Halong Bay in April!

Hello, knowing people!

We are planning to go to Vietnam this April. What kind of weather / visibility we%26#39;ll have in Halong Bay? Does it rains? Fogs? And if the timing is good enough, any recommendations on tour/junk ? We are not on a tight budget, but don%26#39;t want too expensive also... thinking about two nights (may be, one on a boat, one on island).

Thanks a lot.

Halong Bay in April!

Hi,I am from singapore and I have just got back from my Vietnam trip. It was fantastic.Ha Long bay was beautiful and we were lucky with the weather.

We stayed on the indochina sail, excellent!

April is beginning of rainy season as I remember our guide told us, but it normally doesn%26#39;t rain all day.

Two nights for Ha Long is fine, I would stay on the Junk both nights as it is so beautiful.

Good luck with your tour ahead,I love Viet nam.

Vicki

Halong Bay in April!

The weather is so nice in Halong in April, no rain, no fogs and has sunshine, wish you have a nice trip there.

There are a lots of nice junk/boat for overnight in Halong, Red Dragon Junk or Lagoon Junk is highly recommended.

We were in Halong Bay in April 2007. The weather was great - a bit misty, but I gather it%26#39;s always like that. We had no rain and it was warm enough to kayak and swim and sit on the deck at midnight sipping cognac and cocktails! Our vessel was ';Dragon%26#39;s Pearl'; which we thought was wonderful but I gather in the ensuing two years many more luxurious junks have been commissioned. We loved the whole experience but I feel the 2 day/1 night option is the better.

visa into laos?

hello,

looking for any info anyone has about obtaining a visa for laos coming overland from vietnam?? Heard today that there has been some tension between the 2 countries and that we should get visa before departing vietnam, that visa on arrival is difficult if not impossible?? if anyone has done recently was there a decent way to travel from hanoi?? Keenly waiting for reply... cheers:)

visa into laos?

me too. I am looking to go from hanoi to laos for a weekend. Not heard of the tensions but wondering where in hanoi to get a visa and how long it takes.

wireless network b and g

The mekong.. Book a tour or do it ourselves?

Hi,

Need a bit of help with our trip.

We plan on spending 3 nights in the area. Travelling by the express ferry from HCMC to Can Tho.

Then where to??

We would like to do a homestay in the area, but do we stay all the nights in Can tho %26amp; do some day trips, book an organised tour?, do a overnight cruise? I am lost.

When we leave Can Tho we will be flying to Ha noi, flight leaves at 1545.

Help please, my husband %26amp; I are travelling with our 8yr old son.

Thanks

The mekong.. Book a tour or do it ourselves?

off topic a little but on the river, if you go laos or area with mossies(most of coastal VN) take anti-malaria tabs. A good friend recently spent two weeks in hospital in london because of this! I%26#39;ve done the chinese side(lang cang he) without issues like that.

Good tailor?

Does anybody knows a good tailor for man and woman? is the materials good quality?

Currency exchange

I am going to HCMC and Hue next month.

Am I likely to get as good an exchange rate for stirling notes as for US$?

Currency exchange

I would say yes, no point is paying two lots of commission on conversion.

I am taking AUD dollars are exchange is not to good at all.

Currency exchange

I think the the real issue is how much do you lose in the exchange - ie the % difference between same worth in both countries. Use an ATM if you can. Gold(jewellery) dealers can exchange currrency but it is a free market for them...

if you convert sterling to usd in england you will lose. then you convert usd to dong in VN. you lose again. limit the conversions you make! do not use travelex etc. 8% min in my experience is the loss.

tanning sunscreen

Domestic fligths - How long in advance ?

Hello to everbody,

maybe you can tell me how long in advance it is necessary to book a domestic fligt. I noticed that the trip from Danang to Saigon takes 23 hours and so I think it is better to go by plane, but I have no idea how busy it is in november.

It would be great if you can give me an information.

Best regards

germanychris

Domestic fligths - How long in advance ?

Hi,

I think you should book righ now if you nmake sure your trip

VIetnam Airline will increase more than 11 USD for each ticket cause of gas %26amp; oil increasing

Good luck

Smartguilde

Domestic fligths - How long in advance ?

Dear Chris

From Danang to HCM by fly takes 1hours 45Munites

www.vietnamair.com.vn/default.aspx?tabid=101

Cheers

PacificHotelTravel

Can you book domestic flights before you arrive in Vietnam? It seems that the airline requires you to be in the country to book flights between cities in Vietnam. Anyone having other luck?

I can%26#39;t do it either. My travel agent said it had something to do with the international registration of the airports for the booking system.

However is is easy to get flights once here. You can do it just hours in advance. Except in the lead up to tet, which has now passed. The other day I booked an internal flight to HCM via an agent in VN about 4 hrs before the plane was leaving.

Hi There,

You can book with Jetsar.com online - bear in mind, the website is closed this weekend and will re-open on Monday - they are putting in a new system.The fares are very cheap, but, as yet, I don%26#39;t know how reliable they are eg. if they are on time. I would not risk a Jetstar flight, if you want to connect up with another Vietnam Airlines flight.

Cheers,

Sandy

And don%26#39;t rely on VN airlines either. Been bumped off their flight on the way to the airport, booked through qantas no less!!

Email Address

Does anybody have the email addresses for ';the Ritz hotel';, ';Win Hotel';, and ';tuang tran hotel';.

Thanks

Email Address

theritzhotel@gmail.com

try winhotel@yahoo.com

do you mean Thien Trang hotel? thientranghotel24@hotmail.com

or Tung Trang?

tungtranghotel@yahoo.com

xp

HCM in 2 1/2 days

We only have 2 1/2 days in HCM Feb 13-15. We are booked at Lavender Hotel across Ben Tanh Market, where we arrive mid afternoon on Feb 13.

We will go on the usual city tour (which is part of our tour package) on the morning of Feb 14. What places could we visit outside of the usual tour circuit in the afternoon?

We plan to visit the Cu Chi Tunnel on Feb 15. Is there any place you can recommend we go after the Cu Chi Tunnel? Is it good to combine Cu Chi with Mekong River?

Thanks for ur help in planning our HCM sojourn.

Weather at end of Sept. in Can Tho - itinerary suggestions

I was thinking about two nights in the Vinh Long-Can Tho area at the end of September. Is this a bad time of year to visit? Would I be better off spending more time elsewhere in Vietnam instead? Do you have any itinerary suggestions? I plan to arrive from HCMC by boat and to arrange for ground transportation once I get there.

Many thanks.

Weather at end of Sept. in Can Tho - itinerary suggestions

Good morning from Jason !

September is ok for you to visit Can Tho .

It is great that you will have 2 nights in Mekong Delta

Here is my suggestion :

Day 1 : You will go to My Tho city for boat trip and sampan tour, stay overnight at Ba Duc homestay. The house owner will show you how to make Vietnamese springrolls

Day 2 : You will leave Ba Duc house at 06:00 AM for sunrise Cai Be floating market trip, have a walking tour around local village and you will visit Cai Be mainland market. You will have great fun there. You will explore Cai Be town later after breakfast at Ba Duc home and you will go to other local house for home cooked lunch and then go to Can Tho to check in at Kim Tho hotel

Day 3 : You will wake up at 05:30 AM, go to Cai Rang floating market at 05:45 AM, arrive there at 06:30 AM, enjoy fresh pineapple. You will admire how the local people cut pineppale. You will go to Cai Rang mainland fish %26amp; rat market. Go back to hotel for breakfast. Take shuttle boat of Phu Sa to visit island for crocodile fishing and playing with monkey at large

You will go back to Can Tho for lunch at Sao Hom restaurant and head back to Saigon. On the way back to Saigon, you will ask your guide/ car driver to stop at Mekong Rest Stop in My Tho for toilet, for passing monkey bridge, for photos and for coffee

Best regards

Jason SSS

HCMC to Rach Gia

can anyone give me advise on the Mekong Delta. Am looking to go from HCMC to Rach Gia in a short space of time. 2 days if thats possible.i would of course like to take in some of the sites. what is the best way to do this. Private car?

Train Trip From Ho chi Minh to HAnoi

Has anyone done a train trip from HCM to Hanoi? I would like some suggestions or ideas and the cost?

Thanks

Train Trip From Ho chi Minh to HAnoi

The train is slow and a noisy if you hate the noise. It%26#39;s better to travel half way to Danang to visit Hoi An then again night train to Hanoi. The price is about 1,2 million Vietnam Dong for Saigon to Hanoi on the AC soft sleeper.

Train Trip From Ho chi Minh to HAnoi

Dear freddy,

Travelling by train sounds interesting, you can enjoy our scenery, definitely it will take 30 directly hours to complete the long distance by soft berth, costs around 75$ or hard seats is 38$.

You have some other ways by jetstar flight, costs about 80$ or open bus for each stops, lower than 55$

It depends your scheduled time %26amp; budget to carry out.

Do hope that you can find the best thing,

Have a nice vacation

Einstein

We travelled on the train HCMC to Hue. Best I can say is the toilets in our carriage stayed clean, if paperless. Slept very badly and arrived totally exhausted after over 20 hours on the train. No seats as such, just your bunk with an overhanging bunk; no food either (saw a ';menu'; but no food, and reports are that it%26#39;s not that flash anyway).

Between Danang (or Hue) and Hanoi, you have the option of the first class Livitrans train carriage on the SE1/SE2 - I paid $43. for Danang-Hanoi. Livitrans is the same company doing Hanoi-Lao Cai/Sapa - the benefit being a Western-standard carriage that is very clean and safe. I believe there is a similar first class train carriage between Saigon and Nha Trang. These are private carriages pulled by the famous Reunification Express trains.

tanning sunscreen

Need recommendation on good Ao Dai tailors in Hoi An

Hi, can anyone recommend a few good ao dai tailors in Hoi An? Can they make several in a couple of days and what is the average charge for tailoring since I will be providing my own fabric? Thank you.

Need recommendation on good Ao Dai tailors in Hoi An

Hi Jennifer,

I had an Ao Dai made at Mr Xe. Corner of Le Loi and Thai something something (can never remember that street name!!)

I think he out sourced it to a lady in another shop as I was wizzed off on a moto to get measured by her. He would recommend someone if you asked, or he would take it on and out source....

Either way it was stunning and well priced. I was there 2 full days and it was complete after 1 and a 1/2. I%26#39;m sure they could bang them out over a couple of days for you.

I used their silk, so I cannot help you with the second phase of your question unfortunately.

Snot

Need recommendation on good Ao Dai tailors in Hoi An

Thank you, Snot. I will check with Mr. Xe when I%26#39;m in Hoi An. I read alot of great reviews on Hoi An tailors, but none mentioned about ao dai tailors. Thanks for your recommendation.

Jennifer

black hair styles

Ho Chi Minh City in April

I%26#39;ll be in Ho Chi Minh City for 1st week in April.

What will the weather be like?

Thanks

Ho Chi Minh City in April

KJM,

April is a good time to go to Vietnam ---HCMC will be hot and humid-----Hanoi SHOULD be cooler, though one April there years ago , Hanoi had a heat wave. Tourism is starting to fall off then ---Central VN should be stable weatherwise and HOT!

If it does rain in the north, central and south, the skies drop 3 inches of rain in 20 minutes , then fine again!

plover

P.S. ---I am not a weather forecaster, but that is my experience every year for the last 10 years!

mr xe

What is his address please?

I have read very mixed views, some not so good and others say he is superb.

I have previously been happy with Yaly, but with the dollar the way it is, they might be a bit pricey. Also in my previous experience with Yaly, although I was happy with the end result, I had to go back for so many fittings. In some of the clothes you can see where they have been unpicked. I agree with another post that said they make very snug, they do indeed and I am not a big person. Another factor is I am on a tour and will only be in Hoi An 2 days. So I need a tailor that can get it right the first or second time.

Also recommended is B%26#39;Lan.

Which is your choice?

Many Thanks

mr xe

Mr Xe%26#39;s address is 71 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, on the corner of Le Loi. I was very happy with what he made for me - he%26#39;s very particular/fussy about the fit, and it is %26#39;snug%26#39;, but you%26#39;ve only got to ask for a bit more room and I%26#39;m sure he%26#39;ll co-operate. I think the problem with tailor-made articles in Vietnam can be the fabric, not so much the sewing ... I think if you go with the attitude that you%26#39;re not going to get a Chanel outfit for $10, then you%26#39;ll be right. Not sure if 1 night would be enough, but ask him. Sorry, I don%26#39;t have any experience with B%26#39;Lan.

mr xe

Thank you very much for the address.

I will be in Hoi An, 2 nights so hopefully I should be able to get something made. I had a coat in mind.

Ho Chi Minh, Chu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Angkor Wat-all?

I have about 4.5 days to be around Ho Chi Minh and I%26#39;m trying to figure out the logistics/possibilties of going to the tunnels, doing a boat cruise/overnight stay in the Mekong Delta AND going to Angkor Wat. Is it possible to go to Angkor Wat from HCMC stopping at the Chu Chi tunnels along the way? (Tours don%26#39;t seem to go that way.) Or are the tunnels a day trip, come back to HCMC then go to the Mekong Delta on the way to Angkor Wat? I prefer not to go to PP. Or should I just try and go the boat cruise/tour of Mekong AND tunnels and scratch Angkor Wat cause it be rtoo rushed? (Angkor Wat is lowest priority compared to other 2.) Do roads/boat/travel make doing these things possible? Or, upon getting to HCMC would a tour guide arrange this for me?

Ho Chi Minh, Chu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Angkor Wat-all?

You really don%26#39;t have time for Angkor Wat as well, in 4 1/2 days.

Cu Chi tunnels are to the north of HCMC, while the Meking Delta is to the south east, probably why the tours don%26#39;t go that way. Cu Chi tunnels would indeed be a day trip, possibly a half day trip if you had a private car and guide, and back into HCMC.

If you did continue on up the Mekong to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, you would be rushing about and not really have time to properly see anything. You also wouldn%26#39;t have time to get back to HCMC and would probably need to fly out of PP unless you wanted to go home in a very roundabout way (Air Asia, for instance, flies out of Siem Reap, but only to Malaysia). If you were to return to HCMC from Angkor Wat, you would need the much more expensive multi-entry visa, which for such a flying visit would be hard to justify, IMO.

Hanoi to HCMC

Hi all!

I am thinking of doing a Vietnam trip (Hanoi and HCMC) for about 9-10 days. My plan would be to go to Hanoi first, then to HCMC. If I were to go by air from Hanoi to HCMC, please advise if I should book from singapore, or over there? How much would it cost?

Hanoi to HCMC

book it here.Hanoi - hcm should be less tha 1.8 mill dong. $160 sing i think. my last flight a few days ago was 1.8m VN dong HCM - hanoi.

Hanoi to HCMC

i see...the only airlines available is vietnam air?

Perfect Itinerary? Please check :)

I am doing my research in the forum. I have about 12-15 days to go to Vietnam the beginning of May. Going to Sapa and Halong seems to have me in and out of Hanoi. Does this make sense. Since I am so close to Cambodia it is tempting to go for a couple days, BUT thinking of saving it for another trip. Here is what I thinking:

DAY 1-LAX- Singapore. One night in Singapore to break

flights up

Day 2- Singapore to Hanoi. Arrive mid day. Metrople

Day 3- Hanoi- Sofitel Metrople

Day 4- Leave Hanoi at night to Sapa. Victoria Train

Day 5- Sapa- either Victoria Sapa RESORT or Homestay

Day 6- Sapa- night train to Hanoi

Day 7- arrive Hanoi 6am. Overnight Sofitel Metrople

Day 8- Leave Hanoi morning for Halong Bay ship.

Valentine (Indochina Sails) or Emeraude

Day 9. Arrive Back in Hanoi- overnight again?

Day 10- Leave Hanoi morning to Hue-need a nice hotel

Day 11-Hue-Hoi An- or a 2nd night in Hue?

Day 12- Hoi An- nice hotel but not Nam Hai probably

too high

Day 13- Hoi An

Day 14- Hoi An

Day 15- Hoi An to Hanoi- overnight again for morning flight next day to LAX via Singapore.

I appreciate the help! I using mileage and have always wanted to fly Singapore Airlines. I can go First Class through Japan with less miles than the ALL Business non-stop flight from LAX. I hope saving Siem Reap is a good idea for another time.

Perfect Itinerary? Please check :)

Dear Mr RManning,

Your Itinerary as I think seem quite good. Here%26#39;s my offer for some accomodation in Hoi An, Hue

* Hue

1. La Residence hotel 4*

www.la-residence-hue.com

Rate: usd 145/double superior river view room/night (incl tax %26amp; breakfast)

2. Imperial hotel Hue 4.5*

www.imperial-hotel.com.vn

Rate: usd 135/deluxe double riverview room/night (incl tax %26amp; breakfast)

* Hoi An:

1. Life resort 4* http://www.life-resorts.com/--%26gt; for someone like the river than beach

Rate: usd 120/superior garden view/night

2. Victoria hoi an 4*

Rate: usd 130/sup riverview or seaside double room (incl tax %26amp; breakfast)

usd 180/double beach front/night

3. Palm garden resort 5*

www.palmgardenresort.com.vn

Rate: usd 109/sup seaview double/night

...

Hope this is helpful for you

Linh (ms)

Perfect Itinerary? Please check :)

Your itinerary is perfect, well balanced in places and not too much packing for places so save Cambodia for next trip as it%26#39;s still there.

Looks pretty good to me :-)

I%26#39;d be tempted to spend the second night in Hue so you can get a decent look around.

Have a look at the hotel reviews for help re hotels; we found that tariff isn%26#39;t necessarily a good guide- we had a perfectly nice room in Hue, about 3* (more than that is tinsel we don%26#39;t use anyway) for $15/double, breakfast included. And we loved the Ha An in Hoi An.

what the..

my itinerary would be:

sing - orchid towers. two days at least...every taxi driver knows it!!

hanoi -- go to the floating bars...

halong bay - cut the travel and go to king disco in haiphong. recover in war memorial park, weather is warming up - or stay in halong city. The travel is a killer.street beer is 3000 dong a schooner in haiphong. get absolutely wasted for 3 euro... 5 euro call an ambulance..spend the day in a trance.

Skip hanoi, travel to Hue from haiphong - 8 to 10 hrs by car.

From hue, da nang/hoi an just over two hours. see marble mt in Da Nang. hoi an sleepy but nice - travel to Da nang for action(zzz)

fly danang hanoi. back to floating bars..leave next day with good memories!

have fun!

Sorry, forgot to add - the tarriffs above are really high. I stay IC usually and in hanoi with club exec room (free cocktails and food for a few hours) it was 210USD ++ it is a seriuosly good hotel, Absolutely the best IC hotel i have stayed in!it is so far beyond the hotels mentioned above i cant believ what they are charging. stayed in deluxe suite, bosan hotel, hanoi 80 usd with bkfast. it is also very good, suprising for the price.

Thank you so kindly for your response and your suggestions. The Imperial Hotel in Hue looks great.

I was wondering if you know if it was possible to arrive from Sapa via the train at 6am in the morning and then take the shuttles that leave Hanoi at around 8am to meet the Halong Bay ships? I was going to spend the night in Hanoi and then leave the following morning, but if this is doable I would pefer this.

Thanks

Thank you so kindly for your response.

I was wondering if you know if it was possible to arrive from Sapa via the train at 6am in the morning and then take the shuttles that leave Hanoi at around 8am to meet the Halong Bay ships? I was going to spend the night in Hanoi and then leave the following morning, but if this is doable I would pefer this.

Thanks

Thank you so kindly for your response and your suggestions. The Hu An hotel in Hoi An looks great.

I was wondering if you know if it was possible to arrive from Sapa via the train at 6am in the morning and then take the shuttles that leave Hanoi at around 8am to meet the Halong Bay ships? I was going to spend the night in Hanoi and then leave the following morning, but if this is doable I would pefer this.

Thanks

Thanks for you response. The IC does look nice and might be a good choice in Hanoi.

I can%26#39;t see why you couldn%26#39;t go from the Lao Cai train to the Ha Long Bay shuttles. The train gets in around 4.30am-5am, depending on which one you are on, and the station is only about 5 minutes by taxi to the Old Quarter.

My suggestion:

Baggage space in the train and the junk will be limited, so pack a small bag and leave the rest of your luggage with the nice people at the Sofitel Metropole. Hotels in VN are generally very obliging about keeping luggage at no charge. When you get back from Sa Pa, head for the hotel, have a shower (none on the train) and possibly repack your bag with clean clothes for Ha Long Bay. Our hotel had a bathroom for the use of guests who weren%26#39;t staying overnight, the Metropole may have the same. Get picked up by the shuttle and off you go :-)

tanning sunscreen

AJAX in .net

Hanoi in April

I%26#39;ll be in Hanoi the first week of April.

What will the weather be like?

Will it be warm enough to go swimming in HaLong Bay?

Thanks

Hanoi in April

The weather is nice in the first week of April, it is suitable for your trip to Halong bay and to go swimming.

Hanoi in April

First week of April is still sort of cool, it%26#39;ll be still at about 25 - 30 Dc.

http://www.travelfish.org/vietnam-weather.php

Halong Bay cruise - reasonable luxury and price

Hi, everybody!

I%26#39;m seeking 2 nights (3 days) cruise (from Hanoi) and asking for advice:

I want to spend a cruise comfortable but not asking for especial ';luxury'; (no tuxedo for waiters). I also don%26#39;t want to spend a fortune on that (crisis, you know...). So:

- how much is supposed to cost for person?(we are 2)?

- is it better to book in advance(say, internet)?

- any recommendations (company, junk etc.)

Thanks.

Halong Bay cruise - reasonable luxury and price

- Lagoon Explorer junk is one option for your reference.

- Booking the service in advance is professional way to travel.

- Halong Junk Cruise is my recommendation for your trip.

Halong Bay cruise - reasonable luxury and price

There are so many offers but Red Dragon is recommended, think that Footprint has a better rate on this junk.

I %26#39;ve booked Pinta Cruise through their website for 2 of us. The price is US$209/p for 03 Days 2 nights, A friend recommended me to cruise with them and better to book directly.

You should try at columbuscruise.com.

Cheers.

Travel to Cambodia

I would like to travel from Phu Quoc Is by boat up into Cambodia - I will have my wife and two young children (10 and 7). What%26#39;s the best way to get from the island over to the border crossing to get on a boat? We don%26#39;t want to fly back into HCMC. I need to keep in mind that lengthy bus trips to the border would not be in the best interest of the kids, so if a stopover is required, so be it.

Thanks.

Phil (Australia)

Travel to Cambodia

You can easily go from Ha tien (border) to Phu Quoc.

Ha Tien is 2hrs drive from Kep and very good road.

You have a speed boat leaving every morning at 8AM from Ha tien and you will arrive to Phu Quoc at 9.30AM

Travel to Cambodia

Thanks John. Much appreciated. I assumed boat and car were the options. It was wishful thinking of a boat straight to Cambodia.

Any idea of the length of time by vehicle from Rach Gia to Chau Doc (border)? I%26#39;m keeping in mind the two kids might be bit over travelling if the ferry from PQ Is takes five hours. Thanks again.

We went from PP To phu quoc last June.

The car trip will take you at least 2 hours, the road is 2 way traffic and quite narrow.

The fast boat is not much more than a tinny that seats 14? with a canapy over the top I have a photo if you want to PM me and no toilets.

You do stop at the 2 border crossing and scramble up the banks and there are toilet.

We came across very heavy rain when we did the trip and it was a litte scarry as visability was 0 and there is a bit of large traffic on the river.

It was an experience and we did get to see a lot more of the country side.

I prebooked all of this through Sinhbalo travel and I was glad I did as there was not much English in this region They had a person on the boat from the vietnam border to where we got off the boat who then found our driver for us.He did single us out so I think he was there to look after us. A lot of younger backpackers were on the boat as well and they found this guy very handy to find out what was going on and how to get to there destination.