re: Vietnam and Japan Advice

I did a pretty lengthy review last month of Vietnam, including Hanoi, Hoi An, and Saigon. Here's the link if interested:

LINK

I'll agree with the other poster, of those 3 cities Hanoi was my favorite. I'd recommend staying in the Old Quarter, that is if you don't require a nice hotel and want a slice of authentic Vietnam. It's a different world in there.

Hoi An is pretty, but prepare for a ton of tourists everywhere. It was probably our least favorite city just because of that. But I say that with reservations as I don't know what y'all enjoy. Our trip consisted of alot of other adventurous outdoor stuff, which is what we enjoy, so Hoi An wasn't really our cup of tea. I'd recommend exploring the outskirts if you want to get away from the tourist hustle and bustle.

If y'all like to shop, this is where to do it. There are a ton of cool little shops with everything you can imagine, and not just your run of the mill dinky souvenir shops.

I also agree with the other poster about Saigon. It's just a really big city, with tons of traffic, and not as much "flavor" as the other cities. I'd also recommend the War museum, and the Chu Chi tunnels, which are actually abt an hour outside of the city.