re: Vietnam and Japan Advice

I’m very jealous of your plans! I went to Japan last month and Vietnam in 2015. Here are my recommendations;

HCMC
- I greatly preferred Hanoi and Hoi An, and would recommend spending more time there than Saigon if possible. The city has great food and nightlife (Bui Vien has some especially good restaurants and bars), but I felt that it lacked somewhat in sightseeing and is less unique (there are multiple Subways, McDonalds, and even Popeyes). I liked seeing the Vietnam War sites around the city, and would highly recommend going to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants Museum.

Hoi An
-The Ancient Town is the central hub of the area and I would recommend staying near there if possible so you can walk around and see everything with ease. There are many cool shrines and old houses worth seeing in the Ancient Town, as well as some good restaurants and nighttime markets. I loved An Bang Beach and My Son Sanctuary (located outside Hoi An but has many cheap tour bus options advertised throughout the town). This would definitely be the place to take a cooking class or rent a scooter for a few days and trek around.

Hanoi
-Like Hoi An, I think Hanoi is a great walking city and a lot of the charm is being able to freely explore the Old Quarter. The street food is really good in this area and you almost can’t go wrong with wherever you choose. This is my favorite city in Vietnam. I enjoyed Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature, and the many history museums around the area. Definitely consider taking a day trip to Halong Bay if you have time.

Kyoto
-I have been lucky enough to travel to almost everywhere in Asia, and this is my favorite place. The people in Kyoto are so kind and take pride in their city, and there is an atmosphere there unlike anywhere else I have been (I hope to one day have my honeymoon here). The city is beautiful and full of shrines, restaurants, and bars. It is very difficult to get from one side of the city to the other, since the subway line is limited and the old, narrow streets lead to a lot of traffic. I would recommend trying to divide your days into different parts of the city to avoid stress and optimize your time. My favorite things were the Arashiyama area, Fushimi Inari-Takisha shrine, the Gion neighborhood, and the Kiyomizu-dera shrine. Kyoto Station and Gion seemed to have the best restaurants.

Tokyo
-I found Tokyo to be very easy to navigate by subway and metro lines, and is definitely the easiest place to get around on your list. I loved the Taito and Ueno neighborhoods because of the “old-school” vibe, and would definitely recommend going to Senso-ji Temple and Tokyo Skytree (best at night) in this part of the city. Shibuya and Shinjuku are the best neighborhoods to see modern Japan — very commercial and full of bright lights. Shibuya crossing is the busiest intersection in the world and definitely worth visiting at night.

I hope you enjoy your travels!