A Taste of Vietnam

From the energy of Ho Chi Minh City in the south, to the streets of Hanoi in the north, a week gave us just enough time for a taste of Vietnam - its food, culture, history and spectacular landscapes.

Ho Chi Minh City

Arriving into Ho Chi Minh City on New Year’s Eve may not have been our wisest decision. It was early afternoon, and crowds of people were already making their way into the city for the celebrations. At least I had pre-booked a transfer, as the queue for a taxi didn’t look like a viable option. What should have been a 25-minute drive to our hotel took just under two hours, much of it thanks to road closures for the night.

We stayed at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, perfectly positioned, with a river view room from which to enjoy the fireworks. With the riverfront packed with revellers - reportedly in the tens of thousands - after a beautiful dinner at the Cantonese restaurant - Kabin, we were very happy to stay in the hotel and enjoy the festivities from the luxury of our suite.

With only a full day to explore, we had pre-booked a private tour in an ex-army jeep. We were picked up right at our hotel - no streets to cross, which is important, as stopping at pedestrian crossings only seemed to be optional.

The day was hot and humid, but we had an open-air vehicle complete with an esky full of water, soft drinks and local beer, so all was good.

We had never been to Ho Chi Minh City before, so we were happy for our guide to choose our itinerary. From the Emperor Jade Pagoda, to the Saigon Central Post Office and Independence Palace, we were able to explore some of the city’s best-known sights and get a feel for the Vietnamese way of life. We really enjoyed simply driving around and experiencing the colour and buzz of the city - and watching the seemingly endless steam of motorbikes and mopeds somehow weave their way through the traffic.

The War Remnants Museum was an emotional place to visit. There was a lot of military equipment on display, but it was the personal exhibits that were particularly confronting, offering a sobering insight into the horrors of war, especially its impact on innocent people.

We also visited a lacquerware studio, and watched the fascinating process of creating the pieces. Layers of lacquer are applied and embellished with materials such as gold leaf, mother-of-pearl and crushed eggshell. The finished pieces were beautiful and incredibly detailed - and it was easy to see the difference between these and the mass-produced souvenirs sold elsewhere.

I had pre-booked dinner at a Michelin-recommended restaurant - The Monkey Gallery, and I am so pleased I researched this place before we arrived in Vietnam, it is one of those restaurants that you remember for a long time.

Discreetly positioned on the street and close to our hotel - with no roads to cross, which by now we considered an added bonus - it was quite a find.

The service was second to none, and the food was an adventure. We had chosen The Magical Ticket, which took us on a gastronomic journey through the chef’s hometown. Each dish was a little piece of art and tasted every bit as good as it looked.

I can honestly say, on my next visit to Ho Chi Minh City, I will be returning to The Monkey Gallery. It was that good.

Ha Long Bay

I have mixed feelings about Ha Long Bay. It is extremely beautiful, but the sheer volume of tourism in the area has, in my opinion, taken away from the experience.

Most cruises are just overnight, and many of the boats anchor quite close together, so at times it felt crowded. The water was brown rather than the brilliant colours you tend to see in the brochures, and they didn’t really quite match the image I had in my mind. I had booked a two-night cruise, hoping this would take us a little further out, and give us the opportunity to enjoy some solitude in this amazing part of the world. Unfortunately, that was not how it worked. Our boat remained close to the others. We did motor for a short time, but I think this was simply to give everyone the feeling of being on a cruise.

Our boat had both one-night and two-night guests. If you were staying for two nights, you transferred to a day boat, and travelled further afield. The upside was that we finally saw emerald coloured water, and enjoyed some stunning scenery. We spent the day cycling to a small village, and later kayaking through the Sandstone formations, so there was still plenty to enjoy. The downside was that the day boat wasn’t the same level of luxury as our overnight boat, and we didn’t have access to our cabin during the day.

I would definitely love to do Ha Long Bay again, but next time I think I would look for a different way to experience it - perhaps as part of a longer journey through this part of Vietnam.

Hanoi

The capital of Vietnam is every bit as I imagined it - colourful, noisy, busy and beautiful, Somehow, it mixes all these characteristics remarkably well.

We stayed in the Old Town - at the Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel. It was an oasis amongst the bustle of this busy area. Prior to our arrival, the hotel had organised luxury car transfers, which made everything seamless. Our room was generous and beautifully appointed and the Hotel was definitely a stand out. From the amazing breakfasts, and service, to the restaurants and rooftop bar, everything was top notch. This will be my go-to hotel on my next visit.

Like Ho Chi Minh City, this was our first visit to Hanoi, so a private tour was an excellent way to get our bearings and experience this amazing city. We had a guide, a driver, and a very comfortable BMW to help us explore.

Our first stop was Train Street - the rather unique experience of having coffee alongside a railway line that runs straight through the heart of Hanoi. Our private guide ensured we had front-row seats as the train wooshed past us. It was definitely something I hadn’t experienced before!

Our tour continued to Tran Quoc Pagoda, St Joseph’s Cathedral, and Hoa Lo Prison. Each was fascinating in its own way, giving us another glimpse into Hanoi’s culture and history.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was also on our itinerary. The building houses the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh and can be difficult to access due to the long queues of people waiting to visit and pay their respects. We were fortunate that there were no queues that day and were able to enter almost immediately. The area is closely guarded and silence inside is compulsory.

Afterwards, we wandered through the picturesque gardens.

Our final stop was to the markets. They make and sell just about everything, with designer brands - or versions of them! If you are looking for inexpensive souvenirs for the kids, this certainly is the place to find them.

We also opted for a rickshaw ride home, as it seemed like the safer option, than attempting to cross the street - but I’m not entirely sure!!

Ninh Binh

We had organised a full-day tour to Ninh Binh before leaving home. It was a busy itinerary, but a great way to experience several very different parts of the region in one day.

Our first stop was the Dinh King Temples, where we had time to wander through the grounds and learn a little about the history of the area. This was once the site of Hoa Lu,‍ ‍the ancient capital of Vietnam, surrounded by dramatic limestone mountains.

Our next stop was Mua Caves, where the 500-step climb to the top of the mountain rewarded us with spectacular views across the surrounding countryside. It was crowded — but I think that's just Vietnam! Back at ground level, we wandered along the wooden boardwalks through the lotus fields, which provided a much more relaxing change of pace.

The next part of our day was completely different. We donned our lifejackets and Vietnamese hats and boarded a traditional sampan for a ride along the Ngo Dong River. Our local rower used her feet to row us through caves and past rice fields — quite an amazing skill to watch. The scenery was spectacular and the ride incredibly relaxing, although I did feel rather guilty having someone else do all the rowing for me!

After lunch and a bike ride through the rice fields, we made our way back to Hanoi.

The things I loved

The scenery, Vietnam is a beautiful country.
The food, fresh ingredients and lovely flavours.
The coffee - I did love Vietnamese coffee, made with condensed milk.
Learning about the history and the culture.
Our accommodation. Both hotels were exceptional, and very well priced.
Our private tours. Things can go at your own pace, and you get to see and experience the things that you want to.

The things I didn’t love

The crowds - but unfortunately this is just part of Vietnam, so although I didn’t love them, I learnt to tolerate them.
The over crowding on Ha Long Bay, and not disclosing that you will spend a lot of time on a smaller, less luxurious day boat.
The traffic - it took me a long time to have the courage to cross the road.

Recommendations

Consider private tours, especially with so many crowds everywhere.
Choose your cruise in Ha Long Bay carefully.