Train travel in Vietnam
- Thread starter Yu_Gi_Oh
- Start date
Yu_Gi_Oh
天天好心情
Thanks.
We're just planning one night in Nanning in China, then maybe one night in Hanoi if we need it, then seven nights in Nha Trang, and then going back in the same fashion. We are on a budget so won't be able to add in too many destinations.
Lazy Llama
Suburban robots that monitor reality
In Hanoi we stayed at the Calypso Legend. We had booked at their other hotel, Calypso Grand, but on arrival they moved us as they didn't have the room type we expected available.
I wouldn't recommend it to be honest. The breakfast was pretty poor, and there was some kind of propaganda speaker system right outside which started at 7am.
Cheaper rooms in Vietnam tend not to have any external windows or natural light.
Our budget wasn't as tight as when we've been backpacking. Mrs Llama reckons the B&Bs are better value, e.g Hanoi First Choice near the church by the lake.
In Hué we stayed at the Holiday Diamond which was lovely, helpful staff and what has to be the smallest lift in the world.
Hoi An is a tourist trap, but it's still really nice, and has some great places to eat and drink. We stayed at Vinh Hung III there.
I wouldn't recommend it to be honest. The breakfast was pretty poor, and there was some kind of propaganda speaker system right outside which started at 7am.
Cheaper rooms in Vietnam tend not to have any external windows or natural light.
Our budget wasn't as tight as when we've been backpacking. Mrs Llama reckons the B&Bs are better value, e.g Hanoi First Choice near the church by the lake.
In Hué we stayed at the Holiday Diamond which was lovely, helpful staff and what has to be the smallest lift in the world.
Hoi An is a tourist trap, but it's still really nice, and has some great places to eat and drink. We stayed at Vinh Hung III there.
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
Loved Hanoi, a very cool city, definitely worth two or three days to explore. We flew down to Saigon. I would have preferred to get the train if we had more time.
Voley
🐭
This thread's making me wish I'd got a bit further North than Saigon. It was the end of my first major trip - money was dwindling - and one morning I just decided that three months was enough and next thing I was back home. The Mekhong Delta was stunningly beautiful. There's a bit near the Cambodian border (Chau Doc? Something like that) where I got ill and had to stay put for a few days. Luckily my room was above this floating village thing that was fascinating. Even if I hadn't been stuck in my room I could've happily sat there with my head out the window watching the world go by for a couple of days.
Yu_Gi_Oh
天天好心情
It's great that so many of you are reporting that you've done it and enjoyed it, though I am wondering if you're all hardy souls? 
How many people had cockroaches crawling on them? 
Thanks, I'll have a look for it when I'm back in England.
Oh so helpful, NVP, as ever!
Please can I see the rocket launcher pic?
How many people had cockroaches crawling on them? Thanks, I'll have a look for it when I'm back in England.
I had a look through the file marked 'Vietnam / Cambodia' trying to find a photo of the floating village but all I could manage was a photo of me with a rocket launcher.
I hope my contributions to this thread have been helpful, yugi.
Oh so helpful, NVP, as ever!
Please can I see the rocket launcher pic?
Voley
🐭
His exact words: 'You look like madman.'
That was Phnom Penh. It's fucking mental there. I loved it. Stayed for about a week. You've got all that sort of stuff going on in the day and then you settle down on the roof of your guesthouse with a big bag of relaxant of choice and gawp at stuff like this:
not-bono-ever
meh
Another good book to get is "derailed in uncle Ho's victory garden" by Tim Page - its out of print, but you can get it at if you look around
not-bono-ever
meh
His exact words: 'You look like madman.'
That was Phnom Penh. It's fucking mental there. I loved it. Stayed for about a week. You've got all that sort of stuff going on in the day and then you settle down on the roof of your guesthouse with a big bag of relaxant of choice and gawp at stuff like this:
View attachment 30254 View attachment 30255
PP is teh great
Voley
🐭
Yeah I enjoyed staying there a lot. Pretty fucked up but I quite liked it's lawlessness. Anyhow, just to illustrate how fucked up it all is, I've just done a bit of googling about the place I stayed in (pics above) and that lake's been filled with sand now! Some developer did it and evicted loads of the locals. One of them ended up banged up and Amnesty International were campaigning for her release.
not-bono-ever
meh
I stayed in the Correspondents Club, right on the river bank - the mini bar consisted of 1Ltr bottles of Stoly!
It's great that so many of you are reporting that you've done it and enjoyed it, though I am wondering if you're all hardy souls?
Nah, Everywhere I stayed was pretty nice and clean etc, not like Cambodia or Lao was, some places were pretty flash really considering the price, better than any hotel I've stayed in in Paris and better than cheap hotel rooms in the rest of europe. Vietnamese tourist trade people go out of their way to do as much for you as possible and make you as comfortable as possible (ime) although it can end up costing.
Sapa was the place in the mountains, on the border with China. I then got the train from Hanoi to Nha Trang, then up to Da Lat on the back of a bike/moped thingy with a Vietnamese bloke who did this for a living. The bike journey took 3 days.
ETA: I think I'm wearing trousers made for me in Hoi An, which I liked despite its touristyness. I went to Vietnam during the SARS outbreak though, so it was quiet.
ETA: I think I'm wearing trousers made for me in Hoi An, which I liked despite its touristyness. I went to Vietnam during the SARS outbreak though, so it was quiet.
Yu_Gi_Oh I forgot to reply!
I can't remember details but I liked Nha Trang, I liked the feel of the place, it felt quite free, especially after Hanoi with its tannoy system. The view from my hotel reminded me of the view from my flat when I lived in Marseille, with the sun setting behind the hills.
I can't remember details but I liked Nha Trang, I liked the feel of the place, it felt quite free, especially after Hanoi with its tannoy system. The view from my hotel reminded me of the view from my flat when I lived in Marseille, with the sun setting behind the hills.
shakespearegirl
just worked out taglines
I just got back from 3 weeks there. Did the overnight train to sapa in a private cabin on the orient express. Cabin was fine and clean.
I loved Hoi An, been to vietnam twice now and it's my favourite city.
Hotels are really good value - by uk standards anyway. We stayed at hoi an chic, which is in the paddy fields on the way out to the beach. Lovely hotel.
Didn't go to na trang this time as I really didn't like it on the last trip.
I loved Hoi An, been to vietnam twice now and it's my favourite city.
Hotels are really good value - by uk standards anyway. We stayed at hoi an chic, which is in the paddy fields on the way out to the beach. Lovely hotel.
Didn't go to na trang this time as I really didn't like it on the last trip.
I'm thinking of going to Vietnam with the Mrs and the kids (13+19) as it's her 50th next year. We'd be going in April.
We'd also like to go to Cambodia but we'll only have about 16/17 days max.
I spoke to my mate who suggested going to Ho Chi Minh and the Mekong Delta then up into Cambodia via Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh and ending in Siem Reap.
My mate probably doesn't appreciate the issues of travelling as a family so just wondered if anyone has any comments or suggestions about this as an itinerary?
We'd also like to go to Cambodia but we'll only have about 16/17 days max.
I spoke to my mate who suggested going to Ho Chi Minh and the Mekong Delta then up into Cambodia via Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh and ending in Siem Reap.
My mate probably doesn't appreciate the issues of travelling as a family so just wondered if anyone has any comments or suggestions about this as an itinerary?
