“A memorable first visit to Viet Nam”

As their name suggests, ATA is at their best doing active travel; take advantage of it to get away from the crowds and experience Vietnam in a more direct and authentic way.

We arranged a private, two week, multi-tour package in Vietnam with ActiveTravel Asia (ATA) in October 2011. ATA staff, especially Sunny, worked with us to put together a customized itinerary that met our needs and interests. The result was a remarkable and challenging vacation of dramatic landscapes, intense cultural exposure, physical activity, great food, and beautiful people. Our trip had three major components: a 5D/4N sea kayaking tour of Ha Long Bay (including Cat Ba Island), a 3D/2N trek with homestays in the Sa Pa area, and a 2D/1N bicycling tour with homestay in the Mekong Delta

Getting lost in Hanoi's Old Quarter

Hectic, noisy, chaotic, adjective, adjective. Describing Hanoi's oldest district is somewhat of a waste of breath. No need to ramble on about where exactly to go in the Old Quarter either, as the weaving and winding streets are best explored by aimless wandering. No destination. No pre-planned route. Just left, right, or straight ahead. 

There is no road "less travelled" in this part of town. They're all loaded with scooters, cars, bikes and people so the main bit of advice we'd give is to watch your step but be assertive when crossing the road. Don't second guess your moves, look both ways, and enjoy the fact that yes, you are standing in the middle of the road with dozens of scooters whizzing by on both sides. 

My Ha Long Bay Visit

 May 7, 2012  

Before I moved to Vietnam, one of the things that most impressed me about the country were pictures I had seen of Ha Long Bay. The beautiful pictures showed romantic views of limestone islands sitting in gorgeous blue water, and I knew this would be a place that I would have to visit!

Top Five Places in Vietnam That Are Not Hanoi or Saigon

Sure, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are spectacular, but there’s much more to Vietnam than just those two destinations. Vietnam is filled to the brim with exotic sandy beaches, untapped cultural landmarks and all the rural culture you can handle, from the absolutely stunning beaches and growing nightlife of Nha Trang, to the historical old town of beautiful Hoi An. For those with the adventurer’s sense of traveling, there are more than enough reasons to extend your stay in Vietnam. Here are our top 5 places to go in Vietnam that are not in Hanoi or Saigon.

1. Hue

 

Hue - Vietnam

One of the best regarded cultural landmarks in the country, Hue is packed with wonderful temples, palaces and pagodas, a true delight for those who want to soak in the country’s rich history. Head over to the Imperial Citadel for Hue’s prime attraction and explore its moats’ gates, shops and pavilions. Then follow up the Citadel with the Tombs of the Emperors, also located along the banks of the Perfume River. Cost aside, the walls of the tombs of Thieu Tri, Gia Long and Minh Mang, surrounded by warrior statues and opulent mosaics are a tribute to Vietnam’s great past leaders.

2. Nha Trang

Nha Trang, Vietnam

If white sandy beaches and island hopping are the name of the game for you, then look no further. Nha Trang is an increasingly popular destination for those looking to catch a little rest and relaxation while taking in the exotic backdrop of gorgeous Vietnamese coast. Take yourself on a full day boat tour for just $6 that includes lunch, music, snorkeling and trips to the local aquarium, before whisking you away to an island beach. The town has also become more and more developed over the years, with a respectable nightlife, including an interesting night market, an ice bar and delicious sea fare all around.

3. Hoi An

 

Hoi An, Vietnam

It is no wonder why the 16th and 17th-century former port city of Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — it is one of the most picturesque places on the planet. Filled with breathtaking Chinese-style shop houses, each building is as unique as the next. The small but winding city is packed full of great places to do all of your shopping, including garment shops that will hand design pants, shirt, coats, shoes and dresses for pennies on western retail prices. And for the icing on the cake, a 30 minute bicycle ride gets you to a pristine beach with the bestseafood fare around.

4. Sapa

But Vietnam is more than just beaches and cities, take the mountainous and rugged beauty of Sapa. Known for its ethnic heritage and tremendous views, Sapa is a trekker’s paradise. First things first when you go, get to the mountainous view point of Heaven’s Gate – you will never see anything like it ever again. If you go via tour group, it takes about half a day to get there, but the journey is lovely. Afterward, take a tour of the village of Cat Cat, very close by Sapa itself. Here you will get a great sense of the local Vietnamese that inhabit the area, as well as natural sites including art shops and a waterfall – a lovely little hike.

 Sapa, Vietnam 

5. Dalat

Located in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam, Dalat is quite different from any of the other hotspots in Vietnam, as it essentially Vietnam, but built by a Frenchman, a virtual cross between both worlds. The city itself is charming, with a small lake at its core and great peaks in the background. The best way to go here is to take buy a packaged day tour, but if not, make sure you take the cable car to Thien Vien Truc Lam Monastery, see the palace of the last emperor, Bao Dai, and take a ride out to the inspiring countryside

Dalat, Vietnam

Insider’s Vietnam: A shopper’s guide to bargaining

Shopping is a gateway into Vietnam’s cultural, social and culinary heart. In addition to offering affordable textiles, handicrafts and tailored attire, shopping is an easy way to meet local people, boost language skills and give back to the community. The bargaining process, however, can be difficult and overwhelming to shoppers inexperienced in Vietnam.

The following tips will assist you to engage a shop vendor successfully, whether you intend to buy fresh food from local markets throughout the country or electronic goods at one of the few department stores in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

 Srart bargaining for basic items such as fruit

Browse items at fixed price stores

A research excursion to a fixed price store provides the greatest indication of an item’s value range - giving an amateur bargainer the confidence needed to later set a price and stick to it. The tourist hubs of Vietnam’s most popular destinations - Phạm Ngũ Lão in Ho Chi Minh City, Old Town in Hoi An - all have fixed price shops with slightly inflated prices. These stores generally display signs in English at the entrance so you can identify them.

Know the exchange rate, or fake it

Stall vendors can quote the price of an item in either US dollars or Vietnam Dong, so it’s important to get to know exchange rates before shopping - at A$1 to 22,124.42 Vietnam Dong on 30 January 2012, it’s difficult to just wing it. Shopping with local currency is generally cheaper than paying in foreign dollars and it’s useful to carry a range of different notes to provide the correct amount of money agreed on through bargaining. In lieu of carrying a currency exchange phone app for assistance on the road, I often create a business card-sized note that lists the local currency in ascending five or ten Australian dollar denominations. This enables me to quickly identify Vietnamese prices in familiar terms.

 Local currency is cheaper than foreign dollars

Learn basic Vietnamese

Communicating in Vietnamese with a shop vendor at the beginning of a conversation sets a positive tone for the negotiation process. In addition, you might just be good enough to fool people into thinking you’re an expat accustomed to local prices and avoid inflated tourist quotes. Simply say “xin chào” (pronounce sin chow) as a greeting, “bao nhiêu” (bow new) to ask “how much?” and use numbers from one to ten, if possible. If you want to give the vendor some tongue ‘n cheek, respond immediately to their starting bid with “đắt quá” which means “too expensive”.

It’s important to remember the Vietnamese language includes six different tones, making it difficult to accurately pronounce words. Even if you fail miserably at speaking Vietnamese properly, keep smiling and trying. Locals often find language mistakes incredibly entertaining!

Pick your time and place, carefully

You should never go shopping in Vietnam during the morning. Vietnamese people believe the sign of the first customer of each day has the power to determine the business’ performance for the rest of the day. For example, if a woman born in the year of the Tiger entered the store of an incompatible man from the year of the Ox, the man could become upset that she has caused his sales to drop. It’s smarter to go shopping after lunch, when most businesses have already received their first order.

Learn from others

One of the best methods for learning anything is to copy the actions of others. If you’re not ready to engage in your own negotiation, watch someone who appears to be good at bargaining - someone who enjoys the process, is confident and pays a fair price. Pay special attention to body language and prices. You will notice that better bargainers approach shopping like a social game and struggling shoppers appear defensive and uncomfortable. The next step is to try bargaining on your own.

 Floating markets at Can Tho, Mekong Delta.

Start low, but not too low

It’s a huge misconception that shoppers should offer only a third of the price quoted to them by the store vendor. This is often too low and can cause offense. If you follow all of the previous steps to now, you will be ready to identify an appropriate price for the item you want and have the ability to successfully negotiate to achieve an outcome that will leave both you and the stall vendor happy. Ask the shop owner to set a price and then make your offer in response, starting a fraction lower than what you intend to agree on. The final price is often 10-50% less than the starting value.