I'm flying in to Ho Chi Minh in March and leaving three weeks later from Hanoi and would like any information on travelling within Vietnam, places to visit, places to stay, and a good place to spend a couple of days by a beach.

There's plenty of info out there, just go to www.orientation.com and search on Vietnam. Also Peter Geiser has compiled a good FAQ on Vietnam. You can find the details by going to Deja News (www.dejanews.com) and search on his name. You'll see a posting of his that should have the Web address. While you are there, you could search on the rec.travel.asia postings for what you are looking for and you can post more detailed questions that this one which would give you more useful and specific answers.


Rick.

We visited Vietnam last December. It's really simple to travel there, and it's not expensive. I do recommend Lonely Planet: Vietnam, which seemed to be "the book of the year" down there, and which really gave good informations. In Saigon (they "all" call it Saigon in the South), you would do well to visit Singh Cafe or some other similar cafe. There you meet fellow travellers, get good information etc. (In Hanoi: Green Bamboo or the Darlings) It's easy to travel by train, bus I would not recommend because the roads are horrible and going north they won't be able to drive faster than 30 kilometer/hour
(believe me, we tried it). We didn't find anywhere warm enough for us to bathe, but in March it may be OK, and Nha Trang is regarded as one of the best spots. If you are going north, be aware of Hoi An, a small town south of Danang (but you have to use bus at least for part of the trip there). You can stay in places that are quite nice for appr. 12 dollars, if you want aircondition expect to pay appr. 5 dollars more.

Lynn, My best friend and I went to Vietnam a couple of years ago and had the most fantastic time.
We also started in Ho Chi Minh and had to get to Hanoi in 2 weeks. We travel by local bus, (this was a real adventure as the fit about 25 ppl in a 12 seater bus), tourist bus, and train. One place that you mustn't miss is Dalat. It was my favorite place in Vietnam. It is about a 5 hour drive from Ho Chi Min and is located in the mountains, and it is just beautiful!!! Hire a guide and his motorbike for a day (only cost ~$10 US for the day ) It is well worth it, and don't worry about looking around trying to find a guide, just stand in the street and look lost and they will find you I am sure you are going to have a fantastic trip

Hi,
We are going to Bali in March and are deciding between Vietnam or Thailand in addition. We are concerned about diseases - we are planning on going to pretty rural areas and are wondering if it is safe or are we just being paranoid??? We plan on getting the standard shots, but are wondering if those places are too risky. Please advise. Thank you.

Lynn, They are all fabulous places. You won't catch anything more in Thailand or Vietnam than you will in Bali. We had problems in Bali and none in Thailand or Vietnam. You just have to take sensible precautions.

we (5 people) are going to vietnam(from Hong Kong) for 5 days- just to get away. So, not much advanture but we would like to take it nice and easy. Is there a good place to stay in Saigon? Somewhere glamorous, with the embiance of Saigon, the paris of the east. We were thinking of the floating hotel, but found out that was towed to Guam. Any other good choice?
Any must see suggestions?
thx.

Be sure that when you get to Saigon you go south before you go north. The delta boat trips are not to be missed. Ask for Khoi at Kim Cafe on Pham Ngu Lao. Tell him you want to go where tourists rarely go and see how the people really live. In two trips the last two years it was the highlight. For beaches you can't beat Nha Trang for sand and suds. About 20 miles north is Doc Let beach. Outstanding seafood and swimming with the locals. First year it was deserted except for six locals drinking beer. Last year we went on a weekend or something because the place was packed with families and parties. If you want I can give you the names of a couple of cyclo drivers who can arrange everything for a day trip. Good people who will treat you fair. Also they have boat trips to islands off Nha Trang. Eight or ten dollars all day with a huge feast of seafood cooked right on the boat. Snorkling and swimming, you really shouldn't miss this as it is one of the best deals we've found. We'll see you there towards the end of March. We'll be the ones with the big smiles on our faces.

I'm planning to go to Thailand in august and would like to spend sometime in either malaysia or vietnam. My trip is expected to be 14 days in total. With the time restriction, does anybody have recommendations on where I should spend my time?

Hi there, I made a trip to Vietnam last october('97). I agree that that the Mekong-delta is something you have to do,but I must say that the north is great to. you must spend some time with the hill tribes in the north, near the chinees border. From Hanoi it takes three days, leaving on friday. The trip to the Halong bay is nice to finish your time in Vietnam. It's quite relaxing, spending a lot of time on a boat with fellow travellers and the view is all that time amazing. Hue was a little disappointing because of the rain, but there are some historical sights, which is quite unique in Vietnam (most of the old buildings are heaveliy bombed by the Americans). To get to hanoi from the south, it's good to take the train from Hue. it's quite comfortable and you can travel in the night on soft-sleepers to spare some time if you want. Try to get tickets for the train as fast as you can, because it's usually very busy. But most of all: Enjoy the children of Vietnam!!!Never in my life I met such a nice children as in that country.