Hi All,

I am planning a trip from North to Central Vietnam for March. We will have 4 children traveling with us (ages 7-13) so the planning is definitely with family being top of mind. I am really going back and forth with what to do:

Option 1:

1) Hanoi and Halong Bay (3 nights)

2) Pu Luong / Mai Chau (2 nights)

3) Ninh Binh(3 nights)

4) Hoi An (5 nights) - Day trips from there (perhaps a night in Hue, but will probably decide based on how we feel). The intent is to relax a little at the end.


OR

Option 2:

1) Hanoi and Halong Bay (3 nights)

2) Pu Luong (1 night)

3) Ninh Binh (2 nights)

4) Sleeper Train to Phong Nha Ke Bang (1 night)

5) Phong Nha (2 nights)

6) Hoi An (4 nights)

Is the second option too rushed? If you had to pick one location (kids in mind), would you do Phong Nha or Pu Luong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi David,

I tend to agree with you that less is more. Would you do Pu Luong or Phong Nha Ka Beng after Ninh Binh? I am having such a hard time choosing!

Thank you!

Hmm! I can't see any post from a David, but I based upon your comment in #2, I think I would agree with him!

Given that you are travelling with 4 children, what though have you given to getting from A to B? Tours, train/bus/taxi? A mixture of both? This will have a big impact on how much you can pack in. It would be a great idea to sit down with google maps and work out the transport times and logistics time and logistics.

Bear in mind that two nights only gives you one full day of sightseeing, three, two and so on.. Two full days for Hanoi is nowhere near enough , let alone Halong Bay as well.

If it were my trip, which it clearly isn't, I would skip Halong Bay for a start, two full days in Hanoi is not really enough, but in the context of the time you have, about right.

Anyway, just few thoughts observations

We very rarely take guided tours anywhere but one that I felt added real value was the one we took from Mai Chau, through Pu Long and the Black River Valley to Ninh Binh. From memory that was over five nights and we got to see a lot. The guide and transport really added value not just because it would have been almost impossible to see the places we did by public transport, but also because we stayed in minority homestays where few spoke Vietnamese, let alone English. Some details and photos @ https://accidentalnomads.com/2014/12...-and-mai-chau/ . There is also some suff on Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An and Phong Nha Khe Be in the posts there.

As for the other relocations you mention. It is straightforward enough to get from Ninh Binh to Dong Hoi (for Phong Nha Khe Be) and onwards to Hue by train but you do need to plan this way in advance.

Re Pu Luong or Phong Nha? I would say Phong Nha which as the most impressive cave system I have ever seen and some rainforest thrown in . Pu Long is all about the rainforest.

I much prefer Hue to Hoi An but Hoi An is probably going to appeal to the children more.

In Phong Nha we stayed at Phong Nha Farmstay which is geared up for families. Swimming, lots of tours and activities and decent food and accommodation.

Hi Crellston,

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't intend to go to Halong Bay and intent to dedicate the 3 days to Hanoi. My parents are tagging along and they intend to do it which is why it is "Sort of" added to my itinerary. I have read mixed reviews and have been to Krabi Thailand numerous times so feel that I have seen the limestone Karst thing. While beautiful, I don't think it is worth the heavy price tag for one night.

The more that I research, the more that I think that Phong Nha might be a better fit than Pu Luong for the kids. I am toying with this itinerary. Do you think this sounds like a better option since you have been to both places

1. Hanoi (3 nights)
2. Ninh Binh (3 nights)
3. Sleeper train from Ninh Binh to Dong Hoi - transfer to Phong Nha
4. Phong Nha (2 nights)
5. Private transfer Phong Nha - Hoi An (seeing Lang Co, Hai Van Pass etc along the way)
6. Hoi An (5 nights)

Yes, I know Hue is probably amazing too, but I think splitting up the time between Hue and Hoi An is just going to be a lot of rushing around and I do want somewhat of a rest period at the end of our Vietnam travels. It is possible to add one more night to Vietnam (as we are headed to Thailand afterward) so we could go:

1. Private Transfer Phong Nha - Hue (2 nights)
2. Private Transfer / tour along Hai Van Pass to Hoi An
3. Hoi An (4 nights)

Thoughts?

Two nights in Hue would allow a full day to explore the Imperial Citadel/Forbidden City and some of the tombs which can easily be combined on a guided tour - most will add on cruise off the Perfume River. However, if you ae looking for R&R at the end of your trip the five nights in Hoi An might be a better fit. Some nice hotels in the town or you have the option of the nearby beaches. My Son also makes a nice half day trip from Hoi An. Another option is to borrow some bikes from your hotel and cycle out to the beaches/countryside

Option 2 seems too rushed. I would recommended your opt 1, for your time in Hoi An you can do something else in Da Nang - the neighborhood city.