HOW TO TRAVEL VIETNAM - The ONLY guide you'll need in 2024!

we're Lloyd and Mandy husband and wife that  have been traveling the world since 2021 as   digital Nomads we've recently spent one month  in one of our favorite travel destinations in   the world Vietnam today we're sharing with you  our complete guide to Vietnam including places   to visit what to eat where to stay and how to  get around we hope this video helps you plan   your trip to Vietnam and that you can enjoy your  time in this beautiful country as much as we did   okay let's talk visas first Vietnam currently  offers 30-day single entry tourist visas however   it is possible to extend your visa for up  to three months once you enter the country   the application process is super simple and  costs around 25 US dollars to apply for the   Visa you will need to complete the online visa  application form using the link below and provide   the following a passport with at least six months  validity and blank Visa pages one recent passport   size photo proof of travel itinerary example a  round-trip flight ticket or hotel reservation   and payment of the visa fee we will leave the  website that we used for our visas down below Ho Chi Minh City formerly and still commonly known  as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam with a   population of around 9 million it's situated in  the Southeast region of Vietnam the city surrounds   the Saigon River and covers about 2 000 square  kilometers it is known for its well-preserved   French Colonial architecture and vibrant Street  Life Ho Chi Minh City attracts of over 8 million   International visitors every year depending on  which way you want to travel the country this   may be your first Port of Entry we decided to  start our travel in Saigon and work our way up   the north but it's entirely up to you Ho Chi  Minh city is quite an eye-opener and is a bit   of a shock to the senses at first the combination  of sizzling meat from street food carts constant   beeping of cars and scooters and constant flow  of traffic that seems to be out of control but   somehow just works all make for an exciting  first experience in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh city   is broken up into 12 main districts new in Hue  and dong koi Street are the best areas to stay   in Ho Chi Minh City for first-timers due to its  close proximity to the city's famous attractions   as well as bars and restaurants we stayed at  the Oscar Saigon hotel which cost around 30 US   dollars per night including a buffet breakfast  which we thought was a pretty great deal given   its central location one of the first places you  need to visit in Ho Chi Minh City in our opinion   is boivian Walking Street although if you're  not into large crowds or loud music this may   not be the place for you but for us it was a fun  experience people watching while drinking an ice   cold local Saigon lager we didn't stay out too  late as things tend to get pretty crazy around   10 pm however surprisingly everything seemed to  shut down around 1am which may have just been a   post-covered rule of course the first thing  anyone will tell you when visiting Vietnam   is to try the faux or as it's pronounced fa  and the Bon Mis and don't worry there are   plenty of options in Ho Chi Minh City with  faux stations and ban me Bakery seemingly   on every corner funnily enough due to the French  colonization of Vietnam in the 1800s Vietnam has   a huge Cafe culture and if you're in Ho Chi Minh  you have to try the famous Vietnamese egg coffee if you're looking to step off the beaten path and  try some more local dishes we highly recommend   taking the motorbike food tour run by Exo tours  we were driven all around the city tasting a   bunch of different styles of Vietnamese foods as  well as some pretty interesting Delicacies it's   not only a great way to experience the local  Cuisine of Saigon but it was also a great way   to see the city from the back of a motorbike  we'll leave a link in the description below is a coastal fishing town in the South Central bin  Tuan province of Vietnam the town has a population   of around 25 000 and to this day is one of  Vietnam's main fishing ports moynai is well   known for its unique white sand dunes featuring  several lakes and even swamps straight in the   middle of a Sandy terrain by the way we traveled  the hallway from Saigon to the north of Vietnam   by either bus or train we booked everything  through 12go Asia we highly recommend using   their website for transportation the highlight  of Monet was definitely the Sand Dune tour that   takes place at Sunrise although you can expect  there to be a lot of other people as this is the   main attraction in town you can also go on a tour  through local fishing port which was interesting   but be prepared for the strong fish smells  all in all Monet was well worth the visit we   recommend stopping in for a couple days to fit  everything in we stayed at a nice beachfront   hotel called the Ananda Resort which was only  2 twenty dollars a night and was centrally   located that's probably one of the best parts  about Vietnam is the accommodation is so cheap a train not train is a coastal Resort City in southern  Vietnam known for its beaches diving sites and   offshore Islands its main Beach is a long  curving stretch along the tranfu street   backed by a Promenade hotels and seafood  restaurants naturang is well known for its   beaches and scuba diving and is developed into  a popular destination for international tourists   attracting large numbers of Backpackers as well  as more affluent travelers from the area it is   already very popular with Vietnamese tourists  with naturing Bay widely considered as among   the world's most beautiful Bays to be honest  we didn't spend a lot of time in naturing and   during the day it was extremely hot however by  night time the whole city seemed to light up   from the street vendors to fireworks and flying  lanterns it truly was a beautiful place to visit   at night and like most cities in Vietnam there  are many amazing restaurants and bars to visit if   you're looking for an extended stay in naturing  there are plenty of budget options as well as 5   star resorts to choose from you can check out  our booking platform for accommodation options   and even get up to 70 percent off hotels  we'll leave the link in the description is probably the most beautiful city we  visited while in Vietnam with a population   of approximately a hundred and twenty thousand  Old Town hoyan the city's historic district is   recognized as an exceptionally well preserved  example of a Southeast Asian trading Port dating   from the 15th to the 19th century its buildings  and Street plan reflecting a blend of indigenous   and foreign influences prominent in the city's  old town is the famous Japanese bridge Hoi An   is best known as the city of lanterns the Hoi  An Lantern Festival is a monthly event that   celebrates the full moon it is held on the 14th  day of each lunar month when the moon is at its   fullest and brightest however you can expect to  see lanterns in the sky most nights if you walk   along the riverfront or travel on a relaxing  Gondola boat ride and taking the beauty of the   city there are plenty of local restaurants to  eat from in Old Town Hoi An and we managed to   find one that served up some of the best bun fit  noong we have ever tried if you haven't tried this   dish we really recommend it and best of all  it only costs us two dollars each we stayed   at a beautiful Boutique Hotel just down the  road from the old town area that surprisingly   didn't break the bank at only 30 US dollars a  night including breakfast and they even let us   use their bikes for free for the day we highly  recommend the ecoluxe Riverside Hotel and Spa if   you're looking for accommodation in Hoi An and  we've even heard from some of our subscribers   that mentioned they stayed there because of us  and they got a room upgrade so keep that in mind donate Danang is a coastal city in central Vietnam  known for its sandy beaches and history as a   French Colonial Port it is the commercial and  Educational Center of Central Vietnam and is   the largest city in the region we were actually  surprised at the size of the city when we first   arrived although we only spent one night here as  a Transit stop it is definitely worth visiting   as the city is surrounded by many sandy beaches  mountains and sprawling Wildlife including the   endangered red-shanked dos Langer one of the  world's most striking primates one thing we   did get to experience are one night in Da Nang  was the amazing street food we went to The Helio   night markets where we found a huge assortment  of street food carts as well as a beer garden   and live music it was a great cheap option  for the night and also very family friendly Hanoi Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and my personal  favorite city in the country it's known for its   century-old architecture and a rich culture with  Southeast Asian Chinese and French influences at   its heart it's the chaotic old quarter where the  narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade one   of the most popular places to visit in Hanoi  is the infamous train Street the reason it's   so popular for many tourists is that the train  literally passes just a meter from the houses   and cafes along the tracks while we had heard  that the train ran close to the buildings and   had seen videos we still couldn't believe just  how close it would be right before the train   comes locals rushed to their houses making  sure that their kids pets motorbikes or any   other belongings are safe inside nothing can be  left outside and then once it passes everything   just goes back to normal the train only runs  at night on weekdays however there are several   daytime trains during the weekend another favorite  part of Hanoi for us was one particular Street in   hanoi's Old quarter appropriately named beer  Street it is quite simply the best place for   locals Backpackers and expats alike to mingle  and watch the night go by while drinking some   of the cheapest beer in the world with some  bars charging as little as 50 cents a beer   perhaps the best part about beer street is the  constant flow of traffic and things to look at   while you sit on the little plastic chairs  on the street to be honest I think we went   there every night we were in Hanoi as it was  just too much fun we also had the pleasure of   visiting a really cool jazz bar named bin Min  jazz club and afterwards headed to a secret   underground bar that requires a password to  get in we'll leave a link to both down below halong Bay how long bay has to be one of the most stunning  places to visit in Vietnam just a two-hour drive   from Hanoi it's known for its Emerald Waters  and thousands of towering Limestone Islands   topped by rainforests the region is popular  for scuba diving rock climbing and Hiking   but especially the junk boat tours that take  visitors past some breathtaking islands and   scenery we took a two-day overnight Tour  on the paradise Elegance boat which was   an amazing luxury experience with delicious  food and drinks five-star service and even a   jazz band to entertain the guests at night the  trip included transportation to and from our   hotel as well as food and drinks and cost  us around 350 dollars which we think was   money well spent as the views from the boat  during sunset were simply amazing foreign is a beautiful Town set in the mountains located  about five hours north of Hanoi just a short drive   to the Chinese Border located in the province of  Lao Kai in Northwestern Vietnam it is one of the   main cities with the market in the area where  the ethnic group of the homong people still   dress traditionally and live very similar lives  to their native roots this was most evident when   visiting the small local town that is turned into  somewhat of a tourist destination cat cat Village   visiting cat cat Village was a surreal experience  and one that will never forget to try and explain   the feeling of being there simply wouldn't do it  justice the windmills that run along the river   mouth along with traditional local dances being  performed made us feel like we had gone back in   time before the region had been colonized after  spending the afternoon in cat cab Village you can   head to one of the many restaurants that serve  a local favorite Seafood Hot Pot I have to admit   we had no idea what we were doing and had to  ask the waiter how to eat the shared dish we   had no regrets as it was Simply Delicious although  the serving was so large we couldn't even manage   to finish it we stayed at probably the most  luxurious hotel we have ever had the pleasure   of visiting while in Sapa which was a huge treat  for us the hotel de la coppole offers a gateway   to the 1920s French Indochina era in Vietnam the  lobby itself stands as a work of art with amazing   geometric architecture and colorful murals and  Furnishings to create a distinctly Bohemian Vibe   the hotel overlooks the Town Square as well as the  mountains of the sapper region with its Rolling   Hills and cool crisp air if it's in your price  range this award-winning hotel is a must for   anyone visiting Sapa and while it is considered a  five-star hotel at only a hundred dollars a night   including the most amazing buffet breakfast we've  ever experienced it was well worth the price tag   we actually made a review video of this hotel  if you're interested in checking it out we'll   leave the link below another popular attraction  in the area is the fanzipan cable car which will   take you above the clouds to 3000 meters above sea  level where you can see stunning 360 degree views   of the valley however if you're not willing  to pay the 32 dollar price tag for the cable   car experience you can simply take the train to  the station at the bottom of the cable entrance   which is just as breathtakingly spectacular  the train station was actually attached to   our hotel which made it super simple for us to  navigate our way around while we finished our   whirlwind trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi  in just over three weeks we weren't quite done   yet we had already booked flights out of Ho Chi  Minh and had two options either jump on a plane   back to Saigon or catch a 32-hour overnight  train through the countryside of Vietnam back   to where it all started as you can probably  tell we opted for the latter the overnight   train named reunification Express took just over  32 hours and basically runs non-stop from Hanoi   to Saigon station there are a few options ranging  from second class seats six birth sleeper cabins   and first class sleepers which offer either  four or two births we decided to book the   first class to birth sleeper cabin mainly for  privacy and so we could film The Experience it   cost around 150 each which included food which  we weren't expecting which was a nice touch they   also had a beer cart that would periodically  travel around the train all in all the train   ride was a fun experience it was a little strange  sleeping on a moving train but if you're looking   for a different experience we highly suggest  giving it a go so that is our Vietnam travel   guide we hope you find this video helpful if you  have don't forget to hit the like button as it   really helps out our Channel Please Subscribe  if you haven't already so we can continue to   make you these helpful videos thank you so much  for watching and we will see you in the next one foreign

Channel: Lloyd & Mandy

Views: 119,231

Keywords: vietnam, travel guide, visas, travel, vlogging, vlog, track hacks, travel tips

Id: -xgi6XQ5emk

Length: 16min 33sec (993 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 08 2023