A cool, dry climate, stunning views and delicious produce define Dalat. The French colonists built it and used the city as a summer retreat from Vietnam's hot and humid weather during the 20th century.
We spent our time here walking around, checking out the old french architecture and eating incredibly fresh and delicious produce. The mangoes and avocados in Dalat are some of the best I've ever had. The fresh air and mountainous terrain make Dalat a prime location for hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. Sadly, we didn't have enough time to do so.
We stayed at Dreams Hotel, a must for anyone who visits Dalat. The location is perfect, the rooms and bathrooms are clean and comfortable, the staff is very friendly and the breakfast is outstanding.
I was so excited to visit Hue. I read so many great things about it: its cuisine, people, city culture and history. Lonely Planet even went so far as to name it Vietnam's "most likeable city." Well, let me tell you, Hue was by far the worst place we visited in Vietnam. Its streets are polluted and ugly, its population is rude and pushy, we ate disgusting food in a restaurant crawling with rats (thanks for the stellar recommendation, Lonely Planet) and were rather underwhelmed by the famous citadel at the city's center.
Granted, the city's history is rich and quite intriguing. Hue was once the country's capital and military strong point. Its citadel was home to emperors and country leaders. Later, Hue played a very crucial role in the American Vietnamese War and was the sight of a massive American attack. Much of the citadel was destroyed during the bombing. Remnants of the violence can still be seen in the Citadel's many crumbling and derelict walls and buildings.
After spending a few creepy hours roaming around the Citadel we headed back to our hostel and requested that a car take us away from the dreaded city immediately. We hightailed it out of Hue to Hoi An, a much more inviting, beautiful and interesting place only 2 hours away.
Grass covered foundations of buildings that stood before American air strikes.
Tam Coc, made famous by the film Indochine (still haven't seen it), and the surrounding area are absolutely stunning. Karst peaks and neon green rice fields are but a few of the details that mark the area.
We encountered drizzly weather during our time there but the rain somehow enhanced the landscape's natural beauty and added an element of mystery to it. Damien and I toured the area by private car and tour guide, both of which turned out very well. We wanted to tour the area by bike but the rain stopped us from doing so.
We kicked off our day on a boat tour of the Tam Coc river. It is touristy, yes, but totally necessary. We got there really early in the morning, which is the way to go if you want to visit. The river tends to get overcrowded with tourists and hawkers by 10am. After that, we visited a small local market where I bought coriander seeds (which have sprouted!) and took some pretty pictures. From there we went to the ancient imperial capital, Hoa Lu and finished our day with a boat ride down the river and through the grottoes of Trang An.
My favorite part of the day was our walk through a small local village and cemetery. It was so peaceful and green and lovely!
We stayed in Ninh Binh, a city just 15 minutes away from Tam Coc. Ninh Binh isn't a destination in and of itself but it offers many places to stay and easy access to the sights. We got there by private car (yes, another one). Our driver drove us from the Halong Bay area to Ninh Binh in about 3.5 hours. Not bad considering the two lane road was totally effed!
Halong Bay is so beautiful. It was the second stop on my Vietnam journey. I was lucky enough to spend two days and one night there on a private junk boat with my new friend Damien. We ate fantastic food, went kayaking and enjoyed stunning views for a
glorious 48 hours. We also took a surprise visit to a small fish farm
close to Cat Ba where we arrived just in time for the morning feedings.
We departed for Halong Bay from Cat Ba Island, a point of departure that came highly recommended by friends. Cat Ba and its surrounding waters are quaint and quiet. When compared to Halong City, the more popular Halong Bay jump off point for tourists, Cat Ba is nearly undisturbed by tourism.
Though it was a bit chilly when we visited Halong Bay we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Halong Bay gets very busy in the summer months but remains quiet in the low season, which lasts until mid-April (we were there on April 3).
A local family run fish farm. The largest in the region.
I started my trip to Vietnam in Hanoi, the country's capital city. Hanoi is a truly fascinating place and I hope to go back soon.
I only had one full day in Hanoi and spent the majority of it in and around the famed Old Quarter. The Old Quarter was a great introduction to the city and a good jump off point for visiting some of the city's main attractions.
The Temple of Literature was probably the most impressive of the major attractions we saw in Hanoi. It's one of the few remaining traditional Vietnamese style temples left in the country.
In my opinion, Hanoi's most interesting aspects lie within its smaller details of its daily life. People sitting on tiny plastic stools eating pho and sipping locally brewed bia hoi fill Hanoi's sidewalks. Women balancing baskets over their shoulders in scale like fashion shuffle through the streets and people riding bikes piled high with everything from bunches of flowers to wire baskets filled with live cats (really) make up Hanoi's relentless traffic flow.
What's more, Hanoi's cuisine is damn good. I didn't eat enough. I think I will go
back just to gobble down more. When you go you must try the pho bo (beef noodle soup) and fresh spring rolls.
I just arrived back from a two week stay in Vietnam. Though my time there was short I managed to see and do a ton of things. This first Vietnam post will give you a rough idea of what I did in during my trip. I will elaborate more in coming posts.
Check out my Vietnam itinerary and take note for your own trips!
-->
Day 1: Hanoi full day and night in Hanoi. Stayed at Camel City Hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter. The location was perfect but the hotel wasn't. The bathrooms and sheets were rather icky and the staff wasn't very accommodating.
Day 2: Early AM drive and boat to Cat Ba Island. Afternoon and night on a PRIVATE boat in Halong Bay. We booked through Vietnam Eco Tourism (vietnamecotourism@gmail.com). This part of the trip was amazing. If you can afford a private boat I suggest you go for it. We booked a package tour that included hotel pick-up, 2 days and one night on a private boat, meals and a ride to Ninh Binh for about USD$200. Much to our dismay, drinks were not included but I'm sure you can get them included in your package with a bit of bargaining.
Day 3: Morning on the boat in Halong Bay, short afternoon visit to a family-run fish farm, then a very long and bumpy afternoon drive to Ninh Binh in a rented car. Private drivers are expensive to hire in Vietnam since there are very few cars available (motorized scooters are Vietnam's vehicle of choice) but they do make traveling easy and convenient. Do NOT try driving yourself in this country without prior experience.
Day 4: AM boat ride along the river in Tam Coc (made famous in the film Indochine), noon visit to the ancient imperial capital Hoa Lu and an afternoon visit to the Trang An grottoes. We booked a private guide for the day and he was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We planned on touring the area by bicycle but took a car instead because of the rainy weather. Overnight bus to Hue.
Day 5: AM arrival in Hue. Afternoon visit to the historical Citadel, evening ride to Hoi An. Night in Hoi An.
Day 6: Morning visit to My Son ruins, afternoon strolling through the streets of Hoi An's historical district. Night in Hoi An.
Day 7: Sun baking and snorkeling at the pristine Cham Island, just off the coast of Hoi An. Evening car ride to Danang. Night in Danang near airport.
Day 8: Early AM flight to Dalat, afternoon and night in Dalat. We stayed at Dreams Hotel. It was one of the best hostels I have ever stayed at and the breakfast was AMAZING. Call ahead to make your booking (t: 063-383 3748). They do not have a website. The website that you will find online is a fake. Beware.
Day 9: Day ride to Cat Tien National Park. Late afternoon walk along a jungle river, night in a very rugged bungalow in the park (kinda scary for us city dwellers).
Day 10: 5am gibbon trek through the jungle, afternoon car ride to Mui Ne, evening and night in Mui Ne.
Day 11: Morning on the beach in Mui Ne and afternoon tour of the area's otherworldly sand dunes. Night in Mui Ne.
Day 12: Morning massages, early afternoon swim and sunning, 3:00pm bus to Ho Chi Minh City. Night in HCMC.
Day 13: Day of exploring in HCMC. Morning at the War Remnants Museum, afternoon at Reunification Palace and around.
Day 14: Full day trip to the My Tho canals in the Mekong Delta. Night in HCMC.
Day 15: Half day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. Evening flight back to Hong Kong.
