Mind Blogging. Mind Boggling.

Singapore return: INR 16K (Indigo from Mumbai/Tiger from Bangalore)

Singapore to HCMC: INR 4.2 K (Jetstar) , Hanoi to HCMC: INR 5K Jetstar; total 9K

Train (~2 tier AC) or Bus (~Volvo) travel, intra Vietnam:  ~INR 2K

Stay- US $8-$15 per day (Lonely Planet rate) : 12 days: 12*10*50= INR 6K

(Note: Beer is $1 as per lonely planet)
Visa: 3K
Other: $20 per day; 11 days; 11K INR

Total ~ 47K. 

VIETNAM itinerary

17th: Reach Ho Chi Minh City in the evening, walk around, settle in early, maybe after a beer at Pham Ngu Lao. Before that, go to the Saigon Railways Tourist Centre in Pham Ngu Lao itself, and purchase ticket to Nha Trang.

SE4 Train to Nha Trang: Wiki travel: The scenery on this journey is not that great compared to further north, so you are not missing out too much by travelling overnight. SE4; take lower 4 berth sleeper; 252,000 Dong, save on acco. Book SE2/ SE4 /SE6 from Nha Trang onwards. SE4 prefereable there too. SE4 is the only available overnight option to Nha Trang.

Case I: You get train on 24th from Nha Trang to Ha Noi.

Case II: You do NOT get train from Nha Trang to Ha Noi. You then need to find out about buses. 

If not available, buy bus ticket, then train from Nha Thrang.

Below: exact numbers. Add one hour to each leg. 

Trains. Sai Gon to Nha Trang- 8 hours. Nha Trang to Hanoi - 27 hours

Bus. Sai Gon to Nha Trang-8 hours. Nha Trang to Hue- 12 hours. Hue to Ha Noi- 12 hours. 

HCMC

Seems wonderful as most sights and sounds and food and markets and stay are in the central area. The open tour bus is also in the central area, the stop, though are you going to use it after all?

Both LP and TA did many of these places in a day's walk. 

19th: 2 museums: Reunification Palace and War remnants museum. Within 0.1 mile of each other, walk to both. Then to Notre Dam cathedral, again just 0.1 mile away, probably just stare at it. After that, Then see Jade Emperor Pagoda around 0.5 mile to the north. 

Spillover, in case you've done stuff on day 1 already: More places- Mariamman temple, 

Food places near Notre Dame- cafes- Sozo, Serenata etc. Lunch, maybe?

Near Notre dame- Ben Thanh market. Then, lots of food and booze places at Pham Ngu Lao- including veg, so no problemo. Finish the day there.

This entire thing is one day. Pham Ngu Lao is at night.

20th: Mekong Delta- 1 day- Delta Adventures- 1 day $25 per pax

Handspan- $60

Innoviet- $70

These are too expensive, you'll find something else. But do this- this is one day.

21st: Cu chi tunnels, water puppetry show 6 30 PM and 8 PM 50,000 Dong. Water puppetry show could be avoided if pressed for time as there's ample time later in Hanoi, and Hanoi is the epicenter of WP anyway. Have time later? Hang in Pham Ngu Lao, or go to Ben Thanh market.  Cu Chi + Cao Dai temple is $8 transport only, so just Cu Chi should be lesser.See if you want to go to Cai Dai- mixed reviews, plus you'd already have seen enough temples.

21st night- train to Nha Trang.

22nd morning: Get to Nha Trang in the morning. Unfortunately, this is a Sunday. Well, what to do. Take a xe om, and hit one of those lodges. Take one of those all day boat trips- Mama Linh.

Case I: You get train from Nha Trang on A. 24 Morning (SE4 preferred or even SE2) or B. 23 night (SE6).

23rd chill- if you get the train which takes 24 hours from Nha Trang to Hanoi, wonderful, you can chill here- go to Oceanographic institute, figure out more things to do. Talk to the cabbie beforehand If not, you need to leave either on 22nd night or 23rd morning by one of the open tour bus (Case II). 

IA. 25 Morning (SE4/SE2) - Reach Ha Noi in the wee hours of 25th Morning. Train likely late by an hour or two, which would be good for you as crack of dawn would happen. Take a room, and start sight seeing in Ha Noi.

IB. 24 Night (SE 6) - Go find a room in Ha Noi for the night, stroll around, down a beer and go to sleep.

Case II: Leave either on A)22nd night or B) 23rd morning from Nha Trang all the way to Hue, no lay over at Hoi An. 12 hour journey. Tell the bus station at Nha Trang beforehand that you want to go all the way to Hue- not to Hoi An. Reach Hue either on A) 23 Morning or B) 23 Night. Spend 23rd Night at Hue : convert adversity into opportunity and do Hue tourism. Basically, you've traded a day at Nha Trang for a layover day at Hue. Take a bus to Ha Noi on 24th Morning/Afternoon/night, whatever, and boom you are in line with cases IA and IB!! :D

Ha Noi

Like central HCMC, lots seems to be in the "Old Quarter".  Also, in Hanoi provided for a "do nothing specific" day!! Also, you would have completed most of the distances planned to be logged by this time, so you deserves a congratulatory rest. Also, for practical considerations, it provides for some slack if the prior travel plans take longer than planned. Pedalling along the city is "invigorating" - LP TF- best way is by foot, prepare to get lost! Coffee is excellent, says TF, and fat fresh baguettes smeared with laughing cow cheese are ubiquitous.

25th Morning. Do the lonely planet "A day in Ha Noi" thing. Remember, finding good budget eats here can be a "tad more challenging" here than in other cities (LP). Remember to also book Ha Long Bay trip, so two days in advance. Note: breakfast at Tamarind cafe', so you can check Ha Long in Handspan office.

Free day options: Shopping. Just go to one of the bookstores the previous day, and read, and just hang around Hoan Kiem Lake, go to the cafes described, go to Bia Hoi junction. Watch a movie at Megastar cineplex for $2, or even the Water Puppetry yet again (youve already watched it in Sai Gon). Could go to Lenin park down south (TF reco)

27th: Ha Long Bay. Hand Span seems pretty sophisticated, $55 for the Aloha Junk. If you are stretched for time, make it a day trip, though not recommended!   Two caves- Surprising and Dragon. TF says Surprising is better, and it does have a surprise in store. Try to persuade the crew to go to Surprising. 

"At the end of the day, it can't be denied: it's a great deal for the price -- a night in a hotel, a night on the boat, and, (weather permitting) swimming, kayaking, trekking, caves -- doing it on your own would be much more expensive"

Questions to ask to sound intelligent- do you take day trippers to Cat Ba island? Is generator very noisy; act as though you've done such things before.

Back on 28th morning/evening. 

29th Flight back to Singapore.