Top 10 Reasons To Visit Vietnam
My Highlights From Vietnam
We visited in early January, so the weather had both an impact on the activities we were able to do, as well as our enjoyment of those activities.
#1 - Street Food Tour
There’s no shortage of street food tours available on TripAdvisor and Viator, and there’s no need to spend more than $40 per person (on the VERY high side) to have an amazing experience. For more about our experience in Hanoi, click HERE.
#2 - Hoa Lo Prison
Part of going to a place like Vietnam is learning about not just the history of the country, but also the impact that our country has played on it. A visit to Hoa Lo prison is covered in another post HERE.
#3 Dong Xuan Market - Hanoi
Dong Xuan Market is housed within a four-story Soviet-style building on the northern edge of Hanoi Old Quarter. If you discover that you may not have packed a sweater or a pair of shorts, you’ll have no shortage of options here!
#4 Egg Coffee
Trust me, you want to try this odd beverage while you’re here!
#5 Location
A great advantage of Hanoi is lower humidity than what you’ll find in the south, but when flying into Hanoi you’re also very well poised for multiple side trips to either the coast or to the mountains! We so badly wanted to visit Sapa but the weather was not ideal in January.
#6 Ha Long Bay
Just a few short hours by bus or private car from Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is a beautiful UNESCO site that you don’t want to miss! Read more about our experience HERE.
#7 Custom Tailoring
If you find yourself in central Vietnam with at least three days available to you, you should get some custom clothes made! Read more about my experience HERE.
Cruise Ha Long Bay Vlog
Two Day Cruise Aboard The Emeraude
When it comes to planning our trips, old episodes of the various travel shows by the late Anthony Bourdain are basically my bible. To that end, during one of his many visits to Vietnam, he cruised on the Emeraude when he explored Ha Long Bay, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do the same. Fun fact, our cruise director served as part of the crew while he was aboard, and she was full of little details about what we would do around the ship and what he liked to eat and where.
Questions or Comments? Leave me a note below.
Hanoi Vietnam Vlog
Egg Coffee & Culture in Hanoi
The travel time is nothing to shake a stick at, but totally worth it. Hanoi will excite all of your senses and have you reaching for food that you never knew existed.
Leave me your questions of comments below!
The American War Remnants Museum
We Should All Feel Sick
Nothing about armed conflict should be attractive for any reason, the military as a way of “seeing the world",” dismissed as the bad idea that it is. “The pen is mightier than the sword,” and “blessed are the peacemakers” should be the philosophy of all humanity, and desire to hurt and destroy those that disagree with us, be allowed to serve as historical lessons in the evolution of humankind.
However, the world we live in now is but a breath more civilized than it was a hundred years ago, the only difference being that we’ve developed technology to help us keep our hands cleaner during the crime.
Visiting the American War Remnants Museum did nothing to change my feelings about armed conflict, but it did further inflame my feelings toward those that treat the subject casually.
The museum itself is now known as the American War Remnants Museum but was once known as the American War Crimes Museum, a change that while helpful for international relations, is a less accurate description of what it represents.
The End is The Beginning
We arrived at the museum, which appears to be more of a military machinery showcase based on the amount of artillery on display out front. After purchasing our tickets and exploring some of the machines around the exterior, we mounted the steps to see what awaited us inside.
Inside the door is a glass display cabinet, the contents of which are letters written by veterans, as well as metals of distinction awarded to those veterans by the US Government. However, as it would turn out, both the letters and the metals, were from American service members whom had chosen to send the metals they had earned during their time in Vietnam, back to the country where they had been earned along with letters of apology for the things they had done on behalf of the American government. Welcome to the museum.
Shock and Awe
The many rooms of this museum cover various sociopolitical aspects of the conflict, rooms, and displays dedicated to the journalists from around the globe that lost their lives, documentation retrieved from both governments which outlines efforts made to conceal the realities of the situation both from the service members supporting the effort as well as to the citizens of each country. One cabinet in particular containing photographs of journalists that lost their lives also bears a sign which the exact phrase has eluded me, but the sentiment of which struck me as being very gracious. It read (in effect), “The massive loss of life resulting from this conflict was not the desire of each respective country, but rather the result of selfish individuals within the governments on each side.” The sentiment is both true, and gracious, considering the massive price which their country is STILL to this day paying.
Two rooms which I found most difficult to view were toward the end, one dedicated to the effects of Agent Orange, and the other to the Vietnamese prisoners of war which were captured and tortured by fellow Vietnamese opposition forces. Photographs of one such person who had disemboweled THEMSELVES in protest to the torture being inflicted within a South Vietnamese prison, literally required me to step outside and place my head between my knees for fear of becoming sick at the site.
See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil
In my travels, I’ve come to view people around the world as being less and less different than myself. Remove the flags, and we’re all just human with the same base needs, wants, and fears. It pains me greatly to look upon events in history where people killed, or died, because of the prideful desires of things related to a flag, which is nothing more than fabric. Even still today, we fight wars physically and verbally for the same trivial reasons, words either carefully or carelessly chosen, capable of dividing families and countries. I’ve been accused on social media of being the “tone police,” but I believe that words are the most powerful tool that humans possess. A word can elicit feelings of pride, inspiration, love, hope, and forgiveness, but they can also generate fear, hate, panic, and action. Something so simple as a word can send us to war or to end one, and if my efforts to remind people of the power they hold over the words they use is to be “condemned” by such a title as Tone Policing, then I guess I welcome the insult.
Saigon, A Tale of Two Ho Chi Minh Cities
Last Stop
During the planning phase of the trip, there was much uncertainty surrounding what the final city would be before our departure. Southern Vietnam is different than that of Northern, both in culture as well as climate. Eventually opting to visit Ho Chi Minh City to visit the War Remnants Museum, we were surprised by just how stark the differences with the North, actually are.
If cultural immersion had been our goal in Hanoi, comfort and air conditioning were the order of the day here. Using points, we stayed at a modern hotel on the waterfront, located in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the massive sprawl that is Ho Chi Minh City.
What To Do in Saigon
We had two objectives during our stay here, which is limited by time, were arranged in advance of our arrival. The first objective is a private cultural tour, which he had booked via AirBnB Experiences, which was facilitated by an American man from Montana, who had been living there for three years. Fortunately for us, I had arranged this tour with him first, and it was with his guidance that we arranged to start the tour early in the morning (6:30 AM), and again at his suggestion, decided to fulfill our second objective on the following morning.
The Cultural Tour
Rising with the dawn of our first full day, we made our way by taxi to the specified location to meet our tour guide (Matt). It was already hot despite the hour, so we were grateful for having taken his advice and gotten our butts out of bed.
Our guide was friendly and communicated facts and details in a way that as Americans, we would either find especially interesting or would be able to better understand by way of shared national identity. We were accompanied by a friend of his who was also visiting from the US and who also was nearly the victim of the only thing even remotely resembling “lascivious behavior” that we had observed during our entire time in Vietnam. That said, a man of a motorbike tried to grab his iPhone (which was in use) out of his hand as he drove past. Fortunately for our new friend, the attempted thief dropped the phone and chose to keep on driving, allowing the phone to be recovered without damage.
With belongings securely stowed, we continued the tour and arrived at a nearby park in time to watch a group of elderly women performing their daily morning practice of Sword Kata.
A City With Two Names
You may have noticed that this city is often still referred to as “Saigon,” instead of Ho Chi Minh City, and I was grateful to finally get some clarity on this point during our tour.
As you may recall, or even if you don’t, that the city of “Saigon” was the capital city of the briefly independent country of South Vietnam, which was backed by the United States. When the South Vietnamese (and us) lost the war, the communist leadership of the North, renamed the city in honor of their figurehead, Ho Chi Minh. That said, to this day the citizens of the north and south do not get along, and the citizens of the south have fully rejected the new name. To that end, while “Ho Chi Minh City” is the official name, to anyone that lives there, “Saigon” is what is used in the everyday.
It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity
If we had been surprised by the cold while in Hanoi, we were melted into a puddle of mush by the heat in Ho Chi Minh City. A local told us that they have two seasons in southern Vietnam, hot and wet, or hot and wetter, and I believe him.
I suggest doing anything outside, early in the morning, because by the time midday rolls around (and keep in mind that we were there during their winter, in January) it’s entirely too hot to move!
Fortunately, bubble tea is plentiful and provides welcome refreshment as often as needed.
Everyone Celebrate!
Tết, the Vietnamese New Year was going to be occurring shortly after our departure, but decorations were already beginning to appear around the city. We were fortunate enough to get to see some of them while out one evening after being advised to check out a VERY cool rooftop bar at the Hotel des Arts Saigon.
Final Thoughts
While the main purpose of our visit to Saigon was to visit the American War Museum (I talk about this in another post), the city, in general, was entirely overwhelming to me, and if I ever find myself in Vietnam again I would prioritize visiting smaller cities in the surrounding region. That said, the people are very warm, and were VERY happy to see Americans. Several older locals even asked to have their pictures taken with us because they hadn’t seen an American since they were themselves, young children, during the war, it was very touching.
Questions or comments? Leave them below!
What's Cooking in Hoi An Vietnam
Eat it Now and Ask Questions Never
Traveling is so exciting, seeing and experiencing other cultures transformative, and then there’s the food. A bedrock of not only just a healthy daily routine but also of experiencing other cultures is eating the food. Traveling through North America or Western Europe is one thing, but Southeast Asia is entirely another.
Snack Central
During our time in Hanoi, my husband and I took a private street food tour which we greatly enjoyed. The guide had helped explain not just what the food was, or the tradition behind it, but also anticipated what we as tourists would be most willing to try. I recommend this experience to anyone who might have food allergies or other aversions that they would rather not be surprised by.
However, by the time we found ourselves in central Vietnam, specifically Hoi An, we were not only much more confident in our ability to navigate the cultural differences but were also much more open to trying more of the unfamiliar and exotic foods presented to us. Being “open” to culinary diversity was never more important than during our time in Hoi An, as it was a relative cornucopia of new foods to try largely due to the popularity of the Night Market which draws a HUGE influx of street vendors.
One slightly confusing element to the food carts was the subtle use of french words that have woven themselves into the language. Knowing VERY little french myself, but just enough to recognize certain words, I found myself noticing the french word for "dog," which was enough reason for me to keep moving. While in Hanoi, I asked our street food tour guide about the practice of eating dog, and while he said that it has become rarer over the years, it hasn't entirely gone away and is still practiced by elder members of society that believe in more mystical properties.
Come Hungry
We often remarked at the end of each day, just HOW MUCH food we were eating while on that trip, however, we were never uncomfortably full due to the lack of dairy and wheat gluten in the cuisine. Given the extremely inexpensive nature of street food here (most items cost between $.50 - $1.00), we could eat all day long and not feel an ounce of guilt about the quantity of time being invested in eating!
After we returned home to the US, we approached eating Vietnamese food in our hometown very differently. We also realized that the Vietnamese food which is available in our area, is Southern Vietnamese food, with many of the dishes which we had while visiting the North, not being known by them or not being available.
Relax at An Bang Beach
Am I alone in thinking that vacations are exhausting?
Take A Break From Vacation
I feel a little silly admitting that vacations are exhausting, but the way my husband and I do them, they can be. Seize the day, or Carpe Diem might as well be emblazoned on our foreheads because we try to squeeze every ounce of experience we can get out of a place, while we find ourselves there, and leave little to no time to decompress from life or even allow ourselves to process our travel weariness.
Don’t Forget to Take a Break!
In previous posts about our time in Vietnam, I outlined a specific day to relax and maybe go to the beach. Not knowing in advance how wonderful they would be, I didn’t want to commit ourselves to this activity prematurely.
However, the day came and the hotel we were’ staying at, while not directly on the beach, offered free shuttle service to a private beach.
As a side note, I had initially intended to book us a hotel on the beach and then use a shuttle to bring us to the center of Hoi An each day, but we ultimately switched the arrangement and I’m SO glad we did! There’s very little to do out at the beaches.
An Bang Beach
Holy smokes, this place was just what the doctor ordered for two weary travelers! The sand is soft, there’s (oddly) no seagulls, and in general very little tourist development. It was quiet, the service was amazing, and as per usual, the food scrumptious!
Have a chat
If soft sand, warm gentle breezes, and refreshing drinks aren’t enough for you, you’re guaranteed to be entertained by your fellow beach-goers. In general, most caucasian westerners you see wandering around aren’t Americans (it’s a bonus in my mind), but native English speakers tend to gravitate toward one another almost as if by supernatural forces outside of our control.
It’s with this “attraction” in mind that we met several interesting couples visiting from England, one such couple we ran into a second time later on during our trip while in Ho Chi Minh City.
Conversations had while traveling abroad, are my favorite conversations, and rarely, do I walk away without a feeling of having been enriched by it. Getting outside of your everyday patterns, stepping back from your normal social circles, and discussing “life,” becomes a super-charged experience when you’ve put yourself in a place to truly listen to what others have to say. The magic of travel is actively stripping yourself of the barriers of opinion that we clothe ourselves in, removing the trappings of our security by way of total immersion within worlds of like-mindedness, and where different opinions have no oxygen to live.
Take a break, have a chat, and see how you grow and change as a result of fresh air, other opinions, new experiences, and allow your perspective to shift.
Questions or Comments?
My Son Sanctuary - UNESCO Site
My Son Sanctuary - UNESCO Site
An absolute NOT TO BE MISSED experience we had while in Hoi An, was taking a private half-day tour of the My Son Sanctuary. Built by the Champa people (a culture which occupied the land currently known as Vietnam) between the 4th and 14th centuries, the site is truly breathtaking. Unlike the Vietnamese who are largely Buddhist, the Champa people were Hindu and used an entirely different alphabet.
Much to our advantage, we booked an early morning private tour and were some of the very first people to arrive at the park, around 8:30 am. This was ideal in the aspect of not only being able to take better photographs but also provided a lovely stillness in which to experience it.
Sadly, the site was heavily damaged due to American bombs during the war, and given several factors, the restoration work has proved to be extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible. This site is yet another painful mark left on the country and a terrible loss to world history.
After we had completed our tour of the sanctuary, our guide took us to a tiny little village where we had lunch before setting out via boat, to visit a village known for making pottery.
Probably the most interesting temple we visited, was also located in this pottery village, as it contained a hidden artifact from the 6th century! A tree growing directly out front of the temple has grown around a statue of Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god, which as I mentioned earlier, was part of the Champa culture during the 6th century. BAM, history.
We also got the opportunity to try our hands at manipulating clay on a wheel, the whole experience was great.
Questions? Leave them below!
Tailoring Vietnam
Custom Clothing in Vietnam
This activity was one that had me excited for months leading up to our trip. Articles and blog posts about how to select a tailor, what to have made, or how long it would take, were nearly daily reads in my travel preparation phase.
Lucky for you, I’m going to make this simple and tell you that with very little effort before you leave, you can make this tailoring process easy as pie!
If You Can Dream it They Can Make it
Coats, dresses, pants, suits, whatever it is as long as you have good pictures, they can copy it. Not wanting an exact copy of something? There are magazines, books, and sample items at every tailor, and you need only to tell them what you like about a given piece, and what you want changed to meet your taste.
Fabrics are plentiful, but if it’s leather and fur that you’re seeking, these are materials that weren’t obvious at any of the tailors we visited.
I selected a half dozen items which I had long coveted, but couldn’t afford or find, and printed multiple images from online of the items (if I could find differing photos which showed elements of the construction) from the internet, and these would ultimately service as the best thing I could have done.
Selecting A Tailor in Hoi An
First off, don’t bother researching before you go. I spent HOURS reading reviews and inquiring about folks on TripAdvisor, but it’s honestly a total waste of time. You can’t go more than ten steps in any direction without finding a tailoring shop, and asking locals (or staff at your hotel) will also not be helpful because everyone gets paid for referrals there.
Frustrated by the number of “My good friend works at this or that shop,” or being given discount cards to this or that tailor because I was a “preferred” customer at some hotel or took a tour or who knows what, we decided to cast a wide net and try several.
The first shop we visited, Yaly Couture, was a chain of tailoring shops that our hotel recommended. This shop claimed that they could do body image scans and then make additional images for you using your body scans and ship to you. The scan was a joke, but the staff and shop were welcoming, and between my husband and I, ordered three suits and two button-down dress shirts.
The second shop was Bebe couture and was one of the shops which I found on the internet while researching the trip. This shop was by far the nicest showroom, had the most satellite locations, and was the most expensive. Here we ordered one suit and two pairs of dress pants.
The third shop was a moment of travel weakness, in which we were looking for directions to a particular part of town, and an all too friendly local offered to walk with us to where we needed to go. “Fortunately” this journey landed us directly in front of her very good friend’s shop. That said, being the least fancy of tailoring establishments that we had seen, I decided that it couldn’t hurt to give it shot and ordered a dress. I don’t even know the name of this particular shop, or even if it had one, as it consisted of a table just inside the door of a larger shopping market.
What was the result of all of these orders? You might be surprised to discover that the quality was the same at all three shops. Having factored in enough time to appropriately utilize the tailors during our time in Hoi An, by allowing enough time to have more than one fitting done, we very satisfied with everything we had made.
To rank the shops we visited, I would have to say that Yaly Couture was best because I liked the feel of the showroom. I liked the experience at the no-name tailor second, because it was cheapest, probably because it didn’t have a fancy showroom. I liked Bebe the least because it was the most expensive and the showroom was overwhelming.
My advice is to pick a tailoring shop that you can easily find a second time (it’s REALLY easy to confuse the shops with each other), make sure you stay at least three days (four would be better), so you can have more than one fitting, and show them pictures of what you want.
Lastly, haggle as if your life depends on it.
Five Days in Hoi An Vietnam
Some people take vacations for relaxation, while others (like myself) attempt to fill every waking second with activities in foreign places, for fear of missing out on something life-changing. Five days in Hoi An is the cure to being busy.
Planning Your Stay
While planning our time in Vietnam, the advice I found regarding the recommended amount of time to spend there varied wildly. What was consistent, however, was that if you wanted to have tailoring done while there, you should stay AT LEAST three days, which was ultimately proven to be sound advice.
That said, the first third of our trip was shaping up to be pretty busy, and had us moving locations every third night, so we decided to embrace the essence of what Hoi An was touted to be (a small fishing and beach town) and slow down for an extended stay of five days.
Getting From Hanoi to Hoi An
Normally, avid train travelers we decided to maximize our time by flying from Hanoi (in the North) to Danang (Central coastal, and the nearest airport to Hoi An), as the difference in time between traveling by train or air was more than eight hours difference. Adding to the advantage of flight, was the relatively low cost of just $60, making the travel time saved well worth the price.
After a short one and a half hour flight, we arrived at the Danang airport where we charted a private car (from one of the authorized services within the airport) to drive us the 40 minutes from Danang to Hoi An, as well as for the return service at the end of our time there. Without a doubt, we paid more to do it this way (it cost us about $80), but we appreciated the ease of having door to door service, as well as the relative security of the arrangement.
The ride from Danang was very pleasant, being almost entirely along the coast, but left us feeling good about our choice not to spend time in Danang itself, which by all appearances had a very "generic" feel from what we observed from the car. However, while I was unable to capture a quality image myself, I’ve reposted an image of an amazing bridge we saw from a distance, known as the Dragon Bridge, for obvious reasons.
Little Hoi An Hotel & Spa
We LOVED our time at this hotel, and we would stay here again for multiple reasons. There’s no shortage or lack in variety of accommodations here, but this little hotel won the day by having the BEST location, and value for money (we paid about $90 per night). It’s not a five star “western” hotel, but it’s very comfortable, very cute, and has amenities such as daily laundry service, a full-service SPA, pool, transportation to a private beach, and a great restaurant on site.
Speaking of the spa, it took us about 30 seconds after check-in to decide that we wanted to make a spa appointment. In reality, the hotel is SO much nicer than we had expected from the website and pictures, so we jumped at the offer of a two-hour couples massage with facials and full body scrubs for just $70 (yep, the total for two people), and it was magical.
The Service
Among the many qualities of the hotel which I’ve already mentioned, was the quality of the interaction we had with the staff during our stay. Not only did the front desk personnel remember us by name and assist with booking tours or making reservations with services not provided by the hotel, but the restaurant staff also referred to us by name and was aware of the details of our stay.
A somewhat comical example of their attention to detail (for which we'll be forever grateful), was a lapse in awareness of our itinerary on the fourth day (of a five-day reservation) of our stay.
On the morning of our fourth day, we began by sitting at our usual table for breakfast when our usual server came to take our orders. She proceeded to inquire as to our plans for the day but was seemingly confused when we replied that we were reluctantly preparing for our imminent departure shortly after breakfast. Fortunately, she went and confirmed this detail with the front desk and thereby helped us avoid making a mess of the day due to our case of "travel brain."
To this day, we refer to that particular day as our "extra day" in Hoi An and it brings a smile to our faces.
How Many Days Should You Stay in Hoi An?
An ongoing theme among our travels is an apparent obsession with time maximization. Some people take vacations for relaxation, while others (like myself) attempt to fill every waking second with activities in foreign places, for fear of missing out on something life-changing.
In an attempt to find a balance between these two competing travel philosophies, I opted to pad our list of desired activities with an extra day to nap or do whatever it is that people do when they don’t have a plan.
I’ll cover our various activities in other posts, but for now, you can see the way our daily schedule was broken down:
Day One - Arrival > Hotel Check-in > Commission Tailoring
Day Two - Explore Old Town Hoi An > First fitting for tailoring > Attend the Night Markets
Day Three - Private Half-Day Tour of the My Son Sanctuary > Refinement Fitting or Tailoring Pickup
Day Four - Open Day > Pickup Tailoring > Beach?
Day Five - Open Day > ??
Day Six - Morning Departure
Exploring Old Town Hoi An
Walking through the streets of Old Town was one of the highlights of my time in Vietnam. The architecture, the colorful lanterns, and the variety of shops and restaurants make turning every corner into an adventure. Something to be aware of, however, is that buses of day tourists (largely from south Korea) arrive every afternoon and transform the otherwise peaceful town into a bustling destination.
Likewise, after the sun goes down the night market opens, shifting the center of activity from one side of the river to the other. We enjoyed the night market for the stunning variety in streetfoods much of which isn’t available earlier in the day. The market itself pops-up near where the bars and “clubs” are largely clustered, making a trip to the night market a destination for your entire evening.
Cruising in Ha Long Bay Vietnam
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the late Anthony Bourdain and his various travel shows, are a resource that I utilize when planning our trips. Never was this more true then while planning our trip to Vietnam, due to his repeated visits to this particular country.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the late Anthony Bourdain and his various travel shows, are a resource that I utilize when planning our trips. Never was this more true then while planning our trip to Vietnam, due to his repeated visits to this particular country.
During season 8 (airing in 2016) of Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain visits Hanoi and shares a meal with President Barack Obama, followed by a dreamy cruise aboard a restored antique steamship through Ha Long Bay. While I wish that it would have been possible to replicate both experiences, I set my mind to work on the cruise portion of the episode and watched it multiple times to gather details.
Investigation yielded that the ship he had rented and cruised on, is called the Emeraude, and while not the cheapest option, was FAR from what I would consider too expensive for the experience that is offered. We opted for a two day, one night cruise, which while we were initially concerned might not be enough time, turned out to be just right.
I’ve included a link to the booking site, but HERE it is again just in case you missed it.
From Hanoi to Ha Long Bay
Selecting our cruise was relatively easy since we knew that we wanted the same ship that Anthony Bourdain had taken, but figuring out the transportation from Hanoi to the ship in Ha Long Bay was rather perplexing.
Transportation services are abundant between Hanoi and this popular cruise destination, however, none of the services I checked into made the pickup or drop-off easy for folks that weren’t staying in one of the larger hotels in Hanoi. Ultimately I reached out to our chosen cruise company and inquired of any recommended transportation services, and while shuttle service wasn’t explicitly offered on their website (at least at the time we booked), they not only offered it but were willing to pick us up wherever we wanted but were also willing to drop us off at an alternative location!
I learned a valuable lesson through this experience, which was that the quickest way to an answer is to ask questions.
All Aboard!
The morning of our departure from Hanoi and travel to Ha Long Bay was a little nerve-wracking. While we knew that transportation was scheduled to come for us, we didn’t know if it would be a van or a bus or if it would be labeled as the cruise company (In this case, Emeraude) or not. Not wanting to miss our ride, we were packed up early and checked out of our homestay (parting ways with our pet rat) and waited on the curb out in front, to keep an eye out for our promised transportation.
After a couple of incorrect guesses which proved to be other shuttle services waiting for other riders, a bus bearing the name of "Emeraude Cruises" arrived (sigh of relief), and we were finally on our way.
Making just a single stop between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, we were taken to a roadside pearl workshop (which sounds odd). A ploy to sell merchandise to captive tourists, it wasn't without a certain level interest, as we were able to watch how they extracted pearls from oysters and made jewelry. We spent an hour here which was more than we would have liked but could have been much worse. After being ushered back onto the bus, we were taken to our port of call and began our wait to board the ship.
Shortly after our arrival, we were met by our cruise director who provided the schedule of activities, as well as our room assignments. The first item on the schedule, room check-in and the second was a complimentary happy hour.
Excursions
Included in our short cruise, was two island excursions, as well as a visit to a floating pearl farm. The excursions are entirely optional, but considering that there is very little to do on the boat, why not go? We had a lot of fun, and it was a great way to meet some of the other passengers on our same cruise.
First stop, the island of Hang Sung Sot, otherwise known as the Cave of Wonders….
Floating Pearl Farm
For our second excursion of the day, we went to a floating pearl farm, which was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and found truly fascinating. Knowing next to nothing about pearls, other than that they come from clams, I very much enjoyed this experience despite it being yet another ploy to sell pearl jewelry to captive tourists.
The End of Day One
Having had a VERY full day of activities aboard the Emeraude, it seemed strange that we had started our day in Hanoi, but with having had lunch, two excursions, and dinner under our belts we felt like we had been aboard for more than just a single day.
As a side note, it’s worth mentioning that due to our visit being in low season, not only was the traffic in the bay from other ships also low, but the occupancy of our ship was well below capacity. In fact, with a max occupancy of 72 guests plus 21 crew members, our particular voyage only contained 14 guests but with the bonus of a full crew! We had plenty of personal attention, and lots of room to relax…but I digress.
That evening after dinner, we once again enjoyed happy hour on the main deck, followed by a cooking demonstration in which yours truly absolutely annihilated a spring-roll, followed by the showing of a classic film below deck. However, having made friends with two other sets of couples (the only other Americans on the ship), the group of us proceeded to while away the remainder of the evening drinking wine and exchanging tales of our Vietnam experiences up to that point. It was a truly wonderful way to spend an evening on the water.
Day Two - Excursion Three
Ti Top Island
After a long evening of frivolity with our new friends and a night of very deep sleep (I had never slept aboard a boat before!), I found myself fighting the urge to skip the final excursion in favor of staying snuggled in my bed. However, my better judgment won out and I strapped on my hiking boots (figuratively speaking), and had an early breakfast.
I’m not going to sugar coat it, this was an aggressive way to start the day. Climbing 450 steep steps, which once started would be difficult to change your mind about, even those that are in good physical shape will find to be a bit of a butt buster. However, the view from the top is spectacular and worth the climb.
Following our island hike and safe return back aboard our floating home, we began our journey back to port. Along the way, we passed two large rocks (shown above) known as the “Kissing Chickens,” which made a particularly funny impression on me.
We greatly enjoyed our time on this cruise, but I think it’s important to remember that we were here in January (low season) when the weather is cool and rainy, and when attendance was low. I can see how this same experience could be significantly different if the circumstances were also different. I would be sure to consider the time of year and experience you hope to have when planning your visit here.
Questions or Comments?
Hoa Lo Prison the Hanoi Hilton
Nothing justifies cruelty or violence toward another person or creature, but violence begets violence, and without an attempt at understanding history, it’s entirely too easy to assign roles such as “good guy,” and “bad guy” when stories are re-told.
Playful Nickname or Home of Human Atrocity
The “Vietnam” War is a historical event frequently referenced in American culture, whether it be in films, music, games and toys, or by family members, it was an event that touched a generation and more. Something funny about history, however, is that it can be fickle, revised, embellished and framed to flatter, rather than objectively record events.
A sweeping example of this is that we don’t include this war as a part of the standard curriculum in school, which in my opinion is because we (the United States) lost. However, a more narrow example is Hoa Lo Prison, which is frequently referred to as the “Hanoi Hilton.”
Hoa Lo Prison And The Birth of Vietnamese Communism
Long before American soldiers set foot in Vietnam, the Vietnamese people were under French occupation. Without getting into the weeds of that period in history, suffice it to say that the French went far beyond what the average American would consider “reasonable governance” to maintain tight control over the country. So extreme were the punishments inflicted for minor infractions, that the Vietnamese communist movement began within the walls of Hoa Lo prison.
Designed with the intent to break the will of the Vietnamese people, the prison was built to de-humanize those that entered, by using tactics such as tomb-like cells where individuals would be inserted (the cells being too small in diameter to sit up) and thereby forced to lay on their backs in the darkness for days or weeks. Additionally, and equally as horrific, were the communal cells for female prisoners, which were designed to be air deficient and forced captives to compete for ventilation space. Hoa Lo Prison was designed and built as a place of torture and despair.
Fast forward to the American/Vietnamese War, this prison is where John McCain and other American Pilots that had been captured, were kept for years! Suffice it to say, that after seeing this place for myself, I find no amount of humor in the satirical comparison of this place to a hotel. To do so, I feel, is disgraceful and disrespectful to all the people that passed through its doors unwillingly.
In an outer courtyard of the prison is a memorial dedicated to the men and women that suffered and died within the prison walls at the hands of the French.
American Prisoners
The most famous American that spent time here was former senator John McCain, who served as a piolet during the war. Shot down and imprisoned here for five years, his flight suit and helmet are still on display. Also on display for this period of the history of the prison is a book containing photographs of every American prisoner held here, as well as their names, and date of capture.
In an outer walled area, a profile of each of the American prisoners is available to read, as well as what some of them went on to do after being released and returned to the United States. John McCain for example, made multiple trips back to Vietnam as well as to this very prison, visiting both in a personal capacity, as well as within an official role. Photographs of Senator McCain can be found all over the country, praising his efforts to unify the two countries and to heal old wounds.
Historical Context
Nothing justifies cruelty or violence toward another person or creature, but violence begets violence, and without an attempt at understanding history, it’s entirely too easy to assign roles such as “good guy,” and “bad guy” when stories are re-told. However, I also understand that hindsight can be 20/20 and that it can be difficult to be aware of all the facts while being empathetic amidst the unfolding of events. Long since closed, it was with grief that I walked these halls of this prison and imagined the terror felt by my fellow humans that suffered at the hands of the same.
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January in Hanoi Vietnam
When considering travel to Southeast Asia, one typically envisions a warm, humid climate filled with exotic foliage and cuisine. While all of that is true, there’s a much larger range of climate than what an inexperienced traveler to that region would expect.
When considering travel to Southeast Asia, one typically envisions a warm, humid climate filled with exotic foliage and cuisine. While all of that is true, there’s a much larger range of climate than what an inexperienced traveler to that region would expect.
In northern Vietnam, the winter months are cool and damp, with temperatures averaging in the mid to low 50 degrees Fahrenheit range. Given that we are notoriously minimal packers, this presented a bit of a challenge, which we were only able to solve by doing a little bit of shopping upon arrival.
Where to stay in Hanoi
The Old Quarter
Having spent our first night in Vietnam at a high-end hotel, we were ready to immerse ourselves in a more authentic culture or urban living in Hanoi. Sticking very closely to points of reference provided by Anthony Bourdain in his 2015 episode, featuring Hanoi.
The Old Quarter, with its French colonial architecture, and proximity to the sites we wanted to be able to walk to, made it the obvious choice for us to spend the next two days.
Budget-Friendly Accommodation or Nightmare?
As is the case on most of our trips, I’m always looking for areas that we can save a few bucks, and have generally accomplished this by carefully selecting our accommodations well in advance. Unfortunately, even with my diligence at reading reviews and crosschecking ratings between multiple booking sites, it did not prepare me for the reality of our accommodation in the old quarter.
We booked a private room at a hostel, which had amazing reviews, a perfect location, a private bathroom, and was actually on the upper end of nightly cost for the area ($38 per night… but hey, it’s Vietnam). However, when we arrived, it became immediately evident that our room was an informal addition to the rooftop of the building, and in places, the walls were nothing more than sheets of vinyl siding that had been zip-tied to the structural polls that had been added at some point and flapped when a good wind would blow.
The rough finish of the room was only amplified by the fact that it was in the low 50s, and we were already cold, but then we only had a single blanket for our bed (which was on the floor), and a heater that was insufficient to the task countering the extreme nature of our draft. Making matters infinitely worse, there was a rat, which I guess a sighting is to be expected when staying in budget accommodations in a developing country, but oh my goodness, I had never felt so much like a fish out of water, than that night we spent clinging to each other for warmth, and visually tracking that rat.
Willing to practice what we preach, we decided to stay in that hostel for the duration of our time in Hanoi, and in hindsight, I’m glad that we did. Part of traveling should be to get outside of your comfort zone and to experience the way that other people and cultures live. Not to imply that the people of Vietnam all live in shacks that have rats, but the average yearly income is $2,800. It’s us, that expect a certain level of comfort, that would feel upset by circumstances we found ourselves in, which in reality, were pretty good in contrast. This was an opportunity to experience something different, and to feel grateful for what we have back home, which is why we stayed.
What To-Do in Hanoi
I booked us a private street food tour, which I scheduled immediately following our check-in at our hostel. It can be risky to schedule things like this back to back, but I was really glad in this instance.
Our tour guide met us at our hostel, and thankfully, spoke excellent English. He was a university student and gave tours like this one, part-time for a local tour company. At any rate, after introductions, he asked us if we had tried crossing the street yet, which to us was an odd question, but in reality, we hadn’t. Up until that point, we had been picked up and dropped off in a door to door fashion, but hadn’t done any exploring. So, first things being first, he gave us our first lesson in how not to die crossing the street.
Lesson One - Step Off the Curb, and NEVER STOP MOVING
The traffic in Hanoi was overwhelming to me, a constant stream of traffic that ran like water from a faucet. Traffic signals, crosswalks, lanes, even direction, are all just “suggestions” there. Almost exclusively scooters, you’ll see families of four, all piled onto a single scooter, that will NOT stop. Traffic moving too slow? Why not pop onto the sidewalk and go around? Yep, all bets are off, and to an American faced with the need to cross one of these concrete streams of death, local intervention is worth GOLD.
Our instructions were simple, “wait until the traffic is lighter, step off the curb, walk slowly, and no matter what, do not stop.” The horrors. However, much to my surprise, it works! The stream of scooters simply goes around you, which is why you can’t stop moving because THEY don’t stop moving. It was a miracle.
Street-food Tour
My first introduction to Vietnamese food, was in 2006 when I lived in San Diego. I remember feeling so “international” while trying to explain what “Pho” was, to my mother, who lived in the Midwest.
However, with more options than just chicken pho and spring rolls, we learned a lot about the variety, and regional diversity of Vietnamese cuisine that evening.
Probably the most surprising thing that we tried, was Egg Coffee. Created during the French occupation of Vietnam, egg coffee consists of espresso, sweet and condensed milk, and egg yolk. I was concerned about this item when it was placed in front of me, but hey, you only live once? Much to our surprise, it was good! The coffee itself is served in a small espresso cup, which is placed inside a slightly larger bowl (a bath) of hot water. You take a sip and then return the coffee cup to the bowl of hot water, to keep the egg from cooling and tasting bitter. If you get the chance, be sure to try it!
Cultural Tour
After surviving our first night in our Hanoi, we kicked-off our second day with a cultural tour and made a pit stop for something warmer to wear. Our tour guide was also a student at the university, and she was full of helpful tips about how to behave in certain places, or certain situations. It was $30 well spent!
In addition to our little side trip to get sweaters, our guide took us to temple, a historical house (there’s not many left in Hanoi), a church built by the French (she asked us if it was just like Notre Dame in Paris, to which it was almost painful to disappoint her), as well as explaining many cultural practices, legends, and providing us with some popular snacks along the way.
All said and done, I would recommend the experience.
Questions or comments, leave them below!
New Years Eve in Hanoi Vietnam
After breakfast, we went back to our room with just enough time to watch the ball drop in Times Square. It was really strange watching everyone celebrate something that to us, had happened the day before, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate a second time.
Arrival in Hanoi
In a previous post, I mentioned that this trip opened my eyes to what my limitations are, as they relate to travel duration. No flight to Europe can equip you for the toll which 27 hours, three airports, and a twelve-hour time difference will do to your mental and physical state.
That said, my self-gratified attitude toward my travel skills, had aspirations of us arriving in Vietnam on New Years eve night, taking some pictures that say “we’re so awesome,” and ringing in the new year a full 12 hours before all of our friends back home would be able.
Ha!
I’ve never been more deliriously tired in my entire life, and the best we could do after landing was to try and stay awake long enough to take a shower.
JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi Vietnam
From the moment we got through customs at the airport, the staff of the JW Marriott was there assist us in our transition to being in Vietnam. My husband (the angel of hotel research), discovered while reserving our room, that they offered a private car service for picking you up from the airport, and had taken the step to arrange it before we had departed, and was THE BEST DECISION.
Completely bedraggled, we arrived at the airport and were met by both a driver and a guest service liaison, who scooped us up in a beautiful Audi and whisked us away to the hotel. It was was like being Cinderella and discovering your pumpkin carriage for the first time. We felt like royalty that was in desperate need of a shower.
Nonetheless, through the darkness of the night, we zipped along, too tired to notice anything outside of the backseat of the car. That is until we reached the long winding driveway of the hotel, which is impressive, to say the least.
There’s no place like a Marriott
Entirely focussed on the immediate necessity of a shower and bed to sleep in, I don’t recall much about my first impressions of the hotel, the check-in process, or anything before stepping into our room, but I tell you what, it could have been the delirium, but I’m pretty sure that angels began singing when we stepped through the door.
Needless to say, I took one look at that bathtub and turned the water on before I had even set down my luggage.
This very tired bird has finally landed, and just in time to watch the clock strike midnight.
Waking-up At the J.W.
After some MUCH needed rest, we were able to begin exploring our new digs, which were SO NICE. Anxious to start looking around, but VERY ready to eat something other than airplane food, our priority became making our way to the complimentary breakfast.
Happy New Year - USA
After breakfast, we went back to our room with just enough time to watch the ball drop in Times Square. It was really strange watching everyone celebrate something that to us, had happened the day before, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate a second time.
The Spa
Hotels are not typically known for their reasonably priced spa services, and neither was this one, but the difference is that after the journey we had to get there, I wanted a massage. However, the spa was fully booked and so we decided to “make do” with a hot tub and pool.
So the pool is amazing, and views from the pool-deck are awesome, but it was the hot tub we were on the hunt for…
Located inside of the locker room for both men and women, is the largest hot tub I’ve ever seen. Not being able to share the experience with my husband was a bummer, but a clothing-optional hot tub was worth it. That said, for the same reason, there are no pictures I can show you of the room containing it, but the rest of the space was great, and I took FULL advantage.
The Lobby
The lobby was lovely, and when we went to inspect it, we realized that this hotel is MASSIVE! Multiple restaurants, and conference facilities, this place is a city unto itself!
Tea Time
We had a great breakfast, then a leisurely soak, and then it was time for tea. A typical practice in Vietnam, high-tea begins in mid-afternoon and involves any number of tasty treats.
Vietnam Awaits
As lovely as it was, we didn’t fly to Vietnam to just hang out in a hotel. We were super grateful to have had such a wonderful experience for our arrival in a new country, but the next leg of our journey was going to be one of a more “authentic” nature, and containing zero stars from any hotel ranking system.
To the staff at the J.W., thank you for helping to turn two weary travelers back into humans again! If we’re ever in Hanoi again, we’ll be sure to stay here again.
Questions or comments? Leave me a comment!
Flying to Vietnam: A Survival Guide
As 2019 is rapidly drawing to a close, I thought it would be a great time to finally start posting about another area of the world, which also happens to coincide with the first anniversary of when we began this particular adventure on December 30th, of 2018.
Traveling to Southeast Asia
First off, congratulations on your choice to visit that region of the world, and potentially stepping outside of your western comfort zone.
Second, I hope you packed your compression socks.
The Flight
My husband and I are avid travelers, but mainly to Europe. Having made the six to nine-hour flight across the pond several times, I considered myself a semi-professional traveler, and since we decided to take a much-delayed honeymoon, we wanted to GO BIG!
For several reasons, Vietnam shot to the top of our list, and thanks to a deal we found through Scott’s Cheap Flights, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Backpacks at the ready, we boarded the first leg of our journey to Hanoi Vietnam, on December 30th, 2018.
From Kansas City, we flew Delta airlines to Seattle Washington, where we caught our second and longest flight, to Seoul South Korea.
After a three hour layover, we boarded our third and final flight to Hanoi, this time on Korean Air (which was a MUCH better flight experience, that I’ll come back to later in this post).
After three flights with layovers, amounting to just over 27 hours of travel, we landed in Hanoi at around 10:30 pm, on December 31st (Keep in mind that Vietnam is twelve hours ahead).
Landing in Hanoi
Half out of my mind (I can’t sleep on planes), in need of showers, and not at our most functional, I was grateful that my husband had sprung for the car service provided by our hotel (which we had booked with points). I’ve heard terrible stories about weary travelers being picked up by independent drivers/car services and then being ransomed for release, but our hotel had a very clearly identified reception area for us to meet them upon our arrival, which set us at ease.
Challenges of Extended Flight
As I said earlier in this post, I thought that my multiple trips to Europe had prepared me for the duration of travel required to fly to Southeast Asia. I was wrong, and nothing could have prepared me (other than maybe first-class, hehehe).
Adding to the general stress of being cooped up for that long, were a few factors which won't apply to everyone, but should be taken into consideration none the less.
Physical and Medical Challenges
Typically I’m a very healthy person, but due to an accident a couple of months before this trip, I was still living with a great deal of physical discomfort, stemming from a herniated disc in my back (an improvement from my initial injury of three herniated discs). Additionally, and most difficult to cope with, was that the compromised disc, was pinching my sciatic nerve, leaving me often in tears, and with little to no recourse other than to just “grin and bear it.”
Struggling to sit or stand without pain, made the idea of 27 hours without being able to lay down to mitigate that stress, more than a little horrifying. But beyond back issues, sitting for more than just a handful of hours can result in swelling of your legs, which can be uncomfortable at best, and unhealthy at worst.
Depending on which seat you’re in, it might result in getting up and down semi-regularly to let people out of your row, or could be that you avoid getting-up at all, because you have to displace as many as three people to do so, just to walk the short distance of the aisle and return to your seat just three minutes later to repeat the whole shuffle.
Plane Design
For anyone that travels, it’s no secret that in recent years, Airlines have been reducing the level of comfort to those passengers purchasing Basic Economy tickets. Generally, I welcome the reduced sticker price of these seats and don’t even bother to investigate the model of plane a given flight may be on, for a domestic flight.
However, for international flights, when you know your backside is gonna start regretting your choice to be cheap around hour four, it can be helpful to investigate the actual model of the plane before you purchase the ticket, commercial aircraft are NOT all created equal.
That being said, even the best-laid plans can change, and never is this more true than when traveling. A great example was our flight from Seattle to Seoul, which was supposed to have been on a large plane operated by Korean Air. However, at the last minute, Delta (whom we had booked our travel through) changed the plane from the partner airline to one of their own Boeing 666 planes. If you’re not familiar with the 666, it’s an older style plane, is smaller than is typically flown internationally, and was a very unwelcome surprise for the twelve-hour duration of this leg of our flight.
How-To Improve Your Inflight Experience
While most people covet the window seat, on long flights, it pays to get up and move around at least once every couple of hours. In my case, I had to get up and walk the isles in an attempt to keep my back from cramping, every 45 minutes, much to the chagrin of the passengers I had to displace each time I left my seat.
As an additional aside to this, it can be really easy to forget to drink water while on long flights. Remembering to stay hydrated, while increasing the number of times you may need to “go” during your flight, will help keep your body comfortable by the act of getting up, and will in general help you feel much less gross and irregular by the time you land.
Compression socks! While not at all fashionable, they do help keep your legs from feeling like watermelons about to burst. I would advise putting them on before boarding the plane though because it can be a challenge to do so once in your seat.
Invest in your rest, and get a good neck pillow. The typical crescent-shaped neck pillows are a total waste of money for me because I have a long neck. I spent a little more money (about $35) and got a neck-wrap, which looks like a blanket wrapped around your neck but hides a supportive neck form for one side of your neck and lower jaw. This design also packs away MUCH better than a pillow.
I’m not recommending drugs, but it’s not a bad idea to bring some over the counter options with you. I typically keep a couple of tablets of aspirin or ibuprofen, and low dose melatonin, at arms reach. The melatonin doesn’t help me sleep, but it does help me relax and feel less crampy on long flights.
Headphones can change your life. I’m guilty of being a bit of a scrooge when it comes to spending money on headphones, but on a long flight, they can help keep you from losing your mind. My husband has a nice pair of over-ear, noise-canceling, BOSE headphones, which he often uses solely for the noise-canceling function to block the loud hum of the plane engines out. I, on the other hand, have a much cheaper option of noise-canceling earbuds which cost about $50 (generic brand found on Amazon). The noise-canceling function isn’t nearly as good, and the earbuds aren’t as comfortable for prolonged wear but are MUCH better than having none, or not having any noise-canceling function at all.
Hygiene can improve your inflight disposition, so I try to make that easier on myself by not wearing makeup while traveling. Instead, I wear a tinted moisturizer, and keep a travel-size tube of it, along with facial cleansing cloths, a mini hairbrush, and a toothbrush in my purse. You can wash, brush, and re-moisturize as often as you need.
Learn some yoga poses before you go! While the thought of doing some downward dog while waiting at your gate might seem “icky,” it was my saving grace on this trip. Stretching cramped muscles, and decompressing your spine (injury or no), is a great tool to have in your traveler toolbox. Not restricted just to layovers in the airport, there are even some stretches you can do while seated on the plane! Granted you may not be as uncomfortable as I was, but I gave no F’s what other people thought I was doing, and instead did whatever it took to remain comfortable.
Per what I mentioned above regarding investigating the model of the plane before booking your trip, this is also a way to help mitigate discomfort. Planes might be changed, but if they don’t, you might have the opportunity to gain yourself an additional couple of inches of legroom, over another plane. At 5’9” both of my knees touched the seat in front of me on the 666… for twelve hours. Chew on that before you rush through the checkout process.
While I’m not making this an item on my list, I would hope that if you’re considering a trip like this, it goes without saying that comfort MUST take precedence over fashion. I wore my “laying around the house on a Sunday” outfit and just make it a point not to take pictures of myself while in travel mode.
Got Travel Tips?
I want to hear from you, things that you do or use, to improve your travel experience. Leave your comments below, and let's have a conversation :)