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 Traveller's Tales: Things to do in Vietnam
Learn about leisure and recreation in Vietnam. You may read about their travel activities and adventures. Find out their travel tips and guides and discover fun things to do in Vietnam.Also, you might want to read our
Central Vietnam city guide,
Halong Bay city guide,
Hanoi city guide,
Ho Chi Minh city guide,
Phan Thiet city guide,
and Hoi An city guide.
Pages (7 of 27):
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| G Mcveigh |
27 July 2003 |
Stayed at Nha Trang Lodge Hotel - Nha Trang, Vietnam.
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Rainbow Divers - I had an excellent morning with them. They are very professional and well organised. The diving was good and a real highlight of the trip to Nha Trang.
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| S Venga |
21 July 2003 |
Stayed at Empress Hotel Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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First visit to Vietnam, you should fly into Hanoi and work your way down to Saigon via coach or train (it takes about a week to 10 days for a comfortable, sight-seeing trip). Must dos in Saigon include river cruise at night (choose the boat which has classical vietnam music if you prefer quieter music), Ben Tanh market, Cu Chi tunnels (a must see). Enjoy the seafood as their meats (esp. chicken) are not a great buy.
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| M Peters |
10 July 2003 |
Stayed at Melia Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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A visit to Halong Bay is a must. The guided tours are the cheapest way at around $15-20. Especially worth doing it now as I can envisage chaos in the future when Vietnam gets more established on the tourist map as it was pretty busy at the ferry port.
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| R Aguado |
28 June 2003 |
Stayed at Hanoi Horison Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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If you like good Vietnamese food, don't miss Seasons of Hanoi, Club Opera or Emperor Restaurant. The last cited restaurant has a very dramatic location - request for a table on the first-floor verandah. Ask your hotel concierge for directions. (Another reputedly good restaurant, Indochine, was closed for renovation during my visit.)
Also, don't miss the galleries. Quality art works in Hanoi are generally cheaper than in Saigon, even though both cities showcase the works of roughly the same artists. So it is better to buy the works in Hanoi (although Saigon galleries have more extensive collections). Do some advance research before visiting the galleries, as some of them only peddle junk.
If you are adventurous enough, try taking all the modes of transport in Hanoi - the cyclo, the motorbike taxis and the meter taxis. A ride on the motorbike taxi is an exhilarating experience. But be sure you have a health coverage or, better still, you are wearing a crash helmet!
Ask your concierge about the likely rates between destinations to save you time negotiating with the drivers (who can be very tough during bargaining). Meter taxis are generally reliable, but always remind the drivers to use the fare meter.
It is also important to learn the Vietnamese words "Di! Di! Di!" (pronounced "dee") which roughly means, "Just #!#! leave me alone!" It's a bit impolite, so reserve it only for the most stubborn street touts who sell you everything from maps to pearls to trinkets and even illegal drugs.
If you have time, take a day tour to Ha Long Bay or nearby towns. Vietnam's tourist industry is still a bit clunky and the facilities are very rudimentary, so take a guide with you, preferably from a reputable agency as this will make your travel easier and more educational. Ha Long Bay is highly recommended, but you better hurry up before this beautiful region is turned into another Pattaya.
Hanoi is not as harried or hoary as Saigon. Perhaps because of this, it is not as sophisticated as its rival city in the south in terms of tourist facilities and establishments. Some people may actually like Hanoi's provincial feel, compared with Saigon's decidedly urban buzz. (Think of Washington D.C. versus New York - up to a certain extent, of course.) Still, modernity is changing Hanoi, so one must visit it before it turns into a copy of Saigon or Bangkok.
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| J Pauw |
30 April 2003 |
Stayed at Hoi An Hotel - Hoi An, Vietnam.
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Hoi An is a shopper's paradise. We ended up succumbing to the tailor's pleas to make us new wardrobes, and are so happy that we did! We also took a nice, easy bike ride out to the beach which is highly recommended.
The one thing to look out for: we went on an hour's boat ride with a woman in a boat on the river. She let us off at the end of a line of fishing boats. We had to walk across several boats to get back to shore. The boat's crews were not happy or friendly. Avoid this! The boat ride is delightful, but insist on being let off at shore!
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| J Hamilton |
29 April 2003 |
Stayed at Lucky Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Halong Bay is a must, better to sleep on the boat overnite, but we weren't allowed, something about the police not allowing it.
Water Puppets in Hanoi, another must, and I wouldn't advise hiring a motorbike unless you are a really good rider. I still had big problems when you get to intersections, as there aren't many traffic lights, and you just mingle with the bikes going in opposite directions... and I have no trouble riding my 1100cc motorbike around Bangkok. Riding in Thailand is like paradise compared to riding in Vietnam.... GOOD LUCK.
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| J Pauw |
29 April 2003 |
Stayed at Lucky Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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The Handspan tour to the Perfume Pagoda was a definite highlight and worth the money. Just take your sunscreen and lots of water! The boat ride portion was spectacularly beautiful.
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| M Cowlishaw |
25 April 2003 |
Stayed at Palace Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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Took the Mekong Tour to My Tho area - changed onto 3 different types of boats and cruised amongst the islands. A very well-planned tour booked through Sinh Travel - we visited a bee farm, coconut candy factory etc. A multinational group on board who all enjoyed themselves.
An excellent Vietnamese restaurant in District 1, between Dong Khoi & Nguyen Hue STs and located in a pedestrian arcade is the Da Nam. A magnificent courtyard setting, so picturesque I sat and drew the whole scene. Also excellent value as were all restaurants in Vietnam.
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| R Watton |
19 April 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Didn't have time this year. But on a previous visit used Queen's cafe to organise trip to the North West and to Ha Long bay. All arrangements worked fine. Accommodation and transport basic but adequate.
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| K Helsen |
15 April 2003 |
Stayed at Ana Mandara Resort - Nha Trang, Vietnam.
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Great snorkeling destination; town itself pretty depressing & smelly.
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