Mrs Crankwalk and I are headed to Vietnam in March for a few weeks next year and I'm looking for some recommendations for those who have been.
Going in to Hanoi,renting a Land Cruiser, possibly north to Ban Gioc falls on the China border, back down to Halong Bay, train south stopping along the way and ending in Ho Chi Minh city to fly out.
This is partially just to have fun and check out the country but also on a personal level, I'll be taking pictures and checking out some of the exact places (if they are still there) that my dad took pictures of when he was there 50 years ago to the day in March 1968. He died in 1992 when I was a young kid and out of the pictures I have of him probably half or more were from his Army time either of him or taken by him over there. He did a really good job documenting dates and locations mostly in the Quang Tri province north of Hue, Dong Ha, a little in Da Nang and then in Saigon. I've always wanted to go see how it's like now and since it will be 50 years exactly with our schedule it should be an interesting time capsule comparing the two.
Here's an Ektachrome slide my dad took from a helicopter in Quang Tri province. Beside all the ones of E36 M3 on fire and dead people on the side of the road that terrified me as a kid, the country looked pretty beautiful considering what was happening there.
Not sure where this one was. The cliffs dont look like beaches near Da Nang and more like Halong Bay....but that was north Vietnam and not where a US soldier would visit on R&R. Ill have to ask around.
Always looking for recommendations on great places to eat and any place that might sell 240Z and FJ60 parts that I can bring back in a suitcase. ;)
Vietnam is on my bucket list too, for exactly the same reasons. Visiting where my father was is easier, he was Brown Water Navy, so I can just stay on the Mekong. Personally, I am jealous, I need to go
If you have the time, some boating in Cambodia looks like paradise.
bentwrench said:
If you have the time, some boating in Cambodia looks like paradise.
Maybe if you are Jello Biafra. ;)
Nah my wife has already done Angkor Wat and a few weeks in Cambodia so we prioritized and we are spending the whole time in Vietnam and not bouncing around.
Watch the Top Gear Vietnam special? Do everything the opposite of what they did 
It does look beautiful!
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:
Watch the Top Gear Vietnam special? Do everything the opposite of what they did
It does look beautiful!
What, you mean in reverse order?
Sounds like an amazing trip! It sparked my memory of another GRMer who was there last year, I think. He rented a small moto and did his adventure on two wheels.
Across Vietnam on a Motorbike
Gary
SuperDork
11/30/17 8:26 p.m.
Geez, I was thinking March of 1968
XLR99 said:
Sounds like an amazing trip! It sparked my memory of another GRMer who was there last year, I think. He rented a small moto and did his adventure on two wheels.
Across Vietnam on a Motorbike
I remember that thread! Thanks for posting that link.
Gary said:
Geez, I was thinking March of 1968
Sorry, was my post confusing? It sort of is about March 1968 .....and 2018. ;)
I went in April and rented a motorbike. I have a trip report here.
Ban Gioc Falls were cool, but pretty touristy. The very north was incredible. Dong Van and the area around it was probably the highlight of the trip.
This is not too far out of Dong Van
Enjoy the trip! All of the people I met there were very welcoming and friendly.
bucket list visit for me as well. I'll be watching this thread with interest.
A couple more things. I believe it is difficult to get a rental car without a driver, but that might be changing.
Here are a couple restaurants worth visiting.
Bún Bò Nam Bộ is an awesome restaurant, they only serve one thing, a beef and noodle salad.
The pho at 49 Bát Đàn is awesome and probably the best I had on the trip.
This place had really good Bun Cha.
Erich
UltraDork
12/10/17 5:54 p.m.
If you haven't already watched the long Ken Burns Documentary of the Vietnam War, you should make a point to see it before going.
