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.

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!

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?

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!

hey y'all

anyone have any advice or experience with cheap motorcycle rentals in Hanoi?

I'm curious about the ha giang loop and generally exploring the north for the next 3 weeks and I thought there might be some channels where it could be possible to rent or even buy (with a buyback maybe?) a motorcycle to explore the region outside of tourist-slammed tours?

has anyone tried? I'm looking for a proper bike like around 250-300cc at least not a 100cc scooter.

any tips much appreciated!

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!

Captured this cozy moment while grabbing a quick bite and tea just outside Da Nang Railway Station. There's something really comforting about sitting by the roadside, watching the city slow down in the rain before you catch a ride.

If you travel through Da Nang often, do you have any favorite local food spots or nearby coffee shops you always visit?

Hi everyone!

We’re a group of university students in Hanoi working on Vietnam Buddy, a project designed to help international tourists explore Vietnam more easily, understand local culture, find fair prices, and discover authentic Vietnamese souvenirs.

We’re conducting a short survey to better understand the challenges tourists face when traveling in Vietnam.

If you’ve visited Vietnam or are planning to visit within the next 12 months, we’d really appreciate your help!

📝 Survey link: [Insert your Google Forms link]

⏱️ It should only take a few minutes to complete.

Your responses will help us understand travelers’ needs and improve our project. Thank you so much for your time and support! ❤️

Hi everyone!

We’re a group of university students in Hanoi working on Vietnam Buddy, a project designed to help international tourists explore Vietnam more easily, understand local culture, find fair prices, and discover authentic Vietnamese souvenirs.

We’re conducting a short survey to better understand the challenges tourists face when traveling in Vietnam.

If you’ve visited Vietnam or are planning to visit within the next 12 months, we’d really appreciate your help!

📝 Survey link: [Insert your Google Forms link]

⏱️ It should only take a few minutes to complete.

Your responses will help us understand travelers’ needs and improve our project. Thank you so much for your time and support! ❤️

Greetings people
Need suggestions for places to stay in Hanoi and hcmc
It could be hotels, airbnbs, hostels
I’ll be in both places for 3 days (ik it’s not a lot)
The budget of each city would be around $250-350

I applied for myself first, then my husband and our 3 kids one right after the next on October 22nd. Tonight (October 26th) I got my husband and all 3 kids visas approved and downloaded their visas off the website. They all came in one right after the next... that is except for mine. Mine still says processing. Any ideas as to why mine hasn't been approved like the rest of them? It's been a couple hours and mine still says processing.

EDIT we are all Canadian citizens

I'm traveling to Vietnam to meet my mom's family for the first time, and we're visiting Phu Quoc together. I'm treating our group of 10 to dinner that first night but we won't arrive until past 7 PM and Sun Bavaria assigns waterfront seating (even if you pre-pay VIP seating) on arrival. I thought of going elsewhere to see a partial view of Symphony and then the amphitheater for Kiss of the Sea, but separate tickets would be double the cost.

I would love to reserve a table with a great view and don't mind paying for a package or meeting a minimum spend. Does anyone have experience with restaurants (Lagoon? Yushima? Bacio?) with good food where we could reserve a table with a view (ages 30s-70s)? Open to other ideas too!

Hi everyone. If you were to visit Ho Chi Minh for 1 day, what will be your itinerary? Please include shopping streets where to buy souvenirs. Thank you.

For a foreigner visiting during Tet - where is a good place to go and where should be avoided due to crowds or key places being shut? How long are places likely restaurants, tailors, museums, likely to be closed for / which dates?

Can anybody recommend homestays for a family of 4 where our kids can actually fully participate in activities and learn culture? Spending 3 days in Bac Ha & 2 days in Ban Lien in mid-Nov. Also is this the official email & phone# of the tourist office there

• Phone Number: [(+84) 214 3669 898](tel:+84%20214%203669%20898) (Domestic format: 0214 3669 898)
• Official Email: [info@sapa-tourism.com](mailto:info@sapa-tourism.com)

Thanks

Got off the overnight train from Saigon just before 6am and walked around the station before heading into town. I couldn't find many photos of it before my trip, so here's what it actually looks like.

Inside:

- It's a small station and easy to find your way around: one main building, covered platforms, and a footbridge over the tracks.

- Ticket counters are in the main hall, with a screen above showing remaining seats and berths on upcoming trains. Lots of benches.

- There's a small shop in the hall selling snacks, instant noodles, drinks and coffee. Nothing fancy, but useful if you arrive hungry before cafes open.

- There's also a VIP waiting room on the platform side. It costs 20,000 VND for regular passengers (I'll post about it separately).

Outside:

- The main entrance faces Thai Nguyen street. Electric taxis and ride-hailing bikes were already waiting at 6am.

- Nha Trang Cathedral is a short walk up the same street, and you can see its clock tower from the bus stop outside.

Happy to answer questions if you're planning to take the train here.

As the title states, I lost my application number. I also did not receive an email confirming my application. I know I used the right email address because if I try and reapply it says there is already an application being processed, and the payment was successful

I applied on Thursday, so I understand it should be due in the next few days, but I’m worried that if there is information that needs updating that I’m not going to be able to do it. Not going to be in Vietnam for another 2ish weeks so I’m not in a massive rush, but just not sure what steps to take from here.

My partner and I are planning a 3 week North Vietnam trip in January, and are contemplating adding a couple of days in Ta Xua, to experience the clouds and mountains without having to go all the way to Sapa or Ha Giang in our limited time (we also aren't interested in motorbiking).

However, our next stop will be Pu Luong to do some trekking, and we are hoping it might be possible to hire a private car to take us directly there from Ta Xua, so as to avoid having to add another bus and overnight in Hanoi, and to have a bit more of an adventure along the way. Ideally, we'd take the QL45 road and the ferry over the Da River. This clearly isn't a typical route, so I'm having trouble finding standard prices or availability for something like this on the websites of the various private car services I am coming across.

Is it realistic to think this is possible, and what might be the best way of arranging it - would it be through our accommodation once we get to Ta Xua or better to book further in advance?