On travels in Vietnam

 One year ago today, I set off for my Chinese New Year trip to Vietnam. This was my 39th country visited, and my last big trip before the pandemic.

I spent 2 weeks in the country, flying from Taipei (where I was working at the time) to Hanoi. On arriving and passing through immigration I bought a local sim card then took the bus to the city center and (eventually) found my hostel. That first day I just had a brief wander around the old quarter and Ho Hoan Kiem lake.

The next morning I set off for my twp night tour of Ha long bay. I'd booked this in advance online so was picked up from my hotel and taken to their office to meet the rest of the group. We drove to the bay and transferred to our ship, from which we went kayaking and spent the night anchored in a quiet cove. After dinner, I had a go at squid fishing with a line and caught a small one (which we had for lunch the next day!)

The following morning we sailed to  Cát Bà island, which we cycled and hiked around before spending the night ashore. On the last day, we returned to Hanoi and arrived around 4:30. I would definitely recommend Vega travel for a Ha Long bay trip, very good service and food on the ships, excellent guides, and we got to avoid the crowds and see a more isolated area of the bay.

After checking back into my hostel I walked to the cathedral then the Lotte building to go up to the observation deck. I spent the rest of the week in Hanoi, visiting the Vietnam Military History Museum, Hoàng thành Thăng Long (palace), B-52 Victory Museum, Temple of Literature, Hỏa Lò Prison, Cong Vien Thong Nhat park,  Den Hai Ba temple, National History Museum, Ngoc Son temple, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, and many more sights. Overall I found Hanoi reminded me more of a Chinese city than a SE Asian one and was glad I went during the Tet holiday so it was quieter and there was less pollution.

A week after arrived I headed south. I took the overnight sleeper train to Hue, where I visited the ruins of the Đại Nội Kinh Thành palace. The next day I took a tour bus down to Aoi An, driving along the Hai Van pass (as seen on Top Gear), stopping on the way at Da nang, and climbing the Marble Mountain. Aoi An was very beautiful, I spent two nights here wandering around the old town and relaxing on the beach. On the recommendation of a friend, I took a half-day tour to My Son, a mini Angkor Wat, which was spectacular.

Finally, I flew down from Da nang airport to Ho Chi Minh, which was a lot more lively and cosmopolitan than Hanoi had been. I also did some short excursions from the city, spending a day in the Mekong Delta and visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels. I also went to various sites including Independence palace, War remnants museum, fine art museum, Jade emperor temple, and Saigon Sky view. 

Overall I had a great time in 'Nam and enjoyed the food, culture and sights. I would like to return and see more of the country, but with current events have no idea when that will happen!