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 Traveller's Tales: Advise for travellers in Vietnam
Heed our handy tips on safe travel in Vietnam. You may read about travel warnings, health, what to wear, travel with kids, travel with pets, local weather, local government, medical information and traffic information in the area.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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| J Crespi |
01 May 2002 |
Stayed at Lang Co Beach Resort - Hue, Vietnam.
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So, nothing to visit, or at least the hotel staff would not tell me! The place is at around one hour drive from Danang airport and it costs you 50$ (US) to get there and the same to get away! This really should be pointed out because that was a very bad surprise! ... I could go on and on whith the bad stuff but I think it is enough!
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| Z Bin abd ghaffar |
22 April 2002 |
Stayed at Oscar Saigon Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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We wanted to avoid the usual tourist traps by avoiding the recommended tours. We just wanted to take in the sights and get to know the people and the city in our own way. It was a good decision for Saigon is easy to get around. Quitea few of the places deemed interesting are within walking distance to one another from where we stayed in District 1. However, the Cu Chi Tunnel and the Pagoda Tours would require transportation and a guide.
Do not be annoyed if you get accosted by taxi drivers, cyclo riders and practically any man offering to take you to a massage parlour the moment you step out of the hotel. If you smile and politely say no, they will eventually leave you alone. If ever you do say yes, please let me know if it was worth it.
The kids selling postcards who hang on to your sleeves are a lot harder to let go of. One little girl who spoke impeccable English made me promise to buy her postcards after showing me the way to the Malaysian Airlines office. When I told her later that her postcards were expensive, she said she will "save my life" by helping me cross the street. She wasn't joking. The number of motorbikes in this city is amazing ! They'll come from all directions so please train yourself to be a stuntman if you intend to walk the streets of Saigon. Remember that scene in " Bowfinger " where Eddie Murphy was asked by Steve Martin to cross a LA freeway as part of the film he was shooting. It's something like that except that instead of fast cars, we have motorbikes. No self respecting Vietnamese would be caught walking for more that 2 meters in Saigon. We were that obvious.
Generally, the men are warm and friendly and the women are sweet and gentle. People in Saigon smile easily so please smile back without any suspicion. During our 3 ight stay in the city, we didn't meet a single Vietnamese who was not pleasant and helpful.
Saigon is a shoppers paradise. Decorative items, arts and craft, local apparel, food and drinks are cheap and plentiful. At every turn and every corner, we found things that we liked. My colleague who proudly professed that he was a non shopper ended up buying things for his wife, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, friends, staff, uncles' sisters-in-law's cousins, etc, etc.
The highlight of your stay should be the river cruise on the Ben Nghe. Complete with dinner and on board entertainment , diners are also serenaded by the gentle evening breeze from the Saigon river. There is also a sad off-board "entertainment " courtesy of an old man with no legs on a small boat picking up empty cans stuffed with Dongs or Dollars as a means of earning a living. We felt slightly guilty. Other than that it was the most wonderful birthday I ever had because it was a unique experience for me.
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| G Cullen |
20 April 2002 |
Stayed at Palace Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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Vietnam, beautiful country, warm friendly people, no worry of personal safety, but too much never ending attempts to sell you something, anything, with endless pressure.
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| B Bromley |
14 April 2002 |
Stayed at Ana Mandara Resort - Nha Trang, Vietnam.
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Hiring a moped from the hotel cost US$5 per day and is great fun. It lets you get out and about to see Nha Trang (if you can brave the madness on the roads that is). The tour around the market in the morning with the Chef is also an interesting tour and lets you see the non-touristy side of Vietnam (but beware animal lovers, you might find some of what you see shocking!!)
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| J Schultze |
11 April 2002 |
Stayed at Lang Co Beach Resort - Hue, Vietnam.
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Beach is nice but pollution starts to get a problem at the southern end. As foreigner you will be quite an attraction to local kids which can get bothering from time to time.
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| T Tanaka |
08 April 2002 |
Stayed at Rex Hotel Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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The tour to the Mekong Delta was the best part of the trip. Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh(particularly Mandarin and Hoi An) were superb. Dealing with the poverty and all the extremely poor children begging was very difficult. The lack of attention to traffic rules was also hard on the nerves.
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| S Lourey |
04 April 2002 |
Stayed at Lang Co Beach Resort - Hue, Vietnam.
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Lang Co is potentially a wonderful place where the river meets the sea, however infrastructure is not yet set-up to international standards. The beach is covered in rubbish debris washed in from the sea, the villages still use the beach as a public toilet and most of the surroundings (ie roads, resort entrance) are under contruction, so there is dust and noise of jack-hammering and trucks.
I would highly recommend that you stay anywhere in Hoi An, rather than here.
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| S Ganason |
17 March 2002 |
Stayed at Amara Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
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Took a tour with Sinh Cafe when I was in HCMC. It is really cheap and well worth every cent. The guides were great and got to see alot of HCMC and Saigon without having to put up with walking in the heat. The cyclos and motorcycle taxis can be a pain but if you learn to put a smile and say no, you'll get by. HCMC's traffic system can be said in one word "chaotic" by any means. DON'T EVER TRY TO DRIVE in that city. Crossing the road can be nerve wrecking. Once you get used to it, you'll live! Remember to bring an extra bag - becasue things are cheap!
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| J Petch |
16 March 2002 |
Stayed at Nikko Hotel Hanoi - Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Worth visiting, but two days maximum. Exceelent restaurants in the Metropole and Opera Hilton hotel. Very safe city. If flying Vietnam Airlines internally, MUST confirm three days before, otherwise flight automatically cancelled!
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| R Ball |
15 March 2002 |
Stayed at Nha Trang Lodge Hotel - Nha Trang, Vietnam.
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The only really bad thing was the loudspeaker on the street that blared from 5 to 7 am and 5 to 7 pm. Even earplugs, closed windows and drapes, and the covers over my head could not keep me from being awakened at 5 am every morning! The Ministry of Propaganda and the Ministry of Tourism need some coordination.
Overall, Nha Trang is a good destination.
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