We have just spent two weeks in Vietnam on our Christmas trip, 7 nights in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), and 7 nights in Hanoi. These two cities have very different climates and cultures. At the start of January Saigon was in the low to mid 30's, Hanoi was about 20 degrees cooler at 13 centigrade when we arrived. A UK national can get 15 days (14 nights) visa free, a Philippine national can get 21 days visa free, just get your passport stamped on arrival. If you want to stay longer you need to apply online for a one month visa in advance. I have used My Vietnam Visa in the past, I don't know the current situation. but it used to cost about $50. Alternatively for a longer stay you could fly from the UK to Bangkok and spend a few days in Thailand on either side of your visit to Vietnam, that would certainly provide more scope for flights from the UK. If you want a beach holiday you could fly from Saigon to Nha Trang on the coast for a few days, good seafood.
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) If you stay in Saigon I would recommend that you centre your map on Ben Thanh market, district 1, and choose a hotel in that general area, there are many different places available, just pick one with good reviews, a decent breakfast included, and make sure that you have a good window/balcony. We stayed about 10 minutes walk away from the market. The market is a good place for shopping, a hard sell, but prices can drop to less than half of the original asking price, or there are designated, signed, fixed price areas. T Shirts here seem far better quality than Hanoi. Julie enjoyed the shopping, she liked to haggle. There were quite a few other shoppers from the Philippines, and many market traders could hold a conversation in Tagalog as well as English. The market is also a good place to look at the local food stalls and order a bowl of noodle soup, or whatever takes your fancy. Buying customised shoes in the Ben Thanh market Heart of Darkness craft brewery serves awesome beers. Good to visit their flagship outlet on Ly Tu Trong, where they had a selection of perhaps 20 different beers on tap. I especially liked their IPA's, and the "Eloquent Phantom Imperial Stout" at 9% was a perfect end to the evening. A "flight "of four beers at Heart of Darkness Try a motorbike tour with XO Tours, driven around the city on the back of a moto's by ladies dressed in the traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai dress. We did this several years ago just after the business had started. Visit the Post Office and Notre Dame cathedral, then walk across for Jollibee fast food on Pasteur, which I was told tastes better than in the Philippines.. Ganesh Indian restaurant serves top rate food, half Tandoori mixed grill, chicken tikka masala, garlic-chilli nan bread and rice to share! Visit the zoo and gardens, about 2 KM north east of the market.
Thanks for the above a great place to start at your suggestions when is busy but not peak tourist time?
Now is a good time to visit South Vietnam, the dry season is roughly December to April. Perhaps better to check online travel guides when deciding where you want to go and what dates you want to travel. Tet, the Vietnamese new year is on the 5th February this year, transport in Vietnam will be packed solid for a few days either side of that.
Is this what I think it is ....................fertilised egg being eggs that are now in the process of development
Balut, as popular in the Philippines? Never fancied it myself. Just small ones in that picture, looks like Quail eggs.
18 day old Balut with some feathers and beak, Duck eggs. Nice with salt, pepper and garlic rice. Tried it when I was tipsy.
