TET - Help!

Hello Bonesy,

sorry for my smile "I was thinking of a quiet week on a beach somewhere and have been reading up on Phu Quoc and Nha Trang"

You will to rush up a bit, in order to get that, what you might be looking fore.
Responsible priced accommodation is during THE time of the  rare, in whole Vietnam.
It will be especially affect Phu Quoc and Nha Trang.

Try, to make deal online. It's mot too late yet.

If no luck, than you still can walk along the hotels - a few always will have a room or more left, most will  be very busy, but not all of them full.

Best of luck.

Try Vung Tau mate.

head to Nha Trang dude

Hi Bonesy
I recommend Nha Trang. Nha Trang is closed to Hochiminh city rather than Phu Quoc. Nhatrang's beach is very beautiful and peaceful.

Hi Bonesy,

Nha Trang is a great place to relax and always book hotels via the internet so much cheaper that way. U may have to rent a motorbike to get there! Flights get really booked up early. and the tickets are more expensive too. Everything stops in Vietnam for at least four to five days in the South and longer in the North of the country. Your alternative is to visit Ho Chi Minh City. It is quiet, less traffic and really enjoyable at this time of year. The streets in D1 are also decorated. It is the Year of the Dragon. Great opportunity to take good pictures.  Hope this help.

It's going to be my first Tet in Vietnam. I think I would like to see how Tet is celebrated in the city as oppose to going to the beach. That's just my personal preference since I can go to Nha Trang anytime. But to be in Saigon/HCMC during Tet seems more unique to me. Am I wrong?

I think TET, similar to how a Chinese like me would do it, is usually not celebrated on the streets like Xmas - its more a family thing to get together, eat and catch-up.  Also for those who are not from Saigon will be going back to their hometown to reunite with their families.

Other than the festivities BEFORE the TET holidays, the actual TET itself (23-26, or maybe 27 as well) will have the city quite deserted - restaurants and malls may even be closed.

For one, the entire workforce in my office (35-pax strong) is not going to be in Saigon - locals and Asian expats going back to hometown / home countries, western expats going on holidays.

In short, yeah its really not going to be a good idea to stay in Saigon beyond 23 Jan 12.

Hello Gang,

Tet here is much like Christmas to us back home; it is the time to be among family and friends.  People here get together and travel.  That is why travel fares skyrocket, accomodations become limited, and customer service gets really bad.

This is my 3rd Tet here.  After my 1st one, I celebrate it with my local friends' families.  We go to the countryside and cook out.  If not, we would just stay in the city of Can Tho and enjoy it for what it is.  Why pay the double and triple fees and get poor services elsewhere, during the most loving time of the year?

HCMC, during the Tet days, is deserted by local standards.  But, to us, I think it is the best time to catch a good glimpse of this, otherwise vibrant, city.  Not a really bad idea, Carolemann and Phi Long.  I am pretty sure the local administration will have some form of celebration there.  The surrounding town people go there sometimes.

My recommendation to you, Bonesy, is to stay and get a jump start on getting to your new city and surrounding.  Nha Trang and Phu Quoc are always there; and they will only get better.  Why rush now, pay astromonical prices for less than what you could get later on? 

But, old Bonesy, if you really really have to be by the ocean, then head to Vung Tau or Can Gio.  They are the two closest beaches to HCMC.  During Tet, traffic to Nha Trang is going to get really bad.  Flights to Phu Quoc will be very difficult to catch; and you definitely don't want to take the other mode of travel to Phu Quoc, via car and ferry.  You are going to spend more of your week in the car and the ferry than on the island itself.

Hope this helps, and Chuc Mung Nam Moi to all of you.
Howie

Hi everyone,

Thank you very much for your advice - your answers have given me much more knowledge on it than any of the researching I attempted to do!

Maybe jumping the gun a bit to soon, I booked a hotel in Nha Trang 2 days ago. As if by fate I received a late booking offer for a hotel in Nha Trang for 110USD for 7 nights which I thought was very decent. I checked the hotel out on the standard review sights and it definitely has a roof and 4 walls so it sounds good enough for me!

I have experienced the 'astronomical' prices you mention, I spent about 3 hours yesterday trying to sort out transportation from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang and the cheapest price I could find was for 400,000 dong. I thought it was a price worth paying though seeing as I managed to make quite a good saving on the hotel.

Hopefully you all agree that I have done the right thing?? (fingers crossed!)

Thanks for all of your help,

Bonesy

Bonesy,

Put your fingers down, man!  Those are some pretty good deals that you got, considering the time of year.  So, to Nha Trang you go.  Enjoy.  Don't forget to share with us the good things, and bad, that you find there.  Chuc Mung Nam Moi to you.

Howie