Expat' Good Plans : VIETNAM
- THE NO-TOURIST GUIDE -

Take the taxi to move around (very unexpensive)
Currency: Dong VDN online currency converter by Oanda
Weather: 2 'seasons' online weather in Vietnam by Yahoo
Appartment : around ---
Electricity : around ---
Water and gaz : ---
Internet 56k : around ---
Bills payment : ---
Bank account : ---
DON'T drink water tap, buy mineral water
Foreigner : ---
Advice when you buy : bargain systematically, try what you buy and check the guaranty
English rarely spoken

15/07/2000 - 22/07/2000 (Hanoi + Halong Bay)
13/10/2002 - 23/10/2002 (Saigon, Mekong Delta, Nha Trang, Hue)

SAIGON (HO CHI MINH CITY) and surroundings
(advised : 4 full days)

Aiport arrival note: 2 hours to get out of the airport: 1 hour waiting at the immigration, and 1 hour waiting at the custom
Taxi Airport to Saigon: around 5US$

Flights:
Saigon 10h00 -> Nha Trang 11h10 : 43 US$
Nha Trang 08h00 -> Danang 09h25 : 33 US$
Hue 10h00 -> Saigon 11h10 : 65 US$

If you choose to take the bus to move from Saigon to Nha Trang and Hue, plan to waste 3 full days of transportation (that's why we choose to fly)
Private car Danang -> Hue (2 hours) : 50US$ (tooooo expensive)

Where to buy ?

TOURS & HOTELS & TICKETS
We booked everything at SINH CAFE, 246-248 De Tham Street, District 1 (in the 'backpackers street')
Very professional, very reliable and quite cheap.

Where to eat ?

NGOC SUONG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
19C, Le Quy Don Street, Ho Chi Minh City
Excellent local seafood restaurant

CAMARGUE
District 1
Very good and cute French restaurant, budget around 20 euros/pax

AMIGO
55-57 Nguyen Huc Street
A must if you want to eat grilled beef

Where to stay ?

THANG LONG HOTEL (2 stars)
Excellent !! highly recommended for the price, the quality and the location

Where to go ?

Around Saigon

MEKONG DELTA (1 full day)
Group tour, quite friendly, 7US$ / person
Departure 08h15, 2 hours bus drive, then boat tour and back to Saigon at 19h00

Where to buy ?

Fabulous shopping in the DONG KHOI STREET, District 1, near Caravelle hotel.
Lacquers, furnnitures, lamps, vietnamese Deco ... a bit expensive but you pay the quality.

Nightlife ?

SAIGON-SAIGON
At the top floor of the Caravelle Hotel
Live band and definitely very cool

NHA TRANG
(advised : 2 full days)

Flight Saigon 10H00 -> Nha Trang 11H00 : 43 US$

What to do ?

Nha Trang is famous for its long beach and the diving in turquoise waters.
1 full day for a boat trip around the islands

Where to buy ?

Nothing to buy there.

Where to eat ?

LAC CANH RESTAURANT
44 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Nha Trang
Tel : 00 84 58 821 391
Excellent local grilled seafood restaurant (very cheap).

Many restaurants at the SAILING CLUB.
But the SAILING CLUB RESTAURANT is not good !

Where to stay ?

No real good quality/price hotel there.

VIEN DONG HOTEL (3 stars, but not worth it)
35 US$ / night for a double room, Superior
Ok, but not worth the price paid (forget about the seaview)

Where to go ?

Boat tour around the islands booked with MAMA LINH
1 day, 7 US$ / person
Absolutly fabulous ! special mention for the 'bar in the sea' and the singers

Nightlife ?

HUE
(advised : 3 full days)

Flight Nha Trang -> Danang : 33 US$
+ 2 hours drive Private car Danang -> Hue: 50US$ (tooooo expensive)

Where to buy ?

Where to eat ?

HOA VIEN GARDEN RESTAURANT
Very good!

Where to stay ?

HUONG GIANG HOTEL (3 stars)
45 US$ for double room / night (booked at Sinh Cafe)
Great Hotel !!

Where to go ?

Take a cyclo to visit HUE.
Forbidden City.
Markets.

PERFUME RIVER
Book a private boat at Sinh Cafe (again) for the whole day for 10US$:
- Linh Mu Pagoda
- Tu Duc Tomb
- Minh Mang Tomb
Departed at 9h00 and back at 16h00

Nightlife ?

HANOI
(advised : 3 days)

Where to buy ?

KHAISILK
96 Hang Gai Street, Hanoi
What to buy : silk scarf, raw silk shirts (take 1 size up since the shirt will shrink when washing)

Where to eat ?

CYCLO Bar, Restaurant & Garden
38 Duong Thanh
Tel: 828 68 44

Where to stay ?

GOLD DRAGON HOTEL
Bao Khanh Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel : 8 250 271
Fax : 84 4 9285 207
(recommended by Philippe)

Where to go ?

CAFE CON CHUOT TUI (managed by Australians)
18 Bao Khan, Hanoi
Tel: 8 289931
What to do : book your tour to go around (Halong Bay, ...), excellent !
(recommended by Philippe & Christophe)

The Old French Colonial District
Very cute houses.

NGOC SON TEMPLE

WATER PUPPET THEATRE
57 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hanoi
Very nice !

HO CHI MINH Museum
If you like communist art and have nothing else to do

HO CHI MINH Mosoleum
To queue for the dead body of Ho Chi Minh

Nightlife ?

New Century Club
10 Trang Thi, Hanoi
Techno Disco

HALONG BAY
(advised : 2 days)

Book a 2-3 days tour from Hanoi at :
CAFE CON CHUOT TUI (managed by Australians)
18 Bao Khan, Hanoi
Tel: 8 289931
What to do : book your tour to go around (Halong Bay, ...), excellent !
(recommended by Philippe & Christophe)

What to do ?

Climb the mount I-can't-remember-what on the I-can't-remember-which Island

Spend 1 night on the boat in the middle of Halong Bay. Humid but Great experience !