My son and I had a week to travel in March and wanted to take our first trip to Asia. When deciding where to go, I tried to find a less warm spot, because Asia can be hot. Because we had a later family trip planned to Japan, we narrowed it down to Vietnam.
I feel that we got a good taste of the country on our 1o-day trip to Vietnam. We were able to experience its fantastic food, spectacular scenery, calming landscapes, history, and lots of temples. Vietnam is now one of my son’s favorite places he has visited.
March in Vietnam
The weather was a deciding factor in my decision to visit Vietnam. I hate the heat, and Northern Vietnam is much cooler in March than much of Southeast Asia. A warning to fellow travelers is that the coolness also brings fog and smog, which can be disappointing to some.
Vietnam: The Real Real
After we booked our trip, I read things on Facebook groups that made me concerned, and some of the concerns were valid. I’m going to start with this because I’ll share in my itinerary how we dealt with some of these issues.
There is a lot of pollution and trash in Vietnam.
Other than in Saigon and Hoi An, litter was prevalent where we visited in Vietnam. Also, the air pollution is real. There were many instances in which people were burning trash, and the air was full of smog. I learned that most people wore masks in part to protect themselves from the poor air quality. Visiting Vietnam brought taking care of the planet to the forefront of our minds.
You have to watch what you eat.
We ate what we wanted, including vegetables, ice, and other street food. We didn’t drink the water. Then my son got food poisoning. We are pretty sure it was from a banh mi from a very popular street vendor, Mr. Pig, at midnight in Hoi An. That experience wasn’t any fun. On the plus side, the pharmacies there are very helpful, and you can easily get medicines.
Vendors are pushy, and taxis are crooked.
I’m a firm person, and the pushiness didn’t bother me, but it’s something that’s a real issue in many emerging countries. That being said, I found this less in Vietnam than in places like Jamaica or Egypt. I was sure to take recommendations for tours and used Grab or my hotel for taxis. The only place I didn’t find this necessary was in Saigon, where taxis were more organized.
The worst taxis were in Hanoi. At no time take a cab. Use Grab, or you will be scammed.
Crossing the street is scary.
Yes, the way the traffic flows in Asia is much different from that in the United States and Europe. And Vietnam is full of motorbikes and a lot of traffic.
But the way people drive there actually makes a lot more sense. The unpredictability is predictable, and after a few days, you will understand how to cross a street without getting hit. You wait for a small gap, have to be predictable, and keep walking. I actually feel I accomplished a real skill by mastering this art.
10-Day Vietnam Itinerary
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
We moved from north to south in the country, but if I were to do the trip again, I would start in Saigon and move north.
I would do this for two reasons. Number one, Saigon is hot all year long. The coolness of the north is a reprieve from that. Second, Saigon is much more Western, so a softer landing for acclimating yourself to Southeast Asia. For example, there are crosswalks on bustling streets here. Also, the taxis are regulated and safe.
2 Days in Saigon
Explore the City
During our time in Saigon, we visited the War Remnants Museum, which was both eye-opening and thought-provoking. A short walk from this museum is the Independence Palace and the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon.
We then took a Grab taxi to the Fito Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine, which provided an excellent overview of Eastern Medicine in a magnificent building.
We ended the day in Saigon with a food tour with Super Niche Walking Food Tours, which was a great way to see the city, truly feel its vibe, and try all the food highlights. If you’re braver than I, you can also do the tour by motorbike.
Day Tour to the Mekong Delta
Vietnam has two main waterways that provide water for crops, are used for fishing, and are used for shipping, making them the hub of Vietnamese life. The southern waterway is the Mekong Delta.
Although it is a long day, taking a private full-day tour with Real Mekong Delta Tours was terrific. We got to explore two villages – one by motorbike, driving past houses and rice paddies, and the other by tuk-tuk. We had lunch with a local family. And finally, we took a few boat rides on the larger river, then into the coconut mangroves and islands.
If we had another day in Saigon, I would have loved to do a Cu Chi Tunnels tour. The tunnels were used in the Vietnam conflict to ferry locals to safety.
We stayed at the Le Meridien Saigon, an upscale hotel in District 1 with water views, and would highly recommend it.
Hoi An
To get to Hoi An, we flew into Da Nang Airport using Vietnam Airlines. The airports in Vietnam are very well-organized, and we found air travel to be cheap and efficient. We booked a car from the airport through our hotel, the Bel Mar Marina Hotel.
The hotel is located on a small island, just a few blocks from the night market and the bridge that leads to the Ancient City. They provided bikes to get around, although most of what we wanted to see was within walking distance.
Hoi An is an ancient trading town on the Thu Bon River, where many Asian cultures settled.
Read all about our 2 Days in Hoi An.
Hạ Long Bay
The name of this bay and the surrounding bays refer to limestone pillars that rise out of the water, resembling a dragon (Long). Hạ Long is about an hour and a half’s drive east of Hanoi. The town itself is run-down with many empty storefronts, but cruises leave from here into the bays.
We knew that taking at least a one-night cruise here was something that we wanted to do. I wanted a peaceful escape and to see what the bay had to offer. After much research, we decided upon using the Indochina Junk Cruise Line, which cruises Bai Tu Long Bay. We ended up sailing on the Dragon Pearl, one of their larger ships, which has 11 rooms.
The cruise was a highlight of our trip. The bay is stunning and clean once you leave the main harbor. Both sunrise and sunset were glorious. There were many activities to do, including kayaking along the limestone pillars, visiting a beach, hiking to a viewpoint, taking cooking classes, exploring a fishing village, and squid fishing with the crew. We didn’t have time for it, but doing a two-night cruise would have given us more time to just sit and enjoy the uniquely beautiful ship.
We loved the size of the ship and getting to know fellow passengers from around the world. My only negative is that some time was wasted in spots meant to sell things on the luxury van ride from Hanoi to the port and the fishing village.
Ninh Binh
Sometimes called Ha Long Bay on land, Ninh Binh was the site of Vietnam’s original capital. It has the same tall limestone mountains, surrounded by rice fields and numerous rivers and streams.
We enjoyed the area, but it was crowded and smoggy.
You can take a day tour of Ninh Binh from Hanoi, but it will be a long day, as it’s about 2.5 hours away.
We booked a car from Ha Long Bay directly to Ninh Binh, so we had two days to stay in Ninh Binh.
Read on for What to Do with Two Days in Ninh Binh
Hanoi
We were only in Hanoi for a day, as we instead budgeted our time to stop in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which ended up being our favorite stop on the trip. Subscribe to get the post about that when I write it.
Enjoy Some Pho
We arrived to spend an evening enjoying old Hanoi and having a very superb meal at Mỳ vằn thắn Mỳ Khô Cầu Gỗ, an open-air noodle shop right around the corner from our hotel.
Explore the Shops and Energy of the Hanoi Old Quarter
If you have limited time in Hanoi, we found The San Grand Hotel ideally located, right in the heart of the old town. It is only a few blocks from the lake, right next door to a Vietnamese coffee shop, and we were able to wander the streets both at night and in the early morning.
Hanoi is always busy, 24/7. Late at night, people were on the street enjoying food. By 6 am, people were up again, setting up shops and pho stalls on the sidewalks. Flower vendors were arranging truly ginormous decorations, then sending them to be delivered on a motorbike!
Relax by the Lake and Visit the Tran Quoc Pagoda
From the hotel, I was able to walk to the lake where one can relax or do Tai Chi. Then I paid to cross a bridge to an island that contained the city’s oldest pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda.
We saw a lot on our first visit to Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It broadened my perspective on Communism, history, and what life is like in the area. I found the people to be open and interested in sharing their stories, and I’m glad I had this experience.
Have you been to Southeast Asia? What is your favorite country in the region?
