Broken rice equals a wholesome breakfast

Snails, skewers, and seafood 

The many faces of hủ tiếu  

A bánh mì like no other 

Summertime spring rolls

Phu Quoc

Danang beach

THAILAND

Railay Beach, Krabi

Clear blue waters, small islands on the horizon and majestic cliffs surround the small beach, is surrounded by limestone cliffs and is absolutely stunning. Aside from rock climbing, swimming and snorkeling, there’s not much else to do here but admire the gorgeous scenery, so bring a book and prepare to relax. Though Railay Beach is still much quieter and less developed than most popular Thailand beaches, there is more development here every year, and during high season it can feel crowded.

Phra Nang Beach – Krabi

Part of the Railay Peninsula, this broad beach is flanked by two huge cliffs. It’s incredibly remote, you’ll have to take a longtail boat here from Ao Nang, but it’s a great option. Visitors can rent sea kayaks, explore caves, or even take rock climbing lessons.

How to get to Krabi : From Bangkok, you can catch a bus, train, or plane to Krabi.

Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi

Koh Phi Phi is an island you absolutely can’t miss, especially if you’re traveling alone. It has something for everyone, from water activities to a young crowd of partiers. Make sure to take a boat trip to Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley, where Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach was filmed. The bay is surrounded by cliffs on three sides, and has impossibly colorful underwater marine life. Try to visit early in the morning or after 17:00 to avoid the crowds.

How to get to Koh Phi Phi: There is no airport on Koh Phi Phi. The nearest airports are Krabi Airport and Phuket Airport. Ferries go to Koh Phi Phi from both Krabi and Phuket every day.

READ MORE: 3 DAYS IN HO CHI MINH CITY (SUGGESTED ITINERARY)

READ MORE: 5 IMPRESSIVE AND USEFUL SOUVENIRS TO BUY IN VIETNAM

1. SAPA

The 1st destination to visit in November is Sapa. Situated in the northwest of Vietnam, Sa Pa is a highland district of Lao Cai Province that has hidden beauty in the wonders of nature.

The natural landscape of Sa Pa travel is combined with the creativity of the people along with the terrain of the mountains, the green forest. That magical look is regarded as the picture that owns a harmonious arrangement to have many romantic scenes.

Especially, the street festival “Brilliant Sa Pa” will take place on November 1 in Sa Pa town, Lao Cai. When you join in the iconic festival, you will be able to admire the performing arts with the cultural nuance of the Mong, Dao, Tay, Giay people.

2. HANOI

Hanoi, Vietnam is one of the few cities in Vietnam showing the most characteristic weather all four seasons. Especially, our capital is listed in best places to visit Vietnam in November. Because in that month, Hanoi travel has the charming beauty of autumn and winter in Northern Vietnam.

In detail, the amazing landscape is on the streets full of yellow leaves, the perfume of milk flowers or two Dracontomelon duperreanum rows near the end of Tran Hung Dao Street. Furthermore, daisy flower in Hanoi blooms in a few short weeks of Novemeber. The fragile beauty of daisy in Tay Tuu is a goergous background of your check-in images?

And in this ideal weather, you should not be overlooked these following popular attractions: One Pillar Pagoda, Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Temple of Literature and so on

3. HALONG BAY

In November, the weather is quite pleasant, so Halong tourism becomes the interesting choice of sightseers. This is a great opportunity for individuals who want to experience taste peaceful Ha Long Bay.

No longer is the peak season for Vietnamese tourists, traveling in November is the perfect time for international tourists. Because there are many sites for you to take an exploration such as Bai Tho mountain climbing, Thien Cung cave …

4. MOC CHAU

Moc Chau is one of best sites to visit Vietnam in November due to wildflower season at that time. Moreover, the tourism in November is also striking with beautiful scenery of yellow daisies and red poinsettia flowers. In particular, the heaven of daisy flowers in Ba Phach village has dozens of large fields full of colorful flowers. Situated on Highway 6, the village is 5 km far from the town.

Another place that you should not miss when coming to Moc Chau is visiting Moc Chau farm, where there are dairy companies and Moc Chau tea company. Visitors can admire the green tea hills, vast green fields, enjoy taking some photogenic pictures or sightsee the dairy farm, or buy fresh cow milk.

On the other hand, you can visit Phieng Luong peak. The top has a large area where visitors can participate in outdoor activities such as climbing, walking, horse riding. Also, Dragon Cave, Ban Ang pine forest and Dai Yem waterfall are also attractive destinations in Moc Chau.

5. HA GIANG

Referring to the most beautiful destination in November, we must remember Ha Giang. This place is very well-known for buckwheat flowers. Ha Giang tourism at this time you will be overwhelmed by the brand new coat due to the blossom season. At the end of November, there are gorgeous rice terraced fields on the mountain slopes of the Ha Giang rocky plateau. Also, Ha Giang is one of amazing non-touristy places in Vietnam to visit. Therefore, this is also the traditional and peaceful trip for you to discover Ha Giang.

Additionally, you can discover more attractive destinations in Ha Giang such as Lung Cu Flag Pole, Quan Ba double mountain, Dong Van stone plateau and so on.

6. CON DAO

“One of the 20 most mysterious islands in the world,” “Top 10 Most Romantic Islands in the World, and Top 10 Islands with the best hotel quality in the world” are great titles to talk about the wild beauty of Con Dao Island.

Calm waves, beautiful beaches along with the nice. sunny day in November are top reasons to travel to this famous island.

Con Dao Island will bring you a wonderful scenery including pristine wilderness of blue ocean and colorful coral reefs such as An Hai, Dam Trau, Loi Loi, Suoi Ot, Hon Ba …

7. HO CHI MINH CITY

November is the last month of the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore, the weather with low rainfall and low humidity is more favorable than in the past few months. That time brings us a perfect trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

Cool weather at night is the perfect condition for visitors to immerse in the magnificent beauty of the city lights and enjoy the wonderful dinner on the peaceful Saigon River. In addition, guests can walk at Bach Dang Park to enjoy the fresh air.

8. HO TRAM

Ho Tram has a tropical monsoon climate, the weather is separated into two distinct seasons: the rainy season (from May to October), dry season (from November to April next year). Therefore, Ho Tram weather in November is quite pleasant, cool and stable. That helps us to fully discover the inner beauty of this island.

Ho Tram Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world voted by the American magazine. The sea here is pristine and clear, surrounded by beautiful wild scenery. Going along the coast, you will see green cotton-wood forests. Sitting on the seashore brings you fresh and calm feeling away from modern cities.

READ MORE:  DO NOT GO TO HO CHI MINH CITY

Traditional, beautiful, flowing Ao Dais are central to Vietnamese ceremonial life. Worn for weddings, festivals and formal occasions, the Ao Dai lends majesty and grace to any wearer. They make a breathtaking gift for anyone with exotic dress sense. However, be careful: Ao Dais are usually made to fit, so make sure you have a rough idea of the recipient’s size, and if in doubt, over-estimate: you can always get it brought in back home. A good option for travellers is to check out the Ao Dai Museum’s Si Hoang Show on Saigon’s walking street Nguyen Hue (Ho Chi Minh City). They also sell magnificent Ao Dais!

There is little more iconic and unmistakably Vietnamese than the Non La straw hat. The supporting star of every Vietnamese film of the last 50 years, it is instantly recognizable and, still today, ubiquitous throughout the nation. Our advice is to seek out a market stall selling only Non La, and haggle down to no more than VND 100,000 (maybe less if you have enough patience). Plain Non La are preferable to the gaudy painted variety in tourist traps, so head out to smaller, heartland markets and rummage around with the locals for authentic hats and best prices.

You can easily find Non La in markets in Vietnam.

With their ubiquity throughout Vietnam it’s easy to forget that these delicate, simple novelties are unique to the country. Hand-painted and infuriatingly easy to break, they demand extreme care in transit, but get them back in one piece and they will mystify kids with their graceful balance and gentle movement.

Where to buy it: Ben Thanh Market (Ho Chi Minh City). 

Vietnamese coffee with its unique smell and taste is the ultimate gift for anyone who likes a morning brew. Quintessentially local in flavour but with a universal richness that any coffee lover will enjoy, it can be ground to suit any coffee maker in most shops. However, for an authentic experience, why not buy a Vietnamese coffee filter to go with it, that simple three-part aluminium ensemble that sits on your morning cup of ca phe sua (coffee with condensed milk)? Slightly more expensive stainless-steel gift sets are widely available and provide a functional gift for even the most discerning coffee snob. Trung Nguyen Legend, Phuc Long (coffee and tea), Highlands Coffee and Shin Coffee are the classics for coffee souvenirs.

Ceramic products have long been a typical souvenir of Vietnam. The idyllic life of Vietnamese people is exquisitely portrayed as painted illustrations on these porcelain cups. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. There is no doubt these handcrafted items and their production have turned into a tourist attraction for foreigners who are enchanted by Vietnamese culture.

However, transporting these fragile goods can get extremely tricky so we suggest you save your ceramic purchasing to your last day.

Where to buy it: Ben Thanh Market (Ho Chi Minh City). If you do it well, you can pick up a few good bargains which are less than one third of the initial asking price. 

READ MORE: 4 PERFECT DAYS IN HO CHI MINH CITY (SUGGESTED ITINERARY)

Buying things in the market

Ben Thanh Market is one of the most exciting places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a chance to truly get stuck in with the locals and test your bargaining skills.

Some Tips To “Survive” In Ben Thanh Market

Do not leave money or valuables in your hotel/hostel

Always keep laptop, camera, cash and so on…on your person. Better safe than sorry.

Do not carry any valuables in an opened pocket

Suddenly, an unknown person approached and bumped into you and you think that is a very normal thing because the street is very crowded and bustling until…you realize your belongings took wing.

Let’s smile

Until now, I do not have many opportunities to travel to broaden my horizons but I know for a fact that you would always find numerous big smiles on the welcoming locals’ faces. Let’s smile because not only make this life more beautiful, but also bring you to become closer to others.

Socializing with the locals

 If you head towards Bui Vien Walking Street on the weekend, you would see that Vietnamese people sit on one side and foreign tourists would on the other side. One street but has two different worlds. If you want to find out why the majority of women in Vietnam desire to have a fair skin, how to say “cheers” in this country and leave Vietnam with a head full of memorable experiences…so let’s join with us, it would be “wicked” awesome.

Be careful when traveling by taxi

Taxi scam is quite popular in Vietnam and such a real concern for many tourists. Some taxi drivers could rip you off and charge you at a very high price. They might choose a longer path or go around to maximize the price on the meter.

In this case, you should be careful when you get into a taxi. Only choose reliable taxi brands such as Mai Linh, Vinasun. If possible, let’s take some pictures of the taxi’s plate or the meter and confirm to the driver about the shortest path to your destination (We highly suggest you to use Google Map). Last but not least, make sure you have arrived at the right destination before paying and getting off the car. Nowaday, Grab (like Uber) is very popular, you can use it also.

READ MORE: BEST BANH MI IN SAIGON – 3 PLACES YOU MUST TRY!

1. Do not buy the first thing you see. The market is full of people selling fairly similar things, so you should go around some spots before finally deciding on what you want. If you find a place that particularly catches your attention – jot down its address. The market is not the ‘biggest market’ but it’s fairly easy to get lost here – which is probably not a bad thing as you’ll most likely end up finding another bargain elsewhere but try to keep an eye out for marker to help you negotiate back to where you need to be.
2. Do not pre-determine a fixed price in your head before you start to bargain. Your price will typically end up either being too high or too low. After checking out a few places, you’ll get a sense of what their starting prices are. You can typically go lower than that starting price and pay between 1/3 or 1/4 of the starting price. I’m sure you can go even lower than this but by this point, I figure I’m only saving myself pennies (which would mean more to them than it would to me) so I just let it go.
3. Smile, laugh and be friendly. People always respond to positivity here and it will create pleasant and enjoyable experiences for both of you. It’s only a market afterward and there’s no need to take things so seriously especially if you’re just visiting as a tourist.
4. Think about your luggage restrictions. It’s so easy to get carried away with items that you ‘just had to have’ only to get back to your hotel and find out that it doesn’t even fit into your luggage or is too heavy to take with you. You’ll just end up disappointing yourself when you have to leave it at the hotel/hostel/airport.
5. Be prepared to walk away from a deal. This actually gives you more power and in most cases, will get you called back by the seller with an acceptance of your ‘lowest offer price’. Don’t be afraid to walk away – if you get too attached to the item, you lose the power whereas you could just walk a few stalls down and find the exact same item at a much cheaper price. Only walk away when you know that you’re happy with the price you’ve asked for as when they call you back, it’s typically to accept that price.
6. Ask questions. Even if they can’t answer them (perhaps out of not knowing the answer of out of language barriers), the sellers can recruit help from other people to answer your questions. In any case, this keeps the conversation flowing and helps create a better rapport which can help you get the prices you want to pay.
7. When you initially tell the first price – be prepared to look slight shocked. Haggling is sometimes like a game or some kind of dance so this surprised look you will wear is all part of it. Subliminally, it sets the tone and let the sellers know their price is not reasonable for you. You don’t even need to think about what price it is – it’s always going to be higher that what you should pay so practice your ‘surprised look’ at home before you venture out bargain hunting!

• Cu Chi Tunnels is an underground defense system in Cu Chi District, 70 km North West of Ho Chi Minh City. This system was excavated by the Viet Minh and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam during the Indochina War and the Vietnam War.
• The tunnel system includes an infirmary, several rooms, kitchen, storage room, office and so on. The tunnel system is about 250 km and has ventilation systems at the bushes. Cu Chi Tunnels are built on land known as “Steel land” which is located at the end of the Ho Chi Minh trail.
• The Viet Cong set up numerous traps around the tunnel to avoid being found by American troops above ground. They actually caused 11% of all deaths related to the Vietnam War. To get around this, the American began using German Shepherd dogs to sniff out these traps, however the Viet Cong were smart enough to prevent being sniffed out by these dogs too. Not only began using American soap, but also planted uniforms of captured American soldiers by these traps. The dogs thought these were friendly areas and many ended up getting killed or maimed by the traps that their handlers refused to continue using them.

• Having many choices such as motorbike, car, bus or speedboat.
• You can book a tour. Most tours will take approximately 1.5 hours to reach the tunnels at Ben Dinh. Try avoid big bus tours because it is unlikely that those tours make stops on the way to the Cu Chi Tunnels. You will be surrounded by 50 people and this will kill the vibe.
• Our company – Saigon Adventure offers both car and motorbike tour to Cu Chi Tunnels and you can book through our website.
• By boat is a fastest way to go there with amazing experiences through the Saigon river and enjoy lunch on the boat after exploring the tunnel. But it’s a luxury tour which is around 88$ for each person.
• By Taxi is really a waste, you don’t get anything else out of it. Just comfort.

• Both Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc have the same operating hours but have different entrance fees.
• Opening hours: 8 AM to 5 PM every day, including Sunday.
• Entrance ticket: