I was fortunate enough to be allowed to take a 3-month sabbatical from work in late 2017. With time being very tight I mapped out an aggressive route and decided to intersperse some organised group trips in order to keep me moving along my chosen path. In doing so I also wanted to ascertain if it was possible to take in so many places in such a short time without the feeling of being constantly on the move…
Tour Provider: G Adventures
Tour: Vietnam (Classic)
Group Size: 12 (of a possible 15)
First stop was Hanoi where I joined the tour that would take me down to Ho Chi Minh City over a period of 12 days. I decided it would be best to start with a trip to ease myself in to the adventure, calm some pre-trip nerves and allow me to relax in to my new surroundings.
I arrived to Hanoi early to acclimatise and see some sights… day 1 was an eye opening experience, especially considering I assumed myself to be somewhat well travelled (in Europe at least)… I trusted no one and struggled massively to cross any roads! Pavements doubled up as car parks for scooters and the old town was a rabbit warren with narrow interconnecting roads. Traffic lights were sparse and even when they were present they were rarely adhered to. I found myself only crossing roads alongside locals following their lead and keeping very close to them! As such, I slowly meandered my way taking a very drawn out route to my chosen destination (Hoan Kiem Lake). What was supposed to be a 10-minute stroll down to the lake turned in to a stressful hour-long expedition
When I eventually made it, I decided a coffee by the lake was much needed in order to recharge energy levels. Being a wannabe coffee aficionado I opted for a Vietnamese Coffee which I had heard very good things about. With great difficulty, I managed to order and sat back trying to relax. The coffee appeared and was not as expected, where was the creamy sweet coffee from the guidebooks? The ordering process had been such a faff and in keeping with British politeness I decided to persevere and drink the very strong bitter coffee… I struggled through for 10 minutes or so until I reached the bottom of the cup and there it was!! A think gooey layer of beautifully sweet condensed milk! Unbeknown to me (the wannabe coffee aficionado) I was supposed to stir up the layers… The waitress came to clear my cup and just laughed at the thick white layer sitting at the bottom of my cup.
Feeling revitalized I headed off to walk around the lake. At the furthest point from the hotel, I felt my shoe go and the sole come off. This was not a good first afternoon! I struggled around the rest of the lake in the soaring heat all the while being (what I thought was) hassled by street vendors. All saying something to me in Vietnamese and pointing at my lower half. Naturally, in my nervous and apprehensive mind-set I smiled awkwardly and sped up. It was only when I met our group leader who explained that they were trying to help me and in exchange for a small fee were offering to repair my shoe. After my opening afternoon, I decided it was time to try relax, be less on guard and to enjoy myself.
The second day was a massive improvement. I booked a free personal tour guide through Hanoi Free Walking Tours, which I would highly recommend. My guide, a very nice student, took me to all the sights. The tour was awesome – she knew so much and spoke very highly of Uncle Ho Chi Minh. All I had to do was pay for taxis, her entry fees and one drink (I also tipped but it was not mandatory to).
Day 1 with my tour group we headed to Halong Bay for some truly amazing scenery! We had a private boat for one night, which took us through the rock formations. It was all very Jurassic Park with some fantastic views especially the sunset from atop of one of the huge limestone karsts.
A night train which was an interesting experience took us south to Hue!! My first experience was jumping on to my bunk as a cockroach fell on my chest. At first, I found them unpleasant, but I soon became accustomed and it wasn’t too long before we were even eating them! Hue was ok – the highlight was awesome – a motorbike tour of rice fields, villages and the city in the pouring rain (the rain at the forefront of the oncoming typhoon).
Moving on via the magnificent Hoi An pass, of which we saw very little due to the storm.
Hoi An was unfortunately receiving it’s heaviest rainfall in almost a generation! During our night time orientation walk with our tour guide we found ourselves on the main street of the city as the river began to creep on to the pavements and splash around our ankles. As I started to worry I looked around and saw the shops trading as usual and the locals going about their business without too much concern. The main street was lovely with its beautiful lanterns hung across the street above our heads. They really were very pretty, fast forward two days and I would be brushing the very same lanterns to one side to allow our canoe to pass down the main street!
Our hotel was very comfortable however after, our first night we needed canoes in order to reach the town, the canoes would paddle in to the hotel hall and we would board from the first floor and paddle out through the large open doors.
On our first night after the orientation walk we were sitting in the hotel restaurant as the water crept in to the dining room and rose up past our ankles to our knees all the while still being served by the hotel staff!!! The waitresses were wading to us by the end (it was now almost at table level!). I was very annoyed by this situation so was sure to leave a large tip! It was testament to the Vietnamese people though, they are so resilient and carried on as normal. I am told that Hoi Ann unfortunately floods each year so they are more used to it and prepared, nevertheless it was very impressive and their care was very much appreciated!
Hoi Chi Minh City was great! It felt much more developed than Hanoi. The war museum was very upsetting but definitely worth a visit as were the tunnels a short journey out of the city. Here we had our first and only big night out of the trip down Bui Vien Street, the nightlife was awesome – very lively and an abundance of bars to choose from!!
Highlights
Cheapest beer: Hue 33p in happy hour
Best Food: chicken noodles in lemongrass sauce with peanuts!
Best Experiences: Halong Bay, motorbike tour of the Vietnamese countryside and HCM nightlife.
