Hi everyone, just sharing our experience in Vietnam to hopefully help other first-timers with planning their holiday.

Hi everyone, just sharing our experience in Vietnam to hopefully help other first-timers with planning their holiday.We’re a couple in our early 30s from Australia and travelled through North and Central Vietnam for about 16 days in March.We generally enjoy being on the move—seeing lots of new places, nature, scenery, exploring, and learning about different countries and cultures.We pre-booked all of our hotels, domestic flights, drivers, and main activities/tours before going. We researched and booked everything ourselves, mostly directly with the companies or accommodation where possible. This made the whole trip really stress free. Everything ran smoothly and we had no issues with bookings, scams, etc.Like our previous holidays, we used a Wise card as much as possible as it’s cheap and easy to use. We also took some cash and withdrew from ATMs when needed, as we found many shops and cafes in Hanoi and Hoi An were cash only.We used Johnny Visa for our visas and fast-track service. We organised this months in advance for peace of mind, and the process was easy and completely hassle-free.Itinerary: • 1 night sleeper train • 2 nights Sapa • 2 nights Tam Coc • 2 nights Ha Long Bay • 2 nights Da Nang • 1 night Ba Na Hills • 3 nights Hoi An • 2 nights HanoiWe flew into Hanoi in the morning and took the VicSapa sleeper train to Lao Cai that night. We found a luggage storage place in the Old Quarter to leave our bags during the day, which was cheap and easy.The VicSapa train was great for what we expected from a sleeper train. It is quite loud with the track and carriage noise, but we used earphones and slept through the night with no issues. Amenities and staff were all good.If we did it again, we’d either stay the first night in Hanoi or at least book a hotel room before the train so we could shower and rest that afternoon after the flight in.We spent 2 nights in Sapa at Topas Ecolodge. It was pricey compared to other accommodation on the trip, but honestly incredible and worth it.In Tam Coc (Ninh Binh), we stayed at Tam Coc Green Haven Retreat. Great location and a nice place. We organised a day tour through the hotel which took us all around Ninh Binh—it was really good and we got to see a lot. The guide was a character and made the day even more enjoyable.For Ha Long Bay / Lan Ha Bay, we did a 2N/3D cruise with Amanda Cruises on the Le Journey boat. It was exactly what we wanted—great itinerary, food, staff, and a good balance of activities and relaxing time.Da Nang was great—we really enjoyed seeing a more modern city in Vietnam. The beachfront promenade and sights around the city were great to explore. We stayed at Daisy Boutique Hotel, which was extremely nice and well priced.Ba Na Hills was incredible. We were hesitant at first because of mixed opinions, but we’re really glad we went. It felt like another world. Yes, it was crowded, but staying overnight made a big difference. The evening, night, and early morning (before the crowds) were much more enjoyable, and seeing everything lit up at night was great. It was wet and cloudy at times, but we still loved it.Hoi An was beautiful. We stayed at Anio Boutique Hotel, which was extremely nice and very affordable. Good location between Old Town and the beach, and close to the rice paddies. Free bike hire was a bonus.In Hanoi, we stayed at Tirant Hotel, right in the heart of the Old Quarter. The room was great and blocked out the street noise well (we were on level 4).While in Hanoi, we did a walking food tour with Beyond Vietnam. I Couldn’t recommend them enough. Our guide Chi was knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke great English—we had so much fun trying new foods and I wish we did this on one of our first day as we got to find out all the best food spots!Even before the tour, Beyond Vietnam were super helpful. I had trouble contacting one of our accommodations and they actually reached out to them on our behalf, which was really kind considering it had nothing to do with their business. All accommodation staff throughout the trip were very helpful, accommodating and always went beyond our expectations with how kind and friendly they were —we’d recommend all of the places we stayed to anyone.We mostly organised private drivers for transfers between cities, which was super easy and saved a lot of time.We booked drivers through Dao Xuan Khang (Northern Vietnam: Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long, Ninh Binh) and Nguyen Binh (Central Vietnam: Da Nang, Ba Na Hills, Hoi An). Both were extremely reliable, friendly, and easy to deal with. They stayed in contact and always checked that everything was running smoothly. Highly recommend both. They are both tour guides and offer much more so definitely check them out!We used the Grab app to get around linked to our wise card within cities and also did a lot of walking, which we enjoyed. Grab was very easy to use, cheap, and always available within minutes.Overall, we had an amazing holiday. It was cheaper than most of our other trips (and we definitely could’ve done it even cheaper if we wanted to—but you’ve got to enjoy your holiday!). The people, food, cities, and scenery were all incredible. We didn’t feel rushed or stressed at all, and everything went perfectly.