Vietnam – a long story short (or not)

I flew to Vietnam at the beginning of August. The first step to start exploring the country was to obtain visa on arrival. Technically, I wasn’t entitled to getting visa on arrival as I didn’t meet the specified conditions. However, it’s common knowledge that travellers obtain visa without any problems even without meeting these.

So I decided to take a risk (if there is a risk at all). The only thing I needed was an invitation letter which I arranged online through an agency. The process was pretty straightforward and it only cost 8 USD. The visa then cost another 25 USD. So why pay 2.000 CZK (80 USD) and arrange it at the embassy in Prague? Besides being more expensive, going to an embassy is always a hassle.

Vietnam is a beautiful country but I cannot say it took my breath away (like my beloved Bolivia). I saw a few amazing places, but what made the trip worthwhile was the adventure itself and the people I met along the way. And foooooooood, of course, covered in a separate article.

Let me start with an overview of place I visited. I started in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known and still referred to as Saigon – the former capital of South Vietnam and the largest city in the country. I was fascinated by the continous flow of traffic. It really did resemble a river. There are a few interesting sights such as the market, War Remnants Museum and some collonial buildings. But I was happy to leave this bustling city and see more interesting places.

I went on a trip to Mekong Delta with the famous floating markets and its two cities My Tho and Can Tho. I also took a trip to Cu Chi tunnels – an elaborate underground passages used during the Vietnam war. The beautiful Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh, the birthplace of the Cao Dai religion was another amazing place I went to on the very same day.

I also spent some time in Mui Ne, a resort town where people go to learn various water sports such as kitesurfing. I went there to see the beautiful Red and White Dunes. Then I went to the Central Highlands and based myself in a beautifyl city of Dalat. I hiked to the Lang Biang mountain, the second highest mountain in Vietnam and I also went to see different waterfalls – Datanla, Prenn, Pongour and Elephant waterfalls.

On my way to the north I made a very short stop in Nha Trang, another seaside resort where I went to see Po Nagar Cham Towers. Other than that there was nothing much to see. I cannot say the same about the beautiful ancient city of Hoi An (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The city boasts a picturesque old town where you can see a Japanese covered bridge, Chinese temples as well as traditional old houses. While I was there the city was nicely decorated with colorful lanterns, giving the evenings truly magical atmosphere. I also took trips to My Son, a historical site with loads of more or less ruined temples and Marble Mountains, a unique place with temples and caves overlooking the surrounding area.

Further north I spent a few days in Hue, the former imperial city and another UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is an interesting citadel in the heart of the city surrounded by moat and comprising palaces, residences and temples. What I really loved were the tombs of emperors situated outside Hue which I visited on a bike that I rented for mere 30.000 dong (1.40 USD). I went to see the Tomb of Khai Dinh which I was really amazed by and then the Tomb of Minh Mang which was also worth the trip.

The last stop on my south to north trip was Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. You can for instance see the old town and the Temple of Literature there. The main draw for me, however, was the one and only stunning Halong Bay. It still was a long way from Hanoi but definitely doable as a day trip. Had I had more time, I would have stayed there longer. If you have no idea what Halong Bay is, google it. It is a must see of Vietnam. It is a bay with hundreds of karst rock formations sticking out from the sea. Sadly, the hordes of tourists coming there leave behind more than just their footprints.

And what I loved the most? Dalat and the surrounding highlands, Hoi An, Marble Mountains, the Tomb of Khai Dinh near Hue and Halong Bay.

Was the trip expensive? Not at all. I think Vietnam is the cheapest country I have ever travelled to. For example, I paid 3.60 to 7 USD for accommodation, average being slightly more than 5 USD per night (the cheapest shared rooms I have ever stayed in). As for food, I normally ate meals costing from 1 to 2 USD, only occasionally a bit more. I didn’t go to fancy restaurants, yet the food was delicious.

And as far as transport is concerned I paid 36 USD for an open bus ticket. This meant that I had a Saigon – Hanoi ticket (1.800 km) consisting of six separate tickets and I always travelled one section at a time. It was cheaper than to buy single tickets for each section. The interesting thing about buses was that night buses were sleeper buses. There were couchettes for 38 passengers. It was the first time I had travelled on a sleeper bus. Trains are more expensive. I paid 931,000 dong (approx 42 USD / soft seat) for Hanoi – Saigon ticket (1.726 km/31.5 hours). Tours were also ridiculously cheap.

As I said, the accommodation was cheap, but the best places to stay were with locals  who I found through couchsurfing. I only found two people to host me, for 5 nights in total, but it was really amazing. I was hosted by a girl, whose name was Lin, in Dalat and a guy, whose names was Ha, in Hanoi. And I had a great time.