Vietnam travel tales and tips

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.

L Vevers	05 January 2004
Stayed at New World Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
A visit to saigon is not complete without a visit down the mekong river, war history museum and down in the cu-chi tunnels. Saigon is a city full of shops of every descriptions where there is certainly plenty of bargains to be had! There are plenty of bars and nice restaurants with varied dishes. Everyone is very friendly but be aware of the street sellers and don't get on a cyclo without agreeing a price and sticking to that price.
M Clare	05 January 2004
Stayed at Hoi An Beach Resort - Hoi An, Vietnam.
We rented bikes at the hotel everyday and rode into Hoi An. That was really fun. We ate at a really delicous place specializing in the local noodle dish "cau lau" at Yellow river restaurant, #42. Besides the noodle dish, the other dishes we tried were also excellent. Visitng My Son is a must for anybody interested in Cham hindu temples. Our guide book didn't recommend it, but we went anyway and thought it was really exceptional. Next to the Hoi An Beach Resort is a drawbridge that leads across the river which you must pay to cross to go to the restaurant. It's worth it. You can sit on the river and have a drink or a meal and definatly walk around and look at the other out buildings here. It was built by a french architect, and very charming. We had some of the best tasting chicken here too. Everyone was very friendly.
D Nguyen	03 January 2004
Stayed at Amara Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
I loved HCMC! I went to visit the War Crimes and History museums, which were worth the effort. The Cu Chi tunnels were an absolute must, if not for the sweaty tunnel crawl, then the propagandist films, shooting range and random caged animals dotting the whole theme parkish place. Shopping is an experience in itself, with everything for sale at a fraction of the price. I bought a North Face backpack for six dollars, and several hand painted souvenir dishes for a quarter each. Do bargain, as they expect it. My friend got authentically labeled Diesel jeans for sixteen dollars! Food was ridiculously cheap, obviously more so at the local restaurants. As for spas, I went to a pretty upscale one called Qi Saigon Shisheido. They have a nice package for 54 dollars for a five-six hour treatment. Afterwards, if you have the time, get your nails done for two dollars. They do a wonderful job and it may not be the dollar massage at some sketchy street corner, but it also is not what you would pay back at home. Do check it out if you have the time, and the men's section is reputable. One more last thought. I swore to my mother I would not get on the back of a moped for a xe om, but now I wonder why I didn't as much as I should have! It was so fun, pretty safe (they do know what they are doing) and way cheap!
D Bulyalert	03 January 2004
Stayed at Oscar Saigon Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
I would recommend "Quan An Ngon" for anyone who really likes Vietnamese food, the kind the locals eat. The food is delicious and the price is very reasonable. For those who must drink bottled water, supermarkets have it less expensive than street shops. I bought Aquafina water from a supermarket at half the price offered by street vendors.
T Glasson	02 January 2004
Stayed at Sunway Hotel Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
Recommend dinner at the Press Club and Jade Bags if you're into shopping Water Puppets were well worth the trip. Nha Tha is a great little street and there's a good Spanish restaurant there.
H Chen	01 January 2004
Stayed at Best Western Chancery Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
In Saigon, the Restaurant La Fourchette near the Rennaisance hotel was great! It's located at 9 Ngo Duc Ke, Q.1, it is a small french bistro that is very authentic (french owned). Very well prepared food, and very comfortable atmosphere, not terribly expensive, a nice treat. Highly recommended.
J Koizumi	01 January 2004
Stayed at Duxton Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
The one-day trip to Kao Dai Temple/Cu Chi Tunnel is recommended. Upon arrival at the airport, there are so many unauthorized taxi drivers who try to take care of your baggage, but just tell them "don't touch" so that you can take an authorized airport taxi which costs only VND 50,000.00.
H Avent	01 January 2004
Stayed at Hoi An Hotel - Hoi An, Vietnam.
Hoi An is a photograher's heaven. Pictures at every turn. Great light - overcast in the AM and sunshine (not harsh) in the afternoon. It is a tropical climate, so be ready for the humidity. Also take extra batteries, some types were not available. Old town is within walking distance of the hotel. Cyclos (manpowered tricycles) are also available for transportation. Shopping opportunities abound and some of the vendors can be persistent. The US dollar is used interchangeably with the Vietnamese dong. Bargaining can be very successful using either. My favorite restaurant was "Faifoo" at 104 Tran Phuc Street - great and varied spring rolls and the local "white roses" (dim sum/dumplings, but special, in addition to other traditional Vietnamese food). Wondeful place for a respite after Hanoi or HCMC. It is "not to be missed" on any trip to Vietnam.
M Huang	31 December 2003
Stayed at Lucky Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
Hanoi is extremely noisy, and crossing the road is a real hazard. One has to be brave, walk slowly (the motorbikes will avoid you) and keep going. Halong bay is a must, but in the winter months, one day trip is sufficient (too cold to stay overnight on the boat). Can be very misty especially in Feb and March (but even in late December, it was also misty). We enjoyed the water puppet show. Must buy ticket early in the day (for the cheaper 10000 dong) to get seats as far forward as possible (instead of the more expensive 20000 dong). Shops are more expensive (but more choices and perhaps better quality) than in Hoi An. Lanterns and custom-made clothes are better bought in Hoi An.
A Mackie	31 December 2003
Stayed at Hoi An Riverside Resort - Hoi An, Vietnam.
We only had time for Hoi An or Hue, not both. In hindsight, Hue might have been more attractive with its historical offerings. The number of Hoi An tailor shops has apparently grown from just a few to over 300 in recent years and the whole 'custom-made clothing' experience seems to border on the tacky. It's also very time-consuming and can be done in larger cities if you have more time there. Now somewhat regretting missing Hue's history. If you're flying out of Danang, do check out the Danang's Cham Museum--about an hour is all you'll need.

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