Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12835 Posts: 215
Posted: 2007-11-24 07:26:00
Hi all,
I'm starting to plan a trip to Vietnam for April 2008 for about 3 weeks. Bearing in mind this is a holiday & we both need a rest I thought I would start in the south flying into HCMC (Saigon) for 2 or 3 nights then heading up (overnight train or fly?) to Nha Trang for a rest for about 5-6 nights(+Mui Ne if OK its sounds windy) before continuing onto Hoi An for 2n then to Hue for 3n then flying to Hanoi for a couple of nights then out to Sapa for 2n then back to Hanoi out to Halong Bay for a 2n cruise then back to Hanoi for 1n and then home.
Can I skip Dalat, Can Tho in the Mekong (bearing in mind I have done this in Cambodia and Laos) or is there somewhere else I should try to fit in. I am not a trekker so is there a soft option in Sapa to see that amazing scenery that anyone knows of.
that would be a awesome trip. I'm from Vietnam, so i think that I can help you on this. In HCM city, you must be careful cause it's very crowded. Watch out the trafic since it can be a very scary experience. Mui ne resort is better than Nha Trang cause the ocean here is more clean, and the resort quality is better. I don't recommend you to go from Mui Ne or HCM city to Hoi An by train (beleive me in this, it's awful. I just experienced that in the summer). Have fun and one more thing, remember to bargain when going shopping (begin from 40% the the price they gave you).
--- if you cannot make some one happy, at least don't hurt them
Premium account Joined: Oct 02 Points: 18176 Posts: 294
Posted: 2008-03-16 07:15:00
Hi
Right itinerary. Just consider one day stop in the former capital - Hue. It is on the route and this is the no.1 in Vietnam regarding old architecture (if you are interested). Welcome to see my travellog from Jan 2007 for many practicals. Enjoy your voyage!
Wojtek
--- You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced... W.D.
Premium account Joined: Jan 08 Points: 33902 Posts: 73
Posted: 2008-03-16 14:50:00
Hiya,
The plan sounds good. Although train trips might be fun, in Vietnam they are not always pleasant. Flying is much, much quicker and the prices are comparable to the train first class fares. Unless you are going explore the DMZ north of Hue, I think there is more to see around Hoi An, so I would swap 3 nights in Hue to three nights in Hoi An. Meodien2512 is rights about Saigon. It's a huge, overcrowded and extremely busy city and not very relaxing. The Mekong Delta in the vicinity and boat trips around are more relaxing. If you do want to stay in HCMC for 3 nights, just make sure you know what you are going to do. Hanoi is much, much more attractive although 2 nights is sufficient for the capital. Ha Long Bay is an excellent idea. There are also nice beaches around there as well, although weather might still be patchy. Remember to be careful with the boats - there are rats on ALL of them, some of the boats are slightly cleaner than others. Happy travelling!
