input needed on Central Veitnam and Mekong

I recently organized a tour to Vietnam for my son's honeymoon. Having been there before myself (I am not a travel agent), I was looking for the best experience/guide. There is only one person to work with: HA. She is so fabulous that there isn't room here to add all the acolades. You can read about her on Tripadvisor as well. She can be reached at info@discovervietnam.com.vn She is based in DaNang but her guides are all through the country.

Hi Phyllis,

Sorry, but it is impossible to see Danang, Hue and Hoi An in two days so you will have to choose between them. Which one depends on what interests you most. Hue is a small and pleasant city that has much to offer in the way of culture. Danang is principally an administrative centre and has little of interest to the tourist, although I understand that the Cham museum is worth a visit if you happen to be in the town. Hoi An is a pretty little town but is totally dedicated to tourism, so it is not for those seeking a genuine Vietnamese experience. If you do decide on the latter a trip to My Son to see the Cham ruins is a must.

As for the practicalities, from Hanoi you can either fly to Hue (that is, if you can change your flight ticket) and from there to HCMC, or you can stick to your current flight and fly from Hanoi to Danang. If my memory serves me well, the journey from Danang to Hoi An by bus or taxi takes about 45 minutes.

For the Mekong Delta, as you are short of time it would be best to take a tour. You have two choices in that regard. The first is a cheapish organised tour that begins and ends in HCMC, from where you can fly to Cambodia. Handspan has a good reputation for such tours. The second is a tailor-made tour that takes you through the Delta and then up to Phnom Penh by river boat. Tailor-made tours are more expensive but have the advantage of allowing you to get away from the usual tourist haunts. As well as the travel agent mentioned by tarzanldy, a young Vietnamese tour planner/guide who has built up an exceptionally good reputation and accompanies his clients on the trip is called Jason and can be contacted at vietnamtourjason@yahoo.com. Alternatively, Come and Go Vietnam (comeandgovietnam.com) is run by an Englishman who has lived in HCMC for many years and has considerable experience of organising tailor-made, guided tours of the Delta.

I'm in agreement with Redkite; Hue is the former royal captital and is rich in culture and history. Hoi An is popular as a place to regenerate the batteries and relax. But if you are already committed to a flight into Danang, and can't reroute to Hue then you could visit the Cham Museum before heading to Hoi An, and perhaps visit the Marble Mountains en route to Hoi An too. My Son is OK but IMO, I would not make it a priority.

The best way to do it is to slow down. Any way you can rearrange your schedule by cutting destinations or by adding a few days? The most common error in planning a first trip to SE Asia is trying to do too much. Make sure you have given enough time to the places that are top priority for you.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I am in the process of contacting the two tour companies to see about a custom tour of the Mekong.
I'm a little annoyed at myself for getting the tickets to
Da Nang when I knew I wanted to visit Hue and Hoi An. Just thought we could stay in the middle and go in a different direction each day and not have to move our things. If we hired a driver to take us to Hue and then back to Da Nang in one day and the next going to Hoi An, which is closer, would that work. Please tell me if this is still crazy trying to do too much.
thanks
Phyllis

The advice given by Redkite and Kathie is very sound. It's wiser to choose either Hue or Hoi An given that you've only got 2 days with which to visit central Vietnam.
However, we don't know the full picute of your Vietnam itinerary. In other words, how many days have you set aside for Saigon? For example, if you've set aside 3 days for HCMC, not including your Mekong Delta excursions, then I would advise to redirect one of those days in order to visit both Hue and Hoi An but if you've only got 2 days, then IMO, it's best to choose between Hue and Hoi An. While I prefer Hue, there are probably many who prefer Hoi An more so I wouldn't beat yourself up over having committed to flying into Danang. The Marble Mountains while a bit touristy is still a wonderful excursion.
BTW, which time of the year are you traveling because that too could be a consideration?

Again, sorry. If you can't change your flight you will definitely have to abandon the idea of visiting Hue, and you will still only have sufficient time for a brief look at Hoi An and the nearby places of interest.

I don't know how much time you have allotted to northern Vietnam, but as Kathie says a common mistake is to try to fit too many places into too short a time. If the first part of your itinerary in Vietnam is to be conducted at a gallop it would be far better to add a few days to your time in the north and skip central VN altogether. Similarly if you intend to cram several countries in SE Asia into a couple or even three or more weeks you will experience nothing of substance. Less is definitely more, and you can always return.

Thanks again for your response. I know I'm trying to do too much. So I decided not to go to Hue. I guess it will have to be another trip. I started looking at what was near Da Nang and found Bach Ma National Park. It looks really beautiful and I love outdoor adventures. Do you think it would be possible to go to Bach Ma National Park from Da Nang? If so what is the best way to arrange transportation there and around the park? Are there guides that specialize in more nature touring?
Thanks again.
Phyllis