“Sticky Rice”, Surviving Hanoi Traffic

Hanoi was the perfect introduction to Vietnam.

The second you step outside, it hits you. Scooters everywhere, tiny street food stalls on every corner, people drinking coffee on little plastic stools, tangled electric wires overhead and a constant stream of movement in every direction.

One of the best things we did was an open top jeep tour around the city. It ended up being the perfect way to understand Hanoi and see different sides of the city beyond the main tourist streets.

Our jeep guide taught us the secret to crossing Vietnamese roads: "sticky rice". If you're crossing with someone else, stay close together, even hold hands, so the traffic can predict your movements. Given how important sticky rice is in Vietnamese cuisine, it felt like a very fitting piece of local wisdom. It also sounded slightly ridiculous at first, but by the end of the trip we were still referring to it whenever we crossed a road.

One of the things that amazed us most throughout the whole three week trip was that despite the complete madness of the traffic, thousands of mopeds, cars and trucks somehow moving in every direction at once, we did not see a single accident.

It somehow just works.

The traffic flows in a way that feels chaotic at first, but there is also a calmness to it. Drivers beep simply to let people know they are there, not aggressively. There seems to be an unspoken understanding on the roads that everyone just adapts around each other.

My completely unofficial theory is that the laid back, calm nature of many Vietnamese people probably helps. Everything feels surprisingly non aggressive despite how busy it is.

Hanoi also introduced us to Vietnam’s incredible food scene.

Pho, bánh mì, ice coffees and egg coffee quickly became daily essentials, and some of the best meals came from tiny local places, where we felt like we were sitting in someone’s home and sharing their evening meal!

Ninh Binh, Vietnam’s Peaceful Side

A day trip to Ninh Binh felt calm and almost dreamlike, a lovely break from the chaos of Hanoi.

Floating through rivers surrounded by limestone mountains and rice fields was one of the most peaceful experiences of the trip.

It felt quieter, greener and slower paced, a completely different side of Vietnam with some surprises along the way, like rowers that only use their feet, stunning lotus flower plantations and unexpectedly climbing dragon mountain!

Ha Long Bay, Beautiful But Busy

Ha Long Bay really is stunning.

Cruising through the limestone islands felt surreal at times, but I was definitely surprised by just how many cruise boats were in the bay. Far more than I expected.

Still absolutely worth seeing, but not quite the untouched paradise social media sometimes makes it look like.

Hue, Hotter, Quieter and Full of History

We flew from Hanoi to Hue, and the difference was noticeable immediately.

Hue felt much less chaotic than Hanoi, much hotter, and far more local.

Outside of the main historical sites there were noticeably fewer tourists, which actually made it feel more authentically Vietnamese in many ways.

Hue is definitely worth visiting for anyone interested in the imperial history and cultural side of Vietnam. Exploring the ancient sites gave a completely different perspective on the country beyond beaches and nightlife.

One of my favourite experiences there was exploring parts of the city from the back of a moped tour. Slightly terrifying at first, but honestly one of the best ways to experience Vietnam properly.

Marble Mountains, Crowded But Worth It

The Marble Mountains were busy. Very busy.

Lots of tourists, lots of steps and definitely not somewhere to attempt in extreme heat.

But despite the crowds, it still felt authentic and impressive. The caves, temples, giant pagodas and views from the top made it worth the climb. Our guide that day was full of local knowledge and enthusiasm and also a keen photographer. I have more photos of that day than any other!

Ba Na Hills, Completely Bizarre

Ba Na Hills was one of the strangest places I have ever visited.

The cable cars were genuinely impressive, with incredible views across the mountains, and seeing the famous giant stone hands bridge in person was very cool.

But beyond that, the whole place felt surreal.

It is essentially a giant theme park in the mountains pretending to be a French village. Completely unauthentic, slightly chaotic and honestly quite weird.

That said, families with children would probably absolutely love it.

Vietnam constantly surprised me with these contrasts. One day you are exploring centuries old temples, the next you are standing in what feels like a fantasy version of Disneyland in the clouds.

Hoi An, My Favourite Place in Vietnam

Hoi An was my favourite stop of the entire trip.

It feels smaller, calmer and more manageable than the bigger cities, more like a town than a city, with no huge high rise buildings dominating everything.

At night it becomes incredibly busy around the river and Old Town area, but it somehow still keeps its charm.

The lanterns glowing over the water, busy little markets, copious amounts of tailors, who will whip you up a 3-piece suit or a ball gown overnight or custom make you a pair of fashionable shoes, cafés hidden down alleyways, restaurants everywhere and endless little shops made it somewhere I constantly wanted to keep exploring.

And one thing I loved about Hoi An was how close it is to the seaside too. You can go from wandering through the Old Town to relaxing by the beach surprisingly quickly.

It is touristy, yes, but for good reason.

I could easily have spent much longer there.

Saigon, Intense, Modern and Educational

Saigon felt completely different again.

Busier, more modern, more international and unbelievably hot.

One of the most impactful experiences there was visiting the War Remnants Museum. It was harrowing, eye opening and honestly shocking at times.

Seeing such recent history presented so directly was difficult but incredibly important.

We also visited the Cu Chi tunnels, which added even more perspective to Vietnam’s history and what people endured during the war.

Another highlight was exploring the Mekong Delta, where we learnt more about local industries like coconut production and brick making. It was fascinating seeing a more rural and traditional side of life outside the city.

Saigon also had some of the best food experiences of the trip, which we got to experience when we joined a ‘back of the bike food tour’, which felt equal parts exhilarating and mildly terrifying in traffic. It was fantastic!

We even found Michelin starred restaurants for prices that would be almost impossible back home, and we did a night bus tour around the city which gave a completely different atmosphere after dark.

Phu Quoc, Beaches, Scuba Diving and Questionable Moped Decisions

After the intensity of the cities, Phu Quoc gave us time to slow down a little.

We stayed at Anja Beach Resort, which had such a relaxed atmosphere and beautiful sunsets by the sea.

One of the highlights was spending a day scuba diving. The visibility was not world class compared to somewhere like in Thailand, but it was still such a fun experience and another reminder of how varied Vietnam really is.

We also fully embraced the Vietnamese massage culture. Genuinely amazing and ridiculously good value for money.

And then came what was possibly our boldest decision of the trip, hiring our own moped to explore the island.

Terrifying? Slightly.

Exhilarating? Absolutely.

By that point in the trip we had spent so much time watching Vietnamese traffic that we felt just confident enough to attempt it ourselves.

I am still not entirely sure whether it was a brilliant idea or a terrible one.

Probably both.

Right at the end of our trip, after our last evening meal we experienced one of my favourite memories from the whole trip. We accidentally stumbled across a hidden ‘speakeasy’ style cocktail bar behind what looked like a completely ordinary little shopfront.

It perfectly summed up Vietnam for me. There is always something unexpected waiting behind an unassuming doorway. (feel free to follow my Instagram account for a video about this unexpected little side quest!)

 

Final Thoughts

Vietnam is not polished perfection.

It is busy, humid, noisy and occasionally chaotic. Things do not always run perfectly smoothly, and some places are far more touristy than social media suggests.

But that is also exactly why it feels so real.

Vietnam has personality.

From hidden cocktail bars in Phu Quoc to lantern lit evenings in Hoi An, peaceful rivers in Ninh Binh, emotional history in Saigon and the complete sensory overload of Hanoi, it is a country that constantly keeps you curious.

It challenged my expectations in the best possible way.

And now, completely unsurprisingly, I already want to go back and see the bits we’ve missed!