Why
Travel to Vietnam?
This
is increasingly one of the great winter-sun destinations - it's
rich in culture, has some excellent beaches, great cuisine, friendly
people [who don't mind mentioning the war] and irresistible shopping,
but many fewer visitors than, for example, Thailand.
The two French colonial cities of are attractive and interesting
while the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites are fascinating.
And by the way, Vietnam does not look anything like most of the
post-war movies which were damp, dark, dirty, dangerous and shot
in the Philippines, Thailand and California!
Downside:
- War relics can be depressing, though the Vietnamese have
closed the book on that era of superpower stupidity and readily
accept Americans and French in their country.
- Traffic is chaotic but the worst urban problem is air pollution
caused by motorcycles and uncontrolled light industry.
- Untidy, dirty, tangled streets can be tiresome.
- Theft is a common problem, especially in the cities where motorcycle-taxis
have a particularly bad reputation.
- Due to the country's long, thin form, internal travel is lengthy
and slow, unless by plane.
'In
Japan people drive on the left. In China people drive on the right. In
Vietnam it doesn't matter.'
P.J.O'Rourke, All the trouble in the world.
Vietnam Travel Guide, climate:
Best:
Nov-April. Relatively cool and dry in most areas, but can
be cold, wet and foggy Feb-April in the north.
Worst: July-Sept. Hot and humid, with the possibility of typhoons
[violent rain storms].
Beware of floods in Mekong Delta in September.
OK: The rest.
Plan ahead if you wish to travel during the Tet New Year Festival
[late Jan - early Feb], it can be a problem getting accommodation
and transport.
Length
of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: 5 days to see Ho Chi Minh
City, Halong bay, Hoi An/My Son, Hué and Hanoi.
Recommended: 13-16 days: Hanoi 2 days, Halong Bay 1 day, Hué
1 day, Ho Chi Minh City/the Mekong Delta 2 days, Hoi An/My Son 2
days, Da Lat 2 days, Sapa, 2-3 days, beaches 2-3 days.
Vietnam's
main attractions:
For a guide on where to travel in Vietnam, whether it's cities,
beaches, temples or hiking go to Vietnam
Travel Guide - Highlights page.
Activities Guide:
Traditional Dance: Folk music,
singing and dancing in traditional costumes. The best location is
at the Temple of Literature [Van Mieu] in Hanoi. Daily performances.
Water Puppetry: Wooden puppets act
fairy tales on the surface of a shallow pool, originated in North
Vietnam. The main venue is in Hanoi, but a bit repetitive and touristy,
though.
Cycling: The county's flat and almost
traffic free off-highway roads are ideal for long-distance bike
travel. Bikes are widely available for hire.
Hiking and walking: Terraced rice paddies
and hills around Sapa in Lao Cai provinces, the highland region
around Da lat, Cat Ba Island National Park, and also the tropical
forest of Cuc Phuong National Park, 140 km from Hanoi, are excellent
for hiking. Guides can be hired locally.
Wildlife: Cat Ba Island, Mekong Delta
[Cao Lanh, Long Xuyen bird sanctuaries for birdwatching.
Swimming, Scuba diving and snorkelling:
Most Vietnamese beaches are uncrowded, safe and pleasant for swimming.
Most resorts provide diving equipment.
Kite surfing: Mui Ne Beach gets good
wind through out the year and is a world class venues. An excellent
kite school is based at Mui Ne Sailing Club.
See Vietnam Beaches
page.
Caving: The best place to go is Pong
Nha river caves, near Dong Hoi, Cu Chi tunnels, 35 km from Ho Chi
Minh City, or Vinh Moc.
Boat trips: Halong Bay, Nha Trang Bay,
Mekong Delta, Saigon River[an alternative way to see the city of
Saigon, Perfume River near Hue.
War Sightseeing: Cu Chi tunnels near
Saigon and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Cooking courses: Available through
travel agencies.
Spa/
massage/ beauty treatments:
Be pampered, healed and refreshed with herbal baths/saunas, facial
treatment or body/foot massage. Clean, relaxed, elegant salons can
be found easily in Saigon, Hanoi or any beach resorts at reasonable
price.
Festivals:
As the country is mainly Buddhist most festivals are according to
a lunar calendar which changes every year.
late Jan-early Feb, Tet [New Year] Festival, nationwide, one week.
The most important annual event of the country and a wild and noisy
time.
February 1 - April 30, [mid-March for the main event], Perfume Pagoda
Festival, Vietnam's longest festival, a pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda,
one of the holiest places in the country. In Huong Son village.
early April, Thanh Minh [Holiday of the Dead], visiting cemeteries
and temples to pray for the souls of deceased relatives.
June, Tiet Doan Ngo, Summer Solstice Day.
Mid-August, Trung Nguyen [Wandering Souls Day], inviting the souls
of ancestors back to their families. Various towns and dates.
Cuisine:
The local cuisine is light, fresh, inexpensive and delightful. It's
less spicy than Thai food, and less oily than Chinese.
Fresh ingredients are always used with lots of herbs. The fish sauce
'Nuoc-mam' is deservedly famous.
Street food, especially Pho [noodle soup] is definitely worth trying
for experienced travellers.
Each region has its own speciality - dog meat in the suburbs of
Hanoi for instance. Excellent seafood is served everywhere, while
Chinese or French influenced food is widely available, particularly
in Hanoi and Saigon. Travellers will also enjoy fine local
coffee and Asia's best French bread.
Cafe culture is well established, especially in Hanoi.
Shopping:
Vietnam produces fabulous handicrafts/ artefacts, which are colourful,
sometimes kitsch, fine quality and reasonably priced.
Hanoi and Saigon are loaded with boutiques and bric-a-brac shops.
Local markets are good places to get souvenirs, but strangely the
prices are not necessarily cheaper than the expensive-looking boutiques
so shop around.
Beautiful beads and silk, particularly Ao Dai [traditional clothes]
and shoes, are especially attractive, as are lacquerware and wooden
dinnerware.
'Bat trang' ceramics are also popular.
Shopping tours by 'cyclo' [cycle taxi] can be arranged at travel
agencies.
Money:
Vietnamese currency, the Dong, is unsellable outside the country so be conservative about how much you acquire from ATMs or banks unless you want a fat, useless wad when you leave.
US dollars, small bills, are very useful in Vietnam as well as most other SE Asia destinations, so bring a discreet stash to support your Dong management.
Vietnam
Tours |
