Experience the unique charm and enchanting sights of Southeast Asia’s diamond in the rough.
Take it from a former four-year resident – you won’t find a travel destination as uniquely chaotic but oddly serene as Vietnam.
If you love the thrill of discovery, a satiated appetite, and a distinct blend of the past with the present, a weekend getaway to the motherland of phở and bánh mì is the perfect choice.
Rather than sharing insights on one weekend escape, I’m happily spoiling you with two choices. Each region, from northern Hanoi to central Da Nang, has its spin on the spirit of Vietnamese culture and cuisine, making your next trip wonderfully unlike the last.
Travel time to Vietnam’s three international airports is around three hours by flight from Taipei, Kaohsiung, or Taichung airports. Note that ticket prices vary based on where you depart from in Taiwan rather than where you fly to in Vietnam, with the most affordable route embarking from Taoyuan International Airport in the north for about NT$8,000.
Vietjet Air has numerous timetables and low-cost tickets. The airline also gifts its passengers a recording of “Hello Vietnam” sung by Pham Quynh Anh, played through the plane’s scratchy speakers upon landing. While hearing the song is a rite of passage to me, it’s a source of dread for frequent fliers who, not wanting the chorus to be stuck in their heads for the rest of the day, would rather deplane in silence. The lyrics are a touching, almost sorrowful tale of the Vietnamese diaspora returning to the home of their ancestors.
If your budget is flexible and flight schedules align with your travel plans, Vietnam Airlines or EVA Air should do the trick – your back, bottom, and knees will thank me later.
Before you set foot on Vietnamese soil, brace yourself for what has the potential to be a less-than-seamless trip. Encountering a speed bump or two along the way is all part of the ride. Whether booking a tour and discovering there’s no way to get there or frantically pantomiming something you need, see these experiences as adding to the story.
“Even if things don’t work, things always work out,” says Anh-Thu Nguyen, a Vietnamese American long-time resident. “Vietnam is chaotically abundant. There’s always that kind of energy where anything is possible.” The more faith and flexibility you have, the more rewarding your time will be.
Vietnamese people are exceedingly kind, accommodating, and outgoing. If at any point you feel lost, be sure to look lost. Your clear facial expression of confusion or despair will be a lightning rod for support; rest assured. And with its rank on Vision of Humanity’s 2023 Global Peace Index at 41 – above South Korea (43), Indonesia (53), and France (67) – Vietnamese friendliness and willingness to help you out are widely with pure intentions.
If you are navigating through the north
Actually, in the “friendliness” department, Hanoians tend to miss the mark. As the capital of Vietnam with a long history of close government control and traditional values, Hanoi natives have a stern exterior, even in the eyes of their southern counterparts.
Also, do not be fooled by boat tours of Hạ Long Bay. It’s a seascape dotted with limestone islands rising from the depths and is advertised everywhere you search, whether online or at a group tour agency.
The photos of blue skies and inviting waters are anything but. The sky is almost always overcast, the bay is packed with boats tossing litter overboard, and any swimming is forbidden as the water is so heavily polluted that it would irritate your skin, or you run the risk of coming into contact with poisonous jellyfish.
Two to three days stuck on a shabby boat with strangers while feeling bored and disappointed? No, thank you.
What I recommend:
The area surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake is a central location in Hanoi and has a diverse range of cute hotels, Airbnb’s, and hostels.
A running theme in Vietnam is “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” A rickety set of stairs in a slightly dilapidated building leading to a long, creepy, poorly lit hallway where the door to your accommodation rests suddenly opens into a clean, cozy, rustic, two-story room with every amenity you could want. Channel that faith I mentioned when selecting a room based on online photos.
Walking around the lake in the evening feels dreamy – almost romantic – and the streets are buzzing with activity, from market stalls to food vendors and pockets of sidewalk karaoke. In the daytime, get lost meandering through the Old Quarter, admiring its quaintness.
Best of all, one of the most geographically beautiful places in Vietnam and an incredible substitute to Hạ Long Bay is a relatively short 1.5-hour shuttle bus ride to Ninh Bình (travel time to Hạ Long Bay is around 3 hours), just south of Hanoi. Use the website 12GoAsia to book transportation or confirm all journey prices for comparison.
Mountainside bungalows with floor-to-ceiling, front-facing windows surveying the surrounding valley provide a relaxing retreat from the bustling city. Watching a storm roll in over the mountains and listening to the patter of rain against the glass while soaking in a giant wooden bucket-style bathtub is unparalleled bliss. Experience this yourself by booking a room at Green Mountain Homestay.
Boat tours of Ninh Bình run throughout the afternoon with blue skies and billowing clouds overhead as you glide through Vietnam’s iconic stony cliffs lining placid waterways. The Tam Coc tour is excellent as the length is shorter, allowing time for follow-up activities.
Once the tour is finished, head over to Bái Đính Temple, the largest complex of Buddhist temples in Vietnam that, although partially newly constructed, adheres to traditional Vietnamese design aesthetics. Several temples run up the center of the vast compound, serving as worship sites for Buddha, Bà Chúa Thượng Ngàn (the goddess of forests), and Vietnam’s fairies, to name a few.
I was stunned by the interior of the middle-most structure, with its ornate gold statues, intricately crafted décor, and sheer size. When my friend mentioned another, more enormous temple further up the sacred steps, I could hardly believe something would surpass what I had just seen.
Before you head home, you must try traditional Vietnamese coffee. Hidden Gem Café Hanoi is a cute, eclectic, and tasty choice if you can snake your way to the innermost part of the building to find it. The strength of Vietnamese coffee is no joke, so factor in the extreme rush of energy into your next activity.
If you’re cruising through the center
Unlike Hanoi and Ninh Bình, which are best experienced at a leisurely pace, Da Nang and Hội An demand that you hit the ground running, considering the plethora of satellite locations here. Relying on numerous taxi rides from one location to another is often inevitable and can make up a significant portion of your travel expenses.
Da Nang offers little besides its shopping malls and cool-looking bridges that light up in the evenings – one even rotates in a giant circle, but the idea is more interesting on paper than in person.
What I recommend:
Establish your home base toward the southern parts of the city for optimal access to the focal points of your trip – the Bà Nà Hills theme park and the ancient town of Hội An. Beyond the downtown congestion you’ll find cute, single-story homestays that add unique charm to your rental room experience.
The path to Bà Nà Hills is quite long. First, you must take a taxi or bus to the base of the mountain some 20 kilometers away, then a gondola ride to reach the ridge’s peak. However, views of the valley and the city in the distance from within the cable car create a calm, scenic purgatory for the fever dream that awaits you at the top.
“Theme” park in the singular noun form should be more appropriately corrected to “themes” when speaking of Bà Nà Hills. Pairs of circus clowns with frizzy, technicolor afros donning the stereotypical big red noses pass on your left. In just a few steps, you’ll see troupes of children dressed in traditional Vietnamese garb rushing past. Take two more strides, and you’ll encounter performers who seem as if they’ve been transported from a medieval era marching by.
There are games, street performances, indoor shows, restaurants, gift shops, meticulously cared-for flower gardens, and the two huge hands of a moss-covered giant jutting from the hillside cradling a bridge, all crammed into an artificial early-last-millennia European castle. To call Bà Nà Hills otherworldly is an understatement, yet it’s endlessly fascinating with its limitless stimuli.
The amusement park might make you feel like you’re in a Vietnamese rendition of Alice in Wonderland. It’s no wonder, then, that nestled within is a delightful spot for tea. Past the whirlwind of entertainment lies a Japanese-style garden and tea house perched atop one of the park’s tallest peaks. It’s a pleasant departure with incredible panoramic views and doesn’t seem to be on most visitors’ radar.
Next up is Hội An, positioned in a manageable 45-minute taxi ride south of Da Nang. If you forgo all other items on your itinerary and head straight for this ancient town for the entirety of your stay, I’d completely understand. Having once spent nine consecutive days in this quaint, 15th-century relic, I know there’s plenty to do and a handful of decent quality rooms to stay in.
In fact, it’s not a bad idea to afford Hội An’s master tailors enough time to design, cut, and construct custom silk garments detailed to your every specification. These hand-sewn pieces have earned a global reputation, using 400-year-old silk weaving techniques to produce modern and stylish clothes made within two days.
Most customers stop in for standard suits and dresses, but don’t feel constrained by these choices. Show the tailor any silhouette you have in mind, and they’ll strive to bring it to life. A friend of mine regularly returns with stunning ensembles, including gorgeous two-piece skirts and tops, and sleek silk pants that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
The blistering sun leaves the town almost void of life in the day. If you’d like to make the most of the high-noon rays, you can rent a bicycle for cheap and ride about 20 minutes to An Bàng Beach. Cycling past the rice fields toward sandy dunes in the expansive Vietnamese countryside is a scene I could relive time and again.
At night, however, is when the air fills with electricity – partially because of the hundreds of lanterns that appear to float above you and in part due to the surrounding excitement.
The Thu Bồ n River becomes somewhat of a spiritual spectacle. Local aunties selling candlelit paper lanterns assist you in using a long, thin pole to carefully place the lanterns onto the water’s surface. I seriously doubt there’s any deep concern for this activity’s environmental impact. Still, for a moment, it’s nice to feel the magic.
Small boats for couples or families are docked to take you along the river. I’d advise against it because the stretch of river dividing the town is very short, so anything longer than three minutes feels like overkill.
The centerpiece of Hội An and its most recognizable landmark is the 16th-century Japanese Bridge, an ancient footbridge with a small temple on its north side that Japanese merchants used to establish residence there. In 1719, it was named Lại Viễn Kiề u, which means “a bridge to welcome guests from afar.” Finding a historic site with the original purpose of welcoming outsiders seems rare.
Anthony Bourdain himself traveled the entire length of Vietnam. As a global connoisseur of all things food, he named Bánh mì Phượng, located in Hội An old town, the place for the world’s best bánh mì. The bread is crunchy, the meat is well-seasoned, the greens are generously distributed, and the options are plentiful. Unless you’ve had a taste, you can’t say you’ve been to Hội An. The lines can be long depending on the time of day, but it’s well worth the wait.
Before you go, take a moment to unwind. Massages in Vietnam are markedly cheaper than in Taiwan. Omamori Spa is a chain managed by Blind-Link, which provides employment, support, and training opportunities to visually impaired individuals. The massage service is sublime, and the employees are skilled and kind.
THE APPS YOU NEED:
• Grab: The ultimate go-to taxi app. Even if you’re traveling with multiple people, sometimes it’s faster and cheaper for each of you to book separate motorbikes rather than one car and meet up at your destination.
• Grab Food: A lot of options, English included, and faster than any delivery service in Taipei.
• TikTok: While this app may be controversial, I cannot express enough how vital TikTok is to finding great eats. Search the city in Vietnam and “food,” sort through which videos are the most popular, and then try that establishment yourself. It’s such a useful tool with more accurate reviews than most online websites and blogs.
• Hostelworld: A great database of hotels, hostels, and homestays. I use this every time I go and have not had any bad experiences. The reviews are true to life, and the interface is very user-friendly.
• Google Translate: Your new best friend and travel partner. This is a reminder that you can screenshot what’s on your phone that needs translating and then upload the photo to the app.
