Lonely Planet Vietnam: Perfect for exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled (Travel Guide)

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You’ll also find all manner of local and imported whiskies and rums, and home-grown wines from the hills around Dalat or the lowland vineyards of Thap Cham in the south. For alcohol avoiders, fruit juices (including nuoc mia – sugarcane juice), French-style coffee, and tea are also popular. There is a caveat, however – book directly with operators where possible. If you go through an agency, you’ll pay more, and some travelers have reported not getting the services and standards they were expecting when booking through third parties. 6. Factor sleeper buses and trains into your itinerary Budget flights can be very affordable in Vietnam, but you’ll have to balance any money you save against the carbon cost. A better way to save is to travel overnight. For longer trips, such as the journey from Hanoi or HCMC to Hoi An or Nha Trang, take a sleeper bus or train and save the cost of a night’s accommodation, without eating into your valuable daylight sightseeing time. Reclining seats and fully flat berths are available on both trains and buses. Make the most of hostels

This depends on the age of your tiny travelers. Beach hubs such as Nha Trang and Phu Quoc will work for most age groups. You’ll also get mileage from urban adventures in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and boat cruises around Halong Bay. For older kids and teens, the highlands around Sapa and Dalat offer lots of action, from trekking and canyoning to mountain biking and caving, while the central coast dishes out water sports galore. Best things to do in Vietnam with babies and toddlers Once you reach the heart of the hill country, you can rumble out to outlying villages far from the tourist crowds for epic views and stays in charming homestays run by members of Vietnam’s tribal minorities. Nha Trang is perhaps the best beach town in Vietnam for teens. The sand is just the start of the seaside fun – fill days with dive and snorkeling trips, boat tours, bathing in hot springs and natural mud baths and surfing sessions just south of Nha Trang at Bai Dai beach. Then there’s VinWonders, a boisterous complex of waterslides and rides (including a giant Ferris wheel) on Hon Tre island, a short boat ride across the bay. Make a splash in Dalat

Know your dong from your dollar

Breathtaking landscapes appear at every turn in Vietnam. From the window of a trundling train you'll witness an endless patchwork of impossible-green rice paddies, while in Halong Bay a horizon studded with incisor-like limestone islands makes an ethereal sight. From Mui Ne in the deep south, where you can wonder at a Sahara-esque scene of wind-sculpted sand dunes from the basket of a hot-air balloon, to the stupendous karst mountains of the far north, Vietnam offers up a bewitching array of superlative landscapes. Halong Bay As with anywhere in the tropics, there are tropical illnesses to be aware of in Vietnam. See your doctor at least a month before you travel to get up to date with vaccinations, and arrange anti-malarial medication if you plan to visit rural areas. Planning tip: You’ll need an international driving permit to ride legally in Vietnam, and this is only available for some nationalities. Many travelers manage to rent a motorcycle without a permit, but if things go wrong, you won’t be covered by your travel insurance. 9. See the American War through Vietnamese eyes Great for daytime journeys, “soft seats” are airplane-style chairs that recline, usually arranged in rows of four, with two chairs on either side of the aisle. “Hard seats” are essentially wooden benches; expect these carriages to be busy with locals and hazy with cigarette smoke. Use some clothes as an improvised cushion to avoid a bruised behind!

The important thing to remember is that how much you spend is largely within your own control. If you’re happy with a dorm bed, bus travel and street food dinners, the basic costs of living in Vietnam will not make a massive dent in your wallet. International favorites such as pizzas and pasta are easily available for tots who turn their noses up at things they haven’t tried before. Then there’s Vietnam’s fabulous catalog of tropical fruit and fruit smoothies – every day you’ll find new textures and flavors to sample. Sex tourism is an unwelcome legacy of the American War, but it’s usually easy to spot – and avoid – places where the sex trade takes place. Be wary of bars, karaoke lounges and massage parlors with scantily clad staff and lots of pink or red neon. Note that some hotels refuse to allow foreign men to share rooms with Vietnamese women – which can lead to headaches for genuine couples with an Asian partner. 19. Give drugs a pass Horrifying volumes of munitions were dropped over Vietnam during the American War, and unexploded ordnance continues to kill and maim people every year. Well-traveled areas are usually safe, but be cautious about stepping off roads and paths in rural areas. Don’t climb into bomb craters and never touch old explosive devices – they can remain deadly for decades. 23. Be typhoon smart Parts of the limestone ceiling have collapsed, bringing in natural sunlight, so Hang Son Doong contains an entire rainforest ecosystem with flying foxes, rare langurs, and even a small population of tigers. Since 2012, one tour company – Oxalis Adventure – has been allowed to take a strictly limited number of visitors into Hang Son Doong on challenging four-day treks; the price is stratospheric but so is the scenery. 13. Walk with the ghosts of French Indochina in Ho Chi Minh City

Metered taxis in Vietnam are very affordable by global standards. Unfortunately, some drivers in tourist areas refuse to use the meter, and we hear regular stories of meters being rigged to ramp up fares. If you take cabs, rides booked through the Grab app tend to be cheaper than taxis hailed in the street. Different bus companies offer different levels of comfort. At the top of the scale are deluxe sleeper services between major cities, with minimal stops en route. You’ll get a reclining seat or even a seat that converts into a horizontal bed, but you’ll need earplugs to sleep through the onboard karaoke sessions and screenings of music videos and martial arts films. Companies such as The Sinh Tourist and Mai Linh Express offer online booking. The former capital of the Nguyen dynasty – which ruled over large parts of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the 19th and 20th centuries – drips with imperial history, despite the ravages of US bombers during the American War. Much was lost in Hue, but the grandeur of dynastic Vietnam lives on in the Citadel and Imperial Enclosure, housing the emperor’s residence, temples, palaces and court. At one time, entering without permission would bring instant death. Just outside town are the tombs of Vietnam’s greatest emperors, resting serenely in green compounds beside the Perfume River. Another relic of royal rule is Hue’s imperial cuisine – arguably the finest in the country – try a spicy bowl of bun bo Hue (vermicelli noodle soup) or a crispy banh khoai pancake and you’ll see what we mean. From the cool climes of the highlands around Dalat to the sunny beaches of Nha Trang, this short and simple road trip is all about changing scenery and microclimates. Get an early start so you have time to appreciate the hilly terrain en route and the coastal views near the end of the drive.