After taking great pleasure in viewing the fantastic TR's that other people have posted, I thought that I would like to share a trip I'm about to undertake so that others can be more informed and entertained. Leaving for a 3ish week honeymoon tomorrow early morning on the following itin:
MEL -> KUL on Emirates in J
KUL -> HAN on MH in Y
HAN -> DAD on Vietnam airlines in Y
DAD -> NHA on Vietnam airlines in Y
NHA -> SAI on Vietnam airlines in J
SAI -> SIN on J* in Y
SIN -> MEL on SQ in J
I'll also post on the hotels we'll be staying in on our journey to add more info for anyone considering those hotels
MEL -> KUL on Emirates in J
KUL -> HAN on MH in Y
HAN -> DAD on Vietnam airlines in Y
DAD -> NHA on Vietnam airlines in Y
NHA -> SAI on Vietnam airlines in J
SAI -> SIN on J* in Y
SIN -> MEL on SQ in J
I'll also post on the hotels we'll be staying in on our journey to add more info for anyone considering those hotels
The Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel
If you are going to be staying at this hotel book the Junior Suite and specifically ask from Room 905. It's the only room in the hotel which has a balcony (a decent size as well) and you can get glimpses of the lake.
I would advise people to try and find an operator that has less cabins on the boat and a more premium product than the standard 3/4 star offerings. I know IndoChina have a premium vessel which looked enormous but another one I liked while cruising along was the Bhaya - Looks a but pricey but looked nice.
The second tip is to try and find a junk which has balconies off the cabin itself. This would have been handy rather than congregating with everyone else on the sun deck and makes the cruise feel a little more intimate if only in the confines of your own cabin.
The last tip is to see if you can tailor your own itin for the time that you have choosen to cruise for. All to often it felt like we were on a schedule and although not feeling rushed there was little time to spend "on your own".
The second tip is to try and find a junk which has balconies off the cabin itself. This would have been handy rather than congregating with everyone else on the sun deck and makes the cruise feel a little more intimate if only in the confines of your own cabin.
The last tip is to see if you can tailor your own itin for the time that you have choosen to cruise for. All to often it felt like we were on a schedule and although not feeling rushed there was little time to spend "on your own".
There is no official taxi rank in Da Nang so unless you've organised something with the hotel (which costs at least double the going rate) you will have to get one yourself
Beautiful town and probably my favourite place I've visited in Asia. If you plan on walking around the town or doing a walking tour ala Lonely Planet then I suggest you do this early in the morning as it can get very hot and busy after about 11:00am.
Thinking of going to Vietnam this year, really enjoyed your TR ! Very helpful
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