Vietnam

powerful girl

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Just contemplating including Vietnam on an upcoming trip to Asia, we would be travelling as a family with 2 teenagers and would appreciate any advice, tips etc

Given that we only have about a week of free time before we have to be in Thailand for a wedding, we are looking at this stage at Ho Chi Minh for a few days, and would like some feedback on the following;

Is it a good place with kids that age and is there plenty to do
How long is long enough
should we include somewhere else
Should we consider Hanoi instead / as well
good things to do, places to go and places to stay and eat

We are reasonably adventurous but don't want backpacker style accommodation but also don't want sterile Hyatt style accommodation either.

Would love to try some anti-tourist restaurants etc

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance
 
thanks for that heads up, will scratch Vietnam of the list then!
No!!! Go anyway. Who cares if they have banned Facebook?!

Go to HCMC. See the Cu Chi Tunnels and go on a trip to the Mekong Delta. Take your kids to the War Remnants Museum. Visit a restaurant called Nah Hang Ngon - look it up, don't miss it... it will amaze you! McDonalds prices for a Michelin star-esque restaurant.

Also consider Cambodia on the way to Thailand as well. Although you may not have enough time. Wonderful part of the world.
 

LouisCK

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I wouldn't go to HCMC with young kids. Plus Hanoi is is like a million times better. Teens would be fine though.

Love Vietnam, been a number of times. Every time I holiday somewhere in Asia, I make sure I swing by Hanoi. Just love the place.

Give it another 5 years and the place will be Thailand mk 2 though, so get there while it lasts.

As for anti-tourist restaurants... it doesn't get any more anti-tourist than eating in Le Mat, a suburb of Hanoi. I hope you like Cobra... cause you will be selecting your own from a tank, and watching it get killed and turned into an 8 course meal.

As head of the family, you'll be expected to shot a glass of Cobra blood, including the still beating heart. Raw. Wash it down with some snake or scorpion wine and you'll be experiencing time travel quick smart.

Anti tourist enough? :D
 

Wetdog

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I backpacked through Vietnam for 7 weeks. I did it solo and it was my first time in Asia. I had a fantastic trip. 1 week is not a enough time!

I prefer Hanoi to HCMC.

I did not like HCMC. It seemed a bit industrial and sleazy. Whereas Hanoi had a more vibrant and cultural feel to it. Although, HCMC does have the very impressive War Remnants Museum and access to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Floating Villages on the Mekong Delta at Can Tho.

Given you only have 1 week, I would recommend:

Hanoi - 2/3 nights (check out the local old couples practicing Tai Chi and playing badminton at 6am around the lake in the center of town, check out Ho Chi Min's body!).

Cat Ba Island on Ha Long Bay - 2/3 nights (hire motor bikes and ride around this impressive island, also will need to take an awesome boat ride to the island!).

Ninh Binh - 2 nights (boat through the Tam Cuc caves and surrounds).

They are all in the north of Vietnam, although it will still require a few hours of travel. There will be tourists at all these spots, but it won't be like on the scale of Venice or anything!

If you must go through HCMC, then I would recommend:

HCMC - 2 nights (War Remnants Museum, the Palace, Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Tanh Market)
Mui Ne - 3 nights (Beach town a few hours from HCMC - not super touristy)
Can Tho - 2 nights (Floating markets on the Mekong).

You can find non-tourist orientated restaurants in any city in Vietnam. It just depends how hard you look, how far you wander and how prepared you are to be adventurous. It is usually the better meals anyway, and considerably cheaper!

Good luck!
 

powerful girl

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Thanks everyone for your feedback, some great tips, it does seem like it would be a fantastic place, and I think the kids are old enough endure it and it would do them good also.
Really tempted to do Hanoi now, would be interested if those of you in the know think we could do HCMC and Hanoi, say 4 days in each or if that would not be enough in each to make it viable?

We will have a relaxing week in Thailand at the end so an action packed 8 days is good.
 

Wetdog

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Thanks everyone for your feedback, some great tips, it does seem like it would be a fantastic place, and I think the kids are old enough endure it and it would do them good also.
Really tempted to do Hanoi now, would be interested if those of you in the know think we could do HCMC and Hanoi, say 4 days in each or if that would not be enough in each to make it viable?

We will have a relaxing week in Thailand at the end so an action packed 8 days is good.

You could do HCMC then take an internal flight to Hanoi. Logistically, it is very possible and you could probably buy reasonably priced tickets from Jetstar Asia. From memory, the flight takes about an hour, a bit like Sydney to Melbourne.

4 days, 3 nights, in each city is enough time. Personally, if I had just a week, I would only do Hanoi and then some smaller towns, but that's just my personal opinion! Everyone is different! You probably need to research a few of the towns to see what you are interested in.
 
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I'd suggest Hanoi over HCMC, but if you've only got a week why not look at Hue and Hoi An? You can get flights to Hue, but perhaps not with any low-cost airlines.
Hoi An is an absolute delight for a few days. Spend a couple of days in Hue, check out the old citadel, river cruise to some of the pagodas and tombs; and then head down to Hoi An for the remaining days. Stay near the delightful old town, and its a quick 3km to the beach as well.

If you do one of the big cities, I would suggest Hanoi. And as others have said, get to Ha Long Bay - there are plenty of companies who do 2 and 3 day trips out of Hanoi.

Food is everywhere, and even places without a westerner in sight will often have an English language menu. Odds are with just a week, you won't be getting far from the tourist trail - but you don't have to go far from the main tourist congregation areas to find a place where the locals eat.

As for internet service, I never found a problem. Speed was decent, price was good, internet cafes not as ubiquitous as somewhere like Malaysia but not that hard to find either.
 

LouisCK

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Thanks everyone for your feedback, some great tips, it does seem like it would be a fantastic place, and I think the kids are old enough endure it and it would do them good also.
Really tempted to do Hanoi now, would be interested if those of you in the know think we could do HCMC and Hanoi, say 4 days in each or if that would not be enough in each to make it viable?

We will have a relaxing week in Thailand at the end so an action packed 8 days is good.

4 days might be too much for HCMC in some ways.

If you're clever, you could maybe spend two days in HCMC (that would give you enough time to see the War Remnants Museum, and a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels).

Then 3 days in Hanoi (its a great city, there are some genuinely excellent museums here, amazing communist monuments and just general magicalness of Hanoi) and maybe sneak in a trip to Ha Long Bay (go the overnight boat trip).
 

powerful girl

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4 days might be too much for HCMC in some ways.

If you're clever, you could maybe spend two days in HCMC (that would give you enough time to see the War Remnants Museum, and a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels).

Then 3 days in Hanoi (its a great city, there are some genuinely excellent museums here, amazing communist monuments and just general magicalness of Hanoi) and maybe sneak in a trip to Ha Long Bay (go the overnight boat trip).


Ha Long bay seems to be a must, but is the overnight cruise really worth it ? looks a bit cheesey - thought the boats might be full of pensioners?

thanks for all the advice though, it is great to hear some aussie perspectives
 

LouisCK

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Ha Long bay seems to be a must, but is the overnight cruise really worth it ? looks a bit cheesey - thought the boats might be full of pensioners?

thanks for all the advice though, it is great to hear some aussie perspectives

The boats are great imo.

And no, not just for pensioners, but you'll get all sorts.

The boats basically cruise around the bay together, a bay with like 10,000 limestone islands, in beautiful clear skies and aqua coloured water... its awesome. Not a huge party or anything, but a great experience and easily done from Hanoi.

Keep in mind with Vietnam, everything is cheap and competition for tour packages etc is really fierce. Shop around a bit for deals, because there are some genuine ripoff merchants out there. Very rarely should ANYTHING cost more than $50 in Vietnam.
 
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Vietnam is a fantastic tourist destination. Each city is often very different and offers different things. Not as Western as many other Asian destinations but is going that way very quickly.

- HCMC a lot more Western. Still very interesting. A lot of French architecture and very crowded.
- Hanoi more cultural and conservative. Probably the best tourist area for an authentic Vietnam experience (gets cold in winter, bring a jacket).
- Ha Long Bay is great. If it's warm it's lovely.
- Hue. Ancient Imperial capital. Lots of history but foul weather. Lots of scars left over from the war in the surrounding countryside.
- Danang. Big city, but not very tourist friendly. Most people skip it.
- Hoi An. Picturesque. About 3 hours drive from Hue. Close to Danang airport. Try the Cao Lau while you're there! Best dish in Vietnam.
- Nha Trang. Lovely beach and great weather.
- Mui Ne. Beach town, great beaches.

Those are the main places. 3 nights per city would be a minimum. Hanoi is a must, as is Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and HCMC. If you've got time to spare then Hue, Nha Trang and Mui Ne would come into consideration.

Didn't think much of the Mekong Delta. Muddy, wet, s**t loads of bugs and still very under developed. Doubt kids would enjoy it.

If you pay more than $10 for a really nice meal then you're doing it wrong!
 
Vietnam is a fantastic tourist destination.
Those are the main places. 3 nights per city would be a minimum. Hanoi is a must, as is Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and HCMC. If you've got time to spare then Hue, Nha Trang and Mui Ne would come into consideration.

This.

Did a 10-day trip there last year, 3 in HCM, Hanoi and Hoi An with an overnight trip to Ha Long. As mentioned above, HCM is more western and more touristy (lots of markets etc) whereas Hanoi is a lot less touristy (in comparison). My favourite stop was definitely Hoi An, loved it to bits, beautiful little city.

But yeah, definitely go if you have the chance, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
 

cammo84

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You could go to HCMC, spend a day going to the Cu Chi Tunnels, overnight trip to the Mekong. War Remnants museum is really good.

Central Vietnam is a lot quieter, more relaxing. Hoi An is a great town, very relaxed. This is the place to go if you want tailored clothes on the cheap. Hue is not far away, a tour of the Imperial City is worth doing.

Hanoi is less touristy, as the others have said. It has lots of narrow streets, quite confusing to navigate. It certainly has more character than HCMC.

If you only have a week, I would definitely recommend that you go to Hanoi, and then an overnight cruise on Halong Bay. Halong Bay is an amazing place.

If you only have a week, I would suggest Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, HCMC, and while in HCMC take a trip to the Mekong.
 
Just contemplating including Vietnam on an upcoming trip to Asia, we would be travelling as a family with 2 teenagers and would appreciate any advice, tips etc

Having been to Vietnam recently, I'm not sure if that's the place to go with a family for the best experience.
It really depends on the person you are and how much the family can cope.
Thailand may be the easier and possibly cheaper option, but you know how you want to do it.
Nha Trang is easy enough if resorts are your go but the back market areas can be interesting if you're prepared to delve deep.

Me? I'd go Phuket/Bangkok with the family.
 

powerful girl

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Having been to Vietnam recently, I'm not sure if that's the place to go with a family for the best experience.
It really depends on the person you are and how much the family can cope.
Thailand may be the easier and possibly cheaper option, but you know how you want to do it.
Nha Trang is easy enough if resorts are your go but the back market areas can be interesting if you're prepared to delve deep.

Me? I'd go Phuket/Bangkok with the family.


Have been to Phuket and Bangkok and we are heading back to Phuket for the wedding so doing that again too. Kids are pretty adventurous and will try most things without too much hassle, not really looking for a resort in Vietnam, just a bit more of a cultural experience before a week in a resort in Phuket.

Thanks everyone for your input, has been some very useful information.

We think that we will spend the time in / around Hanoi and do the Halong bay cruise, so keep the ideas / tips coming for restaurants, things to do, tips etc
 

cammo84

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If you go to Hoi An, check out the "Hoi An Eating & Drinking Place".

In Hanoi, I'm not sure if you'd be interested as you're with kids, definitely go to beer corner (it's somewhere on Luong Ngoc Quyen st). It's an intersection with a fresh beer place on each corner. 20 cent cups of beer, sit on little kids seats on the footpath and drink with locals/other travellers and watch the motorbikes speed past your feet.

Also make sure you get pho from a street vendor. If you don't already know, it's basically their national dish - a beef & noodle soup served with lots of fresh herbs. In general, I would recommend you try and eat where the locals are eating - they seem to know where all the best food is!
 

LouisCK

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They're big cups too. Bia Hoi!

I've found that we may have neglected the best thing about Vietnam - THE FOOD. You seriously can't go wrong in Vietnam food-wise. The value, quality and freshness of most restaurants and even street vendors is brilliant.

Plus an advantage of having been invaded so many times is that they make great French, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and even some Western food. You can really mix it up food wise in Vietnam.

Personal favourite is this little restaurant in Hoi An. It's in this remarkable old french looking building and it has a half moon painted on the sign (can't remember the name). They make the greatest Won Ton dumplings in all the lands, I swear I ate there every day.
 

cammo84

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They're big cups too. Bia Hoi!

I've found that we may have neglected the best thing about Vietnam - THE FOOD. You seriously can't go wrong in Vietnam food-wise. The value, quality and freshness of most restaurants and even street vendors is brilliant.

Plus an advantage of having been invaded so many times is that they make great French, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and even some Western food. You can really mix it up food wise in Vietnam.

Personal favourite is this little restaurant in Hoi An. It's in this remarkable old french looking building and it has a half moon painted on the sign (can't remember the name). They make the greatest Won Ton dumplings in all the lands, I swear I ate there every day.

The food was definitely the highlight for me, particularly in Hoi An. My stomach is grumbling right now just thinking about eating a bowl of Cao Lau. Apparently Hoi An is the only place where you can get authentic Cao Lau, it's got something to do with using water from this particular well in the town.

Best place I ate at in Hoi An was this little restaurant that is used to train street kids how to cook. It was slightly more expensive than the other places around, but they made up for it with awesome food and a good cause. Also, 6000vnd glasses of fresh beer.
 

LouisCK

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The amazing thing is, every time I go to 'Nam I lose weight, even though I eat like a sumo when I'm over there. Surely the weather plays a part in it, but the diet is just so healthy and largely fat/sugar free (they do use a fair bit of sugar in soups though), not to mention tasty.
 
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