VIETNAM

You can get to Sapa from Hanoi by bus, train, or taxi. Taxi is the fastest but it’s also the most expensive by far. I personally traveled by bus which I think is the best option.

If it’s your first time visiting Ho Chi Minh City, then I’ve put together this list of twenty of the most fun things to do to help you plan your trip. It’s made up of a good mix of attractions, activities, day trips, and food experiences to make your stay in Saigon as well-rounded as possible.

If you’re visiting for the first time and wondering what to do in Hanoi, then this 3-day itinerary will be useful to you. It gives recommendations on what attractions not to miss and offers suggestions on what and where to eat to get the best out of your stay in Hanoi.

I ate my way through Sapa, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon, and the Mekong Delta with the goal of writing a Vietnamese food guide that showcased the best and most interesting dishes this country had to offer. This list of 45 is what I’ve come up with.

Though we do feel that Hanoi is the more liveable city, there’s no question in our minds that the best food in the country is in Saigon. Hanoi has my beloved bun cha and ca phe trung but overall, we prefer the food in Ho Chi Minh City.

Among all the cities I visited in Vietnam, Hanoi had the most historic cafes, Saigon the coolest, and Hoi An some of the prettiest, which in hindsight I guess was pretty much consistent with the nature of each city.

I’ll give you three reasons to visit Hoi An – banh mi, com ga, and cao lau. They’re three of the best things you can eat in this central Vietnamese town, which is saying a lot because there’s plenty of good food to be had here.

Together with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Hue is definitely one of my favorite food cities in Vietnam and a place we’ll be looking to visit again and again. It’s home to interesting and delicious food like bun bo, com hen, nem lui, and banh hue.

Like ca phe trung in Hanoi, Hue is home to a unique blend of coffee as well – ca phe muoi or salt coffee. As its name suggests, it’s made with salt and fermented milk and served with ice.

Among the Vietnamese cities we’ve visited, we found Hoi An to be the most charming and Saigon to have the best food, but Hanoi is the most liveable. It’s a big city, much bigger than Hoi An so there’s more to do, but it doesn’t swallow you up like Saigon.