Indurain's Lungs
Legend of Garry Nelson
This is all very interesting. We will be arriving in Vietnam (Hoi An and surrounds) on Sunday for just over 2 weeks with a 7 and 5 year old. Any Hoi An tips gratefully received.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Travel] Vietnam and Cambodia holiday ideas etc
- Thread starter Nostalgia
- Start date
SeagullinExile
Well-known member
Cambodia has become one of my favourite countries after I visited in April-May. The killing fields and The Angkor temples are worth the visit alone. On top of that the people are amazing considering what they went through in relatively recent times, service at all the hotels I stayed was some of the best in Asia. And so incredibly cheap to boot. The most expensive thing I paid for was the temple pass (70 USD for three days plus 30 USD for a guide). Local beer costs between 50 cents and 1 USD (Angkor Draught) which is very nice indeed. I genuinely found it hard to spend more than 30 bucks a day!
I cant recommend it highly enough! Don't forget to try the happy pizza
I'm off again in 5 weeks this time taking in Laos too!
I cant recommend it highly enough! Don't forget to try the happy pizza
I'm off again in 5 weeks this time taking in Laos too!
Robinjakarta
Well-known member
So did I. Smaller, quieter and more manageable with tree lined streets, lakes even in the centre and to me more atmosphere. Stay in the old quarter and drink bia hoi (draught beer), which costs next to nothing and try banh mi (baguette). The French handed down great bread. Halong Bay is reachable from Hanoi and beautiful or for a similar experience with far fewer tourists, Lan Ha Bay is less well known but just as scenic. For trekking, consider Sapa, right up NW near the China border.
I think most of these have been mentioned, but definitely:
Cambodia
Siem Reap - Loved the town and obviously there's Angkor Wat. The temple with the trees was my favourite.
Phnom Penh - Killing fields and the old school which was used as a prison
Vietnam
Mekong Delta - Try and do a boat trip, you might be able to find a homestay too
Viet Cong Tunnels - Definitely worth visiting
HCMC / Hanoi - Both great cities, I probably preferred Hanoi though. The war museum in HCMC is an eye-opener.
Hoi An - Amazing place. Get your cheap tailor made clothes there. Also worth doing a cooking class if you can.
The road from Hue to Hoi An - If you've ever seen the Top Gear special this is the amazing mountain road they travel along.
Halong Bay - Hard to describe just how amazing it is.
I love Vietnam. I'd go back there in a heartbeat. Get your Dong ready for an amazing trip.
Cambodia
Siem Reap - Loved the town and obviously there's Angkor Wat. The temple with the trees was my favourite.
Phnom Penh - Killing fields and the old school which was used as a prison
Vietnam
Mekong Delta - Try and do a boat trip, you might be able to find a homestay too
Viet Cong Tunnels - Definitely worth visiting
HCMC / Hanoi - Both great cities, I probably preferred Hanoi though. The war museum in HCMC is an eye-opener.
Hoi An - Amazing place. Get your cheap tailor made clothes there. Also worth doing a cooking class if you can.
The road from Hue to Hoi An - If you've ever seen the Top Gear special this is the amazing mountain road they travel along.
Halong Bay - Hard to describe just how amazing it is.
I love Vietnam. I'd go back there in a heartbeat. Get your Dong ready for an amazing trip.
middletoenail
Well-known member
Beautiful places, and recently somewhere I've been spending long weekends.
One word of advice, stay away from Nha Trang in Vietnam. Its like the Russian version of Benidorm!
One word of advice, stay away from Nha Trang in Vietnam. Its like the Russian version of Benidorm!
Yes! I spent a couple of days there and it was a very odd place. Didn't the Russians pay for the airport or something?
I did Hanoi to Saigon in 2 weeks a few years back. We flew into Hanoi had a few days there then headed to Halong bay for an overnight cruise. I totally recommend seeing Halong bay, waking up to that view was amazing.
From there we headed back to Hanoi for an overnight train to Hue, great experience and probably would do it again. Stayed in Hue for a few days, it was nice but not sure I'd rush back if time was limited. However the best part of our trip started in Hue. We randomly ended up being driven by a family (son, dad, uncle) on mopeds to Hoi An via the Hai van pass (top gear). It was without a doubt one of the best things I've ever done. They took us to so many different places and sites I hadn't considered when planning the trip and the views on the pass were breathtaking. We had originally planned to take a private car and I'm so glad we didn't, I'll happily tell you the guys details. They are very highly rated on TA now.
We used Hoi An as a place to relax for a few days, cycled to the beach and just chilled. Its a very pretty village that I would again recommend visiting albiet a tad touristy.
We flew to our last stop and spent a few days exploring the war museums, tunnels and other sites. The tunnels I'd recommend seeing, we decided to get a boat tour to the tunnels as we had heard the bus could be a little uncomfortable with the humidity. Overall I didn't rate Saigon and much preferred Hanoi as it felt more authentic but I've met a lot of people that had the opposite opinion. One thing we did in Saigon that was fantastic was a foodie tour with a large group of girls on mopeds, they took us all over the town in the evening to try all different types of food. The food was fantastic and it was a great way to see the city at night, if you fancy it they give you the option to try a balut egg. Glad I did but never again.
Lovely people, great food, great scenery, great country. Hopefully I'll get back there one day.
Btw we traveled end of April beginning of May, Hanoi was very overcast but humid and the weather improved the more South we went.
From there we headed back to Hanoi for an overnight train to Hue, great experience and probably would do it again. Stayed in Hue for a few days, it was nice but not sure I'd rush back if time was limited. However the best part of our trip started in Hue. We randomly ended up being driven by a family (son, dad, uncle) on mopeds to Hoi An via the Hai van pass (top gear). It was without a doubt one of the best things I've ever done. They took us to so many different places and sites I hadn't considered when planning the trip and the views on the pass were breathtaking. We had originally planned to take a private car and I'm so glad we didn't, I'll happily tell you the guys details. They are very highly rated on TA now.
We used Hoi An as a place to relax for a few days, cycled to the beach and just chilled. Its a very pretty village that I would again recommend visiting albiet a tad touristy.
We flew to our last stop and spent a few days exploring the war museums, tunnels and other sites. The tunnels I'd recommend seeing, we decided to get a boat tour to the tunnels as we had heard the bus could be a little uncomfortable with the humidity. Overall I didn't rate Saigon and much preferred Hanoi as it felt more authentic but I've met a lot of people that had the opposite opinion. One thing we did in Saigon that was fantastic was a foodie tour with a large group of girls on mopeds, they took us all over the town in the evening to try all different types of food. The food was fantastic and it was a great way to see the city at night, if you fancy it they give you the option to try a balut egg. Glad I did but never again.
Lovely people, great food, great scenery, great country. Hopefully I'll get back there one day.
Btw we traveled end of April beginning of May, Hanoi was very overcast but humid and the weather improved the more South we went.
Last edited:
Norman Potting
Well-known member
The Mole
Well-known member
We spent 4 weeks in Hoi An last September and absolutely loved it. However we didn’t have children to keep entertained. Really recommend Hoi An food tours - one of the guides, Nancy, was particularly good. The old town is lovely - but try and stay outside it as it does get busy at night. We really enjoyed the street food - check out where the locals go - if it has a fast turn around the food is safe. Apart from that there are lots of nice cafes and ridiculously cheap beer.
If you get a full moon they have a lantern ceremony on the water which is quite spectacular.
Great place to get clothes made (and copied) but avoid the banana suits.
Talk to the locals - they are so friendly.
The beach is really nice although unrecognisable from when I first went 20 years ago.
Sorry I can’t be of more help for the children, but do try and let them Explore the non touristy parts
If you haven’t booked accommodation try Full House 1 - run by a family - super friendly- a nice pool and fantastic breakfast. Like most places they have free bicycle hire
Tokyohands
Well-known member
Visited Hoi An for 2 weeks last year with 2 young children and we all loved it. Stayed on the beach about 5km towards Danang which was lovely. The beach nearer Hoi An and the river mouth was washed away by a typhoon some years ago, so if you're after a beach resort in the area it's better to stay towards Danang a bit but also there are many really nice boutique hotels on the river nearer Hoi An old town. The crab fishing and cooking class tour was a really good day out for everyone and the speed boat out to Cham island was fun. We generally went into Hoi An town in the evenings which is a very pretty time and all in all the locals we met were really lovely and very kind to the children. I'd go back there or elsewhere in Vietnam at the drop of a hat, enjoy!
The Birdman
New member
Spoil it using my imagination.
I have a client who is a Tour Guide in those countries. Not sure which parts of the year she works but if you want her details PM me and I will pass them on to you.
Indurain's Lungs
Legend of Garry Nelson
That's great to hear and thanks for the tips. It can be easy to stick with the safe option when travelling with kids but I'm glad we took the plunge and plumped for further afield .
Would you be able to send me over the name of the family/tour guide? I've had one already recommended but they seem like a huge chain so rather use a smaller company.
We are off in August for 3.5 weeks, starting in Hanoi and making our way to Ho Chi Minh. Planning to stop in Hanoi, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An, then flying down to Nha Trang to do Nha Trang, Mui Ne and HCMC and a homestay on the Mekong Delta. Luckily due to the nature of my work we've got a lot of our tours through work agents at great prices - can't wait.
Going by a couple of the comments above, we may well cut down our time in Nha Trang as sounds a bit 'meh'.
Indurain's Lungs
Legend of Garry Nelson
Likewise - the Hai Van pass option sounds great so would love the details of the guide.
Yeah sure, they're called Le Family riders, search for them on TripAdvisor and you'll see how highly rated they are.
SeagullinExile
Well-known member
Just got back from my latest trip to Cambodia. If it hasn't been mentioned already, the infamous S21 is a must visit. Be prepared to be humbled. I had the honour of meeting one of only 12 (known) survivors of the camp, an elderly gentleman called Chum Mey. He could see how visibly upset I was and gave me the warmest of hugs. This wonderful gentleman is a reminder of something that isn't widely talked about in the west these days, and it happened in a lot of our lifetimes. 25% of the population wiped out in a little over 3 years. A reminder of just how brutal humanity can be.
sydney
tinky ****in winky
just get the number of a decent driver/guide off someone who's been there before ...get in touch on messenger , tell them what kind of digs you are after and what you want to see and they will organise it for you .....you will not need much money at all .
sydney
tinky ****in winky
Just got back from my latest trip to Cambodia. If it hasn't been mentioned already, the infamous S21 is a must visit. Be prepared to be humbled. I had the honour of meeting one of only 12 (known) survivors of the camp, an elderly gentleman called Chum Mey. He could see how visibly upset I was and gave me the warmest of hugs. This wonderful gentleman is a reminder of something that isn't widely talked about in the west these days, and it happened in a lot of our lifetimes. 25% of the population wiped out in a little over 3 years. A reminder of just how brutal humanity can be.
country still run by khmer rouge ...no...??