| |
 Traveller's Tales: Places to go and see in Vietnam
Take a tour of the top places to go in Vietnam. You may read about must see places and activities in the area. 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 (10 of 70):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
| S Venga |
21 July 2003 |
Stayed at Empress Hotel Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
|
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.
|
| T Wong |
20 July 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Hanoi is extremely charming and a contradiction that is quite peculiar. There are some beautiful grand buildings but also some very run-down shabby places - all which add to the appeal of the place. Plenty of art galleries for browsing and the shopping is not bad too, especially if you like lacquer. The Musuem of Fine Arts is good place to see the evolution of Vietnam and its society.
|
| G Francis |
19 July 2003 |
Stayed at Empress Hotel Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
|
Beware of cyclo drivers especially in Chinatown. They conveniently forget the agreed rate and then proceed to use aggresive means to extort money from you.
Most of the city sights can be reached on foot. You need only 3 days max, one for sightseeing, one for shopping and then trips to Mekong / Cu Chi tunnels are half day each.
|
| E Proud |
17 July 2003 |
Stayed at Bong Sen Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
|
We only spent 1 day in HCM . We visited the Reunification Palace which is very interesting. The tour includes a free guide and a little propaganda thrown in as well. We enjoyed a good vietnamese meal at Vietnam House in Dong Khoi which was about $44 for 4 people and included drinks.
|
| R Bale |
13 July 2003 |
Stayed at Riverside Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
|
We took the usual tours from Saigon to the Cu Chi tunnels and 2 days in the Mekong Delta. Both were amazing places to visit and cannot be recommended enough. The miriad tour agencies in Pham Ngu Laoh are all very similar so just book with any of them.
We also visited Mui Ne beach (idyllic if you are after a quiet beach getaway) and Dalat - full of interesting things to see and do.
We travelled by tourist bus - long, frustrating, uncomfortable - and internal flights - cheap, prompt, much better use of time and money.
|
| A Tomasov |
10 July 2003 |
Stayed at Sofitel Metropole Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
Found it very easy to find a local motor bike guide to take me to the silk village and ceramic village. I initially did a few short trips around the old quarter with different driver until I found a driver I felt comfortable with and asked him if he would ride out of town - a bit of map pointing and clock diagrams later we had a meeting time and destination. He was more than happy to stop whenever I wanted to tke a photo or buy something from a shop. Just be aware that it rains in the late afternoon - so if you are on a bike then - have a raincoat with you. Oh yeah, a scarf to cover your mouth helps as well!
|
| R Aguado |
28 June 2003 |
Stayed at Hanoi Horison Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
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.
|
| B Mcnamara |
24 June 2003 |
Stayed at Equatorial Ho Chi Minh, Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
|
It was the first time I had stayed in District
5, and I enjoyed walking the streets of Cho Lon which are off the tourist path. Lots of
small restaurants, tea and coffee shops, and a
vibrant life on the street. It was a nice change from the area around Dong Khoi.
|
| J Perry |
22 June 2003 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
|
We found Hanoi a fascinating though tiring place to visit, especially in the summer heat and humidity. Just crossing the street is an acquired skill. We got around mainly on foot, with a few taxi trips, most taxis are metered and are cheap and air-con. A few restaurants we can recommend - Koto-excellent food and a good cause to support. Nam Phoung-close to the Hilton-great food-try the crispy fried squid. Can recommend Au Lac, opposite the Sofitel Metropole for coffee/snacks and any branch of a local chain Trang Nguyen for a huge variety of coffees very cheap. We can recommend a visit to the Perfume Pagoda, but be aware it involves a strenuous climb, especially on a hot day.
|
| W Fuchs |
20 June 2003 |
Stayed at Bamboo Village Beach - Phan Thiet, Vietnam.
|
We used limousine services.
Phan Thiet is worth one visit, not two.
Next door to the hotel we enjoyed the restaurant, Good Morning Vietnam.
|
|
Pages (10 of 70):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
Book a hotel in Vietnam
|
