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<title>Travelfish Vietnam forum</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/</link>
<description>Digest of the Vietnam travel forum</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:07:44 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title>Leave In 1 Week! Final Itinerary Help :)</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22234_Leave-in-1-week--Final-itinerary-help---/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:47:36 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi All
I leave in 1 week today for Vietnam. I fly into   Hanoi   and will be going north to south. Just wanted your advice on my itinerary before I head off  I do realise that when I get to a place I a may like or dislike it more than anticipated. And I will be flexible for this rough plan give or take a few days here and there! But I am a self confessed planner pre trip (that is what a boring job will do to you!). But on the road I am more than happy to be a lot more relaxed!

* Hanoi - 3 nights
*   Sapa   - 2 nights
* Hanoi - 2 nights (meeting up with a friend who arrives that day)
*  Ha Long Bay  - 1 or 2 nights?
*  Hue  - 2 or 3 nights
*  Hoi An  - 3 nights
*  Nha Trang  - 2 nights
*  Mui Ne  - 2 nights
* HCMC - 3 nights

My ... ]]></description>
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<title>Vietnam - Visa On Arrival Photo Requirements - Help Please</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22225_Vietnam---Visa-On-Arrival-Photo-Requirements---help-please/0</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:33:58 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi there,

I am about to go to Vietnam in 6 sleeps (bit excited).
I am using the Visa on Arrival service and have just noticed that it asks for a 4 cm x 6 cm passport photo. I have obtained regular Australian Passport sized photos which are considerably smaller than 4 x 6 cm and do not show shoulders.
I am arranging the visas for four people one of which obtained the correct size and now im stuck trying to decide if myself and the other two travellers should go and pay to have more pics taken at 4cm x 6cm size.

Does anyone know if the VOA desk in Ho Chi Minh city is fussy about the photo size? Some websites say 'standard passport photo' however the form clearly says 4cm x 6cm which is much larger than the regular Australian Passport ... ]]></description>
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<title>Hoi An To Danang Airport In The Early Airport</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22175_Hoi-An-to-Danang-Airport-in-the-early-airport/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:26:56 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I'm currently trying to buy a flight from Danang to HCMC after staying in  Hoi An  for a few days.  Currently the cheapest ones are early in the morning or late at night.  I would rather deal with getting to Saigon in the morning rather than at 11pm at night but am concerned about getting a 7am flight out of Danang coming from Hoi An.  Is it doable to get there at that time?  Is there any additional cost usually?  Thanks for the help.

ETA:  just realized that I meant early morning in the title and not early airport. ]]></description>
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<title>Best Way To Travel Through Vietnam?</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22143_Best-way-to-travel-through-Vietnam-/0</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jun 2013 02:36:48 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi All,

I'm currently planning a trip to Southeast Asia, where I'll be staying at a friends in Bangkok and then hopefully travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia etc.

I wondered if I could get some advice on how best to do Vietnam. Would it be best to fly from Bangkok all the way up to  Hanoi  and travel down by land? How is best to travel over land? I was just reading about the open tour system.

Or would it be best to travel over land across Thailand and enter Vietnam that way?

To hear some stories/experiences and get some tips from anyone that has done this/is planning to do this would be good!

Cheers ]]></description>
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<title>My Journeys Through Vietnam</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22140_my-journeys-through-Vietnam/0</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:53:12 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I am a Vietnam girl, but I never take the time to travel in my country. Now I decided to implement it in my journeys through Vietnam
My plan is to meet the flight from Ho Chi Minh to Ha Noi and start from   Hanoi

Fly From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh    : Stay 4 days ( travel around Hanoi )
From Ha Noi go to  Ha Long Bay    : Stay 3 days
From Ha Long go to Lang Son      : 2 or 3 days
From Lang Son go to Cao Bang    : 2 days
From Cao Bang go to Yen Bai       : 1 days
From Yen Bai go to   Son La   (Sapa here)      : 3 days
From Son La go to    Hoa Binh   (with hot springs): 2 days
From   Hoa Binh go to  Ninh Binh  (temples with statues thousand of Buddha): 2 days
This is  my travel itinerary of the northern Vietnam. (Plz help me how to go ... ]]></description>
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<title>Motorbike Travel Buddy</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22128_motorbike-travel-buddy/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:57:54 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ heya, 22m from melbourne looking for a travel buddy for a motorbike tour through july, starting up north in hanoi and flying out of ho chi at the end of july, open to any travel ideas! ]]></description>
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<title>XO Tours??</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22117_XO-tours--/0</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jun 2013 21:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hey there!

Has anyone done a motrobike tour with this company?
It looks like fun but I am not sure that going on the back of a morotbike in Vietnam is wise?
I guess it's like everything though - if you don't take the risk oyu'll never know.

Thanks ]]></description>
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<title>Vietnam Temporary Passport</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22108_Vietnam-temporary-passport/0</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:26:54 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi there

I urgently need to know if as a South African I can apply for a temporary south african passport in Vietnam at the South African embassy as my passport is going to expire in less than 6 months which I have just discovered!!

Also how long would the visa take to process?

Any help would be hugely appreciated. ]]></description>
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<title>Saigon #152 Airport Bus-how Often?</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22067_Saigon--152-airport-bus-how-often-/0</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 May 2013 04:35:18 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi everybody, does anyone know how often the airport bus runs from the bus station to the airport?

I have to be at the airport at 9 a.m. tomo. and forgot to check...stupid me.
Or, even better, does anybody have the bus schedule?

Thanks for yr answers. ]]></description>
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<title>Frist Time!! No Idea!!</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22058_Frist-time---No-idea--/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 May 2013 19:48:48 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Help needed please! This will be my first time in Vietnam and I really have no idea where to go or what to do. I will be travelling end of August/beginning September for 9 days max. I would like to visit Saigon as well as some other interesting places to get a feel for the country but would also like some beach time so:
The best airport to fly into would be???
How much time in the capital???
How to then travel to a beach resort???
Any tours recommeded???

Thank you for your help. ]]></description>
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<title>Avoid The Real Kangaroo Cafe Halong Bay Tours</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22056_Avoid-The-Real-Kangaroo-Cafe-Halong-Bay-Tours/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 May 2013 15:35:41 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Just had a terrible experience with The Real Kangaroo Cafe, Hanoi.

In a nutshell, poor quality boat, poor itinerary, bad guides and when we complained (as the itinerary asked us to) we were told by the owner he is a member of the 1%er motorbike gang and would have people waiting for us when we got back from the tour to hurt us (his exact words were more obscene!).  When we did get back we were faced with an irate and irrational owner talking over us with a video camera in our faces.

Please don't trust the promises on their website and shop around when looking for a Halong Bay Tour.

Here is our review that we have sent to trip advisor with more info:

Having done substantial research about boat tours in Halong Bay we were swayed by ... ]]></description>
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<title>ATM With High Limit</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22050_ATM-with-high-limit/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 May 2013 15:38:30 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ If you're, like me, dependent on atm withdrawals for cash when traveling you may find this info useful.

I've traveled from  Hanoi  down to Saigon and had to take money out more than once because ATMs in Vietnam have a very low limit (usually 2mil. Dong at a time) which is very unfortunate if you have to pay yr bank every time you withdraw money.

I found out that City bank's ATMs have a much higher limit (8mil. Dong), unfortunately they are only in Hanoi and Saigon.

So, if you need to take money out for your Vietnam trip, I suggest you do it in Saigon and Hanoi only. Otherwise you might spend unnecessary money on bank fees, like me  ]]></description>
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<title>Cheap Accommodation In Saigon - Tip</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22044_Cheap-accommodation-in-Saigon---tip/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 May 2013 12:18:41 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ If you're looking for some cheap accommodation in Saigon, try De Tham Street. It's full of guest houses, I just got a double room with aircon, tv and wifi for $10.

On Cach Mang Thang Tam street close to the train station take bus 65 or 13 for 7000 Dong to the second roundabout, walk from there. ]]></description>
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<title>Hotels In July - To Book, Or Not To Book?</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22042_Hotels-in-July---to-book--or-not-to-book-/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 May 2013 01:24:47 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi everyone,

I've been having a hard time trying to find a conclusive answer to his question: 

is it advisable to book hotels in advance for the month of July?

We'll be travelling from south to north, on the typical tourist trail. HCMC to  Hanoi  + Halong Bay. We're trying to go for the midrange hotels.

We would prefer to be able to move around freely (without being too much committed to an itinerary/booked hotels), but are a bit worried about all the hotels being full.

It would be great to hear your opinion and experiences on this matter.

Thanks in advance! ]]></description>
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<title>Saigon Train Station-Pham Ngu Lao Area Bus?</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/22026_Saigon-train-station-Pham-Ngu-Lao-area-bus-/0</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 25 May 2013 23:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi,
does anyone know which bus to take from Saigon train station to Pham Ngu Lao' the &amp;quot;backpacker's area&amp;quot; close to all the sights?


What buses can I take and what is the fare?


Thanks ]]></description>
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<title>Sim Card</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/21984_Sim-Card/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 15:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I went to Vietnam last summer and used a Vinaphone sim card fo my iPhone 4s during my trip. When I came back to the US, I took it out and put it in a small  pouch. Now in 2 weeks, I'm going to be heading back to Vietnam again for vacation and I was wondering......could I use that same sim card again on my phone? ]]></description>
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<item>
<title>Halong Bay - Worth It?</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/21979_Halong-Bay---Worth-it-/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 21:52:45 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hey,

A friend and I are travelling around Vietnam and Cambodia for a month In July / August (I know that's not ideal in terms of time but its all we could do) I have been reading lots and have already posted and had some wonderful advice regarding my itinerary but having read more I'm wondering if I'd be better going somewhere else and missing out Halong Bay?

From what I've read  Halong City  is a bit of a mess and I'm not a big fan of grotty touristy places but is it worth the dirty water and rip off merchants to see the bay? I'm travelling in wet season and I'm just not sure what to do for the best? What about going to Sapa?

OR should I just save my sea side time for Cambodia or even around Hoi An?

Sorry for the million questions ... ]]></description>
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<title>Itinerary Help - 1 Month Vietnam (DEC)</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/21973_Itinerary-Help---1-month-Vietnam--DEC-/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 04:35:29 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi guys i will be backpacking to vietnam in the month of december to january, would be my first time.

Was wondering if we should start of from  Hanoi  or HCMC, would prefer more 'outdoor' like visiting waterfalls and at the same time not sacrificing experiencing some vietnam night life (clubbing etcetc).

Was hoping to travel to cambodia and thailand too, would a month be enough?
Also where will be the best to spend the new year countdown?

Would be on a tight budget so i guess taking another flight around wouldn't be an option.

Thanks! ]]></description>
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<title>What Is The Best Country To Travel If You Have A Tight Budget?</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/21942_What-is-the-best-country-to-travel-if-you-have-a-tight-budget-/0</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 18:18:44 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I am living in the USA, looking for a traveling adventure withmy friends. Some of my friends want to know about the budget. We want to go fortravelling little squeezed budget. We would not like to go to Hongkong orChina. So can anybody advise me on this issue? ]]></description>
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<title>3 Weeks Vietnam Itinery June For 1st Timer</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/21935_3-weeks-Vietnam-itinery-June-for-1st-timer/0</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 13:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I am travelling Vietnam for the 1st 3 weeks of June by myself (as far as im ware unless i meet someone in Bangkok) and don't really have a clue what to do or how to fit it in but have heard such incredible reviews of vietnam i now have changed my scheule to accomodate  weeks there instead of lao and cambodia (i may be able to fit these 2 in later). any MUST do places or activities or &amp;quot;off the beten track&amp;quot; stuff. am looking for a mixture of culture , beach, party and rustic enviroment. I want to see the real vietnam for example having 50p beer on the side of the road along with partying and meeting lots of other 18 yearold back packers. any replies would be fabulous thanks Matt ]]></description>
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