Ha Long Bay cruise is part of most itineraries made for Vietnam, and I would almost claim that it ranks as one of the most visited places in Southeast Asia. It was also on top of our list of things to do, although we did have some concerns when planning on it. First of all it's somewhat hard to pick your cruise considering there are a number of agencies and boat companies to choose from. We had heard that booking online wasn't really the best way to ensure you get what you pay for, and thus we waited out till Hanoi to book our cruise. Secondly there was the question of the budget. To put it black and white; the cheap cruises are often perceived as the backpacker party boats where security doesn't come as the number one priority and the expensive ones are...well, the opposite. We decided on a mid-range budget (somewhere between 80-150€ / person) thinking it would leave us somewhere between these two ;).
So, we had prepared to drag ourselves around Hanoi to check for deals since we wanted to go on the cruise already the next day, but to our surprise the entire process from choosing to booking went down in about 15 minutes upon arrival to our hotel- thanks to the super attentive staff*!
Whereas Hue might have been a bit of a "miss" of places to go, this was a definite "hit". We arrived with a train to Ninh Binh- a town people choose as a base in order to explore these fantastic surroundings. The town itself is bit of scruffy and noisy thanks to the heavy traffic that the major "highway" of Vietnam takes through the city centre, but it serves the purpose as a base camp from where to explore the marvellous area just outside the city.
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| The most industrious women in action. |
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| A woman sold us this Vietnamese hat for 1$ in the street. Came in very handy that day... |
It’s really no wonder this little UNESCO world heritage town is often said to be the gem of Vietnam when it comes to towns. Once you stroll around it’s narrow streets, you can’t help but fall in love with everything about it: little bars and restaurants, pretty yellowish buildings, countless tailor-shops and then the lanterns…that are literally everywhere!
We had three days to explore the town and its surroundings, and on two of them we got around with bikes. It was such a nice way to see the endless rice paddies and every now and then spot a vietnamese hat peeking from the fields. The beachfront wasn't far either and that’s pretty much where we usually ended up…for a beer swim.
Hoi An has incredibly much to offer and one thing we will always remember it by is the dining. More specifically a place called Morning Glory. Let me tell a little bit about this heavenly spot: It’s run by a very talented chef who shares her story along with explanations of each dish on the menu. She has categories like “Soups my mum used to make” and “Workers food” and so on, and the focus is on making traditional foods (also street food) with a twist. I can’t even put it in words how delicious the food was (and we ate in her restaurants multiple times)- it’s something about the Vietnamese food…the freshness and the rich flavours that make all the difference. And the talented kitchen staff, of course. The town most definitely came to life in the night time as people filled the street food stalls, lanterns were all lit up and little girls were selling candles to be sent down the river- pure magic.
Last but not least the shopping. It’s a paradise for anyone who’d like to get tailor-made clothes done for them (or anything else for that matter). I had a few dresses made for me and everything was quick and simple (except choosing what I wanted to have done). It all went down somewhat like this: A lady came over to talk to us and sort of hijacked us into her little store and sat us down next to a thick pile of catalogs…well, the rest you may guess. In short, I pretty much picked a dress I wanted on and the next day I had a fitting and it was all done! As I said back then, I say now: Vietnamese people got some game! They’re the most industrious people I know, and I mean by just looking how they’ve come through “recent” wars and struggles, and still managed to rebuild their nation with a steady growth in their economy. Like the saying goes “Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice, and the Lao listen the rice grow…”. With that being said, Hoi An was definitely the prettiest town we saw in Vietnam and I will always remember it as the little “Disneyland of Vietnam”.
Around the Town
After round the clock bus ride from Cambodia, we finally got to the Vietnamese border where we all hopped out of the bus to pass the immigration. We were actually pretty surprised by how quickly and hassle-free it all went down and we got to continue the last stretch of the long bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City. Few first notices were that Vietnam seemed quite lot cleaner than Cambodia, and the people were really warm and welcoming (unlike some stories we had heard before). Saigon blew our minds with its gorgeous buildings, great food and generally cool vibe. It really is a cosmopolitan city with so much variety when it comes to restaurants and bars- you can even grab a drink with a view on top of one of its skyscrapers!
