Vinh

Most of the accommodation in Vinh is found along a strip of road to the west of town that changes name three times over the course of less than three kilometres -- Quang Trang, Le Loi and Mai Hac De. Since it's convenient to the train and bus stations, this is where many end up staying, and if it's all you see of Vinh, you'll likely to be very unimpressed. It's a frantic stretch of road, with not much to see and few good eating options other than noodles and rice. We strongly recommend to anyone staying here for any length of time that they seek out accommodation on the quaint and quiet back streets of Vinh, to the south and east of the Central City Park.

The park centres around a monumental statue of Uncle Ho that's beautifully lit up at night, and there's an amusement park with some rides that's good for a diversion, especially if you're travelling with kids.

A good map of Vinh (Thanh Pho Vinh, Cartographic Publishing House) can be purchased at Thanh Vinh Books on Tran Phu Street for 15,000 VND. It features good insets of Kim Lien and Cua Lo beach, and a provincial map on the reverse. It's mostly in Vietnamese, but readable.

Vinh is oriented more towards Vietnamese tourists, but Westerners interested in booking tours to Kim Lien, Cua Lo Beach, and other sites in the area might do well at the Phuong Dong Hotel's Travel Centre. Options we haven't had a chance to cover yet include: Nguyen Du Memorial Place (famous Vietnamese writer), Pumat primal forest in Con Cuong District, an ancient Thai Village, as well as grottoes and caves in Quy Chau and Que Phong districts.

Cheap, decent internet is easy to find in Vinh, but if all else fails, head to the main post office on the roundabout to the north-west of the Central City Park where it costs 2,000VND per hour.

There's a Vietcombank ATM at the corner of Le Hong Phong and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai.

Post Office (Buu Dien Thanh Pho Vinh): 2 Nguyen thi Minh Khai, Vinh. T: (0383) 561 401, F: (0383) 832 644. Open daily 07:00 - 21:00.
Phuong Dong International Travel Centre: 3rd floor, Phuong Dong Hotel, 2 Truong Thi, Vinh. T: (038) 842 011, F: (038) 842 254.
Thanh Vinh Books (Nha Sach Thanh Vinh): 59 Tran Phu, Vinh. T: (038) 591 167. Open: 07:00 to 21:30.