Insight Guides Pocket Vietnam (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

Insight Guides Pocket Vietnam

Let us guide you on every step of your travels...
The definitive pocket-sized travel guide.

Compact, concise and packed full of essential information about where to go and what to do, this is the ideal on-the-move travel guide for exploring Vietnam. From top tourist attractions like Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Sa Pa and Hanoi, to cultural gems, including the Imperial Tombs, Cao Dai Temple and Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, plan your perfect trip with this practical, all-in-one travel guide. 

Features of this travel guide to Vietnam:
- Inspirational itineraries: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, highlighted with stunning photography
- Historical and cultural insights: delve into the country's rich history and culture, and learn all about Vietnamese temple architecture, climbing Fansipan and temple statuary 
- Practical full-colour map: with every major attraction highlighted, the pull-out map makes on-the-ground navigation easy
- Key tips and essential information: from transport to tipping, we've got you covered
- Covers: Hanoi and surrounds, the centre, Ho Chi Minh City and surrounds and the Mekong Delta

You might also be interested in: Insight Guides Pocket Thailand

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Dec 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781839052125

Insight Guides

Pictorial travel guide to Arizona & the Grand Canyon with a free eBook provides all you need for every step of your journey. With in-depth features on culture and history, stunning colour photography and handy maps, it’s perfect for inspiration and finding out when to go to Arizona & the Grand Canyon and what to see in Arizona & the Grand Canyon. 

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Vietnam, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Vietnam, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Vietnam are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Vietnam. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2019 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

Vietnam’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Tour of Vietnam

Introduction

The country and its climate

Population and language

Religion and culture

Landscape and wildlife

A Brief History

Legendary kings

A thousand years of Chinese rule

Vietnam moves south

The Nguyen emperors and French conquest

Three Indochina wars

Economic growth

Historical landmarks

Where To Go

Hanoi

The Old Quarter

Central Hanoi

Western Hanoi

Van Mieu

Day trips from Hanoi

North of Hanoi

East of Hanoi

South and West of Hanoi

Further afield

Halong Bay

The northwest

The centre

Hue

Around Hue

The Imperial Tombs

South of Hue

Danang

Hoi An

The central coast

Dalat and around

Ho Chi Minh City

Downtown Saigon

Cholon

Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City

Southeast of Ho Chi Minh City

Northwest of Ho Chi Minh City

The Mekong Delta

What To Do

Shopping

Markets and malls

What to buy

Where to shop

Entertainment

Performing arts

Nightlife

Sports

Water sports and diving

Trekking

Cycling and motorbiking

Golf

Children’s Vietnam

Calendar of festivals

Eating Out

Local ingredients

Regional variations

Popular dishes

Soups for all seasons

What to drink

Reading the Menu

To help you order…

…and read the menu

Restaurants

Hanoi

Sa Pa

Ho Chi Minh City

Nha Trang

Hue

Hoi An

Dalat

Mui Ne

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Bicycle and motorbike hire (rental)

Budgeting for your trip

C

Car hire (rental)

Climate

Clothing

Crime and safety

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

Guides and tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

LGBTQ travellers

M

Maps

Media

Money

O

Opening times

P

Police

Post offices

Public holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephones

Time zone

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Transport

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites and internet access

Recommended Hotels

Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City

Nha Trang

Hue

Hoi An

Dalat

Mui Ne

Vietnam’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Imperial Tombs

The mausoleum of Emperor Dong Khanh is just one of several grand tombs near the former capital, Hue. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #2

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Ho Chi Minh City

Elegant French colonial architecture gives the city centre a distinguished air. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #3

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Cham Towers

The most striking and puzzling Cham monuments are the famous brick temples. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #4

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Sa Pa

See the beautiful scenery and visit the lively market in this colourful hill town. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #5

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Hoi An

Chinese merchants built ornate assembly halls in this historic trading town. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #6

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Hanoi

Its bustling and picturesque Old Quarter dates back to the 13th century. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #7

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Cu Chi

The claustrophobic tunnels are a vivid reminder of the war. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #8

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Halong Bay

Thousands of craggy islands make a boat excursion in the bay a truly memorable experience. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #9

Peter Stuckings/Apa Publications

Cao Dai Temple

This colourful temple near Tay Ninh is the headquarters of an idiosyncratic religion. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #10

Shutterstock

Water puppetry

An art form unique to Vietnam. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Tour of Vietnam

Day 1-3

Hanoi

Start the day in the northern capital taking in the architecture and atmosphere. Relax and unwind at Hoan Kiem Lake, stroll through the Old Quarter and visit some museums. The next day, experience Ho Chi Minh’s Communist legacy and visit Ba Dinh. Finish at the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ the infamous wartime prison. On day three, visit the Temple of Literature and the Ethnology Museum. Lunch at Hanoi Social Club, then take an overnight cruise to Halong Bay.

Day 4

Halong Bay

Stop off at Cat Ba Island and visit the floating villages and caves in the countless karst islands. Take a swim off the boat and then return to Hanoi for the evening.

Day 5

Hue

After a morning flight to Hue, tour the Imperial Citadel and visit the tombs of the Nguyen Kings. Enjoy an evening cruise on the Perfume River.

Day 6

Hoi An

Stroll through the Unesco World Heritage town, exploring the shops, temples, ancient houses and cafés along the river.

Day 7

My Son

Take a morning tour of the ancient Champa holy city of My Son. Do some last-minute shopping and enjoy lunch in Hoi An, then take the evening train to Nha Trang.

Day 8

Nha Trang

Go reef snorkelling, visit the offshore islands and the water rides and slides at Vinpearl Land or just lounge on the beach.

Day 9-10

Dalat

Take a morning bus to the hill resort of Dalat and check into the historic Dalat Palace Hotel. Browse the central market; then walk around the lake, taking in the colonial architecture. On day two, visit the minority villages before returning to town for a gondola ride and a visit to some local temples.

Day 11-12

Ho Chi Minh City

Take a shopping spree along Dong Khoi, stopping to admire the Opera House, People’s Committee Building, Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral. On day two, soak up some history at the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and have afternoon tea at the Continental Hotel.

Day 13

Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple

Take a tour of the Cu Chi war tunnels and then drive further west to Cao Dai Temple to see Vietnam’s flamboyant indigenous cult. Return to HCMC for a night bus to the Mekong Delta.

Day 14

Mekong Delta

Spend the day in Vinh Long visiting floating markets, island villages and orchards. Be sure to sample the exotic produce and fresh fish. Take a night bus back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Introduction

Vietnam has a strong sense of national identity. The country possesses a unique cultural heritage that is distinctively Southeast Asian but also strongly Sinicised (given its long-standing rivalry and close proximity to China). For 30 years after World War II, Vietnam was almost synonymous with war, first with the French and later with the Americans. While the vestiges of war remain, bomb craters have been converted into fishponds and the infamous tunnels into a tourist attraction. The modern Vietnamese slogan, Vietnam is a country, not a war, rings true. The people, once characterised by a certain shyness or insecurity which sometimes manifested itself in a cool or