Expert: Martin Bullard - 11/5/2009

Question
Hello. Thank you in advance for your time & expertise.
My family, wife & 2 boys aged 11 & 12 and I, will be in Vietnam for 5 weeks starting the beginning of Dec. & ending the beginning of Jan. We arrive in Hanoi & leave from Ho Chi Minh - so we will head south overall.

2 questions, if I may:

1.  I am looking for non-touristic beach with cheap housing. A hut with a toilet is fine. A good restaurant or two if good. the main focus would be less tourists, quiet, simple, off the beaten path.

Over all we love to travel "off the beaten path" so anything else you have to offer would be appreciated.

2. When win Hanoi or  Ho Chi Minh, we might find something of interest to send back to home. Can you tell us either where to find the rates for packages or how to contact the Vietnamese postal system?  

Answer
jr,
Being Dec/Jan you will have to restrict your beach options to the south to get reliable beach weather.
This means Phu Quoc, Ho Tram, Mui ne or Nha Trang. The cheap. simple hut-on-the-beach as I have often enjoyed in Thailand doesn't really exist in Vietnam but you will find good cheap family run mini hotels or government run hotels and guesthouses in every town along the coast but restaurants and things to do might be a problem. On Phu Quoc Island you might find some bungalows that are very simple but the problem is that it will be a very busy time with Domestic tourists and expats from nth and south all looking to go to the beach.

If you can tell me how much you'd like to spend I might be able to come up with a short list for you to look into.

The post here is reliable but slow. (about 2 weeks for a normal letter to Australia and much more for boxes)It is also pretty cheap. You need to pack your boxes or bags AT THE POST OFFICE as they need to see before you can post. Larger cities also have private delivery companies but they tend to be very expensive.

For off-the-beaten-track and an unforgettable experience for your kids you could consider doing some touring in the Northern mountains - this is unique and unspoiled.

I'm happy to answer more questions. Please contact me directly at martin@tonkintravel.com

best regards,

Martin