Vietnam Travel Guide: What to Do in Vietnam

Vietnam has bounced back from war to become one of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations. On one hand, it offers bustling cities and luxurious new beach resorts; on the other, ethnic villages and vistas of rice paddies that haven’t changed for hundreds of years. Add in eightdestinations inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and there’s plenty to explore.

In this article, you’ll travel Vietnam from north to south, from an amazing ethnic market to one of the most unusual hotels you’ll ever see. We’ll take you off the beaten path to kayak Halong Bay and bike the Mekong Delta. And in between, we’ll help you dine like an emperor, get a custom-made outfit and learn how to cook Vietnam’s vibrant cuisine.

Visit a Remote Ethnic Market

In Vietnam’s northern highlands, ethnic tribes descend from the mountains every week, tramping for miles to sell a water buffalo, haggle over medicinal herbs or bargain for pineapples not much bigger than your fist. At Tuesday’s Coc Ly market, members of the Flower Hmong ethnic group turn out in all their finery with babies lolling on their backs in intricately embroidered slings. The bold colors of their traditional costumes glow even brighter once you’ve sampled a sip of fiery rice whiskey, sold from a gasoline can. Come away with an armful of tangerines, a traditional collar stitched from hundreds of tiny cloth strips or the memory of a shy child’s smile.

It’s best to go with a guide who can speak the local dialect, like one from BuffaloTours.com, which offers custom private tours. The market takes place in the morning and lasts until about noon. Coc Ly is 62 miles from Sapa, a popular place to stay, and 37 miles from Lao Cai, which is the hub for overnight express trains from Hanoi. If you can afford it, book a private cabin on one of the more luxurious private rail cars, like those operated by Victoria Hotels.

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Grrreat trip to Vietnam by John Rybczyk
“We arrived early in Sapa and were met by Quyen, our new tour guide. Quyen was one of the best guides; she really knew Sapa and the area and a lot about the local ethnic groups. Sapa is a very nice town, with lots of different ethnic people in the area. There are a number of very nice restaurants in the town; there is also a daily local market.” Read more!

Kayak Among Mist-Shrouded Islands

The limestone karst islands of Halong Bay are legendary. Unfortunately, so are the hordes of tour boats. Get away from the crowd and closer to the fantastical formations in a kayak. You’ll need to work with a tour company; the islands are just too far away to kayak directly from land.

Companies focused on kayaking trips will take you out in escort boats and set you up where the paddling’s perfect. Guides help you explore caves and rock gardens. Day trips are possible from some companies, but consider spending a night on the bay to get the full experience of light and mist around these magical islands. Escort boats have sleeping accommodations with varying levels of luxury, depending on your budget. Viator offers a number of kayaking options with and without overnights.

Asia Outdoors offers day trips from Cat Ba Island that visit the less crowded southern part of Halong Bay, known as Lan Ha Bay. These tours are a nice option if you’re spending a couple of days on laid-back Cat Ba.

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Up and Down in Vietnam by Brian W Fisher
“From a wooden jetty at a floating village, we changed craft yet again, either into two-person kayaks or flat-bottomed boats, small enough to enter the low openings in the cliffs and emerge into fully enclosed lagoons. Quite magical!” Read more!

Dine Like an Emperor on Imperial Cuisine

Talk about living large! According to tales from Vietnam’s imperial era, the 19th-century Nguyen kings never dined on the same meal twice in a single year. Ensconced in Hue’s Citadel, they had a bevy of chefs, each of whom specialized in just one dish. To keep the royal palate from getting bored, 50 exquisite little courses were served at dinner, but special banquets could include as many as 300 dishes. Fruits and vegetables were carved into fanciful animals, flowers and landscapes to decorate the plates.

Remnants of that imperial cuisine have crept into commoners’ food. You’ll find modest restaurants serving a raft of tiny steamed rice-flour dumplings with dried shrimp and pork, set in petite dishes (banh beo) or bundled in banana leaves (banh lam or banh nam). The crispy pancake, banh khoai, wrapped around pork, shrimp and bean sprouts is worth a try, as is the city’s renowned spicy noodle soup, bun bo. Fare at fancier restaurants is more elaborate, with table decor that might include a phoenix sculpted from a pineapple.

It’s rare to find Hue’s imperial cuisine outside this UNESCO World Heritage Site, so take advantage of it while you’re here. You’ll find dumplings in the stalls at Dong Ba Market (worth a visit to take in the bustling ambience too), as well as bargain spot Lien Hoa (3 Le Quy Don) and other places around town. For more upscale dining, try Ancient Hue (AncientHue.com.vn), set in a series of old houses, or Tinh Gia Vien (Le Thanh Ton), where artistry tends to outshine the flavors.

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Up and Down in Vietnam by Brian W Fisher
“Hue is an interesting city steeped in history. There are examples of both Asian and European past influence but over recent decades the Vietnamese have gradually stamped their mark. [A] fascinating place is the Dong Ba Market, a thriving shoulder to shoulder example of free enterprise, commercial life piled high with goods, inviting to local folk and tourists alike.” Read more!

Cycle the Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is a paradise for cyclers: flat and scenic, with vistas of rice paddies, canals, fruit orchards and jungle. Specialist outfits like Cycling Vietnam (CyclingVietnam.net) offer trips of varying length, mixing biking with visits to traditional homes, floating markets and ethnic villages.

You’ll likely ride along the Mekong River for at least part of the trip, and most organizers also include a boat trip on the river. One of the nicest features is the opportunity to connect with locals, whom you’ll encounter riding bikes too. Tours usually include pick-up and return to Ho Chi Minh City, but if you’re heading on to Cambodia, you might want to arrange for your trip to end in Chau Doc, where you can take a fast boat upriver to Phnom Penh.

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Stalk Rare Birds in Cat Tien National Park

The nearly 300 square miles of Cat Tien National Park are listed by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve Zone, and are the perfect place to explore if you’re a nature lover. The park, located about 90 miles north of Ho Chi Minh City, is a birder’s paradise, home to 348 species, including pitta, Siamese firebacks, red junglefowl and green peafowl. There are hundreds of different types of butterflies and 79 species of reptiles, including pythons and crocodiles. Leopards, tigers and Asiatic black bears are also reported to live here, but chances of spotting one are rare. You’ll have a better chance of sighting gibbons, macaques, civets and deer. Sadly, in 2011, the highly endangered Javanese rhinoceros was declared extinct in the park.

You can work with an outfitter, like Sinhbalo Tours (Sinhbalo.com) in Ho Chi Minh City or Phat Tire (PTV-vietnam.com) in Dalat. If traveling on your own, hire a guide at the park’s information counter (just be sure you can communicate) or join activities like a night safari or gibbon trek. You can hike to Crocodile Lake for a rustic overnight, or sleep with more luxury at the Forest Floor Lodge and other accommodations on the park’s perimeter.

The park allows a limited number of visitors per day, so if you’re traveling on your own, phone ahead for reservations.

See a Wet and Wild Water Puppet Show

Sure, it might sound like a kids’ activity, but don’t miss a show at Hanoi‘s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. In a tradition that dates back 1,000 years, the “stage” is actually the surface of a tank filled with water. The unseen puppeteers operate their puppets from behind a curtain, standing waist-deep. The water hides the mechanisms of the hand-painted wooden puppets, creating a wonderful effect.

The troupe presents some traditional Vietnamese tales, operating the puppets with amazing subtlety and humor. At times, whole chorus lines of puppets may appear, and there are some surprises along the way. Live musicians provide the soundtrack.

Thang Long offers multiple shows daily. It’s best to pick up tickets at least a few hours in advance, since shows tend to sell out. If you’re captivated by the performance, you might consider buying a retired puppet, available in the theater lobby (to our mind, their battle scars make them much more interesting than the copies you’ll find for sale elsewhere).

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Great Hanoi Trip with Halong Bay and Ninh Binh Day by conganh
“We did some sightseeing on our own such as exploring the old town (using the walking tour from Frommers.com), the Hoan Kiem Lake and an evening show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. We also tried Hanoi’s famous fried fish at Cha Ca La Vong at no. 14 Cha Ca Street in the old town.” Read more!

Stay in a Twisted Fairy-Tale Hotel

Located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, Dalat is the perfect change of pace from the country’s typical steamy climate. And if you’re looking for a change of pace in lodging too, head straight for the Crazy House, a fantasy hotel that looks like architect Antoni Gaudi’s work as interpreted by elves.

Originally known as Hang Nga Villa, the Crazy House is the pet project of architect Dang Viet Nga (daughter to a past president of Vietnam), who seeks to bring guests closer to nature with her eccentric design. The exterior resembles the gnarled roots of a tree; inside you might find windows inspired by spider webs in rooms with nary a flat surface. Some have undulating ceilings that feel like a cave; others are watched over by a sculpted kangaroo or tiger with glowing eyes. Quirky stairways look like stalks of bamboo or cross-sections of tree trunks.

Is Crazy House too, well, crazy for you? Try Ana Mandara Villas Dalat, a lovingly restored French colonial villa. Dalat was a favorite escape for French administrators; it was once known as “Little Paris,” and comes complete with a radio tower masquerading as the Eiffel Tower. There are plenty of Art Deco colonial buildings too. Add in all the natural scenery, like hills and waterfalls, and you can see why Dalat is a favorite with Vietnamese honeymooners.

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Grrreat trip to Vietnam by John Rybczyk
“Day 3 we left for Dalat. We stopped to see the Pongour waterfall and had another great lunch. We also visited the Chicken Village and met some of the people who lived there. You can’t miss Chicken Village; there is a huge chicken on top of a building.” Read more!

Go Night Fishing with a Squid Fleet

Phu Quoc Island, off Vietnam’s southern coast, is renowned for its beaches. But if you get tired of working on the perfect tan, consider making like a local and going squid fishing. You’ve probably seen the squid fleet — it’s those lights bobbing on the horizon at night. Fishermen attract squid with the lights and then hook them.

Most resorts offer a squid-fishing trip that includes boating out to enjoy the sunset and fishing as darkness sets in. You’ll get to sample what you catch, either grilled or in “squid porridge,” depending on the tour. Some providers to consider include Phu Quoc Island Explorer and Vietnam Tour Booking.

If you’re into all things fishy, consider visiting one of the 100 or so fish sauce makers on Phu Quoc, where the odiferous culinary essential is aged in special wooden vats made from local trees. The island is famous for its sauce.

Get an Outfit Tailor-Made

Rumor has it that there are more tailors per capita in the historic town of Hoi An than anywhere else in the world. If you’ve got a few days, you can come away with a custom-made suit or a silk ao dai — the traditional women’s outfit of a high-necked tunic over flowing trousers — for a very reasonable price.

Plenty of shops will beckon you with window displays, but choose carefully, bargain hard and don’t put down any cash until the garment is delivered and you’re perfectly satisfied. You might pay a bit more at spots like YalyCouture.com, but attention to detail and a higher level of quality are worth it. While some fine European fabrics are available at the more upmarket tailors, you might want to consider bringing fabric from home if you’ve got a suit in mind. Vietnamese suiting fabrics can be cheap, but the quality is far lower than the pricy European imports. Silk is another story, and many choices are available.

Allow for at least three fittings to get a garment that fits you properly. In the meantime, wander Hoi An’s old shophouses, slurp some cao lau (the unique local noodles) and enjoy the colored lanterns that work their magic along the streets at night.

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Our trip to S.E. Asia by alohalari
“After Halong Bay we flew to Hue where we visited Danang, China Beach, My Son and Hoi An. We had a wonderful guide nicknamed ‘Flower,’ who told great stories about her country. We all got custom-made clothing at one of the many tailor shops in Hoi An, a lovely town small enough to walk around.” Read more!

Take a Cooking Class — Chop, Chop!

Chances are you’ll be craving Vietnamese food once you get home from your trip. The exotic flavors, fresh ingredients and soul-satisfying soups are addictive. Why not learn how to whip up a few dishes during your trip?

You’ll find cooking schools all over Vietnam, but some of the most established ones are in Ho Chi Minh City. The typical format is to visit a fresh market, examine the cornucopia of ingredients, and then head to the classroom for instruction, cooking and the best part: eating!

You’ll find a polished presentation at Mai Home: The Saigon Culinary Arts Center, with assistants standing by to whisk away garbage or light a misbehaving stove burner. Cyclo Resto gets kudos for its personable chef and small class size. And Saigon Cooking Class garners praise for its hands-on teaching and unique location (in an old opium factory).

Advice from a Traveler Who’s Been There

Up and Down in Vietnam by Brian W Fisher
“Wow! What a city. Thinking that nowhere could there be more motorbikes and scooters than in Hanoi, the sheer volume and speed of them in Saigon was truly staggering. ‘Number one lesson,’ my guide said to me on leaving the airport … ‘when you step off pavement to cross road — you never must stop … please to keep walking straight — all motorbikes go around you. If you stop, there will be big accident.'” Read more!

Best Time to Go to Vietnam

There are no good or bad seasons for a visit to Vietnam. Depending on the region, travelers may not have to worry too much about variations in weather. In Ho Chi Minh City, for example, temperatures are fairly constant throughout the year, though rainfall is most concentrated from May through October. In Hanoi, however, winters are gray and dry, while summers are very hot and humid with heavy rain. During Tet, Vietnam’s New Year celebration in late January or early February, flights and hotels can be difficult if not impossible (or horrendously expensive) to find.

Vietnam on a Budget

Vietnam is one of the less expensive countries to visit in East Asia. Although hotels with luxury amenities are available, visitors can save money by forgoing fancy trimmings and taking public transportation, such as buses or trains, instead of hiring a car. It’s also not unusual for travelers to negotiate with locals for pricing on everything from transportation to souvenir purchases.

–written by Gayle Keck