pablodiscobar wrote:I cycled from Hanoi to Siem Reap couple of months ago, my 2 cents:
Ditch the package tours and rent a push/motorbike for a couple of days to go deep into the Mekong delta. While you're at it consider going to Pnomh Penh (maybe by boat), visa on arrival is easy, it's an amazing city, very different from Nam.
If you got money to spend a flight to Dao Phu Quoc could be worthy, do some research first.
Up north you go, Mui Ne is where the surf is but check the windguru first if you want waves. Nha Trang is the cheapest place on earth to get a diving certificate + it's got tons of drunken Brits wrecking havoc in the nightlife, fun place. After that I highly recommend going in to the mountains towards Dalat, there's nothing to do at the coastline, you go back east for Hoi An, very touristy but a must see because A) it's got Cham temples very close by, recommended if you haven't been to Cambodia yet and B) here you can buy a tailor made suit for 85 USD. My advice would be to go straight to Hanoi after that, I can assure you there's very little noteworthy in between. Hanoi speaks for itself. Halong Bay is very beautiful though overcrowded, I still kick myself for not going. Take a train to Sapa for the great outdoors and then you should be out of time: Sapa - HCMC will take at least 30 hours by bus if you do it in one take assuming you exit the country through Saigon.
Vietnam is cool.
PS for Pnomh Penh you need a multiple entry visa to get back in Nam
Never got the chance to thank you for the great advice pablodiscobar. I am here in Vietnam at the very moment and
have gone to two of the places you have recommended (referred to..) Da Lat and Nha Trang. I am having a great
time here. Nha Trang contains probably the most beautiful beaches in the world or at least the most beautiful beach I
have experienced in my life and I have been to Hawaii and live in California (both having inferior beaches to Nha
Trang). I'm staying in Saigon for the remainder of my time so I was and am not able to continue my travels north of
here to Sa Pa or Hanoi, unfortunately. Nevertheless, this is one of the best vacations I have had the opportunity to
experience and I am lucky enough to have the chance to continue to vacation here as my friends have just currently
purchased a condo in Nha Trang about 5-10 mins from the beach in which I will have access to in the future.
Tomorrow I am going to one of the few places that sells records and will see what i can find. I'm hoping I can get
some rare Vietnamese records. Very few people have the money to purchase a record player/turntable so the record
stores here are very few and far between. It's taken me almost my whole vacation in order to find a place that
actually sells records. The food here for a vegetarian has been amazing and amazing as this trip has been it is soon
coming to an end. I'll share some pictures and hopefully some music once i am back on Monday of the 17th. Cya!
- Sam (cloud9)
If you have any specific questions I'll ask her for you. Also, Vietnamese food is fantastic - probably my favourite Asian cuisine along with Japanese. Eat lots of pho (pronounced fur), a spicy and sour soup and banh xeo - Vietnamese pancakes. Yum.
