Our Epic 3-Week Vietnam Adventure from Saigon to Hanoi

We went on an amazing 3-week Vietnam adventure. Traveling from Ho Chi Minh city in the South of Vietnam to Hanoi all the way in the North. We visited so many amazing cities, like Hoi An, Hue, and of course Saigon and Hanoi. But we also spent some time enjoying the stunning nature of the Mekong Delta, Ha Long Bay and Sapa. This 3-week Vietnam trip really showed us all the highlights of this beautiful country.

If you have followed our website for a bit, you know that Tim always keep a travel journal and that we share it here on our blog. And of course the same goes for our 3-week Vietnam trip. So here we go… Tim’s Vietnam Travel Journal.

Make sure to also check out our other articles on Vietnam (more coming very soon)

Day 0 – Getting to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam

The day has come! We’re finally going to Vietnam. We had a really relaxed morning. Cuddles with Nala, walking with Nala, packing the suitcases, more cuddles with Nala and then time drop her off at Opa’s and Oma’s house. We can never get used to leaving her behind like this. But it helps that she always has a great time there. We then loaded the car, had lunch with all the remaining food we had left in the fridge and then it was time to pick up our friend and drive to the airport. Let the 3-week Vietnam adventures begin!

We made it to the airport. No delays, no issues at the check in or security.  So, we treated ourselves to some nice drinks at Starbucks and found a nice spot to spent the remaining two hours before boarding the first flight to Istanbul. We haven’t met any people from our group yet. So, we are excited to see if we already meet someone before we are in Vietnam.

With some turbulence at the end, we made it to Istanbul. We arrived early, so the gate was not even known yet. We had an evening/midnight snack at McDonald’s (two drinks nuggets and fries for 25€). I guess airports are expensive everywhere. We also made the acquaintance of some fellow travelers and had a nice chat with them. When the gate was known, we had to walk to the other end of the airport, which was huge! But still way in time before boarding. When entering the plane, we were recognized by a stewardess! YouTube fame is real. Very unexpected but nice. This time, we had no seats with extra leg room but still enough space and I sat at the window. Time for the big one, 10 hours to Saigon!

Day 1 – Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Made it! We even closed our eyes a few times but you cannot really call it sleeping. I must say the service on both flights with Turkish airlines was excellent with very nice food. I had Indian style vegetarian food which was really delicious.

When leaving the plane, we immediately got offers for Vietnamese SIM cards from every direction, Sir! Here And Mam there. But we already fixed our eSIM at home. However, we became millionaires instantly. We got our first Vietnamese Dong, 5 million of it which is about 200€. After we were all full of Vietnamese money and with working sim cards, we joined the line for customs. It took us an hour or so. The guy at the counter did not say a word but quickly gave me my stamp to be legally in the country for 45 days. Our bags were already put aside next to the conveyer belt! So we could just walk outside and join the rest of the group. We were last, oops. But that meant for us we could immediately jump on the bus and drive to the hotel.

Our host is a very nice young lady providing us with all the information we needed. At the hotel, we quickly got our keys, freshened up and went to a rooftop restaurant close by with a smaller group to have nice spring and summer rolls. Great start of the trip. The people we met so far are very nice and easy to talk with. We went back for the hotel to be in bed around 9 pm and dozed off shortly afterwards.

Day 2 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

With only one short interruption at 2 am, we slept until around 7.30 am. So, well rested, we took it slow and were downstairs for breakfast at 9 am. They had bread but also fried noodles and dumplings for breakfast. So I had toast and noodles, weird but it works. Then, at 9.30 we had the group meeting where Trang explained everything for the coming days, including the Tipping Kitty (insert Vietnamese accent plus multiple repetitions). This means, we paid a fixed amount per person so Trang can give tips to locals throughout the whole trip. We also told her that we are not joining the cu chi tunnel excursion tomorrow which made her quite disappointed. At least, that was our impression.

The meeting took a little longer than expected, so we only left the hotel around 12 pm. We did not join the group for an orientation tour because we wanted to explore on our own. So went to a few highlights, had a nice juice at Juicetin, went to the famous old and huge post office where I sent a postcard to my grandma and went to random little banh mi vendor in a cute, calm alley. I had banh mi with two eggs and we got iced jasmine tea with it. All quite delicious and did cost almost nothing (2€ pp). We did get the eggs (and beef for Dennis) in a separate pan and had to fill the bread ourselves, also with complementary soy sauce and hot sauce.

These alleys were so nice to get some quietness as you almost do not hear the crazy (motor bike) noise. Fun fact Trang told us: in this city with 12 million people there are 8 million motorbikes. Absolute madness! We then went to see the famous pink church which is closed in the weekend unfortunately, so we could only see it from the outside.

We also finally found a cord for our phones to keep them safely attached to us to prevent thieves on bikes to snatch the phone from your hand. While walking around, we found a very nice Buddhist temple with the nice smell of incense, no tourists, calmness and weird statues and offerings that we as outsiders just didn’t get. We also had to take our shoes off and ensure that our knees are covered before entering.

We then went to our final destination, a nice pagoda where we burned incense ourselves and saw some amazing wooden carvings inside. Then we went back for about 40 minutes walking distance to the restaurant where we had dinner with the whole group. The food was delicious and we got 8 courses, with me among others getting a full vegetarian meal.

Before going back to the hotel, we went to Saigon Kitsch close by. A souvenir shop with amazing unique souvenirs, including Mr Banh Mi merch. We walked back via a big square where so many people enjoyed each others company, live music and children playing. Then we made it back via the waterfront. Luckily, tomorrow we can sleep in as we do not need to be at breakfast at 6.30 am to join the cu chi excursion. More time for adventures tomorrow!

Day 3 – More Exploring in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

This time, we woke up at 3 am and the again at 7 am. Dennis slept unwell, I was fine though. We met our friend for breakfast but then went separate ways. We had coconut coffee which was fantastic. We also went to see two Hindu temples which were beautiful in their own way. We also went to a market where they mainly sold clothes, toiletries, tea, coffee and fruit. We finally got us a mangosteen there.

Outside, we met the guy from the phone shop who sold us the cord for the phone the day before. He was working his second job. So nice to see him again! We then looked for a calm alley to film an opening for a video, tried the delicious mangosteen and then met our friend for lunch at a pho restaurant. Luckily, they had great pho without any meet, but I got two eggs instead. We spiced things up with a few nice sauces and pickled garlic on the table. We also tried soursop juice for the first time, which was really great. Nice and refreshing, tasting a little like sour peer.

We then took a grab (Asian Uber) for the first time and went to another temple a little outside the city center for only 1,50€. Crazy cheap! The temple was very special, a combination of Hindu and Buddhist, and was so colorful and calm with almost no one around! We then had some cold drinks down the street (soursop ice tea for me) at a local restaurant which was very nice, huge and also kitschy at the same time. They had waterfalls, one with frogs and one with 7 dwarves and other fairytale creatures. It was also very local and too far outside the center to have any English menu or people speaking English anymore, but we managed thanks to google translate.

The drinks gave us some extra energy to continue to last temple, which was the highlight. The temple of 10000 buddhas. First, we were underwhelmed, but then we found the stairs hidden behind the first shrine and then it got better with every floor up. The highest level was the room with 10000 buddhas, so special and stunning! There even was a monk playing the drums, then a huge bell and chanting. Goosebumps!

We had already entered Chinatown, so we wanted to have dinner there. We found a nice little restaurant quickly but again needed to translate everything. It was also hard to find a vegetarian dish, but we did. It was with mushrooms and vermicelli noodles. Also nice and spicy, a really fantastic meal.

We then quickly got a snack for tomorrow’s trip to Mekong at the supermarket down the street and then took another Grab to the final destination for today: Monkey Gallery dessert bar, a fine dining dessert only restaurant. To die for! We had a matcha and genmaicha dessert with yuzu cream and deconstructed tiramisu as a drink. Mind blowing! And, for the second time, a waitress recognized us from YouTube. Who crazy and unlikely is this??? The staff was so friendly and the food fantastic. We also did not pay as much as we thought, about 30€ for both of us in total. We had also asked our new Belgium friend to join us which she did. It was a very nice to talk again and have fun. But then it was time to walk back to the hotel which was only a few minutes away to go to bed early and be rested for tomorrow’s trip to the Mekong Delta!

Day 4 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – The Mekong Delta

The alarm went off at 6.30 am. We needed to pack the suitcases to leave everything in we would not need for our night at Mekong. Everything else went in our two backpacks for the day and night in the Mekong delta. After a quick breakfast we went on the bus at 8 am for about 2,5 hours. Dennis’s jetlag was real and he had very little sleep last night.

Halfway, we did a quick stop at a tourist trap rest area where I bought yummy coconut candy with pandan and a coconut coffee (good but not as good as yesterday). Late morning, we arrived at Cai Be harbor to continue by boat. Sidenote: one the way here we saw many gravestones randomly placed all over the landscape or in the gardens. That is to be close to ancestors and be able to worship them on a regular basis.

At the harbor, we met our local guide Min, a nice lady telling us all about the Mekong area. We went on the boat (with warm and sweaty life vests) and visited the next island first where we got a short tour of the local fruit garden with fruits like durian, jackfruit and milk apple (which where wrapped in plastic instead of using pesticides, wonder which is better for the environment to be honest).

We then saw a local music show with talky singing, guitar and a traditional instrument. We also tried the fruit, with jackfruit being my favorite (a lot sweeter than I ever had). We then continued by big boat to the beginning of a small canal where we enter small boats with 3 or 4 people per boat. We had the slowest one, so we had a peaceful but long ride with a Vietnamese hat and life vest on (sweat party). At the end of the canal, we entered the big boat again and continued to a family owned place with traditional liqueur (e.g. snake, yes, real snakes), pop rice and coconut candy making. We also got to try everything for free but also bought some pop rice with condensed milk and one with pandan flavor. After three cups of complementary jasmine tea, we entered the boat for a very short time and arrived at the homestay.

The homestay was so much better than we thought, really beautiful garden, house and rooms. We had nice bed, private bathrooms, fine WiFi and hammocks!!! Only no air-con, but ventilation. We chilled for some time and after sunset, we helped the family prepare dinner (lovely people!) and I used long cooking chopsticks for the first time ever, here to deep fry spring rolls. The food was amazing, especially the spring rolls (they used porous and super crunchy rice paper) were fantastic. We had fun with the group, having nice talks and laughing together. Also got to know our tour leader Trang a little better. Since Dennis slept very badly the night before, we went to bed in time, also since we needed to be ready for breakfast at 7 am. First time sleeping under a mosquito net for the both of us!

Day 5 – From the Mekong Delta back to Saigon

It was very warm tonight but the mosquitos stayed outside the net and the ventilators kept the worst heat away. But we woke up around 3 am and it took some time to get back to sleep. But at 6.15 am, the alarm went off already. I slept okay but it was the worst night so far. Luckily, Dennis did sleep well. Jetlags can be a reall mess.

Breakfast was great with fresh pineapple and dragon fruit but especially the fresh bread was delicious together with butter and homemade pineapple jam. At 8 am, we went to the boat. We had to board a little further away since it was low tide. The boat ride took about an hour back to the harbor. On the way, we saw the simple, crooked houses at the riverside (I wonder how long before they will crash into the water), nice people smiling and waving at us, a little crash with another boat (the other one lost some wood) because of the low tide and therefor less water that was deep enough, a beautiful blue church and just enjoying the scenery with a nice breeze.

Fun fact: the boats have eyes painted on the front (except fisher boats) to scare away crocodiles and catfish in the old days. They do not live in the water anymore, lucky us. When we arrived at the harbor, we immediately entered the bus and drove 5 minutes to the local market under a bridge. It was very nice to see and also overwhelming. People went there with their scooters to shop while staying on it.

Also, there were many living fish, barely breathing in shallow or no water, toads with legs tight together and geese being slaughtered in the back while screaming. Kind of traumatic to be honest and also a little nauseating.

We then continued by foot to a Cao Dai temple, meaning that they kind of combine all religions into one, kind of a nice thought and beautiful, colorful temple. (we had already visited one in Saigon) We then drove back to the hotel in Saigon which took again 2,5 hours (stop of 20 minutes, unfortunately no coconut coffee to be found) and we arrived there at 12.45 pm. Luckily, the suitcases were waiting in the lobby and the rooms were ready.

We quickly freshened up and repacked our bags, before going into the city for some Banh Mi. But no luck, when we arrived there, a guard told us by google translate that they won’t open for another two hours. So, we went to a broken rice place around the corner we saw before. Besides from being broken, nothing special about it. I had vegetarian noodles with spring rolls, which were great. The highlight was the kumquat juice! So refreshing and intense, like a combination of very tasty orange and lime zest. So, I had another one. We also found out that the wet towels we always get are not complimentary. We used two of 3 and when they came to clean up, someone counted and took the unused one. When we got the bill, we were charged 2 for 4000 dong each. So, we might skip that in the future.

We then continued to have a special coffee at Cheese Coffee Pasteur. The order took forever but the salty cream coffee was great and the building absolutely gorgeous. It felt also very hip with only young, trendy student around us.

We then continued to the night food market. Very touristy but still great food. I had a combo plate with summer rolls and seitan skewers with delicious marinade. We walked back to the city hall and walked to Japantown. It was nice with all the izakaya around but there were also a lot of brothels with hookers outside. When Dennis took photos, he got a slap on the bottom and on his arm by two of them and all of them were angry. I had the time of my life watching it. We also got a bottle of Calpis each for the walk home, had drink with our friend at the rooftop bar of the hotel and went back to the room to sleep well for the next day. Last night in Saigon!

Day 6 – From Saigon to the beach town of Nha Trang

No alarm this morning as we leave at 10 am. So breakfast at 9 am after a good night’s sleep (first time without waking up, jetlag is finally over and done). The bus left on time and we arrived within half an hour. Baggage drop off and security checks went smoothly, so we waited at the gate for boarding. The plane had almost 30 minutes delay but we were up in the air quickly and the flight to Nha Trang only took 45 minutes. The baggage came quickly and the bus to take us to the city waited for us. It took us to the hotel within 1 hour. On the way, it was nice to see a completely different landscape with green hills and mountains.

The hotel was very nice and modern. It’s actually quite small (only three rooms in a row) but 20 stories high with a swimming pool on top and about 10 minutes from the beach. We got a very nice room on the 18th floor.

We then went together with a small group to a banh mi place recommended by Trang. It did not disappoint! Mine was excellent (tofu, pineapple and cashew)! We then walked to the Long Son Pagoda. It was at least 30 minutes walking through busy streets, crossing crazy scooter filled roads and walking through cute neighborhoods with children and adults waving at us. People are just so friendly here! The pagoda was gorgeous, especially with the huge white Buddha statue on the top of the hill behind it. It even had a gorgeous shrine on the inside.

We walked all the way back to the hotel with a detour along the beach. We had a cool drink at a local cafe and back close by the hotel, we had some simple but nice food at a random local restaurant where we had our own private room upstairs.

Before going back, we made a quick detour to the convenience store and bought some snacks. I finally had the nori chips I wanted to taste for days (nice but not great, probably not buying them again). But I did found some nice fresh juice candy I almost emptied at the hotel room. Oops! We were back there at around 9 pm to have some down time at the room. Tomorrow, we will go separate ways. I will join the group for snorkeling and lunch on a boat while Dennis and our friend stay behind to explore the city. We will leave at 8.30 am and come back after 6 hours.

Day 7 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Nha Trang

Today, we had to split up. I had to be downstairs at 8.30 to catch the bus with the group to go on a boat for snorkeling. Dennis stayed at the hotel with our friend to do some more exploring and taking photos in the city.

It was only a short ride to the harbor, so we boarded the boat early morning still. It was cloudy but already warm. Luckily, as soon as the boat was moving, it was an amazing breeze. I decided to take a chewing gum for sea sickness. Good decision, since some people actually did get sick later on.

Before arriving at our first snorkeling spot, we came by a fish farm in the form that we could visit. We also got offered to go on a coconut boat. But they turned out to be too busy and never actually showed up. So we continued in the boat to the snorkeling spot around the island. I also had to change in the tiny, very basic (for a lack of better description) toilet and put on my snorkeling gear. There were other boats and it was still cloudy. So, we actually did not see much. But, just before I left the water, my snorkel was suddenly gone. I looked around but could not find it. The guys on the boat were not too happy as they told us to not loose them. Oops! After a few minutes, we went back to the boat to dry off and enjoy the weather.

Shortly after, the other boats left and the sun came out! Trang urged us to go back in: best decision! Now the water was clear and we saw many tropical fish (Nemo!) on coral reefs and anemones. Gorgeous! When I swam to the shallow water, I cut my hand a little on a pointy rock. Back on the boat, I heard that they found my snorkel from the first time, phew! Trang also quickly disinfected my wound but it had already stopped bleading. No bandage needed!

We then moved on to the second and final spot for the day. No other boats and very beautiful and quiet, but not a lot to see. Back in the boat, we got our lunch delivered by other boats with more tourists that stayed there with us. The chairs were folded down to make a huge table with so much fresh food like fried noodles, eggs, spring rolls etc. Refreshed and with a full belly, we made it back to land and arrived at the hotel around 3 pm. Dennis was already there.

Hey, Dennis here, invading Tim’s journal. During the time he went snorkeling on the boat, I went on a photowalk through the city center. I walked to the big stone church together with our friend. We took our time to take some nice pictures until the church closed at 11.15 am.

After that we slowly walked back to a local market. Making our way through tiny alleyways trying to capture local life. The market was such a culture shock. Rats running around everywhere trying to eat the leftover pieces of meat laying on the floor. Of course the morning is the busiest time of the day at the market. So in the afternoon the fresh fish and meat are mostly sold out and the fresh part of the market turns into a rat heaven. A rat even bumped into my shoe and as I let out a scream about four others jumped up out of a pile of meat leftovers.

In the rest of the market there were vendors sleeping in their stores all over. We grabbed some nice lunch. A local dish called Bo Kho, which is a beef stew. Really tasty. Almost like a mix between a Thai curry and a Hungarian goulash. For drinks we tried the amazing maracuja yoghurt which was just as awesome as the food. After that it was time to go back to the hotel. Tim would be back from snorkeling soon.

We had some downtime on the room and I realized that I had some sunburn, especially on the shoulders despite the sun screen. At 5 pm, we met with a small group to visit a spa in a hotel close by. We had a 90 minute massage, and it was just heavenly. We were so relaxed afterwards. They even used hot stones which we never had before but was quite nice.

Afterwards , we went to a bao buns place together with some people from the group. And my god, it was to die for! They even had a whole menu that enabled you to fill the buns yourself. Also a vegetarian version, even though it was not on the menu. It were maybe the best bao buns of our lives. The people were also very friendly and served refreshing pineapple ginger beer. Perfect dinner! We then went back to the hotel, with a quick stop at the convenience store.

Day 8 – Nha Trang and the Night Train to Hoi An

Last day in Nha Trang. We have late check out at 6 pm, so we could leave our stuff at the room. Our friend moved hers to ours so we could split the extra fee. After breakfast, we met with a few people and ordered two Grabs to visit the ancient Hindu temple Po Nagar Cham. It was very full with tourists buts still gorgeous and definitely worth seeing. We also had to borrow robes to cover our white legs.

We then took Grabs back to the hotel and got our stuff for the beach. We walked to meet our new Belgian friend and soon a guy came to bring us a parasol and sun beds. Dennis went to the market he went to yesterday again to film some extra footage.

We already enjoyed ourselves in the shade with some fruits a nice lady sold us at our chill spots. She already won when she introduced herself with: Hello, is it me you’re looking for? We chilled for a few hours, relaxing, enjoying the warm water (quite high waves every now and then out of nowhere), reading and almost falling asleep. We also got hungry but did not want to leave. So, we were smart and ordered pizza from 4Ps (Lonely planet recommendation) to the beach. I could get used to this!

Around 4 pm, we went back to the hotel. I took another shower before boarding the train to be as clean possible the next day. At 6 pm, we gathered in the lobby, took the bus to the small train station and waited about an hour for the train to arrive. We entered the train in an orderly manner, Trang made sure of it. Everyone found their bed quickly and moved the luggage under the lower bunk bed. The beds were quite small and hard and the aircon a lot less cold than we were told. The train left on time at 7.15 pm. We had some nice talks, also talked with Trang for more than an hour which was really lovely, explore the stinky toilets on board and got ready for bed around 10 pm. Lights went out shortly after. The expectations for a good night sleep were not high…

Day 9 – Arriving in Hoi An by Nighttrain

As expected, the sleeping part of the night train was an absolute disaster. Non of us really slept at all, maybe a few hours here and there of very light sleep. The insufficiency of the aircon to cool the wagon, the moving of the train, sudden braking etc. just did not help at all. And on top of all, the alarm went off at 5.30 am as we were supposed to arrive at 6 am.

At least, we could brush our teeth with the complementary tooth brushes from the hotel. But that was all the hygiene we could do for the time being. We arrived a little later than expected but the bus was already waiting for us. It took us to Hoi An in about 45 minutes. The hotel is in a very nice, calm area, we got free welcome drinks and got the opportunity to leave all our luggage in the lobby. However, it was way too early for check in.

So, we soon continued to the best banh mi shop in Hoi An at Madam Khanh. It did not disappoint. The banh mi was perfectly soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I had one with egg and cream cheese combined with some herbs and vegetables. Really fantastic! We then continued our orientation walk through the city into the highlight, the Old Town.

The streets with the yellow facades, architecture, lanterns and narrow streets (no cars allowed) was fantastic. There are influences from Chinese, Japanese and French inhabitants in the past. We visited a beautiful Chinese temple, a historic house and a tailor. The city is famous for all kinds of tailor made clothes and jewelry. We did not buy anything but many people in our group did here or elsewhere.

There are also many stalls on the street where people sell just about anything, but mainly touristy stuff. We then had lunch with a part of the group at a recommended restaurant nearby where we had Cau Lao, the staple dish of Hoi An. They even had a vegetarian version.

Then it was finally time for go to the hotel. The rooms were supposed to be ready at 1 pm. I never wanted to shower more than today. After the otherworldly experience of a shower, we took a short nap as we were extremely tired. We met a few people in the lobby at 4 pm to take the free hotel shuttle to the old town, had a look around and had a quick drink at a restaurant nearby the theater where we had tickets for a traditional show performed by an ethnic minority with their own culture and language. It started at 6 pm and took about an hour. The music and acrobatics were impressive. We really liked it a lot.

It was dark when we came back outside which turned the city into a crowded but gorgeous place, with thousand of lanterns everywhere, also reflecting from the buildings and boats on the river. It was all magical! For the last program point of the day, we had our semi mandatory dinner with the whole group. We had a multiple course dinner at The Noodle House. The food tasted very good but we were all tired so, went back to the hotel as soon as we could and went to bed in time around 10 pm.

Day 10 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Exploring Hoi An

Another day with a full itinerary. We needed to have an early breakfast again to be in time to start or cooking class in the old town. Trang brought us to the local guide at the food market. She then took over and showed some ingredients here and there including a root vegetable we have never heard of before. We took some herbs and veggies to the restaurant where we had the class. There we met the chef who was leading the class. Since we were only with a group of 7 people, we had enough space and attention by our chef.

We made 5 different dishes ranging from a coconut soup, to summer rolls to sweet sticky rice. Especially interesting was how to prepare the rice paper and roll the summer rolls and also how to make a fantastic dipping sauce with strawberries and balsamic vinegar. But I also loved the sticky rice with dragon fruit, mango, coconut cream and sesame seeds. We got to enjoy everything as lunch afterwards and received the recipes per email for preparation at home.

We then took a Grab back to the hotel (about 75 cent!) and a short rest before we got picked up again by the local guide to start the biking tour. After a short walk, we reached the bike shop to pick our own companion on two wheels. The bike tour was absolutely gorgeous and all we hoped for. We saw beautiful rice fields, people working there, water buffalos, cute villages, friendly kids waving at us and shouting Hello!

We also visited a couple that makes mats and mattresses from grass for more than 40 years together, a rice wine brewery (with two cute piglets), a coconut boat tour through the coconut forest (leaving the bikes for an hour) and having dinner at the local rice noodle maker (he is over 80 and still wakes up daily at 3 am to prepare the noodles for the village so people have their breakfast in time). It was simple but very good actually.

Weird fact: we came across strange buildings that gave off loud bird noises. They are made to attract a sort of bird that build its nest inside so it can be collected for the saliva which is used as a delicacy for rich people. Who would have known?!

We then quickly cycled to the nearby port to hop on a boat back to the old town. We even got the tacky but must have lights and lantern lit up. Before going back to the hotel, we wanted to have a dessert and buy a few things from the night market. We bought a handy rasp we also used at the cooking class and a basket for the kitchen. We had a flambé banana at a random restaurant which was quite nice with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. The waitress there had a very strong accent and it sounded like “banana bleh” when she pronounced the dish.

When then took a grab to the hotel, but went to a restaurant around the corner to buy fresh juice for in the room. I also quickly went to a local mini mart to buy some snacks. Next to cheddar cheese chips, I found traditional local coconut crackers that I have seen all over Hoi An before, called Banh dua nuong. The shop was so small that there was no register, just the lady owning the store using a notebook and a calculator.

We then made it back to our rooms and relaxed for the remainder of the night. We also tasted the cracker, which were exquisite! Also, our laundry was clean and folded in the room as we left it this morning at the reception. I could get used to this!

Day 11 – More of the amazing Hoi An

Another full day! We had to set the alarm to 6 am to have breakfast in time and be ready for the bus at 7.30 am to take us to the My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Hindu temple from the 4th to 14th century by the Cham people dedicated to the god Shiva.

It took us one and a half hours to get there. But it was definitely a good decision to go that early as it was still quiet with not many people around. The sights were very impressive but we as well as others were a little too tired to pay much attention to the guide and to look at everything in much detail.

There was also a quick drone session before a guard told us to stop. Sorry, too late, we got all we needed! We also watched a traditional dance performance after having a look around all the sights. It was okay, but due to tiredness, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. So, after a much needed iced white coffee, we went back to the city around noon.

We dropped off at the old town with a little group while the rest went to the hotel. We finally had the three remaining local staple dishes. White rose dumplings (in the shape of white roses, duh), Hoi A Pizza and Che (sweet soup) for dessert. All absolutely fantastic! We were lucky with the savory dishes as they had no vegetarian options on the menu but were happy to make them for us. It were also the only two dishes in the menu and the family keeps the secret recipe for the dumplings while supplying local restaurants in third generation.

We went back into the town to get to the Lantern Making workshop that we signed up for. On the way, we bought an extra stash of coconut crackers. The workshop place was cute and the woman leading very nice and funny. We had a great time, despite some accidents here and there and glue on or hands, we were very happy with the results.

We then went to have a drink as the lanterns needed to dry for an hour. So, we did that at place nearby with views on the water. After picking up the lanterns, we grabbed back to the hotel around 7 pm as we were a little exhausted. So, we had dinner in the room this time with nice fries (first ones this trip). Not too bad! We went to bed early as we have another full day leaving the hotel at 8 am to go to the next city, Hue. So, suitcase preparations required before sleeping!

Day 12 – Marble Mountains and Hue

It has become a the norm that we need to wake up early. After breakfast, we left for the marble mountains first, which are in the neighboring city of Da Nang. We had about 1,5 hours here, which was absolutely necessary. Such a stunning place with all the pagodas on the mountain, trees growing in between and then the highlight of the huge cave with temples inside. Wow, so happy we went here! It was not in the itinerary originally but luckily our friend asked to include it in the trip as it was mentioned on the website we booked the vacation at.We then stopped a the dragon bridge, one photo and go.

We continued on a mountain pass, had quick stop there to enjoy the view of the mountains and the bay below (it was definitely also colder up here) and then made a half hour stop at an oyster farm for some drinks. The farm was not really interesting, but the coconut coffee was a welcome bonus.

We made it to the hotel in Hue, our next destination, early afternoon and got our room keys immediately. The hotel is still okay but the worst we had so far. However, the bed is huge in width.

We had about an hour to get lunch. We went next door to a Highlands Coffee. A worse Vietnamese version of Starbucks. Dennis and our friend had the tiniest banh mi ever and I had a croissant and a passion fruit cheesecake as there were no other vegetarian options. We also went to a mini mart to get some snacks for later.

We then gathered at the hotel again, took the bus to the riverside and boarded a touristy dragon boat where they also tried to sell random souvenirs. The boat tour was not really special. The river is very broad and straight with nothing special on both sides. Also, the weather was quite cold and grey for Vietnam.

We then arrived at the Thien Mu Pagoda, a beautiful area with a lot of history. They even had the car there from the photo of the burning monk from the 1960s. Very impressive story and photo to hear more about. Also, it was nice to see the monks walking around. They also had women there which were almost indistinguishable due to their shaved heads.

We then went back to the hotel where Dennis and I split up. He went with a small group to enjoy a local specialty restaurant with amazing food, multiple courses even. I went with the big group to a local family and had dinner in their living room (meaning half of their house). It was really tasty and we had 8 courses in total! It was so cute when the neighbors’ kids joined and gave everyone a high 5 and started singing baby shark. More and more kept coming and the also again waved, high fived and shouted “bye” when we left. So cute!

When I was walking back to the hotel, Dennis gave me the tip to get a bubble tea at a shop halfway back and order the mango matcha latte. And it did not disappoint! Fantastic combination! Maybe we will come back again the next day if we have the chance. Since we were quite tired from all we had done, we were sleeping around 10 pm already.

Day 13 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Imperial City of Hue

Yet another day of waking up on time. This time, our friend and I joined a motorbike trip through the surrounding countryside. The drivers were waiting for us outside the hotel at 8 am. The drivers were selected randomly by picking the corresponding key from a helmet. My driver was Tan, a really nice guy. He helped me put on a helmet and off we went. In the beginning, it took a little getting used to sit on one of these things at the back end, especially during the crazy traffic. But soon, it felt good with the wind in my face and being between all those other motorbikes.

What a special and unique experience to be between them and see everything from that perspective. We first had a quick stop at a duck farm with hundreds of ducks crammed outside. We then continued to a local market. We entered via a beautiful wooden bridge where the locals come to hang out. There was also a nice altar right in the middle of it.

We then entered the market and found a lady selling ducklings (15.000 dong each). They were so cute we wanted take them all. The rest of the market was again raw meat, half dead fish and the standard veggies and fruits. We then continued to an incense and traditional hat maker store. That was quite interesting to see and smelled fantastic. Maybe that was the reason why everyone suddenly went on a shopping spree to buy some incense including holder (I wanted to buy some incense for some time, so of course I did). I chose the lemongrass and the cinnamon incense.

We also went to viewpoint on the perfume river which was very stunning and something we missed when we were on the boat. Final sightseeing stop: the imperial tomb of one of the emperors of Vietnam. The area was actually quite beautiful and big. It also felt very calm and almost like being in the forest. Also, the history that Trang explained of the Nguyen dynasty was interesting to hear. We also had to high five about 100 children passing by, which immediately put a smile on my face.

After spending some time here, we went for our final stop: the Buddhist monastery. It was nothing special and we barely saw any monks. But the food was all vegetarian and quite tasty. Especially the crackers with jackfruit salad.

We then drove to the citadel, the highlight of Hue with the forbidden city of the emperor on the inside. That is where the tour ended, we met Dennis and Trang gave us some additional information before leaving us. Dennis visited the market in the meantime which I added photos of as well.

The citadel was a huge complex with palaces and temples and amazing to see. They also reconstructed the main palace and it just opened two months ago. But it was not that pretty, quite kitschy actually in bright yellow and red. Dennis and I then took a Grab to Hue Cafe for a salted coffee, specialty of Hue. It did not disappoint, very tasty and work so well with the salty creamy foam.

For dinner, we met our friend again to have Singapore style dim sum we found on Google. The food was very good and spicy. Also the matcha bao bun we had was very nice. After dinner, we walked shortly through the walking street (nothing special just many tourists) and got a mango matcha latte again at the same shop as before. The rest of the evening we spent relaxing in the room.

Day 14 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Hanoi

Time for our second and final domestic flight. The airport in Hue was very small but very new. At the moment they only had flights to either Hanoi or Saigon, but multiple flights a day. Our flight left around 10 am. While waiting at the gate, I enjoyed another salted coffee. Nothing spectacular happened and we arrived as planned in the capital, Hanoi.

It was a big and busy city but with a very different vibe to Saigon when looking out the window of the bus to the hotel. However, the weather was not whay we have had before. Cloudy and even a little drizzle but around 25 degrees. Since the rooms were not available yet, we had lunch at the vegetarian restaurant next door. The food was delicious. By the time we were done, the rooms were ready and we quickly went inside to dump our bags.

Our room was quite nice with a window by the door and a huge one only one side of the room. Also quite spacious. As we heard from others later, we were very lucky as many people were not as happy.

We then discovered the streets of Hanoi. We had amazing fluffy buns on the street, fresh from the oven. We tried the famous egg coffee at the founding cafe (amazing egg foam, less amazing coffee). Dennis had the egg chocolate which was a lot better. We got a bit tired from all the walking and the now heavier drizzle/rain and made our way to the Harry Potter themed cafe called Always. We had butterbeer and a photo shoot in full Potter gear. We chilled a little while playing a HP quiz. Dennis and I then Grabbed to the hotel to have some relaxing time before dinner.

We had dinner close to Always with the whole group where we had a classic dinner menu or a la carte. I had eggplant with ginger, never had it like this. But definitely need to have this again. Wow! We took taxis back to the hotel together with the group as it was raining and now grabs available. Time to get ready for bed again as we would leave Hanoi already in the morning for the mountains!

Day 15 – Let’s go to Sa Pa

Time to get on the bus! After breakfast, we took all our belongings and took a bus ride for about 6 hours to the very north (almost to the border with China). We had two stops on the way but nothing special happened. The last hour through the mountains was great while we climbed up. So many green mountains and already some rice terraces and people in traditional clothing from this area along the road.

Before going to the hotel, we had a group lunch (fixed menu, as always) instead of group dinner. As the buses had trouble with the traffic, we walked to the hotel while the bus would bring the suitcases to the hotel. It was a nice walk to get a first impression of the town and enjoy the weather (25 degrees and sun, no humidity).

The hotel looked very nice on first glanced and quickly a lot of people discovered hidden flaws like loose bath tubs, flooding bathrooms from leaking showers etc. Our room had no windows which we knew could happen. It did not bother us so we did not change rooms. We did book a massage for tomorrow evening already (15€ pp). We walked with some new friends to a nice view point (which turned out to cost 70k) and enjoyed the sunset. We then went back into the town to have some hamburgers with fries (first time this trip). With full bellies, we enjoyed the lit up town by night while walking back to the hotel. We went to bed in time to be well rested for the hiking the next day which will take a big chunk off the day.

Day 16 – A Full Day Hike in Beautiful Sa Pa

With full bellies and prepared with backpacks and hiking shoes, we met Trang in the lobby at 8.30 am to go on our hiking trip through the mountains of Sapa. First, we walked about 2 km out of the town to our meeting point with Zizi our local guide from one of the ethnic communities called black H’mong.  

We had an amazing hike, mostly downhill. We saw so many women and children wanting to sell us some handcrafted stuff. It became a little annoying and also sad to see the children starting to do this at such a young age. The hike was about 10 km when we stopped for lunch with a local family. Kinda similar menu we have always had. Some people said how nice it would be to have some fries for a change. Shortly after, they actually came outside with fries! However, they were already cold and not really fit for eating anymore. Huge bummer!

After lunch, the group spilt up. One going to chill at Zizi’s house to wait for the other group. We joined that second one to do an additional 5 km hike. This time, there was also some climbing and slippery terrain, including a bamboo forest which was beautiful to see. We also saw a waterfall near the end but it was not very spectacular.

We then walked to Zizi’s but waited down the hill at the road for the bus as we were too exhausted to climb back up to her house. However, the bus did not come. Trang called multiple times but they said they had issues with traffic in the town. So. She ordered taxis. Only one showed up. So we kept waiting with the main part of the group. A random bus with a few Italians came by and they agreed to take us along as they had just enough seats left. One even stood up to make room for Trang. We had a lot of fun in the ride back talking to them and making jokes.

Back in town, we quickly changed and then had dinner at an Italian restaurant around the corner. The pizzas were actually quite good but it took so long for them to be served. It was like they could only make one pizza at a time.  We just needed a bit of a change from all the noodles and Vietnamese food…. Sometimes that happens haha.

Dennis and I left the group in time for our 90 minute massage in the hotel. So we quickly changed into bathrobes and went to the Spa area. When we arrived it felt like they forgot us or at least did not expect two people. Afterwards, it seemed Dennis only had an intern. The massage was very bad for him and it also seemed like she was texting in between because every time he felt a buzz, one hand would disappear shortly. My massage was good but not as good as the one we had before. However, relaxed and tired we went straight to bed and turned off the lights not too much after that.

Day 17 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Sa Pa

Today, we decided to not join the second hike in favor of some sleeping in and going up the Fansipan mountain, the highest mountain of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). We had a late breakfast and met the rest of the group that did not join the second hike.

It was only a short walk to the fancy and big Sun Plaza station in the center. Beautiful building but a little out of place. We were quite shocked by the prices, about 45€ per person for the entry and all transportation up the mountain. We quickly realized that this is no average Vietnamese activity. All people, also a lot of Chinese, looked like they had loads of money all wearing their best branded clothes (Gucci, Prada and more overload).

Taking the first funicular up, it became obvious that this was more like an amusement park with many opportunities, fake ethnic shops at a market area but also a beautiful old temple (at least it looked authentic). Then the hardest part came: I had to go on the longest cable car in the world. It was really impressive and the view was great, but that was also the problem. The cables were so long and spanning so many mountain very high above the valleys, I really needed to focus and not look down. It helped that there was some indigenous sounding music (hey ho) that we started singing along too and the people with us joined in.

When we reached the top, we immediately regretted our biggest mistake of the day. Not bringing any warm clothes. It was of course quite cold at 3143m but we just did not think about it. The jacket of 45€ at the souvenir shop was also too expensive for only one use. We needed to take yet another short funicular ride to the very top where we had stunning views despite the misty surroundings.

We stayed as long as we could and took the most important pictures. But we had to descend again a lot earlier than we wanted. So, only the two of us went back down again which took us at least an hour all the way back to the center of Sapa. We wanted to have Banh mi, but found a vegan restaurant with good reviews in a quiet alley close by. Unfortunately, they only had Banh mi for breakfast but we still got nice drinks and food. It took a little longer than we thought as we already became a little hangry while waiting.

The rest of our little group also made it down by that time, so we joined them for some tasty tarts at a local bakery as the pictures they sent were too good to ignore. We then went to hotel to have some rest. We met the group again for dinner. We walked a little further through the town until the lake until we finally found a nice restaurant with enough vegetarian options. After some communication issues with the staff, we got really fantastic food (loved the spicy orange sauce on my ramen noodles). After dinner we went to have a cocktail with our new Belgian friend at a bar close to the hotel. It was quite nice and the drinks tasted great (I loved my elderflower one). I also shared a cheese platter. Perfect end to the last day in Sapa!

Day 18 – Back to Hanoi

This morning, it was time to say goodbye to the mountains of Sapa. We went back to Hanoi by bus and arrived after 6 hours in the afternoon at the same hotel as before. We decided to have Banh Mi for lunch. We first some local addresses near the hotel but one looked worse than the other. We ultimately ended up at Banh Mi 25, a place we found before the trip as a hotspot. And that was the case for sure! A lot of (western) tourists and full tables. But we were able to find enough sitting space for everyone eventually and had really fantastic banh mi.

Then we went to see a highlight of Hanoi, Train Street. When we arrived, it was not possible to enter the tracks to get to the shops and cafes as guards were blocking the entry. When we found out that we could enter after 5 pm, we had some nice drinks close by to pass the time. I had yet again a fantastic salted coffee. When we got back to the tracks we could indeed enter but only while being accompanied by someone owning a shop inside. Ok, here we go. We went in to sit right by the tracks and had some drinks. Of course, many photos had to be taken which was a little tricky and people came and shushed us out of the way on a regular basis.

We had decided to do the optional street food tour but we both were the only ones. The rest of the group did not feel like it. Better for us, which meant we had a great time alone with our fantastic local guide Minh. We met him outside a wellknown market place. A really great guy with much knowledge and experience. He was also happy to be in our video and explain the dishes we had.

We went to several different locations to have Vietnamese donuts (one with sugar and one with honey, ball shaped and with mung bean filling), a freshly made rice cake by a lady that works all day long in a family owned restaurant, nice local craft beer, a so called dry pho (no soup), another fantastic egg cocoa at the one other location with the secret recipe as the original inventor (same family), and ended with a nice fruit salad as dessert. A fantastic way to end the day after that long travel in the morning.

Day 19 – Stunning Nature in Ha Long Bay

Time to leave Hanoi for the second time, this time to the east. After breakfast, we boarded the bus to go to Ha Long Bay, one of the highlights of Vietnamese nature. The drive took about three hours with one stop at a rest area near Hai Phong, Trang’s hometown. She told us a little bit about it, being the country’s biggest harbor. But we did not get to see anything of it unfortunately, except the huge harbor while crossing it on a bridge with our bus.

Around noon, we made it to the harbor of Ha Long City to board our ship, which would be our hotel and restaurant for the next 24 hours. It was bigger than expected and our room very cozy with a comfortable bed, nice views from the windows and a complete bathroom. What else could you wish for?

We then had lunch in the shared area upstairs. It was very tasty and better than some food we had at a few of the homes. The view from the ship also quickly changed when we reached the area of the bay with the hundred of rocks rising from the water. Absolutely stunning to see!

We set course for Ti Too Island, a commercial tourist destination where you could climb one of these rocks all the way up. So, that is was what we did. It was about 400 steps that were also a bit slippery but mainly congested by tourists. Especially, annoying Chinese ones that tried to cut the queue. Come one, where are your manners?

When we came back down to wait for the group, I started to feel very exhausted. I was already not too great all day long, but when we came back to the boat, I really got sick with fever and was not able to attend any more activities that day. I stayed in the cozy bed all night while Dennis brought me a little food from the dinner upstairs and I listened to him, among many others singing karaoke. Not the way I planned to spend the last days, but at least I have not missed any highlights earlier on the trip.

Day 20 – Ha Long Bay and back to Hanoi

Hey, Dennis here. I’m taking over the last few days of our travel journal. Tim got sick and has a fever, so he will take it a bit easier for the last two days of our trip. We woke up on the boat around 6.30 AM. We needed to be present at 7.15 to get on a smaller boat for visiting “the surprising cave”, a beautiful caves discovered by surprise in Ha Long Bay.

We were one of the first groups of tourists that day and that made walking through the big cave more special. After one hour we got back to our big boat and had breakfast. In the meanwhile the boat went back to the harbor and we had to pack our luggage and prepare for the bus trip back to Hanoi.

On the way to Hanoi we made two stops. One at a pottery factory and one at a place where people disabled by the Agent Orange disease were offered work at making embroideries. They sold the embroidered painting for a very steep price (around 1500 euro’s per piece) Of course all proceed go to the good cause. But for us it was a bit too much to spend on a painting that we don’t have a space for in our house. We had a quick lunch and made it back to Hanoi.

Since Tim was not feeling that well, he decided to stay in the hotel room and save his energy for the farewell dinner with our travel group later that day. So our friend and myself walked through Hanoi to visit some places we hadn’t seen yet. This included the small island with the Pagoda and the red bridge and the weirdly decorated Catholic Church called the St Joseph Cathedral. It was a grey building with a simple black paintbrush decorating. Really weird and simple in my eyes. But that made it special and stand out from other churches in town and in Vietnam.

Then it was time for our farewell dinner on the official last night of our trip. We had dinner in a very nice restaurant and the food was really good. I ordered that buffalo stew. Of course we drank more fruit juices. This is something we will definitely miss going home… all the amazing fresh fruit juices for low prices. During the dinner we prepared a little farewell speech and quiz with funny questions for our tour leader, Trang. The group asked me to present the quiz, which I liked to do. Trang loved the questions and was clearly amused but her farewell activity. When she got a question right we would hand over a little bag with her tip in it. By getting all the personal questions right, she collected all of her 20 bags. After dinner it was time for bed.

Day 21 of our 3-Week Vietnam Trip – Final day in Hanoi

Dennis again: We have one last day to spend in Hanoi. We booked the late check out, allowing us to keep the room till 6 PM (Our pick-up time for the airport is 6.30 so that corresponds perfectly well) Tim wanted to save some energy for the 18 hour trip back home, so he stayed in the room today. I went out by myself to explore some more of Hanoi. I also wanted to record some videos talking about Hanoi and Vietnam, somewhere in the streets.

After finishing I met up with our friend in the end of the morning and we visited the beautiful temple of literature together. After that we had some nice fruit juices and I tried the Banana Coffee for our coffee tasting video. A last-minute addition to all of the tasty coffees we tried during our trip. I then walked over to Banh Mi 25, our favorite Banh Mi restaurant in Hanoi, to have lunch with some of our new friends from the group. Last time having this delicious sandwich for now.

After lunch we walked to the local market to get some last souvenirs and spend some of the last Vietnamese Dongs. I wanted to buy the Mung Bean cakes that our tour leader told us about. I ended up not liking them very much, but that’s part of the game of trying new things, right. I then walked back to the hotel to check on Tim. He was feeling a bit better and was hopeful for the trip home.

We packed our suitcases and freshened up. Since there was still an hour left for our checkout, I decided to walk to another pagoda not far from our hotel. It was small by in a very nice location on the lake. The sunset made it even more beautiful and I took some last pictures. Then it was time to head to the airport. We hugged our tour leader, Trang, goodbye… even though hugging is not really a thing for Vietnamese people. Check in was rather fast and we decided to get some food whilst waiting for the boarding to begin. We found a simple restaurant together with some of our new friends. Waiting for the food took a little while and all was being prepared one after another (as we have seen happen in Vietnam multiple times). Then it was time to board for the first (and longest) flight back home to Nala!

Day 22 – Flying home

Our first flight (11 hours to Istanbul) went smoothly. We tried to sleep a bit but ended up dozing off a couple of times. But all was fine and time flew by quickly. During our 3,5 hour stopover in Istanbul we got a milkshake at Shake Shack, and I got some fries. Time to board our second flight… Amsterdam here we come. Time to say goodbye to our amazing 3-week Vietnam trip.

Waiting for the luggage in Amsterdam always takes quite a while and today was no exception. We said goodbye to all our fellow travelers and to some new friends. Time to get the shuttle bus to long-term-parking and drive home. We dropped our friend of at her house and then it was finally time to pick up Nala at my parent’s. She was super excited to see us, as were we to see her. Lots of cuddles and kisses… the best way to come home. We unpacked… got some groceries, had a Dutch meal at my parents to tell them some of our adventures and then we tried to stay awake as long as we could to battle the jetlag. But at 7.30 PM we caved in and went to bed. Home sweet home!

Check out the full video on our 3-Week Vietnam Trip

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