VIETNAM

(does not include Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon))

General
●Aqua Expeditions – 10 Jalan Kilang, #04-06 Sime Darby Enterprise; 866-603-3687; aquaexpeditions.com; luxury riverboat cruising in remote Mekong River areas between Cambodia & Vietnam.
●Trails of Indochina – 10/8 Phan Dinh Giot Street (Ho Chi Minh City, Tan Binh District); 011-84-08-3844-1005; trailsofindochina.com.



CAO DAI
Sights & Sites
●Cao Dai Temple – Tay Ninh (60 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City); “Great Temple” or “Holy See”; Cao Dai sect’s center; Cao Dai is syncretist Vietnamese religious movement that incorporates aspect of Buddhism, Catholicism, Confucianism, & Taoism; temple begun in 1933; noon ceremony always has largest audience, because most visitors are day trippers from Ho Chi Minh City.



CON DAO ISLAND
Hotels
●Con Dao Seatravel – 6 Nguyen Duc Thuan Street; 011-84-064-363-0768; condaoseatravel.com; 1^st beachfront bungalows on island; 12 rooms; $60 per night; “shiny” wooden furniture & “sliding glass doors.”
●Saigon Con Dao Resort – 18-24 Ton Duc Thang Street; 011-84-064-363-0779; saigoncondao.com; kingsize beds & faux-marble bathrooms; ask for pool-view room.
●Con Dao Six Senses – Bai Dat Doc; 011-84-064-383-1222; sixsenses.com/SixSensesConDao; 50 beachfront villas; private plunge pools; nearby restaurants, bakery, stores; spa.

Restaurants
●Con Son Café – 2 Ton Duc Thang Street; 011-84-064-363-0670; great place for morning coffee.
●Phuong Hanh – 38 Nguyen Hue Street; 011-84-064-383-0180; family-run restaurant that serves lemongrass beef & clay pot fish.
●Try Ky – Nguyen Duc Thuan Street; 011-84-064-383-0294; wide range seafood; delicate steamed crab is exceptional.

Sights & Sites
●Con Dao National Park – 29 Vo Thi Sau Street; 011-84-064-383-0669; condaopark.com.vn.



HA GIANG (Dong Van, Ha Giang & Sa Phin)
Hotels
●Huy Hoan Hotel – 14 Phuong Nguyen Trai (Ha Giang); 011-84-021-9386-1288; clean & modern.
●Pan Hou Village – Xa Thong Nguyen; 011-84-021-9383-3565; panhouvillage.com; charming, eco-resort with 30 rooms in stilt houses; beautifully designed with bar, restaurant & small spa; good base.
●Rocky Plateau Hotel – Place du Marche (Dong Van); 011-84-021-154-8668; owned by Karst Plateau Travel tour-guide, Hoang Tuan Anh.

Restaurants
●Café Pho Co. – Place du Marche (Dong Van); coffee & mango shakes; in century-old traders’ house.
●Rocky Plateau Hotel – Place du Marche (Dong Van); 011-84-021-154-8668; excellent, local food.

Services
●Exotissimo Travel – 64 Dong Du, Dist 1 (Ho Chi Minh City); 011-84-08-3827-2911; exotissimo.com.
●Karst Plateau Travel – 011-84-091-545-8668; karstplateau@gmail.com; ask for Hoang Tuan Anh.

Sights & Sites
●Vuong Chin Duc Palace – Sa Phin; operated as museum.



HOI AN (Danang)
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
●Bep Truong – 166 Trần Phú (1^st Floor); 011-84-051-0391-0225; artbook.com.vn; coffee shop, restaurant & among biggest bookstores in Hoi An; 2^nd floor in shop is space for coffee with comfortable seats (books can be brought from ground floor); if you like panoramic view over Old Town, sit at 2^nd floor balcony or even top floor, tremendous overview.

Hotels
●Anantara – 1 Phạm Hồng Thái (Sơn Phong); 011-84-051-0391-4555; hoi-an.anantara.com; large suites accompanied with daybeds & porches overlook river & lush gardens.
●Essence Hotel & Spa – 132 Hùng Vương Street; 011-84-051-0391-5915; hoianessencehotel.com; overlooking rice paddies at town edge; relaxed hotel with Asian-inspired decor; casual rooms have free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs & minibars, as well as desks & armchairs; some offer floor-to-ceiling windows; upgraded quarters add balconies; suites provide sitting areas & laptops; free bike rentals, beach shuttles & breakfast buffet; open-air restaurant serving local & western dishes has adjoining sunken bar; spa, outdoor pool, cafe & exercise room, plus gardens.
●Furama Resort Danang – 68 Ho Xuan Huong Street (China Beach); 011-84-051-1384-7333 or 011-84-051-1384-7888; furamavietnam.com.
●Hotel Royal – 39 Street Ward (Đào Duy Từ, Cẩm Phô); 011-84-051-0395-0777; hotelroyalhoian.com; close to Japanese Covered Bridge & Old Town; grand, French-style presence; floral-lined pool & dusky pink umbrellas; riverside bar.
●Nam Hai – Hamlet 1 Dien Duong Village (Dien Ban District); 011-84-051-094-0000; ghmhotels.com or namhai.com; 100 villas with stunning views of breakers rolling in from Tonkin Gulf; high design concept; centerpiece is sequence of 3 huge pools that step down to sea; 2 groups villas – (1) ocean villas; & (2) larger pool villas, each of which has own plunge pool; buffed gray stone floors & stained teak living platforms; magnificent public spaces; go March-April & September-October; book Villas 4050 or 4070 for good sea views & easy access to hotel facilities.
●Red Bridge Inn – 4 Thon (Cam Thanh, Nhà Hàng Red Bridge); 011-84-051-0393-3222; visithoian.com/redbridge; rustic villa with garden & pool.

Restaurants
●Ancient Faifo – 66 Nguyễn Thái Học (Old Town); 011-84-051-0391-7444; inhoian.com/ancient-faifo; in old merchant’s house; traditional favorites; perfect sticky pork.
●Banh Mi Phuong – 2B Phan Châu Trinh; 011-84-090-574-3773; hoianfoodtour.com/banh-mi-hoi-an; best banh mi (Vietnamese baguettes) in town; Anthony Bourdain recommends; try pork deluxe (thin slices roast pork, ham & cha lua (meatloaf) served with homemade mayonnaise, etc.
●Bep Truong – 166 Trần Phú (1^st Floor); 011-84-051-0391-0225; artbook.com.vn; coffee shop, restaurant & among biggest bookstores in Hoi An; 2^nd floor in shop is space for coffee with comfortable seats (books can be brought from ground floor); if you like panoramic view over Old Town, sit at 2^nd floor balcony or even top floor, tremendous overview.
●Central Market – Nguyen Hue & Tran Phu Streets (Trần Quý Cáp); vietnam-guide.com/hoi-an/central-market.htm; look for fresh, white rose dumplings, cao lau (pork, noodles & veg), banh xeo (savory rice-paper pancakes).
●Hai Cafe – 98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street (Old City, also at 111 Tran Phu Street); 011-84-051-0386-3210; visithoian.com/haicafe; bar & grill.
●Light Candle – 43 Ba Trieu Street; among most popular expat restaurants; only open for breakfast & lunch.
●Mango Mango – 45 Nguyễn Phúc Chu; 011-84-051-0391-1863; themangomango.com.
●Nhu Y (Mermaid) – 2 Tran Phu Street; 011-84-051-086-1527; restaurant-hoian.com; quiet spot in downtown’s heart; ivy-draped, unassuming storefront that serves some of best authentic Vietnamese food in town (for next to nothing); can take cooking class in large adjoining kitchen open to street; try tuna filet cooked in banana leaf with turmeric; most unique dish, called white eggplant, is eggplant covered in spring onion, garlic & chili & then pressed, sliced & served in light oil.
●Red Bridge Restaurant – 4 Thon (Cam Thanh, Nhà Hàng Red Bridge); 011-84-051-0393-3222; visithoian.com/redbridge.
●White Lantern – 810 Nhi Trung Street; 011-84-051-086-3023; popular tour group stop, so try to get there early (or late); everyone’s here for good reason, though: delicious, affordable Vietnamese cuisine & mellow atmosphere; delicate won-ton soup, spring rolls & chicken in light curry.

Services
●Red Bridge Cooking School – 4 Thon (Cam Thanh, Nhà Hàng Red Bridge); 011-84-051-0393-3222; visithoian.com/redbridge; 1 classic half-day tour & 1 deluxe day tour everyday; night class at sister restaurant Hai Cafe.

Shopping
●Bep Truong – 166 Trần Phú (1^st Floor); 011-84-051-0391-0225; artbook.com.vn; coffee shop, restaurant & among biggest bookstores in Hoi An; 2^nd floor in shop is space for coffee with comfortable seats (books can be brought from ground floor); if you like panoramic view over Old Town, sit at 2^nd floor balcony or even top floor, tremendous overview.
●Central Market – Nguyen Hue & Tran Phu Streets (Trần Quý Cáp); vietnam-guide.com/hoi-an/central-market.htm; look for fresh, white rose dumplings.
●Yaly Couture – 47 Nguyen Thai Hoc; 011-84-051-091-0474; yalycouture.com; bespoke tailors catering to men & women; dresses, shirts & suits (more in modern, traditional styles); known for detailed bead work & embroidery; most expensive in town but can be worth it.

Sights & Sites
●Old Town – whc.unesco.org/en/list/948; UNESCO World Heritage Site; more than 800 historical buildings preserved, so much of Old Town looks as it did several centuries ago; 18 open to visitors (require Old Town ticket for admission); fee goes towards funding conservation work.



HUE
Hotels
●Huong Giang Hotel – 51 Le Loi Street; 011-84-054-382-2122; huonggianghotel.com.vn; spell-binding river views but slightly odd décor (plastic flowers on bathroom ceilings).
●La Residence Hotel & Spa – 5 Le Loi Street; 011-84-054-383-7475; la-residence-hue.com; perched on Perfume River’s banks, just upstream from Hue’s famous citadel; former French colonial governor’s mansion; 2 modern wings; large pool overlooks river; avoid November-January; book double with river view.

Sights & Sites
●Thien Mu Pagoda – Ha Khe Hill (Perfume River’s northern bank); built in 1601 between river & pine forest, “Heavenly Lady Pagoda” among country’s oldest & prettiest religious; among many interesting artifacts housed at complex is car that took monk Thich Quang Duc to his self-immolation on June 11, 1963 Saigon; construction began in 1601 under Lord Nguyen Hoang; renovated by Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan in 1665; Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu contributed great bell in 1710 & stele erected on marble tortoise’s back in 1715; Phuoc Dien Tower in front added in 1864 by Emperor Thieu Tri; pagoda heavily damaged in 1943, fully renovated for over 30 years thereafter; its 7 successive tiers dedicated to steps to enlightenment; near entrance gate are 12 huge wooden fearsome temple guardian features with real facial hair; monks are usually involved in their daily routines (cooking, stacking wood & whacking weeds); novices practice calligraphy.



NHA TRANG
Bars & Nightclubs
●Louisiane Brewhouse – Tran Phu Street (Lot 29); 011-84-058-352-1948 or 011-84-058-352-1831; louisianebrewhouse.com.vn; nestled beneath undamaged palm trees on main drag’s southern sweep; arm’s length from sand; classic Northern European styles transformed by Southeast Asia’s tropical flavors; try Crystal Ale draft, top-fermented beer made with passion fruit & local rambutan (tropical fruit similar to litchi) that tastes faintly of honey; also try Passion Fruit Witbier draft, slight twist on Belgian classic with witbier base made with mixture imported & local wheat grains, flavoring base consisting of local coriander & orange & imported hops.



NINH VAN BAY
Hotels
●Six Senses at Ana Mandara – Ninh Van bay, Ninh Hoa, Khanh Hoa, Nha Trang; 011-84-058-829-829; sixsenses.com; on verdant hills that seem to tumble down to sea, 54 thatched-roof villas face Ninh Van Bay’s natural rock formations, which stand like sentries in distance; competing with view’s serenity is 6 Senses Spa, where holistic remedies & tai chi classes performed beside rhythmic sea; escape to Dam Tre Island’s secluded beach, 30 minutes away by speedboat, for day trip.



PHU QUOC ISLAND
Beaches
●Sao Beach – white sand beach, considered island’s prettiest.
Hotels
●La Veranda Resort – Tran Hung Dao Street (Ward 1, Duong Dong Beach); 011-84-077-3398-2988; laverandaresort.com; on largest island off country’s southwest coast; custard-yellow bungalows cluster around cobalt blue-tiled pool; surrounded by frangipani & hibiscus; full service beach; small spa; January-February ideal for beachcombing; ocean view villas best, like #301.

Restaurants
●Morning Glory – 106 Nguyễn Thái Học; 011-84-051-0224-1555; msvy-tastevietnam.com/morning-glory; top option for salads & pork noodles; also try spicy chicken.
●Night Market – D Vo Thi Sau, Duong Dong; open nightly from 6 pm to midnight; dozens drink & food stalls; English menus.

Shopping
●Night Market – D Vo Thi Sau, Duong Dong (near ferry landing); open nightly from 6 pm to midnight; dozens drink & food stalls.
●Phu Quoc Pearls – Long Beach; 011-84-077-398-0585; treasuresfromthedeep.com.
Sights & Sites
●Coconut Tree Prison (Nha Lao Cay Dua Prison)‎ – Bai Sao; discoverphuquoc.com/landmarks.html; used by US as detention center for North Vietnamese prisoners during Vietnam War.
●Phu Quoc National Park – northeast area; discoverphuquoc.com/nationalparks.html; beaches & forests covering nearly 70% of this small island.
●Tranh Stream Waterfall – Duong Dong; pretty place to swim & shelter from heat.



QUANG BINH
Sights & Sites
●Hang Son Doong Cave – Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park (Bố Trạch District); sondoongcave.org; biggest known cave in world; located near Laos–Vietnam border; inside is fast-flowing, large underground river.