If you had about 20 days in Vietnam (from Saigon to Hanoi) which places would you go and for how many days?

Question

I asked this in the japan section by mistake - gomen ne

Answer 1

why asking this question in "Japan" category ??

Answer 2

only spent 18 days in Vietnam a week in the past. Spend 2/3 days in Saigon. if you're going for the beaches end at Mui Ne. We didnt have time for Dalat yet heard great things. Nha Trang is a ought to, spend a minimum of four days in case you only like the sea coast, make optimistic you do the boat cruise with snorkling. From Nha Trang to Hoi An, you in uncomplicated phrases favor about 2/3 days there. if you're getting clothing made get them the following and do it on the first day as you'll favor some fittings. next end Hue and also you in uncomplicated phrases favor 2 days to work out all of it. Do a motorbike excursion around the city. Hanoi is next which benefits a minimum of three days. extra importantly north of Hanoi is Sapa. My widely used position in Vietnam and a ought to in case you want to experience the hill tribes and mind-blowing surroundings. once decrease back in Hanoi head northwest to Ha lengthy bay. both those places are astounding and shouldnt be ignored. Have an outstanding holiday....

Answer 3

You will travel nearly the entire length of the countryin a fairly short time. so plan your tip in two ways - a route that exposes you to the variety and beauty of the countryside as you go, and stops at specific points with significance.

Everyone travels for peronal reasons - to engage themselves with the people and culture, to see points of historical value, to experience the arts, maybe because the biological character is interesting, or perhaps to trace a family history. These features mean you should design your travels to suit what appeals to you most, and thus should obtain one of the excellent guidebooks to the country while you are making your plans.

I have used a variety of guidebooks for travel planning, and think well of the Lonely Planet and Michelin guides. Cook's is useful expecially for better information about places to stay and transportation services.

It is impossible in this little space to give you a comprehensive treatment of Vietnam. The nation of course is significant in terms of recent history - so much took place there over the past century alone!

There are certainly famous place because of the terrible events that took place in Vietnam during World War II and the Vietnam War (there were really two wars - the first that ended with French defeat at Dien Ben Phu in 1954, and the later American war with the North Vienamese) Although many of the most significant battles took place in remote areas of tha countryside, of course there were key events in cities and ports. Saigon today is called Ho Chi Minh City. It has many significant historical locations and I would urge you to spend several of your precious 20 days there.

Other significant locations for cultural and historical reasons are Hue, the former ancient capital of the country, Cam Ranh, where one of the world's largest ports was built during the Vietnam War, Da Nang, not only a terrible battlefield but also a significant city in the nation, the great northern port of Haiphong, and then of course Hanoi. These points could easily form "anhor" locations for your journey.

In recent years a great deal of marine archaeology has been conducted off the coasts of Vietnam. Several very important ancient shipwrecks have been excavated, with extremely beautiful and rare artifacts recovered from them. Much of that material consists of gorgeous pottery and porcelain. I do not remember where the museums are that now boast the collections of these finds, but you can find out more by searching the files at www.archaeologica.org.

Also either in or near the "anchor" points given there are important religious and cultural festivals at various times of the year. The guidebooks will help you look for the ones taking place during your journey. Sometimes these events are reasons to avoid being in a place - when traveling in Italy once, I made a point of not going to Rome during a week-long global religious year celebration, because it was going to make everything too crowded and costly.

Good luck, and have a marvelous time. Somewhere along the way, please think of all the people who struggled and suffered in tortured Vietnam for so many years, and perhaps light an incense stick or scatter flower petals on the waters in their memory.

EDIT:

Ong Jon's detailed post is WONDERFUL. I approached this question from the perspective of someone who hasn't been to the country before, and applied methods I use for such visits. His intimate explanations are the kind I enjoy giving to people visiting places I know well. How lucky he answered!

Answer 4

I was there in 1967 and again in 1972 for over a year each. NO, I would not go again, too many bad memories. In all honesty, it is a very tropical and exotic place, just not one I want to relive.

Answer 5

Make certain to make a couple day stop in Nha Trang....and book a day long boat trip on Mama Hanh's boatrip. You won't regret it!

Answer 6

i do this all the time. a cpl of nights in sai gon, i usually visit friends in the day , you can take a day tour to cuu chi. at night hit the clubs in the tourist area[ de tham street and pham ngu lau].or check out the iris pub , Sheridan's 17/13 le thanh ton street.maybe see the city sites and "window shop " at the markets before you catch a plane or overnight train to nha trang.... stay at the DONG PHUONG on nguyen thien thuat street[ thank me later]. nha trang has a great beach[ at least 1 time get to the beach at 5am... you can go back to bed later ] at least 1 night stay out at the "sailing club" till 5 am[ you can go to bed later] and plenty of night life and good food . you can get a good motor bike driver right outside your hotel to take you to see "all" the local sites in 1day for 7-10 dollars. you can spend 5 days in nha trang.. then off to da nang hoi an. you'll arrive in da nang [ train or plane... bus will take you to hoi an].. hoi an is great for shopping you can walk around town twice in 1 day . rent a bicycle or cyclo to the beach if you can stand 2 days there[ although the town is beautyfull the shop keepers can be pushy all day long] night life is ok till 10 pm then everything shuts down... food is great in hoi an... i usually eat a diffrent course at 2 -3 resturaunts a night...start with "white rose"... find the "fu kien"[ yeah i know] resturant and have vegetable or meat pizza for lunch [2 can split 1 small pie][ thank me later] . you can take a very nice day trip to my son or marble mt... in the late afternoon go to the "cam nam" bridge by the market and arrange for a row boat ride at sunset , just find one of the middle age woman hanging around the foot of the bridge... pay them whet you will... and ask them to sing ... [thank me later].. next stop , bus to hue... take the toures ,stay a day or two then get an over night train to ha noi... stay in the old town and stroll around .. if you have time there are nice day tours[ ha long , chua hong, mai chau] out of ha noi. thats the most convienient tour but certainly, with some planing you can go to da lat and or sapa... there is plenty to do in 20 days in vn... save $200 to use for plane and train fairs so you dont have to take the bus so often... time is more valuble than money. if you need it you can get motion pills at one of the 10,000 drug stors you wyill see. you'll need it for the bus.
"GARFIELD" save up $2,500 and go for 3weeks... you can say "good by" forever to your "ghosts" [ thank me later][ contact me any time] welcome home brother , ong jon , [vn class of 68-69]

Answer 7

i want to do that too... i lived over there when i was little.
perhaps once i simplified my life, i can do it and tell you