Travel in Vietnam

Weekend Get-away

CU CHI TUNNELS

~63 kilometers

Website: http://en.diadaocuchi.com.vn/

Began construction in the 1940s before the start of the First Indochina war. The 75-mile (121 km)-long complex of tunnels at Cu Chi has been preserved by the government of Vietnam, and turned into a war memorial park with two different tunnel display sites, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc.

The Ben Duoc site contains part of the original tunnel system, while the Ben Dinh site, closer to Saigon, has tunnel reconstructions and some tunnels have been made larger to accommodate tourists. Visitors may enjoy a simple meal of food that Viet Cong fighters would have eaten.


How to get there??

  • ~2 hour ride on motorbike

  • From the speed boat station in D1 (~220k/ one way), but the last returning boat is around 2pm

CAN GIO MANGROVE FOREST

~16 kilometers

Famous for its Mangrove Forest which is a wetland located 40 km southeast of HCMC.

Reaching 75,700 hectare about 757 sq. km. This is equivalent to 187,000 acres or 292 sq. miles. In Jan. 2000 entered the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Contains over 1000 different type of species from flora, spineless, fish and vertebrate animals.

You can visit the monkey island and crocodile park outside the forest.

Moreover, visitors can enjoy cheap seafood at the market nearby the beach. It's a recommendation for not swimming on this beach because the water is not clean.


How to get there??

It takes around 1.5 hour to get there. Ride to the end of Huynh Tan Phat Street, get on the ferry and ride ~6 kilometers more.

MEKONG DELTA

~84 kilometers

  • Friendly local people, interesting local foods and drinks

  • Road less traveled, peaceful and cultural experience

  • Floating markets, fruit, rice wine, mangroves, honey, snakes

  • Coconut candy, brick, weaving factories

  • Mango Home Riverside-stay, home-stays

  • Cái Răng float market at sunrise

  • Ben Tre & Can Tho 1.5 hr away can rent car, van to get there or take your motorbike


How to get there??

  • ~2.5 hour ride on motorbike

  • Rent a 7-seat car: ~2 million VND


Recommended accomodation

Ben Tre Riverside Resort

  • Reasonable price, right at the riverside

  • Good service & food, clean

  • Close to the city center

  • Should book via travel app to get good deal

CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK

~147 kilometers

Website: http://namcattien.vn/

Cat Tien National Park- in the jungle (dogs allowed)

Approx. 4 hours away by car/van, 150 kilometres away from HCMC. Great outdoors/ nature trip. The park also shelters diverse wildlife, from reptiles at Crocodile Lake to endangered primates and rare birds.

You can do hiking, biking, zip lining, boating.

Wild gibbon trek/ primate reserve


How to get there??

  • ~3.5 hour ride on motorbike, but have to deal with traffic as you cannot take freeway

  • Should travel by car/van as saving time


Recommended accomodation

Green Bamboo Lodge

  • Very cheap (~500k/ night)

  • Right at the riverside

  • Old but clean

VUNG TAU

  • Closest beach to HCMC

  • 3 hr motorbike, 2 hr bus

  • 1.8 hr boat - hydrofoil boat from D1 - https://greenlines-dp.com/

  • Ho May Park - cable car up to alpine coaster, swan boats, zip lining, rock climbing, pool, carnival rides, etc.

  • Beach is ok, but crowded on weekends & holidays. Hotels price is higher on weekends

  • Dog racing on Fri & Sat nights

LONG HAI

  • Less people, quiet & clean beach

  • Cheap hotels, bungalows, tents for camping, BBQ on the beach

  • Recommendation http://longhaichannel.com/ with 1.7 million VND/ bungalow/ night (breakfast buffet included)

  • Not many activities or restaurants. However, local restaurants with fresh seafood are inexpensive

  • Close to Binh Chau hot spring

HO TRAM

  • Less busy than Vung Tau, private beach, quiet & clean

  • Ho Tram (The Grand) Casino close by (need passport)

  • Ho Tram Boutique Hotel sharing the same beach as the Tram

  • Camping at The Beach House Resort, they rent tents, bbq and supplies

  • Find a resort/hotel and pay to use their pool/sunbed beach chairs they will have a cleaner beach area

TAN LAP FLOATING VILLAGE

Southwest, Long An Province

Website: https://langnoitanlap.com.vn/en

  • The alley through melaleuca forest.

  • About 3 hours to get there by bus

  • Close to Dong Thap Muoi & Long An wetland

  • Forest and swamp, birds conservation island

  • Hiking trails, folk games area

  • Boat / Canoe rides and rentals

  • Quiet in nature: not much else

  • Beautiful hotel in the middle of the forest with great views - approx. 800k - 1 million VND/ night

  • Very local experience, being harmony with the nature.

ISLANDS

PHÚ QUỐC

Inexpensive & short flight (~40 min flight, and ~600k/ air ticket on normal days)


Clean, blue water and white sand beaches. Many beautiful and "blue" small islands around such as Nam Du, Hon Thom, Hon Son, Hon Dam, Hon Xuong ("Hon" in Vietnamese is usually used to call a small island. You can book 1-day tour to visit 2-3 islands and enjoy seafood lunch on the boat.


Range of resort options, hostels, boutiques that you can enjoy a romantic sunset or a BBQ night right on the beach in a serene atmosphere. At night, you can go to squid fishing or go to Night Market with cheap seafood & local food, souvenir.


Vinwonder is the largest theme park in Vietnam. Vinpearl Safari and conservation park is the first and only open zoo in Vietnam that was built according to international Safari model.


Activities: Squid fishing, diving , snorkeling, kayak, cable car to Hon Thom island


Food: Great crab / squid / lobster / sea urchin


👍 Must try: Fish salad & Rose myrtle wine


*** Should stay around Bai Truong area as the beach is clean, not busy & less traffic.

Dong Duong area is a tourist area with restaurants, coffee shops & convenient stores

CÔN ĐẢO

Nice resorts, quiet, not much night life. Famous with several sacred historical sites: Con Dao prison, Hang Duong graveyard.

South of Vietnam off of Mekong Delta. 2.5 hours to travel by boat to Con Dao from Mekong Delta, and 12 hours from Vung Tau. Cheap air ticket.

Made up of 16 different islands. Con Son island is the biggest. An Hai Beach is the most popular. Many clean quiet beaches such as Đầm Trầu, Lò Vôi, Đất Dốc, Ông Đụng. Moreover, Côn Sơn Bay has several small islands: Bảy Cạnh, Bông Lan, Trứng Tre, Tài, Cau, Trác, Thỏ. You can hire a boat to go around these island within 1 day.

Activities: Snorkeling, Scuba Diving

NORTHERN VIETNAM

HÀ NỘI - VIETNAM CAPITAL

  • 2.5hr flight - too long by train

  • Museums, HCM Mausoleum, old pagodas, Ancient Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Tay Area

  • Nice Lake and city to walk around, slow life

  • Nightlife at the ancient town, close by Hoan Kiem Lake

  • Cold in winter

  • Northerners are less friendly

  • Busy tourist route, be careful with the price

BA BỂ NATIONAL PARK

  • 4 hours from Hanoi

  • Fresh water lakes, mountains, jungles all in one

  • Boat trips

  • Dau Dang Waterfall, Nang Tien Cave, Puong Cave, Hua Ma Cave - artsy

  • Experience ethnic minority life and local festivals

  • Guided hiking tours

  • Should try Pork, Chicken & Cooc Mò Cake

HẠ LONG BAY - World Natural Heritage

  • Ha Long Bay is worth 2-3 days on an overnight boat package includes: fare, food, excursions, kayaking

  • Busy tourist route

  • Rock climbing, kayaking, boating, natural beauty

  • Spend 2 days on a cruise going around all the islands and caves (https://www.halongbaytours.com/)

  • Night Markets & Food street, bars, massage, clubs

  • Sun World Ha Long Complex with cable car, water park, activities & Japanese garden.

  • Flight to Van Don airport or take 3 hour bus from Hanoi

TRÀNG AN - BÁI ĐÍNH - NINH BÌNH

  • 100 kilometres away from Hanoi

  • Very quiet, peaceful and be immersed in the nature. Limestone scenery where the King Kong movie was filmed

  • Tam Coc - the Halong Bay on land

  • Mua Cave (in Ninh Binh) - The Vietnamese Great Walls

  • Trang An Grottoes on boat through caverns

  • Bai Dinh is the biggest and holiest pagoda

SAPA

  • Cool, clean air & water. Very cold in winter

  • Terraced agriculture

  • Great hiking

  • Local tribes and unique shopping

  • Experience a 'Home Stay'

  • To get there (train & then bus)

  • Locals are curious with expats

  • Several ethnic minority villages, beautiful waterfalls

  • Not a variety of activities

  • Fancsipan Peak (Highest is Indo-China)

CENTRAL VIETNAM

MŨI NÉ - PHAN THIẾT

  • 4 hour drive but holidays = 7-8 hours, or take the train for 4 hours

  • Dangerous roads, be careful on a motorbike

  • Not much nightlife, but good to chill out and relax. Not crowded

  • Bau Trang is a lotus lake surrounded by sand

  • Should try to slide on the sand hills, 30k vnd/ person

  • In the main center area not much of a sandy beach

  • Water is cleaner and less crowded in the southern area of Phan thiet

  • Resorts, hostels, boutiques

  • Kite surfing, ATV sand dune riding

  • Phu Hai Resort, Mia Resort, Mui Ne Beach Resort

  • Dong Vui Food Court for drinks and great selections of food

  • Must try "Thả" hotpot 👍

  • Seafood from fishermen get back from the beach is very cheap and variety

NHA TRANG - CAM RANH - DỐC LẾT

  • Inexpensive flights, ~40 mins

  • Clean, blue water, nice beach

  • Great seafood

  • Decent nightlife

  • Kite surfing , diving, snorkeling, golfing

  • Vinpearl theme park

  • 45 min taxi from the airport (~300k)

  • Very popular tourists

  • Takes 2-3 days to ride on bike

  • Island Hoping

  • Many bars & restaurants on the beach

  • Food: "nem nuong", fish cake noodle soup

  • Night Market, clubs and bars on the beach (Tran Phu Street)

CAM RANH

  • The area at the airport with a range of luxury resorts

  • Quiet & clean private beach

  • Suitable for weekend get-away

  • Paradise golf court

  • Cheap & fresh local seafood at Cầu Mới area

DỐC LẾT

  • About an hour from Nha Trang

  • A walking way to an island in the mid of the sea

  • 10 mile long, clean and quiet beach area, cheap hotels

  • Fresh seafood from the local fishing village

ĐÀ NẴNG - HỘI AN - HUẾ

ĐÀ NẴNG - The best city to live in Vietnam

  • Da Nang city with a big beautiful & clean beach and surrounded by mountains.

  • Historical & famous Pagodas & Cave: Ngu Hanh Son

  • Cultural festivals, fireworks international festival every year from May - June

  • 7 Bridges Brewery, Love Bridge, Dragon Bridge

  • Hot springs, mud bath, Asia theme park

  • Ba Na Hills theme park on the mountain with cool air, various flower gardens, games and wax museum

  • Waterfall trekking

  • Rent a motorbike: 150k - 200k/ day

  • Nightlife on the beach (Vo Nguyen Giap Street)

HỘI AN - Ancient Town

  • Shopping - lanterns, silks, art

  • Tailors/Silk - Hoi An it takes a few days

  • Touristy - especially during Viet holidays

  • Prices a bit high due to tourist area

  • Hoi An has great resorts

  • Food: Cao Lau, chicken rice

HUẾ - Imperial Palace

  • Hue - Historical sites, great food

  • Visit imperial palace & learn about royalty life

  • Cannot take photos inside the palace

QUY NHƠN - PHÚ YÊN

  • Train ride - 10+ hours (overnight cabins available)

  • Cheap & short flight to Phù Cát airport

  • Not yet touristy, not crowded

  • Clean quaint city, some historical sites

  • Very blue ocean, white sand. Very chill, relaxing, quiet

  • Surrounded by beautiful beaches, fishing villages

  • Super hot in summer, many storms from Sept. - Dec.

  • Motorbike rentals to see the area, or taxi rental about 800k - 1 million vnd/ day

  • Inexpensive hotels, resorts, bungalows and bars

  • Not much nightlife besides beach bars

  • Great fresh & cheap seafood

  • FLC resort & safari park

  • Beautiful sites: Ky Co beach, Hon Kho island, Cu Lao Xanh, Trung Luong camping area, Ghenh Rang, Hai Minh fish village, Phuong Nam sand hill, Ham Ho

  • Phú Yên: Gành Đá Dĩa, Đầm Ô Loan, Bãi Xép - is a "green grass with yellow flowers" hill, etc.

  • Food: various kinds of snails, "nem nướng", Vietnamese pan cake, shrimp noodles soup, Bàu Đá wine

PHONG NHA - KẺ BÀNG

  • Fly to Đồng Hới airport (Quang Binh Province)

  • No nightlife, not many fancy places or resorts/ hotels. But very quiet, slow and fresh air. It's super hot in summer, even night time.

  • Phong Nha Farmstay, Dark Cave tour, Son Doong Cave, Mooc Waterfall

  • Caving trip with Oxalis or Phong Nha Discovery tours

  • Paradise Cave 7 km trek with beautiful view and being harmony with the nature

  • Food is not various, but everything is very cheap.

  • Must try sand-worms spring-rolls or cake 👍

CENTRAL HIGHLAND

ĐÀ LẠT - Dreaming City

  • Best motorcycle roads along the coast

  • Easy Riders - great bike tour company

  • Cool, clean air (bring pants/sweater)

  • Beautiful greenery, lakes, golf courts and luxury/average resorts.

  • Many flower, vegetable & fruit farms, rice fields, coffee plantations to experience

  • Should stay around Tuyen Lam lake if you want to be "away from people"

  • 8 hour sleeper bus, or get a cheap & short flight

  • Thanh Buoi sleeper bus http://thanhbuoi.com.vn/

  • Very crowded on holidays

  • Hiking, mountain biking, rafting, waterfalls, canoeing - outdoor activities!

  • Can ride motorbike to Nha Trang and enjoy the beauty on the way

  • Great food (BBQ) & night market

  • Many cheap & nice homestays

  • Great escape from the heat on weekend!

BUÔN MA THUỘT / ĐẮK LẮK / TÂY NGUYÊN

  • Cheap & short flight (~45 mins)

  • Or take sleeper bus (8 hrs)

  • Cool & fresh air, many forests & farms

  • Beautiful waterfalls, but lack of water in dry season

  • Many good places for camping along the waterfalls, but it's very dangerous for swimming.

  • Small minority villages and indigenous hill tribes. Enjoy local food and festivals

  • Should try Cần wine - special spirit of minority people, good taste with BBQ

  • Many short guided tours to a local hill tribe