How to Find Hotels in Vietnam

Vietnam surprises visitors with lovely natural settings including beaches, forests and deltas. Vietnam is experiencing a cultural rebirth, and, for many tourists, the newly restored historical sites are astounding.

Things You'll Need

• Plane tickets
• Passport
• Camera
• Luggage
• Hotel reservation
• Computer
• Map
• Credit card

Instructions

Know Your Destination

1. Rub shoulders with the locals. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, which has a population of over three million people.

2. Bring layers. Vietnam is tropical in the south and monsoonal in the north, with a rainy season from mid-May to mid-September.

3. Get a good guide to Vietnamese phrases, as Vietnamese is the official language.

Travel to Vietnam

1. Fly to Vietnam via Air Vietnam, Air France, Aeroflot, Thai Airways, Philippine Airways or MAS.

2. Book passage on a cargo ship from Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, France or Japan to Ho Chi Minh City, Danang or Haiphong.

Go From Place to Place

1. Get on a domestic flight via Vietnam Airlines to travel long distances. It is more affordable to fly than to take a train.

2. Charter a taxi for the day for somewhat less than $50.

3. Take a train to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

4. Get on a bus to get a feel for life in Vietnam. The buses can be slow, but a trip on one will give you a chance to mingle with locals.

Choose Accommodations

1. To book accommodations, contact Vietnam National Administration of Tourism at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).

2. Get a room in the center of the action in Hanoi. Nightly rates for a 5-star hotel can go below $100 in some cases.

3. Steep yourself in the fine arts by booking your accommodations close to the Ba Dinh District of Hanoi. The Fine Arts Museum is located on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.

4. Enjoy a stay at an exclusive hideaway spa in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

5. Get a mid-priced hotel room in Hanoi for around $70 to $150 a night.

6. Stay in Thai Nguyen to learn more about the history of the Vietnamese people. Museums related to the cultures of Vietnam's ethnic groups are located there.

Seek Out Tourist Destinations and Attractions

1. Visit a bird sanctuary in Vietnam. A day trip to see Vietnam's avian life makes for an ecologically-oriented adventure not to be missed.

2. Shop near rural accommodations by traveling to handicraft villages, where one can buy ceramics, jewelry and fine art made from coal.

3. Explore. Go to the ecological forest of Can Gio, which is about 30 miles outside of Ho Chi Minh City.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.

• When booking your accommodations, it is recommended to stay at a five-star hotel to ensure quality standards.

• Tipping in Vietnam is greatly appreciated, and should be 5 to 10 percent of the bill. Government hotels include a 10 percent service charge on the bill.

• It is not recommended to travel by road, as it can be quite costly.

• Buses can be slow and unreliable.