Midlifers Go East
Phu Quoc
We decided our first stop would be the island of ‘Phú Quôc which is known as the pearl island of Vietnam and sits in the gulf of Thailand.
Known for its white sand beaches and resorts, most of which are along the palm lined southwest coast.
More than half of the island is part of Phú Quốc National Park, which features mountains, dense tropical jungle, hiking trails and wildlife. Duong Dong is the largest town and beach so this is where we chose to stay.
Our resort was right on the beach and the grounds around the hotel had lush tropical gardens which led down to a beautiful palm fringed beach.
The best thing was that there was also a breeze, it makes such a difference when the temperatures are so high.
The last island we had been on in Cambodia had no breeze whatsoever and the heat just takes it out of you, especially as April and May are the hottest months.
It’s also much more developed than the Cambodian island we had just come from, with many luxury hotels, bars, restaurants and other facilities.
We were staying at the top end of Duong Dong beach nearer the town, however, the beach runs around 15km along the southwestern coast aptly named ‘Long beach’ and has resorts dotted along.
Being a modern resort the roads are good and they even run a free electric bus service which navigates the Island from North to South and vice versa, starting from the Phú Quốc International Airport and terminating at Grand World Phú Quốc. The air conditioned buses run roughly every 5-10 minutes and are brilliant to get out and about the island.
One day we took the free bus to ‘Grand World’ which is an entertainment and festival centre north of the island.
The place is crazy! It features a canal with gondolas like those in Venice and the rest of the development has colourful European styled buildings housing restaurants, cafes, and shops along both sides.
The canal feeds into an artificial lake which features a light show and dancing fountains each night which are supposed to be amazing.
As we visited during the day the place was deserted with only a handful of shops and restaurants open.
We heard it’s much busier at night when people visit to see the fountain show.
The place is very ‘Disney like’ however, it’s free to enter and free to get there so was definitely worth a visit.
Phú Quốc is also home to the world’s longest sea crossing cable car.
It stretches across 3 islands and is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest 3-wire cable car.
The departure terminal is in ‘Sunset Town’ from ‘An Thoi’ cable car station.
The price for the cable car was £20 per person and includes a return trip to ‘Thom Island’ and entrance to ‘Aquatopia’ – Asia’s leading water park, which has over 20 thrilling rides.
The cable car closes between 11:30 and 13:30 so make sure you plan your trip accordingly so you’re not hanging around.
The cable car was an incredible and unforgettable experience. It was quite thrilling as it sets off quite fast then followed by a smooth ride.
The views are amazing! From the air you get to admire the romantic seascape of the surrounding archipelago.
You also get a great view of the small coastal town of ‘An Thoi’ and its many fishing boats.
The journey takes around 15/20 minutes and covers a distance of 8km to arrive at ‘Thom island’.
When you exit the cable car it leads you straight into the water park.
You cannot buy tickets just for the cable car. All tickets include the water park entrance.
If it’s not your cup of tea they do have a gorgeous beach with sun beds included in the price but we’d say it’s worth it just for the cable car ride alone.
At the water park they have lockers you can rent to store your belongs along with changing rooms and showers.
The slides were so much fun but I did bottle it on a few.
Shane tried one called ‘Looping Rocket’ where he went into a capsule and had to cross his arms and legs then a trap door was released and he dropped vertically.
He didn’t realise what he was letting himself in for as he dropped that fast plummeting into the unknown.
The ride was over in about 10 seconds and I don’t think he remembers much about it. (Ha ha)
On a few of the slides they asked to weigh us (don’t know what they were insinuating ! Ha ha). Didn’t take it too personally but did think for a minute we would get asked to go back down the stairs but luckily we passed.
You could leave your shoes at the bottom of each slide but when you climbed the stairs many of the steps positioned in the sun were red hot.
You know what it’s like when you walk across hot sand, well it was like that but you had to make a dash upwards instead and after doing it over and over we were shattered.
Even though there were plenty of people at the park you didn’t have to queue very long which was good. We went up the same staircase 4 times as four different slides started from the top.
It amused us as I think the staff were probably thinking ‘here comes nana and grandad again’.
There is also a thrilling wooden rollercoaster which reaches speeds of 80km per hour and an observation ride that gives 360 views of the island.
There’s definitely something for all ages at the park and not just thrill seekers.
After all the fun at the water park we returned back to the mainland by the cable car and allowed some spare time to explore ‘Sunset Town’.
This is the most amazing but bizarre place we have ever been to.
This place is mind-blowing on so many levels!
A complete town has been modelled on the Italian Amalfi coast amongst other Italian cities.
Colorful buildings, winding alleys, little piazzas with fountains on the most beautifully kept gardens.
The idea behind this place was to make something unique for the people in south east Asia, for them to experience the joy and excitement of being in Europe, without having to travel all the way there.
Sunset Town is also home to the newly opened ‘Kiss Bridge’, admission also included with the cable car ticket.
This unique bridge takes inspiration from the endless love, the sweet kisses, and the love story of Nguu Lang and Chuc Nu in Vietnamese fairy tales.
The idea is to go with your partner, each on a different side up to where the two bridges meet with a gap of 30cm and kiss.
It’s also here in Sunset Town that you can watch the world-class multimedia art show ‘Kiss the stars’ which plays each weekday (except Tuesday).
The show combines water, music and art performances with unique, vivid light, sound effects and fireworks.
There are many hotels here but we had heard that it’s really quiet, almost a ghost town which is a shame after all the investment that you can see has been put into the town.
There are restaurants and bars but unfortunately by evening most of them are empty.
At the same time it is very new so much of it is still unoccupied.
The tourism industry here has struggled since Covid & may take time to recover.
However, building work was still in progress so hopefully in the near future this could be a thriving resort as it has been intended.
There are many other attractions around the island; boat trips, scuba diving, snorkelling and trekking tours or you can just relax on the beautiful beaches.
We were really enjoying our time here on the island so when our initial 3 nights came to an end we extended them for another 3 nights and decided to move to the hotel next door.
The only reason we changed hotels was although the hotel was amazing the WiFi was terrible and we really need to play catch up on the blog.
Reviews said WiFi was better next door and a change is as good as a rest so we thought we’d see if it was any better.
Another lovely hotel but this time not directly on the beach.
The WiFi was better so we managed to get up to date on the blog keeping us out of mischief for a few hours.
When those 3 nights were up we were supposed to fly to the mainland to ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ (previously Saigon) but the flight times were terrible and we would have had a lot of hanging about to do as it was a night flight.
So, we decided to extend again for a further 2 nights.
I suppose this is the advantage of not having too much planned in advance and take each day at a time.
We moved hotels yet again to be directly on the beach but this time did a ‘Big move’ and moved 1 mile up the resort (ha).
It meant we could book an early morning flight when we did leave the island, so there was a method in my madness.
So, we ended up having a ‘3 centre’ within 1 mile for the fun of it.
All our hotels were good but we decided the last was our favourite with a private beach, infinity pool and 50p happy hour beers – what’s not to love!
This does however bring our time on Phú Quôc finally to an end.
No more extending, the flight is now booked.
We will take away fond memories of this place but we have the rest of Vietnam to explore of which we are very excited.
Ho Chi Minh City
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon) after a short 40 minutes flight from the island of Phú Quoc.
As usual, all the taxi drivers pounce as soon as you leave the arrivals terminal.
We politely refused and made our way to a quiet area to book a ‘Grab’ taxi (like Uber).
It’s definitely our preferred method, as you know exactly what you’re paying, you don’t have to haggle and it saves you getting ripped off. Plus, you never wait, there is always a ‘Grab’ taxi about.
Within minutes of ordering, we were on our way across town to our hotel.
We chose to stay in District 1 which is the central part of the city and close to many of the attractions.
It was around 10am when we arrived at the hotel and luckily for us the room was ready which was a first – we normally have to leave our bags and return to check in, which is between 1-2pm in most places.
It didn’t take us long to get organised, quick freshen up and ready to explore this vibrant city.
Our first stop was only around the corner to a little cafe that we found to be a hidden gem.
The entrance to the building was through a narrow doorway then you had to take the stairs to the 2nd floor.
It was the sweetest little cafe that serve the most amazing ‘egg coffee’ (very popular in Vietnam) which is more like a desert with a sweet custard foam which you then pour on strong black coffee.
The Vietnamese love their coffee, apparently they’re the second largest producer of coffee in the world behind Brazil, so it’s no wonder the city has so many coffee houses.
Our next stop was for another coffee, but this time an ‘iced milk coffee’, which we had taken a liking too and Shane also got to sample the ‘Bánh mì’, which is the popular Vietnamese French bread sandwiches that come with a variety of meat and salad fillings.
When the French baguette arrived in Vietnam more than 100 years it changed Vietnamese cuisine forever. Bánh mì, the streetside sandwich is found on every street corner from as little as a £1.
So, we hadn’t gotten very far as yet but with temperatures reaching 37 degrees it was nice to take things easy and enjoy the slow pace.
On the same road as our hotel was the iconic ‘Ben Thanh market’, so we decided to venture there.
During the day, the market is bustling with vendors selling a wide range of goods, including clothing, souvenirs, handicrafts and food.
In the evening, the market transforms into a night market, offering a different ambience and mainly food vendors.
We managed to pick up a few bits after haggling and walking off on a few occasions before finally agreeing on a fair price.
Aside from the market, District 1 boasts a wide range of shopping options: from high end boutiques with international brands to street vendors.
One thing I wasn’t looking forward to before visiting ‘Ho Chi Minh’ was crossing the road.
Ho Chi Minh City is home to almost 10 million people and around 8 million motorcycles so crossing the road is no easy feat.
The task of crossing a street here appears impossible or certainly life threatening.
They tell you to observe, place your hand in the air and walk at a steady even pace and the traffic should weave around you.
Many of the roads do have traffic lights so you can wait for the ‘green man’ walk symbol but this isn’t always obeyed, so you still have to have your wits about you.
Up to now, we have survived and seem to have gotten the knack of it a little.
Each time it does feels like an achievement as we stroll across acting confident. (Bricking it really).
Bikes seem to come from every direction often using the sidewalks.
In fact, the only way the Ho Chi Minh City traffic seems to flow efficiently is by everyone maneuvering around each other while mostly ignoring the traffic signs, signals and lane designations, including pavements.
As night falls there are many options around the city.
Only a short walk was ‘Bui Vien walking street’ known as the ‘Backpacker District’ or ‘Western Street’, for its popularity amongst travellers.
Often compared to Khao San (Bangkok’s tourist street) ‘Bui Vien’ is sometimes called ‘Khao San Saigon’ but in my opinion it’s not as sleazy.
All over SE Asia you come across ‘walking streets’, which basically are the party streets: crowded with bars, neon lights and live music.
This was definitely a ‘lively’ one, bar staff fight for your custom as you walk the street.
The beer is incredibly cheap so it doesn’t really matter where you drink. We found a good one with nice comfy sofas perfect to people watch.
They don’t allow cars on ‘Bui Vien’ but motorbikes can still use the street.
It was funny to see them weave amongst the crowds especially as the street became busier – some with even a full family on each bike with a little stool they place in the scooter footwell for the youngest of the family to sit on.
Another nightlife area in District 1 is ‘Nguyen Hue Street’.
This bustling pedestrianised street is more where local people and tourists gather to enjoy street music performances and it’s where you can visit ‘Apartment 42 Nguyen Hue’.
This unique instagrammable apartment block offers visitors a chance to step back in time and experience the atmosphere of an authentic Saigon apartment from the 1950’s.
The 9 story apartment has been converted into a tourist spot filled with hip independent cafes and boutiques.
The street is also lined with many restaurants, bars and entertainment venues amongst the impressive skyline.
Ho Chi Minh City has a pretty impressive skyline when it comes to skyscrapers.
‘Landmark 81’ is the cities tallest. This super-tall building is currently the tallest structural work in Vietnam, the second tallest building in Southeast Asia, and the world’s 17th tallest building at 461 meters.
Prior to ‘Landmark 81’ the ‘Bitexco Financial Tower’ was the tallest in Vietnam on completion in 2010 but only kept this status until 2011 when it was surpassed by Hanoi’s ‘Landmark Tower’.
The Bitexco Tower is still a popular tourist attraction as you can visit its ‘Saigon Skydeck’ to observe views over the city and river.
There are many other attractions in the city such as: the War Remnants Museum, the Independent Palace Museum, Norte Dame Cathedral of Saigon and the Saigon Central Post Office, to name a few.
From here you can also book tours to visit the ‘Cu Chi Tunnels’, located 55km outside the city.
Built by the Viet Cong in the 1940’s as protection from French air raids during the Indochina conflict, the ‘Cu Chi Tunnels’ extend underground for more than 155 miles.
Visitors can explore the hidden passageways and experience what life was like for the Viet Cong during the war.
We’ve only had a few days here but managed to cram in as much as we could.
We do like the buzz of a city so it didn’t disappoint. It had a vibrant exciting atmosphere, it felt safe and we found the people friendly so definitely worth a visit
Mui Ne
We travelled from ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ to our next destination ‘Mui Ne’ on a double decker sleeper bus.
It was the first time we had experienced this form of transport and I can tell you it won’t be the last.
It was daytime so we didn’t need to sleep but what a great way to travel.
You get to lie down and relax properly.
You would pay good money to travel this way on a plane (I couldn’t afford it), yet here on a bus it’s only a few quid and extremely comfortable.
So, after a restful journey we arrived at the seaside town of ‘Mui Ne’ which is located on the southeast coast of Vietnam.
We’d been a bit undecided if to visit this place or not as we’d not long been at a beach.
However, it was breaking the journey to the next place and one thing I had read was that it was very windy.
As it’s towards the end of the season temperatures are soaring and the humidity is off the scale so the thought of a breeze was the winning factor.
Mui Ne beach is quite a big resort. You have the town of ‘Mui Ne’ on one end of the bay and ‘Phan Thiet’ on the other.
We were located between the two towns, maybe a bit more towards ‘Phan Thiet’.
We stayed in a bungalow in a lovely resort just across the road from the ocean.
The area we were staying in didn’t have a beach as such.
The reason for this is ‘Mui Ne’ is losing its beaches to serious coastal erosion due to rising sea levels.
In this area one kilometre of beach has eroded up to 100 metres destroying palm trees, beach front properties and restaurants.
Along this stretch you see large sandbags have been deposited and many of the resorts have had to build embankments to try and tackle the problem. Apparently, the erosion has been the most damaging over the last 10 years. What was once a thriving resort with a beautiful long beach lined with palm trees has now been lost to the sea.
The westerly end has fared better than the central and eastern sections of the resort. Unfortunately this is having a negative effect on tourism and many people are choosing not to visit after seeing the situation.
We set off on a walk our first morning in the direction of ‘Phan Thiet’.
We could see the evidence of the erosion and the defences they have put in place along this section of beach around the ‘Ham Tien’ area.
As you walk further down the resort the beach widens up so the erosion isn’t so evident here and there are big resorts set back off the beach.
This is the area that is popular with kite surfers and a few kite surf schools are set up on the beach.
As it’s so windy here it is perfect conditions for the sport.
It was great to watch them ride the waves and the experienced surfers
picking up speed and launching themselves high up into the sky before splashing back down onto the surface of the water.
As we continued our walk along the beach we notice there was areas littered with rubbish and plastic waste.
It’s such a shame to see a beautiful beach which is already battling the effects of nature being disrespected by humans.
The beach in front of high end resorts is kept clean and free of waste but other sections were poor. It’s a shame more effort isn’t put in by the local government or community to clean up the beach as it only adds to the demise of the resort.
The resort was very quiet, but It is coming to the end of the season and the temperatures at the moment are so high.
However, you couldn’t help but think it was also quieter than usual due to their present situation and maybe still struggling after Covid.
It’s a shame if it is as it’s still a lovely resort.
The main road that runs through the resort is lined with many cafe bars, coffee shops and seafood restaurants but most were empty.
The following day we walked in the opposite direction towards the town of ‘Mui Ne’.
We had to stay on the main road as there is no beach to walk down in this section just sandbags as they try to rebuild the coastline.
After a mile or so we reached an area where they have built a sea wall and a lovely walkable promenade. Despite the lack of beach this area had a really cool vibe with quirky bars, restaurants and cute resorts.
We even passed a glamping site but I don’t think I’d fancy staying in a tent in those temperatures.
There are a couple of attractions in ‘Mui Ne’ you can visit.
They have excursions to the nearby sand dunes where you can do jeep and Quad bike tours too and you can also visit the unique ‘fairy stream’ which is renowned for its distinctive characteristics. The water flowing through the stream has a tinted hue, giving it a vibrant reddish-orange color that remains throughout the year.
Adjacent to the stream, there are peculiar sand formations that create a unique landscape.
We enjoyed the short time we spent in Mui Ne. The breeze allowed us to walk and explore more than we had in a while.
I hope in the future they find a long term solution for the erosion and it becomes a bustling resort once more.
Dalat
Our next stop was to a town called Dalat in the central highlands.
The town is centered around a lake and golf course surrounded by hills, pine forests, lakes and waterfalls.
Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its cooler temperate climate, we were glad to get away from the stifling heat for a few days.
As soon as we arrived we could feel the drop in temperature.
It was around 23 degrees which still sounds hot but after being in the late 30’s with high levels of humidity this felt perfect and by the evening it dropped to around 19 degrees.
Due to its year round cool temperatures Dalat is also known as ‘Vietnam’s vegetable garden’ and renowned for growing orchids, roses, vegetables, and fruits.
Evidence of this was all over the surrounding countryside with farm after farm for as far as the eye could see.
The architecture around the town is predominantly French in style.
When the French arrived in Dalat in the 1930’s they built European style villas and gave the city its wide boulevards and pretty flower gardens.
The town is split up into 11 wards. We stayed in ward 1 which was central to the night market and close to the lake so perfect for exploring.
The towns winding streets have little alleyways with steep steps you can use as shortcuts.
Also called the ‘City of flowers’ many of the alleyways had been painted with flower murals.
There are so many hotels in Dalat, every street is hotel after hotel, restaurants and coffee shops.
We found it’s not really a place big on nightlife.
We found a few quirky bars dotted about but they were mainly quiet.
Nightlife is mainly centralised around the night market where families gather to eat and browse the many stalls.
On a Saturday and Sunday they pedestrianise the area for a few hours in the evening to create an entertainment space with local musicians and performers.
Tours from Dalat include visiting the many waterfalls in the area and you can also take the cable car from nearby Robin Hill to the Truc Lam Monastery. The ride covers 2.3km with panoramic views of Dalat.
We were only there for a couple of days so spent the entire time walking and exploring the town and lake.
We were going to visit the falls but as it’s the dry season they wouldn’t have been in full force, so decided it give it a miss.
We enjoyed the walk around the town lake. We found it all very civilised, well kept with beautiful gardens.
It’s a peaceful place with no hectic traffic and a slower pace of life. The people are all friendly – which we have found everywhere in Vietnam up to now.
Dalat is a nice place but a couple of days there was enough for us. We were grateful of the cooler weather and the scenery travelling here was spectacular.
Next, we move back to the coast to the bustling city of ‘Nha Trang’ so let’s see what that has to offer.
Nha Trang
Our next stop was ‘Nha Trang’. A bustling coastal resort in southern Vietnam known for its beaches, diving sites and offshore islands.
The journey here was spectacular, as ‘Dalat’ where we departed is high up in the mountains so the road to ‘Nha Trang’ allows you to travel through some of Vietnam’s most breathtaking landscapes.
With so many twists and turns it was quite hair raising at times. There were many signs on the roadside ‘Beware of falling rocks’, ‘stay in low gear’.
Thankfully we had a good driver who took his time so we could enjoy the drive and we made it down the mountain safely.
Back at the coast higher temperatures had returned up to the high 30’s.
Apparently, this is a place with more days of sunshine per year than anywhere else in Vietnam.
The place reminded me a little bit of Miami Beach with high-rise hotels wrapped around the crescent shaped stretch of pristine sand but surrounded by mountainous islands.
I don’t know if it’s because there are fewer tourists at the moment, but they are basically giving away the hotel rooms in this resort.
After speaking with a few of the locals they told us that there used to be a bigger mix of nationalities but ‘Nha Trang’s’ main visitors these days are Russian, Korean and Chinese.
We stayed in a lovely city centre hotel close to the beach for a bargain price of £10 a night for the 2 of us with breakfast.
The beach is great and has a vibrant beachfront promenade which stretches for 6km.
We walked the whole stretch to get our steps in.
Along the promenade there are well kept topiary gardens and palm trees offering shade on the walkway.
There are little parks with outdoor exercise equipment that seem to be a big hit with the locals.
Several beach bars line the promenade renting out sun-beds with parasols for just a couple of pounds a day.
It was my birthday whilst here so we had a chilled beach day listening to some great tunes whilst enjoying a few cheap drinks – strongbow dark fruits for me ‘thank you very much sir’!
It was nice to see the hotels are set back across the road from the beach leaving the beach and promenade separate from the chaos of the city.
Everywhere we have travelled up to now in Vietnam we have found the people really lovely and on more than one occasion whilst here we were approached for a friendly chat or just to say ‘hello’.
There are many things you can do in and around Nha Trang.
You can visit one of the many islands, boat trips offering snorkelling tours, sunset cruises and fishing tours.
‘Hon Tre Island’ in the heart of Nha Trang Bay is one of the most well known.
It is the largest island and can be reached by boat or cable car.
We took the sea crossing cable car one day which was great value, just a few pounds for a return ticket.
The island has many luxurious hotels but it’s also home to ‘VinWonders’ theme park which boasts ‘Adventure Land’, with its many thrilling rides, ‘Tropical Paradise’ water park, ‘Sea World’ and ‘The World Garden’ with a collection of flora and fauna from around the globe.
We didn’t visit the amusement park on this occasion, so I can’t comment on what it’s like, but ‘Vinpearl’ – who are behind all these amazing amusement parks throughout Vietnam – don’t do things by halves (a bit like Disney), so I imagine it wouldn’t be a disappointment.
We enjoyed a couple of hours wandering the shops.
All the buildings have been designed with a European vibe the same as ‘Sunset Town’ which we visited on the island of ‘Phú Quoc’ but not on such a vast scale as that.
We also visited the ‘Ponagar Temple’ which is located at the far end of the bay, around 2km out of the city centre.
Built between the 7th and 12th centuries, these impressive Cham Towers are still actively used for worship.
At this historical site it was fascinating to see the wonderful architectural work of the ancient Cham people.
We only stayed in ‘Nha Trang’ for a couple of days so we didn’t have time to fully explore.
If you were here for longer there are lots of activities and trips you can enjoy.
At least we got a taster and we certainly enjoyed our time there.
Our Next stop I’m quite excited about, as we move further north to the Ancient Town of ‘Hoi an’ which is a place I have wanted to visit for many years.
We are taking the sleeper bus for the first time through the night which takes 12 hours so I’ll let you know how we got on with that journey.
Hoi An
We travelled to ‘Hoi An’ from ‘Nha Trang’ on the overnight sleeper bus which takes 12 hours. We’ve travelled on these buses a few times previously, but only during the day.
I find them extremely comfortable, more so than Shane as I’ve got shorter legs, however, even for Shane it’s still more relaxed than being in an upright position.
We booked the 7:30pm bus from ‘Nha Trang’. It was a full bus load with lots of fellow brits on board which was good.
These buses have lower and upper bunks, previously we’d always been on the top. Luckily on this journey we got the bottom bunks which I thought would be better for sleeping.
An hour into the journey I was already snoozing. I find the motion of the bus relaxing, I think I could get used to this.
I slept quite well throughout the journey. We stopped a couple of times for toilet breaks and arrived in ‘Hoi An’ an hour ahead of schedule at 6:30am.
We then got a taxi to the hotel which was only a 10 minute drive away.
As we weren’t able to check in until the afternoon the hotel kindly stored our bags, so we were free to go and explore.
‘Hoi An’ is a place I have always wanted to visit.
Over the years I had read many articles and seen documentaries on this beautiful ancient town, which has held Unesco World Heritage status since 1999.
I couldn’t wait to explore the ancient town with its small streets lined with Chinese shophouses, temples, colourful French colonial buildings and ornate Vietnamese houses.
One of ‘Hoi An’s’ most iconic symbols is the lantern which was brought by the Chinese and Japanese merchants in the late 14th century.
These colourful paper lanterns hang everywhere around the town, decorating the buildings, trees and boats creating a glowing and romantic atmosphere by night but equally enchanting by day.
As we wondered the streets we couldn’t help but fall in love with this magical place, so unique in every sense.
Packed with history and charm, around every street corner postcard perfect beauty.
‘Hoi An’ is also known for its many tailors. It has a tailoring history dating back to the silk route.
Great grandfathers taught the trade to their sons, who then passed on their knowledge of the trade to their own sons, making tailoring a Hoi An family tradition.
You can have anything made here with many choices of quality fabrics and excellent workmanship.
In just a few hours you will have a beautiful, flawless outfit that you can wear right away for very little money.
Shopping on the whole was fantastic here. I wish I had the room in my ruck-sac to purchase more things from the charming boutiques, quirky arts and crafts shops with unusual ceramics and loads of leather shops.
There were so many beautiful bags and shoes it broke my heart not to buy them.
I did however treat myself to a lovely purse that wouldn’t take up too much room.
I also bought a couple of dresses and with the help of Shane’s amazing negotiating skills we purchased them for under £4 each – bargain! (I’d make them fit in my bag).
Another cultural symbol of ‘Hoi An’ is the Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda (Chùa Câu).
Whenever I used to think of ‘Hoi An’ what always came to mind was its many lanterns and the Japanese bridge.
Unfortunately we weren’t able to witness the bridge as it is presently under restoration.
The structure is sinking due to erosion so works are undergoing to prevent its collapse and restore this iconic tourist attraction.
The hotel I chose was in a fantastic location. We were just across the river directly opposite the old town and just a few minutes walk to the night market.
It backed onto the riverside with beautiful tropical gardens and a great pool. Perfect to cool down in the afternoon after a full morning of sightseeing.
Our hotel also offered free bicycles which is a popular form of transport around the town. The old town doesn’t allow cars making it safer to cycle around.
I went for a ride around one day which was fun but with so many tourists it’s still not the easiest.
As the sun goes down ‘Hoi An’ starts to light up with thousands of colourful lanterns creating a beautiful scene and romantic atmosphere.
Just taking a walk around the old town with its many inviting restaurants and cute little cafe bars in hidden alleyways fills your heart with joy.
It’s easy to agree that ‘Hoi An’ was honored as one of 20 best “night” places on the planet.
A meaningful activity which is loved by visitors, as it was by ourselves, is to take a boat ride down the river at night.
The lantern boats slowly navigate up and down the section of river around the ‘An Hoi’ bridge.
Many people place floating lanterns on the river (to bring good luck) and you get to enjoy the view of the town at night, shimmering with lights.
If you want the nightlife to go up a gear, just across from the ‘An Hoi’ bridge by the night market there are many bars with live music and it’s certainly more vibrant.
You do tend to get pestered as bar staff try to lure you in with happy hours, but all in good fun.
Another popular attraction close to the town is to go on a basket boat tour.
We decided to do this one day and it was so much fun.
Experienced guides take you around the waters of the Cam Thanh coconut forest.
You get to see a performance where they spin the basket boat around to music (in our case Gangnan style) and they show you traditional methods of fishing.
We even got a chance to row the boat ourselves. Shane was pretty good at going around in circles, although he needed a bit more time to master it he said (ha ha).
‘Hoi An’ is also close to the coast, the nearest beach ‘An Bang’ is only a 15 minute drive from the old town.
Perfect to escape the crowds for a few hours or if you fancy a beach day. This beautiful 4km stretch of beach has plenty of restaurants and beach bars where you can also get a lounger.
So did ‘Hoi An’ live up to my expectations? Yes, it most certainly did. It was everything I thought it would be and some more.
Yes, it’s busy, but it’s busy for a reason. People want to see this place and be enchanted by its romance and make unforgettable memories.
Da Nang
Our next stop was only up the road from ‘Hoi An’, to the city of ‘Da Nang’ so we had the luxury of going by taxi which took just 40 minutes.
Danang is a coastal city and boasts a 10km stretch of beach (My Khe beach and Non Nuoc beach), which stretches from the base of the Son Tra Peninsula to the Marble Mountains.
Sections, especially around the ‘My Khe’ area have a promenade very similar to the one in ‘Nha Trang’ which is well kept with beautiful gardens and palm trees.
Big hotels and restaurants sit back across the road from the promenade very similar again to ‘Nha Trang’.
The beach has many beach bars all offering Sun loungers and there were also a few beach clubs which looked quite inviting with day beds and bean bags. They also had stage areas and I believe they have DJ’s and bands in the evenings.
Da Nang has a lot to offer. As well as the beachfront it also has the riverside.
I’d read a bit about the riverside and the nightlife there so we decided to stay smack bang in the middle so we would be between both the beach and the river.
This time I booked a small house through Airbnb to have a little bit of home from home. It was a perfectly formed duplex with a small kitchenette, cozy sofa and a washer dryer. We would welcome a few home comforts for the next four days.
We headed to the riverside one night to see the famous ‘Dragon Bridge’ over the Han river.
Aside from astonishing architecture, this bridge is also well known for its exciting water and fire performance.
Every Saturday and Sunday the Dragon breathes fire and then water.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see this spectacle but we still admired the bridge lit up at night in all its glory.
The Dragon bridge connects the eastern and western banks and serves as a vital link between two bustling areas, ‘Nguyen Van Linh Street’ on one side and ‘Bach Dang Street’ on the other. Both lined with restaurants, coffee shops and a few bars.
It’s not just the Dragon bridge which is impressive at night. Known as the ‘River of Light’, five bridges that span the ‘Han river’ are bathed in light and many riverside hotels display amazing use of lights and graphics.
We walked a loop from the ‘Dragon Bridge’ to the ‘Han River Bridge’ on both sides of the river to enjoy this amazing display.
Da Nang is a big place so nightlife is dotted about the city. On the beach side we found an area called ‘An Thuong tourist street’ which comprises of several streets with bars and restaurants and a few pop ups. Nothing too crazy but we preferred it for that.
We walked the promenade and beach one day in the direction of ‘Son Tra peninsula’.
There was also a nice breeze which makes walking so much easier.
In the distance we could see a large white Buddha on the hillside so I said ‘let’s walk there’.
When we got to the very end of the beach, which was a long walk in itself, I checked on maps and it said it was still a further 45 minute walk uphill to the Buddha so we took the easy way and got a taxi to take us the rest of the way.
Prior to our walk we didn’t know anything about this Buddha.
We arrived to find that this is the ‘Lady Buddha’ which is the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam. With a height of 67m equivalent to a 30 storey building it’s very impressive.
On the site of the ‘Lady Buddha’ is also the sacred ‘Linh Ung Pagoda’ which like the Buddha overlooks the sea.
From here you have spectacular views over the city and also an amazing backdrop of the ‘Son Tra Mountain.’
Many monkeys live on the ‘Son Tra Mountain’ which is also known as ‘Monkey mountain’ so we were hoping to see some at the Buddha as they do frequently visit.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any which was a shame but we were glad we came here, it was well worth the visit.
Another popular attraction close to the city is Marble Mountain.
Marble Mountain had long been a Buddhist worshiping site with a complex of peaks, limestone caves and temples.
You have a short climb of steps to reach the first temples and if you don’t fancy that there is a lift that will take you to the first section for a small price.
The mountain is part historical treasure, part natural wonder, part spiritual setting, tranquil and beautiful.
There are a series of caves the largest being ‘Huyen khong’. Its jaw dropping size seems unlikely from the entrance, but is large enough to house a massive stone Buddha and two shrines. Its collapsed ceiling allows light to shine though making it quite dramatic.
We were eager to explore the other caves after witnessing this one, however, others were a lot smaller and you had to climb some slippy steps, to then find only a small cavern that wasn’t really worth the effort. However, there was one more that impressed us, which was ‘Tang Chon Cave’ which again housed a shrine and Buddhas.
Many pathways lead you further up the mountain where you can witness fantastic views of the surrounding countryside and city.
It was hard work with the amount of steps and the humidity but there are several pagoda`s to seek shade. It was well worth the visit.
We really enjoyed Da Nang and our little house. We took advantage of the kitchen and I cooked a few meals for a change.
We would sit eating breakfast watching ‘A Place in the Sun’ (like you do when you’re travelling ha!).
It’s been good to mix things up between hotels and apartments.
We even ordered in one night and watched a movie.
That’s the beauty of Vietnam the cities especially are very westernised like ourselves, so in terms of technology almost every is at your fingertips.
Our next stop is to the imperial city Hué. We are travelling this time by train which is a first in Vietnam so we will see how that goes.
Hué
We travelled by train from ‘Danang’ to the ‘Imperial City Hué’.
This was the first train service we had used in Vietnam. The trains are slow and tend to be a little bit more expensive than the buses but I wanted to mix things up and the journey to ‘Hué’ was only 3 hours.
Unfortunately for us, we had a delay of 2 and half hours but hey-ho, it’s all part and parcel when it comes to travelling and we’ve not encountered many delays during our travels up to now.
I hadn’t read much about this stretch of railway so was unaware of how scenic the journey was going to be.
I found out later, that along with a few others, it’s one of the most beautiful train routes in Vietnam.
The train travels the ‘Hai Van Pass’ which lies in the middle between Danang and Hué .
We witnessed spectacular scenery as we climbed slowly over the Pass. The tracks wrapping around the mountain and with every bend there were majestic views of the mountains and the jungle on one side and amazing tropical beaches and the sea on the other side.
It most certainly made up for the delay.
We arrived in Hué to a tropical downpour, the heavens had finally opened.
Luckily, we didn’t get too wet as we quickly hailed a taxi.
It was late afternoon by this time so it didn’t look like we’d be able to do too much exploring, however, I didn’t think we’d have much of a problem finding a bar in the rain later (nothing seems to jeopardise that – ha!) I just hoped the weather would be better the following day.
We were only staying in Hué for two nights so it meant we only really had one full day in which we wanted to visit ‘Hué historic Citadel’.
Thankfully, we awoke to clear skies and the rain had freshened the air somewhat – perfect for our day at the Imperial City.
The Imperial City on the banks of the Perfume river was constructed from 1803 by Emperor Gia Long of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The City was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty which ruled until 1945.
As well as being politically important, the city is also significant because of the exquisite architecture.
This walled complex complete with moat has palaces and temples of great grandeur which served as residence for the Imperial family, as well as beautiful gardens full of bonsai trees.
After the end of the monarchy in 1945, it suffered heavy damage and neglect during the Indochina wars through the 1980s.
The Imperial City was designated as a UNESCO World heritage site in 1993 and is undergoing restoration.
We purchased a day pass for the Citadel, with limited time this is all we would get time to see, however, they do offer two day passes which also include the Royal Tombs which are located in and around the City.
We enjoyed exploring the Citadel taking lots of photos. It was another one of those places popular for young locals to dress in Royal ancient costumes for that all important instagram pose.
Hué by night was a surprise. When I booked the hotel I chose to stay close to the walking street which I’d read was popular amongst tourists.
It had a great vibe with lots of bars playing a mix of local and international music.
It was nice to see the bars and restaurants busy with locals all enjoying themselves.
It was perfect to end our day of sightseeing.
So, although short but sweet, we were impressed with Hué.
If we’d had the time it would have been nice to spend another day so we could have visited the Royal Tombs but with so much to still see we need to move on.
Next, we travel quite a bit further North to ‘Tam Coc’ in the ‘Ninh Binh province’ which is known for its natural beauty.
We are back on the sleeper bus which will take 12 hours (although daytime) so hopefully it will pass by quickly and we may get to see some more fabulous scenery.
Ninh Binh, Tam Coc.
We travelled through the day from Hué using the sleeper bus again.
It was going to be a long day, as it takes 12 hours to reach Tam Côc in the Ninh Binh province, so we wanted to be as comfortable as possible.
This time we were on the VIP sleeper bus which was a ‘pimped’ up version of our previous ones, with bigger sleeper compartments that had a privacy curtain, WiFi and usb charge points. We love these buses they are amazing!
We arrived in Tam Côc around 9:30pm to torrential rain and a storm brewing, so we quickly made it to the hotel and decided not to venture out as by now the storm was in full force with thunder and lightning.
After a full day of travelling we were tired, so were happy to chill and listen to the storm.
Next morning the skies were bright and the air was fresher.
Tam Côc is naturally blessed with verdant green rice paddies, soaring limestone cliffs and caves.
Tam Côc is part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a dual UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We wanted to do a boat tour whilst here as is the best way to explore the area.
You can take boats tours from Tam Côc itself or a few kilometres away from Trang An.
I was comparing the two as we were only here a couple of days so I wanted to make sure we chose the best one.
For scenery they both look amazing, however, reading reviews the Trang An was more highly recommended so that’s the one we chose.
We took a taxi to the departure point a few kilometres from Tam Côc.
The area is surrounded by impressive ancient limestone karsts, it’s an area of immense natural beauty.
Once you’ve purchased your ticket (approx £8) you then choose which boat route you want to do as they have 3 options.
Route 1 passes through 9 caves and you will also visit 3 temples.
Route 2 takes you to 4 caves and 3 temples.
Route 3 takes you through 3 caves, one being the longest in the area ‘Dot Cave’ is one kilometer long and is the most impressive cave in Trang An and you also visit 3 temples.
I’m sure you wouldn’t be disappointed whichever you chose, however, we were recommended route 3 so that’s the one we did.
The boats take 4 people so they do pair you up with other people and the tour takes around 3 hours.
The boats navigate through the scenic waterways which are often referred to as “Halong Bay on land”.
It wasn’t long into the tour that we entered the 1 kilometre long ‘Dot Cave’.
The stalactite system in this cave is quite impressive. It was quite low in areas so we had to duck down to not bang our heads.
Throughout the tour you get off the boat around 3 or 4 times to see the temples and you can also get refreshments.
This location was also used for some of the scenes in ‘King Kong skull island’.
The tour was well worth every penny, the scenery was incredible as were the caves and temples.
Even though we didn’t do the boat tour from Tam Côc, what was fascinating to watch was that here they tend to row with their feet.
They do it so effortlessly and make it look so easy (which you know it won’t be).
This remarkable tradition of using feet on the oars to propel and steer is legendary and, deservedly, quite the tourist attraction.
Tam Côc is the main tourist hub in Ninh Binh.
It’s teeming with local homestays (B&B’s) and has an abundance of restaurants and quite a few bars centred on the main street and around the lake.
We had to laugh at the double decker buses that they have converted into Karaoke bars.
We were on our way home one night and across the lake we could see neon lights and hear people singing so we decided to check it out.
It happened to be one of the karaoke buses in full swing with a bunch of young backpackers taking it in turns singing, it looked a great atmosphere so we ended up joining them, it would be rude not to.
Whilst here we also wanted to climb the ‘Mua Cave viewpoint’ which is known to have the most beautiful view of Ninh Binh.
It had been spectacular seeing the limestone mountains from the boat tour but we knew it would be even better from this viewpoint.
The ‘Mua Cave viewpoint’ is located close to Tam Côc only 10 minutes in a taxi.
Many of the hotels/homestays offer free bicycles so if you choose to cycle it’s a pleasant ride as it’s flat and passes through paddy fields and local villages.
Entrance to the Mua Cave viewpoint is around £3 per person.
As the name suggests you can visit a cave at the Mua Cave, but this is actually not the reason to come here. The main reason to visit Mua Cave is the fantastic Viewpoint on top of the mountain.
Once through the entrance there are many picturesque corners filled with gardens, a waterfall and on the adjacent side is the lotus pond.
The lotus pond is also one of the most beautiful and famous attractions in Ninh Binh during summer when all the lotus flowers are in bloom.
They have built a romantic heart-shaped wooden walkway, so you can walk around the pond.
Perfect for taking photographs with the limestone karsts in the background.
We did this first before making the ascent up the 500 steps to the viewpoint.
The climb up takes about 15/20 minutes, depending on your fitness.
We just took our time and had plenty of rest stops.
It was the humidity that makes it harder increasing the heat index.
Around the half way mark there is a little kiosk where you can get a drink and some shade before you proceed.
It’s also around the halfway mark that you reach a junction in the path. The path to the right leads to one of the pagodas on a narrow rocky point and the path to the left leads to a statue of the dragon on the ridge.
Both have an amazing viewpoint of the surroundings.
We decided to take the path to the left as it went higher and looked down over the pagoda.
The higher we climbed the more spectacular the scenery became.
The climb wasn’t too difficult if you just take your time.
It was nice to rest at different stages and take in the views.
It was worth every bit of sweat when I reached the summit (I left Shane at the level just below as his fear of heights got the better of him).
From the top a 360 degree awe- inspiring view awaits you with a stunning panorama of the ‘Ngo Dong river’ and the paddy fields below.
I don’t think any visit is complete to Ninh Binh without walking to the top of Mua Cave viewpoint.
Back down we visited the cave which isn’t too impressive but at least we gave it a look and it offered some brief shade.
We really enjoyed our stay in Ninh Binh, scenery was off the scale and we met some lovely people. That’s the thing we love about travel, it’s not just about the destination, it’s also about some of the great people you meet along the way.
Our next stop is to the mountain town of Sapa which is situated in the northwestern region of the country, close to the Chinese border. We are travelling by sleeper bus throughout the day on a journey which will take us 10 hours.
Sa Pa
We arrived in Sa Pa after a long 10 hour journey from Ninh Binh which took us first into Hanoi by minivan and then we transferred to the sleeper bus, which would take us the rest of the way.
Sa Pa is a town in the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains of northwestern Vietnam, close to the Chinese border.
It’s a popular trekking base and the foot of Mount Fansipan is only 2km away from Sapa town.
Mount Fansipan is the highest mountain in Vietnam and the Indochinese peninsula (comprising Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) hence its nickname, “the Roof of Indochina” at 3147m.
Lots of people visit Sa Pa to make the long hike of Mount Fansipan which takes travellers two days of hard trekking to reach the summit. Now, you can reach the ‘Roof of Indochina’ in just 15 minutes by cable car.
The Fansipan Mountain cable car is the fastest and safest solution that many people choose, now anyone can have the opportunity to set foot on the summit of Fansipan and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
From Sa Pa town you can either walk, take a taxi or use the mountain train for the five minute ride over the valley to the cable car station.
The cable car travels high above the rice terraces and rocky cliffs below offering breathtaking views.
I’d read that when you reach the mountain there are gardens that lead to the 20m Buddha statue.
A series of stairs or a funicular train will take you the final leg to summit.
From here the view will be spectacular, an unbelievable sight of cloud-covered peaks stretching all the way to the horizon.
This was something we definitely wanted to do. It was one of the reasons we came here.
So on our first morning we headed to the cable car ticket office in the centre of the town. However, we were advised due to poor weather conditions the summit was in thick fog and we would not be able to see the scenery or pretty much anything else.
It’s not cheap so we said we would leave it and see if the weather conditions faired any better the next day.
Instead, we explored the town for a while which we found colourful and charming and then decided we would visit Cat Cat Village which is a 3km walk down the valley from Sa Pa town past the rice fields.
Cat Cat Village is home to the H’mong ethnic group, who have lived here for generations. Now a tourist village it is a popular attraction and there is an entrance fee to visit (£4.50).
When you enter you descend the many steps down into the village passing stalls either side selling local handicrafts and produce.
It’s best described as a ‘live’ museum giving you a glimpse into traditional village life as the villagers present performances showing various methods of craft production.
It’s all very touristy and a bit overdone in places.
The instagrammers will love it as there are so many props dotted around to enhance photographs (love hearts, swings, steps etc).
The biggest money maker is the costume hire.
Traditional costumes can be hired out along with a photographer if you fancy a photo shoot.
We’ve witnessed this in a few places now and it still amuses us.
Strip this all back and you are left with a charming village, set in a beautiful valley amongst terraced paddy fields.
So we still enjoyed following the map to each corner of the village passing streams, woodlands and waterfalls.
The hardest part was walking all the way back uphill into town but we wanted to earn our supper so refused all the offers from the passing motorbike taxis. Plus, temperatures are a little lower here as we are higher up so that makes it a little bit easier.
Sa Pa by night has many eateries and a few bars. It’s much more laid back so don’t expect a vibrant nightlife scene.
Most of the town is illuminated with lights which do look lovely at night.
What is good is the shopping. Being a hiking destination, there are an abundance of shops selling ‘fake’ outdoor clothing which are exceptionally well made.
For a few pounds you can pick up copies of famous brands like ‘North face’ and ‘Patagonia’.
On our second day there was still heavy fog on the mountain so unfortunately it wasn’t worth taking the cable car up again.
This was a shame, but we can’t control the weather. It’s heading towards the rainy season now so conditions are a bit more unpredictable.
We decided to explore the town some more and came across ‘Ham Rong Mountain Park’, it was a couple of pounds entrance fee so we decided to see what it was about.
The park offers trails to mountain peaks surrounded by lush scenery.
You can take a stroll or go on a more challenging trek up the winding paths that lead to the dragon head shaped mountain.
Of course Shane and I took the strenuous route (gluttons for punishment) and after visiting the many trails, gardens and viewpoints throughout the park, we carried on up to the dragon head.
The views from here were amazing. You still couldn’t see the top of Mount Fansipan which was blanketed in thick cloud (we’d never seen it clear whilst here).
The surrounding landscape was constantly changing with the drifting clouds making it all the more dramatic.
On the way up to the dragons head we passed a local herdsman with a herd of buffalo. As we made our way back down a couple of buffalo were heading our way.
We stayed back and they headed to a trough to drink.
So we continued down the track but one did an about turn heading in our direction.
We wasn’t sure if it could turn nasty so we got a spurt on but the buffalo seemed to speed up as well.
We thought danger may have been around the corner so we legged it as fast as we could.
Shane was shouting try and get to higher ground or where we can climb a tree! (Ha)
Luckily the buffalo wasn’t interested in us, it was running from its herdsman to its friends in another field.
Knowing we were safe we stopped to rest our hearts still pounding.
Then we noticed to the side of us sat two locals lads smoking a bamboo pipe (form of smoking here) under a tree. They were laughing at what they had just witnessed.
It was so funny we all laughed together – I think we made their day, I can only imagine how we looked.
Back in town the heavens opened with a torrential downpour, we’d timed coming down from the mountain just right.
The rain was in for most of the night as was thunder and lightning so we stayed close to the hotel for our ‘last supper’ and watched the storm from a covered terrace.
So, that brought our stay in Sa Pa to an end. Disappointed that we didn’t get to the summit of Mount Fansipan, however, I think it would have been a wasted effort. One thing you can’t control is the weather so sadly it’s just one of those things.
We still made good use of our time here and the scenery was amazing, backdrops don’t get much more spectacular.
Next we head to the Capital city ‘Hanoi’ and back to the hustle and bustle.
Hanoi
We had another good journey on the sleeper buses which would be our final one in Vietnam.
We arrived in the Capital Hanoi mid afternoon just in time to check in to our hotel which was located in the middle of the old quarter.
So without further ado we went exploring. I didn’t have too much planned just thought we could familiarise ourselves with our surroundings, I loved Hanoi immediately it held a certain charm with its narrow tree lined streets with blossoms still in flower and its many little alleyways.
Everywhere you looked, every nook and cranny life was going on.
The streets busy with tourists, locals, bikes, mopeds, cars and street vendors it was organised chaos.
Charming coffee houses, an abundance of restaurants and ‘Banh mi’ cafes and food carts lined every street.
Having been in Vietnam almost 6 weeks we were now familiar with the way of life and the roads especially so it was nice to feel more relaxed and just take it all in.
There are hundreds of clothes shops selling fake gear, most sell all the same things but still good to pick up some cheap bits and have a haggle.
It didn’t take us long to find Beer street ‘Ta Hien street’.
It wasn’t in full swing as it was only late afternoon but as we wandered through the alleyway that was setting up for the night ahead we decided to stop for a cheeky one. It’s here you can get the Hanoi fresh beer ‘Bia Hoi’ which is exceptionally cheap and often served in big plastic jugs for the same price as a regular beer.
We’d only been sat there 5 minutes when Shane spotted a couple with their daughter that we had met in Cambodia. We’d kept in touch prior and said we hoped to see each other in Hanoi but hadn’t made definite plans so what a nice surprise it was to see them.
They joined us and one drink led to another and what a great night we had catching up on travel stories.
The street had gone from relatively quiet when we arrived to full on crowded and vibrant by the time we left.
The next day we headed to ‘train street’ which if you’ve never heard of is a narrow street in the old quarter with the railway line passing through.
This alley is actually a residential area and many locals have converted their houses into quaint little cafes where you can have a drink while waiting for the train to pass by which happens a handful of times throughout the day.
It’s an exhilarating experience, excitement builds as you wait for the train. The little cafes along the track soon fill up as the train is due.
They give a five minute warning for everyone to take their seats.
In the distance you hear the train approaching and when it arrives you feel the rush as the train rumbles through the street mere inches from the homes and cafes.
It’s a very unique experience that won’t happen in many places across the world.
Another attraction we wanted to see whilst here was the ‘Water puppet show’ which you can see at the ‘Thang Long water puppet theatre’ located in the heart of the old quarter near Hoan Kiem Lake.
The art of water puppetry goes way back, it was initially performed in rice paddies and ponds of rural villages during festivals and special occasions. The art was eventually brought to the imperial court in Hanoi and became a popular form of entertainment.
The performances depict scenes from Vietnamese folklore, history, and daily life, accompanied by live music.
It was really good fun to watch and appeals to all ages. It’s very skilfully done by the puppeteers who control everything from behind a curtain whilst immersed in water.
There are so many things you can do in Hanoi. If we’d had more time I would have like to have visited the ‘Hoa Lo Prison’ and ‘Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum’.
You can’t do it all so we just had a taster, we walked ‘Hoan Kiem Lake’ and visited the ‘Ngoc Son Temple’.
Unfortunately ‘Hanoi roundabout’ (Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square). The intersection of five streets that creates a chaotic traffic scene had been cordoned off due to an event so we wasn’t able to see how crazy it gets but just a street back we did find the ‘The Notes coffee’ which is a quirky little cafe that has customer written notes on ‘post it’s’ on every inch of the building. They have four floors completely decorated with notes.
Hanoi is definitely a place I would return to so not being able to see everything on this occasion gives us more reason to hopefully come back one day.
We only have one more stop left in Vietnam. To complete our amazing journey we are going to spend 3 days on a boat cruise around ‘Halong’ and ‘Lan Ha bay’.
This UNESCO heritage sight is an area of outstanding beauty and recognised as one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world.
Ha Long bay
The final thing we wanted to do on our journey through Vietnam was a cruise on Ha Long Bay.
For weeks I researched which bay?which boat? how many nights?
It’s a minefield when you start looking as there are so many boats with different itineraries.
I’m sure whichever i’d chosen would have been amazing, as its the magnificence of the bays which is the main attraction.
So after extensive research, I decided we would do a 3 day 2 night Ha Long / Lan Ha bay cruise which would also take us to Cat Ba island.
Some people state that Ha Long Bay can be busy with many boats whereas Lan Ha Bay tends to be quieter. By doing the 3 day at least we would get to see both.
Most boat companies offer a pick up and drop off service from Hanoi so we went with that as it wasn’t too costly and more convenient.
At the port they took us by smaller boat out into the bay at Ha Long where we would then board the main boat.
Ha Long Bay is located in northeast Vietnam, this iconic bay boasts 1,969 karst and limestone islands and is a place of outstanding natural beauty.
Ha Long Bay was officially recognised as one of the 7 new natural wonders of the world in 2011 and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site.
Although the whole area is known as Halong Bay, there are in fact 3 different bays, Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay.
Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay offer a more tranquil experience and are known to be less crowded, yet the scenery is identical and just as spectacular.
As we sailed towards the main boat the beauty of Ha Long bay is right before you, a spectacular seascape sculpted by nature – it’s just breathtaking.
Everyone was mesmerised as we passed by these magnificent formations.
As we approached our boat the staff were all out on deck waving to greet us and welcome us on board.
They did a safety brief followed by a beautiful lunch then we were all shown to our cabins.
The cabins on our boat were nothing short of amazing. All very spacious and each with an outside balcony. It was very luxurious, we could certainly get used to this for a few days.
Just as we were unpacking we could hear a call that sounded like it was coming from outside.
We went onto the balcony and a lady was down below in a small rowing boat selling beer, wine and snacks.
These vendors go from one boat to another trying to sell cheaper goods to passengers. If purchased they pass the goods up in a net with a long bamboo pole.
We didn’t buy anything as it’s frowned upon by the boat company plus you’re limited to drinking it on your balcony or your cabin.
Aboard the main boat we sailed further into Ha Long Bay. It felt quite magical even alongside other boats.
Some people on reviews had commented that the bay can get crowded but we didn’t experience this.
I’d also read comments that there was lots of plastic waste in the sea but we didn’t really come across this either.
The one occasion we did see it, some local boat men were scooping it out of the water with small nets. Obviously every effort is being made to keep the bay clean but in today’s world, here and also in other places, this is a constant battle.
My main concern when I booked the cruise was the weather.
This time of year the weather is getting unsettled as it heads towards the rainy season. We decided we would do it whatever and lucky for us it was dry, it could have been a bit brighter especially for photographs but you can’t have it all ways.
Our first activity was Kayaking. They anchored in one of the bays and we were able to explore around the surrounding karsts.
I’d never kayaked before and I really enjoyed it. The cloud had also lifted a little so we had blue skies.
Back on board they serve snacks and have happy hour on the outside deck before serving dinner.
The boat had two outside decks with comfy rattan furniture and the added luxury of a splash pool.
Most of the cruises tend to have similar activities so after dinner you can go squid fishing (no thanks) or relax on deck and watch the ‘Bartender show’.
This sounded like the better option so at 9:30pm we waited for the show to start.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t very lively on our boat and after dinner most people had disappeared to their cabins (Maybe they bought booze off the rowing boat lady and drank in their rooms).
Thankfully for the bartender a few people came up deck when the show was about to start.
The show was a juggling act with booze bottles, luckily these were plastic and not glass as although he could juggle he didn’t last very long before dropping one.
We felt for the poor guy as he kept on dropping them but he soldiered on non the less.
My eyes widened when next he lit the bottles to juggle fire. Not having much confidence in his juggling skills I moved my chair back so I wasn’t in the line of fire. Good job I did as he soon dropped one which came flying in our direction.
His finale was breathing fire which thankfully went ok.
I think he was glad to finish the show. I just hoped he didn’t have to do it all again the following night.
Day 2 on our itinerary was to visit Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island.
Many of the bigger boats only travel within Ha Long Bay sailing short distances and then anchor at beauty spots. You could say they are more like floating luxury hotels.
Most large boats use smaller boats to take you on the various excursions.
We were picked up by one of these smaller boats which was well equipped with a dining cabin and upper sun deck with loungers and chairs.
The journey to Cat Ba took around an hour traveling through Lan Ha Bay. Lan Ha bay was beautiful with towering limestone karsts and narrower waterways.
Cat Ba island is a destination in itself and has experienced a tourism surge in recent years. Most visitors will stay at the more developed central hub of Cat Ba Town. We wouldn’t get to see this side of the island as our trip was to take us into the local village of ‘Viet Hai’.
When we arrived at Cat Ba island we were given the choice of cycling into the village or take the electric buggy and then cycle around the village when we got there.
Everyone was up for cycling to the village but you could tell that our guide wasn’t. He did everything he could to put us off.
To his delight we all agreed with him and took the electric buggy.
The ride to the village was filled with natural beauty, rugged mountains and lush jungle all around.
The narrow road was hilly in parts with many twists and turns and probably would have taken quite a while on a bike hence his persuasion to take the buggy.
He also mentioned you could come across snakes on the pathway which was actually true as we saw one en route.
In the village we got to try some local firewater. We had the option of Honey wine, tree wine and snake wine (men only for the snake wine as it’s supposed to enhance virility).
I tried the honey one which was disgusting. Maybe over ice with coke it may have been palatable (ha).
Our guide then took us on a bike ride around the village where we got to see a traditional mud and thatched house to demonstrate how the villagers used to live.
We then returned to the buggy which took us back to the boat for lunch.
After lunch we got a chance to kayak again, which I was starting to get the hang of, and they took us to a secluded beach to swim.
It was a great day, we were in good company and the scenery was amazing.
The food on the boat was fantastic, it was buffet style with lots of different dishes catering for Asian and western tastes.
After dinner we enjoyed our last night with a few drinks on the sky deck under the stars.
Through the night a storm passed over which was good to listen to from the cabin.
By morning it was still raining heavy so we weren’t sure if the last activity would take place, which was a boat ride through some caves.
Luckily, it eased off a little so we were still able to do it.
With 8 to a boat we all wore rain ponchos and Chinese conical hats to keep us dry.
It ended up being really good fun. After the soaring temperatures over the last few months some light rain was more than welcome.
So that brought our cruise to an end. I’m glad we did the two nights, it wasn’t rushed and we got a chance to relax.
As we had a return transfer, the cruise company took us back to Hanoi where we would spend our final night in Vietnam.
We were happy to have the one last night in Hanoi as we really love the vibe of this city.
We headed back down to ‘Ta Hien corner’ (beer street) as it’s a great place to people watch and take advantage one last time of Hanoi’s popular jugs of ‘fresh beer’ which is probably cheaper than water.
Outside the bars little tables and chairs spill onto the streets. Most bars put seats way past their perimeter so it’s funny to see a couple of times a night all systems go as the staff quickly move all the tables and chairs (and the people on them) back into their designated area whilst the police head down the street. If they are not quick enough they will lose a few in the process.
The funniest thing is that the police are not even out of view before all the tables and chairs are put back out giving them a few hours before the procedure starts over again.
We have loved Vietnam, it has been so diverse. Six weeks we have been here and still only had a taster of what this fabulous country has to offer. It’s a place we would definitely return to if we get chance.
Next, we are visiting Hong Kong. We are so close from North Vietnam it would be a shame to miss out, plus it’s a place I have always wanted to visit so I hope it doesn’t disappoint.
