| R Lindberg |
19 March 2005 |
Stayed at Novotel Garden Plaza Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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I have enjoyed visits to Viet Nam, especially the visits to Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, and Quy Nhon. I recommend renting a bicycle at one these places, and riding out into the country and the smaller villages. Meet the people, they are friendly, and will welcome you.
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| T Crozier |
08 January 2005 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Hanoi in January is cool and dry and we could get around during the day quite comfortably in light jackets and jeans. While we were there the air quality was quite poor with a smoggy haze blanketing the city and reducing visibility. However it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for exploring the lake area, the Old Quarter and French Quarter. The Water Puppet Theatre originates in Hanoi and is well worth a visit as is Uncle Ho's body lying in state. Halong Bay is a 'must do' trip from Hanoi and the best tip is to stay overnight on a Sampan to enjoy the full experience of this magnificent bay.
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| B Beckord |
04 January 2005 |
Stayed at Victoria Chau Doc Hotel - Chau Doc, Vietnam.
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Be sure to utilize the express boats available for $15.00 at the wharf in Phnom Penh that will take you to Chau Doc.
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| G Barenberg |
04 January 2005 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Hanoi was much colder than we expected (we went at the end of December to the beginning of January). We were wearing layers and plenty of sweaters the whole time. Crossing the streets were nearly impossible due to the speeding motorbikes. I found it much easier to get around Ho Chi Minh City than Hanoi.
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| I Kelso |
28 December 2004 |
Stayed at Victoria Chau Doc Hotel - Chau Doc, Vietnam.
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Fantastic river boat transfer to Phnom Penh via Chau Doc river border - an excellent way to enter Cambodia - Cambodian visa available at the border.
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| D Tay |
28 December 2004 |
Stayed at New World Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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Unless you have USD to burn, don't book your tours with Saigon tours. They are very expensive. I paid 25 USD for a day trip to the tunnels and found out later that a local tour does it for 5 USD plus a trip up north looking at some temples. You can imagine the profits Saigon tours are making. I subsequently use the local tour operator to go to mekong delta for 15 USD as opposed to 40 USD. Look out for the small tour operators around, a good place to go find them is the park near hotel new world and you can see their ads at the lively bar and dinner area adjecent to the park.
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| K Tremaine |
28 December 2004 |
Stayed at Huong Giang Hotel - Hue, Vietnam.
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We spent 2 days in Hue and particularly enjoyed visiting the Imperial City as well as Tu Duc's and Minh Mang's tombs. Allow at least 2 hours looking around the Imperial city and get a guide to show you around. We hired a taxi to take us to Tu Duc's tomb which cost just over $3 and the driver waited around for us. We hired a boat on the river to go to Minh Mang's tomb and the Pagoda of Heavenly Lady. While it was a pleasant boat ride if you were pushed for time in Hue, I would do these sites by taxi as the boat ride was fairly long and a bit monotonous. A restaurant I would recommend is La Carambole in Pham Ngu Lao.
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| J Lovkrona |
26 December 2004 |
Stayed at Victoria Phan Thiet Resort - Phan Thiet, Vietnam.
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Phan Tiet/Mui Ne is a lovely spot along the Southern cost of Viet Nam. The beaches are very much on par with those of Nha Trang. One serious disadvantage as compared to the latter is the lack of an airport, which implies that you have to travel four hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City - on a road packed with suicidal truck and bus drivers - to get there. It is also difficult to move around in the area due to the lack of sufficient local transport (taxi). A very nice restaurant is the beach-front one of Coco Beach Village. Don't miss the barbecue and the sunsets here.
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| A Locus |
21 December 2004 |
Stayed at Empress Hotel Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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If you use a GSM phone bring it and get a sim card in vietnam. Should save you some money but more importantly is a great convenience. Try not to stay in HMC for more than a day or two. There are more interesting places to visit around the place and the backpack areas have all the information in english. Happy tours are fun and cheap though the guides are sometimes a bit inexperienced and the food is below par.
If you fly to Nha Trang the plane will not arrive in time to catch any island tours during the day as the new airport is a fair way from the city now. A guide on a motorbike will happily take you around for a day or half a day.
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| L Ng |
10 December 2004 |
Stayed at Guoman Hanoi Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Water Puppet show was very enjoyable, highly recommended for anyone. Bobby Chinn Restaurant is a great restaurant with nice and friendly atmosphere. Handspan Adventure Travel offers great package tours to different places in Vietnam. Very good service and great price.
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Traveller's Tales: Getting around in Vietnam
