TGWhy go to Vietnam: the sea, the food and the prices
Beaches for every taste, food cheaper than cooking at home, Ha Long Bay and the mountains in the north. Reason by reason — and where to go for each.
People usually choose Vietnam for the sea, but they stay for everything else: the food, the prices, and the fact that in two weeks you can see beaches, mountains and old towns.
The sea
The beaches differ, so it is worth choosing deliberately. Phu Quoc is an island with white sand and calm water, the most holiday-like option. Nha Trang is a city by the sea, with a promenade, cafes and life around it. Mui Ne means wind and kitesurfing. Da Nang is a long city beach next door to Hoi An.
The food
Vietnamese food is light and inexpensive: pho, bun cha, fresh spring rolls, coffee with condensed milk. Lunch in a local place costs less than cooking at home, and that is not an exaggeration.
- Street food is safer than it looks: eat where locals eat and take things served hot
- The northern kitchen is less sweet, the southern one noticeably sweeter
- The coffee here is robusta: strong and very dense
Nature
Ha Long Bay with its thousands of rocks, the rice terraces of Sapa, the karst valleys of Ninh Binh, the caves of Phong Nha. All of it is in the north and the centre — the parts most beach-only visitors never reach.
Cities
Hanoi is the old quarter, narrow streets and motorbikes; Ho Chi Minh City is skyscrapers, markets and nightlife; Hoi An is lanterns and port architecture with a fully pedestrian centre. Three different cities, a day or two each.
Prices
Vietnam remains one of the cheapest destinations in South-East Asia: accommodation, food and transport cost less than in Thailand.
How long to go for
- A week — one region: either the sea or the north
- Two weeks — the sea plus cities or Ha Long
- A month or more — then it is a visa question, not a route question
Up to 45 days no visa is needed. For longer stays or several entries we arrange the 90-day e-visa, usually within a couple of days.