travelgourmet

We have flights booked for Vietnam. Into Hanoi and out of Saigon. We arrive on the 19th of March (around noon) and leave late (almost midnight) on the 28th. We are hoping for thoughts as to how to spend the time. Yes, we would like more time too, but this is the trip for now and our first trip to Vietnam. We don't want to see the entire country, but would like to get some feel for it.

- How much time do we spend in Hanoi? When you look at guidebook itineraries, it seems like an afterthought. Is it truly just a stopover?

- Halong Bay... Is this truly a must? Everything seems to suggest it is, but how many nights should we devote to it?

- Beaches... We do want some beach time. We have zeroed in on the Banyan Tree Lang Co. Thoughts? Our idea is that it allows us to see both Hoi An and Hue while still giving us some beach time. If someone tells me Amanoi, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay or Six Sense Con Dao is materially better, I'd listen.

-Saigon. The Park Hyatt is booked, so there goes our first and second and third choice. Any other suggestions?

Kathie

Hanoi looks like an afterthought? It's a fascinating city. We spent a week there and didn't run out of things to do. Obviously, you don't have time for that. I's skip Halong Bay - it's a very boring 6 hour drive each way. Given how little time you have, I wouldn't "waste" it on Halong Bay.

With just 9 days, I'd recommend just two locations. The more places you visit the less time you have to see them. So choose a beach location, and plan for just a day in HCMC at the end.

santamonica

Are your beach places in Danang? We liked our vrbo house rental in An Bang Beach a lot, but it's not very snazzy. It was fun, and cheap, to rent motor scooters for exploring Anbang Beach and HoiAn.

ekscrunchy

Halong Bay is NOT a must.

travelgourmet

Good to hear that Halong Bay is not a must. We will skip it entirely.

<I>Are your beach places in Danang?</I>

Only the Banyan Tree. Amanoi and Six Senses Ninh Vanh Bay are near Nha Trang. Six Senses Con Dao is in the middle of nowhere off the southern coast.

Iowa_Redhead

Halong Bay is certainly NOT a must, but I spent two nights on Bai Tu Long Bay (the sister bay to HLB) and really enjoyed it. It's a half day drive each way (4 hours'ish) so it definitely adds time. I really liked me time out on the Bay, but with your limited time there's no way I'd suggest investing the time there.


Hanoi can be whatever you want... a stopover or a complete destination in itself. I ended up spending a lot of time lazing around Hoan Kiem Lake just chatting with students, watching people and talking with an artist who makes little characters out of chopsticks (his name is Lum and he's fantastic). I would highly suggest staying in the Old Quarter in Hanoi as you can walk out the door and right into the middle of everything. It's a very walkable city as long as you're not afraid to walk in the street and pretend you don't see motorbikes zooming at you.


Have fun! Vietnam is wonderful and the people are extremely kind and welcoming.

yestravel

Agree that Halong Bay is not a must, but it is beautiful. We also were in Bai Tu Long Bay where folks did kayaking and we visited several sights. It is 3.5-4 hr drive each way. I would look at some of the images online and decide if you think its worth your time.

Hanoi has much to see - we spent 5 days there, but we had 3 weeks in VN. At least 3 days in Hanoi would be needed to see the basic sites and get some feel for the city. I also enjoyed Saigon and would spend 2 days there.

WeisserTee

In HCM/Saigon, I stayed at the Intercontinental and liked it for several reasons: the overall comfort of the room, the artwork in the hotel, the attached minimall with a sundries store (I bought some additional bottles of water) and the great Sushi Bar 6, and the proximity to the famous Post Office.

The Park Hyatt has a better pool and from what I've read, better on-site restaurants. I liked the breakfast at the Intercontinental; had to eat dinner there for business reasons and that was not very good.

travelgourmet

<i>In HCM/Saigon, I stayed at the Intercontinental and liked it for several reasons</i>

Good to know. That was the direction we were leaning given the PH is not available. We have some random IHG points that we will use for it.

We won't be eating on site, I don't think.

<i>I would highly suggest staying in the Old Quarter in Hanoi</i>

Thanks. We've booked the Essence based on positive reviews, a super low price, and that it looks nice. I overlooked the stupid name. We considered the Sofitel, but the Essence seemed to fit the bill for a fraction of the cost. Excellent service from them so far - they have already confirmed a car from the airport and are working on the visa pre-approval letter. Seems like a really well-run operation.

WeisserTee

Sushi Bar 6 is a great spot for lunch (or dinner) if you want a change from Vietnamese cuisine. Given how few decent sushi restaurants there are in Switzerland, I gorged myself. Fresh, delicious and inexpensive. It's very popular and you need reservations or a willingness to wait around til a table opens up.

travelgourmet

<i>Sushi Bar 6 is a great spot for lunch (or dinner) if you want a change from Vietnamese cuisine.</i>

Thanks for the recommendation. Not sure how far we will stray from Vietnamese food as it is a big reason for the trip.

<i>Given how few decent sushi restaurants there are in Switzerland</i>

Agree 100%. That was one of the more disappointing aspects of Switzerland.

ruby_pisit

I think from Hanoi, you can fly to Hue. Stay there 2D1N, for me it's enough to have a city tour and visit some sourrounding attractions. then drive to Danang (2 hours). In Danang, there are many good hotels and resorts, the beach is private and so beautiful. I stayed at The Nam Hai, just 20 mins to Hoi An town. I loved the room, spacious, traditional yet exotic decoration. 3 pools, love it!

It's better than you stay in Langco as it takes time to travel both to Hue and Hoi An.

Kathie

ruby, note that if you stay just one night, you don't have two days in a place. Indeed, you have 0 days, you may have a few hours in the evening and the morning, but you don't even have a full day. Are you a travel agent? This is the kind of sleight of hand I associate with travel agents.

ruby_pisit

@Katie: Actually, my family went with a local tour company for this trips. 5 days in Hue and Hoi An. 2d1n as I count for the time I spent in Hue. we took a flight from Saigon to Hue at around 9am. So we have nearly a full day to go to the Citadel, Thien Mu pogoda and biking around the city. We had a great night, had dinner and listen to traditional folk music on the river. The 2nd day we visited some tombs and villages near the city. then we drove to the Nam Hai around 4pm.