Vietnam Travel Guide From India

Vietnam is slowly crawling to the world as a great backpacking destination. Vietnam has a terrible past with various groups creating a ruckus during 70's & 80's & the scar of those terrible times are still visible all over the country. The country has done well in terms of tourism. The cities like Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi are able to stamp authority on the world map. Many tourists chose to start the journey from one end & complete it on the far end of the country the long journey is worth it; considering one can cover so many landscapes. So, here is the ultimate Vietnam Travel Guide for solo travelers.

How To Reach Vietnam:

The major part of the entry to Vietnam is either Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. Apart from these two megacities, there are few more entry points like Da Nang, Nha Trang etc. But, the best would be to enter either from Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. The number of flights to these two places are very high & one can start the journey to the other end with ease. If traveling from India, the best would be to book a flight to Ho Chi Minh city. There are numerous budget flights available. The best would be Air Asia (the food charges are not included hence the rates are pretty cheaper compared to other carriers). You can read more about How To Find Cheap Flight Tickets Here".

Vietnam Visa:

Vietnam offers visa on arrival for most number of countries. The process of obtaining e-visa is pretty simple. You need to fill a form through a travel agent & pay a small fee. Further, you will be required to show the invitation letter at the e-visa booth & pay visa fee & then you are good to go. The whole process took 15 min for me. Here is the list of the websites to help you with the same.

Best Things To Do In Vietnam:

Vietnam is full of surprises, there are so many things to do here. Most people travel for a month to cover everything. Here are the places to cover during the trip.

Ho Chi Minh City:

Probably one of the biggest cities in Vietnam. The city is named after a famous personality Ho Chi Minh. Before that, the place was known as Saigon. The city is pretty close to the famous Cu Chi Tunnel which is a famous tourist destination.

Mui Ne:

Mui Ne is famous for its sand dunes, there are two sand dunes white & red located at some distance from each other. This pristine location is perfect for your next display picture & also to witness one of the best sunrises you can ever imagine

Nha Trang:

Nha Trang is often missed by travelers & reason is pretty evident. However, if cliff jumping is one of the things you want to try. There is a place near Nha Trang where you can try this also sandy beach is one of the famous parts of Nha Trang.

Da Nang:

Da Nang is the 5th biggest city in Vietnam. The city is mainly famous to reach Hoi An a world heritage site near Da Nang. However, Da Nang has few features to look up to one of these are Hai Van Pass & marble mountains. A place with great nightlife & laid back life is a good place to visit.

Hanoi:

The second largest city after Ho Chi Minh is Hanoi. It is also among one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Vietnam. The old quarters are famous for their architecture & vibe. Just around 90 Km is the famous Halong Bay. A trip to this place will certainly be remarkable. Hanoi is good for couple of days.

Hoi An:

A world heritage site where time seems to stop. A flurry of lanterns in various colors is the characteristics of the place. Sit in some of the shops near the river & enjoy the pleasant sunset. The place is extremely beautiful. A drive through the place is one big activity to do. A town which will have a lasting impact in your memories.

Ninh Binh:

The most beautiful place in Vietnam by far. This is nature's abode & showcases amazing beauty. The Trang An boat ride along with Ninh Binh boat ride is few activities that lure the tourists. Also, for the movie beefs, "King Kong Skull island", movie shooting was done here. Ninh Binh Shouldn't be missed.

Phong Nha:

The upcoming place of Vietnam. This place is famous for its caves & jungles. The expeditions are still under way & many new caves coming up in the circle. Tour to this exiquite place is must for adventure seekers & who wants to experience something unique & breath taking.

Expenses In Vietnam:

Accommodation In Vietnam:

There are plenty of hostels available & a price of one-bed dorm in a non-ac room will start from INR 250. Further, all the coastal cities in Vietnam offers a flurry of luxurious hotels & a 3-star hotel starts from INR 1500 - INR 2000. Most of the hostels will provide free beer & free breakfast. So, always choose the hostels with best rating. I stayed at the following hostels during my trip. One can check the list of hostels from Booking.com & hotels from Agoda.

The Hideout in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mjozo dorm in Nha Trang
Backpackers village in Mui Ne
Barneys backpacker hostel in Da Nang
Central backpackers hostel In Hanoi
The Banana Hostel in Ninh Binh
Central backpackers hostel In Phong Nha

Food:

Vietnamese food is quite famous among travelers. One can sense its popularity by the fact that the number of tourists applies for the Vietnamese food classes. The street food is highly famous among travelers & a bun with the egg can be bought for 18,000 VND. Also, during happy hours the beer is very cheap. So, if you want to keep the price low drink beer during the happy hour. Like Bangkok, supermarkets are all over Vietnam which offers reasonable prices for beers.

Commutation:

Grab is the prime application to be used by travelers for booking a ride. It is very handy & can be an uber for Vietnam. If one is not willing to use Grab. It will be better to rent a motorbike. The rentals are pretty cheap i.e INR 300 to 400 per day. But, the only problem is the driving skills of people. The traffic sense is pretty bad & if you are not comfortable driving in haphazard conditions. It is better to switch to public transports.

Wifi:

Most of the shops will have wifi access for free. So, it doesn't make sense to buy a sim here.

Couchsurfing:

Couchsurfing is a platform which allows a traveler to stay for free. There are numerous hosts on the platform. So, you are lucky enough you can find free accommodation.

How To Do Vietnam On A Budget?

Stay local or hostel: Hostels dorm room or Couchsurfing will help you to minimize the rate. If you are able to find a host nothing beats that. Even if you are not able to find one book cheap hostel bed which will help you keep the rate pretty low.

Eat street food: Street food in Vietnam is cheap & tasty. So, eating street will not only keep the cost low but will also give you a taste of local food. A great technique to enjoy some local favorites. A plate of noodles or rice will cost you approx INR 50.

Don't do everything: One is often forced to do all the activity which doesn't even interest you. So, if you are short on time & interested in only a few activities. So only those.

Use public transport: Public transport like buses, trains etc are pretty cheap. So, while commuting inside the city or intercity try using public transport. This will help you to keep the price on a lower side.

Buy beers from the supermarket: Supermarkets are fantastic place to buy some cheap beers & the great thing is that the store is available at all the places. It is the best place to buy some beer at cheap pretty low price.Also, there are many places which offer happy hours & most of the hostels have this offering. Make use of such offers & enjoy your time in Vietnam.

Walking Tours: Cities in Vietnam are not big from any standards & small small patches can be covered on the foot. If you are intrested in walking then city walking tours are for you. There are numerous vendors for this. Hanoi Walking Tour, Hoi An Walking tours are very famous.

Is Vietnam Safe For Solo Travel?

All the big cities are safe to travel solo. However, in some places, one can face problem while dealing with locals. As some people will try to con you to pay more. During my trip, I had one bad experience where a motorbike driver tried to seize more money. However overall traveling solo was without any issues.

What To Pack For Vietnam?

Vietnam has only two seasons dry & wet. So, if you are traveling during the dry season do carry summer clothes & if you are traveling during the wet season do pack an extra pair of everything & a raincoat to help you during the rain.
Flip Flops
Jeans
T-shirts
Sneakers
Shorts
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Handy Resources:

Below are the few resources you should check before making an itinerary.

Amazon: I am a member of Amazon affiliate programme. Amazon is probably the biggest market place there is. Buy your trip essential from this link

Agoda: Best place to book hotels of your liking. Agoda provides the best solution & great offer while booking a hotel.

Skyscanner: Skyscanner compares various sites & sort the flights based on the rates. A great way to check flight cost. Although the only drawback is that rates are flexible. Hence, the cost might change while you are making the payment.

Jetradar: Jetradar is a comparing site which is just like Skyscanner. But, is much more accurate & much more handy in use.

Booking: Best place to book hostel rooms. There are plenty of options available & with so many properties booking becomes much easier.

Couchsurfing: Best place to find free accommodation. It is as easy as filtering people & messaging. If you will get lucky you will find free accommodation in local resident house.

Travel Insurance: There are numerous options available to get one. So, you can choose anything which suits your requirement. Make sure you read the terms & conditions before buying one.
A trip is incomplete without the pics.Buy an iphone to click some breath taking pics. Apart from a phone camera, I use GoPro an adventure camera to shoot video & click high definition photos. The product is pretty handy & captures mind blogging videos. GoPro is easy & handy to use, which makes it a must buy. So, these are my trip essentials.

6 thoughts on “Vietnam Travel Guide From India”

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