Vietnam - Travel in February

LHowdydoo on 18/09/2019 - 13:43
Last edited 18/09/2019 - 14:04 by 1 other user

Hi everyone.

I am planning on going to Vietnam in Feb and wondering where some good places are to go. We have a flight booked to leave from Ho Chi Min City but were maybe thinking of going to Da Nang for a few days.

We will only have about 5 days and we are looking to relax but also do a little bit of exploring (ideally just staying in one spot and exploring locally). Want to swim and relax (pool or beach) and eat. I had a look at Ha Long Bay and the boat 'cruises' but it is a couple of hours from Hanoi so not sure if it is worth doing that.

Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts of where is best to go (keeping in mind we will need to fly from the back to Ho Chi Min to depart Vietnam)? We are also open to Cambodia if people think this is better?

Thanks

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  [Deactivated] on 18/09/2019 - 13:47

  You know you want to do Ha Long Bay. :p

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    trienchieu12 on 18/09/2019 - 14:23

    +1

    Cam Dai bay is better

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      [Deactivated] on 18/09/2019 - 16:11

      Thank you. :)

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  hoey888 on 18/09/2019 - 13:47

  Just be mindful of which Vietnam Visa you get and plan accordingly.
  a) Single Entry
  b) Multi Entry

  I've bumped into tourists having issues at border.

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  pokgai on 18/09/2019 - 14:09

  5 days isn't a long time.

  Halong Bay is epic, we did a 3 day 2 night cruise on boat. 1 day we did kayaking, another day hiking and caves. The bus ride from Hanoi took I reckon 3-4 hours back then cause roads were no good even though it wasnt that far, not sure what it's like now.

  Danang was sick cause we rented motorbikes for $7 a day and road them along the coast to the Buddha staue. Brand new roads with very little traffic on them. Also hiked some tracks to some waterfalls.

  HCM has heaps of bars which I found loads of fun, just came back last month from there.

  Hanoi is fun for food n shopping.

  I think wherever you go you'll have a blast, but 5 days is probably only enough for 1 place imo.

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    H E B on 18/09/2019 - 14:36

    Second this. Kids loved Halong but you will easily lose at least a whole day even if you do a day trip. Best take a overnighter if you can, then you'll lose 2.5days.

    1-2.5 days to see the sights in town, markets, food relax.

    Maybe add a 1 day tour to see the perfume pagoda to see a bit more of countryside and that's a good 5 day trip right there.

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  Devil on 18/09/2019 - 15:04

  If you've never been to VN and only have 5 days, forget about criss-crossing the country. I'd also forget about Cambodia (unless you really want do Angkor Wat) as the most you're going to be able to sacrifice would be 2 days.

  Forget Hanoi and Halong Bay this trip.

  1. If you want to get a feel for busy Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) now, then stay down there and get a feel for the people, food and touristy places. You can do the touristy things like Mekong river, Cu Chi Tunnels, museums, markets etc as day trips so you can base yourself in Saigon.

  There are no beaches in Saigon itself so your closest one will be either Vung Tau or Mui Ne if you want to stretch it a bit. You can mix the above with like 3 days in Saigon and fly to Phu Quoc, Nha Trang or Da Nang for a couple of beach days (around an hour flight)

  2. If you want the bang for your buck travel experience then, I'd fly to Da Nang (beach/resort town - laze around for 2 days), you can do a day trip to Hoi An (which Western tourists love) and also do a longer day trip to Hue (the former Capital). Then fly back and spend your last day in Saigon and see the hustle and bustle. You're going to be on your feet for most of the days though as there's so much to see.
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  Flying Ace on 18/09/2019 - 15:55

  I would highly recommend Da Nang. My wife is from Hue (not far away) there and I have been many times.

  It's got amazing beaches, great seafood and spectacular scenery. Hoi An is just down the road which is a must-do. Go in the early afternoon to beat the crowds and then stay until the evening to see the lanterns.

  A trip up Son Tra mountain is also really nice, lovely scenery along the way and you get a great vista of the city of Da Nang.

  Hue is about 2hrs away by car, so it would be a full day to visit there, but it's also well worth a visit.

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  Howdydoo on 18/09/2019 - 16:33

  Thanks everybody - all fantastic tips - much appreciated.

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  casho on 20/09/2019 - 10:07

  Hoi An Hoi An Hoi An Hoi An

  My favourite part of Vietnam and the only reason I would go back. When they close the old city off to traffic it is so peaceful and the shopping is brilliant. Then at night the lanterns come on and it is stunning

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  Howdydoo on 21/09/2019 - 20:38

  Ok now I am getting really excited. I think for the short amount of time we have we might stay in Da Nang and do day trips to the mountains, Hoi An and Hue and then a day in Saigon before we fly out (onto Japan). We will be without the kids so it will be a good taster for coming back with them.

  So a few questions:
  *Is it easy to hire scooters (or a car), do you need a motorbike licence (or do they try and find you like in Bali?) Or is it is to get grab or other transport to say Hoi An or other for a day trip?
  *Has anyone flown Viet jet - are they ok?
  *Are the beaches in/near Da Nang nice - they look lovely but coming from Oz we also have amazing beaches.

  Thanks everybody

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    [Deactivated] on 22/09/2019 - 12:32

    Viet Jet were 100% safe when their expansion was grounded last December for safety breaches. :)

    Personal choice, I would fly them, but not a lot. ;)

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    H E B on 23/09/2019 - 08:11

    Da Nang to Hoi An is like an hourish from memory so not too bad for a bus or taxi/grab. Scooters are fine but even if you have a IDR non local license holders I think are not allowed to ride/drive on the roads. Transport is super easy and day trip / tours are really affordable.

    We found Vietjet a bit scary. The DH was horrified at wires just sticking out of seats and poor cabin safety practices. Also if you are there only for 5 days, value your time and go with a more reputable airline that's less guaranteed to either cancel or delay your flight if you're unlucky for hours.

    Australia has some of the best beaches in the world. I don't think any in Vietnam come close. You might still get nice luxury resorts though if that's what you're after with man made beaches.