Unless you're really into beaches there's no reson to go to Nha Trang. Even back in 2002 it was pretty touristy.

Not sure what gave you the idea that Hoi An is serene. It's a touristy shopping op, although the buildings are nice. If you are there you shouldn't miss My Son. I also really like the Cham Museum in Danang, which is the town the trains stop in. If you want serene you should consider Hue.

It's very possible it will be cold and wet in Hanoi. It's also possible the weather will be fine. You could wait until you get there and decide about Halong Bay then, although this trip is short enough you really need the time for Hanoi.

For hotels I suggest you take a look at Lonely Planet. I am a solo woman traveler and Vietnam is very easy and safe. For my 2002 TR see http://wilhelmswords.com/asia2002/index.html

Just a couple notes:
Day 2 HCMC: To avoid excess travel, you could rearrange the day. Main post office, Notre Dame Cathedral, and War Remnants Museum are fairly close together. Ben Thanh Market is also near. Cholon/Chinatown is quite a ways away(to the southwest), but also has a large market.

Your last day you mention staying at a hotel near the airport in Hanoi. Why uproot yourself to an unfamiliar location for the last evening? Just let your hotel staff know what time your flight departs, they should make sure you get there.

In our 3 weeks in Vietnam we found all of the hotels were very helpful about getting us to the trains/airports on time. Maybe it is because we were staying in small hotels (more personalized service). In Hanoi we expressed some nervousness about getting to the train on time; so the hotel sent the desk clerk and bellman with us. She even got on the train and took us to the correct cabin.

Have a great trip!

I missed that part - there didn't seem to be any decent hotels near Hanoi Airport - stay put and just get up a little earlier.

thursdaysd,
I am no extremely focused on beaches, so I will just skip Nha Trang because my time is limited and I’m not looking for a touristy beach either.
Thanks for the clarification on Hoi An not being serene. I read a report which said both Hoi An and Hue were serene. I will look into My Son and the Cham Museum. I hope the weather holds up for me in Hanoi. I’m trying to escape the extreme cold that will set into Japan where I currently live. Initially I had my heart set on Thailand but the flooding diverted my plans and Vietnam was on my list so I’m going there first and maybe Thailand next time I have a school break. Probably summer. Taking Nha Trang completely out of my itinerary and knowing that Hoi An is not what I was expecting will open up time for Halong Bay if the weather is nice. Thanks for the suggestions and the link to your trip report. I am finding it very useful as I continue to fine tune my itinerary planning. Now I am thinking that I may want to go from HCMC straight to Hoi An but Vietnam Air only shows flights to Hue which would mean I’d have to backtrack to Hoi An before continuing north but since flying will save lots of time I may consider doing just that.
Thank you so much!

Danmango
Your suggestion on rearranging Day 2 In HCMC is exactly what I was hoping for! Thank you for letting me know the proximity of the sites and how best to group them. I also appreciate and will certainly follow your advice on staying put on my last evening. My flight is not until 11:30 so I do have plenty of time but felt nervous about not being close enough, traffic, etc. But I will seek the hotel staff help. Do you have any hotel suggestions for my different stops? HCMC, Hoi An, Possibly Hue, Hanoi and any Junk recommendation in case I get to go to Halong Bay?
Thank you for your very helpful feedback!

sf7307,
I’m not surprised you missed it. My post was long very long because I had so many questions but you and Danmango have convinced me that it’s not necessary to make that last minute move. Do you have any hotels between budget and mid-range you would recommend? I am mostly looking for places with nice common areas where I can meet other travelers and learn travel tips and information.
Thank you for taking the time to read my request for help.

We have stayed at the Bich Duyen and it is fine. It is down a narrow lane that cars can not go down and it is a little offputting a first but we found it perfectly safe. We had the manager Chanh arrange for us to be picked up at the airport and driven there which saved any hassels. The included breakfast is simple but nice.

Nha Trang can be passed by if you have limited time. Hoi An is nice and does have nice buildings but there is a lot of clothing shops inside the old buildings. Worth a stop for a short time. As said above Hue does have some nic palaces to explore.
Halong Bay is not to be missed but I am not sure of the weather at that time of year. You need to book early to get on a good boat even though there are at least a zillion boats. We had trouble getting on one but Mrs Ha at Vietland Travel got us on an excellent one at a price better than we could buy on the net. She also got us a couple of other good deals

Chapincita -- Hoi An is a busy commercial town (lots of clothing stores) that's full of tourists during the day. However, we did experience serene moments there: walking among the carless streets at night, with the lights shining from across the river and people enjoying open-air restaurants; visiting the vegetable farm on the outskirts of town, learning the local techniques for growing beautiful crops; taking a boat down the river, watching men and women netting fish; visiting My Son, about an hour's drive out of town, and seeing the Cham ruins in the light rain. Our hotel, the Hoian Hotel, was a very nice, historic hotel on the edge of the old town--highly recommended, though it may be above your preferred price range.

Combining a visit to Hue and Hoi An makes sense--3 nights in the area would be good. In Hue we stayed at the Romance Hotel. Very nice.

We loved Halong Bay and would have happily done a 2-night trip on the water (we only did an overnight). I can recommend the Dragon Pearl boats--lovely trip, great service, and a wonderful opportunity to meet people from around the world. We were on Dragon Pearl 1. We had beautiful sunny weather and a full moon, ideal conditions. The traffic on the trip from Hanoi to Halong (3 hours each way) is harrowing, but the time on the bay is definitely worth it.

Hotel recs for HCMC and Hanoi: we enjoyed the Sanouva in HCMC (excellent location, walking distance to most of the sights you want to visit as well as several good restaurants), and the Imperial Hotel in Hanoi (Old District, a couple of blocks from the lake, modern, friendly).

If you can afford it, I recommend flying from HCMC to Hue, and from Hue to Hanoi. That will allow you to maximize your time in the locations you want to see. Have fun!

I, on the other hand, would recommend taking the train for at least one leg, both for the experience, for the possibility of meeting locals not involved in the tourist industry, and for the scenery. (And for the smaller carbon footprint, of course.) The best scenery is probably in the south, although it's a longer ride. See seat61.com for details.

Thank you so much gmoz, the Bich Duyen is in HCMC. Right? Nha Trang is out for me this time but keeping my fingers crossed for Halong Bay. I have made a note of Vietland Travel and will be seeking Mrs. Ha when I arrive to Hanoi. Thanks for the lead.

aprillilacs, Thank you for the hotel leads and the suggestion to fly to maximize my time. I will give it some more consideration. I wanted to do that initially but thought that having to backtrack for Hoi An would defeat the purpose so I thought the overnight soft bert train to Danang and then get a taxi to Hoi An. I am really hoping to have good weather and be able to visit Halong Bay.
Thank you so much!

thursdaysd. Your suggestion is right along the lines of what I was thinking. I thought of taking the overnight train from HCMC to Danang and then a taxi to Hoi An to prevent back tracking from Hue. Still not sure of what's the best thing to do. If I had more time there would be no question in my mind about taking the train. I really want to see the scenery. Thanks for responding.

We thought hoi an was magical. You can easily see it in one day, although we wandered around for three days. It was a toss up deciding whether we likes hue or hoi an better. In hue, spend several hours at the forbidden city and then hire a taxi to take you to see the pagoda and several of the royal tombs. You can fly from hue to Hanoi.

We spent two nights on Halong bay, but don't think we would have missed out had we only spent one night there. The drive back and forth is quite boring. With the limited time you have, I would probably skip Halong as you will waste 1/2 day traveling in each direction. Hanoi is a fabulous city to wander around and you can easily spend three or more days there.

If you would like to click on my name, you will find a detailed trip report fromy 3 1/2 week trip.

If you want to fly to Hoi An, you'll fly to Da Nang, not Hue. 45 minute flight, then a 45 minute car ride. Be prepared for wet weather as December is one of the wetter months in Hoi An.

So many good places to eat in Saigon. Check out www.wordhcmc.com for a lot of good information on Saigon.

dgunbug, I clicked on your name and found so much that I got a Little distracted. .
My destination for the trip was initially Thailand and I changed it because of the flooding, so when I saw information about it I took a little detour from Vietnam. I found your suggestion for Tour with Tong and I followed into their web page. Do you know of any similar operation in Vietnam? Their stated philosophy struck a chord with me and I will definitely use them when I do get to Thailand.
Now for your suggestions for Vietnam, I may be making a big mistake because it sounds like a must do, but from the descriptions I’ve been reading, I think I will pass on Hué. The main reason being time, but in addition to that, I currently live in Japan (1 year), I spent last the Thanksgiving break last year in Beijing, part of the summer touring Japan and the other time doing the Golden Triangle in India. Right now temples, tombs and Forbidden Cities don’t have a great appeal because I have seen so many in the past year alone. I know the temples are very different, but I have not even scratched the surface here in Japan where there seems to be one in the least expected little alleys.
People, culture, history and street food are what I’m thirsty for on this trip. The idea of spending the day walking about, people-watching and tasting the local flavors is quite appealing at the moment. I’m not a huge shopper, but love to wander through markets and quaint little shops, so Saigon, Hoi An and Hanoi seem to be calling my name. I’ll have to play wait and see with Halong Bay which I would love to experience if the weather is good.

Bisbeee, Flying to Hoi An is under consideration but I would much rather take the overnight train. Thanks for the www.wordhcmc.com link! I have bookmarked the site and will use it to stay informed.

Chapincita if you are palnning to wait and see about Halong Bay make sure yu have a plan B. The best tours and the most cost effective tours tend to book out weeks ahead.

gmoz, I'm sure you are right. I will work on solidifying a plan "B" of things to do in Hanoi. Thank you for mentioning it and sparing me the disapointment of not being able to find a tour at the last minute. I'll still try but won't count on it.
On a differnt note. Do I need a current adaper for my electronics? Japan uses pretty much the same as US except for the polarized larger opening, fewer three prong outlets and the voltage is lower but works fine.
Thanks!

The voltage in Vietnam is 220v which is not the same as USA. So check if the electronics can adapt to the different voltage.
As for the plugs I carry one of those cheap power boards that give you 4 of your own plug outlets. Then you only need one plug adaptor for the wall and you have 4 of your own plug sized outlets. **Remember the power board does not change the voltage so check the electonics can adapt to the voltage**

IMPORTANT
Just found out there is more than one voltage in Vietnam. So be careful
Have a look here
http://www.adoptvietnam.org/travel/electronicsplugs.htm

All my equipment is multi voltage so perhaps i didnt notice.

We had no problem anywhere in Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong with our electronics - one Blackberry, one iphone, one laptop, one camera charger. I guess we had outlet adapters, but definitely did not need voltage converters.

It's all 220V, except for some shaver outlets in hotels, which are 110V. Your main issue will be what type of outlets they have where you're staying. Bring a set of plug adapters.

As an alternative to Halong Bay consider an overnight trip to the Mai Chau valley for an experience of rural Vietnam which is only a few hours drive from Hanoi. The scenery is beautiful and the people so welcoming and friendly. We id a homestay for a coupel of nights and had a great time. Easily arranged through one of the many operators in the Old Quarter either the on arrival or in advance. A few photos of our time there:

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/candcthai/3/1250748042/tpod.html

Wow!
Have I said how much I appreciate all of you? Really! Just look at this… gmoz, you’ve gone above and beyond to research in answer to my question. Thank you so much! I don’t know where or how you found this information even containing pictures but I thank you. (I needed that).
And the power board idea...”Priceless” I just grabbed one and put it in my luggage closet where it will now reside and always be ready to go. This is useful even when going on a weekend trip to a familiar spot! I am sure I’ll be back to read some more brilliant suggestions. This is quickly becoming indispensable. If only I knew of this forum before I left for India last summer!

sf7307 and Bisbeee, Thanks for sharing your electronics experience. Just when I thought it was a silly question, I get three great answers! Guess the only bad question is the one not asked.
crellston, your pictures are adorable! Now I’ll have a good plan B if Halong Bay does not work out.

I was considering leaving my computer at home but now it feels like I must take my notebook in order to check in here regularly.

I second the recommendation for Mai Chau. Our homestay in a Thai stilt house was one of the best experiences of our 24 days in Vietnam.

Hello Fodorites,
My itinerary is shaping up nicely!
Thanks to you, I have solidified my stops and most of the things to do. Have booked the first night at my first two destinations based on recommendations I read here. Now I have some fine-tuning questions coming up and here is the first.
I have an evening in Saigon without a plan.
On my last day in HCMC, I plan to Visit Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai Temple. This will fill the morning and afternoon. Then I have decided to take the overnight train to Danang in route to Hoi An. The train I want leaves at 11PM.
Any suggestions for how to pass the time until around 10:00 PM when I would like to arrive at the train station?

Go for a drink at one of the rooftop bars around the centre of town - Saigon Saigon at The Caravelle is my favourite - great views. or maybe Rex or Majestic. As you are there over the xmas period there is usually something going on outside the Opera House - last time we were there, there were performances of Swan Lake every night on a stage outside of the main entrance.

A spare evening in saigon for me = bia hoi......... mmmm

Drinks at the Rex' rooftop bar was so nice. The drinks were just ok, and the entertainment ranged from excellent to average bar mitzvah band, but it 's really pretty and the views are great, plus it was always in the back of our minds that that was where the journalists hung out during the "American war".

Saigon Saigon (9th floor, not the hotel rooftop. 9th floor gives you a better view than the rooftop would). Rex doesn't have much view due to the plants around the exterior. You'll look down on it from the Caravelle.

crellston, A night at the opera sounds fabulous! And by popular vote I’ll have to take a drink or some at the Rex rooftop or any other place that provides a good view in honor of all of you. Thanks again!

Chapincita - We did not find anyone like Tong in Vietnam, but VN was so easy to travel around and being a single woman will not matter one ounce. The people are friendly and there are families and woman everywhere. In Hanoi, just spend time wandering the old town...it is a delight. You may want to contact the Hanoi Kids in advance - we had a great day with them. There are also the Saigon Kids, but if you remember from my report, they were a no show. Just be sure to get a contact phone number and call the night before to remind them to meet you.

By the way, I love the idea of overnight trip to the Mai Chau valley instead of Halong Bay.

Whatever you do, it will be a wonderful trip. Enjoy.

Chapincita, When I was researching for my trip to Vietnam a couple of years ago, I found travelfish most helpful.
http://www.travelfish.org/board/topic/vietnam
I didn't have a travel agent to do bookings for me. You really don't need one. I had a laptop and booked hotels and airfare at last minute thru the website directly. For references, Trip advisor is pretty good, of course there are fake reviews but they are obvious. I found the receptionists in the hotels very helpful and friendly. Most bend over backward to help. They really double as booking agents, that's in their job description I was told. And there is the reliable Sinh cafe, they do many tours inexpensively. Make sure you go to the real one. http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/6417_real-sinh-cafe-website----
Coming from Japan, you'll have an initial shock, simply because no place is as orderly and clean as Japan. The traffic situation is chaotic and takes some getting use to. The key is not to hesitate in the middle of the street.
There are many good restaurants in Vietnam, you can't go wrong with this one:
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city/52823/quan-an-ngon-restaurant/restaurant-detail.html
Hoi An is famous for clothes making. Initially I thought I wanted to have tons of clothes made, once I got there, I was sick of the sales pitch. They are everywhere, people chase after you to buy stuff. They are persistant and got on my nerve. I had some alteration done for me, forgot how much. Bargaining is the name of the game( I hate doing that). I spent lots of time in restaurant eating, good food nice ambiance wonderful french pastry for a fraction of what it's worth in Paris. From Hue to HoiAn by car service it's about US$50.
You will enjoy Vietnam.

Thank you dgunbug and mohan for your responses. I want to answer in more detail but have been spending some time reading from the links provided. New questions are forming in my mind as I read.
Thanks,
Chapincita

I am back!
My plans have been taking quite a nice shape the more I've read your posts and I have three important points undecided and would like your wise input.

I would like to attend a cooking class that takes you through the market shopping for the ingredients before the cooking lesson. Recommendations for any of my three stops?
HCMC, Hoi An or Hanoi.

I have identify the train I want to take from Saigon to Danang but don't know what the most efficient way to do it is. I want an overnight soft bert and feel concerned that if I don't book early they may be sold out.
• Do I book online?
• Book at railway station?
• Book through a tour agency?

And when traveling from Hoi An to Hanoi...
Plane?
Train?
I would prefer train for the smaller carbon print, but will it eat away at too much of my itinerary?
Thank you in advance,
Chapincita

Have you seen this site? Everything you need to know about train travel (everywhere!)

http://www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm#Northbound timetable

Thanks sf7307,
I am bookmarking and will be reviewing to make my final decisions.

I like to book my transportation ahead of time and used Tonkin travel as our booking agent for our train to sapa. They were quite reliable and delivered the tickets to our hotel without a problem.

We booked our own planes and flew from danang (approx 30 minutes from hoi an) to Hanoi.

Sorry, but can't speak on cooking school as I did not participate in one. I seem to recall another poster doing a cooking school in hoi an.

I would do the cooking class in Hoi An. HoiAn is small and managable. Secret Garden Restaurant/cooking school offers classes twice a day. Morning Glory is another possibility. Those restaurants are popular, book in advance for classes and tables now. Across the street from Morning glory is Cargo, good place for coffee break and sweets. I love the view from the balcony overlooking the river.
I had better-than-Paris French baguette and chocolate croissant in Vietnam, most french influenced dessert are good so don't limit yourself to Vietnam's food only.
If you are traveling between christmas and New Year, I would book hotel and transportation now if you have not already. I usually like to book everything myself but you are dealing with high season so going thru a local agency makes sense here.
I didn't take the train so cannot comment on the trains.
I flew Vietnam Airline from HCMC to HoiAn and Hui to Hanoi. With Vietnam Airline it's OK to change dates within a year, no penalty.
Book everything right now. Hope this helps.