Introduction
For long time, I had this country on my bucket list, often reading blogs or watching documentaries about the beautiful bay with 2000 islands, green rice terrace fields, and a fascinating history to learn about.
I travelled for 2 weeks and lost out on certain sights, and it is possible to explore the north and south, beaches and mountains, cities, and farmland.
For travellers, Vietnam can be frustrating sometimes because everyone tries to sell you something, yet a couple of polite “no, thank you” would be enough. They can be persistent in the main places at times, and you must be cautious of scams. Children frequently beg to buy items, but this tendency encourages them to value money above school.
Hanoi
The capital city of Vietnam, Hanoi, is where we began our journey; this city requires at least two days to see everything. The old town is the heart of the city, with major attractions located in the heart of it. Other fascinating destinations, such as Sapa, Ha Long Bay, and Ninh Binh, are easily accessible from Hanoi.
Walking throughout the entire city was tiring but it is a good way to see everything, although there are many various modes of transportation, including the famed cyclo, regular taxis, and grab, the latter of which is the best option to avoid payment in cash.
Ha long Bay
We booked a cruise to Ha Long Bay through Trip Advisor. Visiting such a magnificent place with its vast number of scenic islands was a pleasant change of pace from our hectic Vietnam trip. The crew has a variety of activities planned. Visiting a massive cave “sung hog” and kayaking were two of the highlights.
A must-see is viewing the sunset over the bay, where the serenity of the calm sea only adds to the spectacular view of the sun setting over the bay.
Although cruises are the most common way to visit this place, the numbers of cruises doing this make the landscape not as enjoyable. There are other options to visit this place for a less crowded experience.
Sapa
The next stop was Sapa, a small Vietnamese village visited by night bus. When you see this colorful bus approaching a lonely street next to the only open bar, you feel like you’re in a manga.
We spent 2 wonderful days between these mystic mountains, visiting the roof of Indochina and trekking around the rice fields. It was quite foggy, but it is still nice to enjoy this place. During the first three months of the year, the north of Vietnam could be quite chilly, so bring appropriate clothes and shoes. for the better view is in April – June, the fields are green.
How many days in sapa? I think if your intention is being in contact with locals, probably I would book 3 days around Sapa. The best accommodations are the home stays, but be aware some of them are just like a hotel, and make sure you can have transport and food nearby. Otherwise, 2 days are enough, as I did.
Getting back to Hanoi
To avoid paying another hotel and optimizing time, we catch the night train from Lao cai. It is very cheap but you can also get the night bus from Sapa. I didn’t sleep very well on the train, the hard bed was quite uncomfortable, but maybe a high price cabin would be better.
Ho chi minh
this place is like the song “living la vida loca”, it is unbelievably active. Motorbikes are everywhere, and you must pray before crossing the street. The best way to experience life here is after 5pm when the temperature drops a bit and Vietnamese are out for dinner and drinks. For that reason, two nights are enough to experience the nightlife and visit the main attractions.
From HCM you can decide to get a bus to different destinations such as the Mekong River then phu quoc. The best idea is to use a night bus from Mekong to Phu quoc.
Ben tre
My journey became solo travel at this point. After a couple of hours I got to my destination. Probably one day could be enough to explore the place, but I prefer to spend 2 days, I don’t regret at all it. Whatever place you chose to explore the delta river, I highly recommend getting lost in the countryside.
Phu quoc
If you want to spend some relaxing time on the beach, this is a good location for it. I stayed 3 days, they were enough to do some exploring and relax. If you like scuba diving, this place has some good spots, but I fully recommend checking the water conditions, visibility is not always good.
Alternative to my itinerary.
Take in consideration flying (there are also trains, i didn’t consider because they take too long) to Hue from Hanoi and visit the centre of Vietnam in 5 days, instead of doing Delta Mekong and Phu Quoc.