North Vietnam

I’ve dreamed of visiting Vietnam since I got called on a stateside, Vietnamese speaking mission 25 years ago. Finances, kids, and various life circumstances made me put off that dream until now. Last month that dream became a reality. It was a sweet experience to attend church and to see how much the church has grown since missionaries were allowed in the country 9 years ago. Vietnam has such natural beauty and a rich culture and history that was fascinating to explore. The two weeks we spent in Vietnam were some of the best weeks of my life.

HANOI HOTEL

We stayed at the Hanoi Brilliant Hotel and Spa right in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Our hotel lobby was unique with fish swimming in the floor. 

It also had a living wall.

FOOD!

We LOVED the food in Vietnam! Usually our family half starves on vacation because it’s hard to find vegetarian options and because eating out is expensive. We have never eaten so well as we did in Vietnam! It has lots of delicious vegan options that are cheap (we could eat out as a family of 6 for less than $10, and even when we splurged at a fancy restaurant it was less than $40). In Japan fresh fruit is expensive, but in Vietnam we could indulge all day long. Our hotels all had a buffet of fresh fruits for breakfast, and mango and passion fruit smoothies became our new staples. Brooklyn fell in love with the Banh Mi Chay and ate it everyday. The only time we got sick from the food was when our tummies ached from overeating.

View of the city from our balcony.

HO CHI MINH MEMORIAL COMPLEX

House on Stilts

One Pillar Pagoda

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

TEMPLE OF LITERATURE

HOA LO (Hanoi Hilton)

This was used by French for political prisoners, and later by the North Vietnamese for American POWs during the Vietnam War. It was sobering to see where so many prisoners were held and tortured. 

THE FRENCH QUARTER

Vietnam was occupied by the French for many years, so there is a lot of charming French architecture to be found in Hanoi.  

TRAIN STREET

We got to train street right before the train was about to come.

We were quickly ushered to a spot to watch before the train rushed by just inches from where we were. We had to pay for some expensive (by Vietnam standards) lemonade to "pay" for our spots.  

SCOOTERS

Vietnam was a land of scooters! They swerved and drove all over with no regard to street signs or what side of the street they should be on. 

WATER PUPPET SHOW

We went to Thang Long Water Puppet theatre for a traditional water puppet show. It was delightful.

HOAN KIEM LAKE AND NGOC SON TEMPLE

TRAN QUOC PAGODA

CAT BA ISLAND & LAN HA BAY 

We spent two beautiful days at Cat Ba Island. Our fun guide, "Chilly Chill," took us on a strenuous hike to the summit of Navy Peak in hot, humid weather that we thought would kill us, but the view from the top was worth it. After lots of water, rest, and dinner, we went night kayaking with bioluminescent plankton. The whole experience was so peaceful and magical. After spending the night in cute bungalows on the island, we spent the next day swimming and kayaking in the bay.

NINH BINH

Ninh Binh is a couple hours from Hanoi, and is one of the prettiest places we visited in Vietnam. The view from the top of the citadel was spectacular. The lotus fields were gorgeous, and the boat ride down the river between the mountains and through caves was enchanting.