In the second part, I’m going to discuss our travels in central and northern Vietnam.

Hoi An

Traveling in Vietnam during the Tet holiday presents challenges, such as transportation being fully booked in advance. This was the case when we attempted to secure train tickets from Nha Trang to Da Nang, near Hoi An, but found none available. With bus travel being lengthy and inconvenient, we chose to fly despite the premium cost during this peak period. Upon reaching Da Nang, we used Grab to get from the airport to our accommodation in Hoi An, which took around 45 minutes or so.

Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s top tourist destinations, renowned for its charming old town and iconic lantern-lit evenings. Beyond its picturesque streets, the city boasts many attractions waiting to be explored. While strolling through Hoi An’s historic quarters, we were captivated by its timeless beauty, offering a perfect backdrop for street photography. However, the city’s popularity comes with a caveat – the sheer influx of tourists, particularly during the evening festivities along the riverbanks, can detract from the overall experience.

When visiting Hoi An, a fun activity to try is basket boat riding through the coconut plantations. This experience offers a unique way to explore the scenic surroundings in unique and colorful basket boats, which serve as great photo opportunities. Not only is it entertaining for adults, but it’s also an exciting adventure for children. For instance, our son had a blast crab fishing with a makeshift fishing rod, adding an extra layer of fun and memorable moments to the experience.

Hoi An is renowned for its tailors, offering complete suits for (allegedly) as little as $100, although the quality may vary. While we weren’t actively seeking to purchase anything, and were mostly window shopping, the constant presence of tailor shops and their persistent sales tactics made the experience somewhat overwhelming. My wife was thinking about having a dress made, but gave up after a few times, as either the prices were high, or they were too pushy for her taste. Your mileage may vary! Having said that, I got a haircut there for $4 only!

Da Nang

Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam, and it is 30 minutes north of Hoi An. We stayed 3 nights in Da Nang, but we could have stayed another 1-2 days easily.

When doing research on Vietnam, I came across this bridge that was seemingly been held by two massive concrete hands, so I knew I had to photograph it! The place is called the Golden Hands Bridge which is located in Ba Na Hills, 45 minutes outside Da Nang. Ba Na Hills is a unique combination of amusement park, and replica city built atop a mountain, access by one of the longest and tallest cable car rides in the world. The cable car ride took around 20 minutes, and went into and above the clouds to the altitude of 1,500 meters. The Golden Hands Bridge was the highlight of the visit for me, as it is quite photogenic, however, it was a bit too crowded for my taste. The rest of the complex is a combination of French-inspired buildings and chateaus that look nice in photo, but is quite tacky in person. The place is obviously built to cater to local tourists who want to have a sense of European travel, without going all the way there, similar to the town of Leavenworth in Washington. If it wasn’t for the Golden Hands Bridge, I would have skipped it altogether.

We also visited Marble Mountains which are a collection of limestone and marble hills with large caves, and deep cultural and religious significance. Inside the caves of these majestic formations, there are Buddha statues, some adorned with intricate carvings and others illuminated by softly glowing light. Some caves are really large, and it’s obvious that they have been used as temples for a long time. There are a lot of steps involved though, so be ready for a good workout, if you visit!

Hue

We took a van, or what they call a limousine here, to Hue, which is 2 hours north of Da Nang. Initially, there was some confusion about the pick-up point, but fortunately, the van arrived on time, and we boarded without any issues. Along the way, we enjoyed the scenic views of the ocean, rice paddies, and lush green hills.

Hue served as Vietnam’s capital from the early 1800s until the mid-20th century under the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty. Renowned for their affinity for grandeur, the Nguyen rulers adorned the cityscape with splendid palaces and imposing mausoleums, drawing inspiration predominantly from Chinese architectural styles. However, the colonial era ushered in by French colonization left its mark, subtly blending French influences into the later architectural endeavors of the period. One of the fascinating things about Nguyen kings was that they built their own mausoleums while they were alive, much like the Pharaohs, to ensure their legacies were honored according to their preferences, symbolizing their enduring presence and authority beyond death. This practice also showcased their wealth, cultural sophistication, and dynastic lineage, reinforcing their prestige and power.

One more spot I had on my list was Ho Thuy Tien, an abandoned aquatic park known for its striking feature: a massive dragon resting atop a three-story slide. We paired this excursion with visits to two nearby mausoleums and opted to hire a driver for the day to explore these sites. Given their distance from the city and the potential scarcity of transportation, we decided against using Grab to avoid any logistical challenges.

Unfortunately, the weather in Hue didn’t cooperate during our visit, with constant drizzling reminiscent of Seattle’s typical weather. Adding to our challenges, two out of the three days coincided with a national holiday of Tet, resulting in many shops being closed and difficulty in finding taxis or Grab. This was so bad that when we wanted to get to the train station, we couldn’t find a single taxi, so in a pinch, two staff members from our hotel generously offered to drive us to the train station on their scooters, luggage and all. It was an unexpected adventure made easier by our minimal travel gear!

Ninh Binh

Our train arrived in Ninh Binh in the morning. The train ride was comfortable, and our son slept the whole way. We got a Grab to our accommodation, and after check-in, went to take a boat tour in Trang An. Ninh Binh is famous for its natural beauty, sometimes dubbed as “Halong Bay on Land”, as it also has large limestone formations covered partially with lush green trees, and you can ride a boat along shallow waters adjacent to rice paddies meandering through the rock formations. In fact, we skipped Halong Bay altogether because 1) we were running out of time in Vietnam due to the visa mishap, 2) it was easier to visit Ninh Binh since it was on route from Hue to Hanoi, whereas to get to Halong Bay we first had to go to Hanoi, and then take a 3 hour bus ride to Halong Bay and back, and 3) we thought Halong Bay will be too crowded, as it is one of the most famous attractions in Vietnam. Little did we know that Ninh Binh would be super packed with tourists too.

Back to our misadventure boat trip in Trang An. We arrived there and to our disappointment, there were thousands of Vietnamese tourists there wanting to do the same thing. There was no way we could stand in line for hours on end to get the tickets, so we decided to go visit some temples further north, which proved to be a challenge as there were no Grab cars available, so we had to scramble to find taxis. The next day, we went to Trang An again, and long story short, it was the same story. We were so disappointed at our bad luck, being there at the wrong time period, and having missed Halong Bay because of this. Moral of the story: Never travel to a country during its domestic peak travel time. It’s going to be horrendous. The sheer number of domestic tourists flocking to an attraction site outnumbers any foreign tourist presence by 1 to 10 or even 100.

The third day in Ninh Binh, we went to Tam Coc instead, and that one day redeemed Ninh Binh for us! We started early, and went to take a boat tour there, and surprisingly, there were not as many domestic tourists there, so we managed to get tickets and get on a boat pretty fast. The 1h30 boat ride was very pleasant, and I highly recommend it. In Tam Coc, most of the rowers were women, and they mostly used their legs to row, which was unique to this region. We then took a walk around, and serendipitously stumbled on a super nice path along the water and rice paddies, visiting a coupled of temples along the way. We then went to “Mua Cave”, which is not actually a cave, and it’s a hike up around 500 stairs to reach atop a mountain with splendid views, and an Instagram hotspot, especially for its famous dragon statue. Well, as expected, it was packed with tourists, but the hike was totally worth it, though we did it one by one, as it was too steep for our son. Going all the way up to the dragon statue, however, was a bad idea. They should just close that up before someone kills themselves over there. The statue is atop super sharp stones, and one misstep and you can get seriously hurt. Now imagine tens of people trying to go there, hug the dragon, and take a picture with it for their Instagram. Oh well. Enough said.

Tet holiday and over-tourism aside, Ninh Binh was pretty challenging for us, as it was more rural, and we had a hard time moving around, as Grab didn’t work well there. Most people going there rent scooters, which works great, but we didn’t, since it would have been quite risky with a toddler. When you travel with small children, some places are more difficult than others, and there is no way around it.

Hanoi

From Ninh Binh, we took a train to our last destination in Vietnam, Hanoi. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam (since 1976), and it is famous for its vibrant Old Quarter, where narrow streets buzz with motorbikes and the scent of exotic foods waft through the air. Wandering through the labyrinthine alleys, packed with parked scooters and sidewalks turned into eateries, visitors encounter a tapestry of ancient temples, colonial architecture, and bustling markets.

Hanoi is also famous for its rich culinary heritage. Hanoi is famous for pho, but I found a new favorite noodle soup there called “bun cha”. We tried bun cha in the same restaurant that President Obama visited in 2016 with Anthony Bourdain. The place has photos of this visit all over, and even has an “Obama combo” on the menu! The place is packed with tourists and locals alike, and the bun cha was sumptuous. We also met with an old friend there, and enjoyed a Hanoi specialty called “cha ca” which is fried catfish meat and stomach pieces right on the table. It was quite tasty, though the fish stomach was a bit chewy.

We took it pretty slow in Hanoi, only visiting around for a few hours per day, spending more time at our Airbnb place, allowing our son to play with his toys, and cooking some comfort food. When you travel this long, you have to sometimes slow down, and take time for yourself. Instead of rushing from one attraction to another, we chose to pause, recharge, and enjoy the simple pleasures of everyday life in Hanoi like going to a mall, and letting our son play in indoor playgrounds.

It’s easy to assume that all Vietnamese are the same, but with a population of nearly 100 million people, there are in fact 54 different ethnic groups living in Vietnam. We visited the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology which offers an immersive journey into the diverse cultures and traditions of these groups. There are many exhibits with artifacts and photos of these different ethnic groups. We especially loved the traditional houses from villages across Vietnam erected in the yard, showcasing the unique architectural styles and way of life of each ethnic group. What made the experience even more enjoyable was the kid-friendly atmosphere, with various activities designed to engage young visitors and educate them about Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage. From traditional games to hands-on crafts, the museum ensured that children had a fun and educational experience.

One of Hanoi’s fun attractions is the sight of trains passing through narrow alleys lined with coffee shops. It’s a tourist hotspot worth exploring, with two locations north and south of train stations. I recommend visiting during the day to avoid the train lights overpowering your photos or videos. The trains are large and pass remarkably close and faster than expected, so stay cautious and stick to the walls or find shelter in a café during their passage. Don’t be tempted to stay on the rails for a cool photo; prioritize safety and avoid becoming that tourist.

With that, our nearly 4-week-long trip to Vietnam ended, and we flew to our next destination, Hong Kong. It was not nearly enough to visit all Vietnam has to offer, so we were sad that we couldn’t stay more. We know we will come back again, especially to the north, and maybe visit Sa Pa, Mai Chau, Bac Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, and of course Halong Bay!

FAQ

What exotic foods did you try?

Vietnam is famous for its exotic cuisine, and even though I am not an adventurous eater, I tried a couple of things: 1) Rare beef with ant eggs, which was a recipe from the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. The ant eggs didn’t taste like much; it was like a sour garnish with some texture. 2) Grilled frog, which surprisingly tasted okay, something in between fish and chicken.

We also tried many different exotic fruits there such as mangosteen, passion fruit, rambutan, longan, pomelo, star apple, guava, dragon fruit and jackfruit, in the order of preference. We didn’t dare to try durian, as the smell is way too strong, but we tried the durian ice cream which had a pretty unpleasant aftertaste.

How was visiting Vietnam during Tet holiday?

Visiting Vietnam during Tet holiday offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the country’s vibrant cultural celebrations and witness traditional customs firsthand. The streets burst with colorful decorations, lively parades, and the aroma of festive foods, providing a captivating experience for travelers. However, it’s important to consider the challenges that come with traveling during Tet, such as crowded transportation hubs and limited availability of public services as many people return home to be with their families, and most importantly the domestic over-tourism. Additionally, some businesses and tourist attractions may be closed or operate on reduced hours, potentially impacting travel plans and access to amenities. Frankly, I would highly advise against traveling to Vietnam during Tet holiday, if you can. Maybe travel up to a week before the holiday, but certainly skip the week before and after.

How was traveling with a small child in Vietnam?

Vietnam is the first country in our trip that I would strongly advise against bringing a stroller! I’m happy that we got rid of ours beforehand, as it would have been totally useless there. I saw very few strollers there, and for good reasons. The sidewalks are always packed with scooters, or had turned into eateries, and you have to constantly switch between sidewalk and the road. No matter where you are, there are motorbikes coming right at you from every possible direction! Moreover, unlike the US, Europe, or even Thailand, the Vietnamese drivers do not give the right of way to pedestrians - even if you are with a small child - and want to out-maneuver you. But as long as you are super vigilant and do not let go of your child’s hand, you will be fine. On the bright side, the food was great, and our son, who is almost three now, loved having pho - or as he called it “noodle in the soup” - every day while we were there.

How was photography in Vietnam?

I had a blast doing photography in Vietnam, especially doing street photography in Hoi An and Hanoi, and landscape photography in Ninh Binh. Vietnamese iconic conic hats, and simple, colorful and elegant Vietnamese dresses make for great photo opportunities, be it in bustling city streets and market, or in rice paddies in rural areas.