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Many of Vietnam’s top hikes are best attempted with local support. The tropical terrain can be challenging, the weather can be unpredictable and you’ll need someone who speaks the local languages to make arrangements for meals and accommodation in hill-tribe communities. If you combine a trek with a village homestay – which we heartily recommend – it’s possible to escape the crowds and find the hospitality and captivating culture that first put Vietnam on the travel map.
Eating out as a family is generally easy – tourist-oriented restaurants can often provide high chairs or a cushion to boost tots up to table height. Families eat together everywhere, so there’s no need to worry about the kids being noisy during dinner. Use antibacterial hand gel to ward off tummy bugs. Breathtaking landscapes appear at every turn in Vietnam. From the window of a trundling train you'll witness an endless patchwork of impossible-green rice paddies, while in Halong Bay a horizon studded with incisor-like limestone islands makes an ethereal sight. From Mui Ne in the deep south, where you can wonder at a Sahara-esque scene of wind-sculpted sand dunes from the basket of a hot-air balloon, to the stupendous karst mountains of the far north, Vietnam offers up a bewitching array of superlative landscapes. Halong Bay The former French Hill station of Sapa is surrounded by mountains so impressive that French colonizers called them the “Tonkinese Alps,” and the surrounding villages of the H'Mong and Dao ethnic minorities have become popular destinations for hikers – and somewhat commercialized in the process. Different bus companies offer different levels of comfort. At the top of the scale are deluxe sleeper services between major cities, with minimal stops en route. You’ll get a reclining seat or even a seat that converts into a horizontal bed, but you’ll need earplugs to sleep through the onboard karaoke sessions and screenings of music videos and martial arts films. Companies such as The Sinh Tourist and Mai Linh Express offer online booking.Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in jungle-choked north central Vietnam is a lost world of jungles and caverns, including the world’s largest, Hang Son Doong. The scale of this wonder of nature is simply mind-blowing – a 747 airplane could fly through the cave’s main tunnel, even a mile from the entrance. Spring rolls – an umbrella term for various stuffings rolled inside rice paper shells – take a delectable variety of forms in Vietnam. You’ll find them crispy and fried in the north as nem ran ha noi. In the south goi cuon are soft and light, stuffed with shrimp, pork, fresh vegetables, and cold bun noodles. More unusual rice-based dishes include banh can, which are tiny, waffle-like rice pancakes. Also, there are banh trang tron (literally, “mixed rice paper”), a student favorite made from a tantalizing blend of dry rice paper, shredded green mango, quail’s eggs, dried shrimp, fresh herbs, crispy shallots, and roasted peanuts. It’s tossed in a dressing of soy sauce, sate sauce, and kumquat juice. While locals are happy to help out, Vietnam is not an easy destination for travelers with disabilities, despite the fact that many locals have mobility issues as a result of injuries sustained during the Vietnam War. At 3147m (10,326ft), Vietnam’s highest mountain presents a satisfying challenge – though the paths are rough and regular rain means the going can be slippery underfoot. As you climb the slopes of Fansipan, expect adrenaline-inducing scrambles up steep slopes and gasp-producing views across the Tonkinese Alps when the clouds clear.
There is a caveat, however – book directly with operators where possible. If you go through an agency, you’ll pay more, and some travelers have reported not getting the services and standards they were expecting when booking through third parties. 6. Factor sleeper buses and trains into your itinerary Boats also run to islands offshore, including tropical Phu Quoc in the south, the islands scattered around Nha Trang Bay, the Cham Islands near Hoi An in central Vietnam, and – of course – the myriad islands and outcrops in Halong Bay and neighboring Bai Tu Long Bay. It's possible to reach the Con Dao Islands by boat from Soc Trang, Vung Tau or Can Tho on the mainland.If you’re short on time, domestic flights are a reasonably economical way to get from A to B in Vietnam, but you’ll be churning out extra carbon. Cancellations are common so avoid leaving a short gap between a domestic flight and an international connection (travel a day early if you can).
The important thing to remember is that how much you spend is largely within your own control. If you’re happy with a dorm bed, bus travel and street food dinners, the basic costs of living in Vietnam will not make a massive dent in your wallet. A beach holiday is the obvious choice for babies and toddlers. Book into a resort and you can stop worrying about the crowds and traffic and concentrate on enjoying the warm weather and tropical mood. Phu Quoc is one dreamy choice, with excellent infrastructure, gorgeous beaches and resorts for all budgets. There are also toddler-friendly beach strips on the central coast between Danang and Nha Trang, but be cautious of currents. Hang out in Hanoi or HCMC The former capital of the Nguyen dynasty – which ruled over large parts of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the 19th and 20th centuries – drips with imperial history, despite the ravages of US bombers during the American War. Much was lost in Hue, but the grandeur of dynastic Vietnam lives on in the Citadel and Imperial Enclosure, housing the emperor’s residence, temples, palaces and court. At one time, entering without permission would bring instant death. Just outside town are the tombs of Vietnam’s greatest emperors, resting serenely in green compounds beside the Perfume River. Another relic of royal rule is Hue’s imperial cuisine – arguably the finest in the country – try a spicy bowl of bun bo Hue (vermicelli noodle soup) or a crispy banh khoai pancake and you’ll see what we mean. With younger kids in your group, focus on more sedentary trips to the beach towns and islands. With older kids, you can push the envelope, dropping in historic cities and adventure activities on the water and inland in the hills. For all age groups, set aside several hours each day for relaxing – with the high humidity and summertime heat, wandering the streets can wear down even the most patient child. Where are the best spots in Vietnam for kids? Begin in the hillsides around Dalat, founded as a salubrious hill station where French colonists came to escape the oppressive heat of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). This is a unique area of Vietnam, where the scent of pine trees hangs in the air and farms cultivate strawberries, coffee and flowers instead of rice.
How big is Hang Son Doong?
However, the cave is rich in other forms of life. 'We have seen monkeys that are able to climb down 200m to visit the jungle within the cave where they collect snails,' says Limbert. 'We’ve also seen snakes and other animals including squirrels, rats, flying fox as well as birds and bats.' He and his team also discovered seven new species of fish, spider, scorpion, shrimp, wood lice and plankton – all of them completely white and without eyes, the evolutionary consequences of existing in complete darkness.
Where to try it: In Hanoi, be sure to sample bia hoi – a crisp, clean-tasting low-alcohol draft beer – at Bia Hoi Corner, at the junction of Luong Ngoc Quyen Street and Ta Hien Street. Vegans and vegetarians The scenery in Cat Ba National Park in Halong Bay is almost impossibly green, with beds of moss and forest glades exhibiting a spectrum of emerald, lime, chartreuse and other hues. And this vivid landscape is best experienced on foot, starting from the park headquarters at Trung Trang. While guides are not obligatory, they’ll help you get closer to the wildlife: be sure to keep an eye out for golden-headed langurs, the world’s most endangered primate. Parts of the limestone ceiling have collapsed, bringing in natural sunlight, so Hang Son Doong contains an entire rainforest ecosystem with flying foxes, rare langurs, and even a small population of tigers. Since 2012, one tour company – Oxalis Adventure – has been allowed to take a strictly limited number of visitors into Hang Son Doong on challenging four-day treks; the price is stratospheric but so is the scenery. 13. Walk with the ghosts of French Indochina in Ho Chi Minh City
Planning tip: The best time for a beach trip varies as you move around the country. In central Vietnam, skies are brightest from January to August, while December to April is the beach window on the south coast, and northern Vietnam sees plenty of dry days from October to April. 15. Float on the Mekong Delta While travelers mob the regal assembly halls, pagodas and historic homes of Hoi An, nearby My Son offers a calmer vision of Vietnam’s rich and layered past – particularly if you come in the afternoon. The big lure here is the atmospheric collection of Unesco-listed Hindu temple ruins surrounded by jungle in a loop of the sacred Thu Bon river.
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