Fodor’s Essential Vietnam

539 Pages·2018·36.91 MB·English

by  Fodor’s Travel Guides

Editorial: Douglas Stallings, Editorial Director; Margaret Kelly, Jacinta O’Halloran, Senior Editors;
Kayla Becker, Alexis Kelly, Amanda Sadlowski, Editors; Teddy Minford, Content Editor;
Rachael Roth, Content Manager Design: Tina Malaney, Design and Production Director; Jessica
Gonzalez, Production Designer Photography: Jennifer Arnow, Senior Photo Editor Maps: Rebecca
Baer, Senior Map Editor; Mark Stroud (Moon Street Cartography), Cartographers Production: Jennifer
DePrima, Editorial Production Manager; Carrie Parker, Senior Production Editor; Elyse Rozelle,
Production Editor Business & Operations: Chuck Hoover, Chief Marketing Officer; Joy Lai, Vice
President and General Manager; Stephen Horowitz, Director of Business Development and Revenue
Operations; Tara McCrillis, Director of Publishing Operations; Eliza D. Aceves, Content Operations
Manager and Strategist Public Relations and Marketing: Joe Ewaskiw, Manager; Esther Su,
Marketing Manager
Writers: Barbara Adam, Shannon Brown, Sean Campbell, Vo Thi Huong Lan, Caroline Trefler Editors:
Rachael Roth, Kayla Becker Production Editor: Carrie Parker
Copyright © 2019 by Fodor’s Travel, a division of Internet Brands, Inc.
Fodor’s is a registered trademark of Internet Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Fodor’s Travel, a division of Internet Brands,
Inc. No maps, illustrations, or other portions of this book may be reproduced in
any form without written permission from the publisher.
1st Edition
ISBN 9781640971035
Ebook ISBN 9781640971042
ISSN 2577-5707
Library of Congress Control Number 2018946504
All details in this book are based on information supplied to us at press time.
Always confirm information when it matters, especially if you’re making a
detour to visit a specific place. Fodor’s expressly disclaims any liability, loss, or
risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence of the use of any of
the contents of this book.
Photo Credits: Cover: Art Wolfe Stock/age fotostock; Experience Vietnam:
Milosk50 | Dreamstime.com; Ho Chi Minh City: Ralfpoller | Dreamstime.com;
The Mekong Delta: Hoxuanhuong | Dreamstime.com; The South Central Coast
& Highlands: Tartarin2009/Flickr, [CC BY 2.0]; The Central Coast: ThangCao
Shutterstock; Halong Bay And North Central Vietnam: Lakhesis |
Dreamstime.com; Hanoi: Photographic Art Viet Nam Shutterstock; The
Northwest: Jiayikang | Dreamstime.com.
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CONTENTS
Cover
Copyright
About This Guide
Essential Vietnam Images
1 EXPERIENCE VIETNAM
What’s Where
Need to Know
Vietnam Today
If You Like
Flavors of Vietnam
History You Can See
Great Itineraries
Vietnam Made Easy
2 HO CHI MINH CITY
Orientation and Planning
Exploring
Where to Eat
Where to Stay
Nightlife and Performing Arts
Sports and the Outdoors
Shopping
Side Trips from Ho Chi Minh City
3 THE MEKONG DELTA
Orientation and Planning
Northern Mekong Delta
Ha Tien
Phu Quoc Island
South-Central Mekong Delta
4 THE SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST AND HIGHLANDS
Orientation and Planning
The Southern Coast
Nha Trang
The Central Highlands
North of Nha Trang
5 THE CENTRAL COAST
Orientation and Planning
Hoi An
Danang and Around
Hue
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
6 HALONG BAY AND NORTH-CENTRAL VIETNAM
Orientation and Planning
Ninh Binh and Nearby
Haiphong
Halong Bay and Around
Cat Ba Island
Bai Tu Long Bay
7 HANOI
Orientation and Planning
Exploring
Where to Eat
Where to Stay
Nightlife and Performing Arts
Sports and the Outdoors
Shopping
Side Trips from Hanoi
8 THE NORTHWEST
Orientation and Planning
Sapa and Nearby
Dien Bien Phu and Nearby
TRAVEL SMART VIETNAM
ABOUT OUR WRITERS
MAPS
Ho Chi Minh City
Beyond the City Center
Where to Eat and Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Side Trips from Ho Chi Minh City
The Mekong Delta
Phu Quoc Island
South-Central Coast and Highlands
Nha Trang
Dalat
The Central Coast
Hoi An
Danang
Hue
Halong Bay and North Central Vietnam
Ninh Binh and Nearby
Haiphong
Halong Bay and Around
Hanoi
The Old Quarter
The French Quarter
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and West Lake
Where to Eat and Stay in Hanoi
Side Trips from Hanoi
The Northwest
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
Fodor’s Recommendations Everything in this guide is worth doing
—we don’t cover what isn’t—but exceptional sights, hotels, and
restaurants are recognized with additional accolades. Fodor’sChoice
indicates our top recommendations. Care to nominate a new place?
Visit Fodors.com/contact-us.
Trip Costs We list prices wherever possible to help you budget well.
Hotel and restaurant price categories from $ to $$$$ are noted
alongside each recommendation. For hotels, we include the lowest
cost of a standard double room in high season. For restaurants, we
cite the average price of a main course at dinner or, if dinner isn’t
served, at lunch. For attractions, we always list adult admission
fees; discounts are usually available for children, students, and
senior citizens.
Hotels
Our local writers vet every hotel to recommend the best overnights in each price
category, from budget to expensive. Unless otherwise specified, you can expect
private bath, phone, and TV in your room. For expanded hotel reviews, visit
Fodors.com.
Restaurants Unless we state otherwise, restaurants are open for
lunch and dinner daily. We mention dress code only when there’s a
specific requirement and reservations only when they’re essential
or not accepted.
Credit Cards The hotels and restaurants in this guide typically
accept credit cards. If not, we’ll say so.
EUGENE FODOR
Hungarian-born Eugene Fodor (1905–91) began his travel career as
an interpreter on a French cruise ship. The experience inspired him
to write On the Continent (1936), the first guidebook to receive
annual updates and discuss a country’s way of life as well as its
sights. Fodor later joined the U.S. Army and worked for the OSS in
World War II. After the war, he kept up his intelligence work while
expanding his guidebook series. During the Cold War, many guides
were written by fellow agents who understood the value of insider
information. Today’s guides continue Fodor’s legacy by providing
travelers with timely coverage, insider tips, and cultural context.