worthy10 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Booked for early November: Following excellent advice on here previously on New York and Ko Samui, any do's, don'ts, must see, hotels, trips, bars, restaurants etc. ta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevieb Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Thinly veiled "I go on holiday" thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy10 Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Blatant acknowledgement of sound advice.....thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc505 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Mate of mine went a month or two back, said it was brilliant. Not one of them places you can go away to relax at though, said some of the roads had about 10 lines of vehicles on them all going in whichever direction they wanted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no balls Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) Get tut South too, it's ace Edited January 21, 2014 by no balls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzo Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 When in one of those go go girl places, do not under any circumstances go through the black door with the Red Cross on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent_white Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Vietnam is fascinating. Spend some time in Hanoi, it's one of my favourite cities in the world. You can easily take a trip to Halong Bay from there and spend a couple of days on one of the houseboats. Trekking in the mountains up North is ace. Learn the Vietnamese version of the Vietnam War, it's an eye opener. Some of the best food you will ever eat in your life. Wonderful people. Well Jel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy10 Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Get tut South too, it's ace How does the north and South differ ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no balls Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 How does the north and South differ ? Those who've spend more time there may disagree but for me North is more cultural & historic, not that that that's a bad thing but the south is more vibrant with nightlife, eating out & just a bit giddier if you like that sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flannel Truscott Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 How does the north and South differ ? The weather too. Pack more jumpers than trunks, it'll be cowd. Echo all above though, it's an awesome place. Beer Hoi is a massive must. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junot Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Booked for early November: Following excellent advice on here previously on New York and Ko Samui, any do's, don'ts, must see, hotels, trips, bars, restaurants etc. ta I went there a couple of years ago, November/December 2011 and loved the place. The weather was about 20c in the north (it can get colder there at that time but we were lucky) and over 30c in the south. I nearly went back last year but decided to see somewhere new and travel around China. We started in Hanoi and then made our our way down to Saigon, stopping off in Hue and Hoi An. I would have liked have been able to get up to Sapa but we didn't have enough time. A trip to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi was one of the highlights, amazing scenery, we were fortunate to choose an excellent boat for the overnight cruise. We enjoyed everywhere we visited, I probably slightly preferred Hanoi to Saigon as it's less westernised but both were great cities to explore. It takes a while to get used to crossing the roads but you soon get used to it, just keep walking across and the motorcycles will all swerve around you. The only part of it I wouldn't be keen to repeat was our visit to a snake village on the outskirts of Hanoi. We had a freshly killed cobra but I wasn't over keen on it, especially drinking the blood and bile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent_white Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 We had a freshly killed cobra but I wasn't over keen on it, especially drinking the blood and bile. Like I said - some of the best food in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Bock Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Ha Long Bay is must (if the weather is good enough for the boats to leave the harbour). You can stay on a boat overnight in the bay, they will stop off at man made islands on the way to pick up any seafood that you want, lobster is dirt cheap. Then you can get shedded on the boat with the locals and wake up to stunning views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madthatter Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) Well jealous pal! As mentioned Ha Long bay is a must, stunning views and as Bock said nowt much else to do but kick back and sup your fill:) I can't remember the name but I got hammered a few times on some Chinese stout that was about 10%. bloody lovely stuff! and beer Hoi, ha ha! Great ale! Hanoi was intense and traffic took a good while to get used to but that's the same all over Vietnam. I swear if you close your eyes and walk out into the traffic you'll probably be safer than trying to pick out a way across! bloody friknin! I was there in December and it was the dampest place i've ever been to. Like being in a cloud for a week. I love me food and I miss Vietnam for this over everything else. The pork stews and pancakes are something else. Sea food is also dirt cheap and the best i've had anywhere - can't remember the name of an ace cheap restaurant in Hanoi but if you get a Lonely Planet it will be the choice pic in there. Close to the big lake . . .that will help;) I regret not going to the northern mountains. If I went again i'd definitely go there Like N.B said, North culture, South nightlife. Well worth a trip down there if you have time. Dalat was absolutely stunning. Edited January 22, 2014 by madthatter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy10 Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 WW comes up trumps again with travel advice. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent_white Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 When your in Hanoi - there's a place that people call 'international crossroads' although that's not its real name. It's an intersection with 4 'bars' with beer kegs outside selling glasses of Bia Hoi (local stuff) for 25c a glass and these weird sort of popadom things for about 5c. Mad place where all the locals and the travellers mingle. You can spend night after night there just watching the madness and chatting with whoever turns up. About once an hour the Police drive by and all the kegs get rolled away before getting pulled back out immediately after they've left. They're well aware of what's going on but have been paid off, but both sides still go through this nightly charade to keep up appearances. A lot of the bars in Hanoi shut fairly early under orders, but if you hand around those crossroads, the bars which stay open are all nearby and you'll have no difficulty finding someone to point you in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy10 Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 What travel recommendations does any one have regarding Train from Hanoi to sapa mountains Best option to travel to Halong bay from Hanoi? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent_white Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I don't think you can get all the way to Sapa by train. Think you can get as far as Lao Cai and you have to do the rest by road. In my experience, when you're on limited time, your best option is to book it with a tour operator the moment you arrive in Hanoi. A lot of the hotels can sort it for you too. There are hundreds of agents and they all offer basically the same trip - for around about the same price give or take a few dollars. You'll spend a few quid more (and I do only mean a few) but you'll have a much better chance of getting there hassle free. If you've got loads of time - you can do it independently - but in my experience you'll waste a lot of time and energy doing so. Great if you're backpacking, not so good if you're on a 2 or 3 weeks holibobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy10 Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Depart 30/10 return 16/11. With Qatar. To Hanoi return from Ho chi min. Couple of nights in Hanoi then overnight train to sapa, couple of nights there then back to ha long bay via Hanoi, 2 night 3 day cruise on junk. Fly to Hoi an, beach hotel for 3-4 nights, then down to HCMC. Pretty vague, but at least the flights are booked, we can now put meat on the bones. Keep your ideas coming Ta! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent_white Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Sounds like a top trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzo Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Sounds like a top trip! Seconded. Really want to do something like this in later life. Obviously got a bare minimum of 19-20 years to wait mind ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traf Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Obviously got a bare minimum of 19-20 years to wait mind That's how long you'll spend in a Thai nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy10 Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 I went there a couple of years ago, November/December 2011 and loved the place. The weather was about 20c in the north (it can get colder there at that time but we were lucky) and over 30c in the south. I nearly went back last year but decided to see somewhere new and travel around China. We started in Hanoi and then made our our way down to Saigon, stopping off in Hue and Hoi An. I would have liked have been able to get up to Sapa but we didn't have enough time. A trip to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi was one of the highlights, amazing scenery, we were fortunate to choose an excellent boat for the overnight cruise. We enjoyed everywhere we visited, I probably slightly preferred Hanoi to Saigon as it's less westernised but both were great cities to explore. It takes a while to get used to crossing the roads but you soon get used to it, just keep walking across and the motorcycles will all swerve around you. The only part of it I wouldn't be keen to repeat was our visit to a snake village on the outskirts of Hanoi. We had a freshly killed cobra but I wasn't over keen on it, especially drinking the blood and bile. thanks for that, how did you travel from Hanoi to Halong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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