The day has finally arrived, your tickets to Vietnam are booked and you’re counting down the days to your big trip through the country. However, there are some things you should bear in mind to make the most of your time in this part of the Indochina region.
Make a list of locations you want to visit
Though Vietnam isn’t a big country, its land mass forms a thin vertical shape, which means that traveling from one destination to the next may take more time than you imagine. Hence it’s always good to visit Vietnam with a plan.
Vietnam is a diverse country that appeals to all sorts of travelers – it is full of natural beauty and stunning landscapes, grand UNESCO heritage sites, beautiful beaches and bustling cities, and these are just the popular sites. We haven’t yet delved into the off-the-beaten track locations, where foreign faces are rarely seen.
Because there are so many places to see, fitting it all into one trip is an impossible feat. Instead, to really experience the friendly local culture that the Vietnamese are well-known for, pick a few must-see destinations and work your travel plans around them, giving yourself time to explore each place at greater length, or for the off-chance that a bus schedule decides to go a different way from what you had initially planned.
For starters, here are some locations you might want to visit based on interests:
- UNESCO culture vulture: My Son Sanctuary, Halong Bay, Hue Imperial City
- Beach lover: Nha Trang, Mui Ne
- Nature-trekking enthusiast: Sapa, Cuc Phuong National Park, Phu Luong
If want to explore a bit of everything, choose a location each from each destination. Whatever you do, don’t pack your schedule too tightly as more often than not in Vietnam, talking to a local or to fellow travelers will result in a new must-see spot landing into your itinerary and you would want to have the ability to make on the fly changes and additions to your epic trip.
Share a room for better savings and more privacy
In true money-saving backpacker fashion, you would ideally want to be paying for a single bed space in a hopefully not-too-packed dormitory. Though Vietnam is a popular backpacking spot for younger travelers on a budget, hostels in the traditional sense of the word are found primarily in larger cities. But there’s a way to get even cheaper per night accommodation with more privacy and a less rowdy environment — and, yes, it’s applicable even for the big cities.
Choose to stay in a guesthouse and share a twin room with someone. Vietnamese guesthouses are generally clean and have bedding that is better than what you will get in a dormitory. Their prices are really reasonable too, costing just a little more than what you would have to pay for a bed in a hostel, and the cost comes down when you share – most guesthouses don’t have single rooms, and will sell the room at the same price, whether there are one or two occupants. And for those traveling solo, make friends along the way and propose sharing a room – it’s cost savings for everyone involved.
Pack right for the weather
Many a traveler has made this mistake before – not packing appropriately for the weather, and this is particularly so when in Vietnam. Many make the assumption that Vietnam, as a country in Southeast Asia, experiences tropical temperatures all year round, and this couldn’t be further from the truth. In northern Vietnam, temperatures are known to drop to the single digits.
You should always check the average temperatures of the regions you plan to visit, lest you be caught in a situation where even wearing two pairs of board shorts under your pants is insufficient insulation from the cold. Do note that temperatures drop a fair bit in the evenings in Vietnam, so it’s always good to have a jacket, shawl or cardigan handy as protection against chilly spells.
Assess your transportation options
The crux of your backpacking trip lies getting from one place to another, and you will need to know the different transportation options that are available to you, as well as which one would make the most sense for your traveling schedule and style. Here’s a break down of the options that are available:
Flight: Domestic flights in Vietnam are made affordable thanks to two of Southeast Asia’s budget airlines that operate in the country. Jetstar Pacific flies to 16 different airports in Vietnam, as does Vietjet. As with all budget airlines, book early to enjoy discounts that may make your flight even cheaper than purchasing a bus ticket. And, if you search at the right time, the country’s national carrier has good deals too. On the rare (but fortunate) occasion, a business class ticket can be purchased for the same price that a budget flight would cost from Hanoi to Da Nang
- Pros: Quickest mode of transportation available; cheap when booked in advance.
- Cons: Airports are located slightly out of the city centre, so additional transportation costs will have to be factored in.
Train: Train tracks extend throughout the entire length of the island, covering nearly 100 stations along the way. The good news is there are express trains that only cover 20 stations and stop at the usual spots travelers are looking to disembark. There are also different types of seats to choose from: hard seats (actual wooden benches), soft seats, hard sleeper (no, these aren’t wooden planks) and soft sleeper, and the latter three have air-con and non air-con options. The sleepers offer a good alternative to the night bus as you can actually lay flat to take 40 winks, while also saving on the cost of a night’s accommodation. However, the top bunks are not for the claustrophobic. Do keep your belongings close to you at all times as the sleepers don’t come with locks on the door and more often than not, there will be people coming and going frequently.
- Pros: Appreciate the countryside of Vietnam from your cabin window; When traveling within the country, trains could wind up being faster than flights since train stations tend to be more centrally located than airports.
- Cons: Two popular spots, Mui Ne and Hoi An, don’t have train stations, so you’ll still have to spend some time and money getting yourself there from the nearest train station; for the jittery, sharing a sleeper cabin might not be something you are comfortable with.
Motorbike: An option that is growing in popularity in Vietnam, there are few other countries in Asia where you would see as many foreigners roaming the country on motorbike. Depending on the length of your travels, one option could be to purchase a secondhand motorbike and sell it off at the end of your journey. Or you could join one the numerous motorbike tour companies that have been set up, and take in the scenery of the most remote parts of Vietnam.
- Pros: Visit far-flung places that bus and trains can’t take you; freedom to decide when and where to stop.
- Cons: Travelling alone by motorbike is not without risk, and safety precautions should always be taken.
Bus: Vietnam’s bus network is rather developed and you can buy tickets for the entire length of your journey with mandated stops at one shot, without first predetermining the exact dates that you would take the bus. Tickets are often available even just hours before they are due to depart and are the best option for the free-spirited traveler. Buses are generally comfortable in Vietnam, though certain companies are known to blast an endless stream of Vietnamese karaoke throughout the journey, so bring earplugs.
- Pros: Generally cheaper and available always, unless there is a major holiday in the country; well-connected network that will bring you to most places you’ll want to visit in Vietnam.
- Cons: Possible endless Vietnamese karaoke.
Now that you have thought through all these points, you are ready to plan for your epic journey through Vietnam. Making the journey alone? Here are a few more tips for traveling solo.
Main image: istockphoto/Soft_Light
