In 2015 I lived in Vietnam. teaching English as a foreign language. I was only there for 1 school term and didn’t expect to leave Hanoi. So I was delighted that I got the chance to experience backpacking in Vietnam.
In February, Vietnam shuts down for 10 days to celebrate the Lunar New Year, or ‘Tet’. So of course, I took this opportunity to go backpacking in Vietnam and to see as much as possible (for as cheap as possible).
I would’ve loved to take this trip over a month or so, but here’s how I covered 1800 miles and 5 cities in 10 days.
I also did this in 2015 in the days before blogging or GoPros so the picture standards are a little different to my other posts!
Travel: I travelled with a fellow teacher and we flew from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City then worked our way north by bus. (We flew Jet Star and from booking to boarding our flight schedule changed SIX times!)
Day 1 & 2 – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
After living in Hanoi for a few months, Ho Chi Minh City felt like a relief. We were warned about crazy traffic and busy streets, which is true coming from the UK, but in comparison to the chaos of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh felt rather spacious. Overall it felt more westernised with the big malls and skyscraper buildings.
Where: Phan Anh Backpackers Hostel which was very pleasant, well located for catching the sleeper bus.
What: We spent our first two days hitting many of the top attractions Ho Chi Minh City has to offer.
- Reunification Palace (just from the outside)
- War Remnants Museum (Powerful and fascinating)
- Binh Tay Market (Gets ALL the senses going)
- Notre Dame Cathedral (a blip of France in Asia)
- Botanical Gardens (Its actually a Zoo)
Top Tip: Be hyper-aware of your belongings! We were out on the streets less than a day before my roommate had her IPhone and wallet swiped from her hand by a passing moped. Its so common here we didn’t even report it to the police.
Travel: Catch the overnight bus from HCMC to Nha Trang at the end of Day 2.
Day 3 & 4: Nha Trang
Before arriving in Nha Trang I had no idea Vietnam was hiding a tropical paradise between its crazy cities. Nha Trang is a laid-back town, heavily influenced by the direct flights to Russia, (menus are translated to Russian before English). There isn’t much to see but it’s perfect if sun, sand and chill are your kind of holiday.
Where: Thien Ma Hotel (A basic hotel in a great location, and we paid $10 a night!)
What: The sleeper bus didn’t involve much sleep so we had a lazy start to day 3 by resting on the gorgeous sandy beach and drinking from coconuts. In the afternoon we hiked up to see the sleeping Buddha at Long Son Pagoda.
Travel: Bus Nha Trang to Hoi An
Day 5- 7: Hoi An
Hoi An lived up to its reputation of being a cute town, full of lanterns, narrow streets, tailor shops and canals. If there’s one place you can’t miss in Vietnam, it’s this picture perfect gem.
Where: We stayed at a homestay, a little out of town, but I would recommend staying central or renting bikes / mopeds for your visit.
What: We spent a few days here soaking up the slower pace of life and
- The gorgeous beaches,
- Wandering the streets,
- More pagodas & Buddha statues
- A day trip along the coast by moped.
- Lots and lots of spring rolls!
Day 8: Hoi An / Da Nang
On our final day we caught a bus to Da Nang and explored the more industrial city before our bus left in the evening for Hue. Da Nang is a working and residential city with the main transport hubs (airport & bus station) to get in and out of the region.
Travel: Bus from Da Nang to Hue
Day 9: Hue
My memories of Hue are probably tainted by the grey muggy weather, because I’ve spoke to many people who loved it. After the beauty of Hoi An, Hue felt a bit more rustic & historic.
Where: We stayed in a hostel (I’ve misplaced the name, but there are plenty around the central area all very cheap).
What: The main attraction in Hue is a massive walled fortress which we admired from the outside, but had spent too much money to splurge on an entrance ticket. We discovered that there are 2 entrances, one for locals and one for tourists, and definitely 2 prices to go with it!
Day 10: Return to Hanoi
After finishing up in Hue, we boarded our final bus, back to the crazy, bustling & ever perplexing Hanoi.
The trip was an epic whirlwind & highlights reel of Vietnam. It speaks volumes about this spectacular country that in 10 days we saw beaches, hiked mountains, navigated cities and spend more hours on a sleeper bus than I care to count.
I’d love to return one day and do more backpacking in Vietnam. There is still so much to discover. But for now, I’m grateful for the opportunity to see everything I did.
