This post is long overdue but covers the trip that sparked my interest of solo travels. Back in the winter of 2015 I boarded a plane from Tokyo to the northern part of Vietnam for an unplanned 8 day solo adventure. Starting in Hanoi, to the rice fields of Sapa, and ending with the beautiful limestones karst of Ha Long Bay. Most rememberable spots listed below.
HANOI:
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| The Hung Snake Restaurant |
Starting off in Hanoi I stopped a taxi driver on a mo-ped and convinced him to become my chauffeur for the day. He drove me all around the city and waited until I was done sight seeing at each spot to take me to another. This was definitely a great way to see all that the city had to offer from the view point of a local and was relatively cheap (~15-20$ USD). Before arriving in Vietnam I had read about the delicacy of taking shots of still-beating cobra hearts, something I could not pass up. The Hung Snake Restaurant is where I had the pleasure of marking this one off the bucket list. Here I ate snake served 11 ways, dining beside two Vietnamese men who partake in this delicacy weekly because they believe the cobra heart makes them stronger. (1 million Dong; ~42$ USD)
Visiting markets are one of my most favorite things to do in foreign countries and Hanoi did not disappoint. They offer many, and though I can't remember exactly which one I attended, I'm sure which ever one you stumble upon will be just as enjoyable. Forewarning, they are NOT for the faint of heart or any PETA activist. It was very common to see dog on a stick or fish being scaled alive. Also, DO NOT wear flip flops in the city. As I was walking I kept having to walk over puddles which was really strange to me because it hadn't rained in a few days. On the last day of my trip I witnessed a child use the side walk as a bathroom; and it all made sense haha. YOU ARE WELCOME!
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| Fish Market in Hanoi |
Must See places in Hanoi:
The Hung Snake Restaurant
33 Le Mat | Viet Hung, Long Bien, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Trấn Quốc Pagoda
Thanh Niên 巴亭, 100000, Vietnam
SAPA:
A friend of mine suggested I go further inland and check out the rice fields of Sapa. I took the suggestion and am so glad I did! The scenic views this place had to offer were breathtaking. I boarded a night train out of Hanoi Train Station and arrived the next morning in Sapa. My hotel was in the mountain tops and cost roughly 25$ USD a night.
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| Hmong woman of Sapa |
The weather wasn't the best in early December, so expect rain and overcasted skies with sporadic sunshine. There is a town center here where I played soccer in the arena with the local children and lining the city streets are Hmong woman selling handmade items. These woman live on the outskirts of town in the mountains and trek 1.5hrs each day into town. At the tour agencies in town you can purchase tours to go and visit these villages. However, before my trip I read the best way to experience the villages is to go with one of the Hmong woman themselves; 1. because all of the money goes directly to the family vice the tour agency and 2. you see how the Hmong people live and spend the night in the home if you so choose to. I took the advice and made friends with a Hmong woman selling goods on the street and made plans to meet her in the town center the next day.
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| Bed for the night |
IF YOU EVER WANT TO DO A HOMESTAY, SAPA IS THE PLACE TO DO IT. After meeting up in the center the next morning we made the trek to her village. Her family of 8 lived in a two bedroom brick house complete with a tin roof.The floor of the home was hardened dirt that she swept multiple times a day. Inside the kitchen was a hole dug into the ground in that served as a stove and heater during the winter months. I enjoyed two amazing meals with this family and took part in a cross-stitching circle at the villages church. That night the family graciously offered me the second bed; a piece of plywood stacked up by bricks and covered in burlap sacks and a blanket. I was definitely not prepared that night for the winter cold, and this is what likely led to the later on cold I caught. I only stayed one night with the family, and on our way back to town we stopped at an authentic Pho place whose decor was complete with dead chickens hanging by there necks on the wall waiting for their time to shine.
It was Pho-cking amazing.
Helpful Sapa Links:
Hanoi to Sapa Train Tickets
120 Lê Duẩn, Văn Miếu, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
PHO - Quán Phở Tùng Hà Nội
071 Xuân Viên, TT. Sa Pa, Sa Pa, Sa Pả Lào Cai, Vietnam
HA LONG BAY:
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| Floating market in Ha Long Bay |
On the train back to Hanoi I met a German girl who had plans to go to CatBa, I gladly tagged along on the adventure. We took a bus then ferry to Cat Ba Island where we met a English man who was working in Vietnam and on a weekend sightseeing trip. He joined us and off the three of us went. We made it to Cat Ba and stumbled upon a cheap hostel to stay in. This was my first hostel experience and I really wanted to dive into it, so I passed up the 4 bed female dorm and stayed in the 5$ a night 30 bed mixed dorm, what a way to pop my hostel cherry LOL. We then decided to rent mopeds and check out the sights. By far the best way to see the landscape of the island! The views, even in the overcasted weather were beautiful. Thankfully the next day when we went to Ha Long Bay on a boat tour the sun decided to come out. The tour was booked through our hostel and I don't remember the price but Id guess around 30$ USD. It was an all day event that included a kayaking tour through the limestone karst. We also got off on multiple islands throughout the bay to swim/hike.
Sadly, I ended up getting extremely sick at the end of this trip and left a night early back to Hanoi. But Catba does offer a nice backpacking scene and has many bars. Strongly suggest you check out this little piece of paradise if ever adventuring in the North!
Helpful Ha Long Bay Links:
Catba Central Hostel
Một Tháng Tư, TT. Cát Bà, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam
Ha Long Bay Tour
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