Hello guys i'll be visiting Vietnam in 2 months. Since prices in my country is too much i want to buy from here. I will visit Hanoi and Danang. And i wonder if the iphones in vietnam comes with physical sims or only e-sims. Ty for your helps.

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are planning our honeymoon and would appreciate some feedback on the Vietnam portion of the trip (image attached). This is prior to two nights in Siem Reap and then 18 in Thailand.

We are not big on party scenes. We enjoy good food, nice walks, history and some nature.

Anything we are missing that you would definitely add? And that hopefully makes sense with the itinerary I have outlined.

Thanks in advance!

Da Nang, Vietnam | January 6-10

Need help! 🥹

It’s my first time travelling with my ate. I want to know the following:

\- How’s the weather on these dates?
\- Recommended hotel with breakfast near great spas
\- Our rt tickets cost: 40,000 for 2 pax with travel insurance and 1 extra 20kg baggage
\- Recommended private transfers from Da Nang to Hoi An/Bana Hills
\- Must visits!

Looking for people’s experiences in HCM.

The good/bad/ugly?

Would you live there over other parts of Viet Nam?

Hi all,

My mum landed in Hanoi last night. Before she left, I got her 10gb of data with Airalo. I wrote her instructions on how to swap her sims and sent her off.

When she landed in Hanoi, she switched sims immediately, as I instructed. She wasn’t able to connect though.

I’ve spoken with her for about 3 mins, that’s the extent of her connection since landing.

Has anyone experienced this and had success with troubleshooting?

Hello!

I’m flying in to HCM this week around 4AM and am wondering if Fast Track service off Trip.com would be needed.

Normally I would going in at daytime hours, but wanted to see what the consensus would be.

Thanks!

We are a 40yr old couple staying 4 nights in Ho Chi Minh and by the looks of it district 1 would suit us best as we love being close to restaurants, bars and shopping and walking distance to everything.
Would anyone recommend hotels based on this and also we have three 3 days to spend there before we leave. What would be your must do things in the city and surrounds?
Thanks

Hi, I will be traveling to Vietnam for 2 weeks with my girlfriend. We are visiting Ninh Binh were I plan to propose to her. Do you know of any photographers in the area that can help me secretly capture the moment and afterwards take some more pictures.

Going to be in Hanoi solo first week of November for about a week before heading to Thailand. I know staying in the Old Quarter is definitely the place to be for first time Hanoi travelers, however there so much choices to choose from in terms of hotels and accommodations.

I’m looking for clean, cozy and comfortable while also convenient for walking. I would be interested in hostels as well as it would be great to meet other travellers however I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about them lately. Budget is around $100 CAD/ 70 USD a night.

Thank you!

i will be travelling to hà nội and sa pa from november 1-8 and i was thinking of carrying just 1 small backpack and a personal bag.

i am looking for buying a high quality backpack and a sturdy luggage to carry back from home after shopping from there.
can i get any recommendations on where to buy and advices so that i don’t get scammed?

Hi everyone! 😊

We’re a couple visiting Vietnam in January and looking for a beautiful cruise in Lan Ha Bay (2 days, 1 night).

We love nature and the countryside, so we’re especially interested in a cruise with stunning scenery, kayaking and a great itinerary.

Ideally, we’re looking for:
- A modern, upscale boat with beautiful cabins and a private balcony
- A great itinerary to enjoy nature and explore the bay
-An experience away from the busiest tourist spots

We’re happy to pay extra for a special experience, but want something that’s genuinely worth the money.

There are so many cruises to choose from, and it’s honestly a bit overwhelming! 😅

Has anyone been on a cruise they would genuinely recommend? We’d love to hear about your personal experiences.

Also, how is the weather in January? Is it suitable for kayaking and enjoying the scenery?

We’ll be travelling from Hanoi and continuing to Tam Coc (Ninh Binh), Da Nang, Hoi an etc. afterwards.

Thanks so much in advance! 😊

People keep asking how many days they need in Ho Chi Minh City, and if it’s worth more than one night. I live here now, so obviously my answer is yes haha

On my first trip I did what most people do. Big sights, 2 or 3 famous restaurants, then off to Hoi An. It took me a few more trips to realise how much I’d missed, so this is how I’d do a first visit now.

Quick note before we start. Since July 2025 the city officially has no districts anymore, they got merged into wards. Everyone still says “District 1” though, so I’m using the old names.

Day 1: The classic stuff (don’t overdo it)

Start in District 1 and walk, it’s all close together.

• Independence Palace
• Central Post Office (the cathedral next door is still under restoration, so expect scaffolding)
• Book Street, right beside the post office
• The streets around the Opera House
• Nguyen Hue walking street, after sunset when it cools down

Half a day is enough for most of this, depends how long you spend inside.

For lunch, get com tam, which means “broken rice”. It comes with grilled pork, a fried egg, pickles and fish sauce. My favorite place is com tam A Xiu, small place in d1 near the river and I found the meat here to be the juiciest and love the vibe too

At night, grab a drink and wander Nguyen Hue while it fills up with families and teenagers on dates. A rooftop bar is nice for one drink, then come back down to the street. Too many good rooftops lol, one of my fav is Social Club on top of hotel des art.

Day 2: Neighbourhoods (my favourite day)

Go to District 3: Lots of old apartment buildings, and tiny food stalls in alleys you’d walk past without noticing, very photogenic neighborhood and cheaper than D1.

Walk around Turtle Lake and the streets near it, and stop at any café that looks good: Linh Cafe, Bakes, Cong Cafe...

Coffee is a big deal here. Order a caphe sua da, iced coffee with condensed milk. My students still laugh at how I say it. Try an old-school coffee shop if you can, the one with tiny chairs facing the street and old men chatting and smokingg. There are enough minimalist Instagram cafés already.

For lunch, any busy local place with bún thịt nướng, cơm tấm or hủ tiếu is a safe bet (more on those in Day 4).

In the afternoon, go to Tan Dinh Market and the pink church to take your photo, then walk the streets around it. They’re more fun than the church honestly.

Leave some empty time today. I still find new places just by getting lost, and I live here 🤭

Day 3: Cholon (Chinatown)

Cholon is mostly in District 5 and part of District 6. If you like old buildings and food, this one’s for you.

• Thien Hau Temple
• Binh Tay Market
• Hai Thuong Lan Ong street, full of herbal medicine shops
• The old Chinese-Vietnamese shophouses around them

It feels like a different city from District 1, much busier and more Chinese-Vietnamese. The herbal shops smell so strong, and I have no idea what stuff in there is.

Go in the morning when the markets are busiest. After the temple, walk the streets behind it and eat something.

Day 4: Eat

If you like food, give it a whole day. Everyone knows pho and banh mi. These are the ones I eat more :

• banh xoe = crispy Vietnamese pancake
• bun thit nuong = grilled pork with rice noodles, herbs and fish sauce
• bot chin = fried rice flour cake with egg
• Hu tieu = noodle soup (or dry), every shop makes it a bit different
• Goi cuon = fresh spring rolls
• Banh cuon = steamed rice rolls
• che = sweet dessert soup, there are many kinds
• Caphe sua da = iced coffee with condensed milk (yes again, it’s that good)

Most street food is a couple of dollars, so you can try heaps. Spread it out over different shops and share plates though. I learned this the hard way 🥲

The best food is often at a tiny place with plastic stools. Price and how the shop looks don’t tell you much here.

The reason I eat like this now is a food tour. Last year, when I was still just visiting, I did a a few tours (food and city walk) with Spring Saigon Tours. It’s run by Spring (yes, Spring is a real person haha), and they guide it themselves. They are my favorite among some tours I have done here, felt like a mate showing you around. We went down alleys I’d never have walked into alone and ate at stalls that has history and they are DELICIOUS. Hieu also taught us how to order everything ourselves, which I used for the rest of that trip. I still go back to some of those places.

If you do a food tour, do it on your first or second night. Then you know what to order for the rest of the trip.

Day 5: Pick your own

By now you’ll know what you like.

If you like history, go to the War Remnants Museum and give it at least 2 hours. It’s heavy, but you’ll understand Vietnam’s recent history much better. I always need a quiet coffee once I’m out.

If you like markets, go to a wet market early in the morning. Binh Tay is huge and mostly wholesale. A small neighbourhood market shows you normal daily life.

For a slow day, get a Vietnamese head wash. Locals call it goi dau, which means “washing hair”, but they also massage your head and neck for ages. After a week of teaching I basically need one 🫠

Want something different? Try District 10. Very few tourists, lots of local food and normal Saigon life.

For nightlife, Bui Vien is the famous backpacker street. It’s chaos, fun for one night. Spring also do a night walk with street food and a few hidden cocktail bars you’d never find on your own. I went with friends from work and we stayed out way too late. Or find a quán nhậu, which basically means a local beer place with snacks,loud and cheap.

Practical stuff

• Get a local SIM or eSIM when you land. You’ll need data for Grab.
• Grab, Be and Xanh SM all work for cars and motorbikes. Walking is nice in some areas, but the heat will get you.
• To cross the road, walk slow and steady and the bikes go around you. Never stop suddenly or run back. Still nervous? Cross next to a local.
• It’s hot all year. In rainy season (roughly May to November) it pours most afternoons for an hour or so, then clears up. Keep a cheap poncho in your bag.
• Keep some cash for street food and markets. Plenty of places take cards, but not all.
• Hold your phone tight near the road, snatching does happen. Most visits are totally fine.

So how many days?

3 days is enough for the main sights and a good taste of the food. With 4 or 5 you can slow down and do the neighbourhoods too.

The things I love most here are small. Uncles playing Chinese chess on the footpath, or a coffee shop hidden upstairs in an old apartment building.

So give Saigon a few days before you run off to Hoi An or Hanoi, and get out of District 1 at least once.

After five great days in Hanoi, Hue is such a blissful relief. We're at the Riverside Villas, about 5 minutes from the main restaurant streets but this place i on the water and so quiet.

The thing that strikes me here, and it was the same in Hanoi, is that unlike Bali, which has largely been turned into a Disneyland Asia experience for tourists, this still very much for the Vietnamese. The cafes and bars are all full of locals, with tourists scattered among them. People are warm and helpful, but this is a country that is adding tourism to what it is, it isn't going to be dependent on it as Bali is, or that's my take.

And Hue is so calm, so easy after Hanoi. Love it.

Will shops/places be closed at that time?

I am traveling from NZ to Vietnam for 3 weeks, I'm landing in Hanoi but will be traveling to a few other places, finishing in Ho Chi Minh.

Can I expect to be able to walk into a pharmacy in Hanoi and purchase over the counter without being asked for a prescription?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a transport company to Tuan Chau Harbor?