I just received an open letter from my friend Derek Potter who spends most of his retirement operating adventurous travel tours through Southeast Asia.
If you are interested in a guided tour, you should consider Derek. He is much more than a trip logistics officer--he has a genuine interest in everywhere he takes you, an enormous gamut of adventure experience (sunken wreck recovery, jungle exploration, yacht sailing), and the most important thing for a guide -- a hearty personality with lots of stories to fill in the stale bits of a trip.
He most recently returned from an exhaustive survey of Vietnam and offers his thoughts:
Bach Ma - great mountain top place to visit.....cool former French colonial hill station (1,500m) just south of Hue.......trekking trails winding through jungle covered ruins of French town and to waterfalls (also Viet Cong tunnels)............forest wildlife - tigers reported to have returned......guest house in restored royal villa at $10/15 per night.....agents in Hue can arrange transport up there (one and a half hours from Hue)........however don't confuse "Bach Ma" with "Ba Na" - this once beautiful French hill station near Danang has been spoilt by kitsch new developments leaving it looking like a mini Genting Highlands.
Hue's Royal Tombs and Imperial Citadel - instead of using the tedious Perfume River boat tours offered by the agents, these important sights can be combined much more time-efficiently by hiring cars or motorbikes with driver/guides........the gregarious "Thu" - a lady who has a cafe in the alley behind Binh Minh hotel - arranges excellent day tours.
DMZ tour - many inexpensive day tours available in Hue but frankly the DMZ is no longer worth the time and effort (tiring 12 hour day)........local scrap merchants have carted everything off there's hardly anything left to see (particularly at Khe Sanh - one of the war's biggest battles).........tour only of interest to veteran US soldiers and war history buffs.....the NVA tunnels at Vinh Moc are well preserved but not as interesting than those of the Viet Cong at Cu Chi near Saigon.
Nha Trang boat excursions - the infamous "Mama Hanh" boat tour is still running but Mama Hahn herself is in now in jail.......accused of moral turpitude and singing anti-government songs......four or five companies now doing similar but less outrageous tours......with perhaps "Hanh Cafe" offering best value and excellent lunch en-route.
Nha Trang to Hoi An - Highway One still in bad shape making this a shattering bus journey......much better to take the day train (05.35 - 13.55, Nha Trang to Danang) on the "Reunification Express" - Vietnam's fastest.....relaxed scenic journey and Danang station only 45 minute taxi ride to Hoi An......Hoi An now very touristy and if town too busy try staying in Danang in area near "Danang Hotel" (once town's best hotel but now seedy).....better "Saigon Tourane Hotel" next door with friendly Linh and Lien cafe's across the road.....can rent cars/motorbikes to Hoi An, My Son, China Beach and Marble Mountains.
Nha Trang town......"open ticket" operators drop you off in the south end of town at their own hotels......however a more interesting area to stay in is between the beach and the market around Thang Loi Hotel.....an old French type quarter with good restaurants.
Saigon to Phnom Penh - you can now do this journey by fast boat up the Bassac River via the Vietnam border town of Chau Doc.....and combining this with a two or three day Mekong Delta tour is much nicer than enduring the normal 10 to 12 hour bone shattering bus journey......Saigon's De Tham Street agents (Sinh/Kim/TM/Delta etc) arrange daily trips.
Saigon De Tham area - backpacker district but some nice new mini hotels opening up (with elevators for a change!).....offering great value at $10/15 USD.......also good restaurants in the area at prices much lower than those over near Rex/Continental.......intensive competition between agents offering cheap travel deals.....eg "open ticket" Saigon to Hanoi now only $27 USD.......but best to buy in stages - some sections are better done by train.
Mekong Delta tours - many Saigon agents offering inexpensive 1/2/3 and 4 day tours but the shorter ones all follow the same well worn, floating market type touristy routes (Mytho/Vinh Long/Cantho)......Chau Doc takes longer but more interesting.....there are also good bird sanctuaries with cranes and storks but need customised tours to reach them.
Dalat Town - excellent and incredibly cheap shell fish cooked on charcoal fires in main square stalls opposite Golf 3 Hotel......scallops roasted in herbs and boiled local giant snails.....wash down with cold beer or local Dalat wine.......fantastic!
Central Highlands - Dalat agents now offering 2/3/4 day tours to Lak/Buon Ma Thuot/Pleiku/Kom Tum though tribal areas......on paper this looks an interesting trip.....however this region has lost it's originality and does not compare with similar tribal areas in northern Vietnam......long and tiring journey if this route is taken all the way to Danang.......most travel north by traversing the spectacular Bel View Pass down to Nha Trang.....this also gives the option of a great walk down the old cog railway line.