we're Lloyd and Mandy husband and wife that have been traveling the world since 2021 as
digital Nomads we've recently spent one month in one of our favorite travel destinations in
the world Vietnam today we're sharing with you our complete guide to Vietnam including places
to visit what to eat where to stay and how to get around we hope this video helps you plan
your trip to Vietnam and that you can enjoy your time in this beautiful country as much as we did
okay let's talk visas first Vietnam currently offers 30-day single entry tourist visas however
it is possible to extend your visa for up to three months once you enter the country
the application process is super simple and costs around 25 US dollars to apply for the
Visa you will need to complete the online visa application form using the link below and provide
the following a passport with at least six months validity and blank Visa pages one recent passport
size photo proof of travel itinerary example a round-trip flight ticket or hotel reservation
and payment of the visa fee we will leave the website that we used for our visas down below
Ho Chi Minh City formerly and still commonly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam with a
population of around 9 million it's situated in the Southeast region of Vietnam the city surrounds
the Saigon River and covers about 2 000 square kilometers it is known for its well-preserved
French Colonial architecture and vibrant Street Life Ho Chi Minh City attracts of over 8 million
International visitors every year depending on which way you want to travel the country this
may be your first Port of Entry we decided to start our travel in Saigon and work our way up
the north but it's entirely up to you Ho Chi Minh city is quite an eye-opener and is a bit
of a shock to the senses at first the combination of sizzling meat from street food carts constant
beeping of cars and scooters and constant flow of traffic that seems to be out of control but
somehow just works all make for an exciting first experience in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh city
is broken up into 12 main districts new in Hue and dong koi Street are the best areas to stay
in Ho Chi Minh City for first-timers due to its close proximity to the city's famous attractions
as well as bars and restaurants we stayed at the Oscar Saigon hotel which cost around 30 US
dollars per night including a buffet breakfast which we thought was a pretty great deal given
its central location one of the first places you need to visit in Ho Chi Minh City in our opinion
is boivian Walking Street although if you're not into large crowds or loud music this may
not be the place for you but for us it was a fun experience people watching while drinking an ice
cold local Saigon lager we didn't stay out too late as things tend to get pretty crazy around
10 pm however surprisingly everything seemed to shut down around 1am which may have just been a
post-covered rule of course the first thing anyone will tell you when visiting Vietnam
is to try the faux or as it's pronounced fa and the Bon Mis and don't worry there are
plenty of options in Ho Chi Minh City with faux stations and ban me Bakery seemingly
on every corner funnily enough due to the French colonization of Vietnam in the 1800s Vietnam has
a huge Cafe culture and if you're in Ho Chi Minh you have to try the famous Vietnamese egg coffee
if you're looking to step off the beaten path and try some more local dishes we highly recommend
taking the motorbike food tour run by Exo tours we were driven all around the city tasting a
bunch of different styles of Vietnamese foods as well as some pretty interesting Delicacies it's
not only a great way to experience the local Cuisine of Saigon but it was also a great way
to see the city from the back of a motorbike we'll leave a link in the description below
is a coastal fishing town in the South Central bin Tuan province of Vietnam the town has a population
of around 25 000 and to this day is one of Vietnam's main fishing ports moynai is well
known for its unique white sand dunes featuring several lakes and even swamps straight in the
middle of a Sandy terrain by the way we traveled the hallway from Saigon to the north of Vietnam
by either bus or train we booked everything through 12go Asia we highly recommend using
their website for transportation the highlight of Monet was definitely the Sand Dune tour that
takes place at Sunrise although you can expect there to be a lot of other people as this is the
main attraction in town you can also go on a tour through local fishing port which was interesting
but be prepared for the strong fish smells all in all Monet was well worth the visit we
recommend stopping in for a couple days to fit everything in we stayed at a nice beachfront
hotel called the Ananda Resort which was only 2 twenty dollars a night and was centrally
located that's probably one of the best parts about Vietnam is the accommodation is so cheap
a train
not train is a coastal Resort City in southern Vietnam known for its beaches diving sites and
offshore Islands its main Beach is a long curving stretch along the tranfu street
backed by a Promenade hotels and seafood restaurants naturang is well known for its
beaches and scuba diving and is developed into a popular destination for international tourists
attracting large numbers of Backpackers as well as more affluent travelers from the area it is
already very popular with Vietnamese tourists with naturing Bay widely considered as among
the world's most beautiful Bays to be honest we didn't spend a lot of time in naturing and
during the day it was extremely hot however by night time the whole city seemed to light up
from the street vendors to fireworks and flying lanterns it truly was a beautiful place to visit
at night and like most cities in Vietnam there are many amazing restaurants and bars to visit if
you're looking for an extended stay in naturing there are plenty of budget options as well as 5
star resorts to choose from you can check out our booking platform for accommodation options
and even get up to 70 percent off hotels we'll leave the link in the description
is probably the most beautiful city we visited while in Vietnam with a population
of approximately a hundred and twenty thousand Old Town hoyan the city's historic district is
recognized as an exceptionally well preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading Port dating
from the 15th to the 19th century its buildings and Street plan reflecting a blend of indigenous
and foreign influences prominent in the city's old town is the famous Japanese bridge Hoi An
is best known as the city of lanterns the Hoi An Lantern Festival is a monthly event that
celebrates the full moon it is held on the 14th day of each lunar month when the moon is at its
fullest and brightest however you can expect to see lanterns in the sky most nights if you walk
along the riverfront or travel on a relaxing Gondola boat ride and taking the beauty of the
city there are plenty of local restaurants to eat from in Old Town Hoi An and we managed to
find one that served up some of the best bun fit noong we have ever tried if you haven't tried this
dish we really recommend it and best of all it only costs us two dollars each we stayed
at a beautiful Boutique Hotel just down the road from the old town area that surprisingly
didn't break the bank at only 30 US dollars a night including breakfast and they even let us
use their bikes for free for the day we highly recommend the ecoluxe Riverside Hotel and Spa if
you're looking for accommodation in Hoi An and we've even heard from some of our subscribers
that mentioned they stayed there because of us and they got a room upgrade so keep that in mind
donate
Danang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a
French Colonial Port it is the commercial and Educational Center of Central Vietnam and is
the largest city in the region we were actually surprised at the size of the city when we first
arrived although we only spent one night here as a Transit stop it is definitely worth visiting
as the city is surrounded by many sandy beaches mountains and sprawling Wildlife including the
endangered red-shanked dos Langer one of the world's most striking primates one thing we
did get to experience are one night in Da Nang was the amazing street food we went to The Helio
night markets where we found a huge assortment of street food carts as well as a beer garden
and live music it was a great cheap option for the night and also very family friendly
Hanoi
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and my personal favorite city in the country it's known for its
century-old architecture and a rich culture with Southeast Asian Chinese and French influences at
its heart it's the chaotic old quarter where the narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade one
of the most popular places to visit in Hanoi is the infamous train Street the reason it's
so popular for many tourists is that the train literally passes just a meter from the houses
and cafes along the tracks while we had heard that the train ran close to the buildings and
had seen videos we still couldn't believe just how close it would be right before the train
comes locals rushed to their houses making sure that their kids pets motorbikes or any
other belongings are safe inside nothing can be left outside and then once it passes everything
just goes back to normal the train only runs at night on weekdays however there are several
daytime trains during the weekend another favorite part of Hanoi for us was one particular Street in
hanoi's Old quarter appropriately named beer Street it is quite simply the best place for
locals Backpackers and expats alike to mingle and watch the night go by while drinking some
of the cheapest beer in the world with some bars charging as little as 50 cents a beer
perhaps the best part about beer street is the constant flow of traffic and things to look at
while you sit on the little plastic chairs on the street to be honest I think we went
there every night we were in Hanoi as it was just too much fun we also had the pleasure of
visiting a really cool jazz bar named bin Min jazz club and afterwards headed to a secret
underground bar that requires a password to get in we'll leave a link to both down below
halong Bay
how long bay has to be one of the most stunning places to visit in Vietnam just a two-hour drive
from Hanoi it's known for its Emerald Waters and thousands of towering Limestone Islands
topped by rainforests the region is popular for scuba diving rock climbing and Hiking
but especially the junk boat tours that take visitors past some breathtaking islands and
scenery we took a two-day overnight Tour on the paradise Elegance boat which was
an amazing luxury experience with delicious food and drinks five-star service and even a
jazz band to entertain the guests at night the trip included transportation to and from our
hotel as well as food and drinks and cost us around 350 dollars which we think was
money well spent as the views from the boat during sunset were simply amazing foreign
is a beautiful Town set in the mountains located about five hours north of Hanoi just a short drive
to the Chinese Border located in the province of Lao Kai in Northwestern Vietnam it is one of the
main cities with the market in the area where the ethnic group of the homong people still
dress traditionally and live very similar lives to their native roots this was most evident when
visiting the small local town that is turned into somewhat of a tourist destination cat cat Village
visiting cat cat Village was a surreal experience and one that will never forget to try and explain
the feeling of being there simply wouldn't do it justice the windmills that run along the river
mouth along with traditional local dances being performed made us feel like we had gone back in
time before the region had been colonized after spending the afternoon in cat cab Village you can
head to one of the many restaurants that serve a local favorite Seafood Hot Pot I have to admit
we had no idea what we were doing and had to ask the waiter how to eat the shared dish we
had no regrets as it was Simply Delicious although the serving was so large we couldn't even manage
to finish it we stayed at probably the most luxurious hotel we have ever had the pleasure
of visiting while in Sapa which was a huge treat for us the hotel de la coppole offers a gateway
to the 1920s French Indochina era in Vietnam the lobby itself stands as a work of art with amazing
geometric architecture and colorful murals and Furnishings to create a distinctly Bohemian Vibe
the hotel overlooks the Town Square as well as the mountains of the sapper region with its Rolling
Hills and cool crisp air if it's in your price range this award-winning hotel is a must for
anyone visiting Sapa and while it is considered a five-star hotel at only a hundred dollars a night
including the most amazing buffet breakfast we've ever experienced it was well worth the price tag
we actually made a review video of this hotel if you're interested in checking it out we'll
leave the link below another popular attraction in the area is the fanzipan cable car which will
take you above the clouds to 3000 meters above sea level where you can see stunning 360 degree views
of the valley however if you're not willing to pay the 32 dollar price tag for the cable
car experience you can simply take the train to the station at the bottom of the cable entrance
which is just as breathtakingly spectacular the train station was actually attached to
our hotel which made it super simple for us to navigate our way around while we finished our
whirlwind trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi in just over three weeks we weren't quite done
yet we had already booked flights out of Ho Chi Minh and had two options either jump on a plane
back to Saigon or catch a 32-hour overnight train through the countryside of Vietnam back
to where it all started as you can probably tell we opted for the latter the overnight
train named reunification Express took just over 32 hours and basically runs non-stop from Hanoi
to Saigon station there are a few options ranging from second class seats six birth sleeper cabins
and first class sleepers which offer either four or two births we decided to book the
first class to birth sleeper cabin mainly for privacy and so we could film The Experience it
cost around 150 each which included food which we weren't expecting which was a nice touch they
also had a beer cart that would periodically travel around the train all in all the train
ride was a fun experience it was a little strange sleeping on a moving train but if you're looking
for a different experience we highly suggest giving it a go so that is our Vietnam travel
guide we hope you find this video helpful if you have don't forget to hit the like button as it
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make you these helpful videos thank you so much for watching and we will see you in the next one
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