Where to go in Vietnam

[StephenG]

I am on business in Vietnam ( Ho Chi Ming) in late September and was looking to stay a few days to chill out, maybe hit a beach and a bit of night life.

I have been told Nha Trang is my best bet but was hoping to find something closer to eliminate lots of travel.

Any ideas??

[cazzer_1]

Not sure of alternatives to Nha Trang but if you are tight on time you can take an overnight coach (open tour) to Nha Trang so you don't waste a day. They're pretty cheap!

[StephenG]

Thanks for the frightenly quick answer. As for time I will be holed up in a hotel for a week so will need 4-5 days resting/ partying etc close to a beach.

Have you been, what is the coach like, national express or national disaster ;-)

[beamer]

Hi StephenG,

I spent a month in Viet Nam a couple of years ago (so maybe my advice is not completely up to date).

I wouldn't recommend Nha Trang. It's okay, but very touristy and you get a LOT of hassle (even by south east asian standards) - by hassle I mean prostitution as well as the standard.

Besides, Mui Ne Beach is only about 3 hours out of Saigon (a'hem, I mean Ho Chi Ming City). I found Mui Ne Beach the best "chill out" part of Viet Nam by far. The locals were very sound (no hassle and friendly - without wanting to sound out of order, genuine friendlyness to foreigners is unusual in the country), and the whole area is stunning with huge dunes, clear water etc etc...

Buses are fine. not quite Nat Exp. but not local either (there are special buses for foreigners).

In short; do your partying (sorry; business ;)in Saigon, then head out to Mui Ne for some down time.

[mash]

We stayed at the Furma Hotel in Denang for a few days to finish our tour. An excellent hotel with nice beach, perfect for a quiet chilled few days. You can get a quick low cost flight to Denang from HCM to minimise travel.