NAM trip - Any suggestions?

[ge_rik]

On my way back from NZ, I'm planning to spend a few days in Vietnam, travelling from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) via the Reunification Railway to Hanoi.
My outline itinerary at present is:

Day 1 - Arrive Ho Chi Minh City @ 1100 - Explore Old Town
Day 2 - Depart Saigon Station @ 1310 (Hotel is 5 min from station)
Day 3 - Arr Da Nang @ 0815 - Then to Hoy An, Explore town
Day 4 - Dep Da Nang @ 1358
Day 5 - Arr Hanoi @ 0530 - Drop off stuff @ Hotel - tour of street food outlets and Train Street - Water Puppet Theatre
Day 6 - Halong Bay
Day 7 - am chill - pm Flight home

Still at outline stage thus far.

My thinking is that if there weren't any problems with the train, I would prefer to have an extra day in Hanoi as a contingency than an extra day in Ho Chi Minh City.

Any observations, suggestion or cautions gratefully received

Rik

 

[IanMTrain]

On my way back from NZ, I'm planning to spend a few days in Vietnam, travelling from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) via the Reunification Railway to Hanoi.
My outline itinerary at present is:

Day 1 - Arrive Ho Chi Minh City @ 1100 - Explore Old Town
Day 2 - Depart Saigon Station @ 1310 (Hotel is 5 min from station)
Day 3 - Arr Da Nang @ 0815 - Then to Hoy An, Explore town
Day 4 - Dep Da Nang @ 1358
Day 5 - Arr Hanoi @ 0530 - Drop off stuff @ Hotel - tour of street food outlets and Train Street - Water Puppet Theatre
Day 6 - Halong Bay
Day 7 - am chill - pm Flight home

Still at outline stage thus far.

My thinking is that if there weren't any problems with the train, I would prefer to have an extra day in Hanoi as a contingency than an extra day in Ho Chi Minh City.

Any observations, suggestion or cautions gratefully received

Rik

Hi Rik

Having had the privilege of visiting Viet Nam for work on and off between 1984 and 2014 I envy your planned trip. What time of year are you thinking of?

HCM is quite intense but fascinating.

I have only stayed in Danang/Hoy An once overnight when a flight connection didn’t connect. Beach looked great and some great food available.

If you can juggle in another stop-over Hue is interesting as an old capital and also the more recent history.

Halong Bay is great - it has been quite busy when I have been, but worth seeing.

Hanoi - enjoy and certainly build in some slack time before any long haul flight you don’t want to miss! Hanoi has enough to keep you amused I am sure for at least 2 days. The old quarter is fun to walk through with plenty of bits and pieces to think about buying; and the lakes and pagodas are good to see. The city bustles and crossing the road can be/is a new experience as the motorcycles tend to be wall to wall. The advice I was given was “walk steadily across the traffic, don’t pause - let the traffic flow round you”. As you said in your video on the relaid PLR - “so far, so good”, but previous performance is no guarantee of future performance.

Enjoy your trip, the food is great, 555 beer is eminently drinkable, the scenery along the coast (and further inland) is stunning, and the people generally great fun to be with.

 

[ge_rik]

Hi Rik

Having had the privilege of visiting Viet Nam for work on and off between 1984 and 2014 I envy your planned trip. What time of year are you thinking of?

HCM is quite intense but fascinating.

I have only stayed in Danang/Hoy An once overnight when a flight connection didn’t connect. Beach looked great and some great food available.

If you can juggle in another stop-over Hue is interesting as an old capital and also the more recent history.

Halong Bay is great - it has been quite busy when I have been, but worth seeing.

Hanoi - enjoy and certainly build in some slack time before any long haul flight you don’t want to miss! Hanoi has enough to keep you amused I am sure for at least 2 days. The old quarter is fun to walk through with plenty of bits and pieces to think about buying; and the lakes and pagodas are good to see. The city bustles and crossing the road can be/is a new experience as the motorcycles tend to be wall to wall. The advice I was given was “walk steadily across the traffic, don’t pause - let the traffic flow round you”. As you said in your video on the relaid PLR - “so far, so good”, but previous performance is no guarantee of future performance.

Enjoy your trip, the food is great, 555 beer is eminently drinkable, the scenery along the coast (and further inland) is stunning, and the people generally great fun to be with.

Thanks
I'm planning to go on a street food tour in Hanoi. My mate and I did a similar tour in Delhi which we found fascinating. Even came across a snake charmer in one of the back streets.




Rik