While 1 month in Vietnam isn’t nearly enough time to see everything, it is a decent amount of time to travel from one end of the country to the other, getting a taste of the natural beauty, beaches, culture, and more. In this guide, I start in Ho Chi Minh City and head north, but this can easily be switched to north-to-south.
I have to admit, the first time I was in Hoi An I didn’t like it. The main reason: The tourists. I didn’t come to Vietnam to see westerners. The whole town is centered around tourism. Locals are aggressive when it comes to getting your business. The beautiful buildings are all shops selling — well, it doesn’t matter what they’re selling — I’m not here to shop. Truth be told, Sara and I were in and out of Hoi An in only a few hours. The heat and the harassing was just too much for your favourite budget travel couple. This time around though, I would be stationed in the city for 3 days. I’d have to do things differently if I wanted to keep my cool, so I brought my mom… She thinks I’m cool.
If you’re visiting the ancient trading port of Hoi An, you should also consider a visit to the Cham Islands, a group of eight islands in the South China Sea, 19 kilometers off the coast of Hoi An. They are apart of the UNESCO Cu Lao Cham – Hoi An Biosphere Reserve, which includes Hoi An, the islands, and the waters around them. This made the islands a popular tourist location… and basically screwed them. Pollution levels went up, fish populations went down, and the islands were built on with almost no regard for the natural beauty. The UNESCO money wasn’t spent on protecting the islands, but making them into a money generator. There are a few activities that might interest you: SCUBA diving, snorkeling, camping on the beach, etc. That being said, you’ll want to choose method of visiting wisely. I went on a tour with a local company. Here’s how that went:
When we were planning our trip to Malaysia we originally had planned a stop or two between the island of Pangkor and the state of Penang. Knowing that we’d have to take 2 boat trips and a bus, we thought it would be too much in one day. Of course, plans change when you’re traveling, and we ended up having to go all the way to Penang in one, fairly easy, fairly short day. Here’s the best way to get from Pulau Pangkor to Penang (and also the cheapest).
When I first arrived in Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, I headed straight to the KLIA Ekspres train. The 28 minute non-stop train to KL Sentral. I bought my ticket — 35 MYR (about $10). It’s not a bad price considering it’s a non-stop ride on a nice train, but this is a budget travel site. Also, when I got off the train at KL Sentral, I realized that for the area I wanted to go to, around Pettaling Street, I’d have to take another train plus walk for 10 minutes, or to grab a taxi. There had to be a better way. Of course, there was.
“No Mom. I’m invincible. I don’t need travel insurance.” *Mom smacks me in the head and makes me cry.
For the longest time, I was against travel insurance. I rarely get sick. I don’t have accidents (including the ones that happen in your pants). I’m generally a pretty safe guy. What I didn’t think about was the different lifestyle that I’d be adopting while traveling the world.
In total, we were in Hanoi for about 7 days. Three on the first days of our vacation, and 4 on the last days. We didn’t get bored once. Considering we didn’t really go to any tourist attractions, I think that says a lot for the city.