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Vietnam Travel Heaps
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Why Vietnam travel?
This is increasingly one of the great winter-sun destinations - a Southeast Asian country that is rich in culture, has some excellent beaches, delicious [and healthy] cuisine, friendly people [who don't mind mentioning the war] and irresistible shopping, but many fewer visitors than, for example, Thailand.The French colonial cities of Hanoi [aka Ha Noi] and Ho Chi Minh City [aka Saigon] are interesting and lively while the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites offer world-class ancient ruins.And by the way, Vietnam does not look anything like most of the post-war movies which were damp, dark, dirty, dangerous and shot in the Philippines, Thailand and California!
Downside:- War relics can be depressing, though the Vietnamese have closed the book on that era of superpower stupidity and readily accept Americans and French in their country.- Traffic is chaotic but the worst urban problem is air pollution caused by motorcycles and uncontrolled light industry.- Untidy, dirty, tangled streets can be tiresome.- Theft is a common problem, especially in the cities where motorcycle-taxis have a particularly bad reputation.- Due to the country's long, thin form, internal travel is lengthy and slow, unless you travel by plane.
'In Japan people drive on the left. In China people drive on the right. In Vietnam it doesn't matter.'P.J.O'Rourke, All the trouble in the world.
Climate:Best: Nov-April. Relatively cool and dry in most areas, but can be cold, damp and foggy Feb-April in the north, e.g. Hanoi or Sapa.Worst: May-Sept. Hot, humid, mosquito invasion, with the possibility of typhoons [violent rain storms].Beware of floods in Mekong Delta in September.Plan ahead if you wish to travel during the Tet New Year Festival [late Jan - early Feb], it can be a problem getting accommodation and transport.
Length of stay:Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: 5 days to see Ho Chi Minh City [Saigon], Halong bay, Hoi An/My Son, Hué and Hanoi.Recommended: 13-16 days: Hanoi 2 days, Halong Bay 1 day, Hué 1 day, Ho Chi Minh City/the Mekong Delta 2 days, Hoi An/My Son 2 days, Da Lat 2 days, Sapa, 2-3 days, beaches 2-3 days.
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Read more... [Vietnam travel guide]
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 Vietnam is a friendly and safe place to travel. With a sprinkling of common sense, your trip should be
smooth and trouble free. Tourists usually complain
about over-aggressive street vendors, tour operators with a bad attitude and dangerous driving. However, with a cool head and sensible planning, one can avoid these problems.
DO’S
- Greetings are no different to western countries, there are no cultural formalities that as a foreginer you would be expected to know or practise.
- Vietnamese dress conservatively. Despite the heat, it’s best not to show off too much skin. If you do, especially girls, you’ll only draw stares from the locals.
- Dress well when visiting pagodas. No shorts or tatty beer t-shirts. Shoes are fine, and rarely will you have to remove them. If unsure, just follow what the locals do.
- Drink plenty of bottled water, especially when walking around sightseeing. No need to carry huge bottles around with you, a vendor is never far away and no doubt they will find you before you find them.
- Keep your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place.
- Travel with recommend tour agencies. Even if you plan to buy tickets when in country, research your journey a little first on the Internet. A good resource is Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree Forum, where fellow tourists discuss travel in Vietnam. This way you avoid unreliable tour agencies and badly run hotels.
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Read more... [Travel in Vietnam]
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 Food sits at the very centre of Vietnamese culture: every significant holiday on the Vietnamese cultural calendar, all the important milestones in a Vietnamese person's life, and indeed, most of the important day-to-day social events and interactions - food plays a central role in each. Special dishes are prepared and served with great care for every birth, marriage and death, and the anniversaries of ancestors' deaths. More business deals are struck over dinner tables than over boardroom tables, and when friends get together, they eat together. Preparing food and eating together remains the focus of family life.Vietnamese cuisine varies slightly from region to region, with many regions having their own specialities. Generally, northern Vietnamese cuisine is known for being bland while southern Vietnamese cuisine is known for being spicy.At the same time, the Vietnamese are surprisingly modest about their cuisine. (And old proverb/joke says that a fortunate man has a Western (French) house, Japanese wife, and Chinese chef.) High-end restaurants tend to serve "Asian-fusion" cuisine, with elements of Thai, Japanese, and Chinese mixed in. The most authentic Vietnamese food is found at street side "restaurants" (A collection of plastic outdoor furniture placed on the footpath), with most walk-in restaurants being mainly for tourists.
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Read more... [Vietnamese Food]
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 For many years, Vietnam formed part of the French colony of Indochina, along with Cambodia and Laos. In 1941, the Japanese occupied Vietnam during their World War II sweep through South-East Asia. The resistance to the Japanese was led by the Indochinese Communist Party.
Following the Japanese defeat in 1945, the Communists proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In 1946, France sent a large expeditionary force to re-establish their control. After eight years of fierce fighting, the struggle ended in the defeat of the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu.
Shortly after a Western-backed government was installed in the south, the Communists began an insurgency to overthrow what they perceived as a puppet regime. The Americans, who had taken over from the French as the lead Western power in Vietnam, responded by sending increasing numbers of military 'advisers'.
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Read more... [Vietnam History & Culture]
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 By plane Flights are the fastest way to travel the distance of this long country; the trip from Hanoi to HCMC will take about 2 hours by plane.There are quite many flights connecting the two largest cities, Hanoi and HCMC, to major towns such as Da Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Hue, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Phu Quoc. Most of these flights are cheap compared to North American or European standards. For example, a return connecting Hanoi to Da Nang will probably run around US$80 (including all taxes).Domestic carriers are Vietnam Airlines [3], Jetstar Pacific [4]. Indochina Airlines ceased operations as of November 2009. [5][edit] By trainAlthough more expensive than buses, trains are undoubtedly the most comfortable way to travel overland in Vietnam. There is one major train line in Vietnam, the 1723-kilometer trunk between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, on which the Reunification Express runs. HCMC to Hanoi is more than 30 hours, and overnight hops between major destinations are usually possible, if not entirely convenient. It's a good way to see the countryside and meet upper-middle class locals, but unless you are traveling in a sleeper car it is no more comfortable than buses.
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Read more... [Getting around Vietnam]
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 Vietnam weather:
The country has a long coastline, varied, complex climatic zones and generally a fair amount of rain.The best beaches are mostly in the southern half, and that's best Dec- May [dry, but hot and humid]. However, in that area it doesn't usually rain for long periods at any time, only showers, unless an infrequent typhoon hits the coast, so the beaches are basically OK all year round.The worst season is probably July -October [humidity, occasional rains, typhoons, and of course July-August is always a busy holiday period].October - December has the best weather over the whole country for sightseeing, with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 20Cs.Plan ahead if you wish to travel during the Tet New Year festival [late January to early February] - it can be a problem getting accommodation and transport.China Beach, between Da Nang and Hoi An
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Read more... [Vietnam beaches]
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