Holidays with children in Vietnam

Vietnam is a country of beautiful landscapes, ancient temples and legends that come to life. And besides, these are wonderful resorts, modern infrastructure, and all this - for relatively little money. Family vacations in Vietnam have been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years, because the time spent in this exotic country will be remembered for a long time by both adults and children.

Pros and cons

A definite plus in favor of Vietnam is that it is one of the most well-groomed Asian countries. The hotel complex is developed at the world level, which significantly reduces the risk of catching some exotic disease with a child.

The local population is so cordial and welcoming, and loves Russians so much that they will immediately surround you with attention and care.

The Vietnamese sympathize with the Russians somehow especially, warmly and at home. Therefore, here, among the pagodas, dragons and other attributes of Buddhism, you can easily find a statue of the leader of the revolution Lenin or a monument to pioneers.

Despite the growing popularity among tourists, Vietnam as a destination is not yet considered as massive as Thailand, and therefore there is always, even in the high season, there are free places in hotels and on beaches, which is important for vacationers with small children.

The beaches of Vietnamese resort cities are quite clean, even if they are not the property of hotels.

Vietnamese in the provinces have a very negative attitude to this type of crime like theft. It is severely punished in this country. Therefore, you can without a doubt leave things on the beach unattended while swimming, and no one will take them. This is not accepted. But in large cities, you should keep your eyes open - the risk that your handbag will be cut off in the crowd is quite high.

The advantage of taking a vacation in Vietnam with a child is financial gain. Even for little money in this country, you can get a huge range of services. Suffice it to say that 1 Russian ruble is 382 Vietnamese dong (as of summer 2017). Food, shopping, excursions are quite cheap in the country. So, the main part of the costs will relate to paying for the flight, and not the stay in the country itself.

The cuisine of the Vietnamese people does not abound in as many spices as that of the Thais. It is based on rice and vegetables, so even a child can be fed with local dishes if he has already grown up from infancy. If you don't want to risk it, the vast majority of restaurants in the country offer a special children's menu and can prepare something for your child personally to order.

The disadvantages of resting in an Asian country are always the same - only strict observance of all sanitary rules saves from unpleasant local diseases, we will talk about them a little later.

Tourists often complain about the disgusting traffic management in Vietnam, which makes it an extremely dangerous mission to be a pedestrian here. On the roads there are cycle rickshaws, large trucks, motorcycles, and a lot of cars. And all this moves almost simultaneously, honking and not letting pedestrians crossing the road. Therefore, walking with a child in a Vietnamese city should be carefully, quickly and dexterously.

Local merchants can be incredibly intrusive, literally stalking tourists both on the beach and in the markets. They do not understand the word “no” or they pretend not to understand. Not in any language. Even in Vietnamese.

Quite a lot of different animals live in the sea off the coast of Vietnam, and not all of them are safe. For divers who climb into the water in order to admire the inhabitants of the sea, such meetings are a great success. For you, who came to swim and sunbathe with your child, unexpected encounters with poisonous fish, jellyfish and other creatures is a very unpleasant incident.

In general, tourists who are going to Vietnam can find a lot of negative stories on the Internet on the topic “Why I won't go to Vietnam anymore”. But you should not blindly believe everything. With many minuses, there are really more pluses in this mysterious Asian country. And the main thing is the visa-free regime. Russians can stay in the country without a visa for up to 15 days.

Best season

You can go to Vietnam at any time of the year. True, the climate in different parts of the country differs significantly due to the fact that it is "stretched" along the coast.

Nevertheless, the winter months are considered to be the best season. Here at this time the so-called "high season", the probability of tropical showers is minimal.

In winter, with a child, it is better to go to Nha Trang, Da Lat, to Phu Quoc Island, in Vung Tau. The water temperature at this time here is stably kept at the level of 26-28 degrees with plus Celsius.

The low tropical rain season starts in May and lasts until mid-October. During this period, in the country it is better to do an excursion vacation, and not a beach vacation, and prices for everything at this time fall to their minimum.

The weather in this country can be unpredictable. And in the low season, destructive typhoons often hit the Vietnamese land. So that the rest does not turn out to be hopelessly spoiled, in the summer months you need to be more careful when choosing a specific vacation spot. Preference should be given to Donang, Hue and Hoinan.

The best resorts

The choice of a resort is an individual matter. Some Russians are calm about the beaches, on which, in addition to them, several hundred Chinese vacationers are located, others require European service, comfort and privacy. Before proceeding with the choice of a resort for a trip with a child, you should answer a few questions and formulate your own requirements for the resting place:

Weather and climate in the resort.
How to get to the resort.
The quality of the hotels.
Entertainment and infrastructure.
The possibility of resting with children.

Da Nang

A resort located on the coast of Central Vietnam. There are excellent beaches here, which are also not crowded. There are almost no ancient attractions in the city after the war with America, but there are many modern places where you can go with your child.

The resort has a large selection of hotels of various categories. The international airport is located nearby.

In summer, the temperature here keeps up to 32 degrees, in the low season (winter months) - about 20 degrees. The rainy season here begins in September and ends by the end of December.

Hoi an

It is a small but very beautiful resort town in the central part of Vietnam. It is called a museum city because the architecture and atmosphere of the 15th century Asian port are perfectly preserved here. You can get to Hoi An from Da Nang, you will have to go about 20 kilometers

It is not a long drive to the beach from the historic center, for this you can use the services of a cycle rickshaw. The beaches are clean enough and very picturesque. The best time to visit Hoi An is from January to August.

Nha Trang

The most famous Vietnamese resort is located in the central part of the country. Russians have already become so fond of him that a new service has been organized especially for them at Cam Ranh airport - obtaining a visa on arrival. There are wide and long beaches, the air is filled with the aromas of eucalyptus trees. Due to its geographical location (on one side - islands, on the other - mountains), the resort is not threatened by typhoons and floods. The best time to visit Nha Trang is January-August.

Phan Thiet

This resort is also called Mui Ne. It is located in the southern part of the country and is only slightly inferior in popularity to Nha Trang. The beaches are sandy and comfortable, but there are no coconut trees, and therefore the view is somewhat poorer than in other resorts.

Almost all year round, the air temperature here is kept at 29 degrees, the rainy season begins in May and lasts until the end of October. Rest in Mui Ne is much cheaper than rest in Nha Trang.

Phu Quoc island

This is the largest Vietnamese island, located in the Gulf of Thailand. The resort is quite suitable for comparison with a paradise island - quiet, secluded, picturesque. Very beautiful beaches, white sand, palm trees, azure water, dense tropical forests. The best time to visit the resort is from November to March. The rainy season "starts" in July and lasts until September.

Con Dao Island

This archipelago is located on the territory of the National Park, and therefore here you can not only relax on a clean beach with a beautiful view of the turquoise bays, but also see rare animals and birds.

The best time to travel to Con Dao is December - April. The rains begin in May and continue until November.

Vung Tau

It is a resort town in the south of Vietnam. Oil production is taking place nearby, so the city itself is developing at a rapid pace, the largest Russian diaspora in the country lives here.

But it is rather difficult to call Vung Tau a resort because of industrialization. The beaches in the city are rather dirty. But if you get to the southern outskirts, the beaches are much cleaner, and the atmosphere itself is significantly improved. The best time to stay here is November-April.

Hotels with kids clubs

There are a lot of hotels where you can comfortably stay. Many hoteliers today rely on family vacations, and therefore almost every hotel at all resorts has family rooms, pools with water slides, including children's ones. Choosing a hotel for your pocket and your liking, please note that hotels with children's clubs are usually marked with a special badge at tour operators.

Here are some of them:

Ocean Vista 5 * (Phan Thiet);
Bamboo Village Beach Resort & Spa 4 * (Phan Thiet);
Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang 5 * (Nyanchang);
Amiana Resort 5 * (Nyanchang);
Vinpearl Resort Phu Quoc 5 * (Phu Quoc Island);
La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc - MGallery Collection 5 * (Phu Quoc Island);
Swiss-Belhotel Son Tra Resort & Villas 4 * (Da Nang);
Vinpearl Luxury Da Nang 5 * (Da Nang);
The Grand Ho Tram Strip (Vung Tau);
Le Belhamy Hoi An Resort and Spa (Hoi An);
Swiss-Belhotel Golden Sand Resort & Spa (Hoi An).

Entertainment

Each resort has its own entertainment, sightseeing tours, children's animators work on the beaches. But if the family has a goal to see the most interesting places in Vietnam in a short time, then you should definitely visit these places:

Mountain city of Dalat. It was built by the French when Vietnam was a French colony. There are incredible waterfalls and grottoes. And also - the most inexpensive coffee in the country.
The island of attractions Vinpearl Land (Nha Trang). This is a huge amusement park, which will be interesting for both adults and children. There is an oceanarium, a mini-circus with funny animals, a musical fountain, and a water park.
Halong Bay. This bay is considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Here for centuries wind and water have created bizarre configurations of stones, each stone has its own name.
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). In the city you can see the historical center, get to know more closely the Vietnamese culture. With an inquisitive student, you can go to the underground city of Cu Chi. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can go on excursions to the wild mango bush of Kanzo.
Mui Ne treasures... This is a lotus and crocodile farm, a unique lighthouse, the reclining Buddha and the Fairy stream. Incredibly beautiful and interesting places.
Puppet theater in Hanoi... Large dolls, guided by actors with long sticks, move directly through the water. The spectacle is impressive and, in principle, the only one in Hanoi. Children have nothing more to watch here.
Monkey Island. A real island with real monkeys near Nha Trang.

Tips for choosing a hotel

Pay attention to the distance of the hotel from the airport. Otherwise, a 10-12 hour flight with a child threatens to last a 5-6 hour bus ride to the destination.

If the child is small, it is better to choose hotels with Russian-speaking staff. This is possible at the resorts of Mui Ne and Nyanchang.

We rent private housing

There is no need to look for accommodation upon arrival, as you can do this in advance by searching and booking an apartment, guesthouse or villa on Booking or Airbnb.

It is quite possible to rent an apartment without intermediaries, subject to payment on the spot. If you ask for 100% prepayment, it is better to refrain from such rent.

Prices may vary depending on the season, distance from the sea, etc. You can rent an apartment for $ 100 a month, or you can find a room for $ 350. On average, an apartment near the sea costs from 8 thousand Russian rubles to 30 thousand per month.

Important nuances

Acclimatization is an important nuance that should be considered when planning a trip with a small child. It will be, but the severity of the process and its duration depend on how attentive the parents are to the nutrition and drinking water for the baby. By the way, milk formulas are sold in all major stores in the country, as well as other baby food.

Before the trip, it is advisable to get vaccinated against rotavirus (if the child is not a year old), take the “Lariam” malaria pills a week after departure, and get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis and tetanus.

Do not forget about safety measures in this tropical country - use mosquito repellent, wash your hands more often, wash fruits.

Reviews

Reviews about vacations in Vietnam with children are quite different. Some parents were completely delighted, others were disappointed and outraged.

Like any other Asian country, Vietnam is an exotic country "for an amateur", and therefore it is better to go and form your own opinion on personal experience.