Vietnam

We decided to go to Vietnam as a fill in trip, thinking that once we had done it we could cross it off our bucket list. How wrong we were to think that!

Vietnam is a fabulous country filled with extraordinary destinations. The people are friendly, outgoing and very helpful. Nothing is too much trouble. We felt perfectly safe in everything we did, even wandering out at night.

We chose to do a tour with Trails of Indochina and we have to say that this is by far the best tour company we have ever dealt with, or travelled with. Nothing was too much trouble for them, and they were so reasonably priced we could not believe it. We had personal tour guides the whole trip, we were picked up and returned to our hotel every day, we travelled in luxurious cars as we went sight-seeing and if we wanted to change our plans there were no issues.

We had one small issue with one hotel, but once we made contact with Trails they were onto solving the problem within 10-15 minutes of our contact with them, and had it resolved within 1/2 hour. This is impressive customer service! They value every customer to ensure that they experience the best possible holiday. We felt totally spoilt by Trails of Indochina and would not hesitate to use them for other destinations in the future.

We would certainly return to Vietnam in a heartbeat, so if you are considering holidaying there, please do yourself a favour and give yourself plenty of time to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of this fabulous country.

Travel Tips

There is so much traffic in Hanoi that crossing the road can be a dangerous experience. However, the best way to accomplish this is to just keep walking straight ahead, and DO NOT look into the eyes of the drivers speeding towards you. They are used to weaving in and out of pedestrians, so as long as you keep moving, they will avoid hitting you.
Vietnam is such a reasonably priced holiday destination that, where possible, see if you can book upgraded rooms, or perhaps ask for an upgrade when you arrive. Some of these rooms give you access to the Hotel’s Club, where you can have free drinks, all day dining and a much quieter area to relax and unwind from a busy day.

Travel Alerts

The traveller should be aware that dogs in Vietnam are bred for feeding purposes. You should be very careful as to where you choose to eat, especially if you are trying the street food vendors. We consider there to be some very real health alerts here!
Some countries do need visas to enter Vietnam – so do your homework to ensure you have what is required.
Tipping is required in Vietnam, so you should arm yourself with enough cash to cover this expense. If you have a driver and a guide, then both will expect to be tipped. If you are taking an organised tour, then the guide will expect to be tipped. Tipping is also required in restaurants, bars, hotels etc. The average wage is so minimal in Vietnam that they heavily rely on tipping to subsidise their income.