Hello all! One of my goals for this year was to write a short piece on all my heftier trips, and so I wanted to share a bit about my recent trip to Vietnam. After an incredible trip through Thailand and Cambodia, Cole had to return to work, leaving me with the perfect opportunity to explore Vietnam on my own. Armed with a visa with an expiration date and a desire to immerse myself in the country's beauty, I set out on a two-week adventure to nine cities. While this blog was initially written as a journal, I hope it will serve as an informative account of my experiences in Vietnam.
July 9, hitchhike to Ho Chi Minh (6h)
Main sites: Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Street, Book Street, waterfront
Incredible hitches from Phnom Penh to Saigon! One man in a taxi took me all the way to the border, and a family picked me up there and took me to HCM. They even took me to lunch - noodles, it was really nice. They had a 10-year-old son with perfect English who gave me a Pokémon card, a really sweet boy. He was missing a hand, I’m curious if that’s an after-effect of the war and use of Agent Orange.
Absolutely obsessed with Saigon, it was incredible and lively and bustling and overall really cool. Lots of markets and nice restaurants, not too touristy but very international nonetheless. It still had a very authentic feel to it - I just absolutely loved wandering through the city at night. I walked a ton and even found a book street! I ate summer rolls with peanut sauce and a passion fruit juice at the main market, and couldn’t get over how nice and fresh the food was in comparison to Cambodia and Thailand. It was like Bangkok + Paris + New York, but with none of the aggression. It had a beautiful waterfront and lots of green spaces, felt very clean and safe, but also very hip and edgy - a grunge that I really appreciate. Big ups.
July 10, day in Ho Chi Minh, overnight bus to Dalat (10pm-6am)
Main sites: cathedral, War Remnants Museum, Central Post Office, Saigon Opera House, A O show, Ben Nghe Food Market
Wandering around Saigon during the day was a bit hot and devastating. I got a coffee and sat by the water, saw all the things I wanted to see. Cried a bit at the War Remnants Museum, in the Agent Orange section. I got really bored and homesick and tired and hung out in a mall food court for a while, once I checked out of the hotel and had nowhere to go. Traveling solo can be a bit devastating at times, especially in the heat. Went to a touristy performance at the opera house - so weird, and impressive - definitely didn’t regret it but it was a wild experience. Then I went and got on my night bus! Definitely a trying day but taught me a lot - also I spent the day listening to a long podcast on the Vietnam War and it really did teach me a whole lot.
July 11, day tour in Dalat, hitch to Nha Trang
Woke up from the night bus and went into a tour of the Dalat countryside! It was really quite lovely, we saw animals at a coffee shop where they make weasel and elephant poop coffee (which smelled incredible but I didn’t try), and saw a beekeeping place and tried the honey and larvae. We saw two waterfalls - one much more spectacular than the next, and I sat while watching them and reminisced about the summer and how lovely it was. We saw a giant lady Buddha and I climbed up her, and got nice pho. I made friends with a British man who I got along quite well with, he reminded me of my dad. After a final coffee shop / flower garden stop, I got dropped off on a highway to hitch to my next location. Vietnam has an abundance of motorbikes and a lack of cars, so my first three hitches (starting at 5pm, in vaguely rainy weather), were all on the backs of motorbikes. I finally got let off an hour from Dalat and really didn’t know what to do, I was in the middle of nowhere, when a man in a limo van came and generously picked me up to go to Nha Trang. He blasted house music and we fully had a rave in his car, it was so much fun, even though he barely spoke a word of English. I finally got to Nha Trang and could feel the energy of the city, and was very happy and energized and exhilarated from the hitchhiking journey (although it kind of put me off hitchhiking for the rest of the trip).
July 12, day in Nha Trang, overnight bus (9:15pm-8am)
Did some work at the hotel and then walked all around. I saw a local performance at Ponagar Temple (very cool structure) and got a bahn mi sandwich from a cart on the road. It was quite nice and very cheap. I laid on the beach for a while and went swimming, the town was a bit touristy but overall very lively. I walked an hour towards the bus station but then got bored and hitchhiked a ride on a motorbike to the bus. The man was quite sweet and gave me 100k Vietnamese (~$5), despite my attempts to return the money. I met a group of German students traveling around as well while waiting for our bus.
July 13, Da Nang day trip from Bac Nam
The bus was late coming in and I had to run to the meeting place for the day tour, but luckily made it. The tour was a strange adventure through a French-themed amusement park - saw the Golden Bridge which was my goal, a bridge held up with giant hands in the sky. I ate delicious Vietnamese doughnuts, these fried sesame balls, and a chicken sausage on a stick. The park was up in the mountains (we used cable car) and had a beautiful view of the water down below.
Bus to Hoi An, 5:30-6:30pm
Hoi An was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. It was a town straight out of Spirited Away, all lit up with food carts and lanterns in the sky and on the water. There was an extensive night market with trinkets and homemade goods, and the streets were lined with incredibly cheap beautiful clothing, as the town is known for its tailored suits and outfits. I regret not getting a dress. I wandered around, watched the boats all lit up on the water, with candles and lanterns peppered between them. There was live music and lots of exciting restaurants and bars. I had a tofu Vietnamese rice paper “pizza” from a street cart, and got a couple cheap beers from the local mart to enjoy at my homestay. Definitely my favorite location.
July 14, spend half day in Hoi An
Spent the morning wandering Hoi An, walking about 10 miles through rice fields and the beach, while listening to Pride and Prejudice. Considered buying some outfits but sadly didn’t. Instead, I got a bit more sunburned while enjoying the vast green fields and water along the way. I ate a nice chicken rice dish with fish sauce before my bus, which was another sleeper that I consistently find strangely cozy and nice.
Bus to Hue (12:45, Hoi An Full Moon Bus - 16:45, Tbus Hue)
Hue is very cool - breezy, open, not as busy as HCM but still has a lively downtown walking area. I walked through all those areas to the boardwalk where there were some nice boats, and then across the bridge to where the imperial city sits. Big Times Square vibes - a little gaudy and bright, doesn’t feel as personable, less of a unique local culture. Found a cool night food market with local food, got myself a nice pho - I should figure out how to read all the different menu items. I rarely order pho because it requires you to sit down and the people watch you eat and I feel self-conscious, I rather walk away with my food, but tonight was alright. All the kids waved and said hello to me (something I experienced throughout my entire trip). I walked 14 miles and drank roughly 5 liters of water today. I’m getting very good at walking in front of motorbikes, although I am a bit homesick for my friends in New York.
July 15, half day in Hue, imperial city
I had a lovely morning exploring Hue and the imperial city. The imperial ruins were very impressive and spread out, the history was impressive and visible and I enjoyed wandering about. The city itself was cool, but a little cold (personality-wise) and didn’t make a big impression on me. I crossed the water and saw interesting growths in the ponds, and then after a brief reprieve in the hotel to charge up, I walked along the canal to the train station. It was really quite beautiful and verdant and clean; the heat is impacting me less and less, and I feel okay as long as I drink lots of water. Waiting for the train now, just had a lovely rice dish with some pork and shrimp. The train was delayed but the station has air conditioning and wifi and I am comfortable reading until it arrives. I need to do laundry desperately.
Train to Dong Hoi (13:41 - 16:41)
Hang in Dong Hoi - I made a friend in the train here! A young Iranian British girl, very cool. After a fine train ride - my first in Vietnam - my new friend and I decided to wander the city. We walked down the Main Street until about found the water, and then we located the walking street filled with food carts. Had a really great bahn mi, and we ate together by the water. We got along really well, talked about family and school and planned future trips to South America and Iran. She eventually left for the next city and I began my way back to the train station, taking a detour across the bridge. It feels like Los Angeles: a bit bright, wide streets, there may be interesting things but they’re not easily found.
Overnight train to Hanoi (10:43pm-10:35am), annoyingly bright
July 16, Hanoi (Hanoi Charming House)
Beautiful morning on the train, not the best sleep of my life because people didn’t turn all the lights off but overall I think better than the busses. Or at least equal - the trains have full chargers which is nice, and better views.
Wandered Hanoi through tiny side streets, a souk style market, clothing/fabric area (lots of silks), beautiful water area with bridge and surrounding park, all very lively even when I got out of the immediate center. Walked through the national park and saw the more beautiful pink flowers. Walked past another outdoors clothes market, this one filled with camouflage and military gear, some of it American - unclear whether any of it authentic. Headed back through the main downtown market area, ate the best lunch of my entire trip by far (even though it cost a whole $5!!!), and saved half of it for dinner which made it all super worth it.
Very cool night market, the whole street becomes like a huge party filled with lights and food and excitement. Very fun - even though I was very tired and wired, which made it a bit overwhelming. I have no idea how they set up so many stalls, for streets and streets! It was incredibly impressive and extensive, filled with absolutely everything. There was even a pottery painting shop / activity that took over a whole block!
July 17-20, Hanoi & Transport to Ha Giang
Main sites: Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Chùa Tran Quoc, Phu Chu titch, and the Lenin Park
Woke up tired and homesick. Yikes. Explored some more, walked through the lively downtown area to a more open space full of grand official buildings. This area was really cool and green, felt like the Buckingham Palace part of London - very formal and curated, less “wild” than downtown. Walked part way across the bridge to admire the large Ho Tay body of water. Along the way, just in the street, I saw people playing board games, getting haircuts, gathering around food, selling clothing and other random goods, playing music. It made me really happy to people watch and explore. In retrospect, it feels like an older population than Saigon, but that might be a product of younger tourism there. I also passed by a lovely flower market! All the outdoor shops made a lovely sight to walk through. After a quick stop by the hotel to check out, I got a bahn mi sandwich, filled up my water at a potable water station, and found a bench by the park to eat and hang out! Wandering afterwards, I stumbled across a variety of parks and even a cathedral! Cole would be happy. Very few tall modern buildings; architecture looks like it’s from the 60-90s, it’s not built up like Bangkok (or at least not the part I’ve been in). It’s really easy to wander for hours and barely repeat. Hard for me to figure out what I like more, HCM or Hanoi. Hanoi has more room to explore and is a bit more chaotic, which I typically love, but made me feel a bit suffocated and overwhelmed when things really filled up at night. HCM was more curated and calm but still really intensely cool.
Bus ride to Ha Giang was absolutely gorgeous - incredible mountain silhouettes and a very orangey red sunset that overlaid everything. Villages and temples and towns peppered the road there, along with vast fields and rice paddies. The deep red dirt is such a contract to the US and makes everything feel more dreamlike and intense in comparison. The sky began to look somewhat smokey like it was on fire, until it was all a blaze of red. The colors were vibrant beyond compare - and then suddenly, the sky was black. We stopped for lunch and I had a rice tofu dish, which I had actually been craving.
During these last two days I’ve been reading more social justice books and they’ve been invigorating and intense. I also have been listening to music on this bus, and I think that’s what I’ve been missing this last week: music. Much happier.
July 18-20, Ha Giang Loop: three day motorbike loops through the north of Vietnam!
Day 1, it’s already so fun - rainy and wet and windy and scary. With a group of people, winding through mountains and agricultural areas. Lots of rice paddies, children waving and saying hi, people doing work and not caring about us much. We stopped about every 15k to take photos and chill. It was very beautiful and dreamlike. Been taking the opportunity to reflect on the book I’m reading and thinking about growth and happiness, take account of what I’m grateful for and how I can best use my privilege to redistribute power. We were all so exhausted by the end of the day but it was so worth it. It’s hard to express the experience of these days, a lot of breezing through mountains and villages and agricultural spaces. It was incredibly to see how people in this part of the country live. The loop is a relatively recent development, and so it was interesting to see how locals still got very excited by our presence, instead of being frustrated by it (although that might change in coming years).
Day 2, breakfast and then on the road! Incredibly foggy, felt like we were driving through clouds. It was like we were moving through landscape paintings with the fog and sun just vaguely peering through, the rain lightly drizzling on us to make it a full adventure. Looked like a different planet, like land that time forgot - like dinosaurs are going to pop out at any moment. It’s incredibly lush and intense. Switching elevation so often that we’d pass through the clouds, sometimes it’d seem like they were rising from the ground, and other them when it’d be descending from high above. Some roads were very rough and unpaved; puddle and gravel filled the way. With the weather, I’m happy I didn’t drive it myself. I got quite emotional thinking about how lucky I am to have adventures like these and to live a life surrounded by love.
Incredibly cute children in the middle of this gorgeous landscape. I can’t believe people just live here. Some of the young boys dressed in berets and played the flute, as there used to be a major architect / flute player who dressed like that and lived in the area, becoming a major celebrity and role model for the children. We stopped at a French military base, very magical. Astonishing rock structures - some really black, lava like rocks too - and green just bursting through everywhere. The fog made it incredible, I started crying a couple times; definitely a moment of “awe.”
After we finished driving on day 2, we swam in a nearby lake, and had a little party. All the drivers would come up and have us take shots of “happy water” (a type of corn wine) with them. We must have had around 15, on top of several beers. People were dancing and singing - overall a very exciting time, plus we were celebrating my driver’s alleged birthday which made it all the more wild.
Day 3, the first hot day! It was a whole new perspective, without the rain and the fog - just bountiful green and bright sun. We stopped by a lake at one point with the clearest water, the air absolutely filled with butterflies and dragonflies. It was straight out of a fairytale.
Eventually, we all got back on a bus to Hanoi, followed by a boring evening and a flight to Laos - but this is where my Vietnam travelog ends!
OVERVIEW / MAIN THOUGHTS RE VIETNAM AS A COUNTRY:
Real care for fashion and style, all the young people looked very cool
Kind, welcoming, safe, even after dark. I never even once felt unsafe, and it wasn’t as aggressive as, say, Bangkok
Thriving local culture, lots of community spaces including public parks and bodies of water; people were always out doing things together
If you visit, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hanoi are total musts - everything else was interesting, but those three were definitely the best and some of the coolest cities/places I’ve ever visited in my life
Incredible street food - very good and consistent in quality and price
For reference, 10,000 ($0.42) for a 1.5L water or can of beer at a minimart, 20-30,000 ($0.85-1.27) for street food like bahn mi or pho, 50,000 ($2.11) for bigger dishes from local restaurants
Bun cha was my favorite but there was always a variety of bread, rice, and noodle dishes to choose from
There were also nice cafes and restaurants, although I didn’t frequent those – although they didn’t seem to be for the exclusive use of tourists, which was nice
Abundance of fresh fruit and juices and sugar cane
Deep care for coffee
I'm grateful for the privilege of having such incredible adventures and the opportunity to learn and grow through travel. Vietnam, thank you for an unforgettable experience!