By Van Anh Nguyen - June 18, 2024
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do" so why not “when in Vietnam, be a Vietnamese."
Isn't one of the ultimate purposes and joys of travelling is to absorb the culture of one country?
Below are the genuine guides for every pro-travelers to travel like a local in Vietnam. In order to get the most authentic tours in Vietnam, you must consider yourself as a Vietnamese when it comes to choosing shelters, transportations, and attractions,…
STEP BY STEP TO START TRAVELLING LIKE A LOCAL IN VIETNAM
Step 1: Research, research & research. Plan, plan & plan. Sometimes working with Vietnamese businesses can make you have a sense of no planning; yet, when it comes to travel, we do plan with intensive research.
Step 2: Book hotels or homestays & transportations in advance. Always be well prepared before going on a trip. As Vietnamese, we do love budgeted trips, therefore, booking in advance always helps with many discounts.
Step 3: Learn some important Vietnamese or make sure you have your Google translate ready since English is only popular in the urban cities.
Step 4: Be ready for a trip full of extreme local experiences and foods!
And in this post, we will help do the very first step & also the most important step for you. WE WILL HELP YOU DO INTENSIVE RESEARCH!
Let us be your travel consultant here and show you how to travel like a local in Vietnam!
MOUNTAINS OR BEACHES, CHOOSE & CUSTOMIZE TOURS LIKE A LOCAL?
In Vietnam, we are very proud of our wonderful nature with literally many breath-taking sceneries. Depending on your personality and purposes, we can help you plan your localized trip perfectly. If you are an adventurous soul and falling in love with the diversity of Vietnamese ethnicities, definitely choose to travel to our mountainous areas. On the other hand, if you are on a relaxing trip, looking for paradises on Earth, please do not miss our beautiful beaches.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MOUNTAIN LOVERS’ CUSTOMIZED TOURS
Holla to mountain lovers, to really enjoy the mountainous sceneries in Vietnam, you should once sit on a motorcycle and go for a spin. Promise, it would be one of the most thrilling yet wonderful experiences you would have in the lifetime.
Nevertheless, safety comes first, please prepare yourself with many safety gears for motorbike trips. If you are a professional motorcycle driver, do not forget to bring along your driver license. Also, choose to rent a manual transmission motorcycle at a trustworthy place instead of an automatic one (Automatic transmission motorcycles are not recommended for mountainous drive).
If you have not had any experiences in driving motorcycles or have not had a license, you can always continue your customized tour here with an easy-rider service. With this service, you can just enjoy the sceneries, capture all of the best instagram & tik-tok stories while having a cool professional driver help you out with the driving part.
Furthermore, the mountainous areas are also the shelters of many different ethnicities with different cultures and customs. Let's customize your tour to learn about 54 ethnicities in Vietnam, won't ya?
Below are the top must-go’s in 2024 that we think are very worthy for you to travel like a local in Vietnam.
Ha Giang loop has always been an under the radar destination, a hidden gem in the far north of Vietnam. This is also one of the most dangerous yet exciting drives in Vietnam as well. Ha Giang is the home for many ethnic groups; therefore, you would get the absolute local experiences here that even Hanoian folks have never had before. However, make sure your body language is advanced & your Google translate works well, since not many people can speak English here. Also, in order to finish the loop in the most perfect & relaxing way, you should spend at least 4 to 5 days in total for Ha Giang.
The most popular route should be 1 day from Ha Giang to Tam Son, then stay for 1 night at Yen Minh, 1 night at Dong Van, Meo Vac also needs 1 night, and lastly spend the last night on Du Gia. This route includes 2-3 hours driving everyday, should be a good combination of adventure and sight-seeing.
You won't have to be worried about your bike breaking down since you will find multiple mechanics at the big city. Also, there are multiple phone numbers painted on the road as well; those are emergency numbers for tow & mechanic services. However, don't forget to bargain the price before letting anyone touch your bike.
2. SAPA
Every Tây (means foreign people in Vietnamese) must have known about this fancy foggy city in the North West of Vietnam. Honestly it's quite sad since Sapa could not keep the authenticity of a highland district, instead it has become a very popular tourist destination in the last 5-6 years. However, we customize the trip, we have to tailor all the good things and all the customs and culture as much as possible right?
Besides all of those Tây bars, Tây restaurants, and some tourist traps here, we chose to introduce you to a real & rustic Sapa. There are many hip coffee shops that let you catch the cloud while sipping the delicious highland coffee. There is the 10 hour Fansipan hike that will make you so proud of yourself. There is the experience of dressing up like a H'mong bride & groom. In Sapa, you do not need to speak or understand Vietnamese at all. People can speak English very well here surprisingly.
Especially for sashimi lovers, Sapa is famous for its Salmon Dish. Sapa Salmon are big, less fat and the flesh are pink, fresh & sweet. Also, the price for Salmon is oddly cheap, spending approximately $25 and you will get a full dish of fresh salmon.
Some addresses for great Salmon we can recommend are:
3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VITAMIN-SEA LOVERS’ CUSTOMIZED TOURS
Talking about beaches in Vietnam, you might have to move a bit to the South & some islands since the water is cleaner and bluer. To travel to the ocean is not as complicated as to those mountainous areas since we have been developing tourism here for quite sometimes. That is why it's quite tricky when you want to be with the ocean with the local feelings.
And hey my Local, when you are at any beaches in Vietnam, do not forget to get up early to observe the wonderful sunrise as well as to join the fish market along the coast. Get some fresh seafood with super cheap price. And don't you worry, you don’t have to speak Vietnamese, body language can always get you the sale.
Our recommendations for you on your customized tour to the ocean must be Phu Quoc and Con Dao, the two most beautiful islands in Vietnam. Also, these two destinations will give you the perfect combination of the ocean and the “local feeling".
4. PHU QUOC
Phu Quoc definitely has so many lovely and fancy resorts for you to choose from. Besides chilling at the beach, drinking coconut juice, you can customize your tour by adding some of the “must-have" experiences in Phu Quoc that are listed below:
5. CON DAO
Con Dao island is still not a very touristic spot, therefore, you can totally feel like a local as you travel here. The flight to Con Dao is small and a bit shaky just like the flight to Alaska. We recommend you not to try going there by cruise since the sea sickness can last for days. There are not many activities to do in Con Dao, however, it will give you the perfect setting of a relaxing trip to paradise. The view of Con Dao is way more beautiful than any other scenery paintings.
CUSTOMIZED YOUR TRANSPORTATIONS - MOVING LIKE A LOCAL
Having the right transportation will make your travel like a local challenge much easier. Especially driving and moving around Vietnam is never an easy task, let us help you manage your transportation as locally as possible. You can always “mix things up" if you choose to do a road trip around Vietnam. Below are some “know-before-you-go" tips for each transportations you will be choosing.
2. LIMOUSINE - PRIVATE CARS
This is not the fancy limousine that you are thinking about. It's more like a fancy 9 seat van with leather seats, AC and wifi on the go. Super comfortable and super professional. The 2-3 seats in the middle are always more expensive, therefore, you should get a price confirmation before going.
Usually, you can call and book 1 or 2 days in advance. You will have to pay a deposit if you have more than 3 guests. Bring cash with you since the driver will collect the rest of the fee in cash on the day of service. Using limousine service is one of the best ways to help you travel between cities without any hassles.
Some Limousine companies provided round-trip from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh to many different attractions & cities. However, some limousine companies only provide trips to specific locations, therefore, we have to make sure about our destination.
3. OTHER TRANSPORTATIONS
Many travellers are not very fond of the buses and trains in Vietnam. However it's an interesting idea for anyone that loves to get some local experiences. We recommend you to only try public buses in the big cities since you can get updated information on bus time here.
Also, in big cities, app transportation is also a good option for you to travel around. You can download Grab, Go Viet, Be in order to go around the cities without being worried about the overpriced taxis.
To travel between cities, there is a cheaper option than Limousine which is a serviced bus. Serviced bus can sometimes pick you up from your hotels, also providing water on the way.
4. AIRPLANE
Besides the national Vietnam airline, we also provide low-price airways such as Bamboo airline and Vietjet airline. Bamboo airline has the new airplane with a very delicious menu that you should consider booking for your next customized tours to Vietnam. If you want to travel with a budget, Vietjet airline is not a bad choice either. However, with the low-price airways, please do expect some postponement.
You will definitely feel so much like a local travelling like us have recommended. Hopefully the sharing on how to travel like a local can help many of our FIT club members to get the best tailored and localized experiences in Vietnam. Goodluck and we wish to see you very soon!
DON’T COUNT THE PLACES YOU HAVE BEEN TO, MAKE THE EXPERIENCE COUNT!
United Kingdom (UK)
I booked my tour with Kim and honestly her customer service was out of this world. She was very polite and helpful. I highly recommend Vietnam Experiencias Locales and when I return I will certainly contact her. Good service and good prices!
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