frankiwa

How would you spend about 10 days in vietnam (this is part of a larger SE Asia trip, so i can't spend too much time in Vietnam).

This is kind of what i am thinking:

2 days in Hanoi
1 night on junk at Halong Bay
2 days in Hoi An
1 day in Nha Trang (possibly skip Nha Trang for an extra day in HCMC)
3 days in HCMC

Using an overnight train from Hanoi to Hoi An (via Danang). And overnight train from Danang to Nha trang. This trip will be in September's rainy season if that makes a difference.

jiejie

I usually suggest that for trips to Vietnam this short, that one should either concentrate the 10 days in the North and Central, or the South and Central, but not try to cover the entire country. Nobody ever listens though, so I'll work with your plan.

With only 10 days, I suggest you make use of internal flights and forego the trains. Flights can be had online now on Vietnam Airlines in Economy SuperSaver for as low as US $30 all-in, so it's a no-brainer. September can be very rainy and disruptions to overland travel can occur, so keep abreast of the local weather reports. I would skip Nha Trang on a trip this short--not really any value-added there and it adds unnecessary complexity. This freed-up day will be gobbled up in various travels which you don't seem to have accounted for. Tweaked itinerary:
--Hanoi--2 full days after arrival,
--Halong Bay--2 full days (part of first day and part of second day just to travel to/from Hanoi), overnight on the boat.
--Return late afternoon from Hanoi about 5 pm, evening flight about 8 pm to Danang. I'd overnight in Danang, then get down to Hoi An the next day --Hoi An 2 full days. Add another day for the Cham site at My Son.
--Return to Danang by road (1 hr), fly to HCMC
--Balance of days in HCMC, with one full day for daytrip to Delta.

frankiwa

Wow, internal vietnam flights are much cheaper than i would have guessed.

I do like trains though, so i think i will keep the first train journey, after hanoi and ha long bay.

I think i will overnight Hanoi to Hoi An (via Hanoi-Danang night train, and short bus from Danang to Hoi An). Then take a flight from Danang to HCMC, and skip Nha Trang. Possibly adding 1 day for a Delta trip.



Thanks for the tip.

cathaana

We did the following:
3 nights Hanoi - which was way too much for us because we didn't like Hanoi at all
1 night Halong Bay - overnight on a junk, was very nice
1 night Hue - nice sightseeing, do it from Danang if you do not want to stay in Hue
2 nights Hoi An - really nice little town, enjoyed it a lot, also go see the Marble Mountains, definitely worth it
(6 nights beach time in Nha Trang and Mui Ne plus 1 night in Dalat)
2 nights Saigon - which we enjoyed

I can recommend the ICs in Saigon and Hanoi and the Life Resort in Hoi An.

We flew everywhere we could in C. Business class tickets are only a couple of bucks more expensive than Y.

Michael

I second jiejie's suggestion to concentrate on only two of three regions, but I would suggest skipping the central region, but adding in Sapa in the north (gives you an overnight train journey too).

I don't care much for Hue, and find Hoi An to be way over-touristed and Disney-fied. No thanks.

I'd do it like this:
3 days Hanoi (I could actually spend a week here easy - I think Hanoi is a great city, with great food, shopping and fascinating to wander around.)
2 days Halong (1st night on boat; 2nd night, return to Hanoi & get on the night train to Sapa region)
2-3 days Sapa (last night is a night train back to Hanoi)
2-3 days HCMC (get off train from Sapa and take AM flight HAN-SGN)

The only point where I'm not sure I agree with jiejie is in re: the one-day delta trip. IMO the best parts of the delta are further afield; I'm not sure I'd bother with a one-day trip, as you just can't get that far.

Daawgon

I generally agree with the above (Hanoi is a real gem, IMHO!), but Hoi An is nice for a relaxing break, and some of the best food in the country. Not a fan of Hue at all. As for Saigon, it's just another big city (not in the same class with Hanoi). 10 days is way too short to see this country - fewer destinations will give you a better quality trip.

Be sure to book the Livitrans train carriage on the SE1 train to Danang - this is first class and the only way I would do it.

dsquared37

I'm arranging my parents' 10-12 day Vietnam trip this year and my thinking is along your lines.

I also agree with jiejie's thoughts of doing 2 of 3 sections of the country so as not to be too rushed.

As it is, the parents have never been to Vietnam before so it will be up to them where they like or dislike.... after experiencing the different locales. And if the stay in Hanoi or Hoi An or Hue or SGN is over a day earlier than they'd like, well, they can come back and visit again.

My best experiences have been getting out of the cities on a motorbike and getting lost on purpose. Unfortunately the parents don't have that kind of adventurous streak.

jiejie

More than any other mainland SE Asian country, I find Vietnam to be a place where reasonable people--both experienced and inexperienced travelers--are all over the map as to which places within Vietnam they liked and disliked. The complete lack of consensus is interesting, and to some extent may be colored by specific interactions and experiences with the Vietnamese people they found in a particular place. My point is, that recommendations from others can only go so far as to predict your own responses to the different areas and places of Vietnam. Which you can see just from the few responses already received above. My personal list:

Liked a Lot: Hanoi, Dalat area
Liked: Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue/DMZ by motorcycle, Mui Ne
Meh: Mekong Delta (but with more time in the backwaters, would probably move up to "liked"), Nha Trang
Not Fond Of: HCMC

Major Tourist Areas Not Visited yet: Sapa, Phu Quoc

YMMV. I seem to be in the minority of people who liked Hue and wish I'd had an extra day or so for the area, but I lucked into a great middle-aged motorcycle guide through whom I met some fascinating locals and saw/heard some great stories. And HCMC has to be one of my least favorite cities visited so far in all of SE Asia, while others love it.

Michael

jiejie, that's an interesting list. I agree with some of your ratings, but not with others (which serves to make your point, no?). You really should visit the Sapa region -- it's great, especially the areas that are a distance away from Sapa itself. There are some fantastic markets in some of the small towns.

dsquared37, if your parents will be combining VN with PNH, then you/they might look into going overland through the delta PNH-HCMC. We did this a few years ago (Nov '05, I think), overnighting in Chau Doc and Can Tho - it was a great trip, and a nice way to travel between the two cities.

Mr H

I loved Hue. We had two days of solid rain there - quite atmospheric - and then a final day of glorious sunshine which coincided with a privately organized trip to the temples and the river.

Didn't enjoy the Mekong Delta much. Mostly it is overrun with large organized tours being herded from one staged tourist attraction to the next. I am sure there must be a better way to do it but even when we thought we had organized for a private guide this turned out to be only for half a day out of a three day trip. The hotels were especially grim and the "homestay" was simply being left on an island, in the dark, staying in a guesthouse type room in a plantation. There was nothing to do - just trapped until the boat came to rescue us the next morning - with only wooden blocks to sit on in a giant but empty terrace full of tables aimed at coach parties who didn't seem to come.

jiejie

Sapa has never been a priority with me, and I'm unlikely to head there. The reason is that I've seen similar before, and more authentic and untouristed than what Sapa has become in recent years. I'm talking about the hill-tribes of North Thailand in the 1960's (where I grew up), Burma around Kengtung in the 1990's, and China areas like remote Guizhou, etc. right now. So, sort of a Been There, Done That and my personal Vietnam value-added lies elsewhere. But not to take away from others including it on their own itineraries--most people enjoy Sapa very much (warning: it gets cold up there in winter).


I have heard the secret to enjoying the Delta is to make friends with a native of the area that can do a personal "tour" and look after you a bit better or set you up with people who will. And get far away from the 90% of tourists that only do the daytrip as far as Vinh Long. I admit, as a non-Vietnam expat, I'm not sure I'd know how to go about making this sort of connection. As putting trust in a commercial tour agency leads to too many stories similar to above, I tend not to favor that medium. If I head down there again, I think I will try to do it myself by getting transport from HCMC to Can Tho then cobble something together on the spot for points south, then heading west over to Rach Gia and then out the back way across the border to Cambodia/ Kep and Kampot (which I like a lot). You do need to carve out about a week to do this, so not for the short overview trip of the country. And probably not for those needing security and predictability of advance arrangements, or luxury. Would be cheap though!

dsquared37

Most likely I'll meet them in BKK and we'll only go to PNH after a stint in VN. Like jiejie mentioned in another post, we'll likely fly between the Hanoi/Danang/SGN and then to either BKK or PNH. I've been traveling Asia for 3 straight years, so now I get to play tour guide for the parents.

I have spent time in Can Tho and Chau Doc and enjoyed both of them, but it's not something I envision my parents enjoying. Also, there's enough to fill 10-13 days in Vietnam as it is. And there's always next time for them to come and visit. Last year was Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and a side trip to HKG. THis year is BKK, SIN, Vietnam and a trip a side trip back to Cambodia.

If it was just me a buddy it would mean time in the delta on bikes and meeting locals who don't speak English and want to ply you full of rice wine.