Graduation Trip in Vietnam

What I Did

My trip in Vietnam began in Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon. I flew there by myself, and met up with two friends upon landing in the city. The reason we chose Vietnam as a destination was because we had another friend from there. He ended up not being able to go, unfortunately, but he was able to give us some advice for things to do and places to see. During our trip, we went to the following locations, in order:

1) Ho Chi Minh City

2) Da Nang & Hue

3) Hanoi

4) Ha Long Bay

There were also some locations I wanted to go to, but unfortunately was not able to squeeze in.

1) Dalat

2) Sapa

3) Phu Quoc

4) Ha Giang Loop

Ho Chi Minh City

My friends and I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City late in the day. We checked in to our room at Meander Saigon, and began to explore the city. Our first destination was Pizza 4Ps. Although a chain, there are only locations in Vietnam, and they offer a refreshing twist on pizza. While in Ho Chi Minh City, we also visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. I especially enjoyed visiting the Mekong Delta, where we created rice paper, cooked local food, and rode bikes. There was a really cool festival going on, called Loco Art Market, where really high-quality products were being sold at a discount. We were fortunate enough to have a really in-depth conversation with some locals while on a hunt for local coffee, and they shared a list of places for us to explore in the city. One such place was Little Hanoi Egg Coffee, this is a MUST VISIT while you are in town. On the final day of the trip, while waiting to fly out after visiting Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines, I saw the War Remnants Museum solo. There were lots of American equipment that was left there, like tanks and even aircraft. The most shocking part of the museum would have to be the part about the effect of Agent Orange. The museum had a lot of pictures that really put the tragedy of that war into perspective for me, someone who was born long after it took place. Warning, not for the faint of heart. But the museum did an amazing job at telling the whole story, including what the prisons were like and the international perspectives on the war. I think it took a very unbiased approach to the topic and telling the facts. I also recommend Ginkgo for T-shirts. They have funny designs that capture the unique aspects of Vietnam very well.

Da Nang

Besides Ha Long Bay, I think I had the best time in Da Nang. This city is quite the change-up from the bigger cities of Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang. We had a driver while we were in Da Nang, and were also able to see Hue, Hoi An, and the Ba Na Hills. Hoi An was one of those destinations that was overpopulated with tourists for a valid reason, because that place was stunning. Definitely take a boat ride at night, where you can send out a lantern boat. Another incredible destination was Hue. In Hue, we saw the imperial palace, and it was definitely the best little history lesson we recieved. The grounds are enormous and well-maintained. In Da Nang, tourist destinations seem to have a habit of being seemingly too expensive until you actual get in and realize it entails a lot more than you originally thought. The same occurred in Ba Na Hills. The entry fee was near $40, which is A LOT for Vietnam, but the place was huge! I saw online that some people think that it feels inauthentic, and while true if your goal is to see the “true” side of Vietnam, it is an amazing place to spend the day. I did not spend a lot of time in the actual city of Da Nang, except to meet my friend’s mom while we were there for dinner. It seems like a cool place though. One funny thing is that Da Nang is a huge destination for Koreans. It is kind of true for the whole country, but it is especially true for this city.

Hanoi

Hanoi is an interesting city, and quite the contrast to the rest of Vietnam. It feels more traditional, and is the heart of the government. One of the top sights is train street. Here, you can eat at a cafe while a train passes feet from your face. This experience is super unique and not to be missed. Another cool experience was the Ho Chi Minh Mauseleum. They are very particular with how you pass through, which shows how revered he was as a figure. You kind of have to go through in a military-style 2-wide line, and they don’t let you linger. You are then able to see his house, and learn more about what he did for Vietnam. Another fun experience was when we walked into what ended up being a pretty seedy-looking pool hall. There was garbage in the stairway on the way there, and the actual pool hall was filled with smoke. However, everyone there was around our age and very friendly. It seems like it was started by some enterprising young people who didn’t care much about keeping the establishment tidy. I would have never walked into a place like that in the US, but in Vietnam, even though everything isn’t super organized, it is almost always incredibly safe. Of course, as with travel anywhere, trust your gut, and don’t do anything that does not feel safe to you.

Ha Long Bay

My favorite experience in Vietnam was definitely Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay featured picturesque landscapes and fun activities such as kayaking, swimming, and exploring a cave. There was also a cooking demonstration with spring rolls and Tai Chi lessons. I could do with some practice preparing the spring rolls though. The tour price was somewhere near $250 for us, but for what was offered, it was an amazing deal. One thing to take note of is to have one person book for your entire party on GetYourGuide. My friends and I booked separately so that we could pay separately, but we ended up in different boats. The GetYourGuide operator books it with a third party service. The topology of Ha Long Bay is quite frankly insane, with giant pinnacles jutting out from the ocean everywhere. The tour guides were all phenomenal, and one of my friends (who ended up on the same boat) and I even saw a magic show from a fellow passenger. All in all, it was worth the trip.

Overall Trip Report

Vietnam is definitely one of my favorite countries I ever visited, second only to Morocco. One thing that made the trip a little difficult was the language barrier. I normally try to pick up a little bit of the local language when I travel, but I found it very difficult to do this to a meaningful degree with Vietnamese; it’s just too different from what I’ve worked with before. Overall, I would definitely go back to Vietnam.

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