Veitnam...Tet New Year Feb 2010
Sep 14th, 2009, 02:21 AM
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Veitnam...Tet New Year Feb 2010
We have booked a flight from Bangkok to Saigon on Sat 13th Feb 2010, it was only after booking that we realised it was the start of the Tet festival.... We are due to leave on Sun 21st for Kuala Lumpur...so will have 10 days in Vietnam...
Will we find that shops, attractions, restaurants, street stalls, markets and so on will closed..... We planned on staying a couple of nights in Saigon then by bus travelling down to the Mekong Delta but are now concerned that all travel in that period will be busy and difficult, we hoped to be able to book trips on arrival but now we are worried that all hotels and buses will be booked well in advance...
A couple of years ago visited Penang during the chinese new year and found most businesses closed as most people where on holiday and visiting family, it was most disappointing...will we find Vietnam the same...
Will we find that shops, attractions, restaurants, street stalls, markets and so on will closed..... We planned on staying a couple of nights in Saigon then by bus travelling down to the Mekong Delta but are now concerned that all travel in that period will be busy and difficult, we hoped to be able to book trips on arrival but now we are worried that all hotels and buses will be booked well in advance...
A couple of years ago visited Penang during the chinese new year and found most businesses closed as most people where on holiday and visiting family, it was most disappointing...will we find Vietnam the same...
Sep 14th, 2009, 03:37 AM
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You will be fine.
Both the Chinese and Vietnamese celebrate on the same day - things often get slow on the eve (09) and stay slow until 12 as these are the more important days.
After that, and before you arrive, things will be in almost full swing again.
Your best bet for Mekong Delta bus travel is the Mai Linh Express running out of 400A Le Hong Phong, District 10 (Tel: 08-3832-3888)[we now have new 8-digit numbers here].
There will be no need to book; either buy your ticket from the above or 69 Hai Ba Trung the day before. You must be at 400A an hour before the bus scheduled departure (you can buy tickets at this time).
ML Expresss has offices in all Mekong provincial capitals and some routes operate 24/24.
ML Express is one of two *national* bus carriers and of the two, ML Express has more extensive coverage. (Their buses are a bilious green colour - n the outside).
I suggest you leave your 2 days in SaiGon to the end of the trip so if there is any unexpected delay, etc., you can still make it back in plenty of time for your flight.
The busy travel days will likely be on the 09 and 14 of February except for civil servants who get a longer break.
The Chinese seem more dedicated about their holidays than the Vietnamese.
You should, however, make your first night hotel reservations now. There are many good, no star or low star hotels on Hai Ba Trung street now all within walking distance of the Mai Linh travel office (at #69).
Both the Chinese and Vietnamese celebrate on the same day - things often get slow on the eve (09) and stay slow until 12 as these are the more important days.
After that, and before you arrive, things will be in almost full swing again.
Your best bet for Mekong Delta bus travel is the Mai Linh Express running out of 400A Le Hong Phong, District 10 (Tel: 08-3832-3888)[we now have new 8-digit numbers here].
There will be no need to book; either buy your ticket from the above or 69 Hai Ba Trung the day before. You must be at 400A an hour before the bus scheduled departure (you can buy tickets at this time).
ML Expresss has offices in all Mekong provincial capitals and some routes operate 24/24.
ML Express is one of two *national* bus carriers and of the two, ML Express has more extensive coverage. (Their buses are a bilious green colour - n the outside).
I suggest you leave your 2 days in SaiGon to the end of the trip so if there is any unexpected delay, etc., you can still make it back in plenty of time for your flight.
The busy travel days will likely be on the 09 and 14 of February except for civil servants who get a longer break.
The Chinese seem more dedicated about their holidays than the Vietnamese.
You should, however, make your first night hotel reservations now. There are many good, no star or low star hotels on Hai Ba Trung street now all within walking distance of the Mai Linh travel office (at #69).
Sep 14th, 2009, 03:48 AM
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I was reading www.reidontravel.com yesterday and he says the hotels in Saigon during TET are not super crowded so you may be ok there. If it were me though i would have a plan for the other places as you may be dissapointed.
BTW BMT i understood Tet to begin on Feb 14th next year? is it not the same as the chinese new year?
BTW BMT i understood Tet to begin on Feb 14th next year? is it not the same as the chinese new year?
Sep 14th, 2009, 08:03 AM
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Smeagol: The dates are eve: 13; day: 14; civic ends: 18. Sorry about that, I was talking to a VN colleague and she thought I was talking about *her* vacation break!
OP: I checked with ML Express, in the interim, and they said they are running buses throughout the Yet vacation.
I still recommend you pre-book your first night in SaiGon as hotel ataffs are reduced on the evening of Tet, as well as Tet itself There will be space available but best to put your name on it. Good, well-priced, hotels on Hai Ba Trung include Indochine, E & Em (HBT & Le Than Ton), Linh (HBT & Mac Thi Buoi).
Restaurants catering to tourists will be open but the good local ones will be closed on Tet. Chains such as KFC, Jollibee, etc stay open, too. Chinatown restaurants will be open and busy both on eve and Tet. They are in Districts 5, 10 and 11.
OP: I checked with ML Express, in the interim, and they said they are running buses throughout the Yet vacation.
I still recommend you pre-book your first night in SaiGon as hotel ataffs are reduced on the evening of Tet, as well as Tet itself There will be space available but best to put your name on it. Good, well-priced, hotels on Hai Ba Trung include Indochine, E & Em (HBT & Le Than Ton), Linh (HBT & Mac Thi Buoi).
Restaurants catering to tourists will be open but the good local ones will be closed on Tet. Chains such as KFC, Jollibee, etc stay open, too. Chinatown restaurants will be open and busy both on eve and Tet. They are in Districts 5, 10 and 11.
Sep 15th, 2009, 02:20 AM
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Many thanks for your prompt replies most helpful, and a lot for us to consider.... still not to sure about this visit as we arrive on the `13th Feb and from what you say this is New Years eve and does this mean that restaurants and markets etc will be closed for a few days... as we know from experiences the chinese celebrate at home with their families at this time.... will this apply for the Vietnamese also.... We would appreciate your views on whether we should delay this trip until a more suitable time... Thanks once again and hope to hear from you both.....
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