Vietnam forum

Nha Trang was one of my most disappointing stops in Vietnam - and I was stopping there as I wanted some beach time. The beach itself it OK, but the beach vendors get to be a nuisance. Overall, I found Nha Trang a bit dull.

Hanoi, on the otherhand, possibly isn't 'romantic' in the traditional sense, but you will leave with much better memories. If you are really keen on the beach while in Vietnam, maybe try Pho Quoc. (I didn't get there due to a change in plans so can't comment on it, but what I've heard makes it sound much better than Nha Trang.

Oh and for romance you can't beat Hoi An - far far better for that than Nha Trang in my opinion. Bike ride to the beach, dinner at a classy riverside restaurant followed by a romantic row down the river on a tiny canoe at dusk and a stay at a boutique guesthouse in the old quarter... Does it get any more romantic than that? Enjoy, and congrats!

Posted from within Vietnam.

We've just come from Hoi An (in Hanoi now) and its is very very pretty and the beaches are quite nice, but its incredibly touristy, so there is a trade off. If you do go to Hoi An though take a day trip to the Cham Islands (about 20$) for some really lovely secluded beaches. We went with a tour organised by our hotel and had the good luck to get Captain Dan as our guide, an ex-buddhist monk turned sailor who gave us some great pearls of wisdom and made the trip that bit more special. Ask around for him on the dock side at Hoi an!

Nha Trang is a big town like Brighton or Blackpool with a good clean beach (with not many people on it), but if you want a really magical kind of beach then you will again have to head for the islands off the coast. Alternatively head for a super chilled getaway nearby like Jungle Beach.

I meant 'Hoi An' in my earlier post, NOT 'Hanoi' (although I quite liked Hanoi, too!) I seem to have developed some sort of dyslexia when it comes to the names of these two!

Anyhow, just to confirm, my vote for romance would go to Hoi An!

Hoi An by a mile! You can't beat Hoi An for a honeymoon, but fly through Hanoi and stop off there for a day or 2 also - Hanoi, the Paris of Asia.

Posted from within Vietnam.

In Hoi An now.
Wonderfull town, great people.
If you have the time, go for a visit to one of the temples in the old quarter; I've got really impressed.

Hoi An. Rent a bike there!. Great to walk and bike to the great beaches!

dstrips....

Congrats on your honeymoon....enjoy!

My wife and I have been married for 3 years,however, are still very much on an extended honeymoon. We've chosen Hoi An over Nha Trang.

Because of time restraints,I needed to pick two of three places out of Nha Trang,Hoi An and Phong Nha and decided to drop Nha Trang.

According to my research....

Hoi An and Phong Nha expemplify Vietnamese culture in a much,much bigger way than Nha Trang. We want to go to Vietnam and experience Vietnam!

Hoi An sounds like a much more intresting place to go.

No doubt to REALLY experience it, one would need a LOT of time, away from the popular tourist spots......agreed MM 100%.

I find that you can go to a lot of countries and experience modernization and America, even though you’re not in America.

From what I've seen online, Nha Trang has sections like that for sure and perhaps Hoi An does as well?

I like to try and get in with the people and experience some culture whenever possible.....time permitting.

I'm hoping that the Phong Nha area and some scheduled homestays might help us get at least a taste of Vietnam.

I like to get away and find some sun for sure.Vancouver doesn't get too cold, but I prefer the sunshine of some tropical destination come Dec/Jan.

Speaking of the cultral tourism/regular tourism topic.....

My wife recentley liked Puerto Valarta with it's busy atmosphere, shops,modernization and touch of American influence.

I was in heaven when we travelled travelled southand eventually down this dirt road some 40 kilometers back to the ocean and a few very small laid back Mexican fishing villages.....awesome!.....Real Mexico!

I wanted photos taken of those smaller, poorer environments and she prefered pics the luxury found in Puerto Valarta.

She grew up in a poor environment and I in a richer North America and I guess that's why.

We blend both types of tourism and thrive really well in each others environment.

Hey.....all holiday time (tourism) is awesome!!!!....Sure beats going to work!

"I like to go to places where I'm the only white guy for miles..."

MM...LOL too funny!

I was once in a place or two like that near a jungle town in the Philipinnes.

I was the only white guy they'd seen in weeks and everywhere I went heads were turning.We went to the market and a few girls told my wife, I was Gwapo.

I asked her what Gwapo meant and she said "good looking."

Lol...if the sun is shining right I have my moments, however, over here in Canada, I'm just an average looking guy.....but to them I'm Gwapo!

Have to admit, it felt good!

Gotta love South East Asia and Asian women!

I really loved Nha Trang but i prefer Hoi An. You can visit the old town, do shopping, enjoy the beaches or discover the countryside all around.

Posted from within Vietnam.

Hoi An beach isnot as beautiful as Nha Trang but in Hoi An there are many activities you can join in. Go shopping and make tailor, visiting the town and have a cooking class is also nice experience. Or ride a bike around countryside to see vegetable village or handicraft village.
A great exeprience is boating on Thu Bon river to enjoy sunrise of sunset and take photo of fishing village. on summer time from Mar to Sep you can have 1 day visit Cham museum, diving and see coral. Beach on Cham island is also very nice.
my yahoo email: cuontheochieugio181, you can chat or email to me. Very happy to help you