City Information

Guidebooks are infamous for giving must-see locations through the country. In Vietnam, those places tend to include Sa Pa, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). We stayed in the northern and central parts of Vietnam and never did make it down to several places that I was hoping to visit, including Da Lat and Nha Trang. So, the southern cities aren't included (yet) on this site.

To the right, you'll find a list of cities, towns and places that we've visited. Some are typical must-see sites, others are not. Each city section includes as much accurate information as I can provide about the place in general, plus recommendations on area attractions, hotels and restaurants (via the links on each city's page).

We have rated each based on our own experiences and perception. Hotels and restaurants are rated for the whole family, while the attractions (including parks, museums, etc.) are rated individually for toddlers, kids, teens and adults. My children did the ratings for the kids (Audrey, 9yo) and teens (Stuart, 14 yo). I evaluated them for toddlers and adults. The ratings are from one to five stars, five being the best.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please let me know and I can add them with an attribution.

Outside resources:

• Vietnam in Wikipedia
• Vietnam: US Government Consular Sheet
• Reid on Travel: online guidebook to Vietnam