Starting to do some preliminary research for Thailand and Vietnam. I have our Thailand itinerary pretty much worked out. I've read mixed suggestions for Vietnam. Since we'll be there in the winter, I'm leaning toward a week in Southern Vietnam given the weather this time of year. Any personal experiences with HCM/Saigon and Mekong Delta? This will probably be at the front end of the trip, followed by two weeks in Thailand.
I was there in Dec/early January 2009 and it was amazing. One of the best trips I've ever taken.
I want to go back at some point. The food is so good and cheap, the people are really friendly and it was all around a great experience.
If I were to go back, I'd start in Hue (if you're interested in history), but if you're wanting a more relaxing start then start in Hoi An. You can get custom made clothes there for super cheap. H was getting wool/cashmere suits in 24 hours for under $100.
Then I'd go on to Nha Trang and then to Saigon/HCM. You can get really good fresh seafood in Nha Trang for really cheap. We got a huge lobster (caught earlier that afternoon) for about $15.
We also went to Phu Quoc, but that's all beachy too, so if you don't want a ton of beach time I'd skip this.
I was there in Dec/early January 2009 and it was amazing. One of the best trips I've ever taken.
I want to go back at some point. The food is so good and cheap, the people are really friendly and it was all around a great experience.
If I were to go back, I'd start in Hue (if you're interested in history), but if you're wanting a more relaxing start then start in Hoi An. You can get custom made clothes there for super cheap. H was getting wool/cashmere suits in 24 hours for under $100.
Then I'd go on to Nha Trang and then to Saigon/HCM. You can get really good fresh seafood in Nha Trang for really cheap. We got a huge lobster (caught earlier that afternoon) for about $15.
We also went to Phu Quoc, but that's all beachy too, so if you don't want a ton of beach time I'd skip this.
Good to hear! What city did you fly into? How did you travel between Hoi An and Saigon/HCM? Do you have any lodging recs in either city? I think we will skip the beaches because we plan to spend some beach time at the end of the trip, probably in Thailand.
I was there in Dec/early January 2009 and it was amazing. One of the best trips I've ever taken.
I want to go back at some point. The food is so good and cheap, the people are really friendly and it was all around a great experience.
If I were to go back, I'd start in Hue (if you're interested in history), but if you're wanting a more relaxing start then start in Hoi An. You can get custom made clothes there for super cheap. H was getting wool/cashmere suits in 24 hours for under $100.
Then I'd go on to Nha Trang and then to Saigon/HCM. You can get really good fresh seafood in Nha Trang for really cheap. We got a huge lobster (caught earlier that afternoon) for about $15.
We also went to Phu Quoc, but that's all beachy too, so if you don't want a ton of beach time I'd skip this.
Good to hear! What city did you fly into? How did you travel between Hoi An and Saigon/HCM? Do you have any lodging recs in either city? I think we will skip the beaches because we plan to spend some beach time at the end of the trip, probably in Thailand.
We did 3.5 weeks to cover the whole country, so we started in Ha Noi and did that plus Sapa and a few other places before going to Hue.
Personally, if I were going to do it again, I'd skip all of that part and just start in Hue. (Disclaimer, both of my parents are from the south, an although we don't have family there, I'm more familiar with the food of the south and that felt more "comfortable" for me.) Don't get me wrong, the people were still nice in the north, the food was still good and it was interesting, but I just loved the central and south areas that much more.
We ended up working with a travel agent for this trip who hired a private driver for us for a lot of the trip. We did fly from Da Nang to Nha Trang and then drove the rest of the way to Saigon.
Side note: You can do a half spa day for 2 people at the Victoria hotel (massage, mud wraps, facials, and one other service that I can't remember) for $75 including tip. It was pretty amazing.
Let me know if you have any other questions. You're going to have a fantastic time!
Also, I know Thailand is the place to go but Vietnam is my favorite place in SEA. I you're finding that there is more ou want to see in Vietnam than a week would allow you won't regret stealing a few days from Thailand.
100% agree with all of this. Vietnam is amazing - which is why we keep going back. Thailand is okay (with amazing beaches).
My favorite areas are the north and central Vietnam, but to each their own. We didn't do Sapa instead we did the less touristy route up along the Chinese border and Ba Be Lake area - amazing. The country side of Vietnam is gorgeous. The karst formations of Ha Long Bay are really great - and touristy. Riding your bike through the karst developments around Tam Coc is like seeing Ha Long Bay with out the water and tourists.
I love the madness of Hanoi, it's doable in a way that HCMC never felt like to me, plus HCMC can be too warm, even in winter. Hoi An is lovely and definitely have clothes made.
This is the first year we haven't done SEA out of the last 5 so I'm jealous. You'll have a great time!
This is great advice. I've been to Thailand before and was VERY rushed, so there are particular things I want to go back and spend more time doing, which is why I want to allocate sufficient time there this time around. I'm not really a city hopper, and was hesitant to even add a second country, but I think we can make it work with three full weeks (maybe stretch it to 3 1/2). I'm glad to get positive feedback on Vietnam because it seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it. Hoi An sounds very interesting, maybe Saigon/HCMC, Hoi An, and Da Nang is a good starting point. I'd like to do Halong Bay, but that might need to be another trip.
I highly recommend a tour of the Mekong Delta, also. We went on a day trip that involved a boat ride and visits to some of the local industries (honey making, etc.). It was of course, somewhat touristy, but still interesting.