Vietnam Travel Advice Please

sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 07:55
Last edited 15/08/2017 - 09:39 by 1 other user

Just booked an anniversary trip next month to Vietnam but we only have limited time. We are only bringing carry ons

Day 1 arr HCM 8 am. do a tour hotel 1 night-please recommend 5 star and location.
Day 2 flight to Danang mid morn. Now this is tricky part! where do we stay? hoi an, danang or lang co? want 5 stars luxury. thinking banyan tree lang co or four seasons hoi an? we can spend 1 night in hoi an
day 3 travel to lang co after lunch check into angsana or banyan tree
day 4 hue
day 5 lunch time flight to kl from danang

the other option is on day 2 we stay at banyan tree for 3 nights and use the free shuttle to hoi an and hue or private guide. I heard it's quite far. Or we just stay at Hoi An the whole time but is there an equivalent hotel to Banyyan Tree? Namhai? .

Travel

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 15/08/2017 - 08:04

    Hoi An is more picturesque, even if very touristy. Da Nang is good if you like food safaris. Otherwise it's just a busy medium sized city. They are only about 20km or an hour apart. For hotel check the usual websites: Agoda, Booking, etc and pick one you like. You've got the VoA going I assume?

  • idontalwaysnotlie on 15/08/2017 - 08:14

    Just got back from a two week tour, HCM is rather busy so be careful walking around. if you are on a tour you should be fine.
    I stayed in the old continental which was 4 star but really nice and loads of history.
    Skip denang and just head to hoi an. Did a home stay there so no idea of nice places.
    Went north from there to hanoi but lang co looks nice also.

    • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 08:25

      Sounds awesome! you prefer nth or sth? nth is more picturesque. I'm still unsure abt that short of a time in HCM. Is it better to stay near airport n just hire private guide/tour? old continental sounds nice. French architecture?

  • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 08:21

    I havent applied for VOA yet. Namhai and Banyan Tree has buy 2 get 3rd free atm. Which one is better? any experience.

    I know it's crazy paying $500 pn for hotel in Vietnam but it's our 15yr anniversary. If we split up n just stayed 1 night then it would be a nuisance to move around hotels. There's also Intercontinental Danang. Any experience?

    We only want to ride bicycles, spend a few hrs in Hoi An inc dinner, spend 1/2 day Hue and maybe that famous scenic pass. Then relax in our hotel.

    Very short on time but with no kids we can get a lot done too. A villa which feels private n secluded with views and private pool etc any recommendations?

    We have been to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa so have a good idea what to expect.

    • davide14 on 15/08/2017 - 10:21
      +1

      For Ho Chi Minh stay at the Park Hyatt. The hotel, service, and restaurants are excellent. It is located in District 1 in a very good location for sightseeing.

    • anzacpaul on 15/08/2017 - 14:01

      We're staying at hotel equatorial in HCM when we visit next year.

      Supposed to be 5 star and gets good reviews on Trip Advisor.

      • sal78 on 16/08/2017 - 12:24
        +1

        will have a look

  • dasher86 on 15/08/2017 - 08:47
    +1

    I would consider scrapping HCMC from your schedule altogether.
    Though flight times are short you will lose half a day at the airport and most airlines in Vietnam are known for not being on time.

    • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 09:02

      👍🏼 but then I discovered XO Food tours in Saigon. Looks amazing! But $75 USD is on the expensive side. Can I book it when I get there?

      I know the deal. Saved so much booking tours there. My Halong Bay tour was only USD $40pp for 1 night 2 days. Unbelievably cheap. The junk was fantastic.

      • retiredfeline on 15/08/2017 - 10:05

        You can also get a food tour in Danang, but of course the cuisine will be somewhat different, hooray for regional variations.

    • retiredfeline on 15/08/2017 - 11:21
      +1

      Don't know why someone negged you but I'd consider this too. Too many cities too few days.

      • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 12:11
        -1

        lol not bothered being negged.

  • yk300 on 15/08/2017 - 08:48
    +2

    I enjoyed my time in Hoi An the most. It is quite touristy I must admit.

  • myusername on 15/08/2017 - 08:57
    +1

    stayed in a 5 star hotel in Hoi An for $31/night

    If you're in Da Nang on a Saturday night make sure you check out the dragon bridge breathing fire and spitting water.

    Make sure you check out Marble Mountain whilst you're down that way

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOgTxInetUI

    To be honest i'd stay away from saigon, just a big dirty noisy city.

    • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 09:04

      No we leave on Saturday :( but we will be in Bukit Bintang 😂 👌🏻 Marble Mountain!

      which hotel was that? 5 star intl rating? tbh, even the small $20 usd hotels, service is incredible and staff so so friendly. But we want to go all out. So rare!

  • [Deactivated] on 15/08/2017 - 10:42
    +2

    Too much travel/Too many destinations.

    Note that most hotels do not check in till mid-day or 2pm. This is worldwide. If the hotel is not too booked then they may let you in early. Anywhere in District 1 is good. There is a fair bit to see and cool stuff to explore on foot. Packing very light, if you need to buy extra stuff, there are heaps of shops and shit around this area.

    Hoi an is literally a tourist town; it is all very "for show". It would be better off staying in Da Nang near the beach and just paying a cab to drive you to Hoi An, this is very cheap. You can walk through and around Hoi An in a day. Da Nang itself is pretty spread out though still has some nice buildings.

    I would recommend Nha Trang over Da Nang if you are after a coastal chill destination, though it is far less "ethnic" etc; lots of russian Tourists. Lots of nice seafood though. They have like some water based activities, an island amusement park and a few cool temples and stuff to visit.

    Hue is 100% worthwhile checking out. Esp if you are into food.

    If you are close to a Vietnamese embassy, get your visa done in Australia. The VOA line is rrrrrrreally long, you will be standing there for an hour or two.

    Lastly: maybe check out KL for a night. They have some cool night markets there, go top of the twin towers etc (prebook or book early in the day).

    Grab a citibank debit card and get money out in HCM. Many bank cards only allow you to withdraw 2 mill vnd at once at a 2% exchange difference and charge a $5 fee. Citibank will allow you to withdraw i think 10 mil vnd at the official rate with no fee. You can also use the visa/mastercard facility to pay for your hotel (or starbucks) etc with no fees and good exchange rate. There is an atm in D1 in HCM I believe.

    Uber is also amazingly cheap to use (where it is available).

    • retiredfeline on 15/08/2017 - 10:45

      If OP drops HCMC, then VoA at Danang is much faster.

      Grabcar is an alternative to Uber in VN.

      • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 12:04

        So much great advice! Sounds like the way to go! Now then do we stay in Hoi An 4 nights or worth splitting 1 night in Hue?

        • [Deactivated] on 15/08/2017 - 12:50
          +3

          You will get very bored with 4 nights in Hoi An.

          Stay in Da Nang and grab a cab to Hoi An for the day (or 2 days).

          Hue is awesome. Dubbed "food capital" has lots to see, do and eat.

          HCM is really worth seeing though, I wouldnt skip it entirely.

        • retiredfeline on 15/08/2017 - 15:16
          +1

          You don't have to spend every day in Hoi An. Da Nang and Hue are within day trip distance. As long as you get a hotel you like, doesn't matter much whether you pick Hoi An or Da Nang as your base.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/08/2017 - 11:10

    Avoid the water at all cost. Including any drinks with ice in them.

    Also avoid Thi Tham. It smells very bad . Its like a weird weed/ginger thing. Its as dangerous as mould and is usually found Hill areas.

    • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 12:08

      Yes when we went to Hanoi there was a cholera outbreak. We even used bottled water to brush our teeth.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/08/2017 - 11:18
    +1

    while ur in HCMC go to the cu chi tunnels and shoot an AK47

    • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 12:05

      yes that would be cool but others are saying to drop HCM. Only 1 night and 1 day there

      • [Deactivated] on 15/08/2017 - 12:55
        +2

        who cares what others think? each to their own

  • paulf on 15/08/2017 - 11:40
    +1

    We stayed in Da Nang at 5 star Vin Pearl(part of a package) it was close enough to Hoi An and several sites are close by - Marble Mountain was interesting but the sellers were persistent!!
    Hoi Ann was bustling and we were lucky enough to be there for a moonlit lantern festival ( once a month I think)- has to be the world epicentre for tailors.
    HCMC was organised chaos and walking the streets was an experience - did a half day tour of the presidential palace and other sites which was interesting.

    Back in November to see Hanoi and Halong Bay.

  • sal78 on 15/08/2017 - 12:07

    Vin Pearl looks like it's marketed to families. It's the one withe the theme park? Would be great to bring the kids. Looking for more private resort.

  • sal78 on 16/08/2017 - 19:38

    My Itinerary

    Day 1 Arrive HCM 8am
    Day 2 Flight to Hue 12:30pm arrive 2pm Check in to Banyan Tree Lang Co. Chill
    Day 3 Take free shuttle to Hue
    Day 4 Checkout at 11am and take free shuttle to Hoi An. Check in to Hoi An Hotel. Explore Hoi An.
    Day 5 Bfst, stroll, morning markets? checkout hotel. 1:30pm flight Da Nang to KL. Arrive 4:30pm Train to Kl Sentral. Dinner with relatives/supper with friends. Crazy eating
    Day 6 Lots of new eateries to check out. Eat all day long. Flight 8:30pm

    Hubby said since we are arriving in HCM and have to go through immigration anyway plus we have been on 8 hr flight from GC arrive 5am in KL then 6am flight to HCM! He doesn't want to fly again to Da Nang. Hopefully we can get early check in or at least can wash up. Probably do a 4 hr city tour then go to hotel at 2pm and crash out. Do foodie tour at night.

    Banyan Tree has a deal on Secret Escapes for $450p/n min 2 nights inc 1 lunch or dinner and 2 x 60min Spa. All other sites are $650ish. I just need recommendation for Hoi An, prefer very central, nice and cheap. We don't have much time there so central is best. Same with HCM..short on time probably not worth paying too much but still want something maybe boutique n trendy. We only have cabin luggage which should help with the travel. Hubby refuses to hire scooter in case he stacks it and we end up in hospital.

    As long as we can wake up at 8:30am that's considered a sleep in! we get up at 6 -6:30am at home. No kids is bliss. Will probably stay away from group tours and do free n easy, maybe hire a guide so we choose only places we want to visit instead of group tour itineraries. There's no way I would do this itinerary with kids.

    Thank you!

    This is a last minute getaway in early Sept. Anything we miss we can go back another time with kids to a family friend beach resort in da nang/nha trang. My kids are not big fans of SE Asia, they complain a lot about the heat and humidity and only want to soak in the pool all day long or stay in a/c.

    • retiredfeline on 16/08/2017 - 20:22
      +1

      Have a great holiday. Actually as there is 3 hour time difference now, 0830 here is 0530 in VN so you will have no problem getting up early.

      You don't say which carriers, but AirAsia flies KL to Da Nang so you could have avoided the stopover in HCMC.

      • sal78 on 16/08/2017 - 21:28

        Thanks. Omg that's too early! maybe can watch the sunrise and get in a gym session.

        Yup Air Asia has a sale GC to HCM $249 one way. It's way more exxy to Danang. Even to KL is $320 which is strange since it's closer. Our flights is approx $450 pp rtn Being the bargain hunter I am! at least we r flying from Da Nang straight to KL.

        My first preference was Davao, Philippines but flights is quite exxy to get there even with budgets. It's not too touristy and extremely cheap. A lot of adventure sport options i.e sky cycle and clear blue waters for snorkelling. It's only $10 to charter a private boat. Only $30 for white water rafting around 15kms! Grade 4/5 rapids. Looks amazing.

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