Vietnam
Sept. 7 - 14, 2014 (8D7N): Last leg of our 17-day journey in Thailand and Vietnam. See prior posts on Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Koh Samui. While in Vietnam, we visited Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City ("HCM" or Saigon). It was easy to fly between the major cities. This is a good introductory itinerary for your first visit to Vietnam. You can combine this trip with other parts of Southeast Asia. But given that Vietnam is not as well established in turns of tourism as Thailand, my suggestion is to visit Vietnam before continuing to Thailand.
*Highly Recommended
Day 1 (Hanoi)
Evening flight arrival in Hanoi from Koh Samui
Hotel shuttle pick up from the airport to Oriental Central Hotel*
Day 2 (Hanoi)
Breakfast @ hotel
Taxi to Ba Dinh square
Ho Chi Minh Museum (learn the history of HCM)
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free; 8 am-10:30 am closed on Monday; no shorts, no camera)
One Pillar Pagoda (under construction when we were there)
Taxi to Temple of Literature
Taxi to Hoa Lo Prison (suggested duration 30 mins)
Lunch @ Quan An Ngon restaurant*
Taxi to French Opera House
Walk around the French quarter
Massage @ SF Spa (massage was average)
Shop around Old Quarter
Water Puppet show @ Thang Long Water Puppet Theater (1hr)
Dinner @ Restaurant 96*
Grab che (a Vietnamese sweet drink) at some stand nearby
Day 3 (Halong Bay)
Breakfast @ hotel
Bus to Halong Bay (4.5 hrs!! It stops at a gift shop along the way)
1- 4:30 pm: APT Day Cruise (our initial 2D1N boat tour was canceled due to Typhoon)
Lunch on the boat
Bamboo boat to smaller caves
4:30 pm: Bus back to Hanoi (yup, another 4 hrs)
Dinner @ Mum restaurant
Other points of interest & food in Hanoi:
Dinner @ Xoi Yen ($2/bow)
Dinner @ Bun Bo Nam Bo
Day 4 (Da Nang/Hoi An)
Breakfast @ hotel
Shuttle to airport (1 hr)
Morning flight to Da Nang (1:20hr)
Taxi to Orange Hotel (10 mins)
Hire a hotel driver to visit Da Nang & Hoi An ($60/day)
Lady Budda (free)
Seafood lunch @ My Hanh Restaurant (nice view of the beach but overpriced)
CHAM Spa (AVOID!!)
Pass by The Marble Mountains for photo
Japanese Covered Bridge
Assembly Halls
Lantern market
Dinner @ Streets restaurant café
Day 5 (Da Nang/HCM)
Breakfast @ hotel
Walk around town:
Lunch @ Quan Com Hue Ngon (BBQ)*
Taxi ride to the airport
Evening flight to Ho Chi Minh City (1:10hr)
Taxi (150,000 VND) to Grand Silverland Hotel & Spa (20 mins)
Dinner @ Cafe Anh
Day 6 (HCM)
Breakfast @ hotel
11am-6pm: Cu Chi Tunnel Tour (Les Rives)
Saigon River Express Cu Chi Tunnel Tour*
11:30 am-1 pm: Boat ride to Cu Chi Tunnel
1:15-4 pm: Tour/shooting/lunch
Happy hour @ Chill Skybar (5:30-8 pm half-off)
Dinner @ Quan An Ngon
Day 7 (HCM)
Breakfast @ hotel
Taxi to Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral (free)
Central Post Office (free)
UBND City Hall (photo only)
Saigon Opera House (photo only)
Stroll through Dong Khoi Street (a major shopping street in the center of the city)
Massage @ Saigon Heritage Spa*
Taxi to The Reunification Palace
Visit Ben Thanh Market
6-10 pm: Back of the Bike Food Tour* (best way to sample all the street food in Vietnam)
Day 8
Breakfast @ hotel
Taxi to Airport (20 mins)
Noon flight to NYC
Other points of interest & food in HCM:
Dinner @ Cuc Gach Quan
Coffee/break @ L'Usine
Get Bun thit nuong: a must-try dish of rice noodles, fried spring rolls, and fresh herbs.
Try Sweet che thap cam: chipped ice, coconut mil,k and layers of tapioca pearls and soft beans
Tips
Don't forget to get your Visa if you are a US citizen. Read here for information on how to get your VOA (visa on arrival)
Avoid the wet (summer) season if possible (May to October)
Taxi is cheap in Vietnam
The best way to visit Halong Bay is through the overnight cruise (given the RT bus ride is 8 hrs). Be sure to book through your hotel in Hanoi so they can arrange everything for you in case the cruise gets canceled due to weather conditions. We went with Oriental Central, and they were able to rearrange our stay when the cruise was canceled.
