Vietnam, full of texture

Vietnam has quietly become the destination our travellers come back most enthusiastic about. The food is remarkable, the landscapes change every few hundred kilometres, the people are warm, and the money goes further than in Thailand. For a family or a group of friends who have already done the obvious Southeast Asia trips, it is the natural next step.

The one thing to understand before you plan is geography. Vietnam is roughly 1,650 kilometres from top to bottom, and the north, centre and south have different climates at the same time of year. A trip that tries to cover Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City in six nights will spend a large part of itself in airports. Either take nine nights, or pick two regions and do them properly.

We plan Vietnam as two or three bases with internal flights between them, private transfers at each end, and enough unstructured time to actually wander. The country rewards wandering more than most, and a morning walking Hoi An's old town or sitting at a Hanoi pavement café is worth more than a fourth museum.

Why Vietnam works for travellers from Tamil Nadu

• Exceptional value, particularly for food, hotels and internal travel
• E-visa available online for Indian passport holders
• Genuine variety: mountains, bays, beaches, old towns and two very different cities
• Some of the best food in Asia, with a strong vegetarian tradition through Buddhist cooking
• Ideal for travellers who have already done Thailand, Bali or Singapore

The best time to visit Vietnam

There is no single right month, only the right month for what you want. Here is how the year breaks down, and what each window means for weather, crowds and price.

February to April	Generally the best all-country window. Pleasant in the north, dry in the centre and south.
May to August	Hot everywhere, wetter in the north and south, but the central beaches at Da Nang are at their best.
September to November	Excellent in the north and south. Central Vietnam can see storms in October and early November.
December and January	Cool and sometimes misty in Hanoi and Ha Long, which many travellers find atmospheric. Warm in the south.

What to do in Vietnam

Hanoi's Old Quarter, on foot

Thirty-six narrow streets, each historically dedicated to a trade, a lake in the middle of the city, and the best street food in Vietnam. Give it two nights. A morning walk with a local guide and an evening simply sitting on a plastic stool with a bowl of pho tells you more about Vietnam than any monument.

Ha Long Bay, overnight rather than day trip

The day-trip version involves four hours in a bus for four hours on the water. An overnight cruise gives you the bay at dawn and dusk when the tour boats have gone, plus kayaking and a cave. We book cabins on smaller vessels and we are specific about which operators are worth the money.

Hoi An, the highlight for most travellers

A preserved trading port lit by silk lanterns, a beach twenty minutes away, and tailors who can make a suit or a saree blouse in two days. Almost everyone we send here asks for an extra night after the first evening. Plan for three.

Da Nang and the Ba Na Hills

The Golden Bridge held by two stone hands is the photograph, and the cable car up is genuinely impressive. It is also extremely busy by mid-morning, so we time the visit early. Da Nang's own beach is long, clean and underrated.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

Saigon is faster, louder and more modern than Hanoi, with excellent food and real history at the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi tunnels. A Mekong Delta day adds river life, floating markets and coconut country.

Food, which is half the reason to go

Pho, banh mi, bun cha, cao lau in Hoi An, and the fresh herbs on every table. Vietnam has a deep Buddhist vegetarian tradition, so pure vegetarian food is genuinely good here rather than an afterthought. We can arrange a cooking class in Hoi An, which most families enjoy more than they expect.

A sample Vietnam itinerary

A starting point, not a fixed plan. Every MilesBeyond itinerary is rebuilt around your dates, your group and the pace you actually want.

Day 1	Arrive Hanoi, transfer, evening in the Old Quarter.
Day 2	Hanoi city and street food walk, free afternoon.
Day 3	Transfer to Ha Long Bay, overnight cruise.
Day 4	Sunrise on the bay, return to Hanoi, fly to Da Nang.
Day 5	Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge, evening in Hoi An.
Day 6	Hoi An old town, tailoring, lantern evening.
Day 7	Beach morning, fly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 8	Cu Chi tunnels and city sights, last dinner.
Day 9	Free morning, transfer and fly home.

Who this trip suits

Vietnam suits travellers who want more than a beach and are willing to move a couple of times. It is excellent for families with teenagers and for friends groups. If your group includes elderly parents, we would recommend limiting it to two regions and skipping the internal flights where possible.

Vietnam at a glance

Ideal duration	7 to 10 nights
Visa	E-visa available online for Indian passport holders; apply well ahead of travel
Currency	Vietnamese Dong. Carry cash outside cities; cards work in hotels and larger restaurants
Flights from Coimbatore	One or two stops, usually via Chennai, Bengaluru, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore
Time difference	1 hour 30 minutes ahead of India
Best suited to	Repeat travellers, food-focused groups, families with teens, couples

What a Vietnam package includes

Unless your quotation says otherwise, our packages include return flights, accommodation on twin sharing, airport and inter-city transfers, the sightseeing listed in your itinerary, daily breakfast, visa or permit assistance where applicable, and our planning and on-trip support.

They exclude personal expenses, meals not specified, optional excursions, tips, travel insurance and anything arising from delays outside our control. Every quotation lists inclusions and exclusions separately, so you know exactly what you are paying for before you pay anything.

How we plan your Vietnam holiday

You tell us your travel month, how many people are coming and roughly what you want to spend. We come back with a written itinerary showing the hotels by name, the transfers, and a clear price. If something does not suit you, we change it. There is no obligation, and we do not take a booking until you are happy with the plan on paper.

Once you travel, you have a real person on WhatsApp for the length of the trip. Flight delay, a hotel that is not as promised, a change of plan on day four: one message and we handle it from Coimbatore.