Family Travel in Vietnam
Family traveling has always brought great joy but has never been easy, especially for families with small children. Careful preparation is, therefore, essential to a fulfilling experience with your children. Here are our Vietnam travel tips to help you prepare better for your family trips.
Family-friendly Accommodation in Vietnam
Accommodation is always the top priority when considering any trip. Families with small children should opt for one or two-bedroom sites rather than a hotel room with two beds. This may cost you a bit more for such convenience. However, it is worth considering since a good night’s sleep is always the key to a worthwhile family trip.
Also, apartment or serviced apartment rental seems to be the best option for your family travel due to its reasonable price and home comfort. Spend time looking for centrally located apartments that could provide your family with full kitchen and laundry services to reduce unnecessary expenses.
Travel Insurance
Many people often underestimate the protection of travel insurance as an unnecessary expense. However, the safety of your family, especially your children’s, should always be given priority during the trip. Traveling to a different place, your infants can easily catch the flu or even have a food allergy; travel insurance can provide you with medical coverage in such situations.
A Checklist of Necessary Items
Before going on your family trip to Vietnam, you should have a checklist of items needed to bring along. Have a look at our suggestions.
Clothes
There is no restriction on the dress code, except for when visiting temples, which you should follow to fit into the norm of Vietnam and dress modestly. Besides, the kinds of clothing you should bring along will probably depend on what time of the year and what parts of Vietnam you are going to. There are four distinct seasons in Northern Vietnam, where the weather is extremely hot in the summer and nearly freezing in winter and spring. In contrast, Southern regions only have a dry and rainy season with a hot and humid atmosphere throughout the year. You can easily find all kinds of clothing, ranging from kids to adults, in any Vietnamese local market and shopping center.
Medicine
There is no need to bring lots of medicines along, except your specific medication, when traveling to Vietnam since there are several pharmacies in the cities. However, check for the expiration date of any medicines and prepare sufficient insect repellent and allergy medication for your children during the trip in Vietnam.
Electronic accessories
Since there are differences in the power supply and electrical safety standards among countries, you should prepare electronic accessories, especially travel adaptors, to use your electrical devices in Vietnam. This is even more essential for those traveling with their family since you may need to bring your tablets along as entertainment for your children during long flights and in the evening when you need some private time.
Check out Vietnam Travel Adaptors for Your Electrical Devices Abroad for further information.
Family-friendly Destinations in Vietnam
Choosing a travel destination is important for a successful family trip. You are expected to look for a place that could meet your children’s requirements and your interests. There are a variety of worthwhile destinations in Vietnam that are much preferable to family trips.
Ha Long Bay
As a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay is one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam for family holidays. It has numerous outstanding limestone islands, and various activities, such as cruising, sightseeing, hiking, and exploring mysterious caves, are suitable for every family member.
Hoi An
Hoi An is famous for its ancient town, unspoiled beaches, and food heaven. Your family will find great relaxation in Hoi An since there is a wide range of activities for family members to engage in together, including biking, shopping, and relaxing on the beach. Besides, it would be incomplete not to explore the food diversity there, with many superb local specialties such as Cao Lau, Mi Quang, Com Ga, and Spring Rolls. Like other Vietnamese food, the food in Hoi An is not spicy nor contains much chili, which is probably suitable for your children to enjoy.
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is one of the most well-known and touristy cities in Vietnam. It is considered a version of Hawaii because of its magnificent beaches and breathtaking scenery. Coming to Nha Trang, your family will fall in love with its many sun-drenched white sand beaches. What can also mainly attract your children when setting foot here is the VinPearl Land, with various forms of entertainment such as the Water Park and 4-D cinemas the park offers.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is the center of commerce and also the biggest city in Vietnam with various entertainment centers, excellent restaurants, shopping malls, and glitzy clubs. The temperature in Ho Chi Minh City often remains constant all year round, with the average temperature ranging between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius. However, the best time for you and your family to visit this thriving metropolis is during the dry season, which starts in November and ends in April or early May.
The Mekong Delta
Only a three—to four-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta is a highly recommended destination in Vietnam for every family traveler because of its unique local culture, many floating markets, and unique cuisine.
Elderly Travel in Vietnam
In recent years, an increasing number of elders have been opting to travel to Asian countries such as Vietnam, and this group of travelers should always be provided with proper care and certain services. Whether you accompany your parents or they maintain independence during the trip, look at our Vietnam travel guide for elderly travel to have a safe and memorable journey.
Elderly-friendly Accommodation in Vietnam
If your parents encounter difficulty climbing the stairs, it is highly advisable to pick hotels with an elevator. You can request rooms close to the elevator so your parents can avoid walking long distances and easily find their rooms. If the lift is out of order, you could also request the hotel have rooms on 1 – 2 floors above the lobby level.
Look for elderly-friendly accommodations in Vietnam:
Tips for Flying to Vietnam with the Elderly
You should seek the most direct flights with short travel times for air transportation. If you and your parents have to take transfer flights, you could avoid booking flights close together in case you have to rush to catch the next flight. Also, since being rushed may cause elders unnecessary anxiety, you should plan to arrive at the airport at least one hour and a half to two hours earlier before the flight leaves.
Walking with the Elderly around Vietnam
During your trip with elders, you should be careful of sidewalks and look for destinations with easy walkability, especially for senior tourists who are in wheelchairs. Always tag along with your parents to help stabilize their arms as needed.
Consider Tours for the Elderly in Vietnam
Going on a tour will likely minimize the chances of running into trouble with transportation during the journey. It is also easy to book since many travel agencies offer services, especially for senior tourists.
A Checklist of Necessary Items
Clothes
Vietnam’s weather is hot all year round, except for the North, which can be reasonably cold from October to January. If your parents plan to visit Northern Vietnam during this period, packing a coat and sweater is advisable. By contrast, you should prepare light cotton clothes in Southern Vietnam, especially in the summer.
One tip older tourists should remember is to wear loose and comfortable clothing to lower the risk of heat stroke or high blood pressure when sitting or standing for a long time. Loose stockings can considerably stimulate circulation in seniors’ lower legs during a long flight.
Medicine
Senior travelers are often advised to pack their medical supplies and a copy of their medical records since they may encounter health problems due to unfamiliar weather in a different environment. You can email yourself a copy of these files. As a precaution, you should take note of the information on local hospitals nearby to prepare for medical emergencies in Vietnam.
Travel Insurance
One of the essential things older travelers need to consider before going on a trip, especially overseas travel, is whether their existing coverage would cover healthcare expenses arising outside their country. If not, you must buy medical tourism insurance before coming to Vietnam. This is the most valuable and affordable way to ensure your benefits are protected in case of an encounter with any health problems.
Other Health and Safety Tips for Traveling with the Elderly in Vietnam
Drink lots of water
When traveling to an Asian country in a tropical area like Vietnam, senior travelers may experience fatigue and interference. Thus, ensure your parents are well-hydrated throughout the trip and remain healthy.
Check out our blog on Tap Water Safety in Vietnam to get to know more about Vietnam’s water supply.
Beware of robbery
In some popular tourist attractions, theft is an acute matter. You should be highly aware of your family’s belongings and not give those thieves any opportunity to snack on a thing and put your safety at risk.
Elderly-friendly Destinations in Vietnam
Consider some destinations with a favorable climate to have a fulfilling experience throughout your trip. Many attractions in Vietnam are suitable for elderly travel. Have a look at our suggestions.
Hanoi
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is famous for its centuries-old architecture with several grand old boulevards and ancient Buddhist temples. Traveling to Hanoi, you will have a chance to experience Vietnamese tradition combined gently with French influence to produce a graceful and exotic capital city.
Hue
As the former royal capital of Vietnam, this imperial city, with various historical monuments and ancient pagodas, will demonstrate the vanished Vietnamese feudal empire of the Nguyen Dynasty. Located in the center of Vietnam, Hue has hot and dry weather from January to August and rainfall in October and November. The best time to visit Hue is during the dry season.
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam’s largest city is always one of the top cities worth visiting because it combines modern and ancient cultures. Despite being a thriving metropolis city, Ho Chi Minh is also famous for its French colonial sceneries, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, Reunification Palace, and War Remnants Museum
Summary of Family and Elderly Travel in Vietnam
Traveling with your children, parents, or both (!) is always the best lifetime experience. Proper preparation seems to be the key ingredient to any successful journey. i Tour Vietnam offers many types of private tours that are probably appropriate for any member of your family. For further questions about particular travel cases, feel free to reach out to us through our Contact page.