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Hi, it's our 25th wedding anniversary this November. For our honeymoon, I took my wife to hiking in Scotland (November) which was good (albeit wet and cold) but not maybe the typical honeymoon. Been a running joke that on our 25th, we'd do something big! So been saving and hoping we could do a trip to Vietnam.
Assuming we could be there for 10 days, ideally one flight and then the return flight (I struggle with back pain and aeroplanes are bad for me!) ... and then type of activities/preferences:
- we like Asian food big time, street food a big win
- not looking for formal hotels/mainstream tourism, more local/small, guest houses
- would love a few days trekking (we're both reasonably fit, do a lot of walking/hiking)
- a few days in an area with water/pool/ to chill
- some travel within, maybe 2-3 different locations, ideally to give a flavour of the culture, people, life there
- happy to do some guided tours as may be a great way to learn/see stuff, but don't want it to feel overly structured or time-tabled for the 10 days
- no idea as to where best to base ourselves, so any pointers. Be good to experience a little of the contrast of city vs rural
Many thanks
We had a fantastic time there. Flew into Hanoi, made our way down to Saigon (train, plane, bus and taxi) and flew home from there. We booked a few stays and did a mix of Expedia and Airbnb for the rest. We used a company called Ethnic Travel for 2 trips; Halong Bay and Mekong Delta. They are fantastic - where the other tourist boats/buses turn right, they turn left and took us places where we saw locals not tourists. It was the build up to the Tet new year and the places along the Mekong getting ready to send the flowers and fruit into town made a fascinating sight.
Some notes:
Hanoi - old town - see it before it catches up with the 20th century
Halong Bay
Hoi An - pretty, lively, we hired bikes and went up the coast, great cookery class with Mr Qui
Homestays with Ethnic Travel
Visit the floating market on the Mekong on a little boat and mingle with the local traders, mooring up to the boats for coffee and breakfast noodles, passing bowls across to the other boats and watch big tourist boats 100 metres away from the action with people in life jackets watching us, wishing they could be where we are.
Sleeper train
Take an escorted Motorbike ride from Hue to Hoi An
Vietnam Airlines - comfortable 787 direct from Heathrow to Hanoi and back from Saigon
The locals use Ho Chi Min City for the general area but Saigon for the city itself, so not being culturally insensitive.
All the local beers!
10 days nowhere near long enough.
Halong Bay has some great sport climbing if you like that. The train is great also been Hanoi and Saigon. All the war stuff is interesting even my ex enjoyed it. Accomodation wide I just sorted there on the spot but maybe better to do in advance to save time. I was there at Tet and a lot of services shut or booked out.
“Stay on the boat”
Hoi An – pretty, lively, we hired bikes and went up the coast, great cookery class with Mr Qui
Was going to recommend Hoi An as well. Beautiful place. Did a cookery class there too, not sure if it was Mr Qui, then ate at his restaurant the same evening. No menu as such, just choose "meat" or "fish", and then lots of courses of amazing food. Steaming bowls of Cau Lau (pork noodle stew) at the morning food market were also a highlight, as were the lanterns on show on an evening walking round the town.
Thanks all ... cookery class sounds great (likely to be a big win with Mrs A), train sounds good, and thanks BigJohn, some great tips, thanks!
My best mate has lived there for the past 10 years. If you want I can get hold of his email and ping across.
He has worked in the tourist industry out there for a while, but now at a brewery.
mrwhyte ... that'd be great as long as it's not a hassle him ... alternately, ping him mine if better ... southbankaus AT
gmail DOT com