Thoughts On Backpacking Vietnam

I was always told Vietnam would 100% be my favorite out of all the South East Asian countries. So naturally, like the optimist and impatient person I am, I made it the first stop on my trip to the land of street food and haggling.

I had booked a flight from Sydney to Hanoi and the plan was to follow a pretty standard backpacker route down toward Ho Chi Minh City – then wherever I felt like after that. Budgeting 50 USD a day between 2 people and an absolute maximum of 30 days, I was going to do it properly.

People

I was pleasantly surprised that Vietnamese people were (mostly) as friendly and accommodating as people said they would be. Obviously, there were exceptions to this rule, as anywhere. Being ignored when asking questions or needing information became a bit of a recurring theme – maybe they’re just over ignorant Brits abroad. However – I was in their country and most were happy to help me out when I needed it. I tried to stay in homestays as much as possible to really get a feel for the everyday lives these people were living.

An honorable mention must go out to the families that run these homestays and guesthouses. They are getting on with their everyday lives – cleaning, feeding the kids, going grocery shopping – all while catering to us backpackers. There were almost always children at the homestays who are friendly and energetic, and willing to share everything from toys, food, and playtime with you.

Nature

The landscape and natural wonders in Vietnam were even better than I had ever imagined. I don’t know what I had imagined, though. In Bali I was treated to an abundance of rice paddies and mountains, I was probably expecting the same (even though I am over 5000km away – my ignorance is showing).  However, Vietnam spoiled me with lush mountainous ranges and rice fields (Sapa), limestone karsts and caves (Ha Long Bay and Phong Nha National Park), sprawling beaches and palm trees (Hoi An and Da Nang), and even the man-made concrete jungles (Hanoi and Saigon) were both atmospheric and intriguing.

The Food

Believe it or not, the food is what I was looking forward to the most (I think I’m a closeted foodie). In Sydney, I had tried out some of the synthetic Vietnamese cuisines but knew it wasn’t going to be a scratch on the real deal.

After arriving in Hanoi, it was simply street food central! There were women walking around with fresh fruit on their shoulders, families selling deep-fried meat and potato on the side of the road, and obviously little tucked away restaurants selling piping hot bowls of Pho which you can enjoy on the tiniest of plastic chairs right on the sidewalk. My absolute favorite had to be the Vietnamese sandwiches – or Banh Mi. On the first night in Hanoi, we picked up ones filled to the brim with meat, fresh veg, chili sauce, fried egg and soy sauce for around 25,000VND each (around 80p).

Another honorable mention definitely goes out to the coffee in Vietnam! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a massive addict and can’t go a day without having a nice cup of java. I was so relieved that – even in Vietnam – there is a huge coffee culture.  The main coffee attraction in Hanoi is egg coffee, which is exactly what it says on the tin – whipped egg with sugar and coffee.  Although this was too sweet for me (more of a bitter, black coffee chick), it was so smooth and creamy and would make a fantastic dessert. Aside from the decadent egg coffee, Vietnamese coffee, in general, was just my cuppa – strong, no milk, no sugar, and usually iced.

Until next time

In total, I spent 22 days traveling south from Hanoi. Yet I still feel like I missed out on a few things (I’m a greedy traveler – I want to see EVERYTHING). I wish I could have visited more museums to fully understand the extent and the origins of the Vietnam War; the Mekong Delta was also on my list of things to see but it the end it just wasn’t a priority. There’s so much to see and do in this wonderful country that you’d need the full month – and more!

Guess I’ll just have to go back.