After comparing local agents with booking transport ourselves, we explain how Baolau searches buses, trains, flights and ferries in one place, delivers mobile tickets and reduces the need to carry cash.
We choose quieter Bai Tu Long Bay over crowded Halong Bay and spend three days aboard an Indochina Junk, sharing what the winter cruise cost, how we booked and why the longer route suited us.
A one-day tour in Phong Nha Kẻ Bàng combines the illuminated formations of Paradise Cave with a colder adventure underground, including a zip line, river swim and muddy route through Dark Cave.
From former imperial Hue, we head into wet and foggy Bach Mã National Park for the slippery Five Lakes trek, with river crossings, leeches, a small zip line and practical gear lessons.
An afternoon with Long Tran’s family takes us from Hoi An’s market to a basket boat in Cam Thanh, then into the kitchen for spring rolls, bánh xèo and green papaya salad.
Hoi An unfolds after dark through colourful lanterns, river boats and a lively old quarter, while tailor fittings, a family cooking class, a spa visit and easy cycling fill several relaxed days.
Two days in the Mekong Delta bring us through Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets, narrow canals and small food workshops, with a family homestay and shared cooking giving the trip its personal centre.
A guided half-day at Cu Chi explains hidden entrances, ventilation and daily life inside the tunnel network, before a progressively tighter visitor passage shows why even a short underground walk can feel intense.
A short stay in District 1 takes us on foot past Ho Chi Minh City’s French-era landmarks, a hidden tea house, busy Ben Thanh Market and the chicken noodle soup we returned for.