Vietnam was un-pho-gettable – the people, food, and cities were all pho-nominal and I will pho sure go back! Sorry, couldn’t resist. To start, this country has some of the best food I ate in Asia – pho being one of my favorite dishes and the inspiration for my ridiculously silly puns. Vietnamese food has a great variety of flavors which make simple dishes like pho (a noodle soup) and bhan mi (a sandwich) taste gourmet and delicious. Make sure you get to take a cooking class to bring home some of your favorite dishes!

Traveling through Vietnam was a breeze. A common route for travelers is to go from South to North, but I chose to go from North to South since I was heading to Cambodia afterwards. Be sure to check what time of year you’re going to be in Northern Vietnam, it can get pretty chilly in the winter months. I was there in early March and although it was refreshing to have cooler weather for a change, it would have been nice to have hot weather when heading to Halong Bay. When hiking in Sapa on the other hand, it made for perfect weather – not too hot and not too cold. Who likes having a sweaty back when hiking for 8 hours?

Either direction you decide to choose, you will still have the same amazing experience. If you can, I would suggest buying or renting a motorbike for your whole journey or at least a portion. One of the most popular routes by bike is from Hue to Hoi An or vice versus.

Before heading to Vietnam, take some time to learn basic phrases like hello, how much, thank you, numbers 1-10, and maybe your favorite dish. This will only help you along the way with simple conversation and bargaining for some goods. Vietnamese speak English in most places, but it’s not as strong as it is in other places in South East Asia. This country will make any type of traveler happy and satisfied. Foodies, adventure junkies, beach bums, city goers –get ready to get your fix in Vietnam! Một, Hai, Ba, yo!

Typical Costs in Vietnam

Food: Meals are very inexpensive – You can spend any where from 30,000 dong (about $1.50) to 100,000 dong (about $4.50)

Accommodation: Hostel rooms can range from $5-$15 USD per night

Getting Around Vietnam

Trains – The overnight trains are pretty luxurious, but more on the pricier side when it comes to choosing your form of long distance travel in Vietnam. On long stretches, I would recommend either taking the train or flying

• Cost: Ranges depends on distance and destination.
• How to Book: Easy to book through a travel agent or at your accommodation.

Busses – Vietnam knows how to do buses. The overnight buses are really great and have ‘bunk bed style’ seats that fully recline, creating your own personal bed nook. Although, if you’re super tall, I’m sorry you may not enjoy these as much as a regular seated bus. Other buses in Vietnam are just as comfortable and a majority have wifi! Get all those Instagram posts up in one shot.

• Cost: Ranges depends on distance and destination – but the cheapest.
• How to Book: Easy to book through a travel agent or at your accommodation.

Flying – Easiest, fastest, and sometimes can be cheap!

• Book direct with the airlines – Air Asia, Vietjet (cheapest), Vietnam Airlines.

Hanoi

As the capital of Vietnam and an international hub, Hanoi can either be a great starting or ending point. Filled with some great Vietnamese history, you can fill your days with museum visits and market exploring. Hanoi is a good base before taking off to places like Sapa in the North or Halong Bay on the coast. The Old City, was personally, my favorite area.

With a small city vibe, interesting architecture, and a great night life, this location is perfect to stay in! There are many different hostels and hotels within a short walking distance from each other, making it a great place as a solo traveller to meet new people! The night life in Hanoi is huge. All of the hostels have great deals on drinks and there is a cluster of bars all located next to each other. Hanoi is also filled with good quality and inexpensive knockoff hiking gear! There are multiple stores that are stocked up with “North Face” gear. If you’re heading to Sapa and need to grab some, this is the place to do it!

 

Hỏa Lò Prison:

• Cost: 30,000 dong (Cheaper with a student i.d.)
• Hỏa Lò Prison was specifically used for political prisoners captured by the French colonists in Vietnam. They were kept under terrible conditions and many were tortured and sadly killed. This location was later flipped and used by the Vietnamese soldiers to keep U.S. soldiers captive. If you’re a prison history junkie, put this one on your list to visit!

Hoan Kiem Lake:

• If you like sunrises and are an early riser, then head over to this lake in the center of Hanoi! A large group gathers to practice traditional t’ai chi and it’s really interesting to watch. If you’re not a morning person, take a walk there during the day anyway and enjoy the peacefulness of the lake.

Markets:

• Weekend Night market: Located in the Old Quarter, you can find anything from snacks, to souvenirs, and clothing! Have fun walking around and checking it all out.
• Dong Xuan: This is the day time market located in a large building built by the French and is located in the center district. This market is used a lot for trade and is filled with fabrics, clothing, shoes, glasses, and even fish! You may not be interested in  buying anything here, but it’s an interesting place to check out regardless!

Vietnamese Women’s Museum:

• Cost: 30,000 dong
• This modern women’s museum shines a very interesting light on women’s roles in Vietnamese history and their culture. You’ll see how women have gone from making all of their own clothing, to working on the farms and rice fields, to even joining the armed forces. It is an amazing collection of photographs, garments, and artifacts to showcase Vietnamese women.

Temple of Literature:

• Cost: 30,000 dong (Cheaper with a student i.d.)
• This stunning temple was created in 1070 and is dedicated to Confucius. It was also the first National University in Vietnam. It’s a mixture of historical and cultural importance and should definitely be on your list to visit!

Halong Bay

Get ready to feel like you’re on the set of Jurassic Park. Halong Bay is compilation of around 1,600 islands! A majority of them you’re not even able to access, but you can enjoy a boat cruise through and around them. You’re able to explore Halong Bay in many different ways. Many people opt to going with tours that include overnights on large boats with stop overs in little villages for kayaking, swimming, and some exploring. Others choose to do Halong Bay on their own and stay on Cat Ba island. From there, you can hire a boat to take you out on day trips. On Cat Ba island, there is also a beautiful national park where you can hike up to the peak and experience its’ stunning look out point over Halong Bay! Either way you choose, Halong Bay should be on your list of places to stop at. Even if the weather is not its’ best, you won’t regret it!

 

Tours

Luxury Style Mid-Range Cruises

The mid-range cruises provide a different level of comfort when cruising around Halong Bay. For those wanting to have a romantic Halong Bay experience, these luxury boats will get you to your happy place. With similar itineraries to the other boats (swimming, kayaking, exploring the fishing villages), the biggest difference is having a peaceful and quiet small group experience. Good for families too!

• Cost: Can range from $130 USD – $250 USD / Prices vary depending on duration of trip– includes everything, but alcohol.

Budget Halong Bay Experience

These tours are with a smaller group making it a really nice experience. You’ll be doing the same activities as other boats; kayaking, swimming, and seeing the fishing villages – except you won’t be sleeping on a boat the first night. Instead, you will be brought to a private island which will be really nice and luxurious on its’ own! If you decide to do two nights, it includes a hike on Cat Ba island and an overnight on a boat before heading back to Hanoi.

• Cost: Can range from $89 USD – $140 USD / Prices vary depending on duration of trip – includes everything, but alcohol.

Sapa

This was by far one of my favorite experiences in Vietnam. Sapa is a small city that is surrounded by beautiful stretches of rice terraces and villages. I would recommend doing a two day hike at least. The experience of hiking with a local and staying at their home is worth it alone.

My group and I stayed with a family from the Black H’Mong Tribe in the village of Lao Chai. In this village, we saw fields of the plants that are used to make indigo dye. We were also fortunate enough to learn the process of how to dye the fabrics with it! I think I dyed and went to heaven.

The tour guide was fun, knowledgable and made the experience that much better. We stayed with her and her lovely family in their village where we learned how to cook Vietnamese food from scratch, enjoyed foot massages after 8 hours of hiking, and learned how to drink rice wine like locals!

Tours

Most of the tours you book with will include transportation by bus or train leaving from Hanoi-Sapa and back, so no need to worry about getting up there! If you’d prefer to go up to Sapa on your own and book a tour up there, that is an option as well. If you’re booking with a travel agency in Hanoi, I highly recommend Friends Travel Vietnam.

• What to Wear: Make sure you check the weather before you go! Depending on the time of year, you will be wearing long pants, sweaters, and jackets. Also, if it’s rainy, it will be a verrrrryyyyy muddy journey. Boots are available to rent once you get to Sapa, if this is case.
• Cost: Around $120 USD – this is for 2 days 1 night, but prices will vary depending on duration of trip

Hoi An

Hoi An is a magical little old fisherman village. Here, you can fill your days with beach hangs, strolls around the old village, bicycle rides through some rice fields, cooking classes or getting custom made clothing! That’s right, this is your time to make it work and create anything you want.

People come to Hoi An to get shoes, bags, dresses, suits, bathing suits – you name it, they’ll make it! It’s all very simple. Just browse around on a few websites and choose your favorite designer pieces. Once you get to a shop, which are located everywhere, they will measure you and begin!

You’ll be able to select the fabric, print, and make any other additional changes to the pieces. It can take a few days depending on how many things you’re having made and what it is exactly, so make sure you give yourself enough time.

At night, head down to the old quarter and explore the night market! Take a walk along the river and see all of the beautiful lanterns and colonial style architecture. There are some great restaurants located down, there as well as, most of the bars to hang out at!

Dalat

Ever want to walk down the side of a mountain, backwards? Cool! Then go to Dalat and try canyoning! Dalat is also a very quaint city that is surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. The city has great food, but not too much to do during the day. Most of the exploring in Dalat takes place around in its’ countryside, but Dalat will provide for a good base city! This is your time to shine adventure junkies.

Crazy House:

Hang Nha Guesthouse, better known as Crazy House, was designed and constructed by Vietnamese architect Đặng Việt Nga. She created this unconventional impressionistic building based off of fairy tales, using key elements like nature to inspire her. If you’re up for it, you can spend a night here in one of its’ rooms!

• Cost: 40,000 dong (Cheaper with a student i.d.)

Canyoning:

If you’re an adventure junkie and heights are your friend, try a day of canyoning! You will learn to repel and abseil down waterfalls and cliffs. You will get wet doing this, so make sure you wear comfortable clothing when wet and if you have good gripping water shoes, bring them along!

• Cost: Varies depending on tour, but should cost around $40

Waterfalls:

There are numerous waterfalls around the outskirts of Dalat – rent a motorbike and going exploring! Some of the more popular waterfalls are Tiger Cave Waterfall, Elephant Waterfall, and Pongour Waterfall.

100 Roofs Cafe:

This is probably one of the coolest bars I’ve been to. Located close to the center of Dalat, it’s an easy place to get to! Go straight to the bar, get a drink, and explore all of the different floors. Start walking up or down any flight of stairs you find and it will lead you into complete darkness or to a little mini cave or even to the back kitchen. Welcome to the Labyrinth, Dalat style.

Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon

Welcome to the large, busy, loud Saigon! Another great place to either start or end your Vietnam travels. Ho Chi Minh City has some great museums around the city making it another place to tour around and learn a bit about Vietnamese history.

If you’re over museums and want to get back outside, check out a Mekong Delta tour or head over to one of Ho Chi Minh’s markets! Make sure you mind your belongings while walking around the streets as this city is pretty popular for theft.

War Remnants Museum:

The War Remnants Museum does a great job of shining light on the sad and horrible         events that took place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In one section, they go into detail describing the prison on Phuc Quoc island and how it was used to keep and torture Vietnamese prisoners during the war. Inside is filled with facts and images from propaganda posters to battle ground photographs that tell stories from first hand officers and photographers.

Cu Chi Tunnels:

Hello claustrophobia! These tunnels were used during the Vietnam war by the Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots and well as serving as communication and supply routes. If you’re okay with small spaces, book yourself on a tour to check these it out!

• Cost: 110,000 dong (all day trip)

Pham Ngu Lao Street:

Also, known as the backpacking street, and has a very similar vibe to Khao San Road in Bangkok, but smaller. Filled with bars, restaurants, and shops, this location is a great spot to find low budget accommodation and to also enjoy a night out!

Ben Thanh Market:

Get ready to get your bargain on in the Ben Thanh market! Ignore those signs that say ‘fixed price’ and practice with your Vietnamese numbers to get the price you want! It can be very crowded and hot inside so take your time and don’t get too overwhelmed. This is a great place to come and get all of your gift shopping done at once. You can spend the whole day here and grab some food from the food stalls that open around mid-afternoon. Since it is so crowded, make sure to mind your belongings.

• Cost: 15,000 dong

Helpful Tips

• Visa – http://vietnamconsulate-ny.org/consular-services/visa
• Currency: Dong
• 1 – Mot, 2 – Hai, 3 – Ba: Here are numbers 1-3, now go learn 1-10!
• Vietnamese are very traditional and appreciate respect. Learning some of their phrases will go a long way with them!
• Download the offline map of the city you’re in on the app Maps.Me – best maps for tourism!!
• Make sure you mark where you’re staying, and always carry around a business card from them.