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Travelinds, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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19 August 2014

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Well, where to begin? Ho Chi Minh City… this would be a good title of a film that involved elements of slapstick comedy, knee-buckling romance, perpetual hardcore action, subtle and not-so-subtle pornography, plenty of drama and some pointed horror too.  All this after only spending two days in this bustling city, previously known as Saigon!
First impressions aside, Ho Chi Minh City has the face of a true Asian metropolitan city, with all the trimmings and a handful of other aspects specific to the Vietnamese culture.  There are skyscrapers, traffic jams, thousands of bars, hotels, massage parlours, educational institutions and restaurants, imposing conglomerates and international franchises; and an excited buzz that seems to blend in to part of the background.  There are also motorbikes and scooters (apparently referred to as ‘Hondas’) on every highway, road, alleyway and sidewalk.

Ho Chi Minh CityWe stayed in the Pham Ngu Lao area (which is where most tourists end up staying and where there is an abundance of hotels, restaurants, bars and entertainment).  It’s about 40-60 minutes from the airport, traffic-dependent. Our accommodation at Ngoc Linh Hotel was comfortable and clean, we ate at Mon Hue restaurant (wow, great Central Vietnamese cuisine!), watched some rugby at The Spotted Cow (a little pricey, but great Australian-style menu), explored the market, had a wonderful dinner with a view at Duc Vuong Hotel roof-top restaurant and enjoyed a lovely massage around the corner from our hotel at Mi Mi Massage (cucumber masks and quiet privacy!).  We also enjoyed a rather scrumptious brunch at Bookworm’s Coffee, just around the corner from our hotel.

TIP: It might be a good idea to wander around Ho Chi Minh City in pairs rather than alone, especially in the evening; as in any big city, there are obvious criminal elements around and vigilance is encouraged.

Our group split up on the last day and some explored the city on foot while the rest took a day tour to the Mekong Delta. In the end, both groups insisted that their days were better.

I almost don’t feel qualified enough to write more about the city because what can two days really tell you about any place? You will have to go and experience this city for yourself.

 

Travelinds, Vietnam

Vietnam Trains

17 August 2014

Vietnam TrainsLike the curious travellers we are, Travelinds had read all about the train travel in Vietnam and figured this would be a great way to see the country.

Vietnam is connected by train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city and the total trip between these two big cities spans about 36 hours. There are different types of trains, cabin classes and also differing prices, depending on how you buy tickets.

Our original plan was to do the backpacking thing and hop on-hop off whenever we wanted to stop (which sounded easy enough in theory, but in reality was quite time consuming and, due to the language barrier (and “tourist” tickets vs. “local” tickets), required slightly more advanced planning than just pitching up at the train station in time to catch a train).

We also didn’t have an ‘open’ ticket as we’d envisioned, but had to buy tickets for each specific trip (Hanoi to Hue, etc.).

The idea was to spend as many nights on the train as possible, to save time and money on hotels and not miss out on whole travel days (especially since trips were between eight and sixteen hours).

Vietnam Trains
Sleeper cabin (4 bunks)

There seems to be a lot of mixed information about the trains and purchasing tickets and we didn’t have enough time to figure it all out.

We had tried to read up a lot about it before we arrived, but each trip turned out slightly differently from the last and we still don’t actually know if half the stuff we read was true or relevant!

Train travel through Vietnam was an amazing experience, so much fun and definitely worth the extra effort and hours.

Prices for train travel were reasonable, it was comfortable, we felt safe even in the soft seats section and we didn’t get ripped off by any sneaky con men along the way.

I would definitely do this all again!

Travelinds, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam

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14 August 2014

Hoi An, Vietnam

 

Hoi An
The tracks through the rice paddies made for interesting riding.

Hoi An, what a gem!

Travelinds had heard the hype around how ‘wonderful’, ‘amazing’ and ‘beautiful’ Hoi An was, but it was only when we actually arrived here to experience it for ourselves that we believed any of it! It really is a place that finds its way into your heart and no doubt, the memory bank of best holidays ever.

Hoi An was our last stop before Ho Chi Minh City, after two weeks travelling down from northern Vietnam.  The week here consisted of delicious food, cheap beer, fantastic shopping, tailor-made clothes, exploring the area on scooters, riding bicycles through the rice paddies, rejuvenating down time and plenty of fun at the beach and in the pool at Sunshine Hotel.

For a change, we were travelling in a group of 11 friends (not just the two of us anymore) and this served to double the fun (and, of course, the stress at times).  All of our group thoroughly enjoyed their stay in Hoi An and each said it was the experience of a lifetime!

Mr Xe Tailor
Mr Xe Tailor

Places to check out: Sunshine Hotel, TinTin Restaurant, Cua Dai Beach, An Bang Beach, Morning Glory,

  • Best Ice-cream – a small shop (window) up near the wooden ‘Japanese covered’ bridge. Coconut flavour!
  • Best Beer – TinTin Restaurant, opposite Sunshine Hotel (4,000 VND per glass – about R2.50)
  • Best Tailor – this was hotly debated in our group because everyone used different places. There are hundreds to choose from in this area. We used Bari Tailor (right at central entrance of Old Town, where the scooters are parked, corner of Le Loi and Phan Chau Trinh) and Mr Xe (both in Ancient Town) and were very happy with the results (e.g. about $100 for a full suit, with trimmings).  The girls used a little tailor fifty metres down the road from Sunshine Hotel who works out of her tiny clothing shop; they were very happy with their clothes too!

TIP: We were told that the tailors tend to line the suits with paper (to save on material etc.) and this later crinkles and ruins the suit. Be aware of this practice and ask the tailor for guarantees, quality and honesty – you still have to place a lot of trust in them though and unless you’re a professional, you may not be able to tell whether these dishonest practices have been used or not.

  • Best Beach – Cua Dai for shade, An Bang for quiet time
  • Best Souvenir – aside from shopping up a storm, my favourite souvenir was the scar I now have on my right knee due to a little scooter accident in the rice fields at sunset (the accelerator got stuck and R thankfully reacted fast enough to let it down easy and not have us both land in a boggy rice field or the deep drainage trench).
  • Best attraction – the Ancient Town by night is simply beautiful! Lanterns light the way along the old buildings and lotus candles float down the river. Puppet shows and Vietnamese theatre, romantic restaurants, delicious street food, stone paved streets and an atmosphere of pure contentment. There is a street market on the other side of the Cau An Hoi bridge.
  • An Bang Beach
    Hoi An Beaches are stunningly beautiful – an endless stretch of white sand.

    Getting here

    We had taken the train from Hanoi to Hue and then decided on taking a day tour (16-seater van) from Hue to Hoi An, via Lang Co beach, Hai Van Pass and the Marble Mountain in Danang. There are also 4-5 hour busses (about $5) from Hue to Hoi An.  At some point, we were considering doing it on motorbikes (with luggage delivered for us to the hotel in Hoi An), but we chickened out as we didn’t know the way, didn’t speak the language and it was hot (and sometimes raining). Later though, part of our group took the bikes up Hai Van pass from Hoi An (a sunrise ride and they were back at the hotel for a 9am breakfast).

    Getting around

    In Hoi An, and Hue, we cycled around on creaky old bicycles (with no helmets) and blended in to the hustle bustle of the traffic without any problems. In Hoi An we also hired scooters to get around, although the Old Town and market were only about 15 minutes cycle from the hotel.  There was also a free shuttle to and from the hotel at certain times of the day (except on Sundays).

    Hoi An
    Lanterns light up the steets, market and river of Ancient Town, Hoi An
    TIP: Right outside the Sunshine Hotel is an enterprising Vietnamese lady with an innocent-looking snack cart.  The snacks are good, but she also hires out scooters, does laundry, advises on tailors and can probably organise anything else you might need, including tours.  Don’t be fooled by her initial friendly banter, she’s a business woman through and through – better not be more than five minutes late giving back the scooter unless you want to pay for a whole extra day.
Travelinds, Vietnam

Hue, Vietnam

13 August 2014

Hue, Vietnam

Imperial Fortress
The Imperial Fortress is full of dragons, depicting power.

Hue, the epicenter of ancient Vietnam and previous capital city. Home to the Imperial Fortress, Royal residences, pagodas, tombs, the Perfume River and so much history of war and destruction.

Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to go and see the ‘garden houses’ and I’m sure this would have been a great place to see Hue’s historical beauty preserved by patriotic, caring citizens.

Hue was definitely one of the most interesting places that we visited in Vietnam.  The local cuisine is truly unique and delicious too; I would definitely consider the food as one of the main attractions in this city!

Bicycle Culture

Hue was well worth a trip, especially if you like historical and cultural aspects of travelling.

It is small enough to cycle around (we hired bicycles from our hotel for $2 per day) and there are so many little places to explore, including some local entrepreneurs at street stalls, quaint shops and interesting restaurants.

We stayed at The Canary Hotel ($18, big clean rooms, air-con, nice view higher up, lovely breakfast on the 7th floor overlooking the city).

The staff were really helpful here with planning activities and the rest of our trip to Hoi An.

There is a bus that comes right past the Canary hotel for $5 pp to take you to Hoi An (we made a day trip out of it rather for $12 pp and went on a private van through Lang Co, Hai Van pass, Marble Mountain Danang, to Hoi An).

Hue Night Market
The night market was fascinating. These handpainted pictures were one of the things we bought (for about $1)!The night market was fascinating. These handpainted pictures were one of the things we bought (for about $1)!

 

TIP #1: Ask your hotel about the night market (between the bridges) as this was a highlight for us (it was a Friday night, local market not aimed at tourists, great buys and interesting things to see and do).

 

TIP #2: The traffic is still a little crazy in parts but you get in to the swing of things and people seemed generally patient with tourists on bicycles and motorbikes. The Thien Mu Pagoda was 3 km out along the Perfume River road and it turned out to be an awesome cycle from the Imperial City to the Pagoda and back to our hotel (about 10 kilometers total).  Plus, Hue is relatively flat so cycling on creaking bicycles without gears is not too difficult.

 

TIP #3: When we visited the Imperial Fortress, we didn’t realise that we couldn’t cycle around inside the paid area (about 105,000 VND per person to enter the purple “forbidden” city), so be prepared for a lot of walking, in the hot sun! Take water, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes here to make the most of the experience. The Purple city ticket also provides access to the museum just around the corner from the exit. There are places to park your bicycles close by, which the hotel can indicate on the map (only a small fee for a whole day’s parking).

Check out more information on Vietnamese Food, Vietnamese Trains and Hoi An.

Travelinds, Vietnam

Sa Pa, Vietnam

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11 August 2014

Lao Cai Province, Vietnam

With a week to spare, we decided to head up to Sa Pa for a few days and brave the dreaded ‘rainy season’ of the North, in hopes of a glimpse of that beautiful mountain, multi-coloured tiered rice paddies and the various and colourful mountain ethnic groups.

The train from Hanoi (overnight) arrived in Lao Cai at about 5a.m. (extremely close to the Chinese border).  We then settled on catching a shared taxi (a 16-seater van) and made the one hour trip through the winding mountain pass up to Sa Pa. The two local children in the back, along with their mother, were throwing up in bags the whole way, which was a great incentive for us to keep our eyes on the beautiful mountains outside (and close our ears!). The driver didn’t seem too phased and we were later told that local people are well-known for their tendency to motion sickness (a myth perhaps, but hey, we experienced it first-hand).

 

mong
Mong street seller in traditional clothing of the mountain people.

The town of Sa Pa was quite different from what we had expected, but it was a lively little place with so much to offer those who make the effort to wander off the beaten track.

There is a rapidly-developing tourism industry here, a result of local entrepreneurship since the country opened up to outsiders about 15 years ago.

There are trekking stores everywhere (clothing, backpacks, hiking boots etc), places to hire motorbikes, an abundance of western-style restaurants (like Italian, French, American and Vietnamese-Western fusion), bakeries, pharmacies, spas, a wide range of accommodation (high-end to backpackers to homestays), tour companies and tour agents, street vendors and small enterprises, local markets and of course, lots of tourists too.

Even in the rain, life in Sa Pa continues and tourists who go there for only one or two days seemed to brave the rain, trek and explore to make the most of the visit that everyone has to do by train or bus.  There are no planes in the mountains.

Sa Pa
We motorbiked down from rainy Sa Pa and into the exquisite Muong Hoa Valley below.

There are lots of things to see within short distances from the town, especially if you are into motorbikes, hiking and exploring. We thoroughly enjoyed the Muong Hoa Valley (straight down the road from our hotel) and had a couple of afternoons walking around the town itself too – shopping, monuments, museums, the lake, the street food and the many restaurants.

 

The natural beauty here is amazing and the ethnic groups that live in the surrounding mountains add the colour.  The rain is no deterrent to enjoying this peaceful mountain paradise.

One place absolutely worth seeing is the Muong Hoa Valley – we did this on motorbikes as R couldn’t hike – it is SO beautiful! I recommend looking at the Sapa O’Chau tour company for trekking (and their restaurant for delicious trout and chips), as Peter was great. He is knowledgeable about the area, honest and compassionate; and any money spent here all goes to the cause to further education and sustainable income for the local community.

Sapa Essence and Sapa Moment were our two favourite restaurants, just down the road from Four Seasons Hotel and on the way down the Muong Hoa Valley Road.

Hotel recommendation

We stayed at the ’Four Seasons Hotel’ (formerly ‘White Lotus’) and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and comfortable rooms. Only $16 – $20 per night (slightly less if you book online) and the rooms were clean with a view of the mountain. Breakfast was not bad – choice of eggs, bacon, bread, salad, coffee, orange juice and a few other local choices.

TIP
The street sellers (Mong women) are very persistent and always around. Get your game face on and just tell them you’re not interested. Try not to talk to them if you are not planning to buy anything. The city has signs up saying ‘do not buy from street sellers’, as they want to encourage support of small businesses and the mong girls to stay in school.

Favourite souvenir

Besides the lovely North Face backpack I picked up for $12.00, one of the most intriguing things I took away from this trip was being educated about the fact that “Hmong” is not the correct term for the mountain tribes in this area. This is the Vietnamese term imposed on the mountain people and is almost derogatory. The people refer to themselves simply as “mong” (and there are a few different branches within this term like Tao, Dzao etc.) – fascinating!  Also, “flower H’mong” is just a made up tourist label as this title is not acknowledged by the local community.

Next up…

From Sa Pa, we went east to Halong Bay and then on to Hue.

Travelinds, Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam

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10 August 2014

From the moment we landed in Hanoi, we knew that it was something special. Crazy, but special. And granted, not as crazy as Ho Chi Minh City for the most part.  The atmosphere here seems to be one of relaxed oblivion with a side of hodgepodge cultural pride, a heaped dose of traffic chaos and of course, the ancient remnants of a thriving city that has survived many years of hurt but has managed to retain its unique flair.  Hanoi

Modern development springs up beside poverty and neglect and there is always an entrepreneurial focus to daily life for the general population – everything is for sale and everything is negotiable with the right attitude.

For example, our first introduction to a walk through the Old Quarter, was a very enterprising man who basically tripped my husband while we were taking a slow walk and then proceeded to squirt super-glue on his toe (“apparently” aiming for his shoe). He then demanded a dollar for ‘fixing’ the said shoe (even though it wasn’t broken), despite the fact that we had in no way asked for this service to be administered.  He followed us a long way down the street until he finally gave up trying to force us to pay him (we are a little stubborn about this sort of thing having had a lot of experience travelling in Asia and Africa).

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi
Sunday night in Hanoi, at the square alongside Hoan Kiem Lake.

Entrepreneurial spirit is one thing and is gladly rewarded, but scams are just downright infuriating for usually careful travellers.

Other than that, Hanoi treated us very well indeed. It was fascinating to experience the extremes of modern development alongside the preservation of ancient customs and architecture.

The grand opulence of the Vincom Mega Mall (Royal City) seems strangely out of place among the rundown apartment buildings and multicoloured street sellers that wind their way between the cheeky motorbikes, crawling all over the streets and lined up on the sidewalks.

What to expect in Hanoi

…crazy traffic, motorbikes everywhere, amazing massages, persistent vendors, hundreds of restaurants, shops for anything you could ever possibly want, whole streets dedicated to particular products (silk, fans etc), resourceful entrepreneurs, beautiful architecture, interesting art, eclectic charm.

Favourite memory

Mangosteens are a real treat when travelling in South East Asia and we located a small Vietnamese lady, complete with conical woven hat, who was selling mangosteens and other fruit off her heavily loaded bicycle (somewhere on the edge of the Old Quarter). She weighed my purchase with an ancient, rusted scale (the kind that looks like it belongs in one of Vietnam’s museums) and placed the cash into her handwoven purse.  The mangosteens were delicious, but this memory will last long after the fruit has disappeared.

Read more reviews about Hanoi hotels and restaurants on TripAdvisor:
Hanoi Sweet Home, Hoan Kiem Lake, Minh Thuy’s Family Restaurant, Tasty Restaurant

Next up…

From Hanoi, we went up north to Sa Pa and then east to Halong Bay – both stunning locations in northern Vietnam.