After my 3 week trip to Vietnam, I can say that Vietnam was one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.. Of course, this concept of beauty is relative, but I have not yet seen a traveler who went to Vietnam and regretted it.. Now I will tell you the route I followed and what I saw since the day I entered the country.
Vietnam, unfortunately, requires a visa from us as it does from many countries.. There is mixed information on the internet about Vietnam visa. I explained all the details about the visa in this article.. Take a look.
Now that we have the visa, we can tour the country.
Ho Chi Minh City
I started my journey by going to Doha before Istanbul and then to Ho Chi Minh City.. My trip with Qatar Airways was extremely comfortable.. I can even say that it was the most comfortable economy class I’ve ever ridden.. I have never had such a wide economy flight with seat legroom before.. I also landed in Ho Chi Minh city, also known as Saigon, with a hassle-free journey as I didn’t expect much during the Doha transfer.
I bought a sim card and internet package from the airport as soon as I landed in Vietnam.. There are a lot of gsm companies. You are confused which one and which package to get at first. I got the wrong package even though I knew. Let me tell you how. Viettel provides the best mains service in Vietnam.. I always saw the name of this company in foreign forums. It’s true. It was shooting and providing data service almost everywhere during my Vietnam trip.. Even 4G worked very well most of the time. When I bought the package, I gave 10 USD including sim card.. They said they have unlimited internet. Of course, when I heard about unlimited, I didn’t look at other details.. But after 10 gb, the internet speed drops to 2G and it becomes impossible to use the internet anymore.. You have to reload money and buy packages. In short, take a good look at the details of the package when you buy a sim card.
Only my entry and exit city was clear. The route below emerged completely spontaneously.
In Vietnam, it is possible to travel between cities by train, bus and plane.. I flew from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang and then to Hanoi to save time, as the train and plane ticket prices are almost the same, sometimes even cheaper.. If you want a more authentic trip, you can use the train.. If your suitcase does not fit in the cabin or if it weighs more than 9-10 kilos, you have to put it under the plane and you may pay an extra fee.. For your information.
I stayed at the Caravelle Saigon hotel in Ho Chi Minh, which I contacted earlier. This 5-star hotel is one of the best hotels you can find in the city.. The room is beautiful, the breakfast is very very good, the location is already in the best place in the city. If I really list the features of the hotel, one page is not enough.. Thanks to them, they hosted me for 3 days.. If your budget allows, you can stay in Caravelle Saigon without thinking.
For more affordable alternatives, you can look around this hotel.. At least you stay in a good location.
I think the Cu Chi Tunnels are the most important place to go when it comes to this city.. In their war with the USA, the Vietnamese built these tunnels to survive and fight.. But of course, it is not possible to describe them by writing like this.. You can find the video I shared on my YouTube channel.
Because I explained everything in detail in the video, I won’t write it here again 🙂
The battle in the city center I also went to the museum. I don’t remember the entrance fee, but it was between 1-2 dollars.. In this museum, you can see what happened during the war, how the orange gas used by the USA affected 4 generations in Vietnam.. If you are easily influenced by such things, I would say never go to this museum.. You will be depressed, the photos you see there will probably be on your mind for a few weeks.
As soon as I started writing, I got into such annoying topics, but when Vietnam is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is Vietnam. war is coming. It is necessary to tell about these as well.
Ben Tanh Market is one of the biggest local places to shop in the city.. But this place has become so touristic that; When you go to a shop, you cannot find out what the real price of the product is.. Everyone says high price first, they lower the price according to your bargaining power.. But this situation gets annoying after a while and makes you tired.. You do not want to shop. That’s why I say take a look at this market, visit it, but do your shopping elsewhere.
There is also a nice place to eat near this market.. Its name is Street Food Market. You can find many Vietnamese dishes here, partly hygienic.. Actually, it’s still not very hygienic, but after visiting Vietnam for 3 weeks, I can say that this place is hygienic 🙂 If you don’t like Vietnamese food, there are also places that make hamburgers, pizza and pasta here.. In short, you will fill your stomach, you will not go hungry.. Prices are high compared to the Vietnamese average.
Of course, there is a confusion caused by the abundance of motorcycles in the country.. Actually, it’s a mess for us, but it’s normal for Vietnamese.. When you look at the abundance of those motorcycles and the way they go in the traffic, you say that they will crash now, but they do not.. Of course they shouldn’t 🙂 Crossing the street alone can be very difficult at first.. Because in most places, even if the vehicles are red, motorcycles can still pass.. That’s why you should always be on the alert.. You get used to it after the first few days 🙂
There is also an opera house in the city center. Looking at the travel writings, they always shared that place, but I don’t think it has much of a joke.. It’s just an ordinary opera house. Since the hotel I was staying at was next to this building, I used to pass by it every day 🙂 They had gathered in the morning on Sunday and held an event in front of the building.. I’m sharing it in case it might be of interest to those who may be interested.
Another place to go in the city is the post office in the center.. There are also small shops selling souvenirs inside.. While I’m here, I thought I’d see the post office.. See if you have time, otherwise don’t force it. Right next to this post office, there is also the cathedral you will see below.. They didn’t let me in because it was under renovation when I went.. The photo on the right is inside the post office.
Ho Chi Minh city is Vietnam’s largest city with a population of 7 million. Of course, the nightlife of such a crowded city is also very active.. Entertainment venues are gathered on a street in the city center.. If you have been to Thailand before, there is a street like the places called walking street there.. For nightlife, just go to Pham Ngu Lao street and its surroundings 🙂
Ho Chi Minh city is perhaps the cleanest, cleanest city in Vietnam is one of the most comfortable cities to visit.. Before I went, I heard that there could be snatching and similar events.. They said they might steal your cell phone when you pass by on a motorcycle.. I wandered the city day and night. I can’t say this place is dangerous. Of course, take your own safety and precaution anyway.
You can use your credit or debit card almost anywhere in the country.. You can exchange currency both in banks, in your hotel and in many tourism agencies.. Of course, there may be exchange rate differences between these places.. It would make more sense to look at a few places beforehand and change the money that way.
If you have a time problem, you can only go to the Cu Chi Tunnels in this city and continue on your way.. If you plan well, you will see many sights in the city in two days.. But if you enter the country from this city by taking a long flight, you must also take into account the road fatigue.. From here I took a direct flight to Da Nang.. You can use a taxi to and from the airport.. Of course, don’t forget to bargain first.. But my advice to you is never get into a taxi.. Instead you should use Grab, which is very common in the far east.. This app is a similar version of Uber and works just fine in Vietnam.
Da Nang
There are so many places to go in Vietnam; Don’t think that I will travel all over the place in 2-3 weeks.. Since my return ticket was certain, I had to compress this trip into 3 weeks.. That’s why I skipped some cities in the meantime.
The fact that this city has become so popular lately is that famous bridge that stands on two hands.. They call it the Golden Bridge. Don’t think that there is only a bridge there.. They built a huge park that can be reached by cable cars.. One side is full of castle-like hotels, one side is mountainous, and the other side is this bridge.
You can come here by your own means.. You don’t need to take a tour. Even if you take a taxi from Da Nang center, if you are 2-3 people, you will split the fee, it will be affordable.. However, entering the area where this bridge is located is quite expensive compared to the Vietnamese average.. Around 30 USD. But as I said, you pay this money not only for the bridge, but also for the cable cars that go there and other attractions in the vicinity.. If you come to or around Da Nang, I would definitely say stop by here.
There’s not much to see in downtown Da Nang actually.. I only went to a local market. It was a small and smelly place there too 🙂 If we think that you will stay in the city center, you will stop by that market somehow.. Its name is Han Market. There is also a seafood market as far as I know, but I did not go there.. The most beautiful place is the city of Hoi An, which is half an hour away from this city.. We went there by a taxi we arranged from the hostel where I was staying.. I found someone else with me and we split the fee.. Actually, small buses also go, but as I said, if you have 2-3 people in a taxi, it is both faster and more affordable.
Hoi An
I think this is the most touristic place in Vietnam. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said you see more tourists than locals in this old city.. Young and old tourists flock here as it is easier to reach here than in the north of Vietnam.. In particular, you can see Chinese tourists in groups here.. Some come here for a day, some stay longer.. Although it is very touristic, I stayed here for two nights because I love such old cities.. If you also like to take pictures, I would say stay for at least one night or even two if you have time.. In part, eating and drinking was a bit expensive compared to other parts of Vietnam, but it was still at acceptable levels.
Here, unfortunately, the vendors are on your side.. They’re always trying to sell you something. Women always want to be photographed for money.. Even if you don’t care at all, unfortunately they insist too much.. After a while you get bored. Of course, this situation decreases as you move away from the touristic places of the city.. Actually, don’t mind that I call it a city, I can say that this is only a neighborhood.. For accommodation, whether hostel or hotel, there are alternatives suitable for every budget.
There is a night market here, as in many far eastern cities.. Ideal for walking and spending time in the evening. Although Hoi An is touristic, I think it deserves to be seen.. If you are planning Vietnam, try to include this place in the list.
There is a wide river in Hoi An as you can see at the bottom. If you want, you can also visit the region by boat or boat.. This river is especially beautiful at night.. It is very enjoyable to watch as both sides are decorated with chirping lights 🙂
My goal after this city was to go towards the central regions of Vietnam. Because there are the largest caves in the world.. In fact, one of them is very famous, maybe some of you know.. Its name is Son Doong cave. But you can’t go here every month of the year.. Tours are only available from January to August. Since I came to Vietnam in November, it was not possible for me to go.. Another problem is that you can only go to this cave with a 4-day tour.. And the cost of that tour is 3,000 USD. Yes, you heard right, three thousand dollars! There are other large caves around here as well.. There are also 3-4 daily expeditions.. Their prices are around 400-500 USD on average.. Somewhat more affordable. But unfortunately, the same season problem can happen in those caves as well.. In short, if your goal is to go to the region where these caves are; Be sure to research the flight dates beforehand.
As a result, I decided not to waste any more time, so I flew directly to the north of Vietnam.. I took a taxi from Hoi An directly to Da Nang airport.. From there, to Hanoi, the capital.
Hanoi
After arriving in Hanoi, how do you navigate Vietnam’s south and north? You can see that you notice. Roughly, I can say that southern Vietnam is more modern and smoother than the north.. But as a traveler, I always prefer northern Vietnam 🙂
Hanoi has an area with the old city center called the Old Quarter. If you arrange your accommodation in this area, you can go to almost everywhere on foot.. Most of the hotels and hostels in the city are already gathered in the Old Quarter.
By the way, you can find the bread and the like you see above all over Vietnam.. It tastes as good as our bread.. I was very surprised when I first saw it. If anyone is afraid of going hungry in Vietnam, don’t be so pessimistic 🙂
There is a motorcycle mess here as well as everywhere else in the country.. The sidewalks are full of parked engines. You have to walk on the road. You get used to it after a while, but it’s not easy to walk around like that with your hand in your pocket.. You should always be on the alert 🙂
Of course there are night markets in Hanoi too. The best known is the one in the heart of the Old Quarter.. Fun places to walk and spend time in the evenings again.
You’ve probably seen it before on social media; A train passes through a narrow street and there are lots of shops or people right next to it.. There is a similar train pass in Hanoi.. But since the trains do not pass very often, it is necessary to know their times well.. It passes every 1-2 hours on average.. But it varies on weekdays or weekends.. Even though in some places the transit times of the trains are written, I did not see that the information is very accurate 🙂
To be honest, you should see it in Hanoi, too. I have no place to say. It’s just a little more authentic than Ho Chi Minh City and better reflects Vietnamese culture. The main sights are always around these big cities or in the north of Vietnam.. When you come to Hanoi, you should definitely go to Ha Long Bay, which can be considered partially close.
Ha Long Bay
You usually come here by taking a tour from Hanoi.. In fact, you can come on your own by renting a motorbike or using public transport, but if you ask me, the most sensible thing to do is to take a tour.. Because in order to visit Ha Long Bay properly, it is necessary to join a cruise tour for at least 1 night and 2 days.. When you join this type of tour, they come and pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi, take you to Ha Long Bay, from there you go to the ship, spend a day or two and drop you back to your hotel. But there are so many types of these tours; some are 80 dollars per person, some are 400-500 dollars. It’s so hard to decide. Do not be fooled by looking at the catalogs in the agencies.. There is a 2-star ship, there is a 5-star one. I bought it from a 3-star tour when I couldn’t get out of it.. I paid $85 per person for an all-inclusive (excluding drinks) tour for 1 night and 2 days.
I shared a short and detailed video of my Ha Long Bay trip on my YouTube channel.. Watch below and decide for yourself what it’s like 🙂
I came back to Hanoi very satisfied with my Ha Long Bay trip. And the most adventurous parts of my Vietnam trip started from here. Because now I was going to go to the far north and start riding a motorcycle 🙂
I went to an agency in Hanoi and bought a ticket to go to Ha Giang. If you want, you can go with a sleeper bus or by a partially more comfortable 7-8 person minibus called a limousine.. I chose the comfortable and faster limousine alternative, as the price was only 3-5 dollars.
Ha Gian
I came here from Hanoi in about 7 hours. I settled directly in a hostel and tried to get to know the area.. Not much to see in the center of Ha Giang. Usually, travelers come here, rent a motorcycle and make the route called “Ha Giang loop” in 3-4 days and return.. I made a similar one. Of course, I need to explain some details here.. First of all, if you do not have motorcycle experience, you should be very, very careful.. I saw 2-3 accidents in my 4-day motorcycle adventure.. Although the roads are partially smooth, some parts are quite risky.. Because oncoming vehicles think you are a good driver and they pass you by tangentially.. Although I did not have much engine experience, but I said that I would go slowly and set out on the road.. Luckily, I didn’t fall or crash in my 4-day trip.. If you say you can’t travel alone, there are tours for 8-10 people in hostels, you can join them.. You still use the motorcycle by yourself, but you travel as a group.. Another alternative is to rent the motorcycle with the driver.. There were also those who walked that way.. Forget about renting a car because they don’t rent a driverless car here. To tell the truth, I don’t think it’s a good idea to drive around here either.. The best is to rent a motorcycle.
I traveled the northernmost part of Vietnam for 4 days with the bike I rented from Ha Giang center.. As someone who has been traveling the world for the last 10 years, I can say that these 4 days were one of the best road trips I’ve made.. Watch my motorcycle trip from below, you won’t regret it 🙂
If you have a plan to go to Vietnam after watching the video, you can go to Ha Giang and get a motorcycle. you will consider renting 🙂
Another famous place in Vietnam is the Sa Pa region. This is the most northwestern part of Vietnam.. Often those who come to Hanoi are undecided between Sa Pa or Ha Giang.. My advice to you is as follows; If you want to see the more untouched parts of Vietnam and have a bit of an adventurous trip, go to Ha Giang and rent a motorcycle and ride like that.. But if you say I can’t go to that hard, I can’t ride a motorcycle, Sa Pa will be a better alternative for you.. Let me also add: Whichever you go, you won’t regret it.
I bought a ticket for the sleeper bus to Sa Pa through the hostel I stayed in Ha Giang and we set off at 20:00.. Unfortunately this bus landed in Sa Pa at 4 am. There was no other alternative.. Of course, when you get to the city at that hour, what to do is a bit of a problem.. I had a hotel reservation. I went to the hotel but I had to sleep in the lobby because the rooms would be empty in the morning.. Just in case, if you’re going to arrive around these hours, I’d say reconsider your planning.
Sa Pa
When you think of Vietnam, that’s what you think of. If the rice fields on the slopes are coming, you can see those fields around Sa Pa.. But of course it also has a season.. If you go in November like me, you probably won’t be able to see it 🙂 It happens again and again, but to be honest, it’s not that impressive.. In addition, in November, the Sa Pa and Ha Giang regions, or rather the north of Vietnam, are cold.. The temperature can drop below 10 degrees at night.. In the same period, the temperature can reach 30 degrees in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.. When planning your Vietnam trip, do not skip such details while packing your bags.. Especially if you are going to rent a motorcycle in the north, make sure to take clothes with you accordingly.
As Sa Pa is one of the most touristic places in Vietnam, there are all kinds of accommodation alternatives.. There are also villages that can be visited near the city.. Although these villages are a bit touristic now, they can still be visited and seen.. Let’s start with the market in the city center first.. This market is right next to the bus station. It’s open 7 days a week, but it’s a bit more crowded on Sundays.. i went on sunday. What are you looking for in the market?. including dog meat. Vietnamese eat dog meat but of course not all. I say watch the video about both this market and dog meat;
You can go to Cat Cat village by walking from the city center. You can also go to Lao Chai and Ta Van villages by taxi.. I went to these three villages as I wrote.. Although Cat Cat is quite touristic, it is within walking distance so you can go there.. Others are partly touristic but still go 🙂 You can watch these three villages in the video below.
From the train station in the city center in Sa Pa You can take the cable car up to Fansipan Mountain at an altitude of 3,147 meters.. I didn’t go here because I spent my time going to the villages.
After staying in Sa Pa for 3 nights, I first went to Hanoi and then to Istanbul with Qatar Airways. I returned to. My return flight was business class this time. I came to bed comfortably 🙂
Some Information About Vietnam Trip
Which month you will come to Vietnam Depends on which area you’re going to.. I’ve heard that if you’re going north, July and August are ideal.. But the south side will be hot during those months too.. So don’t worry too much about the weather conditions.. If you are going to visit Vietnam, book your flight ticket and travel. I don’t think it matters much what month it is.. After all, it does not snow in the country, there will not be such harsh winter conditions.
If the issue is how many days will be enough, that’s the real problem.. I stayed in Vietnam for 3 weeks but I think it’s at least 2 months for a traveler who deserves the rate. I know, it is not possible for someone working in Turkey to travel for such a long time.. But my humble advice is don’t get up for a week and come to Vietnam from Turkey.. I suggest you plan for at least 2 weeks so that it is worth the money you spend as well as taking the road.. Of course I couldn’t go everywhere in Vietnam. That’s why I can’t comment on places I haven’t been to.. But if I were to make a rough planning for the cities I visited, I made a list like the one below;
Ho Chi Minh: If you have a time problem, there is only one Cu. Head to the Chi tunnels, then proceed to your next stop. If you have the time, 2-3 days is ideal here.
Da Nang: Nothing in the city center. It is necessary to stay here at least one night to go to the Golden Bridge.. Or, if you are short of time, you can plan very well and go directly to Golden Birdge on the way back to Hoi An.
Hoi An : If you say I take photos like crazy, stay here for at least 2 nights. No, just stay one night if you want to see and pass.
Hanoi: There is no place in the city center that I would say must see. But to see Ha Long Bay and the surrounding areas, you need at least one night stay in this city so you have time to buy tours and plan. If you have time, stay 3 nights and wander around.
Ha Long Bay: 1 night and 2 days cruise is enough. The day tour will be tiring and you will not be able to fully enjoy it.. 2 nights and 3 days cruise tour is too much in my opinion.
Ha Giang: There is nowhere to do or see in the city center. If you are going to rent a motorcycle and make the Ha Giang Loop route, spend at least 3-4 nights in this region.. If you don’t want to travel by motorcycle, don’t come to Ha Giang at all.. It would be a waste of time.
Sa Pa: I don’t think you should rush this place. Because there are many beautiful places where you can sit and have a coffee and eat against the view.. As I said in the vicinity, there are villages to visit and beautiful viewpoints.. That’s why I say spend at least 3 nights here.
I think Vietnam is a safe place. As long as you take your precautions, the probability of something happening to you is lower than in many countries.. For security reasons, don’t give up on your Vietnam trip.
Of course, Vietnam can be visited as a family, although not as much as a European country.
If we take Turkey as a reference, visiting Vietnam is affordable.
Good luck…
