Vietnam: what you can't miss

Vietnam has a lot of history, but when you visit this country you can see what it means to have the strength of blooming and move forward toward a bring future.

Vietnam has not only stunning landscapes, it also has kind people and delicious food.
If you are planning to visit this country, here are some tips on what you should try not to skip during your stay.

I have visited Vietnam from North to South and I can say that it was the best decision I could have made, since the North part of Vietnam requires a lot of energy for all the stunning places to see and experiences to do, and personally, the North it was my favorite part of Vietnam.

Hanoi

Start from the capital Hanoi, you will might live the culture shock at the beginning and enter in the Vietnamese culture straight away, but you will get used to it very quickly. Hanoi is a busy city and is divided between the old and the modern city.

The old city is the most characteristic one and it is usually recommended if you are a backpacker or you are traveling on a budget.The modern part of the city has a very French influence in its architecture and the difference between the old city and the modern city could seem unrealistic and for this reason is worth visiting both of them.

My hostel recommendation in Hanoi is Buffalo Hostel, the rooms are cozy, clean and cheap and you also have a pool and free happy hour! They also organize free walking tours, which I think it’s the best way to see the city and free beer during happy hour every day!

What to see in Hanoi:

• Old town
• Hanoi train street
• Ngoc Son temple
• The Weekend Market
• Puppet show
• The Note Coffee, try their famous egg coffee

And don’t forget to try the best Banh Mi in town at Banh Mi 25!

Sapa

My experience in Sapa was one of my favorites in Vietnam and I want to make sure to be clear with that, I am not talking of the city of Sapa itself, which is very touristy, but about the experience I lived with Mama Mao Sapa Trekking. You can contact her directly through her Instagram!

You can decide to take a day trekking with Mama Mao or her sister Sue in the local villages, walk through the rice fields, help locals plant the rice and see beautiful landscapes or be a host at Mama Mao’s homestay and do different walks everyday and have dinner with her and the other guests. All the meals will be included in the price and you will have your private room. Oh, she will make you eat a lot of delicious food and drink a lot of happy water, so be prepared! What is happy water? Is a homemade rice liquor very popular in Vietnam.

I highly recommend to stay at Mama Mao’s homestay, she will be your trusted guy and you won’t have to worry about anything, but only to be opened to learn and enjoy the immersion in their culture.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what I lived during my four days at Mama Mao’s, it felt like home and it was very hard to say goodbye to this beautiful family.

Once you are in Sapa, you can’t skip a visit to Fansipan mountain, the highest mountain of Indochina. You can get there by cable car and you will literally take a ride in the clouds.

The Ha Giang Loop

If you like motorbikes rides and breathtaking landscape, you can’t skip the Ha Giang Loop. During my four days on the back of a motorbike I had no idea that Vietnam has the best natural landscapes of Southeast Asia and I couldn’t realize what my eyes were seeing. The loop is 350 km long and touches the Chinese border.

If you can’t or prefer not to drive a motorbike, but you still want to live the experience don’t worry, you can get an easy rider that will drive you through the loop, I personally had in easy rider since I didn’t have an international license and I preferred to enjoy the amazing wonders around me, instead of worrying about driving.

There are a lot of groups that organize the Ha Giang loop and it will be up to you to decide how many days you want your tour to last or what kind of group you are looking for. I personally recommend to dedicate 3 or 4 days to enjoy it and see as much as possible and decide depending on your mood if you would like to join a ‘’party group tour’’ or a more chill one. I choose the second option and I was very happy with the people I met and the experience we lived together.

Party vibes and big group:

• Jasmine
• Mama’s

Chilled vibes and small group:

• Hong Hao Hostel and Motorbikes

Be aware that if you choose a party group which has big groups of people participating, it will affect your accommodation, so you could end up sleeping in a room with 20 other people, but it can have its charm, lol.

Cat Ba and Halong Bay

Halong bay is one of the world’s heritage, not only for its beauty, but also because there are still people living in floating houses in the bay and some of them have never touched the land.

The cheapest way to visit Halong bay is by taking a tour from Cat Ba island and you will also have the chance to kayak through Ha Lan bay, though caves and beautiful lagoons, in fact this is the most popular choice of backpackers traveling on a budget.

If you are looking for a fancier and more romantic way to visit Halong Bay, you can consider taking a cruise tour, where you will literally spend 1 or 2 nights on a cruise and sail through Halong bay, but of course you will spend a different amount for that.

Cat Ba island is also known for the National park, which if you have the time and you are up for a long walk, is definitely worth the visit.

Tam Coc

You must spend at least one night in Tam Coc during your Vietnamese journey. The famous little boat rides in the rivers passing through rise fields, temples and caves?

This is all in Tam Coc and here is what you can’t skip:

• Trang An, is at the top of my favorite things in Tam Coc for sure.
• Viewpoint Đầm sen Hang múa, some steps to climd, but the view is priceless.

If you enjoy the little boats rides you can also experience the Tam Cốc-Bích Động, but it will not be at the level of beauty of the Trang An one.

Tam Con also has a lot pagodas and temple that you can visit such as the Bich Dong Pagoda or the Thai Vi Temple.
If you have the time, visit Ninh Bin at night, which is the closest city, and you can experience the walking streets and lantern bridge and a local food market, but be aware that almost no one will speak English, but a lot of kids will try to speak to you to practice it!

Hue

Hue is a big city and it is definitely not a must do, unless you are very interested in history and you want to visit the Hue Historic Citadel.

The reason why I visited Hue is because I decided to drive through the Hi Van Pass, which is a panoramic motorbike ride that leads you to Da Nang and Hoi An, and this time I really wanted to drive myself.

The drive was very nice and I loved riding the scooter surrounded by beautiful views, but if you have to choose a motorbike ride, the Ha Giang loop is definitely superior.

Hoi An

The city of lanterns, Hoi An is also a world heritage for its mix of Japanese and Vietnamese style and the presence of lanterns in every corner of this beautiful village.

You will feel like you are in a movie and you won’t be able to stop taking pictures or just be enchanted by the lights.

I recommend staying in the city center since it’s there that all the magic happens, especially at night when all the lanterns light up. I stayed at the Imperfect Downtown Hoi An Hostel and it was one of my favorite hostels so far, rooms are clean and the staff is the most sweet and welcoming ever.. oh and you have a swimming pool!

I have stayed in Hoi An for one week, but you can definitely do it in less days.

Must do in Hoi An:

• Get lost in the streets of the city center
• Lantern making workshop
• Take a cooking class
• Japanese bridge
• Coconut Village
• Light a lantern by the water
• Rent a bike and visit the vegetable village and rice fields
• Visit Hoi An beach for some relax
• Night market in the center
• Marble mountains
• Get some tailored clothes at Milan Linen Clothings custom Taylor & Lime store
• Make your own Vietnamese coffe at Unicorn Bowl & coffee

Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh has been my last stop and I have to say that I couldn’t end up my Vietnamese trip in any better way than getting to know more about the history of this country.

After 23 days in Vietnam, I felt like I owed to this country to learn and see with my eyes what it went through and here is the best way to do it:

• Visit the War Museum
• Visit the Cu Chi tunnels
• Take a tour to the Mekong river
• Walk in the famous Chinatown
• Notre-Dam of Saigon and book street
• Bến Thành Market

Hope you will enjoy your trip to Vietnam and make sure you save those tips to make the most out of your trip!

If you want to see a little more of what Vietnam looked like, check out this !⬇