"4 Weeks in Vietnam" Vietnam by windsorgirl

Vietnam Travel Guide: 13,558 reviews and 28,538 photos

I really enjoyed my time in Vietnam. It had all the criteria for a perfect trip for me. Warm weather, beautiful scenery, friendly people and it was cheap, cheap, cheap!

Vietnam is a long skinny S-shaped country which lies south of China, east of Laos and Cambodia and west of the South China Sea. Vietnam has 3451 kms of coastline which means there are plenty of beautiful beaches. You will also find lovely mountains to the north, a secluded tropical island to the south and vivid green fields of rice paddies everywhere in between.

Siesta Time, Hoi An

Usually I travel independently but this time I decided to join a 3 week tour with an Australian company called Intrepid (www.intrepidtravel.com). It was a small group (12), we had a local guide, and alot of free time to ourselves.

We began our tour in Hanoi, making sidetrips to Sapa and Halong Bay from here. We then headed south by sleeper train, stopping at Hue, Hoi An, and Nha Trang before reaching Ho Chi Minh City where the tour ended. I then travelled on my own to Phu Quoc Island for a few days of sun before heading home. You can see the complete itinerary in my travelogue.

Temple of Literature, Hanoi

I enjoyed having all the logistics of transportation and accomodation taken care of for me. Our guide handled the hassle of negotiating prices with taxi and cyclo drivers which I appreciated. And although we had alot of freedom to pursue our own interests, I still liked having our guide around to discuss local customs and Vietnam's history.

Pros and Cons

Pros:very friendly locals....always wanting to talk to you
Cons:very friendly locals....ALWAYS wanting to talk to you
In a nutshell:A beautiful country despite its past hardships

Last visit to Vietnam: Feb 2003
Intro Updated Apr 10, 2008
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Reviews (33)

statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of City Hall - Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) Things to Do (18)

Saigon is a very wealthy and modern city compared with the capital, Hanoi. I spent two nights here. HCMC served as the... more travel advice

Nha Trang Things to Do (18)

The highlight of a visit to Nha Trang is of course the beach and the very popular booze cruises, and that's exactly what... more travel advice

Take a cooking lesson Local Customs (7)

If you enjoy Vietnemese cuisine, then you should sign up for a cooking lesson. We did ours in Hoi An, it only cost $10... more travel advice

Visit Ho Chi Minh himself Things to Do (18)

One day we visited the very well preserved remains of the famous Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi. He has been dead for 34yrs and he... more travel advice

Favorites (1)
Hanoi Traffic, Take the Plunge
Transportation (2)
See All Rent a Bike in Vietnam
Off The Beaten Path (2)
See All Phu Quoc Island

Travelogues (2)

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Comments (43)

volopolo Mar 28, 2008 at 9:29 AM Report Abuse

One of my favorite countries!!
Nemorino Mar 19, 2008 at 5:35 AM Report Abuse

Thanks for including the Rent a Bike tip. I rented a bicycle in Hanoi in 1995 and had a great time riding all around, even though the bike was rather small. I've never been to Sapa, but your tips make it sound like a beautiful destination.
Huonggy Jun 11, 2006 at 12:49 AM Report Abuse

Ur page makes me prouder abt my country :-) Thanks! Love ur pics too, you have good photography eyes! I'll got some VN's North-West shots updated in my page soon, check out! ;-)
Babcia May 24, 2006 at 7:22 PM Report Abuse

Rising Sun Bridge - what a beautiful photo!!!! By the way - have a very happy birthday on Friday - may all your travel dreams come true!!!
bobsreturn2004 May 14, 2006 at 9:08 AM Report Abuse

Your pictures on vietnam are truley inspirational,I cant wait to visit.
TheView Mar 24, 2006 at 9:20 AM Report Abuse

;-) nice photo.
warrug Oct 10, 2005 at 5:13 AM Report Abuse

I wish i knew about Phu Qoc when i was there a year ago, i didnt like Vietnam that much because there were so many tourists, if i knew about this place I think i could have seen myself spending alot of time there. Next time i guess.
Bwana_Brown Aug 14, 2005 at 9:42 AM Report Abuse

This is another of your many amazing pages!! This must have been the experience of a life-time, based on your fantastic photos and tips! Interesting info on Ho, despite the fact his Temple lacks the Greek flair! Old Tu Duc was quite a character!
zwfan Aug 3, 2005 at 2:01 PM Report Abuse

great pictures ! thanks!
mad4travel Jul 23, 2005 at 9:53 AM Report Abuse

Great Vietnam pages. I went there in Jan this year and loved it so much I'm going back in December.