Vietnam
- Selena Ryan
- Sep 4, 2022
- 4 min read
This country was my first contact with the Asian culture and it will always have a place in my heart. For me it was required to get an e-visa, an extremely easy and fast process that takes place exclusively online.
In october 2018, I arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, excited to... No, before the excitment was a crazy jet lag that made me be wide awake at 4am. But it didn't last long. The secret is to get out of the house at 8am and go explore, and in the evening go to bed early. You will sleep untill morning and reset your internal clock in no time. For me it worked with a 6h time difference.
Ok, as I was saying...excited to explore. The polution however, was the worst I have ever experienced so far. Motorbikes are everywhere; old, with no filters, poluting the air and lifting dust up, to the level where you need to wear a mask and glasses.
Even so, I decided to still go by motorbike taxis - cheaper and faster.
I explored the streets of Hanoi, and was fascinated how differently people lead their lives. Although capitalism reached them as well, they are still far behind the crazy rush of the modern world. It felt that the time runs slower somehow.
And then I took this photo, that pretty much sums up the vibe of the vietnamese people - friendly, easy-going and with a wholehearted smile on their faces. I have also seen them as pragmatic and hardworking, but also sentimental and patriotic.
The One Pillar Pagoda was the first stop in my exploratory endeavour, as I was told by locals that it is one of the two most iconic temples of Vietnam. Then I found out that the original one, built in 1049, was destroyed during the war in 1955, and that this one is just a replica.
A big shame, but is still worth visiting as it is part of the vietnamese history. The locals will be eager to explain you about it's history.
Then I took a boat trip to Hoa Lu - the ancient capital of Vietnam, Tam Coc & Mua Caves and was blessed with the most amazing views. These places come in total contrast with Hanoi and you are for sure going to fall in love with this side of Vietnam. You will see superb nature, pitoresque villages and indulge yourself with some traditional vietnamese food.
And talking about food, it is delicious! The vietnamese noodle soup is the soul of the traditional cuisine. From sitting on plastic chairs on the street, or in a nice restaurant - you must try it! I also loved the spring rolls, and spoiled myself with plenty of chicken and beef rice noodles. I don't eat pork, but you are welcome to try that as the asian cuisine in general is very rich in pork dishes.
What you can drink in Vietnam thou after such dishes?
Well, Cheap Beer. Yeah, you heard well :)) Bia Hoi is likely to be the cheapest bear in the world. Not the tastiest, but hey, for $0.30 it is cheap enough to make you drink and enjoy with the locals. For like $0.70, you can get an upgrade to Vietnam's top beers, carying the name of the city you drink them in: Beer Hanoi in Hanoi, Beer Saigon in Saigon (Ho Chi Min) etc.
I chose my stay in Hanoi at Authentic Hanoi Homestay - a 3* hotel. Basic, clean and with really nice personnel. They gave me all the tips I needed, answered all my questions, made sure I fully enjoy my stay and that I feel confortable and happy. I really recommend them as they are central and from there you can explore a lot of places by foot.
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open to the public and serves as the resting place of Vietnamese Revolutionary leader and President Ho Chi Minh. It is a large and imposing building located in the center of Ba Dinh Square where, in 1945, Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
And then, off I was to Ho Chi Min - a city named after the Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. A bus ride would take almost 2 days, so a flight was the best solution. At around $70, it is affordable and saves a lot of time.
A one day trip to explore the Mekong Delta is a must! It will immerse you into the traditional vietnamese life, with deep insights into the day to day activities.
Sail away through the vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands, home to floating markets, Khmer pagodas and villages surrounded by rice paddies.
I assume we've all been to amusement parks in our lives. So I was curious to see the asian version of such places. I must tell you; it's impressive!
Ginormus buddhist statues and temples of all kinds surround you, there are plenty of activities to do, like waering traditional clothes, getting a fish pedicure, walking on lotus flowers and many, many others. It is definitely a 1 day activity as the park is huge and going through it and exploring what it has to offer, will definitely get you exhausted by he end of the day.
Don't miss out on Ben Thanh Market, trying some pumpkin soup, do some more shopping, see local craftsmen at work, enjoy various artists, dive into the vibe and culture. It is simply beautiful.
Now I am leaving Vietnam, getting on a bus that will take me to beloved Cambodia.
As recommendations, bellow are most of the links that helped me build my wonderful trip:
Hanoi City:
Authentic Hanoi Homestay
One Pillar Pagoda
Dong Xuan Market:
Trip to Tam Coc, Hoa Lu & Mua Caves - 1 Full day
Ho Chi Min Mausoleum
Ho Chi Min City:
Makong Delta 1 day trip
Suoi Tien Amusement Park
Ben Thanh Market
*The events above aren’t written in chronological order.
If you are interested in custom built tours, feel free to reach me at Contact
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