Where should I start a trip to Vietnam?

Where is it best to start in Vietnam?

Okay, so Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon, if you’re feeling old-school, like my grandpa and his rotary phone) is the real starting gun for Vietnam! It’s basically Vietnam’s Times Square, but with better street food and a higher chance of being offered a motorbike ride by a complete stranger.

Why Saigon first, you ask? Well, buckle up:

• It’s Easy Peasy: Flights practically land themselves there. Seriously, getting to Ho Chi Minh City is easier than convincing my cat to not sit on my keyboard. And cheaper. Definitely cheaper.

• Culture Shock Central: Think of it as boot camp for your senses. Imagine fireworks, except instead of light, it’s just the sheer volume of motorbikes and delicious smells. It preps you for the rest of Vietnam like a shot of espresso before a marathon.

• Gateway to Awesomeness: From Saigon, you can get just about anywhere. Want floating markets? Mekong Delta is your huckleberry! Feel like royalty? Hue’s calling. Need to see some giant rocks rising from the sea? Halong Bay (okay, that’s a bit further, but still doable).

From there, you can bounce around like a ping-pong ball!

Like, you could totally head south to the Mekong Delta. Picture this: you, a tiny boat, and a floating market that makes your local farmer’s market look like a lemonade stand. Or, fly north to Hue. Ancient city, man. Think emperors, temples, and enough history to fill a library… a really big library. Then maybe cruise to Halong Bay. Those limestone karsts are more stunning than any screensaver you’ve got.

It’s more fun than watching a monkey try to solve a Rubik’s Cube!

Which city to visit first in Vietnam?

Hanoi. It felt…right. More authentic somehow.

Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, whatever they call it now, is…big. Too much. Overwhelming. The energy is exhausting. It’s a different kind of vibrant, not the kind I crave.

• Hanoi’s old quarter: The charm, the small shops. The food felt fresher. Less… manufactured.
• The temples: Peaceful. A needed escape from the frenetic pace of the south. I visited the Tran Quoc Pagoda in 2023. It was breathtaking.
• The lake: That serene water, the people walking around. A different kind of energy. Calmer. More… human.

Saigon? It felt… sterile somehow. Shiny. New. Everything felt expensive. I didn’t connect with it. Like a big, beautiful, soulless machine. Hanoi has a soul. A real one. It felt more… real.

Hanoi won me over. I only spent a week there. But my memories…they linger. Stronger than Saigon’s. The smells, the sounds. I can still taste the pho.

I’m still processing it all, really. Sleep doesn’t come easily.

How do I organize my trip to Vietnam?

Ugh, Vietnam… Okay, so, Halong Bay. 2023. I was SO pumped.

I wanted photos, epic memories, you know?

Booking flights and hotels was essential. November. Peak season. Prices SKY HIGH.

Visa? Check. Grabbed some dong at the airport. Never again.

My rough travel plan (and honestly it was rough):

• Hanoi (few days)
• Halong Bay (cruising!)
• Hoi An (tailor time, lol)
• Saigon (eat ALL the pho)

Transportation? Train. Bus. Plane. Total chaos. Just GO with it. I did.

Tour guide? Kinda. Hired someone local in Hoi An to find fabric. Worth it.

Packed WAY too much. Should’ve just brought sundresses and swimwear.

Learned “xin chào” (hello), “cảm ơn” (thank you). Didn’t help much.

The food though? Amazing! I ate so much bun cha. Seriously. So. Much. The best advice? Embrace the crazy!

How do I organize my travel itinerary?

Ugh, itineraries. Stressful. Remember that Bali trip, 2023? So disorganized. Ended up missing the Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple. Sunset. Gutted. Should’ve written stuff down. Not just random notes on my phone.

Landed in Denpasar. Hot. Sticky. So many WhatsApp messages. Lost my driver’s number. Panic. Found it, finally. Villas were amazing though, Ubud. Jungle vibes. Totally forgot the cooking class I booked. Double booked, actually. Lost money on that one.

Now? Spreadsheet. Obsessed. One tab per day. Flight details. Hotel confirmations. Activity times. Restaurant reservations. Even little things. Like the name of that cool coffee place. Hidden gem.

• Flights: Airline, confirmation, times. Baggage allowance. Gotta maximize that carry-on.
• Accommodation: Hotel name, address, contact. Booking ref.
• Activities: Times, tickets (QR codes!). Addresses. Guides’ names.
• Food: Restaurants. Must-try dishes. Reservations, especially.
• Transport: Taxi companies. Train times. Bus routes. Scooter rentals.
• Budget: Daily spending. Exchange rates. Tipping customs. Bali uses rupiah. Learned that the hard way.

Print it out. Old school, I know. But phone dies sometimes. Bali’s humidity. Killed my battery twice. Plus, having a physical copy. Just feels…organized. Less frantic. More zen. Like those rice paddies. So peaceful.

Must add packing list to the spreadsheet now. Almost forgot. Sunscreen. Mozzie repellent. Adapter. The essentials. Definitely don’t want a repeat of the Bali mosquito massacre of ’23.

What exactly does a travel agent do?

Flights. Hotels. Ugh, so much to think about. Dinner reservations. That new Thai place on Bleecker… wonder if they take reservations. My passport expires next year… gotta renew that. Travel agents, right? They handle that stuff. They’re like personal travel planners. My friend Sarah used one for her trip to Iceland. Amazing photos. Iceland… Northern lights. Bucket list. They book everything. Saves so much time. Stressful planning a trip. Especially overseas. Visas? Do I need a visa for Iceland? Probably. Travel agents know that. They find the best deals too. Sarah got a killer deal on her flights. Business class. Lucky. My budget is… less business class. More… economy plus? They can customize your whole trip. Like, if you want to go hiking or something. Or whale watching. Actually… whale watching in Iceland. That’s a thought. So much research. Time consuming. Travel agents specialize in destinations. Sarah’s agent specialized in Nordic countries. Helpful. Expert advice. They even handle travel insurance. Important. Never know what could happen. Lost luggage. Delays. Ugh. Speaking of delays… my flight to Chicago was delayed three hours last month. Nightmare. Negotiate better prices probably. Bulk discounts? Something like that. Wonder how much commission they make. They arrange airport transfers too. So convenient. Especially after a long flight. Directly to the hotel. No taxis. No Uber. Nice. Oh – gotta book that oil change for the car. Before the trip. Right.