Geographical:
We flew from Hong Kong to Hanoi. Visited Hanoi, Sa Pa, Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta (Can Tho and Chao Doc) within four weeks. I think this was just enough time for our trip - we got to spend about two to three days in each town, longer where we enjoyed it and shorter where we didn’t. We had really good weather, with only one or two days of rain.
Vietnam favourites:
Drink: Iced Coffee - a very strong shot of coffee with condensed milk and ice.
Food: Snapper in Banana leaf grilled on the BBQ and Steak in Can Tho - the meanest steak I have ever had!
Ride: The local bus rides - adventurous and fun! Renting a moto was also an adventure!
Place: Sa Pa - most stunning landscapes with rice paddies everywhere!
Saying: Yo - it means “cheers”
Site: My Son - these are such mystical ruins.
The ‘not so cools’:
Over night bus rides
The food in general (very bland)
All the French tourists
Taxi scams
Overall:
We enjoyed the time in Vietnam, but we have to admit that we expected a bit more. The travel scene in Vietnam is just too organised - you just go the same route as everyone else, for going anywhere else is virtually impossible.
I enjoyed Vietnam more for its people and its habits than for its nature. It was a stunning experience and won’t change too much if we had to do it all over again.