Vietnam's best-known beaches are white-sand Cua Dai Beach, which runs the 18 mi/30 km between Danang and Hoi An; Nha Trang Beach, 6 mi/8 km of coconut palms and powder sand edging the town of the same name; and the 7 mi/11 km of tropical perfection between Mui Ne and Phan Thiet in the south. Scuba diving and snorkeling are popular around the islands off Nha Trang, and several PADI- or SSI-certified dive shops there offer scuba instruction. Pleasure-boating and fishing are not popular, as most Vietnamese associate the sea with food and hard work, but kite-boarding and windsurfing equipment and instruction are available in Mui Ne.
Bicycling is easy along the flat, paved roads of Vietnam's coastal agricultural plain, though no tourist industry has developed around this pursuit. In the countryside, a bicycle is still the most common form of transportation, and adventurous bikers will find a warm welcome and expert bike repair all along the road. A few tour companies (Intrepid Travel is one of the oldest) organize guided bike tours of the rugged Central Highlands, with overnight stops at guesthouses or in homestays with ethnic minority villagers. These are designed for experienced bike-riders in excellent physical condition.
Spectacular birding can be had in Vietnam's national parks, especially at higher-altitude Cuc Phuong Park near Ninh Binh and Bach Na Park just south of Hue. In the hot, humid summer months, birds from the lowlands come to the mountains to enjoy the cool forests and cascading mountain streams. Bird-watching is best in July and August, but visitors should come prepared for hot weather, heavy rains and insect-rife jungle conditions. In May and June, masses of butterflies completely fill the air at Cuc Phuong National Park.
Hiking is most pleasant in the National Parks in the cooler, drier winter months of January-March. The Northern and Central Highlands are cold (sometimes below freezing), drizzly and foggy during those months, and trekking there is far more rewarding in late March, April and May. South of Nha Trang, the mountains become covered with scrub, more suitable for sheep ranches than agriculture, and offer little of interest to birders or hikers.
Shopping
From Sapa in the north to Can Tho in the south, shopping in Vietnam is an exhilarating experience. Prices for luxury goods such as silks are absurdly low, and the range of high-quality handmade goods is huge.
Bargaining is an essential skill for everything from heavy teak-wood furniture to a pack of gum. Usually, it a good-natured negotiation in which you will end up slightly higher than halfway between the original asking and your offered price: Keep that in mind when establishing your opening bid. Vietnamese shop-owners are far more skilled at the intricacies of bargaining than the average Western tourist. Avoid being persuaded to spend more by an argument that plays upon your sympathies. Don't be pushed into a pace that is faster than you can think. Remember that it's your money. Be willing to walk away. Carry a hand-held calculator for quick monetary conversions, and piece of paper or a notebook and pen, so you can do your negotiating in writing. It will slow the pace and ensure that you are both agreeing to the same number. At the end of a successful negotiation, the shopkeeper will generally display disappointment at the low price or congratulate you on driving a hard bargain: It's all part of the script. End the session with a smile and thank you, which will be returned.
Sapa is the place to shop for handwork made by ethnic minority craftspeople, who walk sometimes for hours to reach the daily market. Weaving, carving, basketry and clothing are all laid out for inspection. Many montagnards (hill people) don't speak English, so take your pen and paper for some low-key haggling. Sapa is such a popular tourist market, though, that the purchasing price is often very close to the original asking price.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are unpleasant places to shop, and some of the best bargains are available in hotel gift boutiques, where quality can be examined at leisure. The Hanoi Gallery, in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, is actually more of a street stall. It sells original or reproduction propaganda posters from the 1960s and '70s during the American War, and posters from the 1980s, as the Communist government encouraged people to put the war behind them and work to rebuild Vietnam.
Halong Bay is famous for pearls from its managed oyster beds, and both Halong City and Cat Ba Island are rife with shops and vendors selling necklaces, bracelets and earrings made from the local product. The pearls are genuine, and the prices are incredibly low. Individual strings fetch the asking price, but successful negotiations can be made on larger purchases.
Near Ninh Binh, Tam Coc is the center of a small hand-embroidery industry where the work is generally of exceptional quality.
Hoi An is where the shopping is, with hundreds of stores selling silk and cotton clothing, woodcarvings, silk-covered bamboo and wood-framed lanterns in many colors and styles, and a dizzying variety of sophisticated shoes.
Every town has a market where local people go to purchase necessities from food to automobile parts at small stalls, usually arranged around a central area where prepared food is sold and consumed. Many of these markets have been running every day for more than 100 years. They are often crammed with people, and the maze of aisles and shops can be disorienting. The market is the place to buy T-shirts, smaller gifts and clothing. Sharpen up your elbows, take a deep breath and join the throng. Since the shopping-stall tenants have less overhead than store owners, bargaining in the markets can be very satisfying.
There are some talented contemporary artists at work in most towns, but especially around Hanoi, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. Look for their original work to be displayed in galleries or on the walls of sympathetic hotels and restaurants. There will often be a business card with their address and phone, or ask the staff how to contact them.
Shopping Hours: Generally, daily 8 am-8 pm.
Day By Day
The following is a minimum itinerary for first-time visitors:
Day 1—Arrive Hanoi.
Day 2—Hanoi and a trip to Ha Long Bay.
Day 3—Day trip by train to Sapa.
Day 4—Fly to Hue.
Day 5—Hue. Excursion to the emperors' tombs along the Perfume River.
Day 6—Travel to Hoi An, stopping in Danang along the way.
Day 7—Hoi An.
Day 8—Fly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 9—Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 10—Fly to Hanoi and depart Vietnam.
