Located near the Gulf of Thailand, one of the most beautiful places to visit in Southeast Asia is Vietnam. It offers numerous mesmerising views with several UNESCO World Heritage Sites to visit. From kayaking to relishing delicious food, Vietnam has something to offer for every kind of traveller.
Are you planning a trip to the country? If yes, here’s a guide that will help you explore it to the fullest.
How to Reach by Air
There are several flight options available for Vietnam; you can pick between direct connections or those with layovers. It has four international airports, Hanoi (North Vietnam), Ho Chi Minh City (South Vietnam) and Phu Quoc being the most popular. I booked my flight to Hanoi from Delhi with one stop (Kolkata). The layover was for around 2.5 hours, during which immigration formalities took place.
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Visa
You can apply directly for a visa for Vietnam on this link. You’ll need to share all the details like your passport number, the hotel where you will be staying and the duration of your visit. Within three working days, you’ll receive your visa on your email address.
Best Time to Visit
I planned my trip for the month of August. Even though it rained early in the morning for 2–3 hours, the sky was completely clear for the entire day afterwards. So, I think you can plan your trip as per your convenience and don’t need to worry too much about the weather.
A couple of tips:
- Take some exchanged US Dollars from India itself so that you can easily pay for the taxi from the airport.
- Also, do not buy anything at the airport, including SIM cards, or get your currency exchanged there. Once you reach the city, you will find many shops where you can get SIM cards for as low as INR 600 which include calling and data recharge features.
Places I Visited in Vietnam
Hanoi
My first stop was Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. This city is famous for its Train Street (which unfortunately is getting closed due to safety reasons) where a train brushes past you. One can enjoy that experience while sipping special Vietnamese coffee. There are many coffee shops and varieties to choose from but my personal recommendation would be the coconut coffee. We stayed around the Old Quarter Road which is the most preferred location for tourists.
You can visit the Night Market (try to go on weekends) and St. Joseph’s Cathedral, among other places. In case you end up feeling homesick, fret not as you can find plenty of Indian restaurants here. They are, however, very particular with their hours of operation. The cutoff for the last order of the day is 9:45 PM so do keep that in mind. Our favourite Indian eatery was Zaika Restaurant.
If you want to enjoy a luxury cruise experience with a breathtaking view then you should definitely visit Ha Long Bay. It will cost you anywhere from INR 12,000–22,000 depending upon which cruise you choose. We booked a 2 Days/1 Night cruise, the cost of which was around INR 16,000 per person which included pick up from and drop to our hotel, lunch, dinner and next day’s breakfast.
Ninh Bình
Another place to explore near Hanoi is Ninh Bình. It’s a small city so you can visit it during the day and then return to Hanoi in the evening. Local tour companies are quite good here. It cost us INR 2,500 each which included cycling across the local village, boating around Tam Coc river and climbing up almost 500 steps to reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain, which is inside the Mua Caves.
P.S.: The view is spellbinding and absolutely worth the effort.
Phu Quoc
The next stop was Phu Quoc, about which I got to know through Instagram. And thank goodness for that because it’s nothing short of a paradise. The views here are as mesmerising as those encountered in the Maldives or Thailand but since this place has not yet been commercialised, you will have a much better experience.
We were in Phu Quoc for three nights. The most popular place to stay here is in the Doung Dong area. It is very close to the airport and is also the centre of the island. You can book a resort to stay by Long Beach and have a sort of private beach experience. The beaches here are quite peaceful and pristine. Starfish Beach and Sao Beach are all worth exploring. If you’d like, you can also conveniently rent a motorbike through the hotel where you are staying, the price of which will be in the range of INR 600 per day.
There’s a restaurant on Sao beach called Paradiso. It’s on the leftmost side where you’ll find tranquillity and no large crowds. They have a good drinks menu and provide beach chairs, along with washrooms and shower facilities. They charge around INR 400 for one beach chair.
If you’re interested in history, you can go to the Phu Quoc prison, which is near the beach. Note that it’s not for the faint-hearted. The depictions of the tragedy can really get to you.
The next day, I bought a package from a local tour company called John’s Tours, which included a trip to four islands plus a cable car ride. We experienced snorkelling amidst the beautiful coral reefs, a few hours in an adventure park and ended the day in the cable car, enjoying the panoramic view.
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
Also known as Saigon, this city is in the south of Vietnam and has an unforgettable vibe, from skyscrapers to streets beaming with colours.
HCMC is also famous for the War Remnants Museum, which is a must visit for history buffs. The Saigon Central Post Office and the Ben Thanh Market are also unmissable. This market is a heaven for shopaholics who like beautiful crockery or souvenirs.
Pro tip: Bargain as much as you can. You will succeed easily in bringing the price down to 25% of the initial quoted amount. You can also visit Chu Chi tunnel where you will get a chance to fire an AK-47 rifle.
Food, Beverages and Activities
Several activities like kayaking, swimming, boat ride to visit the caves, squid fishing, pearl farming can be tried in Vietnam.
P.S.: They are very punctual about the time of the activities. If they say 7:15 PM, it does mean 7:15 PM. They will wait for a maximum of 2–3 mins and then, they will leave without you.
In terms of food, there are limited options for vegetarians, and even the vegetarian food you do end up finding might sometimes be cooked in fish oil. So, while placing your order, please inform the restaurant staff about your food preferences and enquire if they’ll be able to make arrangements accordingly.
When in Vietnam, getting coffee is a must! The caffeinated beverage here is popular for all the right reasons, one of which is that you can find more than 50 kinds of coffee! The shops will let you taste/smell it before purchasing and will also crush it in front of you.
Kindly note: This informative itinerary has been shared by Priyasha Chaubey 😃
Are you excited to explore Vietnam? We hope you book your tickets soon.
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