Dalat is mountain sunrises, chicken soup, paddle boats, and lounge singers. It's where Vietnamese people go to cool off in the summer, or see "European winter" for Christmas. Downtown is a cascade of steep staircases for pedestrians, or infuriatingly narrow one-way streets for the motorized. Even in the hottest global-warmed summer, you don't need A/C here. Dalat is Vietnam like you've never seen it. As heavily touristed as Dalat is, tourists miss the best stuff every time. I got tired of wanting to slap my forehead seeing foreign and Vietnamese visitors alike getting the blandest, most boring version of Dalat — especially on those awful guided tours around tourist traps and gift shops. I've lectured my Vietnamese friends about all the good things they miss in Dalat. That advice -- always with map links and QR codes -- fills this book. This is Dalat the way I know it and love it. We'll eat UFO cakes, conquer mountains, and find how to hide from the screaming tourist groups. Come with me. Let's discover Dalat.

Experience real Saigon: My Saigon 2024 Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) offers bustling streets, amazing walks, too-hip-for-you cafes, rocking music clubs, luxurious salons, explosively delicious restaurants, and indoor cat zoos. Saigon is Vietnam. It’s young, practical, crowded, and a little bit brash. Most visitors to Saigon see the same boring “attractions”: boring restaurants, tourist-trap markets, and War propaganda. Saigon has so much more to experience than tourists see. My Saigon gives you the insider track: the most amazing experiences, the cultural backstories, the practical go-to tips, the best coffee, the best food (far beyond pho and banh mi), the best hangouts, the coolest stuff, and hipsters, hipsters everywhere. Details about 90-day and multi-entry electronic visas to Vietnam (new as of August, 2023). Big-picture navigation. History your tour guides aren't allowed to mention. Good hotels for cheap, without hostels, bedbugs, and weird smells. Get mobile data up and running without being scammed. The best pho in Saigon: no, it's not the one in the backpacker district. Awesome, authentic, cheap restaurants where my friends and I eat -- and Tripadvisor has no clue about. Coffee. Did someone say coffee? 1930s coffee, street coffee, "specialty" coffee, all kinds of coffee: I'll tell you where. Hang out with Vietnamese people, munch on dried squid, listen to Viet Pop (if you dare). Make cool friends, date guys or girls, whatever flag you might fly. Bust out with Saigonese slang to make your new friends laugh. Watch out for Saigon's mafia: they run the streets, and they don't announce themselves. Don't unintentionally offend people by wearing a popular tourist souvenir t-shirt. You definitely shouldn't give money to beggars and street kids. Avoiding taxi scams in Saigon is so easy, but most tourists refuse to learn. My Saigon is a guide, a love confessional, an instruction manual, and an ode to the city.

Hanoi: a maze of alleys, lakes, pagodas, jazz clubs, cafes, and Soviet statues. Even for us Vietnamese people, Hanoi is infamously inscrutable. It’s Vietnam’s enigma wrapped in a mystery, with egg cream on top. You can take the easy, well-trodden path: the tourist market, the tourist pho restaurant, the tourist beer street, and a dude in a glass case. Or you can go local: eat the pho that Vietnamese foodies eat, drink the coffee VIetnamese hipsters drink, and hang out on the other beer street, the one that’s not in any guidebooks, the one for locals. I'll even show you a super-creepy abandoned amusement park. Instead of canned propaganda, you'll understand the real stories behind the places and people you’re seeing. You'll meet “the locals.” Yes, they’d love to chat with you, they want to practice their English, and no, they don’t hate Americans. Nobody cares about the war anymore. We’ll wander down sketchy alleys and experience amazing places you’d never find in mass-market, foreigner-produced, ChatGPT-written guidebooks. I’ll also teach you practical skills to break away from the guided tours and well-worn tourist attractions: the lowdown on Vietnam visas (the rules were completely changed in 2023), how to get around, how to buy things, what to say, and what (and whom!) to avoid. My guidebooks took you to Saigon and Da Nang. You had a great time. Now, let’s meet the final boss: Hanoi. You’ll love it, I promise.

Dalat is mountain sunrises, chicken soup, paddle boats, and lounge singers. It's where Vietnamese people go to cool off in the summer, or see "European winter" for Christmas. Downtown is a cascade of steep staircases for pedestrians, or infuriatingly narrow one-way streets for the motorized. Even in the hottest global-warmed summer, you don't need A/C here. Dalat is Vietnam like you've never seen it. As heavily touristed as Dalat is, tourists miss the best stuff every time. I got tired of wanting to slap my forehead seeing foreign and Vietnamese visitors alike getting the blandest, most boring version of Dalat - especially on those awful guided tours around tourist traps and gift shops. I've lectured my Vietnamese friends about all the good things they miss in Dalat. That advice -- always with map links and QR codes -- fills this book. This is Dalat the way I know it and love it. We'll eat UFO cakes, conquer mountains, and find how to hide from the screaming tourist groups. Come with me. Let's discover Dalat.

Pocket-sized travel guides featuring the very best routes and itineraries. Discover the best of Vietnam with this indispensably practical Insight Explore Guide. From making sure you don't miss out on must-see attractions like the the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, to discovering hidden gems, including Sa Pa, the easy-to-follow, ready-made walking routes will save you time, help you plan and enhance your visit to Vietnam. Practical, pocket-sized and packed with inspirational insider information, this is the ideal on-the-move companion to your trip to Vietnam. - Over 16 walks and tours: detailed itineraries feature all the best places to visit, including where to eat along the way - Local highlights: discover what makes the area special, its top attractions and unique sights, and be inspired by stunning imagery - Insider recommendations: where to stay and what to do, from active pursuits to themed trips - Hand-picked places: find your way to great hotels, restaurants and nightlife using the comprehensive listings - Practical maps: get around with ease and follow the walks and tours using the detailed maps - Informative tips: plan your visit with an A to Z of advice on everything from transport to tipping - Inventive design makes for an engaging, easy-reading experience - Covers: Ho Chi Minh City, The Mekong Delta, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Da Lat, The Central Highlands, Hoi An, Cham, Hue, Hanoi, The Perfume Pagoda, Sa Pa, Halong Bay About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

The Rough Guide to Vietnam is the essential guide with clear maps and detailed coverage of one of Southeast Asia's most enticing destinations. Using expert advice explore the best attractions of Ho Chi Minh City, roam the best Vietnamese markets, shopping, temples, national parks and then slow the pace down with a trip to the paddyfields of the Red River Delta. From the rugged mountains to the west to the South China sea to the east the Rough Guide steers you in the right direction to find the best hotels in Vietnam, Vietnam restaurants, stylish Vietnamese bars, caf�s, clubs and shops across every price range, giving you clear, balanced reviews and honest, first-hand opinions. This guide covers the unspoilt islands, pristine beaches and trekking opportunities that have long made Vietnam a travel hotspot, from magical Ha Long Bay to the hill-tribes of the mountainous north. Explore all corners of Vietnam with authoritative background on everything from Vietnam's ethnic minorities to Hanoi's impressive colonial architecture, relying on the clearest maps of any guide and practical language tips. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Vietnam

Discover this exciting destination with the most incisive and entertaining guidebook on the market. Whether you plan to take a boat trip through stunning Ha Long Bay, trek in the mountains around Sa Pa or browse Ho Chi Minh's markets, this new edition of The Rough Guide to Vietnam will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way. Inside The Rough Guide to Vietnam - Independent, trusted reviews written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, to help you get the most out of your visit, with options to suit every budget. - Full-colour maps throughout - navigate the tangle of streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter or Ho Chi Minh's Cho Lon district without needing to get online. - Stunning images - a rich collection of inspiring colour photography. - Itineraries - carefully planned routes to help you organize your trip. - Detailed regional coverage - whether off the beaten track or in more mainstream tourist destinations, this travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way. Areas covered include: Mekong Delta; Hanoi; Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An; Da Lat; Nha Trang; My Son; Mui Ne; Da Nang; Hue; Cat Ba Island; Sa Pa. Attractions include: Ha Long Bay; Cu Chi Tunnels; Lak Lake; Tam Coc; Po Klong Garai; Cao Dai Great Temple; Bahnar villages; Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark; The Citadel, Hue and Tet. - Basics - essential pre-departure practical information including getting there, local transport, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, crime and personal safety, festivals and religious events, sports and outdoor activities, shopping, travelling with children and more. - Background information - a Contexts chapter devoted to history, religion and beliefs, Vietnam's ethnic minorities, environmental issues, music and theatre, books, movies and film, plus a handy language section and glossary. About Rough Guides: Escape the everyday with Rough Guides. We are a leading travel publisher known for our "tell it like it is" attitude, up-to-date content and great writing. Since 1982, we've published books covering more than 120 destinations around the globe, with an ever-growing series of ebooks, a range of beautiful, inspirational reference titles, and an award-winning website. We pride ourselves on our accurate, honest and informed travel guides.