Dear Friends and Fam-dam-ily,
A common phrase in Wyoming is, “Good fishing, poor catching.” Applied to our own adventures, a bad day traveling is better than a good day sitting on the couch and watching Netflix.
Vietnam has a lot to offer adventurers. But even with tremendous research and all arrows pointed towards a good time, our experience came up short this round.
We still saw interesting sights, met some of the kindest people in the world, gained a historical perspective that we could not have gotten anywhere else, and maintained our sense of humor. We are grateful to have visited Vietnam, and we hope that comes across in our retellings despite our discomfort at the time.
Perry’s Travel Diary
Crossing the Street in Hanoi
Absolutely no amount of research could have prepared us for the chaotic traffic in Hanoi.
Traffic is relentless. The concepts of lanes and crosswalks don’t really exist. Nor do sidewalks – they are the only place for scooters to park, so you walk in the street.
In order to cross, you need to force yourself into oncoming traffic. If you can’t catch a traffic break – which is likely – then you walk assertively while sticking out your hand and waving at oncoming traffic.
More specifically: you angle your arm out with your hand at roughly hip-height and slightly wave it with the energy of a disgruntled grandmother who does not have time for this shit.
However, Pete’s research on this topic ended at the “stick your hand out and wave” part… so during our first major street crossing, Pete fully extended his arm at the height of his head, palm facing down, until we reached the other side of the street.
Can you imagine what that looked like…?
Dear reader, do not, under any circumstance, in any country, for any reason, but especially not in a communist country while pointed in the general direction of a military propaganda billboard, accidentally heil Hitler.
“What are you doing?” I hissed at Pete. He was very embarrassed.
Thankfully, no one seemed to bat an eye at these two idiot tourists. And we observed the local technique before attempting to cross the street again.
What we did in Hanoi
As always, there are many, many more photos on Perry’s Instagram.
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoàn Kiếm Lake is centrally located in Hanoi and made for a nice walking area on our first day. The lake features Ngoc Son Temple and a second tower on a small island.
The area around the lake is filled with shops and restaurants. On weekends, the area is transformed into a pedestrian-only night market.
At the night market, be aware of people walking up to you offering shoe shining or repair services. Pete and his cowboy boots were an obvious target. They will attempt to charge an inflated price. Firmly tell these people “no” and they will go away.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
We visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and the adjoining Presidential Palace Museum on our second day.
The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is free to visit. Ordinarily, you can view Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body, but he had been sent to Russia for his annual maintenance during our visit. Other visitors report that Ho Chi Minh hasn’t aged a day since his death, so we guess those annual embalming oil changes are working.
Interestingly enough, Ho Chi Minh’s desire was to be cremated and spread across the country, but the government had other plans to maintain his image… quite literally so it would seem.
Ho Chi Minh is revered as a founding father figure, having been the prime minister, president, and chairman of the Communist Party in Vietnam. He is often referred to as “Uncle Ho” by the Vietnamese people, including our hotel receptionist. The Presidential Palace Museum (25,000 VND or ~$1 USD per person admission) contained his furnished homes, his car collection, and other historical information. It was worth the visit.
Let’s take a moment here to talk about the “Sweat Point”
The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum was about a 25-minute walk from our hotel. Normally, we walk to anything under 30 minutes since public transportation isn’t much faster at that distance (nor are taxis).
Hanoi temperatures were hovering around 90F. We knew ahead of time that it would be hot, but we completely failed to account for the impact of humidity – which had the “feels like” temp over 120F.
We’re sorry if this is too much information, but we have never sweat so much in our entire lives.
After 10 minutes outside of an air-conditioned space, we would hit what we came to call “the sweat point of no return,” or more briefly, “the sweat point.” At this point, usually marked by sweat dripping down your chest or back and the complete saturation of your clothes, there is no hope that you will dry off for the rest of the day.
You will sweat through all layers of your clothing. Including your bra, which I did not know was physically possible. It is. It was that freaking hot.
The only cure once you’ve hit the sweat point is to return to an air-conditioned room, strip off all of your clothing, lie in a puddle of heat stroke, and eventually gather the energy to shower, knowing that you’ll need to shower again if you ever return to the outdoors.
It was absolutely miserable and made it near-impossible to explore Hanoi.
Hỏa Lò Prison (The Hanoi Hilton)
Our final visit to the major tourist attractions of Hanoi was the infamous Hanoi Hilton.
Most of the museum was focused on how the Hoa Lo prison was used during the French colonial days, detailing the deplorable conditions and torture experienced by Vietnamese revolutionaries imprisoned there. There is a huge focus on the Vietnamese desire for independence. The Vietnamese prisoners are portrayed as heroes.
Two rooms at the end of the museum focus on the American prisoners during the Vietnam war. The exhibit – in stark contrast to the rest of the museum – focuses on how well the Americans were treated. Displays include their sports equipment and a jolly Christmas celebration. There is no mention of the torture experienced by the American prisoners of war.
A photo of John McCain visiting the site decades later hangs in the prison museum in what is portrayed as an act of solidarity. Say what you will about the late senator – it takes courage to return to a place with that kind of history.
This narrative was not surprising (and it’s well documented by other travel writers). The way they described the Vietnamese fight for independence and the actions of their revolutionaries felt very similar to the way America prides itself on its own history, independence, and freedom. But the omissions at the end were a strong reminder to always check your sources and their potential motives.
Additional thoughts from Pete: We can’t say that we understand enough about the Vietnam War, the related Secret War in surrounding Cambodia, or the true intentions of anyone involved. It isn’t our place to pass judgment. All we can say with certainty is that it was extreme and brutal for those who experienced it and the wound has been slow healing for those who survived it, American and Vietnamese alike. What stood out to us the most was how little animosity was held towards Americans during our time in Vietnam. Everyone in Vietnam was absolutely genuine and friendly. They were happy to get to know us despite the relative recency of the Vietnam war.
Itinerary
Hotel
La Passion Hotel Hanoi – $25/night for our five-night stay after a long-stay discount. It was $33/night for just one night after our Ha Long Bay cruise. There is a 3% credit card fee if not paying in cash. The hotel and rooms were recently built/remodeled. The rooms are small compared to American standards. A lovely breakfast was included.
Food
We had trouble finding food that we truly loved in Vietnam. That said, we tried:
- Bahn Mi 25: You guessed it – yummy and cheap Bahn Mi sandwiches.
- The Note Coffee: Coconut Coffee in a kitschy cafe.
- The Gourmet Corner for a fancy dinner. I tried the sea bass. The rooftop view was great; the food was okay.
- Pizza 4Ps: We’re embarrassed to admit this was our favorite restaurant in Vietnam. It’s a chain. We ate at three separate locations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
- Grab: The Uber and Uber Eats of Southeast Asia. We frequently used Grab to deliver food when we were avoiding the traffic and the heat.
Transportation
Because we were arriving after 10 PM and without any Vietnamese currency, we arranged a one-way private airport transfer through our hotel for $18 USD.
On our return trip, we took public bus line 86 to the airport for 45,000 VND (~$2) per person. The bus was 30 minutes later than the posted schedule. The ride was smooth and air-conditioned.
We didn’t take any taxis but Grab works great for that. And if you didn’t get the hint, take a taxi to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, for goodness sake.
Currency
Vietnam uses the Vietnamese Dong (VND).
We used Agribank ATMs to withdraw cash, as they offer the best exchange rate and lowest fees.
Credit cards were not widely accepted. Unless you have made arrangements in advance to pay by card, assume you will need cash.
Pete’s Travel Diary
Overall
Internet research may lead one to believe the best of Vietnam can be had for pennies on the dollar. However, we encountered varied results with this goal. A crisp and tasty beer for under a dollar? Easily found, and an absolute godsend after a sweaty hike through Hanoi. An affordable and gently paced beach vacation with the kids in Hoi An? Also very doable.
But in many cases, budget travel in Hanoi and Vietnam left a lot to be desired. We recommend maximizing your budget here and booking 5-star experiences (or the highest luxury you can). Pricing is still very affordable compared to anywhere else. Basically – you get what you pay for.
We spent 5 nights in Hanoi, but you only need 2-3 days here if you’re on a shorter vacation. And we definitely don’t recommend visiting over the summer, unless you’re looking for the world’s most traffic-filled sauna.
Pete’s Travel Tip of the Week
You’re gonna need water when it’s this hot
Some people have an emotional support water bottle. We have an emotional support LifeStraw Water Filter Gravity Bag.
One of our most popular questions before we left was about water – whether we could drink it, how we would get it, etc. This is the answer.
Most of the countries we’re visiting do not have drinkable tap water (at least that the average American tourist can stomach without *consequences*). Convenience stores and many, if not all, hotels and hostels will have bottled water available for purchase ($0.50-2 USD per 1.5 liters), but that adds up. We like the convenience of being able to produce a gallon of drinkable water without leaving our room.
Things to keep your eye on:
- Brushing your teeth/rinsing a toothbrush in the sink (use a bottle of clean water)
- Ice cubes/iced drinks
- Swimming pools/fresh bodies of water (it only takes one fellow traveler with diarrhea to ruin a pool party)
The LifeStraw Gravity Bag does not filter viruses or other organisms less than 2 microns in diameter. Depending on the exact issue with the local water, you may need to purchase purified (not just filtered) water.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, we’d love it if you would share us with your friends.
Until next time,
Pete and Perry