I had a great 12 days in the country, and definitely want to go back for round 2. I don't regret any of the decisions we made in planning where to go as we did have a 12 day limitation, but next time I would love to visit Sapa, the Mekong Delta, Ninh Binh and revisit Halong Bay and Hoi An.
Researching before going was certainly helpful, especially making myself aware of the scams and knowing what to expect. When planning the trip I often doubted it, thinking 'is this going to be horrible? Is it worth it?' and of course it was worth it - all the scams and warnings you read are true, but if you are informed they are incredibly easy to avoid and you will have a great time.
Beyond researching, another important tip is to not be a massive cheapskate. Sure, try to travel on a budget and pick things that cost less - but always ensure you are not sacrificing too much. If you want comfort, you will have to pay for it. If you want safety, you will have to pay for it. If you want western standards, you will have to pay for it. If you want clean food, you will have to pay for it. It always surprises me when tourists complain about having horrific experiences, and then go on to say the place they had this experience cost them next to nothing - and then they even tried to barter them down on that. You get what you pay for. I booked quite a lot of places in Vietnam that are considered expensive, but were actually cheaper than staying in youth hostels in my country.
My favourite places in Vietnam were Halong Bay and Hoi An. I was so anxious about Halong Bay, I wasn't sure if it would live up to my low expectations, if the weather would be terrible, if there would be pollution everywhere, cockroaches in my ship or terrible staff. Thanks to booking on Paradise Cruises, the whole experience was incredible. Because they depart off a private island/docking area they seem super-exclusive and their staff were amazing - very professional but also so friendly.
Cruising off through the bay was just gorgeous and magical, it really is a must-do. Add to that a packed itinerary of sight-seeing and activities and it was perfect. My favourite activity would have to be kayaking during a day trip, through and around the karst islands.
Hoi An just blissed me out, there were some terrible moments due to my heat-induced temper and power outages, but all in all the four days there relaxed me and showed me another side of Vietnam other than the super noisy and polluted moto overloaded streets.
Having the entire old town declared as a UNESCO heritage site is such a blessing, you can actually stroll along the streets without having to fear for your life or listen to the dreadful sounds of honking. Sitting alongside the river with a cocktail looking out at all the colour that is Vietnam is charming, as is doing the same at night when all the lanterns are alight.
I highly recommend having bikes here, not only to take you into the centre of town - but to cycle around out of the town as there is some beautiful scenery, just make sure you don't get lost like I did!
I hope someone out there has found this write up enjoyable to read and most of all helpful in planning a trip to Vietnam, I have also added a page of tips for travelling to Vietnam, don't be afraid to ask any questions if you have any.
Happy travels!
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