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| Vietnam - Timeless Charm ! |
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| Vietnamese Sandwiches |
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| Cherry Blossoms, Da Lat, Vietnam |
The start of my War & Peace story about Vietnam in relation to my 19 days free & easy visit to South Vietnam from Jan 18 > Feb 5 2026 ! The Past, the Present & the Reality, the country has come a long way ! Chinese has this saying - 30 years river east 30 years river west, Vietnamese's economy has changed dramatically over the last 3 decades ! Vietnam's 4,000 year history, 1,000 years of Chinese domination, ruling by feudal dynasties (ly, Tran, Le, Nguyen), fighting France's colonial rule (1858 > 1954), Vietnam War (1955 > 1975), President Ho Chi Minh (1890 > 1969), Robin William's movie Gooooood Morning Vietnam (1987) famous quote "Hey, this is not a test. This is rock & roll. Time to rock from the delta to the DMZ, The Fall of Saigon (April 30 1975), reunification of North & South Vietnam (July 2 1976) & 50 years for Peace (1975 > 2025) ! The glorious & chequered past of Vietnam are enough to arouse & enthuse you & me to visit a modern Vietnam in the making !
Moving on, Vietnam is now a modern & progressive nation, the capital city of Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) were most visited by foreign tourists in recent years ! My 1st visit to Vietnam was in May 2007 covering the cities of Hanoi, Halong Bay & Catba Island followed by another visit in Jan 2014 to Ho Chi Minh, Hue, Danang & Hoi An. My most recent visit to Vietnam was in Jan 2023 to Hanoi, Lao Cai, Sa Pa, Haiphong, Tam Coc, Ninh Binh, Hue, Danang & Hoi An. Gradually I have fallen in love with Vietnam !
For this 19 days free & easy visit to charming Vietnam (my 4th one), both me & my travel buddy were able to probe deeper, not only tourist attractions but also gained a wider understanding of the societal aspects of the Vietnamese community.
The official tourism slogan of Vietnam is "Timeless Charm" highlighting the country's enduring cultural beauty, diverse landscapes & rapid development, symbolized by a 5-petaled lotus. The brand emphasizes 4 key timeless experiences ie stunning sea / island escapes, rich heritage, natural wonders & vibrant city tourism, offering a blend of ancient traditions & modern energy. For this 2026 19 days free & easy visit to South Vietnam, I probably have a "taste" of these 4 key timeless experiences !
From Phu Quoc island, off the coast of South Vietnam / Cambodia to coastal, fishing village towns & cities of the Peninsula (Rach Gia, Can Tho, Phan Thiet / Mui Ne, Phan Rang Thap Cham & the touristy city of Bao Loc, Da Lat & Nha Trang), not to forget the vibrant city & night life of Ho Chi Minh full of bountiful energy when nightfall, I really had an amazing & satisfying visit in Vietnam !
Here goes my Robin William's Good Morning Vietnam's rock & rock island escape experience, rich heritage, natural wonders & vibrant city tourisms, the best of Vietnam I witnessed & felt in my 19 days free & easy visit to South Vietnam "touching" on the bits & pieces of Vietnam's ancient history, culture, food, natural beauty & modern energy !
- A high speed boat ride from Phu Quoc island > Rach Gia
- Biking tours visiting major touristy places in Phu Quoc, Bao Loc, Phan Thiet / Mui Ne & Phan Rang
- The History Museum in HCM city
- Nguyen Hue Walking Street / Boulevard Square, HCM City - city tourism
- The old school of Ho Chi Minh where he lived & worked & museum in Phan Thiet
- Visiting a natural wonder of fossilized coral reefs resemble that of a "lunar landscape" or "Mars on the sea" in Hang Rai, Nui Chua National Park, (Phan Rang),
- Central Vietnam's highest waterfall, Dambri Waterfall (Bao Loc) & the scenic Datanla Waterfall (Da Lat);
- The 3 ancient Cham temples of Po Nagar Towers (Nha Trang), Po Klong Garai (Phan Rang) & Poh Sah Inu Cham Tower (Phan Thiet), the high & mighty power of Champa Kingdom
- The bustling Night Markets in Phu Quoc island, Da Lat & Nha Trang
- A floating market in Can Tho
- A kite surfing beach in Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam has over 3,000km of coastline with reliable & consistent winds ideal for water sports.
- Mediterranean-inspired miniature Europe Sun Set Town & Grand World Theme Park in Phu Quoc island, a modern energy
- Beautiful pink cherry blossoms in Da Lat, a natural winter beauty
- Mui Ne beach, fishing village & Sand Dunes
- Cu Chi tunnels - the Vietcong past & legacy
- The madding crowd of bikers zooming the busy streets of HCM city, Da Lat & Nha Trang, a great lesson & eye opener in road crossing in high traffic Vietnamese cities
- The hustle & bustle of city & night life in each of theses cities, it appeared that the night is forever young in the beer street of HCM city, locals & foreign tourists drinking the favourite Bia Hoi, Saigon Beer, Hanoi Beer & Tiger beer till the wee hours of the night !
- The Bahn Mi, Beef Pho, BBQ pork with rice & Bun Dau Lang Mo - the people's food & diet.
- The vast tracts of tea plantations, dragon fruit farms, vineyards, pearl farm, salt & rice fields - a close up visit.
- The skyscrapers of Landmark 81 & Saigon's Sky Deck - the nation's pride
- Ho Chi Minh's first Metro Line - comfort & convenient
- The magic name of Saigon (former capital of South Vietnam prior to the unification) - Saigonia, Little Saigon, Saigon Opera House, Saigon Center, Saigon Square, Saigon Post Office, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Skydeck, Saigon Marina, Saigon Coffee & Bia Saigon
2026 is the Chinese Lunar Year of Fire Horse, so it is an opportune time for you to rock or hop onto a low cost airliner & start "horsing & galloping" the cities & islands of North & South Vietnam voted by a YouTube travel web as one of the cheapest countries in the world to travel in 2026 !
Expenses incurred (19 days): Rm2,472 (US$610)
- Airfares (KL > Phu Quoc > Ho Chi Minh; Nha Thrang > KL): Rm306.50 + Rm292.08 = Rm598 (US$148)
- Travel Insurance (Annual Asia Pacific, pro rata): Rm112
- International Driving License (cost sharing): Rm75 + Rm15
- Sim Card (15 days): Rm20
- Hotels (18 nights): Rm784 (US$193)
- Ferry: Rm43
- Boat hire (Floating Market): 75K VND (Rm12)
- Trains (2 rides): Rm48
- Long distance MPV & Bus (5 rides): 460K VND + Rm61 = Rm133
- Bike hire + Petrol (4 cities): 520K VND (Rm82)
- Airport shuttle bus (KL & Phu Quoc): Rm 20 + 20K VND (Rm23)
- Grab: 810K VND (Rm127)
- Metro: 50K VND (Rm8)
- Food: 1,750KVND (Rm275)
- Groceries: Rm60
- Entrance fee: 330K VND (Rm52)
- Parking & sundries: 30VND (Rm5)
Exchange Rate: US$1 = Rm4.05 (Malaysian Ringgit); 10K Vietnamese Dong (VND) = Rm1.57
Travel Itinerary: Kuala Lumpur > Phu Quoc Island > Rach Gia > Can Tho > Ho Chi Minh > Phan Thiet / Mui Ne > Bao Loc > Dalat > Phan Rang Thap Cham > Nha Trang > Kuala Lumpur.
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| Map of Vietnam |
Travel Highlights:
1) Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
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| Grand World, Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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Vietnamese Cultural Village
Phu Quoc, Vistnam |
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Dock to Starfish Island
Rach Vem Village, Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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| Vinpearl Safari, Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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Dinh Cau Temple
Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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| Phu Quoc Marina, Vietnam |
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Sun World Vui Fest Bazaar Market
Sun Set Town, Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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Sun World Sun Set Town
Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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Ngoc Hien Pearl Farm
Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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| Chua Ho Quoc, Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
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| Phuo Quoc Night Market, Vietnam |
2) Rach Gia, Vietnam
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| Rach Gia Town, Vietnam |
3) Can Tho, Vietnam
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| Cai Rang Floating Market, Can Tho, Vietnam |
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| Cho Cai Rang Market, Can Tho, Vietnam |
3) Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
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Ben Thanh Market, HCM City
Vietnam |
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Saigon Opera House
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
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| Independence Palace, HCM City, Vietnam |
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Saigon General Post Office
HCM City, Vietnam |
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Notre Dame Cathedral
HCM City, Vietnam |
Book Street, Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
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| History Museum, HCM City, Vietnam |
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Van Thanh Tourist Area
HCM City, Vietnam |
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Vinpearl Landmark 81
HCM City, Vietnam |
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Vinhomes Central Park
HCM City, Vietnam |
Saigon Centre, HCM City
Vietnam
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| City Hall, HCM City, Vietnam |
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Nguyen Hue Walking Street
HCM City, Vietnam |
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Saigon Skydeck
HCM City, Vietnam |
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Chua An Lac, HCM City
Vietnam |
4) Cu Chi, Vietnam
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| Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam |
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Ben Duoc Memorial
Cu Chi, Vietnam |
5) Phan Thiet / Mui Ne, Vietnam
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| Phan Thiet Water Tower, Vieinam |
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Ho Chi Minh Museum
Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
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| Duc Thanh School, Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
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| Thuong Chanh Beach, Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
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| Doi Duong Park, Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
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| TTC World Ta Cu, Binh Thuan, Vietnam |
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Poh Sah Inu Cham Tower
Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
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| Linh Long Pagoda, Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
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| Mui Ne Fishing Village, Vietnam |
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| Mui Ne Sand Dunes, Vietnam |
6) Bao Loc, Vietnam
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La Vang Church, Bao Loc, Vietnam
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Dambri Waterfall
Bao Loc, Vietnam |
7) Dalat, Vietnam
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| Lam Vien Square, Da Lat, Vietnam |
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Xuan Huong Lake by Night
Da Lat, Vietnam
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| Datanla Waterfall, Da Lat, Vietnam |
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| Crazy House, Da Lat, Vietnam |
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| Linh Phuoc Pagoda, Dalat, Vietnam |
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| Da Lat Railway Station, Vietnam |
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Cherry Blossom, Xuan Huong Lake
Da Lat, Vietnam |
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Bao Dai Palace, Da Lat, Vietnam
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| Da Lat Night Market, Vietnam |
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| Cho Da Lat,Market, Vietnam |
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Tuyen Lam Lake, Da Lat, Vietnam
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Truc Lam Monastery, Da Lat, Vietnam
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Sakura Street, Tran Hung Dao
Da Lat, Vietnam |
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Chua Linh Son Temple, Da Lat, Vietnam
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8) Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam
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Po Klong Gerai Towers,
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam |
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Trung Son Co Tu
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam |
Hang Rai, Nui Chua National Park
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam
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Kite Surfing, Phan Rang Thap Cham
Vietnam
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Salt Fields, Phan Rang Thap Cham
Vietnam |
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Thanh Truc Vineyard (Ninh Thuan) Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam |
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Cho Phan Rang,
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam |
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Phan Rang Night Market,
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam |
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April 16 Park Monument,
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam
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Ninh Thuan Museum
Phan Rang Thap Cham, Vietnam |
9) Nha Thrang, Vietnam
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| Tram Huong Tower, Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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| Nha Trang Beach, Vietnam |
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| Mountain Church, Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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| Long Son Pagoda, Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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Po Nagar Cham Towers,
Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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Institute of Oceanography
Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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Vinpearl Cable Car Station
Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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| Cho Dam Market, Nha Trang, Vietnam |
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| Night Market, Nha Trang, Vietnam |
A Luna New Year of Horse galloping into a new age - The Luna New Year also known as Tet in Vietnam, the country's most significant cultural festival, celebrating the New Year & the arrival of Spring ! CNY (Tet) decor in malls, sale of red lanterns in HCM city & festive mood in major tourist area of South Vietnam !
Flowers in full bloom during winter in Southern Vietnam - from bud to bloom, a reminder that progress is a journey & not just a destination !
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