We're in the very early stages of planning a trip to Vietnam and I'm wondering, is it an easy place to go independently (not with a tour group)? We've never taken a tour and don't want to start now. We don't speak the language, are American and travel a lot.
For veteran Vietnam travelers, what would you recommend for a 2 week trip, first and probably only trip? We like cities, nature, beaches and soaking up the local atmosphere. Thanks.
Vietnam independently?
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We returned recently from two weeks of independent travel with our two children. We particularly liked the north. Hanoi is a wonderful city, and don't miss Halong Bay. The only "tour" that we booked was a three day, two night boat tripon Halong Bay with HandSpan tours in Hanoi. They did a wonderful job. Don't miss Hue and Hoi An. Unless you have never been to another large, SE city (such as Bangkok), I would not spend too much time in Saigon.
Hi, Cat!
I would agree with everything the last poster said. You won't need to use a tour group except in such short-term cases as the Halong Bay tour (we did it, too) where the convenience of having someone make the arrangements for you means you are using your time effectively for what really amounts to a minimal extra cost. Just about everyone speaks English, and everyone knows that tourists are their bread and butter, so you will be well looked-after. Hanoi is a great little city, but Ho Chi Minh City is just another big, sprawling Asian metropolis. The smaller towns, such as Hue, are beautiful. Accommodation is easy to find... you don't need to pre-book, and when we were in Vietnam about four years ago, we never paid more than $12 a night for a double room. Just be careful of the time of year you choose... the rainy season is to be avoided, I hear... and even when we were there, in November, the south was still quite hot (though Hanoi was perfect). Some people on this forum have complained about the constant approaches by beggars, but most of these are very anxious to provide a service for you of some kind.. they are not just there with their hand out, as in many countries; and whether you buy or don't buy, they seem to mean it when they smile. The children selling postcards are licenced to do this, mostly orphans, really need your custom, and their prices beat the shops hands down. And finally, the girls in their ao-dais... well, this is as close to seeing angels as you can get on this planet. Have a wonderful time, I wish I were you!
Griswalds Vietnamese Vacations Griswalds specialise in tailor made tours to anywhere and everywhere in Vietnam
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xxx, what time of the year did you go, and what were the temperatures?
I am the first poster. We went in April. In Hanoi and Halong Bay, the temperatures were in the upper 70s or low 80s. In Hue, Hoi An, and further south, it was hot - upper 90s, a few days in excess of 100. We more or less got used to the heat after a few days - cold bottled water also is cheap and readily available everywhere. We also travelled on to Cambodia, where the temperature was about 100 every day. Still, we had an incredible trip - parents and children thoroughly recommend Vietnam and Cambodia. And again, both are easy to travel in on an independent basis, even with two children.
Original poster (and others)-
My husband and I are going to Vietnam in December. We are flying into Ho Chi Minh City and out of Hanoi. We'll have about 2 weeks. I'd be interested in learning about how you got around? Did you fly or take trains, buses, car with driver? Did you book in advance? Did you go to Angkor Wat in Cambodia? If so, what kind of arrangements did you make? Any practical advice on logistics would really help us out.
Thanks
Original poster here - We traveled from Hanoi to Hue via overnight train (Reunification Express), from Hue to Hoi An via bus (arranged from a local tourist cafe), from Hoi An to Danang via hotel-arranged taxi, Danang to Saigon via overnight train, from Saigon to Phnom Penh via bus, and from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap via ferry.
Because I did not want to be searching for hotel with children, I did arrange our hotels in advance, all over the internet.
In Hanoi, we stayed at a very nice, very centrally located guesthouse, Ahn Dao (anhdao@camellia-hotels.com). About $14 per night for a quad room, private bath, and breakfast for 4).
I also pre-booked our Halong Bay and Perfume Pagoda tours on-line with HandSpan tours. HandSpan also arranged our train tickets from Hanoi to Hue. For some reason, HandSpan could not book our train tickets from Danang to Saigon, so I contacted Saigon Rail via the internet, and Saigon Rail had the Danang to Saigon tickets delivered to our hotel in Hanoi.
We very highly recommend the three day, two night Halong Bay tour with HandSpan. We did not have time to do their Sapa trip, but we heard from other travelers that it was great.
In Hue, we stayed at the Saigon Morin (more upscale) for about $75 per night. In retrospect, I would not have spend the money for the Saigon Morin, and would have stayed in a friendlier guest-house. The best food of our trip (in addition to great food at local cafes arranged by HandSpan on their tours) was along the guest-house, backpacker cafe strip in Hue.
In Hue, we went to the Mandarin Cafe and talked to Mr. Chu, the owner, who arranged a private boat for us (family of four) with captain/cook for the day to visit the royal tombs. The boat, captain/chef, huge lunch, etc. for all day was a total of $8.
Mr. Chu also arranged a day trip to the Vinh Moc tunnels. It was interesting to see the tunnels but, in retrospect, I would probably skip the tunnels and spend more time somewhere else.
We took a bus to Hoi An, where we stayed in the best hotel of our trip. The Vinh Hung 1 (there are 4 Vinh Hung hotels - specify V.H.1) is in the Old Quarter, where no vehicles are allowed. Be specific and reserve one of the two upstairs rooms that overlook Tran Phu Street. It is a 200 year old Chinese trading house, and the antique-filled rooms are incredible, complete with canopy beds and lace netting. The quad room was $40 per night. Email for Vinh Hung 1 is quanghuy.ha@dng.vnn.vn.
From Hoi An, we took a taxi to Danang, and caught the overnight train to Saigon. We stayed at a cheap guesthouse in the backpacker quarter (Peace Hotel) for about $12 per night for a quad room. Nothing special, but functional.
We arranged the bus from Sinh Cafe to Phnom Penh for $20 per person. In retrospect, I would have hired a cab. By bus, with the four hour wait at the border, it took 16 hours to get to Phnom Penh. Probably better to fly if you are short on time.
We took the fast ferry (interesting ride on top) to Siem Reap. In Siem Reap, we stayed at the Angkor Village Resort, which was quite nice. About $150 per night for an apartment.
I did hire a guide for Angkor Wat, and he was great. You can arrange with Lap Tek (garden@camintel.com) - he is very knowledgable, speaks English very well, and had a great 4 day agenda for us. After the "usual" Angkor sites, we went into the countryside to see more remote sites (about 2-3 hours from Siem Reap) that were fascinating.