![\"Flower](\"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/17-0069R-_MG_0345A-e1529761683421.jpg\")
<\/a>Hanoi<\/p><\/figure> Ho Chi Minh<\/p><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n \n Most tourists to Vietnam will be urged to visit the 5 H\u2019s: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue and Ho Chi Minh. By name, you\u2019d be forgiven for getting them muddled \u2013 but each, in fact, offers a unique travel experience that illuminates a different side of the country\u2019s culture, history and scenery.<\/p>\n \n Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh (known locally as Saigon), the two largest cities, bookend the long thin country: Hanoi, the capital, is located in the North<\/a>, and Ho Chi Minh way down south<\/a>. While there are certainly some similarities between the two \u2013 both offer remarkable food, interesting architecture and history \u2013 they are rather different in other respects.<\/p>\n The former is somewhat more traditional; the French colonial influence is palpable and the atmosphere feels comparably calm. It’s a city of lakes, parks, and wide boulevards with elegant but faded architecture. Cafes and restaurants spill out onto street corners, with the local Bia Hanoi flowing in abundance. Saigon, by contrast, is modern with a bustling, cosmopolitan atmosphere. It’s full of amazing contrasts: elegant new hotels, exclusive restaurants and bars sit side-by side with roadside noodle stalls and street children. It\u2019s bustling, booming, crowded and noisy \u2013 but with pockets of calm and grand colonial era buildings.<\/p>\n In addition, the geographic distance between the two mean that the surrounding landscapes are remarkably diverse, and each experiences a different climate. Here, we’ll give you a short guide to the kind of travel experience you can expect from these two captivating cities.<\/p>\n \n Take a unique perspective on the city with the Hanoi\u2019s secret alleyways tour<\/a>, which guides you through the labyrinthine Old Quarter. For foodies, the street food tour<\/a> is an absolute must, giving you a local insider guide to the best eateries.<\/p>\n From Hanoi you can also easily travel to the famous Halong Bay<\/a> and its inland counterpart, Ninh Binh.<\/p>\n Hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n Hanoi has some truly fantastic hotels. Our personal favourites include the boutique Maison D’Hanoi and the beautifully restored Sofitel Metropole<\/a>, which offers luxurious comfort and colonial grandeur with service to match.<\/p>\n Weather<\/strong><\/p>\n \n Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n As a city with approximately four million motorbikes and scooters, there\u2019s no better way to explore like a local than taking a Saigon Vespa Tour<\/a>. Alternatively, you can get a fantastically insightful overview of this diverse city in our fantastic Saigon contrasts walk<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to city tours, you can use the city as a base for excursions. You could take the half day trip to the famous Cu Chi tunnels<\/a> of the Viet Cong, or, further afield, to the Mekong Delta<\/a>, a beautiful place for river cruises amidst verdant rice paddies and local villages.<\/p>\n Hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n Weather<\/strong><\/p>\n Which of these Vietnamese cities takes your fancy? In all honesty, both offer phenomenal, distinctive experiences \u2013 you would have a brilliant time whichever you chose to visit. If you\u2019ve got time, why not try them both? For more tips about a luxury holiday to Vietnam<\/a>, do call 020 3627 5410 or email us with your questions here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two biggest cities in Vietnam. They like at opposing ends of the country and are different in many different ways. Found out more here. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":13040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[71],"coauthors":[947],"class_list":["post-13039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vietnam","tag-tips-and-tricks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":7958,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13039"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=13039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\nHanoi<\/h2>\n
Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nAs Hanoi is in the north of the country, here you\u2019ll encounter hot wet summers and cool dry winters. The seasons here roughly correspond with the UK; their cool period runs from around January to March and the heat and humidity arrives around UK summer time.<\/p>\nHo Chi Minh<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nWhether you\u2019re after five-star luxury or a smaller boutique hotel with local charm, Ho Chi Minh has it all. The Caravelle<\/a> is a fantastic hotel in the heart of the city that\u2019s also steeped in interesting history. For the ultimate in luxurious living, try the beautiful Park Hyatt Saigon<\/a>; a boutique 5-star hotel with world-class facilities and a fantastic outdoor swimming pool.<\/p>\nHo Chi Minh City has a tropical climate, so there are only 2 defined seasons: wet and dry. The dry season is from December to April, but rain at other times of year tends to be comprised of short sharp showers and shouldn\u2019t necessarily deter you from travelling.<\/p>\n