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GOLDEN INSIDER TIPS
Your tailor-made adventure in Vietnam?
René Vertonghen • Oct 20, 2019
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Local expert
With striking landscapes, large stretches of beautiful coastline, intriguing cities and excellent food, it's no wonder that the number of tourists in Vietnam has more than doubled in the last decade.
The country is changing rapidly, and with improved roads, comfortable long-distance buses and a decent train network, it is easy to get from top to bottom - or vice versa - of this long country in a short time.
Golden Tortoise has an office in Saigon and Hanoi, managed by René Vertonghen, an emigrated Belgian, and a very competent local team. As a local expert, we are happy to offer you our golden insider tips for Vietnam, Cambodja, Thailand, Myanmar & Laos. Here are our main tips to help you with your trip in Vietnam.
Some insider tips
Discover Hanoi or Saigon by foot or bicycle on your own or with a guide
Forget everything you know about crossing streets and intersections.
To cross the road and get to the other side at once, especially in urban areas with a lot of traffic, you have to forget everything you ever learned about road safety, against your intuition. Stay calm and alert, and slowly but surely walk on the road; the traffic will (usually) make way for you.
When walking or cycling through your neighbourhoods you will undoubtedly come across a super coffee shop or pho place where you can soak up the atmosphere.
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City skyline
Photo By: John DoeButton -
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Streetfood
Many eateries - especially street kitchens - either have no prices on the menu, or dishes are only in Vietnamese on a plate. Set the price before you order, or you risk paying too much when it's time to pay the bill. A bowl of noodle soup in a cheap street starts from about 30,000đ (£1/$1.30).
Street kitchens may not look so attractive, with small tables and plastic chairs the size of a toddler standing on crowded streets, but these casual restaurants offer some of the freshest meals you can get in Vietnam - and the cheapest.
You can often see the food being prepared right in front of you, and there's usually a buzzing atmosphere. It's obvious where you can get the best quality food because of how crowded the place is.
Take the train
Trains are significantly more expensive than buses and services are generally slow. Travelling by train, however, has its advantages: you avoid the frequent near collisions and general chaos that crisscross Vietnam's roads, you get to see much more of the rural landscape, and you can meet fellow travellers - and share their food, if you're lucky.
The night trains, which need to be booked a day or two in advance, have comfortable berths, and there's usually a smoke-filled bar wagon to escape to if you have trouble getting some shuteye.
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