Hi all you experienced vietnam travellers,

We are two couples in our 40's off on our first trip to Vietnam in Oct. We will book our first night in Saigon but apart from that will book as we go. We are pretty easy going, love our food and wine (might have to be beer!) and just experiencing the local way of life.

We are pretty much going to wing it but the basic plan is
1. fly into Saigon
2. do an overnighter in the Mekong delta
3. fly to Dalat - few days in surrounds. Maybe using easy riders.
4. fly to Danang car to Hoi An
5. fly/overnight train to Hanoi
6. do an overnighter on junk in Halong Bay
7. train to Sapa few days in villages
8. fly out of Hanoi
We only have three weeks and know this will be a bit tight but we'll see how we go.

Anyway I was just wondering if anyone has any current advice on
1. good value hotels in the US$40-50
2. favorite treat hotels
3. day trip to the mekong or overnight
4. fly v's overnight train to Danang to Hanoi
5. Favorite restaurants food and/or atmosphere)
6. Anything that we simply MUST do
7. Soft case v's backpak

Thanks in advance. The info that I have already found just from purusing the forum has been fantastic.

Cheers
Tracey

The Indochine Hotel in HCMC is a very good value and in an excellent location.

www.indochinehotel.com

If you want something a little bit nicer, you could try the Grand or Majestic, also both in excellent locations. Step up from them is Caravelle, Sheraton, Park Hyatt, but it's a pretty big step up. Personally, I would avoid staying in the backpacker area, however there are some decent places to eat there (many more though in D1).

Plenty of good wine to be found in VN, so don't worry about that.

Since you are trying to see so many places, I would fly whenever possible. Flights are very cheap and will save you a lot of time. And since you are flying or taking the train for most of your travels, soft case is easier to manage than a backpack. I prefer a day trip rather than an overnighter in the Delta, but to each their own.

Keep this in mind. The weather will be good in the North and South (although rain most days in the South for an hour or so), but the weather in the Central section is poor in October. Hue, Hoi An, Danang all get a lot of rain this time of year (there is currently flooding in DaNang, Hue and many other provinces due to a tropical storm that landed just north of Hue today.

Hi Tracey,

if you fly to Hanoi and stay there some days, I recommend you to visit:Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.

it is located in the northeastern side of Hoan Kiem Lake, the theatre features unique world famous art from. Roi nuoc or water puppet is performed in a pool of water with puppeteers standing behind a screen to control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface.

The Opening hours: 3 shows at 6.30pm. 7.30pm and 8.30 pm
-Address: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang St.

Have nice days in Hanoi



http://travel-vietnam.blogspot.com/

Try www.hotelandtours.com

They have hotels ranging from the following:

Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon - from USD 38 for a 3 star hotel incl. of breakfast

Hoi An - from USD 20 for a 3 star hotel incl. of breakfast

Dalat - USD 45 for a 3 star hotel incl. of breakfast

and many more.. You can also book your day tours and transfer in the same site.

Remember to change the currency to USD in the home page.

Good luck and happy planning your holiday!

Amy

Thanks for that Bisbee. I was actually looking at the Indochine Hotel but was just a bit concerned as it seemed so cheap. Was also looking at the Anan Hotel, Sunflower Hotel and HoAng Gia Huy in Saigon. Do you know any of these?
Glad to hear I won't have to be a teetotaller! Thanks also for the weather tip. Obviously need to pack the raincoat.

Thanks amyho I will check out your website suggestion.

tkurt - I'll be sure to check out the puppets, thanks.

Cheers guys, your help is much appreciated.....

ttt

A couple of suggestions... Hanoi is a fascinating city and well worth at least several days. I spent a week and very much enjoyed it. So don't spend all of your Hanoi time out of town. I really liked the DeSyloia Hotel. There is lots of wonderful food in Hanoi, and I found I could get reasonably priced French wine in Hanoi (unlike Bangkok), so you may well want to drink wine in VN. Some favorite restaurants in Hanoi: Brother's Cafe, located in the courtyard of an old monestary. It's a buffet (and I usually avoid buffets like the plague) with pho stands, and a lovely variety of dishes. They also have you choose meats/seafood and they grill them for you. Note that this place does not take credit cards, but the prices are very reasonable ($US10 per person several years ago). I also really enjoyed Club L'Opera, across the street from the Sofitel Monopole. It's a white tablecloth-type dining experience. Excellent food and service.

Do check on exactly when APEC is meeting in Hanoi, and make sure you avoid Hanoi during that time if possible. Hotel rooms are at a premium then, prices double (at least) and will be hard to come by at any price.

Thanks Kathie. I have read a number of your responses and your passion for Hanoi always shines through. We will certainly make sure we allow enough time to do it justice. Really looking forward to your food and wine suggestions Must confess I'm not much of a beer drinker so very glad to hear you can get some reasonably priced wine. Can't wait.... I believe APEC is in mid November so we should be out of there by then. Thanks again

I've heard nothing but good things about the Indochine. Haven't heard anything about the other hotels.

Thanks again Bisbee for your recommendation. I also have read nothing but good things about the Indochine. I've managed to secure 2 superior rooms with windows for the princely sum of $25/night. Amazing!!

Hi Traceyg

I have 2 restaurant recommendations for you in Hanoi: Cha Ca La Vong- I thought it would be very touristy, but it was not and the 1 fish dish they serve is amazing, not expensive. Do a search on the board for more details.

Splurge restaurant in Hanoi: Green Tangerine- wonderful asian/french fusion cuisine in a beautiful old villa setting.

Now, I am hoping you can help me with something. I see on the Africa board that you were thinking of using MT BEDS last year. Did you have any luck? How were the choices/availability 2 weeks before your trip? Thanks for any tips.

Cruisinred

Hi Cruisin,
Thanks so much for that. Sounds like we will certainly be well fed in Hanoi.
You're off the SA. Fannnnntastic. You will have a wonderful time. Yes, I did investigate MT Beds quite extensively but did not end up using them in the end. What we did was prebook for three nights at Savanna lodge with an agent(who got us an excellent rate). Then when we got to Capetown I went to the tourist bureau and was able to get an excellent rate with CC Africa for two nights at Ngala. SA rates even tho we're not SA.... If we had not got this we would have got something through MT Beds I'm sure. We were travelling in Nov.
Anyway I wish you luck. We had an amazing time. The best holiday ever...
Cheers
Tracey

Tracey-

Thanks for your input about South Africa. Vietnam is lovely too, but very different. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Thanks again
Cruisinred

OK I'm off tommorrow. Yipee!!! Does anyone have any last minute advice....
Thanks
Tracey

Bring a couple small travel umbrellas. It's been pouring in HCMC for the last 5 days!!

Thanks Bisbee. Yeh I notice. I have yahoo weather on my desktop and have been checking it daily. Even the long range forcast looks pretty wet.
That's life I guess....

It's the rainy season so this isn't uncommon. Better to be prepared though. It won't rain all day, but when it does, it really does!

Safe Travels!