Vietnam

Vietnam is an incredible country with a strong backpacking community. I would absolutely suggest you putting this country at the top of your list for backpacking, particularly solo or beginners.  Not only that, but most of the Vietnamese people are absolutely beautiful souls. I say most because most locals are very helpful and very sweet, there are also some bad apples like any other country. 

If you are deciding to cross the country by motorcycle completely solo or with friends, be sure to wear long sleeves and helmets at all times while on the road! I’ve had multiple friends tell me their stories about how cops will pulled them over knowing they we a Westerners and scammed them for money. With negative, comes the positive, this country is absolutely stunning. It offers an array of landscapes including massive cities, beautiful beaches, and mountainous terrains that will take your breath away. Not to be overlooked, one of the highlights for me was the food! Anyone that knows me knows I love my food haha!

Things To Know Before You Travel

One thing I noticed while traveling was that a ton of people were traveling from North to South when traveling the entire length of the country. I highly suggest you do the opposite, South to North. The central and northern parts of Vietnam are the best parts of the country and where you should spend the majority of your time. I did two separate trips in Vietnam my first trip being 30 days on my 30-day Visa and my second time only two weeks because I wanted to come back and do the northern part of Vietnam including Sapa and Ha Giang. 

Now, it is possible to do Vietnam in 30 days or less but to get the real, full experience, I suggest you take your time and spend most of your time like I said, in the Central and Northern parts of Vietnam. I've also heard of Backpackers doing it within 2 weeks but to me, the country was so amazing that I needed longer. If you refer back to some of my other blogs I break down Vietnam by each individual city, so you can get a feel of how long you would like to spend at each destination. 

best times to travel

So my trip to Vietnam was during rainy season (September-October) but to be honest it was kind of all over the place. I was stuck on Catba Island during a massive monsoon that was actually kinda scary, then a few days later was sunbathing on a boat cruise through Ha Long Bay. So take all of these weather suggestions with a grain of salt. Sometimes rainy season and low season is the best time to travel, as the crowds die down and things get cheaper.

Climates by region:

Hanoi/Northern Vietnam: May - October is hot, humid and rainy. November - April is cool and dry. Keep in mind the northern parts of Vietnam tend to get cold November-January. I did the Ha Giang Pass in October and it was still cold during our rides through the mountains so I ended up wearing leggings and a jacket.

Central Vietnam: January - August hot and dry weather while rainy season is usually at it’s peak September - October.

Southern Vietnam: Generally is hot year round with it’s highest rainfall June - October.

Peak Season for travel is usually March - May and September - November. These seasons are usually dependent on weather, but like I said earlier take all of this with a grain of salt. Weather is very sporadic in Southeast Asia. I’ve traveled through many monsoon seasons and some trips there would be little to no rain, so use your best judgement.

There are a few ways to arrive into the country, by land or by air. The are three major international airports to fly into (Ho Chi Minh, Da nang and Hanoi), but you’ll find the cheapest international flights from both Ho Chi Minh & Hanoi airports.  By land is always cheaper, but if you're short on time and don't have six weeks I definitely suggest you fly.

One important thing to remember when booking your trip to Vietnam, is to be prepared with your Visa.  There are some passports that do not require a visa before arrival in order to enter Vietnam. Some of these countries include Germany and the UK which are allotted a 15-day entry visa on arrival, otherwise you need to apply for a 30-day E-Visa online or with your local hostel, hotel or a travel agent near you. It usually takes a couple days for them to process your visa request and It is totally normal for a hotel or travel agent to keep your passport overnight or for multiple days for the Visa. If you are in a rush, you can pay an extra fee to get your visa overnight.

Bear in mind, that on my first trip to Vietnam, I arrive by bus at the Vietnam border at Sihanoukville Cambodia and two of the girls on my bus got denied entry at the border because they did not apply for the Visa in advance. One girl was from America like me, the other was from South Africa. Later I bumped into them in Ho Chi Minh and found out that they had to stay in Sihanoukville for two extra days while waiting for their visa to arrive. Don’t make this mistake! Get your visa sorted in advance.

My Time In Vietnam

Enough about the technical stuff, time for the fun information. Like I said earlier, the backpacking community is incredible. I absolutely suggest solo travelers use this as one of your first countries to test solo traveling.  The country is not only super budget-friendly for backpackers, but for luxury travelers alike! In the major cities you can find super luxurious hotels and experiences for very cheap. Vietnam as a whole, is super cheap from Banh Mi’s and bowls of Pho starting at $0.50 to a dollar to luxurious three-course meals costing $15 to $20 and upwards.  It's not just the food and the shopping that are cheap, transportation in between cities is affordable as well including night buses, trains, grabs and flights.

I definitely suggest you starting from South to North so you save all the best parts of the country for last. My suggested route through Vietnam from south to north would be:

Phu Quoc - > Ho chi Minh -> Dalat -> Quy Nhon -> Hoi an & Da Nang -> Hai Van Pass -> Hue -> Phong Nha -> Ninh Binh -> Hanoi -> Ha Long Bay -> Cat Ba -> Sapa -> Ha Giang

Each city provided a unique experience and climate. Vietnam is diverse in so many ways from the mountains of Ha Giang, the caves in Phong Nha to the beautiful islands in Ha Long Bay. Some of my favorite cities there were Phong Nha, Hoi An and Ha Giang, while some of my least favorites were Ho Chi Minh and Hue. Check out my individual blogs I’ve written about different cities in Vietnam. I hope the blogs will be insightful and help you on your trip to Vietnam.