Vietnam travel: Confessions of a tourist when arriving in Vietnam

Arrive at the airport

I'm Phillip, an ordinary employee living in Bordeaux, France. I have known about Vietnam for a long time, especially through the stories told by my grandfather, who was one of the French soldiers who went to Vietnam to fight. At that time, I was very young, and still did not understand why a developing country like France or America could fail at the hands of the Vietnamese people.

I heard that Vietnamese people are very good and friendly people with very beautiful natural landscapes. Even in recent years, Vietnam has become increasingly famous in the world for its miraculous development. That aroused my interest and really made me want to Vietnam travel.

My husband and I arrived at Noi Bai airport on a cool autumn day. But just like the reviews I've read before on the forum sites, this place is quite hot for us.

Hanoi is the first stop

The first destination on our trip to Vietnam travel was Hanoi - the capital of this beautiful country.

From Noi Bai airport, my husband and I traveled by taxi and stayed at a hotel in the city center. It was already 9 am. We checked in and rested here after a long journey with constant transit in several countries.

That afternoon, we had dinner right at the hotel. The restaurant served some typical Vietnamese dishes. This is the first time I learned how to hold chopsticks, which is a characteristic of Vietnamese culture. Although it was quite difficult for me to get the food into my mouth the first time, the restaurant's wait staff was still very patient. I advise you, if you intend to go to Vietnam travel, learn how to use chopsticks first.

Late, we began our journey to explore this beautiful city. My husband and I Vietnam travel on our own, not in a group. So we can freely go everywhere without being constrained. However, this form is only for those who are used to traveling and searching for information.

It took us more than two days to explore most of Hanoi, from Hoan Kiem Lake, old town, walking street - night market, Thang Long Imperial Citadel,... It can be said that this is a beautiful city and I can feel the peace of this place.

In Hanoi, I feel there is something familiar like in my hometown... That is architecture. Many structures from the colonial period still remain, especially around Hoan Kiem Lake. Not only does it exist before our eyes, but even our architectural ideas have been learned by them to build new works for the future.

But that's still not all. What makes me especially impressed about this place is the cuisine. This is a special tourist attraction of Vietnam travel industry. Vietnamese people are very smart, they learn from everywhere and turn those things into their own nature. Typically Vietnamese bread, its origin comes from the French who came here to colonize. Then the workers here learned how to make bread, then transformed it into their own specialty. Not only bread, but also wonton noodles, dumplings,... are learned and modified by the people here in their own way.

Ha Long Bay - Natural heritage of the world

Leaving Hanoi after a few days of exploring, my husband and I booked tickets to go to Ha Long. This is a famous tourist destination in Vietnam travel and a tourist attraction for foreign tourists. From the first moments, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful beauty of large and small limestone islands floating lazily in the blue sea.

On board, we were entertained by an extremely professional and friendly staff. They provided us with a delicious lunch of local specialties. I enjoyed Ha Long squid rolls, a specialty dish of this land, along with many types of fresh seafood. There is nothing better than witnessing the beautiful scenery of nature with delicious food in front of your eyes. This will be an experience I will never forget when Vietnam travel.

The large boat continued its journey, passing through caves and coves along the way. At night, we had a BBQ party on the ship at sea. Dim lights and gentle music create an interesting and romantic atmosphere. I enjoyed fresh grilled dishes and relaxed in the quiet space of the night sea. It was a memorable experience and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Sapa - Cool and pleasant

However, just staying on the boat and resting quickly made us bored. My husband and I left Ha Long and continued to move to a place where I felt like the space here was the most comfortable of all the places I had ever been to when Vietnam travel.

It can be said that the people here are extremely hospitable. With the cool air, we went on a walking journey to the villages of ethnic minorities such as the H'Mong and Red Dao people. Admire the vast rice fields and traditional wooden houses in the mist. I had the opportunity to meet and chat with local people, learning about their culture and traditional customs.

In Sapa, I also enjoyed the unique cuisine of ethnic minorities. I have enjoyed the traditional wild shiitake mushroom, a delicious and flavorful dish or the bitter bamboo shoot spring rolls, especially the thang co dish. Unlike Hanoi or Ha Long cuisine, it is easy to eat and delicious. The cuisine of this land is a bit difficult for us, I'm not saying it's bad, it's just that if you know what ingredients it's made from, it won't be easy for you to put it in your mouth. In addition, I bought traditional handicrafts such as brocade items as souvenirs.

End of the journey

So my Vietnam travel journey has officially ended. My husband and I returned to Hanoi to Noi Bai airport with many regrets. I wish I could explore and experience more. There are still so many landscapes in this beautiful country that I still want to see.

In general, Vietnam is a friendly country, the people are hospitable, intelligent and hardworking. Especially, they have a strong love for their country when everywhere I see images of their national flag. I began to understand why we, and the Americans, could lose to them. The war has passed, the traces are still there, but throughout the entire journey, I have not encountered a single scolding even when knowing that I am a French person, they have moved past the past and thrived. strong, that's what makes me completely admire. Even while Vietnam travel, although I met many other people of color, I absolutely did not see them being discriminated against by Vietnamese people like in my country.

Surely one day, I will return here and continue my journey to discover the people, culture, and cuisine of this beautiful country. Thank you Vietnam for bringing me truly wonderful experiences.

See more: Local weather information in Vietnam for a complete trip