Sarah WallockWhen two of my friends were each leaving for trips to Vietnam, I thought it would be fun to look back on my trip and choose a couple of my favorite activities and restaurants to recommend for them! When I go somewhere new, my favorite way to get to know a place is through recommendations, so I thought they would enjoy these tips. I had the best time looking at Google maps and trying to place myself and remember where I went and what I saw in Vietnam. It felt so strangely familiar to relive my trip years later and continents away. It was a real test to see what stood out to me the most.
I traveled from the North to the South, and therefore my recommendations will be in chronological order from what I did on my trip. It is so easy to find blogs, recommendations, guidebooks, vlogs and the like- online and easily accessible. I’ve written these recommendations to provide a personal touch and most of them are not about doing the most popular and obvious tourist attractions- although some are worth a visit. First, we’ll start in Hanoi.
1. Have delicious and fresh fish at Chả Cá Thăng Long, Hanoi
My mouth is watering thinking back to Cha Ca Thang Long. The first night we went to eat there, I blindly followed the group and I am so happy I did. *full disclosure, most of these recommendations come from me blindly following as I was so exhausted from studying and traveling that I did not physically have the energy to research awesome food, unlike my ambitious and wonderful companions.
We went into the comfortably casual restaurant and there was one dish on the menu: grilled fish soup. It was absolutely incredible. This is where my unnatural obsession with fish sauce began. The flavors blended together from the fresh herbs, fish and soy sauces so wonderfully. I went back for round two the following night and I still look forward to eating here again someday.
In Hanoi, I stayed in the Old Quarter. It was a bit disorienting as it was my first experience in a country where I didn’t speak or even recognize the language. Being in South America before had felt different because I grew up hearing Spanish and knowing about the culture. I was happy we stayed in the Old Quarter because it wasn’t dominated by British backpackers, French TEFL teachers, or buses of tourists. It was a chill area and a good distance from the center of town.
2. Learn about women! Vietnam Women Museum, Hanoi
I was not thrilled about was going to a museum on my day off. But I particularly remember my friend Rae and I zipping through the three floors of the museum and enjoying the contemporary art pieces, Vietnam war memorial portraits, and the massive displays outside for an upcoming event. I liked the neighborhood the museum is located in as well.
3. Watch Thang Long Water Puppet, Hanoi
The Water Puppet show is a nice activity that highlights some Vietnamese cultural history. Basically, in a theater, puppets dance above a small indoor pond and act out cultural stories and legends. The puppets’ dance is accompanied by a light show, water show, and music. It was a pretty unique performance, but probably a one-time event for most people.
4. Make Bep Coun your go-to lunch spot, Da Nang
Bep Coun was by my hotel and classroom. I loved this spot due to the relaxed atmosphere and awesome Vietnamese pancakes. It was a classic spot for a light and delicious lunch. I probably went five times and it was reliable and delicious every time.
Da Nang was my favorite place in Vietnam. Something about being between the mountains and the ocean always gets to me! I enjoyed that it wasn’t as bustling and intense as Hanoi and I liked how the majority of people I was meeting were Vietnamese. Every time I went to get coffee, students would come and introduce themselves to me and practice their English.
5. Dance on poles and get bottle service above the Red River at the Red Sky Bar, Da Nang
This has to be one of my top Vietnam experiences. A big group of friends and I went to the 27th floor of a hotel, where the rooftop club Red Sky Bar exists. We ordered bottle service for the group, as this was the only option, and danced all night. It was so much fun. The view from the top was beautiful. We got to go to an unforgettable party and get sweeping views of the river and the ocean for around $10 USD. It was a sweet deal.
6. Enjoy Vietnamese pancakes at Ban xeo du duong, Da Nang
Wow, another great meal! My friend Michelle, a true foodie, found this place on TripAdvisor. Many of the great food decisions on our trip were because of her. We walked to a different neighborhood for this meal. It was interesting and intriguing to walk through a different part of the city. The Vietnamese pancakes were also delicious at Ban xeo du duong and tasted different than those from Bep Coun for sure. This place was more low-key, less artistic, no-frills, and we really enjoyed it. They also had pork skewers that were insanely good!
Afterward, we stopped at the various food markets and grabbed snacks to bring back to our hotel.
7. Relax or have a laugh attack at Galina Spa and Mud bath, Da Nang
Sidney and I invested a slim $20 USD (which seemed like a fortune at the time), to have a 2-hour mud bath, sauna, pool, and hydrology experience. This is one of the most hilarious things I have ever done to this day. We sat in a lukewarm mini hot -tub filled with brown sludge “mud” and laughed so hard. We walked through an 8-step process of cleaning ourselves, indoor hot-tubbing, cleaning again, outdoor hot tubbing, and swimming in a pool. After, we had showers and headed back to meet friends at the beach.
8. Hike Marble Mountain and explore the caves, Da Nang
Marble Mountain was sick and the views were stunning. I took a taxi over and hiked it on my own. Since I was there three years ago, many more buildings should have gone up and the landscape has surely changed, as they were in very early stages of building and development all around the beach.
This day is cemented in my mind because while traveling for 4 months with 30 people, the moments you chose to be alone really stick out. It felt really nice to be by myself and more aware of my surroundings rather than just doing everything mindlessly with a large group.
9. Take a break from all the meat with Quan Chay Dam vegan cafe, Hoi An
Another Michelle find I believe! This place was awesome and the food tasted distinctively different than all the Pho and beef dishes I had been eating. I went here a few times as it was so convenient and tasty.
10. Bike to the beach from town, Hoi An
In Hoi An, my friends and I decided to run from the town center to the beach. The run was loads of fun, but I think a bike would’ve made it even better. Biking around the rice paddies, over to the beach and the shops would be a great way to spend the day.
I was feeling a bit exhausted after going out the night before, so I let my friends continue running and I walked behind. A guy on a bike came up to me speaking Vietnamese and he saw that my friends had let me trail behind. He motioned for me to get on the back, and we zoomed past them laughing. It was a great moment.
11. Get street food in Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City
I love this food market in HCMC. There are so many different vendors and stalls with an abundance of options. I went here a number of times with friends and enjoyed sitting at the shared tables, trying new foods. But the Pad Thai here was the definite favorite.
12. Free bike tour with University students, Ho Chi Minh City
This was SO MUCH FUN! Probably my favorite memory in Vietnam besides the mud bath. One of my friends booked us on the tour and I came along. There are 68 reviews on TripAdvisor and every single one of them is 5 stars. Wow, that is incredible! The students came to our hotel, gave us helmets, picked us up and drove us around. We had so much fun hearing about Vietnam and HCMC from their perspectives. Afterward, we got coffee with them, added them on Facebook and made plans to meet up later.
All in all, I loved my time in Vietnam. I look forward to going back someday and hopefully, if you travel to Vietnam, you can add your favorite experiences to this list so I have new meals and activities to look forward to!
Looks like you had a wonderful trip, really enjoyed reading about these fun experiences!