Ho Chi Minh's house. See the water puppet show. Tons of art galleries. Lots of great things to buy. Fabulous food - but stay away from street food. (looks and smells delicious, but could be trouble) Cha Ca La Vong is famous restaurant.
When I was there, 5 years ago, price haggling wasn't an issue - hope it's still the same.
Buy the Lonely Planet Guide for great tips.

Stay at Metropole Hotel. #1 hotel in the city.

Since this really has nothing to do with American Airlines, it will be relocated to a more appropriate Forum. And since I just returned from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon, I'll fill in some more... (For arranging to be met, guides and the like, I can recommend Ann Tours, with head offices in HCM and offices in Hanoi as well - I dealt with Tony Nong, Ann's son. Others of us on FT have used Ann Tours, and another veteran I traveled with in Vietnam used them extensively for travel to Da Nang, Hue, Na Trang, etc. (If you are going after April 1, don't forget JL will be part of oneworld.)

ANN TOURS
Head Office
58 Ton That Tung, Ben Thanh
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Tel: 84-8-833-2564/833-4356 Fax: 84-8-832-3866

www.anntours.com efax: +1-253-981-7769

Hanoi
Branch office
77 Pham Hong Thai, Truc Bach, Ba Dinh Hanoi

Tel.: 715-0950

E-mail: tony@anntours.com

It would be hard for me to recommend much more, as you haven't shared your budget level, preferences, etc. but the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, as well as the Art Museum, are nice, and there is much more, of course - what also depends on whether you have any interest in the American War / Vietnam War as well.

I guess I am really looking for the little unknown treasures that not many people know about...

Rent or buy the video "Hitchiking through VietNam" lots of great out of the way tips. Between Hanoi and Saigon I would not reccomend taking the train (and I am a full-fledged train nut) not terrribly clean or safe feeling, bars on the windows prevent much sightseeing. Take the tourist buses (little vans) instead for short legs and the domestic service on VietNam Airlines is actually pretty good. I would recommend stopping at Hue for a few days (take a river tour while you're there) and Nah Trang. A great day trip or overnight out of Hanoi is Ha Long bay, be sure to get out on it in a boat. It's a beautiful country. Two weeks isn't enough, but then that's true of most places I find.

wow! this is all great information!! thank you SO much.

I think two places we really want to get to are Sapa (in the north) - any info on the overnight train would be appreciated and Phu Quoc Island in the South. Budget. I think we would like to spend $100 a day (there are 3 of us traveling). and we'll be there for 11 full days. obviously if this is not feasible we'd be willing to spend more, but from my understanding exchange rates are working in our favor??

molly,
do you have any recs on who to get in touch with for a private car?

also, recs for $$ when traveling? should i take out VND at american express before i leave? if so how much for 11 days? how much USD would you recommend and I will have an AMX and MC with me as well.

You don't need a private car if you're arriving in Hanoi. Taxi fare is $10 to the city and they will use the meter. In HCMC, $5 will get you to downtown District 1.

You can't get VND before you leave as it's not available. There are ATMS everywhere in the big cities, but check with your bank about ATM fees (BofA charges $5, plus a currency exchange fee for all ATM transactions).

Multiple flights daily to Phu Quoc for $67 r/t. Flight time is 45 minutes.

You can get it done in Little Saigon. SNA is the nearest airport :D

Really???

Amazing. I have asked Americans from Viet Nam, and they were unable to provide any guidance.

The irony is that I am sat in the SNA AC right now. Any chance someone will come fetch me in a cyclo and take me to Little Saigon? :)

If this was offered somewhere near Dallas, I would stop in regularly.

Thanks for the info.

aournd hanoi, i would do a day trip to halong bay, rent a boat and tour the bay for the day. one of my favorite place in VN is the old capital hue, do hire a little boat to guide you on a day cruise on the river to see the different tombs, you can just go down to the river and ask around. also near hue are the Phong Nha caves also get there via boat, do get there early in the day, things close down in the early afternoon. a visit to hoi an is also a good option. some people will have suits and shirts made there, i perfer to have mine done in saigon, i find the work to be better quality in saigon. a stop at china beach near danang is also worth while but for my time and money, i perfer the beaches in nha trang. again get a boat to one of the nearby island in nha trang bay is worth a day. dalat is worth a side trip, it will be a refreshing change from the humid tropical weather along the coast. saigon, what can i say. so much to do there i love the botanical garden there. i would not buy too much stuff along the way because you can get everything that you might run accross elsewhere in the country at the main market in saigon. the trendency is to ship the best product to the market in saigon because that's where the buyers are. sorry for the long response to a short question

Really???

Amazing. I have asked Americans from Viet Nam, and they were unable to provide any guidance.



sam,
we like to keep that info to ourselves, don't want to scare the screamish westerners :D

the ear cleaning reminded me, brpack2 get your hair cut in VN you'll be in for a treat ^

Really???

Amazing. I have asked Americans from Viet Nam, and they were unable to provide any guidance.

The irony is that I am sat in the SNA AC right now. Any chance someone will come fetch me in a cyclo and take me to Little Saigon? :)

If this was offered somewhere near Dallas, I would stop in regularly.

Thanks for the info.

What's really horrible is that I'm at DFW right now... but I'm not getting back home to SNA until tonight because I'm routing through SFO... or else I'd totally have your back. :D

I'll ask my sources to see if there's something in Dallas.

the ear cleaning reminded me, brpack2 get your hair cut in VN you'll be in for a treat ^

Same guy I go to who does the ear cleaning (though I don't do it myself) was originally a barber from Vietnam. And yes, haircuts ("hot toc", "cat toc" depending where you are) are quite excellent.

USD are easily accepted in the cities, and you can exchange when there easily. AMEX is often not accepted, MC is less accepted than VISA in many parts of Asia. Take your cash / ATM card (four digit PIN only,) and you can find cash machines / ATMs in the cities easily. The drill is "take fewer clothes and more dollars than you first estimate."

also, recs for $$ when traveling? should i take out VND at american express before i leave? if so how much for 11 days? how much USD would you recommend and I will have an AMX and MC with me as well.

USD are easily accepted in the cities, and you can exchange when there easily.

There are actually a subset of unofficial rules for this:

1) If you bring money, bring $100 bills... more readily accepted by merchants, and you'll get a slight better exchange rate.

2) Bring new bills. If there is a visible crease down Franklin's face, many place will NOT accept it (or will accept it at a lower rate).

3) Jewelry stores have better exchange rates than your hotel. Avoid exchanging at the airport... that's the worse rate I've seen in Saigon.

4) If the hotel quotes the price of your stay in USD, pay in USD; if in VND, pay in VND. When our hotel quoted in USD and we wanted to pay in VND, they wanted to use the official exchange rate (vs. the rate they used to exchange money for us). We shut them up when we brought out the Benjamins :)

VN dong is the currency of Vietnam... I'm uncomfortable waving western currencies around.

Agree with the general principle - if you are quoted in Dong, pay in Dong. Of course taxis, shops etc. will accept USD. But its the easiest way to overpay - if nothing else because USD coins are not circulated, so everything gets rounded up to the next USD$1. Unlike IceTrojan, I've had no problems paying USD bills in VND without having an issue about the exchange rate.

The only time when I absolutely had to pay in USD was at the Taipei Rep Office when getting a visa.

Its generally only "foreigner" places that quote in USD. Note that many hotels quote Vietnamese people in VND and foreigners in USD. This is a way of maintaining a differential.

also remember to keep enough $ to pay the departure tax at sgn, i think it's 14 usd

also remember to keep enough $ to pay the departure tax at sgn, i think it's 14 usd

Not a problem anymore as it's now built into the ticket price. Unless you bought your ticket some time ago you've already paid it.

also remember to keep enough $ to pay the departure tax at sgn, i think it's 14 usd

Doesn't have to be USD... they also accept VND and JPY (maybe others).

Get a shampoo at Hai's in Saigon.

It's 45 minutes of a great head massage on a flat chair.

Lorna

There are actually a subset of unofficial rules for this:

1) If you bring money, bring $100 bills... more readily accepted by merchants, and you'll get a slight better exchange rate.

2) Bring new bills. If there is a visible crease down Franklin's face, many place will NOT accept it (or will accept it at a lower rate).

3) Jewelry stores have better exchange rates than your hotel. Avoid exchanging at the airport... that's the worse rate I've seen in Saigon.

4) If the hotel quotes the price of your stay in USD, pay in USD; if in VND, pay in VND. When our hotel quoted in USD and we wanted to pay in VND, they wanted to use the official exchange rate (vs. the rate they used to exchange money for us). We shut them up when we brought out the Benjamins :)


The folks in VN who accept USD are very familiar with US currency, and, in general, the newer bills are more highly valued. I went just as the new $20s were coming out and they actually drew a higher exchange rate (less counterfeiting). So go through your bills before you go and leave the old ones at home.

I don't view it (or use it) as an American waving a bunch of our currency around. It is a hard currency and valued for good reason. The folks who take it appreciate it. A stack of $1s and $5s is very helpful in VietNam.

*poof*

Same guy I go to who does the ear cleaning (though I don't do it myself) was originally a barber from Vietnam. And yes, haircuts ("hot toc", "cat toc" depending where you are) are quite excellent.

can i get an orange county ear cleaning referral/recommendation?

very interesting article on ear cleaning in China:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/08/TR199409.DTL

I did the backpacker bit for 3 weeks back in 1998, entering at Moc Bai (memorable ride from PNH) and leaving by flying HAN-BKK.

The tours offered through the guesthouses worked out to about $30/day including transport, lodging (albeit basic) and meals. Just didn't make sense to go independently at that kind of rate. Did 2-3-dayers to the Mekong Delta out of SGN and Ha Long Bay/Cat Ba out of HAN, as well as single days to things like the Caodai holy see, Cu Chi tunnels, old presidential palace (SGN), My Son ruins (Hoi An) and Perfume Pagoda (HAN). Coffee in Dalat and the Mama Hanh tour in Nha Trang also were memorable.

BEWARE PICKPOCKETS, though.