Vietnam 🇻🇳
Hanoi
Tips
- Be confident and predictable when crossing the street! There’s no pedestrian laws and very loose driving laws. It’s a balance between trusting that motorcycles will go around you, but also still being aware (so you don’t almost get run over by a truck like me!)
- 10/10 would recommend GrabBike, incredible way to experience the chaos and liveliness of Hanoi
- The best báhn my I had in Hanoi was not from any particular restaurants, but from random little carts run by grandmas
Attractions
Lovely place to walk around at night! If you go on Friday night (and maybe also weekends?), the locals will all be enjoying games and the atmosphere as well.
My favourite place to see the iconic Train Street from! To prevent over-tourism of the street where people just wait for the trains and don’t support the businesses in the area, there was a rule where you need to have a cafe owner bring you from the barrier. We just happened to meet the owner, but supposedly you could also call him in advance?
Food
Best bun cha I’ve ever had, nestled in a small alleyway home. There’s the famous Bún chả Hương Liên where Obama and Anthony Bourdain visited, but this felt more authentic!
Beef noodle salad, we had two of them because they were so good!
Best pho I had!
Drink
So this doesn’t exist on Google Maps, but this was my favourite place to get beer! The “Beer Corner” is louder, more of a party atmosphere, and more touristy. If you want authentic, cheaper beer pitchers directly from the keg with locals, I think this is a hidden gem :)
Fun drinks, but the real highlight is the balcony where you can watch the iconic Vietnam traffic in Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square! It’s mesmerising to watch the bikes weave around cars and buses.
Day Trips
Day boat trip is awesome, but I would recommend the overnight option if it’s in your budget! Sunset and sunrise is gorgeous
If you’re planning on going to Ninh Binh, you have to do this climb, it’s worth the trip to the region alone. It’s in my top 5 most beautiful places in SEA.
I’d also recommend biking in Ninh Binh. I did this with a tour, which was great. It’s an incredible way to immerse yourself within the scenery, as it allows you to travel along the local paths between farms and mountains.
If you want more freedom, I also self-organized this with friends. We grabbed bicycles from Hoa Lu, and did a 30km loop hitting the highlights (e.g. Bich Dong Pagoda, Ancient Capitol). Two notes:
- It was surprisingly difficult to find bicycles, most shops only had motorbikes. We ended up finding them outside here: Dong Minh Restaurant
- I may also recommend renting bikes further inside the area, as we had to haphazardly cross highways and on-ramps to get to the loop
Ho Chi Minh
Tips
- If you’re visiting monuments or museums, read about the Vietnam War prior to going. Both American media and state-owned buildings in HCM present perspectives that accentuate the victories of their own people, and dehumanize the suffering of their enemies. Having a balanced perspective enabled me to be curious about where my understanding differs from the retellings that I encountered.
Attractions
The former command centre for the President of the South Vietnamese. It was interesting to see where the palace was bombed during the war, as well as the communications equipment and strategical maps in the underground bunker.
The most emotionally-difficult museum I’ve been to. The way it uses imagery to lay bare the atrocities committed against the Vietnamese population is hard to stomach. There were rooms that I couldn’t look up in. Well worth it, but prepare yourself. It doesn’t present a balanced perspective of the war (see my tip), but it documents the suffering of its people and advocates for peace, which I view as noble.
Beautiful flower market with decent street food nearby (Ho Thi Ky Food Street).
Great beer garden popular amongst locals. Lots of dancing to Vinahouse, a distinct genre of Vietnamese EDM.
It’s not large enough to escape the surrounding noise, but the sculpture garden was cute. It’s also a good place to watch people playing Đá Cầu, basically badminton but with kicking instead of racquets.
Cute bookstore street. Lots of art shops in the intersecting Hai Bà Trung street too; I loved the illustrations at Vina Design Store at the Post Office.
Food
Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò - Nguyễn Trung Trực
Excellent charbroiled lemongrass-marinated pork over cold noodles served street-side. A nearby stall may ask if you want an iced drink, which went with this dish well.
Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa - Lê Thị Riêng
My favourite bahn mi in all of Vietnam. Massive sandwich packed with high-quality ingredients — especially the paté.
These madeleines were phenomenal, better than any that I had in Paris. I’m not a coffee person so the tasting wasn’t worth it, but these were worth my recommendation.
Drink
Little HaNoi Egg Coffee (Yersin)
Good place for egg coffee: strong coffee topped with whipped condensed milk and egg yolk.
Lovely coffee tasting experience. If you’re looking for a strong coffee with reduced acidity, I enjoyed their ‘java unknown’ bean.
Da Nang
Attractions
I very much enjoyed the contrast of exploring the cave complex, and appreciating the nearby mountain range. We paid for the optional elevator up, and walked the stairs down
Gorgeous! The towering statue watching over the coastal waters is impressive, but I was more enamored by the smaller pagodas and bonsai tree displays surrounding it
Hue
Tips
- Hue Imperial City and Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang were both decent. I’d recommend them if you’re a fan of historic architecture, but I wasn’t blown away
Attractions
Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh
Loved the incredibly ornate ceramic detailing
