Vietnam checklist

Accomodation

Throughout Vietnam we stayed pretty well always in a double room with our own bathroom and hot water, as well as air conditioning. Clean but spartan. A sheet and a fuzzy blanket (often decorated with teddy bears or leopard print). Sometimes a chair and almost always a tea set of pot and tiny cups, but there was never any tea or even hot water so we determined they were decorative. Only two mosquito nets (we brought our own, but rarely needed it as a quick spray or coil burn was enough to get rid of the few mozzies that hovered). Apart from Hanoi we stayed in locally run guesthouses and mini-hotels. Along the way we took a few tours (Halong Bay, Sapa, Mekong River delata) and stayed in guesthouses set up by the tour company.

list of self-chosen accomodation (with inclusions)
Hanoi: Hanoi Backpackers Hostel - $30 (breakfast, internet)
Hue: Impressions - $15
Hoi An: Huy Hoang - $30 (breakfast)
Nha Trang: -$15
Dalat: Nice Dream - $15 (breakfast, internet)
Ho Chi Minh City: Linh Linh - $15

Food

Yes we are the sort of people who take photos of our food (but only if it's especially interesting or photogenic)

BreakfastHue and Hoi An share top honours for original and delicious food
Jennifer gets over her eating heads issue
Saigon covered street marketCan Tho beer steamed prawns and snake curry (we also had snake spring rolls, but decided against the roasted frog and field mouse - even Martin has limits it seems - snake rather predicably tasted like chicken)
Mekong River delta fruit
Happy eating Vietnam style