The Nam

KautoStar

KautoStar

KautoStar

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8 Dec 2009
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I was wondering if anyone here has been and had some advice.

We thinking of going for 3 weeks, minus a couple of days in Hong Kong next year. We ill be get up to Hanoi via train, but after Hue, it would seem that its either taking a train which is going to be 12+ hours or a flight to Hanoi.

While I would like to cut out or down that train journey, it feels like I am missing out quite a bit of the country. However it seems that there is not much in the way of towns or anything on that stretch of the journey, but I would hate to miss out on some spectacular countryside or coastline.

So yeah anyone have some ideas of places to say over on that bit or whether it is just best to get to Hanoi the best/quickest way.

Also any advice on Vietnam in general would be most welcome !!
 
I went last year - loved it. I was visiting a relative who was working as a teacher in Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) at the time. I spent a week there, did some day trips to the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi tunnels - both were amazingly cheap and interesting. Then I got a flight up to Hanoi, spent a couple of days there, then went by train to Sa pa and stayed there a couple of days before back to Hanoi and then home. Definitely want to go back.

In general I'd say I preferred Saigon to Hanoi - people are friendlier in the south, the weather is better (I went in the rainy season) and I knew the best places to go. It was also easier to get a (reputable) cab in Saigon. Hanoi had UK style rain most of the time I was there, but I gather it can be horribly hot (40 degrees plus) in the summer. It's more set up for tourism though.

If the trains are like the Hanoi-Lao Cai line, I'd give them a miss - seemed to be single track for most of the way which meant pulling into sidings - very slow and very frustrating, there was no view as it was night. We'd booked a "first class" cabin but really it was pretty basic - just two beds and a bottle of water each. The door didn't lock from the outside so you had to stay in the whole journey really, except for toilet breaks. Vietnam Airlines seemed to have loads of flights per day between the main cities.

General tips - take some alcohol hand gel with you, hygiene ain't great. Oh, and an umbrella - that's what all the locals use to keep the rain off but the Vietnamese umbrellas are really poor quality.
 
The train is slow but it is MUCH more preferable to getting the night bus. You could always rent a motorbike and do it that way.
 
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