Suggestions need for tours or Cultural experiences in Vietman
 

My friend is planning a 2 week trip to Vietnam next year and would like any suggestions on how to best see the country
.
She would be interested in possibly doing a tour , staying more than one night in each place, and possibly tours that include cultural experiences. Things like cooking classes, musical performances, boat cruise.

I'd love any informatin to pass along to her.

anyone?

Is she going on a pivate tour or is she looking to join a group tour?

It would also help to know her budget and what cities she is interested in visiting.

A little more information and specifics might garner more answers.

I just returned from Vietnam in October and we had simply the BEST experience. So this might be a bit long. We were travelling as two couples and apart from flights to and from Vietnam and hotels for the first two nights in Saigon we had no fixed plans.

Our trip ended up as follows
Saigon 3 nights half day Cu Chi Tunnels
Boat to
Mekong Delta 2day/1night tour
Coach to
Dalat 1 night
Central Highlands 3days/2night tour on motorbikes with Easy Riders
Fly Buon Ma Tuot to Danang. Taxibus Danang to Hoi An
Hoi An 2 nights
Coach to
Hue 2 nights inc 1 day tour on back of motorbikes with Tu Wheels Cafe
Fly Hue to
Hanoi 2 nights
Train to
Sapa 4 nights (inc overnight trains to and from) 3 seperate day tours to minority villages and Bac Ha markets
Train to
Hanoi 1 night
Mini Bus to
Halong Bay tour 2 days/1night
Mini Bus to
Hanoi 2 nights

We largely went freelance and booked tours/flights as we went. This was very straight forward to do and we had no problems. With only two weeks tho you will need to do some research and be prepared before you go...

The highlight of our trip was our two and a half day trip with Easy Riders. They do not have a set itinerary but rather take cues from what you like and visit things that interest you or just what you come across along the way. The scenery was beautiful, the people amazing and a fantastic way to get up close and personal with the Vietnamese and minority group people and their way of life. Everyone was just so friendly, we learnt so much and had the best experience. We were left in awe of the amazing openness, resilience and warmth of the people of Vietnam. The riders are very careful and caring people keen to share as much as possible with you and we were very sad to wave them goodbye. I cannot recommend it highly enough and would have extended for a couple of more days had we had more time.

In Hue as part of our half day tour we were able to sit with monks during their pray session at one of the monasteries. This was very special.

Whilst in Sapa and visiting one of the minority villages our guide took us to visit a guy who makes all his own traditional flutes (there are a number of types). We shared lunch with his family and he played and danced (whilst playing the flute) for us - another memorable experience. Bac Ha markets is also great.

In Hanoi we were fortunate to see a small performance of ladies playing traditional instruments at the Museum of Literature. Not sure if this is a regular event tho.

We did not have time for a cooking class but met people who had in Hoi An and they really enjoyed it. I believe it was a full day event organised by one of the restaurants along the river.

Anyway I'm now reminiscing......... Hope this helps. This is just a few of the highlights - trust me there are so many more. I just loved Hanoi as well. If you would like any further details hotels/restaurants/contact details just let me know, more than happy to share ........

Tracey

Hi Tracy--

Great and helpful post. I was trying to count up your nights. It sounds like you had about 3 weeks. Am I right?

I'm intrigued about the easy rider motorcycle tours. Can you please fill me in on a few more details. Do you typically ride motorcycles at home, or was this a completely new experience for you? Do you actually drive the motorcycles yourselves on this tour or get on the back of a cycle that someone else is driving? My husband owned a motorcycle about 35 years ago and he insists he could still drive one, but I don't know.

We're already doing something a bit off the beaten path (a 5 day bike trip in the remote parts of the Mekong Delta) on this trip so want to hear about another opportunity to do something off the usual tourist route.

Finally, what did you think of Saigon? It is not sounding too appealing to me, but I think we will end up with a day there at the beginning fo the trip as we try to recover from the horrendous travel time from the US. thanks.

Hi julies,
Yes we did have three weeks but our friends only had two so they missed out on Sapa and Halong Bay which was a bit sad for them. But they are already planning a return trip.
The Easy Riders (the real ones!!) work out of the Peace Cafe in Dalat and are a group of guys aged around 50+ish who take people for tours around the Central Highlands area even up as far as Hue. You ride on the back of the bikes along with your luggage which is strapped on the back. Sounds uncomfortable but the luggage actually acts as a good back rest!! We are both in our mid 40's so yes, this was a totally new experience for us and I confess we were a little worried about our butts getting a bit sore but no problem. You are always hopping on and off the bikes to go see things and the guys are very careful not to overdo it. They even make sure you walk a bit.... My rider was Stephane and my partners Rene. They were both terrific guys and a wealth of knowledge about history, the people, the minority groups, the different customs/ religions, all the small industries that you see - almost anything. I would be happy to forward on their contact details if you would like.
Now about Saigon - I think its a good idea to have a rest day to recuperate after your flight as the heat and humidity does get to you and there's so much to do you don't want to start tired. We enjoyed our time there and there is certainly enough to fill in a couple of days but its not a city I fell n love with and I don't think its a city I would return to.
Cheers
Tracey

Wow, Thanks so much Tracey for the great response. I'm sure my friend will be very interested in learning more.

She is interested in doing something different and it certainly sounds like you did that. she would perhaps be interested in a small coastal cruise, accommodations on a house boat. She'd also be interested in a tour of the hill side tribes.

Were there any tour companies in particular that you'd highly recommend?

Your trip sounds like it was fabulous.
Thanks again. I may have more questions after my friend reads your post. FOr some reason she is not able to log on to Fodor's.

No problem Kodi, only to happy to share. Vietnam is such a great experience its not hard to recommend. I believe that Nha Trang and Mui Ne are the best spots for beach/boat trips type of thing. Unfortunately we did not have sufficient time for this and as we are not really beachy people and chose other places. But I'm sure a search of the board will reveal others experiences. We did however do an overnight boat trip to Halong Bay from Hanoi. This is a truly amazing place. Its great to go to sleep and wake up in such a tranquil and beautiful environment (albeit one you are sharing with about 20 other boats!!) We kayaked and swam off the boat. (i know others say the water is a bit yuk. But when we went it was pretty clean and a great way to cool off. Trips can be booked in Hanoi by a huge number of agents. Overnight and one or two night trips are available. But take care, there is a hugh number of boats and you don't always get exactly what you think.... I would suggest you don't go for the cheapest (nor the most expensive), ask to see pictures of the boat/accommodation and ensure the boat you are booking is recorded on the ticket so there is no confusion...

The trips to minority villages we did from Sapa were organised by our hotel in Sapa (The Auberge Hotel). I can highly recommend both the hotel and the tour guides. Depending on the time you have available you can do 1/2 day up to 3 day trips including overnight stays at the minority villages just outside Sapa. I believe it is a bit cheaper to book the tours in Sapa than from Hanoi.
If time is a constraint there are tours to other minority villages which are closer to Hanoi that can be arranged as an overnight from Hanoi.

I hope all this helps. If your friend would like more details I would be happy to chat directly via email.
Cheers
Tracey

Tracey, Thank you so much. I'll talk to my friend tomorrow. I'm sure she'd like to email you directly. Gee, it even makes me want to go!!

Tracey, my friend would love to hear from you directly. She is out of the office most of today, but will look forward to hearing from you when ever you drop her a line. Her email address is [email protected]

Thanks Tracey.