Beautiful countryside, delicious food and fascinating culture ... readers share the most memorable places and experiences from their travels, often discovered in the company of knowledgeable locals
Winning tip: Ninh Binh countryside
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| Photo by Travel oriented |
OK, so the town of Ninh Binh (two hours’ drive south of Hanoi) is no looker, but the surrounding countryside will seduce you. Once there I hired a bicycle and set out early morning to explore the karst limestone scenery (think Halong bay with rice paddies replacing the sea). It was a wonderfully peaceful day of exploring villages, and having a picnic by the side of rice fields while watching the locals work. After two weeks in Vietnam, it was the first time I could really listen to the birds and feel at peace. It can be hard to escape the mopeds, but I had found the Vietnam I had hoped for.
Food tour in Hanoi
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| Photo by Rex Roof |
Vietnam is a food lover’s paradise, with countless tasty and affordable options, but the sheer amount of things and places to eat, especially in the big cities, can be overwhelming. Hanoi was the culinary highlight for me and a tour with a local guide is the perfect way to sample a wide selection in a relatively short amount of time. Our guide took us to six of her favourite places in the city and the food she ordered for us was fantastic in all of them. Bun cha (pork with rice noodles), mi quang (fantastic noodle dish), happy pancakes, spring rolls, pho, beautiful steamed fish, sticky rice and egg coffee (yes, you read it correctly) were some of the highlights. She also taught us how each should be eaten and which sauces go best with each dish and the correct dipping order. We gained some great tips on specialities to seek out in other regions of Vietnam. This was definitely a stand-out from my time in Vietnam.
Overnight sleeper from Hanoi to Da Nang
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| Photo by collect on the internet |
For a cheap, interesting and easy journey from Hanoi to Da Nang (for Hoi An) we booked the overnight sleeper train through vietnam-railway.com which delivered tickets to our hotel and were efficient and courteous. Hurtling south in the dark our patchy sleep was punctuated by the arrival of the beer and noodle trolley and change of occupancy of the opposite bunks. A Vietnamese family of three was followed by a guard from the train, then more tourists. At daybreak there were glimpses of small shops on the edge of the track, views of coastline, water buffalo, bananas, more coastline, more beer and noodle trolleys before we glided into Da Nang the following morning.
Water puppet shows
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| Photo by shankar s. |
Water puppetry is a Vietnamese tradition and was one of the best cultural activities I did on my trip. If your experience of puppet shows consists of Punch and Judy-type performances you are in for a surprise. The stage is a large pool of water in which the puppets act out tales from Vietnamese folklore with a traditional Vietnamese orchestra playing throughout. The puppeteers are extremely skilled and great artistry goes into the puppets themselves. Apart from just a handful of tourists, the theatre was filled with local families enjoying the show. This really is something you can only experience in Vietnam, but is an activity that seems to get overlooked by many visitors. I visited the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre in Ho Chi Minh, but there are also daily shows near Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. I bought my tickets at the box office a couple of hours before the show.
Lunch and trekking with the Black Hmong
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| Photo by collect on the internet |
By far the most amazing experience I had in Vietnam was in the north, near Sapa, and the day spent with the Black Hmong Tribe. Our host met us at our hotel in Sapa, and took us shopping for ingredients, which her brother in law collected and took back to their village on a moped. We then hiked for around three hours amid brilliant Hoang Lien national park scenery to the village where they lived. On arriving at homestay we met her children, and helped prepare spring rolls. Her’s English was fantastic, and she happily answered our questions about her life, children, home, her beliefs and her village. The food – shared with the whole family – was fabulous. It was truly magical to see the differences and similarities in our lives as women with children, and I will forever be grateful to her for the insight into her life.
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