Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh

[yule]

Wah!! pierced, 3 wks in vietnam?!! Why not cross over to Laos and Mynmar or perhaps u already had?! I totally agree that it's better to join or book tours upon arrival at your destination. I do that practically at all my destinations. There's a lot more to pick when u r physically there. The seasonal schedules, climate and your fitness level is most accurate when u stepped on their soils.

I also agree that 4 days in Cambodia is enough. I spent another 3 days in Phnom Penh....really shouldn't spend so many days in PP becos it's really boring by end of Day 2. Angkor Wat is super super hot in summer!!! I sweat like hell when I scaled those steep steps up the pagoda...shagged!

Racherlle: Oct is their monsoon season.

 

[metta]

wah ladies, last time, i nvr tot of visiting Vietnam cos' i tot there's nothing to see there, but u girls changed my mind. I tot just a 5 days trip will do, but i guess it depends on how much i want to explore Vietnam? I would be interested in the natural scenary than the city and a bit of shopping thrown in. Can't miss those cheap cheap bags you mentioned!

So basically, what we do is to know where we want to visit, buy air tickets, book our hotels in advance, land there and look for local tours? I guess we can find hotels on the spot as we travel to different parts of vietnam?

There are 3D F&E packages to Siem Riep at abt $600 now, includes hotel and Silkair airfare i think. U think it's worth it? Will it be expensive to engage someone to bring us to Angkor Wat?

Thank you!!!

 

[yule]

Metta:
Does it include your most impt Pass to Angkor Wat and hotel transfer? AKW sells 1-Day and 3Day passes. Hardcore historians will buy 3Day cos the area + outskirts is damn big. But u need to travel back and forth from ur hotel daily.

I didn't engage a guide. My neighbour lent me all the guide books and maps before I went, so I roughly have some historical background. Upon reaching there, I bought 5 more academic books to read as I explored the winding passages and ancient carvings inside the ruins. But I guess if u hv budget, it's better to get a guide.

I'd like to share one of my SR pictures with u:

Think about it!

 

[metta]

Yule,
doesn't include passes to Angkor Wat, hotel transfers etc. How much are the passes? Nice pic! Is Angkor Wat the only reason to visit Cambodia then? Is the culture very different from Vietnam's?

Oops, sorry that I side-tracked in this thread!

 

[yule]

DEar Metta

I've started another thread called Cambodia so as not to disturb others who want to know more abt Vietnam.
http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/messages/4/322375.html?1130392200

See you there!

 

[noscon]

thanks pierced and the rest for the info...

so if I visit hanoi, what are the must see or die places?

sailor_p can you share your hanoi trip with us? I was thinking of gg during cny06....

 

[pierced22]

Hi yule, 3 wks is juz enuf to cover the whole of vietnam fr north to south. cambodia was another trip. and i've been to laos previously too for 2 wks.

Racherlle, act may- august are the nicest mths to visit as weather is fine. may be warm but itz the suggested time to go. if u go end of yr or early jan, u find that itz rainy.

Metta, yup itz really nice now that they are opening up. didnt regret gg there. u can juz bk a air ticket and den plan ur trip. lonely planet's the best guide ard. oso u can find some tips online. there are lots of accomodation in every part. if u take the open ticket bus trip, they will normally stop u at a designated spot and they have a hotel person to sell u rms and itz cheap and gd. otherwise, u can juz ignore, drop off and walk ard nearby to look for other accom.

metta, i didnt go by tour too for cambodia, juz read up on guide bk and went ahead. =) took the 3 days pass but on the 3rd day was kind of boring liao. yes, culture's diff fr the vietnamese.
would love to plan for myanmar sometime soon.

Hi noscon, for hanoi, itz the old quarters that u muz walk ard in. so recommend u can stay in a hotel dat is in it so u can walk ard.
basically, i juz walked ard the whole place with itz many diff streets selling same gds. u can walk ard as itz not very big.

from there, i bk a 4 Day tour to Sapa where the hill tribes are. Itz a muz go...the blue sky and mountains are endlesss and lovely. u juz rot there, sit ard, go hiking. bring some bks along if u want to laze ard itz cooling.
visited perfume pagoda (tough climb up to the pagoda which was nothing spectacular but the river boat trip is very lovely)imagine 'xiao guiling' on water) plus Halong Bay.

If u plan to go during CNY, might not be advisable as they are chinese too and they celebrate Tet, which is oso their CNY.
oops sorry, haha mi post very long winded!

 

[sailor_p]

Noscon, avoid Vietnam during CNY - like Singapore, Hong Kong and China, most shops are closed. You will find Vietnam has a very strong Chinese presence there as it is located next to china on the map. Will be going Hanoi in mid-nov (thanks to tiger airways' promotion) for six days - can tell you more on that. but makan and shopping is fantastic in HCMC!

Racherlle, I stayed at the Continental Hotel, right at the heart of HCMC - it's a 3* hotel. Well, I would say, if you are a die hard fan of nostalgia, you will like Continental. The 19th century French building has welcomed famous writers such as Graham Greene, author of "The Quiet American” in which most of the action in the story took place at the hotel. It was also a place for journalists to gather for news updates during the Vietnam War.

 

[metta]

May-Aug is the best time? Oh gosh, so excited to hear from like-minded ladies! Thot I won't be able to find girls who actually like such places! Thanks for all the useful info!

 

[noscon]

pierced, it;s safe to walk in Hanoi by yourself?

Sailor_p yeah my dad told me the same thing 2 days ago too... oh dear think i have to postphone this and go to bangkok instead!

Thanks gals for the tips. will definitely try to go old quarters and sapa....

sailor_p , how is your promotion like?

 

[sailor_p]

noscon

I still didn't catch the rate at the rock bottom - buying airfare, esp from tiger airways, is like buying shares - must monitor the trend. I got the tix during its 1st year anniversary when everything is 50% discount. My tix (including all the taxes etc) comes up to SGD145 only. The basic fare is cheap - it's the taxes - but not as bad as if you are going to Oz. But if I take Vietnam Airlines, I calculated, with the taxes, it would go beyond SGD 350.

I am going to Hanoi two weeks later and let all of you know more about the place.

 

[pierced22]

noscon, yup, pretty safe to walk ard in hanoi by urself.
the ppl there are quite alrite and wont really hassle u except for the xichlos(trishaws) who will juz harmlessly keep calling out to u, can juz ignore them.
u dun feel afraid only thing at nite is pretty quiet and shops usually close ard 8 plus to 9. itz pretty slow paced so can juz sit ard at one of the cafes and drink coffee and relax. not much rush like a big city. life is pretty diff. i felt very relaxed there compared to HCM.

I went by tiger airways too to hanoi and then flew back fr HCM. still pretty cheap unless u can get a promo by SQ or viet airlines. mi parents went in Jan and they got tics for ard 200. not really cheap but compared to the price i got for tiger. still alrite. prices to vietnam have fallen over the yrs.

 

[flora]

Wow this thread out of a sudden move so fast. When I was planning to go to HCMC, I popped by this thread and hopping to look for info but not much. By the way, nice to see the thread move so fast.
I just came back from HCMC 3 weeks ago. Pretty nice place for a short holiday. Like Pierced, I also flew there by tiger airways. Planning to go to Hanoi next year.

Any recommendation of hotel in hanoi?

 

[pierced22]

Hi flora, i stayed in a new hotel called Trung nam Hai. itz affiliated to Prince hotels. itz nice as itz ard the Old Quarters and not too far from the main rd. quiet place and safe. u can email the hotel to arrange for free pick up from the air port. the rooms are big and we manage to get it for ard US28. u can check out this website for email and pict.
http://www.besthotelhanoi.com/
good thing is, they dun care how much u eat for breakfast. we had unlimited servings of bread, eggs, Pho bo, fruit. =)

 

[flora]

Hi Pierced,
Thanks for your info.

 

[vonn]

Hello Ladies,

I'm keen to go vietnam too. But cant decide either HCM or Hanoi.
I would prefer to go shopping with abit of relax thrown in. Can any1 advise me which will be a better choice and is it better with Free & Easy or Guided tour.
Ppl ard me doesnt seems to know much of Vietnam but when we ask abt Bangkok, almost every1 can contribute some info..haha..
Really hope to visit Vietnam before it turn commercialised like some1 had mentioned here.
I jus went to BKK in sept, the stuff there wasnt cheap like few years back when ppl say cheap cheap cheap....
Thanks for yr help~

 

[pierced22]

Hi vonn, if u want shopping, i suggest u go HCm coz thatz where u can find more stuff to buy but be prepared wont be like Bkk where there's variety. things u can buy in the markets are silk bags, boring tshirts, those art decor stuff like paintings, carvings etc. oso local gds like their coffee, tea, dried fruit..etc.
and of coz to make their Ao dai there which is ard US $25 onwards

however, i muz warn u std of living is much more ex in HCM and prices are higher, the ppl there are oso smarter now in raising prices so muz keep bargaining.
itz very easy to move ard so free and easy is possible. dun go guided as prices will be more ex. try gg by the budget airlines there. relaxation would be to move out of the city to sightsee the mekong delta, some famous temples, and of coz the cuchi tunnels. u can easily get local day tours there.

 

[sakura_78]

Planning to go Ho Chi Minh this December.... hopefully the bird flu will not affect my trip

*Pray hard*

 

[pierced22]

hi sakura, should be alrite. dun thk itz really very serious. i went in june and they had oso bird flu then. i hardly come into contact with livestock in HCM.

 

[bailey]

Hi there, does anyone got leftover "dong" currency to exchange ?
me juz need a bit enuff to cover cab fare from airport to my hotel.

 

[starrystarrynite]

Hiya,

Anyonw familiar with Danang and the region surrounding it? Thinking of visiting Hoi An and Hue,but dunno whether should stay in Hoi An and travel out or stay in Hue and Danang as well.

 

[pierced22]

Hi starry,

I stayed in Hue and then Hoi An.
danang is basically like a port, nothing much there to visit there except the beach that was famous. i skipped staying there and juz passed thru on the way to Nha trang. the beaches at Nha trang are much better.

HoiAn is def worth a stay. itz an ancient town with nice atmosphere and the food is diff there.

 

[starrystarrynite]

Hi Pierced,

Thanks for sharing

Don't seem like many people go to Central Vietnam...so was thinking whether should swing by Saigon or Hanoi instead.

Is it necessary to take a package that includes tours, transportation and accomodation? Too used to free-and-easy travel, but not too sure if Danang-Hue-Hoi An easy to move around on free and easy basis... Any recommendations on hotels, arrangement etc? Thanks!!

 

[pierced22]

Hi starry,

no prob. i went free and easy and vietnam is quite easy to move ard. no need for any tours since u are used to F&E.
how many days u have?
i can recommend u which are the places u can go as i travelled from Hanoi down to saigon on mi own.
oso no need for tours as there are lots of local tours there that u can bk easily.

 

[pierced22]

oh ya, forgot to ask, u flying to Danang directly or...?

 

[beetle]

hi..i'll be travelling to HCMC this coming CNY.. any good budget hotel or guest house to stay??

I'm more on budget trip.. backpack style

 

[starrystarrynite]

yup...flying to Danang direct. Spending 6 days there, inclusive of travelling time. Just wondering if it's easy to get transport from airport to Hoi An and moving around towns. Will be glad for any tips u have...

 

[pierced22]

Hi ladybug, i stayed at indochine hotel in HCM, slightly more pricey but still alrite as the area is relatively quieter and near to ben thanth market. otherwise, u can stay ard pham ngu lao area where the backpackers area is. lots of hotels there.
however, if u gg ard CNY period, it might coincide with their new yr period celebrations too so many shops might be closed. do check the dates out first.

hi starry, if fr Danang, u can actually take a coach down to Hoi An, even if u want. follow the Sinh Cafe tours. there's lots of other tour operators ard too and they offer competitive rates. All are actually joined up and they use the same coach.
i didnt go from the airport but i believe u can take a cyclo or taxi to the main town. itz quite nearby.
if u plan to stay in Hoi An, i can recommend u the place i stayed.

 

[bailey]

Can anyone recommend a good local tour to book in HCM city?
me gotten the heavily discounted tickets from Tiger Airways, travelling in May.
not sure whether a good time to travel. but wat the heck. who can resists the temptation of cheap air-tickets?

 

[beetle]

thanks pierced, how much u pay for at indochine? ya lo tot of tat too shops might be closed. but i'll be there at the end of Lunar new year i think shud be better and hopefully shops is back to biz.

do u think is safe & easy to get accom if i reach than search for hotels.. ??

 

[starrystarrynite]

hi Pierced,

Thinking of staying in Hoi An. Appreciate your recommendations on accomodation.

 

[pierced22]

Hi beetle, juz go to the backpackers area pham ngu lao where u can find a lot of tour operators offering local tours. most of them are linked. be sure to try and bargain with them for a cheaper price. May is a fine time to travel as there is no monsoon.

hi ladybug, i paid ard US $25. place is very clean and new.
act it should be fine as there are plenty of hotels ard but prob is u have to travel ard to look. look at lonely planet as a guide. if u intend to stay ard backpackers area, u can direct the taxi to go there and begin ur search. but be careful as some drivers may try to sell u another hotel. some should be quite safe but some places they recommend may not be so nice.

 

[pierced22]

hi starry, i stayed at Thien Thanth hotel. u can check out their website www.hoianthienthanthhotel.com

 

[pierced22]

oops, it should be www.hoianthienthanhhotel.com

 

[beetle]

hmmm.. thxz pierced.. i think i better stand by few hotels name around in case I can't find any.. hee hee .. most probably i will choose near to pham ngu lao area..

 

[kpo]

for local tour in HCM...can try Sinh Cafe located at 248 D De Tham. good and cheap.

if taking cab in HCM...stick w the registered ones and avoid the private cabs. even though most cabs are metered (we singaporeans thinking that it's a better option as compared to negotiating for a fixed rate)...we had the bad experience of taking a cab w doctored meter! the meter jumped so fast that it aroused our suspicion and a check w the hotel conceirge afterwards confirmed that we had been cheated.

 

[pierced22]

Hi lady bug, u can check out the recommended hotels in lonely planet or do a search on the net. if u need, i can recommend u some ard that area too. only thing is i havent stayed there bef.

 

[beetle]

oppss.. busy day yesterday..

i surf around for HCMC accom web.. but not much leh.. if no trouble, can give me those hotels name ? thxz

 

[pierced22]

Hi lady bug sorry for replying so late.
i've got some on hand which i hope are still gd. All prices in Us $
all ard Pham ngu lao area
1) phoenix 74 ( ard $20 Deluxe)
2) Le le hotel ( $15 standard)
3) Duna hotel ($15 standard, $20 superior)
4) liberty 3 hotel ($29 standard)
5) Hong kong hotel ( abt $16)

 

[beetle]

hi pierced.. i survive and back !!

thanks anyway.. well i manage to find 1 hotel at Phamngu lao area. Quen Thanh Hotel (i think tat's how it's spell)bout USD12 place quite alrite. but vietnam not a very nice place tho.. i don't like vietnamese.. they are basically rude..

LAOS & CAMBODIAN is much much nicer..

 

[pierced22]

Hi Ladybug, glad to hear everything was ok. Funny how come u thk vietnamese are rude though, in fact i tot they were very friendly and helpful. U only went HCM rite? maybe next time u can try Hanoi and the rest of vietnam. dun really like HCM city life. nothing much there to see. did u go to cuchi tunnels?

thk in my opinion, most of the indo china countries ppl are quite ok, except maybe they are shy sometimes coz they dun know how to speak English.

 

[beetle]

i only go hcmc.. mayb u r rite. heard from my frens further up vietnam the people there is nicer. hue,hoian, hanoi... mayb next time i can try again. but not hcmc too city.

when i exit from hcmc custom the officer also very bad. keep me standing there for nearly 20 mins. keep asking questions where my group of frens manage to clear thru w/o any question at all!!

well i got good impression for the cambodian n laos tho.. they are friendly n helpful. mayb my luck ba meet all the no good one in hcmc..

 

[bluesand]

Hello,

Planing a Free & Easy 8 days 7 Night trip to Hanoi. Wish to cover Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa (mountain area).

Please kindly share your itineary and experience for Hanoi.

TQ.

 

[xuantd]

Hi any1 keen to go Vietnam!
I am very pls to help u to have a nice trip over there.
I am not a tour guider, only person who love traveling
I have been many places in the North, South and Central of VN.

In the North, you can visit Hanoi (of course), Sapa (high land), Halong Bay, Cat Ba island

In the Central, many places to go
- Hue + Hoi an + Da Nang
- Quang Binh
- Nha Trang
- Phan Thiet, Mui Ne

In the South u can go HCM city (sai gon, former name),Da Lat (high land=>sweet for honey moon) Vung tau, Can Tho, Phu QUoc island...

Yes, I can not write all detail here. So ask me anywhere you want to know?
I will try my best.

To: Blue Sand, When will you go traveling?
You show your hobbies, so I will recommend the most suitable tour for u.
You can visit my photo website for more information.

Ps: I already know that customer in air port is not good. Many Vietnamese ppl still face with.

 

[xuantd]

System err

 

[pinkbunny]

hi all, planning a 4D3N but not sure if should just do all hanoi/all HCM. just started the search so a bit blur and confused now keke.

hear that hanoi is more lomantic for honeymoon.

pierced, your recommendation of hotel looks good! will check it out! btw, location good?

 

[pierced22]

Hi pinkbunny, saw ur post at Hanoi thread too. will reply here first.
u can stick to Hanoi if u intend to go for HM, hanoi is much more pleasant and there's more to see, esp if u are on HM.
no pt gg to both places if u only have a short time,
u can go to halong bay, sapa both outside of hanoi.

not too sure which hotel u are mentioning, the one wif the link i posted? coz that's in Hoi An which is central vietnam.

 

[xuantd]

Option 1: For HCM
- Day 1: HCM (shoping and taste food)
- Day 2: Dalat High land (sweet) (lenght: 300km)
- Day 3: Nha Trang (very beautiful beach) (length 150km)
- Day 4: back HCM (250km)
Cons: a bit busy, a bit tired but
Pros: fine with 3 places=> 3 kind of emotions

Option 2: Hanoi
With 4 day, rekcomend u go HN with 1/2 places Sapa/HaLong Bay
Go to Sapa by train, at least 2 day for travelling and visiting: HamRong mountain, water fall, some ethicnic village...
HaLong Bay also require 2 day: 1 day for go around near 10 main island and 1 day in the very near beach.
So u hv 2 day left for visiting HN.
- Walking aroud HN by xich-lo
- Visit some traditional village outside but near HN (silk, cramic stuff ...)


One interesting thing is: In Sapa there is highest crest over ASEAN (over 3000m from sea level). But it takes at least 3days to reach the top

I planning to this challange by the end of this April.

more detail information pls ask me.

I also reckomment 3rd option for the Central of VN with 3 interesting places to see (Hue - old imperial city, Hoian-acient trading centre, Da nang - New big modern City)

 

[pinkbunny]

hi pierced and xuantd,

thanks for the info. yep, i've been told too that hanoi is a better choice for honeymoon. if sapa takes 3 days to reach the top, would it be a waste if i go all the way to sapa and not trek up? cos i don't really want to spend the whole honeymoon walking and walking. keke.

what's there at halong bay? really sorry... the websites are so confusing!!! :S

 

[pierced22]

Hi pinkbunny, Sapa doesnt take 3 days to reach the top, what xuantd referring to is the peak of fansipan (hope i got the spelling rite) that's is for really experienced mountain climbers.
for mi, i juz went to Sapa by train and spent abt 3 days there. u can walk ard the town, markets and relax at one of the cafes overlooking the mountains. trekking is optional as in u can take one of the guided tours to any of the tribe's villages or walk on ur own as i did to one village. the rest of the time was spent reading and chatting by the cafes and watching the mountain views.
itz very nice scenery and a quiet place.

Halong bay is where u can take a day tour to from hanoi, u take a junk boat ride out to sea and u can see some caves. itz noted for all the rock formations at sea. something like the islands off phuket. hope i did provide enuf info to make it clearer for u.