After the bustle and buzz of the frenetic capital, our minds and bodies craved something a little different from the city, and so our journey turned due south, along the long and slender country of Vietnam. But before we departed for a more relaxed and rural environment of the country, we needed to head east first and see one of Vietnam’s (and the world’s) wonders: Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay
Situated in a natural bay in the South China Sea, Ha Long Bay rises sharply from the mostly flat land terrain once you enter the sea. It took us around two hours to get here from our stay in Tay Ho, having left around 8 or 9 and made many stops to pick up fellow passengers along the way. The trip was mostly uneventful, though we did pass the headquarters of the VinGroup (one of Vietnam’s largest commercial conglomerates, responsible for the country's Vinfast vehicles, which are electric) and the Port of Haiphong, Vietnam’s biggest port.
On arrival we were greeted by the staff our cruise line, Doris Cruises (there are a plethora of cruise lines to choose from, and they work very efficiently to move guests in and out of their ships on the bay. Doris is a mid to upper mid level cruise line, with nightly prices in the range of around $200 per night). We were thoughtfully given a flower bouquet as well (which we chalked up to us being on our honeymoon, when in reality it was simply because we’d booked the largest suite at the aft of the ship). Once all guests had checked in, we boarded a smaller ferry boat and headed for the bay.
The natural karst islands which make up the bay, commonly known as Ha Long Bay but in reality called Cat Ba Bay, with Cat Ba Island and Cat Ba National Park at the center, strikingly rise from the bottom of the sea, forming a protective barrier for the coast line and specifically the waters between the many thousands of islands which exist there. As we entered the bay, the waters were incredibly still, despite having just come from more intense waves just outside. We arrived at our cruise, and were welcomed with a loud Vietnamese “Hello!” from the crew. Before long we were in the dining room having lunch, cruising leisurely through the bay. There were several courses for lunch, and all were welcomed by our hungry stomachs, after lunch we retired to our guest rooms until happy hour and dinner, this time was buffet style.
We were very much in awe of the bay, and as we settled in for the night we felt a sense of wonder at the beauty of this place.
The following day we took an excursion to the island, to one of the traditional villages. We rode bikes along a narrow path through the island, passing by inlets with turquoise water, tall rock formations, caves and forests to reach it. There, we tried snake wine, which we were told would “make us strong”, and learned about traditional Vietnamese wood homes, having a refreshing coconut before heading back. After our island visit, we kayaked into another inlet and enjoyed more spectacular views. Lunch was served in many courses once again and then we returned for another evening on the boat.
After another short excursion to a cave system the following morning, it was time to go home, so we returned on the same boat which brought us out and arrived back in Hanoi by 4 pm.
Ninh Binh
When our time in Hanoi had come to an end the following Sunday, we were ready to go. The incredible busy-ness and crowded streets had waned on us, and we needed a respite. Luckily, that was found in Ninh Binh.
Ninh Binh is an ancient capital of Vietnam around 1:30 hours south of Hanoi by driving or 2:00 hours south by train - we took the latter means to try and get a good view of the countryside. Our train left at 8:00 am and was, of course, fully booked for the holiday. We booked a sleeper car on accident, which we shared with a family of four! The bed was a welcome sight for Catherine, who took the two hour trip to nap and regain some strength. There were some good views of the countryside and rice terraces, which I enjoyed.
We arrived in Ninh Binh shortly after 10 am, and our driver was waiting there for us. We’d booked him through our hostel (highly recommend booking taxis with your hotel by the way, makes everything so much easier and you don't need to worry about being scammed, which is always a plus). He was extremely kind, even going as far as to ask us if it was ok for him to take a phone call while we were inside his taxi. 30 minutes later, we’d entered the Trang An historical area and were arriving at our hostel.
The Green Mountain Homestay is centrally located in the Trang An area, and has many different options for lodging, including a common room dorm area, small motel-like rooms and bungalows, all at an extremely affordable price. They have a large dining area with breakfast included and an extensive menu with both western and Vietnamese cuisine on offer, as well as a pool, game area and incredible scenery. This place was a far cry from our previous hotel, and well worth all that we spent, both in time and money, there.
After failing to wash and dry our clothes properly on our own, thanks to the high humidity, we left them with the hotel and took bikes to one of many sights in the area, Hoa Lu. Multiple ancient rulers of Vietnam are buried here, and their temples are quiet and beautiful, though again were crowded due to the Tet Holiday.
We spent a few hours here, climbing one of the hills and visiting the shrines, before turning in and having dinner at our hotel.
The following day we took the bikes again, this time to the Mua Caves area. Here, there are temples situated within and on high cliffs above the caves. We climbed the stairs to two different sacred places, from which we could see the city of Ninh Binh and the river. There were many visitors here as well, some of them dressed in traditional costume for the holiday. It was special to see so many local people out to celebrate that way.
We debated trying another spot nearby, but our legs were shot from the bikes (we were out of practice), so we instead turned in early again that night.
On the last of our three short days in Ninh Binh, we first tried to visit the Trang An complex, but once again, Tet celebrations made the waiting times very long. Instead, we switched plans and headed to the Bai Dinh Temple, a newer landmark in the historic area, dedicated to hundreds of years of Vietnamese history and Buddhist tradition. This temple blew us away - built in rising tiers, visitors travel up and up the corridors lined with unique statues called "Arhats", or individuals who had reached enlightenment. Each section, or "internal gates", of the temple was marked by landmark, including the Bell Tower, a temple containing the largest gilded "Guan Yin" (or Lady Buddha) statue in Asia, and the main temple with three equally large representations of the past, present and future aspects of the Buddha, cast in bronze. A religious ceremony was taking place at this upper pagoda, monks dressed in yellow vestments chanting in unison.
It was beautiful to experience. Just above was another celebration with traditional musicians. Though similarly packed, this temple was large and easy to navigate, with minimal waiting lines, which made it easier to go through.
And on the outside of the main corridors of the temple was Bao Thien, the tallest stupa in Southeast Asia, built of brick and standing 13 stories high. When we arrived there, a very nice Vietnamese family asked for a photo with us, which we obliged of course. That day, we actually had a lot of Vietnamese talking to us, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood, which was lovely and another welcome change from the fast-paced and seemingly high-strung nature of life in Hanoi.
When we returned to the front of the temple, we saw what was our favorite view of the day: three shrines were aligned just outside the main temple complex, on different tiers as you gazed up the hill towards the tallest pagoda. The first was more of a pavilion-style pagoda in the center of a square lake, appearing to float, just beyond was a medium sized stupa, this one only five stories high, and the tallest stupa at the end. By the end of the day, we were exhausted but filled with happiness from our great experience with the people and places of Ninh Binh.
Hoi An
When our time in Ninh Binh had come to an end, we came again to the train station, this time to take an overnight train further south along the coast to Da Nang, from which we would get to Hoi An, a well-preserved trading village. The train itself was actually quite comfortable (more so once we’d figured out how to blast the fans). We shared our four-person sleeper cabin with a kind and quiet English couple, who were very respectful of our privacy and slept a good amount of the ride. We had a bit of trouble sleeping as one might expect, but spent many of the nighttime hours resting and relaxing. Once morning came and the sun shone into our window, we were greeted by beautiful views of the Vietnam coastline. The train travels high in the hills above the coast, offering a great view of the ocean beyond, which we enjoyed. After a breakfast of eggs and noodles and a few slow hours onboard, we arrived at Danang station, where our driver awaited us.
The trip was around 45 minutes to our hotel in Hoi An, through what seemed to be a nearly deserted city of Danang, thanks to what? That's right, the Tet holiday. The ride was smooth and relaxed. Danang seems to be the “beach city” of the country and so the other drivers we encountered seemed fairly relaxed and laid back. When we got to our hotel, we were greeted with welcome snacks and the concierge helped us with our bags. It took us quite a few minutes to settle in since we were exhausted after the train ride, but we wanted to keep our sleep schedule going, so we headed into Hoi An Old Town for the afternoon.
One thing that Catherine absolutely needed to do in Hoi An was get her measurements taken for custom clothes, so this was our first order of business. One of the first things you’ll notice about Hoi An is the sheer number of tailors in the town, and of course you’ll have no shortage of options - we went for a smaller “outfit” (puns lol) called Blue Eye Tailor. We were greeted instantly by our tailor, Lyly, who would guide us through the process of choosing a style, a fabric, and the garments we desired. She took our measurements, gave us a drink of water and made a bunch of jokes as she served us, making the time fly by and our decision to buy much easier. In less than a half an hour we'd purchased a suit for me and a three-piece set for Catherine for a fraction of what it would cost in any western country.
Feeling good from that experience, we decided to walk around and explore the village for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Being the last day of the holiday, it was very busy and when we came to the river for the special lantern experience, we were efficiently whisked into a boat in no time and within 15 minutes had floated our lanterns and a wish along the river. As night fell, we tried a few different places for drinks and had noodles nearby the river, and then, exhausted, we returned to our hotel.
The following day was much the same. The tailor had finished up our clothes within 24 hours so we stopped in for a final fitting before exploring more of the cuisine of the village and the nooks and crannies inland from the river. We were dragging from the previous night's train journey so this was a slow day, and we turned in early.
The next day we collected our completed custom clothes in the morning, as well as visiting an art gallery dedicated to all of the different ethnic groups and cultures across the country of Vietnam, which was enlightening on the culture of the country. After a busy morning, we decided to spend the afternoon in the sun.
Hoi An and Danang, as mentioned previously, are close to the beach, and the weather was good enough for a day at a beach club which was associated with our hotel, called Esco Beach Club (I believe many of the hotels in Hoi An have a beach club partner that they work with). We got ready and spent a good four hours there, enjoying drinks and a surprisingly delicious burger. After the afternoon in the sun, we enjoyed a belated Valentine's Day dinner at the Hoi An Riverside restaurant on the ground of the Anantara Resort in Hoi An, where we had yet more noodles. The ambiance and setting were calm and relaxing, and after dinner we took one more stroll through the old town of Hoi An before heading over to Hoi An Memories Village.
This is a tourist attraction where nightly shows are performed to showcase the history of the town and its various rulers through the centuries. The show was beautifully performed and provided some insight into the village's past as a trading port.
Saigon / HCMC
Our time in Hoi An ended, we arrived early to the airport for our First Class flight on board Vietnam Airlines, bound for Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon and abbreviated as HCMC for ease (these names are still used interchangeably in the country and abroad, though the official name is Ho Chi Minh City). We entered Danang Airport's Vietnam Airlines lounge, which was very comfortable and filled with other passengers. The lounge included a buffet style dinner selection which we patronized, grabbing some Pho and other snacks before boarding. The flight itself was probably our easiest to date. After being driven to the airplane in a bus, we boarded at the front and took our seats in the first class cabin. The seats included reclining chairs, a place to rest our feet, retractable screens, temperature control, and welcome drinks. Although the flight was little more than an hour, we still received a gourmet dinner service and extremely efficient and kind service from the staff. By the time we landed it felt like we hadn't even been in the air at all.
We met our driver outside the airport and drove through downtown Saigon to reach our hotel room at the other end of the city. Ho Chi Minh City is probably the most modern city in the country, and possesses a large number of skyscrapers complete with rooftop bars, which were clearly visible from our taxi window. Our hotel was located on a quiet road just off the main drag, and arriving late, the security guard let us in and we were able to check in to the hotel with no problem.
The following day, our last full day in Vietnam, was among our favorites in the country. I started the day by getting a much needed haircut, then we set off on foot for downtown. HCMC is the hottest city we'd been to yet, and after a half-hour walk we needed some A/C, which we found in the "Cafe Apartments" building, a nine-story building consisting of different cafes, restaurants and shops, each decorated uniquely from the outside and on the inside. We grabbed a coffee first at a cafe and some lunch at a restaurant where travelers from across the world share their thoughts and often a little picture to commemorate their visit to the restaurant. Some of the messages were cute, others funny and still others inspiring.
Once we'd finished and feeling full we walked beneath a pair of interwoven dragon statues along a promenade, called Quang Truong Nguyen Hue, and past old colonial buildings on our way to the old colonial post office, where we wrote and sent postcards to families back home. The post office was beautiful and well run, and we were able to purchase, write, stamp and send our cards all in one place.
Once we'd finished our notes for home, we continued through book street nearby and then decided to get out of the heat again and headed for Heart of Darkness brewery, where we split a flight of local craft beers and relaxed.
If anyone reading this knows Catherine, you know that she can be a very spontaneous person and is always up for doing things last minute or at a moment's notice. Today, she became particularly fixated on tattoos, not just because Saigon has a large number of good tattoo shops and artists, but mostly to commemorate our time here in Vietnam. After one failed attempt in the afternoon, she thought we'd missed our opportunity. That is, until we went to the HCMC walking street, which is lined with shops, restaurants, bars and clubs and is the place to be for a late night in Saigon. Towards the end of the street, to our surprise, was an open tattoo parlor, called Morgan's Ink Tattoo Studio. Our luck restored, we entered the empty shop and within an hour, Catherine had her wish fulfilled by a very skillful artist at Morgan's (if you're in HCMC and want a tattoo, this is a great place to look).
Feeling elated but tired, we headed home and turned in for our final night, opting to split a drink in our room rather than brave the walking street, which was busier than you might've expected for a Monday night. Tomorrow, we would be off to country number three; Cambodia.
Final Thoughts
Vietnam is a country which has suffered a great deal of conflict and hardship in its past, and especially within the past 100 years. Situated between great powers like India and China, it has been a battleground for centuries, but has managed to eke out its own culture and identity in spite of that and the 25-year-long conflict which define its last century. Its variably mountainous and flat coastal terrain has bred many different cultures and ethnic subgroups throughout the country, which still hold on to their own ways of life to this day, despite the ever-encroaching communist/capitalist reach of the government and tourism.
For us, the country was a culture shock on so many levels, and familiar in some ways as well. It is communist, which is certainly noticeable, but with a capitalist flair applied uniquely to tourism, which felt more distinct here than it has in most places we've been to in the past. There is beautiful scenery, wonderful cuisine and coffee, and extremely kind people there, as well as dirty urban areas, shoddy food and struggling people there as well, like in any place. If we learned anything while we were there, its that people experience hardships and happiness in much the same way across cultures, ethnicities, political systems and so on.
While we may not have been as comfortable here as we might have been many other places, we certainly did learn a lot about ourselves, what we want from our travel experiences, and ways to find those experiences.
Recommended Spots
Hotels:
Disclaimer: These are affiliate links to hotels and apartments we think would be great options for your visit to Hanoi. That just means we will receive a small percentage on commission if you book through our link! :)
In Ninh Binh:
Green Mountain Homestay
Blue Garden Homestay
Trang An Lamia Bungalow
In Hoi An:
Anantara Hoi An Resort
Grand Sunrise Palace Hoi An
Hoi An Babylon Riverside Hotel & Spa
In Saigon / HCMC:
Silverland Ben Thanh
Hotel Des Arts Saigon
Woody House Boutique
Cafes and Patisseries:
In Ninh Binh:
We didn't have any food or drink outside our homestay, so we can't really recommend anywhere. Just recommend you stay at a homestay with good food :)
In Hoi An:
Artbook Cafe & Bistro,
In Saigon / HCMC:
Tous les Jours, Arabica Coffee and The Letter Cafe (in Cafe Apartments), etc.
Restaurants:
In Ninh Binh:
We didn't have any food or drink outside our homestay, so we can't really recommend anywhere. Just recommend you stay at a homestay with good food :)
In Hoi An:
The Noodle House, The Hoianian, Hoi An Riverside, Banh Mi Phuong, Le Ba Truyen 1 Restaurant, Burger Craft
In Saigon / HCMC:
Mylife Cafe, Pizza 4Ps (multiple locations), Heart of Darkness Brewery
Foods to Try:
Cao Lau "Brown Noodles" (Hoi An), Pho "Southern Style" (HCMC), French Pastries, etc.
Things to Do:
In Ninh Binh:
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An Ancient Complex, Mua Caves and Hike, River Cruises, Other Hiking, etc.
In Hoi An:
Tailored Clothing (Blue Eye Tailor), Lantern Boat, Hoi An Memories Park, Coconut Boat, Ancient Sites, Rehahn Photography Museums (Precious Heritage Art Museum), Beach Clubs (Esco Beach Club), etc.
In Saigon / HCMC:
Colonial Landmarks (Post Office, City Hall, Independence Palace, Opera House, etc.), The Cafe Apartments, Bui Vien Walking Street, Duong Nguyen Hue, Book Street, Parks, Vintage Shopping, etc.