Advice for Vietnam trip

[LIttleMissTickles]

We're heading on a family holiday in April to Ho Chi Minh City area and Pho Quok for 2 weeks. I'm looking for advice on things to do/ avoid, as well as money - do we take US dollars or Dong or a mixture? Are the ATM's around?
Thank you!

There are plenty of ATMs in HCMC. I bank in china and just withdraw Vietnamese Dong when I am there.
There are lots of taxi scams - eg your hotel has burnt down, doesn't exist, is fully booked etc - so I normally arrange collection from the airport through the hotel Vietnam is inexpensive and this doesn't cost a lot.
I have not been to Phu Quoc, but have been to HCMC several times - loads of great restaurants with fabulous food.
To do - recommend reunification palace, post office, cathedral (may still be undergoing renovation), war remnants museum, lovely shopping at Hanoia and also recommend the vespa tours with vespa adventures.

Thank you for that information!

Take ear plugs so many scooters and they like using there horns.
Oh and the footpaths can turn into roads for scooters as well

A day trip to the Mekong Delta is good to escape the chaos of HCMC.

Take some US dollars with you (make sure they're crisp, new notes) as these are more portable than dong and then I usually withdraw dong from ATMs once I get Vietnam. It won't take much to be a dong millionaire (about £33) and carrying a thick wad of notes can be a pain (too thick for my purse!).

I definitely recommend a day trip to the Mekong Delta. I hired a private guide last time and that made a big difference. It's a bit touristy but the people are lovely and pretty genuine.

The War Remnants Museum is very moving and upsetting in places. Be prepared.

If you're up for shopping, you can buy some beautiful quality hand made lacquerware in HCMC. Watch out for the mass-produced cheap stuff that's made in China though.

Vespa tour 100% - we did an evening one that stopped at different restaurants for each course. Our youngest was 7 and I was worried about safety but she was harnessed in and it was honestly one of the best experiences of our trip!

Also a day trip to the CuChi tunnels was well worth the trip.

Vietnam is amazing! One of my favourite places ever.

I’m so excited for you; we took ours there a couple of years ago when they were 7 and 12 and they loved it.
We had a tour along the Mekong Delta with a pricey company, but the guide was fabulous, she took us to a joss stick making village, a farm (with python) a weird church, an orphanage (stock up on pens and sweets) a craft place with the people who were affected by Agent Orange Down the generations.... a great history lesson and the kids were silent, listening to every word.
The Vietnamese (tour guides) can really spin a good yarn, talk and contextualise the history: we spent a fortune on tours and it was worth every penny,
The War Remanenents Museum (too sad and gruesome for younger kids- we didn’t let the seven year old go in) and The Reunification Palace are fascinating too.
Lucky you, the Vietnamese people are lovely. It will be baking hot and humid, but you can get washing done cheaply, I had a social with whoever was doing it having a chat and making them keep the change as a tip.
Enjoy it; it will blow your mind.

Agree with pp re lacquerware. The best quality I have seen is in Hanoia - they have at least one shop in HCMC
hanoia.com/

CuChi tunnels by boat is also a good trip, particularly as traffic in HCMC is insane.
lesrivesexperience.com/
If you want somewhere to stay on the Mekong, this hotel is lovely
Island Lodge Thoi Son.

Vietnamese coffee is amazing. I came back addicted. Actually the best iced coffee I had there was from one of the ladies who sits at the side of the path in the park making coffee. It cost pennies and it was SO good. I'm a horrible coffee snob and didn't have a bad cup of coffee the whole time I was there.

I have just come back from Vietnam and my last stop was HCMC - I'm going to be honest, it's not the nicest part of Vietnam by a long way - it's commercialised and very busy

Have a lovely time - Vietnam is beautiful

We're back! Thank you for all the advice - I took it all on board and it was spot on. The Vespa food tour was the highlight of our whole trip. Awesome! Just wish we didn't wait till Day 5 to do it. We did Cu Chi tour and a private guide to Mekong river - very good food that day too, and the War remnant museum (very confronting) etc. really enjoyed the mango smoothies and coffees, excellent snorkelling off Phu Quoc. Thanks all. If anyone is reading this looking for tips, I'd say a week in HCMC (and surrounds) is far too long, 4 days would have been more than enough. We should have added a flight to Hanoi and spent a few days there and Halong bay. Otherwise, it was fantastic!

I lived in HCMC for six years but left 18 years ago. Bet it’s changed hugely. Keep meaning to go back.

Glad you enjoyed it.

DH and I are going in 2 weeks, HK first then Hanoi and travelling down to HCM! Getting excited now and have just been looking at the Vespa tours, think we will definitely do that. @LittleMissTickles did you take US dollars as a previous poster suggested? We thought we would take only a small amount of V dong and hopefully use card or get cash from an ATM. Glad you enjoyed your trip!

Yes Jackie, we did take US dollars - only $100, probably should have taken more, the locals do seem to prefer it, but you must know the exchange rate, because the rates offered vary hugely (although was mostly favourable). On the whole, we used ATM's and had no problems at all. We had enough Dong with us for taxi to hotel though.
Also, never has a disappointing Beef Pho!

Thank you!