one week solo in Vietnam - vlog and travel tips

Asia - 48 countries (technically 51), and I’m crossing them off the list.
I will spend my life seeing the whole world in its unhindered honesty with my own two eyes no matter how grimey the trips get, and I will share each experience in its raw form, no matter how many embarrassing mistakes I make or how many unlikeable qualities a place may possess. And if somebody can learn from my mishaps and have a better or more prepared journey, then my (self-appointed) “job” as a travel vlogger and writer has been done - mission accomplished, sacrifices and all, and it’s always worth it.

Hanoi, Vietnam is a hectic, bustling city on the rise of its development, that can sometimes be overwhelming. Lively night markets bumping music until 3 a.m., nook-and-cranny shops and vendors lining crowded sidewalks behind rows of mopeds, street food stands placed every three car lengths apart, dark and narrow alleyways slivered between crumbling buildings, wheel and foot traffic passing just inches from your body, and baskets on baskets on wagons of fresh fruits, balloons, and other goods hauled through traffic for sale. Dodging mopeds has never been more fun.
This Southeast Asian country offers broad diversity from towering skyscrapers in Ho Chi Minh city, to enormous lush mountains cascading into edge-of-the-world cliffs straight out of a film in Ha Giang, endless restaurants, bars, hostels, and shops in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, picturesque still waters with floating land masses in Ha Long Bay, and rolling hills of rice fields in Sa Pa resembling mazes of green. And those are just the highlights. I’ll go as far as to say it’s one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, if you can overlook and learn to navigate petty theft and scammy tourist traps.
And the food- your taste buds will never be the same again after eating real pho in a hole-in-the-wall twenty-square-foot mom and pop shop on the side of the road. You can always taste when a dish has been prepared with love… and lime.
Being a tourist in a developing country, it’s a crime not to acknowledge and appreciate the charm, strength, and pride of the indigenous locals as they continue building from the ruins of their young victory in achieving sovereignty.
A wonderful, affordable, and safe place for travelers from all over the world to explore, Vietnam is an excellent destination for budget solo travelers and backpackers, and it was certainly a learning experience for me. Hopefully somebody can take this and learn from the mistakes I made in my first trip here, which were many.

Here is the cost breakdown for my stay (calculated based on foreign exchange rate as of 11.24.2024):

⁃ Round-trip ticket from Naha to Hanoi: $272
⁃ 1 month single-entry eVisa: $65 LOA (rushed for urgent delivery of 3 working days, normally about $35 - that was my mess-up) + $25 official Visa stamp
⁃ Hostel stay for the week: 1.050.000 VND ($41.13 Hanoi) TOTAL + 600.000 VND night in Ha Giang ($23.60) (not including my hiccup with the first hostel)
⁃ Food and drink (to the best of my memory and note-taking, keeping in mind- lots of beer [though the beer I found myself drinking mostly ranged from 20.000-25.000 VND or $0.79-$0.98]): 1.950.000 VND ($76.71)
⁃ Transportation (Grab [Southeast Asia’s Uber] and sleeper/seater buses): 1.063.000 VND ($41.82) + tip
⁃ Attractions/Guides: 1.674.300 VND ($65.87) + tip
⁃ Souvenirs/Misc.: 1.333.000 VND ($52.44)

(These expenses do not include overseas ATM fees ranging from 4-5% plus withdrawal fee from your own bank, tips, airport lounge food/drink, etc.)

= $663.57 USD TOTAL (and that’s after “splurging” on a couple of things.)

Thank you so much to those subscribed to my channel that watch and join me on this journey, and even more to those who read my blog posts. The support means everything to me.
I truly hope you enjoy this one and gain something of value from it whether it be research or entertainment. I will post the in-depth article on this trip to my travel blog shortly for those of you that read it, and to keep growing my travel writing portfolio.
(Please excuse my busted lip.)
Happy and safe travels, friends! It’s a beautiful day to be alive!

Links:

Emily Visa FB page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1D3jmx...

Hanoi Solo Hostel: https://g.co/kgs/6AgXKG9

Bang Phan buses: https://vietnam-transports.com/produc...

Ha Giang Hostel: https://hagianghostel.com/

Hmong Brothers FB page: https://www.facebook.com/share/12Cp9M...

IG:   / pw.cincity  

Vietnam blog post: https://www.positivelywandering.com/r...

Blog/short stories: https://www.positivelywandering.com/