First Time Vietnam

Heading to Vietnam for a work trip in June. Heard it is very very hot but of course that won’t stop me from exploring the country. I will only have about 4-5 days to explore part of the country and would like some recommednations on which parts I should focus on.

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@TrailBlazrMarc which part of Vietnam are you visiting?

if you’re heading to the North, I can recommend:

Hanoi - most people fly into Hanoi. The colorful chaos of the old town is something else. The street food is mouthwatering, but it’s very, very busy and traffic-heavy (watch out for scooters)

From Hanoi, you can do lots of 1 - 2 day trips.

Ninh Binh - beautiful region 1 h 45 min south of Hanoi.

  • Hoa Lu was once the capital of Vietnam, worth seeing.
  • You should definitely take a bamboo boat down the river, floating past rice paddies and through small caves
  • climb the 500 steep stairs at Hang Mua (beautiful views, but be careful!)
  • Cycle through rice paddies and small villages

Mai Chau - idyllic valley, 3 hours drive south of Hanoi.

  • cycle through villages and past rice fields
  • if you can, stay in a homestay - beautiful views, lovely locals
  • we found it less busier than Halong Bay and Ninh Binh (there people usually go for 1 day only)

Halong Bay - world famous limestones, 3 hours east of Hanoi.

  • take a boat tour between limestone karst - absolutely stunning
  • explore the otherworldly Sung Sot cave
  • relax on a beach overlooking the bay
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It will be Hanoi. Thanks for the insights so far. This helps that Hanoi can be the base and just do day trips.

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