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 Vietnam travel tales
Our customers share their travelling experiences in Vietnam.
Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation.
Also, you might want to read our
Central Vietnam city guide,
Halong Bay city guide,
Hanoi city guide,
Ho Chi Minh city guide,
and Phan Thiet city guide.
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| D Watz |
27 June 2005 |
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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As recommended in Lonely Planet, we went to the Old Quarter to find "Hanspan" at 116 Hang Bac, we didn't pay enough attention and found out later that AZ Queen Cafe Tour is there at that address. We found out talking to other people on the two tours we booked that we paid about double than they did (I guess we looked richer and dumber). The Perfume Pagoda Tour should be avoided. A 2-hour van ride brings you to a river, there are flat-bottom boats with lady rowers are waiting. Four people per boat squat on 8 inch high, hard wood benches. For a cramped hour, you are rowed along the pretty river. You reach a dock and sellers of water, and everything else descend on you (same as when you got out of the van). It was very hot and we decided to only go to the lower pagoda, which was very nice. Others decided to go all the way and our guide said it was 2, then 4, then 4-5 kilometers up the hill and back.
The people that went to the "Perfume Pagoda" said it didn't smell so nice and was not worth the effort. The worst part was our rower who shadowed us and continuosly told us "I have boat". On the row back she said "you give tip money, I'm very tired' over and over. At the dock she said my tip "not enough". To top it off the guide, who was lousy by the way, told the group that we would all be dropped at the centrally located lake near the "Old Quarter", not our hotels. My back still hurts and is was one of the most unpleasant days we have spent. In contrast, our tour to Hai Long Bay was very good, with a good guide. One bad defect was the cabin on the junk we were to sleep in had an air conditioner that we had to pay $10 US to get turned on. The actual tour was given by APT Tours at 37 Dao Duy Tu Street in the Old Quarter. They seem OK. The "Hanoi Hilton", which is actually Hoa Lo Prison, should be visited, just take a cab. (Our 1/2 day Hanoi tour skipped it.) The Hoan Kiem Lake is very pleasant and there is a pagoda right on the lake. We also had great tasting Vietnamese ice coffee and hot coffee at Hapro cafe on the lake. (I'm spoiled now and the coffee back home tastes like water). If you want cheap eyeglasses or knockoff watches there are clusters of stores for that. Crossing streets without traffic lights is a little scary. Tons of motor bikes and guys trying to get you on their cyclo and you weave through the traffic. We would advise crossing with the natives at first to get the idea. Then pray.
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| Guest has requested to remain anonymous |
25 June 2005 |
Stayed at Green Field (Dong Xanh) Hotel - Hoi An, Vietnam.
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Hoi An is a lovely town, and definitely worth a visit. The restaurants are excellent. If you've got any interest in Vietnamese food, I'd really recommend the Red Bridge cookery course, which includes a trip around the market and then a boat trip up to a quiet restaurant in the countryside.
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| M Elkourie/nguyen chau thuy |
24 June 2005 |
Stayed at Novotel Dalat - Dalat, Vietnam.
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This was our belated honeymoon by about 9 monthes, so I expected a lot as did my wife. We were not disappointed! We visited every location suggested in the Lonely Planet, Guide to Vietnam in reference to Dalat by motorbike. I highly recommend those that feel comfortable to travel that way, as we were able to interact and visit with locals extensively and really get the feel of the place. Dalat is beautiful, we had a lot of fun zooming around the mountains, walking the lake (5km), flying kites, and eating at too many restaurants to remember. We found that Dalat is well laid out and makes for easy travel by foot and motorbike anywhere. I especially recommend the buffet at the adjoining cafe for breakfast, we ate there everyday and it was great. I can't really comment on family activities, but for couples of any age, and honeymooners like ourselves, Dalat and our stay at the Novotel left only good memories for us.
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| J Robinson |
17 June 2005 |
Stayed at Lucky Star Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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We stayed in the Lucky Star Hotel in the old quarter and it was very easy to get around from here. I highly recommend going to see the water puppet show which is in the theatre by Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. The shows are on early evening. The Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda are worth a visit and also St. Joseph's Cathedral which is fantastic. One of the highlights for me was Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. It is only open to visitors in the morning so best to get there early. I would also recommend just walking around the little side streets, there is always something interesting to be found. It's also nice to sit outside a coffee shop around the old quarter and just watch all the activity going on around you. Hanoi seemed a very safe place with lovely friendly smiley people. I can't wait to go back and explore some more.
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| J Ratner |
13 June 2005 |
Stayed at Duxton Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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HCM is great. Important to realize that the historical sites themselves are really secondary. The city itself is the most important site of all! Fantastic.
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| S Bennett |
07 June 2005 |
Stayed at Ancient House Resort - Hoi An, Vietnam.
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My third time to Hoi An - a timeless dream of a place, just ideal for chilling out after a stressful term at work. There is a huge number of shops offering "art for tourists" and "made to measure clothes for tourists", but there is NO overt, pushy commercialism that you find in say HK. The food: asian with french influence and is superb. Local beer is good (though they haven't mastered the "very chilled on a hot day please" concept just yet). Even close to river: NO mosquitoes, which is always nice in the FE. The restaurant to take your fiance to: no competition, it's got to be The Brothers Cafe down on the river. This place would shame a 6* hotel, for its faultless service, lovely ambience, excellent food from a long menu (often a danger sign), and reasonable drink prices.
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| R Kircher |
03 June 2005 |
Stayed at Continental Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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Definitely make the trip out to the Cu Chi tunnels.
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| A Randall |
01 June 2005 |
Stayed at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Hanoi can be quite confusing, I found it hard to get my bearings thus would recommend at least a City Tour to familarise yourself once you arrive. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Friday-my cyclo driver was unaware of this-also negotiate the price for the cyclo drivers before you depart-it might end up cheaper just taking a taxi-and you won't get wet. I found the Old Quarter to be very busy and confusing to negotiate-I ended up booking a day tour with Sinh Tours-13 US for the day-Hanoi doesnt seem to be set up for Western tourists-there were few signs in English-and restaurants were hard to find-ended up eating in the hotel mostly. I travelled by myself-and found it a bit of a culture shock to be honest-if I went again, i would go in winter to avoid the oppressive heat-and consider a tour-i have travelled to Thailand/Laos/Cambodia-this was the least tourist friendly place that I have visited.
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| J Baker |
31 May 2005 |
Stayed at Riverside Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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HCMC is a great place, although traffic very hectic. When crossing the road don't hesitate or you will never make it. KHAI Silk was a great store for handbags, although expensive.
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| M Van der kolk |
23 May 2005 |
Stayed at Continental Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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I made intersesting tours to the tunnels of Cu Chi and to the Mekong Delta.
I had an outstanding 'fusion' dinner in the main restaurant of hotel Caravelle.
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