With our Hanoi trip stretched over four days, my Enneagram 7 heart started wondering what more can I squeeze into this 96-hour Northern Vietnamese adventure. Flight time from where I was to Hanoi is almost 18 hours. Hence, it would have been a wasted opportunity to spend it in only one city. With Klook and TripAdvisor as our guides - we managed to smush more adventures in those four days. Exhausting yet exhilarating - from the busy streets of Hanoi to the wondrous Halong Bay to the calmness of Tam Coc, this is how we spent 4 days in Northern Vietnam.
1. Eat to Your Heart’s Content
I was looking for quotes about Vietnam and stumbled on one so apt: “Vietnam? More like Vietnomnomnom.” I laughed because it was so silly and yet so true.
Visiting Vietnam means going on a massive food adventure. I am not a soup person, so I passed on the traditional Pho. I could stuff my face for days with Banh Mi - a traditional sandwich baguette that is so spicy and filling. If you are a pescatarian like me – you’re in for a feast. Discover 4P's, a local chain serving Italian food with a Vietnamese flair, and go crazy on their Seafood Croquette and 5-Cheese Pizza. Try the lotus salad with jicama - it does wonders for gut cleansing. Egg Coffee is so creamy just try to get over the fact that you are drinking your coffee with raw egg yolks. (I am no Gaston from Beauty in the Beast and have no desire to drink 5 dozen eggs every morning to get large). If you do the Queen Cruise in Halong Bay - their seafood buffet is incredibly good. All in all, gaining an additional kg or two is part and parcel of your Vietnam adventure.
2. Find Bargains
Vietnam is a shopping haven for bargain hunters. Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi is filled with everything that you can and can’t think of to buy. Including that Vietnamese cone-shaped hat. Similar to visiting Bangkok – plan with your luggage. Make sure that you have enough space to fill with your amazing purchases. Because what’s travelling if you can’t bring back souvenirs?
3. Walk around in Hanoi
There is so much to see in Hanoi but best to experience it on foot - from the traditional streets of the Old Quarter to the echo of French remnants in the French Quarter. Make sure to walk around the Hoan Kiem Lake, visit the temples, shop at the Dong Xuan Market, stop for a drink at Beer Street, have some Banh Mi at the street side, take a photo by the Hanoi Opera – inspired by the Palais Garnier and grab a traditional crepe the Hanoiain way – cheese drizzled with honey. Should you need more tips on how to spend time purely in Hanoi – check here my Hanoi-dedicated things to do in 48 hours. Watch out for the motorists when crossing the streets – they have no mercy.
4. Discover Hoa Lu
Before it was relocated to Hanoi, Hoa Lu used to be the capital and presidential residence. I need a refresher course in Asian geography because all this time, I thought Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) is the capital. Anyhoo, before I digress – Hoa Lu is massive. The area has several temples, stone arches, and koi ponds with fat golden koi fish swimming around waiting to be fed (or grilled - yes, they are e if you can get over its spiritual symbolism). We visited at the end of autumn and it was still incredibly warm, so make sure to grab one of those Vietnamese hats and bring water to hydrate.
5. Cruise in Ha Long Bay
Whether a day cruise or an overnight – visiting Ha Long Bay is a must. It is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. That is something you don’t want to miss. We booked the Vitamia Queen Cruise including pick up and drop off from our Hanoi hotel. The team, the service, the facilities and the food is exemplary.
Going back to the wonder that is Ha Long Bay, while we were cruising along the bay and this giant limestone surrounds us – you can’t find the words to explain it. My friend, Azi who is a content writer – and me, who has been copywriting as part of my marketing career for more than a decade, struggled with how to describe it. Magnanimous, wonderous, breathtaking – we tried. There are simply no words to encompass the feeling you get while these stones envelop you somehow and the eagles soar above. It’s indescribable.
6. Climb Huang Mua Caves
Part of Ninh Binh province is the Huang Mua Caves. I never understood why it is called "caves" when you go there to climb more than 500 steps to reach the stone dragon at the apex. And obviously to have a vantage of the river below planked by yellow-green rice fields. There are three stops. Two viewing points at a similar level – you will reach around 400+ steps. One on the left, and the other on the right, forking in the middle. If you are like me who has forgotten what cardio means since getting couped up in 2020 – yes, I am blaming Covid for my laziness – make sure to take your time and pace. And bring bottles of cold water. The apex – where all the athletic minds and the achievers aim to climb – is not so far yet the steps get steeper and more uneven. While I was catching my breath and craning my neck to see the apex – I saw my travel buddy climbing the steps, a la Spiderman way. She was no longer climbing but crawling. Suffice it to say – I muttered "enough" and told myself to be content with the amazing view right before me. Took photos and then slowly climbed back down one step at a time.
7. Boat Trip at Tam Coc
Saving the best for last as this might be the favourite part of our Northern Vietnam trip. Yes, it eclipsed Ha Long Bay for me. Tam Coc can not compete with the breadth and size of Ha Long Bay although they call it Ha Long Bay on Land. Tam Coc which means three caves. The area includes these three low-ceiling caves, so low, I had to sit on the boat's floor. The entire place is incredibly picturesque and evokes tranquillity. We took the sampan boat tour with a local girl who might be an Olympic champion in rowing. She once used her feet to row. Since she made it look so easy, I tried to take on the paddle for a couple of minutes and almost got us capsized.
Imagine floating in this river with only limestones looming around you as sentinels, the rice paddies floating on your side accompanying you through your journey and the soft sound of the river being rowed as your musical background. We passed by a burial ground facing those limestones and I said to myself – might be one of the best places to rest. Morbid thoughts aside – that boat ride in Tam Coc is incredibly calm, more traditional, and less commercial. Yes, the chance of you being haggled by locals to buy snacks and such is part of it. I wouldn’t call that commercial – I would say that’s seeing how the locals survive with tourism – and you, doing your part. While gliding through Tam Coc – all I could was this incredible peace covering me. I don’t know if it is the place, a moment in time, or a stage in my life – the place reminded me why it is okay to simply just be.
All in all, our stop in Tam Coc was a mixture of hilarity, feeling of awe and tranquillity. And most of all, gratitude for having the chance to experience such wonder.
If you want a mixture of calm and chaos or paddy fields and citylights with great food and extraordinary sights - then head to Northern Vietnam.
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