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3 week Itinerary - would love your opinion!!

sackonmyback

backpacker
Posts: 19

Hi there -
My 3 week initerary is below - any suggestions or changes welcome if we havent left long enough in some places!!
Hanoi - 3 nights/2 days
Halong Bay - 2 nights/3 days (do a cruise this could drop to just a one night if too long)
Overnight train from Hanoi to Hue
Hue - 2 nights/2 days
Hoi An - 3 nights/2.5 days
Possiby take overnight bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang if worth it?? Means would only have 1 day and 1 night there tho?
Fly from Nha Trang or Da Nang if not going to Nha Trang to HCMC get connecting flight to Phu Quoc same day.
Phu Quoc - 5 nights/5 days (is this too long?)
Fly back to HCMC
HCMC - 3 nights/2 days

We have excluded Mui Ne as we are doing the beach thing on Phu Quoc. Nha Trang has us a bit stumped - whether its worth the visit or tack an extra day on somewhere else.
Thanks heaps guys!

#1 Posted: 19/12/2007 - 09:54
somtam2000

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mahout
Posts: 5884
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If you're only planning one night at Nha Trang, then I'd say skip it, perhaps take an extra day in Hoi An. Five days on Phu Quoc is not too much!

#2 Posted: 19/12/2007 - 12:18

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sackonmyback

backpacker
Posts: 19

Hi somtam
Thanks for replying.
Do you recommend taking a day off somewhere else like Phu Quoc or halong bay to squeeze in an extra day in Nha Trang - making it 2 days there? Or just flag? Ive heard mixed reports about it.
Cheers

#3 Posted: 20/12/2007 - 03:31
somtam2000

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mahout
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Not really. The beaches at Nha Trang are ok, but they're no comparison to Phu Quoc in my opinion. Unless you're planning on doing some exploring down around Cam Ranh Bay -- in which case you'd need more than an extra day anyway, I'd stick with Phu Quoc.

Another option, would be to fly one way to Phu Quoc and do the other overland via the Delta -- for example stopping at Can Tho to see the floating markets etc. The Delta is really beautiful and worth the effort if time allows. There are direct buses from Rach Gia (the port town for Phu Quoc) to Can Tho and onwards to Ho Chi Minh City.

#4 Posted: 20/12/2007 - 07:59

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sackonmyback

backpacker
Posts: 19

Cool thanks Somtam - was trying to work out how to fit in that. Wicked idea. Thanks heaps for your help. Have a good one.

#5 Posted: 20/12/2007 - 08:13
thorny13

newbie
Posts: 1

I would suggest more time in Nha Trang 2-3 nights will give you a rest from the travelling in a really nice place. I stayed 2 nights in Hoi An which was plenty.

#6 Posted: 21/12/2007 - 15:01
CatBa

adventurer
Posts: 349

Posted from within Vietnam.

Maybe your Ha Noi portion is a day too long - pre-book your Ha Long Bay cruise (like a busy cruise look to < www.emeraude-cruises.com/ > or for a smaller 15-cabin boat check out < www.Tropical-Sails.com >).

You MUST prebook your Ha Noi >> Hue (soft-sleeper) before heading to Ha Long as there is usually a 2-3 day wait list. AVOID using a 'travel agent' - better you go to 120 La Duan Street (Ha Noi Railway Station) and book yourself.

Choose a train that arrives in Hue early in the morning and chck-in to your hotel (I like the Nguyen Tri Phuong at 56 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street: Tel: 054-829-282; Fax: 054-849-482; E-m: NguyenTriPhuongHotel@yahoo.com (at around USD$12 for an air-con room, no breakfast)

You could catch the mid-day tour run by CITY TOUR (*NOT* the Trekking Travel bus - old bus) and see the Citadel and several tombs before evening.

You could then catch either the 08.00H or 13.00H OpenTour Bus - SINH is recommended (safe) avoid Camel, Hung Thanh and Trekking Travel OpenTour buses (all have had multiple crashes in the past year) - to Hoi An.

I recommend the Nhi Nhi Hotel (has a pool) in Hoi An as it is close to the Ancient Town yet not surrounded by tourist traps (avoid Impressions Boutique - do a Google and see why).

The Nhi Nhi contact info is: Tel: 0510-916-718; Fax: 0510-916-718; E-m: vancamdn@yahoo.com or letannhinhiha@yahoo.com; Web: www.hoiannhinhihotel.com/

The Hoi An beach is Cua Dai where there are WHIRLPOOLS (Cua Dai hotels prefer you not to know) and a parking scam (they try to persuade you to park by pretending to be policemen!).

I would then fly from Da Nang (an hour north of Hoi An) to Phu Quoc transitting at HCMC as Nha Trang is no longer the nice place it used to be.

Three days before you depart, head back to HCMC and 'do' the sites. This will put you in your city of departure avoiding possible weather delays in Phu Quoc.

NOTE that 3 weeks is sufficient for a much more detailed tour - have you considered visiting Sa Pa (out of Ha Noi)?

#7 Posted: 21/12/2007 - 21:10