The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Conflict posts > Vietnam

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-26-2006, 06:17 AM
SL Bronco SL Bronco is offline
Junior Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 18
Default Going to Vietnam

My wife and I are going in May, by ourselves working directly with a Vietnamese travel agency. This will be my fourth time. We've been to Saigon and environs, Cu Chi, Ben Cat, the Delta, Vung Tau, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Danang, Hue, Quang Ngai. Any suggestions about other places? We're considering Nha Trang or Dalat.
__________________
Everything is what it is and not something else. Joseph Butler, 1736
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2  
Old 03-26-2006, 09:20 AM
Robert J Ryan
Guest
 

Posts: n/a
Default

Dalat is beautiful. Don't know much about Nha Trang. I hope you enjoy your return trip to Nam.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-26-2006, 09:37 AM
frisco-kid's Avatar
frisco-kid frisco-kid is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,574
Distinctions
VOM Contributor 
Default Definately Dalat

Kath and I were in Nam in NOV05. It was our second trip, and we used a V'namese travel agency. It's owned by the cousin of a friend of mine here. First class treatment all the way. I can hook you up, if you haven't found one yet.

I don't know how long you plan on staying in-country, but I would make Dalat a must-see. It's like no other place you've been to in VN; from the weather, to the people. It sits at about 5,000' and in NOV we wore light jackets the whole time there. The V'namese ran around in stocking caps and down coats :ek: . Because it's been a resort city for over 100yrs., the locals hardly give you a second glance. There were no aggressive panhandlers or street urchins dogging us as we walked down the street.

Dalat is a hilly city that surrounds a man-made lake in the center of it. There's a beautiful golf course next to it, if that's your game. There are pedal boats to cruise the lake in, if you want. It was too windy to do this when we were there, so we took a horse carriage ride around it instead.

Dalat was founded by a frenchman in the late 1890's as a resort area for the French and rich V'namese to come to to escape the heat and humidity of Saigon, so the city architecture is predominately French, complete with a miniature Eiffel Tower that doubles as a radio tower. They light it up at night. There is also alot of the newer V'namese mansions around, plus several beautiful Buddhist temples. It also has one of the largest Catholic cathedrals that we saw in VN. There are many sidewalk cafes to sit and drink the strong local coffee that The Highlands are now famous for or, like me, sit and eat a great $1.00 cheeseburger and drink a Tiger beer and watch the pretty girls in their ao dais walk by.

Dalat is probably the most laid-back city in VN. It supports a large artist colony of painters, silk thread embroidery artists, writers, poets, and various folk artists. A tour of the silk thread embroidery factory is a must-see. The city is Vietnam's version of Sedona, AZ, or Carmel, CA without the ocean.

Another must-see in the area is one of the several waterfalls nearby. These are great day trips that you can make arrangements with your tour company to go see, or any of the local motorbike tour guides would be more than willing to take you to, if you want a little adventure on the way.

As far as a beach resort city, I would recommend Mui Ne over Nha Trang. I've been to both. All of the resort hotels in Nha Trang are across the street from the beaches. The ones in Mui Ne are vitrtually right on the beach. Most of them are newer with more amenities.

My NUMBAH 1 beach resort recommendation though, would be Phu Quoc Island off the southern coast in the Gulf Of Thailand. Beautiful 5 star hotels, beautiful, clean beaches, and the island is still pretty much intact, environmentaly. The whole interior is pretty much a preserve, so the mountain rainforest hasn't been logged out and still supports an abundance of wildlife. You have a good chance of seeing monkeys in the wild, for example. During the war, there was a large POW camp run by the ARVNs on the north end of the island, so the island was spared the ravages of bombings, shellings, agent orange, etc.. There is an airport on the island, so you can fly in and out from Saigon for about $50.00 for the both of you, each way. BTW, Dalat also has a airport, so you could easily fit both destinations into your trip by utilizing the in-country flying. We drove through the Delta from Saigon, taking the ferry from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc, but flew out when we left.

Hope some of this helps but, of course, do some homework and read up on these places. But if you decide to go to any of them, you won't be disappointed. Pictures of the whole trip are here in the GALLERY.
__________________
Tom
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-27-2006, 04:25 PM
rotorwash rotorwash is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 133
Default

Tom's travelogue is absolutely second to none. My favorite place was Nha Trang.
__________________
We get heavier as we get older because there is a lot more information in our heads. So I\'m just really intelligent and my head coudn\'t hold anymore so it started filling up the rest of me. That\'s my story and I\'m sticking to it.
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-28-2006, 10:07 PM
SL Bronco SL Bronco is offline
Junior Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 18
Default

Tom,

We are now in Da Lat and enjoying the cool temps here. We're somewhat exhausted from earlier adventures. We're at the Sofitel Da Lat Palace and had excellent French food there last night. Tonight we'll try the yellow place near the Novotel, which I think is the one you mentioned - must have been in your photo gallery, and I remembered the yellow building.

Tomorrow noon we head back to Saigon and then to Phu Quoc Island as you suggested, for four or five days. Too little time in Da Lat, I see now, but we wanted to see Sapa, etc. and visit friends in Quang Ngai, near my old stomping grounds. I'll be putting up some photos.
__________________
Everything is what it is and not something else. Joseph Butler, 1736
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-29-2006, 03:17 AM
Bill Farnie's Avatar
Bill Farnie Bill Farnie is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,228
Send a message via AIM to Bill Farnie
Distinctions
VOM 
Default

I have no desire to go back ...
__________________
506th Infantry "Stands Alone"


It is well that war is so terrible, or we should get too fond of it. General Robert E. Lee
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-29-2006, 05:00 AM
39mto39g 39mto39g is offline
Banned
 

Join Date: Dec 1969
Posts: 6,380
Distinctions
Contributor 
Default suggestions

Thiland, Hawaii, Alaska,Florida keys, Main, Big Been, Grand Cannion, Painted desert, Galsbad, Hot springs, Brandon, Wis Dells, Corn palais, Great lakes, ETC.
Ron
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-30-2006, 04:28 PM
frisco-kid's Avatar
frisco-kid frisco-kid is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,574
Distinctions
VOM Contributor 
Default Bronco

Glad to hear you took my advice and checked out Dalat. I hope you stopped by the waterfall on the way back to Saigon.

I KNOW you're gonna like Phu Quoc. Looking forward to reading all about the trip and seeing the pictures.
__________________
Tom
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-30-2006, 05:05 PM
MORTARDUDE's Avatar
MORTARDUDE MORTARDUDE is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,849
Distinctions
VOM Contributor 
Default

Have a great trip !

Larry
__________________
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-30-2006, 05:23 PM
DMZ-LT DMZ-LT is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Atlanta , Ga
Posts: 5,599
Distinctions
VOM Contributor 
Thumbs up

I am with Ron , but may go next year with Sid and another brother. I try hard not to remember every day
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Vietnam Vet Is No Vietnam Vet WateringHole Vietnam 1 02-17-2007 09:13 AM
Why did you go to Vietnam inhonurofswa Vietnam 28 01-01-2007 03:38 AM
The Vietnam War is over? urbsdad6 Political Debate 6 05-26-2005 07:11 AM
How we won the war in Vietnam catman Vietnam 9 05-06-2005 04:05 AM
Branson Missouri .. Vietnam Vietnam Veterans Homecoming June 13 - 19, 2005 MORTARDUDE Vietnam 19 01-23-2005 09:41 AM

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:41 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.