Planning your trip to North Vietnam? I hope these can inspire you to take that trip with my 5 top experiences of Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa.
Vietnam is truly a fascinating and beautiful country with diverse cultural differences which make it interesting and one of the top travel destinations for travelers in Asia.
From its towering mountains and innumerable rivers and lakes to shimmering green rice paddies and ancient pagodas, Vietnam has a lot to offer with its spectacular views and mesmerizing landscapes.
Here are a few of my best experiences which I believe you must try when in Vietnam:
Get lost in the old
latin quarter of Hanoi
 |
| Street performer |
Hanoi literally is brimming with culture and art. The old
latin quarters are a maze of roads with street vendors selling their wares on
either sides of the road. Just get lost in this chaotic city with its street shopping and street food culture.
Make sure you stay a weekend in Hanoi cause every Saturday and Sunday night, the street close to the Ho Kiem lake is closed to traffic and the Don Xuan market comes alive. The market is made of small temporary stalls and handcarts and name it you can find from a pin to an anchor in here at a good price.
What I enjoyed the most on the weekend markets is savoring the different types of road side delicacies. The must tries here are the Banh Mi, barbeques and Bun Cha.
Right in the middle of Hanoi is the huge Ho Kiem lake. Legend says that the tortoise who protected saved Hanoi still lies deep in its waters. You can relax by the ho kiem lake at night or day and enjoy seeing the locals either dancing or selling their wares on the footpath.
Make sure you stay a weekend in Hanoi cause every Saturday and Sunday night, the street close to the Ho Kiem lake is closed to traffic and the Don Xuan market comes alive. The market is made of small temporary stalls and handcarts and name it you can find from a pin to an anchor in here at a good price.
What I enjoyed the most on the weekend markets is savoring the different types of road side delicacies. The must tries here are the Banh Mi, barbeques and Bun Cha.
 |
| weekend street dancing |
Past 10 Pm on a weekend, you see the locals gathering together and
dancing to the beats of dance music which is played. And believe me when I say, you
will hear them dance to some of those catchy songs you haven’t heard in the last
decade.
For instance we all got together and joined the locals in the Macarena dance. They were more than happy to have us join in and we danced literally like no one is watching. It was an amazing experience.
If you don’t like dancing, you can catch the younger Vietnamese play skipping games or a life size Jenga.
On a sunday morning, you can see people of all ages dance, practice Tai chi and a whole lot of fitness activities. Its an electrifying ambience out here and you will just be engulfed in the aura of this place.
For instance we all got together and joined the locals in the Macarena dance. They were more than happy to have us join in and we danced literally like no one is watching. It was an amazing experience.
If you don’t like dancing, you can catch the younger Vietnamese play skipping games or a life size Jenga.
On a sunday morning, you can see people of all ages dance, practice Tai chi and a whole lot of fitness activities. Its an electrifying ambience out here and you will just be engulfed in the aura of this place.
Eat at the roadside
stalls everywhere
 |
| Don Xuan Night market |
From Shoulder poles, push carts and makeshift food stalls, the roadside food scene experience is pretty intense.
The must try road side food and some of my favourite include the Banh Mi, Bun Cha and Pho. Also must try are the Vietnameese Coffee and the special egg coffee called Caphe Trung. The bun bread is found at a small unpretentious shop named King Roti near Ho kiem lake. The best roti to have here is the choco coffee or the matcha Roti.
Try Banh mi at every local street vendor. Banh mi was introduced by the French and is actually a baguette which is crispy and light and is stuffed with the meat of your choice including fresh and pickled veggies.
Banh mi is packed in a paper envelope and can be eaten as a snack on the go. Every hawker or push cart has a Banhh mi which is made differently.
The branded ones like Viet linh, or the Banh Mi 25 are yummy but you should try the Banh mi at just any road side kiosk and you wouldnt be disappointed. Wherever you eat the Banh mi, you will experience a different flavor every time. My favorite Banh mi is the Pork Banh mi or the Banh mi with a Pate.
Other street must tries are the BBQs, Pho, Bun Cha, sweet pancakes and colored rice vermicelli's.
The must try road side food and some of my favourite include the Banh Mi, Bun Cha and Pho. Also must try are the Vietnameese Coffee and the special egg coffee called Caphe Trung. The bun bread is found at a small unpretentious shop named King Roti near Ho kiem lake. The best roti to have here is the choco coffee or the matcha Roti.
Try Banh mi at every local street vendor. Banh mi was introduced by the French and is actually a baguette which is crispy and light and is stuffed with the meat of your choice including fresh and pickled veggies.
Banh mi is packed in a paper envelope and can be eaten as a snack on the go. Every hawker or push cart has a Banhh mi which is made differently.
The branded ones like Viet linh, or the Banh Mi 25 are yummy but you should try the Banh mi at just any road side kiosk and you wouldnt be disappointed. Wherever you eat the Banh mi, you will experience a different flavor every time. My favorite Banh mi is the Pork Banh mi or the Banh mi with a Pate.
Other street must tries are the BBQs, Pho, Bun Cha, sweet pancakes and colored rice vermicelli's.
Exploring Sapa by
Motor cycle:
Sapa is a mountainous region in the northern part of
Vietnam.
Soak in the beauty of rice terraces and narrow winding streets. Just a stroll along the road will give you a sneak peek into the rich culture of these indigenous mountainous people.
Cat Cat village is a small hamlet on one side of the sapa mountain. This is where the Hmong tribes live and it’s a treat to just see the place.
Soak in the beauty of rice terraces and narrow winding streets. Just a stroll along the road will give you a sneak peek into the rich culture of these indigenous mountainous people.
Cat Cat village is a small hamlet on one side of the sapa mountain. This is where the Hmong tribes live and it’s a treat to just see the place.
The best way to explore Sapa is to just hire a bike from the
main town and ride along the dusty streets.
From Cat Cat village to the Lao chai and the main town of Sapa, the green rice terraces are a treat to the eyes. It is indeed amazing to see the H mong minority community, what they do, what they wear and how they live.
Go to the minorities market and you can buy some really good handicrafts and hand woven scarfs, clothes and bags.
Walk into the market area of Sapa or even the area around the lake at Sapa and you can try some really lip smacking Vietnamese foods. The most famous is the sturgeon fish in broth which is cooked right in front of you on a small personal stove on your table.
Go to the market at night to try some great varieties of Barbeque. Most famous is the horse meat barbeque, the rice in bamboo shoot and the pork bbq.
You must also try the local liquor and wines, but be careful, it’s not quite for the faint heart.
After the long tiring day, I urge you to relax in a café as you get that Thai foot massage done. After that you will feel energized and alive for some dancing at the Irish pubs in the area.
From Cat Cat village to the Lao chai and the main town of Sapa, the green rice terraces are a treat to the eyes. It is indeed amazing to see the H mong minority community, what they do, what they wear and how they live.
Go to the minorities market and you can buy some really good handicrafts and hand woven scarfs, clothes and bags.
Walk into the market area of Sapa or even the area around the lake at Sapa and you can try some really lip smacking Vietnamese foods. The most famous is the sturgeon fish in broth which is cooked right in front of you on a small personal stove on your table.
Go to the market at night to try some great varieties of Barbeque. Most famous is the horse meat barbeque, the rice in bamboo shoot and the pork bbq.
You must also try the local liquor and wines, but be careful, it’s not quite for the faint heart.
After the long tiring day, I urge you to relax in a café as you get that Thai foot massage done. After that you will feel energized and alive for some dancing at the Irish pubs in the area.
 |
| Buddhist Monastery |
 |
| View from Fanxipan |
Cloud walk at Fanxipan
mountain:
The Fanxipan mountain range is the largest mountain range of
Sapa. The peak is at a whopping 3000 meters and you can reach here almost till the top via
cable car.
The best way to get to the cable car station is to go to the Sapa Muong Hoa Mountain train. The station is just across the market area near the stone church. You can buy the train, cable car as well as the Tram tickets from this counter itself.
Its best to start early. Wake up early and leave around 8-9 am and you will avoid all the rush crowd. The Train takes you to a tram station which then drops you off at the cable car station.
The ride all through is beautiful and the views are absolutely stunning. The terrain is dotted with rice terraces and beautiful mountains and small peaceful villages on the way.
The cable car ride is surreal, it’s probably the longest ride I have taken in a cable car. What makes this ride more interesting is that you pass so many mountains and valleys and it feels just like a ride through the clouds. The end of your cable car trip is not the end of the journey, cause you will have more breathtaking views as you walk up the steps to explore the beauty of the Fanxipan mountain.
Thousands of steps await you and as you climb, you might feel like giving up, but don’t stop and keep walking till you are at the huge Buddha statue and keep walking again till you see the little Buddhist monasteries and finally the Fanxipan mountain peak. In between as you walk through clouds and suddenly sunny skies you will be just taken aback by the surreal views of Fanxipan mountains.
Besides this mountain, another mountain to walk up is the Hamrong mountain. This mountain gives you a 360 degree view of Sapa. Whatever you do, these mountain climbs however exhausting and back breaking will be the most fascinating parts of your Sapa trip.
The best way to get to the cable car station is to go to the Sapa Muong Hoa Mountain train. The station is just across the market area near the stone church. You can buy the train, cable car as well as the Tram tickets from this counter itself.
Its best to start early. Wake up early and leave around 8-9 am and you will avoid all the rush crowd. The Train takes you to a tram station which then drops you off at the cable car station.
The ride all through is beautiful and the views are absolutely stunning. The terrain is dotted with rice terraces and beautiful mountains and small peaceful villages on the way.
The cable car ride is surreal, it’s probably the longest ride I have taken in a cable car. What makes this ride more interesting is that you pass so many mountains and valleys and it feels just like a ride through the clouds. The end of your cable car trip is not the end of the journey, cause you will have more breathtaking views as you walk up the steps to explore the beauty of the Fanxipan mountain.
Thousands of steps await you and as you climb, you might feel like giving up, but don’t stop and keep walking till you are at the huge Buddha statue and keep walking again till you see the little Buddhist monasteries and finally the Fanxipan mountain peak. In between as you walk through clouds and suddenly sunny skies you will be just taken aback by the surreal views of Fanxipan mountains.
Besides this mountain, another mountain to walk up is the Hamrong mountain. This mountain gives you a 360 degree view of Sapa. Whatever you do, these mountain climbs however exhausting and back breaking will be the most fascinating parts of your Sapa trip.
Cruise along Halong Bay:
Halong bay is studded with stunning limestone karsts that dot the sea. These limestone karst bursting out of the sea are unique to Halong Bay and no trip to Vietnam is complete without a visit to the Halong Bay.
Over the years due to the excessive tourism, Halong bay has got too crowded and a better destination to start your journey from is the Bai tu Long bay. We chose this bay as it was less crowded and you see the lime stone karst within 10 minutes of boarding the cruise.
The cruise in itself has numerous activities to keep you entertained. These include sessions like kayaking, underground cave visits, swimming in the halong bay sea, squid fishing, Tai chi sessions or even a Vietnamese cooking session. You will have your hands full all the time but there's also time to indulge in the lovely sea food and relax on the deck just observing the setting and rising sun.
Wake up early morning to see the sunrise and the mesmerizing beauty of the sea and the limestone karsts. The pictures you can make on this trip with these stunning landscapes will remain forever etched in your memory.
Over the years due to the excessive tourism, Halong bay has got too crowded and a better destination to start your journey from is the Bai tu Long bay. We chose this bay as it was less crowded and you see the lime stone karst within 10 minutes of boarding the cruise.
The cruise in itself has numerous activities to keep you entertained. These include sessions like kayaking, underground cave visits, swimming in the halong bay sea, squid fishing, Tai chi sessions or even a Vietnamese cooking session. You will have your hands full all the time but there's also time to indulge in the lovely sea food and relax on the deck just observing the setting and rising sun.
Wake up early morning to see the sunrise and the mesmerizing beauty of the sea and the limestone karsts. The pictures you can make on this trip with these stunning landscapes will remain forever etched in your memory.
So go ahead, book that ticket, make that trip to Northern Vietnam and go create some unforgettable memories.
Living this Travelogue right now!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kats. I am so happy you are having a great time.
Delete