Visiting Vietnam

[fredwiggy]

Thinking of going there soon with my girlfriend. Wondering if any have visited there , from here, and where they went, stayed, sights seen etc. I'd like to go to Halong Bay from Hanoi, taking a 2 day boat tour, after seeing Hanoi for a day, then taking a van to Halong Bay, then traveling to Danang and Hue to see the war time areas, memorials etc. Not looking for 5 star resorts but just decent places to stay in those areas, transportation to Danang and Hue, and any other tips. I'm going to apply online for the 30 day visa so I can have it when I arrive instead of waiting for the visa on arrival. My girlfriend doesn't need any visa .

[BritManToo]

Hanoi is great for sightseeing, also worth a train ride to Ninh Binh, Tam Coc/Trang An for the caves and lakes (2 hour rowing boat ride at either), then the cast peak Hang Mua.

 

Not much at Da Nang apart from a nice beach.

 

Hang Mua

 

Trang An

 

Hanoi

[grain]

I've been several times, with my TGF, as I have a UK PP I also didn't need a visa as I got 15 days on arrival, which was adequate for our plans. I've flown BKK - HaNoi, BKK - HCMC, and BKK- Danang. Danang is my favorite place in VN, less crowded & hectic than HaNoi and HCMC, very nice beach, lots of nice seafood restaurants, and as you're interested in the Vietnam War sites the best are in the central region of VN. We took the train from Hue to Dong Ha and from there found a tour guide who took us to Khe Sahn, the Rockpile, the site of the Special Forces Camp at Lang Vei, a VC tunnel site, plus a few other war era sites. Our last visit was pre-pandemic, if I was to go again to VN I'd fly to Danang and hang out there and Hoi An, maybe go to Khe Sahn again. 

[fredwiggy]

16 minutes ago, grain said:

I've been several times, with my TGF, as I have a UK PP I also didn't need a visa as I got 15 days on arrival, which was adequate for our plans. I've flown BKK - HaNoi, BKK - HCMC, and BKK- Danang. Danang is my favorite place in VN, less crowded & hectic than HaNoi and HCMC, very nice beach, lots of nice seafood restaurants, and as you're interested in the Vietnam War sites the best are in the central region of VN. We took the train from Hue to Dong Ha and from there found a tour guide who took us to Khe Sahn, the Rockpile, the site of the Special Forces Camp at Lang Vei, a VC tunnel site, plus a few other war era sites. Our last visit was pre-pandemic, if I was to go again to VN I'd fly to Danang and hang out there and Hoi An, maybe go to Khe Sahn again. 

I'd like to see the war sites, so thinking I would first fly to Hanoi, go to Halong Bay for a couple of days,then take Britmans advice and maybe try Trang An, then to Danang. I would like to see more of South Vietnam but only have about a week or so to travel.  I love Vietnamese food, and want my GF to try some, along with the coffee there. If I can arrange the transportation a train to those spots you went to would also be good.How was getting the 15 visa on arrival? I'm only going to be there at most 9 days so that would be good. I was going to get the visa online but if it's no problem I might go that route.I did read this though so was thinking of just getting the online one...........American citizens can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA) in Vietnam, but it's generally recommended to apply for an e-visa online beforehand, as VOA is only available in specific situations like departing from a country with no Vietnamese embassy

[grain]

@fredwiggy: yes with a US PP you need to get a visa. As I have UK PP can now get 45 days visa free (I just checked), and 30 days for TGF. I might try and work out a one-month holiday in VN myself. Maybe rent an apartment at Danang for a month. I like staying a long time in one spot as you can really get into the local thing better. Last time we went to HaNoi we stayed at the same hotel for 2 weeks.

 

Anyway, your plan sounds fine. Fly HaNoi, then Halong Bay. I'm not sure about spending a couple of days there, I've been twice, first time we went overnight and slept on the boat, then back to HaNoi next day. 2nd time we just did a daytrip from HaNoi, off in the morning and back by evening. The first trip when we slept overnight on the boat was better. Then as you say you can make your way down to the Central region. If you want to go to Khe Sahn there's no point going down to Danang first, you may as well hop off at Dong Ha. There are lots of Vietnam War tours operating out of Hue, but we just did our own with a private rent car/driver. He was playing the tour guide and telling us lots of things but I knew more than him anyway having read numerous books. There's a monument at Lang Vei but the site of the Special Forces Camp that got overrun was actually across the road from the monument. There's nothing left today. Khe Sahn was very interesting. You look up at those mountains and can imagine the firepower that poured down on the US Marines. 

[ronster]

Went to Hoi ann for a week and thought it was a great place. Town was only 5 minutes away in taxi and good restaurants and coffee places to sit in .

Going back again but to Da nang and probably stay a week with a night up in the mountains in the french looking village there . 

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, ronster said:

Went to Hoi ann for a week and thought it was a great place. Town was only 5 minutes away in taxi and good restaurants and coffee places to sit in .

Going back again but to Da nang and probably stay a week with a night up in the mountains in the french looking village there . 

Horrible tourist trap IMHO, only managed to tolerate an hour there, but did take a nice photo of some Chinese tourists.

 

[ronster]

Just now, BritManToo said:

Horrible tourist trap IMHO, only managed an hour there, but did take a nice photo of some Chinese tourists.

 

Yeah went in day time mostly to avoid the trains of Chinese getting dragged around. Other nights went to recommended restaurant's in the town or along the beach.

Unfortunately forgot to check the temperature when booked to go and it was the hottest point of the year.

Was chasing shade at 9am ! 😎🥵

[G Rex]

Wife & I went to DaNang last month. I echo Britmans' comments - not much to do there - seafood is great , most tourists do the Hoi An , and Ba Na Hills tours...

The weather was awful while we were there, so that didn't help - but Vietnam did not do it for me, It has a different vibe from Thailand. I got my visa online before arrival - US$25 - fairly simple procedure - takes a few days for approval. Then just print it out and present it to the officious immigration officer. 555

[LittleBear57]

Had to cancel my trip there 3 times now for various reasons Covid one of them. Hopefully going myself (fingers crossed) in late April early May.

I looked long and hard at the 2 day cruises at Halong. Have a good look at them and the time table. They seem to leave 13.00 hours and return next day in the morning. Didn't seem much more time sight seeing than a day trip, which of course is a fraction of the cost.

Please post your experiences on the site.

Thanks.

 

[MadAtMatrix]

On 1/28/2025 at 8:33 AM, fredwiggy said:

I'd like to see the war sites, so thinking I would first fly to Hanoi, go to Halong Bay for a couple of days,then take Britmans advice and maybe try Trang An, then to Danang. I would like to see more of South Vietnam but only have about a week or so to travel.  I love Vietnamese food, and want my GF to try some, along with the coffee there. If I can arrange the transportation a train to those spots you went to would also be good.How was getting the 15 visa on arrival? I'm only going to be there at most 9 days so that would be good. I was going to get the visa online but if it's no problem I might go that route.I did read this though so was thinking of just getting the online one...........American citizens can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA) in Vietnam, but it's generally recommended to apply for an e-visa online beforehand, as VOA is only available in specific situations like departing from a country with no Vietnamese embassy

E visa online is easy. You will get it in about five days. Print out the page along with QR code and present it to immigration officer. 
 

standing inline at the VOA queue will drive you mad

 

https://evisa.gov.vn/

[Tropicalevo]

Some good recommendations here.

Vietnam is my favourite 'short' break in the region. Especially Hanoi

I love the place, people and the culture.

The food is OK but I usually take some spicy sauce or green chillis with me.

I stay in AirBnb's and rent a scooter.

That looks dangerous (especially in Hanoi) but it is a lot safer than the roads here on Samui.

In Hanoi I tend to stay in the NE quadrant.

One thing that I definitely recommend in Hanoi is the water puppet show. A part of old Vietnamese culture that is dying out.

Very touristy now but for me, amazing stuff. I go every time that I am there.

HCMC does nothing for me but worth a visit to see the Cu Chi tunnels etc

 

 

 

[grain]

32 minutes ago, LittleBear57 said:

Had to cancel my trip there 3 times now for various reasons Covid one of them. Hopefully going myself (fingers crossed) in late April early May.

I looked long and hard at the 2 day cruises at Halong. Have a good look at them and the time table. They seem to leave 13.00 hours and return next day in the morning. Didn't seem much more time sight seeing than a day trip, which of course is a fraction of the cost.

Please post your experiences on the site.

Thanks.

 

As I mentioned above, I've done both, overnight on the boat and the daytrip. The daytrip was a bit rushed as they cram a couple other things in, there's the visit to the cave, which I found tough going 10 years ago when I was in my 60s and would probably give a miss now if I did the tour again, and there was some kyaking around, which was OK. So because the overnight trip is longer you do get to see more of Halong Bay, and we did go around the karst islands more. So I recommend the overnight trip. However, when we did it there was a choice of sleeping on the boat and having dinner on the boat, or getting off at Cat Ba Is and staying in a hotel and finding your own dinner. We slept on the boat and the cabin was ok but the dinner was crap. The people who opted to stay in the hotel told they had a good night, and had a good dinner in one of the many seafood restaurants on the island, then they rejoined the boat in the morning to return to the mainland. 

[grain]

3 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

The food is OK but I usually take some spicy sauce or green chillis with me.

 

 

 

 

Yes, if you're used to Thai food, or have a TGF with you then this is a good tip. I always take a couple packs of chilli powder when I go to Vietnam. Also be careful with the coffee unless you have a real high tolerance to caffeine. I had a big mug of black Vietnamese coffee one morning in HaNoi and it totally ruined my day, it whacked me hard and I had the jitters all day long.

[Rumpelstilskin]

Fanispan mountain in Sapa was fantastic. Hotels reasonable, food OK, nothing great

 Night train from Hanoi gets to Sapa area early am.

[Flyguy330]

Phu Quoc, island on the west coast. Most amazing place I've visited in Asia.

Sunset Town is a must. But be warned - it isn't Vietnam. It's a purpose built Italian town, the authenticity of which is stunning. The folks who envisioned and built it deserve a lot of respect.

It's VERY quiet. Might not suit everybody - for me it was perfect, I hate crowds of tourists.

 

 

 

[thecyclist]

4 hours ago, MadAtMatrix said:

E visa online is easy. You will get it in about five days. Print out the page along with QR code and present it to immigration officer. 
 

standing inline at the VOA queue will drive you mad

 

https://evisa.gov.vn/

VOA for tourists doesn't exist anymore. It's visa exemption for limited number of countries or evisa, which usually takes 3 or 4 working days 

[thecyclist]

2 hours ago, Flyguy330 said:

Phu Quoc, island on the west coast. Most amazing place I've visited in Asia.

Sunset Town is a must. But be warned - it isn't Vietnam. It's a purpose built Italian town, the authenticity of which is stunning. The folks who envisioned and built it deserve a lot of respect.

It's VERY quiet. Might not suit everybody - for me it was perfect, I hate crowds of tourists.

 

 

 

Phụ Quoc is alright, but certainly not the most amazing place in Asia, not even the most amazing place in Vietnam. 

[jingjai9]

I worked in Danang for one year back in 2004-2005. Two complaints I had about the country:

 

They seem to enjoy overcharging foreigners for goods and services

 

When spending time on the beach or in other tourist areas, the vendors could be quite aggressive; they will not take "no" for answer, they stay put. Many tourists would stay at hotels with private beaches because vendors were barred from private beaches. There were security personnel to enforce the rule.

I would like to go back to VN again.  Have either of these two problems gotten any better?

I would be surprised if Fredwiggy does not like VN.

 

[7euner]

Never use taxis in Hanoi as their meters are rigged. One time I tried to negotiate a fixed price, but when we left, I could see on Google Maps he was going to opposite direction. He suddenly had a new price. You might read that some companies are reliable, but that is not allways true in my experience.

I was in Saigon a couple of weeks ago, and there were many taxi scammers at the airport as well. I used Grab and everything worked perfectly.

You can buy an eSIM beforehand so that you are ready to go as you land. I think I paid $4 for 5 days.

[BritManToo]

15 minutes ago, 7euner said:

Never use taxis in Hanoi as their meters are rigged. One time I tried to negotiate a fixed price, but when we left, I could see on Google Maps he was going to opposite direction. He suddenly had a new price. You might read that some companies are reliable, but that is not allways true in my experience.

I was in Saigon a couple of weeks ago, and there were many taxi scammers at the airport as well. I used Grab and everything worked perfectly.

You can buy an eSIM beforehand so that you are ready to go as you land. I think I paid $4 for 5 days.

I always use the airport bus, $2 from airport to town centre in Hanoi.

$1 in Da Nang and Saigon.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, jingjai9 said:

I worked in Danang for one year back in 2004-2005. Two complaints I had about the country:

 

They seem to enjoy overcharging foreigners for goods and services

 

When spending time on the beach or in other tourist areas, the vendors could be quite aggressive; they will not take "no" for answer, they stay put. Many tourists would stay at hotels with private beaches because vendors were barred from private beaches. There were security personnel to enforce the rule.

I would like to go back to VN again.  Have either of these two problems gotten any better?

I would be surprised if Fredwiggy does not like VN.

Been to Da Nang and Vung Tau beaches, no vendors at all, I was totally ignored by everyone. In Hanoi, Da Nang and Saigon town, in fact everywhere I travelled in Vietnam no beggars at all, was approached by a few young ladies in Saigon though. I was warned not to wear my backpack in crowds or getting on bus/train, keep it in front of you, apparently they crowd you while someone behind razors your backpack.

 

Don't think beggars/vendors are allowed to hassle you these days.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 1/28/2025 at 1:46 PM, grain said:

yes with a US PP you need to get a visa.

 

I thought I recalled reading some time back that Vietnam was planning to offer some kind of longer stay/term visa just for Americans.... But then after that, I don't think I ever saw anything more about it....  Dunno if it ever came to pass, or was just internet nonsense....

 

[bokningar]

On 1/28/2025 at 6:31 AM, BritManToo said:

Hanoi is great for sightseeing, also worth a train ride to Ninh Binh, Tam Coc/Trang An for the caves and lakes (2 hour rowing boat ride at either), then the cast peak Hang Mua.

 

Not much at Da Nang apart from a nice beach.

 

Hang Mua

 

Trang An

 

Hanoi

Nice pictures. I wish I had gone to see Hang Mua on my trips to Vietnam. I did travel Vietnam quite a bit back in the days.

[Tropicalevo]

9 hours ago, Flyguy330 said:

Phu Quoc, island on the west coast. Most amazing place I've visited in Asia.

Sunset Town is a must. But be warned - it isn't Vietnam. It's a purpose built Italian town, the authenticity of which is stunning. The folks who envisioned and built it deserve a lot of respect.

It's VERY quiet. Might not suit everybody - for me it was perfect, I hate crowds of tourists.

 

I went to Phu Quoc a year or three before Covid.

Very quiet and underdeveloped.

Not helped by the fact that I was attacked by a swarm of Vietnamese Killer Bees.

Best thing ever - a motorbike tour off the beaten track.

I live on Koh Samui.

Phu Quoc was disappointing.

 

[Flyguy330]

I was quite specific. The area to see is Sunset Town, the south west of the island. Did you even watch the video?

You say you were there 3 years before Covid. So that's 2016'ish. The place was only being constructed then! It's ALL that new.

It was largely finished just as Covid struck in 2020 - and it was that which killed their big launch as a tourist resort.

The visitor numbers still had not recovered when I went last October.

 

Every building in the town is an exquisite reproduction in Italian style, right down to the many frescoes, murals and stonework. The streets are all beautifully cobble-stoned, there are working fountains and statues at every turn. The whole town is adorned with greenery, neatly trimmed bushes and trees, flowering plants of all kinds - and all perfectly kept. There is no rubbish, all is spotlessly clean. The maintenance of it all must cost an absolute fortune. 

 

YES, it AMAZES ME because I've never seen any other part of Asia where the public infrastructure was maintained and beautified as carefully as Sunset Town.

Not even Singapore can match it in those terms.

 

The northern part of the island is largely jungle. Not worth visiting.

 

Yes P Q is quiet. That's WHY I love it. If you like being shoved around city attractions by busloads of tourists, fighting for seats in restaurants and bars, being harassed by hawkers and listening to raucous music and yelling of drunks - DO NOT go to P Q. You'll hate it.

[MangoKorat]

I've only been once - a trip to Ho Chi Minh for a visa and stayed a few days. I saw enough  to want me to return which I will probably do later this year.  In particular I want to see some of the spectacular islands around the Cat Ba National Park and the rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai below.

[Flyguy330]

Here's a better tour of Sunset Town.

Pay attention to the buildiong standards, the planting, the cleanliness, and especially the CLEAN AIR.

 

 

[grain]

11 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I thought I recalled reading some time back that Vietnam was planning to offer some kind of longer stay/term visa just for Americans.... But then after that, I don't think I ever saw anything more about it....  Dunno if it ever came to pass, or was just internet nonsense....

 

I did a check before making my post, previously UK PP was 15 days visa free but it's now 45 days, for US PP I read that a visa is required, but I didn't look any deeper than that. 

[Burma Bill]

On 1/29/2025 at 12:52 PM, Tropicalevo said:

Some good recommendations here.

Vietnam is my favourite 'short' break in the region. Especially Hanoi

I love the place, people and the culture.

The food is OK but I usually take some spicy sauce or green chillis with me.

I stay in AirBnb's and rent a scooter.

That looks dangerous (especially in Hanoi) but it is a lot safer than the roads here on Samui.

In Hanoi I tend to stay in the NE quadrant.

One thing that I definitely recommend in Hanoi is the water puppet show. A part of old Vietnamese culture that is dying out.

Very touristy now but for me, amazing stuff. I go every time that I am there.

HCMC does nothing for me but worth a visit to see the Cu Chi tunnels etc

 

 

 

 

Yes indeed, the Water Puppet Show was fantastic and Vietnamese food ideal for me as I detest Chillis..

 

I preferred Hanoi with its French quarter and city lakes. Ho Chi Minh is similar to Bangkok, a city I hate.

Being a railway enthusiast I travelled on the Reunification Express from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, sleeping 2 nights on board. By travelling on the night train, you reach Da Nang in daylight and ready to enjoy the wonderful views climbing the Hai Van Pass over the mountains to Hue.

Sapa, the old French Colonial Hill Resort is worth a visit, but htese days can be very busy with tourists. Note all the terraced rice paddies. 

Da Nang I enjoyed for a couple of days visiting the large Lady Buddha at the Linh Ung Pagoda dominating the Son Tra Peninsula to the north of the beach, and the Marble Mountain Complex to the south. Both a worth visiting, especially the temple in a large cave in Marble Mountain.

(Photos lady Buddha and temple inside Marble Mountain)

 

 

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