Lonely Planet Vietnam: Perfect for exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled (Travel Guide)

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Horrifying volumes of munitions were dropped over Vietnam during the American War, and unexploded ordnance continues to kill and maim people every year. Well-traveled areas are usually safe, but be cautious about stepping off roads and paths in rural areas. Don’t climb into bomb craters and never touch old explosive devices – they can remain deadly for decades. 23. Be typhoon smart

There is a caveat, however – book directly with operators where possible. If you go through an agency, you’ll pay more, and some travelers have reported not getting the services and standards they were expecting when booking through third parties. 6. Factor sleeper buses and trains into your itinerary

Whether you have your heart set on learning to make prawn summer rolls in historic Hoi An or trekking from homestay to homestay in the lush hills west of Hanoi, here are the best things to do in Vietnam. 1. Embrace past and future Vietnam in historic Hanoi However, if you crave creature comforts, organized activities and top-end dining – or hire a car and driver to get around – your costs will climb steeply. Here are our top tips for exploring Vietnam on a budget. Time your trip right

Planning tip: Various viewpoints vie for the title of best vista in Vietnam – yes, that’s a lot of ‘v’s – but the lookouts gazing over the Dong Van Karst Plateau are strong contenders. The area is designated as a Unesco Geopark, and the trip from Yen Minh to Dong Van and over the Mai Pi Leng Pass to Meo Vac is particularly spectacular. 11. Find a perfect cup of coffee in the Central Highlands Many families give Vietnam bonus points for its food – while dishes may be unfamiliar, they’re rarely spicy (heat is usually added separately in the form of chili sauces). Crispy Vietnamese pancakes, banh mi sandwiches, bowls of pho (noodle soup), fried spring rolls and bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles) usually go down well. Planning tip: If you’re bound for Phu Quoc, there’s no need to go via Hanoi and HCMC; numerous Asian airlines offer flights from hubs such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul, connecting with long-haul flights further afield. 2. Hanoi If your teens love aquatic thrills, the beach strip at Mui Ne is Vietnam’s top hub for kitesurfing. There are several schools where you can learn as a family, with prime wind conditions in late October and April. Other watery diversions include sailing courses, stand-up paddleboarding, surfing classes and the mud spa and swimming pool complex on the hilltop. For teens who prefer pampering, there are plenty more spas along the beach strip. Enjoy the beach scene in Nha TrangGuides can be arranged through local lodges. The most popular trip is the half-day hike from the national park headquarters in search of golden-cheeked gibbons, though this involves an early start to catch the primates’ hooting dawn chorus. Most trekkers drop in on the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre for more simian encounters; trip fees help fund the park’s conservation activities. 7. Mai Chau villages

Traffic in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can seem terrifying at first glance. Just walking across the street during rush hour can feel like an impossible task! But there is method to the madness and, like a school of fish, the traffic will inevitably glide around you as long as you keep moving at a slow and steady pace. If unsure, do as the locals do and raise one hand high to be seen above the sea of helmets. This depends on the age of your tiny travelers. Beach hubs such as Nha Trang and Phu Quoc will work for most age groups. You’ll also get mileage from urban adventures in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and boat cruises around Halong Bay. For older kids and teens, the highlands around Sapa and Dalat offer lots of action, from trekking and canyoning to mountain biking and caving, while the central coast dishes out water sports galore. Best things to do in Vietnam with babies and toddlers Spring rolls – an umbrella term for various stuffings rolled inside rice paper shells – take a delectable variety of forms in Vietnam. You’ll find them crispy and fried in the north as nem ran ha noi. In the south goi cuon are soft and light, stuffed with shrimp, pork, fresh vegetables, and cold bun noodles. Sex tourism is an unwelcome legacy of the American War, but it’s usually easy to spot – and avoid – places where the sex trade takes place. Be wary of bars, karaoke lounges and massage parlors with scantily clad staff and lots of pink or red neon. Note that some hotels refuse to allow foreign men to share rooms with Vietnamese women – which can lead to headaches for genuine couples with an Asian partner. 19. Give drugs a pass

Be safe on the roads

Many of Vietnam’s top hikes are best attempted with local support. The tropical terrain can be challenging, the weather can be unpredictable and you’ll need someone who speaks the local languages to make arrangements for meals and accommodation in hill-tribe communities. If you combine a trek with a village homestay – which we heartily recommend – it’s possible to escape the crowds and find the hospitality and captivating culture that first put Vietnam on the travel map. In keeping with Buddhist precepts, many vendors and eateries go vegetarian on the 1st and 15th days of each lunar month; this is a great time to scour the markets and sample dishes that would otherwise be off-limits. Otherwise, be wary. Even vegetable dishes are likely to have been cooked with fish sauce or shrimp paste, so it can be easier to say that you are a vegetarian Buddhist to a potential cook, even if you aren't, as most Vietnamese people will understand what this means. A year in food Breathtaking landscapes appear at every turn in Vietnam. From the window of a trundling train you'll witness an endless patchwork of impossible-green rice paddies, while in Halong Bay a horizon studded with incisor-like limestone islands makes an ethereal sight. From Mui Ne in the deep south, where you can wonder at a Sahara-esque scene of wind-sculpted sand dunes from the basket of a hot-air balloon, to the stupendous karst mountains of the far north, Vietnam offers up a bewitching array of superlative landscapes. Halong Bay