Hi folks,
I have a chance a to go Vietnam around November for a week. Wife has her stuff paid for a medical camp & we are planning to go early as a family (including my 9 year old son).
Any suggestions pls around places, food to eat (I am a vegetarian), staying, things to do and not do - would really appreciate your help.
Thanks in advance for your help/suggestions.
My suggestion:
Make sure you monitor your B12, iron, calcium, and vitamin D intake. B12 is the big one.
There is a famous prison where they kept american POW`s.I hear its a tourist attraction,back in my day it was a rough place
eat pho
Ha Long bay is a must and both Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are great cities to visit.
Agree on the Pho, also eat all the amazing seafood. Vietnamese food is one of the best cuisines in the world for me.
I went there for two weeks and thoroughly loved it.
My main advice: Do some research and make food a focus. Prices are cheap and the quality is very high. In Saigon don’t miss the “lunch lady” (Google it). Both Saigon & Hanoi have restaurants where a wide variety of street hawkers have been brought together in clean indoor settings, which made for some excellent meals.
Saigon: Visit the Củ Chi tunnels. I stayed at Hotel Nikko, which is one of the nicest hotels that I’ve ever stayed at.
Hue: Take a trip down the perfume river to visit several ancient tombs. Hue is also a great food city. Best Western Premier Indochine was very pleasant to stay at.
Hoi An: Very pleasant ancient small town (although also very touristy)
HaLong Bay: Actually lives up to the hype
#EveryTingYouWant
#WhatYouGetFor10Dollah
Itera, many thanks - reading about Pho on the net, already has me hungry 
Marathon Runner - many thanks mate…
Gringo Bob - thanks, unfortunately (or fortunately, I dont know) I am a vegetarian and dont eat sea food 
I see that I am going to be missing what people term as the best food in the world… Sigh!
Ghibli - is there any particular reason you say that? I am only going there for a week or utmost 2 weeks! Thanks!
Gabelogan - Thanks, the images on the net look a bit scary and very poignant reminder of our past…
That is too beaucoup…my mom only gave me $5!
north to south
Hanoi- recommend staying at the soffitel (pretty sweet hotel for travelers). Visit the hanoi hilton and walk around, theres some cool shrines and temples. Take a day trip over to Ha Long Bay and a boat tour out to the sea caves (this is a must if you ask me)
Hue city- Visit the imperial city- I recommend staying at the imperial hotel http://www.imperial-hotel.com.vn/. Take a trip out to the old imperial city and walk around, they have tours.
Ho Chi Minh City ( Saigon) - I recommend the Rex hotel- Do your shopping here, this is like the business district of VN while the north is more political and central is more historical etc. You can even get a high quality custom tailored suit made for really cheap if you plan to stick around for a couple of days. I highly recommend taking a day trip out to the cu chi tunnels if your interested in learning a little more about the VN war. You can crawl through some of the old tunnels, its pretty fun.
Thank you very much Mark!
Be sure to take out as many VC as possible.
Yes, Halong bay is amazing.
Hoi An is mildly interesting.
Saigon is definitely a fun place to hang for a while.
Eating is definitely great in Vietnam. Don’t forget to try French restarurants there. France was the colonial power in imperialist times and they do French food well (though often with an interesting local twist).
If you have lots of time you might try to get to Ankor in Cambodia, which I’ve heard is truly phenomenal. I alas did not have time when I went there, and hope one day to rectify that.
Key places are mentioned by Marathon_runner and Mark1440. Haven’t been to Halong bay but heard many positive experiences.
The newly found largest cave in the world looks breathtaking on videos if you look for something extraordinary.
Beach with some sports: Nha Trang: can do snorkling, diving etc. Not so much sports: Con Dao island (used to be prison set up by French and American) - quiet place and not many choices. I was at these places several years ago so not sure if they have any drastic change.
you can have all kinds of Vietnamese food in Ho chi minh city (or Saigon). Fine western food there too, much better quality for the price than in US. Famous for its coffee shops - aesthetically decorated or on the pavement - somehow the Vietnamese either driving Bentley or motorbike love enjoying a beer or coffee on the pavement. Just walk around in the center area. vespa tour or river tour (even go to Cu Chi tunnel). Surprised to see some Indian temples in the center of HCMC. Warning: they loved 80s-90s music even though the craps and K-pop were creeping in here and there.
Vietnam is quite a nice place for vegetarians (maybe more general non-meat and Budhist type than Indian vegetarian as the food is not so much with beans and spices. The spice is not blended in the food like Indian food but more as a layer). Their daily food is combined with lots of herbs and greens. However, I must say, many delicious dishes have meat (fish, pork, beef, chicken, snails etc), esp those noodle soups. Their cuisine is more than just baguette, broken rice and pork chop, pho and spring rolls. It’s not a kind of festive, colorful and disney place even though it was crowded and loud. Somehow, there was subtle charm if you care to look for.
Of course coffee, a glass of tea with a big piece of ice and a straw, or a glass of iced lime juice to re-energize, like a Vietnamese.
B12 comment must have been a sarcastic comment.
And Angkor Wat in Siem Riep, Cambodia, was great. Late November is in peak season I think. Went there in the hot rainy summer. 2 day ticket for the temple complex is enough. By early 3rd day, you’d get tired and bored. But you’re in Asia anyway, take those short days to explore VN.
Since you are vegetarian just make sure your careful what you are ordering or what broth or pho you are spooning at the buffets. The buffets are awesome if you are a little adventurous- I ate some pretty weird stuff while I was there and enjoyed every minute of it. Drink only bottled water- or just drink booze the whole time like I did, you can drink alcohol on the street.
Since you are taking a child I highly recommend you have a good talk with him about the rules of crossing city streets and keep him close when doing so. The streets are like a free for all out there and the cars will keep going until you step out, traffic congestion is a major problem- thus the 200% tax on cars.
I had a really great experience with the tour guide we had, I forget the name of the travel company, I think it had holdays in the name if that helps. I took one of those dumb traveler fanny pack deals when I went, it was unnecessary, even in the worst slums of VN I felt safe walking at night but I was usually with a group and being a larger build caucasian dude I towered over 95% of the population there.
Ah yes, the Vespa tours are great in Saigon. I remember I had a fight with my girl that morning and we took off on separate Vespa tours. That was lots of fun. We both had a great time and were friends again by the time we reunited.
Sometimes when traveling together for a few weeks on end, a day apart does good.
Miamia, Mark and Chad - thanks a ton folks. Really helpful for me to plan the trip.
mista mista