Advise on Traveling to Vietnam?

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Active Travel Vietnam

1. Could you please review some accommodation advice on Vietnam at http://www.activetravelmagazines.com/vietnam/accommodation/

2. If you prefer to choose some excursion, you should visit http://www.activetravelshop.com/?name=product&op=listSubcategories&cat=Shortexcursions for more small excursions.

3. More travel tips for travelers at http://extra.wikitravel.org/blog/vietnam/vietnam_travelers_tips_0 or http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/vietnam_travel_guides.html

ixlinxs

Get Lonely Planet book on Vietnam-great guide that will answer all your questions.
Also log onto www.lonelyplanet.com.au where there is a great forum for asking questions of other travellers.

Recommend Sinh Cafe for tours to the Mekong.
Dont carry handbags. Keep your money in money belts under your clothing.
Lots of hotels in Pham Ngu Lau area(Saigon). You wont have to look they will find you.

Izzy_Cool

Save yourself a lot of aggravation.

Check with Saigontourist (biggest tour agency in the country).
They can arrange everything for you.

Taxi's are metered. Stick with the bigger names. Your hotel can advise you on which ones to go with.

Restaurants - many really good Vietnamese ones and a lot of Western restaurants. If you really want western food (not KFC or Pizza Hut - which we have too), head over to MOGOMBO's or Wild Horse Saloon. Great steaks.

Long 9/5

1/ There are many hotels at the center of Ho Chi Minh city .You don't have to worry. You can choose REX , it's right in the center , next to a shopping mall

2/The best way is SAIGONTOURIST , don't choose the other services , they're not very good.

3/ SAIGON TAXI 823 2323 (phone)
CHOLON TAXI 836 3636
VINASUN TAXI 827 2727
MAI LINH 829 8888
I suggest MAILINH , the price is cheap. Be careful that other services may be fake, they use their own cars to make some money.

4/ The best Vietnamese cuisine is PHO. In Hochiminh city , I suggest these restaurants : Pho Tau Bay , Pho Pasteur, Pho 24 . I think Pho Tau Bay is the best. Just write the names down and ask the hotel workers , they'll show you.
You can also try many other delicious traditional food in Hue and Halong cities ( I don't know how to translate the food names into English ). Ask people around.

5/In Sai Gon (HCM city) , you don't have to worry when you are in big shopping malls like ( Diamond Plaza, Tax Mall, ...)
But be careful while going along the streets and Sai Gon river . Especially the river, there are many buglars there. Bring as little money as possible. THat's the bad side of Vietnam.

In Halong Bay , take a ship trip to go around. BE careful there are a lot of ship services. I don't know much about that but ask for the best. It'll take more money but safe. Many of them use their own ships and they're very dangerous. While going on the ship , you can see some fishermen's small houses. The seafood there is very fresh and more delicious then it is in the city, but little bit more expensive. Some of them might cheat on you , but not to worry about.

If you can , go to Ha Noi (capital of Vietnam), Hoi An ancient streets and My Son... (sorry I don't know how to translate), Phong Nha cave ( they are UNESCO heritages)

If you want more information , contact me through email or Yahoo messenger.
long_hoang06@yahoo.com
jklong93@gmail.com
Have a nice trip

Charlie

The "The Lonely Planet" and "The Rough Guide" are really good books to read up on . Sinh Cafe are usually very good at organising tours . As regards Hotels pick the best you can and go in and negotiate , go as low as you can and they WILL come round (easy if you are not on a package which is the best way) . Be very careful with your Credit cards as "Skimming" is very common particularly in the hotels which you do not get to know about till you get home . The Restaurants are usually excellent and the food A1 and cheap . If you have time go to Hoi Ann to get clothes its unbelievable . Keep your money out of sight(money belt) and just "Small Money" in your pockets . Every thing there is open to Barter except restaurant food and always check you receipts.

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