When you travel independently in Vietnam, you'll find a brilliant blend of frenetic cities, untouched countryside and island hideaways. A sense of faded colonial grandeur still lingers in the cities, with wide boulevards and narrow alleyways packed with cyclos. During your Vietnam trip, you'll discover mountain villages, bright green terraced rice paddies, huge limestone columns rising up from misty waters and idyllic tropical beaches. The Vietnamese people have big personalities, and will welcome you into their country with great warmth.

1. Emma’s Trip
To Vietnam
North to South
with
Vietnam Travel Plan

2. Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines introduced a direct route from London
Gatwick to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city in December
2011, making it a quick and easy flight to nip over to Vietnam.
The flight to Hanoi takes around 10.5hrs and to Ho Chi Minh:
13.5.
The flights were pretty good- on time and good
service.
The food options include both Asian and
Western meals. There is adequate leg room and
both flights were only half full so we had three
seats between two of us which was splendid.
We got picked up at Hanoi airport and driven to
our first hotel (about 30min away).

3. Hanoi- Hotel

4. Hanoi Hotel…
Nice Hotel, we stayed in a superior
room which was great, very big, dark
wood furniture and a massive bed and
TV and fridge with mini bar.
Had a hair dryer and US power
points
Large wardrobe and robes and
slippers
Water took a while to heat up but this
is typical of showers in SE. Asia.
Staff were very friendly and happy
to help- even when I broke the key in
the door and they had to wrench the
lock off…
When we arrived back from Halong
Bay they upgraded us to a VIP room
which was even bigger (maybe cos I
broke the other one?)

5. Hanoi- what to do?
The hotel is based in the old quarter- a really
nice area full of small shops, street markets
and street food.
The weather wasn’t great, overcast and
drizzly (end Jan), and around 10 degrees- bring
layers!
We organised a tour locally for our first full
day, it was $30 and included transport (with
10 others) to two pagodas, Ho Chi Minh
Mausoleum, a trip to the museum of Vietnamese
Ethnic minorities, and lunch. All entrance fees
were included and the tour guide was excellent.
To go when they were celebrating TET (new
year) was amazing as there was a real feel of
excitement in the air, and lots of
incense/flowers/activities going on.

7. Hanoi-Halong Bay
This trip was definitely a highlight.
You get picked up a your hotel around 8am
and get driven in air-con minibus with other
people to Halong Bay (around 4 hours).
You have a stop at a place that sells art
etc. made by disabled Viet people.
You can get snacks (v £) and go to the loo (or
Happy house!).
Once you arrive at Halong Bay you go to a
waiting area and then they take you on a
little ferry to your Junk Boat.
Once on the boat you have a set lunch- 3
course and all incl. Drinks are priced
separately.
Caves- really nice surprise and atmospheric.
Viewpoint- good to take pics, steep climb
though.

10. Hanoi to Hoi An
Took an internal flight to Hoi An, just over a
hour. Took a taxi to Hoi An- took about 40
minutes and cost 350,000 Dong (around
$17.50/ £12)
Hotel about 8 minute walk to the town centre.
Lovely Hotel, room overlooked tropical
gardens/rice paddies and swimming pool.
Big room, great bathroom, mossie net, tv, wifi (in
lobby) and small balcony.
Lots to do in Hoi An, cooking classes (can book
when there, cycling, boat trips, shopping, tailors
and cobblers, great food etc etc.
Very holiday feel to the place, friendly people.

12. Hoi An to Buon MaThout
(via NhaTrang…)
Our flight was cancelled to Buon ma Thout, so
re-routed us to fly to Nha Trang, and then
organised a driver to take us the 5/6 hours
up to the central highlands & Lak Lake.
Usually you would take an afternoon flight to
Buon ma Thout and drive an hour to the lake.
Scenery on the drive was great.
Lake is very picturesque, resort is quiet
rustic, but as you are in the middle of nowhere
there are not a lot of options!
Room includes mossie net, aircon, and wifi.
You WILL need strong insect repellent as you
are right by the lake.

13. Day 1: Elephants & dug out boat trip

14. Buon MaThuot- Waterfalls
The waterfalls are about two hours from Lak Lake (1 hour to Buon Ma Thuot, 1 hour out of the city).

15. Buon MaThuot to NhaTrang
Drive back from Buon Ma Thuot waterfalls
took about 6 hours. Had lunch about 4.30 in
Nha Trang. Then got taken hotel which was
very central and 5 mins from the beach.
Hotel was really nice, big and clean with a
balcony overlooking the city. Had a
spa, restaurant and a rooftop pool and
jacuzzi (both small). Nice bathroom!
I recommend the sailing club, it’s right on the
beach straight down from the hotel and does
ace food and cocktails, has a really laid
back funky vibe, and a pool table!
Breakfast was a big buffet with Asian and
Western choices.
Coastal town with lots to do, quiet but
massive beach and lots of excursions to
monkey island, local waterfalls etc. would
have liked to spend a whole day there
exploring.

16. NhaTrang to Palm Island
Palm island is THE BEST.
About a 80 min drive from NhaTrang,
about 20 minute ferry crossing to the
island.
About 22 bungalows, (ours was a family
beachfront) which meant we had a dbl
and two single beds and a big wet room.
Small sandy area outside where you can
sunbathe, but the sea is about three
skips from your door.
Bungalow is basic, but was my favourite
accommodation- we shared it with lots of
little lizards!
Friendly French guy runs it, he gave us a
map and told us of all the things to do e.g.
snorkelling/walking/eating. Most of
staff are local Viet people. Very friendly
& helpful.

17. Food is good, a fusion of French and
Vietnamese- you get 3 meals a day and the
menu is set (although you can make small
changes if you wish).
The water is very clear and nice for swimming
You can organise dives at the dive school on
the island, or rent snorkels, windsurfy stuff
and suchlike.
They do boat trips out around the bay at
sunset.
I wish I had stayed 3 or 4 nights.
One thing to mention- the walk around the
island is a bit crazy- you have to burrow
through a lot of thickets and there are some
steep hills so not advisable for the elderly or
infirm. However there are some pretty
butterflies.

18. Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh…&
Home 
Left about 10am and took ferry
and drive back to Nha Trang
Airport (all included)
Flew to Ho Chi Minh, and had quite
a long wait at the airport (about 7
hours. You can only check your bags
in at 7pm but they do have luggage
storage so you could pop into the
city.)
Took night flight back to Gatwick
about 11.30pm.
A brilliant taste of Vietnam!