15 days in Vietnam

My route>> Hanoi>>Halong Bay>>Sapa>>Hue>>HoiAn>>Nha Trang>>JungleBeach>HCMC>>Home
Month of travel- June (2009)

The single most striking thing about a holiday in Vietnam is the low representation of Indians in the country- either as tourists or as local residents. Unlike most other countries in Asia, Europe and of course the US; I hardly encountered any; and even those I did seemed to be American kids out with the rest of their friends.

But this could be for several reasons. Perhaps tourists find Vietnam looks very similar to India. While its towns like Hanoi and HCMC look almost like Delhi suburbs like Pitampura – with tall narrow houses build haphazardly – its more bountiful sights look a lot like any green rice paddy terraces in south India or lush mountains full of bamboo forests in the East. But after spending 15 days traveling from North to South Vietnam; I found that the country has a lot to more to offer; and is very very different from dear ole India...read on if you are planning a trip!


Let me start by saying that 15 days is not nearly enough if you really want to explore and get to know Vietnam. I could have easily done with another three weeks at least. But if you do have only ten or 15 days, then read on to discover the best and most efficient way to see Vietnam!

Most people usually start their travels in Vietnam either in the North (Hanoi) or South (HCMC) and make their way either downwards or upwards. I started in the North- in Hanoi. With its busy streets clogged with people, bikes, shops, food vendors and tourists; its a city that may offer an exotic 'Asian' charm for the western traveler but at first glance will not seem to offer much for the Indian traveler. However, stay a little longer and look a little deeper to discover its many hidden delights! The water puppet performance; the amazing fruits (an armful of the sweetest lichis at Rs.60!), Rambutans, Dragon Fruits and Custard Apples are cheap!!; the great tradition of Bia Hoi- the local lemony draft beer served up 24X7 in ubiquitous street side eateries for just 4000 Vietnamese dong- less than 10 Indian rupees! - all of which come with free smiling conversations with the locals; and the many karaoke bars. Wander the streets of the old quarter and watch local life unfurl in transparent glory- the Vietnamese don't believe in high walls and closed doors with blinds on them- every single house is open, with the living room visible to all – and a rich tapestry of inside life to be seen and savored by the curious traveler! ( I took full advantage, riding randomly through small alleys on my bicycle, peering into peoples houses and trying to imagine life in their homes. By now, I can tell a typical Vietnamese home- they don't have regular doors-
its more like a garage shutter. Often, a bike or car will be parked inside this first room into which the 'door' opens; where there will also be typically the Altar for the Ancestors; and a small sitting arrangement or rugs for people to sit on. A TV will be on, small kids will lounge on the floor staring at it. Women will be sitting around and chatting, doing some veggies; and men will be clustered outside nursing a cafe suah-da or smoking (or both). They will not smile at you or wave at you or react in any way as you cycle by. But if you get off and approach them, they will be more then friendly. That is just how they are. Unfortunately, in some richer parts of Vietnam, these wonderful 'open homes' are being replaced with typical apartments and western-style homes with narrow front door, boundary wall and locked gate. Sad.

When in Hanoi, take a overnight boat tour of the Halong Bay- a UNESCO World Heritage Site of gigantic mountains jutting randomly out of the sea- I believe there are close to 1900 of them. You can attempt this on your own but if time is short, an organized tour is the best way to see it and meet some people from all over the world too! (I think currently I see some bits of the title song of the new Hindi movie Blue shot here). The tour gives you a guided walk admission to one or two of the caves which have been lit inside. The guide will point out random rock formations and say- this is a monkey, this is a dragon, and this is a family, and this is a pair of lovers and so on. There was even a pair of breasts (!)..frankly, its just because of the red, blue, pink lighting- left to themselves, they look like pretty rock formations and should be enjoyed just for that.

One night is usually enough although some people take the 2 night tour and spend one night on the boat (like I did – highly recommended) and one night in CatBa Island- one of the many islands in Halong Bay which is also now a National Park. My recommendation is that if you have time to go up north to Sapa for a hiking trip, then you can give CatBa a miss. My friends who did go to CatBa were quite disappointed – you will find better trekking trails in any part of India. \

Back in Hanoi, take a bus – any bus- from near the central lake and get off randomly. Walk! Its a lovely city and can only be seen on foot. You will notice in most restaurants and shops a small Altar to Buddha and Ancestors. Observe- and you will see ciggarette butts mounted where incense should be. I once saw a waiter replacing an old ciggie with a fresh smoking one. They believe Buddha likes smoking. Hmm. I wonder which Phillip Morris executive drummed that one up! Anyways, as Vietnam is a communist country (although you wouldn't see any signs of governance except ridiculous Mayawati-style statues and Memorials dotting the impoverished countryside), women are quite empowered and as a female tourist, you will usually not feel unsafe here. The Museum of Ethnography is really nice and has life size houses of traditional tribal homes, as well a water puppet performance. Nice way to spend half a day though some of the indoor parts of the museum were a bit dusty for my liking..(but it did remind me of home...!)

My next visit out of Hanoi was to Sapa- a mountainous and beautiful region just 30KM from the Chinese border and an overnight train journey away from Hanoi. Its populated by a wide range of indigenous tribes- the Dzay, the Black Hmong, the Dzao etc..each with their own cultures, dresses and house styles. ( I recently saw Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino and was so happy I knew about the Hmong!) My recco here is again to take a tour if time is short- it also allows you to have a Home Stay with one of the tribal families and is definitely an AMAZING experience. We took the 3-night tour – of which 2 nights are spent on the train up and down from Hanoi and one night at the tribal Home stay. The family lets you cook with them, eat with them and sleep in their home, with copious amounts of home made rice wine shots after the dinner is done. The hiking itself is superb- we spent the days hiking through the rice paddys and bamboo forests with a group of about 6 people. All meals are organized as a part of the tour, at picturesque local venues- by the river, in the mountains and so on. A real treat.

Keep your eyes open for the Poison Fruit (see pic) which look like mini watermelons but can apparently KILL you (I didnt try though I was tempted to bring some home); the delicious scenes out of an ancient lifestyle – kids riding water buffaloes and playing with beetles; pigs rummaging though the muddy fields, old tribal women drying out medicinal herbs and barks and so on...its life as it existed probably hundreds or thousands of years back, with the occasional group of western backpackers adding a touch of modern color. You may be amazed at first, at how well the uneducated tribal women can speak English (picked up from tourists) till you realize that they each have a vocabulary of 6 staple questions. By the end of the trip, you will be automatically reeling off to any new people you meet, the answers to these question: Where you from? Whats your name? How old are you? How many brother and sisters do you have? Are you married/ Is he your boyfriend/girlfriend (if traveling as a couple) and finally, the unforgettable 'You buy something from meeee?' !!

Back in Hanoi from Sapa, and 5 nights down, I took the night bus to Hue – a central Vietnamese city which is ancient and stunning. Worth spending at least 3 nights here if you are like me- and like to just wander around ambling though streets and alleys soaking in random sights and sounds. I hired a bicycle and rode through Hue. By far the best way to really 'see' it; short of actually living with a local family!! The most unique things about Hue? The walled and moated city within a city built by the Chinese- which still exists and functions as a teeming living quarters; and houses the 'Citadel' or Forbidden City – the royal housings of the Chinese rulers. Its historical and charming all at once. But what rocks is the food scene. Apparently thanks to a Chinese emperor who ruled Hue. So vain was he that he expected 50 new dishes to be cooked by 50 different chefs daily. That added up to a lot of new recipes originating out of Hue. The tradition of gourmet cuisine in Hue is unmatched. Its the only place in Vietnam that has an entire market dedicated to vegetarian food (the amazing Dong Ba Market – where you will of course also find EVERYTHING ELSE under the sun and can easily spend half a day). The local desert called Che is unmissable. At only 10000 Dong (Rs.27) its a treat you will probably not find anywhere else in the world so don't miss it! Essentially a tall glass with 20 different traditional Vietnamese sweets layered one on top of the other, interspersed with crushed ice and topped with dry fruits and nuts! The layers are made of coconut sweet, banana sweets, lotus seed and many other things!! (all vegetarian!)

The riverside is also a great place to spend a half day beside. Buy yourself a local Vietnamese sandwich- the ubiquitous Bahn My – and sit by the river contemplating life for a while. While getting your Bahn My made, you can specify what you wanted added in or deleted- I opted to leave out the beef strips and only had them add the omlette and pork sausages. The spicy paste they slather on is something else and my mouth is watering just writing about it. Vietnamese bread takes a little getting used to – it looks and feels quite like the natural loofahs we get in India! Its hard and crusty on the outside and has very little substance on the inside. My German friend Julia, brought up on a diet of hardy black rye was disappointed and called it 'Air Bread'.

Another fun thing to do in Vietnam is to rent a bike (a moped really) and drive out randomly, following the coast and looking for deserted beaches. We took bikes out in search of a beach called ThuanAn but when we found it, it was so commercial we decided to keep riding and look for a deserted part further on. We stopped for lunch at a local's house (yes!) who shared their food with us (water spinach with shrimps, pickled sardines and soup with the usual steamed rice- see photo) and happily accepted 5000VND from us for it. We sat out in their 'deck' which was just a makeshift wooden deck over their piece of lake backwater..its so clear in my head but hard to describe in words! What wonderful friendly people who also happen to be awesome cooks! We did stumble onto a beach which was straight out of some surreal book or movie..it looked like the edge of the world and when we peeked over, it was a steep mudside (for want of a better word- it was a hillside made of mud and sand - see photo) down to the most incredible deserted blue-watered beach ever! Totally worth it! Here we lay baking in the warm sun till sunset. We did have a few local kids shout over the top of the mud hill a few obscenities (F*** You, Give us Money!) - nothing we haven't heard or said ourselves before, so no harm done! but they never ventured down to us.

After 3 nights of cycling around Hue, eating the local food and drinking in the amazing history, I moved regretfully to HoiAn. I was actually going to give Hoi An a miss because of the way its been described online- as a sleepy little seaside resort town – but am SO glad I went there because it is anything but that!! Its a beautiful, painstakingly restored moment of Asian history preserved and frozen in time; with all its historical charm and beauty intact for the modern visitor to savor and ponder over.

Its a really small town and sure- you could spend a day distracted by the amazing and world-famous tailor shops and shoe shops- both of whom will custom make shoes and clothes for you for under 20 USD a piece (including material) in under 5 hours!!!. But the real beauty lies in waking early and heading to the river to view a scene that has probably remained unchanged for atleast 5000 years – the early morning trading happening on boats – people in typical Vietnamese conical hats, buying and selling their animals and produce into the local HoiAn market. You can sit and watch for hours till the last boat has left and the tourists wake up and troop in for coffees and breakfast at the pretty little riverside cafes. And at every moment you will witness something different, unique, inspiring, funny, touching, charming. Apart from the river, you have several other things. Rent a bicycle and go across the river to the CamNam island- watch the local arts and crafts being made by residents in their backyards. Or ride up the 4 kilometers to the CuDai beach- crowded but fun and beautiful, for a relaxed evening. In the day time, buy the 70000 dong ticket (approx. Rs.160) which lets you see any 5 attractions of your choice. I would recommend the Old Houses, the Ceramics Museum and the live performance of music at the local Handicrafts museum, Amazing value for money – and the performance was so beautiful I had tears in my eyes. Perhaps because at the time I was reading Many Lives Many Masters, I almost thought I had a past life connection as a HoiAn local, a weary Chinese trader's wife or daughter- so connected did I feel with the music and even the ancient instruments they were using, in that moment.

HoiAn also has wonderful restaurants..some of the most picturesque I have seen, perched on stilts on top of the river or in plush resorts lining the route to CuDai beach. One of the days we rented Mo-bikes and rode out to look at MySon- an ancient site of Hindu temples- you wonder how they ever got there- and it was quite surreal to see your regular Shiva and Nandi statues in the middle of a quiet Vietnamese hillside. There was also a wonderful dance performance at the entrance point of MySon which I enjoyed – touristy but still quite nicely and tastefully done. Worth a half day excursion but go with a friend as the paths inside MySon get pretty deserted and I saw one of the guards helping himself (to himself!)

Alright. We move on from the beautiful HoiAn- which also has some fun places to drink at night- the main street comes alive, and there will be random white girls who will invite you to 'happening' beach parties. Go once. Its shady but not bad fun if you are a group. They give you a free ride to and fro to the venue and it can be fun if you are in the mood. Be careful with your drinks and stick to your friends. But I don't need to tell you that!

Next stop -party town Nha Trang!!! We fly coz we are tying to save time and its not thaat much more expensive than a overnight bus. Nha Trang is a complete disappointment. Its an ugly commercial town and the hotels and beaches are really not that great. Yes, its got a decent night life but I honestly have seen better in parts of Thailand and would not travel all the way to NhaTrang where the hotels- even the expensive ones- are lousy and unfriendly. This is the first town I feel unwelcome in, in Vietnam. The people have become hardened and greedy. You can see it in their eyes and their stony faces. So we make an executive decision- lets get out of here. We called Jungle Beach- run by a french-canadian guy (Syl) and his Vietnamese family. He says he will send us a cab early the next morning. He is terse on the phone- 'we are not a fancy place, and its $20 all inclusive'. All right then, bring it on!

The cab arrives on time, but we have a slight accident getting out of Nha Trang (our cab rams into a scooterist. I'm only amazed it doesn't happen more often, seeing as how people drive.) However, the crowd handles the situation well and we get the victim to the hospital. By the time he is checked in, a replacement cab arrives and we are on our way again. Jungle Beach resort is about an hour's drive out of Nha Trang. It is a truly special place and I think I would love to go back for a few days.  Syl, who runs the place, lets you choose your own room (of the ones that are empty)- the rooms are just bamboo huts really. I picked the 'Sunrise Suite' - see pic alongside- the best room in the house fer sure!!! Right on the beach! The food is home made and simple (albeit a little repetitive, and downright boring for vegetarians!), but the beach..ohh the beach..thats what makes this place so special!!!! Its a beautifully flat and calm beach..even if you walk for ten minutes into the beach, its still only waist high (and I'm only about 5 feet tall)...every night they get some firewood and brambles together and light a bon fire. You can pick up beers from the kitchen ( a bit of a walk but the amazing dog Audley- the best guard dog I have ever seen, escorts you up and down, and doesn't go in to sleep til the last of the guests have cleared out of the beach and into their huts at night). You are welcome to do midnight swims..this was my most magical swim in my entire life- a beautiful star studded sky above me, and in the warm, gentle water, millions of bits of blue-green phosphorescence that stick to you and swim with you. Its just surreal and you have to experience this once in a lifetime. I felt like never leaving!!! There is a waterfall about half hours walk away from Jungle Beach. GO!! Its brilliant fun!

From Nha Trang, I flew into HCMC and took a flight back the same day- my wonderful holiday was at an end. As I said, I still missed so much! Another few weeks and I could have seen more of the highlands in Dalat (where they grow the famous coffee) and of course HCMC and the Mekong Delta.
But as my friend Arnie says, I'll be back!