The Grumpy Retiree is working on an Epic Travel Itinerary to Vietnam. This post describes the planning process for those interested in following along how I book overseas adventures without a travel agent. While this is similar to tips provided in Planning Your Dream Trip, it never hurts to see additional travel planning tips. This also is a very long trip, so a lot of great details are provided. As I research and add hotels, tours and flights this page will be updated, so remember to keep following!

Many Travel Blogs tell you where to go.

I’ll tell you where to go … and how to get there.

The Grumpy Retiree

During the actual trip in November I will post live updates and photos. Stay tuned!

Vietnam has long been on The Grumpy Retiree’s list of places to see before I croak or get too old to walk. However, travelling half way around the world means I only want to go if I can spend at least 3 weeks on a Far East trip. Being retired affords longer trips and Vietnam looks to be the longest of any trip I have planned.

Vietnam is almost as large as Montana and travel between many highlights can be very slow. Traveling to Vietnam for 1 week limits you to 1 geographic area such as Northern or Southern Vietnam. It wouldn’t be an Epic Travel Itinerary to Vietnam spending only 1 week there!

The Basics: When To Go?

We have a few time constraints mostly involving our summer in Maine. That eliminates May – October unless we want to cut short our Maine Summers … and we prefer not to do that! Lucky for us one of the better times to visit Vietnam is in November. The heat of summer is fading away, especially in the north, which is great because hot & humid weather aggravates me! We leave Maine late October, so Vietnam fits perfect into our schedule.

While the weather is good, it is not perfect. Due to the layout of Vietnam, the central part of the country may be experiencing its rainy season in November. And it will still be relatively warm in the South even in December when we arrive, but not too bad. There was no way to avoid this as other issues would not allow a springtime visit. As always, research your destinations climate before planning your itinerary.

After days of research into Vietnam, I came to the conclusion we need a minimum of 3 weeks spread between Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam almost equally to see the country. You have to add a few days to get there and back and for travel around Vietnam, so 25 days is about the minimum to encompass the complete country.

Finding Flights: My Favorite Pastime

I love to find deals on flights and start by looking for major hubs in the Vietnam region. The biggest hubs in the area are Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Incheon (South Korea). Every flight I find seems to go through one of those places. While searching the geographic region Taiwan kept peaking my interest and seemed to be a secondary airline hub. Time for more research!

Reading about Taiwan I decided to try and add some time there during this trip. If seeing one country is good then seeing two is better! Before long I determined Singapore, situated closer to Southern Vietnam had the best flight deals and I started to concentrate on Singapore as my gateway to the region.

Grumpy Tip: You may wonder why I chose Singapore. For example Hong Kong is closer to Taiwan & Northern Vietnam. Our travel through Vietnam is a North to South route as it gets colder as we approached December. This way we head into warmer weather as the trip progresses, not into colder temperatures. Ending in Southern Vietnam means flying out of Ho Chi Mihn City to return home which is close to Singapore. I may be crazy as a loon, but sometimes I have a plan.

The Grumpy Retiree

Finding Flights: Connection Singapore

Adding a stop in Taiwan means at least another week for the trip, so 25 days becomes a month very quickly. If I connect via Singapore, someplace I have never been, I guess I should check it out! I quickly decide we need 5 weeks to properly see Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore.

Connections via Singapore consistently provide the best flight deals. My initial though was to fly to Taipei via Singapore then on to Hanoi, traverse Vietnam from North to South and then see Singapore at the end before our flight home. Sounds Great! Except for the fact the first day of travel with layovers involves 23 hours in the air flying spread over almost 3 days. That and a colonoscopy are almost neck and neck for fun and excitement!

Grumpy Tip: When traveling a long way, see as much as possible in a geographic area. Flying back to a far flung region costs a lot of money, so stick around and see everything time and the budget allows!

The Grumpy Retiree

What is a Grumpy Person to do? Eventually I found a great deal flying Singapore Airlines in Premium Economy round trip direct from JFK (New York) to Singapore. My new plan is to layover in Singapore first for a few days for sightseeing and flight recovery. Then catch a cheaper flight to Taipei a few days later. In the end it was over $1500 less this way than booking straight through to Taipei. It also gives us a nice break from a long flight.

Finding Flights: Famous Last Words

I proceeded to book JFK-SIN round trip using Chase Sapphire Reward Points and paid out of pocket about $400! Yes I used a LOT (read all) of my Chase Points, but the flight was just over $1200 each ($2400+ for 2), still a great deal, before any points. I moved the trip later by a few days, returning in early December instead of late November ….. or so I thought.

Now, for the bad news. As typical I printed out the itinerary, double and triple checked everything and it all looks good. While working on my travel calendar a few days later I realize I booked leaving October 28 arriving in Singapore October 30 but returning on November 4! That’s right, 3 whole days sightseeing! Holy Crap Batman!!! The string of profanities spewing from my mouth caused fighter jets to scramble from the nearest Air Force Base.

After booking over 2000 flights between work and vacations, I finally made a stupid mistake! I could provide details of the inner workings of my brain and how this happened, but that is a scary place you probably don’t want to go. In the end I had to pay a $200 change fee and small flight price difference to change the trip to return on December 4th. New total was about $1000 for 2 flights to Singapore in Premium Economy, still a fantastic deal.

Finding Flights: Screwed Up but Could Fix It!

Realistically, the $200 change fee was the difference, but it still pissed me off! I hope this does not deter anyone from booking trips themselves. Over the years I have saved tens of thousands of dollars booking independent travel. I was due for a mistake I guess.

Grumpy (profanity laced) Word to the Wise: I frequently book refundable hotels. Usually it is only a few more dollars if anything and worth it in my opinion, especially when the travel is far into the distance. Fully refundable airline tickets have become ridiculously pricey. However, I look for tickets with small change & cancellation fees. Check fares carefully. In my case the change fee was only $200, which on a flight costing (without points) over $2000 is not too bad. It was well worth having booked a ticket allowing changes.

Duration: Vietnam becomes Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan!

With my start and end dates and flight correctly booked, all I have to do if fill in the middle of the trip. A mere 35 days! How hard can that be? I know I start in Singapore, then on to Taiwan followed by Vietnam. I also know this is primarily a Vietnam trip, so I have to be a bit careful to leave sufficient time to see everything in Vietnam.

Research is always the key to successful vacations! I researched Vietnam first to get a good idea how many weeks are needed to see the main focal point of our trip. I quickly settled on 3 solid weeks based on a lot of travel websites and advice.

Singapore on the other hand was really just a layover to see the highlights. 2-3 days is all I need for what I want to see. Taiwan could easily be 2 weeks, but there just was not enough available time. I settled on 8 days in Taiwan to see Taipei and the east coast.

Grumpy Tip: I used several websites to research Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan. One of the best was Wander-Lush.org and I highly recommend their website and articles. However, I never use just one site as travel styles vary. Make comparisons and find sites that offer advice similar to your travel interests.

Next Stop Singapore! But First some Background

How does The Grumpy Retiree proceed from here? The “goalposts” are fixed with flights to & from the US. And I have a good timeframe for each major destination. Vietnam is the difficult part of the trip. I did a lot of itinerary research on each area of interest within the country and know we still won’t see everything, but I am confident I have enough time allocated for major attractions. I just have to make it work since I do not want to reduce the Singapore or Taiwan stays.

Running Trip Total so far (flights and hotels only): $1000

With a trip this lengthy (38 days) you must break things down into smaller travel segments. There is no way to just wing it without some basic research before booking the itinerary. I already established 3+ weeks in Vietnam, 1 week in Taiwan and a few days in Singapore. Since Singapore is at the beginning of the trip, and the smallest segment, I work on Singapore next.

Grumpy Tip: There is always more you can explore in a country. Unless you have unlimited time & money you will never see everything. Even professionally organized tours may not perfectly align with your travel interests as they are catering to popular group interests. Planning your own travel takes time, but also takes into account your travel style & interests. Gather information from as many travel sites as possible and make informed decisions and then enjoy your trip!

Singapore, I’m Getting There … SLOWLY

The flight from the US (JFK) to Singapore, as of March 2024, is considered the longest flight in the world at roughly 18 hours and 50 minutes and 9585 miles! Give or take a few minutes & miles I imagine. Considering I will board this flight grumpy, I really don’t know what my demeanor will be when I disembark. It should be stellar I imagine.

Grumpy Tip: On long flights you don’t want anything to aggravate you. My biggest tip? It isn’t games, reading material, pillows or any BS like that. Loose fitting clothes and No Underwear! I don’t want anything binding in any way when sitting in a seat for hours. It also adds excitement at TSA checkpoints.

Singapore 2 Day Itinerary

While Singapore is only ¼ the size of Rhode Island it has 5 times the population of the tiniest US state. But Singapore has a great metro system (The MRT) for getting around the city. You can buy a 2 or 3 day Tourist Pass for riding the system allowing us to move around quickly. I actually love using local transportation, I feel less like a tourist and save money at the same time. Yes I am cheap.

Here are the major attractions for first time visitor’s to Singapore:

Singapore: Our Brief Stay

We land bright and cheerful (wife) or Grumpy (me) at 6AM Singapore time. Therefore, as long as we get some sleep on the plane, we have a full day sightseeing after the immigration maze and dropping our bags at the hotel. I booked the well located Holiday Inn Express at Clarke Quay for 2 nights for 65000 points! I like to use points when it makes economic sense. In this case Singapore hotels are expensive and this hotel is well located and saves us $400.

Grumpy Note: The Grumpy Retiree still has a lot of points with hotels and airlines. I use them when it where it makes the most sense. Lately I am finding great value at IHG Hotels which starts with Staybridge Suites & Holiday Inn Express up to Intercontinental & Kimpton brands. They have a lot of varied hotels both in the US and overseas and are more dog friendly than other hotel chains. I am a big Marriott Hotel fan achieving Titanium Status for life, but I am finding Marriott point redemption are increasingly more costly and Hilton point redemption the least favorable.

Like any large city, Singapore offers many other attraction from fine food & museums to natural beauty. Is 2½ days enough in Singapore? I think it is enough to see the highlights which is my objective, but I am sure a few more days would be nice. It is likely with Singapore being a major airline hub, we will fly through on another trip and can explore more if we desire.

Running Trip Total so far (flights/hotels/local transportation): $1100!

Taipei City, Taiwan!

Initially I didn’t plan on seeing Taiwan this trip. But it made sense to add another location in the region and adding 1 week to the schedule let Taiwan fit right in. Also, it seems Taiwan is a bit off the radar for many Western tourists which is all the more reason for me to go. No chance I’ll bump into someone that knows me!

There is a lot to see on the island of Taiwan which is a little bigger than Maryland. Of course there is the capital, Taipei City, but there also is a lot of natural beauty. To see all of Taiwan properly you need 2 weeks minimum. Therefore, with just 1 week I had to pick and chose attractions carefully.

Taiwan: The Itinerary

In addition to Taipei, the East Coast of Taiwan really looks wonderful with the open ocean and Taroko National Park. Therefore, I concentrated on Taipei and their less known but just as tasty food scene, some day trips to Northeast Coast of Taiwan and the East Coast around the beach community Hualien near the national park.

To get around in Taipei we will use the metro and train system. We can get all the way to Hualien and all sightseeing via public transportation which I estimate around $100.

We still immerse ourselves in the major highlights of Taiwan, its culture, food and coastline, without a lot of time consuming travel around the country. While we miss southern Taiwan, this weeklong itinerary still lets us capture a lot in a short time.

Grumpy Tip: Everyone’s goal is different when traveling. I did not want to pack too much into just 1 week in Taiwan. Before we retired we frequently ran from location to next location, waking at 4am to get to the airport for early morning flights and little downtime to relax. But on a long trip like this I made sure to have plenty of downtime. Being retired is wonderful for long trips!

Gotta Get There Somehow

I use Kayak to search flights usually. There are several other sites that offer similar multi-airline flight searches, but Kayak works well for me and I am familiar with the website. My allegiance to an airline passed about the same time the airline’s allegiance to me was dropped.

Where to Stay in Taipei

Later flights mean no early wake ups, but it also means you arrive later in the day. That is a tradeoff you have to deal with, but on lengthy trips adding a few days to make your trip more comfortable in the end may be well worth it. 3-4 full days In Taipei probable is enough for most to see the sights. I decided to stay 5 nights primarily due to the late arrival (7pm) and to leave enough time for day trips at a more relaxed pace.

While I found the hotel via Tripadvisor, it had several booking options including Booking.com, Expedia and Agoda. I have accounts at most of the well known travel providers and in this case the best deal was through Agoda.

Grumpy Tip: Most of the booking companies now have a loyalty program to offer points, rebates etc. I use them when I am booking a hotel I have no affiliation with. Booking through a “third party” usually means you cannot add your Loyalty Account Number with the actual service provider. Consider the savings carefully. I get free breakfast as a loyal Marriott Member when I book direct. That saved me $65 in Salzburg per day for breakfast alone and I had free beer, wine and champagne in the lounge! Well worth a few dollars I would have saved through a third party booking site.

I settled on the Dandy Hotel Tianjin for 5 nights ($500 total). How bad can it be with a name like Dandy? The Dandy Hotel is located in central Taipei near the metro station making for easy travel. It also offers a free breakfast so I can start my day early. Whenever possible, stay near transportation and/or sightseeing & restaurants. A central location saves time in the long run which when traveling can be more important than saving a few dollars.

Running Trip Total so far (flights/hotels/local transportation): $2150!

Hualien Taiwan!

Grumpy Note: While writing this article a 7.4 magnitude earthquake centered in Hualien, Taiwan struck the east coast of Taiwan. Several people died and more were injured or trapped inside buildings. Even The Grumpy Retiree hopes for the best for the people located in Taiwan and especially the Hualien area.

Hualien Taiwan: Sightseeing

Later in the trip planning process I go back and fill in tours, guides etc. after booking the hotels and main transportation. I also want to make sure I have allocated enough time for everything before I overbook. I don’t want too tight a schedule, so I will closely examine the timetable in Hualien later. Unless it is a limited or “hot” ticket, like seeing the Last Supper in Milan, I have plenty of time to back-fill sightseeing. Also, in the case of the cooking class and the national park tour, booking is only available a few months ahead.

Grumpy Tip: Pay attention to event and tour tickets. For example, if you want to experience the Mozart concerto in Salzburg, Austria on Christmas Eve, consider booking as soon as tickets become available. Other events may have plenty of availability, but only sell tickets 1 – 3 months in advance. Set a reminder on your calendar to purchase tickets, Boomer. If you can’t remember where you parked at the grocery store, you won’t remember to buy tickets before it is too late without a reminder.

Lastly, I grabbed a late afternoon flight on the Taiwanese Starlux Airline for 2 in economy from Taipei to Hanoi, Vietnam. $150 per ticket, $300 total! Found as usual via Kayak, and booked direct with the airline. I will let you know about Starlux after the trip. I have high hopes. If it is nice I might smile, probably won’t, but I might.

Vietnam. I am very excited to visit this country. I only met one person that didn’t enjoy their visit to Vietnam as it was too chaotic. Based on that knowledge, The Grumpy Retiree should love Vietnam. My wife and I have been traveling to Europe a lot lately, and while I love seeing Europe, it is not as wild and adventurous as our trips to Peru, India and Thailand, just to name a few. I am overdue a trip that is a little wild, maybe even gritty, that offers a different history and culture.

As a fan of the late Anthony Bourdain, I can hear him fondly speaking about Vietnam … the food, the people. I have high expectations centered around street food, night markets and local restaurants. But also the history, culture, people, scenery and hospitality. Thailand and Cambodia are the closest comparisons I personally have, and if the mouthwatering food and welcoming culture in those places are any representation, I should be highly rewarded in Vietnam.

Food obviously is a big part of why I love to travel to new and hopefully tasty & exciting destinations. But I can only eat so much, so let’s get started!

Vietnam: The Itinerary

I spent the vast majority of time researching Vietnam for this 5+ week overall trip. The general conclusion is you need 1 week minimum in each the North, Central and South of Vietnam. If you have under 3 weeks devoted to Vietnam, you are best to concentrate or 1 or 2 sections depending on time & interest.

There are a few things you really need to understand well before you blindly add nights at a location. What is there to see and do verses what you want to see and do, and how long is transportation to get around at a destination and between destinations.

Grumpy Tip: Destinations like Vietnam have the usual trains, planes and buses. But they also have drivers and Grab. Grab is Vietnam’s equivalent to Uber or Lyft to hail a car. Private Drivers however can be hired to bring you just about anywhere. 200 miles? Sure. Someone is ready, willing and able … for a price. And in Vietnam, that price is not all that bad!

The Grumpy Retiree

“You will never get a trip to a uncharted destination perfect, and if you do it is more shit luck than your smug planning. There will be places you wish you stayed longer or left sooner. Accept that before you leave for your trip. Research is based on opinions of everyone but you.”

The Grumpy Retiree

Vietnam Visa Requirements

Taiwan and Singapore do not currently require a visa for US tourists for stays of 90 days or less. Vietnam requires a Visa in addition to your valid US Passport. Visas can be for single entry up to 90 days ($25 US) or multiple entry ($50 US). You can pay someone to do this for and extra cost. If you expect The Grumpy Retiree to spend extra money, your head is someplace it shouldn’t be.

I applied online at The Vietnam Immigration Portal. You need a photo of your passport page and a photo of your stinkin face. Fill everything in and within 3-5 days we received our visas. Make sure you print and take a copy with you! Why else would you do any of this?

Arrival Northern Vietnam: Hanoi

Finally! As mentioned, we board our Starlux flight from Taipei to Hanoi late afternoon. I already like the promise of these later flights and this departure affords plenty of time for the 3 hour train ride from Hualien to Taoyuan International Airport outside Taipei. Hopefully that first Starlux flight to Taipei is enjoyable or we will dread this one.

Grumpy Note: The glaring destination omission on the map is the immensely popular Hạ Long Bay. This was not an oversight. Hạ Long Bay is arguably the biggest tourist destination in Vietnam. Unfortunately, the pollution in Hạ Long Bay has become increasingly unpleasant. Between rampant pollution and hoards of tourists, my wife and I decided to skip this destination. As much as crowds of selfie taking people annoy the crap out of me, I would have dealt with that begrudgingly. But the boats dumping potentially that same crap into the bay was a no go.

Let’s Not Rush Hanoi

Late departure equals late arrival. To compensate, we stay 5 nights in Hanoi. (Kinda 6 nights, but we will get to that later.) I wanted to build in some relaxation in Hanoi. We will have a busy 12 days of travel up to this point, so time to take it down a notch.

Grumpy Tip: I didn’t book the 5 nights in Hanoi immediately, even though I was quite sure about the duration. I looked ahead to the next destinations to see how everything fit together. In particular I checked destination arrival and departure times and transportation schedules. For example, we arrive back in Hanoi after several hours driving on a mountain tour at 5PM. Do you want to try and fit in dinner, a 2 hour train ride and check into your room that evening? Or grab a local hotel, have breakfast and then board a morning train refreshed? Unless you are crunched for time, I opt for the latter.

Initially I thought I would use Marriott or Hilton Points in Hanoi. Both offer stay 4 nights using points, get the 5th night completely free, no money no points. A fantastic deal! But I found so many wonderful hotels in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, for fabulous prices, I opted for a Vietnamese hotel.

Hanoi: Old Quarter & Beyond

Hanoi’s Old Quarter, spa, rooftop bar & pool and free breakfast were my search criteria for our next room. Tripadvisor provided many fantastic hotel options and honestly, I could have thrown a dart, they all sounded wonderful. I chose the GM Premium Hotel, booked via Expedia. Cost: $545 minus $45 earned Onekey (Expedia) dollars, total $500.

Grumpy Tip: The room price advertised is the cheapest room in the joint and may not be refundable. Maybe it is fine, but views, balconies, suites, payment and breakfast options quickly add to the lowest listed price. Pick your room carefully depending on your needs. Don’t promise a balcony to your loved one only find you booked the broom closet you cheap bum.

Concurrent to planning Hanoi, I started looking at attractions within Hanoi and day trips from the city. Hạ Long Bay, SaPa and Fansipan Mountain were the biggest locations that kept popping up. As mentioned, Hạ Long Bay eventually got cut. I considered Bai Tu Bay, adjacent to Hạ Long Bay and decided I could live fine without going there also.

“Bucket lists are officially passe for me now. If everyone is going someplace, I rather go someplace else. Sure, I still hit renowned travel destinations, but it is less of a focus to my trips. Some of my most memorable places are far removed from “must see” attractions.”

The Grumpy Retiree

Vietnam: The Rest of the Plan

At this point I had 3 weeks to fill. Still remaining was the mountain/Ha Giang tour (3-4 days), 2 days each for Huế, Hoi An, Da Nang, 5-7 days between The Mekong River Delta and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Not to mention the 1-2 days lost due to travel time. Removing Halong Bay left a hole of about 3 days to fill.

This is always the hardest part of the planning process. I keep plugging destinations onto my calendar while also examining transportation times. I move things around and continue to read about destinations and things to see, do and eat. I hate missing a meal.

While reading about Halong Bay, I kept coming across Ninh Binh, called the Halong Bay on land. Beautiful scenery and not far from Hanoi. It can be done as a day trip or preferably a 2-3 day stay. Swapping this destination for Halong bay fills the trip. I know there will be additional changes, but Ninh Binh is added to the itinerary replacing Halong Bay.

Pulling Out Some Travel Weeds

Next up, determine if all the other destinations originally chosen are in or out. I also had to firm up the Mekong River Delta. Da Nang is a larger city with good beaches. Considering we are not beach people and it is the rainy season in Central Vietnam, I cut Da Nang leaving a little more time for The Mekong River Delta and other sites.

Quick Grumpy Tip: Charging On The Road

Grumpy Tip: To keep you phone or tablet charged on the road a small portable charging bank is cheap insurance. This unit, about the size of a small cell phone was $20!

The Grumpy Retiree

I rely on my cell phone overseas for restaurants reviews, walking maps, travel documents and metro & train transportation. Keeping my phone charged is very important. I had a small portable charging bank, but it was limited, old and losing its charge. For $20-30 you can buy a battery bank that can charge 2 phones at the same time from 0% to 100%. If you let your phone get down to 0% you need more help than this device can provide, but for the rest of us it is a life saver when traveling.

The Final Push: Putting it All Together, Northern Vietnam

All that is left is to tie everything together. Pretty simple! A few hotels, a plane ride or 2, a train ride and a few buses. Toss in a car or 2 and a a couple of boats and we are done! How hard can that be? I finish Northern Vietnam, knowing how long I need or want to stay at each location.

In reality the next few destinations went together fairly quickly. I booked a 4 day/3 night Ha Giang tour with YESD Tours. ($900) This is an all inclusive private tour including meals and Homestays in the Ha Giang area. YESD picks us up and drop us off in Hanoi, making transportation easy to this more remote location. Every once in a while I need to make something easy or my wife will kill me.

If all goes as planned from the tour, we arrive back in Hanoi at 5PM. This is when I chose to stay again at the GM Premium Hotel ($100) for 1 more night. Wake up refreshed, take the reasonably early and reasonably priced train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh for 2 nights at the reasonably priced Nan House ($150). We will have 2 full days to explore the Ninh Binh area including Mua Caves and Trang An Grottoes.

Vietnam Transportation: Trains, Planes & Buses

Let’s take a minute to look at local transportation in Vietnam. It is important to check and understand all the local options wherever you are headed. Personally, I like using trains and metro systems when possible as they usually are efficient and inexpensive. Use whatever you are comfortable with, but at a minimum understand all the local options.

Drivers

As mentioned, you can easily hire a driver in Vietnam to transport you just about anyplace. You can arrange drivers in Vietnam with your hotel or self book online. 12GoAsia offers private rides via cars, taxis and mini buses. Most hotels also can arrange local guided tours and or drivers for the day. There usually is a small fee added by the hotel, but they speak the language and can make all the arrangements ensuring smooth booking.

I have a long drive between Ho Chi Minh City airport to Chau Doc on the Cambodian border in the Mekong Delta. A driver is the fastest way at roughly 5 hours drive for $150 US. Pricier than a bus, but faster with less hassle. Wonder how much that would cost in the US!

Grab is the Vietnamese alternative to Lyft & Uber. I have not used Grab, but have used Uber overseas and everything worked the same as in the US. I don’t know if I will need Grab in Vietnam, but I understand it is reliable and again, the price is upfront. The only downside is the drivers prefer cash. I have read of pickups being cancelled when a credit card is the payment option.

Grumpy Tip: Don’t take any ride on arrival via air or train in places like Vietnam. A prearranged ride is more reliable and priced up front. If you do need to arrange a ride from the airport, use a provider located inside the airport with known pricing whenever possible.

Buses

Buses are readily available for within the city or inter-city destinations. Tickets can be purchased at Vexere, 12go Asia and Baolau. Make sure to purchase either via one of these reliable providers, your hotel or at the official bus ticket office. Vexere has a Guaranteed 150% Refund if the service is not provided. I’m not sure that is at all comforting or even a good selling point. You are still screwed if the bus doesn’t show up! If I turn to my wife when the bus doesn’t arrive and say “Great! We get 150% back!”, I am sure the look I get will wipe out any refund … and then some.

Buses come in a variety of styles. Regular City Buses, Tourist Buses which usually provide a slightly higher level of comfort than any old bus and Sleeper Buses, or as I prefer to call them Overnight Buses since I presume you can sleep on any bus. Do they come around with a gong if you are caught sleeping on a non Sleeper Bus? Lastly, private mini buses are available for hire.

Trains

Trains in Vietnam have some interesting options. For short routes, when you just want a seat you choose between a Hard Seat or a Soft Seat. Use your imagination. For longer routes you can get a Hard Sleepers (6 people per compartment, 3 bunks per side) or a Soft Sleepers (4 people per compartment, 2 bunks per side), doors likely optional or in other words NONE.

Having experienced a 4 berth sleeper in India, called 2^nd class there, I cannot get my wife on a train in a developing country without the most comfortable seating possible. Even then she has reservations, and I don’t mean ticket reservations. The good news is there are some options in Vietnam.

Private companies offer VIP Sleepers for lily assed tourists and the general hoity-toity, in other words Americans. At my age I am very proud to fall into the category of lily assed as it is a definite improvement over many things I have been called.

Companies Livitrans, Laman, Lotus and Violette all provide sleeper cars for the Jet Set Crowd in Vietnam. You get soft sleepers (2 or 4 people), clean sheets or at least sheets, A/C, snacks, WiFi and … a door. Crapper facilities aren’t just a hole in the floor. Regular toilets with a complementary bum gun, Vietnam’s version of a bidet, and sinks.

The interesting thing is these different premium companies simply share the same locomotive. They just hook their car onto the train and offer different levels of service to your destination. I chose Lotus Express VIP sleeper for 2 and it actually looks pretty nice. We will take this from Ninh Binh to Hue overnight.

Central Vietnam: Getting There

At this point I only have 2 weeks of available nights left to plan before our return trip via Singapore. As mentioned, we will take the Lotus Express Sleeper Train from Ninh Binh to Hue. This saves one night at a hotel and gets us to our destination without wasting travel time! The train was a bit pricey by Vietnam standards at $260 for 2 people.

The alternative was to head back to Hanoi to get a direct fight to Hue. We would have been backtracking north over 2 hours, something I didn’t want to do, and catching an early morning flight to Hue the next day. Overall cost for the flight, transportation to Hanoi and hotel near the airport was about the same or more than the train. By taking the train we can spend more time in Ninh Binh and arrive earlier in Hue.

Grumpy Note: Logistics like this can get tricky. With 14 days remaining, we still have several locations to see in Vietnam. I rough penciled everything in and realized the time saved by the train helped us see everything we wanted to see. Economy of travel was the deciding factor. I would rather have extra time than not enough.

Planning the Last Days: Squeeze It In, Miss Nothing

There are 2 places in particular I want to see in Central Vietnam: Hue & Hoi An. I already decided to skip Da Nang as a destination located in the central area. I also want to fly into Singapore 1 night early and stay near the airport for our long morning flight back to the US.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is considered the best airport in the world with world class shopping and dining. There actually is a section known as Jewel Changi Airport that has everything from McDonald’s & Dunkin Donuts to Michelin Starred restaurants. I added 1 night at the Crowne Plaza an IHG brand hotel on points, savings over $200.

After booking the night train and the Crowne Plaza I have 12 nights left for Hue, Hoi An, The Mekong River Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. All of a sudden a 5+ week tour seems to be running out of time! I work both ends of the calendar for these last few days. I was determined to have some relaxation before we headed home and found a great deal at the Le Méridien Saigon for 5 nights on points. This was a $1500 value for 96,000 Marriott points! I couldn’t resist.

One week of nights left! Let’s Get to Hue!

Central Vietnam: Hue

Things progress quickly now! I never want to spend anything less than 2 days at any location when possible, so I am already thinking Hue is 2 nights. Since we arrive very early via the night train in Hue, we have the ability to see a lot that first day. All the city attractions, Hue Imperial City (The Citadel), Thien Mu Pagoda and Historic Tombs can be done in 1 day (I hope). The only other thing I would like to see is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) which is a day trip from Hue.

Using Tripadvisor I book the EMM Hotel Hue for $100 for 2 nights! This hotel has a fantastic location close to the 1st day of sightseeing. We should be able to drop off our bags and walk to several locations. 2 nights seems to be enough to see the highlights in the area.

Down to the wire, 5 nights to plan!

Central Vietnam: Hoi An

Getting from Hue to Hoi An takes about 4 hours via the Hai Van Pass without stops. With stops? About 6-8 hours! The Hai Van Pass is considered one of the most beautiful road tours in Vietnam. This route gained popularity and a bit of notoriety thanks to Top Gear, the BBC car show. As much as a motorbike tour would be fun, my wife is a bit less enthusiastic. I plan on booking an early morning drive from Hue to Hoi An arriving by mid afternoon in Hoi An.

Researching Hoi An I had conflicting information. Some people love the beauty of the old city, brightly lit with colorful lanterns at night. Others seem to find it a bit one dimensional. To me it looks like a photographers paradise exhibiting colorful old buildings. I love street photography and architecture, so I think I will enjoy Hoi An. I booked The Grand Sunrise Hotel, $100 total for 2 nights.

Sightseeing is concentrated around the vibrant Hoi An Ancient Town: Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An Night Market, The Temple Gate. Even though we arrive mid afternoon, we should have plenty of time to see everything we want as there are no long day trips planned outside of Hoi An.

Side Note: Travel Insurance

Let’s step aside the basic travel planning process to discuss Travel Insurance. Nobody likes insurance, until it is needed. But it is better than dealing with real estate agents, politicians and lawyers, just to name a few. There are several different options for travel insurance. Everything from nothing to full comprehensive travel insurance.

The decision to buy insurance, and if so at what level, depends on the scope of the trip. Travelling to developed countries like France or England have about the same risk of food borne illness as travelling within the US. Sure, you could get that bad oyster in Paris and have a 5 day case of barfalosis of the blowhole, but that can just as easily happen in Morehead City, NC. And you don’t buy travel insurance for that weekend trip to Aunt Jenny’s house.

There are 3 basic insurance options.

• Book with a credit card that offers some level of travel insurance. Cards usually provide trip cancellation, trip interruption and delayed or lost baggage claims. (No cost, included with credit card. Usually limited to purchases on credit card, read details carefully.)
• Purchase trip coverage offered while booking. Airlines in particular offer this insurance, but hotels, package tours and cruises can also offer this coverage. (Low cost, usually no medical coverage, limited in scope, read details carefully.)
• A full travel policy, which can cover the aforementioned and provide coverage for illness including hospital stays and medical evacuation. Cost is variable based on coverage options, duration, destination and cost of trip. (Highest cost but usually most comprehensive, usually includes medical.)

This is very general overview just to make you aware of basic options! Remember, if you purchased airline tickets and hotel rooms with refundable or change options, buying insurance to cover things you can get refunded makes little sense!

Travel Insurance: The Grumpy Way

I base my decision regarding insurance considering the trip duration, trip destination, trip cost and how far ahead I am booking travel. Booking a 2 week trip to Europe of moderate expense with hotel rooms & flights with change options, I may rely solely on my credit card coverage. Or for a few dollars more I might consider the airline coverage if the airline ticket is non-refundable.

For this trip to Vietnam, I opted to purchase full comprehensive coverage. Vietnam in particular poses some food borne illness risk. Also, this trip spans 5+ weeks, 3 countries and quit a few hotel rooms, tours, flights and trains. My biggest concern is becoming ill in Vietnam. Medicare, which both my wife are are using, is not comprehensive overseas.

Full comprehensive Travel Insurance is priced based on the full cost of the trip. The more expensive a trip, the more expensive the coverage. Coverage can be purchased by the trip or multiple trips for frequent travelers.

The Grumpy Retiree

I purchased a policy via American Express Travel Insurance for $450 covering the complete trip and both my wife and I. There were more expensive policies offering lower deductibles and more coverage, but this policy filled coverage gaps and covered medical at our destinations.

Running Trip Total (flights/hotels/local transportation/insurance): $5360!

Nearing The End: Southern Vietnam

Here we are! Just about done with travel planning for all the basic needs including Hotels, Flights & Trains. I have been working on this plan for about 1 month now. The trip plan started with a lot of upfront research to understand the destinations, transportation options and sightseeing. Occasionally I took breaks from planning, but overall kept plugging away, adding hotel rooms when confident of the schedule.

All that is left are 2 flights and the hotel(s) in the Mekong River Delta for the major planning. After that I have time to go back and fill in any sightseeing tickets, food tours & drivers.

Mekong River Delta and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

From Hoi An I want to go to the Mekong River Delta first as I want to end in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Our flight from Vietnam to Singapore is direct if we fly from Ho Chi Minh City and I wanted several “easy” days at Le Méridien Saigon to relax before our long flight home.

We are only 30 minutes away from Da Nang airport from Hoi An which has a direct flight to Ho Chi Minh City. I booked a morning flight to Saigon on Vietnam Airlines for $110 in economy! Holy crap batman! That’s right $110 for 2 with luggage and seat selection. Can’t beat that! I will arrange for a ride via the hotel in Hoi An to drive us to the airport direct.

The Mekong River Delta is a vast area south of Saigon from the Cambodian border on the West to the South China Sea on the East. There are many day trips available from Saigon, and I could have simply taken a day trip or overnight trip from Saigon. Instead I chose to find an area a bit less touristy and further from the city. That research led me to Chau Doc.

Mekong River Delta: Chau Doc

When we land in Saigon I need a driver to bring us to Chau Doc near the Cambodian border. It is a long ride, but we can sit back, relax, watch the scenery or sleep. I will book this at a later date either with the hotel or independently, but I estimate the cost at $150.

In Chau Doc we will explore Tra Su bird sanctuary and the Cham Village ethnic community. Both of these destinations can be booked as tours or done independently. I have not determined how to see either, but the hotel I booked offers tours so I always have that option.

In Chau Doc I booked the Victoria Nui Sam Lodge for 2 nights at $300 total. The resort looks very nice, probably too good for me, but my wife will like it.

The LAST Day to Plan! Can Tho

One last activity in the Mekong Delta I want to experience is the Floating Market in Can Tho. In an area such as the Mekong Delta, water is a major mode of transportation and commerce. Boats are filled with a diverse array of goods which are sold on the water. Don’t you love how everyday life for the locals is anything but for the tourists? How do you say “Stupid Tourists” in Vietnamese? Khách du lịch ngu ngốc.

Grumpy Tip: Remember, download Google Translate before a foreign language trip. Make sure you also save the destination language within Google Translate for offline use in case there is no internet service.

Don’t look like a khách du lịch ngu ngốc!

The Grumpy Retiree

I visited the floating market in Thailand outside Bangkok, and it was very interesting and a lot of fun. Therefore, I have great expectations seeing the bustling market with all the commotion of boat to boat commerce.

From Chau Doc we have about a 3 hour drive to Can Tho. I have not booked this transportation, but he cost ranges from $20 (bus) to $100 (Driver). Leaving Chau Doc right after a tasty breakfast, we arrive in Can Tho around noon if all goes as planned.

Using my favorite website to find a hotel, Tripadvisor, I selected The Green Village Mekong. I booked direct via the hotel website as it offered the best deal at $55 for 1 night with breakfast. The hotel also offers an early morning tour of the local floating market, which means we are up bright and chipper at 5AM. Breakfast served al fresco and on the water … literally. Anything to beat the tour groups!

On to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

From Can Tho we will hire either a driver or grab a bus to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City is late afternoon or early evening affording us the most time in the Can Tho vicinity. While I expect some relaxation in Ho Chi Minh City, there is still a lot to see including the War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, Ben Thanh Market and a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels.

All that remains for major travel booking is a direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore, estimated $300. I am up to $6200 when I add everything up and add a few drivers in for good luck. There were a few other booking I didn’t describe in full that happened along the way. A couple are discussed below.

Running Trip Total (flights/hotels/local transportation/insurance): $6200!

Now for the Little Things

This is a long trip and a long research & planning process. To give you an idea how long it took to plan this trip I’ll use The Grumpy Retiree’s favorite unit of measure … food & drink!

I estimate the trip plan at roughly 61 cups of coffee, 21 egg & cheese sandwiches, 3 bowls of oatmeal, 2 boxes of Greek apricot filled cookies, a large bag of Cheezits, 9 glasses of wine, 5 double shots of Bourbon and a thin slice of cantaloupe. OK, there was no cantaloupe, but it was a lot of planning!

What is left? There are quite a few attraction tickets not purchased yet. Many tickets are unavailable until the travel date gets closer, and I will fill these in over the next few months. I did already book an Amtrak roundtrip train to and from JFK and a cooking class in Hanoi, costs $300 and $100 respectively.

Overall I anticipate food tours, museums, drivers & buses, metro tickets etc. This can add up, but remember, prices are based on the local economy and in Vietnam those prices are low. I estimated $1000 for everything not already budgeted, other than food.

Final Trip Total (not including food): $7600!

When I purchased my Travel Insurance, I covered the trip for $7500. Considering some bookings can be refunded or canceled, in the event of a claim I should be covered even with the few additions still remaining. Insurance was more important to me for the Medical Coverage it offered.

Now For The Best Reason to Travel: Food

I wish I could tell you about food in Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. But I haven’t been there yet! It damn well better live up to my grumpy expectations or there will be hell to pay. Not to mention all the nasty words in my blog. I really am looking forward to all the food, but for now you have to settle on my food budgeting process.

Food is the biggest cost not yet accounted for in the budget. I ain’t some damn backpacker looking to eat as cheaply as possible and brag they ate on $0.39 a day in Vietnam. There will be cheap meals on cheap little red and orange plastic stools surrounding tiny tables I am certain. But at my age a nice restaurant with regular chairs, and maybe a halfway decent crapper, is definitely in the works.

The Food Budget

In general, food in Vietnam is very inexpensive. Unlike a trip to Europe, where I budget $100-150 per day for food, our food budget should be much lower overall on this trip. A nice meal for 2 in a sit down restaurant in Vietnam may run $10-20 total for 2 people. Street food is typically in the $1-3 range per item. Over our 3+ weeks in Vietnam I budgeted a generous $1000 for food.

During our early travels we joined food tours. Some were great, other just average. Eventually I found I could customize my own food tour with some decent research. We spend less and enjoy the food & experience more.

But in Vietnam, in particular, I plan on at least 1 food tour. The food in Vietnam is very unfamiliar and food safety is a little bit of a concern. A food tour will help educate us on customs, expectations and provide tips on food safety in a very different food country.

The Grumpy Retiree

Singapore is the most expensive food destination, but still has hawker food markets for inexpensive meals. I am budgeting $200 for food in Singapore over 2+ days as I expect at least one nice restaurant and some street food. Cost of food in Taiwan is somewhere between Singapore and Vietnam. For 8 days I am budgeting $600.

Based on the above, $2000 food over 5 weeks is my high estimate. I think that is more than sufficient, and unless we hit several high end restaurants, my food budget could be over estimated.

Time to Wrap It Up

Overall I learned a lot already about Singapore, Taiwan and especially Vietnam. I know we will experience and learn a lot more on this trip, we always do. I love discovering the background about places we are headed off to see. Figuring out the logistics of travel, especially in a new country, knocks some of the hardened crust off my stale old brain.

In the end, for 34 days encompassing 3 countries, I expect the trip will run about $10,000. That is under $2,000 per week for a lot of planes, hotel rooms, meals and sightseeing. I honestly think we may come in under that depending on the food budget.

Savings an Final Itinerary

Using a combination of credit card points, discount offers and cash credits, the overall savings was about $4000 for this trip. That is about 30% off. I didn’t cheese out on hotels or transportation, OK maybe a little here or there. In general we are staying at comfortable places with good reviews. I could have saved about $1000 more, especially at the hotel in Hanoi, if I used hotel points. I’ll save those points when in a more expensive destination.