Returning to my former home: Vietnam!
Hello everyone,
This is a follow-up to my last update, all about Lebanon. This update is all about Vietnam, which I just recently visited. I used to live in Hanoi from 2018-2020 and left to attend school in the Netherlands. I haven’t been able to return since due to the border closure (Covid), but the restrictions were lifted 12 days before I returned, and I knew I had to get back as soon as possible. Vietnam feels like a second home to me because of the amount of time I’ve spent there, so I was quite excited to be back.
During this visit, I was there for two weeks. The first week was spent in Hanoi hanging out with friends. During the second week, I went down to the south for a few days, and then when I returned to Hanoi I also did a day trip to Ha Long Bay.
After being gone for 19 months, it was very nice to see some friends again and finally eat some good food. There are several types of food I enjoy the most — Thai, Vietnamese, Turkish, and Lebanese. And whenever I am in one of these countries I tend to say it’s the best food. It’s hard to pick one.
Bun cha in Hanoi
But, because I had gotten so used to Vietnamese food during the two years I had lived there, I got a bit “numb” to it. So this visit back felt extremely refreshing - I had not had authentic Vietnamese food in so long, and after my visit, I can say that Vietnamese food is currently my favorite (I am overdue for a visit to Thailand, though). The Vietnamese food you find in Europe (with very few exceptions) is quite bad in comparison (in my opinion), and for that matter so is Western food in general, compared to Vietnamese food. Food in Vietnam is so fresh and is so cheap (by Western standards), and very flavorful. I certainly miss the food the most when I am not there.
For those that do not know, food in Vietnam is very “regional,” much more than any other country I have been to. That means that each dish is tied to a certain place or region, and is often named accordingly. For example, in Hanoi, the capital (in the north), you can find very tasty bun cha, which is basically fresh rice noodles with pork in fish sauce. It’s really good. In southern Vietnam, they would call this dish “Bun Cha Hanoi.” If you want to find a southern dish in Hanoi, you might find “Banh Khanh Can Tho.” So the question here is which region has the best food? That is a controversial question - don’t waste your time. Just eat it all! (As the late and great Anthony Bourdain did on his many visits to Vietnam.)
While in Hanoi I also got the chance to ride Hanoi’s first metro line. On a global scale, this isn’t really a big deal but it’s an exciting project in Hanoi and something I was looking forward to during the time I lived there. In 2011 Hanoi started construction on its first metro line - also the first metro line in Vietnam. It was originally scheduled for completion in 2013. Over the years there were many deadlines for completion and they were all missed. There were allegations of corruption and disputes with the Chinese construction company which made the project Hanoi’s biggest joke. Well, it finally opened last November, only $500 million USD over budget and 8 years late, and it was cool to finally have the chance to ride it!!
The Hanoi Metro finally opened!
After spending a week in Hanoi hanging with friends and enjoying some great food, it was time for me to take a two-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam’s largest city and economic hub in the south) onboard Vietnam Airlines' beautiful Airbus A350. I missed you, Vietnam Airlines! Ho Chi Minh City is quite different than Hanoi - it feels more Western and modern (given the history). Ho Chi Minh City was not a new place for me, this was my 5th visit, but my first in two years. (The last time I was in Ho Chi Minh City I returned to Hanoi via the 36-hour sleeper train. That was a lot of fun! Watch the vlog here!)
Hello beautiful Vietnam Airlines!
Ho Chi Minh City is the first place I ever visited in Vietnam in 2018 and thus re-visiting always makes me feel a bit nostalgic. Ho Chi Minh City is very busy and lively and there’s something new on every corner. The energy is hard to find elsewhere. Over my four previous visits, I’ve managed to put together a nice collection of my favorite spots. If you visit in the future make sure to eat bun thit nuong at 139 Đề Thám Street in District 1 - you’ll thank me later. I go there for two-thirds of all my meals when I’m in Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore I felt I had an obligation to go again because it’s like an invite to go there to eat the good food. (Notice a theme in this update? Vietnam is a foodie’s dream.) I was only in Ho Chi Minh City for a night but it was fantastic to see the city all lit up and lively. What a place and it was so good to be back!
Ho Chi Minh City at night
The next day I took a 3-hour bus to Can Tho, the “capital” of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. A new place for me!! (I have a long list of new places I plan to visit in Vietnam over the next few years, despite the fact that I’ve already traveled throughout Vietnam significantly.) Fun fact - most of Southern Vietnam lies below sea level and it’s predicted that the ocean will erase most of it by 2050. Read about that here.
As a city, Can Tho is really nothing special. But it was worth a visit. While there, I didn’t see a single other foreigner. The best thing I did was actually a bit outside the city and it was one of my favorite experiences ever. I joined a tour that began at 5 am to go to a floating market - a 4-hour tour that cost a grand total of $2 (50k VND), the cost of food not included. We took a boat to the market where we were served breakfast boatside (there was a “breakfast boat” where they literally handed us bowls of freshly made noodles) where I tried the local banh khanh noodles.
The breakfast boat
We also explored a local fruit orchard and learned how they make ho tieu noodles which are local to that region. The mien tay (Mekong Delta) people are so incredibly warm and friendly. As the only foreigner (the first tourist in Can Tho in 2 years apparently!) I got a ton of attention - fair to say I met lots of friendly faces that day! That was a fun experience.
Can Tho
A couple of days later I took a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City and then flew back to Hanoi. This time aboard Bamboo Airways Boeing 787 - yes, I love planes and flew from Ho Chi Minh City specifically to fly on Bamboo Airways 787 (for the second time). But as is the norm in Vietnam, I had another great experience!! For the first time ever, I flew business class, which included a lie-flat seat (bed) and good food. Very spacious! Let’s hope that was the first of many times.
First time in Business Class - incredible!
The next day I did a day trip to Ha Long Bay, another new place for me and one of the 7 Wonders of Nature. Ha Long Bay is nice! Prior to the pandemic there used to be hundreds of tourist boats in the bay each day but as the country was still a bit quiet when I was there, there were only a few. Great weather! I just did a day trip so maybe I didn’t get a very extensive experience, but I did feel slightly underwhelmed. Ha Long Bay has always been talked about as an “amazing” and “magical” experience and I did think it was scenic and cool but besides that a bit meh. Maybe I expected too much, who knows?
My final few days were spent in Hanoi hanging with friends and enjoying the great food before returning to (comparatively) dreadful Western food. This trip to Vietnam was lots of fun - I enjoyed every second. Hopefully, I’ll be back again before the end of the year!
If you or anyone you know is planning on going to Vietnam (or SE Asia) make sure to contact me first! I have many recommendations and tips.
Hopefully, everyone is doing well and is looking forward to summer!