Travelling to Vietnam
 

I did a search, and haven't seen any posts lately about travel to Vietnam.

I decided today, that I need to visit Vietnam, and would like to start gathering information about what I need to do to prepare for the trip, and what I should do while actually there.

I was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam in 1972, and left the country from Saigon in May of 1975. I think I'd like to plan on going back in May of 2005 to make it an even 30 years...

Anyway, I'd like suggestions on Airlines, Hotels, places to visits, problems with bringing my son who will be 5. Or, just any stories or advice people have...

Thank you very much for any responses.

Nick.

My brother adopted twins from Ho Chi Minh City last year, and ended up making three trips total. He spoke very highly of the country and enjoyed his visits very much. I don't have much in the way of details, but he seemed to feel it was both reasonably safe and very interesting to visit.

JP

Nicky,

I went two years ago and loved every minute of it. I stayed up North though, and never made it down to my own birth city (HCMC). I'll do that next time.

I really liked the Lonely Planet Vietnam guide and I got a lot of information from vietnamadventures.com

The only ideas off the top of my head are..

unless you are going to be with family..stay away during Tet.

and..

brush up on your haggling skills http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Feel free to pop me an email if you think there's something else I might be able to help you with.

I went a couple of years ago and found it not the easiest place to travel (and I had been hardened by places like Cambodia and Nepal), but very rewarding. I have no war-veteran or family connection, just a lot of curiosity.

Tips: Be very careful of pickpockets, don't expect to get around quickly (a 100-mile bus trip is an all-day affair), and look into the 2 or 3-day tours offered by leading guesthouses in Saigon or Hanoi. They're so cheap that you'd be hard-pressed to go someplace like the Mekong Delta or Ha Long Bay on your own for cheaper.

Results vary on those tours... could be great, but you risk being packed in with 30-40 people just to save a few dollars.

A better bet is to get yourself to Cat Ba City (for example by train/hydrofoil), then set up a private/small group tour with a local operator at a hotel there. Rented a boat that could seat 16 for all of $25 for the day including lunch... wife and I had lots of space, no hassles.

Sure, it was a few dollars more, but it was worth it -- everything's cheap to begin with! Total came to under $100 total for two, for three nights, including all transportation, food, lodging, etc.

But whatever you do, don't miss Ha Long Bay! Enjoy.

My visit to Vietnam was handled by the following Orange County, CA travel firm:

http://www.escapesltd.com

I've used this firm many times for unusual travel (adventure travel, third world countries, etc.), and have found them to be experts on Asia and South America. Their prices also can't be beat.

BTW, while it has been a few years, Nha Trang was one of my favorite spots in Vietnam.

Some "in country" travel agencies I've used.

TF Handspan Travel

Buffalo Tours -next time I go back I'm doing the kayak trip http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

an alternative would be to take a cruise. there are quite a few that stop in 4 or 5 ports in vietnam.

I'd highly recommend Hanoi, especially the old quarter. Great Street food, museums, people watching, historical sites. Also Treks into the Northern Hill country to visit ethnic markets is well worth your time. Nothing beat cruising Ha Long bay, and swimming in water lit up by phospherence )sp?) at night. Hoi An (Honeymoon capital of Vietnam) is cute - get clothing made cheap. Didn't like HCMC or the Mekong Delta - touristy and unfriendly. For organzied travel in Northern Vietnam, TF Handspan is excellent. They were inexpensive, with great English-speaking guides, clean facilities, and off-the-beaten-path tours. Have fun!

I love Vietnam. Was there most recently late last year. Some personal insights and advice are HERE - and do contact Buffalo tours as linked above - top operators for anything. They sold us internal air tickets at HALF what Vietnam Air wanted to charge us here direct!

Do not avoid to central area as most visitors do. Hoi An and Hue are delights.

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~ Glen ~