1st Time Vietnam - Any suggestions

Hi all

Great info on this site.

A mate an I want to go to Vietnam in Aug/Sep for 4-6 days. Never been before. Have been to Thailand (Pattaya/ Phuket).

We are after nice beach, nightlife/bars etc.Both male age early 40s.

Have heard Nha Trang , but really know little of Vietnam. Heard its really good so would like to go to see if we like it for a short stay then come back next year for longer.

Thanks

1st Time Vietnam - Any suggestions

Dear Antmac,

Spending your real experience in Hanoi nighlife, do not miss Minh%26#39;s Jazz Club

Minh%26#39;s is the original Hanoi jazz club - it%26#39;s a smoky venue with a laid-back feel and, most importantly, a good set of passionate jazz artists providing live music. Drinks are good but slightly more pricey than elsewhere, but it%26#39;s nothing to complain about considering you%26#39;re paying for the entertainment, too!

* Address: 31 Luong Van Can

Seventeen Saloon is “Western”-style bar, complete with guys in ten-gallon hats and a wooden Indian figurine standing guard. The energy is incredibly lively inside, and you can’t beat the Filipino band belting out pop standards inside.

Drinks are not cheap (about 3-20 $ for a drink) , catering more to the tourist than the locals.

* Address: 98b Tran Hung Dao Str., Hanoi

or Finnegan%26#39;s Irish Pub

is only Irish themed pub, and they do a good job at keeping the place authentic. They serve refreshingly ice-cold beer and Irish comfort food like Irish stew, bangers %26amp; mash, and a three-course Sunday roast.

The place is smoke-filled and loud - not exactly a place to go for an intimate conversation, but great if you%26#39;re just looking for cold drinks and a good time.

Quiz nights on Thursday. Happy hour from 10am to 6pm (Saturday-Thursday) and 10am-9pm (Friday).

* Address: 16a Duong Thanh Street

Do wish that you will have a great night

Einstein

1st Time Vietnam - Any suggestions

Whilst Awesome%26#39;s reply is very informative, he omits to inform you that Hanoi doesn%26#39;t have a beach :)

Vietnam doesn%26#39;t currently have any beach areas to compare to Pattaya (which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your POV!). Yes, Nha Trang is probably closest but not really comparable.

I%26#39;d advise flying in %26amp; out of Saigon %26amp; spending 3 nights there (it has the best nightlife in Vietnam and you will find whatever you%26#39;re looking for), with 2-3 nights in Nha Trang in between.

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Is July a bad time to travel Vietnam?

Was planning a trip to Vietnam for April but now, can only do July. Lonely Planet warns against Vietnam for July travel due to Monsoons etc. Should this put me off? If not, which region is best to attempt, North or South? Thanks for any help given.

Is July a bad time to travel Vietnam?

We travelled to Vietnam last year from June 22 to July 11. It was very hot and humid, particularly in Hanoi - about 38 degrees (made worse by the fact that we were coming from a Melbourne winter). We had rain 3 times on the whole trip. One tropical downpour in Hanoi which laster about an hour, a day of drizzle on Cat Ba Island and other heavy downpour in Saigon. The heat is quite oppressive at times. We were glad we had 5 days in Hoi An in the middle of the trip where we could spend time relaxing around the pool.

But we%26#39;re going back at the same time this year, so can%26#39;t have been too bad! Hanoi was definitely hotter than Saigon but the weather was fantastic on Halong Bay.

Good luck wth your plans.

Harvey

Is July a bad time to travel Vietnam?

Thanks Harvey35. Will prob go ahead with plans

Hi, We visited vietnam in July of last year, it is extremely hot and humid in both Saigon and Hanoi, also Hoi An, but slightly cooler in Sapa! I would think as long as you get a hotel with a/c you can go back and %26#39;dry out%26#39;.

We had a reasonable amount of wet weather, but did not let it spoil our holiday. You can buy cheap rain poncho%26#39;s that work really well.

We also are heading back to Vietnam in july this year with a side trip to Cambodia. We loved both the north and south, they are quite different. I think regardless of which region you do, don%26#39;t miss out on Hoi An, its really lovely. regards Tracey

I%26#39;ll just reaffirm what the others have said - it%26#39;s really really hot and the further south you go during that time, the hotter it will be. If you are traveling in July, plan to do outside stuff early in the morning and later in the day -- not between say 1130 and 2pm, especially down south. Plus, a water bottle will definitely become your best friend.

We were there in June and travelled from north to south. Sapa was a little cooler but most places really hot. We chose our hotels carefully and always selected ones that had a good pool for some afternoon respite.

Thanks all. Have taken most of this advice. Have selecyed more upmarket hotels for the air-con and pool.

restaurant for a celebration

Could you please recommend a nice but not to expencive restaurant for my friends birthday in HCMC

Thank you

Any experience with discovervietnam tour agency?

Have been looking into using a driver from Hue to Hoi an through discovervietnam tour agency.Has anyone had any experience with this company/or with Ha?She seemed to give us a good quote but was just wondering if anyone else had any comments?Thanks

Any experience with discovervietnam tour agency?

They should be ok. Yes, it is nice to have a local viet travel company to make all the reservations and have a car and driver to meet you. There are over 2 thousand local viet. travel comany%26#39;s now in vietnam. The same service%26#39;s can be many $%26#39;s apart. My wife and I have now been back to vietnam 6 times in the last 4.5 years. We have traveled to many places through out vietnam now. I was a soldier there in 1970 and heard Vietnam was now a great place to visit. It is! We are from Seattle,Wa.The 2nd trip we brought our 24 year old son and have been back for an engagement party and then back again for there wedding. We have traveled up and down vietnam and have used 2 different local viet travel companies. One in Saigon and the other one is located in Nha Trang. They give great prices and are very honorable. We always compare and they are always lower with the same service ect. We pay once we are there and in return they give us the in country flight tickets,hotel vouchers and receits ect. If you want more info. you can e-mail me at kennbaker@msn.com Either way...have a great time! I went back to vietnam last April for a week to check on a partnership I have now with a coffee/gift shop in Nha Trang that we hope will help support a local orphanage there. We returned again this year for 3 weeks. This time we made a stop in Siem Reap,Cambodia. Not to be missed? If this is your first time...you want to have a travel company located in Vietnam to set everything up for you! It will be much cheaper and all is done! They always can beat the internet and walkup rack rates for 3 star hotels and up. It is nice to have them make all of your in country flight bookings and make reservations for any car and driver with or with out a guide ect...Only need to relax and enjoy!

Any experience with discovervietnam tour agency?

I have no hesitations in using any of the services of Ha and DiscoveryVietnam...

They are a local company who specialise in providing what a customers needs are and not selling them what gives the most commissions or earns the most profit, Ha provides a service which many fail to deliver....

I can recommend them for all Airport pick ups where they provide the service, transfers from Hoi An to Hue I have used them several times for this and I have booked with them for November and December this year already...

If you just want a driver from Hue to Hoi An he will take over the pass the best way and its a spectacular trip ask and he will stop where practical and drive at your pace, if you want a guide then expect to pay a little more for an English Speaking one....

They will book your flights and hotels and provide a full escorted tour at a very reasonable cost with no problems and they will even get your visas sorted out (pay on arrival at the airport) and extended if required...

So yes book with confidence and finally I have transferred money direct to pay for flights hotels etc no problems...

I am UK based and on my fourth trip to Vietnam the best location in Asia...

Hi Sangasori

Can you please tell me how much they quoted for the car %26amp; driver?

Thanks

Hello, we%26#39;ve been to Vietnam last month (june 2008) and we used that tour agency to get our visa and have precious informations.

The agency is for sure trustable and I have to recommend it. Mme Ha is very kind and always ready to help. I really liked every contacts with Mme Ha. It%26#39;s friendly and efficient.

Have a nice trip

Like the other posters, i can throw my support behind Ha from Discover Vietnam.

She booked my flights and accomodation for my recent trip. No problems at all.

In the search box type %26#39;Ha%26#39; or %26#39;discover vietnam%26#39;. I doubt you%26#39;ll find a bad word typed about her.

Regards,

Shanan.

Hi

Just like to confirm what the others have said. We have used her services and i cannot praise her highly enough Prompt efficient and friendly service.

If thats what you are looking for then i suggest that you look no further.

Gander.

Yes we used Ha and she was amazing and saved us a lot of money, very trust worthy and a great person l would highly recommend her. she made our trip great

Deb

p.s if you want to know anything else please don%26#39;t hesitate to ask

Ha, from www.discovervietnam.com.vn is absolutely wonderful. She tailor makes any tour and is attentive to your needs. She is efficient, professional and patient. She knows how to listen and delivers the goods. Go for it!

Gila

thanks everyone for the positive feedback about Ha and her company!We were quoted $46 US for the trip and seen as though I am travelling with my teenage daughter,safety and ease were big on the agenda.I feel confident to book now ,so thanks again.Much appreciated

Tour Companies

Has anyone toured with Vietnam Budget Tours? Can anyone recommend a tour company from personal experience?

Tour Companies

I%26#39;ve never used this agent so i have no ideal. Try to search handspan travel, saigontourist, sinhbalo...they are good agent i heard.

I tried with travelindochine and felt happy with them

Tour Companies

Vietnamalive is a great travel company I thought. I used them for my trip in Vietnam in 2007.

I can absolutely recommend Ha at discovervietnam.com.vn - take a look at her website. Her praises are often ';sung'; on this forum.... she is honest and very much keeps her finger on the button - whilst on our Mekon Delta trip she phoned us to check that we were happy etc. We felt the places we were taken to were not all on the same tourist road..... She also gave us an excellent contact for our Cambodian trip.

Have a great trip.

Tiggy.

I can absolutely recommend Ha at discovervietnam.com.vn - take a look at her website. Her praises are often ';sung'; on this forum.... she is honest and very much keeps her finger on the button - whilst on our Mekon Delta trip she phoned us to check that we were happy etc. We felt the places we were taken to were not all on the same tourist road..... She also gave us an excellent contact for our Cambodian trip.

Have a great trip.

Tiggy.

Forgot to say, look back on the forum to a posting ';any experience with discovervietnam tour agency'; - this says it all!!

I used Intrepid just last October/November. We did the Vietnam southbound and then added on Cambodia, so it was like 18 days before flights. They limit their tours to 12 people, and we only had 8 on our Vietnam leg - 2 americans (us), 2 canadians and 4 aussies, and we all got along REALLY well. It was a great tour, we did the original level, but I think the comfort level is supposed to be a step up too if you%26#39;re looking for something a little nicer. The tour guides in both countries were good, but our guide in Vietnam was phenomenal and went out of his way to help us out. We were also there during the crazy flooding in Hanoi and he got us all out of there safely (which is saying something).

Happy to Help Anyone with Questions on Nha Trang

Hey Guys you all know me by now!

Just posting this to say if you want to email me personally regarding anything to do with coming to Nha Trang i will be happy to try and help you!

I dont mind investigating hotels, taking photos, trying restaurants and bars etc.. to see what they are like, recommending hotels and meeting up for a laugh if you decide Nha Trang is for you, whether it be a holiday, travelling trip, stop off or to live!

Im no expert but i am currently not working so i have alot of time on my hands to reply, chat and generally mooch about Nha Trang! (lucky me!)

EMail is sljordan85@hotmail.co.uk

Look forward to hearing from you!

Love

Sarah x

(currently living in Nha Trang)

Happy to Help Anyone with Questions on Nha Trang

hi there so are the 3 star hotels all booked out because of miss universe thanks sarah billsaltjr

Happy to Help Anyone with Questions on Nha Trang

Pretty much, and if they are not they have put the prices up ALOT!

Hi! My dad and I are visiting Vietnam in late November. How long does it take to get from Cam Rahn Bay to Nha Trang and what%26#39;s the cheapest way? Taxi, bus, train? Is it easy? Where%26#39;s the best area in Nha Trang to stay? I%26#39;m looking at the lonely planet right now, but any insider%26#39;s advice you can give is helpful. Thanks!!

Hey there!

I cant say about the time it takes as i havent done it! but if its a far distance get a sleeper bus. No hassle, cheap, comfy and worth it for $11 each, and get it at night so you can sleep away the time!

The best place to stay depends...if you want bars on your hotels door step or a quiet place so let me know your intensions and i can advise better on this!

Look forward to hearing from you more

Regards

Sarah xx

Cam Ranh Bay, which is where the Airport serving Nha Trang is now located, is only about 45 minutes from Nha Trang by ground. There is regular bus service between the two cities but I%26#39;m not sure of the fare. Taxis and hotel cars are also available but definitely a lot more expensive.

singlegirlinla,

I asked this question also these were the replies I received

BUS%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;50,000 dong (about $3 )

Bus stops at 86 Tran Phu St (main road by the beach)

Taxi will cost between 160,000 200,000 ($10 to $12)

I was told that the bus was actually a large Mercedies van

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for your kindness!

How have you been?

Sarah, how far from Que Huong Hotel to Water Park?

Have a nice day!

Hi Sarah,

My family and I will be travelling to Nha Trang in Sept 08 staying at the Vin Pearl resort and I was wondering what sort of weather we can expect during that time. I have read some mixed reports that it%26#39;s the rainy season and others saying that it%26#39;s the dry season??

Thanks and look forward to your reply,

Eddie

Melbourne, Australia

Hello there!

The rainy season, i have been told by my partners boss who has lived here for 9 years ( he is originally from the UK) is from August to October so you may see a fair bit of rain!

Sorry about this and i hope it helps your question!

xx

In regards to the question about the water park which one are you asking about? Vinpearl or the one actually in Nha Trang?

Thanks

Sarah xx

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which markets to go to in HCMC?

Hi All,

Which markets would you recommend to visit in HCMC? We are staying at Bich Duyen Hotel. Looking at shopping markets like clothes souviners etc?

Many thanks

Izzy

which markets to go to in HCMC?

Hello Izzy,

Your hotel is nearly Ben Thanh market, surely that you can find some local charms.

Cheers

Einstein

which markets to go to in HCMC?

Hi Izzy,

Somebody suggested to me to try An Dong Markets and An Dong Plaza, and also Saigon Square.

Cheers,

Stewie.

hi izzy,

we will be staying at bich duyen as well (in may).

wld love to hear ur comments on the hotel and also where to shop (souveniers, home decor stuff, etc).

thanks.

f

Bich Duyen Hotel is located in Pham Ngu Lao Street - a packpaker%26#39;s area of Saigon. The Ben Thanh market is just 10 minute walk from the hotel.

Think twice before deciding to shop in this market as most of the vendors try to offer you '; TOURIST PRICE '; which is much much higher than the real one.

So you need to have a good bargain skill to get the fair price.

The tip is : to start at 50% - 60% from what they asked.

Not sure if you will go to Hoian this time or not. If yes, i would recommend you to buy souvenirs or have your clothes made in Hoian - much cheaper. Many Autralian have done these in Hoian

Mr Phuoc

Ben Thanh market is good for wandering around %26amp; looking, but not so good for shopping - vendors here charge full tourist prices.

I%26#39;d recommend the following:

Dan Sinh market (mostly army surplus, military memorabilia)

Tan Dinh market (good example of a local %26#39;wet market%26#39;

Binh Tay market (in Chinatown - huge wholesale market)

An Dong (good for clothing in particular, good food stalls as well, and good prices)

Saigon Square (fake designer goods, watches, clothing, bags, DVDs)

ill be sure to write a review when we get back regarding Bich Duyen. Chanh has been wonderful with responding to our emails.

We are going to Hoi An as well.

Many thanks

Izzy

If you go around by Taxi, be sure he can speak or understand english, because I have found that speaking Vietnamese is a challenge for westerners. You think you have pronounced it correctly and the taxi driver will say ok and proceed to take you around and around and eventually you will see he doesnt have a clue where you what to go or pretends he dont just to run up the fare. A map can help but I have been living in Saigon more than 2 years and still can get lost especially around Dist 5, and 10, where some of the best markets are. Oh Saigon Square closed down maybe 2 years ago in its original location, office building/shops taking its place maybe they will have finished in time for the next millenium.

Hi Izzy,

We are also staying at this hotel in 4 weeks.When are you staying ?.

Nat

Hi there,

Thanks everyone!

We will be there at the end of this month for 3 nights.

Izzy

Hi Izzy,

If you go to An Dong Markets please let me know what they were like.

Cheers,

Stewie.