VIETNAM and Exoticcountriesonearth

VIETNAM and exoticcountriesonearth. of ‘UncleHo’.Believe yoursenses,asyoudiscover oneofthemostenriching,enlivening are graciouslywelcomingofforeigners whocomeasguestsnotconquerors. culture.intact Fiercely protective oftheirindependenceandsovereignty, theVietnamese asan colonialism, aclosedsocietyandcommunistrule;comeoutalive andkicking Long, ortheriver ofninedragons, awater andbobbingboats. worldoffloatingmarkets emerald-green ricepaddies,timelesslytended bypeasantwomeninconicalhats. This isCuu metres, themightyMekongspillsintoVietnam, thelandscapeinapatchworkof blanketing coastline andradiantricefields,itissimplystunning. After more than4000dramatickilo- the latest Asian fromitsslumber. dragontoawake ling, where thetastes are more divine,where life islived faster. This istheworldofVietnam, are bolder,thecoastlinemore dramatic,where theculture isricher,thehistorymore compel- Welcome toanotherworld,aworldwhere thecoloursare more vivid,where thelandscapes Vietnam 346 © LonelyPlanetPublications Don’t believe billboardsthatare thehype. ascommonstatues Orthepropagandistparty Vietnam isanationofdetermined optimistswhohave weathered waruponwar;survived Nature hasblessedVietnam withsoaringmountains,akiller withabountifulharvest:

HIGHLIGHTS

Enter the Fall inlove withthe old-worldatmosphere of Experience nature atitsoutrageousbest Explore thecaptivating capital Discover astunninglysituated formerhill bikes andrichinexoticscentsbikes bling withcommerce,buzzingmotor- steeped inhistory,pulsatingwithlife, bub- ing, markets floating anddeliciousfishing, markets ofthe country,aplaceforslowboat-basket water, acarpetofdazzlinggreens intherice Hoi An in ing mixofminoritypeople mountains at station hemmedinonallsidesbyrugged ing seas; it’s a karst system withadifferenceing seas;it’sakarst limestone peakstowerabove theshimmer- Halong Bay ( p387 ), aplacetosavourslowly Mekong Delta Sapa ( p369 ), where hundreds of ( p376 ), hometoadizzy- ( p419 ), aworldof Hanoi ( p351 ), Sapa Hanoi Hoi An Mekong Delta Halong Bay the West,butcenturiesbefore thattheVi- War inVietnamcaptured theattention of as anywhere onearth.Sure, theAmerican Vietnam hasa history asrich andevocative lonelyplanet.com Champa as theyexpanded south. vaders, absorbing eventually thekingdom of byforeignsuccessfully repulsed attacks in- tradition. During thisera,theVietnamese yearsalmost onethousand of a dynastic independence fromChinaand so began rather thansurrender totheChinese. whodrownedthemselves state, Vietnamese of queens the (Hai Trung),self-declared Ba 938) wastherebellion of thetwoTrungsisters resistance during thisperiod(c200BC–AD rice-growing society.Themostfamousactof innovationsChinese intotoday’s toevolve timeadoptingmany rule, whileatthesame resistingthe Vietnamese theyoke of Chinese quered theRedRiver nearHanoi. Delta roots intheDanangarea, con- theChinese Hindu kingdomof Champawas puttingdown by thepre-Angkorian kingdomof Chenla. 9th century,theFunanempire wasabsorbed themid-6thcenturyand the ranean. Between China, India,Persia theMediter- andeven busy tradingportof with Oc-Eohad contact reveals thatFunan’saeological evidence turies ADintheMekong area. Delta Arch- Funan flourished fromthe1stto6thcen- kingdomofThe sophisticated Indianised Early Vietnam have avoided. been the traumaandtragedy of warmight abrutal attention tothehistoryof thisproudnation, ners inWashingtonhadpaidalittlemore too wouldbevanquished.Ifonlytheplan- what wasrequired orhowlongittook,they thecenturiesand,nomattergone through in alonglineof invaders whohadcomeand century. TheAmericanswere simplythelast to emerge halfof untilthesecond the20th of colonialismfromwhich Vietnamwasnot came theFrench and thehumblingperiod occupation.Later under athousand-year from where itdrew manyof itsinfluences that of northernneighbour China, itsmighty isassophisticated civilisation as Vietnamese theChamsandMongols.the Khmers, were etnamese scrappingwiththeChinese, HISTORY By the10thcentury,Vietnamhaddeclared patternThus beganathousand-year of Around thelate 2ndcenturywhenthe VIETNAM ••History VIETNAM 1963 byhis owntroops.After Hanoi ordered againstDiem. founded tofight better knownastheViet Cong(VC), was Front (NLF),acommunist guerrillagroup TheNational Liberation‘armed struggle’. from oneof tooneof ‘politicalstruggle’ its policyof oppositiontotheDiemregime Around 1960,theHanoi government changed The AmericanWarinVietnam North andSouthVietnam. Hai the Ben linebecametheborderbetween ern zone,refused toholdthe1956elections, leaderofanticommunist, Catholic thesouth- HaiBen River. WhenNgoDinhDiem,the for atemporary divisionof Vietnamatthe French garrisonatDienBienPhu. In May 1954,VietMinhforcesoverran the andfull-scalewar.to violentconfrontations French controlsoonled toreassert efforts the country–declared Vietnamindependent. Minh forcesalready controlledlarge partsof Viet WWII ended,HoChiMinh–whose the communist-dominated VietMinh.When cantly resisted theJapanese occupationwas first organised byHoChiMinhin1925. cessful resistance camefromthecommunists, cruel andarbitrary.Ultimately, themostsuc- torate onVietnam.French ruleoften proved the French aTreaty hadimposed of Protec- Saigon.By1883 thenextyear,itseized Early missionarieswereDanang after several killed. the Spanishcolonyof thePhilippines stormed forcefromFranceand In 1858ajointmilitary Contact withtheWest A brutal ruler,Diem wasassassinated in A brutal Accordsof mid-1954providedThe Geneva During WWII,theonlygroupthatsignifi-

FACTS FAST

bye), Phrases typhoons Jul-Nov Sep, cool&wetOct-Mar; centralcoast hot&dryApr- & dryOct-Mar; north Seasons Money Population Country Code Capital Area 329,566sqkm cam US$1=16,035d(dong) Hanoi

southhot&wetApr-Sep, hot xin chào ơ n 84million (thankyou)

% (hello), 84 tam biêt (good-

347 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 348 To Bangkok VIETNAM VIENTIANE CHINA LAOS VIETNAM VIETNAM Battambang Phongsali Prabang Thailand Sihanoukville Luang Gulf of Trang Tay Lai Chau Phu Quoc THAILAND Island (3143m) Fansipan Dien Bien Angkor Phu Sam Neua Tonlé

Nong

Haet Phnom Den Sap Mountains

PHNOM Tinh Bien

Hoang Lien Hoang Hék¡u

Nam Xoi PENH Mekong Na Maew Tien Siem Reap Ha Phanom Nakhon Kaam Samnor Sapa CAMBODIA Vinh Xuong Son La K¥nmíng Chong Nam Can Ca Mau Hon Lao Cai

To Perfume Pagoda Red Nam Phao

Bac Ha Xuyen River National

Long

Rach Ba Vi Gia River Park Chau Doc Chau Mai Viet Tri Tha Khaek National Phuong Park Cuc National Cha CITY (SAIGON) HO CHIMINH Tho Lo Ba Be Can Park Bavet Sa Dec

Savannakhet Dao Tam

Binh Hoa Mekong River Mekong Lu Hoa Dansavanh Vinh Long Vinh Thanh Hoa Tay Ninh Tam Coc Nguyen Thai Pakse Moc Bai

Mek HANOI Attapeu Cu Chi Nam Dinh Ninh Binh Hai Phong Ben Tre My Tho ong 1A 9 Yougi Guan Bao Lao Delta Ὀ Bien Hoa Red RiverDelta Dong Hoi Lang Son Sanh Khe Vung Tau Huu NhgiQuan Halong Tonkin Gulf of City National Park Vinh Moc Cat Tien National Dong Ha Cat BaNationalPark Long Hai Bach Ma National Park Yok Don Pleiku Cat BaIsland& Park Tum Thuot Kon Buon 1A Ma Bo Y Ben HaiRiver Hué

Phan Thiet My Son

Former DemilitarisedZone(DMZ)

n Halong t

r Bay a l nds hla Hig Mong Cai Mui Ne Dongxing Dalat Danang Nanning To B›ij¸ng Bai TuLongBay Hoi An CHINA Ca Na Quang Ngai Phan Rang Nha Trang Cam Ranh Qui Nhon Doc LetBeach Tuy Hoa CHINA Bay Hainan 120miles 200km 0 0 Island Zhanjiang lonelyplanet.com S OUTH C HINA Paracel Islands S EA soon joinedbysoldiers fromSouthKorea, the USAcommitted itsfirst combattroops, the Saigonregime becamedesperate. In1965 filtrate theSouthin1964,situationfor North Army(NVA)Vietnamese unitstoin- lonelyplanet.com than 8% ayearandtourists justcan’tget attention. B nam’s economic boom hascaught of Vietnamas arenegade province, butViet- toric enemyChina. Chinastillsecretly thinks into theWorldTradeOrganisation (WTO). lowed suitin2006,asVietnamwaswelcomed visit northernVietnam.George WBush fol- Bill Clintonbecamethefirst USpresident to relations withVietnamin1995,and2000 membership. diplomatic TheUSAestablished sociation of SoutheastAsian Nations(Asean) foreign1990s brought investment and As- Western nationssought of theSoviet Unionin1991,Vietnamand With theendof theColdWarandcollapse Vietnam Today lasted well over adecade. 17 days,butChinese-Vietnamese mistrust Vietnamin1979.Thewarlasted only attack bodia attheendof 1978,prompted China to plusitsinvasionofthe ethnicChinese, Cam- next 15years. Vietnam, creating afloodof refugees forthe Hundreds of of thousands southerners fled followed bylarge-scale internal repression. century of colonialrepression, butwassoon munists meantliberationfrommore thana 1975. Vietnam’sreunification bythecom- Saigon surrendered totheNVA on30April Reunification prisoners of war. combat forcesandtherelease of American for acease-fire, withdrawalof thetotal US Paris Agreements, signedin1973,provided demanding anegotiated endtothewar. The insistence that theUSAwaswinning,started who hadforyears theirgovernment’s believed turning pointinthewar. Many Americans, known astheTet Offensive, markingacrucial in 1968,theVC attack, launched asurprise sound familiar? fort tobringglobal legitimacy totheconflict– inanef- Australia, ThailandandNewZealand Vietnam’s economyisgrowing atmore Relations have alsoimproved withthehis- As Vietnamcelebrated theLunarNewYear Vietnam’s campaignof repression against VIETNAM ••People &thePopulation VIETNAM rapprochement ě ij . The ī ng’s around thefamily;there are often several Minh Chieu. messages revealed tothegroup’s founder,Ngo onseance of andWest,wasbased theEast and religiouscombines secular philosophies Daism wasfoundedinthe1920s.It called Cao Philippines. inSoutheastAsiation), second onlytothe (8%to10%of popula- Catholics thetotal asked, they’re they’llusuallysay Buddhist. people identifywiththisbeliefsystem, but if ple Religion(Tam Giao).MostVietnamese to formwhat’scollectively knownastheTri- animism beliefsandancientVietnamese nese and Buddhismhave withpopularChi- fused thecenturies, Confucianism,TaoismOver RELIGION ‘highlanders’). (Frenchgroups knownasMontagnards for members of more than50ethnolinguistic the rest ismadeupof Chamsand Khmers, (Kinh) etnamese positionsofnot inhigh power. 52% thenation’sworkforcebutare generally of themodernfamilyunit.Womenmake up the bigger citiesandischanging thestructure theirfortuneto manypeopleseeking sends society tothatof amore nation, industrialised and thetransitionfromalargely agricultural generations livingunderoneroof. Poverty, have somefun. by thecommunists,andaplacetogoout place toignore structures thestaid instone set generation, a Vietnamisaplacetosucceed, territory Forthenew forwhich theyfought. generation, whoremember inch every of the powers.world’s mightiest Butthat’stheolder stripes insuccessive skirmishes withthe and nationalist,astheyhave earnedtheir The areVietnamese battle-hardened,proud PEOPLE &THEPOPULATION must tread carefully. itisaroadthey and 80millionVietnamese, paid-up members of theCommunistParty out politicalfreedom. Withonlytwomillion with- economicliberalisation development: roadto canfollowtheChinese Vietnamese ultimate success dependsonhowwellthe ofenough theplace. Thefuture but isbright, The unique and colourful Vietnamese sect sect The uniqueandcolourfulVietnamese Vietnam hasasignificantpercentage of Vietnam’s populationis84%ethnicVi- As inotherpartsof Asia, life revolves

and 2%ethnicChinese;

349 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM dance listingsinHanoi andHCMC. their stage. Hanoi water- isthebestplacetosee peteers usingwater-flooded ricepaddiesas wooden puppetswere manipulated bypup- 1000 years ago. byricefarmers, Developed the Vietnam’s ancientartof WATER PUPPETRY of ChamSculpture ( p385 ) inDanang. lection of Chamsculpture isattheMuseum ThelargestBuddhist sanctuaries. singlecol- figures sandstone foritsHinduand carved godas, temples andtombs. adjunct toarchitecture, especiallythatof pa- on religious themesandhasfunctionedasan sculptureVietnamese hastraditionallycentred SCULPTURE Son ( p392 ) are amajor touristdraw. in centralVietnam.TheChamruinsatMy cient Chamculture. are These mostnumerous is thestunningtowers builtbyVietnam’san- in thetropicalclimate. Thegrandexception other materials thatproved vulnerable highly buildingswereetnamese madeof woodand Angkor temples MostearlyVi- inCambodia. their neighbours whoerected theKhmer, the wereThe Vietnamese notgreat builders like ARCHITECTURE Traditional Arts the psyche.into themodernVietnamese Check a wideswatheof stylesandgives aglimpse temporary painters andphotographers covers Ho ChiMinhCity(HCMC). Theworkof con- classical balletand stage playsinHanoi and It’s sometimes possibletocatch moderndance, Contemporary Arts ARTS 350 petry) originated in northern Vietnam at least petry) originated innorthernVietnamatleast The Cham civilisation producedexquisite The Chamcivilisation making money. Todaythere isonly oneVietnammaking anditsmantra is business. the newgeneration seemstohave lessinterest intheirharrowing historyandmore interest in never forgiven theSouthforsidingwith Americansagainsttheirown.Luckily forVietnam, ing theirwarcemeteries, imposingcommunismandblackballing wholefamilies. has The North obsessedbybusinessand,well,bling.and theywillsayare toosuperficial, too seriousanddon’tknowhowtohave whattheythinkofsoutherners fun.Ask anortherner andthey’llsaytheyhave a‘hardface’,thattheyaresoutherner whattheythinkofnortherners divide lingerson.The warmaybehistory,butprejudiceThe north–south isalive andwell.Ask a THE NORTH–SOUTHDIVIDE Guide ITA • At ••Arts VIETNAM When itcomestotheoldergeneration, theSouthhasnever forgiven forbulldoz- theNorth or Time Out forcurrent theatre or roi nuoc ( water pup- it resembles a than Japan. largerit slightly andabitsmaller thanItaly country’s landarea is329,566sqkm,making east coastof peninsula. theIndochinese The Vietnam stretches over 1600kmalongthe The Land environment. put additionalpressure onthealready-stressed numbers andhelter-skelter construction–has strated bythedramaticincrease inmotorbike tion growthover thelastdecade–demon- groups. Montagnard sity, butalsoinaharderexistence formany not onlyinsignificantlossof biologicaldiver- contributed todeforestation. Thishasresulted of defoliantsduringtheAmerican War,have tices, aswelltheUSA’sextensive spraying country. and pollutionare major problems facingthe deforestation industrialisation, nam. Rapid consciousness islowinViet- Environmental ENVIRONMENT There are alsoperformances inHCMC. by musicplayedontraditionalinstruments. puppetry performances,which are accompanied ( p369 ) andTam Coc( p367 ). karst areas, particularlyaroundHalong Bay of of assemblage Vietnamhasaspectacular and underground streams). Thenorthernpart karst formations(limestoneregions withcaves found inVietnam,themoststrikingare the north, andtheMekong inthesouth. Delta growing regions of theRedRiver inthe Delta each end.The baskets represent themainrice- bamboo polewithabasket of riceslungfrom Of several interestingOf several geological features The country’srapideconomicandpopula- As are theVietnamese quicktopointout, andfarmingprac- logging Unsustainable don ganh, ortheubiquitous lonelyplanet.com species, only7000of which have iden- been forests are 12,000plant estimated tocontain itsfaunaisenormouslydiverse;habitats, its Vietnamhassuch awiderange ofBecause Wildlife lonelyplanet.com the national parks in Vietnam. All proceeds the national parksinVietnam. Allproceeds nam, the excellent zones. tional parkbuffer and educate andemploypeoplelivinginna- boundaries, crackdownonillegal poaching stepsment istaking toexpandnational park Wildlife Federation, govern- theVietnamese ProgrammeandtheWorldDevelopment in thesouth. Don NationalPark theboxed (see text, p402 ) National Park ( p382 ) inthecentre; andYok ( p368 ) NationalParks Ma inthenorth;Bach text, p371 ( Be ), Ba p374 ( Ba Cat ) andCucPhuong p371 theboxed TuLong(see ), Bai tory. Themostinteresting and accessibleare: almost 30,about 3% of terri- Vietnam’stotal rapidlyexpandingandtherehas been are now The numberof nationalparksin thecountry National Parks Vietnam. throughout ingly inadequate conditionsforcaged wildlife culture, bytheappall- etnamese evidenced and aspets. animals fortraditionalmedicinalpurposes profit thedemandforexotic frommeeting to protect theanimals.Poachers continueto by thegovernment, lawsare though inplace largelymestic consumptiongoes unregulated 60 birdspeciesasendangered. ernment recognises 54mammalspeciesand gov-entire theVietnamese species.Officially, eliminating of animals,insome cases certain ing hasalsoexterminated thelocalpopulations and waterways becomepolluted. Illegalhunt- tous declineasforest are habitats destroyed the last60years. identified large mammalsintheworld discovered inVietnam–theonlynewly andanox(deer) similartoanoryx were bian. Inthe1990s,onespeciesof muntjac species of reptile and80speciesof amphi- species of mammal,800speciesof bird,180 tified. Vietnamishometomore than275 Flora andFauna International produces The tradeinwildlife forexportanddo- Tragically, Vietnam’swildlife isinprecipi- With thehelpof NGOs, includingtheUN Animal welfare isnotapriorityintheVi- which includes detailed coverage which includesdetailed of all Nature Map Tourism of Viet- HANOI ••Orientation also anexcellent busmap ( shops in Hanoi foraroundUS$1. There is for to Pfor mausoleum. lake, Ho Tay liesnorthof (WestLake), the from theFrench-colonial era. Hanoi’s largest inclassicalarchitecturalhoused masterpieces most foreign embassiesare found,many mausoleum, intheneighbourhood where FurtherwestisHoChiMinh’s base. military constructed byEmperorGiaLong.It’snowa Quarter, theHanoi wasoriginally Citadel themselves inthispartof town. blockortwo.every Mostvisitors prefer tobase nameschange bynarrow streetsterised whose north of thislake istheOldQuarter, charac- from theedges of HoanKiem Lake. Justtothe (Song Hong),Hanoi’s centre extends out alongthebanksof theRedRiverRambling ORIENTATION that thisdragonisontheuponcemore. andlettherethe mostevocative, benodoubt Thanh Long(Cityof theSoaringDragon)is Vietnam. theparadoxuntangle thatiscontemporary modern outlook.There isnobetter placeto the ancienthistory,acoloniallegacyand moves onthedancefloor. Hanoi hasitall, dine atdesignerrestaurants andcutthelatest this resurgent theboldandbeautiful city.See and stillthebestplacetocheck of thepulse a cauldronof commercefor almost1000years weboftangled streets thatistheOldQuarter, many of theregion’s capitals. itlikehistory, ratherthanbulldozingthrough inharmonywithits pieceevolving museum Parisian graceandAsian pace,anarchitectural It’sacitywithquixoticblendofcoexist. new Asia. Where andmodern themedieval withthedynamicfaceofblends seamlessly Hanoi iswhere theexoticchic of oldAsia % HANOI inVietnam. primate conservation offrom sales themapgotowardssupporting There are atbook- decentcitymapsforsale Street designationsinHanoi are shortened Along thewestern peripheryof theOld Known bymanynamesdownthecenturies, A massof motorbikes the swarmsthrough 04 /pop3.5million duong pho (bothmeaningstreet). (abbreviated onmapsonly)or Ð Xe Buyt Ha Noi; 351

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 352 0 500 m CENTRAL HANOI 0 0.3 miles AO • CnrlHni HANOI ••CentralHanoi

n Truc Bach Ho Tay e P i ham (West Lake) N Lake Ho h n Chau g To Thang Loi Hotel (1km); n Th a a P i Long Hanoi Water Park (4km) h 33 T N guy D Ð en Y To Vietnam Museum of T e P Quan Thanh ru n Ethnology (6km) t o a n g H P e h idg a u r hue T B y K c n en u a i Th n g B B g u n Ð o Dang B T L Dang a P P h h u an Dung g Din P n a h C Ph a n un 46 g H P P

P Nguyen Bieu Long Bien Chan N

g g u 22 n P Hang y o e Dau n T u

Canh h h Ð u P a i C e i m p r a T Ng G T r Hoang P a 20 V N Cao n an Thu n g e u N y y Thang e h u See Old Quarter Map (p358) n a g t e g Ho Chi Minh T d T D i N Br h Mausoleum h u Ð u a P i g e t n a o Complex n u Hoan t h P hieu C g 15 Kiem ang C

N H n P

19 o g District u o

V a c e P Hang M Ð B a D g c H S 21 on n a u m m a o H Bu

N ng

Ð P Lan Ha P y Ong P 18 Cua Dong L u Song Hong (Red River) e i Old 16 D 4 P g Quarter P Doi Can Hanoi Citadel D n (Military Area) ie a P P H Le n o Bo ang B Ho Ð P Hang ac ng P B H ng ie

n Ð Thanh To Hanoi Family Medical n P De Practice & Dental Clinic (1km) h A u

n a

a H Nam

c Gai P Cau Go Ly g u u an P h h 14 o 44 P H H Ð T C K V ran Phu P a P Ly Thai g 5 n

n g a

ia Hung D G 13 G

P 11 a

g u P Hoan N an guy C Ba To Kiem e ao Q H n Th ua 7 a i P i H t h P Phung District oc C

2 12 P

m h 25 a Hang Bong P u C u P Hoan Kiem e lonelyplanet.com i D n Lake g M o Tran Nguyen Ha n

26 a a

n n o 23 a

40 H V P

n P 30 P Quan Su T P e o u i Le Le Thai To n a T Lai g n h P h A P 31 T C rang D Q n uoc i i n Thi an a T 47 o D u V G B ia P u m 32 n h Tran Quy a C h Cap P lonelyplanet.com

P Ly Thuong Kiet P Hai Ba P Trang Tien Trung Ð

T Hanoi r a (Ga Hang Co) P n

P Q 39 h INFORMATION a u P m a Ly n Bookworm...... 1 D6 T 17 g P Quan Su hu N on K g g British Council...... 2 A4 Ki an et Th u h ai a h L Cambodian Embassy...... 3 D5 T i D a i o HANOI ••CentralHanoi 24 Canadian Embassy...... 4 B3 g a P n B 27 P u Tr

5 B3 an 43 L Chinese Embassy...... g

H H e 29 un 38

g n n D T et Kieu a

French Embassy...... 6 D5 ao Trieu e h

i 3 H 8 h a P h P Y T 6 n n German Embassy...... 7 C4 ra n i n P r T Q e h uo T P Ba c y Immigration Police...... 8 E5 To T an u u o Chu Institute of Traditional Medicine.. 9 D6 Q h n P Ham C g 1 o Lao Embassy...... 10 C6 g n Long a 45 N Singapore Embassy...... 11 B4 h 10 g P P 28

Thailand Embassy...... 12 B4 P Vietnam-Korea Friendship Clinic..13 B3 Phan Huy P Kham Thien P Ng 35 42 en rung uyen huy Du Han T Binh Tron P Thien Quang 34 P L SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES ng T e Lake Van Hu Army Hotel...... (see 24) u

Army Museum...... 14 C3 P Tran P Qua Ba Dinh Square...... 15 B2 P Tran Nhan Tong 41 EATING Brothers Café...... 25 C4 Entrance to Ho Chi Minh P Tran Xuan Soan Cam Chi (Speciality Food Street)..26 C4 Complex...... 16 B3 9 P Com Chay Nang Tam...... 27 D5 P Tran Than Hanoi Foreign Language Ngo Cho Kham Thien N

College...... (see 17) g Emperor...... 28 F6 o P Lenin Park Hoa Sua...... 29 D5 History Museum...... 17 F5 T L o a h P Hoa M i Kinh Do Café...... 30 C4 Hoa Sua...... (see 29) D N u h KOTO on Van Mieu...... c 31 B4 Ho Chi Minh Museum...... 18 A3 h Tong ieu a Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum...... Ð 19 B2 m Quan An Ngan...... 32 C4

Khiem L Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House...... a 20 A2 Seafood Restaurants...... 33 A1 T h Wild Lotus...... 34 D6 One Pillar Pagoda...... 21a A2 Nguyen Binh

n é h P Thanh Presidential Palace...... 22 A2 To Hien u Wild Rice...... 35 E6

Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)..23 B4 Ba Man P Bui Thi Xuan

P Lake Nguyen Dinh Ch P ENTERTAINMENT

Vuong Viet P Trieu le Apocalypse Now...... 36 A8 SLEEPING Ð Le Duan Bay Mau D a Doan T Lake i ran Nghiep Army Hotel...... 24 F5 H Megastar Cineplex...... 37 D7 a n 37 h Nam Phuong...... 38 E5

u Seventeen Saloon...... 39 C5 ham P N Thai Phien P go c SHOPPING

T P Ba Trie h Craft Link...... 40 B4 a ch Hom Market...... 41 E6 Ipa-Nima...... 42 E6 Dong Da District Ð Dai Co Viet TRANSPORT To Institute of Ha Ba Trung All Nippon Airways...... 43 E5 Acupuncture District Kim Ma Bus Station...... 44 A3 (1.5km) Lao Airlines...... 45 D6 P C hu

a Long Bien Bus Station...... Thanh Nhau 46 E1 353 Bo P Bach Mai

c 36 Pacific Airlines...... Lake 47 C4 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Medical Practice. Medical oftheHanoiFamily Deal withithere, part tooth hurts? .vn; 19-21PhoHaiBaTrung) fpt.vn; 15APhoNgoVan So; L’Espace building,amodernistvenueneartheOperaHouse. % tional press. town withEnglishandFrench titles,plussomeinterna- 53-55 PhoTrangTien) Oneofthebiggestbookshopsin etl Clinic Dental Medical Services Sticky Rice New Hanoian the mostoutof Hanoi. Trythe following: There are goodwebsites tohelpyouget several Internet Resources access forlaptopusers. and lotsof hotels, cafésandbars offer free access asstandard. budget andmidrange hotels offer free internet ing isn’tunheardof insome places.Most ter. aslow3000d,butovercharg- start Rates alongPho Hangnotably intheOldQuar- Bac There are countless internet cafésinHanoi, Internet Access Police Fire Ambulance Emergency FrançaisedeHanoi Culturel Centre Council British Club American Cultural Centres LongBookshop Thang Planet Love Bookworm Bookshops INFORMATION on theimproved busnetwork. companiontoget about5000d), anessential 354 to gettherubonwhatHanoiexpatsup in thecity. places to dine and drink inthecity. places todineanddrink for foodiesinHanoi,thishasthelowdownondozens of books. ofnewandusedEnglish-language Hanoi’s bestselection Hanoi Horison Hotel. Hanoi Horison tothe 40PhoCatLinh)Next .britishcouncil.org/vietnam; Trade inusedbooksforothersecondhandreads. Wi-fi hascometoHanoi withavengeance 936 2164;[email protected]; 24PhoTrangTien) Inthe ( % AO • Ifrain HANOI ••Information ( % 114) (http://stickyrice.typepad.com) Thewebsite (http://stickyrice.typepad.com) 113) ( Mp pp352-3; (Map (Map (Map p358 ; % ( (www.newhanoian.com)Thisistheplace % (Map (Map p358 ; Mp pp352-3; (Map 115) 846 2864;[email protected]) The % Mp p358; (Map h % % 828 4864;25PhoHangBac) 10am-7pm Tue-Sun) 943 7226;bookworm@ % 824 1850;amclub@fpt 843 6780;www % Mp p358; (Map 825 7043; Hoc) facility inHanoi;maintainsahighinternationalstandard. medical Nonprofit clinicreputed to betheleast-expensive % Thinh) Holisticmedicine?Well,verysmallholesanyway. Japanese; housecallsavailableforanadditionalfee. English,French and with internationalphysiciansspeaking Trung; initialconsultationsUS$55-65)Hasa24-hourclinic gency 9340555,0555;CentralBldg,31PhoHaiBa Vietcombank Vietcombank &CommercialBank Industrial ANZ Bank Money Clinic Friendship Vietnam-Korea Clinic SOS International National HospitalofTraditionalMedicine ofAcupuncture Institute Hanoi Family Practice Medical Guesthouses andinternet cafésareGuesthouses alsoacon- townarethroughout asgood asanywhere. For domestictelephone calls, thepostoffices Telephone Federal Express DHL inHanoi: International courierservices postoffice International Domestic postoffice ordroppingoff letters.up stamps kiosksarePostal allover thecity,forpicking Post Dinh Tien Hoang; cnr PhoDinhTien Hoang&PhoDinhLe) out four-milliondongperhit. Has cash-advancefacilitiesanda24-hourATM, churning pp352-3; ese problems. out someVietnamesesolutionstowhatmightbeVietnam- advances. exchanges USdollarsandalsogivescredit-card cash 4276; 37PhoHangBo)Cashestravellerscheques, is up-to-date. sure yourinsurance somake ispricey, physicians; service Hasateamofinternational BaDinhDistrict) Ma, Pho Kim Vanmedicalpractice.com; PhucDiplomaticCompound,298 843 0748,0903-401919,0913-234911;www.vietnam handy one on Pho Hang Bai, near Hoan Kiem Lake. Lake. handy oneonPhoHangBai,nearHoanKiem smaller brancheswithATMs are inthecentre, includingthe it hasanATM Several andoffers mostcurrency services. and Lake ters islocatedafew blockseastofHoanKiem 8045; 198PhoTranQuangKhai) 2 PhoHangBai); 843 7231;12ChuVan An;initialconsultationsUS$5) (Map (Map pp352-3 ; % (Map (Map p358 ; 826 3616; 29 Pho Nguyen Binh Khiem) Check 826 3616;29PhoNguyenBinhKhiem) Pho HangBai Pho TranQuangKhai h ( % % 7am-8.30pm) % 824 9054;63PhoYen Phu) Mp p358; (Map 733 2086;49PhoNguyenThai (Map (Map p358 ; 825 8190;14PhoLe ThaiTo) Mp p358; (Map ( Mp p358; (Map %

The towering headquar- The towering 853 3881;49PhoThai (Map (Map p358 ; ( (Map (Map p358 ; % % lonelyplanet.com Mp pp352-3; (Map % 825 7036;75Pho % 24hr emergency % 24hr emer- 826 8031; 825 2030; % % (Map (Map 825 826 as they offer cheaper internet services. as theyoffer cheaper internet services. orinternet cafés option isusuallyguesthouses For international telephone calls,thecheapest venient optionforlocalcallswithinHanoi. lonelyplanet.com For more onspecialist companies offering For alist of nationwide operators, see p437 . ODC Travel Ocean Tours Travel Handspan Adventure Ethnic Travel ET Pumpkin places intheOldQuarter: and websites carefully. Considerthefollowing trade ontheirreputations, socheck addresses have theirnamesclonedbyothers lookingto shop around.Successfultouroperators often existing placeshave atendency tochange, so guides. theirownvehiclessmall groups,anduse and outtouroperators thatstickto with. Seek how manyotherpeopleyou’llbetravelling of whatyou’llget foryourmoney,andof tour operators gives youamuch better idea andhotels.guesthouses Dealingdirectly with tobooktripsorticketsnot advisable through Hanoi hasheapsof budget travel agencies. Itis Travel Agencies travellers. agencies andbars, toyourfellow andtalking asking aroundatdifferent travel guesthouses, source of tourisminformationinHanoi is that dishesoutfree information.Thebest thing really like useful ahelpfultourismoffice Even forget thisisthecapital, though any- Tourist Information Halong Bay. been earningagoodnameforitselfbyspecialising in toursvietnam.com; 7PhoDinhLiet)Thisoperator has meet thereal Vietnamese. ofadventures thatensures you ing aninnovativeselection travel.com.vn; 35PhoHangGiay)Anewercompanyoffer- Tamarind Café. Thewalk-in officeisinthe and jeeptoursinthefarnorth. HalongBay,BaiTupopular companyoffering LongBay Adeservedly May) 0581; www.handspan.com;80PhoMa to Sapa. onthenighttrain carriage plus itoperatesitsownprivate Toursthroughoutthenorth, May) 89PhoMa kin.com; in thebusinessforbudget tours. Old DarlingCafé,thisis one ofthemostestablishednames .com; CamelliaHotel,13PhoLuong NgocQuyen)Formerly New travel agencies openallthetimeand Mp p358; (Map (Map (Map p358 ; Mp p358; (Map (Map (Map p358 ; HANOI ••Dangers&Annoyances % % % % 824 3024;www.odctravel 926 1294;www.ocean 926 0739;www.et-pump 926 1951;www.ethnic (Map (Map p358 ; % 926 Hoan Kiem Lake andgetHoan Kiem Lake off atthejunction way toget here is totake bus 14(3500d)from tered (40,000doneway). Thecheapest taxi include takes 30minutes bybicycle. Otheroptions about 7kmfromthecitycentre. Thetrip English. plays are French labelledinVietnamese, and explores Vietnam’sculturaldiversity. Dis- of aTay shamanic ceremony, themuseum From themakingof conicalhatstotheritual from Vietnamanditsdiverse tribalpeople. collection of objectsgathered artandeveryday l’Homme inParis, itfeatures afascinating fromMuséedeDesigned withassistance h ( The wonderful Vietnam MuseumofEthnology SIGHTS instincts. cautionandfollowyourextortion. Exercise situation deteriorates fromthere, endingin in,it’softenbrought upwardsof US$100.The for afew drinksandsongs.Whenthebillis where they’re shownintoaprivate room take himout.Theyendupatakaraoke bar, stranger approaches foreigner, offering to around HoanKiemLake. Scenario:friendly and youhave alongwalkhome. om be aware of a theirsurroundings.Catching erally safe intheOldQuarter butshould always home. are Womenwalkingaloneatnight gen- by youngmenaroundtownwhofollowthem or thingscouldquicklyflare up. room ortour. calmandbackawayslowly Stay towards touristswhendecidingagainstahotel of verbal aggression and physicalviolence We have reports substantiated heardseveral money aspossible. Keep yourantennae up. then attempt toappropriate asmuch of your the nameof anotherpopularpropertyandwill hotel. Invariably,thehotel has appropriated airport shuttle unwitting touriststothewrong andminibusmafiaatthe intertwined. Thetaxi The biggest scamsintownare inextricably DANGERS &ANNOYANCES text, p369 . motorbike tours theboxed of thenorth,see % Gay menshouldbeware of ascamgoingon Western womenhave reported beinghassled The museum is in the Cau GiayDistrict, isintheCau The museum (motorbike isagoodideaifit’slate taxi) 8.30am-5.30pm Tue-Sun) 756 2193;ÐNguyenVan Huyen;admission20,000d; xe om (20,000doneway) orame- Vietnam Vietnam of Ethnology Museum should not be missed. should notbemissed. 355

xe xe

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM was dedicated toConfuciusin1070byEm- be taken insidethemausoleum building. off tops orother ‘indecent’clothing. Hats must mausoleum ifyou’re wearing shorts, tank tion hall.You’llbe refused admissiontothe bags, camerasand mobile phonesata recep- days. these gested Madame hasthecontract Tussaud’s early December. Some scepticshave sug- through fromSeptember soleum isclosed Russia foryearlymaintenance, sothemau- getsbalmed corpse athree-month holidayto from allover Vietnam.HoChiMinh’sem- and 1975,usingnative materials gathered 11am Sat-Thu) P pp352-3 ; mated, the their respects. areman himself thecrowdscomingtopay edifice. Asa monumental interesting asthe within deep set Minh isaglasssarcophagus and Mao, thefinalresting placeof Ho Chi Inthetraditionofetnamese. Stalin Lenin, This is the holiest of theholiesformanyVi- Ho ChiMinhMausoleumComplex Hoan KiemLake. stone tortoise. of here the82stelae ona thatstands isset nial examinationsdatingbackto1442.Each men whohadreceived doctorates intrien- ofthe establishment stelae honouringthe courtyard. second Vanand theKhue Pavilion atthebackof the peaceful reflecting poolinthefrontcourtyard, before entering. Make sure youdo. There’s a quest thatvisitors dismountfromtheirhorses grounds. Thefrontgate isinscribedwithare- temple isanabsolute must. roofed gateways andlow-eaved buildings,this architectureese in11th-centurystylewith jewelof traditionalVietnam- well-preserved a university fortheeducationof mandarins.A peror LyThanhTong,andlater as established pp352-3 ; PhoQuocTu Giam;admission5000d; Hanoi’s peaceful Temple ofLiterature Van Huyen. ÐHoangQuocVietandNguyen between 356 Five courtyardsare withinthe enclosed All visitors mustregister andleave their Built contrarytohislastwillbecre- The Temple of Literature is2kmwestof In 1484, Emperor Le ThangTongorderedIn 1484,EmperorLe AO • Sgt HANOI ••Sights ho Ngoc Ha & Pho Doi Can; admissionfree; ho NgocHa&PhoDoiCan; was constructed between 1973 wasconstructed between Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex Mausoleum Ho ChiMinh Van Mieu (Temple of Literature; Map ofLiterature; Map (Temple

h 8am-5pm) h (Map (Map

Tue-Sun) Pho HoaLo;admission5000d; Lo Prison,ironicallynicknamedthe‘Hanoi groups in Vietnam. Exhibits havegroups inVietnam.Exhibits Vietnamese, displays costumeswornbyethnic-minority protesting theAmericanWar. The4thfloor from theinternational women’smovement soldiers, balancedbysomewonderfulexhibits 4pm) p358 admission20,000d; ; 36PhoLyThuongKiet; The terrific Other Museums PalacePresidential One PillarPagoda Stilt House Ho ChiMinh’s Museum Ho ChiMinh following nearbysights. 3 ; PhoDienBien Phu; admission20,000d; than thelowsof history. Vietnamese 1932. Collections here cover thehighs more architecture; thisbuildingwascompleted in andFrenchments fromChinese stylesinhis first inVietnamtoincorporate designele- structures. ErnestHebrard wasamongthe 4.30pm Fri-Wed) Pham NguLao;admission15,000d; Museum History explanations inEnglish andFrench. revolutionaries; someexhibitshaveetnamese ominous French tobehead Vi- guillotine used France. Toolsof torture ondisplayincludean forindependencefrom struggle Vietnamese War. Thebulkof theexhibitsfocuson Hilton’ byUSPOWsduringtheAmerican French andEnglishexplanations. a seaofsorrow. outof rising represent alotusblossom,symbolofpurity, by EmperorLyThaiTong(r1028–54)anddesignedto the palaceofgovernorgeneralIndochina. in1906 as stilt house,thisgrandbuildingwasconstructed h as someofthesymbolismishardtointerpret onyourown. ‘happiness’ or‘freedom’. guide, Find anEnglish-speaking Sat-Thu) Displayseachhaveamessage,suchas‘peace’, 5000d; admission pp352-3; simplicity reinforces hisreputation asamanofthepeople. official residence, onandoff,between19581969,its 3 ; admission5000d; the building. Photography isabsolutely prohibited inside One blockeastof the theOperaHouse, After exitingthemausoleum,check outthe The Hoa LoPrison Museum 8-11am &2-4pmSat-Thu) IngrandcontrasttoHo’s includes thepredictable tribute towomen isallthatremains of theformerHoa Army Museum Women’s Museum isoneof Hanoi’s moststunning

h (Bao Tang LichSu;Map pp352-3 ; 1Pho (Chua Mot Cot; Map (Chua MotCot;Map pp352-3 ) Built (Map (Map pp352-3 ; admission5000d; 8-11am & 2-4pm) Supposedly Ho’s 8-11am &2-4pm)SupposedlyHo’s (BaoTang Map HoChiMinh;

(Bao Tang QuanDoi; Map pp352- h h (Nha SanBacHo;

Mp p358; (Map 8-11am &1.30-4.30pm 8-11.30am &1.30-4.30pm h (Bao Tang PhuNu;Map

lonelyplanet.com 8-11.30am &1.30- h % Map Map 8-11.30am & 824 6358;1 h pp352- 8am- Pho NhaTho; Hang Giay; weapons captured duringyears of warfare. equipment alongsideFrench- andUS-made Old Quarter 1.30-4.30pm Tue-Sun) Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com mass isheld. glass windows. Themain gate isopenwhen square towers, andstained- elaborate altar (inaugurated in1886)isnoteworthy forits Europe.ported Thecathedral tomedieval Chinatown intheOldQuarter. temple inHanoi andresides inashred of Old Quarter. toliveinto howlocalmerchants used inthe dwellinggives Chinese-style youaninsight restored,visit. Thoughtfully thistraditional sion 5000d; tostillinhabit thelake.the speciessaid the embalmedremains of of agigantictortoise spot torelax, butalsoworthchecking out for ern partof HoanKiem Lake. It’sameditative the 18thcentury,isonanislandinnorth- admission 2000d; the swordtoitsdivineowners. returnedstored thetortoise Sword) because ofknown asHoHoanKiem(Lake theRe- of thelake. Since thattime,thelake hasbeen the swordanddisappeared intothedepths thecreaturegiant goldentortoise; grabbed war, whileoutboating,hecameupona outofChinese Vietnam.Onedayafter the todrivea magicalswordthatheused the heaven gave Loi) EmperorLyThaiTo(Le hasitthatinthemid-15th century,Legend Old Quarter, agoodorientinglandmark. soundsandsmells. the sights, than walkingthestreets, simplysoakingup is nobetter waytospendsometimeinHanoi sip andlaughter. there Modernyetmedieval, corner,resonantevery withthesoundof gos- and stalls cheap mealforthelocals. streets, sizzlingandsmokingbaskets hidinga is Hanoi’s historicheart.Hawkers poundthe bikes andrich inexoticscents,theOldQuarter bling withcommerce,buzzingmotor- withlife,Steeped inhistory,pulsating bub- This istheAsia wedreamed of fromafar. Ngoc Son Temple Stepping inside Bach Ma Temple House Memorial Hoan Kiem istheliquidheartofLake the h h h bia hoi 8-11.30am &2.30-5.30pm) 9-11.30am &2-5pm) 5-7am &5-7pm) h 8am-7pm) displaysSoviet andChinese

(Map (Map p358 ; cnrPhoHangBuom&

(Map (Map p358 admis- May; ; 87PhoMa (draught beer) denshug beer) (draught (Jade MountainTemple;(Jade Map p358 ; St Joseph Cathedral , which wasfoundedin islike beingtrans- Pho iswellwortha (noodlesoup) istheoldest HANOI ••Activities Mp p358; (Map cooked. cooked. disadvantaged youth.Costsvarydependingon thedishes a causetoraisefundsforitstrainingprogramme for classesfor .hoasuaschool.com; 28APhoHaHoi)Offers Lake. HoanKiem ments, headtothisplaceoverlooking h (West Lake), the pool is open from May toOctober. thepoolisopenfromMay (West Lake), [email protected]; ÐYen Phu;30,000d)NearHoTay tion within 1kmof HoanKiemLake. There isanexcellent range of accommoda- Most visitors makes fortheOldQuarter. SLEEPING 4 Highway Hoa Sua Cooking foraboutUS$7perlesson. Vietnamese tional University where foreigners canstudy compound,isabranch ofMuseum Hanoi Na- 2468; 1PhoPhamNguLao) Hanoi Foreign Language College Language COURSES LoiHotel Thang Park Hanoi Water Army Hotel thegymforafee.let nonguestsswimoruse swimming inHanoi andmostupmarket hotels Feel like adip?There are placesfor several Swimming SF Salon&Spa QT Salon Hotel Metropole ace Hotel good legitimate massage atthe at manyplaces).Atpresent, youcanget a beoffered might theyare (asindeed services’ of ‘extra because theconcernthatnaughty number of togive placeslicensed massages The government hasseverely restricted the Massage &Spa ACTIVITIES numbers. rangefromUS$19 toUS$32dependingonPrices classes. This popularrestaurant-bar alsohascooking ments, includingwraps,scrubsandpolishes. and Thaimassage(US$10),plusthefullrangeofspatreat- Buom; city centre; features ofpoolsandslides. avariety toNovember,5kmfromthe 50,000d) Openfrom15April enough todolaps,thepoolisopenallyear. 2896; 33CPhoPhamNguLao;dayuseUS$3.50)Big 10am-8pm) Foraspasplurgeonfacialsorbodytreat- h (Map (Map pp352-3 ; (Map (Map p358 ; 8.30am-11pm) A newer spa offering Swedish 8.30am-11pm) Anewerspaoffering

(Map (Map p358 ; perhrUS$8) (Map p358 ; p358; (Map (Khach San Quan Doi; Map SanQuanDoi;Map (Khach pp352-3 ; (Map (Map p358 ;

(Cuban Hotel; Mp p5 US$32) p358; (Map ( % % % % 753 2757;admission30,000- 928 6116;28PhoLe ThaiTo; , housed intheHistory , housed % 926 0639;5PhoHangTre) 824 0448;www % 926 2032;16PhoHang Mp pp352-3; (Map

829 4211; andthe . Hoa BinhPal- % Sofitel Sofitel % 357

825

826 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Hidden awaydown asmalllaneneartheold .citygatehotel.com.vn; 10PhoThanhHa;rUS$8-18; and even alift. and even include a bath,there’s free internet downstairs welcome. Roomsare superclean, bathrooms Gate, thissmartminihotelEast offers awarm o Budget 358

85 OLD QUARTER P Duong Thanh Duong P

79 P P P hung AO • Sepn H HANOI ••Sleeping P Quan Su N ung 16 h a

City Gate Hotel City Gate

H P

P Hoa Lo District o Hang Ga H

P a

Hoan Kiem

P a

43 H H n

a P a g n Bat Dan Hang Cot

n M

g Y g

P Lo Ren Lo P

B n N P H

o a P

T o

Phu a n

Doan n T

m n g

T Ong Lan P

h h g

P Hang Thiec L o a u

Chan Cam n

i o g

P Ngo 35 c

P Hang Khoai

27 n

M P Thuoc

n P

Hang Hom Hang Mp p358; (Map h

P Trang Thi Trang P Bac

P Au Trieu Huyen P

L P

Q a

C P Hang Ma 41

n o h

c 26

a S

u g

C 19

a 90 P X

a 31 B 54 H n

n P 38 78 7

P Hang P

g H

P Nha Chung Nha P P

n P

P Nha Tho V

H C

n N

% a

n H 53 a u a Tro

P g

52 n n

a L 44

P Hang P a o

ng g

t n y

g n a e

23 Hanh g 83 g

828 0817;www n

H a

N T

40 h

i e a P B

S n a T

58 a t

i u

h g i

B 70

n N B o g To Monument u y e

a a n 59

63 u

a m

50 o h

K P

a P 61

Le Thai n

ai g

r 2

T P i

u 45 a

P 15 y H

e n

a a T 81 i u

g P Le Thai T Thai Le P T

o n

68 h o

g P a 6 n 11

o 42 P n

L C h

y P Ba Trieu

h H

K 82

64 u

49 Hien Ta P i ie

e a )

9 o 55 21

n u t P Dinh Liet g Hoan Kiem

N P 18 20 24

P Cau Cau P

Lake [email protected]; 24Pho Nha Chung;rUS$10-20; plenty of action ontherooftop bar. couple of dedicated rooms. There’s always ers padoffers smartandsecure dormsanda US$6, rUS$20; 48PhoNgo Huyen;dm www.hanoibackpackershostel.com; o

H Ð Thap Rua

(Tortoise C Hang Tu Duy Dao

P Gia Ngu Gia P c Tower)

a T 33 r

n a

Monument Q

10 n

Hotel Thien Trang Thien Hotel

14 g

u N

Martyrs'

hinh

Hanoi Backpackers Hostel Hanoi Backpackers h

Go y B

37 a

e t

P Hang Bai n D

c 56 P

47 M

57 a 8 a 12 y 71 t 80 P Dinh Tien Hoang 65

5 28 17

P H P

ang Be ang 36

Dau

Hang

Tran Nguyen Han P P

Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com P Dinh Dinh P

86 P

30 h 66 87

25 u

1 T

22 a

Le Thach Le P Nguyen n

Le Lai Le

P H Le Huu a

n Huan

H M

T L

P Lo Su Lo P u

ThisAussie-style backpack-

r T 84

) a

h 73

a a 62 i

i n

T n o g

g 89

Mp p358; (Map T

T h

i District e u P Nguyen 74

P Ngo Quyen Hoan Kiem n n

Khac Can 200m 0.1miles 0 0 34 3 76 Mp p358; (Map

Ð Tran Quang Khai Quang Tran Ð

% 88 (Red River) (Red

Ly Dao 67

826 9823;thient Hong Song

75 C P Le Thanh T Thanh Le P Le Phung Hieu h

60 on P Tong Dan Tong P ong P 13 Tr g a n Thanh g Ð 828 5372; D VNAT

46 B

69 i

29 e T n r h i a d i g e T h a n to live thedream, butcheap notto enough Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Manh DungGuesthouse Manh GiangGuesthouse Thu following: downstairs? ( p363) itwhentherewho needs istheCinematheque but courtyard. Roomsincludesatellite TV, artiste, but theyare aroundalovely set leafy priate accommodation forthestruggling a [email protected]; 22APhoHaiBaTrung;s/dUS$18/21; value given thelocation. break thebudget, thespaciousroomsare great ai really look after theirguests. really lookafter 10; [email protected]; Thuong;rUS$5- rooms. run placewithcheapyet cheerful ai www.tgguesthouse.com; 5APhoTam Thuong;rUS$5-10; SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION ET Pumpkin...... Domestic PostOffice...... Hanoi...... ANZ Bank...... American Club...... Hanoi BackpackersHostel...... Golden LotusHotel...... Classic StreetHotel...... City GateHotel...... Church Hotel...... Artist Hotel...... Women's Museum...... St JosephCathedral...... SF Salon&Spa...... QT Salon...... (see50) Ngoc SonTemple...... Memorial House...... ('HanoiHilton')...... Highway 4...... (see62) Bach MaTemple...... Vietcombank...... Vietcombank...... UK Embassy...... (see11) Thang LongBookshop...... SOS InternationalClinic...... ODC Travel...... Ocean Tours...... Love Planet...... International PostOffice...... (see4) Bank...... Industrial &Commercial Ethnic Travel...... Centre CulturelFrançaisede Hoa LoPrisonMuseum Handspan AdventureTravel....(see56) o A couplemore oldfavourites includethe ai ) Theroomshere bemore might appro- ) ) The taste of old Hanoi, a small, friendly, family- ) ThetasteofoldHanoi,asmall,friendly, Close enough tothetrendy enough NhaTho Close ) Oppositethe ThuGiang,thefamily here Artist Hotel Artist Mp p358; (Map

Mp p358; (Map Mp p358; (Map 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 27 26 25 24 23 22 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C2 C4 D5 B3 C5 A3 B3 C2 C1 B4 C5 B5 B4 C1 C3 C2 A5 B1 C5 D4 C5 B5 C2 B2 C2 B2 B2 % % DRINKING EATING Sofitel MetropoleHotel...... Queen Hotel...... Manh DungGuesthouse...... Hotel ThienTrang...... Hoa BinhPalaceHotel...... Hilton HanoiOpera...... Hanoi EleganceHotel...... GC Pub...... Gambrinus...... Funky Monkey...... Amazon Bar...... C2 Thuy TaCafé...... (see68) Tandoor...... Tamarind Café...... Restaurant BobbyChinn...... Pho24...... (see 14) Pepperoni's Pizza&Café...... Moca Café...... La Salsa...... La Place...... Intimex...... Hapro CoffeeKiosk...... Hanoi Garden...... Green Tangerine...... Fivimart...... Fanny...... Dakshin...... Cyclo Bar&Restaurant...... Culi Café...... Cha CaLaVong...... Café desArts...... Baguette &Chocolat...... Baan ThaiRestaurant...... Al Fresco's...... 69 Bar-Restaurant...... Thu GiangGuesthouse...... 828 5734; % HANOI ••Sleeping 826 7201; 825 3044; The Zen lobby sets the standard foroneof the standard lobby sets The Zen .azqueentravel.com; 65PhoHangBac; rUS$35-65; with apool. bland, butit’sthecheapesttary placeintown camp. Theuninspiringdécormay bemili- the army,butit’saworldawayfrom boot ais 2896; [email protected]; 33CPhoPhamNguLao;rUS$30-40; con andsatellite TV. from which toexplore it.Allroomshave air- the OldQuarter andthishotel isastylishbase a .classicstreet-phocohotel.com; 41PhoHangBe;rUS$25-30; a computer for personal internet access. from home. Roomsare large andeach includes here makefriendly staff itfeel like ahome away elegancehotel.com; 8PhoHangBac;rUS$18-30; Hanoi EleganceHotel Midrange o Army Hotel Classic Street Hotel Classic Street ) Hang isoneof theliveliest streets Be in 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 ) Queen Hotel Ownedbythearmy,operated by B3 D4 B3 B3 C2 B5 B3 B4 B4 B3 B4 B4 A3 C2 D4 B4 B3 A3 B2 B1 B3 B2 B1 C5 C2 A3 D5 C2 A3 B4 C2 D5 C2

(Khach San Quan Doi; Map SanQuanDoi;Map (Khach pp352-3 ; TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT Vietnam Airlines...... (see83) Thai AirwaysInternational...... Singapore Airlines...... Malaysia Airlines...... Free Wheelin'Tours...... Cathay Pacific...... Buffalo Tours...... Airport Minibus...... Air France...... Vietnamese House...... Shoe Market...... Hang DaMarket...... Hadong Silk...... Dong XuanMarket...... Chi Vang...... Terrace Bar...... Solace...... R&R Tavern...... New Century...... Theatre...... Jazz ClubByQuyenVanMinh.. Hanoi OperaHouse...... Dinh LangRestaurant...... Club Opera...... Cinematheque...... Hanoi...... (see3) Centre CulturelFrançaisede Toilet Pub...... Quan BiaMinh...... Polite Pub...... Le Pub...... (see30) Cuong's MotorbikeAdventure.. Municipal WaterPuppet Highway 4...... (Map p358 ; p358 (Map

Mp p358; (Map

Mp p358 ; (Map % 825 3740;www.hanoi % % 825 2421;www 826 0860;www ai ai 62 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 % ) 359 The The C2 B5 C5 D4 C2 C2 A5 C2 B4 B5 B2 C3 A3 B3 B1 D5 D5 D1 C3 A4 C3 B2 D5 B3 D5 C5 C1 B2 B3 825

)

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM in-room internet. tive flair,plusthefunctionalextrassuch as the Church haselegantroomswithdecora- hotel withaholistictouch? Looknofurther, seafood restaurants, southofseafood the citycentre, insmall Pho To HienThanhalso specialises restaurants lakeside withpleasant seating. features astripof 30-oddoutdoor seafood onthesouthbank of Thuy Khue, WestLake, deliciousbudget-priced food. Ð serving stalls tion, isanalleycrammedfullof lively street Chi,500mnortheastofCam Hanoi trainsta- its specialityfoodstreets (Map pp352–3 ). a broadpalette of international cuisine. noodles andfresh dillandpeanuts)aswell ca cha regional specialities such as serving taurants Hanoi isagourmand’swonderland,fullof res- EATING you’re inParis. andyou’llthink thecurtains won’t quit–close hotels. This place hasaFrench motifthatjust thisisoneofin Bangkok, Asia’s great luxury inSingapore andtheOriental breath asRaffles from US$169; % the city. todiscoverproperty isanindulgent base that isHanoi thisstriking OperaHouse, Rubbing shoulders withthegrandolddame .hilton.com; 1Le ThanhTong;rfromUS$110; HanoiOpera Hilton Top End Hanoi. brings new-worldcomfortstoold-world backpackersville, thissmartnewproperty ai .hoabinhpalacehotel.com.vn; 27PhoHangBe;s/dUS$50/60; .vn; 9PhoNhaTho;rUS$40-70; connections. silk trim,artaplentyandbroadbandinternet at theGoldenLotushave woodenfloors, flavoursEastern andWestern chic, rooms r inclbreakfast US$40-50; 8583; www.goldenlotushotel.com.vn; 32PhoHangTrong; and DVDplayers. Bookahead. rooms includewoodenfurnishings, silklamps Hanoi’s mostatmosphericproperties.The 360 Hoa BinhPalace Hotel Church Hotel o The real culinarytreasures inHanoi are o 826 6919;[email protected]; 15PhoNgoQuyen;r AO • Etn HANOI ••Eating (fish braised in broth and served with inbrothandserved (fishbraised ) An unlikely intruderintheheartof Golden Lotus Hotel Golden LotusHotel Sofitel Metropole Hotel Metropole Sofitel ais Mp p358; (Map

Mp p358 ; (Map

) Whispered inthesame ai Mp p358; (Map

% ai 928 8118;churchhotel@vnn % ) A rich blendof Mp p358 ; (Map 933 0500;www.hanoi % ) Looking fora

926 3646;www ais Mp p358; (Map % 928

) street foodexperience,butafraidtotake the 15 PhoPhanBoiChau;dishes30,000-60,000d) Ca; chaca70,000d) Manh; mainsfrom40,000d) Manh; selection. selection. succulent tunasteaks andalarge vegetarian predominantly menuincludes Vietnamese tifully restored the house, oldVietnamese meals20,000-60,000d) May; 69 PhoMa street, butrarely better. heavenly noodlesoups. Fast Pho 24 Vietnamese order aspread. many places,socheck thepricebefore you ing isthenormratherthanexceptionat merrier, asthefoodmustbegood.Overcharg- many localsare chowing down;themore, the vit or venture intoatinyshopfront selling vermicelli withspringrolls)onastreet corner there infrontof you.Try as fresh asitcomesandthekitchen isright of thestreet aroundtown.Thefoodis stalls cheapest food,strolluptosome Vietnamese Tong; mains 50,000-100,000d) take onthis mosttraditionalof foods. astherewith aspringrollselection, isaunique cuisine.for thecontemporary Start Vietnamese outside, theelegantinterior isafinebackdrop mains 40,000-120,000d) Wild Rice Vietnamese Gourmet the menu,soit’sgreat forindecisive types. generations. Thesucculentfish isallthat’son Quarter, family-runforfive this placehasbeen dishes. and spicyChinese itive sign,thankstoitssouthernVietnamese diners,popular withVietnamese alwaysapos- to themiddle-class masses. the placethatbringsstreet andmarket food plunge? Buildyourcourage withamealhere, meaning inHanoi! restaurants. Doglover hasawholedifferent north of centralHanoi, has1kmof dog-meat east of Mau Bay Lake. Pho Tam, Nghi 10km Emperor o o For someof andcertainly thetastiest, Cha Ca LaVong Cha Ca Hanoi Garden (riceporridge withduck).Checkouthow pho,

(Map (Map p358 meals25,000d) ; 1PhoHangKhay;

Mp pp352-3; (Map 69 Bar-Restaurant Quan AnNgan Vietnamese-style, thisplaceoffersVietnamese-style,

Mp pp352-3; (Map Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com The

Mp p358; (Map

Mp p358; (Map Deceptively simplefrom % cha ca cha Thisrestaurant isvery Longconsidered oneof %

943 8896;6PhoNgoThiNham; Mp pp352-3; (Map Pho % 826 8801;18B PhoLe Thanh % Mp p358; (Map

capital of capital theOld 824 3402;36PhoHang bun cha gio ischeaper onthe 825 3929;14PhoCha Set inabeau- Set Fancy that % % 942 8162; 926 0452; (rice chao chao

laudable lunch stop,thankstotheUS$2all- designer restaurant, thisisanartgalleryas 29 PhoLyQuocSu;mainsfrom40,000d; Pho NguyenDu;mains50,000-150,000d) lonelyplanet.com fusion is evident intheoriginal menu.For fusion is evident andpart Egyptian,is partChinese andthe US$10-20; % Cathedral. Joseph prime positiononthehipstripopposite St of thisbar-restaurant steak and tapas, hasa h bar.salad lunchtime andyou-can-eat weekday pasta up toitsnamewithregular artexhibitions. sics. ModelledonaParisian itlives brasserie, couscous orcassoulet,andotherFrench clas- h desArts Café International the lunch isasnip. year-old Buddhisttemple, onlyand it’sbuffet in thecourtyardof abeautifullyrestored 250- Nguyen ThaiHoc;lunch/dinnerbuffet US$6.50/12) including scallopsandkingcrab. issuperb,much asan eatery. Theseafood 9.30pm) onWednesdayandSaturday. traditionalmusic(7.30pmto yard. Experience and get overlooking atable thelively court- restaurantsthe bestVietnamese intown,try o La Salsa Brothers Café o Pepperoni’s Pizza &Café

training programmesforstreet Goodcause,goodfood,idea. kids. Combine foodforthebodywithsoulatrestaurants andcafésthatrunvocational DINING FORACAUSE 10.30am-midnight) lunch &dinner) 934 8577; www.bobbychinn.com; 1 Pho Ba Trieu; mains 934 8577;www.bobbychinn.com; 1PhoBaTrieu;

KOTO onVan Mieu Baguette &Chocolat Hoa Sua portunities forformerstreet KOTO kids. portunities standsfor‘KnowOne,Teach One’. coffees, plusfree fruitshakes, wi-fi.KOTO isanot-for-profit providing grassrootsproject op- KOTOproperty, real delicioussandwichesandcakes, offers localspecialities,homecomforts, 30,000-50,000d; kids forculinarycareers.kids Italsooffers classes( cooking p357 ). offers blendofEastand West. HoaSuatrainsasteady stream theperfect ofdisadvantaged 35,000/75,000d; devilish) cakes andpastries,dependingonyourcaloriecount.devilish) cakes withdivine(orAnother memberoftheextended HoaSuafamily,thisisabewitchingbakery h

Wild Lotus Restaurant BobbyChinn Restaurant Mp p358; (Map

10am-late) Mp p358; (Map

Mp pp352-3; (Map

Head to thiscasualcaféfor HANOI ••Eating Mp pp352-3 ; (Map Specialisinginpaella,slabs h h Owner-chef Bobby Chinn

Mp pp352-3; (Map % % breakfast, lunch&dinner,exceptMondinner; 11am-10pm)

828 7207; 11B Pho Bao Khanh; 828 7207;11BPhoBaoKhanh; 828 9052;25PhoNhaTho; Mp pp352-3; (Map

Mp p358; (Map

% Mp p358; (Map % 824 0448;www.hoasuaschool.com;28APhoHaHoi;Vietnamese/French setlunch h Theultimate 733 3866;26Pho Ashadyretreat byday,adignifieddinernight,thisrestaurant % from lunch)

% 943 9342;55A % Mp p358; (Map % Located 928 5246; 923 1500; 11 Pho Cha Ca; cakes around10,000d; 923 1500;11PhoChaCa;cakes 747 0338; www.streetvoices.com.au; 59PhoVan mains 747 0338;www.streetvoices.com.au; Mieu; A 48 PhoHangBe;mainsaroundUS$15) crew inHanoi. and enjoys legendary among thecurry status as Tandoor ( p362 ), Dakshin isall-vegetarian meals 25,000-60,000d) plus free wi-fi. elements. Impressive shakes andsmoothies, here blendingtogether Asian andEuropean heaven, there are somewonderful creations mealsUS$2-4; May; Pho Ma buildings. those is downthatunlikely lookingalleybehind lookandtaste likepulses meat.Yes, itreally this placecanmake simplevegetables and Tran HungDao;mealsfrom30,000d) Com ChayNangTam Vegetarian Al Fresco’s Cyclo Bar&Restaurant andanimpressive sauce tamarind winelist. renowned French restaurant. Salmonsteak in stored isthebackdropforthis 1928house pipe). where smokers canstoke upa pizzas andsalads,allinfamily-sizedportions. Trung; mains80,000d; some casualVietnameseorFrench fare. cyclosandhaveyourself ner) Hopintooneofitsconverted Pho DuongThanh;mainsaround60,000d; drapes tothechill-out cushions attheback an apéritiforacoffee, move thesilk through o o Dakshin Also trythefollowing: i Mp p358; (Map

Tamarind Café TangerineGreen Mp p358; (Map ) Recentlyrelocated intoalarger Under the same ownership Underthesame h

Mp p358; (Map % % Mp p358; (Map lunch &dinner)Fantastic ribs, h 826 7782;23LPhoHaiBa 928 6872;94PhoHang Trong;

Mp p358; (Map 6am-midnight)

Mp p358; (Map Itisamystery how h % Abeautifullyre- 7am-10pm) % sheesha 826 6140;79APho h % 828 6844;38 Vegetarian % lunch &din- 926 0580;80 825 1286;

(water

361 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM during thefilmingof Deneuve tookhermorningcuppa Catherine popular cafésinHanoi, thistheperfect spot savoury crepes. includes icedshakes withbite anddelicious ing about thisplace. Themenuissmallbut taurant with a loyal following among the Thai withaloyalfollowingamongtheThai taurant Trieu; mealsfrom30,000d) Trieu; drinks. patioforleisurely thiscaféhasaprime Lake, of HoanKiem garden is right on the northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake. shore ofHoanKiem onthenorthern garden isright freshly baked baguettes (see p364 ). 10pm) Market Dong Xuan Self-Catering Hapro 10,000d; To; pastries TaThuy Café Free wi-fi. café-bar tucker. isapopularstopfortasty pies, burgers andmore, thisAustralian-run Quyen; mealsaround50,000d; Western andIndianfood. Vietnamese, for people-watching whileyoueatgood-value espresso 20,000d; (sticky rice)or flavoursSample alluringseasonal such as miest Franco-Vietnamese icecream inthecity. cream 10,000d; suming place. take theflashier bakeries nearbyforthisunas- 7000d; Hang Bong;pastries balconies upstairs. watch themotorbikes comeandgofromthe coffee shopsalongPho Hangese Hanh, and manic,funVietnam- Check outtheslightly Cafés plus there are good-value thalis. life. istopshere, Notsurprisingly,thetandoor Old Quarter, thisisaplacetospiceupyour 40,000-80,000d) menu of favourites atthedoor. community. There isahandyphoto-illustrated Ca; mains30,000-100,000d) Restaurant Baan Thai Other AsianCuisine 362 Culi Café Culi Fanny Do Café Kinh Tandoor o Moca Café Other goodlakeside cafés: Swingby forfresh and fruits andveggies AO • Dikn HANOI ••Drinking (Map (Map p358 ; Pho Le ThaiTho)Attheoppositeend

Mp p358; (Map

La Place Mp p358 ; (Map (Map (Map p358 ; h

Mp p358 ; (Map Right inthethickof Right thingsinthe h

lunch &dinner) mang cau Mp pp352-3; (Map h 7.30am-11pm)

(Map (Map p358 ; PDongXuan; % Mp p358; (Map (Map p358 ; p358 (Map

% 6am-11pm) ThuyTa’s shady % An established Thaires- Anestablished Readers have rav- been % % 828 5656;48PhoLe ThaiTo;ice h Indochine 824 5359;24PhoHangBe;mains h 926 2241;40PhoLuong Ngoc 825 6334;14-16PhoNhaTho; 828 8148;1PhoLe Thai breakfast &lunch) Churnsouttheyum- (custard apple). (custard 7.30am-11pm) % % % One of themost 828 1120; 3B Pho Cha 828 1120;3BPhoCha 825 0216;252Pho 928 5859;4PhoAu –don’tmis- Sangers, Where h 6am- com

Hang Tre) Liet) tions thatkeep thecrowdscoming. a drinkers’ promo- den,Amazonhasnightly ese ese to mentionintoxicating qualitiesof Vietnam- Dinh Liet. with ablissful balconyterrace overlooking than this,abuzzingbackpacker favourite expats andtourists. It’s afriendlyplacetodrinkanddrawsboth pub withtheatmosphere of bar. aContinental Be) ing pointforabarcrawl. choice of bars orfinish- andisagoodstarting cheapest beer. hasacool Khanh BusyBao some qualitytimedrinking grungy clubs.Don’tforget towarmupwith with sophisticated bars, congenial pubsand There is inHanoi,something for everyone DRINKING Clinique beautyshop. behindthe downadriveway tucked Lake, of HoanKiem Intimex inthecentre oftown. supermarkets best-stocked Fivimart ported treats androad-tripmunchies: stop bythefollowingsupermarkets forim- Polite Pub Polite the following: floor atthishipbar-club. action regularly spillsover onto thedance Hanh) Khanh) expensive (50,000dabeer). everywhere here. Very trendy, thedrinksare Spirits are displayedinurinalsandtoiletsare brewed Gambrinusbeer. haus It’savast,impressivetheir handsinglee. Quang Khai) members of Hanoi’s infamousMinskClub. ‘five It’sarallyingpointfor timesanight’. drinks are affordable. drinks and events There isalwaysacrowd here forbig sporting The name says itall:theattitudeof Thenamesays aBritish Other places in the Bao Khanh strip include Khanh Other placesinthe Bao Funky Monkey Amazon Bar Toilet Pub Gambrinus o o If youwantsomecomfortfoodfromhome, Quan BiaMinh Bottled beer doesn’t comemuch cheaper doesn’t Bottledbeer xeo Anextension beat,the of Khanh theBao (brewhouse) with shinyvatsof freshly Reinforcing Bao Khanh’s reputation Khanh’s as ReinforcingBao (Map (Map p358 ; PhoLe ThaiTho)Onthewesternside Discover themystical,medicinal,not (rice wine) – take it straight, fruityor (ricewine)–take itstraight, (Map (Map p358 Oneofthe ; 210TranQuangKhai) Czechlovers beer willberubbing (Map (Map p358 ; Le Pub Highway 4 Highway

Mp p358; (Map

Mp p358 ; (Map

Mp p358; (Map

Mp p358; (Map Mp p358; (Map %

Mp p358; (Map % 825 0959; 5 Pho Bao Khanh) 825 0959;5PhoBaoKhanh) % 928 7338;10PhoBaoKhanh) % % % % 935 1114;198PhoTran 928 7338;10PhoBao 928 6113;15BPhoHang bia hoi, 934 5233;7APhoDinh 926 2104;25PhoHang lonelyplanet.com % 926 0639;5Pho theworld’s brau-

Pho TrangThi) the beautifulpeopleare outinforce. Dress foryoungVietnamese. sharp,as seen remains andbe theplace tosee New Century % Thach, Dong Da District; Thach, DongDaDistrict; Cinemas ENTERTAINMENT backintofavourwithHanoiresidents.has swungright GC Pub lonelyplanet.com trict) cost you. people. There’s nocover butthedrinkswill cals callit,continuestopackinthepretty now somewayfromthecentre, Apo,aslo- your visit. ask aroundabout what’shotornotduring The shelflife of Hanoi’s discosisshort,so Clubbing is incredible. cal musicperformancesandtheatmosphere venue, builtin1911,hostsoccasionalclassi- 4312; PhoTrangTien) Hanoi OperaHouse Classical Music offers aregular programmeof French flicks. it L’Espace buildingneartheOperaHouse, choice of films. 2648) complete withthelatest international films. plex arrives inHanoi. cinema, Thisisaserious Vincom Tower,191BaTrieu) Cineplex Megastar Solace Apocalypse Now FrançaisedeHanoi Culturel Centre New Century Nightclub New Century Cinematheque Now ( above ), butwatchforhustlers. There’s ahealthygaysceneatApoc alypse and haswildFriday andSaturdaynights. (see around thelake p355 ). scamgoing ona very organised extortion careboys shouldtake to nottofallvictim Lake. Gay andaround Hoan Kiem Khanh cruising areas suchasthecafésonPho Bao There’s alively gaysceneinHanoi,with GAY &LESBIANHANOI 936 2164;24TrangTien) FloatingintheRedRiver, manyadrinker TheCinemathequeoffers anadventurous Funky ( Monkey opposite ) isgay-friendly (Map (Map p358 ;

Mp p358; (Map Newplacescomeandgo,butthe HANOI ••Entertainment

% (Map (Map p358 ; 22AHaiBaTrung; This magnificent 900-seat Thismagnificent900-seat

Mp pp352-3; (Map %

(Nha Hat Lon; Map (Nha HatLon;Map p358 ; 825 0499; 5 Pho Bao Khanh) GC 825 0499;5PhoBaoKhanh) h (Map (Map pp352-3 ; PhoPhamNgoc Theinternational multi- 932 3244; Red River, PhucTan River, 932 3244;Red Dis- 8pm-late)

Set inthesublime Set Mp p358; (Map % Although it’s Although % 974 3333;6thfl,

928 5285;10 Mp p358; (Map % % 825 936 reliable little venue forlive music,theViet- pp352-3; the musicishauntinglybeautiful. youreyesand be aimedattourists,butclose Pho LyThaiTo) when halfof Hanoi’s tode- high-flyers seem woven matsandmuch, much more. And even cines, jewellery, religious offerings, spices, struments, plumbing supplies,herbalmedi- luxuryfood, T-shirts,sunglasses, musicalin- der aroundyou’ll find clothes,cosmetics,fake prices.As signal set tion; pricetags youwan- The Old Quarter isbrimmingwith tempta- SHOPPING take photosandvideo. ofsette themusic; youmustpayextrafees to and acas- admission buysbetterhigher seats Hanoi isthebestplacetocatch ashow. The art formoriginated innorthernVietnam,and camera fee 10,000d,videofee 50,000d; 57B PhoDinhTien Hoang;admission20,000-40,000d,still- p358; Map Theatre Puppet Water Municipal Water Puppetry % 6950; 59PhoLyThaiTo) central Hanoi, such as music are upmarket restaurants Vietnamese in Some of thebestplacestocatch live traditional Traditional Music live music. scend here forthehappyhour(6pm)and night. in Asia andthisplacehaslive musicevery west. Cowboybars are curiouslypopular Tran HungDao) ’60s classics. bandherenamese knowallthecounterculture here. andmoonlights Conservatory Owner Minhteaches attheHanoi saxophone 9-11.30pm) % Jazz ClubByQuyenVan Minh Live Music and bobsalonguntildaybreak. really warmupuntilafterdoesn’t midnight floatsbyherehas foundtheirnight aswell.It 4pm, 5.15pm,6.30pm,8pm&9.15pm) Seventeen Saloon Seventeen Terrace Bar R&R Tavern 828 6290;1PhoLe ThaiTho) 825 7655;31-33PhoLuong Van Can; %

% The 928 5085;16PhoBaoKhanh) ApopularplacetobeonFriday, 825 5450;www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org; Yee-haa! Welcometothewild

placeinHanoi tocatch live jazz. (Press Club; Map (Press Club;Map p358 ; Mp p358; (Map , Dinh LangRestaurant

Mp pp352-3; (Map % Club Opera and 934 4109;47PhoLoSu)

(Cau Lac Bo; Map (Cau LacBo;Map p358 ; (Roi NuocThangLong; This fascinating

Nam Phuong Nam Phuong h (Map p358; (Map % % . They might . Theymight

h performances at performances 934 0888;59A 942 6822;98 performances performances (Map p358; (Map

% 363 (Map (Map

824 A VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Hang Bac) Mieu) hodge-podge of oldandnew treasures. munity development initiatives.munity development tribal handicraftswithprofits fundingcom- from theTemple of Literature. High-quality vices and selling ready-to-wearvices and selling clothing. with pricey boutiquesoffering ser- tailoring ings. Thisisalso the modern-daysilkstrip, such astablecloths, T-shirts andwallhang- Bong, isagoodplace tolookforembroidery andits continuation,PhoKiem Lake, Hang Pho Hang Gai,about100mnorthwestof Hoan Silk Products&Clothing ready-made clothing. flowers. The2ndfloorisgoodforfabric and but goodforimported and foods,wine,beer HangHoan KiemLake, Daisrelatively small, with lotsof imported fooditems. Soan, thisisagoodgeneral-purpose market eastern cornerof Pho HuéandPho TranXuan tourist attractioninitsownright. market, 600mnorthof isa HoanKiemLake, 10pm) Dong Xuan Market Markets not buying. The galleriesare ifyou’re even worthabrowse (Map andtheOperaHouse Kiem Lake p358 ). which isonPho TrangTien, Hoan between concentrationofvate artgalleries,thehighest and assorted antiques–real andfake. as wellwatercolours, oilpaintings,prints querware, mother-of-pearl inlay,ceramics), handicrafts(lac- shops offering Vietnamese Goyou’llbetrippingover andPhoKhai Cau around Pho Hang Gai,Pho ToTich, Pho Hang Pho ToTich willturnupadozen places. crafts inHanoi; astrollalongPho Hang or Bac ofselection ethnic-minoritygarband handi- If youdon’tmake ituptoSapa,youcanfinda Handicrafts rare, butforpetite feet, bargains abound. market (Map p358 Western). Larger sizesare Pho Hang Dautogawkatthewondrousshoe take awalkalong newshoes, if youdon’tneed 364 Vietnamese House Vietnamese Hang DaMarket Hom Market Craft Link Craft Local artistsdisplaytheirpaintingsatpri- North andnorthwestof HoanKiemLake Promote fairtradeatCraftLink,across Withhundreds of thethree-storey stalls, AO • GtigTee&Aa HANOI There &Away ••Getting Thissmall,attractive shop dealsina

Mp pp352-3; (Map (Map (Map pp352-3 ; PhoHué)

(Map (Map p358 ; PhoDongXuan;

Mp p5 Yn Thai) Yen p358; (Map

Mp p358; (Map % 843 7710;39-45PhoVan % Onthenorth- 826 2455;92Pho Westof h 6am- to destinations throughout Vietnam. to destinationsthroughout 8-11.30am &1.30-5pmSatSunholidays) namair.com.vn; 25PhoTrangThi; 16 hours). regions, includingDienBienPhu (120,000d, Bus rently toDanangandHCMC. hasflights Trieu) Hanoi, see p433 . more oninternational inandoutof flights youcanget anywhere.Kong orBangkok For HCMC, butwithachange of aircraftinHong Hanoi hasfewer than international flights Air GETTING THERE&AWAY Chi Vang colours,subtlesatire’. humour, bright .com; 34PhoHanThuyen)Thisboutiquepromises‘smart Ipa-Nima Hadong Silk ing, purses, homewares andantiques. Trong. Designerboutiqueshere silkcloth- sell Nha Tho,Pho LyQuocSuandPho Hang (Map Cathedral around StJoseph p358 ): Pho buses to the northwest, including Son La to the northwest,including SonLa buses Hoc &PhoGiangVo) and Ha hours). Giang(76,000d,seven hours) (80,000d,eight Bang places, plusCao thesame in thesoutheastof town,serving More convenient istheLoungYen busstation cross thebridge, ormotorbike. sotake ataxi cross theRedRiver toget there. Cycloscan’t is2kmnortheastofbus station thecentre – nine hours), border. bothneartheChinese The (53,000d, (50,000d, threeCai hours) andLao Hai Son Phong (35,000d,twohours), andLang including Halong (40,000d,3½hours), Bay topointsnortheastofplace forbuses Hanoi, fices, andprinted schedules andprices. arestations pretty wellorganised withticket of- your travel thedaybefore youwanttoleave. The ing aparticulararea. It’sagoodideatoarrange Hanoi each mainbusstations, serv- hasseveral Exquisite lacecreations, including clothingandhomeware. in 2000. hervisitwithBill Clintonshoppedhere during Hillary Gai) Pacific Airlines Son Labus station busstation Ma Kim Gia Lambusstation Other fashionablestreets includetheblocks Vietnam Airlines Vietnam Check outthefollowingplaces: is rebranding asabudget carrierandcur- (Map (Map p358 ; (Map (Map pp352-3 ; (Map (Map p358 ;

is for buses tothe northwest isforbuses Mp pp352-3; (Map %

Mp p358; (Map

(Map (Map pp352-3 ; cnrPhoNguyenThai

(

(Km 8,Pho Nguyen Trai) % % % 824 0933;17PhoTrangTien) 827 1569;ÐNgocLam) 928 5056;102PhoHang 933 4000;www.ipa-nima h % % 7am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, lonelyplanet.com 943 9660;www.viet 974 5555;193ÐBa links Hanoi isfor is the Hung Dao. Trainsfromhere gotodestina- serves pointssouthof Hanoi,serves includingNinh near Hanoi University. (120,000d, 16hours). It’ssouthwestof Hanoi, (63,000d, 12to14hours) andDienBienPhu lonelyplanet.com trains leave from here. Duan.Northbound onÐLe the main station 2628; PhoTranQuiCap) to askexactly wherenecessarily thetraindeparts,sobe sure China (counter 13). (forSapa) and Cai northbound trainstoLao ticket isaseparate the trainstation officefor sleeper. of To theright themain entranceof one daybefore departure toensure or aseat tions south.It’sbesttobuytickets atleast & 1.30-7.30pm) 3 ; The main Train manual. US$5 aday,includingspares andarepair Luong NgocQuyen) Adventure Motorbike are included. ers, butworkoutaheadof timewhatcosts most hotels have asidefordriv- aroomset responsible forthedriver’s roomandboard– petrol). Youshouldinquire aboutwhois to US$500(including4WD,driver and and require a4WD. in partsof thenorthwestthey’re pretty rough roads inthenortheastare generally OK,but a travel agency ortravellers café.Themain To hire acarorminibuswithdriver, contact Car &Motorcycle tinations includeHalong andSapa. Bay mosthotelsthrough andcafés.Populardes- and DienBienPhu. Ha Bang, Halong Son,Cao Giang City,Lang areal range of destinations,including serves is anotheroptioninthewestof town,which station. 12 hours). Itis7kmsouthof theHanoi train Binh (28,000d,twohours) andHué(80,000d, train. % Giap Batbusstation Tran Quy Cap station Tran QuyCap canbebookedTourist-style minibuses My Dinhbusstation The place you purchase yourticketThe placeyoupurchase isnot For reliable Minskrental, make for A six-daytripina4WDcancostUS$250 825 3949;120ÐLe Duan; Hanoi trainstation isatthewestern endof Pho Tran where . Cuongrents outbikes for HANOI Around ••Getting is Mp p358; (Map (B station; Map (B station;Map you need tocatch youneed your

j ( ust twoblocksbehind ( % % h 768 5549;ÐPhamHung) 864 1467;ÐGiaiPhong) (Ga Hang Co; Map Hang Co;Map (Ga pp352-

ticket office7.30-11.30am ticket % 926 1534;1Pho pp352-3 ; Cuong’s Cuong’s % 825

% can arrange motorbikes foraround US$5a by motorbike. andhotels Mostguesthouses Asian cities,Hanoi isalotof funtoexplore able forlonger distances. asacyclo andarecost aboutthesame advis- bombarded byoffers for Walk downanymajor street andyou’llbe Motorcycle basic English. are wisingupandnowhave acommand of a mapof many thecitywithyou.That said, likely tospeakEnglishthaninHCMC, sotake price wasforoneperson, nottwo. the price andthendoubleitonarrival,saying when carryingtwopassengers istoagree ona more again. Onecommoncyclo-driver’s ploy Complex, forexample–wouldcostdoubleor Old Quarter totheHoChiMinhMausoleum 5000d to10,000d.Longer rides–fromthe centre, mostcycloridesshouldcostaround for twotoshare thefare. Aroundthecity Minh Citybreed, makingthembigenough Cyclos inHanoi are widerthantheHoChi Cyclo mended bookshops( p354 ). Hanoi is just3500d.Pickupacopyof the are andthefarebuses clean andcomfortable routes inandaround Hanoi. Theserving There are nowmore than60publicbuslines Bus per day. cafés inthecityrent bicyclesforabout US$1 dailylife.Vietnamese Many of thehotels and cover lotsof groundanditimmerses youin Pedalling aroundthecityisagreat wayto Bicycle GETTING AROUND current andprices. timetables be reached from canalso byGiaLam destinationsserved same Red River. parting fromhere, ontheeastern sideof the Son) andeastbound(Hai Phong) trainsde- some northbound (Yen Lang Cai, Lao Bai, For travellers wellversed in thewaysof The cyclodrivers inHanoi are less even Check with 826 8280) To make thingscomplicated, someof the Gia Lamstation or Hanoi . Vietnam Rail Vietnam busmap(5000d)fromrecom- (Nguyen Van Cu,GiaLamDistrict) LongBienstation xe om

(www.vr.com.vn) . Theyshould

Mp pp352-3; (Map Xe Buyt

has 365 for VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Taxi CP LinhTaxiMai Hanoi Taxi Taxi Airport the more reliable companies, including: meters.operators withhigh-speed Tryanduse inmindthatthere are8000d. Bear lotsof dodgy kilometre2km; every thereafter costs about 10,000d to15,000d,which takes you1kmor Flagfallisaround ing metered services. taxi There are companiesinHanoi several offer- Taxi easiest placetolearn. fortheuninitiated,day. However, itis 366 % linkDongHoiandTha Khaek Bus services Cha Lo toNaPhao taxis) and Laos, jumbo(three-wheeled walktotheLaosborder.from 11.30amto1.30pm.FromtheVietnamese sideit’sashort Once in last stretch; bothcost50,000d. mon. FromTay Son,it’s26kmtotheborder. Take aminibusorhire tocover amotorbike the Tam; 10,000d).Chronicovercharging offinthemiddleofnowhere are andbeingkicked com- horror storiesfromtravellers onthisroute. Catch abusfromVinh toTay Son(formerlyTrung This borderis 96kmwestofVinh andabout30kmeastofLakSaoinLaos. There are stilllotsof Cau Treo toNamPhao % it’s possibletocatchabusat6amfromVinh MrLam toPhonsavan (US$12,11hours,bookings are several four hours). OnTuesday, busesadayontoPhonsavan (20,000kip, Thursday andSunday ifanythingshowsup.FromNongHaet,there ontoNongHaetisabout5000kip Local transport seven 25kmuphillruntotheborder(50,000d). forthespectacular hours)andgrabamotorbike This crossing links Vinh withPhonsavan. Catch amorningbusfromVinh toMuangXen (29,000d, Nam Can toNongHaet on crossingthisborderintheotherdirection, see p308 . six timesthegoingrate. thisroute. a15-hourordealifyoutake Allinall,expect Forinformation we’ve ofdrivers heardreports demanding300,000dfor thejourneyfromThanh Hoa–more than fromThanh70km eastofXam amotorbike Hoa. Neua(Laos).Trytofindabusortake However, This isthemostremote ofThanh borderinamountainousarea Hoacityand 175kmnorthwest Nam XoitoNaMaew ficulty. Ifyou’ve gotthetime,you’re muchbetter toheadsouthandcrossatLaoBao. andCentral VietnamAll ofthebordercrossingsbetweenNorth andLaoshave adegree ofdif- CROSSING INTOLAOS:THEROADS LESSTRAVELLED direction, see p318 . when fullorcostaboutUS$10tocharter. Forinformationoncrossing thisborderintheother direction, see p321 . at7amonWednesday andSunday.Forinformationoncrossing thisborderintheotherKhaek RUDHNI • efm aoa PagodaAROUND HANOI ••Perfume The Vietnamese borderguardshave beenknowntoclosethecountry forlunch–anytime 038-383 5782).Forinformationoncrossingthisborderintheotherdirection, see p305 . 828 939). The buses depart Dong Hoiat6amonMondayandFriday, returning828 939).The fromTha busesdepart ( % ( % ( 824 1999) % ( % 853 5353) 873 3333) 822 2666) sawngthaew not ( 190,000d, 11 hours, twice weekly, bookings MrThang190,000d, 11hours, twiceweekly,bookings the to MyDuc(twohours), thentake asmall scenic river trip,travel fromHanoi bycar touristsatplay. the Vietnamese and itisaninteresting experiencejusttosee Fragrant Traces).Thisisadomesticdrawcard of HuongTich of (Mountain Mountain the and Buddhistshrines builtintothekarst cliffs 35,000d) boat trip the North Vietnam’svery ownMarble Mountains, PERFUME PAGODA AROUND HANOI (pick-up trucks) toLakSaoleave theborder If you want to do the highly recommendedIf youwanttodothehighly Perfume Perfume Pagoda isastrikingcomplexof pagodas (Chua Huong;admissioninclreturn lonelyplanet.com news isthatthere isnowacablecartothe up fromwhere Thegood theboatletsyouoff. (1½hours).mountain boat rowedbytwowomentothefootof the Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com the region thattake in mostof the sights. in Hanoi ( p355 ) offer inexpensive daytripsto (45km; p368 ). Travel agencies andtraveller cafés (12km; p368 ) andCuc Phuong National Park its proximity toTam Coc(9km; right ), Hoa Lu but ratherwith little todowithNinhBinhitself, backwater totouristmagnet has from sleepy hub inrecent years. Itssuddentransformation intoa populartravelNinh Binhhasevolved % NINH BINH Mat is7kmnortheastof centralHanoi. of snake meatprepared 10different ways.Le meal around 100,000dorsoyoucantryaset and snake elixirisavailable atthisvillage; for ducing medicinalspirits.Fresh snake cuisine upmarket restaurants inHanoi, andforpro- pearl. Itis15kmnortheastof Hanoi. traditional furniture inlaidwithmother-of- small producemarket morning. every of Hanoi inHa Tay Province. There’s alsoa loom in of Hanoi. in Ha Tay Province, about25kmsouthwest the yamandcassava flourfornoodles.Itis Trangis13kmsoutheastofBat Hanoi. andothermasterpiecesvases intheirkilns. You canwatch create artisans superbceramic guide tomake thejourneyworthwhile. rewarding agood you’llneed daytrip,though villagesindustries. Visitingthese canmake a surrounding villages Hanoi inparticularcottage thatspecialise numerous are There HANDICRAFT VILLAGES rent amotorbike toget here onyourown. to spendaroundUS$15US$20.Youcanalso If you’re goingwithasmall-group tour,expect transport, guideandlunch (drinksexcluded). tours tothepagodafromUS$10,inclusive of and thenwalkdown. thecablecartogoup combination istouse summit, costing30,000doneway.Asmart The mainpagodaarea isabouta4kmwalk The localsin Ky Dong silkclothbeingproducedona You cansee So Hanoi’s travellers cafés(see p355 ) offer day Bt Trang Bat 030 /pop53,000 , knownforitsdelicate noodles,mills Van Phuc survives byproducingbeautiful, survives is knownastheceramicvillage. , asilkvillage 8kmsouthwest Le Mat Le Mat raise snakesraise forthe AROUND HANOI •• Handicraft Villages AROUNDHANOI ••Handicraft US$3, rUS$4-12; boasts breathtaking scenery. rice paddies, for itshuge rock formationsjuttingoutof Known as‘Halong ontheRicePaddies’ Bay Tam Coc AROUND NINHBINH but travelling byroad isfaster. trains travelling Hanoi between andHCMC, scheduled stopforsome open-tour busroute (see p436 ). NinhBinhisa the Van River fromthe postoffice. hours). inNinhBinhisacross Thebusstation busterminal inHanoiGiap Bat (28,000d,2½ leavelar publicbuses almosthourlyfromthe Ninh Binhis93kmsouthwestof Hanoi. Regu- Getting There&Away rooftop bar. In additiontoalarge restaurant, there’s a complete withlift,pullsinthetourgroups. spotless rooms,whiletheslicknewwing, est operationintown,theoldwingoffers 55A ÐTruongHanSieu;US$7-40; isbasicandclean. while theguesthouse beer. backfromthestreet, TheNewHotel isset othertravellersplace tomeet over amealor hotel US$12; 811; [email protected]; 128ÐLe HongPhong;rguesthouseUS$5-8, makeers thisisafirmfavourite. andstaff wish existed town,thecharming inevery own- motorbikes andbicycles. the placeslisted canarrange tours andhire All a reputation forhonest,friendlyservice. inNinhBinhhaveFolks whorunguesthouses Sleeping &Eating postoffice Main Incombank Hung Dao. cluster onÐLuongVan Tuy,westof ÐTran Internet cafésare spread aroundtown,witha Information and more. rice paddies,majestic limestoneformations nam hastooffer golden-green –water buffalos, thatViet- confirming allthepostcardfantasies cash, travellerschequesandhasanATM outside. Ninh Binhisalsoahubonthenorth–south AnhHotel Thuy GuestHouse &NewHotel Thanhthuy’s Xuan HoaHotel Xuan The surroundingcountrysideisgorgeous, ai ( % a Tam Coc

872 675;ÐTranHungDao)Dealswith (Ð TranHungDao) The central courtyard is a great Thecentralcourtyardisagreat ) ) (

Thekindof you guesthouse

( % % (admission 30,000d, boat40,000d) 871 602;www.thuyanhhotel.com; 880 970; 31D Pho Minh Khai; dm Khai; 880 970;31DPhoMinh Reunification Express ai Thesmart- ) ( %

367

871 871 VIETNAM VIETNAM the NgoDongRiver. Theboatsrowthrough langurs and arelorises rehabilitated, studied fiscated fromillegal traders. These gibbons, 120 rare monkeys bred incaptivity orcon- 11am &1-4pm) ( park isthe school holidaysareVietnamese hectic. asweekends and Try tovisitduringtheweek, DecemberandApril. time tovisitisbetween areber) leeches commoninthepark;best is mandatoryforlonger treks. village where youcanalsogo rafting. Aguide nudiflora, an enormous1000-year-old tree ( in thepark,includingatrek (8kmreturn) to elevations. the climate issubtropicalatthepark’slower The hillsare and lacedwithmanygrottoes, the area asanationalpark,Vietnam’sfirst. took timeoff fromthewarin1963todedicate nature HoChiMinhpersonally preserves. 20,000d) This % CUC PHUONGNATIONALPARK ellers get here bybicycle,motorbike orcar. which is12kmnorthof NinhBinh.Most trav- covered anarea of about 3sqkm. most of destroyed,once hasbeen which, sadly, by theregion’s bizarre landscape. to Chinaandthenaturalprotection afforded choice cityduetoitsproximity foracapital dynasties (980–1009).Thesite wasasuitable under theDinhdynasty(968–80)andLe ofcal twist.HoaLuwasthecapital Vietnam HoaLuhasaninterestingthough histori- The sceneryhere resembles nearbyTam Coc, Hoa Lu marked byapairof stonepillars. tall south andturnwestattheTam Cocturn-off, By carormotorbike, followNationalHwy 1 twopassengers.One boatseats sold atthesmallbookingoffice bythedocks. about three hours, includingstops.Tickets are karst caves onthisbeautifultrip,andtake 368 % There isnopublictransporttoHoaLu, The TamThe waytosee Cocisbyrowboaton Excellent Excellent trekking opportunitiesabound One marvellous organisation based inthe organisation based One marvellous toSeptem- (July During therainyseason Tam Cocis9kmsouthwestof NinhBinh. 030 /elev150–648m 848 002;www.primatecenter.org; admissionfree; national park OTENVENM VIETNAM NORTHERN isoneof Vietnam’smostimportant ancient citadel for botany geeks), andtoaMuong forbotany . Thecentre ishometoaround Endangered Endangered Center Rescue Primate ( % (admission 10,000d)

848 006;adult/child40,000/ of HoaLu, Tetrameles h 9- area maps atthehotels inNinhBinh. motorbike. Ask fordirections orpickupbasic this route, butit’sabeautifuldrive bycaror Ninh Binh.There isnopublictransporton Cuc Phuong NationalPark is45kmfrom Getting There&Away ian option. available fromreception, includingavegetar- to bringyourowngear. camp as roomsina bungalows &guesthouserooms pool. There’s alsoanenormousriver-fed swimming couple of self-contained rooms ina walk orbird-watching. Here there are basic is thebestplacetobeforanearly-morning options. park, withacomplicated range of pricesand There are twoaccommodation areas inthe Sleeping &Eating quite asight. protected theminfullswingis areas. Seeing their native environmentsorintosemiwild backinto possible,released and, whenever the day. biking or justhangingaround theorderof Island, a‘lostworld’ landscapewithhiking, border. Tothesouthof Halong Ba isCat Bay show continuesall thewaytoChinese where TuLongBay, nature’sBai spectacular waters. Northof Halong istheless-visited Bay of limestonepinnaclesprotrudingfromthe ogy gonewild,withhundreds andthousands humbling andheart-warmingexperience. an encounter isbotha withtheMontagnards extending thehandof friendship tostrangers, costumes, livingastheyhave forgenerations, eclectic mixof hilltribes.Dressed inelaborate havemountains longprovided ahaven foran and unforgiving terrain forlowlanders, the sceneryinthecountry.Forbiddingtacular skyward, delivering someof themostspec- of Alpssoarthe mountains theTonkinese Welcome totheroof of Vietnam,where NORTHERN VIETNAM At parkheadquarters, there are The centre of thepark,18kmfromgate, Bizarre butbeautiful,Halong isgeol- Bay

(per personUS$2) pillar house Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com pillar house at either location, but need ateitherlocation,butneed (per personUS$6)

(per personUS$5) Meals

bungalows (s/d US$15/20)

(10,000-25,000d)

, orthere’s a (s/d US$15/25) self-contained

. Youcan , aswell are . 3000 ormore incredible fromthe islandsrise natural wonderthatisHalong where Bay, perious, wordsalonecannotdojusticetothe Majestic and mysterious, inspiringandim- HALONG BAY lonelyplanet.com that include sleeping onaboatinthebay.In that includesleeping optfortourscity andmostvisitors sensibly ible site. Developers have kindtothe notbeen but nottheidealintroductiontothisincred- months. cal stormsare frequent duringthesummer temperature rarely fallsbelow10°C.Tropi- the lowvisibility,although suing fogcancause weather isoften coldanddrizzly,theen- leaving onlypockets of landvisible. high becamefilledwithwater,dug upbyitstail theareas asitplungedcrevasses; intothesea, gougedthe coast,itsflailingtail outvalleysand that lived As inthemountains. itrantowards of Halong were Bay created byagreat dragon Thelegend thattheislands says into thesea’. countless caves. visitors toHalong cometoexplore Bay the and thewaves. thebreathtaking vistas, Besides createdinnumerable grottoes bythewind vegetation-covered islandsare dotted with nature. AUnescoWorldHeritage Site, the finished sculptures hewnfromthehandof ispureBay art,apricelesscollectionof un- emerald waters of theGulfof Tonkin.Halong From February untilApril,the through Ha long Halong Cityisthegateway toHalong Bay Free Wheelin’Tours of rightoffthetrailintofarnorth bikers companies alsospecialiseintaking field of the Alps. Thereof theTonkinese are manyvariations,butthe standardroute inahomestay takes are alsohighlyrecommended, thoughthemobilityoftravelling ontwowheelsisunrivalled. yourself,it’spossibletohiremotorbike someonetodrive you.Four-wheel drive tripsinthenorth territoryMotorcycling inVietnam’s isunforgettable. wildnorthern Ifyou’re notconfidentridinga EXPLORING THEFAR NORTH Explore Indochina everyguides, butare dong. worth Checkoutthese outfitsinHanoi: fromUS$5.Foreign guidescharge starts considerablymorecost foraMinsk thanlocal Vietnamese the triprunsmoothlyandgetyouplaces you’dnever discover fromacursoryscanofmap. province of beautiful northeast have biked all over the country and can take you to the parts otherscannotreach. youtotheparts alloverthecountryand cantake have biked and Vietnamese, this company has its own homestays in the northeast, plus 4WD trips. plus4WDtrips. and Vietnamese, thiscompanyhas its ownhomestaysinthe northeast, One of the most popular routes is the ‘Northwest Loop’, which follows Hwy 6 through the heart Loop’,which followsHwy6throughtheheart One ofthemostpopularroutes isthe‘Northwest The 125cc Russian-made Minsk is thebestoverall TheThe dailyhire 125ccRussian-madeMinsk cyclefortouringthe north. makeWhile it’spossibletoorganise amotorcyclingtriponyourown,hiringguidewillcertainly White Thai villages Dien BienPhu means‘where thedragondescends NORTHERN VIETNAM ••HalongBay VIETNAM NORTHERN ( % ( % , before finishingupatSapa,thequeenofmountains. However, some 0913-524 658;www.exploreindochina.com) Run byDigby,DanandThuan,theseguys aroundMaiChau( p375 ), astopin 04-747 0545;www.freewheelin-tours.com) RunbyFredo, whospeaksFrench, English Cao Bang and the nearby lakes ofBaBe NationalPark andthenearbylakes ( p374 ). person. on Saturdayfrom8am,costingUS$175per fromHanoicharter toHalong service Bay 173 PhoTruongChinh,Hanoi) Company Service for afour-/six-hour cruise. are ridiculouslyreasonable at30,000/40,000d and foreign, toshare prices with.Theofficial there are plentyof othertravellers, Vietnamese torentno need awholeboatforyourself as onthebay.Therefor independentcruises is 1.5km westof Halong City,regulates pricing 592; http://halong.org.vn/; 166ÐLe ThanhTong) Ba. hook upwithatourboatinCat tively, runtheroute inreverse andtry to Haiphong andabustoHanoi. Alterna- before Ba ahydrofoil taking Chill outonCat (130,000d includingentryticket, sixhours). tourist boat Ba and bookapassage onaCat Halong CityfromHanoi (40,000d,3½hours) todoso.it’s simpleenough Take abusto but ifyouprefer travelling independently on organised tripsoutof Hanoi. on atour. theboxed See text, p370 formore Chay,butitisusuallyincludedforthose in Bai Tickets are available atthetourist boat dock ticket thatcovers inthebay. allthesights City isnot. short, Halong istheattraction,Halong Bay Halong Bay Management Department Halong BayManagement If timeisanissue, It’s hardtodoitanycheaper onyourown, All visitors a30,000dentry mustpurchase Son La , avisittothehistoricbattle-

( % 04-827 4409;fax2780; Northern Airport Flight Airport Northern offers ahelicopter Ha Giang ( % orthe

, about 033-846

369 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Internet accessavailable. 50 minihotels, most of them almostidentical Vuon Dao. Thisiswhere you’ll find more than town, intheaptly named‘hotel alley’of Ð The heaviest concentration of hotels isin Sleeping &Eating Vietcombank Post office entity. Vietnamese on theeastern sideisHonGai,amuch more life-support systems are found.Acrossthebay Chay,whereside iscalledBai allthetourist Halong of isatale twocities.Thewestern Orientation &Information promoted hotel. atevery region’s best.Thisissincity,with‘massage’ pastel andthebeaches are definitely notthe hotels shadeof comeinevery eous high-rise butunderloved,hell. Overdeveloped thehid- If Halong isheaven, Bay Halong Citycanbe % HALONG CITY 370 an ATM. steamer thatcruisesthewatersofHalongBaydaily. Tropical Sails Huong HaiJunks Halong Ginger Emeraude ClassicCruise ( the HalongBaysection p369 ). the mostinteresting. Formore onthegovernment-run boatsthatare see availableforcharter, There are hundreds ofboatsplyingthewaters thesedays. The of followingisjustaselection Boat Operators travel agentslisted ( intheHanoisection p355 ). ofthecostjourney. boat tripisonlyasmallportion due tobadweather. refund, butremember This entitleyoutoapartial mayactually thatthe Drinksare andaremeals andtheservice. extra generallymore expensive thanonthemainland. Remember,yougetwhatpayforandthecheapertour,more basictheboat, kayaking. person foradodgydaytripandrisingtoasmuchUS$100twonightsonthebaywithbitof ofanexperiencedtourcompany.hard toexplore properlywithouttheservices from thedeckofajunkover agin andtonic,asthesunsinksintohorizon. Halong Bayis Don’t even thinkaboutadaytriptoHalong,asthereal beautyof the bayisbestexperienced CRUISING THEKARSTS: TOURSTOHALONG BAY Halong Bay,HuongHaihasafleetoftraditionaljunks. sails, allowingtheboatstogetupaheadofsteamonwindyday. throughout. 033 /pop149,900 OTENVENM • aogCt ••HalongCity VIETNAM NORTHERN For alistofreliable operatorsoffering toursofthebay,checkout andthree-day two- If youbookatour,there maybecancelled isalwaysasmallchancethattheboat-trip part Budget tripssoldoutofHanoiare very fromaslittleUS$15per reasonably priced,starting ( % (Ð Halong) Exchange services and (Ð Halong)Exchangeservices 840 000;ÐHalong; ( % ( % ( 04-923 2559; www.tropical-sails.com; s/d from US$127/196) The only junks with working 04-923 2559;www.tropical-sails.com; s/dfromUS$127/196)Theonlyjunkswithworking % 04-984 2807;www.cruisehalong.com; dfromUS$373)Abeautifuljunkthatiswellfinished 033-845 042;www.halongtravels.com; s/dUS$125/220)Theleadingboatcompanyin ( % h 04-934 0888; www.emeraude-cruises.com; s/dUS$245/290)Areplica paddle 04-934 0888;www.emeraude-cruises.com; 7.30am-5pm) 12, dUS$10-15; are dining. out thefront orgravitate towhere thelocals for theplaceswith fresh intanks seafood south of thepostoffice alongÐHalong. Aim stripsinthecentreseafood of town, just ture of most menus.There are acoupleof ally available. but are packingfourstars. Discounts are usu- hotel where the200roomsare businesslike, .com; 8ÐHalong;rfromUS$140; the filmingof suite. Deneuve here stayed Catherine during era building,splashtheextraforspaceof a US$30-55; friendly feel. tion onhotel alley,thisfamilyplacehasa air-con. a doubleroomwithprivate bathroomand pay something between US$8andUS$12for pay somethingbetween (a guidebookauthor’snightmare). to Expect Halong PlazaHotel Unsurprisingly, seafood is a serious fea- isaserious Unsurprisingly, seafood Halong 1Hotel Hoang LanHotel ai Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com a Indochine ) Set inaramblingoldcolonial- Set ) Right inthethickof Right theac- ( % ( %

846 320;fax318;ÐHalong;r ( % 846 504;17ÐVuonDao;sUS$8- 845 810;www.halongplaza . ais ) Ahuge for Mong Cai (42,000d,five hours)for MongCai andCai to Haiphong (25,000d,1½hours). Lan) 3½ hours) leave from fromHalongBuses CitytoHanoi (40,000d, Getting There&Away lonelyplanet.com ful beaches, numerouslakes, waterfalls and the world’srarest primate. There are beauti- cluding theendangered golden-headedlangur, island’s diverse ecosystems andwildlife, in- tional parkin1986ordertoprotect the villages, aswellafast-growing town. hasafewhabited Ba fishing vertical rocks,Cat vast majority of Halong islandsare Bay’s unin- offers numerousbeaches toexplore. Whilethe ern sideof theisland,isespeciallyscenicand out of JurassicPark. Ha Lan theeast- off Bay, largest island aroundHalong isstraight Bay, the Ba, andjungle-cladCat Rugged, craggy % CAT BAISLAND the mostbeautifulpartsof thebay. boat dock,includingaleisurely through cruise 100,000d, sixhours) Chaytourist- fromBai hop ontotheregular touristboats(oneway supply. tion. Bookahead,asdemandoften outstrips almost nextdoortotheMienTay bussta- at 8amand1pm;theticket officeissituated three hours), border,leaving ontheChinese operates hydrofoils (US$15, toMongCai hours.daylight departfrequently Bau) during land (DaoCai Rong (20,000d,1½hours) forVan DonIs- ing through fromMienTaystart before busstation pass- From Bai Chay, From Bai tonortheastern destinationsMost buses Much of Cat Ba IslandwasdeclaredMuch of Ba ana- Cat Islandisto Ba The bestwaytoget toCat to travel overland toCai Rong andvisittheremote outlying islandsbyboat fromthere. from 100,000dto250,000d perhourdependingonsize andamenities. A cheaperalternative is include amazing karst formations, hidden beaches and a few surf breaks formations,hidden beachesandafew off surf include amazingkarst news. The bayisunpolluted andundeveloped, butthere’s little tourisminfrastructure. Highlights more beautiful, sinceithasscarcelyseenanytouristdevelopment. This isgoodnewsand bad immediately northeast of Halong Bay is part of ofHalong Bayispart immediately northeast islands,continuesfor some100kmtotheChineseborder. tothe bay’sspectacular birth The area There’s more Vietnam limestoneplateau, tonortheastern thanHalongBay.The whichgave sinking OFF THEBEATEN TRACK: BAITULONGBAY 031 /pop7000 in Bai Chay every 15minutes, Chayevery asdobuses in Bai Charter boats canbearrangedtoBaiTuCharter Long BayfromHalong(five hours);boatsrange Bai Tu LongBayisevery bitasbeautiful itsfamousneighbour. Indeed,insomeways it’s Hon Gai busstation HonGai NORTHERN VIETNAM ••CatBaIsland VIETNAM NORTHERN Mui Ngoc Mui Mien TayMien bus station (

(Ð Le Loi) 847 888;ÐHalong) . Buses . Buses (Ð Ca

Bai Tu Long National Park admission 15,000d,guidefee perdayUS$5; needs andtelephonecalls. of water, plussomefood. trekking rainwear,agenerous shoes, supply on doingthistrek, equipyourself withproper town.Ifyou’re Ba arranged planning inCat head andaboattoreturn, allof which canbe aguide,transporttothetrail- enjoy. Youneed to sixhours) theparkthatmany through nitely recommended. aguideisnotmandatory,it’sdefi- though has plentyof trekking opportunities.Even and hedgehog, Home tovariousspeciesof monkey, wildboar Sights &Activities around CatBa. options youuptospeedontransport staff here canbring ( Centre Information&Development Tourism postoffice Main more. than themainland,at15,000danhouror Pricesare Ba. internet cafés inCat higher that exchange dollars. There are nowseveral are afew jewellerystores northof the harbour There town,butthere are Ba nobanksinCat Information accordingly. weekends andholidays,whenpricesfluctuate popularsummergetaway, fillingupon highly by Hanoi hasturnedintoa residents, Ba Cat Sincebeing‘discovered’ Ba. delCat Costa ing village justadecadeago,itisnowthe fish- around thetownof Asleepy Ba. Cat centrated inthesouthernpartof theisland, ofhighest 331mabove which rises level. sea limestonehills,the inthespectacular grottoes % The island’shumanpopulationiscon- There’s avery challenging 18kmtrek (five 688 215;Ð1-4)Locatedoppositetheboatpier, (Ð 1-4) A one-stop-shop forpostal (Ð1-4)Aone-stop-shop Cat Ba Cat National Park

( % Quan LanIsland 033-793 365) h

( % dawn-dusk) . 216 350;

. 371 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM town. Roomrates fluctuate greatly between Ba concentrated alongthebayfrontinCat Most of theisland’s40orsohotels are Sleeping torbike forabout10,000d. town andcanbereached onfootorbymo- and camping. beach, alsooffering simpleaccommodation by bigresorts. Co2isthemostattractive Cat Co1and3have taken Cat however, over been perfect placestolounge aroundfortheday; Co3)are Co2andCat Co1,Cat simply Cat necessity. bornofexample of engineering Vietnamese ing theAmericanWar–anotheramazing dur- asasecretsite hospital thatwas used motorbike (oneway30,000d). minibus tickets. Anotheroptionistohire a andhotels shouldtaurants you beable tosell town.Allres- Ba minutes, 17km) fromCat at TrungTrang,take aminibus(15,000d,30 372 1 3 2 CAT BATOWN The white-sand Cat Cobeaches (called Cat The white-sand Cave Hospital To reach thenationalparkheadquarters The beaches are Ba about1kmfromCat OTENVENM • a aIln ••CatBaIsland VIETNAM NORTHERN Hydrofoil TicketKiosk...... (see2) TRANSPORT Noble House...... Flightless BirdCafé...... Blue Note...... DRINKING Hoang Y...... Green Mango...... EATING Sun andSeaHotel...... SLEEPING DevelopmentCentre...... Main PostOffice...... INFORMATION un u aiyHtl...... C2 Quang DucFamilyHotel...... Tourist Information& To Haiphong (45km) AC (admission 30,000d)

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C3 B2 C2 B2 C3 C2 C3 C2 is theintriguing Harbour Cat Ba Lake Bridge B To HonCatDua (3km); Halong City(50km) Market 8

6 Ð 1-4 Ð pool andspa. and smartfacilitiesincludeaswimming Roomsare Ba. ticated placeonCat spacious ing aprivate beach, thisisthemostsophis- Ð 1-4;rUS$10; .vn; CatCo3;s/dfromUS$79/89; thentic homestays in local houses. Formore inlocalhouses. thentic homestays fridge andhotwater.include satellite TV, a friendlyplacetorest awearyhead.Allrooms Nui Ngoc;rUS$12-15; ing peakseason. ahead, butbearinmindthatpricesleapdur- and elegantbathrooms.It’sworthbooking character, decoration thisplacehasthoughtful .com; Ð1-4;rUS$10-30; hot water comeasstandard. and rooms.Satellitehotel hasjustseven TV cheapies intown,thisfriendlylittlefamily prices. winter months. Thefollowingare lowseason summermonths andtheslower high-season The smallvillage of HienHao offers au- Hotel Sun andSea Noble House Sunrise Resort Sunrise Cat BaNationalPark(18km); To BenBeoHarbour(2km); Quang DucFamily Hotel Hien Hao(21km); Phu Long(30km) 3

1 Ð Nui Ngoc Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Approximate Scale ὈὈ ὈὈ a 2

( ) % 4 Oneof thelongest-running

( a % (

888 363;thenoblehousevn@yahoo % 9 Thispopularlittlehotel is a ) 7 887 366;catba-sunriseresort@vnn 5 888 315; [email protected]; Ð 888 315;[email protected]; ) Smallinsize,big To CatCoBeaches(1km); ( 200m 0.1miles 0 0 ais %

Sunrise Resort(1km); Lan HaBay(16km) Ho ChiMinh Mountain Monument 888 231;fax423; No 1 D ) Occupy- Restricted Rd (No Access) runs the is about 20km from Cat Ba town. Ba is about20kmfromCat For a memorable dining experience in Cat Ba, Ba, For amemorablediningexperienceinCat Eating &Drinking contact details Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com heading to thebeaches ornationalpark, pay are available from mostof thehotels. Ifyou’re bicycle. Chinese the island.Mosthotels can provide acheap make inquiriesatthepiereitherend. andHalong Ba Cat (100,000d, five Bay hours); option. fortable departure), which isthesafest andmostcom- a daytherest of theyear. andjustone summerseason day inthehigh (45 minutes). There are three departures a andHaiphongCity. Hydrofoils Ba linkCat east of Haiphong, and20kmsouthof Halong Islandis133kmfromHanoi, Ba Cat 45km Getting There&Around Blue Note Noble House with theirdrinkingbootson. welcoming placeisagoodoptionforthose Little more thanaholeinthewall,thissmall, the often linger forcocktails. interior isalldrapesandcandles,socustomers The desserts. some spaceforthedelightful in Hanoi. duckissuperbbutsave Thebraised the chef here learnthistricksatBobby Chinn’s 100,000d) of town.Thisplaceisalwaysbusy. dishes, check outHoangY,atthewestern end andvegetariana varietyof deliciousseafood prices beforehand. charging isapossibility,soworkoutmeal for twoshouldcostaround100,000d.Over- cost about30,000dwithwaitingtime;afeast Arowingboattheretaurant. andbackshould frompensunderneaththeres-own seafood harbours, where your Beo youchoose or Ben Ba restaurants inCat try thefloatingseafood Oasis and Radiohead. Oasis andRadiohead. includingindieanthemsfrom withkudos, this iskaraoke rant downstairs,thisspothasagreat 2nd-floorbar. Motorbike rentals (withorwithoutdriver) As wears thenight on,travellers gravitate to Mango Green Hoang Y Rented bicyclesare agoodwaytoexplore Chartered private boatsruntripsbetween Other popularspots: Flightless BirdCafé

The Mekong Express (Ð Nui Ngoc) The after-hours hauntintown, (Ð NuiNgoc)Theafter-hours

(mains 15,000-50,000d; ( restaurant of Ba, choice inCat % 888 363)Aswellasapopularrestau- Mr Tuan ( % 887 151;Ð1-4;mains50,000-

( %

( % 888 517; (100,000d, 2.45pm Transtour 888 737) h lunch &dinner) h . HienHao NORTHERN VIETNAM ••Haiphong VIETNAM NORTHERN from 6.30pm) (

% 888 314) For .

newer hotels intown,thedécor here isa cut Dien BienPhu;rUS$10-18; advances andhasanATM. h help here; otherwise,headbacktoHanoi. spot, standingonacornerindignifiedyellow. Tiep; pointed, butUS$40 buysanapartment. above the competition.All roomsare wellap- .vn; 103PhoDienBien Phu;rUS$20-40; above amenities. and giganticbathrooms.Thinkatmosphere remains acharacterful ceilings place withhigh able oldbuildingfromtheFrench period,this duCommerce Hotel Sleeping with Haiphong street life. to get here, Pho ChuaHang, which isbuzzing enjoyable iswanderingalongthenarrowalley tectural elementsthatlookKhmer. Equally ago andrebuilt timessince,hasarchi- several h streets. by theFrench-colonial architecture liningthe Haiphong, itsslow-pacedappealisenhanced there inThough isn’tawholelottosee Sights &Activities Hospital Friendship Vietnam-Czech Vietcombank postoffice Main Dai Hanh nearPho DienBienPhu. There are acoupleof internet cafésonPho Le Information prosperity. with cleanstreets andanunderstated airof Haiphong asomnolentplace todayseems and officially Vietnam’sthird-largest city, andindustrialcentres, seaports important up theatmosphere. structures. Strollaroundthecentre andsoak concealsomeclassiccolonial-era boulevards mon asmotorbikes andtheverdant tree-lined of Hanoi adecadeago. Bicyclesare ascom- Haiphong isagracefulcitythathastheflavour % HAIPHONG or vandalised. the parkingfee toensure thebike isn’tstolen Monaco Hotel Despite being oneof thecountry’smost D Hn Pagoda Hang Du 7-11am &1.30-5.50pm) closed Sat)Cashestravellerscheques,doescash 031 /pop1.67million

% 700 463;PhoNhaThuong)Inemergencies,seek ( % (3 Pho Nguyen Tri Phuong)Easyto (3 PhoNguyenTri

( 842 658;11PhoHoangDieu; %

( (Chua DuHang;121PhoChua % 374 6468;[email protected] , foundedthree centuries a 384 2706;fax2560;62Pho ) Located inavener- a (BenhVienViet- Oneof the )

373 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Niem Nghiabusstation headingsouthleavewaterfront. Buses from the for Hanoi (35,000d,twohours) leave from and Danang. .vn; 30PhoHoang Van Thu) Airlines Vietnam Getting There&Away bargain several mansion which hasashadygardenhousing size-fits-all stop,headtothisoldFrench night amountofplus aserious seafood. and they’re AlltheThaifavourites, damnright. 60,000d) specialities. namese andViet- localseafood thanks toaffordable courtyard restaurant, it’sconsistently popular mains 20,000-60,000d) Trung withitsmanycafésand able inHaiphong. Alsocheck outPho Quang dish upvariationsonthefresh avail- seafood cheap eateries; andmosthotel restaurants Pho offers MinhKhai of agoodselection Eating &Drinking often available. a swimmingpool,gymandspa. Discountsare smart andstylish, while thefacilitiesinclude The leadingaddress inHaiphong, roomsare viewvietnam.com; 4PhoTranPhu;s/dUS$70/80; 374 BKK Com Vietnam Hotel Harbour View Haiphong is103kmfromHanoi; minibuses La Villa Blanche La Villa at 6.30pm,a48-hourjourneythatinvolves stopforborder formalities. athree-hour used byforeigners. See p371 fordetailsofhydrofoils thatrunhere. Mong Cai corner ofVietnam, isontheChineseborderinextreme northeastern butisrarely Mong Cai toDongxing by trainandbustoNanning. 20-minute drive fromthebordertoPingxiang bybusor a shared taxi.Pingxiang isconnected minibus (5000d)toDongDanganda ofDongDang.Gate), Catch 3kmnorth abusfromHanoitoLangSon(50,000d,2½hours),small This isthemostpopular bordercrossing. The borderpostitselfisatHuuNghiQuan(Friendship Huu NghiQuantoYouyiGuan There Vietnam are where twobordersinnortheast foreigners cancrossintoChina. CROSSING INTOCHINA:THENORTHEAST BORDERS Tam Bacbusstation OTENVENM • aB ainlPr ••BaBeNationalPark VIETNAM NORTHERN Trains fromHanoitoB

The card says ‘trendy Thecardsays Thairestaurant’ ( % 382 1018; 22 Pho Minh Khai; mains30,000- Khai; 382 1018;22PhoMinh

( ( bia hoi % % Ablink-and-you’ll-miss-it (Pho TranHungDao) 384 1698;4PhoHoangVan Thu; 9381 0890;www.vietnamair.com

(Ð TranNguyenHan)

(P Tam Bac) has flights toHCMC hasflights ( % shops. 382 7827;www.harbour ě ij ī ng viatheFriendshipPass thecapitalonTuesday depart and Friday , 4kmfromthe bia hoi Foraone- . ais Lac Long xe om xe . (20,000d)totheborder. On theChineseside,it’sa

) City (25,000d,1½hours), plusHanoi, con- Hanoi, trainsleave is a series of cascadesbetween is aseries spectacular the apoint4kmabove23km between and ChoRa about 400m.TheNangRiver isnavigable for lakes, lengthof withatotal 8kmandawidthof butterflies andotherinsects. in theforest includebears, monkeys, batsand named plantspecies.The300wildlife species tropical rainforest area withmore than400 Theparkisa upto1554mhigh. mountains homes. This region issurroundedbysteep members of theTay minority,wholive instilt ing peaks.Thesurroundingarea ishometo 026; person/car10,000/20,000d) and caves, Boasting waterfalls, rivers, valleys,lakes deep % BA BENATIONALPARK timesdaily. several slower trainsleave fromLongBientrainstation Map pp352-3 ; Thien&ÐPhamNguLao) Khanh two hours) fromthe hydrofoil.Ba venient connectingwiththeCat forthose the cave. Anavigablea mountain. river flowsthrough completely through 300m long,andpasses Cave wallsofsheer rock.Theinteresting bus station A localexpress trainheadstoHanoi (24,000d, Ba Be (Three isinfactthree Bays) linked Be Ba 0281 /elev145m Dau Dang Waterfall (Hang and Puong)isabout 30mhigh

(Pho CuChinhLan) % Ba Be National Park 04-825 2628;PhoTranQuiCap) Tran Quy Cap station Tran QuyCap Haiphong trainstation (ThacDauDang),which at 6.10pm daily. From at6.10pmdaily.From has buses toHalonghas buses is set amidtower-is set

( lonelyplanet.com % 894 014;fax at 5.50am; at5.50am;

(B station; (B station; (Ð Luong (Ð Luong Puong

stay in these stilt houses atPac stilthouses inthese stay Ngoivillage tional guide,worthconsidering,costsUS$10 it’s lovely despite thenoisyengines.Anop- hours Enjoytheride: totake inmostsights. just two),andyoushould allowatleastseven priceifthere12 people(butit’sthesame are 150,000d perhour. Theboatscancarryabout Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com homes spread out over alarge valley. Mostof area isabeautiful collectionof farmsand stilt where youcanvisitahill-tribe village. The Mai Chau is oneof placestoHanoi theclosest % MAI CHAU to cover thelast 18km. arrange amotorbike (about40,000d) Cho Ra (15,000d,onehour).In another bustoChoRa Kan,Nguyen and/orBac andfromthere take to Phu Thong(50,000d,five hours) via Thai possible, butnoteasy.Take abusfromHanoi forthetrip. nights most travellers allowthree daysandtwo journey fromHanoi takes aboutsixhours; by chartered vehicle fromHanoi. Theone-way from ChoRa. from Hanoi, Kan 61kmfromBac and18km Tuyen QuangProvinces. Thelakes are 240km not farfromtheborders and of Bang Cao NationalPark Kan Be isinBac Ba Province Getting There&Around en route from Hanoi. are Kan, banksinBac theprovincial capital no money-exchange there facilities,although prices are reasonable. which canincludefresh fishfromthelake, and this.Foodisavailable ganise atthehomestays, on thelakeshore. canhelpor- Theparkoffice hour orsobefore youwanttoeat. toplaceyourorderan to 30,000d)–you’llneed There’s areasonable restaurant (dishes10,000d comfy air-con two-roomcottages (r275,000d). areguesthouse fine,ifabitpricey.There are also accommodation options. Not farfromtheparkheadquarters are two Sleeping &Eating park headquarters. per day.Theboatdockisabout 2kmfrom Renting aboatis Reaching theparkbypublictransportis Most visitors tothenationalparkget there Guesthouse Take cashforyourvisit–there enough are Stilt houses 018 /pop47,500

(r 165,000d) (per person60,000d) de rigueur, Rooms It’spossibleto

andcostsfrom in thisnewer NORTHERN VIETNAM •• Mai Chau ••Mai VIETNAM NORTHERN an ATM. bank by. plus aninternetstation, caféclose Hanoi, Sapa(38km away)andK major hubfortravellers journeyingbetween isnowa Cai remained until1993.Lao closed China andVietnam 1979 warbetween The bordercrossingslammedshutduring the the endof border. thetrainlineonChinese One of thegateways toChina, liesat Cai Lao % LAO CAI collect thefee. More often thannot,there isnobody there to onthe‘main’road. the state-run guesthouse entry fee toMai Chau;there’s a toll boothat to Mai Chauproperwillcostabout 15,000d. stop atTongDaujunction;a Chau (20,000d,twohours) daily.Usually these Binh there are toMai scheduled buses several (25,000d, twohours) are plentiful.FromHoa Hanoi; tonearby Hoa Binh buses however, no direct publictransporttoMai Chaufrom south of TongDaujunctiononHwy6.There’s Mai Chauis135kmfromHanoi andjust5km Getting There&Around your toweltogoodeffect. Use proceedings. taken thechance toobserve the occasionalopportunistguideordriver has have fairlylarge thewallsand gapsbetween ing about theshowers: thedoors sometimes free tojoininthefun.Amildwordof warn- andanyoneis performances intheevenings times organise traditionalsong-and-dance Villagers traditionalhouses. willsome- these side, bothvillages offer arusticexperiencein hundred metres backfromthe‘main’road- have thechoice. sooptforitifyou less thanLac, developed moreCoong. PomCoongisslightly ruraland Chau: thevillage andthevillage of of Lac Pom There are twoaccommodationcentres inMai Sleeping US$5 fora7kmto8kmwalk. the weaver. Guidescanbehired foraround beautiful results direct canbepurchased from Traditional weavinghere ispractised andthe jority of whomdress asVietnamese. thesame the peoplehere are ethnicWhite Thai,thema- There nextdoorto the train isapostoffice Theoretically, foreigners mustpaya5000d stilthouses Thai 020 /pop100,000

(Ð ThuyHoa) offers currency exchange and (per person60,000d)

xe om Set justafew Set ū nmíng. fromthere

375 BIDV VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM tion; a train ineitherdirection. market on Saturday. most colourful costumes andheadtothe people fromsurrounding villages dontheir and frequently shrouded inmist.Hill-tribe built in1922.The wholearea isspectacular etnam, SapaisaFrench thatwas hillstation The premier destinationof northwestern Vi- toweringovertains thetownonallsides. overlooking abeautifulvalley,lofty moun- of The Queen theMountains, Sapa sitsregally % SAPA .com) expensive ET Pumpkin sleepers, includingtheaffordable comfortable panies operatingspecialprivate carriages with 10% atweekends. There are com- alsoseveral air-conditioned byabout soft andrise sleeper, (badchoice!) to223,000dforan hard seat to Hanoi (10hours) at 79,000dfora start the train. nine hours), butmosttravellers prefer sensibly times daily;thelastat1pm. HaBac (28,000d,twohours) leave several regularly untillate to afternoon. Minibuses toSapa(25,000d,1½hours)Minibuses leave Getting There&Around tensive menu. andanex- withfriendlystaff station Cai Lao Hué) train. towel andsoap)tofreshen upafter thenight ( but just upthemountain, 376 % The border is 3km from Lao Cai trainsta- Cai The borderis3kmfromLao There is no need to stay the night withSapa There thenight tostay isnoneed Lao Cai is340kmfromHanoi Cai (85,000d, Lao When itcomestolife ontherails,tickets Hék catch amidmorningorovernight sleeperbus(US$11,12hours)fromtheChinesebordertownof nitely since2002.However, atraintoLaoCai, it’spossibletotake crosstheborderintoChina,and train station; the short motorbike journeycosts10,000d. motorbike train station;theshort Red River thatpedestrianspaya10,000dtolltocross. The borderisabout3kmfromLaoCai Vietnam andYúnnán.Chinaisseparatedbetween northern fromVietnam byabridgeover the The Lao Cai–Hék CROSSING INTOCHINA:LAOCAITOHÉK 020 /pop36,200 isareliable littletravellers caféoutside 830 459;PhoMoi) . There are trainsandoneday twonight OTENVENM • aa ••Sapa VIETNAM NORTHERN The train service runningdirectly fromHanoitoK The trainservice Nhat LinhRestaurant ǒ xe om u toK

Victoria Express Victoria (www.et-pumpkin.com) willcostabout 10,000d. ū nmíng. Forinformationon crossingthisborderintheotherdirection, see p449 . offers showers (20,000dwith ǒ u crossing (open 7am to 5pm) is popular with travellers making theirwayu crossing(open7amto5pm)ispopularwithtravellers making

( (www.victoriahotels-asia % Gia NgaGuestHouse 835 346;PhoNguyen andthemore Ǒ U which employs manyguidesfromthelocal cash canbeexchanged. anATM,1.30-4.30pm) Offers plustravellerschequesand tains, including tains, Surrounding Sapaare theHoangLienMoun- Sights &Activities Post office BIDV at 5000dperhour. tels andtravel aroundtown,usually offices Internet accessisavailable incountless ho- Information rain showers are inthemountains frequent. mately January totheendof June–afternoon forSapaisapproxi-to 0°C).Thedryseason wintersis knownforitscold,foggy (down all have hot water, TV andafireplace.all have hotwater, TV are friendly,therooms are pretty spacious and town, thisplaceis enticinglygoodvalue. Staff cupying astrategic corner inthecentre of Lotus Hotel Sleeping which spanstheMuongHoaRiver. (Silver Falls); and Sapa includetheepic in thearea. treks biking andmountain withhomestays .com; 8PhoCauMay) area. Hoa) 24 Muong Travel and Hotel Mountain View and travel agencies aroundtown,including days. Treks canbearranged atguesthouses to thesummitandbackcantake several is muchfaster. Vietnam’s highest peak.ThetrekVietnam’s highest from Sapa ū nmíng inChinahasbeensuspendedindefi- Some of thebetter-known around sights Don’t forget yourwinter woollies–Sapa ( Auberge Hotel Auberge Handspan Travel % ( % 872 569;ÐNguChiSon; (ÐHamRong)PostthingsfromHanoi,asit 871 331; www.topas-adventure-vietnam.com; 871 331;www.topas-adventure-vietnam.com;

( % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com is areliable ecotourismoperator 871 308; 5 Ð Muong Hoa;rUS$4-10) 871 308;5ÐMuong is apopularplacetoarrange Fansipan

( %

Cau May ( (

% % 871 243;PhoCauMay) Tram TonPass 871 334;54APhoCauMay) /fax 872110;www.handspan , which at 3143mis h (CloudBridge), 7-11.30am & ; Thac Bac Thac . Topas Oc-

lightful mountain lodge with stylish service lodge mountain withstylishlightful service

dramatic viewsfromcornerrooms. ley below.Invest intheUS$18fordoubly hotel hasit, with180-degree viewsof theval- 690; rUS$8-18) lonelyplanet.com tels-asia.com; rfromUS$165; of manysuch ventures. –let’shopethisisthefirst and minoritystaff below. Solarpower,wastewater management overlookinging setting thevoluptuousvalley .com; bungalowsUS$25) have fireplaces andfinefurnishings. garden forclearviews.Upper-floor rooms thebonsai valley. Windyourwayupthrough aroundaslongthemistoverhas been the Hoa; rUS$15-28; breathtaking. side. It’sworththeclimb,asviewsare a sprawlingcomplexdrapedover thehill- thisis for itsfriendlyandhonestservice, .com; ÐPhanSi;rUS$10-30; Ð Thac Ð 1 3 2 SAPA ὈὈ ὈὈ o Victoria SapaHotel Victoria Hotel Auberge Hotel View Cat Cat Topas EcoLodge Fansipan (9km) Village (3km); To Cat Ð Phan Si 6 Lai Chau(195km) Tram TonPass(15km); To ThacBac(8km); Ð Cat Bac 10

Ð Phan Si Mountain View Hotel Mountain View AC Ð Location,location,location.This Tue Tinh i (

NORTHERN VIETNAM ••Sapa VIETNAM NORTHERN % ) ASapainstitution,thisplace Market

( Out onitsown,withastrik- Sapa % 871 243;[email protected]; 7ÐMuong

Square

2 14

Ð Xuan Vien ( % ( 871 331;www.topas-eco-lodge i 9 % ais Park 19

871 946;www.catcathotel Deservedly popular Deservedly P Cau May Cau P ) 871 522; www.victoriaho 871 522;www.victoriaho 18 Church Sapa

Ð Dong Loi Ð Ham Rong

16 ( % 1 12 Thisisade- ) 8 13 871 334;fax 11 17 B 4 Approximate Scale 7 Lao Cai(38km);BacHa(101km); Ð Muong 3 Radio Tower Ta Van(8km);Topas EcoLodge(18km) To TaPhinVillage(8km); Hoa & Lookout To GreenValley Hostel(250m); 15 5 Hanoi (380km) Ham Rong Mountain The originalFrench restaurant inSapa–not cally housed inanoldcolonial-eraproperty. cally housed counting the1920sof course –thisisauthenti- views over beyond. themountains stairs panoramaroom,there are somegreat menu of favourites. Vietnamese Fromtheup- from 20,000d) also shake upagoodcocktail. for goodmeasure. Speakingof measures, they cuisineandafewVietnamese Western exiles The extensive menuincludessomeauthentic andbaguettes. home, withpizzas,salads some Asian greatest hitsorcomfortfoodfrom cakes.and delectable Themenuincludes place isawelcomeretreat forawarmcocoa 15,000d) o Eating a tennis court. indoor swimmingpool,afitnesscentre and views fromtherestaurant, twobars, aheated and smartrooms.Thehotel hassweeping Gerbera Restaurant Gerbera Bar&Grill Nature 200m 0.1miles 0 0 Gecko Onacoldandmistymorning,this Baguette &Chocolat Baguette

( % This restaurant hasanunending 871 504;ÐHamRong;mainsaroundUS$5) ueg oe...... B3 Auberge Hotel...... Railway Booking Office...... Bus Station...... Bamboo SapaHotel...... Tau Bar...... Red DragonPub...... Nature Bar&Grill...... Gerbera Restaurant...... Gecko...... Delta Restaurant...... Baguette &Chocolat...... Victoria SapaHotel...... Mountain ViewHotel...... Lotus Hotel...... Cat ViewHotel...... Topas Travel...... Handspan Travel...... Post Office...... BIDV...... TRANSPORT ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION (Pho Cau May; meals15,000-50,000d) (Pho CauMay;

( % 871 064; Pho Cau May; mains 871 064;PhoCauMay;

(Ð Thac Bac; cakes 6000- (Ð ThacBac;cakes D 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B2 B1 B3 B3 B3 A2 B2 B1 B3 A1 A1 B3 B3 A3 B3 B3 A2 B1 377

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Cat village (3km)is aneasydownhill walkCat or take onewith adriver fromUS$8. Cat motorbike fromUS$5 perday, a self-drive are breathtaking. to theradiotower;fromhere, thevalleyviews If you’ve gotaspare hour,follow thesteps up Downtown Sapacanbewalked in20minutes. Getting Around (p376). Cai more informationontrainstoHanoi, Lao see 10,000dforasleeper. fee forseats, service For MayPho Cau inSapawhich charges a7000d ( ward andoffers maximumflexibility. weekend tripstoSapa,but DIYisstraightfor- Cai. minibus, changing inLao buses at 1pm.It’scheaper Ha togoBac bypublic parture Ha fromSapaisat6amandBac day market isaroundUS$10perperson; de- bymotorbikedown themountain forUS$5. afternoon. Localsare alsowillingtotake you 1½ hours) make thetripregularly untilmid- border.on theChinese (25,000d, Minibuses VietnamandChina.ing between a possiblefirst orlaststopfortravellers cross- Sapa’s proximity totheborderregion makes it Getting There&Away from 8.30pm. dance showshere onFridayandSaturday Take infree traditionalhill-tribemusic-and- Bamboo Sapa Entertainment the north. a different kindof of cooltothemountains lounge’,Claiming tobe‘slightly Tau brings warms up,theonlyplacetobeisTau Bar. most evenings. but upstairs isaBritish-style pubthatfillsup may looklike aquainttearoom downstairs, DragonPub Red Drinking home-cooking complete thepicture. the mostauthenticpizzasintown.Pastas and US$5) 378 % Delta Restaurant There isan official Travel agencies andcafésinHanoi offer HaA minibustoBac (110km)fortheSun- 38kmaway Cai, The gateway toSapaisLao For excursions further out,youcanhire Tau Bar 871 480; Thetaste turnsout of inSapa,Delta Italy OTENVENM • a a ••BacHa VIETNAM NORTHERN

( % h

871 322;42PhoCauMay) Hotel 7.30-11am &1.30-4pm)

( %

(

% 872 085; 23 Pho Muong Hoa) 872 085;23PhoMuong ( % 871 799; Pho Cau May; mains 871 799;PhoCauMay; Railway Booking Office Booking Railway 871 075; Pho Muong Hoa) 871 075;PhoMuong As thenight situated on It

hotels in Bac Hahotels inBac toorganise trips. road, oryoucangobyroadandriver; askat Ha.35km fromBac There’s apretty good The market isheldonSaturday. and just9kmsouthof border. theChinese open-air markets, is20kmnorthof Ha Bac all withinabout 20kmof each other. interestingin town,lieseveral markets nearby, Ha thecolourfulSundayBac Beyond market Sights &Activities than Sapa. Halands aroundBac are somewhatwarmer visit. Around700mabove thehigh- level, sea makesand arrivingmidweek forarelaxing and Thulao. (Hoa), XaFang, Nung,Phula, Thai Lachi, Flower Hmong,Dzao,Giay(Nhang),Han groupslivingnearherethe 10Montagnard – sava orcorn),handicraftsmadebysomeof bottles of localfirewater (madefromrice,cas- for Once you’re youcanalsobrowse allset, stock up pigsandhorses. on water buffalo, The Sundaymarket in HaBac istheplaceto % BAC HA wooden houses. Therestaurant-barwooden houses. here is groups. Life is much better in thenewer place offers thebedsof choice formosttour beyond. the mountains bathrooms andsomehave viewsof immense hotel? Roomsinclude smart this comfortable bird’s-eye viewof theSundayactionfrom Here forthemarket? Sowhynotenjoy a a real steal. andfan– town. Roomsincludehotwater, TV hotel continues tobeoneof thecheapest in counting thedongasmuch asthedollars, this market action. when touristsarrive forapieceof theSunday- Room rates tend to increase onweekends, Sleeping &Eating It’s less busy,andisopenonSunday. Haand Bac town,about12kmfromthetown. a windingpath. green alongthrough fieldsandsmallhouses Sao Mai Hotel Sao Mai QuanHotel Minh market Lung Phin market Cau Can HaBac isalesscrowdedalternative toSapa, Coc Ly market Coc Lymarket Dai Thanh Hotel Dai Thanh 020 /pop70,200 Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com takes placeonTuesday,about

( , oneof Vietnam’smostexotic %

( %

( is between Can Cau market Cau Can is between % /fax 880288;rUS$10-25) 880 448;r60,000d) 880 222;r120,000-150,000d) Ifyou’re This

photocopy menusandfoodwillarrive. wholesome meals.Justticktheboxes onthe movie,out of buttheydooffer aBruceLee 30,000d) it holdsdanceshows forvisitinggroups. one of theleadingwatering holesintown,plus lonelyplanet.com strips of Loi ÐHungVuong andÐLe There are lots of internet cafésonthe tourist ACCESS INTERNET Information ment, thesouthbankiswhere it’sat. side of theSongHuong(Perfume River). architectural attractionsliealongthenorthern a UnescoWorldHeritage Site. Mostof these perors comprise andgrand,crumblingCitadel decaying, opulenttombsof theNguyenem- perors of theNguyendynasty. Today,Hué’s from1802to1945underthe13em- capital asthepolitical heart of Vietnam.Huéserved Hué istheintellectual, culturalandspiritual % HUÉ ruins of ancientMySon. tecturally impressive HoiAnandthesacred imperialHué,archi- Sites –history-seeped UnescoWorldHeritageing three must-see country’s mostfamousdestinations,includ- perfect of gateway toafascinatingset the bus journeyswillfindDanang’sairportthe travellers. Touristswhowanttoavoid lengthy torate asatoppriorityfor etnam deserves Vi- the country’smosticonicbeach, Central Home tohistoricalsites, foodand fantastic CENTRAL COAST catch traintoHanoi. thenight and Cai back toSapayoucanhopoff inLao and trekking toaminorityvillage. Ontheway cost aroundUS$10,includingtransport,guide US$15. HaUS$10, andSapa–Bac (110km)foraround 5.30amand1pm. between leave Ha fromBac Cai 1pm daily.Buses toLao HaBac (28,000d,twohours) at6.30amand to Cai makeBuses the63kmtripfromLao Getting There&Around Cong Phu Restaurant Restaurant Cong Phu For rest andrecreation, plusalittlerefresh- Sunday minibustours Ha fromSapatoBac Xe om 054 /pop286,400 No,thewaiters don’tlooklike extras make the Lao Cai–Bac Ha Cai–Bac make runfor theLao CENTRALCOAST ••Hué ( % 880 254;mains15,000- . 11.30am &1.30-5.30pm) dose oflaughs. toursaroundHuéwithalarge cycling andmotorbiking Phuong)Immenselypopular .com; 10/2ÐNguyenTri telephone services. a 24-hourATM bytheHotelSaigonMorin. cheques, processescashadvancesandhasanATM. There’s Nguyen Tri Phuong) Open-tour buses and tickets toLaos. Phuong)Open-tourbusesandtickets Nguyen Tri Huong, the like royalcrownsonthebanks ofSet theSong ROYAL TOMBS Nowadays, allare welcome. nothreatwho posed totheroyal concubines. allowedinsidewere eunuchs, only servants fortheprivate life of theemperor.served The den PurpleCity ceremonial halls. wall isasurreal worldof gardensand deserted 2.5km-long Insidethe6m-high, the Citadel’. sion 55,000d; the peror’s officialfunctionswere carriedoutin Emperor GiaLong,beganin1804.Theem- its scopeandbeautystillimpress. cans, andmuch of foragriculture, itnowused itwasheavilyThough bombedbytheAmeri- city onthenorthernbankof theSongHuong. (KinhThanh),theerstwhileCitadel imperial One of Vietnam’sdecayingtreasures is Hué’s CITADEL Sights &Activities Sinh Café Café Mandarin Wheels onThu Café TRAVEL AGENCIES postoffice Main Branch postoffice POST Vietcombank Bank &Development Industrial MONEY Hospital Hué Central MEDICAL SERVICES transport andtours. transport photographer MrCu,thisplaceisgreat forinformation, 3 ÐHungVuong)Watchedoverbytheeagleeyesof % Hung Vuong) Same services asVietcombank,sansATM.Hung Vuong) Sameservices Within theImperialEnclosure isthe Construction of themoated by Citadel, 822 325;16ÐLe Loi) Imperial Enclosure Imperial ( % h (54ÐHungVuong)Exchangestravellers Tombs of the NguyenDynasty 823 309;www.sinhcafévn.com;7Ð ( (Tu Cam Thanh),which wasre-(Tu Cam 6.30am-5.30pm) % (14 Ð Ly Thuong Kiet) Has postaland (14ÐLyThuongKiet) (ÐLe Loi)Neartheriver. 821 281;[email protected]; ( (BenhVienTrungUongHué; % are 2kmto16km southof

(Dai Noi,orHoangThanh;admis- 832 241;minhthuhue@yahoo , a ‘citadel within , a‘citadel ( % 823 361;41Ð (

h Forbid- 379

8- VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 380 Cua Hau Canal Pagoda (3.5km) To ThienMu Hanoi (689km) Vinh (363km); DMZ (90km); Dong Ha(72km); Bus Station(200m); To AnHoa

Ð HUÉ T a

ETA OS • Hé n CENTRAL COAST ••Hué g B a t H o L

Mandarin Café...... (see21) Phong NhaHotel...... Ngoc HuongHotel...... ihCf...... F4 Sinh Café...... G4 Industrial &DevelopmentBank.... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Thanh NoiHotel...... Minh QuangGuestHouse...... La ResidenceHotel&Spa...... Hotel SaigonMorin...... Notre DameCathedral...... Imperial Enclosure...... Forbidden PurpleCity...... Flag Tower...... Vietcombank...... Post Office Branch...... Main PostOffice...... Hué CentralHospital...... Café onThuWheels...... DMZ Hotel...... Dieu DeNationalPagoda...... Bao QuocPagoda...... Thai BinhHotel2...... o Ke Van Canal Van Ke n

Ð N

K N

e g

i D o

m g

u c

y n

e Qu

L N n

g T r y

n u a

Ð e

g i

H n T

n a

T 31 C

a a

t T n

h a

i l e

Ð Nguyen Cu Trin Cu Nguyen Ð

T 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

a 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 n

Gia Vien N

g D3 F4 F4 G3 D6 D5 F4 G3 G5 C3 C3 D4 E2 D6 G5 F3 F4 E4 F4

Island

y h

n Ð

Ð D

a T N n h a g c

o h

Ð Ð T

h Ð H P

o an T h

r u

Ð i Y ie n

N e g u

T t H

r h

Ð u

a i K Q

e n n Citadel

N m ie u g

N u Ð a The

n Ð

g u L

e g D

u y

i H

y e P n h

n u

e h a

n n u i

T e

h c n

i H

a e Ð o

n n T a n T g u h e u a T t in h Tam Lake Tinh Ð D Ð

12 a

n N Tau Lake

Ð g h

Tang

a N

T B t

h g Forbidden

u S a L u 11

i e

i H o

Purple

n T a

City h

h C

a i a

n n X H a

l u Ð

a T n o

n inh

g Ð

D Ð

( Ð

P o S Tam

i N L

Ð 23 Thang 8 n e e

Ð g Birdge Thanh T

r i T

o Long Hué h

f e h

To NamGiao i

u a n

Royal Tombs P Ð Ð n

8 D River Boats

h m

(2–16km) h

21 Mai T

e m n

Nguyen o 16

R n C lonelyplanet.com

Thuc To Mang 10

h iv Ð

17 u e

Ca Ð Ngo Duc Ke Duc Ngo Ð T r

Ð r ) g

i Loan

n u Bieu

h y D

Ð Han e Ð

D a

e n

B n i e Ð n H

n P

u 28

g u

Ð C Ð

h D n h

D h

Ð i

Ð Le Truc 9

c u

in Thuyen D T

T n 8 u h

i Ð

a h

e g u

y n

u B

e C a K

Ð c n

o h

n a

Le Loi

H g g

Ð an

u T

Ph r g an e a Bo n i C g hau lonelyplanet.com

River Boats Ð Ð D L e u T y o Subdistrict n Phu Hiep D T g u a a n Ð n

L 24

e Phu Xuan

Ð Bridge

L Ð

N Ð e

g i

u Ð Nguyen Chi Thanh Huy

y L

N T

o Nguyen

Dong Ba Canal Ba Dong g Tu g

o Ð 2

Ð e

N n

9 Ð

D Ð

g g

CENTRALCOAST ••Hué

o u n

D H g

Q y

D i Ð o Lu Chua e

u e e Subdistrict

y Ð u Ong

Phu Cat X

n Ð u B

Ð Ð N

g a

Ð i

u n

n H

y p P h

D T

h e a r 35

a n H o u

Trang Tien

n o D K

o n

i h

n Bridge

n o C g

i H

h i

o n

n D

Ð g

u Ð Hai g i C Ð u Ð

Trung n

Van

P h

h Ð

u C

h h T

h i i L

H e ang

Nguyen a r

o u m

i Dock Ferry

T in

r n

Cu g 4 h i

River Boats

H 15

h o Ð Luong

T The

36 h a (800m) To Ferry m

y Ð

T V

g inh

K i e t N g Ð u L y 27

22 e

e Ð 29 n L Ð o Dong T i H ri

a P Ð

n h

o T River Boats Da Ð

1 o r 6

i n a

g n Doi

C 5 N

a Cung

19 g Ð

o u

V L

a h o

n m

Ben

Nghe 14 e 18

30 Ð

3 C

Ð Ð

T h ran Dap Da

Quang P

23 u

Khal Ð

Dam

h V Ð

13 a

u 25

Ð N A Ð

C u V g n

n L o T

To DuongNoVillage (4.5km); a h

g y u i S

South a

m y u

Q Bank V Thuan AnBeach(14.5km)

u u

n o y n

N D T g o

g n h

u a

y i e H n

7 o

DMZ Bar&Cafe...... Bar WhyNot?...... Restaurant...... Lac ThienRestaurant...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING EATING Omar Khayyam'sIndian G3 Little Italy...... Dong BaMarket...... Minh &CocoMiniRestaurant.... Mandarin Café...... La Carambole...... Vietnam Airlines...... Tropical Garden Restaurant...... Y ThaoGarden...... Tinh Tam...... Ngo CoNhan...... Japanese Restaurant...... H c u

e 0.3miles 500m 0 0

N g

An Cuu u

Bridge

y e

To MainBusStation(4km); n

C Phu BaiAirport(13km);

o N

Ho ChiMinhCity n Danang (108km);

u 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 R To ThanhToan

Bridge (6km) v

e F5 E3 G3 F3 G3 A4 G3 F4 D2 F4 F4 E3 G3 F4

(1097km) r

381 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 5am &5pm,Sun7pm) 5.30pm) Vietnam. Foundedin1601,ThienMuison can do customised day tourscan docustomised of theRoyal torbike guides fromlocaltravellers cafés If you have aspecificagenda inmind, mo- Tours the mouthof theSongHuong. northeast of Hué,isonalovely lagoon near An Thuan Beach THUAN ANBEACH tronage of theemperor. ‘national pagodas’,onceunderthe direct pa- Thieu Tri(r1841–47).Itisoneof Hué’sthree 11.30am &1.30-4.30pm) 1959and1962. thedral wasbuiltbetween Asian architectural elements;thismodernca- crossing therailwaytracks. immediatelyBien Phu after and turnright get here, LoionÐDien headsouthfromÐLe Buddhistmonk.To by GiacPhong, aChinese h of theCitadel. the banksof theSongHuong,4kmsouthwest Pagoda Mu Thien PLACES OFWORSHIP mix of andEuropeanfeatures. Vietnamese ture. reflect Thebuildingsandstatues adistinct out fromtheothertombsforitsuniquestruc- sion 55,000d) the naturalsurroundings. architecture, which blendsharmoniously into 1820 to1840.Thistombisrenowned forits Mang Minh about 500mbehindtheTombof TuDuc. get manyvisitors;beautiful anddoesn’t findit in 1889,isthesmallestof theRoyalTombs.It’s is apeacefulspotonthewater. pavilion where tolounge theconcubinesused beautifully designed.Neartheentrance, alongside asmalllake. Thebuildingsare laced withfrangipaniandpinetrees andset Tu Duc’stombcomplex,isamajestic site, Duc orMinhMang. Hué. Ifyouvisitonlyonetomb,make itTu 382 The elaborate, hilltop Perhaps themostmajestic isthe The Tomb ofTu Duc Dieu DeNationalPagoda Dame Notre Cathedral Bao QuocPagoda 7.30-11.30am &1.30-4.30pm) ETA OS • Hé CENTRAL COAST ••Hué is oneof the mosticonicstructures in Tomb ofDongKhanh , who ruled from 1916 to 1925, stands , whoruledfrom1916to1925,stands

(admission 55,000d) (Bai Tam (Bai ThuanAn), 15km

(Ð Le Duan; isablendof Europeanand

(admission 55,000d) (Ham Long Hill, Phuong Duc District; PhuongDucDistrict; (Ham LongHill, wasbuiltunderEmperor

(80 ÐNguyenHue; Tomb of Khai Dinh Tomb ofKhai (102 ÐBachDang; wasfoundedin1670 (admission 22,000d)

h , whoruledfrom 7.30-11.30am &1.30- , Emperor Tomb of h h , built (admis-

7.30- mass hillsides, about105kmfromHué. rowofwhitetombstonesstretch acrossthe Row after Trail. alongtheHo ChiMinh Vietnamese soldierskilled tothetensofthousandsNorth Truong Son)Amemorial tours fromHuécostaroundUS$15. ordnance, youshould take aguide. Groupday to avoid areas where there isstillunexploded ofinto warhistory.Tomake itall,and sense may notbeworthwhileunlessyou’re really places where happened,and historicalevents on eithersideof theline. 90km westof Hué,consisted of anarea 5km Vietnam andNorthVietnam.TheDMZ, South asthedividinglinebetween served HaiFrom 1954until1975,theBen River DEMILITARISED ZONE(DMZ)TOURS daily. the journeyusuallylastsfrom8amto2pm foreigners tours, arrangeboat and these to visit. whichbut youcanpickandchoose tombs sion totheindividualtombsisnotincluded, Thien MuPagoda, andincludelunch. Admis- person typicallytake inseveral tombs and must inHué.Tours costingabout US$2per A boat ridedownthescenic SongHuong isa SONG HUONG(PERFUMERIVER)CRUISES river cruise. But thebestwaytovisittombsisona (DMZ) andthesurroundingcountryside. Zone theDemilitarised Tombs, theCitadel, office. a vehicle inHué orcharter at thepark a jeep possible todrive upbymotorbike, soarrange site Itisnot here whowanttostay. forthose waterfalls. There and camp isaguesthouse beautiful foreststunities through to cascading of Hué.There are abundant trekking oppor- .bachma.vnn.vn; admission10,500d) weather, A French-era knownforitscool hillstation BACH MA NATIONAL PARK Moc Vinh Tunnels Cemetery National Son Truong plateau about130kmfromHué. War’smostfamoussiege,nowonabarren of theAmerican SanhCombat Base Khe for tourists; 110kmfromHué. for tourists; Similar tothetunnelsatCuChi( p418 ), butlessadulterated Many restaurants andhotels catering to Significant sites: Many of aroundtheDMZare the‘sights’ Bach Ma BachMa National Park (admission&guidedtour20,000d) (admission25,000d)Thesite is45kmsoutheast ( (Nghia TrangLietSi %

lonelyplanet.com 054-871 330;www ing aprimecorneropposite theTrangTien tels.com; 8-10ÐChuVan An;rUS$30-40,steUS$80; TVs, fridges andbathtubs. TVs, friendly familyoffers new,cleanroomswith tion, alongwayfromthetouristtraps,this [email protected]; 57ÐDangDung;rUS$18-45; .com; 10/10 Ð Nguyen Tri Phuong;rUS$6-15; .com; 10/10ÐNguyenTri are jammedduringthistime,soplanahead. nam andotherparticipatingcountries.Hotels features traditionaldanceandmusicfromViet- and next heldinJune2008.Itlastsaboutaweek Hué Festival Festivals Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ful rooms. lovely river views,lush gardens andbeauti- ernor’s residence, thischic boutiquehotel has ais 5ÐLe Loi;rUS$95-135,steUS$150-165; -residence-hue.com; and agourd-shapedswimmingpool. its guestrooms,thehotel hasrestaurants, bars charm. Along withthefour-star comfortsof Bridge, thisgrandhotel exudeshistorical .com.vn; 30ÐLe Loi;rUS$50-500; forwindingdown. sauna creature comforts,plusthere’s aJacuzzi and friendly hotel. Thelarge roomsincludeallthe In apopularpartof town,thisisasmart, includes afair-sized swimmingpool. of Hué.Thepeacefultree-shaded compound tial surroundingsoffer avery different view adel, neartheImperialEnclosure, theresiden- Located inaquietstreet intheheartof theCit- the bathroomshave tubs. have mother-of-pearl inlaidfurniture, while lent valueformoney,theattractive bedrooms -hue.com; 2ÐLuong TheVinh;rUS$12-15; rUS$10; Chu Trinh; and facilities. range of roomsof comfortable different sizes tourist bar,thisbrand-newminihotel hasa 14; staff. the goodreports wehearaboutthefriendly room toroom,butwhatdon’tchange are facilities inthisspotlessminihotel from differ NhaHotel Phong Sleeping La Residence Hotel &Spa Hotel La Residence SaigonMorin Hotel 2 BinhHotel Thai QuangGuestHouse Minh DMZ Hotel Ngoc HuongHotel NoiHotel Thanh ai ) Fromthepeoplebehind thepopular ) Housed intheformer French Housed Gov- is abiennialculturalfestival, tobe ( % a

826 831;1AÐPhamNguLao;s&dUS$9- ( %

(Imperial Garden, Garden, (Imperial ) Located nearthetrainsta-

( ( 827 729;phongnha_hotel@yahoo % %

( % 827 561;www.thaibinhhotel 830 111;www.ngochuongho 523 526;www.morinhotel ( ais % ( % 824 152;16ÐPhan % 837 475;www.la ai CENTRALCOAST ••Hué ai 522 478;thanh ais ) Occupy- Excel- ai ) ) The ) )

on offer. What’smore surprisingisthat’sit’s There are noprizesforguessingthecuisine place toget aninexpensive feed. two lively sisters, thishumblejointisafun are perfectly food?Pizzasarebest Italian respectable, pastas Where doyouthinkyou’llfindHué’s else Ð VoThiSau;mainsaround40,000d; a healthywinelist. dishes andpizzatokeep happy,plus everyone of French dishes. There are alsoVietnamese gantly decorated, thisplacehasagoodrange 25,000-90,000d; exceptionally polite. children. Thefoodisexcellent andtheservice namelyhelpingstreet all foragoodcause, Van; dishesUS$1-8; but thenoodlesoupsare alsoworthtrying. with blackpepperandlemongrass,are delish Dishes madewithmockmeat,such as‘deer’ excellent andinexpensive vegetarian food. 10,000d; Vuong; mains10,000-30,000d; pho, bigdollopsof travel advicealongwith serves owner, MrCu,speaksEnglishandFrench and dinner) Hung Vuong; dishes5000-40,000d; Café Mandarin SOUTH BANK oriented eateries of thebudget ghettoes. fortheWestern- settle and manytouristssadly best restaurants aren’t easytofind, necessarily are sublime–wellworththeindulgence. The th excessive, seem elaborate decorationof imperialcuisinemay thank fortheculinaryvarietyof Hué.Whilethe We have famedfussy-eater EmperorTuDucto Eating Little Italy Japanese Restaurant Tinh Tam Restaurant &CocoMini Minh La Carambole demanding then! accumulated onleaves overnight. Nottoo his tea had tobemadefromthedewthat atevery meal.And by50 servants served dishes tobeprepared by50cookstobe Emperor Tu Duc(1848–83)expected 50 A RIGHTROYAL FOODCRITIC BLTs, andpancakes. salads Amagnetfortravellers, thecheerful h lunch &dinner)

( % ( h % al dente

( %

( h 823 572;12ÐChuVan An;mainsfrom % breakfast, lunch&dinner) 826 928;[email protected];2A 821 281;[email protected]; 3Ð e degustation- 11am-2pm &6.30-9.30pmMon-Sat) 810 491;19ÐPhamNguLao;mains This family place serves This familyplaceserves . ( % h 834 457;34ÐTranCao lunch &dinner) h (

% h breakfast, lunch& style banquets style banquets 821 822;1ÐHung lunch &dinner) Extrava- Runby 383

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM dinner) 30,000-60,000d; Phuong;curries 10 ÐNguyenTri late-night spot in town, the beer flowsintolate-night spotintown,thebeer low onatmosphere, onflavour. buthigh garden setting. It’sthebestplaceinHuéto garden setting. lar placeoffers romanticdininginalush, leafy An; dishes22,000-85,000d; Restaurant Tropical Garden Entertainment for awinningformula. Whynot,indeed. music, cheap make andapooltable cocktails of things. there inthemiddle isapopularpooltable thetunesmatch themoodandthe night, spots. try these you’re lookingtopartyandplayabitof pool, beers inthecafésalongÐHungVuong.If travellersIn theevenings, gatherover Huda Drinking terrace of atraditionalHuéhome. amongthehuge palmsonthegarden served menuis set ner of aseven-course theCitadel, meal US$8; crates of toalocalclientele. beer and excellentgrilledseafood platform serves street,a quietCitadel thisopen-sideddining 15,000-35,000d; upavarietyof Huéspecialities. serving restaurant cats –thisistheoriginaldeaf-mute dinner) Restaurant Lac Thien NORTH BANK 384 Ngo CoNhan IndianRestaurant Omar Khayyam’s Bar WhyNot? DMZ Bar&Cafe Garden Y Thao between LaosandVietnam. The CROSSING INTOLAOS:LAOBAOTODANSAVANH sive in the longrun.Catch abustoLaoBaoandthen fromtheMandarinandSinhCaféscan bebooked (see p379 ). returning day.These the next busesalsopassthroughHué(US$14toUS$15,add1½hours), and (US$12,7½hours),leavingDongHaat8amevery seconddayandHa hasbusestoSavannakhet a bus or further a busorfurther when full. (10,000d). Oncein Laos, there whichleaves isonlyonepublicbusadaydirect toSavannakhet, other direction, see p324 . ETA OS • Hé CENTRAL COAST ••Hué Travelling independentlyispossiblebutheftyovercharging itmore make willlikely expen- Be deceived notbyneighbouring copy- Be Thisvegetarian-friendly is curryhouse Lao Baoborder h lunch &dinner) Sawngthaew h (

% ( ( % lunch &dinner) %

(44 ÐLe Loi) 824 793;21ÐVoThiSau) 513 399;47ÐNguyenBieu;dishes sawngthaew

(6 ÐDinhTien Hoang; 523 018;3ÐThachHan;set-course h ( Tucked inaquietcor- h from 6.30pm) (pick-up trucks)leave fairly regularly toSepon,fromwhere youcan get ( % 7-11am &1-6pm) Longtheleading Sittingonstiltsin 847 143;27ÐChuVan Sepon Travel to Savannakhet. For informationoncrossingthisborder inthe toSavannakhet. Thispopu-

Loud rock Loudrock ( % h h 821 616; lunch & lunch & isthemostpopularandleastproblematic landcrossing

( % 855 289;www.sepon.com.vn; 189ÐLe Duan) a coupleof hours before times. flight a shuttle(20,000d)fromitsoffice totheairport, as US$2–askathotels. VietnamAirlinesruns sharearound US$8,although costaslittle taxis and takes about25minutes bycar. Taxi fares are nect HuétobothHanoi andHCMC. adaycon- flights Several handles reservations. Ð NguyenVan Cu; ofThe mainoffice AIR Getting There&Away canbebought. and everything this isHué’slargest market, where anything hundred metres northof TrangTien Bridge, On thenorthbankof theSongHuongafew inflated toaboutfourtimesthereal price. Vietnam, butthepricesquoted are usually of rice-paperandsilkpaintingsavailable in of thelargest andmostbeautifulselections owy scenesof dailylife. It’salsohometoone revealwhich, shad- whenhelduptothelight, hats’, etnam. Thecity’sspecialityis‘poem Hué producesthefinestconical hatsinVi- Shopping Ha (25,000d,1½hours). northerndestinations,includingDong serves Hoa busstation Danang (40,000d,three hours, sixdaily). Thuy Vuong).Thefirst mainstopsouthis (it becomesÐAnDuongVuongand east onthecontinuationof ÐHungVuong is4kmtothesouth- The mainbusstation BUS 7pm nightly). 7pm nightly). catch atraditionalmusicperformance(from Phu Bai airportis13kmsouthofPhu Bai thecentre Dong BaMarket xe om xe (motorbike taxi)totheborder (motorbike h (Hwy 1A) 7.15-11.15am &1.30-4.30pmMon-Sat)

(Ð TranHungDao; Vietnam Airlines Vietnam , northwestof theCitadel, lonelyplanet.com h ( %

inDong 6.30am-8pm) 824 709;23 An

find you when you need them. find youwhenneed vehicles withmeters. Cyclosand the river, atthesouthwestern endof Loi. ÐLe The mostadvancedmedicalfacilityinDanang. Bach Dang) khet, Laos (see theboxed (see text, Laos khet, opposite ). can arrange bookingsforthebustoSavanna- bus routes. Mandarin (see andSinhCafés p379 ) Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Dana Tours TRAVEL AGENCIES postoffices Danang domestic&international POST Vietcombank MONEY Hospital C Danang Family Practice Medical MEDICAL SERVICES Dang. Bach bytheriver onÐ Danang, includingseveral There are internet cafésscattered allover ACCESS INTERNET Information resorts. bridgestree-lined andbeachside boulevards, lot of moneyhasrecently poured been into city withbeautifulbeaches andfinedining.A tral Vietnam,itcombinesthebuzzof abigger of Theeconomicpowerhouse cen- own right. An, Dananghasconsiderablecharm inits largest cityinfavour of nearbyHuéandHoi While mosttouristsneglectVietnam’sfourth- % DANANG 830) from hotels allover town. (US$25 perday,withdriver) canbehired Bicycles (US$1),motorbikes (US$5)and cars Getting Around h Hué trainstation TRAIN exchange travellerscheques,ithasanATM. visa extensions andtreks innearbyBaNaorBach Ma. visa extensions 76 ÐHungVuong; owned clinicscomestoDanang. Ð NguyenVan Linh)OneofVietnam’smosttrustedforeign- Hué isalsoaregular stopontheopen-tour ticket office7.30am-5pm) ticket 0511 /pop1.1million and Mai Linh Mai (BenhVienC; ( % (140 ÐLe Loi)Theonlyplaceintownto h 825 653;www.vietnamwelcomes.com;

(Ga Hué; (Ga

( % Mon-Sat) Offers car hire, boat trips, car hire, boattrips, Mon-Sat) Offers % 898 989) is on the south bank of isonthesouthbankof % 822 480;35ÐHaiPhong) 822 175; 2 Ð Bui Thi Xuan; 822 175;2ÐBuiThiXuan; both have air-con Co DoTaxi ( % 582 700;50-52 CENTRALCOAST ••Danang xe om

( % will (Ð 830 inexplicable kiwilogoandexcessively floral its owners anditsrock-bottom prices. travellers forthefriendlinessandhonestyof areputationdeveloping amongsuperbudget .vn; rUS$15-16; 48ÐPhanChuTrinh; Phap Lam Pagoda.Phap Lam town; it’s justinsidetheentrance gate tothe ity, golf driving range,gymandtwopools. ity, golfdriving sliceofChinaBeach,itfeatureson aprivate adivingfacil- Perched many years,thiswasVietnam’sonlyluxuryresort. 299, dUS$230-322,steUS$575-690; etnam.com; 68ÐHoXuanHuong,MyAnBeach; sUS$207- heading south. home. Take pastFurama thesecondturningon left laid-back, Hoaandhiswife ensure their homeisyour and [email protected]; rU$6)Small-scale,low-key 3000d) Com ChayChuaTinh Hoi Eating Danang Furama Resort Hoa’s Place consideroneof thefollowingplaces. Beach, cluded intheprices. rooms have goodviewsandbreakfast isin- andneartheriver, manyofCathedral the ai [email protected]; 177ÐTranPhu;rUS$25-30,steUS$40; have large cornerbathtubs. excellent English and someof theamplerooms atBinhDuongspeaks stayers, thefriendlystaff Phu; rUS$15-25; clean rooms. thisinner-citysheets, hotel offers good-value .ca; 105ÐTranPhu;rUS$3-9; Hotel Travel Minh Sleeping beforehand. trance; shouldyouhire one,agree onafee just forthis. nam, andit’sworththedetourtoDanang pieces comefromChamsites allover Viet- sandstone intricately carved earth. These of Cham sculpture tobefoundanywhere on thefinestcollection breezy buildinghouses Dang; admission30,000d; Sculpture Danang’s jewelisthefamed Sights &Activities Bao Ngoc Hotel Bao NgocHotel Bamboo Green Harbourside Bamboo Green Binh Duong en- Guides hangoutatthemuseum’s If you’dlike easyaccess tonearbyChina Knownforthebest vegetarian foodin ) Inagoodlocationopposite Danang (Bao Tang Cham;cnrÐTrungNuVuong &ÐBach ( % ai

( 969 216;MyAnBeach; % (

% 821 930;fax827666;32-34ÐTran ( % ) Popular withlonger-term h 817 711;[email protected] (574 Ð Ong Ich Khiem; dishesfrom (574 ÐOngIchKhiem; (

812 661;mtjraymond@yahoo % a 7am-5pm) 847 888;www.furamavi ) Thistinyplaceis

( ais % ai Museum of Museum Cham . Thissmall, 822 722;bamboo ) Withan ) For

385 VIETNAM VIETNAM ὄὄ ὄὄ ὄὄ

VIETNAM 386 4 6 1 3 2 5 DANANG Thanh Binh ETA OS • Dnn CENTRAL COAST ••Danang otOfc...... D3 Post Office...... Vietnam Airlines...... Pacific Airlines...... Kitsch stores...... Camel Club...... Christie's CoolSpot...... Com ChayChuaTinhHoi...... Bread ofLife...... Apsara...... Minh TravelHotel...... Binh Duong...... Bao NgocHotel...... Bamboo GreenHarbourside...... Museum ofChamSculpture...... Vietcombank...... Lao Consulate...... Hospital C...... Danang FamilyMedicalPractice... Dana Tours...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION

Nguyen Tat Thanh Beach Ð Tran Cao Van Danang

Ð Dinh Tien Hoang Bay of Danang AC Hué (109km) Hai VanPass(29km); National Highway1A(4km); Local BusStations(2km); To DanangIntercity&

Ð Le Duan Ð Ong Ich Khiem Ich Ong Ð

Ð Hai Phong

Ð Pham Ngu Lao

19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Ð Cao Thang Cao Ð

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Ð Ong Ich Khiem Ich Ong Ð D3 B5 C4 C1 D4 B5 D4 D5 D3 D2 C4 D4 D5 C3 C1 B3 B5 D4 Airport (2km) International To Danang

Ð Nguyen Van Linh

B 14 Khiem Ich Ong Ð 3 Stadium 2 Danang 18

Ð Hung Vuong Ð Trieu Nu Vuong Nu Trieu Ð ὈὈ

Ð Hoang Dieu Tu Gia Ngo Ð

Ð Huynh Thuc Khang

Ð Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Minh Thi Nguyen Ð Ð Phan Chu Trinh Duong Dinh Le Ð

Ð Pasteur Ð Hoang Van Thu Van Hoang Ð 9 17

6 Ð Trung Nu Vuong Loi Le Ð

Ð Ly Thuong Kiet

Ð Tran Qui Cap Ð Tran Quoc Toan Quoc Tran Ð Ð Phan Chu Trinh Ð

Ð Nguyen Thai Hoc Thai Nguyen Ð Ð Pham Hong Thai Hong Pham Ð

Ὀ

Dong

Ð Nguyen Chi Thanh Chi Nguyen Ð Ð Le Hong Phong Hong Le Ð

Ð Nguyen Chi Thanh Ð Le Duan

4 Ð Thai Phien Thai Ð

Ð Nguyen Du Da

Ð Ly Tu Trong

Ð Phan Dinh Phung Dinh Phan Ð Ð Hung Vuong Hung Ð

Ð Quang Trung Ð Co Giang Co Ð 400m 0.2miles 0 0

To HoChiMinhMuseum(1km); Ð Yen Bay Furama ResortDanang(5km); 12 1 Marble Mountains (10km); 7 Danang Waterpark(2km); 10 Hoa's Place(7km);

13 Hoi An(29km) Phu Tran Ð

Ð Tran Phu

8 Phu Thu Phu Ð Pham Ð Dang Bach Ð lonelyplanet.com 19 11 D Ð Bach Dang 5 Beach (2km); Nui SonTra Han River Song Han Bridge To China (4km) downstairs bar is the place to meet USwar downstairs baristheplacetomeet Airport Taxi Airport has abookingoffice situated intown.Both h beautiful peoplecomeforheavy beats. Buses runtoHanoiBuses (87,000d,16hours), Hué sion 20,000d; deaf staff andgives apercentage ofdeaf staff profits or acoffee andcake, thislittlecaféemploys A great spotforaWestern-style breakfast 10,000d, breakfast 20,000d; lonelyplanet.com taking asanexcursiontaking initself. Hué isone of thebest inthecountry– worth Reunification Express byall Ð HoangHoaTham. Danangisserved 1.5km fromthecity centre on ÐHai Phong at Danang. HoiAnand (US$2)runningbetween buses can alsoarrange passage onopen-tour mini- willcostalittleextra. Traveltains agencies (around US$6).AstopattheMarble Moun- agency, orafriendlyneighbourhood a car(aroundUS$10),fromlocaltravel six hours). (22,000d, three hours) andQuyNhon(65,000d, to theairport. meters. It costsabout 20,000dforthetrip provide modernvehicles withair-con and ( Danang. schedule serving .com; 35ÐTranPhu) Airlines Vietnam HongKongandSingapore.tions toBangkok, Danang international airporthasconnec- Getting There&Away Western comfortfood. serves American WarinVietnam.Christie’salso morethe Iraqwariseven pointless thanthe veterans and jointheirdebates aboutwhether CoolSpot Christie’s Drinking &Entertainment décor andlive traditionalmusic. –withCham-influenced atmospheric setting agoodwinelistandan lent food,great service, hasexcel- ing experienceinDanang,Apsara Tran Phu;mealsUS$15; to charity. % Bread ofLife Bread Danang train station (Ga Da Nang)isabout Danang trainstation Apsara 7-11am &1-5pm) To get toHoiAn,yourbestbetishire The Club Camel 886 799;www.pacificairlines.com.vn; 6ÐLe Loi) Danang intercity busstation Danang intercity ( %

h ( %

561 409;www.apsara-danang.com; 222Ð ( 7pm-1am) % ( 272 727)

CENTRALCOAST ••AroundDanang % is3kmfromthecitycentre. hasanextensive domestic ( ( 887 462; 16 Ð Ly Thuong Kiet; admis- 887 462;16ÐLyThuongKiet; % h % 893 456; 215 Ð Tran Phu; cakes 893 456;215ÐTranPhu;cakes 821 130;www.vietnamairlines lunch &dinner) Thisiswhere Danang’s 824 040;112ÐTranPhu) and h trains.Thetrainride to breakfast &lunchMon-Sat) VN Taxis Pacific Airlines Thebestdin- (Ð Dien Bien Phu; (Ð DienBienPhu;

( % 525 252) xe om also The

Serious problems shouldbeaddressed inDanang. Serious Hoi Anpolice station Hoi AnHospital EMERGENCY Information town, plusHoiAnisagastronomic treat. Cham ruinsmake excellentexpeditionsoutof site architecture alone;thenearbybeach and 150 years ago. haveit’s easytoimaginehowitmight looked and art.Roamingthenarrowlanesatnight, tures inlocalarchitecture are wellpreserved Japanesefrom Chinese, andEuropeancul- port asfarbackthe17thcentury.Influences traders knewit–wasaninternational trading River, HoiAn–orFaifo, asearlyWestern ontheThuBon thatisHoiAn.Set seum Step back intimeanddiscover thelivingmu- % HOI AN in eitherlocation. andit’seasytofindonwardtransport Beach, entrance totheMarble and China Mountains Danang andHoiAncandropyouoffatthe winter, sotake care. worst inthe mean undertowatChinaBeach, isatitscalmest.There’sJuly, whenthesea a The besttimeforswimmingisfromMay to toDecember.cent swellfrommid-September beach towel. are countlessspotstoexplore orspread your thetwo andinbetween Non NuocBeach, vendors. Opposite theMarble is Mountains ingly hasbeachside restaurants androving iswelltouristed andaccord- Beach My Khe Nearestble Mountains. tocentralDanang, stretching 30kmnorthandsouthof theMar- ofAmerican War,isactuallyaseries beaches R’n’R hang-outforUSsoldiers duringthe the climb. and surroundingcountryside,it’swellworth landings withstunningviewsof theocean apicturesquesanctuaries, pagodaandscenic caves sheltering smallHinduandBuddhist crops thatwere onceislands.Withnatural h mense About 10kmsouthof Danangare theim- AROUND DANANG Hoi An’scharms aren’t limited toitsexqui- runningbetween andminibuses Buses Beach China For surfers, China Beach’s breakFor surfers, gets ChinaBeach’s ade- 0510 /pop75,800 7am-5pm) Marble Mountains Marble , consistingof five marbleout- ( ( NonNuoc),onceanBai % 861 364;10ÐTranHung Dao) ( % 861 204;84 ÐHoangDieu)

(admission 15,000d;

387 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 388 0 200 m HOI AN 0 0.1 miles ETA OS • HiA CENTRAL COAST ••HoiAn

To Northern Bus Station (400m); To Chuc Thanh Pagoda (1km); Marble Mountains (12km); Phuoc Lam Pagoda (1.3km) Danang (30km); My Son (35km) Ð Le Ho ng P 21 Ð hon g N Ð h Hoi An i Tr T an Church ru C ng ao V an Ð Ly Thuong Kiet

o T Ð g Ba n 20 T o r u ie r u T

n Ð Thai Ph e ien y u g

Ð 31 To Thanh Ha 1 (2km) 4 Ð Tran Hung Dao Ð Nguyen To Cua Dai Ð Hung 38 Beach (5km); Vuong War Ð Cua Dai Victoria Hoi An Ba 15 Resort (5km) Memorial 3 Le Well Ð

Ba Trung

Hué o Church a n g

Ð Hai Ð Phan Chu D Trinh i e 8 Ð u N 27 gu Loi u ye 30 2 uy Hie n 12 uyen D Th 7 Ð Ng i M 10 6 i Ð Le 16 nh 37 hu K Ð Hoang Van T Tran P 5 hai 9 Ð 28 au i Ch 17 35 26 18 n Bo 36 11 Central Pha 22 33 Market Ð Ð Nguyen Thai Hoc 23 14 29 25 32 13

hu Ð B ach Dang 24 Boat 34 Cam Landing Nam An Hoi Thu Bon River Bridge

Peninsula lonelyplanet.com

19 Cam Nam Island CAM NAM VILLAGE as goodany. per hr4000d)AccessisslowthroughoutHoiAn,butthis credit-card cashadvancesandhaveATMs. These brancheschangecashandtravellerscheques,make lonelyplanet.com tional musical concertorstage play. Youcan culture’‘intangible option, such as a tradi- choice of heritage sites to visit,includingan architecture. Buyingthe ticket gives youa of thetown’shistoric funding thepreservation charges anadmission towards fee, which goes age Site, Having namedaUnescoWorldHerit-been HOI ANOLDTOWN Sights at night. should have afriendwalkhomewiththem their hotels Lonewomen andassaulted. rare) reports of womenbeingfollowedto your own.There have (extremely alsobeen avoidBy night, walkingaroundthisarea on in theisolated, unlitmarket are ontherise. hour. bag-snatchings late-night However, For themostpart,HoiAnisvery safe atany Dangers &Annoyances postoffice Main POST Incombank MONEY Hoi AnOldTown RESOURCESINTERNET Computer Min’s ACCESSINTERNET Ð NgoGiaTu. A handylittlewebsiteontheinsandoutsofHoiAn. SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Min's Computer...... Main PostOffice...... Incombank...... Hoi AnPoliceStation...... Hoi AnHospital...... Tan KyHouse...... Rainbow Divers...... Quan CongTemple...... Old Houseat103TranPhu...... Museum ofTradingCeramics... Japanese CoveredBridge...... Hoi AnOldTownBoothB...... Hoi AnOldTownBoothA...... ChineseCongregation...... Assembly HalloftheFujian Hoi AnOldTown ( % ( 861 261;4ÐHoangDieu&9Le Loi) (www.hoianworldheritage.org) (www.hoianworldheritage.org) (48 ÐTranHungDao)Atthecornerof % CENTRALCOAST ••HoiAn 914 323; 125 Ð Nguyen Duy Hieu; 914 323;125ÐNguyenDuyHieu;

(admission 75,000d) 11 10 14 13 12 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C3 C3 D3 C3 C3 B3 D3 C3 D3 E3 D2 C2 D3 D2 Pho HoiRiversideResort...... House...... Minh AAncientLodging Life ResortHoiAn...... Ha AnHotel...... Green FieldHotel...... Green Moss...... Good MorningVietnam...... Dac SanHoiAn...... Cargo Club...... Café desAmis...... Brothers Café...... Vinh Hung1Hotel...... Thien ThanhHotel...... Thien NgaHotel...... EATING SLEEPING now nese boat. nese skin of and thereplica thestatuary, of aChi- elaborate mural,theunhealthy red orgreen in FujianProvince inChina. Checkoutthe temple toworship ThienHau, adeity born the halllatercommunity meetings; became a gation or denythisstory). the otherbydogs(neitherpairwill confirm thus oneentranceisguardedby monkeys, monkey andfinished in the yearof thedog; bridge’s constructionbeganintheyearof the northern side. Accordingtoonestory,the for shelter andasmalltemple builtintoits constructed in1593.Thebridge hasaroof Khai) ÐTranPhu&NguyenThiMinh Vien Kieu; French andEnglish. has lived here generations –speaks forseven family private home, andtheowner–whose thearchitecture.throughout isa Thehouse influencesare andChinese evidenced nese merchant.belonged Japa- toaVietnamese fromthe19thcentury,which oncehouse h ing theplatforminfrontof QuanCong. yard. Shoes should beremoved before mount- rain spoutsontheroof surroundingthecourt- aswellcarp-shapedmâché andgiltstatues, Quan Congandhassomewonderfulpapier- to allthesites. booths willalsoget youanintroductoryguide sive; buyingaticket attheHoiAnOldTown buying theticket. sites, payingasyougo,without also visitthese The Tan KyHouse Temple Cong Quan This listof sites isbynomeanscomprehen- The 8am-noon &2-4.30pm)

( h Assembly Hallofthe FujianAssembly ChineseCongre- Japanese Covered Bridge Japanese Covered 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 7.30am-noon &2-5.30pm) E3 C3 C3 C3 D4 E3 C3 B1 B2 E4 D3 E3 E3 F2 Hoi AnBusStation...... Reaching Out...... (see25) Treat's Café...... Tam Cafe&Bar...... Lounge Bar...... Club Salsa...... Before &Now...... Restaurant Café96...... Restaurant...... Omar Khayyam'sIndian Mermaid Restaurant...... Mango Rooms...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING DRINKING ( % (24ÐTranPhu) 861 474;101ÐNguyenThaiHoc; is a lovingly preserved isalovingly preserved wasfoundedfor isdedicated to (CauNhatBan/Lai 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29

was

389 A2 C3 C3 C3 B4 C3 C3 C2 D3 C3 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 4.30pm) Ð Le Loi) starts at8.45amand finishes at1pm. starts Hoi An.The classcosts235,000d perperson; it the river toitsrelaxing retreat about 4kmfrom the market, down andisfollowed byacruise hoian.com) your labour. then get tositdownandenjoythe fruitsof andthebestpartisthat you cooking classes, nity here. Many of thepopulareateries offer cuisinewillfindampleopportu- Vietnamese mands whowanttotake astep furtherinto Hoi Anis foodie heaven, andbuddinggour- Courses Park. ChamMarineyou canbookdives forCuLao Divers Rainbow DIVING Activities noted for arts andcrafts. Namvillage,bridge alovely toCam spotalso Hoang Van Nam Thudock).CrosstheCam building industries(take aboatfromtheÐ andboat- people engaged inthewoodcarving many KimIsland,wheresula isCam yousee mat-weaving factories.Southof thepenin- Hoi Peninsula, noted foritsboatfactoryand Cross theAnHoifootbridge toreach theAn shops are manufactured innearbyvillages. All neatfakethose antiquessoldinHoi An’s ARTS &CRAFTS VILLAGES about 500m. pathfor To andturnleft.Followthesandy all thewaytoendof ÐNguyenTruong older. tobeeven gong, said Toget here, go two centuriesold,andacarp-shapedwooden areobjects stillinuse astonegong,which is pagoda inHoiAn.Amongtheantiqueritual was foundedin1454,makingittheoldest tic shopwhere womenmake silklanterns. wooden frontandshutters; inside isaneclec- h courtyard. above that’sset mosaic thepondininner Inparticular,noticethegreatlightful. ceramic of TradingCeramics ceramics of theDaiVietperiod, 390 Chuc Thanh Pagoda The Showcasing acollectionof blue-and-white Red Bridge Cooking School Cooking Bridge Red 8am-noon &2-4.30pm) ETA OS • HiA CENTRAL COAST ••HoiAn isinasimplyrestored it’sde- house; has an office intheOldTown,where hasanoffice Old House at 103 Tran Phu Old Houseat103TranPhu runs a course that starts withatrip to runsacourse thatstarts

( % (80ÐTranPhu; 911 123; www.divevietnam.com; 98 911 123;www.divevietnam.com;

(Khu Vuc7,Tan(Khu An; ispicturesque withits

( % h 933 222;www.visit (103 ÐTranPhu; 8am-noon &2- h 8am-6pm) Museum Museum

favourite thatkeeps getting better, thislittle .vnn.vn; rUS$10-20; 52ÐBaTrieu; .com; 16 Ð Ba Trieu; rUS$15-35; .com; 16ÐBaTrieu; breakfast. rooms,aswimmingpoolandfreefortable place isterrific value,offering clean,com- rooms. Bookahead,astherea museum. are onlythree aB&Band wooden homeisacrossbetween acter, thissplendid180-year-old traditional Nguyen ThaiHoc;rUS$8-12; few years. options after abuildingboomover thepast Little HoiAnisawashwithaccommodation Sleeping the lantern-lit streets inthetowncentre. tional food,songanddance,gamesalong festiveto 10pm.These feature evenings tradi- (full moon)of lunarmonthfrom5.30pm every Night Legendary An Hoi Festivals &Events see opposite . desAmis(US$20);supplement) andCafé Moss themenuandpay aUS$2 off (choose 96(perperson 50,000d),Green Café taurant setting. behind, but themajority have a picturesque town. Thecheaper rooms are inthe oldblock south bankof the river hasthebestviews in US$60-70; versidehoian.com; T1,CamNamVillage;rUS$15-65, bungalow other branches withswimmingpools. American roomswhilefilmingscenesin these twoof used tiful canopybeds.Michael Caine rooms are decorated withantiquesandbeau- theatmospheric tradinghouse, sic Chinese .vnn.vn; 143ÐTranPhu;rUS$15-45; andaswimmingpool. a pooltable include afree free ‘happyhour’cocktail, wi-fi, the roomshere are andperks comfortable ais .greenfieldhotel.com; 423ÐCuaDai;dmUS$5,rUS$15-40; back andfriendlyhotel. Pluswi-fi. views over thericepaddiesatthissmart,laid- rooms have breezy balconiesatthebackwith Pho Hoi Riverside Resort HoiRiverside Pho Hung1Hotel Vinh FieldGreen Hotel House AAncientLodging Minh More canbefoundatRes- informalclasses Thien Thanh Hotel Hotel Thanh Thien NgaHotel Thien ais ) . Ifthishotel’s full,there are several Painted aluridrice-paddygreen, Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com

( Thissprawlingplace onthe %

) (Dong XanhHotel; (

( % takes place on the 14th day takes placeonthe14thday % 916 330;thiennga_hotel@pmail a 916 545;www.bluesky-hoian ais 861 621;quanghuy.ha@dng ( Brimming withchar-

) % ais ai 862 628;www.phohoiri ( % % Set inaclas- Set Mostof the ) ) 863 484;www 861 368;2Ð The Quiet ) Anold 7000-60,000d) greens, topped with pork slices and served in greens, toppedwithporkslicesandserved dles mixed withcroutons,beansproutsand lush garden. French, ina andsoon),allset oneChinese strip of buildingsisbuiltinHoiAnstyle(one ofhotel, withadose decorative flair. This Phan BoiChau;rUS$30-50; lonelyplanet.com pastries downstairs and distinguisheddining 18,000-70,000d) ‘white rose’. rolls withnoodles andherbs,itsexcellent ies, thisisstillafavourite foritsfriedspring 18,000-68,000d) grilled fishwrappedinbananaleaf. signers socrave. Thefoodissublime–try the perfectly decrepit lookWestern interior de- 10,000-35,000d) options. mix of Asian dishes withplentyof vegetarian atasty Green Mossserves colonial-era house, dishes 10,000-30,000d) a viewof oneof HoiAn’sniceststreets. lau banh xeo greatHoi Anspecialities),thisplacedoes with shrimp. apetite‘white steamed rose’, dumplingstuffed culinary specialitiesare friedwonton,and well.Theothertwo Le must comefromBa in HoiAn,asthewater for a savoury broth.Thereal dealisonlyavailable sure totry ties. Be threedelights, of which are townspeciali- Hoi An’srestaurants burst withgastronomic Eating infinity pool. erside frontage, lushgardensandastunning Life ResorthasaprimeFrench Quarter riv- The mostluxuriousoptionincentralHoiAn, 1 ÐPhamHongThai;rUS$159,steUS$182-308; wi-fi. for theprice,includingalarge poolandfree boasts allthestylishfacilitiesyou’dexpect Sitting onahuge sliceof beach, thisresort rUS$121-202,steUS$242; toriahotels-asia.com; Ha AnHotel Mermaid Restaurant Mermaid 96 Café Restaurant Moss Green HoiAn Life Resort Cargo Club Cargo Dac SanHoiAn HoiAnResort Victoria and ‘white rose’. The upstairs balconyhas Theupstairs and‘white rose’. (Vietnamese rice-flour(Vietnamese crepe), Truetoitsname(translatingas Oneof theoriginalHoiAneater-

Thisriverside restaurant hasthe ( % Choose frommouth-wateringChoose (

% ( CENTRALCOAST ••HoiAn % 910 489;107ÐNguyenThai Hoc;dishes

( Housed inalovely Housed French- % 863 728; 155 Ð Nguyen Duy Hieu; 863 728;155ÐNguyenDuyHieu;

( ( % 863 126;[email protected]; 6-8Ð % cao lau, (

861 533;89ÐTranPhu;dishes % a 914 555; www.life-resorts.com; 914 555;www.life-resorts.com; 910 441;96ÐBachDang;dishes

( % 861 527;2ÐTranPhu;dishes ) AFrench Quarter 0510-927 040;www.vic doughy flatnoo- doughy cao lau

ais ais noodles cao cao

) ) The mainstay ofThe mainstay nightlife inHoiAnisthis the finestFrench-colonial buildingsintown, curry connoisseurs, with plenty of vegetarian options. curry connoisseurs,withplentyofvegetarian 24 ÐTranHungDao;dishes30,000-80,000d)Theplacefor serve thebestpizzasandpastasintown. serve mains 38,000-105,000d)Italianownersandchefs, they night bar in town. Cool cocktails and top barintown. Coolcocktails night awakens, Club Salsa to sleep, An goes two-for-one spiritsand bargain beer. 4pmand9pmincludes happy hourbetween regularly fulltobursting. Theoh-so-happy backpacker barof oldHoi An,thisplaceis to Marilynfrom Marx Monroe. are plastered inpop-artportraitsof everyone ticularly given theBritpop playlist.Thewalls bar wouldn’tbeoutof placeinLondon,par- terrace accent thisconverted ancienthouse. andacoolupstairs ish silk-cushioned seating on thebalcony. enjoy over agameof pooloranintimate chat best margaritas are madehere, which youcan restoredthoughtfully tea warehouse. HoiAn’s Tam Tam &Bar Cafe Drinking Good MorningVietnam IndianRestaurant Omar Khayyam’s garden. Drop byforadrinkinthegorgeous riverside the attention isperfect. todesignerdetail dishes US$6-12) inventive cocktails. prominently inthefood,aswell here. Tropicalfruitsand fresh herbsfeature Mick Jagger culinarysatisfaction seeking sine hasspread farandwide–witheven forlively cui- tation modernVietnamese mains 85,000-145,000d) a vegetarian option. ing thatday.It’salwaysdeliciousandthere’s is whatever thechef, MrKim,feels like cook- decade. There’s nomenu. Five-course dinner has earnedaloyalfollowingover thepast menu 90,000d; French, andThai. Vietnamese Italian, ing theriver. Themenu’saneclecticmixof upstairs, withabalconyterrace overlook- Club Salsa Café Treat’s &Now Before Lounge Bar Brothers Café desAmis Café Other international spots: Rooms Mango

h (Pho NguyenPhucChu) Looking like inoneof afilmset, ( %

( (

dinner) (

% % % ( ( % % 910 480;102ÐNguyenThaiHoc) ( % 910 599;51ÐLe Loi) 861 616;52ÐBachDang;5-courseset 861 125;158ÐTranPhu) Thisrestaurant’s repu- Thislittleriverside eatery 914 150;27-29ÐPhanBoiChau; 910 839;111ÐNguyenThaiHoc; ( 862 212;110ÐNguyenThaiHoc) % 910 227;34ÐLe Loi; As much of Hoi ( Thisswanky % 864 538; the The Styl- 391 late-

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM An forabout 5km. crowded. April andOctober. Weekends canget alittle and fresh Swimmingisbestbetween seafood. give shelter androamingvendors drinks sell Palm-thatchlegendary ChinaBeach. huts way toDanangwhere it’smarketed asthe This beautiful stretch of runsallthe sand Cua DaiBeach AROUND HOIAN US$1 perday. hotels alsooffer bicyclesforhire foraround a driver are aroundUS$6/10perday.Many side allthetouristhotels. Priceswithout/with Motorbike drivers waittosolicit businessout- Metered are taxis available toget tothebeach. Getting Around both inDanang. US$8, 11to12hours). (US$3, fourhours) orNhaTrang(US$6to toorfromHué it’s easytopickupaservice and otherpointsnorth. from here gotoDanang(8000d,onehour) Vuong) The main Getting There&Away artisans. profits goingtowardsassistingdisabled your dong.It’safair-trade giftshop with h side of theJapanese Covered Bridge. teresting artgalleries,especiallyonthewest and silklanterns. Other hotitems includehandmadeshoes tunicandtrousers).ditional Vietnamese can whipupacustom-tailored more shops intownthat than200tailor is oneof HoiAn’sbesttrades,andthere are clampdowns ontouts.Tailor-made clothing shop,despite periodicto her‘auntie’s’tailor you byayounggirltaking with sweetness An, youmayfindyourselfstrong-armed get youeven Before yourbearingsinHoi Shopping crowd. Analternative awaits. sunrise tunes ensure thisplacealwaysdrawsalively 392 To get here, take ÐCuaDaieastout of Hoi The nearest are airportandtrainstation A regular stopontheopen-bus route, Reaching Out Reaching Hoi Analsoboastsagrowingarrayof in- 7.30am-9.30pm) OT-ETA OS • NaTag COAST ••NhaTrang SOUTH-CENTRAL is1kmwestof thecentre of town.Buses Hoi Anbusstation

( Thisisagreat placetospend % 862 460;103ÐNguyenThaiHoc;

( % 861 284;96ÐHung ao dai (tra- 309; admission60,000d; before hitting thebars later. ing whethertohave orapedicure amassage inhand,contemplat-by thewater, cocktail ideaof isreclining whose paradise for those Ne have becomethefavoured destinations in thispartof Vietnam.NhaTrang andMui Undeniably, thebeach isthebigattraction SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST groups, orlater intheafternoon. early (preferably predawn) thetour tobeat own, hire amotorbike, Hoi Anbyboat.Ifyouwanttovisitonyour ing admission, and there are alsotrips backto ranged inHoiAnforabout US$3,notinclud- of HoiAn.Daytours toMySoncanbear- in theMekong region. the longest periodof of development anycity tury andwasoccupieduntilthe13thcentury– under KingBhadravarman inthelate 4thcen- MySonbecameareligiousMountain). centre and themassive Tooth HonQuap(Cat’s nestled inalush valleysurroundedbyhills Unesco WorldHeritage Site. Theruinsare inthearea,most stunningsights andanother The ancient Cham cityof My Son visitors is loungingaround ondeckchairs at But undeniably, themainattraction formost scuba diving,tomud baths andhistoricsites. cupied –fromisland-hopping boattripsand dealers. aspimpsand tomoonlight of whomseem hasslesfrom constant anywhere intheworld,ifitweren’t forthe Entering thissheltered enclave youcouldbe ist shops, bars andinternational restaurants. blocksofencompassing several hotels, tour- ful beach. TheotherisaWestern resort town withaccesstoabeauti- commerce butblessed cityhummingwith is abustlingVietnamese Nha Tranghasasplitpersonality. Onehalf % NHA TRANG independently minded. empty beaches tobeexplored bythemore ful coastiswonderfullyoverlooked –leaving twomainenclaves,these therest of thebeauti- Nha Trangoffers plentytokeep touristsoc- With mostvisitors notventuring outsideof The ruinsare ascenic35kmtripsouthwest 058 /pop315,200 h 6.30am-4pm) xe om xe om My Son lonelyplanet.com or car. Get here here Get car. or drivers, many is one of the

( % 0501-731 ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ lonelyplanet.com 4 6 1 3 2 5 NHA TRANG

9 Ð 23 Thang 10 Thang 23 Ð SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Sao MaiHotel...... Phu QuyHotel...... Perfume GrassInn...... Nha TrangBeachHotel...... Mai Huy...... Asia ParadiseHotel...... AP Hotel...... Sailing Club...... Rainbow Divers...... Octopus Diving...... Mana BeachClub...... (see33) Mama Linh'sBoatTours...... (see30) Long SonPagoda...... La LouisianeCafé...... (see33) Buddha...... Blue DivingClub...... Vietcombank...... Vietcombank...... Sinh Cafe...... Shorty's CaféBar...... Post Office...... Mama Linh...... (see30) D2 Main PostOffice......

Ho ChiMinhCity(448km) Phan Rang(104km); Lien TinhBusStation; Highway 1ASouthbound; To National

8 Phuong Sai Phuong Ð Le Hong Phong Hong Le Ð AC SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST ••NhaTrang SOUTH-CENTRAL Nha Trang Ὀ Ὀ Thap BaHotSpringCenter(3km); To PoNagarChamTowers(1km); Hon ChongPromontory(1.6km);

NationalHwy1ANorthbound Ð Thai Nguyen Thai Ð To HaRaBridge(50m); La PalomaHotel(2km);

19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Ð Thong Nhat 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Ð Hoang Van Thu D6 C5 D5 D6 D6 D5 C5 D6 D5 D5 A2 A2 D6 D5 C2 C5 D5 D4 Nha Trang Cathedral uv...... D5 Guava...... TRANSPORT DRINKING EATING Vietnam Airlines...... Sailing Club...... Louisiane Brewhouse...... Crazy KimBar...... Truc Linh2...... Thanh Cafe...... Same ButDifferentCafé.. Pho Cali...... Le PetitBistro...... Lac CanhRestaurant...... El Coyote...... Dam Market...... Café desAmis...... Bo De...... (see20) Banana SplitCafés...... Au Lac...... B

Ð Nguyen Trai Ð Tran Qui Cap Ὀ Ὀ Ð Le Thanh Phuong Thanh Le Ð

Ð Tran Nguyen Han Ð 2 Thang 4 Ð 2 Thang 4 Thang 2 Ð Ð Yet Kieu Yet Ð

Area NotOpen Ð Ly Thanh Ton

to Public Ton Thanh Le Ð

21 Trung Quang

Ð Ngu

Ð Nguyen Trung Truc Trung Nguyen Ð yen Ð Nguyen Hong Son

5 Th Ð Nguyen Cong Tru

Ὀ 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20

ai Ð Yersin Ð

C6 D6 D6 D5 C5 C4 D6 D6 D6 C1 D5 C1 D5 C2 C3 Hoc 23 Stadium Ð Phan Chu Trinh Ð Phan Boi Chau

Ð To Hien Thanh Ð Hang Ð

29 Cau DaDock(3km);Village (3km); Ð Nguyen Thien Thuat Thien Nguyen Ð 20

Ð Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Ca National Oceanographic Museum(3km);

400m 0.2miles 0 0

Ð Nguyen Chanh Tr Ð

Ð Hoang Hoa Tham Vuong Nu ng Resort (900m);ConSeTre(1km); Phung Dinh Ð

18 Ð Ly Tu Trong Tu Ly Ð

35 Ð Biet Thu River Cai 25 4 30

Ð NguyenBinhKhiem

11 Vuong Hung Ð Park (500m);AnaMandara Quyen Ngo Ð ὄὄ ὄὄ ὄὄ ὄὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ ὄ

24 Ð Tran Hung Dao Ð Le Loi Le Ð 19 28

32 Ð Pasteur BaoDai'sVillas (6km) 1 Ð Trang Quang Khai 26 14 6 2 To PhuDongWater 17 3 27 Bridge (300m) 10 Ð Tue Tinh 22 To TranPhu 15 Ð Tran Phu 16 7 D Beach Nha Trang S OUTH C HINA S EA 34

393 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM lers chequesandhaveATMs. Quang Trung; Vuong; open-tour buses. bargainbasementlocaltoursaswell Biet Thu)Offers Buddha, you toocancontemplate theviewof nearthe Buddha visible fromtown. Seated hill, behind thepagoda,isGiant Seated still hasresident monks.Atthetopof the Founded inthelate 19thcentury, thepagoda dragons covered withglassand ceramictile. h (Chua Tinh Hoa;Ð23Thang10;admissionfree; HoiKhanh hill offers blueviewsof theharbourbelow. Nha Trangontheleftbankof River. theCai The mission 4500d; worship, the byHindusfor site used the7thand12thcenturiesona Built between Sights thecoast. cruise instigated byquick-witted workinggirlswho heard countlessreports of rip-offs, mostly off thebeachadvice istostay after dark.We’ve be very careful onthebeachThebest atnight. NhaTrangisgenerallyThough asafe place, Dangers &Annoyances Sinh Café Linh Mama TRAVEL AGENCIES Post office postoffice Main POST Vietcombank MONEY in manyhotels andtravellers cafés. cafés allover town,andyoucanalsoget online Nha Tranghasdozensof designated internet ACCESSINTERNET Bar Café Shorty’s BOOKSHOPS Information Western-style comfort. a beachfront in baranddrinkingcocktails 394 around theprovinceandintohighlands. Linhcanalsoarrangetrips Known foritsboattours,Mama hand books,mostlyinEnglish,plusabar. The impressively adorned sunrise-sunset) OT-ETA OS • NaTag COAST ••NhaTrang SOUTH-CENTRAL h ( Mon-Fri); Mon-Fri); % ( ( % h h %

Ð HungVuong 524 329;sinhcafé[email protected]; 10Ð Po NagarChamTowers 823 866;50ÐLe ThanhTon) Mon-Fri) Bothbranchesexchangetravel- Mon-Fri) 6am-6pm) 522 844;fax845;23CÐBietThu) ( isdecorated withmosaic % ( % Ð QuangTrung 821 271;4ÐLe Loi) 524 057;1EÐBietThu)Second- are 2kmnorthof central ( linga % 524 500;5ÐHung ( % (phallic symbols) (phallic symbols) Long Son Pagoda 822 720;17Ð (Ð 2Thang4;ad-

The nineoutlying islands of NhaTrang ISLANDS withislandviewsandlocalcolour.pensating lacking thepedicures andmassages,butcom- The promontoryborders arusticbeach cove granite rocksjuttingintotheSouthChinaSea. central NhaTrang,isasceniccollectionof patronising therestaurant, bakery orbar. pool andbeach chairs here inexchange for theswimmingbeach club.Guestscanuse Phu; beachfront. and strollers alongmostof NhaTrang’s6km Coconut palmsprovide shelter forsunbathers BEACHES tres north of theOceanographicInstitute. Thevillasare hundred several China Sea. me- with asceniclunch spotoverlooking theSouth 10pm) life. ofsentatives squirming sea French-colonial building,are colourfulrepre- guide30,000d; speaking Nghiem CuuBien; of thetrainstation. Nha Trang.Thepagodaisabout 500mwest January is theworst timeof year).There are (late October toearly depending ontheseason averages 15m,butcanbeas much as 30m, with around25dive sites inthearea. Visibility Nha TrangisVietnam’spremier divinglocale, DIVING Activities Hon Tam andHon Mot. great snorkelling anddivingoff HonMun, Tre Con Se the daytripsorovernight tripshere offered by the island,butit’salsorecommended totake atthenorthernend of Tru(TruBeach) to Bai largest islandinthearea. Youcanget boats (Ebony Island)orHonYen (SwallowIsland). dle yououttothenearbyislandsof HonMun you canrent orhire canoes, someone topad- TriNguyen). Fromthere,aquarium (HoCa (Mieu Island)that’salsoabeautifuloutdoor can joinadaytourvisitingfourislands. beckon offshore. ForaslittleUS$6, you Idyllic HonTre Island)isthe (Bamboo Stylish Bao Dai’sVillas Hon ChongPromontory,1.8kmnorthof Swimming inthe There’s aworkingfish farmonHonMieu h are worth roamingonaslowafternoon, 7am-midnight)

( % La LouisianeCafé % /fax 527522;100/16ÐTranPhu)

(Biet ThuCauDa; 590 036;adult/child10,000/5000d,English- resembles aWestern-style h Oceanographic Institute 7.30am-noon &1-4.30pm) ( % % lonelyplanet.com 812 948;29ÐTran 590 148; . There’s h (Vien

8am- ,

a Divers setsthestandardfordivinginVietnam. Stein,Rainbow Jeremy 90A HungVuong)RunbyBrit British divers. British .com; 66ÐTranPhu)OwnedandoperatedbyFrench and Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com thing? equipment. ing lessons,Mana Mana state-of-the-art uses kayaking,wakeboarding andsail- surfing, sea Louisiane Brewhouse, 29ÐTranPhu) BeachClub Mana water isnotyourthing. ifsalt has slides,shallowpoolsandfountains (Ð TranPhu;admission20,000d; onthebeachRight front, WATER-BASED FUN Divers Rainbow Sailing ClubDiving Diving Octopus Blue DivingClub following outfits,butshop around: uncertified, first-time divers. Considerthe cluding a‘Discover Diving’programmefor operators alsooffer arange of courses, in- US$40andUS$70.Divelunch, costs between rays are occasionallyspotted. corals. Amongthecolourfulreef fish, sting- caves toexplore, andanamazingvarietyof some gooddrop-offs andsmallunderwater tion, but a separate office, as Octopus Diving. tion, butaseparateoffice,asOctopus vietnam.com; 72-74ÐTranPhu)Thisisthesameopera- Perhaps hotmuddy water beyour might waterIf salt A full-dayouting,includingtwodives and

lowing pointstoensure asafe andenjoyableexperience: onascuba- Before embarking trip,carefully orsnorkelling considerthefol- diving, skin-diving GUIDELINESFORDIVING SAFETY

Get a current diving certification cardfromarecognised Getacurrent agency(if scubadivinginstructional divingcertification Ask abouttheenvironmentalcharacteristics thatcanaffect yourdiving and howlocal,trained Beaware thatunderwater conditionsvarysignificantlyfromoneregion, oreven site, toan- Dive onlyatsites ofacom- withinyourrealm ofexperience;ifavailable,engagetheservices Beaware oflocallaws,regulations andetiquette aboutmarinelife andtheenvironment. Obtainreliable informationaboutphysicalandenvironmentalconditionsatthedive site (eg Besure youare diving. healthyandfeel comfortable scuba diving). divers dealwiththeseconsiderations. influence thewaydivers dress foradive andwhatdivingtechniques theyuse. other. Seasonalchangescansignificantlyalter anysite anddive conditions. These differences petent, professionally traineddive ordive instructor master. from areputable localdive operation). Thap BaHotSprings Thap ( ( % % ( is

% ( ( yourthing,check out % 521 629;62ÐTranPhu) % 524 351; www.divevietnam.com; 524 351;www.divevietnam.com; 527 034;www.vietnam-diving 524 362;www.manamana.com; 522 788;www.sailingclub h

Phu Dong Water Park DongWater Phu ( . Offering wind- . Offering % 9am-5pm Sat&Sun) 834 939;25 Ngoc SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST ••NhaTrang SOUTH-CENTRAL Mana

rooftop terrace –ithasawesomeviewsandis of thisminihotel thehighlight isits Foo-Wee, rooftop terrace adornedwithpotted plants, Ð NguyenThienThuat;rUS$5-8; for 2.5km. to theleftpastPoNagarChamTowers here, road follow thesignpostonsecond rooms at this invitinginnhave wooden floors, .com; 4AÐ Biet Thu;rUS$10-25; view. and sea able, andforUS$10 expectabalcony,bathtub a hammock.Alltheroomsare quite comfort- great fordining,sunningorhangingaroundin .vn; 54ÐHungVuong; rUS$6-20; option. this friendlyolderplaceisasolidbudget vate bathroom,it’sabargain. andpri- room withafan,fridge, satellite TV den downasmalllaneway.AtUS$5for French) thisnew family-run minihotel ishid- Pronounced ‘maywe’(or‘maisoui!’ifyou’re Huy Mai Sleeping and deck-sidedancing. fruit wineattheimpromptu‘floatingbar’, hottest ticket forisland-hopping,guzzling Linh’sboats Mama Tours Son; Phu QuyHotel Phu Perfume GrassInn Perfume Hotel Sao Mai h 8am-8pm)

( % 527 553;7HÐHungVuong; rUS$5-7; isafunexperiences.Toget

(

( ( % % ( 526 412;[email protected]; 99 % 522 844;23CÐBietThu) 521 609;[email protected] 524 286;www.perfume-grass

ai a ai ) Withitspretty ) Pronounced Pronounced ) Thebest are the 395 a

) VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM sorts.com; ÐTranPhu;villaUS$236-438,steUS$450-513; sorts.com; the Banana Split Cafés alongtheroundabout Split Cafés the Banana Trang’s own original-versus-copycat rivals, including stalls, the northendof townhaslotsof local food and Dammarket onÐNguyenHongSonin a mealinthemarket isaculinaryadventure, too numeroustolisthere. As always, taking NhaTrangteems withdiningchoices Central Eating spa area. restaurants, twoswimmingpoolsandaserene ing. Theluxurieshere includetwoexcellent Nha Trang’sclassiestaccommodationoffer- timber-roofed beach villasishands-down ais a smallrooftop pool,gymand spacentre. include andisscrupulouslyclean.Extras staff décor, comfybedsandfriendlyswitched-on This newbusiness-stylehotel haselegant tel.com; 6ÐBietThu;rUS$46-78,steUS$99-124; bytheparklike setting. afforded is historicalinterest, orthepeaceandquiet category. Theonlypossiblereason here tostay ings of anemperorfallintothemidrange be toomanyplaceswhere theformerlodg- /baodai; CauDaVillage;rUS$25-80; into town. family-style. Plusfree rides jeep are served garden, where meals(includedintheprice) outskirts of town.Frontingthehotel isapalm able littlefamily-runoasisonthenorthern Hon Chong;rUS$15-35; views andinternet access. floors, where mostof theroomshave great location, it’srefreshingly quietintheupper Despite itscentral staff. and friendly,efficient This multistorey hotel hasacoolgranite lobby rUS$13-23; beachhotel.com.vn; 4ÐTranQuangKhai; glimpses. balconies withsea rooms have king-sizebeds,huge bathtubsand above andbeyondthereasonable rates. Pricier new minihotel hashadanexpensive fit-out Thuat; r200,000-400,000d; free internet accessandbreakfast. US$10 fanroomshave great views.Plus sea wood-panelled walls,andbathtubs.Even the 396 Bao Dai’sVillas Ice-cream fiendswillwantto make forNha Resort Ana Mandara Paradise Hotel Asia La Paloma Hotel Nha TrangBeachHotel AP Hotel OT-ETA OS • NaTag COAST ••NhaTrang SOUTH-CENTRAL )

Thisgorgeous complexof open ( % 527 544;fax268;34ÐNguyenThien

com chay

( ( ai % % (

% ai

831 216;[email protected]; 1Ð 590 148;www.vngold.com/nt ( %

( 524 686;www.asiaparadiseho % ) Thisisacommend- 522 522;www.evasonre (vegetarian food). ai 524 469;www.nhatrang ) Thiswonderful There can’t ) ais ai

) ) meals 10,000d) 83,000d) sonable prices. andWestern foodatrea- Vietnamese serves café, serving wood-fired pizza,Vietnam- café, serving Binh Khiem; dishes10,000-85,000d) Binh Khiem; riety are food of theI-can’t-believe-it’s-not-meat va- whileyouwait. beer infrontofa table therestaurant andenjoya fresh from youcanchoose evening seafood fers afestive fordiners. Inthe gardensetting the neighbourhood, popularTrucLinhof- your table. prawns, lobsters andthelike are grilledat local eateries intown.Here squid,giant beef, isoneof Canh thebusiest institution, Lac rageously goodvalueat20,000d. comprising soup,riceandahotpot–isout- are menu– absolutely delicious,andtheset 25,000d) painters.ese covered withinteresting worksbyVietnam- andvegetarian fare,seafood thewallsare 7000-40,000d) desAmis Café VIETNAMESE splitscost10,000d. Ton. Banana where ÐLyThanh ÐQuangTrungmeets French Petit restaurant intown,Le Bistrohas mains 45,000-180,000d; Cheyenne Indian. a mixture of and French, Lao Vietnamese, The ownerismore fusionthanthemenu, onasizzlingplate.delicious fajitas served 103,000d) surrounded byplants. Thanh hasapretty patio terracotta traveller dishesandotherstandard fare,ese Thuat; meals15,000-75,000d) lunch &dinner) Nguyen ThienThuat;mains12,000-50,000d; Café Same ButDifferent INTERNATIONAL near thecornerof ÐNguyen Chanh. Tham; meals10,000d) El Coyote El Coyote Cafe Thanh Thanh excellentvegetarian Two placesserving Restaurant Lac Canh Truc Linh2 Cali Pho Le Petit Bistro Withthree restaurants dotted around Meals atthisclean,moderneatery AuthenticTex-Mex foodincluding Au Lac Au

( % ( Apopularcheapie focusingon and Agoodtravellers café,thisplace %

( %

525 885;7GÐHungVuong; dishes15,000- 526 320;76ÐHungVuong; mains40,000- ( %

( BoDe ( % 521 089;21ÐBietThu;dishes15,000- % , neighbouring restaurants 521 009;2DÐBietThu;dishes

h 813 946;28CÐHoangHoaTham; ( 527 201; 26D Ð Tran Quang Khai; 527 201;26DÐTranQuang Khai; %

(

% lunch &dinner) ( 824 413;10ÐNguyenThien % Anothertravellers 810 116;28AÐHoangHoa 821 391;44ÐNguyen

ANhaTrang ( lonelyplanet.com % 524 079;111Ð h Thebest breakfast, Tinh; Thu) Sailing Club Drinking and quality cheese aswellsourcing wineselection, a fantastic lonelyplanet.com the middle of town. h The TRAIN and hotels. and HoiAnare easytobookattravellers cafés train station. intercity busterminal, is500mwestof the tion inHCMC. 12 hours) departfromMienDongbussta- fromHCMCMinibuses toNhaTrang(11 BUS beforehand. agreeabout 150,000d,although ontheprice hours before shouldcost Ataxi yourflight. from theoldNhaTrangairportterminal, two port, catch ashuttlebus(25,000d,40minutes) HCMC, Hanoi andDanang.Toget totheair- airport(35kmsouthof NhaTrang)to Ranh 91 ÐNguyenThienThuat) Airlines Vietnam AIR Getting There&Away pool table. with trees; inside,pillow-ladensofas anda particularly busy.Outsideisapatioshaded lounge barissuperstylish seems butnever Thu) toteachin volunteering English. philia. Signupatthebarifyou’re interested campaign, which workstoprevent paedo- for thecommendable ‘Hands theKids!’ off best placestolazethedayaway. thatmakebeachfront setting thisoneof the brewery hasaswimmingpoolandbeautiful s general mayhem. wild dancing,flowingshots, poolsharks and Thumpingmusic, some pointintheevening. is where most of thepartycrowdendsupat pest placeintown,thisopen-airbeach bar Open-tour buses toandfromHCMC,Open-tour buses Dalat Louisiane Brewhouse Guava Bar Crazy Kim ticket office 7am-2pm) ticket ) Thisgreat partyspotisalsohomebase % Thisupmarket restaurant cummicro- Cool, clean-linedandatmospheric,this Nha Trangtrainstation 822 192;Ð23Thang10)

( %

( % 524 140;www.clubnhatrang.com; 17ÐBiet ( ( 826 528;72-74ÐTranPhu) % % SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST •• Mui Ne COAST ••Mui SOUTH-CENTRAL Lien Tinh busstation 826 768;www.vietnamairlines.com; 523 072;crazykimbar.com; 19ÐBiet isconveniently located in charcuterie has flights outof hasflights Cam

( % (Ga NhaTrang; (Ga , NhaTrang’smain 521 948;29ÐTranPhu; (sausage). (sausage).

(Ben XeLien % The hip- 822 113; ( % fast foodandinternetaccess. Nguyen DinhChieu)Localdaytours,open-tourbookings, tours of thedunesare popular. market andfishing village. Four-wheel-drive tions neartown.Also nearbyare ared stream, apatchthrough of thedunesandrockforma- Fairy Spring(SuoiTien) isastream thatflows sure totrythe dunes. Be The sand-sledding. better Ne iseven knownforitsenormoussand forwhichsauce), MuiNeisfamous. ButMui the palm-linedroad.Thisis thepungent source inclayvatsalong you’ll see You’ll smellMuiNeassoonyouarrive, and Sights credit-cardoffering cashadvances. open-tourbuses and booking NeResort, ates outofitsMui Sinh Café Incombank Tourist Phuong Hanh Café/Ha along theroadoffer internet access. Ne iswww.muinebeach.net. Smallrestaurants Dinh Chieu. up abit,Rte 706isalsoknownasÐNguyen from Hwy1inPhan Thiet.Tomixthings alongRtemark measuringthedistance 706 Local addresses are designated byakilometre Orientation &Information very popular. from AugusttoDecember. Kite-surfing isalso the rains,MuiNegets thewaves. Surf’sup diving, butwhenNhaTrangandHoiAnget ofaction capital thecoast.There’s noscuba long rowof resorts. isolated stretch of beautifulwhite toone sand resort striphasquicklytransformedfroman Ne. Inthelastfew years, thisout-of-the-way of beach outsidethefishingvillage of Mui only three hours away,liesan11km-stretch Far from the maddingcrowdof HCMC, yet % MUI NE US$1 perday. Many hotels have bicyclerentals foraround forabout US$1. airport orthetrainstation Cyclos and Getting Around travellers cheques. thisbranchcanexchangecurrency and Tropico Resort,

A great resource forinformationonMui areputationMui Neisdeveloping asthe Nha TrangTaxi 810 810) 062 ( % (68ÐNguyenDinhChieu; have air-con cars withmeters. xe oms 847 542;144ÐNguyenDinhChieu)Oper- ( % 824 000) canget youtotheold and ( % nuoc mam h 847 597;125AÐ Khanh HoaTaxiKhanh Sun-Fri) At Sun-Fri) ( fish 397

VIETNAM VIETNAM ὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄ

706 VIETNAM Ð NguyenDinhChieu; rentals. lessonsandequipment surfing andsailing another outfitoffering kite-surfing, wind- Nguyen DinhChieu) costs extra. boards, kite-surfers andkayaks.Insurance gear such surf- assailboards, of-the-art heaven, offering lessonsandrenting state- Jibes Activities Phan Thiet. isjustoff Hwy1,28kmsouthofMountain hike.Buddha isashort,butsteep, Ta Cu ofto thebase thepagoda,fromwhere the visitors take thecablecar(55,000dreturn) ing Buddha(49m)atTa CuPagoda. Most with candylike tombstones. mouth filledwithboatsandacemetery filled viewsofwith sweeping Phan Thiet,theriver 2000d; the small 398 Phan Thiet(5km) Highway 1A(4km); To National 1 3 2 MUI NEBEACH Airwaves Airwaves Further afieldliesVietnam’slargest reclin- On Rte 706headingtowardsPhan Thiet, 5

OT-ETA OS • MiN Ne COAST ••Mui SOUTH-CENTRAL h ( % Hiep HoaResort...... (see11) B2 Cham Villas...... SLEEPING A3 Po ShanuChamTowers...... B2 Jibes...... Airwaves...... (see 9) SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES C2 Sinh Café...... B2 Incombank...... B2 Hanh Cafe/HaPhuongTourist..... INFORMATION 7.30-11.30am &1.30-4.30pm) 847 405; www.windsurf-vietnam.com; 90 847 405;www.windsurf-vietnam.com; Po ShanuChamtower AC ( % , based attheSailingClub,is , based

847 440; airwaveskitesurfing.com; 24Ð 847 440;airwaveskitesurfing.com;

Ð Nguyen h 7.30am-6pm)

Dinh

Ch CHINA ieu S OUTH SEA 6 5 4 3 2 1 occupiesahill

(Km 5;admission 14 9 issurfer’s 6 12 B EATING on u...... B2 B2 Hoang Vu...... Good MorningVietnam...... B2 Xuan Uyen...... B2 Sunshine Beach...... (see11) Sunsea Resort...... B2 Sailing Club...... C2 C2 Little MuiNeCottages...... Kim NganGuesthouse...... Indochina Dreams...... (see11) 16 10 13 2 11 17 1 4 Phuoc Thien Pagoda 7 tiled balconiesjuttingover thewater, mak- These comfortable cottages are comfortable inspacious These set rUS$50-85; .com; 10BHuynhThucKhang; breakfast.tary thecomplimen- restaurant infront,serving cool andwellappointed, andthere’s agood bungalows are very Roomsare comfortable. place isonasmallscale,butthebigstone Ð NguyenDinhChieu;rUS$20-25; and comfortable. Free wi-fi. lawn area. Theroomsare immaculately clean and welcoming,thishotel hasalarge open .com; 82ÐNguyenDinhChieu;rUS$15-30; fridges andphones. as TVs, attractive rooms–albeitwithfew frillssuch a great spot withalovely gardenandclean, .net; 80ÐNguyenDinhChieu;rUS$12-16; choice. ing thisfriendlyfamily-runplaceagood .com; Km13;rUS$10-15; NganGuesthouse Kim Sleeping 18 Little Mui NeCottages Little Mui Sunshine Beach HoaResort Hiep Indochina Dreams (12km) To Lake 3 15 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 Pagoda Hoi Tinh Market Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Bridge DRINKING oo...... C2 Sailing Club...... (see9) B2 Pogo...... Mellow...... B2 Jibes...... (see 4) Hot Rock...... C2 B2 Saigon Café...... Peaceful FamilyRestaurant...... Hoang Vu...... (see1) 4miles 6km 0 0 8

( ( %

% Ð Huynh Ð

Fairy Spring ( (

a % (Suoi Tien) % 847 262;hiephoatourism@yahoo 847 788;www.sunshine-beach (

)

847 271;fax08-8322174;74 Thebungalowshave 847 046;kimnganvilla@yahoo Thuc

847 550;www.littlemuine Khang a ) Thisdreamy D a a 707 18 17 16 15 14 ais Friendly ) Dunes (5km); Phan Rang& ) Thisis Thap Cham Office Fishing Village Post (130km) To Sand )

bungalow roomsare simpleandclean. beautiful gardenandpool. The traditionallyinspired bungalowsare dottedarounda r US$6-12; .com; 50ÐNguyenDinhChieu;rUS$50-70; lonelyplanet.com into two restaurants. Staff provideinto two restaurants. casually Staff in Vietnamthisone’s cloneditself businesses Chieu; dishes25,000-52,000d) have lost something intranslation. can learnbyyourmistake tolike butter’ may wesuspect‘Itisstill veryalthough goodifyou written onthewallsinbeautifulcalligraphy– withprofunditiescue foodinabasicsetting, dishes 12,000-45,000d) Saigon Café Eating Sunsea Resort Uyen Xuan only has14villas,sobookahead. swimming pool,thisluxuryboutiqueresort beautiful tropicalgardenwithanexquisite Nguyen DinhChieu;rUS$95-120; has spaciousroomsinalushgardensetting. restaurant overlooking theSailingClub the sea, ais .com; 24ÐNguyenDinhChieu;rUS$55,bungalowsUS$70-100; Free internet accessandbicycles. todolaps. grounds andthepoolisbigenough Cham Villas Sailing Club Hoang Vu Other recommendations:

tosouth: top five fromnorth pristine stretches ofsandalongthiscoast,somethatseevery few tourists. Here’s ourvery own It maybeMuiNeandNhaTrangthatare thebeachbabesofregion, butthere are many OFF THEBEATEN TRACK: BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

sorts.com; rUS$152-175) sorts.com; [email protected]; dm40,000d, rUS$6-10) [email protected]; away European royalty,filmstarsandtheotherwiserichsecretive. Hometothe Ninh Van Bay chalk-white sandandshallowwater. Doc Let map, hometothelovely andsecluded Whale Island an up-and-comingbeachdestination.Live cheapat Quy Nhon the other My Khe BeachnearDanang)isasuperbbeach,withfinewhitethe otherMyKhe sandandclearwater. My Khe great spotfordiving. i ( ) Popular for its panoramic bar and Popularforitspanoramicbarand

% (www.sixsenses.com) (

) Bigonatmosphere, thesecutebamboo ( % Located nearthesite oftheinfamousMyLaiMassacre, (nottobeconfusedwith MyKhe % WithincommutingdistanceofbusyNhaTrang,thebeachfrontislongandwide,with (

( 847 476;78ÐNguyenDinhChieu; % % ( This majortransittownbetweenHoiAnandNhaTrangisfastearninganameas 847 091;168-170ÐNguyenDinhChieu; % 847 525;Km12.2&121 ÐNguyenDinh SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST •• Mui Ne COAST ••Mui SOUTH-CENTRAL 847 700;www.sunsearesort-muine 741 234;www.chamvillas.com; 32Ð Great barbe- Vietnamese Off the coast to the north ofNhaTrang,WhaleIslandisatinyspeckonthe thecoasttonorth Off This placedoesn’treally exist–exceptinanalternate reality populated by 847 440;www.sailingclubvietnam Like mostsuccessful . ais . ais ) Set ina Set orlive itupat Whale IslandResort ) namese cuisineinalovelynamese opensetting. wonderfulViet- friendly familyeatery serves 019; 53ÐNguyenDinhChieu;dishes30,000-70,000d) a bigsoundsystemandbeanbags. and playssomeexcellentmusic. fraternity. backpacking/kite-surfing making it easiertoaccess. Open ticket buses tothe north aswell the south,highway Mui Neisnowconnected tothemaincoastal Getting There& Around place tohangout. Neincarnation isastylish its sisterinNhaTrang,theMui Sailing Club Hot Rock Jibes Mellow Pogo lowing placeshave apooltable: Pretty disappoint. muchdoesn’t allthefol- a smattering of beachside bars andMuiNe No surfietownwouldbecomplete without Drinking of thestrip. teries. Free hotel pick-upsbridge thedistance is anotherinthepopularchain of ea- Italian morningviet.com; Km11.8;mains60,000-105,000d) presented Asian foodwithaFrench twist. anddelicious,beautifully attentive service boards, this one’s an old favourite. boards, thisone’sanoldfavourite. Good MorningVietnam Peaceful Family Restaurant Barbara’s Backpackers Life Resort (90 Ð Nguyen Dinh Chieu) Decorated with surf (90ÐNguyenDinhChieu)Decoratedwithsurf (138 ÐNguyenDinhChieu)Afun,open-airbarwith (117CÐNguyenDinhChieu)Popularwiththe (12.5km) The Hot Rock also serves good food (12.5km)TheHotRockalsoserves (24ÐNguyenDinhChieu)Notasraucous

(www.whaleislandresort.com)

( % 056-840 132;www.life-re

(

% ( %

(Yen GiaQuan; (Yen Evason Hide- 847 585;www.good 056-892 921; anda % This This

399

741 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Thach) Lam Dong Hospital MEDICAL SERVICES Thanh. situated alongeithersideof ÐNguyenChi tions, plusthere are internet cafés several hasfast,cheapThe mainpostoffice connec- ACCESS INTERNET Information 1475m. of cangetand nights coldatanelevation kitsch-seekers love theplace. Daysare fine City of Eternal Spring.Honeymooners and gardens; temperate Dalat isnicknamedthe with lakes, waterfalls, evergreen forests and and thesurroundingcountrysideisblessed cooler climate. it –escapingtotheirchalets toenjoythe howtheformercoloniststreatedcertainly the French Alpsinspringtime. Thiswas forgiven forthinkingyou’dstumbledinto you’ll visitinVietnam.Youwouldalmostbe Dalat isquite different fromanywhere else % DALAT ing tothehills. area, socheck thelatest situationbefore head- 2004, there wasanotherbriefclosure of the ofbecause unrest amongthelocaltribes. In travellers fromvisitingthecentralhighlands streams, lakes andwaterfalls. sceneryandinnumerable beautiful mountain isrenownedtagnards, foritscoolclimate, geographical region, hometomanyMon- part of This Range. theTruongSonMountain covers Highlands The Central thesouthern CENTRAL HIGHLANDS (50,000d). inPhanfrom thehighway Thietisby 5½ hours). Thebestwaytoreach thebeach Trang (US$6,five hours) andDalat(US$7, to/from HCMC (US$6,fourhours), Nha formation, p397 ) bothhave dailyservices &In- andHanh Orientation Café (see Café are thebestoptionforMuiNe,andSinh 400 you upanddownthestrip. In early2001thegovernment forbade Dalat is small enough toremainDalat issmallenough charming, There are plentyof 063 /pop130,000 ETA IHAD • Dlt CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••Dalat ( % 822 154;4Ð PhamNgoc xe om drivers totake xe om

elsewhere inVietnam. reasons, Dalathasattractionsyouwon’tfind vibe andcute kitsch inDalat.Whatever the airthatfosterstain thedistinctlybohemian Perhaps there’s somethinginthecoolmoun- Sights Sinh Café area (US$30toUS$38). pluscycling toursoftheDalat offers adrenaline activities, tures.com; outfit 73ÐTruongCongDinh)Thisecotourist Tire Ventures Phat Tours Gecko Groovy Service Dalat Travel Tours,bike, see p402 . For informationonguidedtours bymotor- TRAVEL AGENCIES postoffice Main POST Vietcombank h Incombank card cashadvances: cash andtravellers cheques andoffer credit- The followingdowntownbanksexchange MONEY collection of self-brushed artwork. artwork. collection of self-brushed of Monk’ for thebrisksales his voluminous artistic, andinfact somecallhimthe‘Business Monk’ wholives here. He’s notsomuch crazy as pagoda islessfamous thanMrThuc,the‘Crazy 11.30am &1-6.30pm) out intheroyalcolouryellow. rounded bylandscapedgroundsand decked villa constructed in1933.Thepalaceissur- admission 5000d; can visittheornate LinhPhuoc Pagoda. down thetrackstoTraiMat village, where you and isatouristattraction.Youcanride8km partiallyrepaired1964. Thelinehasnowbeen from1928to Dalat andThapChamPhan Rang 500m eastof thatlinked XuanHuong Lake tures 8am,9.30am,2pm&3.30pm) Thi Xuan)Toursandopen-tourbusbookings. andmountainbiking. trekking 65 ÐTruongCongDinh; access are availablehere. h .vn; 7 Ð 3 Thang 2) Offers toursandvehiclerentals..vn; 7Ð3Thang2)Offers There’s a24-hourATM here. Lam TyNi Pagoda The Bao Dai’s Bao 6.30am-9pm) Internationalphonecallsandinternet closed Sat) Crémaillère ( % ( % ( 822 663;www.sinhcafévn.com;4AÐBui % Summer Palace No3 h 822 496;46-48HoaBinhSq; was founded in 1961; this small wasfoundedin1961;thissmall ( % 510 478; 6 Ð Nguyen Thi Minh Khai) Khai) 510 478;6ÐNguyenThiMinh ( 7-11am &1.30-4pm)

% ( ( % (

h % 822 586;14ÐTranPhu; (Quan AmTu; 2ÐThienMy; % 834 409;return 70,000d; 829 422; www.phattireven 829 422;www.phattireven 7.30am-8.30pm) Offers tours, 7.30am-8.30pm) Offers 836 521; [email protected]; 836 521;[email protected]; 822 125;[email protected] is a cog railway, about is acograilway,about lonelyplanet.com (Ð Le HongPhong;

is asprawling h h depar-

Thuc Khang Thuc Gallery house &Art residents. forits It’snotable earned themoniker fromlocal CrazyHouse admission 8000d; lonelyplanet.com web. You can also stay inoneofweb. Youcanalsostay thekooky, orgetinside agiraffe lostinagiantspider derland Ð Hai Ð

Villas &Spa(1km) To EvasonAnaMandara 4 Huynh Ð 1 3 2 5

Ð 3 Thang 2 Ð Ngo DALAT

8 Southeast of centralDalat, 4 Thuong (10km); LangBian Mountain (11km); Qu

Ankroët Falls& yen Lakes (15.5km) Nam BanVillage(32km) Elephant Falls(32km); Cam LyFalls(1.5km); To LamTyNiPagoda(500m); To LatVillage SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Novotel Dalat...... Palace...... Hotel SofitelDalat Hotel PhuongHanh...... Hang NgaCrazyHouse...... Vietcombank...... (see 12) Sinh Café...... Phat TireVentures...... Main PostOffice...... Lam DongHospital...... Incombank...... Groovy GeckoTours...... Dalat TravelService...... rasHtl...... A2 Dreams Hotel......

Ð Tran Phu Ð Nguyen Van Nguyen Ð Ð Hai architecture, where youcanperch

Ba AC

19 Ð

Trung H ai Ba Trung Ba ai h

Cu An Hotel To Thien CENTRALHIGHLANDS••Dalat (200m) 8am-7pm)

Ð Phan 10 Summer Palace(500m) Ð Ba Trieu ( Dinh Ph %

Ð Pham Ngu Pham Ð Ð 3 T ung 6

To BaoDai's 2 h 9 D Phan Ð 822 070; 3 Ð Huynh Thuc Khang; 822 070;3ÐHuynhThucKhang;

an 18 13 Ð

g 2 isafunkyplacethat’s 14 Ð Anh N

1 12 11 10

Cong Dinh Ð Truong

gu inh 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 15 Square Phung yen 3 Ð Nguy B3 C3 A2 A4 C2 A2 B3 A2 B2 A2 B2 Binh

Hoa

Lao

17 Ð Le Dai Hanh Dai Le Ð en V Sang Chi an Ð Nguyen Van

Troi Minh Khai Minh Alice inWon- Hang NgaGuest- TRANSPORT SHOPPING DRINKING EATING Vietnam Airlines...... Central Market...... Saigon NiteBar...... Peace Café...... Cafe Tung...... Vegetarian FoodStalls...... (see20) V Cafe...... Trong Dong...... Le Rabelais...... (see11) HNL...... Da Quy......

Art Café...... (see18) Thanh Ð P Ð Nguyen Thi Nguyen Ð

han B 20

Ð Le Dai Hanh Boi

Troi

ὈὈ ὈὈ Ð Le Thi

Ð Ly Tu Ly Ð Ð Nguyen Th Hong Gam Chau Ð Nha Chung 5

12 Ð Bui Thi Xu Thi Bui Ð

ai Tr

16 o n

Hoc g

Ð Bui Ð

an Thi 11 Xuan 7 paddleboat shapedlike agiantswan. wherefrom XuanHuongLake, youcanrent a cowboy.It’sabout 3km nied byaVietnamese forphotosonaponyaccompa- you canpose Dong ThienVuong; adult/child6000/3000d; book inadvance. spookyrooms(US$19toUS$84),but slightly 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 At the D3 B2 A2 A2 B2 B2 B1 B2 A2

Lien KhuongFalls(28km); Khuong Lang DinhAn(ChickenVillage) (17km); Ð Ho Tung Mau Tung Ho Ð To LongDistanceBusStation(400m); Airport (30km);GougahFalls(40km) Reservoir (5km);PrennPass(10km); Datanla Falls(5km);QuangTrung Pongour Falls(55km);DiLinh

Valley ofLove

(82km); PhanRang (101km); Ð Tran Phu Tran Ð Ð Dinh Tien Hoang Dambri Falls(136km) 0.3miles 500m 0 0

Ð Yersin Golf Course ὈὈ Xuan Huong

(Thung Lung Tinh Yeu;(Thung ÐPhu Ð 3 Thang 4 Thang 3 Ð

Lake Ð Ba H 21 (9km); TigerFalls(17km); Ngoan MucPass(47km) Dan NhimLake(42km); uye Ð n Linh PhuocPagoda Tran Hu Thanh D

Quan h Ð T Ð

Sighs (3.5km) Tong

ng Dao Mat (9km); ran Nhan ran To Lakeof Ð Ba Hu 8am-8pm) To Trai

yen To Valley Thanh Quan of Love (3km) 401

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM might spot some semiwild horses grazingon spotsomesemiwild might Village).(three You tofourhours fromLat (Nui LamVien;admission5000d) from 2100mto2400m, With five volcanicpeaksranginginaltitude LANG BIANMOUNTAIN waterfall itself. for thecircus-styleambiencethan domestic visitors more toDalatandisnotable Falls holiday photos,looknofurtherthan jungleanimalsinyour cowboys andstuffed abundant. downhill tothefalls.Butterflies andbirdsare therainforestwalk through hike andasteep off toQuangTrungReservoir. It’sanice Hwy20,aboutDalat off 200mpasttheturn- on-site. an appallingcollectionof caged animals Falls, which isoverdeveloped andincludes skippingPrenn Weadvise ing thedryseason. butstillflowdur-ing bestintherainyseason Dalat’s waterfalls are obviouslyattheirgush- WATERFALLS Hire named naturallake is6kmnortheastof Dalat. larged byaFrench-built dam.Thesentimentally 402 Dtna Falls Datanla ofSighs Lake If youfeel thatyoumusthave Vietnamese the-way placessuchas the-way coffee beans. Nearby mammals intheworld. are listed as rare and endangered, includingtheJavanrhinoceros,considered oneofthe rarest are easilythebestinsouthern Vietnam, plus there are lotsofanimals. Manyofthese creatures biodiverse region and oflowlandtropicalrainforest. mountainbiking The hiking, bird-watching Long cluding plentyofelephantsandahandful oftigers. inthis area Stunningwaterfalls include friendliness inthehighlandsthatisbecoming hardertofindinthetouristtrapsofcoast. increased tourism willleave these delightfulbackwaters unchanged.There’s stillanopennessand largely unspoiledand the authoritiesremain blessedlyinvisible. Itremains tobeseenwhether from thelocalhilltribes. will toadmire anamazingmountainview,explore ortointeract withvillagers awildwaterfall abundance. –stoppingat This ofthecountrytoseeonbackamotorbike isagreat part itontomosttourists’radars,meaningthattherestmakes oftheregion stilloffers adventure in ofthecountry.OnlyDalat scenicpart It’s easytogetoffthebeaten trackin thiswonderfully OFF THEBEATEN TRACK INTHECENTRALHIGHLANDS

(admission 5000d) horses ETA IHAD • Dlt CENTRAL HIGHLANDS••Dalat One oftheoutstandinggemsregion, Buon Ma Thuot The upgrading ofthehistoric and

(per hr80,000d) Dray NurFalls

(Ho ThanTho;admission5000d)

(admission 5000d) . Thisisapopularstopfor isthemajorcityinregion, butthebiggestbuzz you’llgetisfromthe near the restaurants. neartherestaurants. Yok DonNationalPark Kon Tum makes ascenictrek Lang BianMountain alongtheKrongAnaRiver. is southeastof , oneofthefriendliestcitiesinVietnam. SofarKonTum remains Ho ChiMinhTrail wasen- Cam Ly

ishometo38endangered mammalspecies,in- Cat Tien National Park around thehotels andcafésinDalat,but mail about thissuperfriendlyspot,offering Phan DinhPhung;rUS$10-15; Hotel Dreams Sleeping past clients. guestbooks fullof glowingtestimonials from they’re likely tofindyoufirst. Checkouttheir and/or French. ting toalonger trip.Mostspeakgreat English you test-drive withadaytourbefore commit- longer recommended haul–it’shighly that guides thattheyadopttheirdrivers forthe Sometravellerssights. get onsowellwiththeir late guideprovides anewperspective onthe the region, andhaving a friendlyandarticu- tage motorbikes. Thisisagreat waytoexplore who canwhirlyouaroundDalatontheirvin- an informalcrew of localmotorbike guides RidersWitty andknowledgeable, are theEasy Tours Bian Mountain. 12km northwestof of Dalatatthe base Lang areinhabitants ethnicminorities,are about from thetopare tremendous. and tigers dweltonlyhalfacenturyago. Views tidy roomsandafamily-stylebreakfast. the sideof where themountain, rhinoceros hasmadeiteasierthanever tovisitout-of- The Easy Riders can be foundhangingThe Easy Village,The ninehamletsof whose Lat Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( % 833 748;[email protected]; 151Ð comprisesanamazingly i Weget fan constant ) Gia Ð 3Thang2;rUS$7-30) of akillerhill,thebetter roomsare spacious 75,000d) teresting dishes. Vietnamese inmotorbike asitscentrepiece, HNLserves place to sample superb Vietnamese food, superbVietnamese place tosample tours. Free bicycles. rates, sincere friendlinessandnohasslingfor winning formula–great breakfasts, modest familyasDreams,the same withthesame 272A ÐPhanDinhPhung;rUS$12-15; lonelyplanet.com area. All serve up delicious100% vegetarianarea. All serve There are vegetarian inthe market foodstalls VEGETARIAN vegetarian options. disheswithatwist,includingplenty ofese adorns thewalls,menufeatures Vietnam- 30,000-45,000d) are excellent. won lotsof fans.Thetraditionalclaypots thisnewcomerhas bience andgreat service, Dinh; dishes25,000-70,000d) on sugarcaneandfishhotpot. specialitiesincludegrilledshrimp pastehouse 24,000-55,000d; Trong Dong VIETNAMESE Eating unique villahasitsownbutlerandkitchen. French villasnestledamongthepinetrees. Each acollectionof compound encompasses unique 224, steUS$322-460; ÐLe.sixsenses.com/evason-dalat/index.php; Lai;rUS$179- period telephones. working fireplaces, 1920sdesklampsandfaux 1916 and1922.Checkouttheclaw-foot tubs, 310; .com; 12ÐTranPhu;sUS$148-178,dUS$160-190,steUS$258- corridors fittings. andperiodlight colonial feel, withanoldlift,sombre wooden Novotel retains much of theoriginal French- structed in1932astheDuParc Hotel, the Tran Phu;sUS$49-64,dUS$55-70,steUS$79-85; windowless andbasic. and have balconieswhilethevery cheapest are Thien AnHotel Thien Art Café Art Dalat Novotel HNL Da Quy &Spa Villas AnaMandara Evason DalatPalace Sofitel Hotel Hanh Phuong Hotel i

Painted inpastels andwithaclassic ( ) This grand old place was built between Thisgrandoldplacewasbuiltbetween % (Wild Sunflower;

835 505;94ÐPhanDinhPhung;dishes25,000- ( ( % % Owned by an artist whose work Ownedbyanartistwhose h 510 089;70ÐTruongCongDinh;dishes 821 889;220ÐPhanDinhPhung;mains

CENTRALHIGHLANDS••Dalat (

lunch &dinner) is % ( % Alarger placeontheside 825 777;www.novotel.com;7Ð

( 520 607;[email protected]; % Withanupmarket am- % ) Thisluxuryhillside 828 213;fax838839;80-82

510 883;49ÐTruongCong ( % Anothergood 825 444;www.sofitel i ( % ) Ownedby 520 558;www i Con- ) 33) bring a wheelbarrow fullofbring awheelbarrow dong. attheSofiteltaurant cannotbebeaten –but in theirmouths. and lacquered alligators bulbs holdinglight lined alpinejackets imported fromChina, rock-bottom pricesincludequilted, fake-fur- for carryingwater. Nonhandicraftitems at that rollupwhenempty,aswell gourds rushbasketsnard villages. You canfindLat ethnic handicraftsfromthenearby Montag- cent toitare theplacestogoforpurchasing Hoa BinhSqandthemarket buildingadja- Shopping food. Riders, italsoserves Easy popular gatheringpointfortravellers and drink withexpatsandvisitors. placetoshootpoolandsharelate-night a Saigon Nite Drinking mains exactlyasitwaswhentheywere young. intellectuals. Old-timers swearthattheplacere- Tung wasafamoushang-outforSaigonese TungCafe CAFÉS mains, alongwithatempting chocolate pie. amixof andWestern Eastern cute placeserves 59,000d) Le Rabelais INTERNATIONAL meatdishes. traditional Vietnamese food, someprepared toresemble andtaste like ForfineFrench dining,thesignature res- Peace Café Peace Café V Cafe tion, see p334 . on crossingthisborderintheotherdirec- not availableatthisborder. Forinformation 12 hours,fourperweek),butLaovisasare buses fromQuiNhontoPakse (250,000d, Thursday andSaturday.There are direct and Friday,comingtheotherwayTuesday, ing Attapeu at9amMonday,Wednesday tapeu andPleiku(US$10,12hours),depart- Pakse. Three buseslinkAt- Vietnamese-run Pleiku andQuiNhonwithAttapeu and This newcrossingat Bo Y–Attapeu links ATTAPEU CROSSING INTOLAOS:BOYTO Alongtimetravellers favourite, this

( (6 HoaBinhSq) %

( ( % % ( 837 576;1ÐBuiThiXuan;dishes25,000- % 825 444;12ÐTranPhu;setdinnerUS$23- 820 007;11AÐHaiBaTrung) 822 787;64ÐTruongCongDinh) During the 1950s, Cafe Duringthe1950s,Cafe Thebest

403

A VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM tion of HCMC. Thestepped fallsare beautiful Services are available tomost of thecountry, Services as it’s still called by all but the city officials as it’sstill calledbyallbut thecityofficials commerce. Forthe casual visitor,Saigon – est metropolisand itsundisputed of capital Chi MinhCity(HCMC) isVietnam’slarg- Boasting anelectric, nearpalpable energy, Ho % (SAIGON) HO CHIMINHCITY or fromDalat. can easilydetourtothefallsonway long-haul journeyswithmotorbike drivers doing Those withyourown wheels. cessed the parkinglot. restaurant withmimosa-framed viewsnear down andtrek backup.There’s alsoagood is divineonahotday.Youcantake alift ing downtofeel thesprayfrombottom Dalat, are fallsinthearea thetallest –walk- whentheyformafullsemicircle. season duringtherainy any timebutmostspectacular Falls The largest waterfall intheDalatarea, AROUND DALAT bike hire. tour. Many hotels offer bicycleandmotor- US$6andUS$10foraday to paybetween Depending onhowfaryouwanttogo,expect many of lie outsideDalat’scentre. thesights bike guidesare agreat thearea, waytosee as US$25 aday.Full-daytours withlocalmotor- cafés inSaigon,MuiNeandNhaTrang. toDalatcanbebookedminibuses at travellers Ma Thuot(65,000d,fourhours). Open-tour hours) andBuon Nha Trang(60,000d,seven including HCMC hours), (60,000d,sixtoseven (Ð 3Thang2) US$10. costabout Private timed aroundflights. taxis operates ashuttle bus(20,000d,30minutes) 30km southof thecity.VietnamAirlines HCMC andHanoi. Airportis LienKhuong .com; 40ÐHoTung Mau) Airlines Vietnam Getting There&Around 404 Dmr Falls Dambri Waterfalls intheDalatregion are bestac- rental withadriver fromaboutCar starts leave buses Long-distance fromthe 08 /pop5.38million

(admission 5000d) OCIMN IY(AGN • Oinain (SAIGON)••Orientation HO CHIMINHCITY about 1kmsouthof thecitycentre. (admission 10,000d)

( % isabout55kminthedirec- hasdailyconnectionswith 822 895;www.vietnamairlines , 75kmfrom Pongour Pongour station and generalbooksinEnglishFrench. maps government-run bookshops,withgooddictionaries, magazines inEnglish,French andChinese. language and arts centre. language and arts p412; p412; p412; (street), andÐLfor mostvisitorsthough sticktothecentre around tricts) make upthevastgeography of HCMC, A sprawl of 16urbanandfive rural ORIENTATION acityinturmoil. witnessed government buildingsthatonegeneration ago the churches, temples, formerGIhotels and hasn’t forgotten live itspast.Theghosts onin against thebustlingbackdrop.Yet thecity skyscrapersand sleek alljockey forattention acupuncture clinics,centuries-oldpagodas cal town.Teeming markets, sidewalkcafés, overloadto sensory –dailyfare inthistropi- back alleysastridea and with bicycles.Cruisingalongboulevards lion of themflyalongstreets onceswarming surely be themotorbike. More thanthree mil- next bigthing. ing fortune,andopen24hours adayforthe HCMC is nonstop,acityfullof pilgrimsseek- findyourselfsmitten even byit,too.might this complicated andyou citylongenough of SoutheastAsia’s liveliest cities.Stickaround since fallenprey tothehiddencharms of one imagine livinganywhere They’ve else. long Idecaf Council British Cultural Centres ÐL Le Duan; NamBookshop Phuong Bookshop Fahasa Bookshops INFORMATION snakes downtheeastern side. southwest of thecentre, andtheSaigon River bourhoods. Cholon,thecity’sChinatown,lies neigh- andPhamthe DongKhoi NguLao council.org/vietnam; 25 ÐLLe Duan) expats and Vietnamese immigrantscouldn’t expats andVietnamese nary agreen Yet spaceinsight. of thousands roadsandurbanbustle,with traffic-clogged who live achaotic here collage –canseem of If every townhadasymbol,Saigon’swould If every Street labels are shortened toÐfor % % % (Institute of Cultural Exchange with France; Map (InstituteofCulturalExchange withFrance;Map 822 5796;40ÐLNguyenHue) 822 4670;185ÐDongKhoi); 829 5451;31 ÐThaiVan Lung) French culture, h 8am-9.30pm) Carries imported booksand imported 8am-9.30pm) Carries (Map (Map p409 ; ( h 8am-10pm) xe om dai lo (Map (Map p409 ; % 823 2862;www.british (boulevard). (boulevard). is thequickest way Dong Khoi ÐLNguyenHue lonelyplanet.com

% One ofthebest 822 9650;2A quan (Map (Map duong (Map (Map (dis-

and Vietnamese. English,French, Japanese national teamofdocsspeaking emergency 8298520;65ÐNguyenDu; French physicians. are English-speaking doctors least expensiveWesternhealthcare centre inthecity.Most Thuyen; 2366, 24hremergency8654025;[email protected]; 1ÐHan a secure 24-hourATM. Police Information Fire Ambulance Emergency lonelyplanet.com post office is next toNotre DameCathedral. post officeis next Map p412 French-era ; 2CongXaParis) Saigon’sstriking postoffice Main Post Vietcombank Sacombank HSBC ANZ Bank it’sclosed. case US-dollar notes insmalldenominations ing hours are irregular, socarrysufficient which gives exchange theofficial rate. Open- exchange counter runby Just insidetheairportterminal, there’s an Money SOS International Center Medical International HCMC Family Practice Medical Cho Hospital Ray Medical Services 5000dand15,000dperhour.tween runbe- a deadcatwithouthittingone. Rates (Mapin Pham NguLao p411 ) youcan’tswing Hundreds of internet cafésthrive inHCMC – Internet Access excellent, inexpensivecare. and facility inVietnam,with24-houremergencyservices 5; Nguyen ChiThanh,District budget-traveller zone,with24-hourATM. .com; 211ÐNguyenThaiHoc)Convenientlylocated inthe a 24-hourATM. to match. One ofthebestinternationalclinicsinVietnam,withprices DiamondPlaza,34ÐLLe Duan; calpractice.com; 7848, 24hremergency0913-234911;www.vietnammedi a visitjusttoseethestunninglyornateinterior. ern buildingisforforeign exchangeonly,butisalsoworth Chuong; ( % (Map (Map p412 ; ( % h h 114) (Map (Map p412 ; 113) 24hr) Thisnonprofitorganisationmaybethe closed Sun&lastdayofthemonth)Theeast- ( (Map (Map p411 ; ( % (Map (Map p409 ; % % 115) (Buu Dien Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh; (BuuDienThanhPhoHo ChiMinh; (Map (Map pp406-7 ; 1080) HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)••Dangers&Annoyances HOCHIMINHCITY (Map (Map p412 ; 829 2288; 235 Ð Dong Khoi) Offers Offers 829 2288;235ÐDongKhoi) % % % 829 9319; 11 Me LinhSq)Has 829 9319;11Me h 836 4231;www.sacombank 829 7245;29ÐBen % 24hr) Thelargestmedical (Map (Map p412 ; (Map (Map p412 ; % Sasco 829 8424,24hr h 855 4137;201ÐL

( 24hr) Aninter- % % % h 848 7142) 827 822 24hr) , span touchtothesouth. thehigh-qualityHand- Quoc Cang)Anewbranchbrings 7605; www.handspan.com;F7,Titan Bldg,18AÐNam 158 ÐBuiVien) Mekong Deltatours. Mekong www.deltaadventuretours.com; 267ÐDeTham)Great lish- and French-speaking guides are onduty. as itlooked onthatmomentous day. surrendered. left just Thebuildinghasbeen the morningof 30April1975,thedaySaigon first inSaigoncrashed on communisttanks thegateswas through of thisbuildingthatthe Nguyen Du;admission15,000d; (Hoi TruongThongNhat;Map p409 ; Presidential Palace isthe asSouth Vietnam’s Built in1966toserve Palace Reunification SIGHTS a metered instead. taxi –takeing theday,itisnotalwayssafe atnight newspapers. postcardsand around you,wantingtosell too,ofBeware, thecute children crowding your face,andpickpockets workallcrowds. off can steal yourarmandsunglasses bagsoff country. Drive-by ‘cowboys’onmotorbikes city hasthemostdetermined thieves inthe cal danger inHCMC the (besidesthetraffic), travellersAlthough very rarely faceanyphysi- DANGERS &ANNOYANCES Sinhbalo Adventures Sinh Cafe Innoviet Travel Handspan Adventure Tours Delta Adventure following: HCMC. Someof thebetter onesincludethe of theMekong andotherjauntsfrom Delta There are lotsof travel agents offering tours Travel Agencies Center Information Tourist Tourist Information Saigon. and brochures, plusoffers adviceaboutgoings-onin citymapsThis sleek,newinformationcentre distributes 6033; www.vntourists.com; 4GLe Loi; specialises incyclingtrips. long-runningandeminentlyreliable, Sinhbalo upmarket, 7682; www.sinhbalo.com; 283/20ÐPhamNguLao)More .com; 246ÐDeTham; Enter on Ð Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, where Nghia, Enter Eng- onÐNamKy Khoi While it’sgenerally safe totake cyclosdur- (Map (Map p411 ; (Map (Map p411 ; h % % (Map (Map p411 ; (Map (Map p411 ; 6.30am-11pm) 295 8840;www.innoviet.com; 836 7338;www.sinhcafévn h (Map (Map p412 ; (Map (Map p411 ; Reunification Palace Reunification 7.30-11am &1-4pm) % % % h 837 6766,836 829 4117;106Ð 920 2112; 8am-8pm) % % 925 822 405 . It

VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 406 4 6 1 3 2

HO CHIMINHCITY

Ð Ba Hom Hom Ba Ð Mekong Delta To MienTayBusStation(4km); Chinh Truong Ð

Ð Hung Vuong (SAIGON) HO CHIMINHCITY To CuChiTunnels(23km); Tay Ninh(90km) 16

ὈὈ Huong Lo 2 Huong A

Lo 14 Ð Tan Hoa Hoa Tan Ð

Dam Sen

ÐL Hau Giang Lake

Ð Ben Ben Ð

Ð Hong Bang Hong Ð

Lo District 11

Gom Tan Binh Tam Thang Mang Cach Ð

District

Ð Cong Hoa Cong Ð

Ð Binh Tien Tien Binh Ð ÐMinh Phung Ð Lac Long Quan Hanh Dai Le Ð BCD

Ð Binh Thoi

3 Ð Hoang Hoa Tham Hoa Hoang Ð ὈὈ 14

Ð Tran Van Kieu ÐL Nguyen Chi Thanh Ð Ly Thuong Kiet Kiet Thuong Ly Ð

ÐL Hoang Van Thu Nhat Airport Tan Son Race Track Saigon Terminal

ÐL Tran Hung Dao District 10 Ð Hung Vuong 7 1 ὈὈὈ ὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ Tr Q 8 Ð 3 Thang 2

11 Hoan Phan Ð Ð Phan Trong Son

District 5

Giot Ð Nguyen Tri Nguyen Ð

Ð To Hien Thanh Sy Van Le Ð Phuong Phuong

9 ÐL Hoang Van Thu Van Hoang ÐL

Ð Ba Hat 13 Ð Nguyen Thai Son

Ho KyHoa Ð Cach Mang Thang Tam Thang Mang Cach Ð Park Van Dang Phu Nhuan

Ὀ ÐL Ngo Gia Tu

Ð Tran Tuyen Trong Nguyen Ð Gia DinhPark District lonelyplanet.com

Ð Su Van Hanh Van Su Ð Ð

Ð An Ð Nguyen Van Troi Van Nguyen Ð ÐL Tran Quoc Tran Ð Hung Vuong

Ð Pham The Hien 6 ÐL Ly Thai To To Thai Ly ÐL Duong Vuong Ð Ð Ð Tran Phu Dien

Ben Hung Dao

H Trong Binh Tran Ð Saigon

a Bien Phu Thao Ð Nguyen Kiem m Tu 5 ὈὈ Ὀ

lonelyplanet.com

Ð Nguyen

ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ District 3 ÐL Nguyen Van Cu Van Nguyen ÐL Ð Nguyen Dinh Chieu

Ð Nguyen Thi M Ly Chinh Tha Van Phan Dang Luu Dang Phan

Ð Nguyen Thi An Thi Nguyen Ð Thang Ð Tran Nghi Ð Vo Thi Sau

Tan Dinh

Church Phung Dinh Phan Ð

Ð Nguyen Trai Ð Dien Bien Phu Le Ð X inh Khai Quang District Go Vap

u an HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) HOCHIMINHCITY

Cong VienVan

Soan District 1 Dinh

Ð Ð Le Lai Reunification Hoa Park

Ben Ð Nam Ð

Palace

ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ

Chuong Trung Ba Hai ÐL

Ð Nguyen Thai Hoc Thai Nguyen Ð Ky Khoi Nghia Khoi Ky

Ð Dinh Tien Hoang Ð No See CentralHoChiMinhCityMap(p409) 4 Trang Long

Ben ÐL Le Duan Ð Dinh Tien Hoang Tien Dinh Ð

Binh Thanh Nghe Khiem Binh Nguyen Ð District ÐL Ham Nghi Nghi Ham ÐL ÐL Le Loi Ð

District 1 Ð Dien Bien Phu Bach To SaigonWaterPark(3km); F Chua ThuDauMot(23km)

Chan Dang Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈὈ ὈὈ

Ð Doan Van Bo Bo Van Doan Ð nel District 4

Ð Ton That Thuyet Ð Le Van Luong 12 District 7

Ð Mai Van Vinh

Saigon River Ð Nguyen Tat Thanh Tat Nguyen Ð

Ð Xo Viet Nghe Tinh 15 Quoc Lo 13 District 2

Thi Nghe Channel Ð

Dien Ð D2 Bien

G Phu TRANSPORT SHOPPING EATING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Tay NinhBusStation...... Mien DongBusStation...... Cholon BusStation...... Mai Handicrafts...... Sésame...... Thien HauPagoda...... Teacher TrainingUniversity...... Shark Waterland...... Quan AmPagoda...... Phuoc AnHoiQuanPagoda...... Lan AnhClub...... Lam SonPool...... Jade EmperorPagoda...... Giac LamPagoda...... Dam SenWaterPark...... Cho RayHospital...... To CanGio(50km) Rach ChiecDrivingRange(12km); 0 0 Vietnam WaterWorld(20km); Country Club(12km); Vung Tau(125km) To VietnamGolf& Bien Hoa(30km); H 12 11 10 16 15 14 13 2 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Tourist Village To BinhQuoi A5 C6 D6 C6 C6 D4 D5 F3 B4 F3 C6 E5 A2 G1 B6 D3 0.5 miles (2km) 1 km

407

4 6 1 3 2 5 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM plays of artefacts fromthevariousperiods ese aesthetics. ese of ofa goodoverview theevolution Vietnam- contemporary work.Thecollection represents theOc-EoandCham,to liest civilisations, 4.30pm Tue-Sun) 4441; 97AÐPhoDucChinh;admission10,000d; Vietnam. of forpowerin thecommuniststruggle h p412; structure, the inabeautifulgreyHoused neoclassical Other Museums entrance tothezoo. what isnowVietnam,it’sjustinsidethemain artefacts from3300years of humanactivityin Société desÉtudesIndochinoises. Displaying French buildingconstructed in1929bythe 4.30pm Tue-Sun) admission15,000d; Nguyen BinhKhiem; Museum The impressive collectionof HCMC’s History Museum Chinese. its are Englishand labelled inVietnamese, ofby theUSA’suse defoliants.The exhib- who were bornwithbirthdefects caused whosufferedthose torture aswellthose array of photographs of thevictimsof war– VCto house prisoners, andaheartbreaking lery pieces,amodelof thetiger cages used stop.Ondisplayareessential retired artil- h p409; Map Museum Remnants Documenting theatrocitiesof war,the War RemnantsMuseum 408 The city’s in considerably more comfort thanthemenwhofirsttrodit. in considerablymore comfort If youcatchabusbetweenDanangandKonTum you’llbefollowingthishistoricpath –albeit byanexcellentroadwindingalongtheedgeofsteep mountains.beautiful trackisnowserved fromKonTumtion followsHwy14north toGiang,notfarfromDanang. This exceptionally these soldiersendured –thousandswere losttomalariaandAmericanbombs. of neighbouringLaos,andeventually endingupinsouthernVietnam. It’shardtoimagine what ofVinh headedinlandalonginhospitablemountainousjunglepaths,crossinginandoutport Vietnamese andVietNorth Congduring theAmericanWar. Suppliesandtroopsleavingfromthe This legendary route wasnotonebutmanypathsthatformedthemajorsupplylinkfor THE HOCHIMINHTRAIL 7.30-noon &1.30-5pm) 8am-4pm) % OCIMN IY(AGN • Sgt (SAIGON)••Sights HO CHIMINHCITY While thenature ofthetrailmeansthatthere’s nooneofficialroute, awidelyaccepted sec-

% 829 9741;65ÐLyTu Trong;admissionUS$1; (Bao Tang LichSu;Map p409 ; wasbuiltin1886andhasdis- 930 5587;28ÐVoVan Tan; admission15,000d; covers artfromVietnam’s ear- is housed inastunningSino- ishoused Fine Arts Museum Fine Arts Museum of Ho Chi Minh City ofHoChiMinh Museum

(Bao Tang ChungTich ChienTranh; is unique, brutal andan isunique,brutal

Mp p409; (Map h % 8-11am &1.30- 829 8146;Ð h % History History (Map 9am-

War 829 1935 onthesite of anearliermosque, andChinese. Vietnamese ple isalsoconsidered sacred bymanyethnic to theHindugoddessMariamman. Thetem- the endof the19thcenturyandisdedicated Map Map p409 ; 45ÐTruongDinh; gon, spires dominate theskyline. squaretwo 40m-high towers tippedwithiron ter. Itsred-brick neo-Romanesqueformand regally intheheart of thegovernment quar- 9.30am Sun) Cathedral Dame Notre CENTRAL HOCHIMINHCITY worship. placesoftural appreciation,outthese seek ofFor adose peace,fortifiedwitharchitec- Pagodas, Temples&Churches many small porcelainfigures, theelaborate tions in the city.Ofspecial interest are the the mostbeautifully ornamented construc- 184 ÐHungVuong; rated withvery oldgold-and-lacquer panels. stories. Thefrontdoors of thepagodaare deco- playsand ceramic, fromtraditionalChinese decorated scenes,rendered withfantastic in congregation.the FujianChinese Theroof is 12 ÐLaoTu; temples including Cholon hasawealt CHOLON entering. As atanymosque,remove before yourshoes calm inthemiddleof bustling centralSaigon. an immaculately cleanandwell-kept islandof Central Mosque Constructed bySouthIndianMuslimsin Nearby, A splashof southernIndia’scolour inSai- Mariamman Hindu Hindu Mariamman Temple , built between 1877 and 1883, stands 1877and1883,stands , builtbetween h Phuoc An Phuoc Hoi QuanPagoda 8am-4.30pm) (Map (Map p412 ; 66ÐDongDu;

h 7am-5.30pm) Quan Am Pagoda (Map (Map p412 ; ÐHanThuyen;

h of wonderfulChinese h ,

founded in1816by 7am-7pm) stands as oneof stands (Chua Ba Mariamman; (Chua BaMariamman;

lonelyplanet.com wasbuiltat h

(Map pp406-7 ; pp406-7; (Map Mp pp406-7 ; (Map

9am-5pm) Saigon h mass is Trai; Chinese congregation.Chinese pagoda wasbuiltin1902,alsobytheFujian on thealtars, wallsandhanginglanterns. This brass ritualobjects andthefinewoodcarvings lonelyplanet.com the Chinese goddessof Asthe Chinese thesea. sheprotects Pagoda (5km) Nhat Airport To TanSon 4 1 3 2 5 CENTRAL HOCHIMINHCITY ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ One of themostactive inCholon, District 3

Immigration To Cholon Tran Ð Post Office

13 Ð District 1 (3km) Tam Thang Mang Cach Ð Ly Chinh Tha Duc Memorial Thich Quang 6am-5.30pm)

Ð Vo Van Tan Thang Map orPhoMieu; (Ba Mieu pp406-7 ; 710ÐNguyen

Quoc Thao Quoc

Ð Quyen Cong Ð

Nguyen Trai Quan Thanh Huyen Ba Ð Ð Dien Bien Phu AC Ð Luong Ð Ð Vo Thi Sau Ð Tran Quoc Toan HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)••Sights HOCHIMINHCITY

See PhamNguLaoAreaMap(p411)

H Khanh H Ð Tu Xuong

Ð Ton Ð isdedicated toThienHau, 7 INFORMATION Dinh Truong Ð

itobn...... C4 Vietcombank...... C2 US Consulate...... C2 UK Consulate...... A2 C2 Thai Consulate...... Phuong NamBookshop...... New ZealandConsulate...... (see 2) C2 Netherlands Consulate...... B2 German Consulate...... C2 French Consulate...... B2 Chinese Consulate...... B1 Cambodian Consulate...... British Council...... (see8) Ð Suong N Anh

Ð Ngo Thoi Nhiem Pasteur Ð That Tung That ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

Tan Dinh Ð Bui Thi Xuan Church 19 Ð Nguyen Dinh Chieu 23 Ð Le Thi Rieng Ð Nguyen Thi M 21

Ð Nguyen Trai Cong VienVan Ð Vo Van Tan Hoa Park Ð Pham Ngu Lao 17

Ð Le Lai inh Khai Don Qui Le Ð

Ð Bui Vien

Ð Huyen Tran Cong Chua Cong Tran Huyen Ð

Ð Nguyen Du Ð B

Nam Ð Hai Ba Trung Ba Hai Ð 1

ÐL Tran Hung Dao Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ

4 Thien Thien Hau Ð Phung Khac Khoan Khac Phung Ð 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Nghia Khoi Ky

Ð Co Ð 15

Giang Dinh Truong

Ð Co Bac Pasteur Ð

Ð Mac Dinh Chi Dinh Mac Ð Ð Dien Bien Phu

Ð Nguyen Thai Hoc Thai Nguyen Ð EATING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Thach Ngoc Pham h 00...... C3 A1 Pho 2000...... Banh Xeo46A...... D1 B2 Zoo &BotanicalGardens...... C1 War RemnantsMuseum...... B3 Saigon Yoga...... B3 Reunification Palace...... A2 Mariamman HinduTemple..... D1 L'Apothiquaire...... C4 History Museum...... Fine ArtsMuseum...... Ð Ly Tu 2

Ð Le Thi Hong Gam Ð Le Thanh Ton Ð Tran Cao Van

Ð Yersin Ð 20

Trong Truc Trung Ð Nguyen Ð to bethecity’soldest.Thearchitecture hasn’t Quan; Beautiful GREATER HOCHIMINHCITY for ablessing foryourMekong trip. Delta maritime travellers, stopbytoask youmight fisherfolk, sailors, merchants andanyother

28 Ð Nguyen Dinh Chieu 24 Ð Han Thuyen Ð Nguyen Thai Binh Ð Nguyen Thi M

26 Ð Ky Con Con Ky Ð 3

29 Ð Dinh Tien Hoang Tien Dinh Ð h

ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ

Ð Calmette Ð 9 Ð Pho Ð

Ben ÐL Le Loi 6am-9pm) Stadium

inh Khai Hoa Lu Duc Chinh Chinh Duc Ð Ly Tu Trong Ð Huynh Th

Giac Lam Pagoda 6

Nghe Pasteur Ð 16 Ð Ham Nghi Nghi Ham Ð Ð Le Thanh Ton ÐL Le Duan Ð Nguyen

Ð Nguyen8 Du

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Channel Khoi Dong Ð

dates from 1744 and is believed dates from1744andisbelieved

ÐL Nguyen Hue Nguyen ÐL Cong Tru Trinh Manh

Ð Ben Chuong uc Khang

Ð Ton That Dam Dam That Ton Ð Ð Chu Chu Ð

Ð Ho Tung Mau Tung Ho Ð Ð Ton Duc Thang Duc Ton Ð

TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING u tto...... C3 Bus Station...... C3 Ben ThanhMarket...... War RemnantsMuseum...... (see 17) History Museum...... (see12) D2 C1 Lush...... D2 Hoa Vien...... Carmen...... C4 B3 Tin Nghia...... D2 Tandoor...... B2 Sushi Bar...... Serenata...... Ð Thi Sach Thi Ð Ð Thai Van Lung Lung Van Thai Ð

0.2miles 300m 0 0 25 Ð Nguyen Nguyen Ð See DongKhoiAreaMap(p412) 27 12

(Map (Map

Ð Nguyen Tat Thanh Tat Nguyen Ð Ð Ngo 22 Duc Ke Khiem Binh pp406-7 ; pp406-7

Ð Ton Duc Thang Thi Thi

Ð Doan Van Bo Bo Van Doan Ð Nghe D 18 118 ÐLacLong

Channel Saigon River 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21

409 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM h quaire.com; 64AÐTruongDinh;1hrmassageUS$20; wraps, massages,facials,foottreatments andherbalbaths. downaquietalley,withbody a pretty whitemansiontucked Lan AnhClub Lam SonPool Hotel Caravelle pay afee of US$8toUS$18perday. there stay needn’t toswim,but you’llhave to with attractive swimming poolsattached. You Most of HCMC’s finerhotels have fitness clubs Swimming Institute TraditionalMassage Vietnamese L’Apothiquaire vice, someare more legitimate thanothers. range andupmarket hotels offer massage ser- day dodgingmotorbikes. Whilemanymid- pampering –theperfect antidote toafrenetic HCMC offers for settings sometrulyfantastic Massage ACTIVITIES and givingthezooamiss. we wouldsuggest stickingwiththegardens are better inVietnam, thantheusual standard h p409; is the place forastrollundergianttropicaltrees, Founded bytheFrench in1864,andalovely Zoo &BotanicalGardens half ablockinnorthwestdirection. pagoda, goto20ÐDienBienPhu andwalk made of reinforced papier-mâché. Toget tothe both theBuddhistandTaoist traditions,are which representThe statues, characters from it isoneof HCMC’s pagodas. mostspectacular congregation, Built in1909bytheCantonese of divinitiesandgrotesque heroes. phantasmal temple, filledwithcolourfulstatues a Chinese Map pp406-7 ThiLuu; ; 73ÐMai meditative placetoexplore. changed since1900,andthecompoundisa 410 h Thang Tam, 10;admission gym/pool40,000/25,000d; District h 5pm 6000d; 5;perhr5000d,after Binh Trong,District trained blindmasseurs. bywell- massagesperformed inexpensive, no-nonsense 45,000d, sauna25,000d; p411; admission US$13) Jade Emperor Pagoda Emperor Jade pool 6am-9pm) There’s agood gymhere. 9am-9pm; 7am-8pm) 8am-8pm) AnOlympic-sized pool. % % OCIMN IY(AGN • Atvte (SAIGON)••Activities HO CHIMINHCITY Zoo &BotanicalGardens 829 3901; 2 Ð Nguyen Binh Khiem; admission8000d; 829 3901;2ÐNguyenBinhKhiem; 839 6697;185ÐCongQuynh;perhr35,000- . Although theanimalenclosures. Although (Map (Map pp406-7 ; s (Map (Map pp406-7 ; (Map p409 ; (Map (Map p412 ; 823 4999;19LamSonSq; ) The city’s most elegant spa is housed in ) Thecity’smostelegantspaishousedin h (Phuoc HaiTu orChuaNgocHoang;

9am-9pm) Thisplaceoffers % % h % 932 5181;www.lapothi 862 7144; 291 Cach Mang 862 7144;291CachMang 7.30am-6pm) 835 8028;342ÐTran

(Thao Cam Vien; Map CamVien;Map (Thao is agem of (Map (Map which isa District; adult/child60,000/35,000d; District; 9am-6pm Sun&publicholidays) University. 17/6A Ð Le Thanh Ton, District 1; private lessonper60/90min 1;private 17/6A ÐLe ThanhTon,District 45,000/30,000d; 3ÐHoaBinh;adult/child www.damsenwaterpark.com.vn; 9pm Mon-Fri, 10am-9pmSat&Sun) 9pm Mon-Fri, Ham Tu, 5;admission20,000-45,000d; District pia Café Pham; Map enrol at The majority of foreign- language students Language COURSES the website forclass times. persessionUS$12; Khai; Thi Minh p409; at Drop inforyogaclasses Yoga Shark Waterland Park Water Dam Sen ThanhMarkethour fromBen station. centre; (5000d)leave shuttle buses half- every pool inthesuburbiaof ThuDuc,northof the Park Saigon Water Parks Water tions intown ifyoudon’tmind bunkingwith US$5.25/9/12; 31ÐBui Vien; dm/s/dinclbreakfast [email protected]; with more than100places tostay. leys formtheheartof thisbackpacker ghetto, and ÐBuiVien–alongwithintersecting al- Three ÐDeTham streets –ÐPham Ngu Lao, Pham NguLao bars. home tothecity’sbesthotels, restaurants and area, upscaledigsgotoDongKhoi seeking backpacker-filled caféslinethestreets. Those area,Pham where NguLao thriftyhotels and Budget travellers often tothe headstraight west (cheap) dependsonwhatyou’re after. HCMC, whethertogoeast(fancy)or though District 1istheundisputed of lodgingcapital SLEEPING instruction. 70,000/90,000d; An Duong Vuong, District 5; private/group classUS$4.50/3) 5;private/group An DuongVuong, District Yellow House More informalstudyisavailable at Other water parks: %

Mp p412 ; (Map 910 5181;www.saigonyoga.com; 10FÐNguyen pp406-7; Teacher TrainingUniversity

department of HoChiMinhCity Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ai h h

(Map (Map pp406-7 ; Mp p411; (Map 9am-6pm) 8.30am-9pm) %

( % % ) Oneof thecheapest op- (Map (Map pp406-7 ; 835 5100;[email protected]; 280 824 2487;shop@utopia-café.com; 897 0456; Ð Kha Van897 0456;ÐKha Can,ThuDuc has slidesandawave % , withone-on-one h % h 836 8830;yellowhouse SaigonYoga 8am-7pm) 853 7867;600Ð 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, % 858 8418;

h (Dai HocSu . Check 8am-

(Map (Map Uto- , lonelyplanet.com ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ 0 200 m PHAM NGU LAO AREA 0 0.1 miles

A B C D E F

INFORMATION Blue River Hotel...... 8 C3 Stella...... 19 D3 New World Hotel Delta Adventure Tours...... 1 D2 Giant Dragon Hotel...... 9 E2 Zen...... 20 E2 Handspan Adventure Travel.....2 A3 Hotel 127...... 10 B4 HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)••PhamNguLaoArea HOCHIMINHCITY 1 Sacombank...... 3 E2 Ki Hotel...... 11 E2 DRINKING Sinh Cafe...... ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ4 D2 Lan Anh Hotel...... 12 D2 Allez Boo Bar...... 21 D2 Ð Le Lai Sinhbalo Adventures...... 5 C3 Yellow House...... 13 E3 Eden...... 22 D2 Ð Ton That Tung Go2...... 23 E3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES EATING Le Pub...... 24 E2 Ð Pham Ngu Lao Vietnamese Traditional Massage Dinh Y...... 14 A4 Santa Café...... 25 C4 Institute ...... 6 A4 Grill 69...... 15 C3 Hanoi Mart & Co-op Mart.....16 A3 TRANSPORT Ð Yersin 3 SLEEPINGÐ Bui Thi Xuan Pho 24...... 17 C2 Saigon Railways Tourist Ð Nguyen Thai Hoc An An Hotel...... 7 E3 Sozo...... 18 D3 Services...... 26 C2 9 ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ1 21 2 Ð Luong H Khanh Chua An Lac ÐL Tran Hung Dao 12 Minihotel Alley Ð Nguyen Trai 4 24 Post Office

Ð De Tham22 Ð Pham Ngu17 Lao 11 26 20 Ð Nam Quoc Cang 15 7 2 Post ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ8 Office 5

Ð Nguyen Trai 23 13 3 Ð Do Quang Dau Ð Bui Vien Ð Cong Quynh 18 16 ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ 19 Ð Cong Quynh Ð De Tham 25 14 6

Ð Co Bac

10 ÐL Tran Hung Dao 4 ὈÐ Nguyen Trai

411 VIETNAM VIETNAM Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈὈ Ὀ

VIETNAM from US$10/12; 283/2CÐPhamNguLao;s/dinclbreakfast [email protected]; nishings. Free internet. clean, spaciousroomswithsimpleneatfur- hcm.vnn.vn; 127ÐCongQuynh;rUS$12-20; The immaculate rooms at this lift-equipped The immaculate roomsatthislift-equipped [email protected]; 173ÐPhamNguLao;r/steUS$20/25; local dinners. most welcomingreception, includingfree providesappointed a roomsandthestaff ble Madam Cuc.Thisplacefeatures well- of atrioof superbhotels runbytheaffa- well asprivate rooms. strangers, Yellow hastwodorms,as House 412 4 1 3 2

Ð Nguyen Du DONG KHOIAREA

Thach Giant DragonHotel 127 Hotel Blue River Hotel Blue River

Ngoc Ð Nguyen Trung Truc Trung Nguyen Ð Pham

Ð Han Thuyen (SAIGON)••Sleeping HO CHIMINHCITY

ÐL Le Duan Ð Pasteur Pasteur Ð

Ð Ly Tu Trong

Ð Le Th AC a

8 17 Ð Luu Van Lang p411; (Map 42 49

anh Ton )

Thisextra-friendly placehas Ð Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Khoi Ky Nam Ð 11

Mp p411; (Map 16

9 Mp p411; (Map 6 %

Ð Nguyen12 Du (People's Committee 836 8761;madamcuc@ ὈὈ ὈὈ % Hôtel deVille

ÐL Le Loi Building) 837 6483;blueriver 5 %

51 Ð Dong Khoi Dong Ð Ð Ly Tu Trong 836 1935;gd B

ÐL Hai Ba Trung Ba Hai ÐL

) Ð Pasteur Pasteur Ð One

Ð Ton That Thiep 13 Ð Le Thanh Ton 3 a 53 31 20 Lam Son

Park )

Ð Huynh Thuc Khang 22

An Hotel central choice. rooms,thisisagood free breakfast andcomfortable lift, hcm.vnn.vn; 252 ÐDeTham;rUS$10-18; Lan AnhHotel the following: stretch out. (robe andslippers) to androomenough (bamboo, paperlanterns), extras thoughtful fers stylish quarters withorganic elements 28/2 ÐBuiVien;rUS$28-38; rooms have sittingareas andcityviews. (IDD) phones,tubsandhairdryers. Super deluxe international directplace have dial satellite TV, .com; 40ÐBuiVien;rUS$22-35; Ð Ton That Dam That Ton Ð

Ð Nguyen Thiep34 50 Ki Hotel Ki Other optionsinthispopulararea include 26 25 Lam Son Square Ð Ly Tu Trong 15 7

30 Ð Ho Tung Mau Tung Ho Ð 39

Mp p411 ; (Map (Map (Map p411 ;

Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 18 41 Ð Cao Ba Quat ÐL Nguyen Hue Nguyen ÐL

4 Ð Le Thanh Ton (Map (Map p411 ; Ð Nguyen Sieu 48 14 Ð Dong Du 21 Ð Ngo Duc Ke 33 47 45 19

Ð Mac Thi Buoi Ð Dong Khoi Dong Ð 38 Sach Thi Ð

% Ð Thai Van Lung Lung Van Thai Ð

Ð Hai Trieu 28 % 200m 0.1miles 0 0 a %

Ð 837 5582;www.tamsonco.com; 40

HH Nghiep Ð Dong Du 837 8087;www.ananhotel 32 ai 23 10 ) 836 5197;lan-anh-hotel@ Thisnewhotel of- 1 46

52 Ð Ngo Ð 35 43

24 Van Nam Van a 27 ) TV and minibar ) TV 2 D Dao Statue Tran Hung Square & Me Linh 54 ) Offering a ) Offering

Ð Ton Duc Thang Saigon River a s/dwithbreakfast fromUS$45/50; .fpt.vn; 150ÐDongKhoi; hotel haswell-designedroomsandwi-fi ac- If you want to base yourself inthecitycentre, yourself If youwanttobase Dong KhoiArea place. in thecleanrooms,plusinternet,atthisslick,newish Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com mark building is notable foritsold-fashionedmark buildingisnotable Aptly named,theGrand’srenovated land- s/dfromUS$75/85; .com.vn; 8-24ÐDongKhoi; and naturallight. cess. Bookthesuperiorordeluxe forabalcony bourhood. Roomsare goodvaluefortheneigh- staff. tive choice, withfriendlymanagement and known bybusinesstravellers, isanattrac- US$40/46; hcm.vnn.vn; 61-63ÐLHaiBaTrung;s/dwithbreakfast from neighbourhood. and carpeted butare excellentvalueforthe to it.Theroomshere are somewhatsmall designed placehasasubtleJapanese feel breakfast fromUS$32/40; [email protected]; 44-46ÐLe ThanhTon;s/dwith River. orneartheSaigon hotels alongÐDongKhoi you’ll findagoodnumberof well-appointed Utopia Café...... Saigon CentralMosque...... Notre DameCathedral...... Museum ofHoChiMinh City... Caravelle Hotel...... Vietcombank...... Tourist InformationCenter...... Main PostOffice...... Laos Consulate...... Japanese Embassy...... International SOS...... Center...... International Medical Idecaf...... HSBC...... Practice...... (see49) HCMC FamilyMedical Federal Express...... Fahasa Bookshop...... Fahasa Bookshop...... DHL...... (see 12) Canadian Consulate...... (see6) D2 Australian Consulate...... ANZ Bank...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Grand Hotel Grand Hotel Annexe Bong Sen o Asian Hotel Asian ) Inthecentre of town,thiscontemporary a Spring Hotel Spring ) TheBS,asit’saffectionately

Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map

a %

% ) Thistrimandnicely Mp p412; (Map 14 13 12 11 10 19 18 17 16 15 823 0163;www.grandhotel 829 6979;asianhotel@hcn 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 % C1 C3 A1 A3 C3 C2 B3 B2 A2 D4 A2 A2 C1 A2 B3 C3 B3 D3 823 5818;bongsen2@ aaCfe a...... C3 Java CoffeeBar...... Pomodoro...... Pho Oso...... Pacharan...... Nam Kha...... Nam Giao...... Mogambo...... Mandarine...... Lemon Grass...... Indian Canteen...... (see18) Hoi An...... Fanny...... Chao Thai...... Camargue...... (see 48) Augustin...... Annie's Pizza...... Angkor EncorePlus...... Spring Hotel...... Park HyattSaigon...... Majestic Hotel...... Grand Hotel...... Continental Hotel...... Bong SenAnnexe...... Asian Hotel...... EATING SLEEPING % HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)••Eating HOCHIMINHCITY ais 829 7362;

) the Continental was the setting formuch of wasthesetting the Continental of Vietnamese decadence. Besides brilliant of decadence. Besides Vietnamese a unique interpretation villas, each serving dirt-cheap toatmospheric sidewalkstalls king of here Vietnam.Restaurants range from charm, butHCMC isthereigning culinary Hanoi mayhave more lakes andcolonial EATING rooms. and offers beautifullyappointed guest city, thishotel hasanelegantwhite façade Occupying afinepositionintheheartof the The Park HyattiseasilySaigon’sfinesthotel. 2LamSonSq;dfromUS$210; .park.hyatt.com; behemoths. phere, itapartfrommore setting modern It hasacolonialcharm anduniqueatmos- Majestic issituated ontheSaigonRiver. right US$135/150; s/dfromwww.majesticsaigon.com.vn; 1ÐDongKhoi; rooms. ceilings accentthecarpeted, cavernous novel the actionthatoccurred inGrahamGreene’s a rUS$75-135; .continentalvietnam.com; 132-134ÐDongKhoi; pool andagym. lift andspacioussuites. There’s alsoanindoor o Continental Hotel Park HyattSaigon ) Oneof thecity’smosthistoriclodgings, The Quiet American 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 Majestic Hotel Majestic C2 D4 C2 C3 A4 C2 D1 C3 D1 B4 C1 C3 C3 D1 C2 C2 D4 D3 B3 C2 B2 as DRINKING (Hydrofoils toVungTau).... Bach DangJetty (TaxDepartmentStore)...... Russian Market Lotus...... Chi Chi...... Municipal Theatre...... Idecaf...... (see 7) Diamond PlazaCinema...... Vasco's...... Underground...... Disco...... Tropical Rainforest Sheridan's IrishHouse...... Samsara...... Saigon Bar...... (see15) Apocalypse Now...... Temple Club...... (see31) Quan AnNgon...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT ) Datingbackto1925,the

Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map

(Map p412 ; p412; (Map . Panelled wood % % 824 1234;saigon 829 9252;www % ais 829 5517; 44 43 42 45 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 413 C1 D4 B3 D4 B3 C3 A1 C2 C3 D3 C3 D2 A3

) VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM delicious, nopay’. Andremembersetting. theOso mantra:‘no bowlsof delectable shop serves shop serves fantastic bowlsof fantastic quality shop serves throughout Vietnam. throughout Visit www.pho24.com.vnforotherlocations along withfresh juicesandspringrolls. h banh xeo visitors. Comehere totrysomeof thebest swoons of amongcertain gastronomicdelight dinner) Cong Trang;mains20,000-30,000d; 18,000-80,000d; dishes. ofexcellent selection traditionalVietnamese up softly spicedcreations intheopen air. An a ringof mixing cooksatindividualstations, & dinner) Nghia;mains17,000-60,000d; 138 ÐNamKyKhoi always packed. superbHué-stylemainsandis Giao serves ThanhMarket,away inanalleynearBen Nam Ton; mains10,000-15,000d; Nam Giao Vietnamese erally lessimpressive. possibleculinarywhim,are every satisfy gen- eateries,3. Pham attempting to NguLao’s quality restaurants, aswellnearbyDistrict area,Dong Khoi densityof withahigh top- represented. French, fusionswell andEast–West Italian world cuisine,withIndian,Japanese, Thai, regional fare, Saigonoffers asmattering of 414 Banh Xeo 46A Banh Xeo Pho Oso Pho o Pho 24 Pho Good foodieneighbourhoods includethe Dam Sen Park QUIRKY SAIGON roller coaster. freezer-room, cafésandgift shops,and a wonderlandinside anenormous ice-block bridgesandpagodastofindanwith lakes, the park’slandscapedgardensembellished only bythosemadeofCDs. Venutre inside mals madeofcoconutshellsare outdone fers adoseofslightlybizarre fun.Giant ani- Ð HoaBinh;admission10,000d; breakfast, lunch&dinner) OCIMN IY(AGN • Etn (SAIGON)••Eating HO CHIMINHCITY

Banh xeo Surrounding thegarden-stylepatiois

(Map (Map p411 ; 271ÐPhamNguLao;mains24,000d;

Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map in HCMC. Quan AnNgon h

Mp p409; (Map lunch &dinner) has been knowntoinduce hasbeen

Mp pp406-7; (Map % % h 829 6415; 37 Ð Dong Khoi; mains 829 6415;37ÐDongKhoi; 825 0261;136/15ÐLe Thanh Thispolished noodle

Mp p412; (Map lunch &dinner) % Thistinynoodle h h 824 1110;46AÐDinh % 9am-9pm) breakfast, lunch& pho 855 4963;3 % inacosy Tucked 825 7179; h of- pho lunch – colonial villa,Temple delectable Clubserves Vietnamese dishesmadewithfreshVietnamese localingre- school children, fordisadvantaged French- &Sat) &7-10pmFri Tue-Fri setmeals90,000-120,000d; Thanh District; [email protected]; 153ÐXoVietNgheTinh, Binh or shrimpincoconutmilk. plates suchVietnamese asfish withtamarind ner) Ð TonThatThiep;mains70,000-130,000d; all-round goodbet. traditional musicperformancesmake itan on allregions. Thefoodissuperb,andthe lection of traditionaldishesonoffer draws Nam; mains60,000d; dinner –perperson. for aroundUS$10lunch –orUS$25for sible toeatlike royaltyinalavish restaurant restaurantsetnamese are abargain. It’spos- foodabroad,HCMC’sVietnamese better Vi- Compared withwhatyouwouldpayforfine Gourmet Vietnamese the wineselections. gonicelywith destrian fare (pork,squid,beef) barbecued kangaroo,ostrich andmore pe- Lao; mains35,000-80,000d; Thiep; mains 60,000d; a restaurant, pubandhotel. nesian décorand juicy burgers, Mogambois 30,000-50,000d; Mogambo International Hoi An Lemon Grass following places: dishes match thesurrounds. tered aroundtheoutside. Savoury Vietnamese gold-leaf-covered pillars, scat- withtables here consistsof areflecting poolflanked by mains aroundUS$10; dients are deliciousandbeautifullypresented. as Mandarine, the speciality here is imperial Hué-styledishes. thespecialityhere isimperial as Mandarine, 70,000-120,000d; restaurants inthecitycentre. the simpledécor,thisisoneofbestVietnamese Thiep; mains50,000-70,000d; Augustin Augustin dining isalsoavailableDelectable atthe Nam Kha o o Mandarine 69 Grill Onthe2ndfloorof abeautifullyrestored (Map p412 ;

Mp p412; (Map Mp p411; (Map Temple Club Sésame

(Map (Map p412 ; Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map

h Mp p412; (Map h % lunch &dinner) lunch & dinner) Run by the same team lunch &dinner)Runbythesameteam h h h

823 7694;11ÐLe ThanhTon;mains % Mp pp406-7; (Map % lunch &dinner) lunch &dinner) lunch &dinner Mon-Sat) % % A hospitality training Ahospitality

825 1311;20BÐThiSach;mains h % Mp p412; (Map % 836 7936;275HÐPhamNgu h 822 0496;4ÐNguyen 828 8309; 46 Ð Dong Khoi; 828 8309;46ÐDongKhoi; lunch &dinner) 829 2941; 10 ÐNguyen 822 9783;11AÐNgoVan lunch &dinner)Despite Noted foritsPoly- lonelyplanet.com % Thefinese- % h The setting Thesetting h 899 3378;tri 829 9244;29 11.30am-2pm Sizzling lunch &din- Many Many ful Spanish tapas restaurantful Spanish tapas andwinebaris from Thai Binh Market, Dinh Y serves inex- from Thai BinhMarket, Dinh Yserves mains US$15; tapas 75,000-90,000d; 2 ÐLe ThanhTon;sushi45,000d; 7000d; restaurant. It serves tasty bistro-stylefood. tasty restaurant. Itserves consider Augustinthecity’sbestcasualFrench lonelyplanet.com Dinh Y Vegetarian value. lunch isparticularlygood food, andtheset Tandoor NorthIndian outstanding serves Van Tan, 3;setlunch 58,000d; District intersection. with Japanese andhasafunviewof afrenzied tling withlife, thissushibarisusuallypacked Thai food. are goodvalue,withsomeof Saigon’s best mains around45,000d; flavours. a littlehaven of pretty décorandauthentic cuisine,nowcookingin Wonderful Khmer Ngo Van Nam;mainsaround35,000d; Mosque. Thefishcurry(21,000d)issuperb. outthisplacebehindtheSaigonCentral seek Du; dishes7000d) Indian Canteen Other Asian Stella Annie’s Pizza a well-appointed winelist. variety of gourmetdishes complemented by to trendy Vasco’s bar. Themenuincludesa tiful restored isalsohome villa,Camargue andtiramisu. pizzas, pastas restaurant forgood Italian hasacosysetting mains 80,000-160,000d; over adrink. one of Saigon’strendiest up spotstomeet trattoria. trattoria. lasagneandgnocchiinastylish,Zenlike excellent risotto, 75,000-125,000d; pizzas andfree delivery. Buoi; pizzas40,000-70,000d; o Plus Angkor Encore Pomodoro Sushi Bar Chao Thai Other restaurants totry: Camargue Pacharan (Map (Map p411 ; h

Mp p411; (Map breakfast, lunch&dinner) Tandoor h

Mp p409; (Map Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map (Map (Map p412 ;

Mp p412; (Map Mp p412; (Map lunch &dinner) h For really cheap Indianfood,

% % Mp p412; (Map HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)••Eating HOCHIMINHCITY h lunch & dinner) Stella serves lunch &dinner)Stellaserves

Mp p409; (Map 836 9220;121ÐBuiVien;mains 836 7715;171BÐCongQuynh; mains h h %

% lunch &dinner) % Mp p412 ; (Map % % % lunch &dinner) h 10am-10pm) 823 8042;[email protected]; 824 1457;16ÐThaiVan Lung; 825 6824;97ÐHaiBaTrung; 823 8998;79ÐLHaiBaTrung; 824 3148;16ÐCaoBaQuat; 823 9044; 45 Ð Mac Thi 823 9044;45ÐMac % h Housed inabeau- Housed lunch &dinner)Great % Acrossthe road 823 2159;66ÐDong lunch &dinner) h h % 930 4839;103ÐVo Thiscolour- Thissmall Lunch sets Lunch sets lunch &dinner) lunch &dinner) 829 8814;28Ð Bris-

h mains 10,000-15,000d; tofu, Java ischic andrelaxed. smoothies(35,000d)madewithsilkeneven for abowl. former USpresident BillClintonstoppedin daily and soft French cheese. fresh fruitsandvegetables, baguettes baked gether from street andmarkets stalls with Simple, dirt-cheap meals canbecobbled to- Self-Catering Markets. ThanhandAnDong found inThaiBinh,Ben Clustersthe basement. of canbe foodstalls food items, often onthegroundfloororin ket, thisisagoodplaceforyourfirst pho20,000d) Trinh; 15,000d. Justlookforthesignsthatsay 8000dand noodle soupusuallycostsbetween everywhere. Alarge bowlof deliciousbeef Noodle soupisavailable alldayatstreet stalls Food Stalls to trythedurian).Has wi-fi. icecreamVietnamese infruityflavours (dare French villa,Fanny creates excellentFranco- ice cream scoop6000-15,000d) Du) Vietnamese. it trainsandemployspoor,disadvantaged There’s wi-fi access,andmore importantly, mon rolls,homemadecookiesandsandwiches. ies US$1) dark withlive musicsomenights. charming villa. Popularwithcouplesafter a lush, pond-filled courtyardandinsidea Serenata Cafés food inamellow,familyatmosphere. casual travellers’ cheap veggie favourite serves tofu, mushroomsandothervegetables. food,preparedtraditional Vietnamese with are strictBuddhistswhoturnoutdelicious Hung Dao;mains8000d; English menu. pensive anddeliciousveggie fare, andhasan Fanny Markets alwayshave of asideselection 2000 Pho Java CoffeeBar Sozo o Withespresso bar,excellentcaféfare and Zen closed Sun)

Mp p411; (Map

This lovely café serves coffees, cinna- Thislovely caféserves (Map p411; (Map

Mp p412; (Map Mp p409; (Map Tin Nghia

Tables here are scattered around Mp p409 ; (Map Near the Ben ThanhMar- NeartheBen % %

Mp p412; (Map % h %

Mp p409 ; (Map 837 3713;185/30ÐPhamNguLao; 095-870 6580;176ÐBuiVien;3cook- h 821 1633;29-31ÐTonThatThiep; breakfast, lunch&dinner) 930 7436;6DÐNgoThoiNhien; % 7am-8.30pm) Set inanattractive Set 822 2788;1-3ÐPhanChu % % 823 0187;38-42ÐDong 821 2538;9ÐLTran Theowners ‘pho’ This pho 415

– . VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM staff dressed inred staff terns over thebar,acosy,invitingvibeand themed bar thatgathers an attractive, mixed music. bigger crowd onweekends whenthere’s live Much loved byexpats,hipVasco’s drawsa expats andtravellers alike. Underground isapopular gatheringspotfor h freshly brewed PilsnerUrquell. draught Czech restaurant, thereal drawcardisthe DinhChi) 28 ÐMac price fromotherpartsof town. bars areThese generally anotch or two upin Dong KhoiArea it’s openlate. Saigon partypeople. DJsspinthetunesand little clubgathers agoodmixof expatsand an open,airystreet-level bar,thispopular a favourite of thetraveller crowd. that’s Divey littleplacewithoutdoorseating 30,000-60,000d) good measure. with ahandfulof prostitutes throwninfor decked barthatalwayspacksa(foreign) crowd, Lao) central. towatch theactioninbackpackerfront seat expat fave area. inthePham NguLao Take a Ð PhamNguLao) Le Pub Pham NguLaoArea continue tocalmthefun. periodic ‘crack-down,clean-up’campaigns and clubshave staged acomeback.However, activities,butthebarsdampener onevening ous nightlife. Liberationin1975putareal Wartime Saigonwasknownforitsriot- DRINKING street fromtheCo-OpMart, isHanoi Mart. near ThaiBinhMarket. A goodsupermarket circle westof thetraffic 416 Co-op Mart Co-op Lush Vasco’s Underground Hoa Vien Santa Café Eden Go2 Allez BooBar Another goodsupermarket, justdownthe Watch theworldscooter byatthisbamboo- 10am-midnight) OCIMN IY(AGN • Dikn (SAIGON)••Drinking HO CHIMINHCITY

Mp p411; (Map

(Map (Map p409 ; 2ÐLyTu Trong) Mp p411; (Map

Mp p412 ; (Map

Mp p409 ; (Map

This multilevel spothasred Thismultilevel lan- (Map (Map p411 ; cnrÐBui Vien&ÐDoQuangDau)

Notable forbeingHCMC’s Notable only Thisattractive baristhenew (Map (Map p411 ; ÐCongQuynh;

(Map p411 ; p411 (Map

Mp p412 ; (Map Namedafter theLondontube, % % % 836 9575;187ÐDeTham) % 837 7679;www.lepub.org;175/22 836 8154;185/22ÐDeTham;mains % ao dai 824 3148;16ÐCaoBaQuat) 829 0585;www.hoavener.com; % % . 837 2505; 187 Ð Pham Ngu 837 2505;187ÐPhamNgu 829 9079; 69 Ð Dong Khoi; 829 9079;69ÐDongKhoi; Lushisan animé- h 8am-8pm) Above Above

Dong Khoi area:Dong Khoi English-language films. 30,000-40,000d) tickets Diamond Plaza,163ÐDongKhoi; dusk. dusk. around the citycentre, stopbySaigonforadrink Caravelle Hotel,19LamSonSq)Forexcellentviewsover performances. % % ances atthe when about five ormore peopleshowup. ances. Schedules vary,butshows tend tostart hostswater-puppetryThis museum perform- admission30,000d; Khiem; Museum History ENTERTAINMENT pub grub. beamed instraightfromthebackstreets ofDublin.Good 17/13 ÐLe pubis ThanhTon)ThistraditionalIrish House Irish Sheridan’s Saigon Bar hangs out. HCMC’s fashion-conscious,alternative crowd iswhere ing acoolclientele QBar forcocktails, enter), withlive musicnightly. cellarlike interior (duckyourheadwhenyou men hasastonewallexterior andacosywine and isgreat forpeople-watching. crowd. Thewraparoundbartakes centre stage Municipal Theatre Municipal Idecaf Diamond PlazaCinema Screens French-language films. 11.45am &1.30-5.15pmTue-Sun) Theatre, live musicandfilmsaroundthe Also check outtheschedule of perform- Carmen Other goodspots: Q Bar 2nd fl,131ÐDongKhoi) Café, isamostly gayaffair. dance floor. crowd, withsolidgrooves andaspacious contingent amonganotherwisestraight lypse Now( opposite asmallgay) attracts danceable musicbutnodancefloor. Apoca- ( left agood,mixed) attracts crowdwith area,ally gay-friendly.InDongKhoi Lush Saigon’s popularbarsandclubsare gener- Although there are few openlygayvenues, GAY &LESBIAN HOCHIMINHCITY 930 5587;28ÐVoVan Tan; admission30,000d; 829 9976;LamSonSq)Playsandmusical (Map (Map p412 ;

(Map p412 ; p412 (Map

Mp p409; (Map War Remnants Museum War Remnants Samsara

Mp p409; (Map % % (Map (Map p412 ; (Nha Hat Thanh Pho; Map (NhaHatThanhPho;Map p412 ; 829 5451;31ÐThaiVan Lung) % 823 3479;7LamSonSq) h (Map (Map p412 ; (Map (Map p412 ; 829 7699;8ÐLyTu Trong) Mp p412; (Map , above theBrodard % 8-11.30am &1-4pmTue-Sun) . % 829 8146;ÐNguyenBinh 823 3479;10thfl, lonelyplanet.com % % % 825 7751; 823 0973; 862 2630;

Mp p409; (Map Attract- h Car- 7.30-

Dance clubsinVietnamhave atendency to offered. isalso andfinedesigns;custom tailoring lovely fabrics .vn; 138ÐPasteur; international relations. and gives sideof agoodeyefulof theseamier ception totherule. aroundforever It’sbeen change withthewind,but‘Apo’isex- Now Apocalypse Clubbing lonelyplanet.com Mai Mai Handicrafts original. topayupwardsofUS$85foran is agoldmine.Expect propaganda posters(fromthe1960sand’70s), thisplace Forvintage 25ÐDongKhoi) [email protected]; Lotus Chi town: boutique mark-ups. look forclothesinWestern sizeswithoutthe lift, there are stillafew dealshere. Wortha vendors andbargains itwasbefore itsface- No longer thedowdybutcharming cavern of posted. get outrageous –negotiate ifnopricesare and-crafts touristbazaar,butpricescan alert tostickyfingers. representation. tobe Thismeansyouneed but thelucrative touristtradealsohashealthy market items, tonormaleveryday isdevoted p409 Part) isthebestplacetostart. of the pealing accessories. fabrics, handicrafts,T-shirts andvariousap- ethnic-minority shopssell In Pham NguLao, Pasteur handmadeready-to-wear sell fashion. ThanhTonandÐ cans. BoutiquesalongÐLe andtoyhelicopters poetry madefrom beer off Zippolighters engraved withfake soldier Saigon are embroidered-silk knock- shoes, Among thetempting wares tobefoundin SHOPPING one free drink. a younger crowd.Thecover charge includes inthecitycentrepopular nightspot attracts % children. poorfamilies andstreet items,tosupport and othergift Fair-tradeDistrict) shopdealinginceramics,ethnicfabrics [email protected]; 298ÐNguyenTrongTuyen, Tan Binh Check outthefollowingshops around Russian Market Disco Tropical Rainforest Ð Dong Khoi (MapÐ DongKhoi p412 ) isone bigarts- Thanh Ben Market Thanh;Map (ChoBen 825 7783;5-15ÐHoHuanNghiep;coverUS$4) (Map (Map p412 ; (Map (Map p412 ; (Map (Map pp406-7 ;

% h Mp p412; (Map % HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)••Shopping HOCHIMINHCITY (Map (Map p412 ; cnrÐLe Loi&ÐNguyenHue)

098-908 4449;lotus 8am-8pm) Features well-chosen, 824 7812;[email protected] %

% (Mua Rung; Map Rung;Map (Mua p412 ; 824 1463;2CÐThiSach) 844 0988; This

Saigon inAnLac. to pointssouthofHCMC,butabout10kmsouthwest Hwy 13. about5kmfromcentralSaigononNational District, ofHCMC;inBinhThanh Buses toplacesnorth rentals (US$5 toUS$10per day). is theneighbourhood to lookformotorbike depending onthe destination. Pham NguLao rentals fromabout US$25perdayand up, Hotels andtravellers caféscanarrange car Car &Motorcycle avoids achange of busattheborder. 6.30am and1pm,costingUS$12.This service in eitherdirection five timesaday between p411; with services area.the Pham are NguLao Better thedirect ing HCMC andPhnom Penh touted around connect- There are international busservices INTERNATIONAL BUS Tay Ninhbusstation TayMien busstation Dongbus station Mien ofBinhTaythe stationislocatedonestreet north Market. Deltatowns; Convenient busestoMyThoandotherMekong Cholon busstation located busstations aroundthecity: useful Thanh Market (Map p409 ). There are four leave situated fromthestation opposite Ben (3500d) travelling totheintercity busstations aroundHCMC.eral busstations Localbuses departfromandarriveIntercity buses atsev- Bus contact daily). Formore informationontheservices Vung Tau (US$10,onehour20minutes, nine departing fromthislocationare hydrofoils to ferriesCosts forthese are negotiable. Also from the theMekong depart Delta ferriesCargo serving Boat on routes andschedules. themap( etnam Airlines.See p435 ) fordetails on international airtravel, see p433 . in theworldlate 1960s.Formore details Tan Son NhatAirportwasoneof thebusiest Air GETTING THERE&AWAY Tan BinhDistrict. Buses toTay ofHCMC,in Ninh,CuChiandpoints northeast Most domestic flights areMost domesticflights operated byVi- % 920 3624;309PhamNguLao) Petro Express Petro Express Bach Dangjetty Phnom Penh SoryaTransport Phnom (Map (Map pp406-7 (Map (Map pp406-7 ; ( % ( % (Map (Map pp406-7 ; 825 5955)Evenmore buses (Map (Map p412 ; ÐTonDucThang)

821 0650) ; ÐLe QuangTrung) . Services depart . Services % atthejetty. % 849 5935) 829 4056) 417

(Map (Map

. VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM choice is closed, burneddown,isdirtyand choice isclosed, for ataxi. hasacounter whereousels, youcanprepay patched ‘Ho inlesstimethan ittakes tosay away,ring upandonewill bedis- straight Hail on the street. taxis Ifyoudon’tfindone Taxi You canrent acyclofrom20,000dperhour. price beforehand andhave theexactchange. charging touristsisthenorm,sonegotiate a around town,butavoid Over- thematnight. Cyclos are themostinteresting wayof getting Cyclo your passport ascollateral. test drive first; you’llusuallybeasked toleave US$5 toUS$10perday.Make sure togive ita available forhire for aroundPham NguLao a thrillminute drivinghere. Motorbikes are If you’re brave soulsorexperiencedbikers, it’s Car &Motorcycle Pham NguLao. budget hotels andcafés,especiallyaround Bicycles are available forhire frommany Bicycle Khoi. area) andinternational hotels alongÐDong lar stopsalongÐDeTham(Pham NguLao and domesticterminals before makingregu- minutes. Itstopsatboththeinternational bus airport saving much foralotof stress. for getting to/fromtheairport,butyou’re not where else. dangerous, oranythingtosteer yousome- Taxi bet andcostaround75,000d(US$5). central HCMC. Metered are taxis yourbest Tan SonNhatAirportis7kmnorthwestof To/From theAirport GETTING AROUND Saigon trainstation Services Tourist Saigon Railways Train 418 to purchasetickets. % % 1-3pm) The driver maytrytoclaimyourhotel of Most economicalistheair-conditioned A motorbike (50,000d)isanoption taxi 836 7640;275CÐPhamNguLao)Aconvenientplace 824 5585;1ÐNguyenThong; ( % RUDH H IHCT • C h unl ••CuChiTunnels AROUND HOCHIMINHCITY 844 6448) (3500d) , justbeyondthebaggage car- , No 152, departing every 15 , No152,departingevery (Ga Sai Gon; Map SaiGon;Map (Ga pp406-7 ; h 7.15-11am & Mp p411; (Map Sasco its role in facilitating VietCongcontrolofits roleinfacilitating a ofwas thestuff legend duringthe1960sfor turned theirartilleryandbombers onthearea, alties andproved ineffective, theAmericans the tunnelsclaimedlarge numbers of casu- of tunnels.After groundoperationstargeting of CuChialone,there were more than200km border.gon totheCambodian Inthedistrict thetunnelsystemheight, stretched fromSai- large ruralarea only30kmfromSaigon.Atits The CU CHITUNNELS CITY AROUND HOCHIMINH the Far more is prevalent thanatraditional taxi Xe Om TaxiVina Saigon Taxi Red Taxi LinhTaxiMai TaxiBen Thanh less commonhere thaninHanoi. Chi Minh’.Note thatfaultymeters are much nam’s most interesting indigenous religions astheheadquarters of oneofserves Viet- Tay of Ninhtown,capital Tay Ninh Province, % TAY NINH available hotels through and travel agencies. Tay Ninh.Private tours withaguideare also DaiGreatinclude astopattheCao Temple in around US$5perperson (transport only);most underground.the peoplewhospentweeks gain anempathetic,ifclaustrophobic,awefor you canfitintothenarrowpassageways, you’ll others remain intheiroriginalcondition.If have somesections widened,though been as wellintothetunnelsthemselves. Al- sible toactuallydescendintotunnelentrances guided tours of thetunnelcomplex, it’spos- Duoc.During Dinh andtheotheratBen open tovisitors; onenearthevillage of Ben have reconstructed been andtwosites are transforming itintoamoonscape. 10,000d to15,000dforshortrides. Day tours operated bytravellers caféscharge Parts of thisremarkable tunnelnetwork Try thefollowing: 066 /pop41,300 xe om tunnel network ( ( % % or moto taxi. Theaccepted rate ormototaxi. is ( % 844 6677) ( 811 1111) % ( 842 4242) % 822 6666) 842 2422)

(admission 70,000d) lonelyplanet.com at Cu Chi free; outstretched to embrace the South China Sea. outstretched toembracetheSouthChinaSea. at theGreat Temple. revered Dai;lookforhislikeness bytheCao tor HugoisamongtheWesterners especially Temple 1933and1955.Vic- wasbuiltbetween theboxed(see text, p80 DaiGreat). TheCao Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com cost around 50,000d. by anypublic transport;a VungTaubetween andLong Hai isnotserved a two-hourjourney bycar. The30km road Dapier,opposite theHaiCau AuHotel. from 6.30am.InVungTau theboatleaves from in HCMC. Boatsleave twohours every roughly (120,000d, 90minutes) 821 0650,VungTau 816308) for VungTau. air-con (25,000d,twohours) minibuses leave Resort). (now theAnoasisBeach of Vietnam,tobuildaholidayresidence here beauty persuadedÐai,thelastemperor Bao rain thanotherpartsof the south.Itsnatural benefits fromamicroclimate thatbringsless has apretty white-sand beach andthearea a coupleof hours’ drive (30km)of HCMC. It retreat seaside a less-commercialised within soullessness of Vung Tau, press onto (NuiNho),hasagiant Mountain If you’ve toRiodiJaneiro, been never Small hasarowof slickmidrange hotels. Front Beach hasthebestchoice of budgetBeach digs,while There are of stacks hotels from.Back tochoose tankers, andthepopulationflecked withexpats. here meanstheazure horizonismarred byoil of emptybeaches. Thebusinessof oil-drilling arehowever, blissfully quiet,withkilometres visitorsSaigonese motorintotown.Weekdays, with bass-thumping actionontheweekends as Vung Tau orLongHai. pressing and youwantaquickfix,consider visitors make forMuiNe( p397 ). Iftimeis of most distance downtownSaigon,although There are beach resorts several withinstriking BEACHES AROUNDHOCHIMINHCITY hotels andtravelable through agencies. around US$5andprivate tours are alsoavail- ing Tay NinhandtheCuChiTunnels,cost Ninh. One-daytours fromSaigon,includ- complexis4kmeastof Tay DaiHolySee Cao Long Hai is124kmfrom HCMC, about inHCMC,From MienDongbusstation If youwanttoescapethemasstourism Tay Ninhis96kmnorthwestof HCMC. The A shorthopfromHCMC, h 7.30-11.30am &1.30-5pm) Petro Express hydrofoil Petro Express has services toVungTau hasservices

from Bach Dang jetty from Bach Dangjetty waiting with arms waitingwitharms xe om Vung Tau ( Jesus rideshould % MEKONGDELTA ••MyTho in HCMC08- (admission (admission

Long Hai drones drones , garden. Getting agrouptogethergarden. Getting tohire aboat workshop, ahoney-bee farmand anorchid destinations usually includeacoconut-candy to MyTho. Dependingonwhat you book, rural villages andare of avisit thehighlight h ist at themainriverfront office of ( p421). tocontinueon Cantho you’llneed ever, river. In ordertovisitfloatingmarkets, how- day triphere of tocatch aglimpse thefamous tors onawhirlwindVietnamtouroften take a owingtoitsproximitydelta, toHCMC. Visi- Province, isthetraditionalgateway tothe cityofMy Tho,thequietcapital Tien Giang % MY THO flexibility. consuming, thisoptiongives youmaximum sometimesconfusingandtime- Although It isalsopossibletotravel independently. travel agencies, includingdriver andguide. ( p405 ). Private tours are available through with atravel agency inHoChiMinhCity atour(onetothree isbytaking days) the Delta coastline. to findpeacealongtherelatively uncrowded have putitonthemap,butit’sstillpossible beauty roads. Gooddivingandsilicon-sand pretty beaches, freshwater springsandempty it inPhu Quoc,aforested islanddotted with annexed bytheVietnamese. andsettled was thelastpartof modern-dayVietnamtobe part of kingdom,theMekong theKhmer Delta lush withricepaddiesandfish farms.Once is southernmost Vietnam.Thisdelta-plain Tibet, theMekong in River thesea meets erning thewaterways. their labours marked cyclesgov- bythesame long toiledonthelife-sustaining river, with tremely friendlyandeasy-going lot–have River. –stereotyped Itsinhabitants asanex- canals andrivuletsfed Mekong bythemighty villages, bythechocolaty crisscrossed brown a watery landscapeof green fieldsandsleepy Vietnam’s ‘ricebasket’, the Mekong is Delta MEKONG DELTA In MyTho,river-boat tours canbebooked anidyllicretreat seeking Those willfind After windingitswayfromsourcein (Cong TyDuLichTien Giang; By far the easiest and cheapest way to see By fartheeasiestandcheapest waytosee 7am-5pm) 074 /pop169,300 . Boattours pastpicturesque cruise % 873 184;8Ð30Thang4; Tien GiangTour-

419 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Khoi Nghia;soups4000d) Khoi Tho. Located it away fromthemain highway, Tre isabucolic20-minute ferry ridefromMy Famous forits % BEN TRE xe om out of towncanbearranged onaboator bikes 1000d/5000d). Tre ferryGam –totheBen (passengers/motor- ThiHong 30 Thang4–which turnsintoÐLe captain. water and negotiate apricewiththeferry Dangjetty.Bringyourownfoodand Bach ward andcontinueontoNationalHwy1. town. Fromthecitycentre, west- take ÐApBac Khach Tien kilometres Giang),several westof Xe (Ben tions departfromMyThobusstation two hours).tootherMekong Buses destina- HCMC inMyTho(18,000d, drop youright leaving in Buses fromtheCholonbusstation Getting There&Around ians should lookfor 44 and fresh herbs. Carnivores willenjoy with fresh pork,chicken and driedseafood, soup, locations, withmenusinEnglish. fare, and Vietnamese ChiThanhhasseveral 20,000-40,000d) the Mekong River. restaurant.able in-house Allroomsoverlook boasts aprimeriverside locationandrespect- most luxuriousaccommodation,thisplace .vnn.vn; 10Ð30Thang4;rUS$25-35; ished lacquerfurniture. There’s also a lift. andfridge. Suites areTV spaciouswithpol- rooms here includered-and-white tilefloors, Trac; r/ste160,000/260,000d; spot remains popularwithbudget travellers. 150,000d; DongHotel Rang Sleeping &Eating US$25 fortwohours onthewater. makes it’s tours these economical;otherwise 420

(44 Ð Nam Ky Khoi Nghia;soups7000d) (44 ÐNamKyKhoi Chi Thanh Chuong DuongHotel Song Tien Hotel My Thoissmallandwalkable; expeditions To get to Ben Tre, To get headwestfor1kmonÐ toBen Slooow My Thoisknownforaspecialvermicelli 075 EOGDLA • e r MEKONG DELTA ••BenTre hu tieu mytho, . a cargo ferries departfromHCMC’s ) Privately run,thisdecent,friendly

A tidy spot for delicious Chinese AtidyspotfordeliciousChinese ( %

( keo dua %

873 756;279ÐTet Than;mains Mau ( % . 874 400;25Ð30Thang4;r130,000- ( 872 009;fax884745;101ÐTrung % which isrichly garnished Hu Tieu Chay24 a (coconut candy), Ben 870 875;cdhotelmytho@hcm ) The comfortable The comfortable a , whilevegetar- ) MyTho’s (24 ÐNamKy

Hu Tieu 507; 42ÐNguyenDinhChieu) Khoi; perhr4000d) Khoi; lift isthebestof thethree onthelakefront. VINH LONG hotel forthe latest word. don’t runonafixed schedule. Ask atalocal butthey onÐDongKhoi, the petrolstation roast chicken beer. anddrinkingdraught 30,000d) on thegroundfloor. decent restaurant (mains20,000dto40,000d) It hasclean,carpeted rooms,plusthere’s a 255,000; 16ÐHaiBaTrung;r196,000- 501; [email protected]; there’s free bike rental. excellentelephant-earfish, plus rant serves of restau- rooms.Thein-house comfortable ery, 11kmnorthof town,andoffers arange a friendly,rusticplaceamidabundantgreen- .com; Hamlet1,Tan ThachVillage;r80,000-250,000d; face thetinyTrucGiangLake. internet access atthe including oneonÐHungVuong.There’s also makes alovely stoponaMekong tour. receives farfewer visitors thanMyThoand worth including onaboat tourfromVinh hour). less foraprivate operator(US$3toUS$4per around US$10per person orpaysubstantially Charter CuuLong Touristfor aboatthrough while are thebeautifulislandsinriver. travellers cheques. branches intownandcanexchange cashand capable state-run touroutfits. .vnn.vn; 1ÐThang5; a Mekong journey. of –whichand homestays canbeahighlight floatingmarket Be sites, includingtheCai gateway toriver islandsandsomeworthwhile lack of in-townattractions, VinhLongisthe a fineescapefromthemayhem.Despite the filled streets, itsriverfront though makes for of itssize, Vinh Longhasnoisy,motorbike- A bitmore chaotic thanotherMekong towns % Te bustling The Vietcombank Nam Son NhiGuesthouse Thao A few hotels andfamily-runrestaurants HCMC-bound leave minibuses dailyfrom Tre hasafewBen What makes atriptoVinhLongworth- LongTourist Cuu 070 /pop130,000 isusuallypacked withlocalsfeasting on a

) ( ispopularforweddingparties;its % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 822 873;40ÐPhanNgocTong;mains15,000- . Get cashat . Get

( % h river market market river

( 823 109;143ÐLe ThaiTo) % 7am-5pm) (

% internet cafés internet . main postoffice 823 616;cuulongtourist1@hcm Dong Khoi Hotel Dong Khoi 860 009;thaonhitours@yahoo isoneof themore Incombank ( h (per hr4000d) 5am-5pm) (3/1 ÐDong

hastwo

( (

% % a is 822 822 is ) , see theboxedsee text, below formore. or vegetable. each specialising inoneorafew typesof fruit Long. Wholesalers onbigboatsmoorhere, Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com can drive to Cau DauSauboatlanding,wherecan drive toCau isonehourawaybyboat,oryou Rang Cai market.boats ontheriver neartheCantho the bestphotoopportunities.Youcanhire around noondaily,show upbefore 9amfor thelivelyTrang. Though market onuntil goes Mekong towardsSoc 6kmfromCantho Delta, makes itamajor drawfortourists. activity. Accesstonearbyfloatingmarkets heart of theMekong humswith Cantho Delta, litical, economic,culturalandtransportation buzzing townwithalively waterfront. Thepo- The largest cityintheMekong, isa Cantho % CANTHO inthemiddleofright town. Mekong is Delta. VinhLong’sbusstation (25,000d), MyThoandotherpointsonthe Tho also get toVinhLongbybusfromCan and HCMC (50,000d,three hours), Youcan (chicken cooked inclay). cooked inbamboo)and Recommended isthe barbecued dishes,isthebesteatery intown. 30,000-50,000d; Don’t stay in town, but opt for a homestay: intown,butoptforahomestay: Don’t stay Ci Rang Cai VinhLongFrequent gobetween buses TanThien

and breakfast morning. thenext Vinh Longisthebestplacetoarrangeahomestay. The following placesallcharge aroundUS$10pernight,whichincludesanight’ssleep, dinner One ofthehighlightsanyVietnam tripisahomestaywithoneofthefriendly Mekong families. A NIGHTONTHEMEKONG 071 /pop330,100

Tam Ho Song Tien Sau Giao Nha CoTranTuan Kiet serves excellentcuisine.serves Bicyclehire available(perdayUS$1). outside ofVinh Longalongtheriver, SauGiaoisabeautifultraditionalwooden house. It The cooking hereThe isexcellent.It’sinCai cooking Be,25km westofMyTho. traditional woodenhousehasbeautifulornate detailsandahistorydatingback150years. the mandolinfora bit oftraditionalsinging fortheirguests. squat toilets. The owner andhiswife, bothformerViet Congsoldiers,are knowntobustout River fromVinh Long,thisfriendlyplaceoffers accommodationinsmallbungalows with ily – one of the hosts bears a striking resemblance Private toHoChi Minh. roomsavailable.ily –oneof thehostsbearsa striking About 1.5kmfromVinh Long, Tam orchardrunbyafriendly, welcomingfam- Hoisaworking isthe biggest floatingmarket inthe

( %

h ( %

(

% 824 001;56/1ÐPhamThaiBuong;mains ( % lunch &dinner) 070-859 859;[email protected]; BinhThuan1Hamlet,HoaNinh Village,LongHoDistrict) 070-859 910;BinhThuan2Hamlet,HoaNinhVillage, LongHoDistrict) 070-858 487;AnThanhHamlet,BinhVillage, LongHoDistrict) ca locnuongtre

ga nuongdat set ( % , specialisingin 073-824 498; 22 Phu Hoa hamlet, Dong Hoa Hip Village,CaiBeDistrict) 073-824 498;22PhuHoahamlet,DongHip MEKONGDELTA ••Cantho (fish the market, 10minutes away. garden orriver viewsandguestshave access tho’s ontheriverfrontplace sitsright andisCan- terrific locationontheriverfront, roomsin wing US$25-30,newrUS$40-80; currency exchangeand24-hourATM. % Trung; courts andswimmingpool. to thefinerestaurant, open-airbar,tennis hotels-asia.com; rUS$161-282; Old-wing roomsare cleanbutdated. the newwingare carpeted andhave balconies. centre. tucked downanarrowalleynearthecity a 118/10 ÐPhanDinhPhung;rwithfan/air-conUS$5/8; Guesthouse Hien Sleeping &Eating Vietcombank Tourist Cantho Information and youcanhire aboatonarrival. southwest of it’seasytoreach Cantho, byroad 6amand8am.Twentykilometresbest between Dien market you canget a and French. Toursavailable. Victoria Can Tho Hotel Tho Can Victoria isthe crowdedandlessmotorised Less Ninh Kieu Hotel Ninh Kieu 820 445;fax694;7ÐLHoaBinh)Hasforeign- ) This friendly, family-run guesthouse is Thisfriendly,family-runguesthouse crème dela h 7am-5pm &6-8pm)HelpfulstaffspeakEnglish , withmore rowboats.It’s stand-up (NganHangNgoaiThuongVietNam; ( rowing boat %

(

% ( 821 852;fax822719;20ÐHaiBa % AcrosstheCoChien 812 718; [email protected]; 812 718;[email protected]; 821 171;2ÐHaiBaTrung;rold Afew kilometres

ais ( . Lavish roomshave. Lavish % (per hraround50,000d) 810 111; www.victoria 810 111;www.victoria a ) Boastinga ) This lovely This This

421

Phong Phong

to VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM of pizzasandpastas. the riverfront. You’llfindadecentselection restauranthead tothispopularItalian near travellers ChauDoc. Nearby pass through the boxed (see Cambodia text, p424 ), many popular river Vietnam and crossingbetween communities.Thanks totheand Khmer Cham bodian borderwith sizable Chinese, Chau Docisacharming townneartheCam- Perched River, onthebanks of theBassac % CHAU DOC bicycles. also hirearound town.Mostguesthouses out riages ontheback)cost5000dorsoforrides 1km northof town. busstation Cantho Mien Tay (65,000d,five station hours). The fromHCMC andminibuses Buses leave the Getting There&Around 70,000d; atmosphere. cuisineinadelightfulpean andVietnamese French villa,NamBooffers excellentEuro- restored, inathoughtfully Housed classic Hai BaTrung;mains25,000-50,000d; on bothsidesof thestreet. has aboutadozen localrestaurants scattered Bien Phu andÐPhan DinhPhung, thisalley erfront? Situated ÐDien inanalleybetween slip awayfromthetouristsceneonriv- 422 Nam Bo alley Restaurant Xe loi Cappuccino and NgheIsland. on theMekongDeltamainland.The here bigattractions are ChuaHangGrotto,DuongBeach Angkor and only found here and in northwest Cambodia.Angkor andonlyfoundhere andinnorthwest habitat fortherare eastern sarus crane. These hugebirdsare depicted onthebasreliefs at found ancientPersian here. andRomanartefacts wasat Mekong andtheprincipalport significant populationofCambodians andtheirbeautifultemples. Here are someofthelesser-known gemsintheMekongDelta. day tripsfromHCMCorpassingthroughthemajorcentres ontheirwaytoorfromCambodia. It’s nothardtogetoffthebeaten trackintheMekongDelta,asmosttouristsare onhit-and-run OFF THEBEATEN TRACK INTHEMEKONGDELTA 076 /pop100,000 EOGDLA • huDc MEKONG DELTA ••ChauDoc The of smallandsecludedbeachresort adiversionBirding enthusiastswillwanttomake to ofFunan kingdom ofCambodia, theKhmer Speaking onceheldswayover muchofthelower Don’t have culture timetovisitCambodia? CheckoutsomeKhmer in h (motorbikes car- withtwo-seater

lunch &dinner) ( % (

% 823 908;[email protected]; 50Ð (Ð NguyenTrai&ÐTranPhu) 825 296;2ÐHaiBaTrung;mains35,000- (Ð Nam Ky Khoi Nghia) (Ð NamKyKhoi Forabreak from h lunch &dinner) Wantto is about Oc Eo pho, Hon Chong

. Located nearLongXuyen, archaeologists have Nguyen HuuCanh) be exchanged at fice in thecourtyardof Chau Doc’s on theriver. upunderneathfloatinghouses fish farmsset Million DollarHill.It’salsopossibletovisit campaign in1963earneditthenicknameTwo Hill, where anexpensive Americanbombing Ekmemorial;andTucDup bodia’s Choeung with abonepagodasimilartothatof Cam- Chuc, thesite of Rouge massacre aKhmer terrific viewsover Cambodia. isalocalbeautyspotwithSam Mountain Bay Bong is superb. gorgeous décor. Restaurant Thehotel’s Bassac All roomshave woodenfloors, bathtubsand the Victoriaisswishestplace intown. US$92-144; hotels-asia.com; 32ÐLe Loi;rUS$115-196,internetrates café-restaurant onthegrounds. of are SamMountain lovely fromtheisland paddies about4kmfromChauDoc. The views a 249; [email protected]; r120,000-240,000d; local travel info. There’s agoodrestaurant. an amiable Britwho isanexcellentsourceof 15; Hotel Phuoc Vinh Sleeping &Eating There’s War remnants nearChauDocincludeBa Good local eateries inChauDoc include ChauDocHotel Victoria Inn Delta Adventure a ) ( % This cosycompoundsitsamidtherice hasthemostscenicstretch ofcoastline ) Agoodbudget deal,thisplaceisrunby rm Ci Reserve Chin Tram 869 200;2ÐLe Loi)

( ais % internet access internet Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 867 271;22 Ð ThuongDangLe; mainsfrom . ( % Incombank ) Perched ontheriverside, 866 242;12ÐQuangTrung;rUS$6-

(Nha Khach LongChau; (Nha Khach Soc Trang . Foreign currency can (per hr4000d;

( % nearCao Lang,a

( 865 010;www.victoria % , hometoa 866 497;68-70Ð main postof- h 7am-9pm) % 861

imity to Cambodia, Thailandandthegreatimity toCambodia, hub,duetoitsprox-It’s aprimesmuggling Trade Centre. Somehave balconies. Gia the moderncomforts.It’snearRach sparkly, spaciousroomsdecked out withall mains 15,000-30,000d; the Victoria. inthegroundsofset adecayingvillaopposite Mekong 35,000d) Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com place hasvery good Ao DaiMoiisrun byalocaltailor. Thesimple h more There’s light. alift. here are ingoodshape, butsomecoulduse wood furnishingsandbathtubs,the rooms Ð Le ThanThon;r180,000-250,000d; a roomwithwindow. andtubsinsomebathrooms.Trytogettains) has colourfulrooms(mintwalls,orange cur- Hung Son;r160,000-200,000d; To; r150,000-250,000d; Hong NamHotel Sleeping &Eating Vietcombank Café GiaInternet Rach authority. % GiangTourist Kien Information options outof town. Lon River; thenorthsidehasyourgetaway islet embracedbythetwoarmsof theCai wide ocean.Thecentre of townsitsonan it ajumping-off pointforPhu QuocIsland opening ontotheGulfof Thailand,making Gia’sportisperched onariverRach mouth % GIA RACH text, p424 . theboxed see border crossingtoCambodia, (84,000d,sixhours).station Formore onthe toChauDocdepartHCMC’sBuses MienTay Getting There&Around the morning. 24-hour ATM here. a pretty fast connection. a pretty fastconnection. Kim Co Hotel CoHotel Kim Ao DaiMoi Hoang Gia2Hotel Tan Hung Phat 862 081;12ÐLyTu Trong)Theprovincialtourism breakfast) 077 /pop172,400 withexcellenthotpotsandsoups, ( % Thenamemeans‘new 867 381;41ÐLe Loi;mains35,000-45,000d)

( ( % % ( % 866 295;26ÐLyTu Trong;soups8,000d; ( ( 863 178; 2 Ð Mac Cuu)There’s a 863 178;2ÐMac (Cong Ty Du Lich Kien Giang; (CongTyDuLichKien % % h (

879 610;fax611;141ÐNguyen % a 867 599;118 ÐNguyenHungSon; 873 090;fax424;ÐLyThai (152ÐNguyenTrungTruc)Has pho breakfast, lunch&dinner) 920 980;[email protected]; 31 ) Thisminihotel offers a andwontonsoup in Thisfriendlyplace ) a Set withnice Set ) MEKONGDELTA Gia ••Rach ao dai This ’ and , .

Cantho andHCMC.Cantho Gia,hasconnectionsto 7km southof Rach snails, bloodcocklesandthelike. the placetogoformolluscs–crab,shrimp, buzz,QuanF28is and apopularnight-time ahead tobookaseat. access. h cluding There are internet cafésintownin- several The Information by thekilometre marksouthof town. outside of DuongDong’scentre are designated on thewestern sideof theisland.Addresses dation optionsare southof DuongDongtown Gia. Most beachsidetions toRach accommo- southern tipof Phu QuocIslandwith connec- name isKoTral. itsKhmer but isalsoclaimedbyCambodia; bodia. Phu QuocisVietnam’slargest island Thailand, 15kmsouthof thecoastof Cam- island álaPhuket style. the coralreefs. Plansare the afoottodevelop kayakingitsquietinletsorscubadiving sea ing theemptydirtroadscirclingislandto comes inmanyformshere –frommotorbik- beaches andquaintfishing villages. Adventure withbeautifulwhite-sand tropical getaway set andforestedtainous Phu Quocisasplendid One of attractions,moun- Vietnam’s star % PHU QUOCISLAND Soi;78ÐNguyenTrungTruc) (Ben XeRach 7pmand11pm.The between leave Gia buses Night Rach inAnLac. station hours) leave GiafromMienTay forRach bus terminal drofoil, see p425 . Stopbythe xe loi Quoc Island.You’llhave tocatch a HCMC Gia,continuingtoPhu andRach Vietnam Airlinesfliesoncedailybetween Getting There&Away 50,000d; dishes. seafood offriendly placehasagoodselection fishand Buses fromHCMCBuses (90,000d,sixtoseven Quan F28 The mainshipping portisAnThoiatthe The tear-shaped islandliesintheGulfof ongettingFor details toPhu Quocbyhy- 7am-10pm) 077 /pop52,700

post office isindowntown DuongDong. post office from the airport to Rach Gia. fromtheairporttoRach h

Net Café ( % lunch &dinner)

( % . Someof thehotels offer internet 879 765) 867 334;28ÐLe ThanThon;mains30,000-

(5 ÐNguyenDinhChieu; perhr10,000d; the daybefore, orphone With sidewalk seating Withsidewalkseating Rach Giahydrofoil Rach main busstation in Rach Soi, inRach xe om 423

or VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM Phu QuocResort. www.divevietnam.com; Km1.5) www.divevietnam.com; coast. Stopbythe pristine marineenvironmentthanalongthe off, withfewjust taking crowdsandamore and fishing. and it’safinearea forswimming,snorkelling visited bychartered boat(US$40perday), at thesoutherntipof Phu Quoc–canbe waterway. they’redry season more moonscapethan Da Ban coast,areguesthouse twohotsprings, In thecentre of theisland,justeastof the trekking aguideanyway. trails,you’llneed andasthereget are intothereserve, noreal amotorbikeNguyen Sinh).You’llneed to declared Runghas been (Khu aforest reserve of theisland,where thetrees are most dense, tected forest. northernhalf Themountainous almost toAnThoi. Duong Dongsouthwardalongthewestcoast, stretchTruong) isaspectacular of from sand (Bai the southendof theisland.LongBeach Damare SaoandBai beautifulbeachesBai on beaches white-sand Deserted ringtheisland. Sights &Activities Resort. 424 The About 90%of Phu QuocIslandispro- There ATM isauseful atSaigon-Phu Quoc Diving andsnorkelling inPhu Quocare and take eighthours(leavingaround8amandarrivinginPhnomand take Penh at4pm). Doc toPhnom Penh viathe Vinh Xuong border. SlowboatsforthetripcostaroundUS$8to US$10 along theMekongRiver. youfromChau taking NumerousagenciesinChauDoc sellboattickets One ofthemostenjoyablewaysentering Cambodia isviathiscrossingjustwestof Chau Doc CROSSING INTOCAMBODIA: MEKONGDELTA BORDERS information oncrossingthis border intheother direction, see p247 . Doc toTakeo Province inCambodia. Cambodian visasare notcurrently available onarrival.For Luong, changetoalocalbus(4500r,regular toPhnom departures) Penh. a speedboattoNeakLuong (US$2.50perperson,US$15fortheboat, onehour).OnceinNeak the borderatVinh Samnor,arrange Xuong (US$1,onehour).Once officiallyinCambodia atKaam it tends tobeexclusive toVictoria hotel guests. expensive againisthe respectively, More aboutfourhoursincludingaslowborder check. costing US$35.Bothtake Cruiser ChauDocat7amandPhnom Penhdeparts atnoonandcostsUS$15.The more upmarket EOGDLA • h ucIln MEKONG DELTA ••PhuQuocIsland There are several companiesoffering fastboats. Also nearbyisthe little usedTinh Bien–Phnom Chau Denborder crossing, whichconnects For informationon crossingthisborderintheotherdirection, see p228 . Some adventurous travellers toplottheirowncourse. like Catch aminibusfromChauDocto

(admission 1000d) An Thoi Islands An Thoi

( % in PhnomPenh 023-990441,inChauDoc091-401622) Rainbow Divers Divers Rainbow –15islandsandislets and Victoria express boat deskattheSaigon- Suoi Tranh ( % 0913-400 964; . Inthe Suoi

(www.victoriahotels-asia.com) tive, relaxed resort offers stylishroomsand US$12/15; a lushgarden. tidy roomsandbungalowsscattered around excellent valueforthemoney,withtrimand bungalows, allwithterraces. It’seco-friendly, .com; OngLanBeach;bungalowsUS$25-50) a great sourceof localinformation. vides great valueforthemoney.Theowneris couple,thislaid-backVietnamese spotpro- Long Beach;r/bungalowUS$15/20) hammocks. concrete bungalowsthatcomewithexcellent nice family-runplaceoffering comfortable or thesea. bungalows, allwithveranda, facethegarden ferry ride. Attractive, handsomelyfurnished afterthe kindof need arough oasisyoumight US$35-70; tropicanavietnam.com; LongBeach;dUS$15,bungalows Lam HaEcoResort Sleeping 60,000d perhour. make forasmoothride. topayaround Expect Saobeach, anditsprotectedalong Bai waters building materials. using solarpanelsandorganic andrecycled Mango Bay Mango Tropicana Resort There are placestorent several Beach Club Nhat Lan Hang Chau a pullsoutat8.30amand1.30pm ais

( Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ) %

( Friendly, family-run Lam HaFriendly, family-runLam is ( % %

( 847 663;Km1.7;dUS$8-12) %

0903-382 207;www.mangobayphuquoc 980 998;www.beachclubvietnam.com; ( %

) , butatUS$75perperson, in PhnomPenh 012-883542) ( The pretty Tropicanais % 847 369;LongBeach;r/bungalow 847 127;www.reservation@ RunbyanEnglish- This attrac- Another Blue kayaks

and Dong Express ais phuquoc.com; 1ÐTranHungDao,LongBeach;rUS$95-190; lent seafood, withfresh, disheslent seafood, tasty such as this casualindoor-outdoor eatery hasexcel- beach. thewebsite Book through fordeals. withgoodviewsoverlookingtype houses, the lonelyplanet.com US dollars. Pricesare quoted indongordol- quote pricesinamix of dongand Vietnamese dives to thedivine. Mosthotels inVietnam –from Vietnam hassomethingforeveryone ACCOMMODATION VIETNAM DIRECTORY US$7 perday. and hotels forabout guesthouses through other roads.Motorbike rentals are available is paved, butdirtisthecolourof theisland’s middle roadfromAnThoitoDuongDong Duong Dongcostabout 30,000d.Theisland’s Dong 200,000d. Hydrofoil companies include the 2½-hourjourneyrange from150,000dto 12.30pmand1.30pm.Ticketbetween pricesfor 7am and8.30am,return fromPhu Quoc Quoc. Boatsleave themainlanddailybetween GiaandPhu Rach drofoils between sailing Gia(onewayUS$32). connections toRach way US$46)toPhu QuocfromHCMC, plus (one dailyflights Vietnam Airlineshasseveral Getting There&Around andgoodmusicinagardensetting. table to hangafter dark.It’sopen-air,withapool lapping waves. Tables are afew onthe sands, metres from this isagreat, low-key placeforfresh seafood. onthe lovelySet white of Saobeach, sands Bai with ginger. shrimp withmangoandsteamed grouper 50,000d) beach untilyoufindsomewhere appealing. or restaurants wanderalongthe in-house; haveMost guesthouses theirownlively cafés Eating &Drinking Saigon-Phu QuocResort Saigon-Phu Xe om hy- Numerous companiesoperate speedy Bar Rainbow Ai Xiem Gop Gio Hai Au

( % OnthemainroadintoDuongDong, Rach Gia077-878475, PhuQuoc980111) Rach

)

( ridesfromAnThoiharbourto ( % Attractive roomshere are invilla- (

% % ( % 847 057;78ÐTranHungDao;mains30,000- (

990 510;BaiSao;mains40,000-60,000d) Rach Gia 077-879455,PhuQuoc990555) Rach % Rach Gia 077-879765,PhuQuoc990747) Rach VIETNAM DIRECTORY ••Accommodation DIRECTORY VIETNAM 0903-177 923)

( % 846 510;www.vietnam The hottest place , Duong Duong Super Super .

(late January orearly February), when thecountry ison the move andoverseas Vietnamese ant shocksondeparture. before the room toavoid taking anyunpleas- Checkcarefullyhotels tax. applya10%sales with history. tels, whileothers oozeopulenceorresonate Some of are these fairlyfacelessbusiness ho- US$75 aroomtoUS$750ormore asuite. hotelsstandard andresorts thatcharge from hairdryer hiddenawaysomewhere. able, such asaccesstoaswimmingpooland bit more cashandthree-star touches are avail- to climb;thatis,upperfloors are cheaper. oftenRates godownthemore steps youhave minifridges andIDDphones. ties: satellite TV, minihotels typicallycomewithmore ameni- to US$15.Astep upfromtheguesthouses, rooms andrates range fromaroundUS$5 cheapest option;theyoften have private bath- ferred currency of theparticularproperty. lars thischapter throughout onthepre- based Accommodation is atapremium duringTet Family-run are guesthouses usuallythe Be aware thatsomebudgetBe and midrange At thetopendare ahostof international- When itcomestomidrange places,flasha

PRACTICALITIES The Vietnamese usethemetricsystem Mostguesthousesandhotels have The usualvoltageis220V,50cycles,but the Economic Times, Good magazinesincludethe are popularEnglish-languagedailies. Chinese. als andgems,where theyfollowthe for everything exceptprecious met- satellite. channelsandasteady dietof several TV ers inmanysmallertowns. There are day andispumpedthroughloudspeak- Voice ofVietnam Vietnam News have adryeriftheweatherisbad. butcheckthey cheap laundryservices, arecal sockets usuallytwo-pin. 50 cycles,justtoconfusethings. Electri- sometimes youencounter 110V,alsoat Review Guide, . andthe andthe plusitslistingsmag, hogstheairwaves all Vietnam Investment SaigonTimes Vietnam

425 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM or furtherafield. of courses inand aroundHanoi andHCMC. Dalat and Phan Thiet, butthere are also plenty The best golf courses inVietnam are located in Golf visitors andamore pristineenvironment. nation isPhu QuocIsland( p423 ), with fewer Trang ( p392 emerging). Anotable dive desti- with manydive sites, isthebeach resort of Nha for underwater exploration.Longestablished, greatVietnam hasseveral dive destinations Diving &Snorkelling Lao) % Hanoi) p358; at mountains range mountain-biking tours inthenorthern Ar- Highlands. theCentral winding through of NationalHwy1is14, traffic insane tural life. Anotherspotwellawayfromthe thevibrant and observe workaday agricul- kong Delta The flatlandsandbackroadsof theMe- Cycling king upFansipan tokite-surfing inMuiNe. trips, fromkayakingonHalong totrek- Bay cafés allover thecountrycanarrange local adventures. Travel agencies andtravellers providetains, ampleopportunityforactive Vietnam’s roadsandrivers, andmoun- sea ACTIVITIES overnight inaHmongorDzaovillage. undertake two-orthree-day treks withan the hilltribesinVietnamanditispossibleto ( p376 ) isthenumber-one destinationtomeet ity familiesinthefarnorthof Vietnam.Sapa ( on theislandof Ba Cat p372 ). site endof themap,there are alsohomestays theboxed (see Delta text, p421 ). Attheoppo- wereHomestays pioneered intheMekong more flexiblethanothers about theconcept. Vietnam, butsomelocalgovernments are areHomestays apopularoptioninpartsof Homestays as crazyatTet. butthingsaren’t season, quiteanother high by 25%.ChristmasandNewYear represent flood backintothecountry.Pricescanrise 426 Many peoplelike withethnicminor- tostay inHCMC tomeandertheMekong Delta 08-837 6766;www.sinhbalo.com; 283/20ÐPhamNgu % ; orstopby ITA IETR • Atvte ••Activities DIRECTORY VIETNAM 04-926 0581; www.handspan.com; 78 Pho Ma May, May, 04-926 0581;www.handspan.com;78PhoMa

are wonderfultocyclethrough Handspan Adventure Travel Handspan Adventure Sinhbalo Adventures

Mp p411; (Map

(Map (Map time onlongbusrides. ese Phrasebook teeth into in cuisineandtheculture behindit,sinkyour full scooponthecountry.Ifyou’re interested Lonely Planet’s BOOKS and December. September surfbetween also gets passable ( around ChinaBeach p387 ), southof Danang, orwakeboarding.surfing, sailing Thearea Trang ( p392 ) isanothergoodlocaleforwind- for kite-surfing andwindsurfingfiends.Nha Mui Ne( p397 ) isVietnam’sbestshoreline Water Sports National Park ( p382 ) are alsoagoodbet. tional Parks. Thetrekking Ma trailsinBach ( of Ba Cat p371 ) andCucPhuong ( p368 ) Na- pan. There’s alsogoodtrekking inthejungles Fansi- mountain, includes Vietnam’stallest aroundSapa( northwest, notably p376 ), which The mostpopularregion fortrekking isthe Trekking to arrange Halong kayakingtrips. Bay Halong Talk Bay. totravel agencies inHanoi around crags, it’spossibletopaddleyourself limestone lookatthose closer For aneven Kayaking those areasthose sheltered namely bymountains, damp weather tothewhole country,except April orMay toOctober,bringing warm, inJanuary.coat canbenecessary experience chilly winters –inHanoi, anover- Vietnam’s southistropicalbut thenorthcan CLIMATE oftenweek, untillate atnight. daysa openseven rants andstreet stay stalls day. all day,every onMonday.Templesclosed are usuallyopen are Sunday.Mostmuseums day andclosed offices are usuallyopenuntilnoononSatur- ally openfrom6.30amto9pm.Government 11.30am onSaturday.Postoffices are gener- hours,tend anduntil tobeopenduringthese and from1pmor2pmto4pm5pm.Banks open from7amor8amto11am11.30am andotherpublicbuildingsareOffices usually BUSINESS HOURS The southwestern monsoon blowsfrom Many small,privately ownedshops, restau- World FoodVietnam ispracticalandhelpspassthe Vietnam guideprovides the lonelyplanet.com . The Vietnam- COURSES Red River Delta. the centralpartof stripandthe thecoastal lonelyplanet.com relics you come across–such objectscanre- left over fromthewar. lery shells,mortars, minesandotherordnance have maimedorkilledbyrockets, been artil- ofSince 1975manythousands Vietnamese DANGERS &ANNOYANCES clearance formfromtheseller. antiques, besure toget areceipt andacustoms authenticorreproductionIf youdopurchase which cannotlegallybetaken outof Vietnam. pected antiques orother‘culturaltreasures’, sus- inmindthatcustomsmayseize Bear CUSTOMS Hanoi ( p357 ) andHoChiMinhCity( p410 ). underlanguageFor more courses in see details, theregionalbecause dialectsare very different. to studyinnorthernorsouthernVietnam, US$10 perhour. Decidewhetheryouwant elsewhere. usuallycostfromUS$3to Lessons there are courses offered inHCMC, Hanoi and If youwantto brush uponyourVietnamese, Language Hoi AnorHCMC. etnam. HoneyourculinaryskillsinHanoi, Cooking courses are really off inVi- taking Cooking See theHanoiSee climate chart ( p485 ).

VIETNAM INWORDS

If onlythe Americanpoliticians hadshared hisforesight. nam inthe1950s,as theFrench disengagedandthe Americansmoved theirplace. intotake The QuietAmerican same fears anddesires asmostAmerican GIs. ing thewar,BaoNinh’spoignanttaleof love hadthe and lossshowstheboysfromNorth The SorrowofWar personalitycultstoVietnam’sChi Minh rock-and-roll youth. Shadows andWind events Sanh. of thewarunfoldaroundhim,includingsiegeKhe Herr. Acorrespondent for Dispatches identity. turn twodecadeslater, outhismixed-up equippedwithabicycleanddesire cultural tosort fascinating accountofhisescapefromthewar-torn Vietnam of1977andhissubsequentre- Catfish andMandala (1977) For a behind-the-scenes lookattheAmericanWar,hitcharide withMichael (1977) Forabehind-the-scenes VIETNAM DIRECTORY ••Courses DIRECTORY VIETNAM (1996) For a human perspective on the North Vietnamese experiencedur-(1996) Forahumanperspective ontheNorth (1999) Journalist Robert Templer (1999)JournalistRobert explores contemporary Vietnam, fromHo (1955) Graham Greene’s classicnovel toViet-(1955) Graham introduction istheperfect (1999) Part memoir and part travel (1999)Part narrative, memoirandpart thisisAndrew XPham’s Never Rolling Stone touch any war magazine, Herrtells ithowisassomeofthedarkest Pho TranHungDao); % 8 DuongDaoTan, Ba DinhDistrict); Cambodia Australia ness fornon-Vietnamese. consulates inHCMC dovery busi- littlevisa theembassiesinHanoiChina andLaos, and With theexceptionof forCambodia, those Embassies &ConsulatesinVietnam late. See p432 formore details. embassy orconsu- theVietnamese through inyourhomecountry canbeobtained Visas EMBASSIES &CONSULATES it tosomethingifyouhave toleave it. your bagwhere you’re sitting;ontrains,secure front of trytostow yourbody.Onpublicbuses, riding a This includescamerasandanyjewellery.When your bodythatyouare notready topartwith. HCMC, istonothave anythingdanglingoff crowds. altogether.off Skilledpickpockets workthe stealthily bagsorhaulthem riflethrough trainsandboats mon, andthieves onbuses, bag snatchers on motorbikes are notuncom- nam, butpettytheftisdefinitely not.Drive-by [email protected]; Khoan) 41ÐPhungKhac ruin yourwholeday. main lethalfordecades,andonebombcan One strongsuggestion, inparticularfor Violent crimeisstillrelatively rare inViet- 08-829 6035;5thfl,5BÐTonDucThang) (www.ausinvn.com) xe om,

Hanoi (Map (Map pp352-3 ; sling shoulder bags across the slingshoulder bagsacross the HCMC (Map (Map p409 ; Hanoi % HCMC ( 04-825 3788;71A % % Mp p412; (Map 04-831 7755; 08-827 7696;

427 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM 8652 7908;JinYanf Hotel,92HuanshiWesternRd) D-10318, Berlin) .cinet.co.cn; 32GuanghuaLu, 100600); Nguyen DinhChieu) Ð TranPhu); Tower, 230 Wan ChaiRd,Chai) 0500; CentralBldg,31PhoHaiBaTrung); -canada.ca; 470 Wilbrod St, ON K1N 6M8, Ottawa) -canada.ca; 470WilbrodSt,ONK1N6M8,Ottawa) Italy Hong Kong Germany France China Canada Cambodia Australia Abroad Vietnamese Embassies&Consulates US UK Thailand Sweden Singapore New Zealand Netherlands p412; % Laos Japan Germany France Dieu); China Canada 428 Tran Phu,Hanoi) 822 9433;4ÐLLe Duan) 772 1500;7PhoLangHa,BaDinhDistrict); bassy.org.au; 6 Timbarra Cres, O’Malley, ACT 2606); bassy.org.au; 6Timbarra ACT Cres, O’Malley, Head Rd,DoubleBay,NSW2028) ( Penh) Ð TranQuocThao) Pho HoangDieu); [email protected]; 29ÐLLe Duan,HCMC) District); .vn; Level 5,63PhoLyThaiTo); Hung Dao); p409; _hcm [email protected]; Khai) 39ÐNguyenThiMinh p412; (Map pp352-3; Nguyen Hue) 822 6907;Ste909,235ÐDonhKhoi) Nguyen Thi Minh Khai) Nguyen ThiMinh % (http://usembassy.state.gov/vietnam) (www.uk-vietnam.org) 04-825 4576;22PhoTranBinhTrong); 02-9327 2539;[email protected]; 489NewSouth

( HCMC Danang % %

ITA IETR • Fsias&Eet ••Festivals &Events DIRECTORY VIETNAM

B Hanoi ( Hanoi

ě Hanoi (www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/vietnam) % HCMC ( ( ij % % ī

08-829 7667;93ÐPasteur) 08-829 8433;25ÐLLe Duan)

% 06-6616 0726; 156 Via di Bravetta, 00164, Rome) 06-6616 0726; 156ViadiBravetta,00164, Rome) ng Hanoi Canberra ( Hanoi HCMC ( (Map (Map p409 ; % (Map (Map pp352-3 ; % (Map (Map pp352-3 ; ( HCMC (16ÐTranQuiCap);

01 44 14 6400; 62-66 Rue Boileau, 75016, Paris) 01 44146400;62-66RueBoileau,75016,Paris) % ( (Map (Map pp352-3 ; ( 04-823 5500;31PhoHungVuong); % % 613-236 1398;www.vietnamembassy

(Map (Map p412 ; % 04-726 0400;2ÐNuiTruc,Hanoi) HCMC

Hanoi (Map (Map pp352-3 ; 08-827 9899;10thfl,235ÐDongKhoi) 030-509 8262;Konigswinter St28, (Map (Map pp352-3 ; (Map (Map p409 ; 023-362531; 436MonivongBlvd,Phnom HCMC (Map (Map p409 ; 04-846 3000;27PhoLieuGiai,BaDinh 22-591 4510; 15th fl, Great Smart 22-591 4510;15thfl,Great Smart 010-6532 1125;vnaemba@mailhost ( % ( Mp p409; (Map % (Map (Map p409 ; % 02-6286 6059;www.vietnamem 04-824 1481;nzembhan@fpt % Hanoi % % 08-829 2457;chinaconsul % % % 08-822 5314;13-17ÐL HCMC % 04-823 3965;41-43Ð % (Map (Map p358 ; 04-845 3736;PhoHoang % 04-943 7719;PhoTran Hanoi 08-829 7231;27Ð 08-822 4385;126Ð % 04-823 5092;63-65 04-845 3836;29 (Map (Map p409 ; 04-823 5932;hcm Gu (Map (Map pp352-3 ; 08-932 7637;77 ǎ HCMC Hanoi ngzh HCMC HCMC Hanoi % ō ( (Map (Map u % ( (Map (Map ( (Map (Map HCMC 04-936 % % % Sydney 04- 08- 020- 08-

ghosts oftheforgottendead. are lunarmonth,offerings presentedof theseventh tothe month. Tasty mealsare served. vegetarian dhist worshippersonthefirstand15thdaysoflunar people exchange gifts of mooncakes. ofmooncakes. people exchangegifts children walkthestreets carryingglowing lanterns,and Vientiane FOOD &DRINK Festival Mid-Autumn Nguyen Trung Ngo Doan Tiet Ram Ngay & Mot Ngay for details. Vietnam’s major festival isTet –see opposite FESTIVALS &EVENTS USA UK Thailand Laos Japan soups to try are saying breakfast. eaten atallhours of theday,butespeciallyfor Pho MEALS a mildkiwifruit. and tastes somethinglikeedible blackseeds, Nha Trang,ithaswhite flesh flecked with regionGrown mainlyalongthecoastal near fuchsia-coloured fruitwithgreen scales. trai thanh long Asian fruits,Vietnamhasitsownunique Aside Southeast fromtheusualdelightful FRUIT dining intheMekong region, see p86 . havenever togovery fartofindit.Formore on perbly prepared andexcellentvalue…andyou foodissu- dishes.Generally, tional Vietnamese cuisine; there are tobenearly500tradi- said One of of thedelights visitingVietnam isthe Food lunarmonth. dayofthefifth Death’s army,onthefifth intheGodof burnt tosatisfytheneedforsoulsserve Bangkok) 12-14 Victoria Rd,W85RD,London) 12-14 Victoria Chuo-ku); Bldg, 1-4-10Bakurocho, 3311; 50-11 Moto Yoyogi-Cho, Shibuya-ku, 151) Shibuya-ku, 3311; 50-11MotoYoyogi-Cho, -usa.org; 123320thStNW, Ste400,DC20036) Washington 1700CaliforniaSt,Ste430,CA94109); consulate-sf.org; ( % is the noodle soup that built a nation and is isthenoodlesoup thatbuiltanationandis San Francisco Savannakhet

Osaka ( 020-7937 1912;www.vietnamembassy.org.uk; pho % ( ( % % ( Com and 21-413 409;ThatLuang Rd) % 2-251 7202;83/1Wireless Rd,10500, 202-861 0737;www.vietnamembassy (Summer Solstice)Humaneffigiesare (Wandering SoulsDay)Onthe15thday (Wandering ( ( 06-263 1600; 10th fl, Estate Bakurocho 06-263 1600;10thfl,EstateBakurocho % % are rice dishes. You’ll see signs are signs ricedishes. You’llsee com (green dragonfruit),abright bun boHué 415-922 1707;www.vietnam 41-212 239;418SisavangVong); On thenightof15August, everywhere. Othernoodle Pagodas withBud- are packed Tokyo and lonelyplanet.com ( % hu tieu 03-3466 . able duckling),eatenwithcoarsesaltandbitterherb. (allthewayuptorecognis- varying stagesofdevelopment the north, many foreigners prefer ( soysauce dipped in the south)are are aspeciality.These normally lonelyplanet.com ba ba) inthecentre, andBGI and333 and Larue include Halida andHanoi inthenorth,Huda and Heineken. National andregional brands under licenceinclude Tiger, Fosters, Carlsberg bia hoi forjustUS$1!Places thatserve yerheed’ ‘off aroundandyoucanget anyone canafford atjust 2000daglass, in theworld.Starting probably thecheapest beer’, ‘draught beer Memorise thewords ALCOHOLIC DRINKS Drink coconut cream ontop. inaglasswithiceandsweet corn. It’sserved with sweetened blackbean,green beanor quality. yaourt wrapped inbananaleaf. dau, are madefromstickyrice,like have tooth.Many asweet sticky confections theydon’t which isn’ttosay with dessert, peopledon’tusuallyendmeals Vietnamese SWEETS Sinh to Hot vitlon dipped inaspicy-sweetpeanutsauce. paperand slices ofVietnamesesausagerolledupinrice Bo bia Bap xao nibbles totry: hours. There are alsomanyotherVietnamese porridge andice-cream bars inthewee even rice where, potatoes, steamed sweet selling Street orroamingvendors stalls are every- SNACKS cuisine. namese cooking)isanintegraletarian partof Viet- tradition are strictvegetarians, fresh tropicalfruit. Spring rolls( Try Buddhistmonksof theMahayana Because Several foreign labelsSeveral brewed inVietnam Most foreigners prefer madewithsugarandbeanpaste andsold Nearly microscopic shrimp, fresh lettuceandthin Nearly microscopicshrimp, Shakes made with milk and sugar or yogurt, and madewithmilkandsugaroryogurt, Shakes inthesouth. (yogurt),which isgenerally of good che, usuallyalsohave cheap food. Fresh, stir-fried corn,chilliesandtinyshrimp. Fresh, stir-fried For the brave. Steamed, fertilised duckeggin Forthebrave.Steamed,fertilised acold,refreshing soupmade sweet nuoc tuong nuoc mam VIETNAM DIRECTORY •• Gay &Lesbian Travellers ••Gay DIRECTORY VIETNAM nem inthenorth, inthesouth). (fish sauce), though (fishsauce), bia hoi, kem (icecream) or which mean an chay banh itnhan cha gio cha xi dau (veg- (ba in in namese take the following week off work,so off take thefollowing week namese officially laststhree days, butmanyViet- annualfestival.important TheTet holiday The LunarNew Year is Vietnam’s most HOLIDAYS local gayterminology. the legalityof inVietnamand homosexuality of theinteresting content on includesdetails travel anduseful contacts information.Some orientation. whatever yoursexual ceptable public displaysof are affection notsociallyac- travelsame-sex companions.Butbediscreet – unlikely toquestiontherelationship of proprietorsing hands,andguesthouse are walk witharmsaroundeach otherorhold- friendsoften same-sex Vietnamese evil’). ernment considers a‘social homosexuality relationships thegov- (although same-sex assment, norare there lawson official ellers. There’s notmuch inthewayof har- Vietnam is pretty hassle-free forgaytrav- GAY &LESBIANTRAVELLERS lemon juice). sugar) or (carbonated mineralwater withlemonand Vietnam. Anexcellentlocaltreat is for smooch sessions. where young couplesstake outdarkcorners outthefairy-litgardencafés ple it.Tryseeking there isnoshortage of cafésinwhich tosam- elsewhere.tourist trail,butnotguaranteed boiled orbottled.Iceisgenerally safe onthe Whatever youdrink,make sure thatit’sbeen NONALCOHOLIC DRINKS Check out Vietnamese Foreign soft drinksare widelyavailable in of saltonaWestern table. theplaceused asadippingsauce,andtakes insist itisachemicalweapon.Itvery often aroma thanthecheapervariety.Dissenters fuelhasamuchmilder rocket high-grade four to12months. Connoisseursinsistthe highly salted fishinlarge ceramicvatsfor cooking. The sauceismadebyfermenting lends adistinctive character toVietnamese that isquintessentially Vietnamese andit mam Nuoc AROUND HERE… FISHYTHERE’S SOMETHING nuoc chanh nong (fish sauce)istheoneingredient Utopia cà phê (www.utopia-asia.com)

(coffee) is fine stuff and (coffee) isfinestuff (hot, sweetened (hot,sweetened to obtain toobtain soda chanh

429 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM cratic Republic of Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh in1945. ofVietnambyHoChiMinh cratic Republic mation oftheDeclarationIndependenceDemo- the following: publicholidaysinclude Vietnamese anteed. Year!). Bigsmilesandnewfriendsare guar- You may face imprisonment and/orlarge fines cracking down ontheburgeoning drugtrade. ter nottobother. it’sbet- thepolice. tocontact Otherwise, need you’ll valuable such asyourpassportorvisa, something reallywith cashorfists).Ifyoulose legaldisputes onthespot(either ring tosettle Most callthepolice,prefer- never Vietnamese LEGAL MATTERS deals. tures monthly adventures andspecialtravel is fullof practicaltravel informationandfea- The website www.vietnamadventures.com INTERNET RESOURCES free access. towns have plentyof cafés andbars offering fast. Hanoi, HoChiMinhCityandotherbig charge aheftyfee. Wi-fi accessisspreading internet access, butinternational hotels budget andmidrange hotels nowoffer free little as2000dto20,000dperminute. Many becoming more widespread. backwaters. Faster ADSLconnectionsare inthemostout-of-the-way etnam, even Internet accessisavailable Vi- throughout INTERNET ACCESS National Day Birthday Ho ChiMinh’s Day Workers’ International Liberation Day Tet phrase: visiting VietnamduringTet, this memorise shutsdown.If else and mosteverything arehotels, trainsandbuses booked solid– 430 to the North in1975. to theNorth 26 January2009and14February 2010. The Vietnamese governmentThe Vietnamese isseriously The costforinternet accessranges fromas collected from itsexcrement. speciesof fed toacertain weasel andlater of Vietnamese coffee. Itismadeofbeans Some consider BEWARE YOURBLEND (Tet NguyenDan)7February(Tet oftheRat), 2008(Year ITA IETR • Itre ces ••InternetAccess DIRECTORY VIETNAM Chúc mùngnammói! 2 September; commemoratestheprocla- 2September; 30 April, thedaySouthsurrendered 30April, chon 19May. to bethehighestgrade 1May. (Happy New allowed. Mostbankscharge 20,000dapop. million dong,butmultiplewithdrawalsare only. Thelimitperwithdrawalisusuallytwo network. AllATMs cashindong dispense adays, withVietcombankhaving thewidest ATMs canbefoundinmostbigger citiesnow- ATMs exchange. lars andeurosare theeasiestcurrencies to tion coins(from200dto5000d).USdol- banknote. There are alsosmall-denomina- (against hiswishes), hispicture ison canonised Now thatHoChiMinhhasbeen 50,000d, 100,000d,200,000dand500,000d. 500d, 1000d,2000d,5000d,10,000d,20,000d, comeindenominationsofBanknotes 200d, Vietnam’s official currency isthedong(d). MONEY most otherdestinations,it’sslimpickings. Hué andNhaTrangare readily available. For maps of major citiessuch asHanoi, Saigon, Do.(68,000d), published byBan road Basic province isthe A MAPS punishable bydeath. canbe for drugoffences, anddrugtrafficking possible, but a3%commission iscommon. cash advancesoncreditGetting cards isalso most citiesattophotels, restaurants and shops. MasterCardVisa, andAmexare accepted in Credit Cards deal, payindong. quote somepricesinUSdollars. Forthebest around 1.6milliondong).Forthisreason, we prices(US$100 is to unwieldyVietnamese mally quote theirpricesindollars, dueinpart Hotels, airlinesandtravel agencies allnor- localcurrency.The USdollaractsasasecond Cash a littlebit. pricebutyoucanstillbargainthe Vietnamese travelled areas, foreigners are often quoted istryingtoripyouoff.not everyone In less- as much as five timesthegoingprice,but sible. Intourist hotspots,youmaybequoted that pricesaren’t posted, bargaining ispos- For Bargaining must xe om for its detailed roadmapsof foritsdetailed every andcyclotrips,aswellanywhere Viet NamAdministrative Atlas lonelyplanet.com every

than, thebanks. betterrates slightly comparableto,oreven jewellery shops will exchange USdollars at toexchangeIf youneed moneyafter hours, Exchanging Money lonelyplanet.com available inHCMC andHanoi. Processing is be found virtuallyeverywhere; slidefilmis available in bigcities.Colour-print filmcan CDs orDVDs,plus memorycardsare widely photos onto in bigger cities canburndigital is refused, respect thatperson’s wishes. snapping aphotoof someone;ifpermission common courtesy andaskpermissionbefore use the peopleandplacesyouvisit.Please anappropriate ofmaintain level respect for women walkingtomarket, butremember to arowof colourfullydressedsee hill-tribe rable photographs. acter make primesubjectmatter formemo- Vietnam’s gorgeous sceneryanduniquechar- PHOTOGRAPHY fices willnotaccepttravellers cheques. cheques fordong.Mosthotels andairlineof- charge acommissionof 0.5%ifyouexchange itwill combank isusuallyasafe bet,although changed banks;Viet- forlocaldongatcertain Travellers cheques inUSdollars canbeex- Travellers Cheques multiday tours service. orforoutstanding up acollectionfortourguidesanddrivers, after can equalhalfaday’swages. Many gueststake under US$100permonth,thecostof yourdrink enormously appreciated. Forsomeonemaking Tipping isn’texpected inVietnam,butit’s Tipping e eln N$ 11,820 21,700 NZ$1 USA US$1 UK £1 €1 16,035 Thailand 100B 31,800 48,877 New Zealand Laos 1000 Japan ¥100 euro zone 13,340 China Y1 2090 Canada C$1 14,430 Cambodia 1000r 4020 Australia A$1 13,360 kip Country Unit Dong 1680 Photo-processing shops andinternet cafés Inspiration willsurely strike whenyou Exchange rates are asfollows: VIETNAM DIRECTORY ••Photography DIRECTORY VIETNAM Some of thebestbuys ontheblockinclude from avant-garde arttosumptuous silksuits. which of hasatempting selection everything include Hanoi, Hoi AnandHCMC, each of a dayormore Hotspots toproperly peruse. aside half tunities soitiswellworthsetting shopping oppor-Vietnam hassomefantastic SHOPPING king, see p484 and p138 . from thecraftspeoplethemselves. port thelocaleconomybypurchasing goods donate school suppliestolocalschools orsup- only encourages areliance Instead, onbegging. from givingcandyandpenstochildren, which areas. taken fromhistoricalsitesbeen andnatural vulnerable species by noteatingthem. of speciesare these endangered. Help preserve culinarilyadventurous, butmany bat mayseem pling ‘exotic’meatssuch asmuntjac, or seahorse travellers vein, visittoenjoy.Inthesame sam- meanwhile killingthelivingecosystems that thedemand, tomeet encourages harvestation can of others. out yourowntrashandpickupwhatyou make adifference withyourexample:pack meanyoushould, too.it doesn’t Youcan mans are tossing plasticbagsintotheocean ‘ butifRo- goes, When inRome…’thesaying RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL buu dien All postofficesare marked withthewords surcharge forpickingupposte restante letters. don’t countonitelsewhere. There isasmall on thetable. wrapped parcelready togo. Itwillbedissected withacarefullyshow upatthepostoffice anything otherthandocuments,sodon’t customs inspectthecontents before youship awareto arrive that attheirdestinations.Be from smallercitiesandtownsmaytake longer parcelsmailed with mostcountries,though is notunreasonably pricedwhencompared International fromVietnam service postal POST prints. Processslidefilmelsewhere. fairly cheap, fromaroundUS$3perrollfor For more informationonresponsible trek- Do notremove orbuy‘souvenirs’ thathave life Buying coral,limestoneordriedsea Poste restante worksinthelarger citiesbut When travelling inhill-tribeareas, refrain .

431 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM more tocallthanalocalnumber. code andthenumber. fices worldwide. These government-ownedfices worldwide. These philosophy fromthemajority of tourist of- inVietnam haveTourist offices adifferent TOURIST INFORMATION road: BYOTP (bringyourowntoiletpaper). of tokeep astash wise toiletpaperwhileonthe Hotelsstations. usuallysupplyaroll, butit’s and publicplacessuch asrestaurants andbus states of refinement existinsomecheap hotels sit-down toilets,butsquattoiletsin varying Most hotels have thefamiliarWestern-style TOILETS withtheprefixVietnam start cards indenominationsof 30,000dandup. VinaPhone prepaid andMobiFone sell phone- providers such as nam. Mobile-phone service inViet- SIM cardwithalocalnumbertouse calls inVietnam.Anotheroptionistobuya ifexpensive,ing, itiseasyenough, tomake with NorthAmerica. Ifyourphonehasroam- Southeast Asia, EuropeandAustraliabutnot 900/1800, which iscompatiblewithmostof GSMFor mobile phones, Vietnamuses Time prefix International operator International information General assistance Directory the countryphonenumbers have sixdigits. Phong have digits.Elsewhere around seven to make callsfromthepostoffice. these which are very cheap.services Anotheroptionis places offer Voice-over Internet Protocol(VoIP) sive atthesmarter places.Many of thecheaper calls canbemadeathotels, butthey’re expen- the country;justdial fromanyphonein iseasy touse The service of justUS$0.50perminute tomostcountries. have droppedsignificantlyandcostaflatrate Charges forinternational callsfromVietnam TELEPHONE in designerboutiques. furnishings, andlavish silkandlinencreations most’ antiques,embroidered tablecloths, fine gorgeous glazedpottery, classiclanterns, ‘al- 432 Phone numbers inHanoi, HCMC andHai International anddomesticlong-distance Be aware thatmobile-phonenumbersBe in Useful numbers: ( ITA IETR • Tlpoe ••Telephone DIRECTORY VIETNAM % 117) ( ( ( % % % ( % % 116) 00) 1080) 110) 17100, thecountry % 09 andcost est optionintheregion. isanother Bangkok isthefastest andcheap-to US$60.Cambodia costaroundUS$30 single-entry touristvisas Depending onwhere youacquire it,pricesfor sure tospecifythiswhenarrangingyourvisa). country viaanyinternational border(make andenable youtoenterstay andexitthe airport of arrival. tobeissued atyour a confirmationforthevisa inadvanceandwillsend passportdetails need travel aVietnamese through agent. Theywill application. passport-sized phototoaccompanythevisa is pretty atleastone painless.You’llneed is legendary, application completingthevisa bureaucracy WhileVietnamese with Laos. and China,andsixeach withCambodia ports oratanyof its12landborders, three Vietnam atHanoi, HCMC andDanangair- Tourist allowvisitorsvisas toenter andexit VISAS offices’. formation thananyof theso-called‘tourist low travellers are amuch better sourceof in- ing aprofit. primary interests are bookingtours andturn- areenterprises really travel agencies whose US$20, but gotoatravel agency toget this extensions cost around Visa rubber stamp. If you’ve gotthedollars, they’ve gotthe Visa Extensions in Vietnam. once erally easiertoapplyforabusiness visa ofabout doublethose Itisgen- atouristvisa. become cheap pricesare andeasy,although hasnow abusiness visa towork.Getting right six months, allowmultiple entriesandthe areBusiness visas usuallyvalidforthree or Business Visas Cambodia. bassies, butcanbepicked upforUS$95 in are notavailable em- fromallVietnamese a three-month These multiple-entryvisa. it’spossible toget Vietnam andCambodia, in Vietnamortravel overland Laos, between visa. cheap packages includingbothairticket and popular place,asmanytravel agents offer It ispossibletoarrange onarrival avisa Tourist visas areTourist visas validforasingle30-day Travel cafés,travel agencies andyourfel- If youplantospendmore thanamonth lonelyplanet.com and Hué. major citiessuch asHanoi, HCMC, Danang andisreadilyis needed) accomplished in procedure takes oneortwodays(onephoto work.The usuallydoesn’t tion policeyourself taken care of –turningupattheimmigra- lonelyplanet.com plan to job hunt (see plan tojob hunt(see opposite ). nam before arriving. NGOs are usuallyprocured outsideof Viet- private academy. a university anduptoUS$15 perhourata too. Pay canbeaslowUS$2perhourat there issomedemandforFrench teachers in Vietnamendupteaching English, though At least90%of foreign travellers seeking work WORK of mixed ethnicity. couples becoming more accustomedtoseeing foreign touristsvisitingthecountry,localsare as prostitutes. withtheincrease However, of peoplewhostereotypefrom Vietnamese them men have occasionallyreported verbal abuse compartment. any overly friendlystrangers sharingyour thetoilet,andoneach otherifyouhaveuse keep aneyeonyourbagswhen youleave to good ideatotravel withacompanionto When travelling onovernight trains it’sa advances ifdrinkingortravelling alone. ceive unwantedusuallyharmless – –though bars ontheirown;beaware thatyoumayre- womendonotfrequentMost Vietnamese have rarely reported problemsinVietnam. foreigndark lonelyalleysatnight), women While it always paystobeprudent(avoid WOMEN TRAVELLERS Voices Street education andvocationaltraining. HCMC fordisadvantagedchildren, whichprovidesfree 15 School May VOLUNTEERING regulations.to these onthelookoutforsuddenchanges days. Be extension only,foramaximumofone visa 30 see whatyoucandotohelpinVietnamorAustralia. restaurant (seetheboxed text, p361 ); checkitswebsiteto isKOTO project Street Voices’primary opportunities. timeormoneytohelpgivestreet children career skills, Some Asian womentravelling withWestern policyisthatyouareOfficial permitted It’s best to arrange ifyou abusiness visa orwith Jobs inthebooming private sector (www.streetvoices.com.au) Donateyour (www.streetvoices.com.au) (www.15mayschool.org) Aschoolin TRANSPORT IN VIETNAM •• Getting There &Away ••Getting INVIETNAM TRANSPORT and HCMCtoSeoul. fromHanoi .us.flyasiana.com; Dailyconnections hubSeoul) from HanoiandHCMCto Gu 6611; www.cs-air.com; hubGu to Tokyoand Osaka. fromHanoiandHCMC services hubTokyo)Regular .jal.co.jp; Kong. frombothHanoiandHCMC toHongdaily connections 7298; www.cathaypacific.com; hubHongKong)Has Jetstar Asia Asia Jetstar Japan Airlines China SouthernAirlines China Airlines Pacific Cathay Airlines Asiana Air France Air Asia lines are inHanoi stated. unless otherwise outside. expensive tickets thanthesame purchased in Vietnamarepurchased alwaysmore andHongKong. such asBangkok backtracking andare easilyarranged inhubs (or viceversa). tickets These save youfrom you canflyintoHCMC andoutof Hanoi hassle bybookinganopen-jaw ticket –then Maximise costand yourtimeandminimise Air borders, asthevolumeof isgreater. traffic airports are generally smootherthanatland memorable. Mekong fromPhnom Penh toChauDocis theboatridedown ing fromCambodia, travelling extensively intheregion. Enter- while busisthemostcommonroute forthose holidayinginVietnam, is popularforthose automobile andotherformsof transport.Air It’s possibletoenter Vietnam bytrain,plane, Entering Vietnam GETTING THERE&AWAY VIETNAM TRANSPORT IN HCMC toParis viaBangkok. fromHanoiand france.fr; hubParis) connections Regular and HCMCtoTaipei. .china-airlines.com; hubTaipei) DailyflightsfromHanoi to KualaLumpur andBangkok. HanoiandHCMC Lumpur) Dailybudgetflightsconnecting Keep inmindthatinternational flights Formalities atVietnam’sinternational All phonenumbers forthefollowingair- (airline codeAK;www.airasia.com; hubKuala (airlinecodeAF; (airline code 3K; www.jetstarasia.com; hub (airline code 3K;www.jetstarasia.com; (airlinecodeCI; (airlinecodeJL; (airlinecodeCX; (airlinecodeOZ; ǎ (airlinecodeCZ; ngzh % ǎ ngzh % % 04-825 3484;www.air ō % u. % ō 04-826 6693;www 04-824 2688;www u) Regular flights u) Regular 04-831 5141;www 04-826 % 04-771

433 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM major cities. andother from HanoiandHCMCtoSydney,Melbourne connections Regular .com.au; hubsSydney&Melbourne) kok to Hanoi and HCMC, plus regular services toDanang. kok toHanoiandHCMC,plusregular services .thaiair.com; Bang- hubBangkok)Dailyflightsconnecting to Frankfurt. flightsaweek Several hubFrankfurt) www.lufthansa.com; HCMC toSingapore. bothHanoiand hub Singapore) Budgetflights connecting fromHanoiandHCMCtoKualaLumpur.nections www.malaysiaairlines.com; hubKualaLumpur) Dailycon- travellers themost headaches, withpoor borders tend andthese tocause with Laos both sidesof the border. asthere touse straightforward are townson China inthenorth,allof which are relatively ThereCambodia. are alsothree crossingsinto plus there are available novisas onarrivalin third crossingatTinh Bien isnotsopopular, The capital. from ChauDoctotheCambodian road fromHCMC toPhnom Penh ortheboat the orVinhXuong,taking nam viaMocBai mostpeopleexitViet- although Cambodia, able atanylandborders. p101 are. Vietnamvisas notcurrently avail- thetable, See ChinaandLaos. Cambodia, Vietnam shares landbordercrossingswith Crossings Border Airlines Vietnam Airlines United Tiger Airways Airways Thai Airlines Singapore Qantas Airlines Philippine Airlines Malaysia Lufthansa Lao Airlines Singapore. Singapore) Dailybudget flights fromHanoiandHCMCto 434 of theUS. HanoiandHCMCwiththewestcoast flights connecting Regular 1833; www.unitedairlines.com; hubSeattle) flights fromHCMCtoManila. 08-822 2241;www.philippineair.com; Regular hubManila) and theUS. Global reach includingtherest ofAsia,Australia,Europe HCMC 08-8320320;www.vietnamair.com.vn; hubHCMC) and HCMCtoVientianeLuang Prabang. flightsfromHanoi .laoairlines.com; hubVientiane) Regular ing HanoiandHCMCwithSingapore. www.singaporeair.com; hubSingapore) Dailyflightslink- There are currently sixborder crossings There are currently three crossingswith RNPR NVENM • etn rud Around ••Getting INVIETNAM TRANSPORT (airlinecodeQF; (airlinecodeLH; (airline codeQV; (airlinecodeTG; (airlinecodeTR;www.tigerairways.com; (airlinecodeUA; (airlinecodeVN; (airlinecodeMY; (airlinecodeSQ; (airline codePR; % % 04-933 3025;www.qantas % % in HCMC08-8298529; 04-822 9951;www % 04-826 6893;www % % % % in HCMC08-823 04-943 9660,in 04-826 8820; 04-826 8888; in HCMC All you need toknowabout bicycletravelAll youneed in people are planningoverland tripsbybicycle. borders intheMekong region, more andmore ofor moderately hilly.Withtheloosening way totourVietnam,mostof which isflat cyclingisbecomingapopular Long-distance Bicycle busy itinerary. cantrimpreciousflights travel timeoff a and Hanoi. Reasonablypriceddomestic routes HoChiMinhCity,Danang between Airlines its newlyrelaunched budget offshoot Airlines Vietnam Air travel within Vietnam isdominated by Air GETTING AROUND remote borders. arevisas notcurrently available atthemore are prepared topayover theoddstodoso. Lao you are willingtoexpecttheunexpected and bytravellers. crossingsif used these Onlyuse four crossingsare inremote areas andrarely menufromhell.Theother nic: infactit’saset Hanoibetween andVientiane,butit’snopic- Treocrossing. Many Cau whentravelling use themostestablished Bao, to exitisviaLao and rampantovercharging. Theeasiestway transport links,badroads,pettycorruption way toget toknowanewcity. forUS$1perday,andareguesthouses agreat and spare parts. one fromabroad, alongwithagoodhelmet hit ormiss. It’srecommended thatyoubring prefer theflat. isarewardingDelta who optionforthose have tocopewithsomebighills.TheMekong you’ll though Highlands, andtheCentral tains 1). Thebestcyclingisinthenorthernmoun- to avoid areas certain NationalHwy (notably Cambodia in LonelyPlanet’s iscontained andCambodia Vietnam, Laos Bicycles canalsobehired locallyfrom Purchasing a goodbicycleinVietnamis andit’swise The mainhazardisthetraffic, HCMC and Danang. atHanoi,US$14 fromthemain airports There isaninternational taxof departure INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURE TAX

(www.pacificairlines.com.vn) .

(www.vietnamairlines.com) Cycling Vietnam, Laos & lonelyplanet.com offers limited , while

Pacific ( p423). Quoc Islandcancatch Gia ferries fromRach feasible inthefarsouth.Travellers toPhu makeskong Delta getting aroundbyboat The extensive networkof canalsintheMe- Boat lonelyplanet.com gers, andconsiderbringingearplugs. acceptdrinksfromstran- on yourbags,never eye common. Onbusjourneys,keep aclose like accidents,unsurprisingly,are aspeedway; driving technique. thehighway Motorists use price ticket atmostbusstations. offices andfixed-dramatically withmodernbuses overcharging, butthesituationhasimproved oflers thembecause safety used concernsand the country.Untilrecently, few foreign travel- cheap thatreach buses thefar-flung corners of Vietnam hasanextensive networkof dirt- Bus the coastof NhaTrangispopular. popular. Inthesouth,atriptoislandsoff onHalong andcruises Bay), are Bay extremely nect Haiphong Island(nearHalong Ba withCat Bus drivers rely onthehornasadefensive In thecountry’snortheast,hydrofoils con- TRANSPORT IN VIETNAM •• Getting Around ••Getting INVIETNAM TRANSPORT Dien Bien Phu Quoc Phu Island 111 32 Rach Gia 45 48 104 48 HANOI 67 CITY (SAIGON) Haiphong HO CHIMINH Buon Ma 67 in themorning,butshorter, more popular routes are dangerously overcrowded. Tet whendrivers are workingovertime and (andthepublicones)isaround buses these before departure. having tobargain withthedriver immediately always possible,thisreduces yourchances of tickets thedaybefore; atthestation whilenot way untilfull.It’sagoodideatotrybuying ers don’texperience. people, givingyouasliceof life manyforeign- conditions. You’llrubshoulders witheveryday breakdowns, lotsof stopsandovercrowded You cantravel rattletraps,butexpect onthese ofbuses vintage, packed every tothegills. Travelling local onthebackroads,you’llsee LOCAL BUS&MINIBUS Hué Thuot 68 26 Generally, buses of buses alltypesleaveGenerally, early The onlytimewerecommend avoiding Most buses pickuppassengers alongthe Most buses included whenyoubuytheticket. taxis25,000d,but Domestic departure DOMESTIC DEPARTURE TAX 48 41 67 Dalat 51 51 Danang prices forone-waytravel Fares shownare$US Nha Trang 98 Air Routes 112

435 VIETNAM VIETNAM VIETNAM vehicles are to about twicetheprice. Expect are Russianmade,while more cushy Japanese a 4WD.Thecheapest (and leastcomfortable) Vietnam, theonly reasonably safe vehicle is depending onthecar. day. Itcostsabout US$25toUS$50perday, Hanoi, acarwithdriver canberented bythe drivers are popularandplentiful. conditions,butcars given with guise traffic debut inVietnam,which isablessingindis- rental cars have yettomake their Self-drive Car &Motorcycle Hanh Café. followed bysome of closely thebestbuses, lers. As stillhas ageneral guide,SinhCafé tions andbitter complaintsfromtravel- have received bothglowingcommenda- companies. ortoswitchtrains orflights, open-tour you have theflexibilitytotake localbuses, thiswillcostmore,along theway;though to buyindividual,point-to-pointtickets foreign travellers. passengers, sincethey’renamese tailored to vehiclesing Vietnam.These Viet- rarely see open-tour ticket isolates youfromexperienc- find another. you’ve droppedat;ifyoudon’tlike been it, But you’re atthehotel obligated never tostay kickbacksmonetary tothebuscompanies. All of thelunch stopsandhotel drop-offs give byanextensivesubsidised commission culture. day before departure. you toafixed the schedule. Confirmyourseat at anycityalongitsroute, withoutholding tour tickets entitleyoutoexitorboardthebus at yourownpace,inair-con comfort.Open- open ticket canget youfromHCMC toHanoi For thecostof aroundUS$23,the ubiquitous OPEN-TOUR BUS US$2 andUS$3. benchmark, atypical100kmrideisbetween from twiceto10timesthegoingrate. As a foreigners are typically charged anywhere the day. routes willoften throughout leave atintervals 436 Although it’sconvenientAlthough andcheap, the ticketsThese are inexpensive they’re because For sightseeing tripsaroundHCMCFor sightseeing or All companiesoffering open-tourtickets For thereally badroadsof northwestern An alternative totheopen-tourticket is Costs are onruralruns negligible,though RNPR NVENM • etn rud Around ••Getting INVIETNAM TRANSPORT ROAD RULES licence. eign residents andvisitors drive without a officially recognised. Inpractice,mostfor- equivalentinorderforittobe a Vietnamese you musthave thedocumenttranslated into in Vietnam.Ifyouhave amotorcyclelicence, International drivinglicencesare notvalid DRIVING LICENCE insider’s perspective onthecountry. It’s awonderfulwaytotravel, andyou’llget an guides thattheyhire turf. Many travellers hititoff sowellwith their scenery, andguidesare expertsontheirown thekaleidoscopeof dailylife and to observe ing toalocal. convince youtoleave driv- thelong-distance on abustravelling NationalHwy1should todrivingintheregion.used minutes Fifteen Hanoi, considerhiringadriver unlessyou’re ple drive andgowiththeflow.InHCMC or howpeo- In smallertownsandcities,observe ataboutUS$8fordaytoursstart aroundtown. and whatregion you’re in.Prices withadriver per day,dependingonthemake of thecycle 4WD inthefarnorthof Vietnam. pay aboutUS$80toUS$100adayfordecent They’re a pleasant, nonpolluting way to see a a They’re nonpolluting waytosee apleasant, the chair atthefront, the bicycleat back. on a you downthestreet offering rides. don’t wantto;drivers will practicallychase haveYou’ll never towalkinVietnamif you Local Transport theticket.don’t lose theguarded parkingand view,use constant you can’tparkitwhere youcankeep itin your skull). accessoryifyou’re(and anecessary fondof mets are required bylawonly formotorbikes frequent. require Horrendous apayoff. accidentsare copsare Traffic use. fastidiousandusually there isaninvisiblemiddlelanemanylike to cles. Vehicles drive side,but ontheright-hand small vehicles get outof thewayof bigvehi- sizemattersThe roadruletoremember: and When driving on Vietnam’s highways, hel- When drivingonVietnam’shighways, Motorbikes canbehired forUS$5toUS$10 Hiring amotorbike guideleaves youfree At least once during your visit, take a whirl At leastonceduring yourvisit,take awhirl leaveNever amotorbike unattended –if xich lo (cyclo), a bicycle rickshaw with (cyclo), abicycle rickshaw with them forthelonghaul. lonelyplanet.com .com; 8,34AÐTranPhu,Hanoi) Tran NhatDuat,Hanoi) town typically start at5000d. town typicallystart torbike, adriver andyou.Short ridesaround aremotorcycle taxi) faster –madeupof amo- per kilometre, orUS$5toUS$8foradaytour. cycloridesshould cost5000d city. Generally, lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake Travel Tonkin Voyages Phoenix Exotissimo Destination Asia Hanoi) .buffalotours.com; 11Pho HangMuoi, Buffalo Tours Vietnam: cies thatoffer premium tours throughout The followingare Vietnam-based travel agen- Tours out foraboutUS$1perday. Hotels andtravellers cafésusuallyhire them anycity,andanadventureway tosee initself. and make sure thedriver it. uses able, butcheck themeter before youget in nam.com; 52 Pho Nguyen Khac Hieu, Hanoi) Hieu, nam.com; 52PhoNguyenKhac HCMC) -asia.com; 143ÐNguyenVan Troi,PhuNhuanDistrict, Xe om Hiring abicycleisarguably themostfun Metered are taxis abundantandcomfort- or ( % (Map (Map p358 ; Honda om ( % 04-828 2150;www.exotissimo.com; 26 ( ( TRANSPORT IN VIETNAM •• Getting Around ••Getting INVIETNAM TRANSPORT % % 08-747 3239;www.tonkintravel 08-844 8071;www.destination 04-716 1956; www.phoenixviet 04-716 1956;www.phoenixviet % (literally, ‘Hondahug’; 04-828 0702;www www.vr.com.vn) they’re a terrific localpeople. waytomeet trains are sometimesslowerthanthebus, thing forthedurationof the trip.Although secureneath theberth;otherwise, ittosome- youcanstowyourpackunder-is bestbecause cars, trains.Insleeper thebottombunk night latest fares. around US$30.Checkoutthewebsite forthe 30-hour fasttrainfromHanoi toHuéwas a ticket foranair-con soft forthe sleeper thanthebus. fortable lesscom- even canberough, andsoft seat seat and soft (air-con). sleeper Conditionsinhard soft (normal) hardsleeper, soft sleeper seat, ofclasses traintravel inVietnam:hardseat, takes from30to41hours. There are five at anaverage of speed 48kmperhour,and Hanoi1726km journeybetween andHCMC numbered trainsgonorth. Odd-numbered trainstravel south;even- withHaiphongcapital andnortherlypoints. HCMCbetween andHanoi, andlinksthe trainsystem thatrunsalongthecoast namese Railways Vietnam Train Theft canbeaproblem, especiallyonover- Prices change, butatthetimeof writing, The Reunification Express operates the2600km-longViet- (Duong SatVietNam; © LonelyPlanetPublications chugs alongthe % 04-747 0308;

437 VIETNAM VIETNAM