How to plan your honeymoon to Vietnam
by Guest author
Vietnam is firmly established as one of Asia’s top honeymoon destinations, and that’s no surprise. Aside from the beach resorts where newly-weds can cosy up in a photogenic tropical paradise, there are diverse cities to explore, rich history to discover and wild landscapes to wander through. Our experienced Destination Specialists will take on the admin side of your honeymoon, leaving you with just the fun bits to think about, and plenty of time to enjoy the fizzy anticipation of taking your first adventurous steps as a married couple. Awwww.
What are your priorities?
Are you looking for city exploring, hiking, spa-time? Which sights and experiences are a total ‘must include’? Beach first or last? Vietnam offers such a wide variety of experiences, and everyone has slightly different priorities, so we recommend getting a list together early, then having a chat with us to discuss the options. Last-minute booking is possible, but it’s never ideal, and some of the best resorts get booked up well in advance, so getting your ‘have tos’ and ‘would likes tos’ sorted right at the start means we can act quickly around any limited availability.
Massages and spa treatments are often high on honeymooners’ lists, but don’t stress over the details of this aspect too much. Spas in Vietnam tend to be good value, and most high-end hotels will have them onsite and do them well. When choosing accommodation, focus on getting everything else just right first, as a good massage along the way is pretty much a given.
How to be savvy with your budget
As passionate travellers ourselves, we really want to help you get the most from whatever budget you have and, as we don’t charge extra for honeymoon planning, you can make the most of our expertise without worrying about added expense.
Vietnam is always excellent value for money, but Lionel agrees that being flexible about when you take your Vietnam honeymoon can help stretch your budget further, especially if you can take it out of peak season. For example, if you're marrying in August but book to go away a couple of months later, you’ll get the best of the Vietnam weather and have extra financial flexibility to enjoy a few more excursions or upgrade to a swankier hotel.
Danielle recommends keeping it simple in the city when combining sightseeing time with beach resorts. As you’ll be spending most of your time out and about enjoying the best sights, sounds and tastes the city has to offer, you may not that much time in the hotel while you’re there, so maybe go for a solid First Class option and splash out on added luxury later at the coast.
Our Gift List service is an excellent way to let your friends and family contribute to sending you on a really exceptional honeymoon, and we find wedding guests usually jump at the idea. Most couples have enough toasters by the time they tie the knot these days, and it’s great to be able to give something a bit different.
Where to go on a Vietnam honeymoon
Say ‘Vietnam honeymoon’ and a dozen destinations spring to mind. Most of the superstar spots - Nha Trang, Halong Bay and Hoi An, for example - live up to the hype, although some others have suffered from over-enthusiastic hyperbole... Dalat is not as wildly romantic as its ‘Le Petit Paris’ nickname might suggest! Whatever your style, we recommend including some less-obvious options to keep things fresh, and make your honeymoon really suit you.
Instead of zooming out of Hanoi as soon as you’ve flown in, spend a day or so soaking up its wonderfully paradoxical chilled-out chaos. Or, perhaps, weave hand-in-hand through the crazy traffic of Ho Chi Minh City to discover the very best Vietnamese coffee.
Avoid feeling overcrowded in popular Halong Bay by opting out of any group tours. Instead, enjoy a spectacular sunset from the deck of a private junk, just the two of you... well, and the discreet crew, of course!
If you love walking, bring your hiking boots and enjoy some spectacular Sapa scenery as you trek together along winding trails. We've fallen in love with the less well-known hills around Mai Chau, too, which are especially good to wander through during a September or October honeymoon.
Vietnam honeymoon itinerary inspiration
If you’re not sure where to start with everything Vietnam has to offer, take a look at some of our itineraries for ideas. Vietnam In Style shows you the fullest way to see the country, with added luxuries at every opportunity, whilst Simply Vietnam smoothly combines all the highlights in a whistle-stop nine days, leaving you the flexibility to add on some extra beach resort relaxation. You can book one of our itineraries straight ‘off the rail’ if you find a perfect fit, but tailored holidays are our thing, and we love nothing better than taking all the elements which inspire you the most, and using them to create a bespoke package. It won't cost you any extra - in fact, it's usually better value, because you'll only be paying for the experiences you want.
Schedule plenty of downtime
However excited you feel about all the possibilities that a trip to Vietnam puts in front of you (and we totally understand that!), feedback from honeymooners sometimes reflects that they tried to do too much, and wished they’d had more time to relax.
To get the perfect balance between active and laid-back, use your city time to do a Vespa tour, street-food tasting and other ‘must sees’, and set aside as much time as you wish for laying back on the beach, at either end of your honeymoon.
To get that blissful beach-time somewhere other than the old favourites around Nha Trang, head instead for the wilder sands of Phu Quoc, or the dreamlike luxury of the Six Senses resort at Con Dao, which is simply outstanding.
Although anything is possible, we rarely recommend you try to see the entire country within a two-week honeymoon, as this inevitably means spending a lot of time travelling. Ideally, aim for one or two long journeys per trip, and make the most of the sights within a smaller area by combining short hops and leisurely stays.
When should you go on your Vietnam honeymoon?
This may seem like an obvious question - the answer is usually ‘just after your wedding’, isn’t it? – but there are a few things to consider. If you are flexible, there’s a good argument for taking a pause after summer nuptials and honeymooning as winter approaches instead. This way, you avoid the biggest tourist crowds, get a little more for your money, and can enjoy sunny days over more of the country.
If you are heading off in summer, then the best weather can be found in the centre of the country around Hoi An and Hue. The beaches of Danang and Hoi An are in high demand during these months, while those further south are getting a bit drizzly, so early booking will give you the best choice of resorts.
If you can honeymoon during winter, then you can take a pick-and-mix honeymoon across the north and/or south of the country, combining them however you wish. The southern beaches are back in play (hello, Phu Quoc!) as are adventurous northern destinations like Hanoi, Sapa and Halong Bay.
Find out the best time to go to Vietnam with our weather guide.
Bride’s Day
Once you’ve ironed out the details and are all set for your Vietnam honeymoon, booking a Bride’s Day experience is the cherry on the cake. This treat to surprise your loved one - or for you both to enjoy together - is a sure-fire way to start your honeymoon on a high. It can be anything from a classic champagne spa day to a bespoke experience tailored precisely to your personality. We’ve pulled some pretty awesome strings in the past, including arranging a private photo safari with a professional photographer! If there’s something you’ve set your heart on, and it’s at all possible, we’ll bust a gut to make it happen. We know it says ‘bride’, but this service is designed for brides and grooms alike, and is just another way to add some extra loving sparkle to the experience. We’re a mushy lot, really.
Explore more on our Vietnam honeymoon page, or if you're ready to talk to our Destination Specialists get in touch or contact us on +44 (0) 1273 670 001.
by Guest author on 25th January 2018