Last updated May 2022 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle
Welcome to my About Page. On this page I introduce myself and my website in detail: who I am, what I do, why I do it, what Vietnam Coracle is and how this website works. Please read this page to better understand the motivation and ethos behind Vietnam Coracle and how to get the most out of using it:
ABOUT: ME & THE TEAM
About Me: I’m Tom. I’ve lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005 and I love it here. Born in London, I was lucky enough to travel abroad from an early age – my first visit to Vietnam was in 1999, age 17. But now, whenever I have the opportunity to make a trip somewhere, I rarely look beyond Vietnam’s borders. For me, everything I want from a travel destination – landscape, food, people, history, culture, adventure, romance – I can find here.
I left London when I was 22 years old and moved to Vietnam to live, work and travel. In 2012, I started Vietnam Coracle as a way to express my experiences in Vietnam and communicate my feelings about the country through words, images and film. For 10 years, between 2012 and 2022, I was the sole author and content creator for Vietnam Coracle, researching and producing hundreds of guides, articles and reviews, taking and editing thousands of photographs and dozens of short films. In May, 2022, I launched Contributing Writers for Vietnam Coracle: a team of people with years of experience living, travelling and working in Vietnam, who contribute written content to the site, as well as me.
Over the years, I’ve travelled to every province in Vietnam and covered over 225,000km on my motorbike, Stavros. However, I don’t claim to be an ‘expert’ on Vietnam or to know more about its food, history, roads, landscape, accommodation and culture than anyone else. But I do have a genuine passion for all of the above: I pursue them all with purpose and I’m highly motivated to present them to the best of my ability on this website. This has been my primary occupation for almost a decade, and I intend to continue.
Relatively camera-shy, I prefer to point my lens at Vietnam rather than at myself. For this reason, there aren’t many photos of me on Vietnam Coracle, and even those there are, I usually have my back to the camera or am hidden by a hat or sunglasses, as below. Although Vietnam Coracle is deeply personal – my opinions, character and personality run through all the content – the main focus of this website is Vietnam, not me.
*If you’d like to learn more about me & my website, please read this article or this interview or listen to this podcast
Introducing Ben: I met Ben in 2019 and he’s been doing excellent work on Vietnam Coracle ever since. Ben initially contacted me through the site and we met for coffee. Ben is a web developer; I, on the other hand, am not particularly tech-savvy. As Vietnam Coracle has grown, I’ve become increasingly aware of how my lack of ability in this field limits what I’m able to do and, in some cases, has a detrimental impact on the site and readers’ experience of it. Moreover, there have always been things I wanted to do with the site, but couldn’t due to my lack of computer skills. Thankfully, Ben has a distinguished career in tech and knows all the mysteries and alchemy involved in web developing: everything that’s incomprehensible to me is terra firma for Ben.
We began working together on various tech issues on the site. Gradually, the projects became bigger, more challenging and complex. Much of Ben’s significant input may go unnoticed by readers of this site, because it’s in the background. But, Ben’s biggest project to date is very visible indeed. Almost a year in the making, Ben has completely redesigned the layout of Vietnam Coracle. From July, 2021, the way this website looks, feels and is organized is largely down to Ben’s tech wizardry. For my part, I’m hugely grateful for all the work, time and effort Ben has put into Vietnam Coracle. But, more than that, I’m happy to have Ben as a friend: he’s good company and we’ve been on several memorable trips together. Here’s Ben in his own words:
“I’m a web developer and designer from the great state of Maine in the USA. After a few years of honing my IT talent working in the Bay Area tech industry, I decided to finally chase my dream of living abroad, so I left most of my belongings in my aunt’s attic and then hopped on a one-way flight to Seoul in January of 2017. A year later, I found myself in Saigon where everything just clicked. Being a digital nomad gives me the superpower to choose where I live, and I chose Vietnam. I love it here! Independent travel has always been my favorite way to discover new places, so it was inevitable that I would find Vietnam Coracle. The first guide I ever followed was the Tet Classic, and I have been addicted to seeing this country on two wheels ever since.”
Introducing Contributing Writers: In May, 2022, I introduced a new team of writers on Vietnam Coracle. These are people I know, respect and admire: they’re travellers, writers and photographers with years of experience living, working and exploring Vietnam. They share my love of the country and passion for communicating it via words, photos and film. Specializing in different regions and aspects of Vietnam, together we’ll contribute to Vietnam Coracle so that others can experience (and love) the country as we all do. Find out more about who the contributing writers are and how it works on this page.
ABOUT: VIETNAM CORACLE
Since I have a lot to say about my website, please click an item below to read more about it:
- What is a Coracle?
- What is Vietnam Coracle?
- This is Personal
- I am Independent
- I’m not an Influencer
- Readers can Support Vietnam Coracle
- Ratings & Reviews
- Accuracy & Updates
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What is a Coracle? The coracle is an icon of Vietnam. These little woven ‘basket boats’ are seen all along the nation’s coastline, used by fishermen to transport their catch from the boats to the beaches. As an object, coracles are symmetrical and serene, beautiful and recognizable. Coracles float and move wherever they like: they have no bow or stern. I like to think of the coracle as a metaphor for freedom of movement and independent travel. In addition to these attributes, I like the sound of the word – coracle – it’s graceful, fluid, and a play on ‘oracle’: a dispenser of advice. However, like many aspects of traditional Vietnamese culture, woven coracles are an increasingly rare sight in Vietnam today; most fishing communities now preferring the much more durable, watertight, easier and cheaper to produce plastic coracles.
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What is Vietnam Coracle? Vietnam Coracle is a free, independent, online travel resource for Vietnam. Frustrated by meeting people who had come to Vietnam – either to travel or to live – and left disappointed, I created Vietnam Coracle in 2012 as a way to communicate and share the experiences I’ve had in this country and what I love about it. This website is my way of making sure that, for anyone with a sense of adventure and an open mind, Vietnam doesn’t pass you by.
Vietnam Coracle is aimed specifically at independent travellers: people who want to explore Vietnam for themselves and avoid package tours. This website features extensive guides to destinations, food and drink, transportation, motorbike routes, and accommodation throughout the country, as well as long-form articles, descriptive writing pieces and interviews about cultural, historical and environmental topics, and short films. My guides include annotated maps, directions, contact details, travel information, hotel reviews, dining recommendations – everything you need to experience the places I write about for yourselves, without having to join a tour.
All the content on this website is 100% independent: written, researched, illustrated, and experienced by me or the contributing writers. If it’s on Vietnam Coracle then, by definition, we’ve been there and done it. Every guide and article is personally researched and based on decades of travelling, exploring, living, working and studying in Vietnam. Over the years, I’ve covered over 225,000km on my motorbike and visited all 63 provinces in Vietnam. The Vietnam Coracle archives currently hold over 300 free-to-access guides, articles, reviews and more. I hope this resource will help visitors explore Vietnam and enjoy the country as much as I and the rest of the Vietnam Coracle team do.
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This is Personal: Vietnam Coracle is a deeply personal view of Vietnam: I write about the things that I love and the topics that interest me. I don’t let Google rankings or social media shares dictate what I choose to cover in my guides and articles. Rather, I choose to write about whatever fascinates me, excites me, inspires me, or concerns me; whatever parts of the country I think deserve more attention from visitors; whatever dining experiences I think people should try: whatever I consider worthy of my time and effort to research and write, and worthy of travellers’ time and effort to pursue. (The same goes for the contributing writers.) In general, I tend to prefer off-the-beaten-path destinations and activities to well-trodden or touristy ones. This is partly because the latter are well-covered by other resources, and partly because, in my experience, the further you get from popular destinations in Vietnam, the better and more memorable your experience will be. If and when I write about a popular place, I usually focus on a specific aspect of it which appeals to me.
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I am Independent: Vietnam Coracle is free-to-read and totally independent. I am the founder and primary content creator for this website, and I finance all my own projects. The same is true of the contributing writers. There’s absolutely no sponsored content, no paid reviews, no paywalls, no algorithm-based advertising, and I’ve never paid to promote this site in any way. Vietnam Coracle has occupied the majority of my time for a decade. I produce all content for Vietnam Coracle to the best of my ability and as far as my time and finances allow. No one tells me what to write about or how to write about it. This is something that’s increasingly rare in the world of online travel content, and that’s why it’s precious. I want to keep it that way: 100% independent and free.
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I’m not an Influencer: These days, so many travel blogs, vlogs, online travel guides and review sites are poorly researched and algorithm-based, or just regurgitated content aimed solely at generating traffic, ranking high in Google search results, and accumulating advertising revenue. So-called online travel advice is littered with influencers whose content often amounts to nothing more than paid posts and online marketing. I consider Vietnam Coracle the antithesis of this and I define myself and my website in opposition to this: I am not an influencer. I never receive payment for anything I write. All my guides and reviews are independently researched and financed. I never receive freebies of any sort in exchange for positive reviews or listings. I only write about places I’ve personally visited. There’s no sponsored content. No paid marketing. No random Google Ads. I’ve never paid to promote my website – any momentum, popularity, or readership it’s gained has been entirely through word of mouth, whether in person or online. Again, no one tells me what to write about or how to write about it.
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Readers can Support Vietnam Coracle: If you enjoy this website and the work I do, please support Vietnam Coracle. There are 7 ways to do this:
- Make a Donation [Read more]
- Become a Patron [Read more]
- Book your Accommodation [Read more]
- Book your Transportation [Read more]
- Spread the Word [Read more]
- Write Updates & Comments [Read more]
- Advertise [Read more]
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Ratings & Reviews: As you read and use this website, you’ll begin to get a sense of what my general tastes and standards are for accommodation, dining, and destinations. I have no fixed criteria for ratings and reviews: my assessments are entirely subjective. I review all standards of accommodation, dining, and transportation on this website – budget, mid-range and luxury are all covered. In many cases, I enjoy staying at cheap, local guesthouses as much as I do fancy, 5-star resorts; and I enjoy one-dollar rice lunches on the streetside as much as I do expensive cocktails at a rooftop bar. However, I always judge a place based on my own expectations of value for money. If, for example, a $200-a-night resort offers good but not excellent accommodation and service, then I will rate the $10-a-night, friendly, family-run guesthouse next door more highly.
Likewise, when it comes to dining in Vietnam, a good meal is about more than just the quality of the food: a confluence of physical surroundings, ambience and food is what constitutes a good meal for me. Since street food is so good and so ubiquitous in Vietnam, the kind of place that’s most likely to meet the above criteria is not an indoor, quiet, sterile, restaurant environment, but an outdoor, busy, messy, noisy and delicious place on the sidewalk.
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Accuracy & Updates: I do my best to make sure that all the information in my guides and reviews is accurate at the time of writing and publication. But, such is the pace of change in Vietnam, some details are bound to be out of date by the time you read them. Always check the date of publication/latest update at the top of the guide you’re reading to gauge the accuracy of the information, and adjust your expectations accordingly. In addition, check the comments section at the bottom of the page to find any updates that readers have contributed.
Please bear in mind that my travel guides cover hundreds of destinations, and my motorbike routes cover tens of thousands of kilometres of road, across the entire nation. The more content I produce, the more difficult it is to keep information up to date. I encourage readers to let me know of any new developments or changes they encounter while travelling, so I can keep my content as current as possible. Readers can either comment at the bottom of my posts or email me with information. Your input is a great help to me and other travellers who use this website. However, before commenting or emailing, please read my Updates & Accuracy Page.
Finally, this website is a very personal view of Vietnam. I, like everyone else, am a work in progress; in a constant state of becoming. I change. My values, ideas and opinions change. Thus, some views I’ve expressed in past articles, guides or reviews may not necessarily be representative of my opinions in the present.
ABOUT: MY CATEGORIES
All content on Vietnam Coracle is organized into 4 main categories, each of which has multiple sub-categories. Below I’ve written a brief overview of the 4 main categories:
Category: Destinations
My Destinations Category features extensive, long-form travel guides to some of my favourite places to visit throughout Vietnam: beaches, mountains, islands, cities, cultural and historical sites, and much more. My guides cover the entire nation: north, south, east, and west. As mentioned earlier on this page, I tend to prefer new, emerging or neglected destinations rather than highly popular (and crowded) ones. This is reflected in the destinations I choose to write about, many of which are relatively off-the-beaten-path. However, I do also cover some destinations that are very much on the established tourist trail. Also included in my Destinations Category are in-depth guides to transportation: train routes, ferry routes, useful bus services and urban transport, as well as hiking routes and do-it-yourself walking tours.
In addition to these, my Destinations Category features articles on aspects of Vietnamese life and culture, reading lists, interviews, descriptive writing pieces, nature and the environment, travellers’ resources, short films and more. The scope and variety of content in my Destinations Category is broadening all the time: I have a wide range of interests and many more ideas for new content than I can possibly keep up with. In order to get the most out of my Destinations Category, browse the content using the subcategories or explore using my Destinations Map. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, type the key words into the search box in the top right corner of any Vietnam Coracle page.
Category: Motorbike Guides
I believe that a motorbike road trip through Vietnam is one of the most rewarding travel experiences you can have anywhere in the world. Few things compare to the feeling of freedom and excitement you get when starting out early in the morning on the open road. The motorbike is the most popular mode of transportation in Vietnam, and there’s no better way to see the country. Over the years, my motorbike, Stavros, has taken me to all of Vietnam’s 63 provinces, covering over 225,000km. Having your own two wheels gives you unparalleled access to Vietnam’s landscapes and cities. You won’t be restricted by bus, plane or train routes: the whole country is open to adventure. My Motorbike Guides Category outlines great rides and exciting routes throughout the country: from mountainous northern routes to coastal southern routes, from short back-road jaunts to epic south-to-north adventures. All my Motorbike Guides include detailed route maps, information about things to see, places to stay and eat along the way. With my Motorbike Guides you can do it all independently, without joining a tour: a real adventure.
Don’t be put off by the chaotic traffic in Hanoi and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City): once you’re out of these cities the traffic is much lighter. In general, my motorbike routes try to stay on smaller, quieter, paved roads as much as possible. Nevertheless, sometimes busy highways or muddy tracks can’t be avoided. These roads can be dangerous, but, with common sense and careful driving, you’ll be fine. My Motorbike Guides Category also includes multiple resources for riders, such as expenses, riding equipment, and how to transport your motorbike on trains, buses and boats within Vietnam. To find the route you’re looking for use the subcategories or browse using my Motorbike Guides Map.
Category: Hotel Reviews
One of the things that has always excited me about travelling is the prospect of stumbling upon, and staying in, great-value accommodation. Whether it’s a dorm bed for a couple of dollars in a cool hostel in a city centre, an immaculately clean, family-run guesthouse in an off-the-beaten-track location, a mid-range hotel in a fabulous position, or a 5-star resort with exquisite attention to detail, I love them all and I review them all on Vietnam Coracle. All my accommodation reviews are detailed, long-form, independently researched and financed – I never receive freebies or payment of any sort in exchange for positive reviews or listings. My Hotel Reviews Category features dozens of illustrated reviews of places to stay, so you can find the perfect hotel, resort, homestay, guesthouse or campsite to suit your tastes, needs and budget. From wild camping in the Central Highlands to luxurious, modern, minimalist-chic beach resorts on the south-central coast, from homestays on lakes, rivers and in the mountains to boutique hotels above the rice paddies, my Hotel Reviews Category covers the whole country and all price ranges. Use the subcategories to explore my Hotel Reviews archive or browse using my Hotel Reviews Map.
Category: Food & Drink
Food and drink should be a highlight of any visit to Vietnam. Yet many travellers return home underwhelmed by their culinary experience of the country. This is partly due to Vietnamese restaurants catering to foreign tourists – these places are more likely to offer the idea of Vietnamese food than the real thing. But it’s also partly due to a lack of adventurousness on the part of travellers. Come to Vietnam with an open mind and an open palate, avoid tourist restaurants and English-language menus, and you’re sure to fall for Vietnam’s marvellous cuisine and culinary culture. My Food & Drink Category features guides that will help to give you the confidence to go out and eat like a local. Vietnamese cuisine is complex and eclectic. Some dishes can be a shock to foreign palates, but others are much easier to get to grips with. It took me a long time to become familiar and comfortable with the Vietnamese flavour spectrum. But, once I learned to trust the local palate, a whole new and delicious world opened up to me.
In the big cities, the food and drink scene is changing and evolving all the time: there are smarter, more sophisticated restaurants and bars, many offering Asian-Western fusion cuisine. But I prefer old-school, local, family-run, informal, street-level dining experiences. In Vietnam, it’s often the most casual, run-down looking establishments that serve the best food: follow the crowds, not the décor. Vietnam is a nation of cafes and bars. The coffee culture and bar scene is burgeoning and exciting, as a new, young, creative generation turns its attention to nights out and having fun. Explore my culinary guides using the subcategories or my Food & Drink Map.
ABOUT: VIETNAM
Vietnam is an exciting place to be at this point in time. The country is undergoing huge transformations in almost all aspects of its society and culture: from economics to eating habits, from religion to relationships, from family to foreign policy. For the traveller, tourism is in the perfect phase of transition: infrastructure is developed enough to allow access to practically all regions of the country, but undeveloped enough to make off-the-beaten-track experiences a daily occurrence, should you seek them out. But, with the current pace of change, some things – unspoiled islands, historic buildings, local eating houses – are bound to disappear forever. Don’t wait; visit now, before those annoying people start saying, “You should have seen what this place was like five years ago.”
Vietnam is moving, changing, shifting – you get a real sense of this as you travel around the nation. The population is young, dynamic, creative, optimistic and excited by the prospects of the future. It feels like this is Vietnam’s time. Vietnamese people are often intensely proud of their culture, history and achievements, while also being extremely curious, open-minded and willing to learn about the rest of the world. Vietnam’s economy is booming, consumerism is surging, foreign travel is increasingly common, and Vietnam is becoming a bigger, more influential power in the region and the world. But, with some of these changes come new and difficult problems: pollution and air-quality, especially in the big cities, is becoming a serious health risk to citizens; the natural environment has taken a pounding with the liftoff of the economy and the advent of tourism and development; and Vietnam’s relationship with China is more complex and fragile than ever. Taken all together, Vietnam is a fascinating place to be right now: explore, enjoy, eat, ride, learn and love it.
ABOUT: ADVERTISING
Vietnam Coracle is, and always will be, free and independent. As the website has grown, Vietnam Coracle has become a full-time occupation for me: I spend the majority of my time and money researching and producing new content, and maintaining the site. Therefore, it’s necessary for me to generate some revenue from Vietnam Coracle. Rather than charging for access to my content, putting up paywalls for certain posts, writing sponsored content, or using Google Ads, I have chosen to make personally selected advertising available on my pages. This advertising is aimed at complementing my content, rather than distracting from it. The advertising banners you see on Vietnam Coracle are not random, algorithm-based ads served-up by Google. I only advertise products, companies and services that are relevant to my content and that I think will be useful to my readers, and, preferably, ones that I have personal experience of. I personally select and oversee the advertising that’s allowed on my website. If you’re interested in advertising your business, services, or products on Vietnam Coracle, please take a look at my Media Kit or email me: vietnamcoracle@gmail.com
Note: For details about other aspects of my website that may affect you, please read my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my Privacy Policy.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Tom! Congratulations for your great work. We want to come to Vietnam on November 15th and stay in the north for two months. How is the weather between November and January in the north of Vietnam for us who go around with a small scooter? Thanks
Hi Has & Sel,
Please take a look at my Weather Guide.
Best,
Tom
Hallo Tom,
Just found your blog, have no chance to read in detail yet.), a little overwhelmed and excited:) , it seems lots of useful informaiton and beautiful places to explore in Vietnam.
I found your blog because we are planing for motorbike trip in Vietnam, but we have no experience at all with motorbiking in Vietnam.
Given information from a foreign friend who has business in Vietnam that foreigner cannot get local driving liscence in Vietnam and International liscance is not recognized. The only with is to pay police when get stop by them. is this the fact?
And is there a more reliable rental company that you can recommend?
thank you very much in advance
Hi Angeline,
For information about licenses and legality, it’s best to contact and ask the reliable rental companies: for example, I recommend some of them on this page.
Best,
Tom
Dear Tom, thank you so much for your blog, it’s so full of amazing information and it’s beautifully written, to boot! We are going on a family holiday to Vietnam this Christmas for a holiday of a lifetime (we hope), and I have been looking for off-the-beaten track information, which your blog is perfect for. So thank you again. I do have a question, which I hope you’ll be able to answer: we want to do the Hai Van Pass by motorbike (ie with us riding pillion) and were looking at doing this with Easy Riders, but there are so many Easy Riders companies we are not sure which one is best, safest and most authentic. As a motorbike rider yourself, do you have any recommendations? Many thanks.
Hi Katy,
Yes, it is difficult to know which to choose. Personally, I would recommend contacting a reputable company, such as Style Motorbikes and asking for their Hai Van Pass motorbike tours (you can mention Vietnam Coracle if you like, they know me). If not, then you can try to discern which of the Easy Rider tours are best by going through the reviews in forums, such as TripAdvisor.
In addition, my Hai Van Pass Guide has lots of information about the route and history
Best,
Tom
Thank-you for sharing.
can you tell me what flower from Vietnam is on the book cover of Absolution by Alice McDermott
Hi Christy,
I’m not sure, but it looks like bougainvillea.
Best,
Tom
Thanks
My wife (Uschi, 72 years old) and I (Wolfgang, 74 years old) would like to travel to Vietnam from June 22nd, 2024 to July 16th, 2024. I am an enthusiastic hobby photographer (not a professional). We will be at Ban Gioc and Phong Nam on June 30th and July 1st, 2024. We definitely needed someone to show us good photo opportunities. He doesn’t have to be a tour guide and doesn’t need to know any English. A moped would be advantageous. Of course, we will pay for the services.
Can you help us?
Dietrich family
Weißenfels/ Germany
Hi Wolfgang,
Sorry, I don’t have any contacts for tour guides.
Best,
Tom
Hi tom, love your posts! Been so helpful for us planning our trip in june, just wondering do you think driving from south to north of Vietnam in June is a bad idea due to rainy season? I know it can be an hour of rain and then sun for the rest of the day but I’ve been informed by others to be wary of heavy flooding in the mountains!
Thank you would really appreciate any advice or tips!
Hi Jane,
I think it’s fine to do a south-north road trip in June – I have done it many times. The weather is fairly similar nationwide at that time of year: hot, humid, with frequent heavy tropical downpours. But as long as you are prepared – rain suits, waterproof covers for your luggage, willing to sit some of the heavy showers out – then you should be fine. Landslides can occur after very heavy rains in the mountains, but June is not generally when this happens – that would be a little later in the monsoon season. Of course, there’s always the chance you might get unlucky and be travelling during a storm, but if so, you will just have to stop for a couple of days for it to pass. Use Windy.com and the rain/thunder option for accurate forecasts. I’ve written more about conditions in my Weather Guide.
Best,
Tom
Hello Tom,
Your website is beautiful, thoughtful, and very helpful- thank you! We are traveling for 2 weeks or so with our 6 and 7 year old. Could you suggest anyone to connect with about putting together a family tour for us? Or point us in any directions?
Thank you so much!
Hi Jessica,
You could try to contact Chom Chom Travel – they specialize in tailored trips for families.
Best,
Tom
Hey Tom,
How are you? I love what you created here but wanted to ask something off topic. Do you have any content about your experience as a TEFL teacher in Vietnam? It appears you have been doing it for years so I’m curious to know more about this work and what’s really like. If not, is there a resource you recommend I look into? Some things I’m wondering about are below:
1) Is it easier to find a job at a public school or a language center? Is the pay the same?
2) What’s the best strategy in finding work (where/when/how for example)?
3) How do you go about finding an apartment whether it’s in Saigon or Da Nang for example?
4) Is TEFL everything you expected it to be? or did the job turn out to be something completely different from what you expected?
FYI I’m an American and Ive very familiar with the SE Asian region.
Best,
Neal
Hi Neal,
I haven’t written any practical content about TEFL in Vietnam. And my experience of aspects of it, such as strategies for finding jobs and resources, belongs to a different era of TEFL in Vietnam. There are lots of online groups and websites if you search around.
1) It’s much easier to find teaching positions in language centres than public schools
2) Research online for groups and centres and apply through them
3) There are loads of Facebook groups catering to foreigners finding apartments
4) If you can get a TEFL job that gives you the time and space to experience Vietnam (not just teaching 8 hours a day), then it’s a fantastic experience.
Best,
Tom
Dear Tom,
Once again thank you for a wonderful route and explanation!
Last year i followed your maps and advice throughout by trip from Hanoi to HCM via the central highlands… What an adventure! So much so i am planning to come back soon.
However i seek your advice, as my plan would be:
– Fly to Hanoi, and rent bikes (150cc)
– Hanoi to Sapa (ha giang)
– Cross into Laos at Pang Hok (LA) – Tay Trang (VN)
– Spend a week(ish traveling around north Laos (luang prabang)
– Cross back into Vietnam at Nam Soy (LA) – Na Meo (VN)
– Travel back up to Hanoi via Ho Chi Minh trail
Do you think it is possible? i realise the difficulties these days to say for sure if they’ll have some issues with me at the crossing, so thats always a big “???”
But anyway, assuming that i get all my paperwork done in advance, my question is more about:
– Can i cross with a rented bike (prob a 150cc)
– Can i enter from the Tay Trang and exit from Nam Xoi?
Thank you So much!
Hi Arturo,
I can’t give you any advice about crossing borders with a motorbike because I don’t cross international borders from Vietnam with my motorbike. Try searching the Vietnam Back Roads Facebook group for information about this.
Best,
Tom
Tom – i am grateful to have come across your site – as i have been looking to make this bucket list ride within the next year – i am combing thru it now to select my preferred route – most likely i will only have 2 weeks so a shorter ride or longer days. My question is the ability to rent and drop off a bike ? – best from south to north or north to south ?- or does it matter, best bike you think is available for the ride ( i am getting up there in age ). Should this become reality i shall definitely book as much as possible thru your site.
I often do Self Guided routes thru a tour company who books the bike rental and hotels for a fee usually upscale accommodations – I am sure you have thought of that $ – lots of us older guys around looking for adventure still.
thanks
D.
Hi David,
The rental and drop-out services in Vietnam are pretty good and sophisticated these days. I recommend some companies on this page and I carry advertising for specific companies on this website too. So contact them and ask for your specifics.
Many different types of bike are available and which you choose depends on your personal preference and the kind of riding you’re planning to do.
Hotel booking is pretty easy now, especially for higher end accommodations. For example, you can easily search and book through this page and I have reviewed dozens of places to stay around the country. Alternatively, I’m sure some of the rental companies can also offer you some sort of package.
Weather is a defining factor when choosing where to ride, so check out my Weather Guide too.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom, I stumbled across your website and what a fortunate stumble that was. Thank you for a very informative, interesting, no nonsense, ad free website. Even if I wasn’t planning my second trip to Vietnam I think I would definitely be tempted to go there.
I am planning a trip to the south with my friend for 6 weeks from 3rd week of January 2024 to end of March. We normally travel in a laid back manner, booking our accommodation a couple of days in advance and extending our stays if we like where we are. We are both Irish free spirited pensioners who like to meet and stay with locals and experience local culture rather than racing around. As we will be in Vietnam for Tet I have been reading that its necessary to book travel and accommodation well in advance. Is this actually the case and can you recommend a relaxed place we can stay and experience Tet? Any advice you can offer will be much appreciated and keep up the good work.
Hi Anne,
Thank you for your kind words.
I know this seems strange, but actually one of the best places to spend Tet is Ho Chi Minh City – this is because a large percentage of the population leave the city during Tet which means that it’s the only time of year when the city is relatively calm, quiet, pleasant and even good to explore on foot; also hotel availability should be much easier in Ho Chi Minh City during Tet than at any travel destination in Vietnam.
Best,
Tom
For the budget traveler ,we found the Hoa Lu hotel in Song LA a tremendous value at 300000 walk in (360000 on booking sites)it was inviting and bordering on luxurious after a day on the motorbike…the hosts made up for a lack in English with hospitality.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the suggestion.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
One of the best (maybe the best) sites of it’s kind, thank you!
I have a Thailand registered fully owned adventure bike that I would like to take on a trip to Vietnam with my wife. From my research it seems the only way to do that is with an established tour company and requires we ride with a guide. For us that is a non-starter.
First, to your knowledge is that true? If not can you please point me in the right direction for more information?
Thank you,
Bob
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your kind words about my site.
Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Thai registered bikes in Vietnam. However, I would suggest either contacting one of the reputable bike rental/tours companies that I mention on this page to ask about it, and/or posting your question in the Vietnam Back Roads facebook group – they will be able to advise you better than I on this matter.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I’ve been using this website for years since I moved here in 2019. It is still my bible for traveling Vietnam. I recommend it to all my coworkers who are interested in travelling the country.
I’m just writing to express my thanks.
Hi John,
Thank you for your kind words – that means a lot to me. And thank you for spreading the word! I’ve never paid to market the site, so word of mouth accounts for any traction the site has gained.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom and Vietnam Coracle team. I’ve just returned from Vietnam using many of your tips and routes along the way. I’m looking to return in November and am looking for a more off road route with water crossings and mud. Is this something that you could help with? Looking to depart Hanoi and end in Sapa, taking the night train back to Hanoi with the bikes.
Thanks for all your help.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I don’t write specific guides to off-road routes in Vietnam. However, finding off-road tracks in the northern Vietnamese mountains shouldn’t be difficult. If you take a look at some of my northern routes – such as Sin Ho Loop or Borders & Back Roads – there’s plenty of opportunities to find off-road trails on those.
Best,
Tom
Hello Tom! I am planning a trip and would love suggestions of an itinerary. We would like to do a mix of beach and land. My husband and our twin daughters (ages 13) will also be going. We are flying in and out of Ho Chi Minh and want to avoid super long travel days. We have 20 days. We like the off-the-beaten track towns and we are all well traveled. Of all the islands, I’m leaning toward Can Dao but would again, would love some suggestions. Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Janae,
Yes, Con Dao is a good choice for an island. There’s lots of information about Con Dao on this website.
When planning where to go, bear in mind that weather conditions at different times of year will be a deciding factor. Take a look at my Weather Guide for more details.
If you’re flying in and out of Ho Chi Minh City, then I would guess you’d want to spend most of your time in the south of Vietnam. Take a look at my Southern Destinations Archive for some ideas about where to go.
I hope this helps get you started. Once you have more of an idea about your itinerary, let me know if you have any more specific questions.
Best,
Tom
what a pleasure to find a soul who is free of the toxic content that social media so frequently and insidiously includes and the subject of Vietnam as a country, is sinking the hook deep to make me keep coming back to learn more about you and your travels around this magnificent place. will stop in every so often to check on you.
best regards
Hi Bill,
Thanks for your kind words. I hope you enjoy reading future articles and that your trips to Vietnam are memorable ones.
Best,
Tom
First of All I am so so Lucky to find your website 🙂 I am not sure even how I found, My name is Mahmoud Hermes just moved to Viet Nam 3 weeks ago and I wanted to disocver this amazing Culuture I found this amazing information and a lot of things to do and to travel 🙂 I only wanted to say thank you so much Tom and Please if somhow you are in Haiphong or Ha Tinh we can meet for Coffee. a Big Greetings for the amazing team behind this piece of art website 🙂
Salam
Hi Mahmoud,
Thank you for your kind words. I’m very happy to hear that you have enjoyed my website.
If I’m passing through Hai Phong or Ha Tinh I will let you know.
Best,
Tom
Upon the advice of a good friend who spends a portion of each year living in Vietnam, I started following Vietnam Coracle a few months ago. Now I eagerly await each and every update as a way to vicariously live the adventure, until I can make the trip in real time. In fact, I had a trip booked for 2020 until the pandemic unfortunately put a halt in those plans.
Just finished reading about Stavros. His journey with you could just as well be a metaphor for life in general.
Keep up the great work Tom !
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for your kind words. It’s great to hear you can experience Vietnam vicariously through this website. But I hope you’ll be able to experience it for real very soon – everything is open and operating as ‘normal’ here now.
Best,
Tom
I’m hoping to visit next Spring. Will take some ideas from your site regarding destinations, hotels and food.
Hello Tom…just wanted to leave a comment that your website is truly remarkable and informative. My hubby and I (from Canada now – originally Finland) are doing a 6 week bucket list trip to Cambodia/Vietnam starting Dec 2 and our final 2 weeks will be spent at a home we rented from Mark in Ninh Hai requiring a motorcycle rental. He led us to your site and now I can hardly wait!!
Hi Leila,
Thank you for the kind words.
I’m sure you’ll have a great time in Vietnam. The Ninh Hai region should be lovely at that time of year and there’s lots of good riding around there.
Best,
Tom
I’m a former backpacker who by 25, had traveled to most countries, and now at 66, am making investments in parts of the world that captivated me through the years. I am closing on a property in Hoi An and will be there from August 26-September 3, and looking to explore the region by motorbike. I last had a motorbike in Cape Town in 1990 so needless to say, am rusty. Any advice?
Hi John,
Sure, take a look at my Golden Loop guide which focuses on the region around Hoi An.
Obviously, if you haven’t ridden for a long time, you’ll need to be very careful on the roads.
Best,
Tom
Me parece una pagina genial y una idea buenisima, yo desde España con mi pareja queremos ir este 4-09-2022 hasta el 29-09-2022 y me gustaría aprovechar esta pagina para consultarte, si en la parte norte de SAPA, tengo reservado un hotel en Mu Cang Chai, pero claro como aficionado a la fotografia que somos, no tenemos muy claro como desplazarnos por las rutas de alli para hacer fotos, ya que por ahora no encuentro taxi-chofer que pueda recogerte al amanecer y estar contigo hasta el atardecer haciendo fotos, me parece muy duro para el, por eso estoy pensando al ver vuestra pagina la posibilidad de la moto, pero tengo cierto respeto a las motos, entonces la pregunta es, crees que allí se puede alquilar motos de 49cc sin marchas para poderhacer rutas de unos 100km maximo y así ir regresando al hotel. Si supieras de lugar donde pudiera alquilar estaria genial, un saludo y animo
Hello,
When you are in Mu Cang Chai you will be able to rent motorbikes for a day or more from your hotel. Alternatively, you may be able to arrange a car and driver via your hotel too.
Best,
Tom
Love! Love! Love! this website. <3
I have been researching motorbike trips in Vietnam for a long time now and I am so glad that I came across this website. The information is so straightforward, honest, and to the point and since there is no paid marketing, you know that what you are reading is personally experienced. I wish there were more websites like this!
I just have two questions that I didn't find proper answers to all over the internet:
Is this safe for solo female riders to go on a bike trip alone in Vietnam?
Is the food in Vietnam vegetarian or vegan friendly?
This trip has been postponed for more than 2 years now and I would love it if I can go on it this year!
Hoping for the best!
Hi Riddhi,
Thanks for your comment and kind words about my website.
Yes, it is generally very safe for a solo female to travel in Vietnam. Just take all the normal precautions you would as a solo female traveller anywhere else in the world and you should be fine.
Regards riding in Vietnam: road rules and driving culture are probably very different than in your home country. Anyone who decides to ride a motorbike in Vietnam needs to do so with great care, responsibility and respect for the risks involved. But, if you ride safely and responsibly, you should be fine and it will likely be one of the most memorable travel experiences of your life.
In the cities and large towns, vegetarian food should be fairly easy to find. You should remember the phrases: cơm chay (vegetarian food) and Tôi ăn chay (I’m a vegetarian). Millions of Vietnamese are vegetarians, and millions more eat vegetarians for several days each month as part of a Buddhist tradition. In general, if you are near a Buddhist temple, pagoda or monastery, there will be a place serving vegetarian food.
I hope this helps,
Tom
I’m coming to Lang Son in about 1 week. I want to rent a good condition 150 or 250 for 3 weeks or so. I have emailed several rental companies but have had no reply. Can you please send this to a reputable company and have them contact me asap. My questions are:
If it breaks down, will it quickly be fixed or replaced?
I wear a XXXXL (yes, 4 xs) helmet. Can I get one there or do I have to bring mine from the USA?
Is there a rack on the bike to hold my 35L backpack?
What does it cost?
Thank you.
Hi John,
Sorry, I can’t contact them for you.
Perhaps it’s better to try contacting the reputable motorbike rental companies in Hanoi, instead of Lang Son. They may be able to arrange to send your motorbike from Hanoi to Lang Son by train, or you can just pick the bike up in Hanoi instead. See this page for some recommendations of good rental companies.
Best,
Tom
I was just surfing the net for notes to plan my next Vietnam trip (with my husband)…possibly to central Vietnam. Looked up Elephant Waterfall at Dalat and saw your write up before reading about Vietman Coracle. Will need time to read more but writing just to thank you for sharing your experiences. Captivating photos too.
Was reading to see how to visit Central Vietnam. Appreciate any advice where to start!
Best regards!
Hi Jeannie,
Glad to hear you’re planning a trip to Vietnam.
For Central Vietnam, just use the menu in the top left corner of any page of this site to navigate to that region in any of my main categories. It’s also worth checking my Weather Guide.
Best,
Tom
Loving your posts … just finished reading about Ha Tien, which is one of my favorite places. (I’ve been there three times.) I think you really captured it when you wrote “a feng shui masterpiece of land, water, and wind.”
I did a bit of research on Ha Tien for a book I’m writing on the history and culture of the south–you might be interested in my notes on the “Ten Odes of Ha Tien” by Mac Thien Tu, among other topics.
http://www.lesserscribe.net/Daiviet/HaTien.html
Will keep reading–your eye for detail is great and the photographs are gorgeous.
:: Mike High
Great Falls, Virginia
USA
Hi Mike,
Thank you. Good to hear you like Hà Tiên too. I’m sure it’ll start to get a bit more attention soon – especially as a travel hub between the Vietnamese and Cambodia islands.
Thanks for the link – very interesting to read. I will read more later today.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom !!! Glad to be a new patron… planning to come to vietnam next year for an extended stay…..it is probably my favorite place that I have visited and your site my favorite place to come and dream !! you have done an amazing job ! the content is the best I have seen on Vietnam…. Curious about availability of high speed internet? The big cities as well as places such as Phu Quoc…
Thanks Again !!
Hi Gregory,
Thanks for becoming a patron – I really appreciate your support.
It’s great to hear the site has been useful to you. Regarding high-speed internet, in general connections are pretty good throughout the nation. Big cities have the best and most reliable connections. I worked remotely on Phu Quoc last year and was able to get all my work done. But on the island there were a couple of days each month when connections were slow and unreliable. In addition, Vietnam seems to go through a biannual event when the undersea cables are either damaged or being fixed, during which internet speeds are slow. But there isn’t much you can do about that.
Best,
Tom
HI Tom-
Been in Cambodia for a few years now and miss the rides in Vietnam for sure. Your outstanding website helped me on some of my most epic journeys in the north and I have always been a big fan. Heading to Chiang Mai next week to do the Mae Hong Son loop and wondered if you had any wisdom to share. Thanks for continuing to set the gold standard.
Hi Currier,
Thanks for the kind words.
I have done the Mae Hong Son loop but it was many, many years ago, so I don’t have any good advice to offer. But I’m sure there are some rider forums and websites for Thailand out there.
Good luck,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I came across your blog last night and I wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your stories and accounts of Vietnam with us. I feel transported through your writing. My partner and I are visiting Saigon next week and I’m so excited to try out some of your recommendations. We love getting off the beaten track, so following the train line and alley ways will definitely be on our list.
Thanks again,
Crista
Hi Crista,
Thanks for your comment.
Great to hear you are visiting Saigon soon. Yes, exploring the alleyways and the train tracks is a great way to experience the city.
Please bear in mind that, because of the pandemic, some of the places mentioned in my guides may now be closed. Also, please pay attention to the date of latest update at the top of every guide so that you know how recent (or old) the information is.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
With Vietnam now officially reopening I’m super keen to jump on a plane asap and follow some of your great routes and suggestions. I’m wondering what its like on the ground though? Have allot of the shops, restaurants and locations been forced to close down and is right now a good time to visit or would you suggest perhaps waiting a little longer for it to get back in its groove?
Kind regards,
Lee
Hi Lee,
I’ve just written a bit about that on this page.
On the ground it’s pretty much fine to travel around independently, and everyone is pretty keen to get tourism going again.
You might wait a few weeks for things such as visas to become clearer, but I would certainly suggest coming sooner rather than later.
At the moment most Western and regional nationalities can enter visa-free for a 2 week stay and travel freely – no quarantine, or tests or anything. You just need proof of a negative test 72 hours before arrival and download the local Covid app.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Wow! This is sth extraordinary, its a remarkable talent to be able to reflect yourself, your feelings through such a website! Love to read your experiences!
Keep doing!
Hi Dash,
Thank you for your kind words – it means a lot to me.
Best,
Tom
Hey Tom,
It’s been four years since my partner and I travelled around Vietnam by motorbike. We went from North to South and used VC routes in the process. It was definitely one of the biggest adventures I’ve ever been on! I don’t know why today I was thinking a lot of my time in Vietnam, and decided to go back on here to see the routes! I don’t think we thanked you before for the extensive amount of great information you put out, so thank you 🙂
Hi Villela,
Thank you for your message. It’s great to hear you enjoyed your travels in Vietnam and that the memories are still fresh. I hope you get a chance to return again some time.
Best,
Tom
An excellent way to put the content into context.
Good work.
Thanks, Danny.
Good to hear from you and I hope you and your family are doing well.
Best,
Tom
Bicycled only once in Vietnam, from Hue to Saigon. Grateful for you advice and stories, thanks much.
Thanks Ted,
That’s a long ride on a bicycle! I hope it all went smoothly.
Best,
Tom
Hey Tom,
Your site continues to get better. Great content and style!
Cheers,
Chris
Thank you, Chris. That’s very kind of you to say so.
Best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I love how you do Vietnam Coracle. Riding daggy old Honda dirtbikes by ourselves round some of Vietnam in 2015 was one of the best holidays we’ve ever had. Your VC made our trip possible. Vietnam has soul and we miss her terribly. I feel so greatful now that we could come at all. But we will be back! Kez 🙂
Hey Kez,
Thank you. Great to hear that. Yes, come back – whenever it becomes possible again. There’s always more to see.
Best,
Tom
I really say to thank you for what you wrote about my country! Thanks a lot!
Thank you, Mai. That’s very kind of you.
Tom
Great job Tom!
Thank you!
Great content.. plan on using it in the future.
That you on the motorcycle on front page?
Cheers,
npm
Thanks, Neal.
Hi Tom,
Enjoy reading about your adventures in Vietnam. I like the way how you organize your blog. I am starting my blog and hope that you can share with me how you can arrange posts under each page in your blog?
Did some research about WordPress but still couldn’t find a guideline on this matter.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Thuy,
Thanks for your message.
There is loads of information online about how to set up a blog and organize posts. You could try starting with WPbeginner.com – they have hundreds of easy to read tutorials.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom
I just want to say thank you for your blogs and recommendations. I’ll def book through your links in support of you.
I’m Vietnamese and haven’t been back for a while. I’m taking my 3 yo son and partner back to introduce them to the exotic Vietnamese flavours!!
Hi Jacky,
Thank you. It’s very nice to hear you’re enjoying my site. I hope your next trip back to Vietnam is an enjoyable one.
Tom
Hey Tom,
Great blog — love all the tips and I feel inspired to go back to Nam and explore a bit more and sample the tasty tucker.
BTW, are you by any chance the Tom that I met (Larry from South Africa) in Borneo at Uncle Tans and then by chance ran into again in Vietnam, maybe Hanoi? This was way back in the naughties.
Either way, thanks for all the info 🙂
Cheers,
Larry
Hi Larry,
I’m not the same Tom, but it’s great to hear you like my site and intend to come back and explore Vietnam some more.
Tom
Hi Tom,
Just wanted to leave a note and let you know how glad I am to have found your site. I was born in Sài Gòn but left for the States when I was 13. I’m now back for the summer for an internship. I’m familiar with the city and the country since I’ve visited frequently, yet I’m a complete stranger to this place in so many ways. The Coracle is helping me (re)discover my hometown and share the experience with others.
I came across your piece on ốc (snail & shellfish), and can you believe it – it made me emotional! Anyway, your writing has helped me convince a group of friends, none of them Vietnamese besides myself, to go out for some mollusks in these coming days. I look forward to seeing a bunch of foreigners on tiny plastic stools making a mess of themselves among some mollusks.
Thank you,
A stranger in her hometown.
Hi Elle,
Thank you for your message. It’s wonderful to hear some of my guides are opening up other parts of the city to you. I do hope you and your friends get to one of the quán ốc and enjoy a night of shells and beer. Ốc Châu and Ốc Đào are still two of my favourites for food and atmosphere.
Tom
Hi,
I need your expertise in my planned route.. maybe stupidly, I already booked placed to stay, planning to do this route:
Hanoi – Ninh Binh – sapa – Ha giang – ba be- Ban gioc – ba be – Hanoi..
I am not an experienced driver by any means. I was just depending on Google maps. Having seen some videos about the north routes, I got a little concerned that I’m in over my head..
Could you please advise me on that matter?
Thanks a lot,
Roy
Hi Roy,
It depends on how long you have between each of those stops and what roads you use.
Just relying on Google’s suggested routes isn’t a great idea. It can send you on Expressways that bikes aren’t allowed on or down dirt roads.
I suggest you take a look at the route guides in my Northern Routes Archive to get more of an idea of the distances, time-scale, road conditions etc that you’re looking at.
Tom
Hey Tom, thanks for the quick response.
I get lost in all these routes, and how to navigate them.
I may be rude here, but is there any chance you can direct me specifically on how to reach my destinations? Even for a fee. I would much appreciate it.
Thanks!
Roy
Hi Roy,
I’m sorry, I don’t have time for that. But some of the relevant guides for your trip include: Sapa to Ha Giang, the Ha Giang Loop, Ha Giang to Ba Be & Cao Bang, and Ban Gioc Waterfall.
I hope these help,
Tom
Hi Tom, I came across your site researching info about Con Dao as I leave for Con Son tomorrow… just wanted to say that you have great content! Shared some links and wait to read a lot more as soon as possible. Thanks for helping out your fellow travellers from around the globe.
Hi Kael,
Thank you, I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the islands.
Best,
Tom
Hello Tom
Thank you for your detailed and very helpful information above.
Could you recommend a good motorcycle tour company which do excursions on a motorcycle around Saigon and its surrounding areas for a 2 – 3 days all inclusive.
unfortunately I have booked a flight in haste to Saigon then found out about the Ha Jan Loop in Hanoi.
its looking like to much hassle to change flights to Hanoi so im trying to find the same tour arround Saigon.
many thanks
Hi Christopher,
Take a look at the motorbike companies I recommend on this page – they should be able to arrange something for you.
Also, note that Ha Giang is a long way from Hanoi.
Tom
Hi Tom
First of all thank you so much for all the details
You have an amazing website
I wanna do one of the loops from Sapa
But I can’t find any bike rental shops there
Do you have any recommendations ?
Hi Yanay,
I don’t have any specific recommendations for bike rental shops in Sapa, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one there.
However, another option is to contact the Hanoi office of any of the trusted bike rental companies that I recommend on this page, and then asking for their assistance in arranging to send your bike on the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai (Sapa). That should work.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Great detailed guide. It’s a huge help!
My girlfriend and I are visiting Vietnam in a week for three weeks and we’re thinking about flying from HCM to Tuy Hoa shortly after arrival to relax for a few days on the some of the stunning beaches in the area between Tuy Hoa and Quy Nhon (Bai Xep, Bãi biển Gành Đá Đĩa, Bãi biển Ôm, Ky Co beach); our main wonder is: how easy will it be to get from one beach to the other without driving a motorcycle? My girlfriend has never driven one and we’ve read that Vietnamese roads can be quite dangerous especially for inexperienced drivers, and driving without an internationally recognised license is illegal. Would you recommend hiring a taxi whenever needed (are they expensive)? Or is it also possible to hire a motorcycle with driver included in Tuy Hoa that would give us a lift whenever and wherever needed? Also is the weather summer like during this period of the year (end of February) in that area?
Thanks!
Carmine
Hi Carmine,
The weather should be OK by the time you arrive – often conditions north of Nha Trang between November and February can be disturbed, but as you’ll be going in late Feb, it will probably be fine.
It’s not that easy to get from beach to beach in that area if you don’t have your own wheels. You could hire a car and driver – your accommodation in Tuy Hoa should be able to arrange that for you – but it will probably cost $90 a day.
Taxis are OK for some of the beaches, but that would also be expensive.
Perhaps it’s best to base yourself at one of the beaches – maybe Bai Xep or Vinh Hoa Beach on Xuan Thinh Peninsular (Ocean Beach Hostel or Timothee Bungalow, for example) and then take day trips out to visit the other beaches. This way your accommodation can arrange the transportation for you. (For more details about those beaches see the relevant sections of this guide.)
I hope this helps,
Tom
Tom, thank you so much for the advice. Everything you write is so helpful and gets me so excited about discovering Vietnam. I can’t wait to make great use of your amazing guides!
Cheers,
Carmine
Thanks, Carmine. It’s very nice to hear you’re enjoying my site 🙂
Tom, I definitely agree with what previous posters have said about the helpfulness of your website. It has been a great resource as I attempt to put together my itinerary for Northern Vietnam.
What roads are best and quickest between Ba Be park and Meo Vac? Do you recommend traveling via Da Vi and Bao Lam, bypassing Bao Lac? Or better to go via Tinh Tuc and Bao Lac? I’ll be in a hired car with a local driver and guide, if that makes a difference. (I’d love to cycle but no longer trust my skills and my wife won’t ride on the back anyway).
Can you also let me know how many hours I should expect between Ba Be and Meo Vac?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Jim,
For the quickest, easiest route between Ba Be Lake and Meo Vac I would go up to Tinh Tuc then across to Bao Lac and up to Meo Vac on QL4C. It’s probably a 4-5 hour drive, not including stops. It’s very scenic, too.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom –
First off, thank you for your detailed information and tips on Vietnam, it’s very helpful and appreciated! 🙂
I’m a solo female traveler and looking to rent a bike and ride from Saigon to Hanoi starting in late November and will have about 4 – 5 weeks to take my time on the ride. I know the weather can be a bit unpredictable but do you think the roads in the North and middle of Vietnam will be okay during this time of year? Also, do you recommend I start from Hanoi or Saigon during this time of year?
Thanks again!
Katie
Hi Katie,
The weather in central Vietnam – anywhere between Nha Trang and Hanoi – can be pretty bad at that time of year, but of course you never really know.If there happened to by a tropical storm, then some of the more mountainous roads could get flooded or suffer from landslides. Just keep an eye on the weather forecast for heavy rain or storms – try Windy app, it’s very good.
Because the weather will get progressively colder in the north from November onwards, I think it makes more sense to start in the north and end in the south – that way, you’ll save the warmer weather for last 🙂
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thank you for a wonderful website with a lot of valuable “inside” information. I write to you in some sort of confusion, there is so much information about Vietnam everywhere but at the same time, I’m cannot seem to find out what is the best option for us.
Me and my mother are planning a trip to Vietnam over Christmas and New Years. She has traveled throughout her life but like me, never visited Vietnam, despite talking about it for several years. We are going to spend a few days in HCMC (where we are definitely going to use your swimming pool guide, my mom is a former elite swimmer) and then I was thinking for us to head for Phu Couq to swim and relax. Our first option was Danang but my friend tells me it’s not the right period in terms of weather, we are from Sweden so we want to catch all the sun we can. As I read about the beaches of Phu Qouq, there are a lot of rubbish in some places and the water is not clear. I’m afraid we will choose a resort where we are stuck in a place which is not that clean and where we won’t enjoy the swim.
I hope it’s not too much to ask, but perhaps you have a suggestion on where on the island we should look for a resort or which places to avoid? My mother has just been diagnosed alzheimer’s, and hiring a moped is unfortunately not an option. We want to avoid those big resorts and touristic places. I want to give her the best memorable travel experience she can get, now while she can, and while Vietnam is hopefully relatively unexploited.
Thank you very much.
Hi Josefine,
Yes, you’re right about the weather: Danang can be wet at that time of year, but Phu Quoc should be clear and dry and the water very calm.
Phu Quoc Island is increasingly developed but there are beaches that are still quiet and clean. Take a look at my Guide to Phu Quoc’s Beaches to get an idea of where the different beaches are and their different characters – the guide also includes accommodation options. As an example, Ganh Dau, Ong Lanh, and Cua Can are all quieter, clean beaches with good resorts.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hello Tom,
It’s such a great job of you for sharing your all experience about many trips in my country on this awesome site. I have just watch a bit at your site at Allezboo Resort that you showed me at the restaurant. I am completely impressed by what you are doing. I do love travelling. I hope you can share more your experience. Thank you!
Hope to see you at Allezboo!
Vuong
Hi Vuong,
Thank you, it’s great to hear you like my site. I hope you get to travel more in Vietnam soon 🙂
Tom
Hi Tom.
Great work on this site – I’m in awe of your content and am beyond excited to visit Vietnam!
I had some questions on what you’d recommend for my family. We’re headed to Vietnam for the last two weeks in November. We are two adults and a 10 year old boy. We were hoping to do a motorbike trip from Saigon to Hanoi, but are starting to realize it might be a bit too much for our time frame. We are looking to take a slow pace and keep the stress to a minimum. We’ve also decided it may be best to skip the central part of the country due to the likelihood of a lot of soggy weather there.
That said, we’re looking at your northeast motorbike loop or exploring the National Highway QL32/Provincial Road DT128/National Highway 4D area in the northwest. After one of these journeys, we’re considering flying or taking a train south to Ho Chi Minh. Once down there, we will likely rent bikes again and do another loop ENE of the city – beaches/central highlandsDalat.
My questions are many, but I will try to keep them to a minimum here. Is this feasible within our timeline of 14 days? My husband and I are at odds on the decision whether to take a train to Ho Chi Minh or fly – would you recommend one over the other? Lastly, any issues you see with taking our young son on the motorbikes? He would ride on his Dad’s bike.
Thanks so much for sharing this wealth of information!
Monica
Hi Monica,
Yes, it’s wise to miss the central provinces which are at their wettest at that time of year. But the northern mountains can also be surprisingly chilly (and wet) at that time, too. The best weather in November should be anywhere south of Nha Trang – but you never really know, of course.
I’m not sure about taking your 10-year-old on the back in Vietnam. Once you’re out of the city the roads are generally quiet, but the driving is still very dangerous, and road conditions can throw up unexpected challenges. Ultimately it’s up to how you feel – if you’re experienced riders then I’m sure you’ll feel more confident about it.
If you decide to do it, then a couple of shorter trips would be better than one big one. For example, if you rent bikes in Sapa and then take Road QL4D down the Tram Ton (O Quy Ho) pass and join Road QL32 to Mu Cang Chai and back to Sapa again, that’s a good ride for 2-3 days. Then in the south you could rent bikes in Mui Ne (Phan Thiet) or Dalat and do a loop or two there – there are lots to choose from, but for example, the Binh Thuan Back-Roads Loop.
I hope this helps to get you started,
Tom
Oh, and yes I think you should fly between Hanoi and Saigon, given your time frame.
Tom
Hi Tom.
I am looking for the deep swimming pool in HCHM.
I know that somewhere in District 1 there is a pool with 5 meters depth.
May be you know this one?
I would appreciate any information about deep swimming pools in Saigon.
Thanks in advance.
Igor.
Hi Igor,
Check out my list of public pools in Saigon here. Most of the Olympic-sized pools in that list have depths of up to 2-4 metres. But if you’re look for really deep pools for high diving, I’m not sure about that – perhaps Phu Tho pool.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Dear Tom,
Nice information about the waterfalls nearby Dalat.
We want to hire a scooter for 1 day. Which waterfalls do you advise to go to? We stay in a hotel in Dalat. Which waterfalls are not far to walk too?
Thank you for answering ☺
Hi Anne,
The only waterfall that’s walking distance is Cam Ly, but it’s not really worth going there. The next nearest waterfall is Datanla, which is OK.
With a scooter I would recommend visiting Elephant waterfall and then you can do a loop to visit Pren Waterfall and Datanla on the way back to Dalat.
The most impressive waterfall is Bao Dai falls, but you probably won’t have time to do that in one day.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hey Tom, I’m going to Vietnam for the first time, planning on buying a motorbike in Saigon (I intend to live in Vietnam for 6-8 months) and driving to Hanoi, on a combination of your routes for Uncle Ho’s Road and the Beach Bum routes. Wondering if you have a more comprehensive guide to the Beach Bum route, like the one for Uncle Ho’s road? Thanks for all of the information, this site is fantastic!
Hi Adin,
Click the yellow motorbike icons on the Beach Bum map: this will open a dialogue box with a photo and a link – if you click the link it will take you to my guide for that specific part of the Beach Bum route. Also, take a look at my Coast Road guide, and click on the green motorbike icons on that map to go to my guides to those specific parts of the route.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom
Great info and referrals. We are two “older” females 56/63 who have traveled quite extensively over a period of time. Our greatest achievements, and best holidays were when we could avoid other tourists, touristy spots, large hotels, bus tours and resorts. Selfishly, we want to be the only “tourists” – get to know the people, their way of living, eating etc. We want to visit Vietnam for approx 20 days in March/April 2019. We don’t feel like scaring other people with our motorbike riding skills – and we will not take your advise on those routes.
It is also impossible to see the whole country in 20 days so, I need your advise based on the following:
1. We like water (lakes, beaches) and rural areas
2. Accommodation – just off the coffee quarter/market/busy local area – walking distance
3. Would like to stay at least 5 days in one spot (beach).
4. Overnight train always great
Should we do South/Central Vietnam OR Central/ North Vietnam as first time travelers? Bookings for April 2019 not open yet – and we will use Agoda for accommodation as suggested. In the meantime we can research and get excited.
Regards.
Henriette
Hi Henriette,
March/April is usually best in the south/central region. For quiet, beautiful and untouristed beaches I suggest taking a look at Cam Lap Promontory for a few nights (you can take an overnight train there from Saigon to Cam Ranh or Nha Trang).
In my opinion, Con Dao Islands offers some of the best seascapes in Vietnam: it’s a fabulous place to be for many reason, yet for hardly anybody goes there.
Cat Tien has some interesting accommodation and it’s growing all the time. You could take a look at staying in Kon Tum as an alternative destination in the central highlands.
Ma Maison is a good accommodation for not being in the middle of all the normal Saigon tourist sites.
Bear in mind that, in general, it’s much harder to get off the beaten track without a motorbike. So it might be a good idea to rent a bike once you are at your destination – for example, on the Con Dao Islands and Cam Lap Promontory where there’s very little traffic.
I hope this helps get you started,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Your site is great but I’ve been looking for some pratical informations that you don’t mention anywhere, such as what kind of driving license do we, as foreigners, need to be able to drive a bike in Vietnam ?
Furthermore, can you please advise on insurance we should apply before driving there ? I’m not quite sure that insurance we contribute to in Europe is covering you in case of accidents or worse.
Hi,
I would recommend contacting the motorbike rental companies recommended in the right sidebar and bottom of all the pages on my site in order to ask their advice and opinions about both driving licenses and insurance coverage in Vietnam. It’s not always clear cut and the rules, regulations and practices seem to change regularly. I have a local driving license, but I live here, have work permit, local insurance, business visa etc, so it will be different for you. Try contacting Tigit Motorbikes, Flamingo Travel, Rent a Bike Vietnam, and Dragon Bikes – I’m sure they can give you good advice. You can mention Vietnam Coracle if you like, they know me.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom
Congratulations on such an inspirational and informative website.
Myself and my wife are in our early to mid 40s, are children are raised and we have decided to give up our jobs and our life here in Ireland to travel for an unknown amount of time.
We leave Ireland at the end of January 2018 and are going to work in a Ski Resort in France until the end of April.
Like I said your website has been such an inspiration we really want to travel in Vietnam extensively using the bikes, camping and accommodation recommended here.
We are very flexible regarding the length of our stay (I was thinking about 2-3 months) and can travel any stage between the end of April to the end of November.
I had always thought of travelling south to north however with our dates i am wondering if north to south may be better ?
Thanks again,
Stephen & Lilly
Hi Stephen & Lilly,
Great to hear that you are planning to spend a long time in Vietnam on a road trip – with that much time and with a motorbike you’re bound to have a great time.
Because of your flexible dates it doesn’t really matter if you go south-north or north-south: the worse weather in the north (and central) regions is usually between November and March, so as long as you avoid that you should be fine. Personally my favourite times for a south-north road trip are April/May and September/October. For more about weather in Vietnam take a look at this guide.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond 🙂
I had read the guide and your comments confirm that the best time for us to go would be September – October (We may add a week each side of them dates).
In the meantime we will continue to read love and be inspired by your writings
Thank you very much Stephen and Lilly
THANKS
We’re planning to visit Vietnam in a couple of weeks. Hanoi, Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Min. I came across your guide and I’m blown away by how comprehensive it is. Its easily the best resource I’ve come across on the tinterweb. So I thought I’d just say thanks.
So thanks!
Regards
Isaac
Hi Isaac,
Thank you. It’s great to hear you’re enjoying my site. I hope you have a good time in Vietnam.
Tom
Hi Tom.
Your web site is awesome. Make my trip much easier. I’m driving Hanoi to Ho chi mihn in this December.
Thanks, Kalle. I hope you had a great road trip!
Tom
Hi Tom,
May I use the photo of The Cafe Apartment ? The photo will be credited to you.
Thanks for your help.
Best wishes,
Andre
Hi Andre,
Yes, that’s OK as long as you credit the photo as by Vietnam Coracle.
Tom
hi Tom, thanks your sharing for knowing this beautiful country, actually I am a news reporter from ETtoday in Taiwan, and I’d like to write an article about “The Cafe Apartment”, and could I have the authorization to use three photos from the artcle? waiting for your reply! thank you so much! 🙂
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thanks for contacting me and asking.
Yes, you can use some of my photos as long as you credit Vietnam Coracle for each of my images that you use.
If you agree to this then please let me know which of my photos you want to use, and then I will send you the image files.
Thanks,
Tom
Hi Tom
I absolutely love your travel blog. I’ve already spent countless hours over the months thoroughly reading through everything, and still go back for more. Thank you!! You are a huge inspiration and play a big part in preparation of our upcoming trip next month (February 2017).
We are buying our motorbikes in HCMC (via Tigit Motorbikes) who come highly recommended, and we will be travelling Saigon to Hanoi over 4 or so weeks. I am especially interested in your routes “Classic” and “The Big One”, both of which sound amazing and cover everywhere we’d like to go, and some.
Our areas of interest are:
Lagi – Mui Ne – Phan Rang – Cam Ranh – Dalat – Nha Trang – Quy Nhon – Kontum – Hoi An – Hue – Khe Sanh (via A Luoi) – Phong Nha – Hanoi, where we return our bikes.
We then hope to visit Halong Bay for 1 night/2 days.
Please may I ask your advice and see which route you believe would work best for us, in terms of time and perhaps what areas you feel are worth staying overnight, or for longer.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks so much Tom
Best regards, Chelsea 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks, it’s great to hear you’ve found my site helpful.
Although 4 weeks is a good amount of time, it’s not really enough to get the most out of the Big One and add Halong Bay to it, unless of course you are an experienced rider with good road stamina. Therefore, I would suggest basing your route around the Classic route but maybe making some detours in the direction of the Big One. For example, you could take a more meandering route around the south, as suggested in the Big One. This is a particularly good idea because February is best for weather in the south (south of Nha Trang) – the further north you go the colder and rainier it will get. But just try to be as flexible as possible while always remember that the Western Ho Chi Minh Road from Khe Sanh to Phong Nha is one of the most spectacular rides in Southeast Asia. All the places you mentioned are very much worth exploring 🙂
I hope this helps,
Tom
Thank you for this advice. This is really helpful 🙂
Is the Hai Van Pass (Golden Loop) between Hoi An and Hue?
We hope to visit Halong Bay on a 1 or 2 night cruise/tour. Can you recommend any companies to go through?
Hi Chelsea,
Yes, that’s right, the Hai Van Pass links Hoi An and Hue.
There are a great many cruise/tour operators for Halong Bay so it’s difficult to recommend one above another. However, I would advise paying a little extra money for a much better experience: many of the dirt-cheap tours get very bad reviews from travellers, so it’s worth paying a bit more to make sure you get a good tour.
I hope this helps,
Tom
I watched the Top Gear Vietnam Special last night, absolutely fantasic!
Can you recommend any areas worth going/staying between Phong Nha and Hanoi? It looks like quite a long drive.
Hi Chelsea,
Yes, it is a long way. Take a look at sections 6, 7, and 8 of my Ho Chi Minh Road Guide for details about where to stay between Phong Nha and Hanoi.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Long due Thank You note. I made a successful road trip from Saigon to Dalat and back to Saigon last year. You were the inspiration behind this trip. Visited all the places mentioned in your articles like Windmill cafe in Dalat, the small hidden coffee place with view of Ke ga light house and many more. Thanks a ton for your efforts and adventure stories. Its always fun to read your articles and the minute direction specifications are superb. Keep up the good work. Keep Inspiring! !Looking forward to my North Vietnam trip in some time.
Can’t Thank you enough. Your blog was like a Holy grail to me for my trip. 🙂
Regards,
Shruti.
Hi Shruti,
Thanks so much, it’s wonderful to hear that you had such a good road trip and that my guides helped you find some special places along the way. I hope the memory of your trip will keep you going until you get the chance to come back to Vietnam and do it all again – there are lots of great landscapes, foods, and places to explore and people to meet in the north of Vietnam too!
Tom
Hi Tom,
I have just found your website through the latest edition (Aug 2016) of the Lonely Planet. You are at the top of their list of ‘useful websites’, even above their own, which I found interesting.
I would like to congratulate you on a great website. I opened it at around 6pm and now it’s after 12am, so I suppose that tells you how much I am enjoying exploring it.
I am coming to Vietnam at the end of November on my way to visit my daughter in London for Christmas. I’ll email you again once I have decided on the places I would like to visit and hopefully get your advice on whether it’s doable.
Warm Regards,
Veronica
Hi Veronica,
Great to hear you like my site.
Sure, email me when you have an idea of what you want to do and see in Vietnam.
Happy planning,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Great site! I just went to your best Pho in Saigon recommendation and it was excellent! I lived in Hanoi for half a year in 2006 and just arrived back yesterday. I’m in shock, the city (at least what I saw yesterday riding around Hoan Kiem Lake, out to the Lotte Center, and near where I lived off Pham Ngoc Thach ) has changed so much. It’s mind blowing. I’m hoping to move here (to Vietnam, most likely Saigon) next year at some point. Just a question, any recommendations for Vietnamese learning materials you’ve found particularly useful over time? I’d like to have a basic grasp for when I move here. Thanks and thank you for all the excellent info on the site!
Hi V,
Glad you liked the phở 🙂
Yes, the city has changed a lot since 2006! I can imagine how strange it must be to visit again after so many years.
It’s a great idea to learn some Vietnamese for your next stint at living here. Have you ever heard of Learn Vietnamese with Annie? I haven’t used it personally, but many of my friends have and they give it the thumbs up. Another one to try is the I Love Vietnamese Project. These should be good places to start.
I hope this helps,
Tom
another useful site is everydayviet.com (also on youtube). Donna, a pretty young woman, introduces twenty-odd, very useful free lessons online. She speaks with a clear Saigonese accent.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Tom!
Thank you for the very helpful website. 🙂
I am going for traveling solo to Ho Chi Minh City on August, your guide has been a big help on my plan! Thank you once again. Anyway, how about the safety for woman during day and night time there? Specifically around Pham Ngu Lau backpackers area where I will stay.
Your information is so much appreciated!
Thank you again! 🙂
Cheers,
Rhea
Hi Rhea,
Yes, in general Saigon and the rest of Vietnam are still very safe places in which to travel. If you are a solo female traveller you should take all the normal safety precautions that you would when visiting any other country, but it is very rare for anything bad to happen. However, sadly when things do go wrong it tends to be in the backpacker areas of popular tourist destinations, such as Saigon (Pham Ngu Lao), Mui Ne, Nha Trang etc. This is mostly because of bad or aggressive or provocative behaviour by foreigners and Vietnamese that is usually fueled by alcohol or other drugs late at night. But, again, this is still a rare occurrence 🙂
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for this detailed blog, amazing pics. I’m planning a long solo bicycle trip from Saigon to Hanoi and then back to Saigon over the course of about 6 weeks or more if I decide to hang out in different locals along the way. Knowing me, I will. 😉
Question for you.. I just went to this doctor here in the US about vaccinations before my trip. They were saying that I should get Japanese Encyephalitis vaccine which is like $300 for each shot (2 shots)! bring malaria pills, Hep B, Hep A, Tetanus, Rabies!, and blablabla list went on.. I’ve had Hep A/B already and tetnis already. I know you are not a doctor but since you live out there I thought I’d ask you what you think before I splurge on any of this. It can really add up and I think some of this is just unnecessary as I’m not really getting into any super jungle areas just staying on HCM Highway and Highway 1 for the most part.
My biggest concern is the monsoon I’m going to go through once I get into the North. 😉
Thanks!
Ivan
Hi Ivan,
Yes, you’re right, I’m not a doctor 🙂 but I would say that it’s worth having all of the inoculations that you mentioned, however I don’t know about Japanese Encyephalitis – I don’t think I’ve ever had to have that one before, but I see that it’s mosquito-borne.
When it comes to malaria pills, it’s up to you really. Many travellers start taking them, feel awful, and then stop because the side-affects of the pills are ruining their holidays. On the other hand, malaria is, of course, deadly.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Seems the Japanese E. and Rabies are by far the most expensive. I know there are a lot of dogs there and maybe some bats but I can’t imagine getting attacked by one while biking. Stranger things have happened I suppose.
Thanks Tom.
Hello,
I am taking a 3 day Saigon 5 day Bali trip in Feb 17. I am looking forward to trying as many foods as possible, BUT..I have serious food sensitivities.
I assume most foods are prepared from whole foods and grown herbs and spices and not processed or chemical laden as in the US?
Can you offer any insight? Also, can you tell me how to translate MSG? Monosodium glutamate? I must be sure to hold a card that says please no MSG.
Hi Michelle,
Yes, it’s very difficult to travel and throw yourself into a street food culture, such as Vietnam’s, if you are sensitive to those things.
Many young Vietnamese also find themselves allergic to MSG these days. The word is bột ngọt. Put the word không in front of it to say ‘no MSG’. Almost everyone will understand this, but you should still be aware that most dishes which come in a sauce more often than not will have MSG in it.
Yes, get a card printed with ‘no MSG’ on it. You’ll be OK if you stick to tourist restaurants but indulging in the street food scene may be a little trickier. However, I have had other readers in the past with similar sensitivities and they’ve managed fine and enjoyed the cuisine here.
Good luck,
Tom
Thank you kindly!
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your interesting in our country.
I’m a Vietnamese girl and would like to help you
Monosodium glutamate=Bột ngọt? Instead if saying Bột ngọt, you should say “không mỳ chính” = “no monosodium glutamate” if you visit Northern provinces like Hanoi and say “không bột ngọt” in Southern provinces like Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang…
If you have any question, pls feel free to contact me!
Nguyen Dien
Hi Nguyen Dien,
Thanks for your advice. In my experience ‘bột ngọt’ is understood in both northern and southern Vietnam, but I suppose it depends who you meet.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I bumped into you in the past, and a Vietnamese friend of mine brought up your name and referred to your post on the CAFE APARTMENTS on Nguyen Hue street. I laughed when I recognised who you were. We haven’t met for a while, BUT many things you mentioned about Vietnam is the same way I feel about the country. Even being from Australia originally, I get a sudden sense of PEACEFUL enthusiasm to walk around anywhere here. It’s something that people may not realize, when ONLY knowing about the country because of it’s difficult history of change and discovery to grow from those times. I feel more peaceful here than in Hip Rocking SYDNEY !!! It’s funny that many of the places you mentioned in HCMC, I’ve been to as well hahahahahaahaha, BUT I guess it’s not UNUSUAL because for those CURIOUS to discover HCMC, that a common place to find is the reason why people almost always by chance enjoy the same places. The friend of mine here that pointed out your article is the owner of MetSigns cafe in the CAFE APARTMENTS on Nguyen Hue street (now being popularly called pho di bo). That whole building 42 Nguyen Hue street, is CONSTANTLY CHANGING every MONTH. Vietnam is becoming progressively EXCITING !!! Now with FREE WIFI on the WHOLE STREET… that location will be MORE HIP than any place I know in SYDNEY !!! More INTERNET AVAILABILITY in FASCINATING HCMC !!!
Keep up the good work mate. Maybe we’ll run into each other again. OR WE HAVE & we will AGAIN AND AGAIN!!! Hahahahahahahaha HCMC or VN is a place where people PASS BY.. and just happen to be a part of the atmosphere.. and might feel… HMmmmm… I think I know that dude???… then walk further on to just smile about the place… WHY?? because the world now feels MORE FAMILIAR !!! Hahahahahahaha…
Viva VIETNAM !!! Hahahahahahahahaaha… BE COOL MAN !!!
Hi Romelus,
I’m happy to hear you’ve enjoyed reading some of my articles, and that you have also visited some of the places before. Yes, we must have similar tastes!
Yes, the change in Vietnam – especially in Saigon – is constant: sometimes it’s fascinating; sometimes it’s scary! But Saigon and Vietnam in general always feels like a great and exciting place to be every day 🙂
I hope you continue to enjoy life here!
Tom
I am impressed and fascinated by all the work you’ve done with all the videos and all the information about destinations and traveling around Viet Nam.
I am married to a Vietnamese woman and spend half of the year in Vietnam, Saigon.
We live in Saigon from October – April and in Norway when it is summer there.
Would just like to thank you again for all the great information in your website and all the fine videos on youtube, – and then show my appreciation for the work you do.
We have our honda and have been inspired to take the motorbike along the : « Ocean Road from Saigon to Phan Thiet / Nha Trang» , and to Dalat where I could like to live, ( instead og noisy and dusty Saigon).
Could wish to contact you one day in October or November when we return to Saigon for a little chat, if possible ??
– regards
Stein Flaten – http://vietnam.steingal.com/#!home stein.flaten@online.no – and Facebook
Hellebergvg 36, 3960 Stathelle
Telemark, NORWAY
Hi Stein,
Thanks for your kind words about my site. I’m happy to hear you’ve enjoyed reading it.
The ride along the Ocean Road from Saigon up to Nha Trang, and then the mountain road up to Dalat is great – I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
I travel around quite a lot so I never really know where I’ll be from one week to the next, but let me know when you’re here in the autumn. If we can’t meet there’s always email instead.
Tom
Hi Tom,
My wife and I are planning a trip to Vietnam. I’m a retired U.S. Marine serving three tours during the war. The first one was with the ARVN as a infantry battalion advisor and the last tour was with the Vietnamese Marines as a senior Brigade advisor– all with infantry units. My question is how are folks like me treated now that the war has been over for many years. Will there be some resentment? I’m thinking about 2-days in Saigon, two or three days in Nha Trang, two nights in Hoi An/Danang and two nights in Hanoi. How is the best way to use your good services/advice. I’m thinking about planning this trip in January or February next year. I’m coinciding this trip for a stay over in Cebu, the Philippines and maybe three days in Hong Kong. What do you think?.
Cheers, George Rivers
Hi George,
In the vast majority of cases you will not be subject to any resentment. Vietnam has an extremely young population and many Vietnamese view the war as simply a subject at school, and even those that don’t are very unlikely to harbour any resentment or bad feelings towards Americans. In general, most Vietnamese – whether they fought in the war or not – do not hold grudges against individual Americans: they may resent US government policies during that period, but not the soldiers that fought on the government’s behalf.
You may be offended or disagree with some of the interpretations of the war in Vietnam – such as, propaganda in museums etc. But, you’d be very unlucky to experience a verbal confrontation related to the war in Vietnam – unless, of course, you seek it.
January and February are great months to be in the south of Vietnam, but in the north and central provinces it will be cold and grey. However, this is also the time of the Tet Lunar New Year celebrations so there’s always a lot of buzz across the country at that time. If you will be visiting during the Lunar New Year holidays it is highly advisable to book everything in advance – transport, tours, hotels etc – because things can get extremely busy then. You can read more about weather and where and when to go in my Weather Guide.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Admin the website,
I am vietnamese who is a non native english. I was so happy to find our a great website that I can learn more english in travel field. I can’t afford to pay for travel in this moment, but I will save your website like tips for the future. I also share it to some groups on facebook, there are many foreigners who want to explore vietnam.
Thank you.
best regards.
Emily,
Hi Emily,
Thanks 🙂 It’s great to hear that you are enjoying my website and sharing it with others too.
I hope you get the chance to travel and experience some of the places that I write about soon.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I am Vietnamese and I also love travel. Today I am writing an email to my friend in Mexico and I found this website.
I am very surprise and impressive about this website.
Please let me know if I can help you for anything to contribute for your website. I am willing to do it.
Best regards,
Hoa
Hi Hoa,
Thanks, I’m happy that you like my website 🙂
Thank you for your offer to help. I appreciate it.
Tom
Hi Tom
I’ve also really enjoyed reading your information. It’s great because it’s so detailed.
I wondered if you could recommend a travel guide for an independent traveller? I’ve been to Vietnam 2X and want to do some research on Ho Chi Minh so want to go to Pac Bo and Dien Bien Phu from Hanoi.
Any help would be appreciated!
Kind regards
Heather
Hi Heather,
Do you mean a tour guide? If so, I don’t have much to offer you I’m afraid. You could try contacting Buffalo Tours and explaining exactly what it is you want/need from a guide and they might be able to tailor something/someone that suits you. Buffalo Tours are good – probably the best in Vietnam.
If you mean a guide book, then a mixture of the big guides – Lonely Planet, Rough Guide etc – and online information – Rusty Compass, Travelfish etc – plus some background reading – there are lots of biographies of Ho Chi Minh available – should do the trick.
I assume you’ve already taken a look at my guide to Pac Bo Cave – beautiful place and massively significant.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I really enjoy reading your blog. It was our first time in Asia, and first time on a motorbike. We drove from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi and loved the adventure!
Hi Jacinthe,
Thanks. Great to hear you enjoyed your Vietnam road trip. I hope you’ll be back in Asia again sometime soon.
Tom
Tom, Hello!
I live in the States and just came back from an unforgettable adventure in Vietnam. I remember looking through your website on my iPhone while I was in the south (Nha Trang) once I heard about the Ho Chi Minh Road. I could feel your passion for Vietnam’s unparalleled beauty through your site, and I’m so grateful for your guidance on which routes to take in order to maximize the beauty. Super long story put short, it changed my life. It’s an odd feeling being back in the States…it’s like I’m having withdrawal from some powerful drug. I’m wondering if something similar happened to you. I’d love to go back…I’m currently working on moving my teaching business to an online platform so I can make money while traveling. Anyway, thank you for being you.
Go, go, go,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Thanks! Great to hear that you had such an amazing time. Yes, I do feel similar after a good trip – but I’m lucky enough to live in Vietnam and have lots of other opportunities to go on more road trips, so I don’t feel too much ‘withdrawal’ once I’m back in Saigon 🙂
I hope you get the chance to come back to Vietnam are do some more inspiring journeys.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I just want to thank you for putting together such an amazing website! I found yours through Jodi Ettenberg’s site and I am very touched by your apparent love for Vietnam. Make me so much prouder to be a Vietnamese. I’m heading to Saigon in a week to visit family and friends. Looking forward to try some of your food & drink recommendations. It’s been 4 years since I’ve been back, so I’m sure a lot has changed. Cám ơn và chúc anh nhiều sức khỏe!
Uyen
Hi Uyen,
Thanks! It’s great to hear that you’ve enjoyed reading my blog. I hope you have a fantastic time in Saigon eating and drinking your way through the city 🙂
Cám ơn nhiều,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I sent you some pictures through your facebook!
Hope you enjoy it!
Chúc anh mọi điều tốt lành,
Pat
Thanks, Patrick. I’ll take a look.
Tom
Hi Tom,
Have you ever been to any spring water in DaLat or handicraft village or bamboo village? Actually , the pine road is the way heading to my hometown.
I would like to send you some pictures and maybe you have been there.
Have a good day!
Pat
Hi Patrick,
No, I don’t think I’ve been there. Sure, send me some pictures.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I could not believe that you have been living in Vietnam and Have written such wonderful stories.
T hank you for having good thinking about VN. As you hvae been written about beutiful places of VN I would like to guide you to the north of Dalat if you find interesting .It is the road heading to the North of central high land.
There are a lot of villages ,waterfall, coffe plantation,rice field…you can find some on my face book( shane kosa).
I have taken some foreigner friends they all loved it..I f you are interested in..please feel free to text me on facebook.
I hope you keep writing interesting thing about Vietnam!
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thanks. Yes, I have been on some of the roads to the north of Dalat. I wrote about one of them recently: The Pine Tree Road.
I also climbed Lang Bian many years ago 🙂 Which roads north of Dalat do you like to go on?
Tom
Brilliant to come across your site. We are not quite at the really adventurous end of the scale travelling with 3 really small kids but loving some of your recommendations and great detail your share, we’ll be using some of your tips when we arrive in 10 days time!
Hi Keri,
Great to hear you’ve found my site useful. Yes, it must be a very different experience travelling with three kids! But great fun too, I imagine 🙂
I hope you enjoy Vietnam when you get here.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I’m Vietnamese, Saigonese. I needed to find some information for my foreign friends, so I found you. I just want to say thank you for your love with my country.
Vietnam Coracle is a wonderful, inspired website. You are very kind and thoughtful when you’re replied all comments with clear, helpful details.
Cảm ơn anh, Tom.
V.
Hi Vy,
Thanks! I’m very happy to hear that you are enjoying my website and that it has been useful to you and your foreign friends. And, yes, I do love Vietnam 🙂
Không có gì 🙂
Tom
Hi Tom,
Just wondering if you can tell me the type of work you do n Vietnam? are you s English teacher at the moment? as I did read in one of your previous reports you come across to do ESL course?
If I decided to live in Vietnam long term I would look at teaching English the hard part is knowing if I would enjoy teaching as forking out $1600US to do a month long TESOL course and then not liking teaching is a risk, but if I don’t try I would never know.
Last time I was in Vietnam I did enjoy teaching many Vietnamese people English in parks as most would approach me and I would teach 3 people all of a sudden there’s 5 then 10 minutes later 10 in front of me but obviously this is a lot different to teaching in a school!
Cheers
Hi,
Yes, I first came to Vietnam to do a TEFL course. I liked the course and I liked teaching so I decided to stay in Vietnam teaching English. It gives you a chance to live, work and travel in Vietnam (and other countries), but of course it all depends on whether you enjoy the job or not. There’s not really any way of knowing unless you try it.
There are lots of decent teaching positions available so there’s plenty to choose from. A TEFL course in Saigon is good fun anyway.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom
Like others, thanks for this site. It’s always good to read up on places as much as you can before deciding to embark on a journey there and you provide great information.
I have looked at many TEFL courses in Vietnam and confused as to the best option? Can you tell me which organisation you did your course with?
Thanks heaps
Hi Paulette,
Thanks. My TEFL course was with TEFL International. It was superb: the instructor, the course, the teaching practices and the other students – it was a perfect combination.
However, we simply got lucky that all those aspects aligned themselves for our particular course – it doesn’t really have that much to do with the particular organization you choose.
One thing to consider if you’re doing a TEFL in Vietnam is that, in Vietnam, when you first find a teaching job you will most likely be teaching children – regardless of your preference or skills. For me, this was perfect because my TEFL course had focused primarily on teaching children. But, for many people – especially those who’ve done a CELTA course, which focuses of teaching adults – this can be a big problem.
So try to think about what age/ability you’d most like to teach and then see if you can find out which TEFL courses focus on which age bracket.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
AMAZING site. Thank you for all the effort you have put into it. The information is excellent and well written.
I am coming to Vietnam in 2017 for an open ended trip.
Now all I need to do is find a similar site for India! Any suggestions???
Cheers.
Hi Stuart,
Thanks. I’m afraid I don’t know of a similar site for India. However, I’m sure a little research on Google and a look through some guidebooks will yield some results. I’m sure there’s someone somewhere in India who is writing good independent travel advice 🙂
Tom
Hey Mate,
Correct me if I’m wrong but I noticed you haven’t ridden down Soc Trang, Ca Mau area is there any reason for this? as I was looking at going Ho Chi Minh – Can Tho – Soc Trang – Ca Mau – Rach Gia – Phu Quoc.
Just wanted to know if there as any issues with riding in the Soc Trang / Ca Mau area?
Cheers
Brent
Hi Brent,
I shall correct you 🙂 I rode there a few months ago: this is my guide. I’ve also written a guide to driving across the Mekong Delta to Phu Quoc Island here. And a guide to Phu Quoc’s Beaches here.
I hope these help,
Tom
Thanks mate!
Just what I was looking for you!
(no need to publish just wanted to say thanks)
You’re welcome, Brent.
(It’s good for my site to publish comments and replies, so I hope you don’t mind)
Enjoy your trip,
Tom
Hey Tom,
I’m planning a one month road trip with my brother in Vietnam in January and have been using your website a lot for reference, it’s incredibly helpful! I was wondering what HP or CC engine you would recommend? I’ve been mostly looking into 125CC/ 10HP, but am unsure if they’ll have enough power to take on some of the mountain passes in North and Central Vietnam. Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks,
Zach
Hi Zach,
Yes, 125cc is absolutely fine for any of the roads I’ve written about on my site. The only reason you would need something more powerful is if you were planning to go off-road. Even with a passenger and luggage on the back a 115 or 125cc bike will be more than capable on getting up the steepest of hills in Vietnam, as long as they are paved roads. Obviously you should make sure that the bike is in good condition before you set off.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I learned your website on google and very glad that you have made a very exciting street food in Saigon. Hope to read more about your articles. I am currently working for a school of culinary arts in Saigon. And I would like to hear from you. Thank you.
Hi Thanh,
Thanks. I hope you enjoy the street food in Saigon and working at the culinary arts school. There will, indeed, be more food articles to come on Vietnam Coracle 🙂
Tom
Hello,
Great site and have shared it with many people that I work with. I have a question for you please. Bike rental company in Denang that will allow for drop off in Hue? The idea is to do the Hai Van Pass.
I emailed the bike company you mentioned but they do not have a partner in Hue to drop the bike off at.
Thank you for any thoughts and advice you can provide. Tricia
Hi Tricia,
Thanks for sharing my website 🙂
Did you try Rent a Bike Vietnam and Flamingo Travel already? They should both be able to arrange drop off/pick up in Hue. You might also try contacting Hoi An Motorbike Adventures to see what they can do.
Let me know if that works.
Tom
Hi Tom,
Great Blog! I’m going to travel from north to south on a motorbike, 20 days in September! Found great tips here! This is going to be very helpful! I have one question for you: rent or buy? Some people say that its a better deal buy a motorbike in Hanói and then sell it in Ho Chi Minh, for example, than rent it for 20 days. What do you think? Is that too risky?
Best Regards,
Duarte
Hi Duarte,
Yes, that’s a big question for many people. I think it’s all about time. Finding a good bike for sale and then checking it and making any additions (if needed) can takes days, and then finding a buyer at the other end can also take days. So if you have less than a month in country I do not think buying a bike is worth the time and effort.
With 20 days I would rent a bike from a reputable company – try Rent a Bike Vietnam or Flamingo Travel (you can mention Vietnam Coracle if you like, they know me). Organize it in advance so that they will have the bike you want when you want it. Both of those companies can pick your bike up at the end of your trip.
Other advantages of renting are that you can be more confident about the condition your bike is in, and if something goes wrong on the road – e.g mechanical or maybe you get stopped by the police – you can always call them for assistance.
When it comes to money, again it’s all about time. If you’re only here for 20 days you won’t be saving much by buying instead of renting.
Have a great trip,
Tom
Hi Tom,
A friend and I are planning a month long trip from Ha Noi to HCM city the month of December. So glad I found your site. We were going to buy Honda Wave and/or Win (2 bikes) until I noticed that you have a Nouvo. You write that you’re happy with your Nouvo. If you were to buy another bike today, would it still be the Nouvo or would you recommend another bike. We plan to buy used bikes in Ha Noi, and have them reconditioned for the trip south. Though we have looked up Craigslist, due to time constraints, we most likely will buy the bikes from a dealer in Ha Noi. Any recommendations you have on bikes and where to buy them would be much appreciated. BTW, we’ll be taking the HCM Road that you have recommended. Thank you again for taking the time to put on this site. Great information.
Best regards,
Hieu
Hi Hieu,
Yes, I’m happy with my Nouvo, and if I was to buy another bike tomorrow, I’d buy a Nouvo again. Every single road trip guide that I’ve written on my website, I have ridden it on my Nouvo. They are reliable, very easy to drive, and can be repaired almost anywhere. However, the same can definitely be said for the Honda Wave. The Win is a bigger, ‘real’ motorbike. Ultimately, it depends on how you want to do your driving and what kind of roads you will be on. If you are going off-road you will certainly need a manual bike, and preferably a ‘real’ motorbike, like the Win. If you’re staying on paved roads, then the Nouvo or Wave is all you need. Some people prefer to Wave and Win because they are manual and you get more of a feel for the bike. But if you want it simple and comfortable, the Nouvo is fine.
Craigslist will have bikes on there, also you could look for a Hanoi Expats Facebook group – I’m based in Saigon, and the expat Facebook page often has ads from people selling good bikes. You might also contact some of the reputable bike rental companies in Hanoi: I recommend Flamingo Travel and Rent a Bike Hanoi – they may be able to guide you in the right direction for purchasing a bike.
I hope this helps,
Tom
Hi! I’ve been having a look at your website and you seem to have a vested personal interest in Vietnam which makes you stand out from the usual travel guide type website. My friend and I are going to Vietnam south to north from 1st June-17th August.
I have some questions, do you know anything about getting a multi entry 90 day visa?? And if a multi entry visa is not possible, does Vietnam have the excitement and abundance of adventure to keep my friend and I entertained for 2 and a half months (im sure it does hehe).
I might point out that the Vietnam Embassy in London replied to our email regarding multi-entry 90 day visa’s with, ‘We don’t do 90 day multi-entry visa’s’
We’ve heard about these ‘on arrival’ visa’s you can get but they don’t sound too reliable and many websites claiming to issue 90 day multi entry visa’s appear questionable to say the least…You got any advice for me?!
Hi Thomas,
I’m not certain of the visa situation at the moment. There have been an awful lot of policy changes over the last few months – no one, including the government, seems to know what the actual situation is. However, I would advise against the visa on arrival. Lots of people do it, and it works out fine most of the time, but who needs the hassle of a long queue, paperwork, and uncertainty of not having a visa in-hand once you land. Better to prearrange your visa and slide out of the airport and straight into Vietnam, no fuss.
Yes, there’s plenty to do in Vietnam for 90 days, especially if you have an adventurous spirit, palate, and a motorbike for at least some of that time.
Have a great trip,
Tom
Hi tom foley here great info I will be returning to vietnam April hcmc to hanoi.3 months tour by motorbike as you say fantastic country and people food superb iwould like to know good place to buy yamaha nuovo hcmc for my trip. Tom also your take on camping on the trip thanking you. Never Foley
Hi Neville,
Well, 3 months is certainly plenty of time to enjoy riding in Vietnam!
When looking for a Nouvo in HCMC to buy you can check the notice boards of popular budget hotels in the Pham Ngu Lao backpackers area. There’s always notices from people looking to sell bikes. Also, try Craigslist and other popular on-line listings. You can also contact some of the bigger motorbike rental companies in HCMC to see if they have any bikes to sell. Try Flamingo or Saigon Scooter Rental.
Camping is fun and certainly doable, but it’s best to be as discreet as you can: try to find a place where you are not visible from the road. It also depends on the route you take. If you’re taking country back roads then they’ll be more opportunities to camp, but if you’re taking highways it’s unlikely you’ll find a suitable spot.
Have a great trip.
Tom
Thanks Tom for info I will take coastal route and call into dalat and other central locations. Tom what’s your take on changing money in the banks in vietnam. Thanking you Nev Foley
Hi Neville,
Changing money in Vietnam’s bank is absolutely fine. Just be aware that anything other than US dollars, Euros, and Vietnamese Dong will be difficult to change anywhere. Also, Vietnamese banks (and other exchange outlets) are very fussy about the condition of notes – anything that looks old is unlikely to be accepted.
Tom
This is a great website! I am loving reading about your motorcycle adventures, the information you provided is exactly what I am after and from someone who enjoys the travel on motorbike so much.which means now I don’t have to read the forum posts from haters saying don’t ride a bike in Vietnam blah blah blah but with riding sensibly and cautiously as you mention you should be fine.
I appreciate the time you have taken to write all this comprehensive information, I am planning 3-6 months in Vietnam alot of the time on motorbike with the hope of living there permanently as I loved it so much last time I visited!
Keep up the good work mate!
Thanks, Brent.
If you’ve got 3-6 months in Vietnam and a motorbike you’re guaranteed to have a great time! I hope you get a lot of exploring done and really interact with Vietnam at every turn and in every way.
Good luck,
Tom
Hi Tom. Love your blog and like everyone else am grateful for the time you spend on it and the detail you include to enhance the experience of Vietnam for all who read it. A couple of recommendations for other readers. Cong Cafe in Hanoi, opposite the Cathedral. Try the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and coconut. Hoi An. Did a tour called The Taste Of Hoi An. Well worth it. Neville and his wife Colleen are Australians who have lived in Vietnam for 5 years. Don’t let that put you off. They use locals as guides and the whole day is worth every cent you will spend. Neville will give you great recommendations on everything from where to eat, where to buy clothes and jewellery, where to buy leather etc etc. If you don’t do the tour you must go to Madam Kanh, the Banh Mi Queen. She truly is the Queen. Sit down to eat and ask her daughter to make you a coffee. You will not regret it. Dalat. A dessert place at 59 Duong 3 thang 2. We had the banana wrapped in sticky rice and banana leaf cooked over coals and served in a sago sauce. Really really good. I didn’t have a sweet tooth till I came to Vietnam! Now it’s off to Saigon to try some more of Tom’s recommendations.Cheers. Alison.
Thanks, Alison.
Good to hear you’ve had a great trip in Vietnam. Thanks for the recommendations. I’m sure my readers will benefit from your tips.
I hope you enjoy Saigon as much as the rest of the country.
Tom
I happened to read your post about the duck eggs. it is such a coincidence that I have just finished my 300 word writing about that kind of dish for my friend’s website. I am curious enough to dig in your blog for more and I must say your About me is too attractive even to a VNmese who live all her life in Vietnam 🙂
I want to say thanks, for being such a nice ambassador for VN tourism.
Will be a close follower of your site!
Happy new year, btw.
Thank you!
It’s great to live in a country where there is so much to see, eat and do 🙂
Tom
Tom, myself, daughter and son in law are coming to Vietnam in February. We are flying into Saigon renting bikes and riding to Hanoi. We have two weeks and are really looking forward to the trip.
Your site is very interesting and I am sure it will be a big help.
Do you know anything about Flamingo Travel where we might be renting the bikes?
Hi Terry,
Sounds like a great trip in prospect.
I’ve never had any direct contact with Flamingo, but I’ve meet plenty of people who have and they all seem to have had positive experiences. I usually rent bikes for friends and family from Rent a Bike Hanoi, they are easy to deal with and very efficient, as I’m sure Flamingo are too.
Good luck with the trip. Probably best to stay in the south at that time of year. Try the the Nui Chua Coastal Road and the Southeast Loop – they can be easily combined for a great coastal-highlands ride.
Tom
Hi Tom! I just stumbled upon your website and I love it. I’m a Viet Kieu and have been back many times. I still love to visit there, but like many tourists, the country and its rapid development often leave me very disappointed. However, the country is still incredibly beautiful and the food is amazing (and I’ve had lots of Vietnamese food everywhere). And once you really get to know the people, they are generous and sweet as ever. Reading your blog and seeing your perspective on VietNam have given me a new appreciation for my native land. Cam on rat nhieu!
Thanks, Tin.
I’m glad you enjoy reading my blog and it’s good to hear your enthusiasm for Vietnam.
Không có gì! 🙂
Tom
Hi Tom,
You’re so right. I’ve been here in Saigon a little over a year, and feel that Vietnam reveals more to me every month. I’m in love with this country. You have an incredible website! I can’t wait to put much more of it to use – your project is an inspiration. Thanks for all the time you must put into this. I look forward to seeing even more of this great city and country with your guides.
Ben
Thanks, Ben. I hope Vietnam continues to grow on you.
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks for all the effort you put into the site, as a recent arrival to HCMC, you given me many great ideas for dining places to check out. I guess having lived in Vietnam so many years, you must’ve learned the language quite well. How important has that facility been to your experiences in the country, and can you recommend a good school in HCMC?
Hi,
Yes, I’ve been in Vietnam 8 years. I have learned a fair bit of the Vietnamese language, but I’m nowhere near fluent. If you make an effort with the language you will benefit hugely in every way. There’s a company called I Love Vietnamese Project (google it to find their website) – they offer free lessons from English students in Saigon. This might be a good place to start. I started with one-on-one lessons at a couple of universities in Saigon – Dai Hoc Su Pham and Dai Hoc Nhan Van va Xa Hoi. Classes used to be $10 an hour – no doubt it’s pricier now.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Tom
Hey Tom,
Great website! Weird request here…
Spending 25 days in Vietnam over the summer hols with my pregnant wife. She says she “won’t try street food as it’s more likely to be unhygienic”. Is this true?
Also any tips on travelling with a pregnant lady?
Thanks!
Hi Lee,
Thanks. Well, street food is certainly one of the main highlights of a visit to Vietnam and it’d be a shame to miss it. As for hygiene I rarely have any stomach problems, and whenever my friends or family from the UK come to visit me here I take them all to my favourite street food places – they dive right in, straight off the plane and off to a food vendor, and they seldom suffer any tummy trouble. In general, I’d say if you find a busy place it’ll be good food and clean and fresh. Anyway, who’s to say that restaurant food is cleaner? You can’t see what the condition of the kitchen is so you’ve no idea how clean (or not) your food is – at least with street food it’s all out in the open and there for everyone to see.
I have no experience travelling with pregnant women, but Vietnamese adore children, and pregnant women are treated with great sensitivity, so I shouldn’t think it will be an issue.
Tom
Just simply great answer.
“You can’t see what the condition of the kitchen is so you’ve no idea how clean (or not) your food is – at least with street food it’s all out in the open and there for everyone to see”.
Your site is very interesting, even to a Vietnamese. Thanks
Hi Hong,
Thanks 🙂 I’m glad you like it.
Tom
Hi Tom excellent Blog, what is your country of origin ?
Thank you, Sylvain. I’m from England 🙂
I’m Vietnamese but currently studying abroad and only get to go home for 2 months every year during summer. I always want to spend those 2 months eating as much Vietnamese food as I can so I won’t miss it (but I will anyways) when coming back to Canada. I has been looking for good places to eat this summer in HCMC for the past few weeks. That’s how I found your website. And wooow, your website is impressive! You probably have tried way more food in Vietnam than I have 🙂 I enjoy reading your blog.
Thank you for all your recommendations, can’t wait to try them! More than that, thank you for loving the country, especially the food! Totally agree with you that most travelers return home underwhelmed by their culinary experience of the country because of Vietnamese restaurants that cater to foreign tourists. It’s also because many foreigners are afraid to try street food in Vietnam. Thank you for introducing them the real Vietnamese food! ^_^
Hi Hạ,
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy my blog. I hope you get a chance to eat lots of Vietnamese food when you get back to Vietnam next time. If you have any favourite places to eat let me know – I’d love to try them out. I think you’re right that many foreigners are a bit reluctant to try street food, but that’s changing now because of blogs and street food tours in Saigon and Hanoi that are getting more and more popular.
Tom
Wow, I have to tell you, this is one of the BEST blog I’ve ever seen! Lots and lots of precious gems.
We are traveling for almost three years in Thailand and I really like to see a blog like that here 🙂
Thanks.
Thanks, Guy. Glad you enjoyed reading it! 🙂
Great job, I recommend this site to every traveler I’ve met here. Did the Hon Gom sandbar and doing the HCM road now. Also ate at 2 of your recs in Dalat and I never would have tried that type of food on my own. Thanks dude
hey jut wanted to say that your website is bloody great. been a real help on the coast. when looking for information on dai lanh beach and hon gom sand bar i found nothing until yours. bloody awesome lil website. keep up the good work.
Hi Ryan, glad you found the information helpful. I love that area around Dai Lanh and Hon Gom – great beaches!