Vietnam by Lonely Planet

Vietnam Reviews

• 
  Tony

  I bought the electronic version of this and found myself disappointed at/by two factors: firstly, it was very difficult to navigate around and required jumping pages to follow links which didn't need to be in a different place, and secondly, there's a serious lack of photographs and diagrams (especially later in the book).
  
  Great mine of information, presented poorly.
• 
  Ming Wei

  Plenty of top information provided in this book, very useful of people planning/considering a trip to Vietnam, top quality travel related book, books internal layout is excellent, easy to follow. Very good
• 
  Huy

  Có cuốn này đi du lịch bụi chả sợ gì cả, đúng là kinh thánh của những người thích lang thang.
• 
  Phong Pham

  this bad boy (before it got nicked along w/ my man-bag that had all my important memories/items sans passport + wallet; but i digress) just got me through my month in viet nam. but a lot of the times the places that LP recommends end up being lame b/c they think they're justin timberlake b/c they made it into LP and always jack up their prices (mostly talking about some restaurants but it's hit or miss b/c some of the shit they recommend is legit). but whenever you're travelling alone and are looking to link up w/ some new mates, just do the things LP recommends b/c that's what we're all doing out here. the maps could've been better and i coulda used more color photos though. but word on the skreet is the next edition comes out the end of this august.
• 
  Scott

  It’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed as a big vacation nears closer and closer. Start preparing as early as possible. You’ll never go wrong picking up a travel guide and fortunately, this one has just about everything a travel guide should have. There’s a good amount of information and suggestions on places everyone must visit and places you may not have known to be worthwhile. It also works well if you need to narrow down activities if you’re strapped on time. I wish the guide had made room for more visuals. I don’t think I’d know what was being talked too well without some prior knowledge to said location. I’m excited for Vietnam, but not too thrilled for the 19 hour flight
• 
  Stan Adams

  Spent three weeks in Vietnam. Found book very useful in terms of planning and navigation. Didn't find sections on where to stay particularly useful as there were many good options not covered by book. Where to eat section, particularly in smaller places, were useful. Note, and true for all LP books, as soon as printed pricing guides are quickly out of date (in Asia, once establishment makes it into LP prices go up by 50%).
• 
  Karl Becker

  Used the electronic version of this - available for free through Amazon Prime Reading in Dec 2018 to Jan 2019 at least - to get ideas on what to do and where to go.
  
  Gave us some great insights at various places, and helped us know of the major places to hit in Ho Chi Minh City. We didn't always hire someone to give us the tour, and didn't always acquire the audio tour, so this book helped us get some great insights at a number of places.
  
  Recommended, especially for $0 on Amazon Prime Reading!
• 
  Daniel

  I think this is pretty outdated by now. I remember using this (2005 edition) in 2007. The map of Ha Tien town showed a bridge that was no longer there and the guy in a guesthouse 'with extra smiles' (according to this book) was terribly rude.
  Upgrade to a newer version if you want reliable information.
• 
  Danielle

  This book was full of misinformation. It listed the nightclub Apocalypse Now (which can possibly be the most famous nightclub in all of Vietnam) in Hanoi when it really is in Saigon. I stopped reading it once I saw that because I couldn't believe anything else listed in this guidebook.
• 
  Jojo

  It's the 2009 edition so the cost estimates are out-of-date, but the information is still quite good and helpful to read through while I'm here in Vietnam. I especially like the side-bar-like information boxes.
• 
  Carolyn

  have read through once, reading again as we are planning to travel in Vietnam. Won't know if it's really good until we are there!
• 
  Oriana

  Great holiday companion with good food recommendations and history facts.
• 
  Tyler

  Restaurants were hit or miss, though the local food descriptions were good. It seemed like a lot of the recommendations were for upscale western style places so wandering around and picking street food or hole-in-the-walls served as equally well and was cheaper. We ended up not staying at any of the recommended hotels because prices and availability varied drastically. Booking.com and TripAdvisor were better better bets. Also, the guide was missing some good transit options like Good Morning Cat Ba/Sapa buses, Chapa Express overnight trains, and Uber/GrabTaxi phone apps. The maps, tourist attractions, traveler information, and general price guidelines were all great and useful.
• 
  Piret Seeman

  Vietnam is a country currently in a rapid changing process and you get the overview from the book. However, circumstances change so rapidly that it is quite normal to find restaurant suggested in a book released in 2016 to be no longer such a good choice or it may even no longer exist.
• 
  Lasairfhíona

  Found this on my 'currently reading' shelf from November 2019.. remember travelling? This was, as always, a good overview. Probably will need some major updating post-covid!
• 
  Daniel

  This is a pretty good guidebook with good maps, information on many sights, background information, but some weaknesses in information on transportation. The book was published in March 2012, but by July 2012 train ticket prices were at least 50 percent higher than in the book. Bus fares seem a bit low too. Of course I don't expect perfect information, but there are some serious shortcomings: One of Hanoi's three major bus stations (Giap Bat) is missing and so is information on buses from Da Lat to Da Nang - two major destinations. The authors could also have done more for budget travellers by including more information on public transport. For example, it is possible and not too difficult to reach the Banh It Towers near Quy Nhon by public bus, but the authors seem to assume that you hire a motorbike. When I buy a book focused on one country I expect information on various options for major sites like this (motorbike, xe om, public).
  The historical background information could be improved too. There is often a focus on a few interesting facts from specific periods (sometimes random, often the American War) instead of a general overview of the history of the place. I'd prefer less information on the war and more about other periods, but a lot of people probably still think 'war' when they hear Vietnam.
  
• 
  Vũ Nghi

  Amazing Vietnam through this book
• 
  Sabine

  Altijd fijn: alle must sees doornemen als voorbereiding op je reis en weer wat leren over de geschiedenis van een tot dan toe redelijk onbekend land. Ik weet nu bijvoorbeeld dat er 2 miljoen Vietnamezen zijn verhongerd in WW II. Terwijl ik geen idee had dat ze überhaupt wat gemerkt hadden van die oorlog in west-Europa. En dat Ho Chi Minh City vernoemd is naar een belangrijke communistische strijder. Om maar wat te noemen.
• 
  Kerry

  Solid. Thanks again Lonely Planet. The maps and information was helpful. I wish I would have had a more up to date version. I think a lot in Hanoi and Halong Bay has changed in the intervening years.
  However, the background, tips and many websites were still relevant and helpful. I appreciate the no nonsense candor and information. Plus, the tips on the historical sites still stand. A useful reference for my travel purposes.