Exploring south of Vietnam had whetted our appetite for the country, and we looked forward to a fortnight around Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi. Most travel blogs focus more on the north if you are limited for time, so we were excited to discover what Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi offered for the Price Family.

Hoi An

In true backpacker style we hopped on the 24 hour night bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An saving €3.35 on transportation. Ok, we caught a 90 minute flight on Vietnam Airways which was ridiculously cheap, contributed to global warming, but gave us an entire extra day in Hoi An to repay our carbon footprint. 

We were greeted in Hoi An with heavy rain but this was offset by the most friendly Grab driver we have ever encountered. Hoi An came with the highest expectations in Vietnam, and we were divided, Jennie loved it, I was underwhelmed and disappointed with the lack of authenticity. For the first time since Yunnan we were wearing jeans and hopping out of our fantastic accommodation to explore when the rain abated. 

In March and April I imagine the town and beaches look and feel very different, I just didn’t get the vibe. Sure, we all enjoyed riding through the fields, seeing the water buffalo and traversing vegetable island. We all laughed from afar at the serenity of the coconut groves being destroyed by the hordes of Korean tourists partying on coconut boats. Sadly the spectacular beach views were tarnished with big resort development all the way up to Da Nang and the sand and sea were blighted by litter and pollution washing ashore.

The town of Hoi An is set up well for the tourist with plentiful dining options and numerous sources of entertainment, that said we didn’t fancy lighting a lantern or going on a river boat in the rain. Of particular note in the town was the Precious Heritage exhibition, Molly was fascinated by the collection of costumes and artefacts from each of the ethnic minorities in Vietnam, having the opportunity to hear from the curator Rehahn highlighted we were only scratching the surface of Vietnam.

Hue

With the rain relenting we began our transfer up to Hue, about 150 miles north up the coast. En route we stopped for a couple of hours at Marble Mountain which didn’t offer much in the way of views from the elevated position, but it was definitely worth a visit to see the temples carved into the caves and hillsides. The road to Hue includes the option of taking the Hai Van Pass, supposedly one of the world’s great coastal roads. We opted for this rather than taking the quicker tunnel through the mountain, after all the Price Family love a good view. There are some decent coastal views and some nice beaches, but on this occasion I feel duped by instagram, we’ve been on plenty of costal roads on this trip or back at home in the UK that are significantly more impressive. If you are tight for time, or budget, I’d give it a miss. 

After the relative disappointment of Hoi An, expectations had lowered, but Hue impressed. The food was awesome, in particular the regional speciality of lemongrass pork skewers called Nem Lui. And we all enjoyed the couple of days exploring the tombs and citadel. The citadel was easily walkable from our accommodation, and we hired a taxi to transport us around 4 of the major tomb complexes out of town for a half day. We skipped My Son Sanctuary as others had advised it paled in comparison to Angkor Wat.

In the evenings Hue’s town centre is shut to motor vehicles and pedestrians can roam free without fear of being mowed down by a motorcycle. This meant it was both great for the kids to release some pent up energy, although Rory probably regretted tripping head first into the only stagnant puddle of water on the street. It was also an opportunity for bars and restaurants to open onto the streets creating a lively atmosphere.

The atmosphere was particularly joyous as this was the first time we had encountered the SE Asia Games, and in particular the football tournament that Vietnam were now contesting a semi final, a tournament they hadn’t won for 50 years. 50 years of hurt…never stopped them dreaming, football is coming home in Vietnam as well!

Halong Bay, or more precisely Bai Tu Long Bay

Vietnam had proved cheaper than expected, both for accommodation, travel and food, so we felt justified in a decision to splurge a little in order to visit Halong Bay. Specifically we opted to cruise around Bai Tu Long Bay with Indochina Junk for 3 days and 2 nights. Bai Tu Long is to the east of Halong Bay and felt very quiet with only a handful of boats cruising the area. With 8 cabins and 16 guests, the added advantage was there were only a handful of other guests our kids could disturb…so it made for a relaxing few days soaking in the sun while sailing around the limestone karst.

On the more adventurous moments we tried our hand at squid fishing (we caught nothing), swimming in the sea (we could have caught a cold) and all five of us kayaked together (we could have sunk). Throughout Vietnam food has been a highlight, but the chefs on the junk boat prepared the best food we’ve had to date. Without a doubt the expense was worthwhile, and it proved a standout highlight.

Hanoi

Our time in Vietnam concluded in the capital, Hanoi. Somewhat like Ho Chi Minh, another bustling city but this time with a little more history. After the rain of Hoi An, the sun shone and we were once again in shorts and skirts (we like Vietnam’s notion of a winter). 

In the past, our kids (particularly Molly) turned their noses up if we ventured into the countryside as they knew they would be walking, now when we arrive in a big city we can see their shoulder sag as they inevitably know they are going to be walking a lot. There certainly isn’t going to be a buggy, as they are rendered useless in almost all Asian cities.

Our Hanoi walks took us through the narrow bustling streets in the Old Quarter. Certainly one of those places where our kids exuberance could lead to an unintended purchase (in best case) and collision with a motorbike (in worst case). The kids weren’t that impressed with the markets, but they loved eating the Banh Mi rolls and discovering Hàng Ma, a street with the sole purpose of selling Xmas decorations. Fortunately for me they also sold balloons which would come in handy for Jennie’s birthday while we were in Hanoi. 

Sometimes our walks were total failures…for example we had heard about a narrow street where windows and doors are closed to coincide with passing commuter trains. While an interesting sight the security and residents weren’t particularly welcoming, which is unsurprising given the potential danger and who would want a conveyor belt of random tourists passing via their window. Needless to say there were a few enterprising locals making money, but we quickly moved on. 

We walked though the Temple of Literature, around the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace. In the heat the kids weren’t particularly captivated, and it was only so long we could entertain with running races. Indeed their lack of enjoyment in this area was perhaps magnified by the return of the Chinese paparazzi. At times I was unable to take a photo of Rory, without random Chinese photographers jumping into frame for an unrequested selfie with a cute (when you don’t live with him) blondie. Education wise, I suppose we should be happy that Molly now thinks Ho Chi Minh is embalmed in supermarket vinegar!

Celebrating our first birthday of the trip

Jen’s 40th celebrations last year were fantastic, would it be possible to better? No it wouldn’t be possible. But sitting in Hanoi we were able to create a memorable day for Jennie. There were no presents, but fortunately experiences don’t add weight to luggage allowances.

Molly and Jennie spent the day in a small Vietnamese cooking class learning how to make summer rolls or throw together the perfect salad. With Jennie occupied, Elsie and Rory helped decorate the hotel room with balloons, and once complete we hit the park and grabbed an obligatory Daddy Daycare McDonalds. We even managed to arrange a birthday cake with candles, courtesy of our hotel. The evening was topped off with tasty tapas and the famous Hanoi Water Puppet show. 

Hanoi in the evening

Each evening in true backpacker style we enjoyed the delights of the hotel’s complementary afternoon tea, eating cakes and fruit as we watched the sunset over the city. Life was tough in Asia. When the sun went down Hanoi came to life. At weekends the streets around the lake were closed for street performers and literally hundreds of motorised kids cars. One evening the city stopped for a couple of hours to watch the football powerhouses of Vietnam take on Indonesia in the South East Asian Games final. Vietnam won, and within minutes the streets were filled with the Hanoi population celebrating, cars tooting horns and more flags than we’ve ever seen.

Perhaps someday we will return to Vietnam, we’ve certainly only scratched the surface. But for now we head to Bangkok with Molly, Elsie and Rory counting down the days until they see their friends in Australia.