Vietnam for two

05 February 2014 Travel time: with 29 July 2013 on 11 august 2013
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Each of us perceives the same situations differently. I will not complain about any errors of the trip, and there were not so many of them. Basically, I will try to write useful information and a story about beautiful places worth visiting. The report is long because we visited 8 different cities, at the end I will give some numbers, useful contacts.

impressions of the country in general.

The inhabitants of the country consider themselves descendants of the Heavenly Fairy and the Dragon. This is probably why the word Long (dragon) is found in place names throughout Vietnam. This legend is beautifully presented in the theater on the water. (Namely, the dragon met with a heavenly flying creature, they had a love, as a result of which 100 eggs were laid, from which the first Vietnamese hatched).

Basically, safe and good-natured people, but in big cities there are still single robberies of walking tourists in the evenings.

Although, it can be in any city and our country.


In Vietnam, the star rating of hotels is usually greatly underestimated. So 2 stars is a decent 3, etc.

The food is varied, for every taste and budget. There are many exotic fruits and vegetables, there are crocodiles, ostriches, snakes, turtles on the menu. From alcohol tinctures on snake and scorpion, rice or banana vodka. In almost all cafes and restaurants, marine reptiles are in aquariums or basins with water and active aeration. Prices are much lower than ours.

Transport in big cities is something in my opinion.

Mopeds, scooters dominate, there are few motorcycles, but over the years there are more cars. The concept of rules, it seems to me, is absent, or rather: go anywhere and however you like, but do not interfere with others on the road. At the same time, all participants in the movement are almost continuously honking. Oncoming traffic is normal. To cross the street you need to go strictly at the same speed.

The Vietnamese are nimble enough to go around you, but if you move evenly. The reason most Vietnamese wear masks is to protect them from the sun.

City architecture. There's so much stuff in here that it's mind boggling. You go out into the street and you are amazed again: the beautiful city turns out to be rather provincial, everywhere there are narrow streets with shabby houses that have not been painted for a long time. The buildings are mostly old, narrow, with a completely separate building above each entrance, in its own special style. The locals don't really bother with neatness and hygiene. This Asian norm is shocking at first, and some even enters into deep sadness. Here, mansions coexist with frank slums. In Dalat, on the contrary, you can feel a very French influence, the houses are huge and quite beautiful.

Just like almost everywhere in Asia, simply unreal intricacies of tangled identical wires hang along the streets here, and looking at them it is not clear how local electricians understand them.

The trip itself is from north to south.


Being not fans of group trips, because in this case everything always happens very quickly and superficially, we look at the country individually, and if you don’t go during the peak season, I would say no more than a group trip. The plan was to visit 8 cities, on the coast, on the sea and high in the mountains. Now I’m thinking about whether I could throw something out of the program and come to the conclusion that no.

It so happened that the beautiful sea, sandy beaches, and complete relaxation are associated by many with only the south of the country, namely with Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Mui Ne. Nevertheless, the north of Vietnam also boasts magnificent beaches and pristine nature.

Entrances and the resort areas themselves are being actively built, the city is actively developing and will soon compete with other beach places in Vietnam.

Arriving in Hanoi at 8.20 in the morning, which was our transit point to Halong, we quickly received visas and set off with a guide to our car in order to see the city. It was tiring after 12 hours spent on the road and a time difference of 4 hours, but after sitting in an air-conditioned car, the tiredness vanished.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and the second most populous city in the country. It is sometimes called the “city of lakes”, we saw only a few Lake of the Returned Sword (Hoan Kiem) on which the Turtle Tower is located and Lake Ho Tay (Western Lake) with the Tran Quoc Pagoda, which is considered the oldest in the city, its age is estimated at 1400 years. I liked the Ancient Temple of Literature which was built in 1070. and dedicated to Confucius.


In fact, this is the first Hanoi University - a whole complex of premises, parks and courtyards, where the works of the great thinker were previously studied. And the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, next to which there is a pagoda on one pillar (One pillar pagoda). In the pagodas, you will certainly see the ancestral altar with generous fruit offerings, smoking incense, vases of flowers, and figures of revered gods. The ceiling is decorated with bright lanterns that are lit in the evening and do not go out all night. Of course, we visited the puppet theater on the water where the puppets were carved from a non-sinking fig tree (sung) that had a rather realistic image. They were invented thousands of years ago by peasants who lived in the Red River Delta region near Hanoi for their own entertainment during a period when rainwater flooded their rice fields. This is a good entertainment for children, but I liked the musical accompaniment more than the action itself.

We returned to the hotel by cycle rickshaw, although in places it seemed crazy given the flow of evening motorbikes and the rather hot climate. But I wanted to plunge into the life of this city a little, slowly see the streets with numerous retail outlets and roadside cafes, the architectural building of the Hanoi Opera House, which stands out from the others, seemed quite interesting at that moment.

The next morning after driving through several provinces and covering 170 km. On the way, we arrived at the bay or Halong Bay - a UNESCO heritage site located in the Gulf of Tonkin of the South China Sea. By the way, according to the guide, one province is famous for silk products, the second for tile products, and the third for the coal industry. Yes, the craftswomen and beauties of Vietnam live in the first province. Halong means “descending dragon” and according to local legend, a huge dragon created the bay.

He scattered pearls across the sea, which blocked the path of the Chinese flotilla. When the invaders turned back, the dragon remained in the bay, and its scales protruding above the surface of the water turned into three thousand islands. The day was wonderful, and the landscapes of Halong Bay fascinated with their beauty, along the way there were fishing villages where people live for generations, they even have their own school. Almost all the islands of Halong Bay are rocky, and in the rocks there are thousands of caves of various shapes and sizes, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, small waterfalls. Alas, we visited only one Thien Cung cave, but it surprised us with bizarre shapes resembling various objects and animals. I really liked kayaking, you swim in the bay in the evening on a small kayak, sometimes ships sail by, such an extreme, silence, a light breeze shakes, you swim in breathtaking grottoes, time flies in an instant.

Even if you have never tried it, believe me, it's worth it, it will be great.


The ship practically does not shake at night, so it is very comfortable to stay on it even when it stands still, it was very important for me, because I do not tolerate pitching very well. Unfortunately, on the second day a storm warning was announced and our route along Halong Bay ended. It turns out that this happens several times a year, mainly in August, the rest of the time everything is calm.

We also managed to swim in the bay on the island. But the number of ships and their guests spoil the overall impression of the beach. In Halong itself, I would not dare to swim, most likely I need to go to Kuan Lan Island.

At the airport, we managed to change tickets for an earlier flight to Da Nang. Both the guide and the organizers of the trip worked very well, for this special thanks. We stopped near Da Nang in the resort town of Hoi An (Hoi An), which has not changed much over the centuries.

At one time it was the largest port in Southeast Asia. Merchants from many Asian countries came here, after that they started families and stayed forever. The symbol of Hoi An is the Japanese Bridge (Cau Nhat Ban), which was built 400 years ago. It was of strategic importance - it connected the Chinese and Japanese quarters. The first thing to do in Hoi An is to stock up on tickets. At the box office they are sold in portions of five pieces. They cost 120.000 dong, which is about 6 dollars. The entrance to almost every building in the old part of the city is paid. If you want to look into a museum, a pagoda or an old private house, be prepared to give an entrance ticket. Fancy modeling on the facades, bright colors, gilded interior details. In Hoi An, several old houses built many centuries ago have been preserved. Descendants of the very first settlers still live in some mansions. Hoi An is called "Vietnamese Venice".


After the masonry of the walls and vaults was completed, firewood was laid at the base of the building and set on fire. As a result of additional firing of bricks and sintering of resin, the masonry of the walls turned into a monolith. For several months the building cooled down. Then the sculptors removed the upper, sooty layer, carving reliefs along the way. Michon's builders drew their inspiration almost exclusively from India in the form of the triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Shiva was the central figure of the cult - his images can be found on any of the remaining Cham structures.

As for Hoi An beach, it is located 4 km from the town, if the hotel is not on the coast itself, this is not a problem, because you can always take a bike or a taxi, sometimes there are shuttles from hotels.

The next day, we decided to arrange an individual visit to the marble mountain in Da Nang and, of course, one of the best beaches in the city. So, Da Nang is the third largest and most important city in Vietnam.

The Marble Mountains are located 10 Km south of Da Nang. Surprisingly, an elevator lifts the mountains or you can climb the stairs. These rocks are made of bizarrely colored marble, and inside there are huge caves with temples and altars. You can go there by two roads - along the main highway to Hoi An or along the highway, which is closer to the sea. Not far from them are quite large and expensive open-air showcase stores and you can walk around the park, worth several million dollars.

Everything is perfectly organized on the mountain: there are signs and paths, the routes are fenced. It is very beautiful when you enter a seemingly small cave, passing through a narrow passage, you see a giant space in the rocks inside of which there is a small temple in honor of the Buddha and the light, as it beautifully, the rays of the sun break through.

A separate entrance below (near the elevator) to the Am Phu cave with a judgment seat (sacrificial altar) is such a hell and paradise that begins on the stairs leading to a small observation deck. The steps are small and sometimes difficult to pass.

In this city, according to Forbes, there is a very good beach, but we visited a more secluded one, which is located near the Marble Mountains. This is a deserted beach with miles of pure white sand and very clear water. Until the territory is completely built up and it is not difficult to enter it. Compared to the beaches of Ha Long, Hoi An, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, I liked it the most, even despite the rather large waves.


In the morning there was a flight to the French-style mountain town of Dalat, located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. This is a different face of Vietnam, nature works wonders, I never thought that it would be so easy to breathe in Asia.

Around are picturesque valleys, evergreen forests, numerous waterfalls, lakes, passes and natural parks. It's fun to climb a mountain in silence and take a walk around the Chuk Lam Monastery (Thi? n Vi? n Tr? c L? m), located on the shores of Lake Tuy? nL? m Lake, visit the Prenn waterfall with its highlight: under the stream of water there is a path, passing along which you can look at the waterfall up close.

In a small cart with two levers (gas, brake) there was a descent to the next Dantal waterfall, this is a kind of attraction with turns. I really liked the Linh Phuoc Pagoda, which is still under construction. Big and insanely beautiful. If we talk about the architecture of Crazy House, then this is something that does not fit into the head. And although the construction of the villa by Mrs. Hang Nga began thirteen years ago, it is still slowly going on. So, the view of this villa is somewhat reminiscent of a house in the form of a tree, with interlacing branches, numerous hollows, cobwebs and animals.

There are rooms of different themes: a spider, a bear, etc. Now the villa accepts not only visitors, but also guests, and even in the off season all rooms can be occupied and closed to the entrance, but possibly open for viewing.

On the way to Phan Thiet, we stopped at the most beautiful, in my opinion, Pongour Falls, surrounded by 25 hectares of untouched forest. During the rainy season, the water rushes down in a wide stream through seven cascades and flows into a small lake. It is a pity that civilization, makes its own adjustments, the waterfall was full-flowing throughout the year, until a dam and a power station were built on this site. Therefore, during the dry season, the water disappears, and it turns into several quiet streams.


A couple of hours along the mountain serpentine, a little dangerous judging by the fact that collapses are a frequent occurrence, and now the south of the country is in the palm of your hand, the village of Mui Ne. On the way, by the way, stunning mountain landscapes open up. Located 22 km.

from Phan Thiet, Mui Ne is called differently - a resort, a cape, a peninsula, a city. For us, it was the beach. So, Phan Thiet / Mui Ne is one of the most popular, if not the most popular resort in Vietnam among Russians. So popular that many local restaurants have a menu in Russian, there are signs in Russian on the streets, and tours are conducted in Russian. Phan Thiet is also a mecca for windsurfing and kiting.

30 kilometers southwest of Phan Thiet, on a small island, Mike Kega is located 64 meters above sea level, together with a stone cliff. Here the beaches are rocky, but the sea is more transparent than in Mui Ne. But if in Mui Ne in the evening you can walk past cafes, restaurants and shops, then there is nothing like that here.

Nearby Phan Thiet also survived 3 towers built in the eighth century, as part of a large temple complex by the Cham kingdom in honor of the worship of the god Shiva. They say the fishermen living in the area come here to ask the gods for safe fishing and a rich catch. Nearby there is also Mount Taku with a statue of the reclining Buda, where you can meet crawling living creatures, including you should be careful, there are dunes and a lotus lake, the flowering period of which falls on May-June. probably beautiful.

There are many fishermen in Mui Ne and a huge number of boats that go out to sea in the evenings for a new catch and alternate in the sea to create a flat strip. By the way, some boats resemble a basin. It turns out that ordinary boats are taxed, but round boats are not.

All five resort days in Mui Ne the sea was different, especially the time of high and low tides, then in the morning, then in the afternoon, then in the late afternoon.


Transport: The fastest way to travel around the country is by air, there is a railway, by the way, it’s not much cheaper, but it takes more time. There are also sleeper basses. The cheapest way is to rent a motorbike in different cities for different prices (you need to name your hotel). There are scheduled buses, for example, Danang Hoi An will cost you approximately 20.000 dong one way per person.

The course is 100 dollars. - 2.100. 000 dong. The airport is less profitable.

Food for two with hot and drink in a cafe 200.000-300.000, with lobsters more expensive than 1 kg. in Boke cafes (Muine village) 700.000

Cafe: In Hoi An: in front of the BonBon hotel they always give you a bottle of water with you, the dishes are delicious and not expensive, fast service, the interior is so-so.

In Dalat: I don’t remember the name, if you stand with your back to the hotel, go left for about 5 minutes to the intersection, there is a restaurant inside and outside the tables. It’s also delicious and not expensive, we also brought slices of watermelon as a bonus for dessert.

In Mui Ne: We stand with our backs to the hotel and go to the right "Motherland", delicious fish in a creamy sauce and prawns in pineapple. Here, french fries are served as a side dish; in other cafes, only rice. Joe is a cafe with live music, a cozy atmosphere, but the only cafe where I was served ice cream earlier than a side dish, they didn’t give me a glass of beer, they brought kebab in the form of a kebab and a completely different side dish, and Caesar salad consisted mainly of leaves. And the prices here are much higher than in other cafes. There are many foreign tourists here, but my impressions were spoiled by the above.

We go to the left. Right by the water there is a chain of Boke seafood cafes (rather, even local eateries), where you can try almost all the exotic, for which many tourists choose Vietnam as a vacation spot, but cleanliness leaves much to be desired. In principle, having overpaid a little, everything will be brought to you in tech. a few minutes and to other cafes, even if they do not have stock.

Gifts: silk products from 20.000 for a beach dress, tea from 70.000 (in Dalat it is 100.000 more expensive! ), coffee per kg. : Weasel 1 80.000, Luvak1 50.000, Chon 25.000, Dalat wine from 70.000


Xing tiao - good afternoon, there bet - goodbye, kam he - thank you, bao nyu tem - how much does it cost.

Translated automatically from Russian. View original
To add or remove photos in a story, go to album of this story
Ho chi minh mausoleum or main street (Hanoi)
Beach Non Nuoc  (Danang)
Linh phuoc Pagoda (Dalat)
Crazy House (Dalat)
Coast/Beach;) Ke Ga
Fish....
Pongour falls
Cham Towers (MuiNe)
Ke Ga lighthouse (Phan Thiet )
shower
Have you ever seen tropical rain?
One of the Pagodas on the way to Hanoi
The Marble Mountains in Danang
Turtle Tower (Hanoi)
One Pillar Pagoda (Hanoi)
Night before the storm ( Ha Long)
Sea View to Halong bay from one island
Ha Long (Heritage of UNESCO)
Japanese Covered Bridge was built in the Year of the Dog(1595) / (Hoi An)
The temple complex of My Son (Hoi An)
Beach in 4 km from the city of Hoi An
One of Pagodas in Hoi an
Muine beach
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