https://vietnam-notes.com/ Practical Vietnam travel guides: every destination north to south, routes that account for the travel time, what things cost, and the visa paperwork. https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-menu-words/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-menu-words/ A Vietnamese menu runs on about thirty words. What nuong, xao, kho and chay mean, how to ask for no meat or no fish sauce, and what the price column says. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:22:40 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/christ-of-vung-tau/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/christ-of-vung-tau/ A 32 m Christ on a headland above Vung Tau, with a staircase inside it and two viewing platforms on the arms. The climb, the dress code and the lunch closure. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:48:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/st-joseph-cathedral/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/st-joseph-cathedral/ Hanoi's neo-Gothic cathedral went up in 1886 on the site of a Ly-dynasty pagoda. When you can go in, what happens at Christmas, and the tea corner outside. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:22:51 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ho-thuy-tien/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ho-thuy-tien/ A water park that opened unfinished and emptied out, with a dragon aquarium standing in a lake. What is left, how access keeps changing, and how to get there. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 04:36:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/linh-phuoc-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/linh-phuoc-pagoda/ A Da Lat pagoda surfaced in smashed ceramic, with a dragon made of beer bottles and a bell people write on. What is there, and how the heritage train fits. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 02:14:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tra-que-village/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tra-que-village/ A few hectares of herb beds between Hoi An and the sea, fertilised with lake weed. What grows there, what a visit involves and whether the class is worth it. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:52:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-thang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-thang/ A clear chicken broth under shredded chicken, egg, pork sausage and dried shrimp, all cut to matchstick width. What is in it, what it costs, where it came from. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 05:33:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/lang-biang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/lang-biang/ A two-peak massif above Da Lat with a jeep road to a viewpoint and a longer walk behind it. What each version costs, what you see, and when the cloud wins. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 01:05:17 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/cha-ca/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/cha-ca/ Turmeric fish finished in a pan at your table under a heap of dill. What is in the marinade, how to build the bowl, and whether the famous address is the one. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:41:53 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/khai-dinh-tomb/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/khai-dinh-tomb/ The last great Nguyen tomb is blackened concrete over eleven years of raised taxes. What is inside the mosaic room, how many steps there are, what it costs. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 07:27:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ban-gioc-waterfall/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ban-gioc-waterfall/ Ban Gioc is the largest waterfall in Vietnam and the border runs through it. When the water is full, what the bamboo raft buys, and how long the road takes. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 02:12:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/den-hung/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/den-hung/ Den Hung is the hill of temples to the legendary founders of Vietnam, and its festival is a national holiday. What is on the mountain and when to avoid it. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:34:57 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/thien-hau-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/thien-hau-pagoda/ Thien Hau is a Cantonese temple in Cho Lon built for the goddess sailors prayed to, with a roof of ceramic figurines and coils of incense. What to look at. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:32:20 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hai-duong/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hai-duong/ Hai Duong sits between Hanoi and Hai Phong with a pine-covered pagoda, the temple of a Tran general, and the mung bean cake every Vietnamese knows. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:29:43 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/com-hen/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/com-hen/ Com hen is cold rice with baby clams and a dozen garnishes, the cheapest dish in Hue and one of the best. What is in it and where the clams come from. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:27:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-oc/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-oc/ Bun oc is freshwater snails in a sour tomato broth with rice noodles, a Hanoi bowl sold before noon. What is in it, how to order it, what it costs. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:24:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/tra-sua/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/tra-sua/ Bubble tea is the Vietnamese teenager's coffee shop, on every corner since the late 2010s. What the chains are, what to order, and what a cup costs. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:21:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bo-la-lot/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bo-la-lot/ Bo la lot is minced beef rolled in wild betel leaf and grilled over charcoal, eaten as wraps with herbs. What the leaf is, how to eat it, what it costs. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:19:15 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/canh-chua/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/canh-chua/ Canh chua is a tamarind soup of fish, pineapple and elephant-ear stem, shared over rice rather than eaten from a bowl. What is in it and what it comes with. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:16:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/thit-kho/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/thit-kho/ Thit kho is pork belly and eggs braised in coconut water and caramel, the pot a southern family cooks for Tet. What is in it and how the north differs. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:14:01 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bo-kho/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bo-kho/ Bo kho is a southern beef stew of lemongrass, star anise and annatto, eaten at breakfast with a baguette. What is in it, what it costs, where to order it. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:11:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/mien-luon/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/mien-luon/ Mien luon is eel with glass noodles, wet or dry, eaten at breakfast in Hanoi and Nghe An. What is in it, how the two versions differ, what a bowl costs. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:35:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/co-loa-citadel/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/co-loa-citadel/ Co Loa is a third-century-BC capital in spiral earth ramparts, 17 km from Hanoi, with a crossbow legend attached. What survives and whether to go. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:33:04 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/phat-diem-cathedral/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/phat-diem-cathedral/ Phat Diem is a Catholic cathedral built in Vietnamese temple form out of stone and ironwood, two hours from Hanoi. What to look at, and how it came to exist. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:30:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/da-lat-railway-station/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/da-lat-railway-station/ Da Lat station is the prettiest building in the highlands and the end of a line that no longer runs. What survives, what the seven-kilometre ride is like. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:27:50 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/duong-lam-village/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/duong-lam-village/ Duong Lam is an hour west of Hanoi: lanes walled in red laterite, houses four centuries old and soy sauce fermenting in the yards. What to see and when to go. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:25:13 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cat-tien-national-park/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cat-tien-national-park/ Cat Tien is four hours from Saigon and the best chance of wildlife in Vietnam: gibbons at dawn, a walk in to Crocodile Lake. What to book and when to go. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:22:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cuc-phuong-national-park/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cuc-phuong-national-park/ Cuc Phuong is Vietnam's oldest national park, two hours from Hanoi, with serious primate and turtle rescue centres. What to see, when to walk, what it costs. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:19:59 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-mam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-mam/ Bun mam is the Mekong's strongest noodle soup: a broth of fermented fish with prawn, squid, pork and aubergine. What it tastes like and where to order it. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:17:22 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/thai-nguyen/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/thai-nguyen/ Thai Nguyen grows the tea Vietnam drinks, ninety minutes north of Hanoi. Where the hills are, what a kilo costs, and what else the province is for. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:14:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ba-vi-national-park/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ba-vi-national-park/ Ba Vi is an hour and a half from Hanoi: three peaks in permanent cloud, French ruins in the forest and a temple at 1,296 m. When to go and what it costs. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:12:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/yen-tu/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/yen-tu/ Yen Tu is where a king became a monk and founded Vietnam's own Buddhist school. What is on the mountain, how long the climb takes, and when the pilgrims come. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:38:00 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/bai-tu-long-bay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/bai-tu-long-bay/ Bai Tu Long is the same karst as Ha Long with a fraction of the boats, plus islands you can stay on. Which cruises go there, what it costs, and when to sail. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:35:23 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/lang-son/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/lang-son/ Lang Son is the Chinese border province northeast of Hanoi: wholesale markets, cave temples in the town, and a mountain that gets frost. What to see and when. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:32:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/soc-trang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/soc-trang/ Soc Trang is a Khmer delta province with a pagoda full of fruit bats, a clay temple, and the biggest boat races in Vietnam each November. What to see and when. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:30:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ca-mau/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ca-mau/ Ca Mau is the southernmost province of Vietnam: mangrove forest, shrimp ponds and a cape where the land is still growing. What to see and whether to go. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:27:32 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/tra-vinh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/tra-vinh/ Tra Vinh is the Khmer heart of the Mekong Delta: Theravada pagodas, ponds, and streets roofed by ancient trees. What to see and when the festivals fall. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:24:55 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/dong-van/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/dong-van/ Dong Van is the town at the top of the Ha Giang loop, on a UNESCO karst plateau, with a Sunday market that fills it. When to be there and where to sleep. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:22:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/rach-gia/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/rach-gia/ Rach Gia is the ferry port for Phu Quoc and the Nam Du islands, built partly on reclaimed sea. What to do with a night there, which boat to take, what it costs. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:19:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/vinh-long/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/vinh-long/ Vinh Long sits between two Mekong branches, and its island of An Binh is where the delta homestay was invented. What to do, when to come, what a night costs. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:17:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/thanh-hoa/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/thanh-hoa/ Thanh Hoa is a province three hours from Hanoi with a UNESCO stone citadel, a loud domestic beach and the road into Pu Luong. What to stop for, and when. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:14:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ben-tre/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ben-tre/ Ben Tre is the coconut province of the Mekong, two hours from Saigon, with the narrow palm canals the delta is sold on. What to see and when to come. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:32:28 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nam-dinh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nam-dinh/ Nam Dinh is a delta province two hours from Hanoi with hundreds of churches, the Tran dynasty temples and a claim on pho. What to see and when to avoid it. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:29:53 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/tam-dao/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/tam-dao/ Tam Dao is a French hill station two hours from Hanoi, at 900 m and usually in cloud. What it is for, when the fog lifts, and why weekdays are quieter. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:27:16 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/pleiku/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/pleiku/ Pleiku is the highland capital of Gia Lai: a volcanic crater lake, red basalt farmland and a dry-bowl pho of its own. What to see, when to come, what it costs. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:24:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/dien-bien-phu/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/dien-bien-phu/ Dien Bien Phu is a rice valley on the Lao border where the French war ended in 1954. What survives of the battlefield, how to fly in, and when to come. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:22:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/one-pillar-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/one-pillar-pagoda/ A tiny wooden shrine on a single pillar in a Hanoi lotus pond, built in 1049 and rebuilt in 1955. What it is, why it looks like that, and how long it takes. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:25:53 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-trang-nuong/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-trang-nuong/ Rice paper grilled over charcoal with egg, spring onion, dried shrimp and sauce, folded and eaten hot. What goes on it, where to find it, and what it costs. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:23:13 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ti-top-island/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ti-top-island/ A small island in Ha Long Bay with a staircase to a viewpoint and a beach below. How many steps it takes, whether to swim, the name, and when to go. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:22:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/japanese-covered-bridge/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/japanese-covered-bridge/ A roofed bridge from the 1590s with a temple on one side, and Hoi An's best-known image. What the ticket covers, what is inside, and when to go. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:20:59 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ma-pi-leng-pass/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ma-pi-leng-pass/ A mountain road cut into a cliff above the Nho Que river between Dong Van and Meo Vac. Where to stop, when the gorge is clear, the boat below, and the permit. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:19:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/sung-sot-cave/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/sung-sot-cave/ The largest cave most Ha Long cruises visit, on Bo Hon island. How it is reached, what the two chambers hold, how many steps it takes, and when to go. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:18:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/grand-world-phu-quoc/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/grand-world-phu-quoc/ A canal town of gondolas and pastel streets in north Phu Quoc, open late. What is free, what the show and boats cost, and how it fits a stay. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:17:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/an-bang-beach/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/an-bang-beach/ Hoi An's beach, about 5 km from the old town through rice fields. How to get there, what the sunbeds cost, when the sea is safe, and why it beats Cua Dai. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:16:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vinwonders-nha-trang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vinwonders-nha-trang/ A theme park, water park and aquarium on Hon Tre island across Nha Trang bay. How the crossing works, what the ticket covers, and who it suits. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:15:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/sunset-town-phu-quoc/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/sunset-town-phu-quoc/ A pastel resort town at An Thoi with the Kiss Bridge, a nightly show and the cable car to Hon Thom. What is free, what is ticketed, and when to arrive. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:14:17 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/my-khe-beach/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/my-khe-beach/ Da Nang's long city beach, a short ride from the airport and the centre. When the sea is safe, what the flags mean, what a sunbed costs, and where to eat. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:13:10 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/long-bien-bridge/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/long-bien-bridge/ A French iron bridge over the Red River that survived the bombing and still carries trains. How to walk it, where to stand, and when the light is best. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:43:32 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cham-islands/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cham-islands/ Eight small islands 15 km off Hoi An, reached by speedboat and protected as a marine park. When the boats run, what the snorkelling is like, and the cost. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:42:25 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/jade-emperor-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/jade-emperor-pagoda/ A Taoist and Buddhist temple from 1909 in District 1, dark with incense and carved figures. What is inside, what to respect, and the half hour it needs. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:41:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-hoi-an/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-hoi-an/ Hanoi to Hoi An is about 800 km and there is no airport or station in Hoi An. How each option works through Da Nang, what it costs, and which one to book. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:40:10 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/noi-bai-airport/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/noi-bai-airport/ Hanoi's airport is 35 km from the Old Quarter. Which terminal, what bus 86 and a Grab cost, how long the drive takes, and when to leave for a flight. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:39:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tran-quoc-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tran-quoc-pagoda/ Hanoi's oldest pagoda stands on a small island in West Lake, reached by a causeway. What is inside, what to wear, and why late afternoon is the hour to go. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:37:56 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/bai-dinh-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/bai-dinh-pagoda/ A vast modern Buddhist complex in Ninh Binh, with an old cave pagoda on the hill above it. What to see, how the buggy and tickets work, and when to avoid it. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:36:49 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/bui-vien-walking-street/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/bui-vien-walking-street/ Saigon's backpacker street closes to traffic at night and fills with sound systems and plastic stools. When it runs, what a beer costs, and what to watch. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:35:42 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-thit-nuong/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-thit-nuong/ Grilled lemongrass pork on cold rice noodles, with herbs, pickles, peanuts and fish sauce poured over. What is in the bowl, how to eat it, and what it costs. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:34:35 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-or-thailand/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-or-thailand/ Both are cheap and easy, and good at different things. How Vietnam and Thailand compare on cost, beaches, food, routes and weather, and which suits which trip. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:33:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/landmark-eighty-one/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/landmark-eighty-one/ Landmark 81 is Vietnam's tallest tower, on the Saigon River. What the SkyView deck costs against the bar a few floors down, and how to get there. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:43:13 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/imperial-citadel-thang-long/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/imperial-citadel-thang-long/ Thirteen centuries of power on one Hanoi site, and the UNESCO citadel most visitors skip. What survives, the war bunker beneath it, and the two hours it needs. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:42:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/saigon-central-post-office/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/saigon-central-post-office/ A working French-era post office with a vaulted hall and painted maps, opposite Notre-Dame Cathedral. What to look at, what is free, and how long it takes. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:40:59 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-dau-mam-tom/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-dau-mam-tom/ Fried tofu, pressed noodles, pork and herbs on a bamboo tray, with shrimp paste whipped at the table. What arrives, how to eat it, and what to ask for instead. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:39:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/dragon-bridge-da-nang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/dragon-bridge-da-nang/ Da Nang's Dragon Bridge breathes fire and water on weekend nights at nine. When the show runs, where to stand, and what else sits on the river after dark. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:38:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-nang-airport/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-nang-airport/ Da Nang airport sits 3 km from the centre, the easiest arrival in Vietnam. Which terminal, what a car costs to the beach or Hoi An, and what to skip. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:37:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hanoi-old-quarter/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hanoi-old-quarter/ A square kilometre of trade streets north of Hoan Kiem lake. Which streets still sell what they are named for, what to look for, and when to walk it. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:36:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-cuon/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-cuon/ Banh cuon is rice batter steamed on stretched cloth and rolled around pork and mushroom in seconds. What arrives, the regional versions, and what it costs. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:35:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cat-cat-village/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cat-cat-village/ Cat Cat is the H'mong village a short walk below Sapa town, and the busiest in the valley. What the ticket buys, how long the steps take, and when to skip it. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:34:17 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ho-chi-minh-mausoleum/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ho-chi-minh-mausoleum/ Ho Chi Minh lies in state in Ba Dinh, open a few mornings a week. When you can get in, what to wear, what you cannot carry, and what sits behind it. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:33:10 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-ha-long-bay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-ha-long-bay/ The bay is two to two and a half hours from Hanoi by expressway. What each transfer costs, what time to leave for a cruise, and why the train is not an option. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:24:39 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cu-chi-tunnels/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cu-chi-tunnels/ Two visitor sites, two crowds and two journeys out of Saigon. What the Cu Chi tunnels cost, how to reach them, and what the crawl is actually like. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:17:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/cao-lau/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/cao-lau/ Cao lau is a thick chewy noodle with pork, crisp squares and almost no broth, sold in one town. What is in the bowl, what it costs, and why it stays put. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:09:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/mi-quang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/mi-quang/ Mi Quang holds turmeric-yellow noodles, a few spoonfuls of strong broth, peanuts and a sesame cracker. What is in the bowl and where it belongs. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:01:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/com-tam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/com-tam/ Com tam is broken rice under a grilled pork chop, and Saigon eats it all day. What arrives on the plate, what it costs, and why the cutlery is a spoon. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:52:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-plugs-and-power/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-plugs-and-power/ Vietnam runs 220 volts on flat and round two-pin sockets. Which plugs fit, when a US device needs a converter, and what to do about the missing earth pin. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:40:35 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-public-holidays/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-public-holidays/ Vietnam gives eleven public holidays a year and two of them empty the cities onto the coast. Which dates close what, and which ones to book around. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:28:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-travel-insurance/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-travel-insurance/ Vietnam requires no travel insurance from tourists. Whether you need it anyway, what claims are actually made here, and the motorbike clause that voids them. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:15:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-cha/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-cha/ Bun cha is grilled pork in a bowl of warm fish sauce, with cold noodles and herbs alongside. What arrives, how to assemble it, and why it is a lunch dish. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:03:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cai-rang-floating-market/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cai-rang-floating-market/ The delta's biggest floating market is a wholesale trade that finishes by seven. When to leave Can Tho, what a boat costs, and what is left to see. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:56:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-bo-hue/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-bo-hue/ Bun bo Hue is a lemongrass and shrimp-paste beef soup from the old imperial capital. What is in the bowl, what it costs, and why it is a morning dish. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:51:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/my-son-sanctuary/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/my-son-sanctuary/ A Hindu temple valley built by the Cham over nine centuries, bombed in 1969 and listed by UNESCO in 1999. What is standing, and why to go at seven. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:44:13 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hue-imperial-city/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hue-imperial-city/ A walled city inside a citadel, ticketed at 200,000 dong, and a fraction of what once stood. What is left, how long it needs, and when to walk it. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:31:49 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/backpacking-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/backpacking-vietnam/ Vietnam is one of the cheapest countries in Asia to backpack, and the standard route runs one way down the coast. What it costs a day and how to move. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:24:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/marble-mountains/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/marble-mountains/ Five limestone hills between Da Nang and Hoi An, full of caves and pagodas, with a lift that saves the worst of the steps. What to see in two hours. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:18:28 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-honeymoon/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-honeymoon/ Vietnam works for a honeymoon if the route is short and the places are chosen for quiet. Which islands, which months, and what a good room costs. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:12:21 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ba-na-hills/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ba-na-hills/ A French village theme park on a ridge above Da Nang, reached by a record-breaking cable car. What the ticket buys, when to go, and who should skip it. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:06:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/crazy-house-da-lat/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/crazy-house-da-lat/ A concrete guesthouse grown into tree trunks and animals, still unfinished after thirty years. What it costs, and whether to sleep in one of the rooms. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:59:57 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-canh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-canh/ Banh canh is a chewy tapioca noodle in a thickened broth, sold with crab, pork hock or snakehead fish. What the versions are and where each belongs. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:59:21 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hai-van-pass/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hai-van-pass/ Twenty-one kilometres of switchbacks between Hue and Da Nang, with a tunnel underneath and a railway along the sea. Which way over is worth the time. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:53:40 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/reunification-palace/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/reunification-palace/ A modernist palace in Saigon left as it was on 30 April 1975, down to the war room and the rotary phones. What is inside and how long it takes. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:47:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hanoi-train-street/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hanoi-train-street/ A working railway runs a metre from the front doors, the cafes have been closed and reopened twice, and the trains still come. How to see it safely. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:41:17 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/thien-mu-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/thien-mu-pagoda/ A seven-storey tower above the Perfume river, free to enter, with the Austin that carried Thich Quang Duc parked behind it. What to see and when. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:35:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/hu-tieu/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/hu-tieu/ Hu tieu is the south's noodle bowl: clear pork broth, chewy noodles, and a dry version with the broth on the side. What to order and what it costs. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:29:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-street-food/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-street-food/ Vietnamese street food is sold by specialists: one cart, one dish. What each kind of cart sells, what it costs, and how to order without words. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:22:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/egg-coffee/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/egg-coffee/ Egg coffee is whipped yolk and condensed milk over strong Vietnamese coffee, invented in Hanoi in 1946. What it tastes like and where to order it. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:17:34 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/sleeper-bus-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/sleeper-bus-vietnam/ A Vietnamese sleeper bus has flat berths instead of seats, and the berth you book decides the night. Prices, routes, etiquette and what goes wrong. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:10:21 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-xeo/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-xeo/ Banh xeo is a turmeric rice-flour crepe filled with pork and prawns, and it is meant to be torn up and wrapped in leaves. How to order and eat one. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:05:11 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-ha-giang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-ha-giang/ Ha Giang is six to seven hours from Hanoi with no airport and no useful train. What the night bus and the limousine cost, and which one starts the loop well. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:57:55 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-rieu/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bun-rieu/ Bun rieu is a tart tomato broth thickened with paddy crab, with tofu puffs and herbs on top. What is in the bowl, what it costs, and how to order it. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:52:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hue-to-hoi-an/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hue-to-hoi-an/ Hue to Hoi An is 140 km and the road over the Hai Van pass is the reason to take it slowly. What each option costs and how long it really takes. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:45:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/lady-buddha-da-nang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/lady-buddha-da-nang/ A 67-metre statue above Da Nang, free to visit, on a peninsula of monkeys and viewpoints. How to get up, when to go, and what else is on the road. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:39:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-ninh-binh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-ninh-binh/ Ninh Binh is about 100 km from Hanoi and four ways get you there. What each costs, how long it takes, and why a day trip sees half of it. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:33:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ben-thanh-market/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ben-thanh-market/ Saigon's landmark market sells souvenirs at tourist prices and food at fair ones. What to buy, what to pay, and where the locals shop instead. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:27:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/perfume-pagoda/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/perfume-pagoda/ An hour rowed up a stream and a climb to a cave shrine, 60 km from Hanoi. What the boat and the cable car cost, and why spring is the wrong season. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:21:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/war-remnants-museum/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/war-remnants-museum/ Saigon's museum of the American war is the hardest two hours in Vietnam. What is in each floor, what it costs, and who should not take children. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:15:02 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-visa-on-arrival/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-visa-on-arrival/ Visa on arrival in Vietnam needs an approval letter arranged in advance and works only at airports. When it still makes sense, and when the e-visa is simpler. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:08:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/temple-of-literature/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/temple-of-literature/ Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070, with 82 stone stelae carrying the names of its doctors. What is inside, what it costs and how long it needs. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:02:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/tan-son-nhat-airport/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/tan-son-nhat-airport/ Saigon's airport sits 8 km from District 1 and the exit is the hard part. Which terminal, what the bus costs, where Grab waits, and which taxi to refuse. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:56:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hoan-kiem-lake/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hoan-kiem-lake/ The lake Hanoi walks around, with a temple on an island, a ruined tower in the water and a weekend when the roads shut. What to see and when. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:49:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/phu-quoc-cable-car/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/phu-quoc-cable-car/ Nearly eight kilometres of cable over fishing boats and islands, ending at a theme park. What the ride costs, when to take it, and whether to stay. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:44:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/fansipan/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/fansipan/ Vietnam's highest peak is twenty minutes by cable car or two days on foot, and cloud decides whether either is worth it. What each costs and when to go. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:37:51 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hoa-lo-prison/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hoa-lo-prison/ A French colonial prison in central Hanoi, later a camp for American pilots. What survives, what the museum emphasises, and the hour it takes. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:31:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/mua-cave/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/mua-cave/ About five hundred steps cut into limestone above Tam Coc, and the photograph that sells Ninh Binh. What it costs, how long it takes, and when to climb. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:24:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-december/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-december/ December is dry and warm in the south, cold in the northern mountains and busy over Christmas. Where the month works and what the holiday peak costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:18:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/trang-an/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/trang-an/ A rowed boat through flooded karst caves in Ninh Binh, on one of three routes that run two to four hours. What each covers and what it costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:12:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-november/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-november/ November dries the south, cools the north and leaves the centre with the last of its floods. Where the month is at its best, and what it costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:06:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-beo/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-beo/ Small steamed rice cakes in their own saucers, topped with dried shrimp and crackling, eaten ten at a sitting. What is on them and what a set costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:04:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-october/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-october/ October is the clearest month in the north and the wettest in the centre. Why a Hanoi and Hoi An trip in October is the classic scheduling mistake. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:53:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hoi-an-lantern-festival/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/hoi-an-lantern-festival/ The old town turns off its electric lights on the fourteenth day of every lunar month. When it falls, what happens, and how to see it without the crush. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:53:22 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-september/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-september/ September turns the northern terraces gold and opens the typhoon window on the central coast. Where the month is excellent and where it is a gamble. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:41:22 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/nem-nuong/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/nem-nuong/ Seasoned pork grilled on skewers and rolled at the table in rice paper with herbs, green banana and a peanut sauce. What arrives and what it costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:41:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-august/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-august/ August keeps the rain and the crowds of July and adds the ghost month. Where the country still works, and what the wet season really means. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:28:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/dong-xuan-market/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/dong-xuan-market/ Hanoi's biggest covered market is a wholesale building with a food alley behind it. What is on each floor, when to go, and what is worth buying. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:28:49 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-july/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-july/ July is the wettest month in the north and the busiest on the central coast. Where the rain falls, what it costs, and which half of the country works. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:16:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tam-coc/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tam-coc/ Ninety minutes through three caves and a valley of rice, rowed by one person using their feet. What it costs, when the fields turn gold, and the sales pitch. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:16:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-june/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-june/ June opens the central beach season and the Vietnamese school holidays at the same time. Where the coast is best, and what the domestic rush costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:04:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-may/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-may/ May floods the northern terraces, opens the southern wet season and gives the centre a flat sea. Where the month works and what it costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:51:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-april/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-april/ April is the hottest month in the south and a fine one in the north. What 35°C actually means, and what the 30 April holiday does to travel. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:39:19 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-march/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-march/ March is the month the whole country agrees: the north clears, the central sea goes flat and the south is dry. Where to go, and what it costs. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:27:53 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-february/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-february/ February brings Tet in most years, a brightening north and a hot, dry south. What the lunar new year does to travel, and where the month works. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:14:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-january/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-in-january/ January is the coldest month in the north and the driest in the south. What each region does, where to go, and what a January trip should carry. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:02:11 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/drinking-water-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/drinking-water-vietnam/ Tap water is not drinking water here, and nobody drinks it. What households use instead, what a bottle costs, and the two places the rule actually bites. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:13:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/luggage-storage-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/luggage-storage-vietnam/ A midnight flight and an eleven o'clock checkout leave twelve hours with a suitcase. Who stores bags, what it costs, and the free option everybody forgets. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:09:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/airport-to-city-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/airport-to-city-vietnam/ Hanoi's airport is 35 km out and Saigon's is 8. What the bus costs, what a car costs, which desks to walk past, and how long to allow going back. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:05:22 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-nang-to-hoi-an/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-nang-to-hoi-an/ Thirty kilometres of coast road between the airport city and the old town. What each way costs, how long it takes, and which one the hotel books for you. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:01:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-sapa/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-to-sapa/ Six hours by road or a night on the train and a mountain shuttle. What each option costs, what it does to your first day, and which one to book. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 05:57:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/best-places-to-visit-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/best-places-to-visit-in-vietnam/ Twelve places worth the journey, what each is actually for, how many nights it needs, and which ones a two-week trip has to leave out. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:26:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/things-to-do-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/things-to-do-in-vietnam/ Not a list of every sight. The experiences that fill a Vietnam trip, what each costs in time and money, and which ones people quietly regret paying for. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:22:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-pavements/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-pavements/ Bikes, stools and kitchens fill the pavement, so pedestrians walk in the road. What the pavement is really for, and how to use the street safely. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:58:19 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/river-ferries-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/river-ferries-vietnam/ Bridges replaced the famous crossings; dozens of small ferries still run. What one costs, how it works with a bike, and which are worth taking. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:55:02 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/motorbike-cargo-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/motorbike-cargo-vietnam/ Pigs, panes of glass, a fridge, two metres of steel bar. How a 110cc Honda became the country's freight system, and what it means for the traffic around you. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:51:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/dentists-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/dentists-in-vietnam/ A filling costs less than a taxi from the airport and an implant a fraction of home. What the clinics are like, what to check, and when not to do it on a trip. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:48:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/motorbike-helmets-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/motorbike-helmets-vietnam/ Helmets are compulsory and most of the cheap ones protect nothing. What the rule covers, how to spot a real one, and what a decent helmet costs. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:45:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/school-day-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/school-day-vietnam/ Two waves of traffic a day, a white uniform that is a national image, and evening classes after that. What the school day looks like from the street. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:24:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/football-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/football-in-vietnam/ A Vietnam match empties the restaurants and fills the pavements. What the leagues are, how to get into a game, and what happens on the roads afterwards. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:21:54 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-funerals/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-funerals/ A tent, a brass band and a crowd in white headbands. What a funeral involves, why it lasts days, and how a passer-by should behave around one. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:18:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/karaoke-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/karaoke-in-vietnam/ Karaoke here is a private room with a family in it, or a wheeled speaker on a pavement. What a room costs, which signs to avoid, and who to ask about noise. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:15:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-weddings/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-weddings/ A marquee goes up on the pavement, a band starts at seven in the morning, and young men carry red trays in pairs. What each part of the day is. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:12:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/propaganda-posters-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/propaganda-posters-vietnam/ Red banners cross every provincial road and painted boards stand at the junctions. What they say, who makes them, and where the originals are. Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:43:19 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnamese-shop-signs/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnamese-shop-signs/ Twenty words cover almost every shopfront here. What cua hang, tap hoa and nha nghi mean, and why the phone number is bigger than the name. Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:42:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/motorbike-repair-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/motorbike-repair-vietnam/ A puncture costs less than a coffee and is fixed on the pavement. How to spot a repair stand, what each job costs, and the six words you need. Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:42:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/water-buffalo-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/water-buffalo-vietnam/ The buffalo in the paddy is not scenery. What it is worth to the family, what the nose rope is for, and why a walking tractor is called an iron one. Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:41:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/incense-village-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/incense-village-vietnam/ An hour south of Hanoi, whole yards fill with red incense sticks drying. What is made there, when the yards are full, and what a household asks. Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:38:21 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/salt-fields-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/salt-fields-vietnam/ Seawater, sun and a wooden rake. Where the salt flats are, which months they work, why the light is best at dawn, and what a tonne of salt earns. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:42:35 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/lottery-tickets-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/lottery-tickets-vietnam/ A ticket costs 10,000 dong, the draw is at four every afternoon, and the person selling it earns about 1,000. What the trade is and how to be decent about it. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:39:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/traditional-medicine-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/traditional-medicine-vietnam/ Wooden drawers, weighed herbs and a diagnosis by pulse. What a traditional pharmacy does, how it differs from the green-cross one, and when to use which. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:35:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/rice-year-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/rice-year-vietnam/ The delta takes three crops a year and the northern mountains take one. What the fields are doing in each month, and how to time a trip to the gold. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:32:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tube-houses-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/tube-houses-vietnam/ Four metres of frontage and thirty metres of depth. Where the nha ong came from, how one is laid out inside, and what it does to a street. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:29:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/non-la-conical-hat/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/non-la-conical-hat/ Palm leaf over a bamboo frame, worn in the fields and on the pavement because it works. Where they are made, what one costs, and why yours will not survive. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 05:07:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/basket-boats-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/basket-boats-vietnam/ The round bamboo coracle is working gear on half the coast and a spinning tourist ride in Hoi An. Where each happens, and what it costs. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 05:04:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-coffee-shops/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-coffee-shops/ A coffee buys the table for as long as you want it. Which chains do what, where the plugs are, and why the plastic stool faces the street. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 05:01:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/convenience-stores-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/convenience-stores-vietnam/ The mini-mart is air conditioning, a toilet, a seat and cold water at two in the morning. What each chain is good for, and what costs less on the street. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 04:58:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnamese-addresses/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnamese-addresses/ 127/3A Nguyen Trai is not a typo. What the slash means, why an alley has its own numbering, and how to reach a door a taxi cannot find. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 04:55:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ghost-month-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/ghost-month-vietnam/ The seventh lunar month brings offerings on every pavement and a pause in weddings and big purchases. What it means for a visitor, and the dates that matter. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 18:08:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/street-vendors-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/street-vendors-vietnam/ The woman with two baskets is a business with a route and a wholesaler. What she sells, what it costs, and the rule about photographing her. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 18:05:23 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/air-quality-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/air-quality-in-vietnam/ Hanoi's winter air is the country's worst, the coast and the mountains are fine, and the difference is seasonal. What to check and what actually helps. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 18:01:57 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/bus-stations-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/bus-stations-vietnam/ Every city has several stations serving different directions, and limousine vans collect from their own offices instead. How to find the right boarding point. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 17:58:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/motorbike-taxis-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/motorbike-taxis-vietnam/ A bike taxi crosses Hanoi for a dollar and beats a car in traffic. What the apps cost, what the helmet is like, and when two wheels is the wrong answer. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 17:55:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/flower-markets-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/flower-markets-vietnam/ Quang Ba trades at two in the morning, Da Lat grows for the whole country, and every pavement has a bucket of lotus in June. Where to go and what it costs. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:23:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/photographing-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/photographing-vietnam/ The light is early and late, the best subjects are people at work, and asking costs nothing. What to shoot, when, and the two rules about drones and temples. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:21:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/xoi-sticky-rice/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/xoi-sticky-rice/ Xoi is steamed glutinous rice heaped with whatever the stall does best, wrapped and carried. What the varieties mean, what it costs, and when it runs out. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:18:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/tailors-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/tailors-in-vietnam/ A suit in three days is the pitch. What it actually costs, how many fittings it takes, which fabrics are worth it, and why the last day of a trip is too late. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:16:04 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/massage-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/massage-in-vietnam/ A foot massage costs less than a beer at home and the shop is on every street. What the types mean, what an hour costs, and which signs to walk past. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 06:13:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-snails/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-snails/ Quan oc are shellfish restaurants that fill after dark. What to order, what each plate costs, which sauce goes with which shell, and how to eat them. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:47:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-grilled-food/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-grilled-food/ Half of what smells good on a Vietnamese pavement came off charcoal. What nuong covers, the dishes worth crossing a city for, and how a grill table works. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:44:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/mornings-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/mornings-in-vietnam/ The country does its living between five and eight. What happens in the parks, why breakfast ends at ten, and how to build a day around the only cool hours. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:21:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-salads/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-salads/ Goi is shredded green fruit, herbs, peanuts and fish sauce, eaten as a course of its own. The five worth ordering, what they cost, and which ones hide meat. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:18:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-with-older-parents/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-with-older-parents/ Not the sights but the pavements, the stairs and the heat. Which places work at a slower pace, how to shape a day, and what to pay for rather than endure. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:04:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cat-ba/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cat-ba/where-to-stay/ Cat Ba town has a seafront of tall hotels and a working harbour behind it. Which end suits which trip, what a room costs, and when the island half empties. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:01:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-rainy-day/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-rainy-day/ Rain here is usually an hour, not a day. What shuts, what carries on, what a poncho costs, and how to rebuild an afternoon without losing the trip. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 03:41:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-scams/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-scams/ Most Vietnam scam lists are copied from each other. These are the ones travellers still meet, what each costs, and the sentence that ends most of them. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 03:36:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-car-and-driver/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-car-and-driver/ A car and a driver costs less than three people expect. What a day rate covers, how to book one, and the four kinds of day where nothing else works. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:09:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-everyday-errands/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-everyday-errands/ The second week of a trip is admin. What laundry, a haircut, a phone top-up and a shoe repair cost in Vietnam, and where the shop actually is. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:06:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-theatre/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-theatre/ Water puppets are the form visitors see and the least of it. What tuong, cheo and cai luong are, where each is staged, and how to watch without the words. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:04:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/kayaking-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/kayaking-in-vietnam/ Most kayaking here happens in one bay, and the best of it is not where the cruises go. Where to paddle, what it costs, and which boat is rowed for you. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:02:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/tay-ninh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/tay-ninh/ A cathedral belonging to a religion founded in 1926, a 986 m mountain with a cable car, and the Cambodian border. What Tay Ninh holds and how to time it. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:35:48 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/kon-tum/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/kon-tum/ A timber cathedral built like a communal house, villages on a river that runs the wrong way, and almost no visitors. What Kon Tum is and when to go. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:33:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-remote-work/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-remote-work/ The wifi is better than the visa rules. Which city suits a month of work, what it costs, and the time-zone arithmetic that decides whether it works at all. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:26:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-with-a-baby/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-with-a-baby/ A pram is close to useless here and everything else is easier than you expect. What to bring, what to buy locally, and how to move a small child around. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:24:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-layover/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-layover/ Two airports, two very different rides into town, and one decision about whether to leave at all. What fits into six hours, eight, or a night. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:22:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/beach-safety-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/beach-safety-vietnam/ Most Vietnamese beaches are unpatrolled and the sea changes with the season. What the flags mean, where the rips are, and which months close which coast. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:20:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cao-dai-and-religions/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cao-dai-and-religions/ A religion founded in 1926 with a cathedral of its own, plus the ancestor altars in every shop. What the traditions are, where to see them, and how to behave. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:18:57 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mekong-delta/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mekong-delta/where-to-stay/ One town gets you to the dawn market and the others do not. What a delta homestay is actually like, what each base costs, and which nights are worth booking. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:16:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/day-trips/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/day-trips/ North to the seventeenth parallel, south over the pass, or up into a cloud forest. What each day out of Hue costs in road time and what it gives back. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:14:22 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-lat-or-sapa/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-lat-or-sapa/ Two towns at 1,500 m and almost nothing else in common. One is flowers and coffee near Saigon, the other is terraces and trekking near the Chinese border. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:31:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-typhoon-season/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-typhoon-season/ Storms run from about June to November and land hardest on the centre. Which months are exposed, what stops running, and how to build a trip that survives one. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:29:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-textiles/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnamese-textiles/ Brocade from the northern mountains, silk from two villages and indigo that stains your hands. What is woven, what is printed, and what a fair price looks like. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:28:04 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-quoc/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-quoc/where-to-stay/ Twenty kilometres of hotels, a quiet stretch north of them and a resort belt further out. What each part costs, what it puts outside the door, and the taxi tax. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:26:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/french-colonial-architecture/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/french-colonial-architecture/ Opera houses, villas and a post office, plus the shophouses quietly disappearing. Where the colonial fabric survives, what to look at, and what it cost. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:20:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/central-highlands-route/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/central-highlands-route/ Three highland towns on one road north of Da Lat, and almost no foreign traffic on it. What each stop is for, what the driving costs, and when to go. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:19:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-smoothies-and-juices/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-smoothies-and-juices/ Between the coffee and the beer sits a whole cold-drinks culture nobody writes about. What sinh to is, what a glass costs, and which ones are worth queuing for. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:17:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mui-ne/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mui-ne/things-to-do/ Mui Ne is a dune field, a wind and a fishing village on one strip of road. What fills two days, which dune trip to take, and the hours that decide both. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:16:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/hue-two-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/hue-two-days/ Hue is a walled citadel and a river of royal tombs. Which combined ticket pays for itself, what order to take them in, and the evening most visitors skip. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:13:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/sapa-three-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/sapa-three-days/ Sapa town is a hotel town with a view, and the valley below it is the reason to come. A three-day route with real transfer times and where to sleep. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:11:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-markets/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-markets/ A wet market is finished by mid-morning and a night market has not started. Which markets are worth the trip, when each one works, and how to buy at them. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:10:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/eating-cheap-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/eating-cheap-in-vietnam/ A full day of eating in Vietnam costs less than one restaurant main at home. What each meal actually costs, where the prices double, and what to order. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:09:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-north-to-south/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-north-to-south/ Vietnam is a line, so the trip runs one way or the other. What the seasons, the flights and the weather do to that choice, and when it barely matters. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:06:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-homestays/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-homestays/ A homestay here is either a family guesthouse or a bed in a stilt house. What each costs, what dinner is like, and where the valley beats the hotel in town. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:05:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/day-trips/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/day-trips/ Four day trips leave Saigon and three of them are mostly road. What Cu Chi, the delta, Can Gio and Vung Tau actually give back for the hours in the car. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:03:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cat-ba/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cat-ba/things-to-do/ Cat Ba is a boat trip with an island attached, and the island is half national park. What fills the other days, what each costs, and when to be on the water. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:02:19 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/craft-villages-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/craft-villages-vietnam/ Vietnam has hundreds of single-trade villages making pottery, silk, incense and fish sauce. Which are worth the ride, and the hour that decides what you see. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:37:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/rice-terraces-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/rice-terraces-vietnam/ The terraces have two seasons and one of them is two weeks long. Which valley to pick, when the gold and the water happen, and what the journey actually costs. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:36:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/pagodas-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/pagodas-in-vietnam/ Chua, den and dinh are three different buildings and visitors call them all temples. Which pagodas repay an hour, what they cost, and the hours locals go. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:35:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/water-puppets-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/water-puppets-vietnam/ A thousand-year-old village art performed in a pool, now a nightly show in Hanoi. What happens in the hour, what it costs, and where to see the good version. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:33:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-solo-travel/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-solo-travel/ Vietnam is one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel alone. Where solo works, what the single room adds to a budget, and the two meals that resist it. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:22:15 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-tea/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-tea/ Vietnam runs on iced tea nobody charges for, and also grows some of Asia's oldest tea trees. What to drink, what to buy, and what the good stuff costs. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:20:33 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/ninh-binh-two-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/ninh-binh-two-days/ Ninh Binh is done as a day trip and half missed. Two days, one boat river each morning, the Mua steps at the right hour, and the bicycle between them. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:19:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nha-trang/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nha-trang/where-to-stay/ Nha Trang is 6 km of beach with a wall of towers behind it. What each block costs, why two streets back is the value, and when the airport strip wins. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:17:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-fruit/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-fruit/ Sixteen fruits, what each costs a kilo in season and out, how to pick one at a stall, and what is left on the stalls in the months when nothing ripens. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:03:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-lat/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-lat/where-to-stay/ Da Lat is a hill town, so the map lies about walking distances. What each area costs, which one suits a two-night stay, and why the weekend doubles the price. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:02:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-nang-or-nha-trang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/da-nang-or-nha-trang/ Two Vietnamese cities with a long beach and an airport. One is a base for everything nearby, the other is the trip itself. Which suits yours, and when. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:44:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/hoi-an-three-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/hoi-an-three-days/ Hoi An is small enough to walk in an afternoon and rewards three days anyway. A route built around the hours the old town is worth being in. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:41:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-accessibility/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-accessibility/ Vietnam has almost no accessible infrastructure and a great deal of willing help. What is genuinely hard, what is easier than expected, and how to plan. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:27:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-pancakes/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-pancakes/ Three different things share the word pancake. What each is, why banh xeo is yellow without egg, and how to eat one without making a mess of it. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:26:48 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-off-the-beaten-track/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-off-the-beaten-track/ A route through Cao Bang, Ba Be, Ly Son and Phan Rang for people who already did Hanoi and Hoi An. Longer roads, fewer beds, and what that costs. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:26:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-quoc/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-quoc/things-to-do/ Phu Quoc has a cable car, a night market, pepper farms and a fish sauce industry. What is worth the day, what to skip, and which end to do it from. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:25:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/nightlife-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/nightlife-in-vietnam/ Vietnam's evening is a plastic stool and a two-litre jug more often than a club. Where the real nights are, what closes when, and which street to avoid. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:57:40 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-herbs/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-herbs/ Every bowl arrives with a pile of leaves nobody explains. What the six common Vietnamese herbs are, which dish each belongs to, and whether to eat them raw. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:56:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/northern-vietnam-ten-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/northern-vietnam-ten-days/ Ten days is the length at which Ha Giang stops being a sacrifice. The route, what it costs, and the two nights most people should give back. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:56:02 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/ha-long-bay-or-ninh-binh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/ha-long-bay-or-ninh-binh/ Both are limestone towers in water. One costs a cruise booking and four hours each way, the other a two-hour drive and a rowing boat. Which to pick. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:55:19 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ninh-binh/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ninh-binh/where-to-stay/ Ninh Binh city has the trains and nothing else. Tam Coc has the bars, Trang An the quiet. Which base suits one night, and why the city rarely wins. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:54:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/museums-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/museums-in-vietnam/ Most Vietnamese museums are a room of captioned photographs. Four are genuinely good, one is hard going, and this is which is which and when they close. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:11:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-hot-pot/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-hot-pot/ Lau is a group dish, a long evening and about half what the same table costs in a restaurant. The main kinds, how ordering works, and what it costs. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:10:49 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/central-vietnam-one-week/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/central-vietnam-one-week/ Five days covers the centre; seven lets you stop. Where the extra two days go, why the Hai Van pass beats the tunnel, and when the coast is wrong. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:10:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/phu-quoc-or-con-dao/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/phu-quoc-or-con-dao/ One island has resorts, a cable car and a visa exemption; the other has a prison, turtles and almost nobody. Which suits your trip, and when each is dry. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:09:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-lat/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-lat/things-to-do/ Da Lat sells itself on kitsch and delivers on waterfalls, canyoning and coffee farms. What is worth the day, what to skip, and when the rain stops. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:08:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/national-parks-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/national-parks-vietnam/ Vietnam has more than thirty national parks and about six worth planning around. What each holds, when the trails are passable, and what a guide costs. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:45:56 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/fish-sauce-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/fish-sauce-vietnam/ Nuoc mam is the bottle and nuoc cham is what reaches your table. What the grades mean, why Phu Quoc matters, and what it means if you avoid fish. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:45:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-one-week/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-one-week/ A week buys one region properly or two badly. The northern route, the central route, and the one internal flight that makes a two-region week work. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:44:23 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/tipping-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/tipping-in-vietnam/ Vietnam has no tipping culture and four places where a tip is now normal. Who to tip, what the note should be, and why rounding up beats a percentage. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:43:43 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/where-to-stay/ Hue splits across the Perfume river. The south bank has the hotels and the food; the citadel side has the walls and the quiet. Which suits two nights. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:43:01 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/day-trips/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/day-trips/ Four places sit within a day of Hanoi and only two survive being rushed. What each drive costs in hours, and which ones deserve a night instead. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:13:06 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nha-trang/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nha-trang/things-to-do/ Nha Trang is a beach city with Cham towers, an island cable car and mud baths. What is worth the money, what the boat trips are really like, and when. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:12:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/sapa/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/sapa/where-to-stay/ Sapa town is a building site with a view; the valley below it is why people come. What each costs, what the cloud does, and which one suits two nights. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:11:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ninh-binh/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ninh-binh/things-to-do/ Ninh Binh has two boat rivers and one staircase, and picking wrong costs you the day. Trang An against Tam Coc, what each costs, and when to climb. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:11:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/things-to-do/ Saigon rewards evenings more than mornings. The museums that matter, the coffee apartment, the market to skip, and what the city does after dark. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:10:28 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/things-to-do/ Hue's citadel takes a morning and the tombs take the afternoon that most visitors skip. Which tombs, what the tickets cost, and how to use the river. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:09:48 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-nang/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-nang/where-to-stay/ Da Nang has a beach strip and a city across the river, twenty minutes apart. What each costs, who each suits, and why the answer changes with the season. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:09:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-nang/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-nang/things-to-do/ Da Nang is a beach city with two mountains and a theme park on one of them. What is worth the day, what the bridge does, and which trip beats the rest. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:08:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hoi-an/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hoi-an/where-to-stay/ Hoi An splits into three places to sleep, 5 km apart. What the old town, An Bang and the rice fields each cost, and which one the floods reach. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:07:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hoi-an/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hoi-an/things-to-do/ Hoi An's old town is best before nine and after nine, and unbearable between. What to do, when to do it, and what the ticket actually covers. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:07:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/bac-ha/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/bac-ha/ Bac Ha's market runs on Sunday and the town is quiet the other six days. How to time it, what the Flower Hmong dress means, and whether it beats Sapa. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:49:27 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ba-be/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ba-be/ Ba Be is the largest natural lake in Vietnam, six hours from Hanoi, with Tay stilt-house homestays on its shore. What to do there and why so few people go. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:23:32 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/moc-chau/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/moc-chau/ Moc Chau is a tea plateau four hours from Hanoi with a two-week blossom season and dairy farms. What grows when, what it costs, and who it suits. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:23:04 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hai-phong/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hai-phong/ Hai Phong is the city most visitors cross on the way to Cat Ba without stopping. The French quarter, the crab noodles, and why a night here is worth it. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:22:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phan-rang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phan-rang/ Phan Rang is the driest corner of Vietnam, with working Cham temples, salt flats, vineyards and a coast road worth driving. What is there and when to go. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:24:48 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ly-son/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ly-son/ Ly Son is a volcanic island off Quang Ngai that grows garlic in black sand and receives almost no foreign visitors. What is there, and how to reach it. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:24:01 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ha-tien/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ha-tien/ Ha Tien is a small Gulf of Thailand town on the Cambodian border, and the ferry port for Phu Quoc and Nam Du. What is there, and why to give it a night. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:23:23 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-yen/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-yen/ Phu Yen has the basalt columns at Ganh Da Dia, long empty beaches and a film that made it famous domestically. What to see, and why foreigners still skip it. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:18:58 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/chau-doc/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/chau-doc/ Chau Doc is the Mekong at its most layered: floating fish farms, Cham villages, a pilgrimage mountain, and the slow boat to Cambodia. What is there and when. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:00:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/buon-ma-thuot/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/buon-ma-thuot/ Buon Ma Thuot is where most Vietnamese coffee is grown and almost no visitors stop. The waterfalls, the lake, the harvest months, and the elephant question. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:58:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-festivals/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-festivals/ Tet shuts the country for a week; the Hoi An lantern night happens every month. Which Vietnamese festivals to plan around, and which to plan away from. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:58:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/vung-tau/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/vung-tau/ Vung Tau is two hours from Saigon and packed at weekends. Which beach is which, what the seafood costs, and why Tuesday is a different town from Sunday. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:58:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mu-cang-chai/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mu-cang-chai/ Mu Cang Chai has the best rice terraces in Vietnam and a season about two weeks long. When the gold happens, what the journey costs, and why it stays empty. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:57:25 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cao-bang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cao-bang/ Cao Bang holds Vietnam's biggest waterfall and a loop with a fraction of Ha Giang's traffic. What is there, when the falls run full, and how to get there. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:55:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mai-chau/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mai-chau/ Mai Chau is a flat green valley of White Thai stilt houses three hours from Hanoi, cycled rather than climbed. What it costs, when to go, and who it suits. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:54:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cycling-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cycling-in-vietnam/ Cycling in Vietnam is excellent in four places and miserable on the highway that connects them. Where to ride, what it costs, and the road to refuse. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:50:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-rice-dishes/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-rice-dishes/ Vietnam is not only noodles. Com tam, com ga and the rice-plate lunch that most of the country actually eats, with what each costs and when to find it. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:41:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-spring-rolls/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-spring-rolls/ Two different dishes share one English name. What goi cuon and cha gio actually are, what each should cost, and which sauce belongs with which. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:33:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-three-weeks/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-three-weeks/ Three weeks in Vietnam is two weeks plus the places two weeks makes you skip. The route, what the extra seven days buy, and where not to spend them. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:21:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-five-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-five-days/ Five days in Vietnam is one region, not one country. The two routes that work, and the classic mistake that eats two of the five days. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:12:55 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/sapa-or-ha-giang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/sapa-or-ha-giang/ One is walked, the other is ridden. Sapa or Ha Giang comes down to whether you want valley trekking with a town attached, or four days on a mountain road. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:04:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-or-ho-chi-minh-city/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/hanoi-or-ho-chi-minh-city/ They are not two versions of the same city. One is older, cooler and slower; the other is hotter, richer and faster. Which to pick, and when to pick both. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:55:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/where-to-stay/ District 1 is not one place, and the backpacker street is louder than any listing admits. What each Saigon district costs and who it suits. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:51:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/where-to-stay/ The Old Quarter is loud from six in the morning and the weekend street closure makes it louder. What each Hanoi district costs, and who should pick which. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:44:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/unesco-sites-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/unesco-sites-vietnam/ Vietnam holds nine World Heritage sites and most itineraries pass four without noticing. What each one is, what it costs, and which are worth a detour. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:53:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cooking-classes-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/cooking-classes-vietnam/ Most classes are a market walk and four dishes you will never make again. What separates a real class from an assembly line, and where the good ones are. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:46:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/eating-with-allergies/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/eating-with-allergies/ Fish sauce is in almost everything and peanuts are on top of it. What hides where, the phrases that work, and why a rice-noodle country is not gluten-free. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:40:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-desserts/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-desserts/ Vietnamese dessert is a bowl of beans, jelly and coconut milk, served cold and eaten in the afternoon. What che is, what to order, and where to find it. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:34:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-long-weekend/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-long-weekend/ Three or four days is enough for one place and nothing else. Which city rewards a short trip, what fits in each, and the mistake that ruins most of them. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:28:45 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-by-train/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-by-train/ The Reunification line runs 1,726 km and takes 32 to 35 hours end to end. Which sections repay the time, which to fly, and what the sleeper classes mean. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:22:09 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-shopping/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-shopping/ Markets bargain, shops do not, and knowing which you are in is most of it. What is worth buying, what the tailoring really takes, and the four-step haggle. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:16:34 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-staying-longer/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-staying-longer/ The e-visa runs up to 90 days, and whether you can extend it from inside Vietnam depends who you ask. What is settled, what is not, and how to check. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:10:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/pu-luong/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/pu-luong/ Pu Luong is Sapa's terraces without the town that grew up to sell them. What the walking is like, when the rice turns gold, and how to reach it from Hanoi. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:04:17 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-one-month/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-one-month/ A month is the first length where Vietnam stops being a transit schedule. Where the extra two weeks go, what they buy, and the three places that need them. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:01:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/quy-nhon/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/quy-nhon/ Quy Nhon is the central coast without the crowds: a working city, Cham towers and coves reached by boat. What is there, what it costs, and when to go. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:58:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-seafood/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-seafood/ Vietnam has 3,260 km of coast and sells its seafood by weight, which is where visitors lose money. What to order, where, and the four questions to ask first. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:55:11 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-where-to-stay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-where-to-stay/ Rooms that went for $60 in 2023 are quoted at $80 to $110 now, and guesthouses barely moved. What each tier buys, where to book, and what to check first. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:48:53 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-war-sites/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-war-sites/ The war is told differently in Saigon, at the DMZ and underground. What each site holds, what it costs, and which ones are worth the day they take. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:42:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mui-ne/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mui-ne/ Mui Ne is a fishing village, a dune field and Vietnam's kitesurfing capital on one strip of road. What is actually there, when the wind blows, and who it suits. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:36:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/noodle-soups-beyond-pho/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/noodle-soups-beyond-pho/ Pho is one soup among many, and rarely the best one in the street. Bun bo Hue, bun cha, cao lau, mi Quang and hu tieu — what each is and which city owns it. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:31:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/ha-giang-four-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/ha-giang-four-days/ The loop is 350 km of mountain over four days. The stages, the border permit foreigners now need, and why the third day is the one people remember. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:25:14 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phong-nha/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phong-nha/ Phong Nha is a village in a national park full of the world's biggest caves. What to do above ground, how many nights it needs, and the season that closes it. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:18:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/motorbiking-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/motorbiking-vietnam/ An IDP from the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand is not valid in Vietnam. What the law actually requires, what it costs to get wrong, and where to ride. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:11:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/saigon-three-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/saigon-three-days/ Saigon is a working city, not a monument circuit. Three days of it: the war museums, Cholon, the evenings, and whether Cu Chi or the delta takes day three. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:04:59 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-health/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-health/ Hepatitis A and typhoid are the two vaccines every source names for Vietnam. What else matters, what does not, and the one risk that outranks all of them. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:04:23 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-mi/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/banh-mi/ The baguette is French, the loaf is not. What goes into a banh mi, why the crust is thin and shattering, what it costs, and where the good carts are. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:58:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/diving-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/diving-in-vietnam/ Vietnam is among the cheapest places on earth to learn to dive. Where the water is worth it, the prices, and why Phu Quoc's season is the inverse of the rest. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:52:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-tet/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-tet/ Tet is the one week of the year when Vietnam stops. The 2027 dates, what actually shuts, why fares triple, and how to travel through it rather than into it. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:44:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nha-trang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/nha-trang/ Nha Trang is a 6 km city beach with islands offshore and Vietnam's cheapest diving. What the town is actually like, when the sea behaves, and who it suits. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:39:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-with-kids/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/vietnam-with-kids/ Vietnam is easy with children in most ways and hard in two: the roads and the distances. Where to base, what works at what age, and what to plan around. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:31:04 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/hanoi-three-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/hanoi-three-days/ Hanoi rewards walking and punishes over-scheduling. A three-day route through the Old Quarter, the museums and one day out, with real transfer times. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:25:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/pho/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/pho/ Pho is two dishes with one name. The northern bowl is clear and bare, the southern one sweet and buried in herbs. What to order, where, and when to eat it. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:19:55 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-language/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-language/ Vietnamese is written in Latin letters and carries six tones, which is why reading it is easy and saying it is not. The dozen phrases worth learning first. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:14:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-lat/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-lat/ Da Lat sits at 1,500 m and stays 14-23°C all year, which is why Vietnam goes there to escape its own weather. What to do, how to arrive, and how long it needs. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:08:42 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/phong-nha-caves/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/phong-nha-caves/ Phong Nha holds the world's largest cave and several you can walk into for the price of lunch. What each one costs, what it asks of you, and when to go. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:52:38 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/trekking-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/trekking-in-vietnam/ Most trekking in Vietnam is village walking between homestays, not mountaineering. Where the real walking is, which months work, and where a permit is required. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:41:12 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/best-beaches-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/things-to-do/best-beaches-in-vietnam/ Vietnam's two coasts run opposite seasons, so the best beach depends entirely on when you go. Which shore is swimmable in your month, and which to skip. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:29:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cat-ba/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/cat-ba/ Cat Ba is the way to see Ha Long's limestone and sleep on land. Getting there since the cable car opened, sailing Lan Ha, and where not to book a room. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 07:29:46 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/con-dao/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/con-dao/ Con Dao is a prison island turned national park, an hour from Saigon. What the museums hold, when the turtles nest, and why the sea decides your dates. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:47:43 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mekong-delta/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/mekong-delta/ The floating markets trade at dawn and are smaller every year. Where to base, why the day trip misses them, and what the delta is like once you stay. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 05:33:07 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ha-giang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ha-giang/ The loop is 350 km of mountain road over three or four days, and since June 2026 foreigners need a border permit for it. What it costs and who should ride. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 04:04:56 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ha-long-bay/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ha-long-bay/ Ha Long Bay is three bays sold under one name, and which one you sail decides how crowded it is. Cruise prices, day trip or overnight, and what to check. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 03:22:41 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hue/ Hue is the imperial capital, a ticketed citadel, and royal tombs spread along a river. What to pay for, how long it needs, and the months it floods. Sun, 30 Aug 2026 02:07:19 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-first-trip/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-first-trip/ Vietnam runs 1,650 km end to end, the pavement is mostly motorbike parking, and the daily layer is cash. The practical things a first trip has to plan for. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 14:26:28 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/getting-around-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/getting-around-vietnam/ Four ways to cross Vietnam, and the cheapest fare is rarely the price. What the train classes mean, what a sleeper bus is like, and which airline to book. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:19:15 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hoi-an/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hoi-an/ Hoi An is a ticketed UNESCO old town, a beach four kilometres away, and a river between them. Where to stay, how long to give it, and when it floods. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:12:02 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/what-to-eat-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/what-to-eat-in-vietnam/ Vietnamese dishes belong to particular cities, and the flavours shift as you travel south. What to order in Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and Saigon. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:05:49 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-ten-day-itinerary/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-ten-day-itinerary/ Ten days covers three regions of Vietnam and no more. The route that fits, the stops worth cutting, and the one slow leg that beats flying. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:58:36 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-quoc/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/phu-quoc/ Phu Quoc is a resort island rather than more of Vietnam. The 30-day visa exemption, the developed and quiet ends, and when the monsoon lands. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 07:51:23 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-trip-cost/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-trip-cost/ What Vietnam costs per day, per week and per fortnight, with a price list for pho, rooms, buses and flights, and the two decisions that move the total. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 06:44:10 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/street-food-safety-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/street-food-safety-vietnam/ Street food is rarely what makes travellers ill in Vietnam. What the evidence blames instead: raw herbs, cut fruit, unwashed hands — and ice more than expected. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 04:37:57 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/things-to-do/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/things-to-do/ Fourteen things worth your time in Hanoi, sorted by neighbourhood, with the honest note on which ones are better skipped in the rain. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 03:30:44 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/southern-vietnam-one-week/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/southern-vietnam-one-week/ The south is the one region where a week holds a city, the delta and an island: short roads, hour-long flights, and how six nights divide. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:23:31 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/is-vietnam-safe/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/is-vietnam-safe/ Vietnam sits at the lowest US advisory level, alongside France. The risk travellers underrate is not crime — it is the road, and what follows from it. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:16:18 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-etiquette/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-etiquette/ Most Vietnam etiquette lists run to forty rules. Six are genuinely noticed — temple dress, shoes, chopsticks, elders, temper and cameras. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:09:05 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/hanoi/ A practical guide to Hanoi for first-time visitors: where to stay, how the Old Quarter actually works, what a day costs, and when to go. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:02:52 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ninh-binh/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ninh-binh/ Ninh Binh is Ha Long Bay's limestone standing in rice fields, two hours south of Hanoi. Trang An or Tam Coc, how long the rowing takes, and why you stay. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:55:39 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/best-time-to-visit-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/best-time-to-visit-vietnam/ Vietnam has three climates and they disagree. What each region does month by month, which weeks to avoid outright, and the window that costs you least. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:48:26 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vegetarian-in-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vegetarian-in-vietnam/ Vietnam has a Buddhist vegetarian tradition with its own word and its own restaurants, and fish sauce in almost everything else. How to use both facts. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:41:13 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/mekong-delta-three-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/mekong-delta-three-days/ The floating markets trade at dawn and finish by breakfast, which is why the day trip from Saigon cannot reach them. What two nights in Can Tho buys. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:34:00 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-visa/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-visa/ What the Vietnam e-visa costs on the official portal, how to apply, and the mistakes that get applications rejected — checked against evisa.gov.vn. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 04:27:47 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/what-to-pack-for-vietnam/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/what-to-pack-for-vietnam/ Vietnam runs three climates at once, so a tropical packing list fails in Hanoi in January. What to carry, what temples ask for, what to buy there. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 03:20:34 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/sapa/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/sapa/ Sapa town was rebuilt for tourism and the valleys below it were not. Where you sleep, how to arrive from Hanoi, and the months of cloud. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 01:13:21 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-breakfast/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-breakfast/ Breakfast in Vietnam is a hot savoury meal eaten out on the pavement, and the good stalls sell out by mid-morning. What to order, where, and when. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:06:08 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/central-vietnam-five-days/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/central-vietnam-five-days/ Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An sit within 140 km of each other. Real transfer times, what each place needs, and why five days here is not a compromise. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:59:55 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-money/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-money/ Vietnamese ATMs charge a flat fee per withdrawal and cap what you can take out, so the cap sets the cost. Cheapest banks, cards, cash and tipping. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:52:42 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-nang/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/da-nang/ Da Nang gets treated as Hoi An's airport and is actually a beach city with 30 km of sand. What to do, where to stay, and whether Ba Na Hills is worth it. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:45:29 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bia-hoi-and-drinks/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/bia-hoi-and-drinks/ The cheapest beer on earth exists because it has to be drunk today. What bia hoi is, why the iced tea is free, and which bottled beers are worth knowing. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:38:16 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-two-weeks/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/vietnam-two-weeks/ Two weeks buys exactly two of the four things a ten-day trip has to cut. Which two, what each costs in days, and the fourteen-day route that holds them. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:31:03 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-sim-and-internet/ https://vietnam-notes.com/guides/vietnam-sim-and-internet/ A tourist SIM in Vietnam costs a couple of dollars, and the airport kiosk charges up to half as much again. Which network, eSIM or plastic, and what to pay. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:24:50 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/ https://vietnam-notes.com/destinations/ho-chi-minh-city/ Saigon is the working city, not the pretty one. Where to stay, whether the new metro helps yet, what one day should hold, and if Cu Chi is worth the drive. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 04:17:37 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-coffee/ https://vietnam-notes.com/food/vietnamese-coffee/ Vietnam grows robusta and built a whole drinking culture on it. What the phin is for, what to order first, and where egg coffee and salt coffee came from. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 03:10:24 GMT https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/northern-vietnam-one-week/ https://vietnam-notes.com/itineraries/northern-vietnam-one-week/ A week in the north buys the mountains or the water, not both. The two versions of the trip, what each costs in travel hours, and how to pick. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 01:03:11 GMT