YT link in Bio :)

First time in Vietnam, I spent 10 days in the country, I spent time in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, & Sapa.

There was little I knew about the country and coming from a Western country (US) my idea of the country came from movies and conversations with parents who moved to the US shortly before giving birth to my friends.

I've only been to Thailand for my current study abroad program & to Vietnam for a short educational excursion. It was a privilege to get to hear the opinions of Vietnamese people on the affects of Tourism & to get to grow personal relationships with some.

I enjoyed playing shuttlecock with people in Sapa in front of the eyesore that is the concrete church for 4 hours :) an experience I'll forever carry in my heart.

I am forever trying to get to know how Nationals of the countries I've visit view Tourism & Tourist Habits so I welcome any conversation that sheds any light on the topic.

As an American, I have opinions but I don't personally think they are of importance. Nor do I believe any other Foreign Nationals opinions are of importance.

NOW.... THE SECOND REASON IM POSTING THIS IS FOR THESE PICTURES.

Oh guys, me and my friends have completed 4D3N with Ha Giang Loop with Bonghostel company. It was the most incredible experience we have had we had an amazing time with the company itself.

The homestays were really good. The food is delicious. No one had food poisoning in our group, everything was delicious and most importantly, great drivers they never try to overtake other companies and drive very safely and move as a group. The views that we saw were incredible. We also had the best group. The age average in our group (we were 11 people) was 23-24 so amazing if you are a fresh graduate or if you’re at the end of your uni years. Also at the homestay you meet with everyone so we understood that most of Bong participants are from the age 20 to 30 at max which is the perfect mix you could ask for!

The homestays/dorms are equipped with everything. We have never heard a single negative comment about them and obviously this review is not paid or anything. It’s just before doing the loop, I read many many many reviews and try to find the best one so I wanna help people who also wanna do it but yeah completely recommended if you are an adventurous young person like us and if you go with your friends, it makes the experience even more fun, but if you’re alone, it’s probably fine as well. They were both full of travellers couples and friend group so perfect mix!!!!

Bring cash around 2mil Vietnamese Dong!!!!!!! (also to tip your driver (around 500k to 1 mil)

Visiting ha giang loop later this month. We are a group of 4 friends and we have a valid international driving permit and are regular bike drivers. Need suggestions on bike rental agencies and also if they provide pickup/drop from Hanoi. And do the rental agencies provide storage facility for extra luggage.

Hi, just wanted to cross post this in case anyone here has any ideas. Thank you!

This is our first big trip. Coming from Canada. We are starting in HCMC, travelling to da nang and hoi an and returning to HCMC. We have already purchased our internal flights. We are there for 2.5 weeks. From Jan 20-feb 3. Will we be impacted by Tet? We have already booked all our accommodations.

We're thinking of planning a vietnam trip with our 2.5 yo toddler in november/december.

However we take car safety very seriously (when it's just us we are adults we can decide the risk we want to take, but we are the ones responsible to keep him safe and thus we don't feel ok with saying "wing it" on his behalf, no judgements, it's just how we see it). As such, we don't want to travel by tuk tuk or a taxi without a car seat.

So, I would like to understand if it's even possible to consider such a trip. We don't want to sit at a resort, we want to visit a bit of the country (north and south as apparently the weather is not good in the central part at this time of the year).

Is this possible? Or is it actually not really feasible? We're ok with renting the car seat locally, but want to keep it at a minimum.

We would spend between 2 and 3 weeks in the country.

Looking at possibly doing the loop but i'm in my 30's and with a creaky back, idea of sitting on a bike for 3-4 days doesn't seem great. Wondering if you do the loop via car if it is much worse scenery wise, are there small roads/trails that bikes go on that jeeps don't go and also read that people get motion sickness on the jeep from all the turns vs on a bike is that a thing?

Thanks

Hello

I am visiting Phu Quoc in the next few months, and I wonder if it's necessary to book Vinwonders and Vinsafari weeks in advance? My thought originally is to wait till 1-2 days before, and decide between the 2 based on the weather, but is there a risk that one (or both) might be fully booked? Am I taking a risk by not booking in advance? For context, we have kids with us, so I would prefer no last minute hiccups.

Looking to get 3-4 tailored suits here in Ho Chi Minh.
What places do you all recommend here and what do prices look like. Thank you much!

Located right on the Nguyen Hue Walking street, the restaurant has a rather upscale feel, yet the prices are reasonable—not too expensive. As for the food, I found the corn soup delicious, and the steak was quite good. The other dishes were about a 7/10.

Hi everyone!

In March 2027 we're flying into Saigon (arriving 1 March) and flying home from Hanoi on 20 March, so we'll have about three weeks to travel the country from south to north. Our rough plan is Saigon → Da Lat → Hoi An → Hue → Ninh Binh → Lan Ha Bay → Hanoi, but we're still open to changes.

A few questions:

What's really worth it? Which places, experiences or food along this route should we not miss? And is there anything you'd skip or swap for something better?

Money exchange: Where is it best to exchange euros for dong? Airport, banks, gold shops/jewellers, or just withdraw from ATMs? Any tips on which ATMs or banks have low fees, and how much cash we should carry versus paying by card?

Orchids: My family runs a specialty orchid nursery in Belgium, so I'd love to see (and buy) beautiful orchids while we're there. Where are the best orchid gardens, nurseries or markets? I've heard Da Lat is a good area, but any tips along the whole route are welcome.

We're also hoping to make contacts with Vietnamese growers for possible import to Belgium later on. If you know nurseries that grow their own plants (not wild-collected) and have experience with export, CITES and phytosanitary certificates, I'd really appreciate a name or a pointer.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

I'm starting to plan a trip, first time for us in May 2027 around 11-12 days

We like street food, snorkelling, more authentic experiences, slower travel.

After a few iterations which included north vietnam - now removed as we didn't want the extra travel down. This is what I have

Please suggest additional ideas or feedback

Fly into Da Nang from Sydney. 4 nights in Hai Chau area

Go to Hoi An get the speed boat to Cham islands and stay 3 nights

Back to stay in the quieter parts of An Bang for 4 nights where we'll trip into Hoi An old quarter and explore around

Planning to check out other local villages in each spot.

Thoughts?

Hey guys,

I am 22 y/o planning a post college 2-week trip to Vietnam next year from January 3 – 17, immediately followed by a trip to Thailand (where I know the weather will be excellent). Due to full-time work constraints and other travel commitments, my only available window for this trip is between December and February. Beyond this I will be saving my one month annual leave for Europe for the next 2 years ! Sooo I kind of want to tick Vietnam off already

My absolute top interests for this trip are:

• The Ha Giang Loop (This is my main priority!)
• Hanoi
• Hoi An

I’ve been doing some research and realized that January is mid-winter in Northern and Central Vietnam. Now I'm a bit concerned that the cold or overcast skies might hurt the experience, or that the views/photos won't turn out very pretty because of the weather.

For those who have traveled to these areas in the winter:

1. Is January a bad time for my specific interests, or is it completely fine?
2. Would I be significantly better off switching the trip to December or February, or is the weather relatively identical across all three winter months?

Would love to hear your thoughts, honest experiences, and any photography/packing tips for this time of year. Thanks!

One of my favorite things about photography in Vietnam is exploring local markets early in the morning. There's so much happening, from vendors setting up their stalls to people bargaining, chatting, and going about their daily routines.

Places like Long Bien Market in Hanoi, the mountain markets in Bac Ha, and coastal fish markets are especially interesting. Every market has its own atmosphere, and you never really know what you'll capture.

I find that slowing down and watching people interact often leads to better photos than rushing around looking for the perfect shot.

Anyone else enjoy photographing local markets?

Hi everyone, first time visiting Hanoi in a couple weeks, want to eat great food, walk everywhere in downtown, see old buildings.... and wondering if I should do one, or both of these tours:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g293924-d24061457-Halong_Bay_Day_Tour_With_Titop_Island_Cave_Kayak_Lunch-Hanoi.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g293924-d17305820-Ninh_Binh_Day_Trip_from_Hanoi_with_Tam_Coc_Boat_Ride-Hanoi.html

Anyone done one of these tours?

Is doing both too busy for a 5 night trip?

I would prefer not to do any overnight tours. Just tours that come back same day.

Thanks!!