Vietnam Travel Guide

Highlights

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): this bustling metropolis offers busy markets with excellent bargains, fascinating museums, chic coffee shops, tree-lined boulevards and colonial architecture.

Hanoi: the ancient capital boasts a 1,000 year old heritage as well as natural wonders, with historic landmarks, misty lakes and remarkable landscapes nearby.

Dalat: a charming hill retreat that offers a cool climate and an interesting market.

Hoi An: peaceful riverside town boasting ancient temples and the nearby ruins of Champa at My Son. Ideal for exploration by bicycle.

Halong Bay: stunning limestone formations make this one of Vietnam’s most popular seascapes, with traditional junks resting in the bay. Beaches: with dozens to choose from, popular beach hang-outs include China Beach (between Danang and Hoi An), the quiet My Khe Beach and the miles-long Nha Trang Beach.

Recommended Itinerary

To really experience both the North and the South, two separate trips are recommended. However, with a bit of planning, the main highlights can be covered in just two weeks.

Spend a few days in Hanoi to soak up the historic sites and nearby stunning landscapes.
Cruise Halong Bay in a mock junk and take in the karst seascape and caves.
Explore the ancient capital of Hue for three days, with its Nguyen royal mausoleums and citadel. From here you can make a daytrip to the former demilitarised zone.
Discover Hoi An, a charming fishing port that is known for its quaint architecture. Daytrips to ancient Champa at My Son are easy to make from here.
Wander Ho Chi Minh’s markets and trendy cafés, not forgetting to make a daytrip to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Extra time
Go trekking in Sapa’s cool climate.
Travel to Dalat and enjoy the cool climate of this hill station.
Sunbathe and relax on the miles of beach at My Khe, Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Vung Tau.
Cruise the tributaries of the Mekong Delta and enjoy the fantastic scenery.

Health and Safety

There aren’t too many dangers facing tourists here, but caution when crossing roads or driving is crucial, with the road accident rate being high. Petty theft occurs in the larger cities but is not much of a problem in rural parts. Food hygiene is good as most foods are cooked on the spot, but beware of stuff that has been lying around too long. Keep a distance from live birds, with Avian flu still rife here. Other than that you’re more likely to lose your temper with persistent cyclo riders following you down the street.

Vietnam Travel

The main international airports are located at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. The national airline - Vietnam Airlines – offers connection to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Phnom Penh, Siem Riep, Singapore, Osaka and limited European counties. It is possible to take a cargo ship from various Asian destinations to Ho Chi Minh, but this isn’t a popular means of getting here, nor is the uncomfortable bus ride from Cambodia. Once in Vietnam, buses cover all areas and there is a rail line stretching from the North to the South. Local travel can be achieved by cyclo or taxi, which are present on every corner. Bring a good book, road travel here takes foooooorever!

Why Vietnam?

What’s cool: Culture-rich Hanoi, scenic Halong Bay, the cool hill station of Dalat, miles-long Nha Trang Beach, charming Hoi An, hospitable locals, delicious cuisine, cruises around the Mekong Delta, ladies on bikes wearing the tradition dress (ao dai), conical hats and miles of stunning rice paddies.

What’s not: Un-crossable roads, limbless beggars, dirty dogs, smelly sewers, noise pollution, inefficient transport and dodgy cyclo drivers who persistently follow you all over the city.

When To Go?

The North experiences beautiful weather from September to December, with sunny days and cool nights, with this being the best time to visit this region. But Hanoi is noted for being stiffling in summer and drearily misty in winter.

The South gets its best weather November to April, when it is dry and humidity is generally high.

May to August is the wet season, when flooding is common, making this the least favorable time to visit.

The plains experience more rain than other parts, with the mountainous highlands always cool at night and sometimes freezing in the winter.

Main Festivals

Like the rest of Asia, festivals are celebrated here with fervour and colour. Visitors are always welcome to join in the celebrations, with highlights being:

February: Tet is the Vietnamese New Year festival, when people gather to eat, drink and celebrate. Expect parties across the country and a healthy dose of fireworks.
August: Honchien Temple Festival features vibrant costumes and performances that showcase imperial characters.
October: the fun-filled Keo Pagoda Festival encompasses lots of exciting contests such as duck catching, rice cooking and firecracker throwing competitions.
November: Khmer New Year celebrations kick off with feasts, boat races and lantern rockets.

Activities

Boat trips: don’t miss a cruise on the Mekong Delta, with its stunning scenery of rice paddies, swamps and forests, divided by the arteries of hundreds of canals.

Caving: Pong Nha, northwest of Dong Hoi, and Halong Bay offer some of the best caving in Asia, with these great sites sure to please caving enthusiasts.

Cycling: Vietnam is ideal for cyclists, with much of the population travelling by this traditional form of transport. Bring your own bike and tour the country, but stay off highway 1.

Diving: Dive sites at Nha Trang and Danang attract divers from across the region and feature colourful corals and abundant sea creatures.

Hiking and trekking: hiking at the popular southern hill stations of Sapa and Dalat can be fun, while Cat Ba Island (Hlaong Bay) and Ba Be Lake National Park in the north offer lakes, waterfalls and caves.

Kayaking: a great way to see the sights from a different perspective, kayaking along the coast, especially at Halong Bay, can be a jaw-dropping experience.

Shopping: shopping aficionados will relish in the products on sale here, with beautiful shoes and handbags, designed to match the traditional dress, which can be tailor made to fit. Other popular buys include war memorabilia, coffee and handicrafts.

Food and Hospitality

The cuisine in Vietnam consists of vegetables and various meats, usually eaten with rice or noodles, with basic ingredients including fish sauce, chilli, lime, mint and basil. Dining out is inexpensive, allowing you to spend more on your accommodation. The level of service and cleanliness varies quite dramatically, making it worthwhile to look around before you choose a place to stay. Getting about is easy enough, with special tourist bus services running to most places and a rail line connecting the North and South. In fact Vietnamese is one of Asia’s most understated cuisines.