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Ask us about Vietnam

Old Jan 30, 2019, 10:46 am
  #121  
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Originally Posted by anaggie
My friends (Indian passports) and myself (USA passport) are planning on heading to Hanoi in March for a quick guys weekend. We have booked a tour of Halong Bay with Paradise Cruises for one night. They offer an invitation letter that you can use to enter the country as a tourist without having a visa or stamp prior to arrival. A few questions on that:

1) Will the airlines flying us into HAN let us fly without an actual visa in the passport?
2) Should we get an E-Visa approval just in case?
3) Is there any text online which we could print and take with us just in case we have issues at the airport?

The company told us that all we would need are TWO passport photos, $25 for visa fee and the letter upon arrival.
1- Im not Indian and have no idea what the T&Cs are for them

2- For you for the same money $25 getting an E-Visa makes sense 1- its a loose leaf paper and thusly no Visa taking up a full page of your PP, 2- not having to wait to go thru VOA when you arrive (hopefully your friend wont have to either if a E-Visa is possible for them). 3- if you have the invitation letter which isnt connected to VOA I doubt the airline will allow you to board, if that letter is like the others Ive purchased from a TA then its on record with Imm and you will be assigned a # and file and allowed to board since its from the govt.4- no need for anything other then either an E-Visa or letter showing youre doing VOA upon arrival (a letter saying youre staying with us wont hold water from what I understand)

no reason to do VOA when E-Visa can be had IMO same $$ (it used to be more expensive and a PITA to get the Visa from the Consulate besides being alot more $$
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 11:50 am
  #122  
 
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Will this work for the airlines and the VOA?

Thanks
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 12:14 pm
  #123  
 
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Also ... are there any recommendations for restaurants or things to see or do in Hanoi? We are going to be there for 5 days ... so we have time to really enjoy.

Nightlife??
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 1:22 pm
  #124  
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Originally Posted by anaggie

Will this work for the airlines and the VOA?

Thanks
Yep, thats what I was talking about an Offical letter , (messed up with the dates , corrected below)

as for places to eat and night life I will leave that up to others as Im on a special diet and nightlife isnt my thing

Last edited by craz; Jan 30, 2019 at 5:07 pm
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 2:35 pm
  #125  
 
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Originally Posted by craz
the only thing is are you planning on arriving on 7/3? cause I believe as written you can enter only on 7/3 or 7/4. My letters always had say from 7/3 up until 1 month so till 8/2
March 7 - April 7, right?
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 2:51 pm
  #126  
 
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Originally Posted by craz
Yep, thats what I was talking about an Offical letter , the only thing is are you planning on arriving on 7/3? cause I believe as written you can enter only on 7/3 or 7/4. My letters always had say from 7/3 up until 1 month so till 8/2

as for places to eat and night life I will leave that up to others as Im on a special diet and nightlife isnt my thing
I think they write the dates the other way in Asia ... so it would be from 7th if March till 7th of April.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 5:06 pm
  #127  
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Originally Posted by CrazyInteg
March 7 - April 7, right?
Cant believe I made that mistake, but LoL, I most certainly did
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Old Jan 31, 2019, 1:44 am
  #128  
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Originally Posted by anaggie
Also ... are there any recommendations for restaurants or things to see or do in Hanoi? We are going to be there for 5 days ... so we have time to really enjoy.

Nightlife??
We did a Food on Foot tour with Awesome Vietnam Travel for $25. This gave us the confidence to get around and to try different things.

This food was so delicious and cheap. http://hanoiorchidrestaurant.com/htt...estaurant.com/


https://www.koto.com.au/about-koto KOTO is a foundation and social enterprise to empower at-risk youth to pursue lives of dignity, by providing life-skills, training, and opportunity. KOTO is a foundation and social enterprise to empower at-risk youth to pursue lives of dignity, by providing life-skills, training, and opportunity. .
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 2:59 am
  #129  
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I am looking for 5 star hotels in Hoi An and Da Nang. I am staying at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi and I'd like something nice on that level. I'd like beachfront or with views of interesting things, like watching people, not just static views. I do prefer a large room or suite. I just want to relax at this hotel and read my book by the pool or beach and eat. I'd like local restaurants close by.

Any suggestions. I'm happy to spend up to $500 a night. It's Vietnam not NYC so surely there must be great stuff for a good price.

Thanks.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 4:32 pm
  #130  
 
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Going to HCMC in late April for about 1 week to attend friend's wedding. They are taking us on a guided tour to Da Nang so that'll be taken care of. Will have about 2 days on either side of that mid-week trip to explore HCMC / Saigon.

We're likely to stay in District 1. Looking at Google Maps, it looks like there aren't an accessible beach/water secenery near HCMC (seeing as it is a major city...i assume any nearby water will be industrial/not suited for any beach/relaxation). Any good day tours from HCMC or must see sights in HCMC?
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 4:49 am
  #131  
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Originally Posted by ginmqi
Going to HCMC in late April for about 1 week to attend friend's wedding. They are taking us on a guided tour to Da Nang so that'll be taken care of. Will have about 2 days on either side of that mid-week trip to explore HCMC / Saigon.

We're likely to stay in District 1. Looking at Google Maps, it looks like there aren't an accessible beach/water secenery near HCMC (seeing as it is a major city...i assume any nearby water will be industrial/not suited for any beach/relaxation). Any good day tours from HCMC or must see sights in HCMC?
Tons to see in HCMC. I liked the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 7:16 am
  #132  
 
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Originally Posted by ginmqi
Looking at Google Maps, it looks like there aren't an accessible beach/water secenery near HCMC (seeing as it is a major city...i assume any nearby water will be industrial/not suited for any beach/relaxation). Any good day tours from HCMC or must see sights in HCMC?
Vung Tau ?
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 8:20 am
  #133  
 
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Originally Posted by Annalisa12
I am looking for 5 star hotels in Hoi An and Da Nang. I am staying at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi and I'd like something nice on that level. I'd like beachfront or with views of interesting things, like watching people, not just static views. I do prefer a large room or suite. I just want to relax at this hotel and read my book by the pool or beach and eat. I'd like local restaurants close by.

Any suggestions. I'm happy to spend up to $500 a night. It's Vietnam not NYC so surely there must be great stuff for a good price.

Thanks.
Main options that would carry some name, as far as I know, are the Hyatt Regency, Grand Sheraton, and the Four Seasons, on the beach between Da Nang and Hoi An in that order; and the IC on the other north side of town. None, afaik, had many restaurants nearby. Maybe the Four Seasons is close enough to Hoi An to have more, idk. Other options and boutique places I'm not gonna be useful. This might not be useful anyway, but since no one had chimed in thought I'd summarize the main options. Just from browsing the Fusion Maia looks pretty nice and is closer to Da Nang for food options.

I did enjoy the HR a lot, and the pools were fine and the beach is good albeit the water is iffy at times with swell and/or not so clean looking at times. Maybe someone else who's been there recently can chime in.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 8:31 am
  #134  
 
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Originally Posted by ginmqi
Going to HCMC in late April for about 1 week to attend friend's wedding. They are taking us on a guided tour to Da Nang so that'll be taken care of. Will have about 2 days on either side of that mid-week trip to explore HCMC / Saigon.

We're likely to stay in District 1. Looking at Google Maps, it looks like there aren't an accessible beach/water secenery near HCMC (seeing as it is a major city...i assume any nearby water will be industrial/not suited for any beach/relaxation). Any good day tours from HCMC or must see sights in HCMC?
Saigon is about people and food more than sights. If you come and take a food tour and venture into some alleys you get to see what the city is about. Hanoi is more of the city with history and monuments and centuries old buildings etc. So start with the food and people, take the obligatory war museum and reunification palace tour, then consider the other common options.

The beach near Saigon is Vung Tau as crazy said. It's very crowded on weekends, and the water is average but the beach can be nice in some places. It's about 2 hours to get there. The Mekong tours are common to go down and see delta life. Day trips are ok, the overnight ones are better. The riverboat version, name escapes me now, is pretty fun and you avoid the traffic. Many people go to Cu Chi to see a version of the tunnels and war jungle fighting. Some like it, some do not. Can Gio, or Monkey Island as most tours call it, is south of the city and a mangrove forest and has some nature that is a bit less touristy if that interests you. There are the monkeys and a croc farm, and an ugly beach with the industrial water you mention.

Note there is a holiday the 15th and the 29th and 30th of April this year.
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Old Feb 7, 2019, 3:15 am
  #135  
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Originally Posted by maverick17
Main options that would carry some name, as far as I know, are the Hyatt Regency, Grand Sheraton, and the Four Seasons, on the beach between Da Nang and Hoi An in that order; and the IC on the other north side of town. None, afaik, had many restaurants nearby. Maybe the Four Seasons is close enough to Hoi An to have more, idk. Other options and boutique places I'm not gonna be useful. This might not be useful anyway, but since no one had chimed in thought I'd summarize the main options. Just from browsing the Fusion Maia looks pretty nice and is closer to Da Nang for food options.

I did enjoy the HR a lot, and the pools were fine and the beach is good albeit the water is iffy at times with swell and/or not so clean looking at times. Maybe someone else who's been there recently can chime in.
Thanks for the information. I really did want the Four Seasons but my husband wouldn't go for it, even though I lied and said the rate was cheaper than it actually was. Boo!

I chose the Hoi An Sofitel Hotel Royal and a Deluxe Suite. I believe it has a river view. We decided that we could sit on a beach anywhere but we'd enjoy watching the goings on on the river. We did enjoy watching the traffic on the harbour in Hong Kong. The hotel was also close to the Old Town where we hope we can find lots of yummy food. Trips are nearly all about food. I'm not 100% happy but it should still be nice.
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