Vietnam Days 12–13: Ho Chi Minh City & the Echoes of War
I arrive at my final destination in Vietnam, the city we knew for years as Saigon, the epicenter of one of the most devastating conflicts of the 20th century. In 1975, after the fall of the pro-American regime, it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the leader who pushed for the country’s […]
Days 8, 9, 10 and 11 in Da Nang and surroundings: temples, islands and imperial cities.
After the mountains of northern Vietnam, my adventure continues towards the central part of the country. This part of the journey blends the sea, imperial history, tropical nature and some of the most iconic landscapes of Vietnam. Day 8 – Son Tra Peninsula, Marble Mountains and Hoi An The journey from Sapa starts in the […]
Days 5, 6 & 7 in Vietnam. Sapa on the mountains.
Day 5 – Sapa: Cat Cat Village and Mount Fansipan Cat Cat Village, Sapa We arrived in Sapa at dawn on a sleeper bus. A van took us to the hotel, and as soon as we entered, we found the reception deserted… and a young man sleeping on the sofa. It turned out to be […]
Vietnam days 3 & 4: Ninh Binh & Hanoi.
Day 3 · Ninh Binh After breakfast at the hotel, I’m picked up and taken to the bus that will take us to Ninh Binh, about two hours from Hanoi. On every tour we are accompanied by a guide who shares a lot of history with us and explains what we’re going to see. Today […]
Day 1 & day 2 in Vietnam: Hanoi & Ha Long Bay.
Day 1 – Exploring Hanoi I arrived last night in bustling Hanoi and stayed in the Old Quarter. This morning I headed out to explore and immediately came across scenes that felt straight out of a painting: bicycles and carts piled high with goods, and the traditional pole with two baskets hanging from it (a […]
Vietnam: practical travel tips.
I’m really looking forward to telling you about this trip, but I thought I’d start with a practical post first, sharing tips that I hope will be useful and help you plan your journey or keep a few details in mind. How to get there There are direct flights from London, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt, or […]
