Vietnam - 3 weeks solo travel

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My Vietnam trip step-by-step:

Travel around Vietnam I started from Ho Chi Minh, heading to the North and the plan looked as below:

1. Ho Chi Minh
2. Hoi An
3. Da Nang
4. Ninh Binh/Tam Coc
5. Ha Giang
6. Ha Long Bay
7. Hanoi

In my first stop, Ho Chi Minh, I’ve spent only 2 days. The city is pretty overwhelming, as over 9 million people population city and around 1.5 million motorbikes enter Ho Chi Minh City every day.

What you can do there is to walk around the French Quarter and visit the Old Quarter as well as some museums. Be prepared for some chaos and loudness, as there is a constant movement, lots of rush and a feeling of business.

On the second day, I took a popular trip to the Mekong river, where you spend almost a full day, travelling by different boats between Mangroves of the huge delta. It is a very nice experience, but a short trip from Saigon is just giving you a taste of Mekong. I would recommend exploring other, longer options.

My second stop was Hoi An and it stole my heart. The town is known for its well-preserved and colourful Ancient Town, cut through with canals and decorated with beautiful lanterns. It is a charming place, that you can easily visit by walking or renting a bike. During the day you can buy ticket passes to several temples and monuments and in the evening sit by the main canal to admire every-day boat lantern boats spectacle. To see it once is not enough 😊

One popular thing to do in Hoi An is to visit Coconut Village on a basket boat ride. To me, it is a “must do” attraction - not only for its scenic nature but most of all because it is a type of local culture and unique entertainment for multiple Asian visitors. You will experience dancing boats, karaoke, concerts, singing and much more. It is just lots of fun in an amazing place.

Other things to do once in Hoi An are to join a Memories show and surely visit at least for a day Da Nang and its Marble Mountains - five mountains that are home to many magnificent caves, tunnels, temples and pagodas waiting to be discovered. Once in Da Nang don’t forget to stop at the local beach with Da Nang skyscrapers at the background. I was surprised at how empty it was, even though the weather and water temperature were fabulous.

Next, I flew to Hanoi to explore the North. There are several different directions to go from Hanoi and it comes with long hours, often in the “sleeping” buses. The most famous places to visit are Ha Long Bay, Sa Pa Valley, Ninh Binh, and Ha Giang mountain loop. There is almost no “best” route so start from what you feel.

After spending more time in the cities, I wanted to leave Hanoi and see some nature, which was fortunately possible within the same day. I went to Ninh Binh directly from the Hanoi airport. The best places to stay closest to the famous mountains are in Tam Coc, a short ride from Ninh Binh. There are as couple of cloudy days, but in this area, it adds to the vibe. You can take an organised day tour, during which you will visit famous temples, and take an amazing boat ride on the Trang An river. This area is on UNESCO World Heritage list and with our tour, you should not miss it. Besides that day trip, I recommend simply renting a bike and taking a ride between the mountains and rice fields. Before leaving make sure you go to one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the world - Mua Cave.

Then, I went for some adventure and joined a motorbike tour on Ha Giang Loop. Four days of ride around beautiful mountains, between small villages and rice fields. This region is inhabited by ethnic minorities, engaged in agriculture, often still wearing traditional clothing. We will experience here a different, however very authentic Vietnam.

The next stop was Cat Ba, and a cruise on the famous Ha Long Bay. This absolutely stunning part of the country is an absolute must-do – there are many options for cruises and a couple of different routs you can choose from.

Then I headed back to Hanoi to properly see the city this time, as so far it was only my shortstop. As for Saigon the city is super busy, however somehow I feel I preferred Hanoi with its charming Old Quarter, lovely cafes on every corner and little like in the centre.

Vietnam is very interesting and diverse - from iconic Ha Long Bay, to vibrant cities rich in cultural heritage, multiple temples and pagodas as old as 4th century (My Son Sanctuary), scenic mountains, busy Mekong, wonderful food and quite different to the rest of South-East Asia culture.


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