Have you seen travel recommendations for just a dozen places in Vietnam, repeated over and over? Do you wonder what lies beyond those few tourist hotspots? Or even what they are really like? Travel brochures that are too shallow, and big guides that are full of irrelevant stuff?
This book is built on a very broad, and highly informed base. I know Vietnam and I love Vietnam. The resources in here come from criss-crossing the country: more than 8,000 km by bicycle and walking, and more than 10,000 km by motorbike and bus. To 60 of Vietnam's 63 provinces. What you gain from that are insights and recommendations that really matter.
There are short guidebooks and there are huge guidebooks. This is your 'Goldilocks' guide: it fits in your pocket or bag, and has the right amount of easy-to-read information and the right type of information. No sponsored content, no endless lists of places paying to be recommended, no bizarre opinions. And definitely not written to a standard formula by a journalist in New York.
What this guide does give you are the essentials for getting there and getting around. Lots of explanations of what you can see and do across the regions and cities. There's culture, history and photos too, and a few surprises.
Books are expensive, but a good guidebook like this can save you time and money. It might save you from wasting a day in a C-grade attraction, or staying at a dodgy beach city when there's a paradise down the road.
The internet has amazing resources. Detail on every topic you can imagine, but also nothing on topics you really need. I put everything you need into summaries and guidelines. If you want the super-detailed stuff, it's free online and you'll have a much better idea of what you're looking for and looking at after reading this book.
Thank you for considering my guide and please enjoy your time in Vietnam.
