Thorn Tree travel forum

1

What to see in Vietnam?

Here is a list of sightseeing places in VN, please choose what you want to see:

1. HANOI (many museums, lakes, parks, old French buildings. On 10 Oct 2010, Hanoi will celebrate the 1,000 year anniversary)
2. SAPA (mountain scenery, trekking to ethnic minority villages), BAC HA (Sunday morning market)
3. MAI CHAU (Thai ethnic minority villages)
4. SON LA – DIEN BIEN PHU (battle field where the French troops were defeated in 1954)
5. NINH BINH (rural life, caves, beautiful stone churches, Cuc Phuong national park)
6. HA LONG BAY (the world heritage, thousands of islands)
7. BA BE LAKE (240km from Hanoi, the largest lake in north VN)
8. PHONG NHA CAVE (the world heritage, near Dong Hoi, central VN)
9. HUE (the old capital of VN in the 19th century, visit the Imperial Citadel, tombs, cruise along the Perfume river)
10. DMZ (Vinh Moc tunnels, Ben Hai river - the place where Vietnam used to be divided into the North and the South for 21 years during American war, Khe Sanh combat base)
11. HOI AN (ancient streets, the world heritage)
12. MY SON (brick temples, the world heritage)
13. NHA TRANG (beaches, islands, scuba diving)
14. MUI NE (beaches, sand dunes)
15. DA LAT (highlands, cool weather, waterfalls and lakes)
16. CENTRAL HIGHLANDS (Gia Lai - Kon Tum - Dak Lak, special culture, best coffee)
17. SAI GON (the most developed city, night life)
18. MEKONG DELTA (floating villages & markets, nice beach in Ha Tien)
19. CU CHI TUNNELS (American War)
20. PHU QUOC ISLAND (beaches, fishing villages)

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2

World heritage sites in Vietnam

As of 2007, there are 5 UNESCO world heritage sites located in northern and central Vietnam, and 2 intangible world heritages. Following is some basic information:

UNESCO WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE SITES

1. Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province - (recognized in December 1994)

Ha Long Bay is made of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. There are 2 kinds of islands, limestone and schist, which are concentrated in 2 main zones: the South East (belonging to Bai Tu Long Bay) and the South West (belonging to Ha Long Bay). This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves.

2. Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province - (recognized in July 2003)

Phong Nha - Ke Bang national park (200,000 ha) is one of the world's two largest limestone regions which includes beautiful limestone formations, grottoes and caves.

Phong Nha caves (over 30 caves and total discovered length of 100km) has the longest underground rivers, the largest caverns and passageways, the widest and prettiest sand banks, and the most astonishing rock formations in the world.

UNESCO WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES

3. Hue Imprerial City in central Vietnam (recognized in December 1993)

Hue served as Vietnam's political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Hue's attractions are the splendid toms of the Nguyen emperors, several notable pagodas and the remains of the Imperial Citadel.

4. Hoi An Ancient Town - 30km south of Da Nang city (recognized in December 1999)

The ancient town of Hoi An used to be occupied by early western traders and became one of the major trading centers of South East Asia in the 16th century. It has a distinct Chinese atmosphere with low, tile-roofed houses made of wood and narrow streets.

5. My Son Sanctuary - 69km southwest of Da Nang city (recognized in December 1999)

My Son used to be an imperial city during the Cham dynasty from the 4th to the 12th centuries. It is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural towers of red brick which were built to reflect the divinity of the king.

INTANGIBLE HERITAGES (Unesco Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity)

6. The royal music in Hue - (recognized in November 2003).

7. The gong (Cong Chieng) in the Central Highlands - (recognized in November 2005).

8. Quan Ho folk songs in Bac Ninh province - (recognized in September 2009)

9. Ca Tru singing in Hanoi - (recognized in October 2009)

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3

Taxi/bus from airports to cities/towns

This post was updated in December 2007 thanks to the help of some TTers.

1. HANOI: From Noi Bai airport to the Old Quarter (30km):

• by Noi Bai taxi (tel 8868888): VND 200,000 (US$12.5)

• by 15-seat mini bus of Vietnam Airlines: US$2 from the airport to Vietnam Airlines Head Office at No. 1 Quang Trung St. From there you can walk to the Old Quarter.

• by public bus: first you get bus No. 7 (yellow & red color) VND 5,000 from Noi Bai airport to Cau Giay, then change into bus No. 9 (VND 3,000) from Cau Giay to Bo Ho (Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi center). From there you can walk to the Old Quarter. The total costs for both bus trips would be VND 8,000 (or 50 US cents).

2. HUE: From Phu Bai airport to Hue city (13km)

Taxi: US$8
Airport bus: US$2

3. HOI AN: From Da Nang airport to Hoi An town (30km)

Taxi: about US$12.

4. NHA TRANG: From Cam Ranh airport to Nha Trang (about 30-40km)

(Note: Nha Trang airport was closed some years ago. You will fly to/from Cam Ranh airport which is located about 30-40km south of Nha Trang)

Taxi: VND 150,000 (US$9) for a 4-seat taxi, VND 180,000 (US$11) for a 7-seat taxi.

This info was posted by Xuan on Dec 15, 2007:

• Transfer from the Cam Ranh airport to Nha Trang City (and return): A shuttle bus is operated in connection with every Vietnam Airlines flight. Expect VND 22.000 (US$1.5) per person to reach the old airport of Nha Trang. From there you will be able to go on foot (800 m) to the hotels by the sea. Taxis also wait on arrival of the shuttle bus. After having dropped passengers at the old air terminal, the bus carries on its way and goes to the major hotels in the town. The charge is VND 30.000 (about US$2) per person then. A service of taxi (at offficially fixed price) also exists between the Cam Ranh airport and Nha Trang city: cost is VND 150.000 (US$9) for a regular 4-seat taxi OR VND 180.000 (US$11) for a 7-seat taxi. It takes 45min for a taxi ride.”

5. HCMC: From Tan Son Nhat airport to the Backpacker area (Pham Ngu Lao St, Dist 1)

Taxi: VND 70,000 (about US$5), it takes about 25 minutes.

Public bus of green and white color: VND 3,000 (20 US cents) from the airport to Pham Ngu Lao or De Tham St., in District 1 where you can find cheap hotels, restaurants and travel agents.

NOTE

Be careful with the fake taxis in the large cities as they will overcharge you.
Don't take the offer from taxi drivers or touts, who want to take you to their hotels.
You can easily find a taxi/bus ticket counter in the arrival hall.
You also can book in advance with your hotel for a pick up.

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4

Vietnamese Food

This is information about Vietnamese food recommended in some posts on the TT, thanks to Muzzman, Kym_h, Ralphnhatrang (pls post "Nha Trang food" here) and one more poster for these information:

HANOI:

Chả Cá Lã Vọng, 14 Chả Cá St, serves Chả cá (grilled boneless fish cubes marinated in dill served with rice noodles and peanuts). This is brought on a charcoal brazier along with noodles to your table. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor in a weathered building. Nevertheless the restaurant has been written up by several noted travel magazines.

Across the street, try the Bánh cuốn - meat and mushroom wrapped in a fresh rice crepe - at Bánh Cuốn Nóng, 17 Chả Cá Street. It's a nice light meal.

Brother’s Café (26 Nguyen Thai Hoc) We went for the lunch buffet which is $5.50 per person. The restaurant is beautiful in a wonderful courtyard. The food was also excellent. We would highly recommend a leisurely lunch or dinner here.

Baquette and Chocolate – (11 Cha Ca Street) This bakery is a training school. I recommend visiting for coffee and pastries. They do also serve food here, if you want food, I would recommend going for lunch. We went for dinner and they were out of most of the food on the menu. Back to the pastry and coffee, both were EXCELLENT. Also the interior, especially upstairs is wonderful. Try to go!

Hoa Sua Restaurant – (81 Nhyam Street???, hongha think "Tho Nhuom St") – same organization as Baquette and Chocolate. Great atmosphere at this restaurant. You can eat outside, downstairs inside or upstairs inside. We ate outside on a wonder warm day and really enjoyed. If you want to eat indoors I would recommend upstairs which is very beautiful. We had very delicious fresh spring rolls and Pho. We also had WONDERFUL desserts – apple crisp with ice cream and ice cream with pastry puffs and chocolate sauce. They also have great iced coffee.

Hanoi Garden – (36 Hang Manh) - The grilled duck was excellent. The rest of the food was very mediocre. All and all I would say this dinner was not worth the $20 cost.

Tamarind Café – (80 Ma May) – Home of Handspam Travel which used for 3 trips and highly recommend. Tamarind Café – pretty expensive for what you get – priced in US dollars not Dong. The food is very good so look at the menu before ordering and decide whether you willing to pay there prices.

Nikko Hotel Lunch Buffet – (84 Tran Nhan Tong) - $13.90 beer included. Very little Vietnamese food but very cold draft Tiger beer and delicious sushi and sashimi! A very good value for delicious sushi and sashimi.

Sofitel Metropole Hotel Sunday Seafood Buffet (15 Ngo Quyen) – This was our last big splurge before heading home. The cost is steep at $25 a person ++. However, if you like seafood and can afford it go. I think you will agree that this is a serious bargain. The seafood is absolutely delicious. Also the service is wonderful and they have wonderful live jazz music.

***

For sampling Vietnamese food, I suggest Phở Tái (a beef noodle soup commonly found throughout the country), beef in 7 courses, Mì xào (Chinese style egg noodles), both of which can be found on Ngõ Cấm Chỉ St off of Hàng Bông St in the Old Quarter. Goat meat can be sampled on Láng Hạ, south of the US Embassy, and if dog meat strikes your fancy, go to Nghi Tàm Road between West Lake and the Red River. Hoàn Kiếm is also a very good place to search for delcious Vietnamese restaurants. I recommend Hoa Sữa (French/Vietnamese), a restaurant that teaches improverished youths the restaurant business. Tống Duy Tân Street, where the king’s food was cooked in ancient times, at the junction of Điện Biên Phủ and Hàng Bông streets is busy with noodle shops serving seafood dishes and Gà tần, a chicken soup cooked with eight Chinese herbs considered especially good for health. Make sure to avoid dishes with “ scallops” as they are very tough. Xôi Alley, off of Tống Duy Tân Street towards Tràng Thi Street is a great place to go for Xôi, or sticky rice. Xôi is a rice served with sausage , boiled egg ,dried shredded pork , or cucumbers and fish sauce . Here you can find sticky rice, fried noodles , or Phở any time of day and late into the night. Also, a word of caution: Do not eat at roadside vendors or little holes in the wall, or drink tap water or ice.

***

Bún Bò Nam Bộ: (67 Hàng Điếu Street) beef and noodle of southern style, VND 15,000.

Bún chả: (Hàng Mành Street) pork barbecue and noodle

HUE

Mai Dao (21 Nguyen Thai Hoc) – Very delicious Pho soup 6,000-8,000 depending on what you get in it. The people that work at this restaurant are very nice.

Bun Bo Hue – (11 b Ly Thurong Kiet) This is also a soup restaurant. This came with a whole pork chop in it. It was very delicious and 6,000 Dong. I asked for beer. The did not have any but the mother sent her daughter to get some and she returned a few minutes later with a nice cold Huda beer. This delicious beer was 8,000 Dong.

Hanh (4 NguyenTri Phuong) This place only serves small “Happy Pancake” Banh Xeo. This was probably the most delicious thing we ate the whole time we were in Vietnam. The pancake was very crisp and the toppings were so delicious. Cost 4,000 Dong.

Banh beo Cung An Dinh (rice cakes with shrimp) at No. 31, Kiet 177, Phan Dinh Phung, Hue, and "Banh khoai - nem lui" (fried cake with shrimp) at No. 6 Dinh Tien Hoang St., Hue (2 restaurants with the same cakes "banh khoai" so be careful to choose the exact number).

DA NANG

My Quang (noolde with shrimp and chicken) at No. 1, Hai Phong Street, near railway station.

HOI AN

Vinh Hung Restaurant (147 Tan Phu Street) – very good food, excellent espresso and best of all is just people watching. This is a great location – go enjoy the food and people watching. We enjoyed 2 afternoon visits for coffee/espresso and people watching!!!!

Brothers Café (27 Phan Boi Chau) – had set menu dinner, $12 per person. With drinks, coffee, dessert and tax and tip the cost was about $40. Not a good value in our opinion.

Ly Café 22 (I forget address) – Very good food at very reasonable prices – strong recommendation. We had white rose, cau lau and Ly’s special pork. All were excellent.

The Cargo Club (107 Nguyen Thai Hoc) – A wonderful place for coffee and pastries after dinner. You can sit at small tables in front of the restaurant and watch the world go round. We felt the 50,000 ($3) for 2 desserts and 2 coffee was very worthwhile.

HCMC – SAIGON

Kim Café – (De Tham Street) – Very surprised by the high quality and of the food. I would especially recommend the squid with vegetables. Total cost of lunch for was 78,000 Dong or about $5. We enjoyed so much we went back for breakfast 2 days later.

Pho 2000 – (not sure of address but you can find as this place is pretty famous since President Clinton ate here.) The Pho is very delicious. However, it is also 19,000 Dong were Pho is usually between 5,000-8,000 Dong. Is it worth the extra Dong? In my opinion – NO.

333 Café – (De Tham Street) – We had chicken curry, steamed shrimp and chicken noodle soup. We did not find the food to be all that good and thus can not recommend.

Quon An Ngon (138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia), a great way to try a variety of delicious Vietnamese food.

Hu Tiu Nam Vang (Quynh at A65, Nguyen Trai St., Dist. 1): a soup from Mekong Delta with vermicelli noodles, pork pices, two shrimps, onions and herbs.

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5

Food for Vegetarians

Tôi ãn chay = I'm a vegetarian

Based on the Timeout Guide to Hanoi and HCM City:

Hanoi:

1. Com Chay Nang Tam: 79A Tran Hung Dao st., (tel: 9424140)
2. Dakshin: 94 Hang Trong st., (tel: 9286872)
3. Adida: 37 Nguyen Khac Nhu st.,(tel: 9272430)

HCM City:

1. Com Chay Nang Tam: 384/40, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, ward 8, Ditrict 3 (tel: 8483874)
2. Hoa Mai restaurant: Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue st., District 1 (tel: 8292185)
3. Tib restaurant: 187 Hai Ba Trung st., District 3 (tel: 8297242)

(Updated in October 2007)

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6

To learn Vietnamese

Please see this link

Here is info about Vietnamese Language Centers in the Timeout Guide to Hanoi and HCMC:

HANOI:

Vietnamese Language Center

1. No. 1, Pham Ngu Lao St., Tel: 8262468

2. No. 20 Lang Ha St., Tel: 7761123

HCMC:

1. Lassho Vietnamese Language School for Foreigners
No. 8, Mac Dinh Chi St., Dist 1, Tel: 8233816

2. Sai Gon Vietnamese Language School
No. 41 Dinh Tien Hoang St., Ben Nghe ward, District 1, HCMC
Tel: 84-8-8251027
Email: vietnamese@svlsf.edu.vn

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7

Travel overland from China to Hanoi

From China to Hanoi, you can follow these routes:

1. Kunming - Hekou - Lao Cai - Hanoi (by bus/train)

2. Nanning - PingXiang - Huu Nghi Quan / Frienship Pass (17km from Lang Son) - Hanoi (by train/bus)

3. Nanning - DongXing - Mong Cai - Hanoi (by express boat Mong Cai - Ha Long, then by bus Ha Long - Hanoi, OR by bus Nanning - Ha Long - Hanoi)

***

DETAILS

1. Kunming - Hekou - Lao Cai - Hanoi:

No train on Chinese side. From Kunming to Hekou border gate, if you travel by bus, the distance is 490km. It took us almost 10 hours to travel by bus, including time for lunch. From Hekou to Lao Cai town, it takes 10 minutes by motorbike. You go to Lao Cai railway station and buy a train ticket to Hanoi (overnight train).

So, the total distance from Kunming to Hanoi: 490km by bus and over 300km by train.

For more info about how to travel overland between Kunming and Hanoi, pls read posts #111 and #112 in this thread.

2. Nanning - PingXiang - Lang Son - Hanoi:

By bus: Huu Nghi Quan / Frienship Pass is located 17km from Lang Son town. It is recommended that you arrive at Friendship Pass (customs and immigration) before 4:30 PM, because they do not stamp foreign passports after that time.

By train: If you travel from Beijing - Nanning - Hanoi, the trip would take about 40 hours. You will change the train at Dong Dang border town. The rail width in China is 1.4m, while in Vietnam it's only 1m.

For more info about how to travel overland between Nanning and Hanoi, pls read posts #105 and #106 in this thread.

Please refer to Travelmaven's report "Hong Kong to Hanoi overland" posted some years ago. In fact, now it's easy to travel directly by bus between Nanning and Hanoi without finding other local means of transport:

. Express train from Hong Kong train station to Guangzhou - 230 HKD
. Taxi from Guangzhou East train station to the main Guangzhou train station. - 16 RMB
. Overnight soft sleeper to Nanning - 548 RMB.
. Train from Nanning to PingXiang - 30 RMB.
. Tuk tuk to customs and immigration - 24 RMB.
. Taxi to Lang Son - $3.
. Minibus to Hanoi - $3 (Depending on the number of people in the minivan, and the price agreed upon). It takes about 3.5 hours to get Hanoi from Lang Son.


3. Nanning - DongXing - Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hanoi:

This info was posted on Asia North East Asia Branch about the bus from Nanning to Ha Long:

"There are direct bus from Nanning to Halong Bay, departs 8:00am in the morning, from River South Bus Centre (Jiang Nan Ke Yun Zhong Xing). The bus crosses the border at DongXing border town instead of Gate of Friendship. Total bus travel time from Nanning to Halong bay is 9 hours. Cost 100 yuan."

You can also go by express boat from Mong Cai to Ha Long then by bus to Hanoi.

Also refer to this link Mong Cai Border Crossing

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8

Border crossings between Vietnam and Laos

Although this post is dated “9 Oct 2005”, we have read the posts in TT and regularly updated the information.

This post was updated in July 2009”

Information source: Steve252's list of border crossings between Vietnam and Laos and trip reports posted by TTers.

Please be noted that at some remote border crossings, you may find some hassles in renting vehicles to get from A to B, and it takes quite much time to travel between the two countries. Daily buses between Hanoi and Vientiane (see post #93 in this thread) and between Hue and Savanakhet seem the only regular service for the tourists. The fastest way is one-hour flight Hanoi - Vientiane or Hanoi - Luang Prabang with Lao Airlines or Vietnam Airlines, about US$120-150 one way.

The bus ride from Hanoi to Vientiane takes about 22-24 hours or longer. The bus ride from Hue to Savanakhet takes about 9 hours.

***

Border crossings from north to south Laos province/Vietnam province:-

1) “Phongsali - Tay Trang" (Dien Bien Phu) – OPEN (Laos VoA: Yes)

This border crossing was open since May 2007.

2) "Nam Xoi - Na Meo" Hua Phan/Thanh Hoa or Mai Chau - OPEN (Laos VoA: Yes)

3) "Nong Haet - Muang Xen" Xieng Khuang/Nghe An - OPEN (Laos VoA: YES)

4) “Laksao - Cau Treo” (Vinh): see post #69 in this thread

5) Nam Pao / Ban Heu / Cha Lo Khammuan/Quang Binh - ???? - confirmation, anyone?

6) "Lao Bao" Savannakhet/Quang Tri - OPEN (Laos VoA: Yes)

7) "Ban Pakha - Bo Y" (near Kon Tum) - OPEN



***

Hongha: I keep some reports (#1 "Tay Trang crossing", #2 "Na Meo - Nam Xoi crossing" and #3 "Muang Xen - Nong Haet crossing") made by TTers after crossing these borders in 2005 - 2007. Please send me a private message if you need them.

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9

Additional info to post #8

Sorry, Steve252, I forgot one more paragraph in your list:

"I reckon there's also a second crossing between Hua Phan & Thanh Hoa, south of "Na Meo"; plus a second crossing between Khammuan & Quang Binh, south of Nam Pao / Ban Heu / Cha Lo; AFAIK both are 100% closed to foreigners" (by Steve252).

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10

Flights in and out of Vietnam

This post was updated in November 2008.

Internal flights

There are 4 local airlines in Vietnam at present. They are Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific Airlines, Indochina Airlines and Vasco. 2 more airlines (Vietjet Air and Mekong Air) have been licensed and will soon be in operation.

VIETNAM AIRLINES (state owned company): From December 2008, you can book on line with this airlines.
JETSTAR PACIFIC AIRLINES: This is a budget airline, i.e. the sooner you book, the cheaper air ticket you can get.
INDOCHINA AIRLINES: This airlines started the first flights from 25 November 2008.
VASCO only flies on some routes in southern Vietnam.


International flights

There are 3 international airports in Vietnam, one in Hanoi (Noi Bai int'l airport), one in Da Nang (Da Nang int'l airport) and the last one in Sai Gon (Tan Son Nhat int'l airport). Airport tax US$14 has been included in your ticket according to the regulation, but you'd better confirm with your airlines.


There are 5 budget airlines that fly between Vietnam and Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Phillipines at present. They are Air Asia (Hanoi/Sai Gon - BKK, Hanoi/Sai Gon - LCCT in Kuala Lumpur), Nok Air (Hanoi - BKK), Tiger Airways (Hanoi/Sai Gon - Singapore), Jet Star (Sai Gon - Singapore), Cebu Pacific (Hanoi/Sai Gon - Clark).


Below are some air routes in SE Asia that I know at present. Please note that the departure place is "Vietnam", but it's also means vice versa.

1. From Vietnam to LAOS

Hanoi - Vientiane: Vietnam Airlines, Lao Airlines (code share)
Hanoi - Luang Prabang: Vietnam Airlines, Lao Airlines
Sai Gon - Vientiane: Vietnam Airlines

2. From Vietnam to THAILAND

Hanoi - Bangkok: Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Thai Air Asia, Nok Air, Air France, Lao Airlines (via Vientiane)
Sai Gon - Bangkok: Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Thai Air Asia, Air France, Lufthansa, Bangkok Airways
Da Nang - Bangkok: PB Air

3. From Vietnam to CAMBODIA

Hanoi - Phnom Penh (via Vientiane): Vietnam Airlines, Lao Airlines
Hanoi - Siem Reap: Vietnam Airlines
Sai Gon - Siem Reap: Vietnam Airlines
Da Nang - Siem Reap: Silk Air (no opposite flight Siem Reap - Da Nang)

4. From Vietnam to MYANMAR

No direct flight. You must fly Hanoi - BKK, then connect your flight to Yangon on Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways or Air Asia. Another way is you fly to Chiang Mai, then connect your flight to Mandalay on Air Mandalay (once a week).

5. From Vietnam to MALAYSIA

Hanoi - LCCT in KL: Air Asia
Hanoi - KL int'l airport: Vietnam Airlines, Malaysia Airlines

6. From Vietnam to SINGAPORE

Hanoi - Singapore: Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Tiger Airways
Sai Gon - Singapore: Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Tiger Airways, Jet Star
Da Nang - Singapore: Tiger Airways
Singapore - Da Nang: Silk Air (on the way to Siem Reap)

7. From Vietnam to the PHILIPPINES

Hanoi - LCCT in KL - Clark: Air Asia
Sai Gon - Manila: Philippine Airlines

8. From Vietnam to INDONESIA

Hanoi - LCCT in KL - Denpasar: Air Asia
Sai Gon - Singapore - Denpasar/Yogyakarta: Garuda Indonesia

9. From Vietnam to BRUNEI

Hanoi - LCCT in KL - BSB (capital): Air Asia
Sai Gon - BSB (capital): Royal Brunei Airlines

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11

List of Vietnam Embassy and Consulates in China

"This post was updated in May 2008."

Beijing Embassy:
Hotel Landmark, B Building North, 2nd Floor, Qiaoguang Lu, Haizhu Square, Beijing
Tel : 20 8330 5910.

Nanning Consulate
Add: 1st floor, Touzi Dasha, 109 Minzu Avenue, Nanning
Tel : 771 5510560.

Kunming Consulate:
2nd floor, Kai Wah International Hotel, 157 Beijing Lu, Kunming
Tel : 871 3522669 / 3516667.

Shanghai Consulate:
Huanchen Financial Mansion, 900 Pudong Lu.
Tel : 21 -6855 5871 / 5872.

Guangzhou Consulate:
Add: Jin Yang Hotel, 92 Huanshi Xilu, Guangzhou
Tel: 86-20-86527908 ; Fax: 86-20-86527808

Hong Kong Consulate:
Add: 15/F, Great Smart Tower, 230 Van Chai Road, Wan Chai, Hongkong
Tel: 852-25914517/25914510 ; Fax: 852-25914524/25914539

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12

What to see in Vietnam (10 days, 2-3 weeks)

I've seen a lot of similar questions from TTers about what to see in Vietnam on their 10-day, 2-3 week trips. Most of the tourists visit similar locations:

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Mai Chau, Ninh Binh, Hue, DMZ, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Da Lat, Sai Gon, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels.

You can find some "off the beaten path" in the list in my post #1. Depending on your time and interest, you can choose to experience all 3 regions of Vietnam (north, central, south), OR stay in only north or south, OR travel north - central, south - central. First of all, you should know how to move from point to point if you plan to visit normal tourist destinations.

Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba island (book 2-3 day tours, OR go by yourself, one way Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba with tourist company by bus and boat, stay on Cat Ba island, exploring beaches, cave, jungle, fishing villages, then take express boat Cat Ba - Hai Phong and by train/bus Hai Phong - Hanoi.

Hanoi - Lao Cai overnight train (or by bus but it takes a long time), then 30km by bus to Sapa. You should spend 2 nights on train, 2 days for trekking. From Sapa to Bac Ha by bus, about 60km.

Hanoi - Ninh Binh: by train, by tourist bus, or you can rent a car from Hanoi

Hanoi - Mai Chau: 2 day tour, or by bus

Hanoi - Hue: overnight train, by tourist bus or flight

Hanoi - Da Nang: overnight train, by tourist bus or flight

Hue - Hai Van Pass - Da Nang - Hoi An: by train, or by tourist bus, or by taxi (through pass or through tunnel)

Da Nang - Nha Trang: by train, by tourist bus or flight

Nha Trang - Da Lat: by tourist bus

Nha Trang - Sai Gon: by train, by tourist bus or flight

Da Lat - Sai Gon: by tourist bus, or flight

Sai Gon - Mekong Delta: 1-2-3 day tours, or by local bus

Here is my suggestions for your trip (in case you want to see all 3 regions):

10 days or 2 weeks

1-2 days in Hanoi
2 days in Ha Long Bay
Overnight train Hanoi to Hue
1 day in Hue
Bus Hue to Hoi An (4 hours)
Hoi An 1-2 days
Fly Da Nang - Sai Gon (evening flight) US$52
Cu Chi tunnels (half day or 1 day)
Mekong Delta (1-2 day tour)

3 weeks

3 weeks in Vietnam:

1. Ha Noi
2. Ha Long Bay
3. Ninh Binh
(May replace or add Sapa if you like trekking)

Overnight train or flight Hanoi - Hue US$52 one way

4. Hue
5. DMZ

Bus Hue - Hoi An (4 hours)

6. Hoi An - My Son Cham towers

(May add Nha Trang/Mui Ne for beach)

Flight Da Nang - Sai Gon US$52 one way

7. Sai Gon
8. Mekong Delta
9. Cu Chi tunnel

You can add or skip places if you like.

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13

What to see/do in Hanoi

Here is my suggestions about what to see in Hanoi if you have a few days. In the next post I will sum up what to see/eat if you have only 1-2 days.

1. Ho Chi Minh President Mausoleum and Museum
(The Mausoleum is often closed between Oct. and Dec. for annual re-embalming)
2. One-pillar Pagoda
3. Army Museum with Flag Tower
4. National Museum of Fine Arts
5. Van Mieu (Temple of Literature)
6. Hanoi ancient citadel (since the 7th century) is still under excavation, you can visit the Northern gate near Army Museum, opposite to Cửa Bắc church
7. Tran Quoc Pagoda in the west lake

8. Opera House (French style building)
9. History Museum
10. Hilton Prison (Museum)

11. Old Quarter (36 ancient streets)
12. Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son pagoda
13. Water Puppet Theatre
14. St. Joseph Cathedral

15. Museum of Ethnology (8km from Hanoi, closed on Monday)

No. 1 to No. 7 near each other, you can walk.
No. 8 to No. 10 near each other, you can walk.
No. 11 to No. 14 in the center, you can walk.
No. 15 is located in Cau Giay district, 8km from Hanoi center. You can get bus #14 from Hoan Kiem lake to the Museum on Nguyen Van Huyen street (in Vietnamese "Vien Bao tang Dan toc hoc", website www.vme.org.vn), OR rent a car with a local driver, about US$20 for a half day trip.

If you’re interested in ceramics and pottery, you can visit Bat Trang village, 13km from Hanoi (Bus #47 from Long Bien to Bat Trang), or some handicraft, paper, silk, lacqueware villages around Hanoi.

My travel blog and Ao Dai photos

14

1-2 days in Hanoi

Please see this article: The best of Hanoi on 2 days

What to see on 1-2 days in Hanoi:

1. Ho Chi Minh President Mausoleum and Museum
(the Mausoleum is often closed between Oct. & Dec., for annual re-embalming but you can visit the Museum and Ba Dinh square)
2. Army Museum with Flag Tower
3. Van Mieu (Temple of Literature)
4. Hilton Prison (Museum)
5. Opera House (French style building)
6. Old Quarter
7. Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son pagoda
8. St. Joseph Cathedral
9. Water Puppet Theatre (evening, some shows every day you can choose time)

Food:

1. Chả Cá Lã Vọng (fried fish and noodle) at No. 14, Chả Cá Street
2. Bánh cuốn (steamed rice cake with meat & mushroom) at No. 17 Chả Cá Street
3. Phở bò (beef noodle), Phở gà (chicken noodle)
5. Bún chả (noodle with barbecue)
4. Bún bò Nam Bộ (southern noodle) at No. 67 Hàng Điếu Street
5. Nem (spring roll)

Some nice cafeteria:

1. City view cafe (5th floor, No. 7 Dinh Tien Hoang Street)
2. Thuy Ta (No. 1, Le Thai To Street)
3. Jazz club (No. 31, Luong Van Can Street)

My travel blog and Ao Dai photos