Five long weekends from Saigon
Where people who live in Ho Chi Minh City go when they have three days and want cooler air, slower water or an empty beach.
Living in Saigon is a joy until about the third week of March. These are the trips we suggest to friends who live here and want out for a few days.
Da Lat
A 50-minute flight and the temperature drops by ten degrees. Pine forests, coffee farms and a market that sells strawberries and artichokes.
The Mekong Delta
Three hours by road. Stay in an orchard homestay, cycle between villages and be at the floating market before breakfast.
Con Dao
An hour by plane: empty beaches, turtles in season and very little else.
Phan Thiet and Mui Ne
Three hours by train. Sand dunes, kite-surfing and seafood on the beach.
Cat Tien
A national park four hours north of the city, for walking in real forest.