Oh Vietnam, where do I start. I was lucky enough to visit a few places in Vietnam: Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay and Hoi An, in that order. Here are my stories.... :)
We flew into Hanoi and had 12 hours to kill before our night train to Sapa. We locked our bags in the lockers at the Hanoi train station and were on our way out to explore! First things first though - AUTHENTIC PHO!!!!! I love Pho back in the US, but now that I was in Vietnam I had to get the real thing!
Of course it was delicious! We didn't get the plate of veggies (sprouts, basil, jalapenos) like I was use to getting back in the States, but that's OK. It was still good.
After lunch we headed out and about checking out the town. Wow - the traffic. The traffic in Hanoi is the worst I have EVER seen. It felt like the game "Frogger" trying to cross the street in Chiang Mai, and we all know how traffic is in New York City. But THIS traffic, in Hanoi, there were no rules. People were driving all over each side of the street in all directions, and there were scooters everywhere!!!!! People would just turn their scooters and cars INTO lanes of traffic; we just stood there in amazement. We could not believe our eyes. This picture doesn't even do it justice, but as you can see these two scooters were very close to colliding. The traffic is FAST, too, so it was hard for me to even capture what I was actually witnessing.
What's even more crazy is when actual people started to do the same thing, walking right into and across traffic! We were even more shocked! It took us at least 5 attempts to cross the street, while during it all an old lady pushing a bike would slowly walk into traffic so gracefully and made it to the other side unscathed. I bet we were a great form of entertainment for the locals hanging in the streets as we would attempt to dodge into traffic and quickly jump back on the curb, time after time.
One interesting thing I noticed about Hanoi though, was that this city seems to have a great sense of community. I'm not completely sure, but it seems that folks live above their businesses? So down each sidewalk are herds of people just talking, hanging out, sitting around tables, eating and socializing. Almost in front of every store were these type congregations. It made for a crazy walk through town, especially with the traffic if we had to step off the sidewalk at anytime. But as crazy as this was, I could not help but have a warm feeling inside of me. In the United States, it would not be allowed for folks to congregate in this manner. It was actually nice to see such a sense of community.
But, after a while, it got old. The traffic was stressful and walking around mobs of people, chickens and kids all day long was tiring. We could not wait for our night train. We had traveled overnight to get to Vietnam with basically no sleep, and had walked around for 12 hours in Hanoi. Sleeping was up next.
We arrived in Sapa and it was POURING down raining! It was actually nice though being we hadn't showered in a day or so. We were now in the mountains of Vietnam, and it was much cooler, thankfully. We were off on hour one hour bus ride to the actual town of Sapa.
Sapa, Vietnam is a cute little mountain town in Northwest Vietnam. To get to Sapa you need to fly into Hanoi and either take an overnight bus or train to La Cai, then another 1 hour bus ride to Sapa.
When we arrived in Sapa it was POURING down raining! It was actually quite refreshing being that we hadn't showered in a day or so throughout all of our plane, train and bus travels. We were now in the mountains of Vietnam, and it was much cooler, thankfully.
One thing to forewarn you about in Sapa, as soon as you step off the bus you will be approached by a mob of local tribal women trying to sell you handbags and jewelry. It is serious. They are polite and most have decent English. They will ask you your name and where you're from. They make small talk asking how long you will be in town, etc. But after a while you realize they've been following you and talking to you for over 30 minutes! If you try to step into a store to lose them, HA, not happening. They will quietly wait outside for you and will latch back on ever so quickly. Even if you go to lunch, they will wait. These were our girls. Mine was Zoe, second from the right.
Our girls followed us around all day until we finally broke down and bought something from them. Then they were on their way! Sheeeesh!!! But it's not over yet, if there is another tribal lady NEAR you when you make your purchase she will latch herself onto you and say "Buy from me BUY FROM MEEEEEE!!!!" I felt so sorry for this lady, below. She had the cutest little baby with her so after 15 minutes of her begging I finally broke down and bought something and then she disappeared.
After a couple of days of being stalked and bothered you had to get more firm with these ladies. We learned if you didn't look at them or respond to them they would pass. We hated to be less than friendly, but they come on STRONG, ALL DAY LONG, and it gets old very fast.
When we arrived in Sapa we stayed at the associated Sapa Backpackers hostel. Our contact Peter was no where to be found when we arrived so we walked around, etc. It was actually nice to finally shower and have a free day to rest up before our first day with the kids.
What we did not realize when we arrived was that the Hope Center was over 5km (3-4 miles) away from where we were staying. When we finally found Peter he said that some people walk it (ummmm) but others rent motor bikes. Getting to the Hope Center was a big issue because we were not prepared to walk 4 miles each way for a 1 hour lesson, and we are inexperienced motorbike drivers. Ok so taxis were our last option....
The first two days we volunteered we grabbed taxis, thankfully. It took us about our 5th or 6th taxi driver to finally take us because they either didn't want to take us, or claimed they didn't know where the center was. We later realized they price gouged us, which was not cool. We informed Peter but unfortunately he did not help us coordinate or arrange travel for the additional days. When you have quit your job and decided to backpack overseas, and are staying in places that are $3 a night, paying for unexpected transportation that is over $5 a day starts to eat into your budget. I know most of my family and friends back home are reading this and are probably thinking, "Elizabeth, five dollars!" If we would have known going into this about the location disparity we could have planned appropriately. Hailing cabs to/from was tough, especially with the language barrier and being taken advantage of financially. It was actually sad to see that locals were completely taking advantage of tourists. You would think they want people to come back, right? It seemed that most taxis would rather lay in their cars and nap than take us 4 miles down the road and back. Frustrating!
Our third day we actually went to the grocery store to buy prizes for kids. We were researching lesson plans and wanted to make the biggest impact we could on these children with the little time that we had. Unfortunately day three we were unable to get a taxi because they either were charging us extremely ridiculous rates or did not know where the center was. Such a shame. We attempted to start walking the 3-4 miles but we realized by the time we got there it would be too late, and we would have to turn back around. The two days we volunteered were amazing and we wish we could have helped more. Oh well. :(
I know the Sapa Hope Center is new and unable to arrange transport at this time. Just FYI for any future volunteers interested in helping. Be either experienced or eager to ride a motor bike in crazy traffic, or be prepared to pay a taxi twice your hotel bill each day to get to the center. Sapa Backpackers offers you a bed for $3 a night if you are volunteering. A taxi to and from the center each day will cost you about $6 a day.
Since teaching was done with we had the rest of our time to relax. Each morning we would wake up and go eat breakfast. Vietnamese coffee is so amazing!!!!!!! I don't know what it is about it, whether it's the actual coffee beans, the way they brew it, I'm not sure. Or it could be the carnation condensed milk they use, but the taste is exceptional. Better than Starbucks!!
We enjoyed our coffee and breakfast each morning and then we were off to explore. We spent most of our free days finding a nice viewpoint to sit at where we could read, write and relax.
Their version of a banana split:
Next stop - HALONG BAY!
How lucky I am to get to experience this majestic place, Halong Bay, Vietnam.
On our tour of Vietnam, this was a 'must see' for us. The thought of being surrounded by grassy limestone mountains while laying out on top of a small cruise ship just sounded darn good to me.
Halong Bay, YES, it is just as pretty as you would think it would be. We did a one night cruise through Paloma tours. They were amazing. They were the utmost professional, caring, kind and fun!
The boat was exquisite. Dark hardwood floors throughout, impeccable table settings, TONS of food. When I first stepped on the boat (note this is my very FIRST cruise) I said man look at these dark hardwoods looking like The Titanic! Eeekkk! We didn't need for a thing. Well, wifi, but it was actually nice to have a break from that! ;) We were able to drown ourselves in the surrounding sea of tranquil beauty. With full bellies and no where to go, we were gladly trapped in paradise.
I highly recommend seeing Halong Bay if you get the chance. I would also recommend staying more than one night on the boat if you can, although it can get quite pricey, around $100 per person/per night. There are a lot of excursion opportunities actually, like visiting a local fishing village, pearl farm, caves, and more, which are included! Wish we could have stayed longer!
We flew into Hanoi and had 12 hours to kill before our night train to Sapa. We locked our bags in the lockers at the Hanoi train station and were on our way out to explore! First things first though - AUTHENTIC PHO!!!!! I love Pho back in the US, but now that I was in Vietnam I had to get the real thing!
Of course it was delicious! We didn't get the plate of veggies (sprouts, basil, jalapenos) like I was use to getting back in the States, but that's OK. It was still good.
After lunch we headed out and about checking out the town. Wow - the traffic. The traffic in Hanoi is the worst I have EVER seen. It felt like the game "Frogger" trying to cross the street in Chiang Mai, and we all know how traffic is in New York City. But THIS traffic, in Hanoi, there were no rules. People were driving all over each side of the street in all directions, and there were scooters everywhere!!!!! People would just turn their scooters and cars INTO lanes of traffic; we just stood there in amazement. We could not believe our eyes. This picture doesn't even do it justice, but as you can see these two scooters were very close to colliding. The traffic is FAST, too, so it was hard for me to even capture what I was actually witnessing.
What's even more crazy is when actual people started to do the same thing, walking right into and across traffic! We were even more shocked! It took us at least 5 attempts to cross the street, while during it all an old lady pushing a bike would slowly walk into traffic so gracefully and made it to the other side unscathed. I bet we were a great form of entertainment for the locals hanging in the streets as we would attempt to dodge into traffic and quickly jump back on the curb, time after time.
One interesting thing I noticed about Hanoi though, was that this city seems to have a great sense of community. I'm not completely sure, but it seems that folks live above their businesses? So down each sidewalk are herds of people just talking, hanging out, sitting around tables, eating and socializing. Almost in front of every store were these type congregations. It made for a crazy walk through town, especially with the traffic if we had to step off the sidewalk at anytime. But as crazy as this was, I could not help but have a warm feeling inside of me. In the United States, it would not be allowed for folks to congregate in this manner. It was actually nice to see such a sense of community.
But, after a while, it got old. The traffic was stressful and walking around mobs of people, chickens and kids all day long was tiring. We could not wait for our night train. We had traveled overnight to get to Vietnam with basically no sleep, and had walked around for 12 hours in Hanoi. Sleeping was up next.
We arrived in Sapa and it was POURING down raining! It was actually nice though being we hadn't showered in a day or so. We were now in the mountains of Vietnam, and it was much cooler, thankfully. We were off on hour one hour bus ride to the actual town of Sapa.
Sapa, Vietnam is a cute little mountain town in Northwest Vietnam. To get to Sapa you need to fly into Hanoi and either take an overnight bus or train to La Cai, then another 1 hour bus ride to Sapa.
When we arrived in Sapa it was POURING down raining! It was actually quite refreshing being that we hadn't showered in a day or so throughout all of our plane, train and bus travels. We were now in the mountains of Vietnam, and it was much cooler, thankfully.
One thing to forewarn you about in Sapa, as soon as you step off the bus you will be approached by a mob of local tribal women trying to sell you handbags and jewelry. It is serious. They are polite and most have decent English. They will ask you your name and where you're from. They make small talk asking how long you will be in town, etc. But after a while you realize they've been following you and talking to you for over 30 minutes! If you try to step into a store to lose them, HA, not happening. They will quietly wait outside for you and will latch back on ever so quickly. Even if you go to lunch, they will wait. These were our girls. Mine was Zoe, second from the right.
Our girls followed us around all day until we finally broke down and bought something from them. Then they were on their way! Sheeeesh!!! But it's not over yet, if there is another tribal lady NEAR you when you make your purchase she will latch herself onto you and say "Buy from me BUY FROM MEEEEEE!!!!" I felt so sorry for this lady, below. She had the cutest little baby with her so after 15 minutes of her begging I finally broke down and bought something and then she disappeared.
After a couple of days of being stalked and bothered you had to get more firm with these ladies. We learned if you didn't look at them or respond to them they would pass. We hated to be less than friendly, but they come on STRONG, ALL DAY LONG, and it gets old very fast.
So the real reason we were in Sapa was to volunteer teaching English to orphaned and underprivileged children! We found this opportunity through helpx. A man named Peter started the Sapa Hope Center where he houses, feeds and gives free English lessons to children living in the hills of Sapa. Most of these kids do not go to school or do not have access to schools, so they come here. Some kids walk for over an hour, alone, to get here. It was such an eye opening experience.
When we arrived in Sapa we stayed at the associated Sapa Backpackers hostel. Our contact Peter was no where to be found when we arrived so we walked around, etc. It was actually nice to finally shower and have a free day to rest up before our first day with the kids.
What we did not realize when we arrived was that the Hope Center was over 5km (3-4 miles) away from where we were staying. When we finally found Peter he said that some people walk it (ummmm) but others rent motor bikes. Getting to the Hope Center was a big issue because we were not prepared to walk 4 miles each way for a 1 hour lesson, and we are inexperienced motorbike drivers. Ok so taxis were our last option....
We did make it work the first two days. We talked our way into a cab and back, overpaid, but we were able to teach the children. It was such a wonderful experience, teaching that is!
I will never forget seeing the "whites" in these kids' eyes when they were looking back at my whiteboard trying to spell certain colors I had written out for them to practice. They were eager and excited to learn. These kids did not have to be here but they were. They were kind, curious and genuine.
Our third day we actually went to the grocery store to buy prizes for kids. We were researching lesson plans and wanted to make the biggest impact we could on these children with the little time that we had. Unfortunately day three we were unable to get a taxi because they either were charging us extremely ridiculous rates or did not know where the center was. Such a shame. We attempted to start walking the 3-4 miles but we realized by the time we got there it would be too late, and we would have to turn back around. The two days we volunteered were amazing and we wish we could have helped more. Oh well. :(
I know the Sapa Hope Center is new and unable to arrange transport at this time. Just FYI for any future volunteers interested in helping. Be either experienced or eager to ride a motor bike in crazy traffic, or be prepared to pay a taxi twice your hotel bill each day to get to the center. Sapa Backpackers offers you a bed for $3 a night if you are volunteering. A taxi to and from the center each day will cost you about $6 a day.
We enjoyed our coffee and breakfast each morning and then we were off to explore. We spent most of our free days finding a nice viewpoint to sit at where we could read, write and relax.
A lot of times when you travel you are so busy packing in excursions and sightseeing trips you never get a chance to really relax and enjoy your surroundings. But not us - we had a few days of complete relaxation. :)
Their version of a banana split:
Sapa, Vietnam is a cute little town. It is away from the bustling streets of Hanoi, tucked away in cool deep mountains. If you're in Vietnam and you're looking for hiking, trekking, or just to visit a place to check out with amazing views, I highly recommend Sapa. Just be prepared to be pestered, a little. :)
Next stop - HALONG BAY!
How lucky I am to get to experience this majestic place, Halong Bay, Vietnam.
On our tour of Vietnam, this was a 'must see' for us. The thought of being surrounded by grassy limestone mountains while laying out on top of a small cruise ship just sounded darn good to me.
Halong Bay, YES, it is just as pretty as you would think it would be. We did a one night cruise through Paloma tours. They were amazing. They were the utmost professional, caring, kind and fun!
I highly recommend seeing Halong Bay if you get the chance. I would also recommend staying more than one night on the boat if you can, although it can get quite pricey, around $100 per person/per night. There are a lot of excursion opportunities actually, like visiting a local fishing village, pearl farm, caves, and more, which are included! Wish we could have stayed longer!
Next stop: Hoi An!
You walk out of the back of the hostel and you are on the beach. It was amazing.
To conclude, Vietnam was a very interesting place. It didn't have some of the modern conveniences I was use to or expecting, but in a way that was refreshing. The mountains of Vietnam were cool and An Bang Beach was great. Halong Bay was indescribably beautiful and I wish I would have stayed longer there!
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to check out southern Vietnam, which I hear is very different from the north. That will soon be on my list of places to visit though, and I will definitely let you know when I get the chance to do so!
We heard Hoi An, Vietnam was a cute little beach town. After spending 6 weeks overland in Thailand and Vietnam, a BEACH sounded amazing. We got a taste of the water spending a night in Halong Bay, but just one night doesn't cut it. A week on the beach was just what we needed!!!
The above picture was our first view of the beach upon walking out of the path from our hostel. We ate lunch and laid out here for a couple days. It was so peaceful.
Actually, that's all we did all week! Breakfast, beach, lunch on the beach, lay out more, dinner on the beach, sleep, repeat! This beach, An Bang, was glorious. Quaint enough to be able to relax, and quiet in parts. However there was a stretch of restaurants with TONS of chairs smashed together where you could hang out with more people, if you are in to that kind of thing. ;)
It's quite funny, the workers of the restaurants come out as you are walking down the beach and approach you to lay out on THEIR chairs. They will be lined up every 20 feet saying "Come lay out in my chairs, free chair just eat at my restaurant!" As they are saying that, you hear the next one 10 chairs down saying "My chair is better, it's better down here!" I mean really? These folks have to have a love/hate relationship with each other! So literally you just choose the chairs that are most appealing to you and sit. It's quite awesome, all you have to do is order a $1 beer or $3 spring rolls and you are set for the day!!!
If you are ever visiting An Bang Beach, I highly recommend staying at our hostel, Under The Coconut Tree. It was recommended to us and we were not let down. This hostel/hotel actually has individual rooms as well, if dorm/hostel style living doesn't suit you. However I highly recommend the dorms for single travelers or those traveling with friends. It's a GREAT way to meet other travelers, and at $6 a night that's an amazing way to save money and feel like you are back in college again. ;) There are lockers under the bed, and mosquito nets. It's quite perfect.
You walk out of the back of the hostel and you are on the beach. It was amazing.
To conclude, Vietnam was a very interesting place. It didn't have some of the modern conveniences I was use to or expecting, but in a way that was refreshing. The mountains of Vietnam were cool and An Bang Beach was great. Halong Bay was indescribably beautiful and I wish I would have stayed longer there!
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to check out southern Vietnam, which I hear is very different from the north. That will soon be on my list of places to visit though, and I will definitely let you know when I get the chance to do so!
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