9 days in Vietnam

9 days in Vietnam. Each one of them worth it.

Due to the many pictures that speak louder than words, I will summarize our trip very briefly. The pictures are also labeled with the names of the places.

Day 1: We arrived in Hanoi in the afternoon and enjoyed the evening in the Old Quarter. Hanoi is incredibly lively and offers many cozy bars and cafes. But the most striking thing is the traffic. I always had the impression that the traffic in Taiwan, outside of the city center, is chaotic. Compared to Vietnam, the traffic in Taiwan seems quite orderly. In Vietnam, no one cares about traffic lights or traffic rules. How does that work? It's simple: honking!

Day 2: Hanoi has a lot to offer. That's why we spent the whole day sightseeing: Flag Tower and war vehicle exhibition, One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Railway Street, and Tran Quoc Pagoda.

Day 3: Day trip to Ninh Binh. First, we visited an ancient temple city and then enjoyed the incredible rock formations in Tam Coc by bike and on small boats.

Day 4-5: Two-day trip to Sa Pa in northern Vietnam. The journey was quite an experience as I had never traveled by night bus before. The bus left around 11:00 pm... after that, I didn't really pay attention;) After a restful sleep, we were woken up at 7:00 am the next morning. The bus was already parked in Sa Pa. After breakfast, we started a 4-hour hike with locals. At first, the mud posed some difficulties for us, but we managed the challenge without any major incidents. The Sa Pa region is beautiful, as the pictures show.
We spent the night with locals in a very simple accommodation. The food was prepared over a fire in the middle of the kitchen. Before going to sleep, we warmed ourselves by the fire as the house was not insulated and temperatures dropped below 10 degrees at night. This very simple way of life impressed me a lot. The next day, we hiked to another small village before returning to Hanoi.

Day 6-8: Three-day trip to Halong Bay, which is further south. The bay is unique with its generously scattered islands/rocks and floating villages. We arrived in Halong Bay around noon and spent some time cruising through the bay on a boat. We took a swimming break in between. We braved the chilly temperatures and went into the water. Afterwards, we went to the accommodation where we enjoyed the evening with another travel group. The next day, a short hike to a viewpoint was planned. The arduous, steep ascent was rewarded with a breathtaking view over Halong Bay. Back at the accommodation, we got to know new people again and spent another evening in paradise. On the third and final day, we went on a short canoe tour before returning to Hanoi, where we treated ourselves to a massage before going to bed.

Day 9: We used the last day of our trip to Vietnam for shopping and relaxing. The prices are so incredibly low, it's hard to imagine.

Early the next morning, we headed back to Taiwan. Although I only spent a few days in Vietnam, I will definitely miss some things. I had already gotten used to the 'normal' bread consumed everywhere in Vietnam, which is still nowhere to be found in Taiwan;)