Vietnam

[Unrighteous]

You must have 'mug' written all over you Lance

 

Took those examples off a website, String.

[TheResonator]

I went to Hanoi at around this time last year. I'll try to give you some general tips.

 

Halong Bay is pretty awesome, but be prepared for the fact that it will be quite cold. If you're sat up on the boat you'll need a jumper and a jacket, you're not going to be laying back and catching rays. Ho Chi Minh, on the other hand, I guess will probably be pretty hot (I didn't get down there, but I think the temp was near 30).

 

The second thing I'd say regarding the Halong Bay tours is: don't buy the cheapest one. Our hostel provider tried to steer us away from the 40-dollar-a-night offering but being a group of four lads, we just wanted to save money and didn't really care about the quality of it, or so we thought. Unfortunately, the organisation of the whole thing was fucking shocking. There was just loads of waiting for everything, and we were treated like cattle -- we were supposed to have a day trekking round Cat Ba island, which ended up being an hour, with the rest of the day spent waiting because they couldn't get their arses in gear. It was seriously terrible. Spend a bit more and go with a reputable company cause it will be worth it. We passed the time by sitting around, playing cards and drinking, but I think that by the end of the first day we all wished we'd taken the one day option, rather than two nights, and that's saying something given that the scenery itself was quite stunning.

 

Secondly, I guess 'Tet' will be on around about the time you go -- it's more or less at the same time as Chinese New Year which is the 9th - 12th this year. There'll still be stuff to do, but bear in mind some places might be closed and others might charge you more for their services.

 

There are a lot of bars on a single street in Hanoi that's right near the lake, I can't remember the name of it, but your hostel will point it out to you. The clubs there, however, tend to be expensive and pretty shit. It's worth, however, getting friendly with a bar/club owner, cause they can sometimes point you in the direction of a location further out which might be a bit better. Case in point, we ended up going to a party out in this village that was full of people and pretty cheap, way better than anything we found in town.

 

There are some decent tours into the countryside you can get from Hanoi which are worth your while, too. We did a couple, can't remember the names of them, but they were cheaper than Halong Bay and worth the time.

 

There's also a German beer place there where you can buy litre glasses of dark beer and all manner of things to eat. It'll probably be listed in your hostel guide and it's worth it. There were rats running about in the place, but the drinks were good and we ate crocodile, snake, and god knows what else.

 

Bia Hoi is alright and it's dirt cheap, I think about 8,000 dong for a glass from what I remember. Worth sitting out in one of those places for a night.

 

That's all I can think of for the moment, happy to help with anything else if you've got other questions.

[TheBitch]

Been watching Luke Nguyen's Vietnam on the cooking channel last few nights.

 

I'm very jealous Rem.

 

I've seen that. Makes me a sad panda. I think Vietnamese food is the nicest I've had.

[TheBitch]

I think I paid about $110 for 2 nights at Halong bay, Rem. It was one of the more expensive ones I think, boat was probably more quiet than others, but some 45 year old Aussie guy started talking to the 3 Aussies I was with. The conversation swerved onto drugs somehow and this guy totally out of the blue said "as it happens I've got some acid, want some?"

The girls eyes lit up and I vaguely remember looking at someone and they had no mouth. A little bit like Lord Voldemort.

[lifetime fan]

I've seen that. Makes me a sad panda. I think Vietnamese food is the nicest I've had.

 

 

Vietnam is a dream of mine, the food looks amazing.

[Lee909]

 

Vietnam is a dream of mine' date=' the food looks amazing.[/quote']

 

Agreed.South East Asian spices mixed with French influence,what's not to like.

[Remmie]

Not sure I've eaten Vietnamese before, should it be easy as a Vegematarian?

[Sangria]

Ace country and you are starting at the top and working your way down, that is the way to go.

Will read through the thread properly later but start with, Halong bay cruise, that is a must, meet some Aussie guys that did some off road scrambling there. They loved it but not being a bike man, I did not pay much attention but it can obviously been done.

 

Will write later off to work for a bit, or see that work is being done.

[Lee909]

Not sure I've eaten Vietnamese before' date=' should it be easy as a Vegematarian?[/quote']

 

Not been myself but shouldn't be any harder than Thailand from what I have read.Although atheist state there is a sizeable Buddhist population.

 

 

Might be some use to you

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/restaurants/vegetarian

 

http://www.vietnam-beauty.com/food-a-drink/vietnamese-food/144-vegetarian-eating-in-vietnam-same-same-but-different.html

 

Alot will depend on what type of veggie you are.

Do you eat eggs and fish?,fish sauce will be on everything

[Remmie]

Don't eat Fish, do eat eggs.

 

Pescetarians eat fish, Vegans avoid eggs, I like to call myself a normal Vegetarian!

[Lee909]

Watch the fish sauce it will be in most things from what I know,shrimp paste will be the same.

As I said I have never been but from what I know of the food the are widely used.

[Sangria]

Got my visa in Cambodia, not that, that is any help. You going into Cambodia, I take it you have done the Killing Fiields and the prison, that is a must do, if you have the time.

 

That said you can do three weeks in Vietnam no problem. My mate is a teacher there and recommended a beach resort but I did not have the time, will get in touch and find out the name.

 

I am back out in March for three months counting the weeks now.

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

Vaguely getting an itinerary going, though don't want to be too rigid and planned.

 

Thinking of doing Hanoi >Sapa >Halong Bay >Hue >Hoi An >Nha Trang >Phan Thiet >Saigon.

 

Would like to go to an island possibly so may head back into Cambodia to go back to Koh Rong or may look into some recommendations of any Vietnamese islands.

 

Some friends have mentioned Con Dao, apparently you can only fly there and there aren't many tourists, which is obviously a bonus but is supposed to be more expensive.

My mate and his girlfriend took two years out travelling all over the world.

 

Stayed two weeks in nam and six months in Cambodia.

 

He reckons Cambodia is truely awesome.

[Remmie]

I had a week in Cambodia at the end of 2011, had a really good time there. If I can squeeze it in again I will, but already getting quite a schedule now.

[bouncebrigade]

My mate and his girlfriend took two years out travelling all over the world.

 

Stayed two weeks in nam and six months in Cambodia.

 

He reckons Cambodia is truely awesome.

 

It's nice but Nam has the edge on it I think. Cambodia is very poor, a lot more so than Nam. If you like really roughing it then Cambodia could be someone's idea of fun. If I had 6 months I would choose Nam, so much variety and unreal food.

[lifetime fan]

Agreed.South East Asian spices mixed with French influence,what's not to like.

 

 

Pretty much heaven.

[Remmie]

What's the dominant currency, do I want to order Dong or Dollars?

[A_S]

 

VIET-FUCKING-NAM!!!

[Remmie]

Anyone?

[Reds4Life]

Saigon - apocalypse now and go2 bar are both good

 

Be careful in apocalypse now with the local girls hitting on you as they are generally working girls.. Although 2 or 3 of them don't mind giving you a rub down on the dance floor for free while you are 'negotiating'.

 

Pay off the kids around the streets selling chewing gum. I paid a kid 5 US dollars to fuck off all night and he did. Can't handle that shit all night annoying me every 10 minutes. To his credit he never came back for 6 hours and only then because his sister was a prossie and turfed him out of their room while she did the business.

 

Hoi An is awesome. Cheap as and well worth the look. Food is brilliant, drink is dirt cheap. Not even 30c US for a can of 333.

 

War tour was worth a look. War museum is something else. Unborn fetuses in jars on row and row was a real eye opener but I felt something I had to do. The war journalists exhibition in there is incredible. Photos from both sides of the war, some incredibly disturbing and somber pics but an education yes.

 

Tunnels were good. Being on an Australian tour now I am in the Antipodes, we went to Long Tan which is an important battle for the diggers here and that was pretty special.

 

Be careful of the Mekong Delta tour... It is a thinly veiled disguised tour to rape and pillage your pockets at every turn... But all in all you can barter with them and it's all in good fun.

 

Beautiful people, they never say no but that doesn't necessarily mean that they mean yes. This is the conundrum of the Vietnamese people.

 

Being from the Australian side and the dollar doing so well we didn't even need to change into US dollars so worth checking the pound vs both dollars I guess and giving it a bash.

 

If you are going for a rub and tug or a seeing to, be careful of the price. They will throw in extras like paying off the madam, buying them drinks and shit. Don't go inside to places where you get boxed off and trapped because you need to pay to get out.... They open the drinks straight away so you have no choice but to pay for them... Just little things like that are worth knowing.

[Remmie]

Thanks a lot for the extra info, think I'll just get a few US dollars and withdraw what I need while I am out there

[Reds4Life]

No probs. oh and if you are going to bring back 100s of DVDs get ready to make a donation to the airport police or customs. Best to blag up front and give them the only $10 US you have left in your pocket ;)

 

Best exchange rates are usually found in the more well known hotels like the intercontinental.

[Torvald Utne]

Thanks a lot for the extra info, think I'll just get a few US dollars and withdraw what I need while I am out there

 

If I remember rightly I paid for most hotels in Dollars and used Dong for everything else (dollars when I had no dong but change is given back in dong). I think all ATM's dispense Dong so it's good to have a stash of dollars.

[Remmie]

I doubt I'll be staying in Hotels if I can help it, much rather stay in Mucky hostels and cheap digs, but the principle is probably the same so will get a few hundred dollars.

[DT]

When you come back, will you tell the GF about it or will you be all 'you just weren't there, man' when people ask how Nam was?