Anyone been to Vietnam?

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Delhi Dog

Trad climber

Good Question...

Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 25, 2007 - 01:44am PT

I'll be headed there in December and was wondering (besides my googilysearching) if anyone of you have worthwhile info from any visits you've done.
Climbing, surfing, snorkling, exploring-off-the-beaten-path that kind of thing.
What's a good rack to bring...just sport or standard rackage...

Thanks
DD

Delhi Dog

Trad climber

Good Question...

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2007 - 02:27am PT

Hey,
If you are definitly headed this way we better make a plan. Give me some dates.

I'll mail ya

nita

climber

chico ca

Aug 26, 2007 - 12:48am PT

in Sapa aCYNTHIA’S VIETNAM HIGHLIGHTS

We were in Vietnam in Jan./Feb. 2007, staying to the southern half of the country due to the colder, rainy weather in the north. We loved the warmth and humor of the people. Plus the food was phenomenal!!! – the best of Asia (fresh, healthful) and France (croissants, cheese and ice cream). We ate everything, including street food, with no problem other than the MSG in the Pho’. I’d love to go back to see the north. Vietnam is a very good bargain right now as there is lots of tourist infrastructure and scenic places to see, but the prices are still very low. We had excellent accommodations for usually under $20. A nice meal ran about $7 for 2 people. Our most expensive meal at a nice restaurant with live music and cloth tablecloths was under $20 including alcohol. We traveled to 4 areas:

Hoi An - well known for its tailors and shoe-makers. We enjoyed the restaurants, shops and parks along the river. The city is also well known for it’s old, primarily Chinese buildings. Very picturesque. Recommendations are:
Tho tailor shop – 50 Le Loi Street
King X.O footwear shop – 10 Hai Ba’ Trung Street
Thanh Van Hotel - 52 Phan Dinh Phung St. (www.hotelthanvan.com)
We started in Hoi An, but probably should have saved it for later in the trip as we then had to carry our new clothes and shoes with us for the remainder of the trip.

Dalat – a beautiful city in the Central Highlands – once known as the Paris of Asia. We stayed at the Dreams hotel where the owner was extremely helpful. The breakfasts were a veritable feast. We loved eating at the nearby Artist’s CafÈ. It’s a great city for walking around, although it is quite hilly. The flowers are lovely and the entire area is well known for its agriculture. It is the place to have a second home if you can afford it. Be sure and take the cable car to the Meditation Temple – the most beautiful place we saw during our stay. The weather in Dalat is pleasant year round and AC is not necessary.

Mui Ne Beach – we loved this quiet, primarily fishing area with its beautiful white sands. The area is known for wind and kite surfing. Other people we know went to Nha Trang but didn’t enjoy the constant hustle and vendors. I don’t have a hotel to reccommend as ours was not well situated.

HCMC – we stayed in District 1 at the An An Hotel (www.ananhotel.com) b/c of the recommendation on the Lonely Planet website. The staff at both the hotel and on-site travel agency were very helpful. There are lots of good restaurants nearby. The traffic is beyond amazing, but once you learn how to negotiate crossing the street there were many near-by attractions.

Although we didn’t go to the north, I do know at least two different people who really enjoyed their stays nd Halong Bay.
........................................

Mr Dog, This info is from my girlfriend. Have fun! Wish we could join you. n.t.

Delhi Dog

Trad climber

Good Question...

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2007 - 08:45am PT

Thanks Nita for the info,
Wish you could come too!
c

ShaneR

Mountain climber

USA

Aug 26, 2007 - 03:41pm PT

Info? yeah, I hear there are pockets of residual NAPALM still smoldering in some areas. YOU MAY WANT TO USE CAUTION.

Hawkins

climber

California

Aug 26, 2007 - 09:52pm PT

I just got back from Vietnam last week.

Check out www.slopony.com

Two young American guys have a startup adventure travel & climbing company on Cat Ba island in Ha Long Bay- sport climbs on a beautiful cliff on the island, deep water soloing opportunities in the bay, hiking in national park,and other activities.

Also, you gotta check out Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi at sunrise. Feels like the whole city shows up to do its morning exercises- joggers, 80s style aerobics classes, badminton, makeshift gyms, tai chi, unusual calisthenics, etc... Such a cool scene.

Jeff

Delhi Dog

Trad climber

Good Question...

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2007 - 02:17am PT

Hawkins

Thanks for the post.
Sounds like you enjoyed your time.

"... Such a cool scene. "
Yes, I'm hoping its not over the top yet like some places in Thailand I could mention...

All info is appreciated LEB

Cheers

NickD

climber

Aug 27, 2007 - 08:53am PT

This advice is a bit dated, but it's all I got . . .

Reconnaissance teams should be small, three -four men maximum.

Travel light. Reconnaissance patrols should carry a "butt" pack only. Scout platoon teams will require a rucksack. However, resist the temptation to pack it with 100 pounds of lightweight gear.

Do not wear helmets; they degrade your hearing and reduce your peripheral vision.

Travel in a series of short, deliberate movements. Your maximum cross-country speed should be 200 - 300 meters per hour.

Take listening halts for at least 15 minutes every hour.
Patrolling more than 500 meters in front of the unit should be handled by the scouts.

Pattern reconnaissance techniques are difficult to execute in the jungle. Use them sparingly because they require a lot of time.

Each four-man team should have two radios. One should be pre-set to the fire control net's frequency. Always have a pre-cut jungle antenna.

Always have a contingency plan in the event of the loss of communications.

Do not use insect repellant, scented soap, Avon Skin So Soft, and other nonorganic smelling substances when on reconnaissance. The enemy can smell you before you reach the objective.

To repel insects, take garlic pills or eat garlic for a week prior to going on a reconnaissance in the jungle.

To provide further security, try to eat indigenous rations for one week prior to going on reconnaissance. This will keep from alerting the enemy by your smell.

Pre-rig your claymores with an M-60 fuze igniter and time fuze to provide a means of breaking contact.

Carry an HC white smoke grenade and a CS grenade. When thrown together, the HC disguises the CS until the enemy is in the cloud. It also tends to suspend the CS in the air for a longer period. This action will slow up enemy pursuit. Also, he will tend to avoid white smoke clouds from then on.

Carry pursuit denial munitions (PDMs) whenever you can. Put them in a claymore bag sewn to the top of your rucksack.

You can never carry enough grenades. You can use them without giving your position away.

Carry 1:25,000 maps whenever you can. Update them as you go.

Avoid trails and natural lines of drift whenever possible. If you must move on a trail, travel slowly.

Do not carry maps marked with graphics and complete SOIs.

Carry at least four quarts of water and two bottles of iodine tablets. Check the iodine tablets before you move out.

Carry your basic load of ammunition. Expend it liberally to break contact. Use a mix of tracers and ball to alert you when your magazine is almost empty.
Always remember that you are the "Indians," not the "cavalry."

NickD
BASE 194

BooDawg

Social climber

Butterfly Town

Nov 22, 2015 - 03:28pm PT

Since Lisa's father commanded all of the MASH units and hospitals in central Vietnam during his 1968-1969 tour of duty, we are interested in visiting Vietnam and seeing, not only where he worked there but also other places of scenic beauty and cultural richness. Any recommendations that anyone might offer, whether it has to do with interesting sites, good accommodations or transportation options as well as suggestions about where to spend the holidays of the TET, the Vietnamese new year, would be much appreciated. We'd like any recommendations for hiking, climbing, snorkeling, kayaking, climbing, caving, etc.

Our tentative dates are Jan 20th to March 1st.

Does it make sense to enter at one end of the country and leave at the other? If so, should we enter at Hanoi or at HCMC?

Does it make sense book our round trip flights to and from Vietnam and wait to book for any internal flights, such as into and out of Da Nang, until we are in the country where internal ticket prices may be cheaper?

Delhi Dog

climber

Good Question...

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2015 - 05:51pm PT

The short version:

We flew into Hanoi and after exploring north up into the highlands (Sapa area, not to be missed) and spending time in Halong Bay (took a bus there from Hanoi...climbing, boating, hanging) we took the over night train south to Da Nang from Hanoi stopping along the way in Hue (;-).
Hanoi is super cool and well worth the visit. The Museum of the American War there is pretty interesting as is the museum of enthology.

Once we arrived in Da Nang we taxied to Hoi An which has some wonderful beaches, great bike riding and just a low mellow vibe. Guest houses were fairly inexpensive as I recall (we're cheap anyway and we never had a problem finding deals).

From Hoi An we then booked a flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh city. Booked all as we went which is our standard MO. It usually is cheaper that way and we like the flexibility.

From Saigon (HCMC) I took my two daughters up the river on a boat and visited the Cho Chi tunnels which was interesting but very weird for a day. We also explored Saigon-shit loads of people there so be prepared for that. We got into town new years eve and it was a shitshow.

All the traveling was easy. The north this time of year is getting colder. We went over the x-mas holidays and it was quite cold in Sapa.
All in all Vietnam is a really cool place and well worth the visit.

A couple photos;
http://www.chriskemperphotography.com/Travel/Vietnam/