Is Vietnam suitable for children?

I found a great deal of useful information on travel in Southeast Asia from Australia's smartraveller website. Vietnam's risk level is marked as "exercise caution." That is one step above it's lowest risk level, "Be alert to your own security."

In terms of your children's enjoyment, I can only relate my own experience. When I was 13 and my sister was 8, my parents took us on "castle-tour" of England. It's one of my best memories as a kid and I remember my sister ended up writing a play about a castle we visited. So I'm a big proponent of traveling at a young age.

I'd say the most important things to consider are:

1. Thorough planning for basic safety concerns
2. Creating a trip with a good balance of fun, learning, activity, and rest
3. Explaining cultural differences and customs before the visit

As bonus, learning some basic Vietnamese phrases would probably be fun for them as well.

Be wary of the traffic in the cities. Crossing the road in Vietnam just involves walking out into the middle of very chaotic traffic, looking straight ahead, and not hesitating. They just go around you.

Vietnam is amazing though. Highly recommend it!