Travel Guide
Vietnam
From Ho Chi Minh’s motorbike chaos to Nha Trang’s beach, from the stalactite caves of Ha Long Bay to Hanoi’s Train Street. A land of cheap food, sleeper buses and fake brands.
In short
I entered Vietnam overland from Cambodia and got a 30-day visa. The first city was Ho Chi Minh (the old Saigon): everything they call “original” is fake, the traffic is unbelievable, the pavements have become motorbike parking and the city smells awful. Walking on the pavement is impossible; you have to walk in the middle of the road.
I escaped straight to Nha Trang — Vietnam’s Antalya (the Turkish beach resort). The sea is clear, the sand is a bit like construction sand, but you can swim. The $4 hostel has breakfast + air conditioning + a small pool. The Ponagar Cham temple (7th century), a giant Buddha statue, chilli sauce everywhere. A motorbike is $4 a day.
When I moved on to Ha Long the weather cooled and the rain came down. The shoreline has been closed off by capitalism. A 6-hour bay tour for $28 (meals included): canoes, caves and stalactites are magnificent, but the boat is slow and there are plastic bags and cigarette butts in the water too. Hanoi is the capital but not the biggest city; a sea of motorbikes, Train Street, Hoan Kiem Lake, St Joseph Cathedral. The hotel even had a piano.
Supermarket prices (2024): $1 ≈ 25,000 VND. Mango, banana and dragon fruit ~$1, rice is cheap, apples are expensive. ATM fees are high (~$2.5 per transaction). Watch out for the visa booth at the Laos border (Lao Bao) — they call your dollars “old” and try to make you pay more in their own currency.
Route
Main stops and practical notes from the videos.
Everything fake · motorbike chaos
Leaving Cambodia, a 30-day visa for Vietnam. A bag was left behind in the minibus, then found. The city: crazy traffic, pavements as parking lots, every brand fake. Chicken ~$0.8, chicken rice ~$1.4. A density that makes you say “I need to get out of here”. ~7–8 hours to Nha Trang by sleeper bus.
Vietnam’s Antalya
$4 hostel (breakfast + air conditioning + small pool). The sea is clean but the sand is like construction sand. Ponagar Cham temple (7th century, Hindu in origin, later Buddhist), a giant Buddha with 150 steps. A live-music platform; the chilli sauce is addictive. Motorbike $4/day. ATM limit is low, the fee is high.
Up and down hills · $3.5 hotel
Cooler, rainy. A Turkish flag + a pool table in the hotel, $3.5 with breakfast included. Mountainous terrain, calmer.
Bay tour $28
$3.5 hotel. The shoreline is closed off (buildings very close). A 6-hour tour: meals included, canoes, caves, stalactites. The boat is slow (4 hours of travel), there is pollution in the water. When the sun comes out the view is incredible. The weather is usually cloudy.
Capital · Train Street · lake
A sea of motorbikes, no pavements. Hoan Kiem Lake, the elderly doing aerobics, Train Street (you must order from the café), St Joseph Cathedral. A piano in the hotel. City bus 7,000 VND. Bus to Laos ~$31 / 26 hours.
The Lao Bao booth
Some border gates don’t issue visas. At Lao Bao they call your dollars “old” and try to make you pay $10 extra in their own currency. After pushing back, a 30-day visa was obtained for $45. Don’t fall into the trap.
Transport, accommodation and food
Real prices and practical observations.
Sleeper bus
The most practical way between cities. Air conditioning, USB, sometimes a TV. 7–8 hour trips are common. Tickets can be bought cheaply through apps, and you can also buy through your hotel.
$3–4 hostels
Breakfast is included in most places. You may see a small pool in Nha Trang, a piano in Hanoi, a pool table in Da Lat.
Food $0.7–2
Chicken, noodles, omelettes, chilli sauce everywhere. Yellow rice + side dishes is a classic. Iced pineapple tea comes up often.
A sea of motorbikes
More than 40 million motorbikes. Pavements are parking lots. When crossing the road, look both ahead and behind you.
High ATM fees
~$2.5 is charged per transaction and the limit is low. If possible, withdraw a large amount or use a card.
Fake brands
Almost everything sold as “original” in the markets is fake. Don’t come hoping for real brands.
Places to see & key points
Nha Trang beach
Clear sea, Vietnam’s Antalya. The sand is a bit coarse but you can swim. The city is full of iconic architecture.
Ponagar Cham Temple
7th century, Hindu in origin, later Buddhist. Sandstone and limestone. Cameras are banned in some sections.
Ha Long Bay
UNESCO. Canoes, caves and stalactites on $28 tours. The boat is slow, the weather is usually cloudy and there is some pollution.
Hanoi Train Street
Cafés right next to the railway tracks. Everyone gets up when the train passes. Popular for photos.
Hoan Kiem Lake
In the middle of the city. Older people do aerobics and some fish. Hanoi’s breathing space.
St Joseph Cathedral
From the French colonial era. Gothic style, surrounded by buildings. One of Hanoi’s best-loved landmarks.
Photos
Practical warnings
Motorbike traffic
There are hardly any pavements. Look both ahead and behind you. Vehicles can come from any direction.
Fake goods
Almost no brand in the markets is original. Don’t shop expecting genuine products.
ATM fees
~$2.5 is deducted on every transaction and the limit is low. If possible, withdraw a large amount or use an alternative.
The Laos border trap
At Lao Bao they call your dollars “old” and try to make you pay more in their own currency. Push back and ask for the official fee.
Ha Long weather
Usually cloudy and rainy. If the sun comes out the view is completely different. Be flexible about your tour.
Pork is common
Pork turns up in many dishes and in things simply called “meat”. Always ask.
Videos
The whole Vietnam series (7 videos).
Ha Long · the most beautiful city
Cool weather, closed-off shoreline, $3.5 hotel, market.
▶ Open on YouTube
Don’t fall into this trap
The Vietnam–Laos border, the visa booth, a Lao Bao warning.
▶ Open on YouTubeChaos, beaches, a bay and low prices
Vietnam starts with motorbike chaos and fake goods, then turns beautiful with Nha Trang beach and Ha Long Bay. $3–4 hostels, meals around $1 and sleeper buses are practical. Watch out for the visa trap at the border.
Come with cash dong, patience and an open mind; Vietnam will both exhaust and surprise you.
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