Can't wait to go, but I don't leave for another nine months. I want to be fully ready!
Hi there Shannabelle, PM me and I'll give you the information because I think it'll get cut out on here if I insert anyone's emails and numbers
Reply to this Hi Shannabelle,
Hoi An is very nice to stay but Cat Ba Island is also a great place to see. Cat Ba island with Lan Ha Bay (near Ha Long Bay) has many nice small beaches, very clean and clear water. And it would be great fun joining rock climbing with Slo Pony, 2 guys from America too. 3 or 4 days is fine for Ha Long bay, rock climbing and kayaking, beaches. A must do.
Reply to this Travel tip. you can easily buy Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China books and Phrasebooks for about US $3 (yes three dollars-if you bargain even less eg 40,000 Vietnam Dong) in District one in Saigon and all other tourist centres. Just walk along the street I the tourist strips
if you don’t stumble over their sidewalk stalls they will be chasing you with boxes of books for sale anyway!
Travel tip. In Vietnam bargain hard because the prices first quoted are inflated ridiculously. Today I was with a group of friends for coffee on the beach in Nha Trang. A sunglass seller approached a friend and offered a pair of sunglasses to a friend for $100,000 VNDong. The friend immediately countered with 40,000.Straight away the seller said 50,000VND. Hellooooooooooooooo!!!...in the space of one minute he dropped by half and then offered two pairs for 95,000 VND. When I got home I discussed the incident with my wife, who is Vietnamese, and she said that for that type, which is entirely plastic, including the eye part in the frame, the locals pay 20,000 VND! Incidentally the plastic visual part is extremely bad for the eyes!
Reply to this 
