3 Must-Visit Cities in Vietnam and the SIM Card for International Travel

I’ve just got back from one of the most incredible, chaotic, and downright delicious trips of my life: a whirlwind tour of Vietnam. And while my head is still buzzing with the memories, I wanted to share a few thoughts, especially if you’re thinking of going yourself.

There’s that moment, isn’t there? You’ve just clicked ‘confirm’ on your flights, and you’re filled with this brilliant mix of excitement and a slight sense of ‘crikey, what have I just done?’. For me, that feeling is what travel is all about. But a little bit of smart prep can be the difference between a smooth adventure and a stressful faff.

I learned this the hard way on a trip a few years back. I landed in a new country, absolutely knackered after the flight, and my first task was to sort out my phone. I must have wasted a good hour of my holiday queuing at a stuffy airport kiosk, trying to make sense of a dozen different data plans, all while I could practically hear the city outside calling my name.

Never again, I thought.

So, when I booked my Vietnam flight ticket, I swore I’d do things differently this time. I wanted to share my journey through three incredible cities and the one bit of tech that made it all so brilliantly seamless.

Before We Go: The One Bit of Prep That Changed Everything

Look, the single biggest hassle when you land somewhere new is getting connected. You either risk those frankly terrifying roaming charges from your UK network, or you do the airport SIM card shuffle. Both are a pain.

This time, I was determined to find a better way. My secret weapon? An eSIM.

I know, it sounds a bit techy, but it’s honestly dead simple. It’s basically a digital SIM that lives in your phone, if you’ve got a fairly new model. You just download a data plan to it. That’s it. No little plastic chips to lose. A few days before I flew, I went onto a site my mate recommended called Commbitz. I found their Vietnam plans, picked one that suited my two-week trip, paid about the price of a few pints in London, and they emailed me a code. I scanned it with my phone, and that was it. My sim card for international travel was sorted before I’d even packed my bags.

The peace of mind was incredible. And it meant my adventure started the second I stepped off the plane.

First Stop: Hanoi’s Beautiful, Bonkers Old Quarter

My journey started in the north, in Hanoi. And what an introduction to Vietnam. The Old Quarter is a glorious, thrilling maze of streets, with a constant symphony of scooter horns providing the soundtrack. It’s chaotic.

And I loved every second of it.

The first thing you notice is the smell – it’s a mix of sizzling street food, fragrant incense from tiny temples, and strong, sweet coffee. This is where my pre-trip prep paid off immediately. Instead of wandering aimlessly, I could pull out my phone, look up reviews, and find a little cafe down a side street that served the best cà phê trứng (egg coffee). It sounds strange, I know, but trust me, it’s like drinking a creamy, liquid tiramisu. Delicious.

Having data in my pocket meant I had the confidence to just wander. I could weave through the traffic with the comforting blue dot of Google Maps to guide me, find my way to the famous ‘train street’ just as a locomotive rumbled through, and feel like a local, not a lost tourist.

The Jewel in the Crown: Hoi An’s Lantern-Lit Magic

From the buzz of Hanoi, I took a short flight down to Da Nang and then a taxi to what, for me, was the absolute highlight of the trip: Hoi An.

If you only have time for one of these places, make it Hoi An.

It’s a former trading port, and its ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The whole place is a beautiful mustard-yellow, with old merchant houses draped in bougainvillea. There are no cars, so you can just wander through the peaceful streets. It’s famous for its tailors, and I decided to get a suit made. This is where having my phone was brilliant again. I was able to pull up pictures to show the tailor exactly the style I wanted. No dodgy sketches or language barrier problems, just a perfect result a day later.

But the real magic of Hoi An happens when the sun goes down. The entire town lights up with thousands of colourful, handmade silk lanterns. They hang from every shop, every tree, and are reflected in the river that runs through the town. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Honestly, you’ll spend the whole evening just walking around with a daft grin on your face.

The Southern Powerhouse: The Unstoppable Energy of Ho Chi Minh City

My final stop was in the south, in Ho Chi Minh City, which everyone still calls Saigon. If Hanoi is the charming, historical capital, Saigon is its loud, energetic, modern younger brother. It feels faster, bigger, and more cosmopolitan.

The city is a fascinating mix of old and new. I spent a sobering morning at the War Remnants Museum, which is an absolute must-do to understand the country’s recent history. Then, I dived into the frenetic energy of the Ben Thanh Market, a sprawling maze of stalls selling everything under the sun.

But the best way to see this city? On the back of a scooter. Having a reliable sim card for international travel meant I could use the Grab app (their version of Uber) to book GrabBikes. For about 50p, you can hop on the back of a scooter and zip through the traffic like a local. It’s a thrilling, hair-raising, and utterly brilliant way to get around. It allowed me to find little out-of-the-way food spots and rooftop bars I never would have found on foot.

A Quick Word on Getting Around

Right, a quick word on getting between these amazing places, because that’s an adventure in itself. For the big jumps, like from Hanoi down to Da Nang (which is the airport you need for Hoi An), my advice is to fly. Honestly, don’t even think about the train unless you have loads of time and love a long old slog. A quick flight with a local airline like VietJet will cost you next to nothing and saves you a solid 16 hours of travel.

Within the cities, the Grab app is your absolute best friend. It’s their version of Uber, and using the GrabBike scooter taxis is a must-do experience – you’ll feel like a local as you zip through the traffic for less than a quid! And how do you book these cheap flights or your next GrabBike? On your phone, of course. It’s just another reason why having that sim card for international travel sorted before you land is a total game-changer.

The Real Adventure

Looking back, my trip was a whirlwind of incredible sights, sounds, and flavours. Each city had its own unique personality, its own magic.

And the one thing that tied it all together, the tool that allowed me to be spontaneous and confident, was having that simple, reliable data connection in my pocket. It took all the stress out of the logistics and let me just… be there. It let me focus on the adventure.

So if you’re thinking about Vietnam, just book it. It’s an incredible country. And do yourself a favour – spend five minutes sorting your phone out before you go. The real adventure is waiting for you in those bustling streets and quiet temples, not in an airport SIM card queue.