Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Zach with a Z]

Hey can anyone give any pointers for doing a 1 or 2 week Vietnam trip? I was thinking about landing in either Hanoi or Siagon and traveling up/down to the other city to fly out of...

Is this a pretty good time?

Where can I find cheap(ish) flights?

I havent booked anything out of Korea yet, and all I've found are 700$ US for flights with 23 hour lay overs...

thanks!

[Moldy Rutabaga]

Feel free to borrow from my itinerary if you like: http://keneckert.com/pictures/southasia/vietnam/vietnam1.html

I paid about $700 as well when I went. It will not be cheap. Make sure to get your visa in advance.

I don't know a bad time of the year to go, although it can be a little cool in Hanoi in January. Avoid Chinese New Year!

Ken:>

[storysinger81]

I went in February last year for 11 days and LOVED it. I blogged about everything I did: http://storysinger81.blogspot.com/search/label/Vietnam

However, in 1-2 weeks, you don't have a ton of time--it's a looooooooong country. I started in Hanoi and went out to Ha Long Bay and then made it 1/2 down the country to Hoi An and Hue. You probably want to stick to just north, just south, or just main cities if you only have a week.

I paid around $700 US for my Vietnam Air ticket through a travel agency. I know you can get better deals, but it's tough to find on popular travel times like winter break.

[sluggle]

Nice blogs to above posters-- definitely going to check them out.

I'm in the process of planning my Vietnam trip now. I start teaching in Korea on Nov. 2 but convinced my recruiter to fly me out on Oct. 14th... so I'll be hanging with a friend in Incheon and then going to Nam for 2 weeks.

I'm planning on flying to Hanoi (i've only found $600-700 flights), walking around, and then doing a Long Ha bay trip through Hanoi Backpackers Hostel:
http://www.hanoibackpackershostel.com/

Seems like a great start to meet others, relax, do cool adventure stuff.

I'm still figuring out how to get to Ho Chi Minh and if there's anything to do along the way. I've that in Ho Chi Minh, the "Cu Chi" tunnels from the war are very cool. There's always automatic weapon gun ranges if you are into that stuff.

I'll update here if I make any decisions about the South.

[storysinger81]

Flights in-country are pretty cheap. Use Vietnam Air's website, though--hotels and hostels add service fees.

However, for the trains/buses, I used hostels and independent travel firms.

And as great as Hanoi was, the city was insanely busy. The middle of the country was what made me want to go back again. I've heard Saigon/Ho Chi Minh is even more crazy. I still want to visit there, but try to stop by Hoi An at least for a couple days and get some nice suits made for your new job.

Backpacker's Hostel is awesome. Their Ha Long Bay tour was pretty good, too--a variety of folks and yummy food.

[curiousaboutkorea]

I love Vietnam. My favorite country in Asia that I've visited (out of 7).

I spent nearly 2 months there and found it to be awesome.

If you have 1 or 2 weeks I would really urge you to focus on one region. Get in there deep and enjoy. Go to some smaller towns/cities. Some of my least favorite parts of Vietnam were the major destinations, particularly Hoi An (though many like it) as well as Hue. Saigon and Hanoi are both excellent, amazing cities. I'm a little partial to Saigon.

Vietnam is looooong. The main tourist trail is well-worn. Unfortunately, in the big destinations, such as Saigon, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Sapa, as well as Dalat and possibly Mui Ne (I haven't been, so I can't say for sure), aggressive touts and gouging are pretty common. In the less-visited areas this behavior barely exists.

You could go to Saigon and travel around the Mekong Delta from there. The whole area is rather well connected with mini-buses (passenger vans); sometimes the buses need to get on big ferries for river crossings. There's also a speed boat from Can Tho to Saigon.

The Mekong Delta is pretty cool. It's very warm. There's a ridiculous amount of fresh fruit which is delicious. The food is awesome (though all of Vietnam has awesome food). You can visit towns and cities like Can Tho (the big city and economic heart of the delta), Vinh Long (maybe do a homestay), My Tho, and Ben Tre (little visited, but really cool and peaceful, I loved it).

You could also check out the Northwest, which isn't heavily traveled but really awesome. Chances are you will be the only foreigners around if you stop in some of the towns along the way. It's very mountainous and rather remote. It can get chilly in some areas there. I was there in November and it was chilly at times (not freezing, but glad I had a light fleece). I found the population was generally very engaging and curious. I was met with lots of hospitality and friendliness. Some say Northerners are more reserved and xenophobic than Southerners, but I didn't find this to be the case.

The transportation in the Northwest can be dodgy. The roads are pretty bad. Some places have smooth road, but lots have marginal or downright terrible roads. The roads snake along mountains, and sometimes one side of the road may fall into oblivion or maybe be covered in a landslide. The drivers are pretty risky, too. They go real fast and it can be scary. The mini-buses get crowded (30 people for 20 seats). You can usually get buses just by flagging them down on the main roads as they drive along, they'll stop. Some towns have bus stations, which may or may not help. BUT, it's really an awesome area to experience. You can see towns like Mai Chau (probably the most visited), onto places like Moc Chau, Son La, Dien Bien Phu, Muong Lay (really awesome little town, the one hotel in town is actually pretty cool and helpful... rent a motorbike there), on to Sapa and back to Hanoi. Most towns are along the main road and you can just loop from Hanoi, out to Dien Bien Phu, up to Sapa, and back to Hanoi by train. Stop along the way, the journeys are rough.

If you have more questions about traveling in Vietnam, PM me

[guro]

If you're in Korea and plan to Vietnam for travelling, refer to http://vntour.biz/ They offer very cheap air ticket price.

[jamiewebber]

If you do want to see the whole country (mind you small bits) there are ways. I spent about 7-8 days there and went from Saigon to Hanoi (stopped in Nha Trang and Hue). There are sleeper buses though that go from Saigon --> Hanoi (or visa versa) that stop in either 3-5 places along the way that cost about $30 us for the one way trip. You just have to make sure to book your next bus ticket about 24 hours in advance to make the bus and to ensure you have a seat.

If you are flying to Hanoi I would suggest Halong Bay. If you end up down in Saigon instead than I would suggest the Mekong Delta. You can always do cheap flights in country too if you don't want to trek overland for the whole coast. Have fun, Vietnam's a great country!

[Moldy Rutabaga]

Sounds like a good trip. Try to get out of Hanoi; the traffic and noise can get to you after a while. Halong Bay is nice but a little touristy. I like Tam Coc just as much, which is a day trip from Hanoi. It's a boat ride on a river with giant, eerie, spiky mountains.

Road transportation is rough in Vietnam. I took a night train from Hanoi to Hoi An and booked a sleeper room. Trains are a fun way to travel and to meet some people. I liked Hoi An meself. You can have nice clothes made and there's a decent beach nearby.

[d_generate_girl]

I'm also looking into Hanoi for a few days in mid-December, so this was so, so helpful. Thanks to Moldy Rutabaga and storysinger81 for the blog posts and advice. I do have another question, though:

Can anyone recommend a good English-speaking travel agency? I've contacted a few I found through this site already, as well as recommendations from my co-teachers, but I haven't found an agency that is what I'm looking for.

Thanks again!

[Zach with a Z]

whats the train time table like? Are there night trains? Can I easily get from Saigon to Hue to Hanoi? Via night trains? It'd be a great way to really cram days and places together...

I know that the place deserves more time, but I only got so much vacation and I want to maximize what I am seeing/doing.

[Kurtz]

When are you going? If it's in the winter, I'd stay south without trying to travel the length of the country. Lurk around the Mekong Delta, there's a good island to see on the tip too, and some other places on the south coast.

Don't be a butterfly, twittering around everywhere. Find a spot you like and stay a few days.

Well that's my mode of travel these days, I'm no longer a list ticker.

[jmuns]

night trains and night buses, the buses are cheaper and easier to book, and you can choose sleeper or regular buses. any hostel can help you book a bus, plus you can just buy an open tour bus ticket, get on and get off in the cities you want to the whole way down the coast.

[curiousaboutkorea]

[deessell]

I live in Vietnam. It's bloody cold and miserable in the North in December. Bring winter clothes as you will need them.

It is also the tail end of the rainy season in the Central part of Vietnam. Expect rain, sometimes for days on end.

Personally, I would save the North for another time. I think October and November are the best months to spend in Hanoi.