Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries in Southeast Asia. Thanks to its elongated shape, Vietnam has 3 different climates and the nature is also very diverse. The north is the most authentic part of the country. Here, mountain peoples often still live from what the land gives them. In Central Vietnam, you should not miss the lovely town of Hoi An. In the south, the Mekong Delta is the main attraction. A trip through Vietnam is very diverse and you will definitely need a few weeks if you want to fully explore the country.
Vietnam
augustus 18, 2021We ended our Vietnam trip in the South of Vietnam. We visited a few places in Southern Vietnam. Our first stop was Mui Ne. We craved some beach days. We flew from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City and afterwards took a taxi to Mui Ne. The taxi cost us 80 euros but it was a 5 hour drive! So a pretty decent price in our opinion. We booked a nice little guesthouse but we didn’t realize that we booked our accommodation in “little Moscow”. The part of town we were staying at was overrun by Russians. Many Russian restaurant owners and you could even buy vodka at the pharmacy, which I thought would probably be typically Russian. The funny thing was that the Russians thought we were one of them, probably because we were staying in “their part of town”. They spoke to us in Russian, waved at us from across the street, handed us Russian pamflets and in restaurants we would get the Russian menu. So we just smiled and waved so that we would fit in perfectly, haha!
We did really enjoy Mui Ne, we visited the red and white sand dunes. It was just marvelous! In the white sand dunes we took a quad bike ride, which was so cool! Afterwards, we watched the sunset in the red sand dunes, which resulted in some beautiful lighting on the dunes. The rest of our time was mostly spent at the beach. My boyfriend knows how to surf and Mui Ne is the perfect place to surf! So, he attempted to teach me how to surf, I still suck but it was fun!
Afterwards, it was time to visit Ho Chi Minh City! I really liked Hi Chi Minh City. Most people like Hanoi better but due to the fact that I was so ill in Hanoi, I couldn’t experience the city properly. So for me, Ho Chi Minh City was much more fun. We decided to visit the War Remnants Museum, which was super interesting. I studied the Vietnam war in high school so it was really fascinating to visit the museum. The museum was super impressive but I did get a little overwhelmed at times by all the horrendous things that happened during the war. Besides roaming around the city, we also took a little trip to the Mekong Delta. We stayed at an amazing little homestay by the water. We had a super cute little cabin and they had lots of cute little puppies! Another funny story to tell, which I probably shouldn’t post online but what the heck, I got really ill again.. So around the evening I suddenly felt unwell. I felt nauseous, starting to sweat and overall just didn’t feel well. So I told my boyfriend during our dinner that I had to vomit. So as I got up, some dude went into the toilet, which was the only toilet there.. So I panicked and looked at my boyfriend. He told me to cross the bridge, there was a footbridge from the restaurant to the cabins, so I ran to the bridge. I tried to cross the damn bridge but it was already too late. I had to think quick, to vomit on the bridge or to vomit from the bridge into the water. The water it was! So I start to vomit into the water and you could hear it all splash into the water. My boyfriend is waving and yelling at me “run further, everyone can see you!!” as apparently I was vomiting in plain sight. So I ran further, holding my hands against my mouth while I’m still vomiting. So it is now running down my arms. So I decided to vomit into the water once again, but this time on the other side of the bridge. Finally, I reached the other side and I was done vomiting. I thought it best to take a shower.. In the morning, I felt a lot better! So I decided to go along with the sunrise tour of the mekong delta. It was a really nice tour as we got to see a floating market. This is where people sell their food from boats and I really liked the fact that they had these poles on their boats with their “menu” on it. We also went on land to visit the market there, which was of course super different than what we are used to. There was raw meat everywhere, just out in the open in 30 degrees.
We ended our Vietnam trip in Phu Quoc. We rented this super cute bungalow near the beach. All the bungalows were unique so that was super cool! We didn’t do much on Phu Quoc, we rented a scooter and visited some nice beaches, the waterfalls and we relaxed a bit! We saw some amazing sunsets, had some great food and tried coconut juice. Unfortunately, our Vietnam trip came to an end but damn what an amazing experience! Would love to go back some day. But now, it was time to go to Cambodia, our last stop on our big trip. [...]
Read more...
juli 13, 2021After our amazing stay in Ninh Binh, we took a domestic flight to Hoi An. We were feeling a little bit lazy so we contacted the hotel in Hué to arrange a pick-up at the airport. They sent us a taxi and it cost us 50 dollars. It was around an hour by car from Hoi An to Hué and we could’ve traveled by train or got there ourselves but it was so nice to just sit back and relax. I could just look out the window and enjoy the view.
I really liked Hué, the city was full of life! It was almost Halloween and they sure knew how to celebrate. There was a lot of partying going on and lots of places were decorated in Halloween style. It was amazing. Besides the nice atmosphere Hué also had a lot of great restaurants! I think it’s safe to say that the best restaurants we visited in Vietnam were all situated in Hué! A few recommendations: Nook Eatery, Nina’s café and Madam Thu. Especially, Madam Thu. You could order different menus there and the food was simply sublime! Oh, how I wish to taste that food once more.
We did do more than eating in Hué by the way! We visited some sights of course. We went to the Imperial City, which was really impressive. I really liked the Imperial city. After a few days in Hué it was time to do the Hai Van Pass, so back on the motorcycle.. I was very happy that I decided to get back on the motorcycle so that I wouldn’t be scared of motorcycles for the rest of my life. The Hai Van Pass was amazing! We went with Le family riders, I highly recommend them. They were just so wonderful and my guide was so funny. We made a few stops along the way. We stopped at the Elephant Springs, where you can have a little swim. Furthermore, we stopped at some viewpoints where you could see the amazing view. It was breathtakingly beautiful! Also, the food was the best seafood I had ever had. Our group consisted of solely Germans, as the easy riders thought that we could speak German because we were from the Netherlands.. Instead of classifying us with the English, they thought it’d be best to put all the supposedly “German speaking” people together. So thanks to us, they had to speak English all day anyway as we do not speak German. They were great people and we had lots of fun with them. Even encountered some of them in other countries afterwards, it’s a small world after all. However, they did not have a big appetite, which I thought was a bit strange. One didn’t like fish, the other didn’t feel well, etc. So, more fish for me!
After the Hai Van Pass, we stayed in a cute hotel in Hoi An just a little bit outside of the city center. However, that was not a problem at all as they had bikes that you could borrow. The hotel had a pool, which was great as we were kinda exhausted. We didn’t really have a break after Hong Kong so we really needed some pool time. One morning, I woke up and I just wasn’t feeling it. I said to my boyfriend: “let’s lay at the pool today, I really don’t wanna go anywhere.” So we did. Hoi An was an amazing city but there were a bit too many tourists for my taste. We cycled around the city, so we could admire the colonial buildings and colored lanterns. We also bought some sort of ticket with which you could visit all the sights in Hoi An ancient town.
And last but definitely not least, I bought a custom made dress at a tailor. I was very excited to get a custom made dress in Vietnam, had been preparing for it for weeks (searching pictures on Pinterest). So, I googled the best tailors in Hoi An and we gave them a little visit. However, I did not feel comfortable at all. They were very pushy, asked a lot of questions and immediately assumed that I would buy a dress from them. After 3 tailors, I was actually kinda sick of it. So I told my boyfriend that I would look up one last tailor and if I didn’t like it there, we would leave. So I looked on Tripadvisor and found a smaller tailor with a lot less reviews but all of them were positive. So I decided that this tailor would be my last stop. So we went in and I immediately felt at ease. They were kind and considerate. They did not push me, they did not impose, nothing of the sort. They offered us drinks and asked me what I was looking for, whether I already had an idea of what I liked. I showed them my picture and they showed me some fabrics, asking me if it came close to what I was looking for. They were very calm and super friendly. I knew right there and then that I was going to buy my dress here. So I picked a fabric, they took my measurements and we discussed the price. I left a happy girl! See picture below of my dress, it’s the prettiest dress I have ever owned. So if you are searching for an amazing tailor in Hoi An: Surprise Tailor is great! [...]
Read more...
april 8, 2021When our Ha Giang adventure came to an end, we left for Cat Ba island. Cat Ba island was really beautiful. I think, for me, it was the most beautiful place we have visited. We rented a scooter and drove around the island. The beaches were astounding as were the sunsets. We stayed in a lovely hotel with a wonderful view of the water. The owner had this adorable little puppy that followed us to our room and refused to leave. It was the cutest dog I had ever seen!
We had so much fun discovering the island on our own. The island is not that big and everything was easily accesible. We went to cannon fort where you have an amazing view of the harbour, definitely worth it. We also climbed all the way to the top of Cat Ba National Park. It’s quite the hike to be honest as it was very hot and it was quite humid. The view however is definitely worth all the hassle. When you reach the top, there’s a watchtower where you have the best view of the island!
Besides discovering the island, swimming and stuffing our faces with food, we also went on a boat trip. My boyfriend’s birthday was coming up so I booked a trip with Cat Ba Ventures (highly recommend them!) to explore Ha Long Bay and Han La Bay. It was a 2 day trip and it was just amazing. The group consisted of approximately 18 people, I believe. Almost solely Europeans with 2 exceptions. Most of them came from France or Germany, it was a really nice group of people. The crew on the boat was really lovely and everything was perfectly planned and thought out. The food was impeccable and in abundance. I fell in love with the Vietnamese cuisine more and more every day. As for the trip, I had never seen such beautiful sights. We kayaked in almost deserted waters, just us. We visited blue lagoons and a deserted island where we could snorkle. The boys jumped of the roof of the boat, which wasn’t exactly allowed but it looked freaking cool. Oh, how I enjoyed life on a boat! We had our own little cabin with a remarkable view of the sea. We watched the stars on the deck while playing cards and drinking with the French guys, what a life! The next morning we got up super early to catch the sunrise and damn sunrises do hit differently at sea. Furthermore, it was my boyfriend’s birthday and the crew made a wonderful cake for him. It was so sweet! We kayaked some more, swam some more and enjoyed the sun. One teeny tiny downside was the fact that we encountered some jellyfish, which was a little bit scary but nothing happened. So thank god! All in all, I think I planned a wonderful birthday for my boyfriend.
After our little getaway to Cat Ba island, it was time to head to Ninh Binh. We booked a boat from the island and then a bus. However, it wasn’t all that easy to get on our bus when we arrived on the mainland. They claimed all the buses were full and we couldn’t get on them. We didn’t trust what was happening so I insisted they let us on the bus as I claimed it was our bus (I wasn’t sure to be fair). In the end, they did let us on the bus because I wouldn’t take no for an answer, so off we went. They dropped us in a remote corner of the city which was just marvelous.. As we now had to walk (in the dark) for over half an hour with our backpacks to get to the city center. We made the mistake of staying in Ninh Binh as we didn’t know that you actually had to go to Tam Coc. However, our hotel was really nice, it was run by two brothers, hence the name “Ninh Binh brothers hotel”. They were very accomodating and served a really good breakfast. Only downside was that you had to ask for toilet paper when you ran out. After a little while it gets quite embarrassing to ask for it when you really need to shit (again..). As there is not much to see nor do in Ninh Binh, we spent most of our time in Tam Coc. The landscape in Tam Coc is really beautiful as it is often described as the Ha Long Bay on land. We cycled through the area a bit, which I highly recommend. It is an easy way to discover the nature there and a bike costs a few euros for a day.
We also did a boat tour, where you get to see the lovely scenery of Tam Coc and you go through a few caves. Our boat driver rowed with her feet which was pretty cool! Furthermore, we visited the Bích Động Pagoda and the Mua cave which are both a must see! The Mua cave’s beauty is actually at it’s top, we had to climb a lot of stairs to reach the top but the view you have there of the valley below is stunning. Definitely worth all the sweat as we climbed the stairs at midday. We thought it would be nice to get our picture taken there and when we saw a Dutch couple we thought it was easy to ask them. So the guy took some pictures of us and damn did we ask the wrong guy.. He took pictures of us with the view behind us. He made us the center of the picture so you couldn’t even see the beautiful view. So we had to wait until they left to ask someone else as we didn’t want to seem rude. Always a gamble when you ask someone to take your picture! But the next guy took some nice pictures so all’s well that ends well. [...]
Read more...
maart 29, 2021All good things must come to an end. So our adventure in Hong Kong also came to an end. I wasn’t sad to leave because a new adventure awaited us. We flew from Hong Kong to Hanoi. We stayed at a lovely hotel in the old quarter. They even served breakfast in bed, which I am a big fan of!
It saddens me to admit but I didn’t see much of Hanoi. I vaguely remember the hurdles of scooters on the streets which made it hard to cross a street. I saw some bits of the old quarter but not much as I got sick on our very first day in Hanoi. It was entirely my own fault. After traveling through the USA, Beijing and Hong Kong I had not realised that in countries like Vietnam, you can’t just eat and drink anything. Probably naive on my part but the thought just never crossed my mind. So on our first day I had a milkshake with whipped cream and pancakes and in the evening I drank a strawberry drink with lots of ice cubes, which was a recipe for disaster.
As you can imagine, I got really sick. I couldn’t leave the bed. Well, I could but only to go to the toilet. It was horrendous. So, that was the end of my adventure in Hanoi. Not sure if I should tell this story but what the heck! I did go out one evening in Hanoi because I had to buy a new hairdryer and I didn’t trust my boyfriend to buy the right one. So my stubborn ass had to accompany him. I am very vain when it comes to my hair. So once again, I had called this unfavorable fate upon myself. We went to the shop and bought me the hairdryer I wanted, everything was still fine at that point. What I didn’t know was that, when you are “ill” like I was, you cannot fart. So I made the humongous mistake of farting. So, as you expect, I shat myself. Right there and then, in the middle of Hanoi, I had crapped my pants. It was mortifying but in hindsight quite funny to be honest. My hand smelled like poop (which was how I found out I shat myself) and my boyfriend (who could blame him?!) didn’t want to hold my hand anymore. He told me to “piss off with my poop hand”. To be fair, I would’ve done the same but I just really wanted to hold his hand as crossing the streets in Hanoi wasn’t that easy. We made it back to the hotel and needless to say, I threw away my underwear.
Moving on, we planned on riding the Ha Giang Loop (with easy riders) so my boyfriend had to take care of everything, explore the city by himself and feed me occasionally. I wasn’t totally recovered when we left for Ha Giang so I stuffed my face with loperamide. Our transportation to Ha Giang was great, we rode in a limousine bus. It was super comfortable and we made plenty of stops on the way. When we arrived in Ha Giang, we weren’t quite there yet. We still had to go to our homestay, we were staying with locals! Our host gave us a tour around the village and he was super friendly. He told us stories about the region and showed us lovely sights. In the evening his wife cooked us (and 5 other guests) a traditional Vietnamese dinner and we drank “holy water”, which was not water as I found out the hard way.. The food was the best food I had ever tasted! I instantly loved the Vietnamese cuisine. There were more guests in the homestay with us and we all had so much fun getting to know each other. There was a German couple whose roots were in Vietnam so they came together to get to know the country a little bit better.
We slept in a bungalow next to the main house and it was made entirely out of wood. The host made it himself. It was pretty cool and the view when we woke up was just indescribably beautiful. After breakfast our easy riders picked us up and off we went. My easy rider didn’t talk much, I think his English was not that great. I didn’t mind as I could just enjoy the views. The Ha Giang loop is up until this day the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Riding through the mountains on a motorcycle, seeing this amazing scenery. It was simply perfect. At the end of the day they dropped us off at a hotel and we were able to eat at the nearby restaurant (where all the tourists doing the loop were dining). We didn’t sleep that well because there was a big neon sign in front of our window but who cared! We were in Vietnam having the time of our lives.
So we thought.. the next day didn’t really go as planned. It drizzled a bit in the morning so the roads were a little bit slippery. We didn’t think much of it. We didn’t really think about how dangerous the Ha Giang Loop was at all before riding it ourselves but apparently it was not that safe. I would find out soon enough. We were heading towards a sharp turn and my boyfriend and his easy rider were riding in front of us. My boyfriend had this strange feeling telling him to look back and see how I was doing. So he did and what he saw would scare the living shit out of him. My easy rider lost control over the motorcycle and we slipped. It’s funny because people ask me if it happened quickly but in my mind it didn’t. Everything slowed down, it felt like everything was in slowmotion. I felt the motorcycle slip away under me, I saw the easy rider falling to the ground and then I felt myself hitting the asphalt. I rolled a bit, I vaguely remember that. I was in utter shock, I remember that too. So my boyfriend was franticly tapping his easy rider on the back and shouting that they needed to stop. He told me this afterwards but in those few seconds he didn’t know whether I was alive or not. I was laying there on the ground but he said that I stood up with my arms in the air, screaming. He ran towards me asking me if I was okay, at the time I didn’t know if I was okay. I didn’t feel anything. I had peed myself, I knew that and I was crying. My easy rider only cared about me and my wellbeing, which was super sweet but afterwards I felt guilty as he probably hurt himself too. In the aftermath, I had contused my arm and ripped my clothes and (day) backpack. So I was lucky. But there was still a long journey ahead of us, there was no time to be afraid. I had to get back on the motorcycle and ride for 6 more hours. That wasn’t great but we didn’t have a choice. In the end, I did get a moment to ask my easy rider if he was okay too, which he was. All in all, the experience was a rollercoaster. It was amazing and scary at the same time. I still recommend the Ha Giang Loop to everyone as it was, besides the accident, the highlight of our Vietnam trip!
After a few days, I facetimed my mum and she cried when I told her what happened. I told her that she needn’t worry as I was still alive and kicking. Mothers, they are so precious! [...]
Read more...
Contact us!
Anniesonexpedition
For the food traveler who wants to get inspired! Discover destinations, restaurants and new recipes!
