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My trip to Vietnam in December 2019 was by far my best vacation decision thus far. It was the first time, that I got completely absorbed by the rich history and culture in another country. Here, I am covering some sights and some food in Vietnam. The trip was crammed – soo much to see, soo much to eat but soo little time.

I wanted to share the trip with the Team-BHP family. I have heard various things over the years - that Vietnam is a nicer more chilled out Thailand, less touristy, less commercial, people are nicer, great food. I think most of it is true! I guess Vietnam is going to be on a lot of people's radar now with the first Formula 1 race scheduled in Hanoi in a few weeks time.

My friends and I have been thinking of taking a nice trip since a while. I had just been to Phuket a couple of months prior. After visiting Thailand twice, I definitely didn’t want to go back a third time. We chose between Indonesia & Vietnam. Vietnam seemed like a better fit. Generally, I was a little intrigued by the Vietnam War and was dying to have authentic Pho. 3 of my closest friends accompanied me on the trip. They are AS, AU & CG.

AS and I were to fly into Vietnam a week before AU & CG, who would be joining for the second half of the trip. We were to spend Christmas and New Year in Vietnam. Our trip wasn’t a budget one per se. We were frugal at times, and splurged at others. We tried a couple of basic hostels, a couple of high-end hostels, a 5 star cruise as well as a couple of 3 & 4 star hotels.

My itinerary looked like this:

18th– 22nd December – Ho Chi Minh City (Part – 1)
22nd– 24th December – Hoi An (Part – 2)
24th December - Da Nang & Hai Van Pass (Part -3)
25th – 27th December – Ninh Van Bay (Part – 4)
27th - 28th December – Nha Trang and an evening in Hanoi (Part – 5)
29th – 31st December – Ha Long Bay (Part – 6)
31st – 3rd January – Hanoi (Part – 7)

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Day - 1 (District 1, Walking Street)

We took a Thai Airways flight. DEL-BKK-SGN. The layover in Bangkok was just 2 hours. The second leg didn’t have an English speaking crew and the onboard food option was only pork. Do keep this in mind while taking the local sector flights. We arrived bright and early in Ho Chi Minh City at 9 AM. There is a direct Vietjet flight now. The Indian carrier (Indigo) lands in the dead of the night which wasn’t very convenient.

After changing money and getting a pocket full of Dongs and feeling like poor millionaires. (Rs 3000 is the equivalent of 1 Million Dong), we set off in an airport cab. Our chariot was a black Fortuner. Beginning to like this country already. 30 minutes later, we landed up at our hostel in District 1 in the heart of Saigon. This hostel was a bit of an experiment. We booked two beds in a dorm in the supposed best party hostel in Saigon called. And boy did it live up to the tag. The building used to shake with music from its rooftop party spot. The location of the hostel was perfect. Bang in the center of town and one block away from the Bui Vien street (The Walking Street). I must confess, the three-night hostel experience in Saigon was quite enjoyable. It was a great way to see the city and meet people. Would I stay in a dorm again? Probably not. Too stressful especially when you are carrying a lot of cash and stuff. It was great that AS was with me. There was always someone to watch over bag and valuables while the other went to the washroom or something.

After settling down stepped out on foot to take in the sights and smells of a new city/ country. Loved it! Stopped at a street-side restaurant for fried chili fish and sticky rice meal. We spent the afternoon chatting with people in our hostel and got out in the evening to get some Banh Mi. Signed up for a pub crawl on the walking street later that night.


AS on the Bui Vien street. This street is the main walking street. It completely transforms after the sun goes down. That's the Bitexco Financial Tower in the background.



Typical scene



A Vietnamese rickshaw. Here the rider sits behind the passenger.



Banh Mi - The star of the trip.

Making of the above Banh Mi.

https://youtu.be/MeAdqYYK6dY

Day - 2 (Downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Financial District, Cu Chi Tunnels)

I took a morning walk to explore the financial district. Sat by the Saigon river and enjoyed some egg coffee. Café Apartment was a residential building at some point. Each unit is a café now. The building with the helipad is the Bitexco Tower. One of the most iconic buildings in Vietnam! We visited the building the following day.


Cafe Appartement


Bitexco Financial Tower. I believe the helipad (on the 52nd floor) was constructed at a considerable cost in the original plan but has never been used due to airspace restrictions.


Saigon River

The plan for the day was to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. It is easily an 8 Hour affair. Takes about 2 hours each way with traffic. The Cu Chi visit was spectacular. It is unbelievable when they show you and tell you how the Viet Cong lived 6 meters below the ground. The Viet Cong outwitted the Americans with their intricate tunnel network spanning 200 kilometers and booby traps in this forest. The tunnels were 2-3 levels deep. They had smokestacks for cooking, bunkers, living quarters, medical centers, oxygen vents - all deep under the ground. This tunnel network helped them gain the upper hand and ultimately win the war. Two small sections of the tunnel are open to the public. It is tiny. Not recommended if you are claustrophobic. There are stretches where you can’t stand straight and have to crouch to move forward. At the Cu Chi tunnel complex, you can fire an Ak-47 or an M-30 for 10-15 USD if I remember correctly.


One of the entrances to the tunnel network.


One of the tunnels open to the public.


Cu Chi Complex


A destroyed American tank (M-41 Tank) from the war. Scroll to the next day to see a well-preserved example at the War Remnants Museum.


B-52 Bomb crater. One of the many reminders of a war-torn region.

This Friday night was EPIC!! Ho Chi Minh City knows how to party. We had some delicious Pho at a corner local restaurant at 6:30 PM, spent the whole night out and had Pho again at the same restaurant 12 hours later.

We begin the night at our hostel bar. It was game night (actually almost every night is), you had to have a shot for your country to score a point. We were severely outnumbered by Australians. We met 2 other Indians and our tally was just 20, Australians were on 120 something. With our tail between our legs, we made a hasty retreat. We ended the night at a club which shuts at 7 AM!!



Pho the other star of the trip. Dinner Pho at 6:30 PM


Breakfast Pho at 6:30 AM


The Walking Street. This was clicked early evening. The street gets quite crowded later.


Day - 3 (District 1, War Remnants Museum, Bitexco Tower, Saigon Skydeck, Ben Thanh Night Market)

The plan of the morning was to get some Banh Mi for breakfast and have some great egg coffee. This Banh Mi was a freak. It had 4-5 types of meat in it. Moved onto some lovely Egg Coffee at a very quaint café. Ordered 2-3 types to try. Wasn’t disappointed at all.


Two in one. Iced milk coffee & egg coffee. Milk coffee in Vietnam means cold or hot coffee with condensed milk. It gives it some sweetness and a different texture. It is out of the world!

I was eagerly looking forward to spending some time at the War Remnants Museum. Spent the entire afternoon there. You can’t have a tear in your eye at the end of it. I was familiar with the war and the events. I believe there isn't any online resource that had this kind of a detailed account with pictures. There were seperate sections devoted to Agent Orange, all sorts of weapons, news clippings from the time. There is a particularly moving section devoted to torture and brutality to prisioners of war and civilians. Not for the faint hearted for sure. I didn't take a lot of pictures inside the galleries. The outdoor area is devoted to military vehicles. Some aircrafts, helicopters, tanks, flamethrowers and a variety of artillery. There was even a speed boat on display. I highly recommend visiting this museum.


War Remnants Museum




UH-1 Huey Helicopter. Don't miss the machine gun on the side of it.


A37 Fighter Bomber


F5 Fighter Jet


CH-47 Chinook heavy cargo helicopter.


M48 and M41 behind it.


A1 Skyraider

Next, we visited the Skydeck on the 49th Floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower. These are the panoramic views of Saigon which we saw. We bundled it with a tour of the Heineken Experience Centre on Floors 58-60. (I am told beer consumption in Vietnam is extremely high). The Helipad of the building is on floor 52. When you look down from the Heineken center at it you can see the ‘H’. The good folk at Heineken insist the 'H' is for Heineken.


Panoramic view of the city!


Looks lovely at night doesn't it?

Walked over to Ban Thanh market. Picked up some touristy Tshirts. We were craving some good seafood. Sat down at a big set up. Should have known better since there was no chicken on the menu. The biggest hint was that this restaurant served snails and frog legs, etc. Ordered a prawn hot pot. The hot pot, soup, noodles, veggies, and prawns arrived on our table to be assembled. Except, the prawns were very much alive!!! We politely asked to take it back, and that we are more than happy to pay for it but would like to order something else. The restaurant manager took it back and did not charge for it. (That’s Vietnam for you!).

Spent some time at the walking street again and called it a night. We had an early morning flight to catch to Da Nang!

Missed - The Independence Palace. A historical landmark, signifying the fall of Saigon when the Vietnam war came to an end in 1975 - when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates.

Suggestions - 3 days is enough, space it out over 4 if you want to see Ho Chi Minh City at a more leisurely place. Consider checking out Mekong Delta and the floating market. There is a beach 2 hours away called Mui Ne. You can consider clubbing Ho Chi Minh City with a visit to the island of Phu Quoc. It short flight away. Also, try a street food tour. I tried doing it myself but I am sure a curated one would be better.

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Day - 4 (Hoi An, An Bang Beach)

Welcome to Central Vietnam. Landed at Da Nang International Airport. The airport was an American base during the war years. This beach town was a rest & recuperation (R&R) destination for American troops. I ate a fine burger in Da Nang and definitely could feel the American influence Da Nang seems like a thriving and affluential city, as you can probably tell from the pictures when I visit 2 days later. Saw lots and lots of the popular hotel chains lining the beach on the highway en route to Hoi An.

We were to stay the next three nights an hour away in Hoi An. Hoi An is a well preserved old trading port (active during the 15-19th century). It is a UNESCO world heritage site. The main parts do not permit motor vehicles. The old town is lovely. It feels like walking in a different century. You have to see it to believe me - I don't believe pictures do it justice. Everything shuts by 11 PM. All lights start going out by 10 PM. Even Grab taxis don't ply in Hoi An after 8 PM or so - the town is so quiet.

The beach at Hoi An was 5-6kms away from the old Hoi An town. Our hotel was in between the two- 3kms from the beach. Our hotel room came with complimentary breakfast and two bicycles.

Dug into a hearty fried fish and chips, and burger meal at a beach club on An Bang beach.




An Bang Beach. a 3 km cycle ride from the hotel.



My wheels


In the distance you can see Da Nang city. its about 25-30 kms away.



Day - 5 (Cycle tour, Old Town, Best Banh Mi)

The next morning after a hearty breakfast, we set off for a bicycle tour around Hoi An. I feel like we covered 10-12 kms in total. We cycled across farm lands and were shown rice fields. We were shown an art gallery and some of the old parts of town. I believe the buildings are painted yellow to absorb heat. We were shown around the local food market and the site where the lanterns light up at night. The Japanese Bridge pictured below, is a few hundred years old and has an interesting tale. There was also a well-preserved merchants home which has been converted into a museum. Hoi An was a trading port in the old days as I mentioned earlier. We visited a very well known Banh Mi place. Walked through the town at night, enjoyed the lights and sat for coffee at a couple of places.


Cruising


Old town


Another day time glimpse of the old town


The old Japanese Bridge which I mentioned.


Here there is a dragon carved in a support pillar of an old merchant home. Dragons are a symbol for strength in Vietnamese culture. It's quite common to see dragons as an integral architectural element. You will see the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang in a later picture.


Vietnam khet life


Chasing a sunset


We were told Vietnam is the third-largest grower of rice after India & Thailand. I looked into it. It is far from true, its more like the 5th or 6th largest producer of rice. China, Bangladesh, and Indonesia produce more.


A place which made lanterns.


Banh Mi Phuong. Probably the most famous Banh Mi joint in the world.


An episode on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations changed the fortunes of this joint.


Anthony Bourdain called it a 'Symphony in a sandwhich'. Couldn't agree more.


It was delicious. I ate two and packed a third for later. So, between the two of us we had 6, so got to taste 6 types. This was definitely the nicest Banh Mi that I had in Vietnam. There weren't 50 things stuffed inside, there were probably just 5 and it worked the best.


The Japenese Bridge again at night.




The old town all lit up. Purposely writing as less as possible and letting the pictures do the talking.












Suggestion - Don't miss Banh Mi Phuong & Banh Mi Queen in Hoi An. Best Banh Mi that I had in Vietnam. No late night places as such. Great quaint peaceful little town to chill by the beach or walk around the old town by evening. It was very relaxing. I would strongly recommend staying in Hoi An for a night or two rather than staying in Da Nang and travelling to and fro. I stayed in Hoi An and travelled to and back from Da Nang for a day. Grab doesn't work in Hoi An after 8 PM. Ask the hotel for a car, or find out where the taxi stand is. There is a great karaoke scene at a place called Tiger Tiger.

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Day 6 - (Hai Van Pass, My Khe Beach, Best Hamburger, Da Nang)

As mentioned earlier, Da Nang was a rest & recuperation (R&R) destination for American troops during the war years. It was also an important American military airbase.

While we stayed in Hoi An, we spent the day in Da Nang. The first half of the day was spent going up north in a jeep up the Hai Van Pass. The Hai Van Pass was made famous by Top Gear in its Vietnam special. Labeled by Clarkson as one of the best coastal roads in the world. The second half of the day was spent at My Khe beach in Da Nang. Returned to Hoi An at night.

The Hai Van Pass connects Da Nang to the imperial capital city of Hue. The views are breathtaking. Traffic is sparse, as only tourists use this route. For trucks and other commercial traffic, there is an alternative shorter route now. The ways to do this loop is to rent a two wheeler yourself, or a back of a motorcycle tour, or by taxi, or a bus. I have zero experience in riding a two wheeler (you would need to get a powerful one to climb) and wasn't keen at all. We took a Jeep tour. Our chariot was an old Soviet Jeep from the Vietnam war. I believe it is a UAZ jeep. The Ford/Willy's counterpart.


The Jeep which came to pick us threw a tantrum and broke down a few metres down the road. We had a replacement in no time at all


Hmm


This is called Marble Mountain. It has a pagoda on the top. It comes on the way when you go from Hoi An to the Hai Van Pass via Da Nang. You can climb to the top. There is also an elevator. We were told it is completely missable, and we saw it from outside and moved on. We were more interested in spending more time at the pass. Some trivia - During the war - their used to be Viet Cong camp in a cave at this marble mountain, just a few miles from the American base right under their noses.


This is called the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang. Again, dragons are a symbol of power in Vietnamese culture. Every Saturday & Sunday at 9 PM there is a light and sound (and water) show, where the dragon bridge breathes fire.


Downtown Da Nang. The climb started just after this.




The first spot


Downtown Da Nang in the distance.


View from the top






This was a bunker from the French occupation time. Built at a strategic location. It was used much later by the Viet army during the Vietnam War.


Driving along the beach in Da Nang.




This was second jeep which came, parked during lunch.


Quite roomy!


Feeling a bit hot!


A local Pho lunch in Da Nang. Pictured here with most of the accompaniments.


This is probably the best hamburger I have had in my life!


My Khe Beach

Rented a beach bed and parked myself at the beach for the rest of the day. Made a trip back to Hoi An late evening. What a Christmas eve it was. Morning flight tomorrow morning. Going to fly 45 minutes South tomorrow!

Suggestion - Must stay in Hoi An over Da Nang.

Other pointers - The Golden Bridge (the hand) has no real significance. It is in an amusement theme park called Bana Hills in Da Nang. Locals advised us against it.

Missed - Would have definitely like to have spent some time the Hue. Hue was the ancient capital of Vietnam. If you drive up the Hai Van pass it leads to Hue. It's about 100 kms from Da Nang. Sadly didn't have the time. There are overnight journeys to Hue from Hoi An/Da Nang. Worth a look. And the drive to and fro is superb. Worth considering Phong Nha caves. It's a national park. About 5 hours away by road from Da Nang.

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Day 7 & 8 - Ninh Van Bay


Today is Christmas. We would be traveling during lunchtime. We will miss a grand christmas lunch, both - at the place where we departed from and where we were heading. So, our next destination is Nha Trang. We land at Cam Ranh Airport. Nha Trang is a 45-minute drive from the airport. But our destination for the first two nights is a resort in Ninh Van Bay which is a 2.5-hour drive from the airport.

My two other friends CG & AU were to join us today for the next leg of the trip. They took three flights from Delhi to reach us in Ninh Van Bay. We were to spend the next two nights here. Everything is paid in advance. Loved that all consumables are charged on a waterproof wrist band.


The two corner rooms facing the bay are ours.


Room View. The washroom was quite big and had a similar window.


Gorgeous no?


Breakfast of champions, with some Vietnamese milk hot coffee


Sitting back with Vietname milk Cold Coffee. It's literally ice from base of the glass till the top. Redefined 'on the rocks' for me. And this is how it is served everywhere across the country!


Hmm.


Our private beach.






I believe Pho is a breakfast dish among the common folk. So, when I saw it on the breakfast menu I had to have it. This was a very bland chicken noodle broth. It was quite tasteless compared to the other delicious one I had had thus far.


Some Banh Mi.

Very relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of a busy city this was. Quaint, quiet and beautiful getaway. Next stop - the city of Nha Trang which is roughly an hour and a half away by car.

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Day 9 & Day 10 - Nha Trang and an evening in Hanoi

Nha Trang is a popular beach resort city. Think Miami and Goa - combined. Tall buildings, a nice beach, gorgeous turquoise water and heck of a party scene. It is visited mainly by Russian tourists. Did see a few Europeans. Saw very few of our country folks. English is a little difficult unless you go to a fancy place. Stayed in a hotel on the main street, which was walking distance from the beach and the happening parts of town. The party scene in Nha Trang is quite good! We missed our morning flight the next day, and ended taking a later flight to Hanoi - so we had a few more hours to spend in Nha Trang.


On the drive from Ninh Van Bay to Nha Trang.


Somewhere in rural Vietnam, I guess. Lovely!


A part of the route runs by the water.


Our car for the drive to Nha Trang was this Mitsubishi Xpander. Quite common in Vietnam. I saw a thread of this car being spotted testing in India. I was pleasantly surprised to note that it belongs to the Ertiga segment and that it has a 1.5L motor. I was under the impression that it was a segment higher.


Room view.


From the rooftop of the hotel on the 22nd floor.


Many such live seafood joints.


The beach at night. The ferris wheel in the background is on an island just off the main beach - belongs to a resort called Vinpearl. The Vin group is a huge Vietnamese conglomerate. From cars, to milk to hotels to mobile service provider. More on them later.


Another Vietnamese cycle rickshaw.


Saw this Citroen parked outside a barbeque restaurant.


We were looking for a restaurant for dinner and got royally lost. Finally, absolutely famished, we sat down at this tiny local place.. Oh, of course they don't speak English A quick sign language and broken English conversation yielded that they had no menu, because they served only one item - Pho. Absolutely perfect! This was as authentic as it could be. Especially when we looked around and saw 80% of the patrons were locals. My quest for the best Pho ended with this. Out of the world!


Perfect sunny morning in Nha Trang.


This is at a restaurant which was recommended to us. It is called The Sailing Club. This is a local fish curry and sticky rice. It was very good.


Salmon steak.


This was some Korean sauce burger.


This restaurant was clearly geared towards foreign tourists. Food was good nonetheless. Even had an Indian section. I was very tempted but held myself back.


Coconut water at the airport before our flight up North to the capital - Hanoi.

Hanoi


I would not have booked Bamboo Airlines, if I had a choice - just by virtue of its name. Was actually very very good.

Our Vietjet flight to Hanoi was preponed the next day from 9:30 AM to 7 AM. We could not make it. Booked a flight later in the afternoon on Bamboo Airlines. I was quite skeptical of this airline by virtue of its name alone. We arrived in Hanoi around 8 PM, checked into our hotel in the old quarters. We explored a little and looked around for dinner options. The restaurants in old quarters seem to shut by 10PM. The only option for dinner seemed to be a little bit of a walk away - a McDonalds which also shut at 11 PM. We did a bit of a recce of the night market and the old quarters area. We were to leave for the Ha Long Bay trip early the next morning and were going to return to Hanoi three days later.


A night shot of the Hoan Kiem lake.


Another one.

The old quarter in Hanoi seemed very lively, a large part of it around the lake is car free at certain times. Everyone seemed to be out on the streets - singing, dancing, or just sitting on a bench or upto something or the other. Quite a scene for 11 PM.

Suggestion - If you stay in Nha Trang, choose a hotel on the main street or the second street. Ocean facing rooms are worth the premium. Locations around The Sailing Club, Nagar Hotel, Novotel are quite convenient. You can get around on foot. And, eat local! I am told Bamboo Airlines (a year old Hanoi based airline) and Vietnam Airlines are significantly more reliable than Vietjet for domestic travel. Although, Vietjet can be cheaper.

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Day 11,12,13 - (Ha Long Bay cruise & a private island in Lanha Bay)

We were picked up at 8 AM from the old quarters in Hanoi for the 2.5-3 hour drive to Ha Long. The service providers are incredibly punctual without fail. Even arriving 5 minutes early. I have noticed this in Thailand as well. We reached at 12PM with a couple of breaks. Checked-in to our cabins and headed straight for lunch. We were going to spend the day and night aboard a cruise boat. The next day and night we were going to stay on a tiny private island in Lanh Ha Bay and return to Hanoi in the evening on New Years Eve.


Today is a Sunday morning. This is a church in the old quarters on our way to the freeway.


One of the piers at Ha Long. Waiting to board a little boat to go to the big boat.


Room view


Generic food on board. To suit everyone's diverse tastes.


The Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a cluster of 2000 limestone islets that skirt the northern coast of Vietnam.


From the bow.


One of the hot tubs onboard. I think there were two on each deck.


That's CG and I. The agenda for the afternoon and early evening - was to head out in a kayak in a group, swim behind the boat or relax in one of the hot tubs. We hopped out in the kayaks.


The boat. it sailed to a spot almost two hours from the harbour and parked for the night.


Look at the power of mother nature.


The next morning we disembarked, got onto a smaller boat and headed towards this island. An 1 hour and 15 minutes later, we reached the spot. It was in an area called Lanh Bay. This boat stopped to pay toll while making its way through the waterways. This little island is where we would spend the day and the night. The best bit - zero cellphone reception and no wifi. The 4 of would be sharing this space with just 7 other guests.


This corner one was our room. It faces the rear of the island.


The most enjoyable pool game thus far.


View towards the front.


Life's Good indeed.


CG catching a nap.


Generic mismatched lunch. Not bad.


We took a couple of kayaks out in the afternoon and went exploring the vicinity. We carried some snacks and stopped at this tiny little beach on one of the islets a little way off.




We were circling around and getting back to our island. This is on a channel. It is significantly deeper, used as a waterway and the current was stronger. Far ahead is the open sea. We were told if you go too far out, the current will take you out to China.








A rather exotic and enjoyable barbeque dinner.


They organised a screening of the 2017 King Kong movie on the beach. Its called King Kong: Skull Island. It was shot in the Ha Long bay.


Room View.


One of many fish farms we saw en route.


A much swankier boat than ours.


We went by our small boat back to our big boat and then another small boat back to the pier in Ha Long. We saw a couple of Sea Planes taking off and landing. There is a sea plane tour on offer as well.


Suggestions - Look into Cat Ba island. It's a national park. The ferries depart from the same jetty as the Ha Long Bay cruise boats. Can be clubbed if you have time. Try booking the mid rang to higher range Ha Long Bay cruises, generally the better facilities are worth it. They usually park at more secluded spots at night. Definitely do try for atleast an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise.

I enjoyed the Ha Long bay trip immensely. I somehow expected it too be a bit more beautiful. I visited the Phi Phi islands 3 months prior and felt that was much much more beautiful. The water there is crystal clear and blue and you can see right through. The corals and snorkelling experiences there have left a a huge impression and has set the bar very high for me.

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Last 3 Days - (Back to Hanoi, Old Quarters, Train Street)

We reached back to Hanoi from Ha Long on New Years Eve. We left the last leg of the trip open-ended in terms of hotel bookings. As expected, our first, second and even third choice of accomodation were fully booked. We did end up getting a nice hotel half a kilometer from the Hoan Kiem Lake. This is centre of town called the old quarters. Lots of French elements in terms of old villas and buildings. The area is popularly also referred to as the French Quarters. There are many Government buildings and embassies in this area.

Checked in, dumped our luggage and left to celebrate New Years in Hanoi. I don't think I will ever complain about traffic ever again. Everybody in the city seemed to be on the way to the city centre. 3 of the most popular malted brew makers in Vietnam had huge countdown parties a few streets away from each other near the lake. The song 'Happy New Year' by ABBA seemed to be playing on repeat everywhere. I was walking back to the hotel at 3 AM or so, and saw people and trucks cleaning the street after the new year revellers had gone home. I was very very impressed!


I didn't complain about traffic for a few weeks after this. This is of course more than usual because of New Years.


Our 500-metre walk took a little longer than it should have.


The Lake during the day




This is another very popular Hanoi based Banh Mi place. Look at the queue.


By now I have become a discerning Banh Mi fan. I think the Banh Mi from Hoi An stood head and shoulders above this.


Coffee session was interrupted.



Almost got hit by a train on the first day of 2020. Check. So, this is on the train street. It is lined with cafes. Legally, it is out of bounds for tourists and police will not let you enter. There are loopholes which you will figure out. The train schedule is put up everywhere. There are 5-6 trains a day at 1-2 hour intervals. 15 minutes before a train is scheduled to pass, the cafe owners pull all the chairs and tables and people out of the way. I honestly expected a little more clearance. It was quite something as a train rumbles past. It goes by pretty fast too. I was standing in someone's doorway when I took the video,

https://youtu.be/4WRSPFD8n5I

Coffee on train street.


Again, on train street.



Saw this yellow E63S parked.

Special mention to the cars I saw on the streets. I saw my first Cullinan and Levante in Hanoi. I saw more Maybachs than S-Classes. Lots of fancy cars in Hanoi. Definitely more than what I saw in Ho Chi Minh City.


Look at this. It looked like every successive floor was an afterthought.


This is the walking street in Hanoi. Called Beer street. By far, the narrowest walking street that I have ever seen.


This is Bun Cha. It is a local Hanoi dish.


This are spring rolls. These are not fried. Wrapped in rice sheet rolls.


This is Coconut Coffee. Do try!


As tempting as it looks. DO NOT BUY!! These are knock-offs, most probably from across the border. We couldn't resist. I bought a down jacket and a backpack from a well-known trekking brand. It barely survived the flight back to Delhi.


Our last meal in Vietnam. In Hanoi by the lake.


These are all the currency denominations.


Another rickshaw.


Special delivery



This is a packet of brilliant coffee that I picked up in Hanoi.

There is literally something or the other going on by the lake everyday in Hanoi. This is on the night of 1st January. A lovely violin cover of Something Like This.

https://youtu.be/siA-rYGno6g

We found Hanoi a bit dull in comparison to the other places we visited. Nothing much to do or see per se. In hinsight we wish we stayed a night or two in Cat Ba instead of coming back to Hanoi for the last couple of days.

Suggestions - From Hanoi there are these waterfalls a few hours away. The Sa Pa loop can be done from here. There are some trekking options in the North if that is of interest.

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Smaller yet significant things, trivia and some other points

• Visa - To visit Vietnam you need a Visa approval letter which takes 1-2 business days. Plenty of online service providers who organize it. You need to provide some basic information and attachments. You do not need anything more than the basic service. Which is 7-8 USD per person. A print out of the letter will be required to fly out to Vietnam. After arriving, it is a Visa on arrival process. There is a 25 USD stamping fee paid in ‘CASH ONLY' at the airport where you land in the country. Account for congestion especially if you have a connecting domestic flight or land during a busy time. We landed at 9 AM and our Passport/Visa stamping took more than 2 hours. My friends who joined us a week later sailed through the process in a few minutes. They landed in the wee hours of the morning.
  
  
• I read traffic in Ho Chi Minh is crazy. Lots of vehicles, especially two-wheelers. But after India, it is more civilized. People use turn signals, stop behind the lines, follow lanes and follow traffic lights for instance. The roads were quite good everywhere. The legal number of people on a scooter is 3. 2 adults and a child as per law. Helmets are worn by all. One day in Ho Chi Minh city, Our Grab was inching at 10 km/h and was being tailed by a scooter which crossed the line onto the wrong side to overtake - it struck a car pulling out of a driveway very slowly and fell on its side. There was no argument nothing. I am told its very normal. People get up and move on.
  
  
• I don't believe I came across any self-drive rental options anywhere. Self ride scooters, mopeds, motorcycles are aplenty. They come in manual, automatic and semi-automatic. On some popular routes you can rent a one-way motorbike from point A to B. It includes dropping your luggage to point B and transporting the motorbike back to point A.
  I looked at renting a two-wheeler very casually. I don't have an international license. Haryana license won't work for sure - but not to worry. Turns out no license no problem. Don't get caught by the police, if you do get caught it is a 2 Million VND fine. (Rs 6,000). Along the trip, I did notice police stopping tourists now and then.
  
  
• Vietnam is a great place for all kinds of budgets and pockets. I met people traveling for 5 days as well as people traveling for 6 months.
  
  
• At the time of travel, 1 INR was equal to 330 VND (Vietnamese Dong). Dollars is quite widely accepted. Card is also accepted. The exchange rate is about 2.23 - 2.3 Million VND per 100 USD. I used a mix of cash (dollars & VND) plus a travel card with very low charges. Refrained from using my Indian debit or credit cards anywhere. Was transferring small amounts into the travel card as I was going along. Had heard some horror stories. The currency exchanges at the airports give good rates. Slowly, we realised everyone exchanges currency - hotels, restaurants and hostels too. In Hanoi, I exchanged currency once at a jewelry store and once at a travel agent shop. The travel card - NiYo has very low / no charges or conversion fees when using the ATM. Quite good and a very good app to track use and block instantly if required.
  
  
• We traveled during peak tourist time. Flights and hotels were pricier, availability was a bit tough especially if the bookings weren’t made a couple of weeks in advance. But to be honest, it was the liveliest time to be there. I think it was worth it. Would not have done it any other time. It gets very hot in summer and monsoon. December was perfect. The North was a bit colder (Hanoi) though.
  
  
• Vegetarian options are hard to find. Even chicken is hard to find. It's only when you go to slightly more premium restaurants that you have more options. I believe I saw very limited vegetarian options. One of my friends cannot eat gluten. He managed just fine - because most of the noodles is rice noodles. If you have some dietary restrictions, I imagine it would be a little tough to get around. Especially, explaining it to a server or chef depending on where you are.
  
  
• Language is a bigger problem than I had anticipated. Use Google Translate and sign language as much as you can. It will help 8/10 times. Sometimes the app does a very wonky translation. I can tell by the expressions on a local's face. A couple of times I would call the hotel and have them translate to whomsoever I was talking to. A couple of restaurants we went to,local the staff at hotels and a majority of cab drivers spoke no English.
  
  
• [B[Uber[/b] isn’t there in Vietnam either. They have Grab. Very convenient and transparent – route and fare wise. Especially if the cabbie doesn’t speak English. If you do hail a cab from the road you can use Grab to get a reference of the correct fare and negotiate.
  
  
• I used a VinaPhone SIM card. Cost about Rs 700 for 8 GB of 4G. The network coverage was very good - even in the middle of nowhere. Much better than the other network my friends were using.
  
  
• We used Vietjet for domestic flights. Booked directly from the website. Flying is the best and quickest way to travel around Vietnam. Traveling by train is only slightly cheaper than Vietjet but significantly more time-consuming. It is quite curious! In one sector we got dirt cheap flights on Vietjet. Apart from the ticket – baggage, food and seat selection is a separate add on which is cheaper at the time of booking online. Vietjet is the cheapest but not so great. We forfeited one Vietjet flight, missed another and rebooked on Bamboo Airlines which was surprisingly good. I am told Vietnam Airlines is also very good.
  
  
• Costs in Vietnam are mostly reasonable. Especially what you get for the money. Be it hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, tours, etc. Coming from Delhi somethings appear very cheap. For instance - A can of malted beverage is 1 USD and a pack of Marlboro is 1.3 USD. As a consequence, we got carried away once in a while - booked a Fortuner where a Vios would do. Booked suites when normal rooms would have sufficed etc.
  
  
• Everyone everywhere in Vietnam is smoking. We saw some washrooms which had ashtrays in the cubicles.
  
  
• Most of the pictures are shot on a One Plus 7T and Pixel 3. You can probably make out the Pixel photographs. A few of them on an iPhone XS Max.
  
  
• I was told all cars in Vietnam cost significantly more because of very steep import duties. Despite this, I saw some very flashy cars in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. I didn’t imagine I would see my first Cullinan and Levante in Hanoi of all places. Mercedes S classes, Maybach S classes, and Porsches were common in the financial district in Ho Chi Minh City and old town in Hanoi (in the embassy area).
  
  
• Vietnam is the 5th/6th largest rice producer in the world. Rice forms a significant portion of their diet, albeit in multiple forms such as noodles, rice cakes, etc.
  
  
• Initially, I was very careful where I ate and what I ate, but gave up soon. Had no stomach issues whatsoever. I would never dream of trying this in our own country. I ate street food as well. Quite a lot of it. I did stick to mineral water as much as possible though.
  
  
• The French influence is very apparent. French bread/baguette - hard on the outside soft inside was a common accompaniment with eggs as a breakfast item. Banh in Vietnamese means bread. Banh Mi is the sandwich. There are so many cafes in Vietnam. All of them will whip you a very good cup of coffee. As mentioned earlier, condensed milk is the magic ingredient. I love coffee and I was in paradise. The whole country is obsessed with coffee. It's quite interesting. All the locals seem to be smoking cigarettes or drinking coffee or both. Do buy the good coffee beans as well as a Vietnamese drip filter set to replicate it at home. Egg coffee is brilliant. Do not miss it. Coconut coffee is also very interesting.
  
  
• I saw two coffee chains. Highlanders and Phuc Long. I understand they are the Cafe Coffee Day and Starbucks equivalents respectively. In Hanoi - there was a chain called Aha Cafe! I think I saw one in every block. No kidding. I also read Starbucks and foreign chains aren't popular, people prefer their homegrown brands. Understandably so.
  
  
• In Vietnamese culture, the dragon is a symbol of strength. You will see a lot of dragon influences in the architectural design of buildings, gates, bridges, etc.
  
  
• It was a great place to interact with visitors from all over the world. Met lots of people visiting from Australia, some from Europe, a few from South Asia, and a few from the Americas. The lovely conversations with locals, tourists and other visitors will stay with me for some time.
  
  
• Extented budget trip is possible, great backpacking destination. People were on the road for months. People buy a used motorbike in the North ride it South and sell it or vice versa. They usually lose very little money or even make money on the sale I am told.
  
  
• Touristy t-shirts and magnets seem to be specific to the city you buy them from.
  
  
• The Grand i10 and the Xcent (called Grand i10 sedan) in Vietnam have three headrests on the rear seat.
  
  
• Don't get tempted by cheap fakes. They are of terrible quality. Not worth it even if it is free.
  
  
• I put on zero holiday weight. I lost a few pounds. I guess it was because I was eating local food and was walking a lot.
  
  
• There is a company called Vingroup. One of the biggest conglomerates in Vietnam. All their companies start with 'Vin'. They own a lot of business spanning multiple industries. Starting from telecom to hospitality to dairy to automobiles to name a few. Check out the Vietnamese Automotive brand called VinFast.
  
  
• VinFast makes these two vehicles (apart from others). VinFast LUX A 2.0 and VinFast LUX SA 2.0. They are based on the F10 BMW 5 Series and F15 BMW X5 respectively. Saw loads of them in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City. Very striking looking vehicles.

A dolled up 5 series
Source - https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...d-lux-as20-suv



The X5 version
Source - https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...d-lux-as20-suv

[vb-saan]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section.


Brilliant travelogue, thank you for sharing!

[saket77]

Wow! You did have a fairly long holiday there. Exotic food, stunning locations & some adventure sports- perfect recipe for a beautiful holiday. Must say that I found it very informative as well. Your post no. 9 has a lot of useful information for anyone interested in traveling to Vietnam. Thanks for sharing.

Regards,
Saket

[jaguar.runs]

Originally Posted by promit

Visa - To visit Vietnam you need a Visa approval letter which takes 1-2 business days. Plenty of online service providers who organize it. You need to provide some basic information and attachments. You do not need anything more than the basic service. Which is 7-8 USD per person. A print out of the letter will be required to fly out to Vietnam. After arriving, it is a Visa on arrival process. There is a 25 USD stamping fee paid in ‘CASH ONLY' at the airport where you land in the country. Account for congestion especially if you have a connecting domestic flight or land during a busy time. We landed at 9 AM and our Passport/Visa stamping took more than 2 hours. My friends who joined us a week later sailed through the process in a few minutes. They landed in the wee hours of the morning.

Great Travelogue Promit!

We had done a 9 days trip to Vietnam early December, more of a family trip. We focused mainly on Northern Vietnam covering Hanoi, Halong Bay/Lan Ha Bay, Ninh Binh, Ba Be Lake and Ban Gioc Waterfalls. The experience was great and one we would remember our lifetime.

We did our visas directly via the Vietnam Immigration website paying around 26 USD (25 USD Visa Charge + Extra charge for foreign bank card payment). The process was straight forward and we got the E-Visa approval within 3 working days. We just carried the E-Visas and went directly to the immigration counter to have the entry stamped. The Visa Approval letter is not required for Indians as we are eligible for E-Visas. Lot of people fall for this Visa Approval letter route as it appears as soon as you search for Vietnam Visa in Google. Applying directly will avoid additional waiting at the entry point and it takes the same documents as the visa approval letter.

Official Vietnam Immigration Website Link: For outside Vietnam Foreigners personally applying for E-visa

[Anduril]

Wow thats one superbly detailed thread Promit !!
You have virtually compiled "A backpaker's guide to Vietnam" with detailed pictures and notes, very informative.
Thanks for sharing, this will greatly help anyone planning a trip there.

[dragracer567]

Thank you for a very detailed travelogue! My best friend is Vietnamese and I am hoping to visit this year for an approx. 2 week trip later in Autumn (assuming the Covid-19 scare dies by then). Your post has only made me want to visit Vietnam more

I have a question about the license though, is it true that even international drivers license isn't valid in Vietnam?

Originally Posted by jaguar.runs

Great Travelogue Promit!

We did our visas directly via the Vietnam Immigration website paying around 26 USD (25 USD Visa Charge + Extra charge for foreign bank card payment). The process was straight forward and we got the E-Visa approval within 3 working days. We just carried the E-Visas and went directly to the immigration counter to have the entry stamped. The Visa Approval letter is not required for Indians as we are eligible for E-Visas. Lot of people fall for this Visa Approval letter route as it appears as soon as you search for Vietnam Visa in Google. Applying directly will avoid additional waiting at the entry point and it takes the same documents as the visa approval letter.

Official Vietnam Immigration Website Link: For outside Vietnam Foreigners personally applying for E-visa

Thank you, I had the same doubt since I've heard that Vietnam provides E-visas for Indians.

[yesyeswe]

Great travelogue and amazing pictures, sadly for a vegetarian on a budget it would be very difficult to find food, otherwise a very beautiful country to visit.

If you're interested in vietnam war do watch the tv series by the same name, it's amazing