I visited Vietnam in 2017 during the rainy season. I landed at Saigon/Ho Chi Minh airport on a rainy day and took a taxi to the city center. Unfortunately, our hotel was in a narrow lane that cars couldn’t enter. We had to walk to the hotel with our suitcases, getting completely soaked and our luggage wet!

While in Ho Chi Minh City, we went on a couple of tours. After that, we moved to beautiful Hoi An. What a lovely experience! Hoi An is more rural and home to the UNESCO-protected old town, which is so picturesque. I cycled through the countryside to find even more beautiful spots outside the village center.

From Hoi An, you can take a cab to Danang, a big modern coastal city popular with Chinese tourists. After visiting Danang, we continued to Hue, a charming town that used to be very bustling. From Hue, we traveled to Phong Nha, a quiet and remote rural area known for its famous caves.

From there, we headed to Ninh Binh, a delightful place with a beautiful river. We cycled around the small town, discovering more amazing spots. We also took a one-hour boat trip on the stunning river—highly recommended!

After Ninh Binh, we traveled to Hanoi. We stayed in the old city, a lively area that becomes even more animated at night. Hoi An and Hanoi’s old quarter are definitely our favorite places in Vietnam. You may want to hire a local expert from TakeMe Tour to explore Hanoi

Of course, we couldn’t miss Halong Bay. Since it’s very touristy, we chose to stay on Cat Ba Island and took a couple of tours through Halong Bay. The food was amazing, with affordable seafood and reasonably priced hotels.

Vietnam is a wonderful country with picturesque places, warm people, and affordable food and hotels. It has everything to make a one-month trip unforgettable. I’m going back this year to visit Hanoi, Sa Pa, and Dalat.
Meanwhile, enjoy my gallery!


















































Hanoi Selected Local Experiences