Category: Vietnam

Vietnam Travel Guide and Why Go there.

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travel guide Vietnam

Getting from Hanoi to Hue (and return)

Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, is located in the center of the country. It is directly connected to the Nguyễn Dynasty. During the Vietnam War it went through hard times when it was conquered by Viet Cong and then bombarded by the Americans. Many travelers visit the city for the Imperial Citadel and the Tombs of the Emperors.

Quick summary

Trains are the best choice for traveling between Hanoi and Hue. You’ll spend 13-15 hours traveling but you’ll be in a comfortable bed with AC and also have access to restaurant car. If you are in a hurry, consider flying (about three times as expensive as the train).

Flights from Hanoi (airport code: HAN) to Hue

Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) is the airport serving Hanoi , a hub for Air Mekong and Vietnam Airlines. Hue is served by Phu Bai International Airport (HUI) and only receives flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Flights between the two cities are run only by Vietnam Airlines, which means there’s no competition on the route and the rates are not very low. If you book via large booking engines (such as Kayak), a single adult fare starts at US$200. On local websites you can find flights (for the same dates and airline) from US$87. The flight time is 1h 10 min.

>>read more about Cheap Flights to Hanoi

Trains from Hanoi to Hue

Hue is located on the North – South ‘Reunification’ Main Line, which connects the capital of Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Over the years this route has seen some improvements, all trains having AC cars.

There are 6 main trains connecting Hanoi to Hue daily (more connections available during the Tet holiday period). The travel time between the two cities is between 13 hours and 15 hours, depending on the train you choose. Overnight trains are available.

The SE1 (7 p.m. daily) and SE3 (11 p.m. daily) trains are the best choices as they have three types of sleepers , all with AC and a restaurant car. Tickets range from 442000 dong / US$21.20 (soft seat, AC) to 748000 dong / US$36 (soft sleeper AC).

>>read more about Train travel in Vietnam

Buses from Hanoi to Hue

There are frequent buses connecting Hanoi to Hue, a route which is mostly popular among locals. The travel time is 13-14 hours and if you have problems with motion sickness it’s advisable to choose another means of transportation. For this route, tourists are advised to take the train as it offers a more comfortable alternative at good prices.

>>read more about Bus travel in Vietnam

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Getting from Hanoi to Sapa (and return)

Sapa is a picturesque village located in northern Vietnam, close to the border with China. It is a major travel destination and is appreciate both for its landscape and cultural diversity. The surrounding countryside is characterized by lush vegetation, rice terraces and you can also find the highest peak in Vietnam here. Along with Halong Bay, Sapa is another popular side trip from Hanoi.

Unless you plan to rent a motorbike and drive 10 hours from Hanoi to Sapa, the only way to travel between the two cities is by train (followed by a short bus ride).

Trains from Hanoi to Sapa

The trains to Lao Chai depart from part “B” of Hanoi’s main railway station. Lao Cai is about 40 km from Sapa and that’s where the train station is (Sapa doesn’t have one). From there you can take a shuttle bus for the remaining part of the trip (ticket: 40000 dong / about US$2, but you can bargain to 30000 dong).

The train journey – on tourist (private) trains – from Hanoi to Lao Cai is between 7 h 30 min and 8 h 30 min, depending on the type of train you choose. All are night trains (leaving Hanoi from 8:35 p.m. to 9:55 p.m.) and fares range from US$35 (4 berth cabin, AC) to US$85 (VIP cabin, express train).

The normal Vietnamese railways trains take 10 hours to get from Hanoi to Lao Cai. There are 5 (five) departures a day, the earliest at 6:10 a.m. There are also 3 night trains (9:10 p.m., 9:50 p.m. and 10 p.m.). The single adult fare on overnight trains ranges from 210000 dong / US$10 (soft seat AC or hard sleeper) and 450000 dong / US$21.60(soft sleeper, AC). The single adult fares on daytime trains are: 110000 dong / US$5.30 hard seat and 133000 dong / US$6.40soft seat.

>>read more about Train travel in Vietnam
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Visit Vietnam this September and enjoy the beach

Not many travelers know that Vietnam is one of the cheap beach destinations in the world. China Beach, located close to Da Nang – the country’s third largest city -, is a surfers’ paradise and thanks to its location, swimming and other water activities are possible here year round.

So why not head to Vietnam this September? In general, getting tickets to Vietnam is not a very expensive deal. Consider flying through one of the large travel hubs in Asia, such as Bangkok. Flights from London to Ho Chi Minh City start at US$1068 return , while if you leave from New York you’ll pay from US$1030 return. Both flights require a stopover (either in Bangkok or in Hong Kong).

From Ho Chi Minh City, travel to Da Nang by plane, train or bus. Unless you want to see the country while you travel and don’t plan to make additional stops along the way, you can get a domestic cheap flight between the two cities. Otherwise, buses are the cheapest option.

You should look for budget accommodation in Da Nang , as it’s the closest large town to China Beach. Expect to pay from US$30 per room, per night in mid-range hotels.

Another option in Vietnam is Nha Trang, the most famous sea side resort in the county. Aside from swimming and soaking up the sun, you can try diving and snorkeling or see some of the waterfalls located near-by.

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Getting from Hanoi to Halong Bay (and return)

Halong Bay is located in northern Vietnam, about 170 km from the capital of Hanoi . It is famous for the rock formations jotting out of the water. The site is best seen by boat and that’s why most travelers come here on a boat tour or cruise from Hanoi. However, it’s also possible to travel to Halong Bay independently and then tour the bay by boat.

Buses from Hanoi to Halong Bay

There are public buses departing every 30 minutes, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.., from Hanoi. Buses depart from Gia Lam Station and Luong Yen station. The price is 50000 dong (at the time the article was written). The travel time is 5 to 6 hours, depending on how often the driver stops.

>>read more about Bus travel in Vietnam

Driving from Hanoi to Halong Bay

You can rent a car in Hanoi and drive to Halong Bay. The shortest driving route between Hanoi and Halong Bay is 144 km and it can be covered is less than 3 hours.

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Train Travel in Vietnam

Train travel is the best alternative to bus travel in Vietnam. While it’s still affordable, traveling by train is definitely more comfortable than traveling by bus. Plus you can see the countryside as you travel. If you want to travel from abroad to Vietnam by train, it’s only possible to do so from China.

Traveling within Vietnam by train

Vietnam Railways System (VRS) is the main domestic service operator. The total length of railway is 2.652 km, connecting almost every province and city in the country. The main travel routes are from north to south (Hanoi to Saigon) and from Hanoi to the northwest and northeast. The train linking Hanoi to Saigon is often referred to as ‘Reunification Express’.

There are four types of classes in Vietnamese trains:

  • hard seat: it’s the good choice for day travel
  • hard berth: there are six beds in the compartment; the cheapest is the upper bed
  • soft seat: without AC in the summer, but more comfortable than the hard seat (benches)
  • soft berth: there are four beds in the compartment, which closes as there is a door. The price is the same for all beds

There are two major types of trains: SE and TN. SE trains have AC during summer and a restaurant car. TN are the slower, older trains, with no AC.

It is possible to book a ticket online. It’s also advisable to check the schedule and pricing before you make any plans (as they tend to change about twice a year). Tickets can be bought from travel agents and in the railway stations, as well. All trains require a reservation .

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Bus Travel in Vietnam

Flying is the fastest way to travel within the country, but it’s also the most expensive (although compared to other countries, it’s still cheap). Traveling by bus in Vietnam is the most popular way to get around the country if you are on a low budget. You can stop wherever you want, stay there as much as you want and then continue your journey. Compared to the train, the bus hardly offers a comfortable trip (it most often is described as feeling like in a sardine can). However, it remains the cheapest way to get around Vietnam.

Getting to/from Vietnam by bus – from another country

There are boarding crossings with Cambodia, China and Laos. All can be used by foreign travelers. In general, traveling to Vietnam by bus can be just as uncomfortable as traveling within the country. But do add the facts that: you’ll be hassled by those who can obtain the visas for you (for money , of course), you’ll wait for hours at border crossings and you’ll travel with cargo (including live animals). There are VIP buses available as well.

Getting around Vietnam by bus – from one city to another

Long-distance buses connect most cities in Vietnam. Do plan to travel either early in the morning or during the night, in order to avoid both the traffic and the afternoon showers. The road speeds are low and you’ll end up traveling 8 hours to cover 276 km. Do remember that Vietnamese buses are made for the locals and Westerners might find them too small and uncomfortable.

The open tour buses are run by many companies and are designed for travelers. They offer door-to-door service at very low prices (i.e.US$20-25 to get from Hanoi to Saigon). You can stop any time you want and resume travel at your own leisure.

Be careful and keep your eyes on your possessions at all time, especially on the night buses. Typically, a travel lock will do the trick. And try not to show your expensive items. Stick to the good old mp3 player or reading a book (during the day). When you arrive at the destination and you are asked if you have booked a hotel, the answer is always “yes” (in order to avoid the taxi scams).

Getting around Vietnam by bus- within a city

In Hanoi the public buses are cheap and scam free. But they are a bit hard to figure out at first. There are 60 bus lines and the flat fare is 3000 dong.

In Saigon there are 150 bus routes. All buses are bright green, so they are hard to miss. Public bus travel in Saigon is cheap, safe and not crowded.

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Living Long-Term in Vietnam

Who among those of us who love to travel hasn’t fallen so in love with one place or another during a trip, so much so that you’d consider moving to another country no matter what you had to do to make it happen? For many long-term travelers, the country of choice is in Southeast Asia – not least because the weather and cost of living are both incredibly appealing. But whereas Thailand has long been the frontrunner when it came to its expat population, more and more people are choosing Vietnam these days.

One of the things to consider when you’re thinking about becoming an expat – in Vietnam or anywhere else – is how you’ll support yourself. If you’re in the midst of a round the world trip you might have enough saved up to live in an inexpensive country like Vietnam for quite awhile before you need to think about having some sort of income, but you’ll eventually need to figure out whether you can work in the country legally or whether you need a job that you can do from anywhere.

If you opt for a job in-country, you can settle into your new life fairly easily by living just like the locals do. If, on the other hand, your job is a “location independent” situation that requires you to be connected to a headquarters somewhere on the other side of the planet now and then, you’ll need to make absolutely sure that internet access isn’t hard to come by. It’s easy to forget that much of the world remains internet-free, and when you’re traveling that’s sometimes a huge plus – but working remotely isn’t usually possible without internet access. All those fabulous online travel tools are basically useless if you can’t get online.

Have you ever lived for an extended period of time in Vietnam? Would you recommend it as a good place to be an expat?

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Foodies Flock to Vietnam

Vietnam is heaven for anyone who loves trying exotic dishes, who delights in the discovery of delicious and low-cost eats, and who lives to sample new street food. The food in Vietnam is delicious, healthy, and cheap and is an excellent way to better understand the culture. As Anthony Bourdain says, “If you miss the street food experience? You’ve missed everything.”

First stop on your culinary tour should be Vietnamese spring rolls, then try some pho (soup with noodles, spices, veggies and meat) and then move on to bahn mi, baguette with pickled carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, meat, pate and mayo.

You’ll find street food pretty much every where you look in Vietnam, from the fish market in Nha Trang to the streets of Saigon. Don’t be shy about trying new things – prices are so low (around $1 US for a heaping bowl of pho) that you can sample a lot; if you don’t like something you can afford to buy something else. And despite outward appearances, street food stalls are often more hygenic than some touristy restaurants, especially because the food is made right in front of you and never sits around for long.

But, much as it might be temping, you can’t just wander the streets eating 24 hours a day. Luckily, like street food, everything else in Vietnam is quite cheap too. Cheap hotels in Southeast Asia put moderate hotels in the US to shame, and if your tastes run to the more basic accommodations, you can score a clean, comfortable no-frills room in a hostel for less than the cost of a fast-food meal at home. Flights to Vietnam will be your biggest expense, but once here, you can live – and eat – like a king on a very small budget.

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Going to Hoi An for the Custom Clothes

You don’t have to be a fashionista to appreciate having nice clothes to wear. But most of the time, you do get what you pay for – which means budget travelers who are more intent on travel than on accumulating “stuff” will pass over quality clothing pieces in favor of saving that money for a trip. But more travelers are discovering the custom tailoring done in Hoi An for a fraction of what it would cost anywhere else in the world. So in this case, you really can have your cake and eat it, too.

For whatever reason, Hoi An is full of excellent seamstresses and the streets are lined with tailoring shops. It’s not the ideal place to spend an entire Vietnam vacation, to be sure, but the city’s sole industry is enough of a lure that getting custom clothes in Hoi An is on many a backpacker’s to-do list. Whether someone wants to get a few suits made for that job they’ll get once they’re done traveling or they’re just looking for a few nice duds to wear to parties back home, Hoi An is the place to go.

Luckily, Vietnam is one of those places that’s popular enough with backpackers and budget travelers that it keeps a steady stream of people coming into the country. Flights from USA to Vietnam tend to be cheaper in January and October, and are generally cheaper from the US west coast, but prices don’t go from extreme highs to extreme lows. In other words, while it pays to do advance research on ticket prices you aren’t likely to see prices double or halve overnight.

When it comes to accommodation, Vietnam is among the cheapest places to be – so even if you splurge on a place that seems like one of the expensive hotels in Asia it will likely not put a huge dent in your travel budget. And that’s an especially good thing if you’re planning to restock your entire wardrobe in Hoi An…

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Hoi An

japanese bridge hoi anHoi An was a very important seaport in the 16th century. Today it’s a small city on the coast of South China Sea and has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.

How to get to Hoi An

The closest airport to Hoi An is Danang. There are frequent flights from Hanoi and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) into Danang, as well as some flights from the near-by countries.

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