We have been back from Vietnam for a few weeks now and I am much overdue in getting this review posted. I hope it offers tips and insights to others that will be making such a trip. I so appreciated all the reviews that I read and the tips and advice I rcvd from others who have been there - done that. (apologies for varying fonts, colors and bolds as this has been work in progress and taken from many an email that we sent a long the way to family and friends)
As an overview - I am American, my husband is Swiss and we have a 4 year old daughter. We have been living in Hong Kong for a year. We love to travel and have figured out how to continue to do so with a young child and make it work for all of us. We had a little over 2 weeks time and decided to split our time between travel and holiday at the beach.
Although there is so much to see and do through out Vietnam we opted to slow things down a few notches to make it more enjoyable for us as a family. As such we never had much of an agenda and spent more time just being rather than doing - and it was this that really put us in touch with the people of Vietnam. The Vietnamese LOVE children. My husband and I were not much of a novelty as there are plenty of tourists about (however far fewer than we would have guessed and in say for example Thailand) but with curly blond hair and blue eyes our daughter was treated like a celebrity - for good or for bad. Having said that the attention never became invasive because it was always approached with a mild friendly manner. This worked for her and she really didn%26#39;t mind having her curls played with - especially if she received some play time along with it! Whether we were out for a meal or shopping/browsing in the markets - she always had a playmate - be it a 2 year old or a 90 year old!
Vietnam is beautiful - and we especially loved the emerald green rice fields dotted with women wearing the traditional conical hats and water buffalo! In addition to the natural beauty we also had very positive interactions with the locals. The majority of the time we were met with a smile and enjoyed our interactions with the people we came in contact with on the streets, in the markets, both in restaurants and food stalls. Speaking of which we really enjoyed the food - and although there were many great dishes, two of our favorites were Pho (beef or chicken soup with rice noodles) and fresh rice paper spring rolls (and we ate these daily!). And of course the french influence offered some nice baguettes and pastries!! In addition to the food being so tasty it is also very very cheap. And a note on the Vietnamese coffee - it is great -especially if you like strong coffee -- and the fruit shakes are great too!
The level of English through out Vietnam was much less then we expected but we were always able to get by - sometimes with a lot of work and not necessarily the end result that we were looking for but we certainly were not bothered by it - and often the language barrier provided a much needed chuckle. It continues to amaze us how well people can get along and have positive interactions without speaking the same language - if only we could figure out how to do this on a higher and broader level - the world might look (or at least feel) a little different. We tried to learn some Vietnamese but did not really excel beyond the essentials - like hello, please, thank you etc. We had fun with it and realized that it made a very positive impression on those that we ';talked'; to.
Here is a glance at our itinerary, accomodation and highlights:
Day 1 of 16 - Travel Hong Kong to Hanoi on VN 793 - 2 hours
Accomodation - 2 nights - Hotel Elegance 3
Add : 106 Hang Bong Street, Hoan Kiem District
Tel : (+84-4) 9380175/6 (Ext. 102
Email : res@hanoielegancehotel.com
Website: www.hanoielegancehotel.com
Hotel Elegance 3 - 65 USD per night - Small charming hotel in the middle of the Old Town. Brand new with all modern conveniences such as a flat screen tv and a computer in the smallish room. Breakfast included (choice of eggs, pancakes, baguette, fruit, coffee, tea and juice). Exceptional staff.
Our highlights of Hanoi included - mastering the art of walking across the street, watching the city%26#39;s famed Water Puppet show (3 USD per ticket), engaging in the bustling back streets of the Old Quarter by cyclo (3 USD per hour), stopping for a ';bia hoi'; (draught beer - 20 cents a glass) on a street corner, walking along the lake sides.
A few restaurant recommendations - Pho 24 (kind of a fast food noodle joint - plenty about we went to the one across from the lake) - excellent pho (rice noodle soup) - you might pay more then on the street but it is worth it in our opinion. Little Hanoi - quite touristy but cute restaurant on a busy corner - fun to watch life going by. Enjoyed delicious fresh spring rolls - and more Pho. Also bought a fun tshirt that the staff wear - nice keepsake for my husband - 5 USD. Cycle Bar - touristy as well but great fun for our daughter who really got a kick out of the cyclo tables. Most exp. meal in Hanoi at 25 USD for 2 apps, 2 entrees, 3 beers, fruit shake and water. Tip - book in advance to be sure to get cyclo table - otherwise nice garden setting in the back. Also ate from food stalls with no problems - and much cheaper and more authentic - but we like to mix it up.
Many people say that Hanoi is a hassle as everyone is trying to scam you and sees $ signs when they see a tourist. Although we likely paid more for some things then others might have we are ok with it. We took the approach that we would pay a price that we were willing to pay - it may not necessarily be the ';right'; price but that was fine for us - others may disagree with this approach but to each their own. In the end it was usually just a few cents to a few dollars anyway. We experienced one rip off taxi - but could have maybe avoided this as the hotel gave us a list of the taxis that are reliable. We could not find one on the list and just wanted to get ';home'; after a long day so flagged one down that was not on the list.
In a nutshell - loved Hanoi and hope to go back again before traveling north to Sapa and Halong Bay.
Day 3: Flight to Danang - VN 317 - 1hr 15 mins
Drive to Hoi An - 1 hr
Accommodation Day - 4 nights - Long Life Hotel (aka Thanh Xuan Hotel)
Add: 26 Ba Trieu Street ( 22 Nhi Trung St ),
Hoi An Ancient Town , Quang Nam Province
Tel: (84.510) 916696 - Fax: (84.510) 916697
Email: thanhxuanhotel@dng.vnn.vn
Website: www.thanhxuanhotel.com
Hotel - Long Life Hotel (Thuan Xuan Hotel) - 37 USD per night. Simple, clean, charming, very friendly warm staff - who absolutely adored our daughter - giving her small gifts and daily manicures. Nice room with balcony looking out over rice paddies.(tip - request a back facing room on upper floor for better view and to be away from noise from street level) Simple breakfast served in garden next to small pool. 5 minute walk to Old Town.
Hoi An - We loved all the charm and character that this little town has to offer. We happened to be there on a full moon when motorbikes are banned from the Old Town and it is turned into a magical land of silk lanterns, traditional food, song and dance - fantastic!
Restaurant Recs - Cafe 96 - very cool atmosphere - paint peeling to expose brick - facing river - excellent dishes - good prices - family run. Good Morning Vietnam - In case you are craving something non Asian - outstanding Italian. Excellent homemade pastas and delicious thin crust pizza. Cargo Club - great coffee, tea, pastries, baguette sandwiches. Nice atmosphere with comfy wicker furniture and big ceiling fans. (Did not enjoy Good Day restaurant - nice atmoshpere on teh river but mediocre food and poor service)
Ca Dao Beach - fun outing for a day - 20 min bike ride or a taxi ride about 57,000 Dong- rent umbrella and comfy cushioned beach chairs from Restaurant (50,000 Dong for the 3 of us - about 3USD - or you can opt to take the Adirondack style chair for free if you eat in the restaurant). Beautiful long stretch of nice sand - perfect for walking and playing. The water was not ideal for swimming with small child - waves and strong current.
Tailor - we did not want anything special made as we can do so out of HK for the cheap as well so really just engaged for the fun of it and to support a local family. Worked with Chau Elegant (in the Old Town). Lovely family who we really enjoyed getting to know on our daily visits for fittings. My husband had some light weight cargo like pants made - very happy with outcome. I had a few skirts and a dress -came out ok but nothing special. Paid about 80 USD for all so no complaints. Again for us it was more about the family - and our daughter loved hanging out with Grandma playing games and watching tv with her while we chose fabrics, had fittings and chatted with the rest of the family. Advice - you get what you pay for so if you really want something nice look around and get recs from people who have been very satisfied- and come with some ideas, sketches, pictures etc. in advance - makes it much easier and less stressful.
Day trip - My Lai (3 hour drive from Hoi An) - With our young daughter in tow we knew we would not be visiting the war museums, cu chi tunnels etc. but we really wanted to make the visit to the memorial site of the My Lai Massacre - a horrendous event that took place on March 16 1968 when sadly over 500 innocent civilians lost their lives. I will be honest and say that I felt much shame as an American as the story was unfolded for us by a local guide. There were certainly some US soldiers that refused to participate and a few have been recognized for their heroic actions during the bloodshed but it was an event that should have never occurred in the first place. I will say that despite the long sad history, the Vietnamese are very welcoming of foreigners. In fact we were greeted by many many locals while we toured the grounds of the Memorial - all who were quite thankful for the respect that we were offering. It was a very emotional and long day for us but we were glad to have made the trip.
Highlights of Hoi An - many - especially interacting with the locals in their shops/homes, strolling the streets, enjoying the full moon festivities and many yummy meals in family run restaurants, a day at the beach, tailor made clothes, visiting the workshop for the disabled. Bicycles were a welcome change when we were in Hoi An. We loved watching the children ride to and from school - especially the girls in the traditional Vietnamese long dress (how they stayed pure white while riding on the dirt roads remains a mystery to us!).
Day 7 - Flight to HCMC on VN 323 1hr 10 mins
Accommodation - 2 nights - Bich Duyen Hotel
283/4 Pham Ngu Lao street,, 1 district,
email:bichduyenhotel@yahoo.com (contact: Chanh)
Bich Duyen Hotel - 29 USD per night!!!!! - Small Guesthouse down a quite side alley. Exceptionally clean - all guests must take off shoes upon entry to hotel. Charming manager Chanh - as well as his brother He and the lovely women who clean and work in the kitchen. Very simple yet comfortable rooms. Nice breakfast served with a smile- eggs and baguette, coffee and juice. If you are ok with no frills but enjoy cleanliness and great service then this is the place for you. Downside for some could be no lift so many stairs to climb if on an upper floor.
First impressions of HCMC: chaos - with even more motor bikes then in Hanoi - thousands and thousands swarming the streets and back alleys. Markets galore, sidewalk cafes, sky scrapers, hotels and restaurants etc. People everywhere - more young than old - all looking to get in on the action and be a part of the change. It was a bit too hectic for us with our daughter so we did not get out and about as much to explore beyond some of the local streets and markets (will save for another trip?) - instead opted to use a full day to make a trip to the Mekong Delta (2.5 hours south) - highly recommend and wish that we had arranged for a few days.
Restaurant Recs (walking distance to hotel)- Stella Restaurant - Nice atmosphere - ac inside or outdoor seating - homemade pastas and pizza and lots of local dishes too. Quite expensive by VN standards. We had 1 homemade pasta, 1 small pizza, 1 rice dish, 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine and fruit shake - 33 USD (most exp meal to date). Vong Restaurant - very casual - sat on terrace looking down at busy street watching all the action. Spring rolls, Noodle dish, Rice dish, 2 big beers, banana shake and water - 130,000 VND - about 8 USD total.
Day trip - Mekong Delta (2.5 hour drive from HCMC) - We did not want to join a big tour group so we opted to ';hire'; a driver (arranged through the hotel) and drove down along with the brother of our hotel manager - a lovely young man named ';He';. He is from the Mekong Delta so was a great tour guide for us and welcomed the opportunity to go back for the day - it was his day off so he jumped at the chance. The cost was much greater this way -about 90 USD for the three of us for driver, official tour guide fee and tip for He but that was ok for us bc we had more flexibility and helped to make it feel a little less touristy bc it was always just us. We explored quaint riverside towns, sampled local fruits, rode in small paddle boats down the canals, and dined on fresh fish %26amp; local fruits and sampled coconut candies. It was only a glimpse of what the Mekong has to offer but a wonderful day. I would definitely recommend - even if you only have a day.
Day 9 - Flight to Phu Quoc on VN 479 1hr
We had a week on PQ and decided to split our time between 2 places with priority for accomodation being on the beach with a pool as well for our daughter.
Accommodation - 3 nights:
Cassia Cottage
Khu Pho 1, Duong Dong
Box 43, Phu Quoc Island Post
Phu Quoc, Kien Giang
(84) 773.848.395
(84) 90.340.0409
email: cassiacottage@cassiacottage.com
web: http://www.cassiacottage.com/index.htm
Cassia Cottages - 85 USD per night (high season prices) - wonderful small b%26amp;b on the beach - run by a lovely NZ family with local staff. Good size room nad nicely decorated (ac, fan, small fridge and big bathroom but no tv, phone or safe), nice terrace, lovely gardens and a great little pool - ideal for kids. Bfst was perfect for us served in a small open eating area with made to order pancakes and eggs. The restaurant on the beach was fine - we had lunch there every day but opted to try other places for dinner. Having said that how nice to sit and have dinner on the beach with your feet in the sand! Loved this place and did not want to leave until we arrived at......
Accommodation - 4 nights
La Veranda Resort %26amp; Spa
Ward 1, Duong Dong Beach
Tran Hung Dao Street
Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Tel: +84 77 982 988
Fax: +84 77 982 998
web: http://www.laverandaresort.com
La Veranda Resort and Spa - our splash out with a little bit of luxury and pampering - amazing! Hard to imagine paying the Veranda prices after spending so little along the way but this also allowed us to really splurge on our last few days. What we really liked about Veranda is that it is 5* by our book but in a very relaxed atmosphere. Fantastic rooms with everything you could need in terms of comfort, lovely attached and private terrace shaded by palms and gardens with so many flowers. Bfst was served in the main house - specatular view - and everything that you could wish for in the buffet and made to order areas (including pho). Lower level offers wonderful veranda with comfy chairs to enjoy lunch, drinks or an afternoon icecream. Small store offering clothes, keepsakes, postcards and toiletries - however we chose to walk 5 mins down dirt road to buy suntan lotion for example to support a local family (and at a third of the price!). The pool is big with a seperate area for young children - lots of lounges and umbrellas with huge fluffy towels. The beach area is beautiful and very well tended to. Again plenty of loungers and umbrellas - and very attentive staff. There are also 2 small kyaks that you can use. Water is great for small children as the surf was calm and the water clear and clean.
Phu Quoc - The island is very quiet with lots of sleepy fishing villages and white beautiful beaches. Not a lot to do here but laze on the beach - exactly what we were looking for to wrap up our travels.
Restaurant tips - Le Deveaux - about a 10 min walk down the beach from CC (look for blue neon sing and mai%26#39;s massage upstairs - great service, cool atmosphere under the stars, yummy food. Zen - if you want to venture into town and can pull yourself away from the beach this is a great choice. Excellent fish and seafood that you can choose from the daily catches. Fantastic garden setting. La Verandah - offers outstanding dining options if you want something a bit fancier - and it is outstanding. Expensive by VN standard but still relatively cheap for two 5 course meals and a bottle of wine (about 90 USD - which included 2 cocktails before dinner) Note - we hired a baby sitter from the hotel one night and enjoyed a romantic dinner). Eden Bar (next to Veranda) - great setting for sunsets, very cool ambiance, extensive menu, food ok (pho is excellent), perfect option with kids as your feet are in the sand, they have games for the table, fun music etc.
We didn%26#39;t stray much from the beach while on the island but one afternoon we went into the town of Duong Dong to have a look around and to explore the local markets. Make sure to walk across the bridge for great photo opps of the fishing village. We were greeted with many friendly smiles and lots of curious people - especially young children who literally chased our daughter down and wanted to shake her hand and touch her face. And although our daughter had already given away all of her little toys and trinkets that she brought along from home - she had many a hug and smile to give out in return - all accepted with glee and laughter. We also took a motor bike ride in town to get to a recommended restaurant - Zen. Not as scary as I thought and Ella was delighted with this ';first'; experience - and is already begging her Dad to buy her a motorbike for HK.
Day 16 Fly PQ-HCMC-HK
To sum it all up - our experience in Vietnam was great! We will never forget the rumble of millions of motorbikes and honking of horns that was ever present - especially in Hanoi and HCMC. It was not uncommon to see an entire family on one motorbike - along with the transport of animals, fruits, hardware, beds etc. Figuring out how to cross the street in such madness was not easy but we managed - and made many successful walks (even if I was holding my breath the hold time). The food was great and we all ate plenty - and the people we met from day one were amazing - such grace and happiness despite the poverty that so many still live in. In addition to the pleasant demeanor there was such a strong sense of independence and pride - along with a strong work ethic that was noticeable in almost everyone that we met. And amongst those that speak English there was a desire to learn about the world through all the travelers visiting their country. It is certain that Vietnam is going places and will likely change more in the next 10 years then it has in the past 10 years.
We feel lucky to be living in HK now bc Vietnam is only a short plane ride away - we will be back!
Safe travels and enjoy Vietnam!!!!
Vietnam Trip Report - Hanoi, Hoi An, HCMC, Phu Quoc
Thankyou Stilli
What a wonderful and comprehensive trip report. I%26#39;m sure Sandy %26amp; Lee will be happy. Sounds like you went to the same Vietnam as me and met lots of friendly people who smile. I wasn%26#39;t making it up.
Yes there are some taxi drivers who rip you off in Vietnam . Try coming to Australia and getting one at the airports here. Apparently they can be rip off merchants too . They did a sting on taxi drivers here using actors posing as tourists with limited English who had only just arrived. The majority of these actors were ripped off big time.
I%26#39;m hoping to get back to Vietnam too
Vietnam Trip Report - Hanoi, Hoi An, HCMC, Phu Quoc
Thankyou Stilli
What a wonderful and comprehensive trip report. I%26#39;m sure Sandy %26amp; Lee will be happy. Sounds like you went to the same Vietnam as me and met lots of friendly people who smile. I wasn%26#39;t making it up.
Yes there are some taxi drivers who rip you off in Vietnam . Try coming to Australia and getting one at the airports here. Apparently they can be rip off merchants too . They did a sting on taxi drivers here using actors posing as tourists with limited English who had only just arrived. The majority of these actors were ripped off big time.
I%26#39;m hoping to get back to Vietnam too
Hi Stilli,
It was worth waiting for!!! Thank you sooooo much. What a great read - Will be filing it in ';my vietnam trip'; to take with us.
Definitely will pm you for more info.
XXXXXXXXX Sandy
Thank you for such a detailed report, especially all the restaurant tips. Wish we were going this year, but it will come around soon enough. Sandy, I haven%26#39;t started my VN book yet, but I have heaps saved on my pooter. Lee
Love your detailed report. Saw your 5 reviews and hope you will post photos for them.
I bet you took Vietnam Airlines for Hong Kong – Hanoi. How was the flight and how did you book it?
Thanks
Stating the obvious, but what a great report.
The time you took out from your life to pass on your travel experiences will help many people with there future travels.
Thanks you!
(Great template for people to refer to when attempting to write up a JBR).
Regards,
Shanan.
Hi all - glad the review is helpful and/or enjoyed by those who have already been :) TA is such a great resource for me and I use it to help plan all of our travels - to reminiss about the past travels -and dream about future travels!
As follow up - yes we flew Vietnam Airlines from HK and booked through a travel agent in Kowloon - conatct details:
Farringtong American Express Travel Services
tel: (852)2808 2828
email: info@farringtonamex.com
Will work on getting photos on the hotels uploaded.
Cheers!
Hi,
Just want to say thanks for your excellent report! We%26#39;re off to Phu Quoc in Nov and enjoyed reading your tips. Can you comment on the resorts and the general Long Beach scene?
Look forward to seeing you photos too!
- k
Lucky you KGB!!
Not sure what you mean by commenting on the resorts - the two places that we stayed at were fantastic and can highly recommend either one. Having said that as nice as Cassia Cottage is - and we would would stay there again - it is not a 5* resort so if you are looking for luxury then La Veranda is a better choice. Unfortunately we did not check out any of the other places to stay,
As far as Long Beach scence - there really is no scene. It is a beautiful long stretch of beach dotted with bungalows and small restaurants. Many a place to eat or have a quiet drink but no party scene what so ever. The Eden Bar (next to Veranda) might have the potential for more of a party but it was very quiet while we were there.
In terms of beautiful beach and very chilled atmosphere - Phu Quoc is ideal! Enjoy...
Thanks for the Farrington info.
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