Before starting my travels a number of friends told me that Vietnam was their favorite country in Southeast Asia. Another point they all agreed on was that I will need to spend at least a whole month there. Thanks to the quick and easy option of applying for an electronic visa, I was allowed to enter for 30 days. But let me tell you right from the beginning: Even 30 days are not enough to explore the diversity and beauty of this country. I had to skip so many stops and prioritize strictly.
I started in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. After landing I quickly realized that my American-based SIM and credit card were not really welcomed in Vietnam because neither of them worked. So I was standing at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, at nighttime and I had no money on me and no reception. Desperately going all Lion King on my cellphone (aka holding it up like Simba), I was looking for a free WiFi connection. After 30 minutes of walking up and down the airport, I finally connected and ordered an Uber to my hostel.
I stayed at The Like Hostel & Cafe, which was recommended by a friend who had stayed there before, due to its very central location and fantastic free breakfast on their rooftop. It was Lunar New Year (commonly known as 'Tet') and the festivities can last from 3 to 5 days. So once arrived at my hostel I was greeted with 'lucky money', kept in a red envelope. Woohoo! At least I had money now. Since I am a little superstitious, I kept my lucky money as a token until my very last day in Vietnam for good luck!
The south of Vietnam was hot, sunny, and humid. The traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is crazy. Although people kept telling me that the city is deserted due to the holidays, it was still overrun by millions of scooters and bikes. I honestly cannot imagine how it would look like on a 'normal' day. Most of the time you have to just close your eyes and hope for the best while crossing a street. Riders are squeezing themselves between you and the other pedestrians and somehow find a way to pass through.
The city is known for its French colonial landmarks, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, made entirely of materials imported from France, and the 19th-century Central Post Office. A visit to the bustling Bến Thành Market is a must. There you can buy everything from Northface merch to make up to shoes. They will tell you that everything is original and hush you away if you don't want to buy. So don't be shy, haggle and leave if you are not satisfied.
If you thought Khao San Road in Bangkok is crazy, try Bui Vien Walking Street at night. It is loud and crowded. Vietnamese pop songs are blasting from every bar, people are doing karaoke and drinking beer like bottomless pits. You either roll with it or you leave. I joined the craziness one night with some lovely girls I met at my hostel - Jamie, Lisa, Jacky, and Laura - but I did not last long.
For my next destination, I listened again to what my fellow travelers recommended. Da Lat seemed to be the next exciting stop. So I packed up after 4 days and left.
In Da Lat, I booked a bed at Cozy Nook Hostel. An amazing hostel, managed by a family who made you feel like you are part of their family. Every night they cooked a super generous and tasty family dinner, which you could join for only $3. If you had a problem, they took over, dealt with the hustles, and solved the problem for you. The genuinely friendliest staff I've ever met.
During my stay here I booked the 'Easy Rider' tour. I hopped on the back of a proper dirt bike and was taken to different stops around Da Lat: from a viewpoint high up on a hill, a coffee plantation, the Elephant Falls waterfall, to silk, rice wine, and cricket factory, where I eventually tried some roasted crickets. Delicious they said, but I would not order it again since it only had a greasy taste. Not my kind of cuisine. On another day I tried something even more adventurous: Canyoning. After we learned how to rope down a wall, we got to try our talents on real rocky walls, then hopped through waterfalls, slid down a stream, and ended our tour with a delicious lunch next to the falls. The most challenging part was to jump from a cliff. You could choose between 7, 9, and 11 meters. The latter height was the scariest due to its extended platform which meant that you not only have to jump down but also high and far - about 1.5m out. Again curious, if I could actually dare to do it, I took the plunge - literally and figuratively. I felt like a million bucks afterward but was also shaking like jello.
In the city itself, I would recommend a quick stop at the Crazy House. A fairy tale building from another galaxy - imagine Gaudi on LSD -, which serves as a hotel, but also as a museum.
After Da Lat, I could not wait to get to Hoi An. I heard and researched about it so much. Before reaching my destination, though, I had to survive a notorious sleeper bus ride.
Night transportation sucks in Vietnam - big time - and I cannot describe it any other way. It's uncomfortable - the word 'sleeper' is a joke - and super inconvenient because they drop you off at dawn in a city you have never been before. You have to take a cab and rely on the legitimacy of the driver. As a female solo traveler, I would recommend either finding a trusty companion or flying to your next destination (if possible). I had my fair share of shady taxi drivers, but more to it later on.
After checking into Vietnam Backpackers Hostels - Hoi An, a hostel that looked more like a hotel, I washed off the sleeper bus excursion and took a long nap. I was in no rush and I wanted to take in this beautiful city with fresh energy.
Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site. And I can say with no hesitation: It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen or been. A mix of eras and styles, from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses, and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge. It is also conveniently located on the west coast so you have both, a gorgeous beach and the prettiest city. If you want to get a close-up of the Japanese Covered Bridge, it is worth knowing that you'll have to pay a small entrance fee. But there is a little trick: If you enter from the right side, you will need to buy and show your ticket, but if you enter the bridge on the left side (you have to walk all the way around it), you won't. Depending on your budget, you can choose to pay up - or not. Walking around in Hoi An at nighttime is a feast for the eyes. The old quarter is completely lit up by thousands of lanterns, all illuminating in different colors. The town was once chosen as one of the most romantic cities in the world. And you can easily see why. I was lucky to witness the lantern festival for the full moon. Traditionally you light up a small lantern, make a wish and send it down the river. The boats in Hoi An all have eyes painted on them. The fishermen and captains believe that the eyes protect them from misfortune and give them good yield (fish or many tourists). Also according to an old legend, a huge dragon lies under Hoi An. The legend says that the body is located under the Japanese bridge in the old quarter and that the heavy bridge holds down the body, that the head is somewhere in India and that the tail can be felt in Japan. And if they say 'felt', they mean it literally. The dragon does not like to be squashed by the bridge, so it wiggles its tail ferociously. And that is why it is believed Japan has many earthquakes.
When you research Hoi An you come across one name at one point: Réhahn. A French photographer, based here in Hoi An, on a mission documenting and working towards the recognition of the heritage of Vietnam’s 54 minority tribes. I visited his gallery and eventually met himself and his most famous subject, Madam Xong, whose picture put him internationally on the radar. The interactions with Rehahn and Madam Xong were incredible. Two beautiful and humble souls. I felt so inspired but also started to seriously rethink my approach to photography.
If you ask me which cuisine I liked the most in Southeast Asia, I have to say Vietnam: I ate countless Phos (soup), Bò lá lốt (beef in betel leaves) and other delicacies, but my absolute favorite is the snack Bánh mì: A sandwich with chicken, pork or beef and fresh vegetables in a fresh baguette, a remnant from the French colonial time. I was living off these subs. And according to my favorite TV chef and fellow traveler Anthony Bourdain the best Bánh mì can be found in Hoi An at Bánh mì Phuong. So it was a given for me to test it. Usually, hyped-up places like that are not living up to their reputation, but this place was actually true to its raving reviews. Crispy, hot, fresh white bread filled with perfectly spiced meat and fresh herbs and vegetables, topped off with cheese and hot sauce and mayonnaise. Finger-licking good!
During a bicycle tour through the town, organized by my hostel, we stopped at one of many ancient houses, where we were served frozen buffalo milk, pork biscuit, and lotus flower flavored green tea, all homemade and incredibly delicious. I also had the opportunity to make my own lantern, which I miraculously managed to get home in one piece later.
On my last day in Hoi An, I participated in a photography workshop. It took me to a fishing village outside the town at sunrise. I woke at 4:15 am and I was hoping for sensational light conditions with shadows and flairs, but unfortunately, it was hazy and misty, which then turned out to be equally magical. It was my first experience in this kind of workshop, and I didn’t know if they had an arrangement with the market and the village, but the locals didn’t pay us any attention and let us take pictures without further inquiry. Later I had millions of questions in my head about consent, intrusion, profits, and ethics. This experience would lead me to extensive research on these topics that partially extends to this day.
Hoi An is one of these places I definitely want to return to. And one place you should not miss out on your travels!
Up next: Hue, Hanoi, and Sa Pa.