30 Days in Vietnam: North, Central, South

Vietnam | Apr 5 - May 4, 2023

We traveled in April from North to South. I was trying to miss crowds, have fewest rain days, and coordinate with our Indonesia trip in May. We had a heat snap when we reached Hue that lasted three days. It was 102; the average in April is typically 85. I enjoyed our entire trip. 30 days allowed us to have many experiences and not be rushed.

We booked our trip prior to Covid and had to reschedule a number of times. This contributed to the problems we had booking this trip and getting confirmation. It was frustrating to not have final information until days before we departed.

We loved all our guides: Quynh, My, Viet, Quy, and Hoang. Each of them was outstanding in contacting the next guide and passing on information about the kinds of activities we enjoyed. They were great at tailoring our travel experience. We would have loved to have spent one more day in Hanoi with Quynh, he was a wealth of knowledge. We loved the home visit with Dao. Viet kept us busy with great experiences in art, food, and local culture. Quy provided us with great directions and information so we could navigate Nha Trang and Da Lat on our own. And Hoang was amazingly knowledgeable about the Nam Cat Tien National Park, which we really appreciated.

Notes I made that I would suggest my friends change if they book a trip, (I've already given the information to 6 people): In the future, I would not buy any pre-arranged lunch or dinner. Every hotel offers breakfast. You can always ask your guide for local favorites or recommendations at lunch stops. I prefer ordering off the menu or having the guide order for me with some guidelines like, I don’t need a 7 course meal for lunch.

I would be move forceful in getting all the information earlier. We didn't have time to research our hotels as the information provided by the travel company, Sens Asia, was so late in getting to us.

I would not take another night train the rest of my life. Almost 8 hours to train from Hanoi to Sa Pa, 5.5 hrs to drive. Train, one toilet for about 40 people in a train car and no one seems to be able to pee in the toilet. Noisy, a number of stops, uncomfortable, plastic, non-breathing bed. Totally not doing this ever again.

Ha Noi
Mk Premier Boutique Hotel Luxury https://www.mkpremier.vn
Loved staying in old part of Hanoi, walking around the lake, having egg coffee, being close to the old town. We met Dao, a retired teacher, very interesting visit.

Mai Chau
Mai Chau Ecolodge http://maichau.ecolodge.asia/
Loved the remoteness, and the hiking.

Thanh Hoa
Pu Luong Retreat (Hotel)
http://puluongretreat.com/
Liked the village we walked to and biked to.

Ninh Binh
Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort http://hiddencharmresort.com
Nice hotel, good Indian restaurant nearby, close to lake boats.

Ha Long Bay
Bhaya Cruise Deluxe https://www.bhayacruises.com
Nice boat trip. I liked all the excursions, the kayaking, and the caves and hiking.

Sa Pa
Aliana Boutique www.airaboutiquesapa.com
Loved Sa Pa. The hotel was quiet and out of the hub but a close walk to the town center. The village walks with My were interesting and the scenery was beautiful. Sens Asia had a number of issues arranging the transportation. Using the local taxi's might have been a better solution.

Sa Pa
Topas Ecolodge. http://topasecolodge.com
Wish we would have stayed two nights. One night is definitely not enough. Very beautiful, quiet, and unique.

Hue Eldora Hotel http://www.eldorahotel.com
Loved all the activities in Hue. Great hotel, staff. Bamboo paper making, incense making, weaving, etc. loved our guide, Viet. Recommend getting a room on one of the upper floors for the quiet and the view.

Hoi An Aira Boutique http://www.airaboutiquehoian.com/
Nice but too far from the old city. I wish we would have stayed closer to the old city. Walking along the river at night in the old city was beautiful. . Hotel was okay but I would have rather stayed on the river front.

Quy Nhon Anya Hotel & Spa https://anyahotel.com/
Nice hotel, nice staff. We liked the biking and sightseeing.

Phu Yen Rosa Alba Resort https://rosaalbaresort.com/
Over the top accommodations. I would have loved to stay here two nights at a minimum. Great boardwalk to walk along in the evening. Staff was exceptional, food was amazing.

Nha Trang Ibis Styles https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-9578-ibis-sty
Loved the boardwalk and town. The hotel location was great. The hotel itself was the 2nd poorest accommodations on the trip and the staff was uninspiring. A shame to go from Rosa Alba to Ibis. Ibis is a hotel you stay at when you are 20 and can’t afford anything else. I wouldn't stay at this hotel.

Da Lat Ttc Hotel http://ngoclan.ttchotels.com
I didn’t expect worse accommodations but this was it. The hotel is very noisy, that is an understatement. It is conveniently located but you won’t get any sleep. The breakfast was awful. We switched to the Du Parc, a wonderful hotel. Absolutely quiet. Good staff. We should have stayed here two nights and not at Da Lat Ttc.

Dong Nai Forest Floor Lodge www.forestfloorlodges.com
Loved this experience. I recommend this if you don’t mind the tent accommodations, being in the forest, and having a few less options for food. Hoang did a great job showing us around the park.

Ho Chi Minh Silverland Yen Hotel
Okay, I wouldn’t stay here again. Breakfast was okay, not great. Accommodations were just okay. The location is good, close to a large market, close to the lake, close to the ocean. Loved the city and the sightseeing we did. The old post office, Temple of Enlightenment, Landmark 81 (the tower), boardwalk. The hotel, find something better.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our trip memorable. I would change a few things, mostly hotel accommodations, but the sightseeing, activities, experiences were fantastic.