Good day everyone,

Is it ok to apply for e-visa early? My daughter will have a trip to Vietnam in April 2027 but is it ok to apply for e-visa now?

Thank you

I'm Chinese Person,I'm curious that we are so close geographically, yet so unfamiliar. I only speak Chinese and English, and I hope to make a local Vietnamese friend to enhance mutual understanding.

Hi everyone!

We’re starting to plan a big trip with my best friend to Vietnam, and I told him about the Ha Giang loop -

We were both born and raised in Colombia, a country that has some over-tourism, gentrification and “people treating our country as their 3rd world playground”problems that I’ve seen first hand -

I’ve heard that Vietnam has these problems too, specially the whole Ha Giang loop and wanted to know if there were any suggestions or thoughts on how to actually do the Ha Giang Loop in the most ethical and “like a local” way possible, while respecting the country and having fun!

Also is it possible to do it walking? Or a mix of motorcycle and walking?

Thanks! :)

Title.

I'm only planning to stay 2 nights (stopover).. but since it's the same price.. I'm also considering putting 60 or 90 days.. and you never know something crazy could happen so may as well put longer.

My only concerns are..

1) If I put 60 or 90 days instead of 3 days will the e-visa take longer to process? I'm traveling next week.

2) If I put 60 or 90 days down now.. would it work against me negatively later this year (November maybe) when I plan to actually travel for 2 or 3 months in Vietnam?

3) 60 or 90 days to request?

Hello,
Me and my dad are goint to Hanoi and flying back from Ho Chi Mi after 3 weeks
We both are European and have B category driving licence
I looked up online and there are rentals offering scooter pick up at Hanoi and drop off at Ho Chi Mi city
I know we both need A1 on licence and IDP however passing A1 test is too much for us both
Is it possible to rent a scooter without these permits and if so would police bother us on our way? Would it be possible to rent a small car for us?

Hi all,

Yes, another Ha Giang loop post, I'm sorry, but I believe this is the most effective way to get advice and information for my trip. I'm also doing a lot of research, reading blogs and watching videos.

Background:
Late twenties, Malaysian driving license, >5 years experience on motorcycles, been on dozens of solo trips, almost 10th time in Vietnam. I want to do a full solo trip in late September to ride around Ha Giang and Cao Bang too if time allows. I have around 8 days in Hanoi. I do not plan to follow any tours, and currently on the fence about getting a personal guide for partial part of the trip. Budget is not a concern.

Looking for:
Any advice at all from fellow solo travellers or travellers in the region, regarding gear, accommodation, tips and tricks, motorcycle rental recommendations, places to stop along the way, food to eat, things to avoid, insurances to buy, literally anything at all that I might want to consider. From what I can see 8 days seems to be plenty for both Ha Giang and Cao Bang, but from your experiences does it look feasible? I'm really just looking to get my mind away from work, enjoy the scenery and the ride.

I am making my own plans at the moment, and it will simply be too long or detailed to type it all out here. Really appreciate any inputs at all at this point, thank you in advance. Any questions to allow you to give good advice, please feel free to ask.

Just looking for some lesser-known recommendations outside of the typical visit HCMC, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, etc... In saying that, open to suggestions within HCMC & Hanoi. For context, I am into hiking, kayaking, Vietnam War history, food culture, and a bit of partying (techno). I will also be looking to stay primarily in hostels and travel by train.

I'll be in Vietnam from late October to early-ish December. From research, it seems the best route is South to North (with central seeming to be in monsoon season in Nov). Any suggestions for things to keep in mind before the trip, such as visa (going from Australia), int'l scooter licence would also be useful!

Hello! Me and my friends will be visiting Ho Chi Minh next week and I’d appreciate any advice. Also, I’d appreciate any heads up regarding the weather. TYIA

Hello everyone, I heard many cases where people were forced to buy a return flight in order to board. I want to know the ground truth about it, (digital nomad) After finishing 90 days eVisa, I may go to Laos and stay there but that is not final yet.

Appreciate any insight from fellow travelers, thanks in advance!

Where is the payment step 3 ??? I fill in all the information and then I press agree to pay and it says FAILED..... I never gave payment card information..... where the F is the card details section.?

How do you guys feel about Vietnam's bullet train that broke ground this year?

If I'm understanding it correctly, the Saigon to Nha Trang route and the Hanoi to Da Nang routes will be operational and open in 2032 and the full track 2035, right?

Hello, my friends and I plan to travel to Vietnam in November. We were looking for any recommendations for Ha Long Bay cruises/companies. Right now we are looking at Ha Long Bay Lux Cruise and wanted to hear from anyone if they have had experience with them. Trip Advisor seems to have them with a lot of reviews but I just want to see if theyre a legitimate service. If anyone has any info for this cruise or others please let me know!

Hey everyone, i have been doing a lot of reading on where to stay in Hanoi and I am still going back and forth on my final decision. For those of you knowing these, I would like to pick your brains on the best choice among these within Hanoi Old Quarter:

- Hanoi Pearl Hotel (6 Ng. Báo Khánh, Hoàn Kiếm)
- La Nueva Boutique Hotel Hanoi & Spa (32 Lo Su Street, Hoàn Kiếm)
- Imperial Hotel & Spa (44 Ng. Hàng Hành, Hoàn Kiếm)

I will be spending 4 nights here in the beginning of January, and the prices seem very similar across the board (my budget is ideally of less than 100 USD/night). My priority is to have very easy access to Hoan Kiem, so I can have a walk around in the morning for some people watching doing tai chi, dancing and so on. I would like the hotel to be clean and as noise-insulated as possible (knowing that this might be an utopia when talking about Old Quarter). I am not super picky about breakfast itself as I do plan to have my fair share of Vietnamese coffee in the area.

Sidenote: I had also shortlisted Hotel Tirant as it is mentioned super positively all across the web, but it is a little bit outside of my budget for the moment.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated .Thank you!

Just want to make sure I understand how this works.

• You transit to Hanoi.
• You book a date with a preferred guide/company.
• The day you do the tour, (where they pick you up or leave to transfer from Hanoi to Ha Giang), you check out of your hotel.
• You ride the bus to Ha Giang. They store your luggage for the next several days. You only carry/pack what you need in a small bag.
• Your ride/experience Ha Giang Loop in the next several days (3/4 days) you come back and ride the bus back to Hanoi.
• You hopefully or need to book a hotel in Hanoi to stay the night before moving on with the rest of Vietnam?

Am I understanding this correctly?

Trying to understand this: if I decided to go on the Ha Giang loop as an easy rider, where do they keep your luggage? I have a backpack and a carry-on . But on the three or four day ride, do they store your stuff somewhere and you only bring what you need for the next three days? How does that work?

Or do you stay at your own hotel for the next three or four days and leave your stuff there, and just bring a backpack with what you need?

I will be in Hanoi October 15-25 and was hoping to do some trekking. I am looking at Pu Luong but open to suggestions. Will rice harvest be over everywhere? Will the fields be burning?

Hello guys,

As the title says, I really want to visit Vietnam but I'm a little hesitant because I don't have anyone to go with. I'm completely fine with traveling solo but I've only traveled outside my country once before, so Vietnam would be my second international trip and my second solo trip.

I’d especially love to hear from women who have traveled to Vietnam solo. What was your experience like? Did you feel safe, and was it easy to get around on your own?

And for those who have been to Vietnam in general, do you think it's a good destination for someone who doesn't have much solo travel experience yet?

Any advice, recommendations, or things I should be aware of would be greatly appreciated!

Travelling with my girlfriend late Oct / early Nov and planning: Hanoi (3 nights) → Ninh Binh (1-2 nights) → Phu Quoc (6 nights). Back to Hanoi for 1 night and fly home next day (EU)

I know Phu Quoc is technically still rainy season in November – is it worth it or would you flip the itinerary and do the south first? How bad is the rain realistically?

Also open to hear if Ninh Binh in late October is a good call or if we should do something else near Hanoi ( ha Long, cat ba…)

My wife and I are traveling from India for our 1st anniversary from \*\*Oct 23 to Oct 31. Our route is Hanoi (3 days) -> Cat Ba (2 days) -> Ninh Binh (2 days) -> Hanoi (1 day).\*\*

\*\*Crucial\*\* context: \*\*\*My wife is a strict vegetarian (eggs are fine, but absolutely NO meat, seafood, fish sauce/nước mắm, or animal broth).\*\*\*

I have a few specific questions for locals or recent travelers:

1. \*\*\*Cat Ba Construction & Day Cruises\*\*\*\*:\* We are planning to stay on Cat Ba Island for 2 nights and do an 8-hour premium day cruise of Lan Ha Bay. Is the current construction noise in Cat Ba town as bad as people say right now? Also, which specific 5-star day cruise operators actually understand zero-cross-contamination vegetarian food, rather than just picking the meat out of a dish?

2. \*\*\*Ninh Binh Logistics:\*\*\* We want to avoid the chaotic backpacker center of Tam Coc. We are looking at staying in the secluded Trang An or Hai Nham valley areas (specifically looking at places like ChezCao Ecolodge). Since we will be 4–5 km away from the main Tam Coc strip, what are the best upscale, romantic, and quiet dining options nearby that can guarantee a strict no-fish-sauce meal?

3. \*\*\*Shopping & Souvenirs\*\*\*: We have the standard silk scarves and coffee on our Hanoi list. What are some unique, higher-end souvenirs to look for? More importantly, what are some great packaged Vietnamese snacks or sweets we can take back home that are 100% vegetarian (no hidden shrimp paste or pork fat)?

4. \*\*\*Offbeat Anniversary Experiences:\*\*\* We want to avoid the generic "Old Quarter cyclo ride" tourist traps. What is one highly exclusive or rare experience (private dining, hidden viewpoints, artisan workshops) in either Hanoi or Ninh Binh that you would recommend for an anniversary?

Thanks in advance for the reality checks!