Vietnam for First-Time Visitors
In episode 4 of the Global Travel Planning Podcast I chat with Ros and Alan Cuthbertson, the couple behind the Step into Vietnam website and Facebook group. They were actually in Vietnam when we recorded this episode, watching the boats drift past their place on the Mekong Delta.
Between them Ros and Alan have visited 52 countries, but Vietnam is the one they keep going back to. In under half an hour they answer the questions every first-time visitor has: when to go (and what rainy season is really like), why cash still rules, which street food dishes to order first, and how to cross a road when the traffic never stops.
Doug and I were planning our own first trip to Vietnam when we recorded this, so I asked everything on my own list. Their advice shaped our itinerary, right down to booking the two-berth sleeper train months ahead.
You can grab our free Vietnam Travel Planning Cheatsheet below to plan alongside the episode.
Vietnam Travel Planning Cheatsheet
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Click here to download a PDF Transcript of Episode 4
What you’ll learn in this episode
- The best months to visit north, central and south Vietnam, and why rainy season often means an hour of afternoon rain rather than a washout.
- Why around 90% of transactions in Vietnam are still cash, and the easiest approach: withdraw dong from the ATM at the airport rather than carrying cash in.
- The street food to try first, from pho for breakfast to banh mi, mi quang in Da Nang and cao lau, the noodle dish Hoi An is famous for.
- How to cross the road when the traffic never stops: walk steadily, let the motorbikes flow around you, and always stop for cars.
- Why an eSIM beats a local SIM card, plus the apps to load before you land: Google Maps offline, Google Translate, XE Currency and Grab.
- Why the two-berth sleeper cabins from Hanoi sell out months ahead, and when a cheap internal flight is the smarter option.
- The two experiences Ros and Alan say no first-timer should skip: the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An, and Ha Long Bay by day trip or overnight cruise.
Links to relevant articles and podcasts
- Check out Ros and Alan’s dedicated Vietnam website – Step into Vietnam
- Follow them on Instagram
- Follow them on YouTube
Plan your trip to Vietnam
- Vietnam Travel Guide – tips, resources and every Vietnam episode in one place
- 12 Essential Vietnam Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors
- How to Plan a Trip Step by Step – our free trip planning guide
More podcast episodes
- Episode #15 – Insider’s Guide for First-Time Visitors to Singapore
- Episode #14 – Tips for first-time visitors to Japan
- Episode #29 – From England to the Philippines: The Journey Behind Moalboal Ecolodge with Angie Briggs
Guest Bio – Ros and Alan Cuthbertson
Alan and Rosalind Cuthbertson are digital content creators and founders of the popular travel websites Frequent Traveller, Road Trip Australia & Step Into Vietnam.
Ros and Alan have spent a lifetime of travel, beginning in Australia, and branching out to destinations across the world. In 2015 Alan and Ros took off on a life of full-time travel and began writing about their experiences with the creation of the Frequent Traveller website.
To date Ros and Alan have visited fifty-two countries, documenting their world travels which includes extensive slow travel within Thailand, Vietnam, and their home country of Australia.
Alan and Ros spend their time exploring, researching, and creating detailed travel guides for their three travel websites. These travel articles are designed to inspire and help travellers get the best out of their chosen holiday destinations.
Both have been featured in online magazines and have spoken about their travel lifestyle at conferences, giving inspiration and guidance to like-minded travellers.
Ros and Alan enjoy promoting destinations & travel experiences to their highly engaged online community.
Travel websites
