I traveled Vietnam from north to south, from the mountains to the cities and eventually down to the
beaches. Every stop felt completely different, but the people, the food, and the atmosphere made the
whole country special to me. These are some of the places and moments that stood out along the way.
Hanoi
Hanoi was my first stop in Vietnam, and it set the tone for the whole country. I wandered
streets strung with red flags, visited St. Joseph’s Cathedral, the Temple of Literature, and the
Vietnam Military History Museum, watched a water puppet show and a calligrapher at work, caught
a Hanoi vs. HCMC football match, and squeezed against the wall as the train rolled down Train
Street. The food was the highlight: phở from a Michelin-starred restaurant, bún chả, bánh mì,
egg coffee that tastes almost like tiramisu, and even egg beer. The McDonald’s, not so much.
Sapa
Sapa is a mountain town in the far northwest, and it was wrapped in fog for most of my visit. I
rode the mountain train and made it to the top of Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina at
3,143 m, where the temples and statues kept disappearing into the clouds. I also explored Cat
Cat Village, watched local women draw batik patterns before dyeing the cloth with natural
indigo, and tried horse meat with sticky rice, which was honestly really good.
Ha Giang Loop
The Ha Giang Loop is a multi-day motorbike trip through the mountains near the Chinese border,
on switchback roads like the one in this site’s background. Every turn opened up another valley.
Along the way I saw motorbikes carrying unbelievable loads, stopped at lookouts marked with
Vietnamese flags, and shared big family-style dinners with the group, who quickly became my Ha
Giang tour fam.
Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is known as “Ha Long Bay on land”: limestone karsts rising out of rice fields and
rivers. I climbed to the top of Hang Mua for the view, took a boat ride along the river and
through low caves, and explored the lantern-lit old town. For food, I tried the local specialty,
mountain goat, plus pig ear and a banana chocolate waffle for dessert.
Phong Nha
Phong Nha is home to some of the largest caves in the world. I explored Paradise Cave, which is
far bigger than any photo can show, took in the river and jungle-covered mountains, and fed a
very enthusiastic flock of ducks.
Hue
Hue was Vietnam’s imperial capital, on the Perfume River. I visited the Citadel and the Imperial
City, saw Truong Tien Bridge at sunset, and explored the abandoned Thuy Tien water park outside
the city, where a giant graffiti-covered dragon sits in the middle of a lake. You can even climb
up and look out from inside its mouth. Hue also had one of the best salads I’ve ever had.
Hoi An & Da Nang
Hoi An’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 30 km from the beach city of Da Nang. At
night the river fills with lantern boats and people play bài chòi, a kind of folk bingo with
singing. I made my own lantern, took a cooking class, and took a coffee class where I made egg
coffee and coconut coffee myself.
Da Lat
Da Lat is a cool highland city surrounded by pine forests. I rode the alpine coaster through the
trees, raced go-karts that felt like real-life Mario Kart, climbed the twisting stairs of Crazy
House, and found art everywhere, from giant cassette tapes to the forest spirit Thần Rừng. In
the evenings I went to the night market for street food and bánh tráng nướng, often called
“Vietnamese pizza.”
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is Vietnam’s largest city. I visited the Central Post Office
and the War Remnants Museum, then went out to the Cu Chi tunnels, where I squeezed into one of
the tunnel entrances. At night it was all neon: bridges lit up, lantern-lit alleys, and Bui Vien
walking street. I ate cơm tấm (broken rice) and pizza at 4P’s.
Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is an island off Vietnam’s southwest coast. I spent my time between Grand World, with
its Venice-style canals and a clock tower that lights up at night, and Starfish Beach at sunset.
Add cozy cafes, seafood phở, and flaming B-52 shots, and it was a great island break.
