itinerary help

Hi My daughter(age 24) and I (age 55) are meeting in HCMC in July. we want to visit HCMC, Mekong Delta, and Halong Bay. We are outdoor fit people who like nature hiking and biking etc. My question is how best to arrange this. I was thinking HCMC to Mekong Delta and flight to Hanoi. Not sure the best order to do this in and how hard it is to get around. We are there July 7-16 and then going to Siem Reap. We fly out of PP on July 22. Do we need to book tours of Mekong Delta and Halong Bay in advance or at all? Is this too much for the time we have? Any help greatly appreciated.

This is a typical question for TripAdvisor.

In fact, it is the first time I visited Vietnam, so I dont know much. Lan Ha is good place for traveling by cruise?

Are you familiar with TripAdvisor? It's cruise critic's sister site. They have forums for countries where good people who know the area give (mostly) good advice.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293921-i8432-Vietnam.html

We did six weeks of independent travel in Cambodia and Vietnam.

The tripadvisor forums were an excellent source of information. We arranged for a homestay in the Mekong, recommended private guides in various locations, as well as information on accommodations and public transport etc.

Lots of contributors on these forums who know their stuff and provide guidance/suggestions.

Lan Hay located nearby Halong Bay and is also one of the best bay in northern Vietnam. You can book cruise tour for traveling to 2 bays during 1 itinerary only

Can you give me some details about the cruise tour?

We did six weeks of independent travel in Cambodia and Vietnam.

 

The tripadvisor forums were an excellent source of information. We arranged for a homestay in the Mekong, recommended private guides in various locations, as well as information on accommodations and public transport etc.

 

Lots of contributors on these forums who know their stuff and provide guidance/suggestions.

I know it, but I want to hear from more travelers to get the best tour. Thanks.

For a Halong Bay junk cruise (and IMHO that's the only reason to go there) it's easy to book an overnite cruise which includes transportation from/back to Hanoi.

That's what the overnite junks are geared up for - a junk cruise departure around 11am to noon and return around 9am - 10am, to suit travel time from Hanoi. That timing has been problematic for cruisers whose ship visits Halong Bay, but it's ideal for those who are in Hanoi.

I do highly recommend that you do a junk cruise in Halong Bay, it's pretty unique sailing in the surreal watery moonscape amongst the limestone karsts. And the mists, which are present most of the time, don't detract from the trip - they add to the unreal experience.

We visited by cruise ship & negotiated a silly-cheap day cruise at the pier. That's taking a chance for cruisers, and I'd certainly not recommend it for someone travelling from Hanoi. Book in advance, but choose carefully with advice from TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic members.

JB :)