We’d been standing by the edge of the road in Saigon for at least 10 minutes, all five of us too scared to step out into the never-ending stream of traffic. Suddenly, a tiny, elderly Vietnamese woman took me by the hand, and led me gently out into the road. Like the seas parting, the motorbikes and bicycles easily diverted around us, and soon we were on the other pavement.
Vietnam can seem an unknown quantity for both holidaymakers and agents in the UK, but – as we found – there’s nothing to be scared of. A nation of genuinely gentle and welcoming people will take the very best care of your clients, who will be entranced by the destination’s unique sights. Both Wendy Wu and APT report sales more than doubling year on year – and from December 8, it will be even easier to travel there.
Getting there
It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here – a direct flight from the UK. Vietnam Airlines will operate direct flights four times a week from Gatwick’s North Terminal, with departures to Hanoi on Tuesdays and Fridays (returning Monday and Thursday) and to Ho Chi Minh City (as Saigon is now known) on Wednesdays and Saturdays (returning Tuesdays and Fridays.) The carrier plans to operate daily services to both by 2014.
With flight durations of 12-13 hours, the new service will offer a reduction in journey time of up to seven hours for UK passengers who would have previously transited through other Southeast Asian airports or the Middle East.
Boeing 777-200ER aircraft will fly the route, with economy, deluxe economy and business-class cabins, and return fares will start from £650. And between December 9 this year and December 31, 2012, the airline is offering agents (plus one companion) special discounted rates from around £515. Call 020 3263 2062 or email vna.uk@vietnamairlines.com to book.
What to see
Vietnam is a long, thin country, but one that divides conveniently up into three main sections. The capital Hanoi is in the north, and visitors shouldn’t miss the old city near Hoan Kiem Lake.
“Shops in each of the narrow streets sell the same thing,” says Stuart Whittington, head of product and commercial at Wendy Wu. “One area will sell printed false money to use at the temples, another will be for undertakers, another for art, or metalwork.”
Hanoi is a short distance from Halong Bay, one of the highlights of any traveller’s trip to Vietnam. Jutting rock formations tower over the bay, and boat trips in traditional ‘junks’ are popular.
Day trips are available but Lesley Wright, sales and marketing manager of specialist operator Insider Journeys (which sells to the trade through Travel 2) recommends clients make time to stay overnight. “You anchor up and have drinks on deck as night falls. It’s unmissable.”
Further south is the city of Hue, which sits on the exotically named Perfume River, and is lined with royal tombs and temples filled with statues. Nearby Hoi An is quintessential Vietnam, with traditional merchant’s houses hidden behind great ornate doors on narrow streets hung with brightly-coloured silk lanterns and filled with bicycles.
There are more than 100 tailors, so anyone staying overnight can have suits, shirts and dresses made to measure in a jiffy – recommend clients don’t take a full suitcase on their way out!
In the south is Ho Chi Minh City, the most cosmopolitan of Vietnam’s cities, with many restaurants and bars as well as markets, temples and palaces. It’s the place where clients interested in the Vietnam War can get a feel for that period of history, visiting the Cu Chi tunnels to see how the Viet Cong lived, and the War Remnants Museum.
The city is also the jumping-off point for visits to the Mekong Delta, an area where rivers criss-cross rice paddies, fish farms, and orchards, and tourists enjoy cruising alongside stilted villages and bartering at floating markets.
The Mekong River is the gateway to Cambodia – a popular twin-centre with Vietnam – and there are new cruise options between the two this season.
The deluxe, 26-cabin Jahan is featured by Travel Indochina. The AmaLotus, offered through APT in the UK since last month, carries 124 passengers and has a staff to guest ratio of two to one and a swimming pool on the sun deck. Uniworld Boutique River Cruising will launch the purpose-built new ship River Saigon in January.
A little more off the beaten track is Sapa, where the hills are terraced with bright green rice fields and tribal culture is strong. Most visitors get the overnight train up from Hanoi – now commissionable to agents through International Rail, along with other Vietnam Rail tickets – and stay two or three nights.
Pool suite at Fusion Maia Danang
New beach hotels
Vietnam has a range of beach options along its coast. Danang is a burgeoning resort just along the coast from Hoi An. Here, as well as the famous Nam Hai, you’ll find Fusion Maia, Asia’s first all-inclusive spa resort, where all treatments and breakfast are included in the room rate. The hotel is sleek and minimalist, and all suites and villas have private pools. All UK operators currently have a ‘stay seven pay five’ deal for this hotel.
Further south Nha Trang is a developed beach choice, with a resort centre with bars and restaurants. Established options include the Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, which is joined by the deluxe An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas. Agents can book three nights for the price of one at the latter through Travel Indochina.
Anantara’s first Vietnamese property will open at the end of the year, situated 125 miles up the coast from Ho Chi Minh City and named after the nearby fishing village. The 89-room Anantara Mui Ne sits on the beach and on a fresh water lagoon, among tropical gardens.
What the experts say
Lesley Wright, sales and marketing manager, Travel Indochina: “Agents’ first query is usually whether Vietnam is safe – and the answer is a resounding yes. People are very welcoming, and the Vietnamese are very family-focused, so children are made a real fuss of.
“If people close their eyes and think of Vietnam, the picture they imagine is what Hoi An looks like. There are lovely restaurants and bars, and arts and crafts shops, as well as the tailors. And once a month at full moon they light lanterns and then float them down the river.
“Sapa is one of my favourite areas, staying in Sapa itself, and in an eco-lodge on a mountain top. You’ll see local tribes such as the Black Hmong and the Red Dzao in traditional dress, and you can do some light trekking in the countryside.”
Stuart Whittington, head of product and commercial, Wendy Wu: “Halong Bay is wonderful, and the opportunity to go out on a junk boat, and have cocktails on deck among the rock formations and sleep with the gentle sound of the water in the background, shouldn’t be missed.
“One of Vietnam’s lesser-known secrets is its food – it’s absolutely delicious, and so fresh and tasty.
“Cambodia is a perfect twin-centre with Vietnam, and our most popular tour in Indochina is the 17-day Angkor to the Bay, which combines both countries, starting in Siem Reap and finishing in Halong Bay.”
Alex Loizou, product manager, The Private Travel Company: “Vietnam isn’t a competitor for Thailand – it has its own charm and culture, and feels much more authentic than the touristy parts of the latter. At the moment, Vietnam’s strength is that it is almost untouched, and we’re seeing demand grow. With the new flight, and additional hotel product, this is definitely a destination to watch.
“Visitors tend to have three stops on their must-do list – Hanoi and Halong Bay, then Hoi An, perhaps staying at the Nam Hai, and then Ho Chi Minh, which is an experience in itself, with museums, the opera house and the Cu Chi tunnels.
“If time allows, we suggest a beach extension, perhaps at Six Senses Con Dao.”
