Travelling in Vietnam
Summer is ending fast and our three-week long trip to Vietnam was over far too quickly. Naturally I will be writing about our amazing journeys and experiences in the following weeks.
Planning the Trip to Vietnam
I spent a long time planning our itinerary through Vietnam and so I thought it worth giving all my readers an insight into our itinerary with some photos and impressions of the country using a few photos from from my iPhone…. before I fight my way through the nearly 8000 that I took with my camera!
Sights to Visit
A lot of effort went into planning this trip, as Vietnam has a large number of diverse sights and places that I wanted to visit. Besides the country stretches a long way from the North to the South and distances are not as easily covered as in Europe or America. Consider that the country is over 2000 km from top to bottom, although not wide, but has still limited good roads and just one very slow railway that runs North to South.
Our Itinerary
In the end I decided to only explore the Northern part of the country, from Hanoi to Hoi An, skipping the South and the mountainous areas completely. Most people usually want to see as many places as possible, however I felt it more important to get a real feel for the country and see fewer destinations by spending more time at each stop to experience the real Vietnam, rather than to just get a quick insight. With hindsight I feel this was a good choice and would recommend other travellers to consider covering less ground but seeing more of each location.
First Stop: Hanoi
Staying in the French Quarter
Most travellers will either start at the bottom in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and work north or fly into Ha Noi and move southwards. We started our Vietnam trip in Hanoi, where we spent 3 nights acclimatising to the hot, humid weather, plus the crazy mayhem of the streets chock a block with motorcycles and to get a feel for the people and the country in general. We stayed in the French Quarter at Lapis Hotel, away from the narrow, noisiest streets (all streets in Hanoi are noisy) of the Old Quarter.
Sightseeing in Hanoi
Exploring Hanoi is easy, we walked everywhere – it was just the crossing of roads took us days to get used to (to be honest we still have not quite mastered the trick). The markets were an explosion for all our senses, the buildings grand and a reminder of the French occupation, besides the narrow and deep houses of the locals. The food was delicious and the cheapest we have ever eaten. The sights, including the Imperial Citadel, Temple of Literature, the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and Hoan Kiem Lake, plus of course the Old Quarter were all fascinating and somewhat different to what we have seen before on our many other trips.
Cruising Bai Tu Long Bay
After our initial taster of Hanoi we left the capital city for some peace and serenity and a cruise through Ha Long Bay. After the challenges of three hours on the road to the coast, with a brief stop to watch a traditional water puppet theatre, we boarded a traditional wooden boat, the Dragons Pearl by Indochina Junk, and sailed through the calm waters of Ha Long Bay. In total awe at the beauty of the karst formations, we spent two nights in bliss on our first cruise with an amazing crew and a bunch of lovely guests. Jerome enjoyed the daily kayaking and swimming sessions, while we savoured the incredible views and delicious food. While I am still terrified of being stuck on a large cruise ship, I can say that the cruise to the far corners of Bai Tu Long Bay has awakened my senses for overnight travel on a small sailing ship. The cruise was definitely one of the highlights of our trip in Vietnam.
A Unique Experience: The Overnight Train
Many of the other guests packed in the sights of Sapa in the mountains with another long transfer and journey but whilst we would certainly have enjoyed that, we have left that for our next visit preferring to spend more time elsewhere. Leaving the Northern part of Vietnam behind we took an overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, a unique experience that is a must, at least once, when travelling through the country. With the cabin to ourselves we played cards while glancing out of our window at the passing city and landscapes.
Hue, the Ancient City
In Hue we stayed in the peaceful Pilgrimage Hotel, outside the ancient town centre, surrounded by lush green and tropical vegetation. We extensively used the hotel’s bikes to discover the area in and around Hue, including an abandoned water park, the Royal Palace and some of the royal tombs that lie dotted around the countryside. Not to mention absorbing the local scenery and culture from two wheels.
Peaceful Cau Hai Lagoon
At nearby Cau Hai Lagoon we stayed in Vedana Lagoon Resort hidden away from the usual tourist tracks in an over water bungalow. From there we ventured out by bike to visit local fishing villages and deserted beaches along the nearby coast. This area, being between centres and therefore not on most of the tourist routes. By staying longer in the Hue region we felt we absorbed more of the local feel and had a chance to get to know the real Vietnam.
Colourful Hoi An
Hoi An was our last destination before returning to Hanoi, we stayed at Atlas Hotel. The charming river town with its lantern lit streets and colourful houses stole our heart despite the torrential rain upon arrival and hour long black out. We wandered the little alleys, discovered the local food and markets and cycled past rural villages, surrounded by rice fields around the river delta.
Serene Resort between Hoi An and An Bang Beach
Hoi An is not only famous for its lanterns and food, it also has one of the best beaches close by. Therefore I had decided to split our stay in Hoi An between city and beach, and so booked a villa at the Allamanda boutique resort near An Bang in the meadows behind the coast. From there we cycled to the beach on one of the days. Thanks to the recommendation of our previous hotel manager we also made a trip to a small fishing village along the coast, which has been converted by two artists into a treasure trove for street art and murals.
Last Days in Hanoi
After a short flight back from Da Nang to Hanoi we spent our last day in Vietnam with sightseeing in the Old Quarter and near the West Lake. We also stocked up on some last minute presents and souvenirs.
Tạm biệt
Three weeks in this beautiful country went by way too fast and it was time to say Tạm biệt. Richer in memories and experiences we headed back home to London where school is about to start again soon and I will have time to write down more detailed accounts of our trip and filter those 1000s of photos for you. Start reading them here soon!
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Great photos especially the one of the hand with the shells.
Thank you. There were so many shells everywhere on the beach, we could have collected bucket loads.
We spent three weeks in Viet Nam a few years ago. I’m still kicking myself for not going to Halong Bay! We were there in December and it was supposed to be very cold, so we passed. I still regret that decision. However, we did cover a lot of the same places as you, plus some others. We loved Viet Nam so much! I also loved reliving some of our memories through your pics.
Hi Kellie,
I am pleased to hear you loved Vietnam as much as we did. It is a great destination to travel with kids of all ages. I am sad to hear you did not get the chance to venture to Halong Bay, our boat trip was definitely the highlight of our entire stay in Vietnam. What was you favourite place? Have you considered going back?
Vanessa
Vietnam is one of my favourite countries to travel in, been there many times now (including a few days in Hanoi (work) a couple of weeks ago) and still not seen it all. You were very sensible not to take too much in on one trip. You have whetted my appetite and I look forward to to your detailed entries. I consider myself an accomplished road crosser LOL.
Did it take you long to become an accomplished road crosser? We were getting braver towards at the end of our trip.
I can totally understand that Vietnam is one of your favourite countries to travel in, the people are so friendly and there is so much to see and do and we actually enjoyed the hot weather compared to the summer that never seems to exist here in London.
It must have changed a lot over the years though? Do you have a place that we should definitely plan to visit if we go back? I am looking forward to your comments on my upcoming posts.
How awesome! Hanoi is my hometown!! Let me know if you need more tips although you are an expert planner already!
Hanoi is an amazing city and we enjoyed our time there a lot. Sadly we are already back in London now but we will be back! I might contact you for some advice then…it’s always good to get some tips from a local!
I absolutely loved central Vietnam and I really fell in love with the country while I was there. I’d love to go back!
Thanks for checking out Indifferent Ignorance. 🙂
Francesca
What was your favourite place when you visited? We definitely want to go back again too.
I loved Hoi An, and I was really surprised by how much I liked Danang. It’s only known for its dragon bridge, but I ended up really enjoying the atmosphere.
Thanks for the encouragement of liking my first post on here 🙂 It brought me to you. Loved reading your stuff, thanks a million! I’ve heard alot about Vietnam lately and I’m thinking of adding it to my travels list. Overall, what was your most favorite place?
Thank you Sally 😀
Vietnam is a fascinating place to visit and you should go before it turns too touristy. I would say our favourite place was Ha Long Bay but we also enjoyed the other places we visited. Some weren’t as exciting as we expected but nevertheless interesting to see.
I wish you luck with your new venture, I started my blog a year ago and have enjoyed how it has turned out so far.
I just finished day one of a ten day motorcycle trip from Saigon to Hoi An. Loving the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the scenery with some history and culture thrown in by my wonderful guide/driver. After three nights in Saigon, (second day my sandals were stolen from outside my door so I was very nearly barefoot) and the crazy rain the second night, I was ready to get out of the city.
That sounds like such an exciting experience. I am not sure I would be brave enough to ride on the back of a motorcycle in Vietnam. Terrible to hear you had your sandals stolen, I am sure this will stay the only negative incident during your stay there.
Enjoy the rest of your ride and savour the beautiful countryside and flavours of this incredible country.
Vanessa
I’m off to South Africa next month with my 11 year old. Love the idea behind this blog and hw you’ve made it come to life!
I hope you and your son will have a great time in South Africa. Are you going on a safari?