So off we went to Vietnam a little off season but we were in no means alone, tick it off the bucket list. Often my blog posts are centered around food and various work projects that I get involved in, our recent trip to Vietnam was purely as a tourist visit.
Flag waving leading up to the 80 year independence day celebration in Hanoi was intense, 19 aug 1945-1 sept 2025. Sorry I forgot to ask who Vietnam became independent from in 1945..
I certainly don’t belong to the most adventurous or deep diving tourist, the following are some recommendations from our visit: Most people do research before their trip, now days looking for information regarding hotels etc is all about relying on star rating and guest comments on trip advisor and other such sites.
Most of our travel and accommodation decisions were made on word of mouth from friends and acquaintances.
If you look hard enough you can find hideaways like this backpackers with a gem of a breakfast dining room
We just passed through Hanoi, we were only there for one night, we stayed at the Lapis Hotel, what a nice hotel, the same quality of appointments and charm and elegance would’ve cost 4 times as much in Europe.
The Lapis featured opulent French architectural design and artwork from the lobby to the rooms. The hotel is located close to parks, lakes, restaurants and cafes
The city and country was getting ready for their Independence Day with splashes of colour and flags in abundance. You don’t fly the flag you get fined.
We trapsed around the city as one does and eventually, we came to the all-important original egg coffee stop, “along with every other man and his dog” Egg coffee is a Hanoi speciality- an espresso topped with a glug of white sabayon froth of egg yolk and condensed milk? this was my understanding of the explanation. We were a little group crammed on little chairs sitting around a little table, & I think I was the stick in the mud that said, well yeah.
But Hanoi is a coffee city, I can thoroughly recommend Habuka fine coffee & bistro, where there coffee knowledge is science, it’s just down the lane, on the right-hand side with a blue sign, obviously if you come from the other direction, it’s on the left.
We hung out in Duong’s restaurant a while we thought about a cooking class there, but decided against it and had a few drinks instead, we enjoyed a well-cooked meal without it being a wow expirience.
Hanoi is full of colonial charm and renovated buildings, the communist economy certainly knows where the money comes from not like the old iron curtain countries that just fell apart.
Hanoi Restaurant alley by night, the alleys and streets are full of food and restaurants, the people are open, friendly and in no way hard sell as in many countries.
We hired a driver and minibus, they are the standard choice for small group transport here. Our bus was complete with massage recliner seats air con and more.
A pickup from the hotel and a road trip through the local countryside followed, it takes a couple of hours to Tonkin Bay and Ha Long Bay. Ask the driver to stop at one of the roadsides stops they’re interesting places here you can buy refreshments and much more.
At Tonkin Bay we boarded our Heritage Cruise ship, boutique cruises “C’est chic” is their motto. Late August is a bit off peak season, so we basically had the luxury liner, to ourselves. Everywhere we stayed in Vietnam seemed to be a luxury value for money, great accommodation, beds, linen, décor all for the price of a rundown 2-star hotel at home. Our liner was no exception besides the swimming pool our room came standard with bay windows a bath and private balcony.
Laid back touring, recliner massage rockers in our mini bus, everybody had them, the locals must think we are idiots.
Vietnam is a hub of fashion, both in the cities and truck stops, the truck stops are a shoppers delight with an overabundance of bargains.
We started with an inclusive 7-course modern Vietnamese lunch from the a la carte kitchen, after lunch we didn’t do much else for a while.
Later we enjoyed the standard paddle boat through some caves and the stunning landscapes reminiscent of James bond and Bourne Identity fame.
It wasn’t much of a cruise as we were at anchor most of the time, the cruise didn’t go very far either and we didn’t make many knots, which was appreciated, thus we didn’t stumble or spill any of our cocktails when we were shuffling around on deck.
Activities like Vietnamese cooking class and some unsuccessful squid fishing were also included.
The liner was fantastic, and the service team were great, Ha long bay is one of Vietnams premier tourist attractions and a must see.
Our hosts parting words were, we love you and we will love you forever,❤️❤️❤️
View of the aft deck with the pool and cocktail bar, Ha Long Bay landscapes in the back ground
Landscapes around Ha Long Bay on a cloudy day
After an overnight stay on the liner, we reboarded our minibus for the trip to Ninh Bihn. Ninh Bihn is a historic stronghold city with more than 1000 years of history, our guide drummed the distant dynasties into our heads worse than learning multiplication tables. The city’s history included a few hundred years of plotting, conniving, malice and revenge that one day may make a great Netflix series.
Here in Hinh Binh the topographical landscape is similar to that in Ha Long Bay, Ha Long Bay on Land they call it. Complete with limestone monoliths rising vertically from the valley floor.
Ninh Bihn was originally chosen as a defensive royal city after all the local internal squabbles and conspiracies, quietened down. Using Ninh Bihn as a base the ruling dynasty fought off two Mongolian wars and 800 years later it turned into the tourist mecca it is today.
Hinh Bihn is famous for its wending river and iconic monoliths between which the boatmen and women row with their feet, the picturesque excursion takes about an hour or so through some caves and rice paddies.
Being off season, only half of the boats were in use, during high season the river must be choked with tourists.
On the river at Nihn Bihn, the rowers row with their feet the excursion takes an hour or so and is not an easy task in the heat, this guy doesn't seem to happy, probbally not his first trip today. Many of the rowers had air conditioned jackets and electric fans.
Here in Ninh Binh, we stayed at the Aman Retreat Resort a newly opened resort lying in the tropical jungle, as we were the first guests we were upgraded to the orientally themed bungalows decorated in earlier colonial style.
The bungalow was very spacious and luxurious, with a private balcony and great pool in a naturel environment. The resort is a little out of the town centre, so you’ll need a driver to get you there.
The local duck farm could be on your tour agenda but is very overrated, even though cycling there is relaxing.
King Kong also lived in Ninh Bihn for a while, he made one of his earlier films here, as he was such a late visitor to Nihn Bihn his visit wasn’t on our Guides cultural agenda, he just pointed his village as we drove by.
I ate the goat for dinner, don’t do it. You’ve been warned.
Then it was back to Hanoi airport with our trusty driver and luxurious minibus, we struggled through typhoon “who can remember their names” We got stuck coming back through the outskirts of Hanoi in a massive down pour, the streets flooded and everything stood still, so be prepared allow plenty of time for the airport transfer. We missed our flight.
With a newly booked tickets it was off to Da Nang and Ang Bang.
Serene view from our balcony at the Aman Retreat Resort at Nihn Bihn, fish pond in the foreground and limestone moniliths in the background
The small village of Ang Bang stretches along the beach of the same name. Approx 5 km from the world heritage city of Hoi An, about 3 Euro in a taxi “not much to haggle about there” and about 20 km from Da Nang airport. Ang Bang is similar to what Kuta beach was 30-40 years ago.
We were recommended to and we stayed at the Watermark Hotel, the Watermark is situated centrally in Ang Bang just two minutes from the beach, it is a new boutique hotel with 9 large stylishly packaged suites as a tropical luxury hotel, while being a simple and comfortable get-away resort. We even had an outside bath on our private balcony and there’s a pool downstairs to chill in after the beach. Comfortable beds and a cooked to order breakfast add to the Watermarks allure. The staff are great friendly and helpful they even found my phone when I forgot it.
Just down the main road is Casa Loco where they serve great authentic Mexican food, all washed down with a bunch of Margaritas is a great night out. But then again anything washed down with a bunch of margaritas is a great night out.
Ang Bang Beach at night, looking north towards Da Nang
Hoi An is a world heritage city/town, the centre of the city is extremely picturesque with its old city charm, evening candle and light shows. There are loads of curiosa and handcrafts emanating from Hoi An and of course it’s all for sale. If you like shopping for unusual and interesting pieces Hoi An is where you want to be. If you like waiting outside shops then its ok as well, here the city spills onto the streets in vibrant colours, there’s always something to look at. Hoi An is a very popular destination for both local and international tourists so expect a crowd.
Along the river are many boats touting river cruises and dinner “all inclusive” they hard sell with the all you can drink angle “not that that was a deciding factor for us” if you fall for it, make sure that wine and sodas are included. “Just so you know” the visit the fishing village is a waste of time, we didn’t do the coracle boat either, and there’s not a lot to look at.
Our cook did a pretty good job with the food grilled fresh scallops ect. Even though the exhaust stank of diesel and the outside toilet stuck on the back of the boat was an hazzard.
We had a fantastic meal in Hoi An we dropped into an Indian restaurant called Saffron and enjoyed a super authentic and flavoursome meal. they even forced the embarrased chef out so we could thank him.
Hoi An Street View, the older sections of the city centre are full of interesting handcrafts, tradition and culture, theres lots to look at just walking around or waiting out side shops for the rest of the party.
Pedal tuc tucs on a wet day In Hoi An, here we were waiting for a typoon to blow in further north, so business was slow.
15 million people and 8 million mopeds and motorbikes.
The city is swarming with traffic, every intersection is like converging schools of fish, here one enters the maelstrom.
Is it a stim or swarm of motorbikes, walking around Ho Chi Mihn you see almost every building has a cloakroom garage of bikes, you can leave your bike there for a small fee, motorbikes are big business here.
We had a few more days in Ho Ch Mihn than Hanoi, I liked the city with its wide boulevards and gigantic trees. These major arterial roads made walking around somewhat easier.
We stayed at the Fusion Suites Hotel, with good hotel rooms and good breakfast reasonably accessible to the airport and within walking distance the city centre and many of the important sights. “no pool”.
We took a hop on hop off bus in Ho chi Mihn along with the other tourists, many say these city bus tours are a bit naff, but if you are only passing through or have limited time they give a good city orientation that you would miss if only on foot, you also get a taste of places you’d like to go back to.
The hotel breakfast featured Vietnamese specialities every day which were great to try.
Streef food, dried Squid, I didn't see anybody eating it, in hindsight i should've tried it so I know what to do with it and how it tastes.
We visited the war museum, The American war as it’s known in Vietnam, an in-depth dive into the horrors of another meaningless confrontation bought on by power hungry righteous politicians. The museum was broken into different areas.
Torture and imprisonment: Horrific pictures and displays of torture instruments used mainly by the South Vietnamese during the French occupation and over the pursuing decades to 1974.
Press and protest: Recording the international protest actions around the world, this section visualised the support for the north Vietnamese and anti-war fractions, especially highlighting the contrasts between the anti-war protesters and their governmental contrasts.
Press photography: Showing the bravery of the journalists and photographers through the French and American campaigns, a large series of images showing death, destruction and striking war time images, also highlighting the photographers behind the stories.
War crimes: Documentation of war crimes committed by American soldiers and the long-term results and legal ramifications of these crimes.
Agent orange: A pictorial presentation graphically showing the horrors of this chemical and the impact it had and is still having mainly on the Vietnamese people but also some of the allied soldiers that were exposed to it during their tour of duty.
The Museum has a similar impact as visiting a POW camp from WW2. I feel the Museum is an important must see in Ho Chi Min city, especially for the younger generation of international tourists who didn’t grow up during this period. I feel it’s a museum created by the victorious side, a little propaganda warning. relatively no information about what the north got up to. Glory to the victor. I’m sure it’s of national interest and all the Vietnamese school children must visit it.
It's called independence palace, probally something else when the tanks rolled through the gates on the 30 April 1975.
The old kitchen sentry still standing gaurd and ready to cook up a storm when needed
There are many opulent historic hotels in Ho Chi Mihn, thank the French for that. We cocktailed at the historic Rex hotel, rooftop bar, very chic until the jazz quartet started with Dean Martins Volare, whence we fled to the Caravel Hotel roof top bar 100 meters from the Rex, the roof top bar at the Caravelle was the journalists headquarters during the Vietnam war, there the resident Filipino quartet impressed us with some early Santana before slaughtering Hotel California. Both bars are well worth a visit.
We went all in for a steak night and found Moo Beef Steak House, its the real deal a genuine steak house with great steaks and a complete concept, a bit more expensive than the local restaurants but if you feel you need a change from the local offerings, here you can escape back to wherever you come from.
We also tried Tram Ham Grill, very close to our hotel, if we’d only walked in the other direction earlier. A big local grill built in a corrugated iron barn, seamed to be a romantic destination for locals with its acapella group singing Vietnamese hits and a sprinkling of international standards. The food was great with a major focus on the Grills, 8 open charcoal grills and about 20 chefs.
We ventured down Bui Vien Street open from sundown to sunup, it’s interesting to walk through, you can observe the contradictions and diversifications the city offers, Bui Vien is nonstop assault on your hearing and visual senses, here you can forget about talking with your companions. Theres lots to look at but don’t eat here.
Money: There are no coins in in Vietnam, I suppose it’s a good idea for the government, it must be cheaper with plastic money. Wads of cash you’ll be carrying, changing money or using the ATM will result in a roll of Dong in the millions, some ATM’s have a withdrawal limit of 5 000 000 Dong, this pocketful gives the term flash money a new meaning, if you’re not used to carrying such a wad of flash money grab a money clip to keep your cash manageable.
Bevelled footpaths: Be a bit careful in cities that have bevelled gutters on their footpaths not, only are they a sprained ankle risk but they act as an Evel Knievel take of ramp for overzealous scooter daredevils as they short cut the traffic jams and speed along out on the footpaths.
Vietnam is mecca for professional massages, foot therapy and finger and toenail maintenance. I got a drop in cheap haircut, pointed to the movie star on the wall and bingo, I still don’t look like him.
Regarding Vietnamese food, get stuck into the Bah Mi and Pho as soon as you get there then get more adventurous the longer you stay there.
Plastic figurines and colourful knick knacks fueled by tick tock and social media popularity.
It took 30 minutes to get this shot, the Hair was never right, as you can clearly see, selfie fixation is rife in Vietnam as well.