Going to Vietnam! Any tips?

Soldato
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We finally booked a last minute tour of Vietnam, departing at the end of this month.

10 days total. Itinerary is roughly Hanoi, overnight boat in Halong Bay, overnight train to Hue, couple of days in Hue, couple of days in Hoi An, fly to HCMC, Mekong Delta tour, back to HCMC.

So, pretty hectic! I know @Nitefly and @MartinPrince had some pointers. Any more would be awesome; we don't have long to get organised! Interested in good photography opportunities, and obviously the food. I've already been recommended a street food tour in HCMC for our last day :)

Also, did anyone bother with the malaria drugs? My girlfriend is set against it as it makes you feel awful apparently :confused:
 
Soldato
Joined
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You should hopefully have an amazing time! I put up some photos in a thread here from our adventures. The 2nd photo post are from Vietnam.
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...-near-thailand-for-photography-tour.18841860/

We didn't take any Malaria drugs and we did do a a forest trek in Cat Ba National park. I strongly recommend this repellant as it worked brilliantly for me and I'm a mosquito magnet.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TRSVDUC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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Don
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. I've already been recommended a street food tour in HCMC for our last day :)

Also, did anyone bother with the malaria drugs? My girlfriend is set against it as it makes you feel awful apparently :confused:

The XO motorbike foodie tour is great, we've done it twice

never took Malaria stuff on any of our visits
 
Associate
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We spent 2 weeks in Vietnam last year was awesome. Try not to spend too much time in HCMC. Get out to the more remote areas to see the best of Vietnam. Our highlights included canoeing around Halong Bay and riding mopeds around Tam Coc/Ninh Binh. We had a day cycle tour around Mekong Delta booked whilst in HCMC but cancelled because it was 35+C and ridiculous humidity, probably our biggest regret. How long is the tour of the Mekong Delta?

Didn't bother with any tablets but had Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Diphtheria and Tetanus toxoids and Pertussis vaccine (3 in 1)
 
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As I live here in HCMC I would suggest that food is split into two camps - local (cheap) and Western (expensive).

I would recommend you investigate the following in HCMC.

Do the Saigon Vespa Tour at night, about $80 per person, and see a bit of Saigon from a bike, eat traditional foods in Vietnamese restaurants, inc frogs, snails, foetus eggs etc. and a lot of beer. well worth doing.
Western restaurants (expensive)- The Deck for a romantic riverside meal (D2), Hoa Tuc (modern western Vietnamese), the Refinery for Lunch, (French). B3 Steak House, Sorae for Japanese. Ratcha Rooms
Vietnamese - eat street food in Binh Thanh Market, Quan 13 (D2), and local street food, if the stall is busy, eat there. TIB on Hai Ba Trung is very old and well established, worth a visit.
Shopping - Binh Thanh market and Saigon Square, haggle hard, and go into the middle as the outsides are more expensive. they start at say 1.5mill, expect to pay 400k to 450k. Binh Thanh should be a bit cheaper.
Bars - change all the time. Everyone goes to Bui Vinh, the back packer district but it is mafia controlled, drug ridden and not great now., Chill Sky Bar above Sorae is good, as is Glow. Apocalypse is famous, but another hole. Many craft breweries now worth a drink, Pasteur street Brewery, East West and Heart of Darkness.

Dengue fever, foot and mouth, swine fever and bird flu are the big issues here now, especially dengue. No one who lives here takes malaria tablets.

can offer more if needed.

Martin
 
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Soldato
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...Do the Saigon Vespa Tour at night, about $80 per person, and see a bit of Saigon from a bike, eat traditional foods in Vietnamese restaurants, inc frogs, snails, foetus eggs etc. and a lot of beer. well worth doing....
I'm not sure moped rides and copious amounts of beer go well together. ;) Some great insight and advice given in your post though.
 
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