Reisgids Vietnam
Last week I received an email from an acquaintance who is currently traveling through Vietnam asking if I had any tips for where to go and where to sleep. To say that I have lived or worked in Vietnam for years, no, but last year I went on vacation there for three weeks so I have quite a few do's and don'ts. While writing to him I thought, hmm maybe there are more people traveling that way so for anyone who has booked a ticket to Vietnam, here are these tips! And if you're considering Vietnam, book that ticket and go!
Ps: I was there in December and January and have mainly been in the southern part of the country because it was nice and warm there at that time, in Hanoi in the north it is freezing cold during that period.
Ho Chi Minh
The largest city in the southern part of Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh, or Saigon. Try to prepare yourself a bit for the insane crowds and the countless scooters that almost run over your toes, as that can be quite shocking in the first few hours. A must on your itinerary is definitely the War Remnants Museum, where you see quite gruesome and confronting photos from the Vietnam War.
Be warned, it is an incredibly colored picture that is presented here in which the Vietnamese were totally innocent and the Americans no better than the devil. You will also make a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels (every hotel or hostel offers this), eat at a food market and drink Vietnamese beers on terraces with small plastic chairs that you literally encounter on every corner of the street.
The city is divided into districts and if you're in the mood for a lot (a bit student-like but very fun) beer, go to District 1, where you will find a hustle and bustle that is so overwhelmingly cozy that you definitely won't be in bed on time. That bed you booked in The Townhouse 50. There are private rooms and dorms, I slept in the former and those rooms were no less than those of a luxury hotel. The location couldn't be better, there is a great breakfast and the people who work there are incredibly nice and want to help you with everything.
Nha Trang
I personally find it very pleasant to know where I should NOT go when planning a trip, and if you need to cut back on your itinerary, then just throw Nha Trang out. This place was always quite popular because there are a lot of parties, the wind is good for water sports and the beaches are large and stretched out. But someone told the Russians that too and they have totally taken over the place. And really totally, the menus are in Russian, some streets are only indicated in Russian, there are several restaurants and cafes offering Russian specialties and you stumble over the shouting and rude Russians. If kitesurfing is your life then you can probably have a lot of fun here but otherwise, you don't need to bother. After the misery of Nha Trang, I flew via Ho Chi Minh to Phu Quoc, the southernmost and warmest part of the country. Phu Quoc is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand.
Phu Quoc
with paradise-like beautiful beaches, blue sea, palm trees and a lot of postcard-beautiful views., You have to rent a scooter here and just cross the whole island, follow your nose, and see where you end up. But without a scooter, it's hard to get around. On the west coast, the sun sets so there are the largest resorts and hotels,.
including La Veranda, , the most beautiful and expensive resort on the island. I was there for New Year's Eve, all hostels were fully booked and the only place that still had a bed was a rather boring hotel, (Coi Nguon Phu Resort) but that hotel was located right above Le Veranda, so every morning I walked through that luxury resort to the beach and tasted a bit of the luxury there. The west coast of the island is therefore the most built-up, but secretly the east coast is much, much more beautiful. Last December there were several resorts and hotels under construction so by now it will be busier there than it was then, but it is still more than worth it. The highlight of the entire Vietnam trip, however, was the northernmost tip of the island. Just flip a map upside down and follow the little sandy paths all the way up, through all kinds of crawl-through paths, and navigate yourself to.
Peppercorn Beach Resort. This is a mini-resort with 12 villas, a restaurant, and the most beautiful beach you have ever seen. Even non-visitors can walk in here, take a seat in a plastic chair that you half put in the sea and order white wine. Really, this is going to be the highlight of your trip. Furthermore, you should pay a visit to.
The Coconut Tree Prison , a remnant of the Vietnam War and where a lot of intense history can be found. Good to put everything back into perspective because if you go to Vietnam you shouldn't close your eyes to what happened there - I think., Can Tho.
Anyone planning a trip through Vietnam will of course also hear from all sides
that you have to go to a floating market, and I'm going to tell you that one more time. Go to a floating market! Can Tho is very accessible from both Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh and there are dozens of agencies that offer such a trip. You can also do a two-day tour to the heart of the Mekong Delta and see up close how life in the rice fields goes, and then you suddenly find yourself knee-deep in mud with kilometers of green rice fields around you. Ending on the roof.
I spent the last day in Ho Chi Minh.
on the rooftop terrace of the Rex Hotel,
which is in the top 10 of the most expensive hotels in the city. For a tenner you can lie by the pool all day with a view over the city and take my word for it, that's a great way to end a vacation in Vietnam. Last week I received an email from an acquaintance who is currently traveling through Vietnam asking if I had any tips for where to go and where to sleep., Last week I received an email from an acquaintance who is currently traveling through Vietnam asking if I had any tips for where to go and where to sleep. To say that I have lived or worked in Vietnam...
