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Vietnam 🇻🇳 - Travel Recommendations
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items We completed a 13 day trip to Vietnam - here's the low down on what we did, the order we did it, and tips/tricks for your own adventure!
Sections
6
General Information
Hanoi
Nha Trang
Da Lat
Ho Chi Minh
Travel Items
General Information
Vietnam requires a visa authorization for travel, and are serious sticklers about dates and arrival and exit points. They absolutely will not let you board a plane or even check in if your visa is not 100% correct and accurate. I've also not had a si...
Foreigner apply for e-visa - National portal on Immigration
When using taxis - make sure they are a reputable company *with a meter they use* (such as Vinasun or Mai Linh) or order a taxi via GrabApp. If you set it up ahead of time and register a Visa or Mastercard, a lot of taxi rides will be chargeable to y...
Grab Taxi - Travel Southeast Asia
No sim card changes for us - the e-sims have been excellent and are simple to top up if you are running out of data. And they're cheap! If you don't already have an e-sim provider, I recommend airolo for ease of use and reliability. Also - if you wan...
Local and regional eSIMs for travellers - Airalo
*Everywhere* in Vietnam they will communicate with you via WhatsApp. Hotels, tours, busses - everything. I didn't have mine set up before arriving, which was a mistake. Luckily we had Alec's available and used his to communicate with everyone.
WhatsApp
Hanoi
We spent three days (including our arrival day) in Hanoi and another two days on a cruise in Halong Bay. Be aware that Hanoi, especially the Old Quarter, runs on cash - we only paid with card at one location. We also typically withdraw our cash from ...
Our first option canceled our reservation the day prior to our arrival, so this was a last minute grab, but we loved it. It is located enough in the Old Quarter to be reasonable walking distance from many things, but enough away from the center to be...
San Boutique Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam
A friend recommended we take a foodie tour our first night so we know what local food is out there and get a general feel for what we are interested in. EXCELLENT RECOMMENDATION. Once we saw the menu at the first location we realized how lost we woul...
Hanoi: Private Street Food Walking Tour w/ a Real Foodie
We felt like this is a must-go for Hanoi and generally Vietnam since he is such a prominent figure here. For women - make sure you have your shoulders covered and your shorts or skirt are not too high above the knee or they will not let you in. The m...
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
We could almost see the lake from our hotel, and it is generally very central to the Old Quarter. There is an enjoyable walk around the perimeter with lots of cafe stops and decent shade. Ngoc Son Temple is located in the lake and you must cross Huc ...
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Potterheads unite! This place was amazing and required no reservations. They have a food menu, coffee menu, and cocktail/mocktail menu! My dream of an alcoholic butterbeer was finally granted. Also - the decor is ✨️on point✨️ and they have costume pi...
Always Cafe - Coffee and Butterbeer
Definitely save some time for just exploring and walking the Old Quarter. In the past, streets were organized by what goods or wares they sold; now everything is kind of jumbled. You can barter prices, especially if the items don't have a price marke...
The Old Quarter
Loud music, crowded, and relatively cheap beers. It's an experience and we thoroughly enjoyed the people watching from our roadside perch.
Old Quarter Ta Hien Corner (Beer Street)
Ok - get ready. The locals are going to hound you on this one and we were unprepared. They will not let you walk along the tracks and choose your cafe spot to sit and watch, they find you on the way up the incline to the tracks and will make you eith...
Hanoi Train Street
Such a fun speakeasy! There is a sign on the street right next to Drop In Cafe. You'll enter the room at the sign and have to choose the right book to gain entrance. We didn't have a reservation, just walked in. They have excellent cocktails at a fra...
Bee'znees 1920s
Yes, it is Michelin starred, no it will not break the bank. I believe we paid around 100,000vnd each for our meal, it might have even been cheaper than that (I might be remembering the cost including beer). Excellent beef Pho (add vinegar, not lime -...
Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư – Hanoi - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
Another cheap eats but great quality Michelin restaurant in the Old Quarter. This turned out to be our favorite meal we ate in Vietnam - and we had never even heard of bun cha before. Delicious!
Bún Chả Đắc Kim – Hanoi - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
We had the dry chicken pho/noodles here and they were amazing. Would definitely recommend!
Phở Hà Hàng Hòm - 15 Hang Hom
Definitely, definitely recommend this. And had we realized how great it was, we probably would have gone for 3-days 2-nights instead of our 2-days 1-night. We really hit the jackpot here in terms of cleanliness, amenities, food options, and service -...
Genesis Luxury Regal Cruises, Ha Long, Vietnam
We didn't make it here, but it is highly recommended for souvenirs, goods, and street foods (if you're brave and your stomach is strong). We decided to spend our time in the Old Quarter.
Dong Xuan Market
Another stop we didn't make it to, it was too far out of our radius with our timeline, but also highly recommended.
Temple of Literature
We should have looked into shows and tickets ahead of time - in retrospect this would have been a really neat activity. The building itself is also an excellent demonstration of French architecture and influence in Hanoi.
Hanoi Opera House
Not an activity we were super interested in, but listed as one of the top things to do in Hanoi.
Thang Long Water Puppet
The tour we did was "Hoa Lu and Tam Coc with bike ride and family visit" through Amazing Travel Corp (linked in comments). I can't find the exact tour now, but it did change a bit as well - due to local problems in Tam Coc we ended up doing Mua Cave ...
The BEST Ninh Binh Tours and Things to Do in 2023 - FREE Cancellation | GetYourGuide
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Airline was better than VietJet - they offer beverages to all passengers on just our 1.5 hour flight, but the seats were still tiny. Online check-in process was very simple and user friendly.
Bamboo Airways
Nha Trang
We chose Nha Trang as our beach stop because of the diving it offers. Many people instead choose Da Nang + Hoi An (beach and history) or Cam Ranh (resort town). Nha Trang fit our scuba desires and offered a lot more than we thought aside from the wat...
Again, boutique hotels, friends. We had an excellent room here with an in-room spa tub, king sized bed, and a rooftop pool. They offer breakfast each morning as an additional option (albeit not as outstanding as San Boutique Hotel, but that's hard to...
Aaron Boutique Hotel, Nha Trang, Vietnam
I had the hardest time finding a scuba company in Vietnam, because there are just so many. I read a blog about these guys and they ended up being my pick, which was great! They have affiliate Rainbow dive shops across Vietnam and are an excellent inf...
Rainbow Divers - PADI
Didn't see myself going to Vietnam and raving about a Greek restaurant, but I went here several times while in Nha Trang. The staff is friendly, co-owner Stefanos is a great person, and the food is just 🤌🏼 chef's kiss.
Mix Greek Restaurant
Well known spot in Nha Trang for beer lovers and tourists. If you've ever been to Oahu, Hawaii, this place is the perfect mix of Hawaii Kai's Kona Brewing and Duke's Waikiki. It has a beautiful open air, open seating taproom with a full food menu (of...
Lousiane Brewhouse craft beer brewery and restaurant Nha Trang
Cute spot owned by transplanted New Yorker's who make amazing bagels and have a solid condensed milk Vietnamese drip coffee.
Red Gate Bakery Cafe
Delicious bao buns and sandwiches! They also have ice cream. Glad we happened upon this little spot as a fun lunch pick!
BAO ngon Restaurant - Unique Bao buns and selected fusion dishes - Google Search
Cute open-air cafe with a delicious white coffee.
DOUBLE SHOT coffee
Craft beer 🍺 We had four beers, mango salad, and spring rolls for the equivalent of $18usd. The beers weren't anything superb as far as craft beer goes, but they were good and quite a bit better than Bia Saigon for minimally more cost. The food was ...
BREWHAHA | Mỗi Người Mỗi Đô - Đừng Ép Zô Zô
I haggled down on a questionably (likely not) authentic North Face backpack, got it for $7usd and honestly it'll do just fine. I also picked up some cute handmade earrings, and nearly walked away with a few adorable woven bags, dried mango, and beach...
Dam Market
We checked out this super local market because we had extra time, but it is by no means a must-see in my opinion. It opens early in the morning because it is mostly food items for sale and many locals come here daily to get their grocery items. You w...
Xom Moi Market
Cute roadside cafe with decent drinks. The salt coffee was pretty good; the coconut coffee was more of a frappe, which was refreshing with how hot it was, but flavor wise wasn't what I was looking for. It was nice to sit along the street in the shade...
A’memoir Cafe & Sweets
We booked our bus transit from Nha Trang to Da Lat using 12Go. It was easy and cheap - around $13usd per person for a 4-hour ride in a limousine van that had reclining soft seats, massage chair functions, and charger capabilities. We were able to com...
12Go: Book Trains, Buses, Ferries, Transfers & Flights
Da Lat
For us, the #1 place we visited in Vietnam. We kind of described it as a mini-Hanoi: great food and central areas with significantly less traffic and more to do within the vicinity. We loved everything about this area - the cooler temps (no worries, ...
This place wasn't really it. We got the room for about $41usd/night and were able to easily add an additional night to our stay upon arrival, which was convenient, but we quickly realized we were a bit too far out of city center for our general prefe...
Moonstone Hotel Dalat, Da Lat, Vietnam
After living in Korea for over two years with subpar Mexican food, this was a welcome change. We loved our meals and the margaritas weren't too shabby. Owner is an ex-military from Texas who has lived here for 12 years.
Blue Parrot Mexican
This was amazing, 100% worth the stop. Built by a woman who was both an architect and doctor, her dream was to help people realize that we need to be more immersed in nature. We didn't buy tickets in advance, just our chased them at the ticket window...
CRAZY HOUSE
Cute little shop under Dalat Joy Hotel. They have many dried fruit options (most of which you are able to sample), loose leaf teas, essential oils, and mugs. We also got a bottle of passion fruit concentrate to mix into our waters to make hydrating m...
Đặc sản Ngon Lạ Đà Lạt 3/2
Such a fun bar/cafe, designed by the same architect of The Crazy House. Again, you will never take the same route to the top; there are different paths and staircases everywhere. Entrance fee is purchasing a drink - they have alcoholic and non-alcoho...
Maze Bar & Cafe
So fun! One of our highlights from Vietnam and we were split on our favorite day trip - between the canyoning and mountain biking. With canyoning, you are able to see several beautiful waterfalls and have the opportunity to repel down them. The large...
Extreme Dalat Canyoning - Dalat Adventure Tours
This activity was also fun, and much more cultural than the canyoning. We started with a mountain bike through farms and minority village areas. We stopped and talked about the differences between the minority groups living in Vietnam vs indigenous V...
Dalat Biking to the Elephant waterfall - Dalat Adventure Tours
Excellent Italian food options - the brick oven pizza was the best pizza we've had in Asia to date, and they make their pasta on site. Everything was very fresh. And they had pretty outdoor seating.
Primavera Dalat - Thành phố Đà Lạt
It wasn't the brewery we thought it was; it's a tap house. But their beer options were pretty good and the vibes were great. There's also a very cute vintage thrift store on the floor above the tap house that you can only access by the stairs at the ...
Moi Craft Beer
This is one of the well known bakeries in Vietnam; they have several locations across the country. Delicious baked goods with an atmosphere that reminds me of Liliha Bakery (if you've ever been to Oahu).
Lien Hoa Bakery
You definitely don't need to go here (we just did), but you should try avocado ice cream. It's one of the things Da Lat is known for, and it's delicious! There are little shops and carts that open in the evening that sell avocado ice cream as well.
Kem Bơ Đà Lạt - Chạm (Khu Hòa Bình)
This market is located kind of between two streets. The tall building that houses Hotel Colline as well as several restaurants has a whole market underneath. The market extends below the building to the road below and you can find all your traditiona...
Dalat New Market
When we visited, the brewery was only 6 months old. A gentleman from another table came over to chat with us for a bit and told us it was modeled after the American brewery style. The location was stunning. Beer was alright - but the gentleman also t...
HOA THÔNG BREWING CO
Cute coffee shop that has homemade kombucha and craft beer offerings as well. It's located in an adorable part of town, just down the alley from Primavera Italian Restaurant. The coconut coffee was by far the best I had in Vietnam, and their kombucha...
Thăng Coffee
We booked an overnight Sleeper bus that left at 0100 from Thanh Buoi Bus Station and got us to HCMC at about 0630. Honestly, the spaces are small and definitely not built for large Americans- my 6'3" husband struggled between the two positions he cou...
12Go: Book Trains, Buses, Ferries, Transfers & Flights
Ho Chi Minh
Many blogs I read said to skip HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City) if your itinerary was getting tight. I'm glad we chose to go - there are some important pieces of history such as the War Remnants Museum, but I can understand how it is another large city with c...
This hotel was by far the best hotel we stayed in all trip. The hotel staff were insanely attentive, the room was beautiful, and the breakfast was outstanding. We were also only minutes down the street from both the market and the opera house.
Silverland Jolie Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
We were bummed and excited at the same time when we went to visit - the cathedral is under renovation and will be for some time. While we were thrilled they are taking care of relics, we were a little sad we didn't get to witness its full glory in pe...
Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
The original Saigon post office - it's a pretty building with obvious French architecture that has some interesting tourist shops inside that sell old stamps and coins. It's right across from the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Sai Gon Central Post Office
This is a must see on your trip to HCMC. It's a real look into the hardships of war, the impact of militants and civilians alike, and exposure to how different countries color their history in their preferred bias. Impactful.
War Remnants Museum
Stumbled upon this gem of a brewery. The location was beautiful, food was good (we tried jellyfish here; interesting...), and above average craft beer.
Craft Beer - East West Brewing Co. - Saigon
This can give you all the details on the night markets, but don't sleep on those! We were cautious about street food for sure, but they're so much fun to wander through. And seriously, don't feel bad about trying to talk down the price on any items. ...
Night markets in Ho Chi Minh City: Some essential info
If you're a fan of books and read during travel, this is definitely a place you cannot miss. It's so cute, and there are several shops that offer books in English. I loved it here, wish we had realized it was here sooner. It's immediately after the p...
Ho Chi Minh City Book Street
Travel Items
You definitely don't need these brands, but this is what I used and found exceptionally helpful throughout the trip. Also - due to the prevalence of traveler's illness (the 💩), no matter how hard you work to avoid it there is always a risk. Check wi...
Definitely recommend a solid, comfortable sandal that has the ability to get wet and dry quick. Got myself and my husband these midform universal tevas and other than some minor irritation on day one from not breaking them in well enough prior to the...
Teva Women's Midform Universal Geometric Sandal
A belt bag or cross body bag is a must, and extra points if it has multiple front/back pockets. It makes an easy and safe way to store your passport/visa, credit cards, and cash all in one place and gives a safe location for your phone (be cautious o...
Belt Bag - Black
Please be aware the cleanliness habits are not the same here as many other countries and travelers often come down with "traveler's illness" - the 💩 - despite their best efforts. Consider bringing antibiotics with you, and at the very least electrol...
Skratch Labs | Hydration, Nutrition, Recovery, Energy
If you plan to use busses to get between cities or out to activities and tend to get carsick, bring dramamine. I never felt unsafe with any of our drivers, but the roads are twisty, road rules are different, and you dont always have a choice of wheth...
Dramamine®