Vietnam Itinerary
We entered Vietnam in the south and spent every day of our 30 day visa travelling up to the extreme north of the country. By the end we had fallen in love with the country.
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- South Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh, previously known as Saigon, was our starting point. It proved a hectic, thriving city with plenty to explore and some top tourist sights and smells. The day trips to the Vietnam war Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta was a mixed bag but worth taking a look.We boarded the bus and headed up the coast to the beach town of Mui Ne, where we loved the red and white sand dunes, the beach and a special B&B we stumbled upon.
Next stop up the coast is the premier beach resort in Vietnam: Nha Trang. We weren’t sure whether to visit or not, and some people advised us not to bother, so it was a nice surprise when we found some ancient towers, a nice beach, and a few other things to do.
- North Vietnam
The wow factor of Vietnam really kicks in from this point. First up was Hoi An. It’s where you can get clothes tailored on the cheap (we picked up a suit, two coats, shirts, and pair of leather boots). The town is a delight: small cobbled streets through crumbling colonial buildings, with a pretty river flowing alongside.From Hoi An we climbed aboard a motorcycle and headed off for our Easyrider Vietnam adventure. Getting off the beaten tourist track, meeting real locals and exploring the depths of the country really made this a tremendously special few days.
We finished our bike tour in the old capital city of Hue and quite liked the ancient buildings but otherwise couldn’t really connect with the city.
Another long bus journey finally got us into the northern city of Hanoi. We really liked Hanoi itself, with it’s traditional shopping streets and alleys.
We used Hanoi as the base for visits to the breathtaking natural beauty of Halong Bay and the equally breathtaking man-made beauty of Sapa. Here the ethnic minority hill tribes have cut thousands of rice terraces into the mountain, with water systems that bring the mud to life and enable the green rice shoots to thrive.
The Mekong Delta, near Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam Summary
You can plan your itinerary of Vietnam in two main ways – south to north, or north to south. If you have time do it all, it’s a hugely rewarding country to visit. If you need to plan a route of Vietnam with less time on your hands, focus on Hanoi and it’s attractions but make sure you make it to Hoi An.
The gorgeous Halong Bay, near Hanoi
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