I only have 4 full days (but technically 6 but these are half days) in Hanoi and wanted to visit Ha Long Bay and Nin Binh. Should I spend a night on a cruise in Ha Long Bay?

No seriously. These videos sometimes are on my Facebook feeds often filmed by grab drivers or local creeps with nothing better to do. You see them every where on waterfall trails. They all have their phones out filming mostly girls or women in bikinis without consent and then posting it all online. In this particular video they were zooming in really close to 2 girls and were heard laughing and saying crass comments about their bodies. There are hundreds of other videos like this from many other profiles. That's also how they farm views as they realize all they need to do for a video with a couple million views is just to walk here and pray for the Algo to push their asinine videos out of the void.

I am surprised that people even hype Ha Giang up. It's borderline creepy on par with some Indian places. Like most indians most of these guys grew up in the mountains and likely never saw a woman on bathing suit before.

Hey all, i’m not sure if this has been asked before but i’m going to shoot. Anyone had any experience on riding the Cao Bang loop on a 50cc bike. Our insurance covers 50cc bikes, we are all competent riders, but as an Australian, we don’t have access to the correct IDP. Any advice would be appreciated!

Arrived at Lao Cai station this morning on the overnight train from Hanoi. Screenshot is what Google Maps showed me at 6:28am - 57 min / 32 km by car, ~1hr by bus, with a couple of roadwork markers on QL4D.

What I noticed on the platform:

• Drivers and van touts are waiting right at the exit, prices all over the place
• Grab works but pickups near the station were slow at that hour
• The road up is winding - if you get carsick, sit near the front

For those who’ve done the train + Sapa combo: how did you get from the station up to Sapa, and would you do it the same way again?

Hi everyone!
I’m a UK-based yoga teacher, and my husband and I recently got married! We’re heading to Vietnam for a month over Christmas for our honeymoon, and I’d love to incorporate some yoga into our travels.
I know yoga isn’t a traditional Vietnamese practice, but as it’s something I love so much, and this trip is an opportunity for us to treat ourselves, I wondered whether anyone has been on a yoga retreat in Vietnam that they’d particularly recommend?
I’m not looking for any specific style of yoga. For me, it’s much more about the quality of the teaching, the atmosphere and setting, and how thoughtfully and skilfully the space is held and facilitated.
Ideally, we’d love to spend a few days on a retreat together, although I’d also be interested in recommendations for excellent yoga teachers, studios or workshops.
We’re planning to travel all over Vietnam, so we’re open to anywhere, whether that’s in the mountains, by the beach or in a city.
I’d be really grateful for any personal recommendations, particularly places you’ve experienced yourself and loved.
Thank you so much! 😊

Hi everyone!
I'll be traveling around Vietnam with a group of friends (7 people in total) from January 23 to February 6.
Most of my friends have to fly back on February 6 because they can't take any more time off work, but two other friends and I are thinking about staying a few extra days.

We love nature and would really like to visit Cat Tien National Park. I've seen that there are organized 2- or 3-day tours available, but unfortunately, they don't seem to be available on those dates because of the Tet holiday.
I've read that it's possible to join tours on the spot without booking in advance, but I'm not sure whether these will still be running during Tet.
Is it possible to visit the park independently, without joining an organized tour?

Would you recommend visiting Cat Tien during the Tet holiday, or would it be better to avoid it?
Do you think we should just fly back with our friends on February 6 to avoid any potential closures or limited services during Tet?
Thanks a lot for your help! Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hello my family of 5 (2 adults, 2 teens, 1 child) will be travelling from Hanoi to Trang an on December 2nd. I also need transportation back from Trang An to Noi Bai airport on December 6th. I am hoping to book us on a 9:55am flight from Noi Bai airport to Da Nang.

Can reccomend a company, or a website or someone I can contact to make arrangements? I tried 12go but I can't find a return transport to be at the airport for 9am at the latest.

i am visiting dalat in december first week for a few days with my partner. i need stay suggestions. i am looking for a good stay with a good view, not those normal commercial hotels.

Would deeply appreciate any input!

Thank you!

For those who have recently completed the loop writhin the past few days, what range of temperatures and weather conditions did you experience?

Trying to get a better feel for my journey next week. Thanks in advance!

Noticed this at Nha Trang station and thought it was worth sharing for anyone with a long wait before their train.

There's a "VIP waiting room" (Phong doi tau VIP) right on the platform. Prices from the sign posted outside:

- Regular passengers: 20,000 VND per visit, and that includes 1 free bottle of water

- Travel companies and groups with a contract: 10,000 VND per person

- VIP and Gold/Silver loyalty card holders: free

The sign is bilingual (Vietnamese and English), so it's easy to read. Outside the room there are wooden benches and plants if you just want to sit on the platform for free.

Has anyone used it? Curious whether it's worth it on a hot afternoon.

Does a Hai Van Pass luggage transfer service exist? Me and my wife would like to ride the Hai Van Pass together from Da Nang/Hoi An to Hue without having to return back. Won’t be able to take our suitcases on the bike of course. Is there a service which will transfer our suitcases? On the same subject, is it common to find bike rental companies who allow for pick-up and drop off in different locations?

My partner and I have a two month trip planned for Southeast Asia between January and March. We hope to split our time during Tet in Vietnam, first in Hue, then in Hoi An. Our hope is that we can stay in Hue from Feb 3-7, and then get a driver to take us to Hoi An on Feb 7, where we will stay until Feb 11. Is it really necessary to make accommodations, flight, and driver reservations for Tet in Vietnam months in advance? Or can we just wing it? It’s almost November now; do we still have time to make reservations or is it almost too late?

Hello there,

I’m going to Hanoi in November with a friend of mine and I’m wonder if anyone has any tips for me and any recommendations.

We plan to do the Ha Giang loop via motorcycle but other than that we don’t really know what to see.

Any tips are appreciated

Thank you guys

Hey everyone!

I’m planning a 12-day trip to Vietnam at the beginning of November during my exchange semester and would love some advice on my itinerary.

I’m thinking of starting in Ho Chi Minh City and making my way north to finish the trip in Sa Pa. Along the way, I’d love to visit Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang, and Hanoi. I also really want to take the heritage train between Da Nang and Hue, as I’ve heard the scenery is amazing.

Additionally, I’d love to include a motorcycle experience somewhere along the route. For example, I was considering riding a part from Hanoi to Sa Pa, although I’m open to other suggestions!

My main concern is the weather, especially in central Vietnam in November. Would you recommend visiting all these places in 12 days, or would it be better to skip some destinations depending on the weather? Which places would you prioritize, and how would you plan the route to make the most of the time?

I’d really appreciate any tips, recommendations, or experiences you can share!

Thanks in advance!

Hello from the UK guys. I just visited a local Vietnamese food truck and ordered a bhan mi with bbq pork. It was absolutely incredible and I can't wait to go back.

I'm just wondering what the 'bbq pork' actually was? It tasted similar to char siu pork but wasn't red at all. I've read about Thịt Xá Xíu, maybe it was that just without the red food dye?

hello!
we are really excited to go to vietnam in a couple of weeks for honeymoon and looking for advice on our itinerary
flying into hanoi & flying out of ho chi minh
it’s the middle we are trying to finalize
should we do the ha giang loop or ha long bay & hoi an?
i’m a little concerned over the ethicals around the ha giang loop & looking for advice!
thanks in advance (:

Can anyone help provide directions for how we get there?

We're having trouble working out where/ how to get a ferry

Also having an amazing time here! The Vietnamese are wonderful, the food incredible and the scenery is breathtaking!!

Hi everyone, I'm planning to travel to Vietnam and have run into a worrying issue with my approved e-visa. I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.

My passport has a two surname and two given names. When I initially applied for the Vietnamese e-visa, i made a mistake and putted three given names and one Surname (yeah i messed up). Unfortunately, my visa has now been approved with my surname and given names arranged incorrectly. Part of my surname appears at the end of the name displayed on the visa, rather than in the correct order shown in my passport. My passport number, date of birth and other personal details appear to be correct.

After reading so many stories I'm worried that the airline might refuse to let me board, or that Vietnamese immigration might deny me entry because of this discrepancy.

I've contacted the e-visa support team to ask whether the visa can be corrected (right after i submitted i noticed the mistake), but I haven't received a clear answer yet. I'd ideally like to avoid paying for another application if possible, but I don't want to risk being denied boarding or losing money on my flight.

Has anyone travelled to Vietnam with an e-visa where their surname and given names were in the wrong order?

Could an airline refuse boarding even if the passport number and other personal details match?

Can an already-approved Vietnamese e-visa be corrected, or would I need to apply for a new one?

Thanks in advance!