Love it or hate it? Well, that is all relative. I can think of very few countries that inspire as passionately varied reactions from travelers as Vietnam does. On one hand, people rave about the breathtaking landscape, the intriguing culture, and the resilient population. On the other hand, people complain bitterly about the traffic, the crime, and most of all - the unfriendly people. I’ll start off by saying I had a LOT of fun times in the two weeks I spent traveling throughout Vietnam. I saw some of the most beautiful cities I have laid eyes on and met some of the most interesting people I've ever come across in my lifetime. But, if someone asked me if I ever planned to return, my answer would simply be 'no'. It’s hard to articulate, in the grand scheme of things, as to why I would not return, however, I made it no secret that I absolutely loathed Saigon. But to dislike a whole country? That’s a bit harder to be so adamant about. Below, I will share my own experiences during my time spent in Vietnam, and you can determine whether or not this is a country you would like to someday visit. Ho Chi Minh CityI always thought NYC was the mecca of a fast-paced lifestyle: a 'city that never sleeps', if you will, but Saigon has absolutely put that theory to shame. It was around 3:30 a.m. on a Friday morning as our taxi driver roared down the bustling streets of District 1. Having no sense of the money value (we 100% were ripped off) and even less sense of direction (we failed to purchase data plans) we hesitantly climbed out of the taxi and onto the dark, yet fully populated, streets of Saigon. We had just finished a sickening 25 hour marathon of traveling, our stomachs were aching with starvation, and we were exhausted beyond belief. The last thing we wanted to do was navigate through dark alleys, weave our bags and ourselves around the locals while dodging piles of garbage, and attempt to find a street we couldn't even pronounce. Unfortunately, we didn't really have a choice since the taxi driver left us high and dry without a hint as to where to go. Thanks a lot. Needless to say, we found our way....but not before getting lost at least a dozen times before landing ourselves in front of: Town House 373All I can say is...what a saving grace! The lovely Vietnamese man welcomed us into the hostel, completely oblivious to our late arrival time, and showed us to our 6 bedroom all female dorm. A place where we would call 'home' for the next few days. [Average cost per night: $9.00 US- includes breakfast, wifi, and a 9.0 overall rating on HostelWorld.com] There really is so much to see and do while visiting Saigon and it can definitely become overwhelming. Although we only spent a few short days in this city, I can assure you it was plenty. Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Saigon that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. War Remnants MuseumLocation: 28 Vo Van Tan, 6, District 3 Cost: 15,000 VND = $0.65 USD Hours: 7:30 am - 12:00 pm / 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm http://www.baotangchungtichchientranh.vn/ Saigon Central Post officeLocation: 2 Cong xa Paris, Ben Nghe, District 1 Cost: Free Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 am *souvenir shopping and mailing services available. Notre-Dame BasilicaBen thanh market/ Night MArketLocation: 36-34-32-30 Phan Boi Chau, Ben Thanh, District 1 Cost: Free Hours: Ben Thanh 6:00 am - 6:00 pm Night Market 6:00 pm - midnight cu chi underground tunnelsthe Hideout Bar / hostelLocation: 281 Pham Ngu Lao, Dist. 1 Cost: Drinks vary but specials are offered daily Hours: open 24 hours *8.2 rating on HostelWorld.com (They offer a nightly pub crawl around 11:00 p.m. every night) overnight / sleeper bus #1The time came to say goodbye to one city and hello to a new one. So naturally, we decided to take an overnight bus, just like the majority of backpackers traveling through Asia. Overnight buses seem like they would be a win-win because they are so cheap and also double as accommodation for the night, but that just wasn't the case for us.... We were told to be at the bus station at 9:00 pm for a 10:00 pm bus departure time. Of course, 10:00 pm turned into 10:30 pm, and 10:30 pm turned into 11:00 pm. When the 'bus' finally picked us up we didn’t even bat an eye when it turned out to be a mini-van instead. Apparently it is common practice for these to deposit you at the main bus stations. We were not informed of this. We had paid (250,000 VND = $10.00 USD) and been promised a normal sized coach bus with a toilet. HA! Good One.... We all piled in, squeezing into acrobatic shapes in order to accommodate the luggage and people teeming into the tiny vehicle. I tried to fight back claustrophobia while wondering how far the bus station could be. We had four people to a three person seat and then the last poor suckers, which happened to be us, had to embark sitting on stools in the “aisle.” The luggage was so overstuffed into the trunk that it wouldn’t allow the seat to lock into place, forcing people to sit at a 45 degree angle. We finally reached the 'bus station', which was none other than a random pit stop in the middle of nowhere, a random street where the drivers were forcing us all out of the mini-van, and quickly onto the overnight sleeper bus. After watching our precious cargo be thrown into the underground compartment of the bus, we finally made our way on board. We were forced to take off our shoes immediately upon entering. To my surprise the bus was divided into three rows: right, middle, and left. Not what I was expecting at all. I didn't know this at the time, but the sides were way more preferable, and made you feel a whole lot safer. So off we went on a bus that was boiling from recycled air and lack of air-conditioning and bouncing around the road with absolutely no respect for the human bladder. Oh, and did I mention that there was no toilet on the bus? Apparently these Vietnam buses have a reputation of being uncomfortable, noisy, and not particularly conducive for sleeping. All of which are 100% true. We decided to "drug" ourselves with sleeping pills in fear of being awake all night. That, and the fact that everyone, except us, seemed to be peacefully snoring away, oblivious to the constant honking, dangerous swerving of the bus, and all of the potholes we seemed to bounce over in the road. I remember thinking: Please don't let me die. Not like this! Unfortunately, sleeping in conditions like this just does not seem to be part of our American culture! So going forward, if you board with the expectation that you probably won’t get an amazing sleep, any sleep you do get will be a bonus! We had finally drifted off to sleep only to be woken up a few hours later to insanely loud music, bright neon party lights, and Vietnamese people poking and yelling at you as they walked down the aisle, hurrying you off of the bus. It took me awhile to unfold myself after that bus ride from hell, but not before noticing the time on the clock: 3:00 a.m. WHAT THE FUCK?! Now keep in mind.... we were told that A) the bus ride would take at least 7-8 hours, and B) we wouldn't be arriving to Da Lat until 7:00 am in the morning. We left at 11:00 pm and arrived at 3:00 am. You do the Math. Vietnam! You got me again you son of a bitch! Not only did we not have a place pre-booked, considering this 'overnight bus' was our accommodation for the night, but we also had no freaking clue where we were! Not to mention, the sleeping pills were still in full effect. Panicked, tired, and FREEZING, we were once again left in unfamiliar territory, completely lost in translation. It was in that moment that I was eternally grateful for two things: 1) The German couple on the bus who, unlike us, had purchased SIM cards for their phones, and 2) Our former hostel friends from HCMC who had recommended we stay at Cozy Nook Hostel. A sleepy welcome to Da Lat.... da latWe arrived at Cozy Nook Hostel at about half past 3:00 .... yes, in the morning, ugh. Unfortunately, we didn't have a reservation or anything, since again, we weren't expecting to arrive 4 hours early, so our plan was basically to just show up and hope for the best! We got super lucky....again. If all else was against us in Vietnam, at least the hostel situation seemed to be on our side. Not only were we welcomed in, no questions asked, but we were all given blankets and a place to rest our heads for the remainder of the night. Thankful enough to get a few hours of sleep, we were woken early to the smell of homemade food and the chatter of people both coming and going. We got up and were instantly served breakfast. Omgggg, EGGS! It had been the first breakfast in dayssss that actually felt substantial enough to provide us with some much needed energy! The next couple of days passed by as quickly as they started. There just aren't enough words to describe how amazing Da Lat is. Everything from the people, to the places, to the experiences! Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Da Lat that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. cozy nook hostel
canyoning & abseiling tour100 roofs cafe aka 'maze bar'
The Crazy House
The Night MarketSleeper bus #2We arrived back at the hostel after a quick stop at the Crazy House. It was scorching hot outside, we were starving as usual, and we had roughly less than an hour to pack up and get ready before our afternoon bus to Nha Trang arrived at 1:00 p.m. The bus arrived earlier than scheduled - 12:45 p.m.- SURPRISE! Not only were my belongings scattered all over the room, but I was also dripping wet from the shower when I received the news that our bus was here. This time crunch had now put me into full panic mode, rushing like the speed of light to get onto the bus with everything, hopefully, in tact. (I did end up forgetting my water shoes though...so bummed!) Thankfully, we made it on the bus with only a few dirty looks from the passengers who did not appreciate being held up ... and to my surprise, we were once again back on a sleeper bus. Oh for fuck's sake, here we go again! I'm pretty sure I was still unraveling from the first sleeper bus we endured 2 nights prior. So there I was, bracing myself for yet, another bus ride from hell in Vietnam. At least this time I was lucky enough to get a bottom right seat, and a mask....(so many germs, so little air!) Well...maybe it won't be sooo bad this time! Ha...WRONG!! The only bearable part was that I discovered there was free wifi on the bus...(YESSSSS!!!) This meant I could catch up with family and friends and perhaps even post a few Instagram pics of course! Well, that lasted for a hot minute until, as expected, all connection was lost the moment we left the city. Welp, you get what you pay for, right?? (Which in this case only happened to be $7.00 USD) After a few hours of restless sleep and non-stop winding roads, the bus finally came to a stop. It was almost 4:00 p.m. - surely we must be there by now.... Nope, wrong AGAIN! Instead, we stopped off at a roadside Vietnamese restaurant, which I assumed was just a quick bathroom break along the way. Next thing I know, our bus driver was ordering off a menu and having a full on sit down meal with some friends. Wait....ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!? I couldn't eat, it was hot AF, and I was beyond nauseous from the bus ride. The thought of having to continue on, for who knows how much longer, was enough to make me sick for the remainder of the day. We boarded the bus as soon as everyone finished their meals, which was at least a good 45 minutes later. We still had another hour or so of driving left, which was already becoming a longer trip than expected. After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived at our stop - another random / quick drop off location that was in the middle of a busy street. How lovely. Once again we were rushed off the bus, left disoriented, and unsure of where to go next. Thank goodness for MAPS ME! (This is like the holy bible for travelers, trust me) After walking for more than a mile across busy streets and navigating around reckless drivers, we finally made it to our hostel in Nha Trang around 6:00 p.m. Another long ass day to add to the books, along with another misleading bus ride. I think it's safe to say that at this point of the trip you can't trust what anyone tells you. So with that said - Welcome to Nha Trang..... Nha trangNha Trang is a place you just REALLLLLY want to love, but for some reason, can't. I mean 99% of travelers will tell you to not even waste your time and just go straight to Mui Ne instead. Well, because we are Americans, and because we don't have the luxury of being on an extended vacay, we had to do what made more sense time wise - and staying in Nha Trang, unfortunately, was part of that plan. I can't say that it was the worst place we visited in Vietnam, because that just isn't true. Maybe it was just me being biased, but I was extremely excited to finally be in a beach town that I seemed to overlook all of the negative comments that were made about Nha Trang. Yes, the beaches are filthy AF, and there is loads of garbage polluting the water, BUT....if you can look past all of that then you will see that the water is super warm and the colors are really beautiful! We didn't spend a lot of time in this city, it was more of a stop along the way. But the time we did spend was for the most part enjoyable. My favorite part of Nha Trang was the lovely restaurant we were lucky enough to find. Lanterns Restaurant was like a hidden gem in the middle of all of the chaotic mess. Not only did we eat here the first night we arrived, but we also came back for breakfast and dinner the following day. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced. If you do decide to eat here, try and make a reservation for dinner time because it does become pretty busy at night. Other than the beach and shopping, there isn't really much to do in this town. I wouldn't say don't come though - because it might be worth visiting if you are planning to make your way up North. I just wouldn't recommend staying for an extended amount of time. Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Nha Trang that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. lanterns RESTAURANT
Mojzo dorm
shoppingnha trang beachovernight sleeper trainTired of attempting to save money by taking overnight sleeper buses, and desperate for a good nights sleep, we opted on a more "luxurious" approach - the sleeper train! And let me tell you folks - it made ALLLLL the difference in the world! We decided to take the 5:00 a.m. sleeper train from Nha Trang into Danang, mostly because it was a 10 hour journey (which by Vietnam standards, obviously meant longer) and we ultimately wanted to get into Hoi An at a decent time for once. We left our hostel around 4:30 a.m. and took a cab, along with a lovely girl we had met from Australia the night before. The station was only 10 minutes away so we didn't need to rush (such a relief). Naturally, our train didn't arrive until closer to 5:30 a.m. so we had no choice but to wait.... Once the train approached the station we were completely oblivious to where we were supposed to board. Our train tickets were literally written in Vietnamese so unless a translator magically decided to appear, we would remain once again lost in translation. Wandering aimlessly up and down the tracks, borderline panicking, we found a ticket lady who waved us in her direction, looked at our tickets and signaled for us to come on board. Okay, so now what....? We were stuck in-between the corridors as the train rapidly took off, not having a clue as to where our bunks were. The sleeper trains in Thailand were a lot more self explanatory. You walk aboard and BAM, there are your beds, marked nice and clearly. Everything on this train just looked like long, quiet, empty hallways, leading to nowhere. We were finally directed to our rooms....a small sliding door in the middle of a compacted hallway. Once opened, there were a total of four beds - bunk beds to be more precise. Thankfully we had paid for the bottom bunks and were both given them. In the middle of us was a very small table that was connected to the wall. We had some space underneath our beds to store our bigger bags and we were provided with a rather large, soft comforter and a pillow. Alright....time to settle in for the long haul! Oh, and did I mention what the toilets were like? Yeaaa....about that. If you can, try to go before getting on the train or wait until after you've arrived. It is literally a hole that you have to squat over and try your best to aim while gripping on tightly to the handles as the train rocks back and forth. Not a fun experience. Despite the toilet situation, I would say about 80% of the trip was rather pleasant, and we were finallllllly able to catch up on some much needed sleep. The only downfall was that the one of our roomies (a Vietnamese local) decided she was done sleeping around 8:00 a.m. and kept the door to our room wide open, allowing all the light and noise to come straight through. Like, ruuuuudee, right??? That's not even the worst part though...she decided to sit at the edge of my friends bed, without even asking! Obviously she didn't give a crap, and continued to do so for almost the remainder of the journey, along with keeping the door wide open. It was super annoying but thankfully we came prepared with our night masks and ear plugs. These are absolute essentials while traveling FYI!! After a long 12 hour journey, we finally arrived at the Danang train station. There weren't any announcements made along the way, or any indication as to where we were, but we somehow made it off the train at the right time. The unfortunate part about taking the train is the fact that it doesn't go straight into Hoi An. You have to take either a taxi or a local bus in order to get to the town. The bus was super confusing to find and it was a bit overwhelming after coming off of a long train ride, so to save us some time we decided to go with the taxi. It only cost us $15.00 USD for a 45-minute ride (split between two people isn't so bad). I would 100% recommend this option! The local bus can take almost double - or even triple the amount of time. We arrived at the hotel around 3:00 p.m. and O-M-G.....what - a - surprise it was! There just aren't enough words to describe how amazing it felt to walk into Vietnam Backpackers hostel and feel completely at home. This was just the beginning of sooooo many of my favorite memories in Hoi An. A small, yet exquisite town that will forever hold a special place in my heart. A big, warm welcome to Hoi An.... Hoi An Have you ever stumbled upon a quaint little town in the middle of nowhere? A magical place that brings so much happiness into your heart that you feel like you might never want to leave? Well, that is exactly how I felt about Hoi An. I can't even put into words how much I loved this town. Everything was about 20 minutes or so either by bicycle or by motorbike. There were also restaurants, coffee shops, and convenience stores all within walking distance from the hostel. Speaking of the hostel - I can't say enough great things about this place. It was the first place we stayed that actually felt like a luxurious hotel. There were three different levels, a bar area with TVs, a swimming pool, and elevators (yes, actual elevators!) The best part was that they catered to the "Western Culture." The menu was made up entirely of burgers, french fries, and chicken sandwiches! Literally the best food we ate the entire trip! The hotel wasn't even the best part - it was the night life in Hoi An. They had tons of clubs and bars that were filled with people, good music, and LOTS of alcohol. And the shopping....oh - em - gee....I couldn't STOP! I probably spent half of what I brought with me just in this town alone. Everything was just so cheap....including the custom bikini I had made at a local tailor shop. This is an absolute must-do in this town. If you are looking for an inexpensive tuxedo, a new pair of shoes, or even a custom made dress / romper for a night out on the town, then I highly recommend going to a tailor. You won't regret it. Even with the hotel, the food, and the shopping - none of it would've been what it was without the people that we met in this lovely town. They really brought out the amazing-ness of Hoi An! Everyone is SO friendly and there are always activities going on that gives you the chance to meet new people and make new friends. These friendships were definitely my favorite part about traveling, especially in the beautiful ancient town of Hoi An <3 Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Hoi An that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. Vietnam backpacker hostelLocation: 250 Cua Dai St. Cost: 6 bed female dorm = $12.09 USD *Breakfast included / free wifi / pool Hours: open 24 hours for (check in/check out.) *Security guard in front at night. **Happy hour every night at 6:00 p.m. (2 for 1) -8.9 overall rating on HostelWorld.com tiger tiger bar
Bike rentalsBuddhist Temples Location: Vietnam Backpacker Hostel Cost: 30,000 VND = $1.30 USD for the whole day Hours: must be returned by 8:00 p.m. *Everything is within a 15-20 minute bike ride from the hostel. ancient townLocation: On the banks of Thu Bon River, in central Quang Nam. Cost: 120,000 VND = $6.00 USD (or just pass by on bike and they can't stop you, which is what we did) Hours: open 24 hours (depending on place) *Everything is within a 15-20 minute bike ride from the hostel. An bang beachHoi An Tailor shops
ancient town at nightThe cargo Club bakery
shopping Hải Vân Pass (hoi an -> hue) Hai Van, not only the highest pass in the country, but also one of the most scenic hillside roads in Vietnam, was one of the greatest thrills of my life. Before entering Hoi An, I had never heard of the Hai Van pass, but everyone insisted that we experience it. I wasn't too keen on the idea of riding a motorbike for what we were told would be 6 hours or more. I wasn't exactly a motorbike expert by any means. I had only ridden on the back of everyone else's bike since we had been in Vietnam, so the thought of doing it alone was beyond scary! But...then again...this was a once in a lifetime opportunity....so, how could I resist?! The night before our big ride we headed into town to seek out a legitimate motorbike company. Our friends had recommended a company called 'THANHS' but we never actually found the place. So instead, we went with Thanh Tu Travel. The lady coordinated everything for us - the drop off of the bikes to the hotel, the pick up of the luggage, and the drop off of the luggage. Everything was all set, all we needed to do was just make sure that made it to Hue safe and sound - with the bikes of course. After saying goodbye to our friends and enjoying one last Americanized breakfast, we finally set out on our adventure the next morning around noon. We attempted to stop at Marble Mountain (a marked destination on the map) however, we never successfully made it there. Given the late start and major road blocks we had already encountered along the way to Marble Mountain, we decided it would be best to just ride straight to Hue, only stopping once at Elephant Springs. The ride along the coast back into Danang was absolutely beautiful! Naturally, we had to stop a few times for some scenic photo ops. As we continued heading north (as the map indicated) we started riding deeper into the mountains. We were told to ride about 20 kilometers until we reached the Hai Van Pass, which apparently was supposed to be marked super clearly. It wasn't. Because we rode for wayyyyy longer than that, and somehow never found anything remotely close to the Hai Van Pass. Frustrated, cold, and as always STARVING, we pulled off the side of the road to ask some locals for directions. Of course nobody was able to help us because of the language barrier....but we were confident that we were headed in the right direction. I mean, north is north...right?! Wrong. A light bulb finally went off in our heads as we turned to good old MAPSME. Umm...why didn't we think of this before?! (As I said before, this is a MUST while traveling without data plans) Ya, we were definitely not headed in the right direction. Damn it! We had to back-track a good 30 or more minutes back to Danang and then back to the main road. So annoying! Eventually we did find the correct path. How the hell was it so easy for everyone else to navigate but impossible for us?! It was NOT as clear as everyone made it out to be. Needless to say, that was the last wrong turn we made. The rest of the ride was smooth sailing....(sort of) and we did eventually make it to Elephant Springs - about 5 hours later. Unfortunately, that wasn't even where our journey to Hue ended.....but, we will come back to that after Elephant Springs. With that said...Beep Beep....Welcome to Hue! Elephant SpringsEver heard of the term 'off the beaten path?' Well...that is exactly where you will find Elephant Springs - if you happen to find it at all... After riding along the crazy two-lane highway for almost 2 hours since exiting the Hai Van Pass...we were sure that Elephant Springs was coming up. Of course there weren't any marked paths or clear signs indicating the fact, so we kind of just had to hope for the best. We saw a couple of guys that seemed to be heading in the same direction as us so we figured we would just follow them and see what happens. Best decision we ever could have made that day! After a dangerous left turn across the entire freeway, we found a small turn-in down a dirt road. We followed the dirt path for almost 20-25 minutes until FINALLY coming to a pit stop, along with a bunch of other people. Thankfully, we weren't the only ones who seemed lost and confused while attempting to find Elephant Springs. We were stopped by a local Vietnamese security guard who instructed us to pay a fee to enter the premises. It seemed a little sketchy, but everyone else was doing it so we went ahead and paid the fee of 30,000 VND to pass security and enter. We continued driving the bikes another 5-10 minutes up to the parking area. Nope - still not quite there. We still had another 5-10 minute hike to the Springs from the parking lot. Geeze...this place was literally in the middle of nowhere! We finally reached the top and it wasn't really anything incredible like we had hoped it would be. Elephant Springs is basically just a series of small waterfalls that open into a bigger swimming area towards the bottom. It's a nice place for a quick dip in the water to cool off on the way to Hue. But beware because the locals definitely will try to rip you off by guiding you to one of the bamboo shacks (where they tell you to change into your bathing suit) but later attempt to charge you a fee of 200,000 VND. So, unless you plan on spending a few hours at the springs, I wouldn't recommend it. Just change under your towel, go for a quick swim, take a few pictures, and call it a day..... it's enough, trust me. hueAfter spending a brief 45 minutes at Elephant Springs, we headed back to the parking lot to continue on our journey into Hue. It was starting to get late and we were losing sunlight. The last thing we wanted to do was ride into Hue, at night, during the busy traffic hours. We reached our bikes, put the key in, and guess what?!.....THEY WOULDN'T START!!! Holy shit....now what do we do?! Panic kicked into overdrive. We continued trying to start our bikes, over and over again. Nothing. Not only did we not have any data on our phones, but they were also dead! Guess we took one too many pictures when we should've been conserving our battery life for the road. Oops. All I could think of in that moment of pure panic was what would happen if they didn't start. Everybody had already left so we had no way of getting any kind of help. We were literally miles and miles away from the main road at this point so our options were basically limited to.....well....nothing. FINALLLLLLLLLY....after about 10 minutes of non-stop trying, my bike started up! THANK GOD!!! My friend told me to just go and that she would catch up - so it's exactly what I did. Bye Felicia! No... I'm just kidding.... I literally went as slow as I could possibly go without stalling, and to my surprise her bike eventually started as well! YESSSS!!! We were back in business....but not without a constant fear that at any minute our bikes would die again. So we rode...as fast as we could - and then.....we saw .... PEOPLE!!! A few minutes down the road we spotted the same guys that we had followed into Elephant Springs. We flagged them down and told them about our dilemma and asked if we could follow them the rest of the way to Hue. They were literally a Godsend. Not only would we not have made it Hue without their help, but the rest of our trip would not have been the same without them. These 3 boys from London were the very BEST part of our final days spent in Vietnam. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for being at the right place at the right time. Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Hue that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. Casablanca hotelhanh RESTAURANTdmz barBus from hue to phong nhaAdios Hue! We didn't stay long....because honestly there just really wasn't much to do in this town, besides rest after our 8 hour (yes, that's how long it ended up being) ride. So with our new found London friends, a few minor injuries, and some much needed sleep - it was time to move on - so off we went! The bus arrived promptly at 6:00 a.m. For the first time everrrr, it wasn't a sleeper bus but rather a normal coach bus that we are all accustomed to traveling in. Finally! The bus ride was supposed to only be 4 hours or so, but naturally it took longer. (Of course) We did the usual pit stop to use the toilet...and apparently eat breakfast as well. It was really cold though so most of us just stayed on the bus and continued sleeping. FYI - the further North you travel, the colder the weather becomes. So be prepared, because you WILL need a jacket and some pants. Two items of clothing that will def be buried at the very bottom of your backpacks at this point in the trip. So, after a long 5.5 hours of early morning traveling, we finally arrived in Phong Nha! A cold and rainy welcome to Phong Nha..... phong nhaI'll be honest....this town was not my favorite by any means. If it weren't for our new travel friends traveling with us to Phong Nha, it probably wouldn't have been as enjoyable. The town is supperrrrrrrrrr small - I'm talking like one main street with minimal things to do. Especially at night. And the weather - ehhh...it's always SO cold and rainy. And we just didn't pack enough clothes for that type of weather. The hostel was pretty cool though - we were lucky enough to get our own private dorm room with 6 beds for the 5 of us (without booking ahead of time). They were very accommodating. Although, we did end up gaining another roomie sometime in the middle of the night. "Wait....whose suit is that above Andie's bed?!" Hahaha...Ohhh the memories we made in that room are priceless!!! Miss you guys long time. Anyways, moving on... The restaurants in Phong Nha were probably some of my favorites from the trip. I mean...they actually had french toast for breakfast! Eeeekkk!!! It gets pretty old eating eggs and a baguette every morning for two weeks straight. Despite the cold weather and limited night life, we still found plenty to do to keep ourselves entertained. We even happened to run into some old friends from Hoi An again! (The best part about traveling) Oh, and if you've never played Zummie/Zummie, you are missing out on life. Although we only spent a few short days in Phong Nha, the experiences and memories made were absolutely unforgettable. Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Phong Nha that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. gecko hostel
nguyen shack
botanic gardens
bamboo cafe
paradise cave tourLocation: Son Trach Ward, Bo Trach District Cost: Entrance Fee is 250,000 VND = $11.00 USD (adult ticket price) Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. paradisecave.com dark cave tourLocation: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Cost: Entrance Fee is 450,000 VND = $20.00 USD (adult price) *PLUS 50,000 VND deposit for locker Hours: 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Activities Include: Cave Tour, Mud Baths, Ziplining, Kayaking sleeper bus #3After spending 4 inseparable days together (although it felt more like months) the time finally came for the fab five to split up and go our separate ways. It was by far a sad moment having to say goodbye to the friends who brought so much enjoyment and entertainment into our trip - but that's all part of traveling, eventually you must part ways.... At 9:30 p.m. we boarded our final overnight sleeper bus (at least in Vietnam anyways) and settled in for the long 8 hour ride into Hanoi. Our seats were all towards the back, on the top, except for 'long man.' He had a special seat on the bottom squashed between two Vietnamese locals. LOL. (Vietnam is not so accommodating towards tall people btw) However, this bus ride was actually one of the more pleasant rides we encountered our entire time in Vietnam. Perhaps it was because we had great company to take our minds off the horrible roads and constant honking - or the fact that we were all extremely exhausted after our adventurous day at the caves. Either way, we were all passed out within the hour and didn't wake up until we had arrived the next morning at 5:30 a.m. On the dot. What a pleasant surprise! The one time we actually didn't want to arrive on time, we did... So, here we all are....dumped off at 5:30 a.m. in the middle of Hanoi....with nowhere to go. The boys didn't have to board their next bus for another 2 hours to Halong Bay, and we didn't have a hotel to check into just yet. But there was one thing we all knew for sure - we were STARVING!!! Our wonderful friend Dom happened to find us a cute little hotel that was hidden behind the busy city streets. This hotel was kind enough to let us hang out, eat breakfast, and say our goodbyes before venturing off into our last days in Vietnam. Goodbye London friends, and Hello to Hanoi...... hanoiI can only describe Hanoi in two words - shit hole. It was pretty much the swap meet of Ho Chi Minh City - which isn't saying a whole lot since I loathed that place more than any other place in Vietnam. Yuck! It was more of a pit stop than anything....the easiest place to be when catching an early morning flight out of Hanoi airport. After enjoying our last breakfast as a group, we headed out to Old Quarter Hanoi Hostel. It was located in the heart of the city. All the locals were already awake, bright and early, starting their days. They had slaughtered chickens spread out across the street, long pieces of uncooked beef hanging from wires, and pig heads (yes...the actual head of a pig) sitting at the end of the sidewalks. It was quite the disturbing sight to be witnessing at 6:30 a.m. Not to mention the smell - omg - Barf. It was enough to make you sick. We finally made our way to the hostel. It was hidden down a rather isolated street, pretty hard to spot just by walking, even with the guided help of a map. The receptionist greeted us right away and set us up for a place to stay for the night. He was super friendly and accommodating, and not to mention he spoke perfect English. We were given towels, for a small fee of course, and were taken to a room to put our belongings until we could check into our rooms. It was by far the BEST shower I encountered the entire time spent in Vietnam. Perhaps it was because I hadn't showered in almost 24 hours but either way - what a luxury it was! You don't realize how deprived you become of the every day necessities we are so used to and take for granted, until you don't have it anymore. After some much needed HOT showers (very far and few between) and a quick bite to eat (again) we set out to explore the town. It was, after all, our last day in Vietnam. Below I will provide a brief outline on the highlights of Hanoi that we experienced. I will also include the costs, location, and hours of each place visited. OLD QUARTER view HANOI HOSTELLocation: 42 Hang Giay, Hang Buom Cost: $8.00 USD for 6 bedroom mixed dorm room Hours: 24 hours for check in / check out (9.4 rating on hostelworld.com) *Bar located inside. Free beer every night at 6:00 p.m. (homemade) hoan kiem lakechops RESTAURANT
shopping in old quarterduongs restuaraunt
vietnam backpacker hostel pub crawl
hanoi airportAfter two very long, adventurous, yet amazing weeks....it was finally time to say goodbye to Vietnam. It was definitely bittersweet to say the least.
The taxi driver arrived exactly at 5:30 a.m. to take us to the airport. It wasn't a far drive at all, which was nice. The hostel had prepared us a cute little breakfast to-go bag filled with fruit, rice cakes, and naturally...a baguette! (The last one thankfully). We arrived at the airport, paid the taxi driver....our last Vietnamese Dong, and headed towards the check in counter. Once again - lost in translation. There was no clear indication as to where our terminal would be. So we found a spot in line and got comfortable on the floor while we waited for more information. Eventually, an announcement was made and our check in counter was given. Of course it as nowhere near where we already were, so it was basically a chaotic mad dash for first come first serve. We didn't get the worst spot in line...but we weren't as close as we had been at the previous counter. Oh well....at least we were getting outta here! We boarded our flight on AirAsia around 9:00 a.m. We had two aisle seats that were opposite of each other...which was fine, considering we weren't even seated next to each other on our outbound flight into Asia. As we departed Vietnam it was hard not to reflect back on the last two weeks. It felt like a lifetime ago when we first landed in Ho Chi Minh City...completely unaware of the adventure that awaited us. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It was a trip of self-discovery, of venturing out of my comfort zone, of creating new friendships, and re-inventing old ones. Thank you to everyone for making this trip absolutely unforgettable. These memories will forever be ingrained in my heart. Goodbye Vietnam.......and hello to Cambodia!
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AuthorWest Coast blogger with a love for traveling and adventure seeking. Archives
July 2018
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