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Planning a trip to Vietnam - Hanoi and Northern Vietnam - next year. Anyone been? Suggestions for great things to do would be appreciated.
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Oops. Should be Vietnam……
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Get back before the trials, they should be a cracker :sign:
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Planning a trip to Vietnam - Hanoi and Northern Vietnam - next year. Anyone been? Suggestions for great things to do would be appreciated.
how many people are going and how much can you afford?
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If you are there during January, pop over to Luang Prabang or Vang Vien in Laos and we have have a few beers together
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How long are you over there for tigergirlz?
I used to live in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), here’s a couple of questions for you.
1 = Are you confident on a motorbike?
2 = What sort of holiday are you after? I can tell you about places to visit where you can learn the cultural history of the place, others where you can get a firm grasp on how the war affected the country and continues to do so, others where great shopping and or fantastic tailors can be found, a city that seems to pride itself on brilliant cuisine, breath taking scenery that can be easily reached through trekking or dirtbike, or simply fantastic places to go where you can mix with backpackers and contiki tours from all over the world and party party party….
3 = Will you only be in the north of the country?
4 = Have you been to Asia before?
5 = Are you male or female?
6 = Are you fit?
7 = Do you enjoy trekking?
8 = Would you prefer 5 star or does roughing it a little bother you?
9 = Are you after relaxation or adventure? To be honest every day will be an adventure but I can tell you about places to go that will blow your mind
10 = Hows your budget?
Hit us back with some info and I’ll hook you up. I lived in Vietnam for just under 3 years and I explored the country a large number of times. As I said I was based in Saigon but I know the country really well…probably spent half the time I was there tripping around.
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Planning to go after the grand final in 2011 (obviously!!). Two females in 40’s (sisters!!). Two weeks. Moderate budget. No, cannot ride a mtor bike, but want some cultural experience. One female is 4 star minimum, but hopefully can be swayed (esp. in Sapa). Suggested itinerary is Hanoi (Old Quarter?), Sapa, Halong Bay and Cat Ba. Is it easy to enter China from northern border for a few days??
Thanks for any advice. Want to maximise the experience. -
OK…
After the GF will be a perfect time to be visiting the north. I’m assuming this will be mid-late October.
2 weeks in the north only will be a good trip.
If you based yourself in Hanoi and took 2-3 day trips to other locations I would try to include the following:
HA LONG BAY/CAT BA ISLAND - To get here you are looking at a 3hr bus ride from Hanoi…hotel pickup…with a stop half way for a little village visit. The reason that they will do this is because the country really does look after its own. I’ve done this trip 3 times and we stopped at a different location each time. You’ll find that you’ll be inundated by vendors at this stop selling everything you can think of. I’ve been told that whatever money is raised from the tour busses here is split among the community so I usually buy some small trinket or a book or something…they’re cheap as and these people are dirt poor. Just be careful not to flash to much green around as you will be surely mobbed lol.
Now instead of doing the Ha Long Bay trip from the designated area which is close to the Cat Ba end of the national park take the tip and book your junket just to the north at Bai Tu Long. The reason I suggest this is because the traditional Ha Long Bay tour is VERY touristy. This is the one that everyone talks about but I really think its a pain in the backside. There is so many people here that you feel like cattle being herded here there and everywhere. Not real relaxing!
If you take the Bai Tu Long trip you’ll experience everything that Ha Long offers without queing up for hours and being dogged by vendors in boats constantly. Also Cat Ba isnt really all that great, try Van Don or Quan Lan instead.
Don’t get me wrong though, this trip is definetly worth the effort and when you are drifting through the passages at night time surrounded by thousands of limestone rocks jutting out of the green waters you will be relaxed. These junkets all have a plentiful supply of good fresh food, alcohol and company. If your lucky you can even take a dip in the warm waters at night surrounded by the glow of bioluminescense…magical.HANOI - Is the capital and is a very different city to Saigon. Its still fairly full on with the traffic but is at the same time a lot more laid back. The nightlife is fairly quiet but there are still a lot of cool things to see and do there. Its an easy city to navigate and I would suggest hiring scooters to get around. If your not comfortable taking on the masses of traffic then hire cyclos and tour the city that way. The old quarter is vietnam and is definetly worth a visit…I’d suggest staying there. It’s vibrant, smelly, noisy…its awesome lol. Hao Binh Palace or Hanoi Hilton are 4 star places with wireless internet and comfy rooms. Brekkies are always included in hotel prices.
Be aware of the traffic here…there are around 2 million bikes in Hanoi alone and the traffic is constantly flowing. The good thing about it is that it is constantly moving and if you hold your line when crossing the roads it’ll simply divert and flow around you - no sudden movements lol.
Things to see and do include, more just experiencing and getting out on the streets here. The Old Quarter is very interesting to wander through, as is the lake and park. The Ho Chi Minh Maeusoleum is also worth a look…the man himself is still on display! They also have this cool waterpuppet shows in the old quarter that are worth a look. Plenty of great eateries are to be found as well. Take your lonely planet guide and you’ll find them.DANANG - You can catch a fairly inexpensive flight down to Danang and from there you can visit some great places. It has a spectacular beach with real surf and the seafood restaurants are superb.Plent of good bars, cafes, restaurants and even nightclubs in Danang, just ask around and you’ll find them. You can hire bikes and ride yourself, or as a pillian and explore the coast line with Monkey Mountain, Son Tra Peninsular, Lon Co Beach etc…you can also visit China Beach and Marble Mountain to say you’ve been there.
HOI AN - About 40 minutes from Danang, this joint is great. It has the best tailors in Vietnam. They can custom make anything you want for bugger all money. This is where most travellers get their suits, dress shirts, dresses, shoes made. But apart from that it also has heaps of temples and pagodas to wander through. It is a very old town and you can see remnants from the Cham dynasty everywhere. You will enjoy this place. p.s. visit cham island while your there!
HUE - You can get there from Danang by bus, or car, or bike and the trip there across the Hai Van Pass is awesome! Better than the Great Ocean Road and tighter than Brown Mountain…it was featured in an episode of Top Gear and it is fun. Once your in Hue get ready to be a tourist. There are so many tombs of ancient emperors, pagodas, an emperial city, national parks to trekk in, visit fishing villages whilst travelling the Perfume River, palaces…the list goes on. But just as impresive is the cuisine here. I think Hue has the best eateries in the country.
MY SON - UNESCO world heritage site that was built by the Champa kingdom 1800 years back. You can get there by a 1hr bus trip or by bike from Hoi An. Plenty to see here…sort of like Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Night trips are done as well.
SAPA - These are the mountain regions north of Hanoi and are incredible. Again when I have been I hired dirt bikes but you can easily organise a 2 or 3 day trip through anywhere in Hanoi. These people are the ethnic minorities and are the purest form of Vietnamese lifestyle. Very well worth the trip to discover beautiful scenery and a basic way of living that can make you feel a little envious when compared to our hectic lives. Brilliant trekking is available.
Well there you go, that should get you through a couple of weeks no probs…It’ll be enough to give you a good taste and I gaurantee you’ll be back to visit the rest.
A couple of things to remember…when visiting temples, palaces etc…dont wear singlets/low cut tops or skirts…they find this offensive. Dont flash your money around as your always being watched and if they see a roll of notes you’ll be quickly surrounded by sellers and this can be very annoying. With the exception of food don’t buy anything without first haggling. Everything is negotionable - dont be ripped off…trust me they’ll try lol. When you do haggle, do it with a smile…if they lose face publically they can get very nasty. I’ve seen tourists being abusive to the locals once drunk and being set upon by dozens of locals wanting revenge. Basically dont be American lol. Always drink bottled, unopened water, even brush your teeth with it. As your not travelling with men I wont warn you about the millions of hookers you’ll come across…that can also be a little intimidating. Get amongst the traffic, either by bike, cyclo or tuk tuk. Part of experiencing the country is smelling and hearing the place. You will slightly rob yourself of this in a taxi.
Apart from that they are a beautiful, friendly race who are always quick with a smile and a chat. Your gonna have a ball!
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One more thing I’ll add is about biking….To me it is the very essence of travelling in Vietnam. Now I wont mislead you here…when you first see the traffic in Hanoi you will say “no bloody way will I try that”. It looks dangerous as and a complete mess. Trust me though…it isnt.
It is daunting for sure, we all feel that but it is the only true way to experience the place in a timely manner. You’ll see what I mean in your taxi ride from the airport. The traffic looks crazy but it’s not. There are road rules and they are enforced and abided. The only thing to remember is that you must keep moving. The people behind you expect it as you do of those in front. You can pull over anywhere you want to…footpath etc…just dont slam on your brakes.
The way that I learnt was whenever I visited smallish towns I hired bikes and just drove around all day on sparesly populated roads. Except for the main cities, the only times when the traffic is full on is at sun-up and sun-down - peak hour!
By no means am I saying take on Hanoi, but a lot of the smaller places you will go to are more than comfortable for you to get around this way.
Now for the reasons…the scenary in Vietnam is breathtaking. On a bike you get unobstructed 180 degree views of the place. Looking out of the windows of a bus or taxi just does not compare, infact you will miss 75% of what is going on around you.
The next reason is that you arent locked into anyones schedule. You are free to do whatever you want, go wherever you want at any given time. You can ride side by side with your friends and talk. You can pull into a nice cafe for lunch, you can pull over on the side of the road and take photos, you can pull up and go to the toilet…
Another reason is speed. As the traffic is constantly moving, you are getting to your destinations a lot quicker. The only people who are in traffic jams are the trucks, busses and taxis. This can be very painful.
The last reason is that as you seem to be out in the real world having a go just like the locals you are treated with more respect. You arent screaming “I’m a tourist” and therefore you dont get hassled as much by traders and beggers.
Up to you of course, but I thoroughly recomend you give it a try somewhere a bit quieter. If you’ve never ridden before they do hire automatic bikes which will take you 10 minutes to get the hang of. You are supposed to be licensed but nobody cares about it and you wont be asked. In the 3 years I was there I got pulled over twice by the cops for a license check and both times I paid them off for less than $15US. They said they only nabbed me because of upcoming holidays lol yes they are crooked, but thats Asia for you!
Anyway give it a try, if its not for you then you can always go pillion on a locals bike or use a tuk tuk or cyclo…give the taxis a miss.
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Thank you so much for the info and tips. I am now really excited and ready to start planning. I’m not sure I can fit in all your suggestions in two weeks though…we’ll see.
I’m happy to give bikes a go, as long as it’s out of Hanoi. -
Sapa is my favourite place in Vietnam. Beautiful scenery, some good hikes, interesting culture. You just need to watch out for the children selling things. Some are lovely but if you don’t buy things they can get aggressive. The hotel we stayed in was looking out over the valley. It was spectacular! Being December, it was a bit cold so we lit the fire in the room. Unfortunately the chimney was blocked and the smoke came back into the room so we had to open the windows. Not the best on a cold night… :slight_smile:
I wasn’t overly impressed by Halong Bay but that may have been due to high expectations and not the best weather.
Hanoi has a lot of charm about it. I loved the lake and walking through the old town. It is busy but not as crazy as I have found Saigon to be.
I’ll be interested to hear how you found everything once you get back.
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going to Vietnam without going to Hoian is a big no no.
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Planning a trip to Vietnam - Hanoi and Northern Vietnam - next year. Anyone been? Suggestions for great things to do would be appreciated.
1. I went with 50,000 other Aussies,
2.The greatest thing we did was get the hell out of there !! -
@Ian AKA Tiger Ted:
Planning a trip to Vietnam - Hanoi and Northern Vietnam - next year. Anyone been? Suggestions for great things to do would be appreciated.
1. I went with 50,000 other Aussies,
2.The greatest thing we did was get the hell out of there !!Gday Ted , have you ever returned post war?
One thing that I noticed, especially in Hanoi was the way the locals in their 60’s and up looked at us as white people. There’s a whole generation where women outnumber the men 10 to 1.Despite this they are still an exteremly friendly people.
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@Ian AKA Tiger Ted:
Planning a trip to Vietnam - Hanoi and Northern Vietnam - next year. Anyone been? Suggestions for great things to do would be appreciated.
1. I went with 50,000 other Aussies,
2.The greatest thing we did was get the hell out of there !!u might have been with my father then
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