THE COUNTRY
Vietnam is a massive country with a lot of hidden gems. I spent 30 days here and it wasn't enough! A country with amazing landscapes, a variety of outdoor activities, historical sites, delicious food, and well.. scooters, a lot of scooters!
Vietnam may look small on the map but this long strip is massive! With a lot of worthy stops from one to the next, for those with only several weeks to spend here, I would recommend picking one part, either the north or the south. Do not rush it as it won't be as fun. If I had to pick one between the two, it would be the north but this is all up to you! I spent a month in this country and I started down south in Ho Chi Minh City and made my way up north as far as Sa Pa.
VISA/ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Ensure that your passport is valid for the next 6 months from the date of entry into Vietnam. Depending on the passport you hold, if your visit is less than 15 days, some nationalities are able to enter the country without a visa. A 30 day tourist visa is $20 USD. A 90 day tourist visa is $30 USD. There's also a stamping fee of $25 USD which is to be paid at the airport.
Applying for a Vietnam visa ahead of time online is my preferred method as it makes things easier and quicker when getting in the country. Visa extensions are available and can be as little as $10 USD. Depending on the passport you hold, you may do a 30 or 90 day extension.
CURRENCY
Dong is the currency in Vietnam. You have access to ATM's in most places. Debit/Credit cards are accepted in most well established places like hotels, western restaurants etc. Just like in Laos and Indonesia, you will be carrying a lot of notes here. $1 USD is equivalent to about 23,000 Vietnamese Dong. $200 USD is over 4.6 Million Dong. Congratulations, you're a millionaire.
As with these large notes, take extra caution and make sure you're giving the right bill. A 100,000 Vietnamese Dong bill can be mistaken for a 10,000 Vietnamese Dong bill if you're not paying attention during the transaction. You don't want to make a mistake by paying too much during a transaction.
TRANSPORTATION
Scooter - Vietnam is a scooter country. There must be 293843742793 bajillion scooters in Vietnam (I'm definitely not joking and I am aware that bajillion is not a word but if you go to Vietnam, you'll know what I mean). Rentals are available everywhere and as always, they're negotiable.
Motorcycle - An adventurous way to get from north to south of the country or vice versa. You will meet a lot of people who bought a motorcycle and ride it across Vietnam. Once done with the country, they will sell the motorcycle right after. Used motorcycles are for sale everywhere - mostly up north (Hanoi) or down south (Ho Chi Minh). This may sound ridiculous but make sure you know how to operate a motorcycle if you're considering this as your primary transportation throughout Vietnam!
Bicycle - A good option to consider to get around a city. Depending on how far your destination is or where you're trying to get to, within cycling distance, this could be the cheapest option for you.
Bus service/Night bus - This is your best option if you're not planning on buying a motorcycle when going from one city to the other. You need to go through a travel agency in the city/town you're in and buy a ticket. There's a lot of travel agencies that sells tickets. Your hostels/hotels you're staying at are also most likely selling tickets. The buses in Vietnam are very comfortable. The sleeper buses in Vietnam are cozy and have very aggressive colourful neon lights but it's actually really cool!
Take the night buses as much as possible, because it allows you to not pay for a bed for the night which stretches your budget even further. The sleeper buses in Vietnam are also pretty amazing!
THINGS TO DO
Village Homestay (Sa Pa) - This is a 2 day trek up on the mountains where the remote villages are. A really cool experience and one of the most scenic hikes in Vietnam.
Mekong River (Mekong Delta) - Take a tour on the 7th longest river in Asia. As touristy or as "sale-sy" this tour might be, the impressive surroundings here and the entertainment makes up for it.
Ride A Motorcycle - Buy a motorcycle and ride it across the country but only if you know how! It is one amazing adventure!
White Sand Dunes & Red Sand Dunes (Mui Ne) - A desert in Vietnam? Yup.
Ha Long Bay - Probably the heaviest tourist spot in Vietnam but it's not a good reason to avoid this. You can't miss one of the most iconic sites of the country. This is a UNESCO Site, a very popular destination to see thousands of towering limestone islands with rainforests on top. It is a thing of beauty!
Ninh Binh - If you want to get off the beaten path go to Ninh Binh. It's an amazing place to be for sites to see, authentic food, and away from the majority of the tourists.
Phong Nha - For all the cave lovers, this spot is for you with plenty of caves to choose from!
Canyoning (Dalat) - I quite enjoyed this activity a lot. Abseiling, cliff jumping, and sliding down the stones makes this activity super fun!
Hoi An - This is a beautiful little city worth exploring. Rent a bike and roam around!
Abandoned Waterpark (Hue) - This place is really cool! Probably the coolest waterpark I've been to that has no water!
Trang An and Tam Coc (Ninh Binh) - This is like the mini version of Halong Bay and with less tourists! A scenic boat ride that will have your jaws dropping. Make sure you don't miss out on this if you're in Vietnam!
Cooking Class (Hoi An) - There are cooking classes everywhere in Vietnam but I enjoyed the cooking class in Hoi An more. Regardless, take a cooking class wherever is convenient for you and enjoy several dishes from the Vietnamese cuisine. I miss the delicious food in Vietnam in fact, typing this up is making me hungry. I'm now craving for a bowl of pho with spring rolls on the side!! (mmmm..)
Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi - You want to see organized chaos? Visit these two cities. You will witness the lively streets and well, just a lot of scooters and people really. But it's such a cool thing to see! The amount of scooters and people on the streets here boggles my mind and it still does and yet traffic flow is great! Everyone gets to point a to point b safely!
Fishing Village (Mui Ne) - A cool spot to see the local fisherman in Mui Nei.
Cu Chi Tunnels (Ho Chi Minh) - This will give you an insight on some of the tactics used in the Vietnam War. Very informative and engaging tour.
Eat a Bowl of Pho - One of my favourite dishes in Vietnam (next to bánh mì and spring rolls). It's so good I found myself having a hot bowl pho outside on the streets even though it was 30 plus degrees celsius outside! You need to have an authentic bowl of pho served on the streets. It's delicious!
Vietnam is a country filled with loads of adventures! With so many to choose from, it doesn't matter which activity you go for in this country, it's going to be just as amazing compared to the next. I hope you found m useful and if you have any questions or feedback, I would love to hear from so go ahead and comment down below! Happy travels everyone!