Is It Worth Going to Vietnam?
Vietnam was the best country I visited during my 7 month traveling. It had everything from great food, sight seeings, people to crazy amazing nightlife. It was really for everybody. And for the best part, it is still not swamped by tourists like Thailand. So I would say YES. It is definitely worth going to Vietnam. Check out below my Vietnam travel guide.
Major Cities To Visit in Vietnam
Hanoi
The capital city of Vietnam is one of the few walking cities in Asia. You can walk from one end to the other and don’t necessarily need a taxi to go about.
Also, it could be a good starting point to get to Sapa, Halong Bay or even Hue. We used Hanoi as a base and went to Sapa (by Train) and Hue (By Flight) from here.
The best part about Hanoi was the food, especially Bun Cha. This is what President Obama had with Anthony Bourdain few years ago. And I could see why Anthony Bourdain introduced it to President Obama. I literally fell in love with this Hanoi traditional dish. If you are looking for best bun cha restaurants in Hanoi, please click here.
I stayed at Lotte hotel, but I am not sure it it were the best location. There are plenty of better options, and I will explain more later.
Hue
Hue is on my second list. It is not the most popular city in Vietnam, and most people come here from Hoi An as a day trip. But for a day trip, all you can see is the Citadel, and it isn’t really worth driving from Hoi An for few hours just to see this. If you have enough time, one night would be perfect.
But my favorite part about Hue was Bun Bo Hue. I even think that it is better than pho because of their spicy soup. I wrote more about it here, so check out which restaurant you should go to try bun bo hue.
Hue was once an old capital that was almost demolished by the war. It was the most bombed region and you can imagine how bad could have been. But the Hue city is evolving into the next tourist destination.
Of course you can go see the DMZ (which I do not recommend, because of how far it is from Hue, and that there is nothing to actually see).
But the best thing to do is the country side tour. This is where you really see Vietnam. I was blown away by how beautiful it was. It was flooded a week before we arrived, and it was kind of unreal to see the nature like that. I wrote on a separate post on what to do and how to do HUE like a local.
We used Beebeetravel.com and they made our Hue experience another level. Ended up becoming our favorite city!
Ho Chi Minh City
We know as Saigon is probably the most developed city in Vietnam. It is like any other big cities like Seoul, Beijing. But the difference will be the motocycles everywhere. There are more moto-bikes than cars. And it was a shock to me.
At first it took forever to just cross the road, but after staying there for a week, you just got to do what you got to do. JUST CROSS. Then all the bikes will go around you. Here are everything you need to do while in HCMC, and these are the things that you can only do it in HCMC.
There are many amazing rooftop bars where music is blasting, and top notch excellent restaurants (that are not only pho). I also wrote the top pho restaurants in HCMC.
The night life is especially on fleek. We went during Halloween, and it was almost impossible to move. What I loved about Ho Chi Minh City was (like Hanoi) that it was a great starting point to go to Mekong River, Dalat, Hoi An or Danang.
Extra Towns to Visit
Sapa
Sapa is one of the most spectacular places to see with beautiful rice fields. You can either do a trekking or just walk. We did a one night trekking and it was tough and hard but worth a try. There is not much to do in town, so it can be more like a short trip from Hanoi.
But you will still have to stay at least one night due to the remoteness, so we wrote some places where you can have good food, and which hotels are the best in SAPA. If you are planning to book Victoria train, please read this before you go. I wrote things that I made mistakes before getting on Victoria train.
Dalat
Dalat was on of the most surprising city I have been in Vietnam. I wasn’t expecting much in Dalat, but from coffee plantation tour (see which tours are the best) to staying at the weirdest hotel (click why staying over night can be a nightmare) has given me an interesting time in Dalat.
You can watch our vlog on thing you can only do it in Dalat, or check our blog post here. There are many restaurants and bars for nightlife in Dalat, but you should definitely have to try the snail which is their specialty here.
Hoi An
Sadely I didn’t go here. But here is the thorough article about Hoi An.
Best Time to Visit Vietnam
This is really hard to summarize as Vietnam is a huge country. But simply say, Vietnam has a rainy season and a dry season. But the best time to visit Vietnam is February – April and August – October. I will write in more detail on each cities on which month is the best to visit soon.
RECENT POSTS AND MORE
Which Area Should I Stay in Vietnam
Which Area Should I Stay in Hanoi
The French Quater is a good place to stay, but personally I like the street I put on below map. It is close to a lot of cool restaurants and bars. Also easy access to everywhere.
Where to Stay in Hue Vietnam
Hue is a very local town, so it’s best to stay with other tourists. Unless you can speak some Vietnamese. I highlighted the area where you should stay, but it is basically the road where “Backpacker’s hostel” is at.
Best Area to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ho Chi Minh city is a big city, but for travelers it is best to stay in district 1. District 1 is still huge and you should choose depending on where you want to stay. Dong Khoi is where all the fancy shops are at. Also very nice hotels around there. Backpacker’s district is probably where you will spend your night life. It is absolutely packed with people at night and is so much fun. Ben Than is also a good option where there are many high end apartments where you can do Airbnb. Please let us know below if you still have more questions. I am more than happy to help!
Food In Vietnam – Top Traditional Vietnamese Food and Best Restaurants
Bun Bo Hue
Bun Bo Hue was my favorite dish in Vietnam. It is a traditional dish in Hue. It is like pho but spicy. It has more ingredients from oxtails to pig knuckles. It sounds kind of gross, but once you try it, you will be blown away. At least that is what happened to me.
Pho
I don’t think I need even explain what pho is because it is already so popular in America. But it is basically a beef noodle soup (can be chicken soup). If you are in Vietnam and don’t try pho, you are doing something really wrong. It is like going to Italy and not trying pizza. Here are some of the best phos in Vietnam.
Bun Cha
Bun Cha was another favorite dish. It was quite similar to grilled pork that I used to eat. I have written a full blog about how to eat Bun Cha here and where you can find the best in Vietnam here.
Ban Mih
Vietnam has a huge French influence in their culture and cuisine due to the colonization a long time ago. Banh Mi is one of the cuisine that was influenced by French. They use French Baguette and put jalapeno, mayonaise, ham, vegetable and more. It is really tasty and filling AND CHEAP. When I’m also low on budget when I lived in New York. I would go to a Banh Mi place and get the sandwich.
Tips
Transportation
The best way to get around in Vietnam is by UBER. YES, UBER. It is so cheap and easy. I only used uber while I was in Vietnam. That”s IT!
Is It Safe in Vietnam?
With my personal experience, Vietnam was one of the safest place in South East Asia. People told me to watch out for you wallet or anything on your hand, because the people on moto-cycle can snatch it. But that didn’t happen to me yet.
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