Vietnam Suggestions

Bretton Woods

Bretton Woods

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Joined
Jul 17, 2006
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Location
Australia
Hi FG,

I'm set to take a short (2 week) vacation to Vietnam very soon. I'm looking to accomplish Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi in that time, but it won't be on a bike. I'll be taking trains up the coast.

I'm hoping that the FG hive mind would have some great suggestions for things to see/avoid. My only real ambition for the trip is to find a 50 cal. machine-gun and send some (many) rounds down-range. That's really my only hard-and-fast must-do.

Would love to hear what you have to say!

EDIT:

Required research has been conducted...Ie watching the Vietnam Special. :lol:
 
If you cross the border into Cambodia you can pay to shoot a cow with a bazooka. Just sayin'...
 
Mrs Lurch and I were there in April 2013 and it's awesome. Some tips:

Do:
Take a cyclo (like rickshaw except with bicycle front) through the old quarter of Hanoi. It's touristy and tacky but fun and cheap.
Drink the local coffee. In the heat/humidity, it works.
Try to visit Cambodia if you can. The Angkor temples are amazing. People in Cambodia are also awesome.
Visit Hoi An. A bit touristy, but beautiful town.
Visit Ha Long Bay if you can. But beware that it's a 4-hour drive from Hanoi on some dodgy country roads.


Don't:
Make the mistake of thinking that traffic lights or pedestrian crossings will have any impact on cars and bikes. They don't. Crossing the road is taking your life in your hands.
Bother visiting Da Lat. Billed as "Vietnam's cool-weather holiday destination, blah blah. Boring as batshit.
 
KaJuN said:
If you cross the border into Cambodia you can pay to shoot a cow with a bazooka. Just sayin'...
Click to expand...
Yep. If you go to Cambodia, you can shoot just about anything as long as you have the money. Also, if you do end up shooting something, make sure you have ear plugs or muffs. Firing a gun without some sort of ear protection will royally mess with your hearing.
 
Well, you're Aussie, so maybe you are sick of beaches, but the ones in Na Trang (en route north of Saigon) are stunning, and (when I was there in '04) quiet.

Otherwise, you do want to do a boat trip to Ha Long Bay (remember the TG Vietnam special?), and I HIGHLY recommend you also spend some time in Sapa, which is an overnight train right North from Hanoi. One of the most beautiful and special places I've ever been to.
 
I'll pick up a Lonely Planet guide to read on the flight over, but these sound great. I'll begin compiling a list of to-dos and then cut them down if necessary.

So far:

Hoi An
Hanoi - Old Quarter
Ha Long Bay
Sapa

I've got myself a travel pack now, vaccinations, visa, cash-monies and tech.

Debating whether I should invest in a quality camera...or just go with a compact and totally enjoy it.
 
imo, if you don't also invest the time to get to know a "proper" camera and it's possibilities as well as the theory, you'll probably end up with similar pictures with a compact in most situations anyway.
 
You'll want to book a cruise on Ha Long Bay. Really gives you a good appreciation for how big it is.

If you're into war stuff, consider a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. You can do a day trip from HCMC. They also have a firing range where you can let off a few rounds of AK47 if you're so inclined.
 
Bretton Woods said:
..

EDIT:

Required research has been conducted...Ie watching the Vietnam Special. :lol:
Click to expand...

By coincidence, this was repeated last night, which may also give some background to Viet-Nam. You will probably find it on the Internets somewhere, if the iPlayer wont work for you.

The Coffee Trail with Simon Reeve - BBC TV

BBC TV said:
Adventurer and journalist Simon Reeve heads to Vietnam to uncover the stories behind the nation's morning pick-me-up. While we drink millions of cups of the stuff each week, how many of us know where our coffee actually comes from? The surprising answer is that it is not Brazil, Colombia or Jamaica, but Vietnam. Eighty per cent of the coffee we drink in Britain isn't posh cappuccinos or lattes but instant coffee and Vietnam is the biggest supplier.

From Hanoi in the north, Simon follows the coffee trail into the remote central highlands where he meets the people who grow, pick and pack our coffee. Millions of small scale famers, each working two or three acres, produce most of the coffee beans that go into well known instant coffee brands.

Thirty years ago Vietnam only produced a tiny proportion of the world's coffee, but after the end of the Vietnam war there was a widescale plan to become a coffee growing nation and Vietnam is now the second biggest in the world. It has provided employment for millions, making some very rich indeed, and Simon meets Vietnam's biggest coffee billionaire. But Simon learns that their rapid success has come at a cost to both the local people and the environment.
Click to expand...
 
One more thing: DO NOT EAT FROM STREET VENDORS. That is, unless you are interested in the fastest (and most excruciating) way to lose 10 lbs.
 
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Bretton Woods said:
Debating whether I should invest in a quality camera...or just go with a compact and totally enjoy it.
Click to expand...

I was going to say take LOTS of pics. I've visited so many beautiful places and got caught up in stuff...then got home and realized I should have taken tons more pics. :)
 
KaJuN said:
If you cross the border into Cambodia you can pay to shoot a cow with a bazooka. Just sayin'...
Click to expand...

A little bit of threadicide, but I'm going to Cambodia in January and figured this it probably a good place to discuss. (Rename the thread title to Vietnam + Cambodia?).

KaJuN. Tell. Me. More. Seriously.
 
Have you ever seen Tremors?
 
That American Girl said:
I was going to say take LOTS of pics. I've visited so many beautiful places and got caught up in stuff...then got home and realized I should have taken tons more pics. :)
Click to expand...

I've been told I have the opposite problem. :(
 
In Hanoi eat like a local, I wouldn't venture as far as eating street food, but check out some of the pho shops with the plastic chairs. You get a much more authentic experience than you would in the more touristy parts of town. Also pay a visit to the cu chi tunnels you can shoot AK47's, not quite the same as shooting boozokas at cows but still a lot of fun.
 
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