Hello: Xin chao (pronounced: sin-chow)

Thank you: Cam on (pronounced: gam-on)

How are you: Ban khoe khong (pronounced: ban kwe khom)

Currency and exchange rate (2018): $1=23216 Vietnamese dong

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Cultural Notes:

• Don't lose your temper in public. Vietnam is a culture of saving and maintaining face.

• Don't point your feet at any sacred object or site. Also, don’t take pictures of military or of political figures.

• Remove your shoes before eating in a home. Take gifts if invited to someone's home.

• Dress conservatively. Bikinis are often looked down upon if at the beach.

• Slurping noodles is considered a sign of enjoying the food. Loud and proud.

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The capital of the Vietnam, Hanoi breaths life. Locals weave traffic, women cook perched on low stools, steam rises from narrow alleyways. Amidst the chaos, though, lives some of best food and windows into culture the country can offer.

 

Stay:

• Republik Backpackers - cool rooftop patio, movie room, free beer, amazing included breakfast included in your stay

• Vietnam Backpacker Hostels

• Halley Hostel

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EAT:

• Street food

  • Pho - noodle soup (Pho Ga=chicken) (Pho Bo=beef)

  • Banh mi - baguette sandwiches

  • Bánh Cuốn - steamed rice rolls filled with pork and mushroom

  • Cao Lầu - thick rice noodles and crunchy flat rice noodle croutons, with protein and herbs

• The Hanoi Social Club

• Pizza 4P (I know, pizza...but next level...homemade cheese level)

• Ba Hanh Banh Cuon

• Jalus Vegan Cafe

• Minh Chay Vegan Restaurant

• Hanoi night market

• La Studio Vegan Cafe

• Green Farm

• Manzi Cafe

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DRINK:

• Egg coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)

• Coffee at Fuku Leather Cafe

• Beer street- get cheap cups of beer and sit on tiny stools like the locals

  • Around 11pm the police will start coming around and everything will “shut down." When this happens, knock on the doors of bars and they'll let you in after this time (there's a strange "no see" policy with the police so everything turns into a speakeasy).

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TO DO:

• Visit the Vietnamese Women's Museum

• Do a walking tour of the city - make sure to visit the Old Quarter

• Go on a walking street food tour

•  Visit Hoan Kiem Lake, especially at night and on the weekends

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This small city offers direct access to Ha Long Bay at half the cost and crowds than its neighbor, Ha Long.

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STAY:​

• Downtown - there are not many housing options in Cat Ba so opt for a cheap hotel (preferably bayside) that includes breakfast

• Woodstock Beach Camp - away from it all

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TO DO:

• Hike up Cannon Fort for views of the bay

• Book an overnight boat trip on the bay - will include meals, housing, and if the moon is small, swimming with bioluminescent plankton

• Rent mountain bikes (through your hotel or Blue Swimmer) and tour the island 

• Hike within Cat Ba National Park

• Visit Hospital Cave

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The highlight of my Vietnam travels and among the best experiences of my travels. Adrenaline is balanced by euphoria and the wildness of the mountains is complemented by the agrarian hill tribes among them. The ride, almost 250 miles through a landscape of rice terrace, limestone karsts, and imposing mountains rising from shallow valley, is relatively untouched by tourism and backpack culture, making it a far better alternative to Sapa. This is sure to be the most epic ride of your life.

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WHEN TO VISIT: The safest time to ride is October-April during the dry season, when you will also have the best visibility

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STAY: 

• Kiki’s House Hostel (Ha Giang Homestay)- family dinners, cheap motorbike rental, semi automatic bike lessons

 

TO DO:

• Rent a semi automatic motorbike and do the Ha Giang Loop

  • Check the weather ahead of time to make sure you will have clear days

  • 4-Day Itinerary:

    • ​Day 1: Ha Giang to Yen Minh

      • Stay: Tom Homestay or Ha Anh Homestay​

    • Day 2: Yen Minh to Dong Van (including a quick sneak over the Chinese border)​​

    • Day 3: Dong Van to Du Gia (via Ma Pi Leng Pass)

      • Stay: Du Gia Backpackers Hostel​

    • Day 4: Du Gia Backpackers Hostel (be cautious, as the roads are the least developed here)

• If you are wary about biking mountain roads, rent an Easy Riser, a local who will drive the bike with you as passenger. Though this costs about $45/day, advantages include being able to constantly take in the insane landscape, having someone to speak Vietnamese or the hill languages for interaction with locals, and authentic homestay and cultural experiences.

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One of my favorite cities in Vietnam. By day, explore the super charming streets of colorful colonial buildings and by night, the same charms are illuminated by paper lantern. Weave between traffic of xe-om's (bicycle rickshaws) to explore the street food scene and design custom-made clothing at the multitude of tailor shops. Or rent bikes and do day trips to the quieter landscapes surrounding. Whatever the intention, plan to spend a few days here.

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WHEN TO VISIT:

• Best time to visit: February to May

• Peak heat: June to August

• Monsoon season: September to January (I would avoid this time)

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STAY:

•  If backpacking, Tribee Kinh is a social option

• Vietnam Backpacker Hostels: Hoi An (has pool)

• Check Agoda for deals, there are some super nice guesthouses that may also be affordable

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EAT:

• Street food

  • Banh Bot Loc - tapioca dumpling filled with shrimp and pork belly​

  • Banh Bao - pork, onion, mushroom, egg, and spring onion bun (similar to dim sum)

  • Banh Can - small pancakes made with quail eggs, pork, shrimp, green onion, and bean sprouts

  • Banh Uot Thit Nuong - BBQ pork, wet rice paper and salad

  • Xi Ma Phu - ground black seasame cooked with herbal leaves (dessert dish)

  • Banh Dap - crispy rice paper and wet noodles served with fish sauce

  • Banh Cuon - grilled rice paper rolled with dry beef, fried onion, green onion and seasonings

  • Papaya salad

  • Cao Lau - the most traditional food in Hoi An, pork loin with a fish sauce

  • Banh Mi - baguette stuffed with omelete, grilled pork, pate, mayo, pickled papaya and carrot and chili sauce

  • Sinh To - Smoothie made from fresh fruit, condensed milk, yogurt and ice

• Banh Mi Queen - the place Anthony Bourdain visited in his show, No Reservations

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DRINK: 

• Mr. Bean Bar

• Why Not Bar

• Brown Eyes Bar

• Whoop Whoop

• An Bang: Soul Beach (live music)

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TO DO:

• Get a custom-made outfit at any of the tailor shops (I got a super nice dress made at Bebe)

• Visit the night market

• Take a street food tour

• Visit Hoi An Central Market early morning to experience local market life

• Rent a bicycle and go to An Bang beach (people will try to stop you before you reach the beach and tell you that you must pay 100,000 VND to park your bicycle, if you cycle down to the shore and then head left you can park your bike free of hassle)

• Rent a scooter and visit the many caves of Marble Mountain (don’t pay to park outside a store despite what the local women tell you, there is a parking lot!)

• Some people motorbike between here and Hue via the Hai Van Pass. While Hue doesn't have anything too notable, the coastline ride is supposed to be amazing and you can hire companies for cheap to transfer your bags for you as you drive the pass.

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What Phong Nha lacks in development, it makes up for in the richness of its natural wonders, everything from the largest cave in the world to the other 500 smaller caves *bat screeches.*

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Nicknamed "Halong Bay on Land," Tam Coc is a landscape of limestone karsts and verdant rice paddies away from the buzz of motorboats and congestion of big city tourism.

 

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A city of dualities, Ho Chi Minh is full of history and new development, quiet reflective parks and the buzz of never-ending traffic, binge drinking tourists and reflective historians. Whatever you seek (and find) in this city is just one stop on what will most likely be the beginning of your Vietnam adventures. And if there is anything to learn from the city, it's not to take things too seriously (it's better to adopt this mentality prior to your first night bus journey).

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STAY:

• The Hideout (in Pham Ngu Lao) - free breakfast and free beers at the rooftop bar from 7-8 pm daily, pool table, TV lounge area, free tours and organized social and cultural activities daily

• The Common Room Project - social in ways other than partying; communal spaces, community dinners and a shared kitchen

• Hangout Hostel HCM - free breakfast, two free beers, a free walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City, free pub crawls

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TO DO:

• Explore the history of the Vietnam War

  • War Remnants Museum

  • Cu Chi Tunnels - the series of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong guerrillas during the 1960s

• Bar crawl pub street

• Tour the Mekong Delta by boat or motorbike along the shore

• Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica

• Do a street food tour (either organized or on your own via local suggestions)

• Drink a cocochoco at Things Cafe

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Famous for sand dunes, fairy spring, and windsurfing, I didn't go here myself but I hear it's worth the stop if you have the time.

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At almost 5,000 feet above sea level, the mountainous landscape of Dalat provides its own set of unique opportunities to please the adventure-seeking. From canyoning to mountain biking, to exploring the manic architecture of Crazy House or the Maze Bar, there is no such thing as boring here.

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STAY:

• Mr. Peace Backpackers House - super social, cheap family dinner available

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TO DO: 

• Don a wetsuit and go canyoning

• Get lost in Crazy House - a property reminiscent of Gaudi's spontaneous architecture, complete with towering walkways, themed rooms and climbable walls

• Visit Duong Len Trang or "Maze Bar" - the craziest bar of your life, a five-story building designed to replicate a jungle cave system (prepare to get lost)

• Stroll the walking path around Dalat Lake

• ​Fly on the downhill bike ride from Dalat to Mui Ne

• Explore the cafes of the city (in particular, Windmills Cafe)

• Go bowling at C'Bowling

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