Vietnam

I spent 3 weeks traveling from North to South of Vietnam, and it might just be my favourite country in South East Asia. 3 weeks is nowhere near enough to see everything, double that would be ideal.

The food is incredible, very fresh, tasty and a lot of variety. On the topic of variety, this country has that in abundance, you have the dramatic mountains to the north, countryside in the middle, beaches to the coast and hustle and bustle city of Ho Chi Minh to the south.

I am going back to see Sapa, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and probably a couple of other places I missed.

• Hanoi

• Ha Giang Loop

• Ha Long Bay

• Ninh Binh

• Hue to Hoi An

• Ho Chi Minh

Hanoi

Landing straight into a culture metropolis, you're thrown in at the deep end if your first stop is Hanoi in Vietnam, but what a place to start! After a long 12 hour flight from London, and just how cheap Vietnam is, I booked a taxi to pick me up from the airport as it was still only like $20, and it means you don't have to get involved in the mayhem. I stayed at The One Hostel which I would thoroughly recommend, you can't beat the location, a dorm was $8 a night, the rooms/beds were quite comfy, it had a pool and a reception that you could book everything from.

Get the steps in and explore

Hanoi is a large city, but you can see most things within walk distance, well if you like getting the steps that in, I probably averaged around 25,000 per day. But it's the best way to experience the city, it's so fast paced, lots of traffic, lots of people, lots of things to digest, the streets are tiny and full of life, and it's just such an interesting city to spend a few days in.

The Old Quarter is the main touristy area, but with good reason, it's got the smallest roads, most restaurants, cafes, bars and so on. At night go and check out Ta Hien Corner (beer street).

Temple of Literature is a large temple complex built in 1070 which is worth checking out.

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long built in the 11th century held many powerful leader meetings over the centuries, it has super impressive buildings and structures, along with an archeological site across the road which are the relics of citadel in the Tang Dynasty.

Hoa Lo Prison, if you're into a bit of war history then visit this old prison, but be prepared for some barbaric scenes and stories. It was built in 1901, and it's main use was to lock up political prisoners fighting for independence during the war. By 1954 it housed almost 2,000 inmates, they were locked up by their feet in rows (as seen in the picture there on the right), where they had to all use one toilet in the same room, the amount of disease was unimaginable and due to lack of movement and sunlight their bodies suffered dramatically.

Hoan Kiem Lake where you'll see Ba Kieu temple in the middle.

Tran Quoc Pagoda is on the outskirts of the lake too and interesting to check out.

Food

A huge part of the culture, and what's interesting about Vietnam is that the dishes vary depending what area you are in, so try all the dishes and see the difference in your next location. My personal favourite was Bun Cha, which is dry thick vermicelli noodles, that you dip into fish-base sauce, along with fatty pieces of park and a mountain of vegetables/salad. Pho Bo is arguably the most famous/popular, and this is the one that also varies the most depending where you go, it's similar to a Japanese ramen (rice noodle soup with beef). Banh Xeo is a really cool dish where you make the pancakes yourself (made of rice flour, turmeric and coconut cream so it's for dinner not desert), and you include your meat choice with onions, mung beans and bean sprouts.

The best way to experience the food culture, is by eating on the side of the street, on small stools, out of restaurants that essentially look like a family's kitchen. They are generally very clean, extremely tasty and probably the cheapest food I've ever eaten, perfect combo!

Train Street

If you have social media, you've heard and seen of this place where it's a tiny street (well it doesn't have a road), but it's just about big enough for a train to fit through where the owners have to ensure their tables, chairs and covers are all brought in before the train passes through. It's quite a weird experience, as it's extremely touristy, they try and make the most money as possible by ensuring you have a minimum spend in a cafe or restaurant. I mean it is worth it, as it's very unique and a lot of excitement when the train passes through, but just be prepared for mayhem and to wait 2 hours for the train as they just never come on time.

Ha Giang Motorbike Loop

Probably the number one thing to do in Vietnam, specially part of the traveler community, people looking for some adventure, fun, amazing scenery and meeting some new friends along the way.

I did this through Jasmine Tours, it was a 30 minute minibus out of Hanoi, and then a 7 hour bus to the hostel for the start of the loop, I would pay the extra few dollars for a VIP bus. You are then in a large room with around 40 other people, and split into 4 groups of 10, with a mixture of easy riders (someone who drives for you) or self-drive. I chose the self-drive as I knew it would be a lot of fun, actually more comfortable than being driven and plus you get the easy riders to take all the photos and videos of you so you get the best of both worlds.

The roads in my opinion are fine, but I'm comfortable on a motorbike, if you're not then I would advise getting an easy rider. But the majority of proper roads, with around 30% off-road, but you take it pretty safe and slow for the most part.

I chose the 3 day 2 nights (you can do 4 days 3 nights), and I was happy with that amount of time to be honest, supposedly you don't miss too much on the last day, as you cover that on your third day back to base anyway it's just more driving and less stopping.

Typical day was get up at a reasonable time, have some breakfast with 2 or 3 groups depending who was staying at which hostel. Attach your backpack to the back of the bike, turn the iginition on, and vroom you're away for a day of driving an exploring. The scenery is spectacular, mountain roads, lush green mountains, interesting villages and varying terrain.

You then stop for lunch, which is surprisingly good considering how remote you are, catching up with your group, getting to know them more and more, before it's time to head off again. You'll break up the afternoon of driving with a couple stops at some lookouts, and some more chances to chat and have fun with your group.

Then you all check into your hostel at the end of the day, these all vary by group, but I believe they are all pretty similar. You will have a couple hours to relax, chat with your group and other groups. Then it's time for dinner, where all the drivers will hand out 'happy wine', basically Sake, you'll do a few toasts and have dinner.

It's quite a simple few days when you write it out, but the main part for me was getting to know some great people, as you're all in this adventure together for a few days and you get to know them very well.

The riders you get in your group that lead you, take care of all the lunches and hostels are great too, genuine local guys who have immense knowledge of the loop so you're always in good hands, they are also hilarious too!

Once the tour is finished and you return to base camp, you either get the bus back to Hanoi, or you can get a bus to Sapa which is around the same time of 6 hours. This is something I wish I would have done but with my schedule and having already booked Ha Long Bay, I needed to return to Hanoi.

Ha Long Bay

A world Heritage Site and arguably the most well known place to go and see in Vietnam, which of course brings its crowds too. It's made up of many limestone mountains (around 1,600), pristine beaches, mysterious caves, fishing villages and many boats both local and tourist.

There are around 20 boats to choose from, all are unique and offer something a little different, I chose the Indochine Boat for 1 night, which was mid/low range in terms of price. The room was great, a balcony, huge bed, great bathroom. The boat was also pretty nice, tasty food, good dining hall, and really nice roof terrace.

The process getting on was pretty smooth, you all waited in a room in the harbour at check in, a small boat then took you across to the big boat where you checked straight into your room. You get a designated table for the duration of your stay which makes it nice and easy for your meals.

The day excursion was kayaking in the morning, through a bat cave various coves. Followed by a swim off the boat. The afternoon was you time, I relaxed on the roof terrace taking in the scenes, looking at all the other boats, and the local fishermen who would come up to the side of the boat and offer cheap drinks.

The last day, as you headed to land, you had a 2 hour excursion to a cave, where you jumped on a bus for 30 minutes, and explored a cave carved into the side of a mountain which was pretty cool.

I personally felt quite out of place at first, the only solo-traveler but I was sat next to a great Kiwi couple who provided lots of recommendations for my upcoming trip. I also got talking to an American girl who lived in the Philippines, which was one of my next destinations, that's what I love about travel, meeting all these different types of people, recommendations etc.

It was by far the most expensive thing I did in Vietnam, in terms of cost vs time, it was $200 for one night, and to me it probably wasn't worth it, but if you were a couple, looking for a bit of romance and a nice 1 or 2 night getaway, it probably is.

Ninh Binh

I feel like I've said this already, but this is arguably my favourite place in Vietnam. I took a 2 hour train from Hanoi, but you can also take a 2.5 hour bus which is slightly cheaper. I stayed in a beautiful hostel called Tam Coc Mountain Bungalow, it has a great pool, small restaurant, great setting next to a mountain and the dorm/bathroom does the job, plus it was like $8 a night.

It is a very remote area set in the countryside, however it still provides numerous accommodation options, restaurants, bars and cafes. Probably because it is a popular destination, but the good thing is a lot of people do a day trip from Hanoi, so if you get up early you'll beat all the crowds and then the evenings are nice and mellow.

Rent a scooter, firstly you'll need one to get to the below, but also it's a nice quiet area compared to the majority of Vietnam, so you'll have some nice back country roads to cruise and take in the countryside.

Trang An, the number one thing to do, is take a tiny wooden boat which fits 4 people, plus a local who rows the boat forwards. You have 3 routes to choose from, one which offers all of the caves, the other all the temples and the last which is a bit of a mixture, so I chose the mixture. It takes around 2 hours and the setting is just stunning, numerous alleys of water with large mountains either side, caves where you have to duck otherwise you'll hit your head and temples built on land right next to the waterways.

Hang Mua Viewpoint has an incredible view either side, with also a dragon built on the ridge of the summit. Warning, it is quite the climb to the top up many steps, it takes 20-30 minute depending on fitness levels, but do this one as early as possible because the heat becomes pretty intense, yep I learnt that the hard way. You can also take a mellow 10 minute walk across a bamboo bridge through lily ponds and rice fields.

Rent a bicycle to explore the area, and take in the scenery at a slower pace than when on a scooter. There are many backroads you can cycle down that follow the waterways, have some viewpoints and interesting accommodations to take a look at.

Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, which use to be Vietnams capital for 41 years, and it's a complex of small temples plus a large open area where they perform parades and various other events.

Hue to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass

I took the overnight train from Ninh Binh to Hue, which was around 11 hours and quite the experience. Just don't expect a lot of sleep with the rocking and the sounds of the train, but it was pretty fun, I got lucky with my room with a bunch of french girls.

Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam has a big history with the imperial city, and it's definitely worth checking out but a 1 night is enough, as other than that the city doesn't really have too much to offer.

With Hoi An as my next destination, I decided to take the popular one day motorbike route via the Hai Van Pass which was made popular from a TopGear episode. It's 155km, so takes around 8 hours with various stops, and a one hour lunch break. The route is beautiful, quite hectic getting out of Hue but then you quickly get out into the countryside and the pass itself is very windy, up and down and pretty busy but manageable.

You also go through a couple fishing villages, where the guide tells you a bit about the community, how they survive and their way of life. You then stop by a local waterfall, where you'll have a dip and get to know some of your group better as well.

You reach Hoi An, where you park up at one of the many tailoring shops, where you get a cold drink and a snack, before making your own way to your accommodation.

Hoi An

Another very popular destination in Vietnam, it's all over instagram because of the beauty of the town, and in particular at night with the boats and lanterns floating down the river. I stayed at SnapStay which is rated at 9.9 stars, unheard of! But you can see why, really comfy dorms, nice roof terrace, right in town and a great social vibe with a nice cafe downstairs. I also treated myself to 3 nights at The Four Seasons Villa, it was $25 per night and just incredible value with a great view of some rice fields, and a stunning pool.

Strolling through Old Town

The main area in Hoi An, by the river, it has around an area of 2km to explore across 5 or so parallel streets full of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. I was here for 4 days and Hoi An is great to just people watch, take in the many streets and many restaurants it has to offer. It has a lot of variety from very old workshops, houses vs the new modern buildings with boutique shops. The streets also look so pretty with all of the lanterns hanging up and different colours of the buildings.

Lanterns at night along the river

At night, everyone comes out when the heat of the sun goes away, and the lanterns floating down the river, and all of the people in the boats and on the bridges make for quite the spectacle. There is also a few performances from school kids with the large dragons where they are inside them as a big puppet.

Hoi An Markets

Again, these are most vibrant at night. You have a specific market for food, where you can get some super nice street food, and a market for clothes, small gifts etc. One of the most fun things to do is actually negotiate with the locals on their prices, you should aim for getting at least 50% off!

Hoi An Beach

I cycled to this beach, which is quite popular as it's only a 20 minute cycle, along one road which has a designated cycling lane so it's pretty safe. The beach itself is very nice, pretty clean, clean water and a few different restaurants and bars to choose from.

Ho Chi Minh

My last stop in Vietnam was the big, famous city of Ho Chi Minh, I arrived here by plane as it was 1 hour from Da Nang, as opposed to a 15 hour bus. I stayed at Mobylette Hostel, you couldn't beat the location, it was right beside the famous Bui Vien Walking Street (more on that later). It had a great social area on the roof, the dorms were comfy, and the bathrooms did the job. I also stayed at Chill Hostel which was super mellow, very private and comfy beds, and the location was similar to Mobylette.

I spent 3 full jam packed days here, and even though it's of course the busiest city in Vietnam, it's didn't feel too overwhelming as the streets are wider, more organized, there are actual sidewalks, and also different areas of the city with some have a more western feel.

Cu Chi Tunnels, I got the boat there which I had no idea you could do until a couple days before, it's slightly more expensive but it's much faster, more comfortable, great sightseeing and you get there early to beat the crowds, and there are a lot of crowds later! I have wanted to visit this place for years, and it did not disappoint. We had a super knowledgeable guide who talk through all the history, the traps, the tunnels and more. You essentially follow a route round, where you see;

• A covered small hole used to escape the enemy and hide

• Deadly traps made into the jungle i.e. a false floor with spikes at the bottom

• A chance to go underground and walk through some of the tunnels. I'm claustrophobic and so this was a real challenge for me, but so glad I did it

• The firing range, I chose to fire 10 rounds of the good old AK47

• Stopped for some lunch in the jungle surroundings

• A video showing real footage or where we actually were

I booked this tour through GetYourGuide and would thoroughly recommend!

Reunification Palace which has pretty much been preserved since 1966, it was the official residence of the president of south Vietnam during the way. In 1975, the north vietnamese drove their tanks through the gates to force Saigon's surrender. There is a replica of the tank that actually broke through the gates, and you can walk in the palace learning all about the history as you go.

The War Remnants Museum, this was so interesting but also very harrowing. You start in the lot outside looking at the old planes, tanks, guns etc. and then you go round the side to replicas of prisons and how they treated the inmates. You then enter the building where there are a few floors and each room has a designated topic for example War Crimes, War Stories, Agent Orange, which was honestly one of the most harrowing things I've ever seen and read about, I didn't take any pictures as it felt wrong to.

Ben Thanh market, is a large market where you can buy various gifts, it's super small alleyways give a very crowded experience, but it's a lot of hustle and bustle which I personally enjoyed, for 10 minutes. You also have the wet market at the back to have a look at all the fish caught that morning, there are some pretty unique ones.

Bui Vien Walking Street, is THE tourist place at night, absolutely manic, it's full of bars, clubs with loud music, people trying to get you into one of their bars with drink offers, numerous restaurants, and it's just a manic vibe, great to sit down with a drink and watch the world go by and drama unfold.

Thich Quang Duc, go see the statue and read about the famous monk that set himself on fire in 1963, where he burnt to death to protest of the prosecution of buddhists.

The Cafe Apartments, an old block of apartments that were abandoned, and turned into small business such as coffee shops, a Poke shop, nail salons and more. I went up and got a coffee in one of them, overlooking the walkway which was great.

Vietnamese coffee, by this point you have of course tried all of the coffee, salt coffee, coconut coffee, egg coffee etc. but Ho Chi probably has the best and more diverse coffee shops in the whole of Vietnam.

That wraps up an incredible 3 weeks in Vietnam, a country that has so much variety, different landscapes, local foods in different regions, history, western influence, local traditions, it has everything and I can't wait to go back.