my wife and i have three weeks to spend in vietnam in september. it is a first time trip there and we are inclined to staying in the north (hanoi, ha long bay, sapa or even bac ha, etc.) with a stop in hue and three days at nha trang for scuba and beach. no hcm city, no meking delta? is this a mistake?<BR><BR>we have the money to spend on a car and driver. so here is the age old traveler's request: how can we get off the beaten track? for example, i've read of the tourist hordes at sapa's sunday market and the persisitent sales efforts of locals there. what if we just drove one hour in the other direction to a smaller town or village on its market day?<BR><BR>also, what is the name of that marvelous national park about 50 miles sw of Hanoi, a "dry" HaLong Bay with Guilin-type karst topography? sounds like a nice side trip.<BR><BR>many thanks. you are providing a great service to us all.<BR><BR>mylesfire

I am replying with an "anonymous" e-mail address because we have changed our provider and don't want to attract all the spam we used to get. OK? OK.<BR><BR>We are not "beach" aficianados and so cannot give expert advice. China Beach, north of Danang, is an immense swath of sand but with roaring surf and a vicious undertow and riptides. Not for us. Reminded us of the beaches along North Carolina's Outer Banks.<BR><BR>Mylesfire: we can provide you with the name of a superb young man who can be your guide in the northern part of VN, who is based in Hanoi. He can handle all arrangements, speaks fine English, and is full of ideas of places to see that are off the tourist track. He can set you up with a good car and driver, and he will accompany you wherever you wish to go. Use this forum to let me know your wishes, and we will contact you via e-mail. The "dry HaLong Bay" national park was Ninh Binh, I believe. Very interesting, scenic, and great fun. It was the idea of our young man to go there -- and we were so happy that we did.<BR><BR>Sapa is well worth your visit. We found no crowds at all. We took the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, and then a bus took us to Sapa. Cool up among the cloud-crested peaks. A private railway car, chartered by the hotel in Sapa, took our small group both ways. The hotel was extremely nice, good service, even had e-mail connections. In many ways, this was the high spot of our trip. Cities we liked: Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue. Cities we would just as soon have skipped: HCMC, Can Tho, Danang. Just one couple's opinions, you understand.<BR><BR>My wife and I often talk about our trip, and we concluded that Ho Chi Minh City offered little compared with Hanoi. The Mekong Delta? Well, after you have seen a few rice paddies, a lot of brown water, and jungle-choked boonies, it gets very repetitious. Without question, the people are what make VN such an unending circus of vitality, friendliness, and fascination.We can't say enough good things about all we encountered.<BR>

Where did you stay in Sapa, Al? Thanks for all the great information!

Would love to get the name of the guide in Hanoi. I may be going to Vietnam in January. Thanks<BR>Joan

In Sapa, we stayed at The Victoria Hotel, probably the best place there. Excellent in all respects.<BR><BR>Our Hanoi guide can be reached via e-mail at: [email protected]<BR><BR>He speaks excellent English, has a very outgoing personality, knows his business, is very service-minded. Young Mr. Chung is a model guide.

Hi Al!<BR>I will be going to Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia in November on a Smartours tour. I am a bit mixed up as to what shots I will need. Smartours says that I won't have to get any. The CDC got me totally mixed up. What did you do?<BR>Thanks.<BR>Judy

This all sounds fascinating! Am planning to travel to Hanoi in August. Does anyone know if this is the rainy season? Also, has anyone stayed at the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel? Any feedback? Thanks.<BR><BR>Lia

For Al: We would like to do a semi independent trip like you did to Vietnam in 2003. What tour company did you use? It sounds like the ideal trip, exactly what I've been looking for.

We employed the excellent services of a man-and-wife team who live in Olympia, WA. E-mail them at: [email protected] -- they also have a web site: www.indochinatours.com

hi! i need some help to plan for our trip to vietnam and cambodia in Nov 02.<BR>we have 2 weeks, Al , John, can you tell me how you went from Viet to Cambodia, and how you book you transfers/airtix.....many thanks!

hello<BR>I am going to vietnam on nov 14. have you been to HoaBinh to visit the minority villages.is it worthy??<BR>what about doing a day trip to theDMZ from Hue? has any visited it<BR>Everobody talks abou HMC and thieves is that bad??? can i just walk around with no much hassle, carrying a camera in my bag... suggestions<BR>have a great day<BR>Jeanine

Hi Jeanine,<BR><BR>I just got back from VN last Sunday. Stay in HCMC for about 1 week and didn't have any problems with carrying my camera or thieves in the city. Do make sure you carry a money pouch though as there are a lot of pick pockets.

AL: I think you are the person I need to speak with.<BR>I am travelling to Nam and Cambodia and only have 2 weeks in total.<BR><BR>1. Would you go to Halong Bay?<BR>2. Would you go to Hue, Danang, and Hoi An?<BR>3. Do I need more than 2 days in Saigon to get the feel?<BR>4. Have you been to Phnom Penh? If so would you do it again? <BR>5. Did you stay at the Metropole in Hanoi? You metioned another Hotel in the old quarter, would you prefer that pone to the Metropole?<BR>6. Have you a hotel recommendation in Saigon? I was thinking of satying at the Caravelle.<BR><BR>Thank you fellow traveller for your time