Vietnam · DINING EXPERIENCES
The good dining experiences go early and the cheap ones go earlier. Below: 15 to sort out ahead of time, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Paradise Delight’s $38 Halong Bay dinner cruise, with buffet dining, cave scenery, live shows, practical tips, and honest value advice.
“great, tasty food and very funny staff , everything was simple but luxurious, a great experience, I like everything here, reasonable prices, anyone who hasn't been here should come and experience it once, it's worth it.”
Review the 3-hour Saigon River dinner cruise, with city lights, Vietnamese buffet or set menus, live music, hotel pickup, and practical booking tips.
“The cruise itself was great, it would have been nice to have commentary through the cruise for the landmarks and information about them. The only complaint we had about the food was the kids meal was not enough, it was a bowl of Read more”
Review of Nha Trang’s sunset dinner cruise with unlimited drinks, live music, lobster, hotel transfers, value, food, and practical tips.
“Fabulous sunset cruise. Staff were very polite and attentive. Plenty of food and alcohol. Boat was clean and comfortable. If I had to pick on something , the majority onboard were Russians. Obviously a big market as the staff spoke Russian ...mainly the anouncements. Transfers were excellent. Would definitely recommend”
Review the Ambassador Halong Bay dinner cruise, with Asian European cuisine, live entertainment, city lights, and a nightly fireworks show.
“The entertainment was fantastic.The food was great and the ship is huge and amazing. A really great vibe.Totally worth it, Halong Bay is simply breathtaking at night and is must!”
Explore Hue’s Imperial City in three hours with an English-speaking guide, palace stories, lunch or dinner, and a $9 entrance fee extra.
“Great walking tour that took 4 hours but time seemed to pass quickly. David was very informative, we learnt so much and he was also able to judge what was of interest to us and paced the walk to suit us. So glad that we booked this, certainly worth it.”
Review of Ho Chi Minh City's Saigon River dinner cruise, with Vietnamese buffet, live music, city lights, scooter option, and practical booking tips.
“We had an amazing time on this river cruise! Our guide, Barney, was fantastic. They organized transportation to and and from the cruise, and dinner was delicious. I hope to do this again next time I visit Vietnam!”
Unwind on a two-hour Hoi An sunset dinner cruise with cocktails, seafood, lanterns, river views, and a small-group feel for $39.
“The crew and the food were wonderful. As the sun set, the river came to life with many small boats festively lighted. A good value and a worthwhile two hours spent.”
Review of Phu Quoc’s dinner, Symphony of the Sea, Kiss of the Sea viewing, fireworks, transport, pricing, and booking tips.
“A very expensive and strange experience. 1. Voucher could not be used on site. A new one was sent via WhatsApp 20 mkn before start. 2. Was contacted via WhatsApp and informed that the price was 500K vd (15 €) more expensive. 3. The booked private table with the best view was a location at the back among larger groups. Unfortunately the experience was thus both unimpressive and bad”
Review of Ho Chi Minh’s private evening cyclo or scooter tour, Saigon River buffet cruise, live music, city views, price, and practical tips.
“Amazing trip and the scooter tour before hand was amazing and far beyond what we thought. The guides were amazing and took us to some fantastic places.”
Ride through Hoi An for Vietnamese sandwiches, pancakes, egg dishes, market stops, rice paddies, dinner, and beer with a local guide.
“Friendly people excellent tour. The guides were very knowledgeable. will take the tour again. Beautiful sights.”
Watch Phu Quoc’s sunset, try night squid fishing, and eat dinner aboard a three-hour boat trip for $14, with useful seasonal cautions.
“L’escursione non è male ti portano a vedere il tramonto e poi provi a pescare ovviamente è molto difficile solo pochi ci riescono la cena molto gustosa tutto sommato, passi il tempo non male”
Taste Hanoi's Old Quarter with a private local guide, sampling banh mi, bun cha, banh cuon, pho-style flavors, and egg coffee.
“Darcy took really good care of us during our fabulous food walking tour. She brought us to great places that we would not have been able to find ourselves. As it was a private tour, she could really cater to our taste and appetite.”
Taste Hanoi street food at five local stops, tour Dong Xuan Market, and finish with egg coffee overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake.
“We met Thanh near the market hall in Han Noi. And the fun started right away with a small snack (white bread with chili paste and koriander, delicious). Then we tasted a couple of exotic fruits and walked to the centre. Thanh expalined in detail and with a smile. Then we tasted exotic things like grilled silk worms (just if you wanted). Of spring rolls had to be checked as well. While walking through Han Noi Thanh also gave us a very good overview on the history of vietnamese food. The highlight was sitting on the corner of a lively street like real Vietnamese and a grill nearby with a…”
Review of Vy's Kitchen private BBQ dinner in Hoi An, with countryside views, cocktails, local food, transfers, price, and booking advice.
“We had an amazing lunch here in a beautiful setting. We had vegetarian spring rolls, prawn curry and the fish of the day. Everything was delicious and prepared with so much love. I had the best ginger lemongrass tea I’d ever had. Great experience and highly recommend.”
See Vietnamese water puppetry, then enjoy a buffet dinner and city lights on a private evening tour along the Saigon River.
“The Puppet Show is truly amazing. Although narrated in Vietnamese you will understand the actions. A phenomenal skill by the puppeteers to put this show on. Well worth it. Dinner afterwards was well worth it to see the wonderful lights of the city.”
Pick a bay, a mountain pass or a plastic stool.
