“It’s pho-nom-nom-nom-inal!”
…unless you get food poisoning, then it’s scary.

Our trip to Vietnam was absolutely jam-packed from the start. My friend Kelsea and I visited 4 different areas in Vietnam, and each destination was a completely unique experience. Instead of trying to tackle the whole country in one go, we decided to boil it all down to Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay, and Hoi An. As much of a bummer as it was to leave out Ho Chi Minh City, I’m glad we made the choices we did. We were busy the moment our feet hit the pavement.

—3 DAYS IN HANOI—

Our journey began in the capital city of Hanoi, the second largest city in the country. As we entered the area where we’d be settling down, I was immediately struck by the pace of everything around us. The streets were a river of scooter traffic flowing around pedestrians, cars honking every five seconds, food vendors on every corner, and tourists trying to keep sane. All of this was an odd juxtaposition when combined with the French architecture of the Old Quarter. Imagine New Orleans, but on speed… and with less gun violence.

Our nights in Hanoi were spent at Chien Hostel. It’s located right beside St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the middle of the French Quarter, and it’s convenient to pretty much everything. We stayed in the dorms for around $5/night, and that included free breakfast every morning. Not too shabby as long as your bed isn’t by the door. Take heed.
Chien is really good about organizing tours, so we booked both Sapa and HaLong Bay at the reception desk. You get a free night in the hostel if you choose to book a tour, which comes in handy if the tour chosen returns to Hanoi late at night. Convenience, I say!

Day 1—

We started our trip in Vietnam by warming up to the area. We took a tour of Hoan Kiem Lake (“Lake of the Returned Sword”), visited a mummified turtle at the Temple of the Jade Mountain, and were interviewed by about 20 adorable student groups.

Later that evening, we decided to really dive in and joined a walking street food tour. Our guide took us to about 7 different locations around the Old Quarter, covering pretty much every type of street food that Hanoi is known for. I honestly don’t think you can find a better deal anywhere for $20.  If you’re at all interested in taking a walking street food tour, check out Hanoi Street Food Tour here and ask for Teddy. She’s adorable and super knowledgeable.

Day 2 —

Before heading out, we paid a visit to Cong Coffee near our hostel. It’s a chain and at least two locations are in Hanoi. Try the coconut blended coffee. Geezum petes. You won’t regret it.

After getting our fuel, we decided to get super cultured and headed out to temples and museums. We were able to see the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), which was originally built in 1076 as a school for the wealthy upperclass. More info on the temple here.

After that, we decided to pay a visit to Hoa Lo Prison. The prison was originally built by the French to house Vietnamese political prisoners, but was later used to house POWs during the Vietnam War. Notable among the POWs who stayed at the “Hanoi Hilton” was John McCain. Speaking of… I’d like to trade Donald Trump for John McCain. Can we do that? Is that a thing?
I digress. More info on the Hanoi Hilton here.

Next, we headed on over to the Vietnamese Women’s Museum to learn more about traditional gender roles and the badass ladies of the guerrilla forces. It’s full of information, photos, art exhibits, propaganda posters (best part), and interactive installations. It’s definitely worth the visit, especially if you’re a badass lady or simply enjoy learning about badass ladies.
More information about the Vietnamese Women’s Museum here.

Later that evening, we settled down with a visit to the water puppet theater on the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake. The show was awesome when it wasn’t teetering on slightly disturbing. Live music, puppets, and water. What more could you want?
More information on the puppet show here.

Day 3 —

On the third day, we decided to head out and finally pay Ho Chi Minh a visit. Unfortunately, we got to his mausoleum too late (it closes at 11AM), so we went to the palace and museum instead. The palace area was nicely preserved with Ho Chi Minh’s belongings still on the property. The museum was absolutely full of info, and the layout was enough of a reason to go.

After our wander around Hanoi, I headed out to Sapa to do a mountain trek via an overnight bus. Unfortunately, Kelsea was hit with a pretty brutal case of food poisoning, so I had to go out solo.

—2 DAYS IN SAPA—

During my two days in SaPa, I was hosted by locals at H’mong the Hills, went on 2 treks, and learned a bit about the H’mong cultures of Northern Vietnam. The food they served was absolutely amazing, and would go back just to eat in a heartbeat. I really enjoyed this part of my trip, and can only imagine how gorgeous the rice fields are in the warmer seasons.

Note: the overnight buses in Vietnam are the best kind of wacky. See photo below.

—2 DAYS IN HA LONG BAY—

Fortunately Kelsea was able to hop back in on this part of the trip, because it was definitely a highlight.

We booked our trip through our hostel, so there was little confusion as to how to get there. The steps were as follows:
1. Book trip.
2. Take a shuttle van from the hostel.
3. Get on a boat.
4. Get on another boat.
5. Enjoy Ha Long Bay.

On the first day, we cruised the bay on a charming little boat that resembled a miniature pirate ship, complete with adorable, photogenic captain. The boat provided us with a really nice lunch, drinks, and a top deck so we could take in the sights around the bay. After cruising for a bit, we hopped off the boat and into kayaks, allowing us to really explore the nooks and crannies of the bay. Pocahontas singalongs are optional.

After floating around and singing “Just Around the Riverbend” around twenty times, we got back to our mini pirate ship for a quick swim. For the next hour or so, everyone took turns jumping into the freezing water from the top deck. The best kind of torture, I guess.

Later that evening, we arrived at the island where we would spend the night and half of the next day.

After returning to Hanoi, we hopped on a plane and headed a bit further south to Hoi An for some rest and relaxation. We went with VietJet, because they had the best prices. Beware: they’re sticklers for their weight limits.

—4 DAYS IN HOI AN—

Of the places we visited in Vietnam, Hoi An was probably my favorite. The atmosphere was laid back and really easy to enjoy, with a nice blend of new and old things to experience. Hoi An was a charming break from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi’s constantly busy streets.

Day 1 —

On our first full day in Hoi An, we got settled in at Tipi Hostel, which is conveniently located a short walk away from Old Town. It’s definitely not a party hostel, so I was happy. More info on Tipi here.

After settling, we headed out and were quickly swept up by the smoothest saleslady we’d ever encountered. Not completely naive, but still a bit oblivious, we held conversation with her until she eventually led us to her family’s tailoring operation, where we’d ultimately have a few too many dresses custom made. She got us. She got us real good. They hooked us when they told us to bring photos of whatever we wanted made. Lord. Their reviews are all pretty positive, so if you’re interested in having a few pieces made, you can check them out here.

After being abducted by tailors, we headed to Old Town to wander for a bit and take photos. Thanks to Kelsea’s food sleuth powers, we ended up eating at an amazing Greek restaurant in Old Town called Mix. We were going for an authentic Vietnamese experience, but I regret nothing. Anyway, Old Town is absolutely gorgeous at night, so if you’re at all interested in taking photos of real-life magic, I’d suggest heading after sundown. The streets are illuminated with hand-painted lanterns, there’s always music floating around from somewhere, and the river is lined with colorful boats from one end to the other. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

Day 2 —

On the second day, we decided to dig into Old Town a bit deeper, but not before we had some bahn mi from the bahn mi queen herself, Madam Khanh. The flavor was a 10/10… would go again.

After that, we headed out to tour some of the museums and old homes in the area. My favorite destination of the day was Reaching Out Tea House. The tea house offers a wide variety of teas and juices, and a small assortment of cookies and snacks to nibble. What adds to the greatness of Reaching Out is that it’s an organization that offers employment to people with disabilities, and has a shop located just down the street that allows employees to sell handmade wares.
From their website: “Reaching Out Vietnam was established in 2000 with the vision of providing opportunities for people of disability (PWD’s) to learn skills and gain meaningful employment so that they are able to integrate fully with their communities and lead independent and fulfilling lives.”
Did I mention that everything they make is gorgeous? I got pretty drooly over all of their teapots and cups. It’s definitely worth your time to drop by both the shop and the tea house. Kels and I were both glad we did. More info on Reaching out here.

Day 3 —

Day 3 was a lot slower pace when compared to our other days in Hoi An. Kelsea went out for a bit of retail therapy and I decided to stay in to try to settle the war raging in my stomach. Here’s a quick side-eye for you, bahn mi queen. All jokes aside, I’m not really sure what set off my innards. Just watch what you put in your tummy, guys.

That evening, we took a cooking course with Vy’s Market Restaurant and Cooking School. There, we learned about everything from street food, to desserts, to my favorite section of the market, “weird wonderful food”. If you’re looking for an authentic market tour combined with a cooking class, this might not be the place for you. Vy’s Market is an active restaurant with patrons filling in by the minute, and the cooking class takes place while it’s all in motion. Regardless of expectations, I enjoyed the experience. More information on Ms. Vy’s Market Restaurant and Cooking School here.

Day 4 —

On our last full day, we decided to ignore the weather and head out on rental bikes we nabbed at our hostel. Following our fearless leader, Kelsea, we set out in the drizzle in hopes of finding the beach and a nice little cafe to settle down at. We crossed rice fields, busy streets, mud, said ‘hey’ to a few water buffalo, stood at the shore, and finally rested a bit at a nice little cafe a street over from the beach. The weather didn’t cooperate, but it was still a nice adventure and a fun way to end our trip. Muddy feet and all.

If you want to know more about our itinerary, just shoot me a message or leave a comment!