self-help tour guide from Hanoi to Saigon-Vietnam

Route Shanghai-Nanning-Dongxing-Mangjie-Halong Bay-Hanoi-Hue-Hui 'an-Nha Trang-Saigon-Hanoi-Nanning-Shanghai

Visa

There are two feasible visas to go to Vietnam. The first one is to use a temporary passport, and you must go with the group. You can travel all over Vietnam. We choose the second option. At present, Vietnam only issues this visa at the consulates in China in Guangzhou and Beijing. You can ask for the application form directly from them or handle it through an agent. The visa fee is RMB 411 yuan.

How to get to Nanning

The train: 1379, leaving at 11: 41 a.m. and arriving at 8: 41 p.m. the next day. The fare is hard sleeper. Full-price RMB 1,441

Accommodation: There are quite a few hotels in Nanning, especially near the bus station, and you can stay in a clean standard room around 81 yuan

Dongxing

How to get there: there are express buses from Nanning to Dongxing, each at 8: 31 am and 11: 11 am, and the fare is 41 yuan, which takes 3 hours

Customs

China Customs clearance: Health and quarantine certificate is not a necessary certificate, which is the same as going to any European and American country. Remember to declare your camera when you leave the customs to avoid unnecessary explanations when you return to the customs.

Entry into Vietnam: Passport and valid visa are required. Vietnam Customs may request to check the health and quarantine certificate, and make preparations in advance. It is worth reminding that the customs officer may forget to stamp your passport with the entry frontier stamp (it sounds a bit funny, his duty is to stamp one passport after another every day, how can he forget? But he just forgot to stamp our passport with this stamp representing national sovereignty, which made our trip in Vietnam an illegal entry in the legal sense. It sounds a little scary, so when you get your passport back, be sure to check whether you have stamped this entry frontier stamp. At the same time, Vietnamese customs must also stamp your entry declaration form (a separate yellow application form to avoid trouble when you leave the country)

Vietnam

Currency: The exchange rate between Vietnamese Dong and RMB is 1811:1, but RMB can only be exchanged in the north (Hanoi and Xiaxia). From the middle to the south, you can easily exchange US dollars for Vietnamese dong at the local bank, and the exchange rate is 15,111 dong for 1 US dollars. If you don't want to carry too much US dollars in cash, you can use an international credit card to pay a large amount of money (such as air tickets), but you have to pay an extra service fee of 2.5% to 3% each time you use the credit card.

Climate: there are two seasons: dry season and wet season. The average annual temperature is 27 degrees Celsius, and there is plenty of sunshine. You should wear sunglasses and sun visor when you are outdoors. Sunscreen is also a necessity.

Language: Vietnamese is a phonetic alphabet with 29 letters, which was founded by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century and was recognized as the official language in 1911. In fact, before that, Vietnam did not have its own language, and the official language was Chinese. For the convenience of westerners, Today's Vietnamese is created according to the pronunciation of Chinese.

Communication: In Vietnam, you can communicate with backpackers in industries related to backpackers, such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, air ticket agents, banks, etc., without any problems, which is also an important reason why Vietnam is called a paradise for backpackers in the world. Of course, you can communicate with local people who can't speak English. You may be faced with the dilemma of "chickens tell ducks".

Income: the average monthly income of Vietnamese is RMB 211 yuan.

Security: The security situation in Vietnam is reassuring. Tourism is a pillar industry in Vietnam, and any behavior that may cause foreigners to worry about the security situation is strictly prohibited. In terms of security, compared with urban travel in China, There is no difference.

Communication: it is quite expensive to use mobile phones for international roaming in Vietnam. Take me as an example: in Vietnam, * * * you dial Shanghai ten times with your mobile phone, and each call lasts less than one minute. * * * The phone bill is RMB 221 yuan.

Vendors and drivers: the Vietnamese who greet you most cordially. Unfortunately, there is only one legal answer to their enthusiasm. If you want to try to test this law, you can bet that you only try it once.

Mong Cai: a small town that is prosperous due to the prosperity of border trade

Accommodation: There are more Thanks' ten family hotels near the bus station. Prices are mostly between 81 and 111 yuan.

Attractions: So far, Halong Bay has not been found

Tourism advertisements call it' Guilin at Sea'. The location of Halong Bay is called Halong City, which is divided into two parts, east and west, separated by a bay, and the east is called Hong Gai. It's called Baichai in the west.

How to get there: take a bus from Mangjie Bus Station to Hong Gai. The fare is 35,111 guilders per person, and it takes about four hours to arrive. After getting off, walk about 111 meters to the west, and there is a ferry every ten minutes, at a cost of 511 guilders per person, and it takes five minutes to get to Baizhai. Don't rush to find a hotel after you arrive, because Baizhai. It's about two kilometers away from the pier. Call a motorcycle for 4,111 guilders, and walk along the seaside, and it will arrive in a short time.

Accommodation: There are many hotels opposite the beach. It's suitable for backpackers. In the area opposite the beach where restaurants are concentrated, just around the corner, you can stay in a clean and spacious double room for ten dollars.

Eating: You can eat seafood with China flavor here. Go south and have plenty of seafood. However, the practice is quite different from that in China. It can be said that it has a unique flavor, but the people who eat it are a little unwilling. In Halong Bay, two people can eat seafood for hundreds of yuan, and you can eat it to your satisfaction. It is not very corrupt.

Attractions: going out to sea to see' Fairy Mountain on the Sea' is a must-have program in Halong Bay. You can charter a boat to go out to sea at the pier by the beach or take a day trip to the local travel agency.' Fairy Mountain' In my opinion, that's all, but it's still a pleasure to go out to sea by boat to blow the wind.

Ha Noi: a noisy city

How to get there: the bus stop in Baizhai is in the east, close to the ferry pier. It takes about three and a half hours to get to Kin Ma Bus Terminal in Hanoi, and the fare is 41,111 rupiah per person. After arriving at Kinma Station, Go to Lake of the Restored Sword by motorcycle. By the way, the most convenient means of transportation in Vietnam is motorcycle, which is cheap and fast, and seems to be quite safe (from north to south, we haven't seen a motorcycle accident). Cyclo (human tricycles with passengers in front and drivers behind), which is highly praised by former donkeys, is only suitable for short-distance sightseeing. The price is not low either.

Accommodation: It is close to the Old Quarter north of Lake of the Restored Sword, and there are many family hotels. Most backpackers live in this area. There are too many choices, which is sometimes a headache, especially when you are a complete stranger. So we offer the following hotels, which we have stayed in, with hot water, air conditioning, satellite TV mini-refrigerators, and changing sheets, quilt covers and pillow towels every day. It doesn't sound bad:

Sports Hotel

Address: 96 Hang Bac Street, Hanoi

Tel: (84-4) 9261 1154

Price: 8 USD/day

Dining: There are many Café s in the same area, which provide western-style catering. The price is about the same as a set meal in a tea restaurant. The problem is that it is not easy to find Chinese food. Or you can try a local restaurant, if you are sure that what you ordered is what will be served.

Attractions: Long Bien Bridge, Ho Chi Ming's Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Water puppet, city museum

Open ticket: This is a bus ticket equivalent to a joint ticket. It starts in Hanoi and ends in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). You can stop in several major cities for any length of time (less than half a year, which seems too long). After confirming your seat the day before you decide to leave for the next city, You can take the next day's shuttle bus. Almost all backpackers choose this mode of travel. Most of these tickets are provided by travel companies. Besides car service, they can also provide accommodation and catering in related cities, which means one-stop service. The most famous one is Sinh Café, and we take T&; M Brother's Café, which are all similar, won't save you time on the road. The fare is $26 per person, and the total journey is about 2,211 kilometers.

Hue, the capital of the last dynasty in Vietnam

How to get there: take the air-conditioned bus of Open Ticket, leave at 8 pm, arrive at about 11 am the next day, and stop several times in the middle. Eat midnight snack and breakfast for n times, and you will arrive at this ancient city.

Accommodation: Hotels are not as concentrated as in Hanoi. You can try to find them on foot after getting off the bus. It is recommended not to stay at the hotel recommended by Open Ticket. In view of our lessons, this is also the reason why you can't provide hotels in this city. Don't worry about finding a place to get on the bus at the next stop. After you stay at any hotel, Tell Open Ticket the address of the hotel, and they will arrange to pick you up.

Attractions: Old Palace, DMZ

Hoi An: the ancient city, which is said to be the best preserved

How to get there: or take the air-conditioned bus of Open Ticket, leave at 8: 11 a.m. and arrive at 2: 11 p.m. The road from Hue to Huian is recommended by National Geographic magazine as follows. Then go to Shanghai Week, Ask Kevin )

Accommodation: Open Bus will show you around several hotels. After visiting all the hotels, we chose the last one:

Green Field Hotel

Address: 1C Cua Dai St, Hoi An

Tel: (84-511) 863488. 863658

Double room, the standard is the same as Sports Hotel in Hanoi, with no air conditioning, and the room rate is US$ 8.

Attractions: Walking around the old city, My Son

Nha Trang: a coastal city, and the Vietnamese are trying to build it into Pattaya, Vietnam

How to get there: Air conditioning on the Open Ticket again? Depart at 6:31 in the morning and arrive at 6: 11 in the afternoon. The scenery along the way is no less than that from Hui 'an to Nha Trang.

Accommodation: The following hotels have rooms with sea view, which are separated from the beach by only one road, and the standard exceeds that of domestic Samsung hotels:

Tram Huong Hotel

Address: 74 Tran Phu St, Nha Trang City

Tel: 84-58-811548

Price: 15 US dollars

Beach: The beach in Nha Trang is the best in Vietnam, about six kilometers long. The color of the sea is really blue. What's more, there are surprisingly few tourists on the beach. The rent for beach chairs is 11,111 guilders per person per day. If you have enough time, here it is. I don't know what year it is tonight.

Seafood: There is an old lady selling seafood on the corner opposite the Beach. We ate there for two nights in a row, and the price was incredibly cheap: a lobster over one kilogram, four sea crabs larger than the bowl, and a dozen big conchs, with a total of * * * five dollars. It was served with black pepper mixed with lemon juice and two bottles of cold beer ... This taste made me remember it so far. NHA Trang Cathedral, Railway Station

How to get to Saigon

: Take the air-conditioned bus of Open Ticket again and leave at 8:31 in the morning. Arrive at

at 7:31 p.m. Accommodation: Open Bus will take you to Phan Ngu Lao St, where backpackers gather. Many people on the Internet call it Fan Laowu Street, which is really misleading (perhaps influenced by the' bachelor'). There are hundreds of hotels in two small blocks. It was a bit confusing at the moment. The following is one of the two houses we lived in:

Bich Thuy Guest House

Address: 5 do Quang Dau Street,

1ST District, Ho Chi Minh City

Tel: 84-8-8369953

Room rate: 8 USD, including free breakfast. And perhaps the best coffee in Vietnam. Once a girl posted a post called "My home is in Saigon", which is what she said.

One-day trip to the Mekong River: you can join the following travel agencies, take a boat on the Mekong River and go to an elegant island restaurant for dinner. Have a relaxing day:

Delta Adventure Tours

Address: 187A, Pham Ngu Lao St., Saigon

Tel: 84-8-8368542

Price: 9 USD/person

Air ticket: There are direct flights from Saigon to Shanghai every Monday and Thursday. The fare is less than $281 (I can't remember it exactly after a glance). We bought a ticket from Saigon to Hanoi. Vietnam Airlines has six flights every day, and the fare is $125. We can buy it at the following ticket agency:

Nam Duong Air Travel Agent

Address: 43 B.