Xin Chao, otherwise known as ‘hello’ in Vietnam. A beautiful country I explored for 3 weeks in August 2018, travelling from the South to the North, a typical route taken through Vietnam. I only wish I had longer to explore as it’s hard to fit it all in.
In this blog I’m going to detail my journey and recommend places to eat, sleep and see, whatever your interests are…
Hi Chi Minh
I started in Ho Chi Minh, a city with a rich history. Previously known as Saigon, it was named after the former president of Vietnam. This city was brilliant for a couple of days stay, learning about the history of Vietnam and the horrors it faced. The war museum was an insight into the tragedy Vietnam faced in 1960s, after the war. The impact of Agent Orange still impacts the city today, affecting generations 60+ years on. I was inspired by the positivity and vibe of the city and people, and how it carries its history. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a must see, understanding how the districts connect, and experience it for yourself by going inside.
I then moved on, by plane, to Da Nang on the East Coast. This was the quickest way to get there, and didn’t cost too much. If you are on a time restricted trip I would definitely recommend it! Then it’s a short taxi ride down to Hoi An.
Hoi An
Hoi An is by far my favourite place in Vietnam. This location didn’t only offer a village-like environment, but the evenings offered markets and a tranquil river to sit by whilst gondolas with lanterns floated past. By the riverside sat several bars, and further down a food market. At night, if you walk along the river you can ‘barter’ down the locals for a reasonable price to go on the gondolas. You get about 20 minutes for around £4-6, and given a lantern to light and put in the river to float alongside you. The lanterns symbolise harmony and balance, and are influenced by China and Japan once they settled there in the 16th century. If you are travelling on a budget, the food markets are definitely the best place to get food. You will also see ice cream made in front of you out of frozen yogurt, and for those not of the faint hearted there are fully cooked fish, eyes and all…
I stayed in Tribee Ede, a hostel walking distance to the centre of Hoi An. This hostel was brilliant, comfy beds, clean and had a pool. Happy hour was offered, and buses organised to more of the ‘night life’ areas. This was a great way to meet people, especially if you are travelling on your own and like a bit of water volly ball! The hostel also organised several trips, including the marble mountains, cooking classes and rides through the Hai Van Pass.
I went to all three mentioned above, but the cooking class stands out the most to me. They start with taking you to a local market; purchasing the fresh foods you will be cooking with, explaining how they are grown and what they compliment. The smells and colours were out of this world. Following this, you are then taken on a boat to get into ‘basket boats’; small circular boats made out of bamboo and wood made for a maximum for 2-3 people. You are then taken crabbing on the shore with the locals. The crabs are returned safely to the water and you get out to go to the cooking area whereby you are greeted with fresh passion fruit juice. You have resourced for three meals and you can chose from making a vegetable dish or a meat dish; there’s an option for everyone! I don’t want to give any secrets away because I think it is important to experience it for yourself, so get yourself booked onto a cooking class. Even if cooking isn’t your speciality at home, it is a must do for the whole experience!
Hai Van Pass
Like many of us out there, i am not confident driving a moped. The thought of riding with my 12kg backpack tied to the back was incredibly daunting. But I didn’t fear, because my hostel offered a very reasonable priced option of getting an ‘Easy Rider’ whereby an experienced Vietnamese driver drove a motorbike, with me on the back, to Hue via the Hai Van Pass. This was one of my favourite journeys as I experienced the dragon bridge through Da Nang, stopped off at a beach, and visited a ‘local friend’ of the driver for delicious Vietnamese coffee. Even if you aren’t a coffee lover, you’ll love Vietnamese coffee!
My advice would be that when you stop off in a small town for a drink and a break, keep all your expensive belongings with you. Your easy rider driver is very trustworthy, but just keep an eye out for the people who own the shops.
Hue
After a long day soaking in the incredible views, and making the mistake of not putting enough sun cream on, I finally arrived in Hue. Hue is a relatively small place, but offered a variety of places to eat, places to go out to and beaches of white sand and blue waters. The photo on my homepage hopefully reflects this, as it was taken at one of Hue’s gorgeous, yet deserted beaches, just a short moped drive away. When you arrive at the beach, you do need to pay to park your bicycle, but it doesn’t cost a lot. In Hue there is always a Bahn Mi nearby. A Bahn Mi is effectively a baguette with usually a meat filling of your choice, and you can get almost anywhere in Vietnam… please try… you may just get addicted!
Many of us don’t have Internet when we travel but ‘city mapper’ is a really good app, which gets you around without any Wi-Fi.
Ninh Binh
Following this, I decided it was time to stray away from the beaches and see the more rural parts of Vietnam. I headed north in a minibus to Ninh Binh, a mountainous area hidden away from everything. This was perfect for a few days of rest and relaxation. I stayed at a homestay, where they held a family dinner, which was really the only option for food. But I can’t knock this, as the food was brilliant. We were encouraged to take in the culture by drinking the naturally made Vietnamese shots. There weren’t that many activities to do, however I went on a trip to travel the caves within the Ninh Binh mountains which included beautiful views and a stop off at a small island. The small boats were powered by strong young ladies who directed the boats through paddles. As the caves were very low, you nearly had to lie down to go through them, which added to the experience.
Cat Ba and Ha Long Bay
After a few days of well-needed rest, it was time to go and see the well-known area of Ha Long Bay. It is very difficult to stay within Ha Long Bay itself, however the Island of Cat Ba has everything to accommodate your needs. There are several hostels within the centre, but most are guesthouses, and if you’re a lover of karaoke then you’re in luck. There are also numerous restaurants you can go to. In particular Green Mango, which had the best service and 2-4-1 on beers and cocktails. They were incredibly accommodating and had a large menu. 100% recommend a visit! As Cat Ba faces the ocean, there are several floating restaurants. I never personally went to one of these restaurants however, as pretty as they look, I was advised against going as they take you across without view of the menu and you are faced with extortionate prices… but that’s just hearsay!
The best way to see the island is to jump on a moped and stop off at different places. You can get round the island in 1-2 hours, with the option to go to Cat Ba National Park and climb to the top of the park to enjoy the views. Or you can go and sit by the beaches and enjoy a small private beach area.
Of course, the trip to go on a Ha Long Bay boat tour is offered everywhere. For those who want to throw themselves in, you can go on a 2 – 3 day overnight trip where you stay in a boat and really get the feel for Ha Long Bay. For those on more of a budget, and time restricted, you can get a shortened experience in a one-day trip. The day trip includes food on the boat, a trip past floating houses and markets, into the sea surrounded by the infamous Ha Long Bay mountains. You are then taken to an area where you can kayak around the bay, through small caves and left to your own devices to explore in your kayak. The day is ended by a nice cool off at a beach and a swim, then to monkey island where you can chose to chill at the beach and get a drink or go to climb up to the top of the Island. I would advise to keep all of your belongings hidden under your clothes as the monkeys don’t take any mercy. Whether it is a shiny camera, sunglasses, purse, hat… it will be gone in seconds. I would also advise not to approach a monkey or touch it on this island, they are beautiful creatures but they are too used to tourists and they are not scared of you.
There aren’t many ATM’s on this island, so work out where they are so you have enough cash on you for when you need it. Be spontaneous on the small Island of Cat Ba, it is only small, but has a lot of hidden gems.
Hanoi
Following this trip, it was time to head to my final destination, Hanoi, famous for being the capital of Vietnam and its vibrant old quarter. This was a perfect end to my trip.
I stayed at Cacoon Inn hostel, which was very modern, full of life and very close to everything. Unfortunately my visit to Hanoi was short and restricted by torrential downpour for 2 days, but I experienced the indoor markets. The markets were run by local people and were the perfect place to get presents for your loved ones at home. My top tip to save some pennies is to ask how much something is, and go away, come back ... and if you’re buying for a few purchase in bulk and they’ll knock the price right down.
A great indoor evening activity was the Vietnamese water puppet show. At first you aren’t really sure what is going on, but once the puppeteer starts, it unfolds a story of Vietnam. With dragons surfacing through the water breathing fire and brilliant musicians telling the story alongside the puppets, it made for a unique and interesting atmosphere.
Somewhere clean, quiet and inexpensive is important to stay before a long flight home. My friend and I stayed at the ‘Oriental Central Hotel’. The hosts here fell over their feet to help us, printing our boarding passes, arranging breakfast earlier for us and the room was lovely. The twin room was showered in rose petals, complimented by free snacks and water alongside complimentary extra towels and pillows. This cost us each around £15 for a nights stay and I would definitely go back, I couldn’t recommend it more!
It was then time to say goodbye to such a beautiful country.
If I was to go back I would make sure I had longer, I would recommend 6 weeks would be a perfect time to travel around without rushing. The areas I did not have chance to visit but were recommended to - Dalat, north of Ho Chi Minh and Sapa to the west of Hanoi, overlooking famous rice fields.
Top tips and information
- Use the City Mapper App to get from A to B
- Don’t get onto a ‘taxi moped’ on your own
- The price offered is always higher than it should be so get your bartering skills at the ready
- There is a pharmacy almost everywhere you go for your basics
- Book your moped usage through your hostel/hotel
- Pack a water proof for the northern parts
- The alcohol is a lot stronger than you think
- Try the coffee
- The fresh smoothies out there are really worth it!
- Monkeys are NOT always your friends
- Don’t always take pictures, embrace the moment!
- Give a Bahn Mi a go!
- Most hostels take cash or card to pay, but if you pay cash you’ll avoid a credit card fee (something to save those extra pennies)
- NOS balloons are not illegal here, and they sell them in large quantities, so if you are going to try them please be safe and don't over do it
