Vietnam Experience 31st March 2012!!!

8 Mar 2012 Todd said

• About
• asia
• meeting places
• vietnam
• vietnam experience

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• Add to discussion 14 comments so far

• 9 Mar 2012 Shaker said

  

  Im on it Todd!

  Im on it Todd! or Cancel
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• 9 Mar 2012 Todd said

  

  Awesome!!! Its about time we created a bit of hype don’t ya think, only 22 days to go :)

  Awesome!!! Its about time we created a bit of hype don't ya think, only 22 days to go :) or Cancel
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• 9 Mar 2012 Shaker said

  

  True! Im doing the Big Indochina Adv, which is the Asian Adventure and the Vietnam Experience put together. I will have already done 2 weeks of travelling/partying b4 the tour starts.
  Where u from Todd

  True! Im doing the Big Indochina Adv, which is the Asian Adventure and the Vietnam Experience put together. I will have already done 2 weeks of travelling/partying b4 the tour starts. Where u from Todd or Cancel
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• 10 Mar 2012 Todd said

  

  awww nice one, you have even less time before the party starts :) Thats going to be great!! I am from Adelaide but currently living in Northern Vietnam. How about u?

  awww nice one, you have even less time before the party starts :) Thats going to be great!! I am from Adelaide but currently living in Northern Vietnam. How about u? or Cancel
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• 11 Mar 2012 Shaker said

  

  6 days b4 my month long party starts lol. Im from Melbourne. Havent heard from anyone else on this tour? Hope there is a full or close to full tour.

  6 days b4 my month long party starts lol. Im from Melbourne. Havent heard from anyone else on this tour? Hope there is a full or close to full tour. or Cancel
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• 12 Mar 2012 Erin said

  

  Hey,

  I am doing the Vietnam Highlights on the 2nd of April. I think it joins with this tour in Ho Chi Minh. Looking forward to the trip. I am hoping the tour is full too, the last Contiki I went on was packed.
  Have fun travelling before,

  Erin

  Hey, I am doing the Vietnam Highlights on the 2nd of April. I think it joins with this tour in Ho Chi Minh. Looking forward to the trip. I am hoping the tour is full too, the last Contiki I went on was packed. Have fun travelling before, Erin or Cancel
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• 12 Mar 2012 Shaker said

  

  Hey Erin

  Nice to hear from you. Just saw ur post about the Highlights tour looks like there is a few so far on that. Where abouts in Melb are you from. Yeh looking fwd to the travelling b4 we meet up in Vietnam.

  Hey Erin Nice to hear from you. Just saw ur post about the Highlights tour looks like there is a few so far on that. Where abouts in Melb are you from. Yeh looking fwd to the travelling b4 we meet up in Vietnam. or Cancel
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• 13 Mar 2012 TA 1986 said

  

  Hey I am booked on this one. From Calgary Canada my name is carly. Traveling solo am 25. Excited to meet everyone!

  Hey I am booked on this one. From Calgary Canada my name is carly. Traveling solo am 25. Excited to meet everyone! or Cancel
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• 13 Mar 2012 Erin said

  

  Im from Brunswick, how about you? Wish I was leaving earlier, i think its 17 days for me.

  Im from Brunswick, how about you? Wish I was leaving earlier, i think its 17 days for me. or Cancel
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• 13 Mar 2012 Todd said

  

  Hey Erin & Carly, good to have you guys on board :)
  Only a handful of days left Shaker!!
  See you guys soon.

  Hey Erin & Carly, good to have you guys on board :) Only a handful of days left Shaker!! See you guys soon. or Cancel
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• 14 Mar 2012 Shaker said

  

  Hi Erin And Carly
  Yeh Todd, one more day 2 go and im off, Cant wait. Check out the Discussion for the Vietnam Highlights 2 April, pretty sure they r on our tour to. Erin is doing that 1.

  @Erin, Im from Bacchus Marsh, just west of the city if u didnt know

  Hi Erin And Carly Yeh Todd, one more day 2 go and im off, Cant wait. Check out the Discussion for the Vietnam Highlights 2 April, pretty sure they r on our tour to. Erin is doing that 1. @Erin, Im from Bacchus Marsh, just west of the city if u didnt know or Cancel
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• 14 Mar 2012 ray said

  

  hi

  i’m doin this tour as well. hope that it will be a great tour for us. btw, i’m 28 yr old from Philippines. see you all. Cheers!

  hi i'm doin this tour as well. hope that it will be a great tour for us. btw, i'm 28 yr old from Philippines. see you all. Cheers! or Cancel
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• 22 Mar 2012 lauren_ej said

  

  Hey all,

  I’m Lauren traveling from Melbourne arriving in Ho Chi Minh next Friday night traveling solo!
  Looking forward to meeting everyone.

  Lauren

  Hey all, I'm Lauren traveling from Melbourne arriving in Ho Chi Minh next Friday night traveling solo! Looking forward to meeting everyone. Lauren or Cancel
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• 5 Jun 2012 chrisgayle885 said

  

  Has Vietnam changed in the past 10 years, of course. Is it still an
  interesting tourist destination, certainly.

  Vietnam like most developing countries in Asia has an abundance of
  eager want-to-be tour guides and taxi drivers only too happy to show
  you the local sights. The quality of their service will vary as will
  the price.

  Are these cities safe to wander around in. Overall, yes. The streets
  of Saigon are difficult to walk across because of the traffic and lack
  of motorist following any road rules. In the past 5 years the streets
  in Hanoi have become equally hazardous.

  Smaller cities like Hue are easier to walk around, however you really
  need a car to visit most sights.

  Hoi An is a very nice well preserved ancient town. Sort of a back-
  packers haven, but becoming main stream.

  Are there touts trying to sell you stuff, lot’s of them. They’re not
  as aggressive as some of the Asian countries, like parts of Cambodia,
  Phnom Penh for instance, but more so than others, the touts in Laos
  for instance are very laid back.

  The train to (Lao Cai) Sapa, Victoria was sold out the day we wanted
  to go so we ended up on the Tulico, next best after the Victoria. You
  understand how the Victoria and other trains work. They are just a few
  cars, they all hook up to the main freight train that goes between
  Hanoi and Lao Cai. It’s all one long train with the Victoria Cars and
  the Tulico Cars all connected. Oh, the Tulico was comfortable, they
  don’t have much of a dining car, Victoria has a nice dining car.

  The big problem with the train is it leaves at night (around 9:30P),
  so you don’t really see anything. And you get to Lao Cai at the crack
  of dawn (around 6:00A). The same is true for the return schedule. The
  train only goes to Lao Cai, Sapa is another hour or so away by car.

  Getting around Sapa. We went to the Bac Ha market (Sundays only),
  located around 2 hours drive from Sapa. Interesting if you’ve never
  been to a local market. There is also a permanent market in Sapa, not
  as exotic but good. You can easily walk around the town.

  We had a van to drive us back to Hanoi. Long drive! But you can stop
  at hilltribe villages along the way.

  You didn’t say of you prefer to travel like the backpackers or with a
  little more elegance. Personally I like staying are really nice hotels
  and having a private car and guide for sightseeing.

  My suggestion to you, plan your itinerary and work with a reputable
  travel agent or tour company and set up your sightseeing days and
  hotels in advance. This way you will have an experienced guide with a
  dependable driver (2 separate people) with you. You’ll pay a little
  more but you won’t be wasting your time trying to negotiate with the
  locals or picking your hotels based on what a hotel representative is
  telling you at the airport.

  Enjoy.

  Has Vietnam changed in the past 10 years, of course. Is it still an interesting tourist destination, certainly. Vietnam like most developing countries in Asia has an abundance of eager want-to-be tour guides and taxi drivers only too happy to show you the local sights. The quality of their service will vary as will the price. Are these cities safe to wander around in. Overall, yes. The streets of Saigon are difficult to walk across because of the traffic and lack of motorist following any road rules. In the past 5 years the streets in Hanoi have become equally hazardous. Smaller cities like Hue are easier to walk around, however you really need a car to visit most sights. Hoi An is a very nice well preserved ancient town. Sort of a back- packers haven, but becoming main stream. Are there touts trying to sell you stuff, lot's of them. They're not as aggressive as some of the Asian countries, like parts of Cambodia, Phnom Penh for instance, but more so than others, the touts in Laos for instance are very laid back. The train to (Lao Cai) Sapa, Victoria was sold out the day we wanted to go so we ended up on the Tulico, next best after the Victoria. You understand how the Victoria and other trains work. They are just a few cars, they all hook up to the main freight train that goes between Hanoi and Lao Cai. It's all one long train with the Victoria Cars and the Tulico Cars all connected. Oh, the Tulico was comfortable, they don't have much of a dining car, Victoria has a nice dining car. The big problem with the train is it leaves at night (around 9:30P), so you don't really see anything. And you get to Lao Cai at the crack of dawn (around 6:00A). The same is true for the return schedule. The train only goes to Lao Cai, Sapa is another hour or so away by car. Getting around Sapa. We went to the Bac Ha market (Sundays only), located around 2 hours drive from Sapa. Interesting if you've never been to a local market. There is also a permanent market in Sapa, not as exotic but good. You can easily walk around the town. We had a van to drive us back to Hanoi. Long drive! But you can stop at hilltribe villages along the way. You didn't say of you prefer to travel like the backpackers or with a little more elegance. Personally I like staying are really nice hotels and having a private car and guide for sightseeing. My suggestion to you, plan your itinerary and work with a reputable travel agent or tour company and set up your sightseeing days and hotels in advance. This way you will have an experienced guide with a dependable driver (2 separate people) with you. You'll pay a little more but you won't be wasting your time trying to negotiate with the locals or picking your hotels based on what a hotel representative is telling you at the airport. Enjoy. or Cancel
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